Walking to class every Thursday, I feel somewhat relieved and proud: The Mirror comes out today. I pick up a copy and stare at the front page, delighted that the staff’s hard work and long hours have come to fruition.
Then I notice that many who are browsing through the paper aren’t reading the professor profiles, the CD reviews or the latest sports scores; they’re reading Dan Stanczyk’s “He Said” column.
Some are reciting specific lines and laughing with friends, but others are visibly angry. Whether it be because of the references to women not being athletic or the less-than-subtle sexual allusions, men and women in this community are clearly upset.
I’m here to tell you that these reactions have not gone unnoticed.
But I’ll also say that hostility, which some students have verbally employed, is not the answer. Write some nasty comments on our Web site, call me an inadequate editor for letting these columns be printed, and I will surely ignore you.
Anyone who knows me knows that I can hold a conversation for hours, especially on topics about which I am passionate – The Mirror is one of them.
Want to ask me why this column is printed? The Mirror office is on the lower level of the BCC, and I’m in there constantly. It’s easy enough to write a letter to the editor (which only few students have done) with a faceless byline, but it takes real gall to confront someone in person.
Mondays and Tuesdays are our layout and editing nights; stop by and talk to the staff. It’s unfortunate that not one person has done that thus far.
“He Said/She Said” appears in Coffee Break where it is intended to entertain. It does not represent the general opinion of our newspaper, which is why the byline reads “Dan Stanczyk” instead of “The Mirror.”
Unlike news stories, He Said is not a specimen of in-depth research and reporting. But for your reading pleasure, I’ve done some research of my own.
In the Dec. 2, 2004 Mirror, He Said cites an “influx of hate mail regarding He Said’s alleged ‘objectification of women.'” The same He Said wrote such lines as, “Possible things that could improve [dates] are threesomes, joining a swingers club, handcuffs, whipped cream, placing a video camera in the bedroom, and/or exhibitionism” in the Nov. 11, 2004 edition. The issue of objectifying women, while very important and in need of change, is nothing new.
Do I always agree with Stanczyk’s repartee? No. There are plenty of intelligent, athletic women at this University. And truth be told, if Stanczyk wanted to silence any woman with a muzzle, it’d be me; I’m not afraid to speak my mind.
But just because I don’t agree with his points does not mean that I should single-handedly prevent it from being printed, nor does it mean that students should stop reading the newspaper as many have threatened. Doing so blatantly ignores the efforts your peers put into producing this publication, including my own.
I acknowledge that recent “He Said” columns can be considered offensive to women, and I don’t advocate such writing.
However, my instinct as a journalist tells me that censorship is not to be taken lightly. If every editor removed controversial content, newspapers wouldn’t exist.
Speaking to the critics: In all of your ranting, did you ever stop to consider who I am? I’m a senior in college who is learning the ropes of journalism, not a Pulitzer Prize winner.
I’ve been editor in chief of The Mirror for approximately 10 weeks, not 10 years. When I’m not at The Mirror, I’m hanging out at the beach and enjoying my last year at Fairfield. It is ridiculous to assume that I am the authority on journalistic integrity, but I’m working hard to get there.
Care to chat? My office is almost always open. If not, leave a message.
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