2008 Woodie Awards
Contributing Voice
Helen Stephenson
Issue date: 4/14/06 Section: Opinions
As a Mental Health Counselor in training at the Hamilton Holt Graduate program, we are encouraged to approach our clients with an open mind and without judgment. We are encouraged to enter their world in order to understand them with depth and empathy. So I was presented with a dilemma during the Fall Semester of 2005 when students and a colleague shared with me a description of graffiti that appeared on the walls of the McKean Hall dormitory. I will not shock you with the details of the graphic language nor the drawings. I will simply summarize it by describing it as misogynistic and hurtful towards all women. Simply put, it made my stomach sour.
My initial reaction was, of course, emotional and visceral. Initially, I wanted some act of punishment or retribution handed out to those who perpetuate a view of women as objects to be used and discarded. Although I still feel extremely angry, my training as a mental health counselor leads me to ask myself questions about the perpetrator(s) motivation and personality. My questions include wondering what the author(s) of this graffiti are trying to tell me, a woman, who studies within the Rollins College community. What are they telling me about their views of women and of the environment and culture in which they are living? What are they telling me about themselves? The 'artist(s)' depiction of one woman showed me that the perpetrator(s) not only have a distorted view of female anatomy but also a biased, immature and under-educated view of sexuality and of sexual relationships with women. As a counselor, their graffiti communicates to me a possible frustrated sexual drive, an immature view of women as well as possible anger towards women. Perhaps they are frustrated that they don't know how to connect appropriately with women, or perhaps they feel powerless or emasculated and drawing derogatory pictures of women makes them feel more powerful. Or perhaps their artwork is a reflection of the culture in which they live; a culture that not only allows but also encourages men to objectify women. It may be that these individuals are simply recreating what they have witnessed countless times from movies, advertisements and magazines which have a real knack for 'sexifying' hate and violence towards women.
The fact that the 'artist(s)' left no signature tells me that they know on some level that what they have done is despicable and they are not proud of their 'art' work. Yet for some reason they felt the need to display their anonymous views in plain sight of the female residents of McKean Hall. I realize that much of what I have written in this letter is conjecture and really the only ones who can educate us about their actions are the perpetrators. However, the end result of these questions leads me to conclude that what has been clearly communicated is an invitation; an invitation to explore how Rollins College students, both male and female, view relationships and sexuality. This incident is providing the Rollins College community an opportunity to dialogue and ultimately to educate men and women, students, faculty and staff on the topics of our culture's negative views of women, of violence towards women and of how the culture in which we exist influences our views of men and women. Whatever negative behaviors and views our culture permits and encourages, we will experience here on this campus until we as a community can address these issues in a productive and healthy environment.
I believe this environment begins with the administration. It is the administration that can create and implement a structure that would facilitate a dialogue and discussion educating all members of the Rollins community regarding these issues. I believe that to address issues of sexism on campus, discussions should take place on all levels; students, faculty, staff and administration. By exploring our own ideas and views regarding the roles of men and women in our society, we can understand how we perpetuate the messages of our culture as well as identify the changes that need to occur on this campus. Through this process of dialogue, whether they exist in faculty meetings, forums, panels or commissions, we, as a Rollins community, can begin to create an atmosphere on campus that is not only respectful of each student but ultimately and most importantly, we can work to create a safe environment for all of us on this campus. The first step, however, is a commitment from all of us that we will not tolerate the hateful graffiti or the misogynistic attitude toward women on our campus.
Helen Stephenson
My initial reaction was, of course, emotional and visceral. Initially, I wanted some act of punishment or retribution handed out to those who perpetuate a view of women as objects to be used and discarded. Although I still feel extremely angry, my training as a mental health counselor leads me to ask myself questions about the perpetrator(s) motivation and personality. My questions include wondering what the author(s) of this graffiti are trying to tell me, a woman, who studies within the Rollins College community. What are they telling me about their views of women and of the environment and culture in which they are living? What are they telling me about themselves? The 'artist(s)' depiction of one woman showed me that the perpetrator(s) not only have a distorted view of female anatomy but also a biased, immature and under-educated view of sexuality and of sexual relationships with women. As a counselor, their graffiti communicates to me a possible frustrated sexual drive, an immature view of women as well as possible anger towards women. Perhaps they are frustrated that they don't know how to connect appropriately with women, or perhaps they feel powerless or emasculated and drawing derogatory pictures of women makes them feel more powerful. Or perhaps their artwork is a reflection of the culture in which they live; a culture that not only allows but also encourages men to objectify women. It may be that these individuals are simply recreating what they have witnessed countless times from movies, advertisements and magazines which have a real knack for 'sexifying' hate and violence towards women.
The fact that the 'artist(s)' left no signature tells me that they know on some level that what they have done is despicable and they are not proud of their 'art' work. Yet for some reason they felt the need to display their anonymous views in plain sight of the female residents of McKean Hall. I realize that much of what I have written in this letter is conjecture and really the only ones who can educate us about their actions are the perpetrators. However, the end result of these questions leads me to conclude that what has been clearly communicated is an invitation; an invitation to explore how Rollins College students, both male and female, view relationships and sexuality. This incident is providing the Rollins College community an opportunity to dialogue and ultimately to educate men and women, students, faculty and staff on the topics of our culture's negative views of women, of violence towards women and of how the culture in which we exist influences our views of men and women. Whatever negative behaviors and views our culture permits and encourages, we will experience here on this campus until we as a community can address these issues in a productive and healthy environment.
I believe this environment begins with the administration. It is the administration that can create and implement a structure that would facilitate a dialogue and discussion educating all members of the Rollins community regarding these issues. I believe that to address issues of sexism on campus, discussions should take place on all levels; students, faculty, staff and administration. By exploring our own ideas and views regarding the roles of men and women in our society, we can understand how we perpetuate the messages of our culture as well as identify the changes that need to occur on this campus. Through this process of dialogue, whether they exist in faculty meetings, forums, panels or commissions, we, as a Rollins community, can begin to create an atmosphere on campus that is not only respectful of each student but ultimately and most importantly, we can work to create a safe environment for all of us on this campus. The first step, however, is a commitment from all of us that we will not tolerate the hateful graffiti or the misogynistic attitude toward women on our campus.
Helen Stephenson