Nubian Message, Oct. 18, 2017 — Mi Familia turns 15

NUBIANMESSAGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | wednesday, OCTOBER 18, 2017

MI FAMILIA TURNS 15

wednesday, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | 2

Letter from the editor Hey guys, With this being the last time we publish in October (Jesus Christ, where did the time go?), you can look forward to some Halloween content this issue. We asked around to see how old is too old to trick-or-treat, for one, and that Your Voice is on page 6. Personally, if I open my door and see a grown man or woman, I’m closing it. Once you look like you should be buying your own candy, it’s a wrap.

The opinions this issue are going to remind us of some things we should know as Halloween approaches, key among them being that culture does not equal costume, no matter how cool you think you’ll look, and that no matter how sexy the costume is, slut-shaming is pointless, irritating and potentially dangerous.

Remember BIRT, the Bias Incident Response Team? Well we got the chance to sit down with Reggie Barnes and discuss the preliminary report. Not the sexiest news, but it’s important to know what’s going on on campus, especially as it pertains to bias. Look to page 3 to see what we know so far.

THISISSUE 4 ¡MI QUINCE!

Mi Familia’s 15th Birthday

5 GRACE FOR PRESIDENT Play inspires youth

6 YOUR VOICE Trick-or-treating

6 CULTURAL APPROPRIATION Halloween costumes

7 SLUT SHAMING

Appearance and sexual activity

7 KENTON’S CORNER

Trump’s attack on birth control

Also, happy belated birthday to Mi Familia. The Latinx student org celebrated their Quinceañera on October 13 and we have pictures! Congratulations Mi Fam, and keep doing what you do.

Speaking of birthdays, I just want to put it out there that the Nubian turns 25 this year! For our anniversary, we’re planning a special issue, and we want the community to be a part of it. So if you have a favorite issue or article, or you just have something to say about the paper, email us at nubian-editor@ncsu.edu and you might see yourself in the paper. For a definite spot for your organization, you can also purchase an ad through the Student Media business office. We’re offering a 25% discount in honor of our 25th, but only for a limited time. Contact advertising@sma.ncsu.edu for details.

Now that I’m done being a commercial, I’ll sign off with this: remember to stay safe and take care of yourself and others always, but definitely with Halloween coming up. The urge to act crazy is strong this time of year. Allow me to be the proverbial black mother and remind you to act like you got some sense. But also have fun!

Love, Anahzsa COVER PHOTO BY Kaydee Gawlik

The Sentinel of the African -American Community at N.C. State Since 1992.

Anahzsa Jones

Editor-in-Chief

Keilah Davis

Managing editor

Allona Wilkerson

LAYOUT DESIGNER

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message:

Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.

news

BIRT UPDATE NC State’s Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) will release its first annual report in the coming weeks. The report will include the number of incidents reported through BIRT, as well as incidents referred to BIRT through other campus offices.

A preliminary report shows that most of the incident reports were generated by students and that the most prevalent issue was free speech and expression.

BIRT is “a process and system through which persons can report offensive incidents of bias on and around campus that may or may not violate any institutional policy or code of conduct,” said Reggie Barnes, the senior director of campus community centers and BIRT coordinator. “We address those things that don’t violate.”

BIRT was officially launched on April 4, 2017 and received its first unofficial report on December 22, 2016.

According to BIRT’s website, a bias incident is defined as “any activity that intimidates, demeans, mocks, degrades, marginalizes, or threatens individuals or groups based on that individual’s or group’s actual or perceived protected class.”

BIRT’s online reporting form is available for students, faculty and staff to report bias incidents.

Peer institutions like Michigan State, University of Florida, Texas A&M and University of Arizona have their own

KEILAH DAVIS MANAGING EDITOR systems for reporting bias incidents.

According to Barnes, NC State used these institutions as a framework when developing BIRT. “There was already a structure when I first got here, but in doing benchmarking for all of our peer institutions and institutions around the country that have this type of program, we saw that in order to satisfy the needs of the campus, it was necessary to make some changes to that structure,” Barnes said.

Unlike other reporting units on campus, BIRT is not an investigative body. Any incidents reported to BIRT are reviewed by the Initial Review Team (IRT), which is composed of staff members from offices like the Office of Student Conduct, General Counsel and Equal Opportunity.

The IRT determines if reported incidents may require any investigation. If so, the report is directed to the appropriate investigative bodies and the case is subject to the respective office’s procedures. If not, then Barnes responds to the report and coordinates any additional follow-up.

This usually includes reaching out to the involved parties with the option of a mediated conversation.

“The intention of our processes is different,” Barnes said. The purpose of investigative bodies “is to investigate, to figure out why certain things happen. We (BIRT) just look at the impact of the things that

HORRORFEST

This October, NCSU Libraries presents Howloween HorrorFest, a horror-themed series of film screenings and workshops for the public to enjoy. This year, the series will feature films recorded in North Carolina and events centered on learning about the behind-the-scenes aspects of horror filmmaking, such as special effects makeup and music making.

Jesse Lopez, the NCSU Libraries Fellow who proposed the series, said, “The series is a collaboration between students of English 492, the Horror Film; the professor of the course, Adam Hart; and NCSU Libraries.” He worked with Marian Fragola, the director of program planning and outreach to coordinate HorrorFest.

“October is a great time to be watching and thinking about horror movies, after all,” Hart said. “But as somebody who both loves horror movies and takes them very seriously, I hope this gives students an opportunity to think about the genre and

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | 3

happen.”

The Secondary Response Team (SRT) is a large network of individuals spread across campus that, when necessary, are available to provide direct support to those impacted by reported incidents. These individuals represent offices like University Housing, the Counseling Center, Disability Services Office and Human Resources’ Employee Relations.

According to Barnes, so far the SRT “has not been as active because nothing has warranted a large response by the university.”

“The process enables the university to better support those who are impacted by bias incidents and to design appropriate educational interventions to improve campus climate, which is the part that’s in the works now,” Barnes said.

BIRT has faced some challenges during its inaugural year. During the first few months after its official launch, some incidents were reported to other campus offices, which lead to multiple offices investigating or addressing a single incident.

However, the preliminary report has recommended action strategies based on initial data.

Those recommendations include adding faculty representatives to the IRT and SRT, and adding a BIRT statement to course syllabi.

“Up until now we’ve only had staff

members [on the IRT]. We are identifying a faculty member and student representatives now.”

According to Barnes, an associate director of campus community centers will be hired by the end of this semester. Their responsibilities will include developing restorative practices for those impacted by bias incidents.

Barnes’ long term goal is to have preventative practices on the front-end of incidents in addition to restorative practices after incidents occur.

Thus far, no individuals who were reported for bias incidents have volunteered to come in for a conversation with Barnes.

According to Barnes, this is expected.

“We’re hoping more people will be more willing to have these difficult conversations,” Barnes said.

Quantitative data is also important in evaluating the effectiveness of BIRT. “We’re hoping that our numbers increase,” Barnes said. “That would be an indicator that, at the least, more people are finding out about it, more people are understanding the purpose of it, and that the cases that are coming in are indicative of what we do.”

For more information on BIRT, visit bias-incident.ncsu.edu. To report a bias incident, visit go.ncsu.edu/report2birt.

Kennysha Woods CORRESPONDENT

how it’s evolved over the last twenty years.

To think about what scares us, and how and why that changes.”

All the events are held at DH Hill Library.

“This is 100% a library-sponsored event,” Lopez said. “I want students to have fun. Horror movies are fun. I also want students to know the library has a whole bunch of cool stuff and spaces that they should be taking advantage of, such as our VR Room and Digital Media Lab.” HorrorFest began on October 11 with a VR Horror Game Night and a screening of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997).

“The screening of tonight’s film was completely full,” Fragola said about the attendance to “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

Lopez said there was “not one empty seat. It’s a different experience to watch a horror film with one hundred classmates

that are super into it and yelling at the screen.”

The screening was preceded with an introduction by a student, who presented its theme: bad decisions. The next two screenings for “Cabin Fever” (2002) and “The Descent” (2005) will also have short introductions explaining their themes.

When asked about the choice of films, Lopez said, “They are all excellent horror films filmed in the state of North Carolina.

I wanted them to get progressively creepier. IKWYDLS is a slasher flick, ‘Cabin Fever’ is pretty gruesome, but almost tongue-in- cheek. ‘The Descent’ is scary as hell.”

Upcoming events include a DIY horror soundtrack workshop in the Digital Media Lab on Wednesday, October 18 at 6 PM. You can catch the screening of “Cabin Fever” in the auditorium at 8 PM. On Wednesday October 25, the HorrorFest Special Effects Makeup talk with

Gregory FX, a professional special effects makeup artist, will be held at 4 PM, followed by a hands-on workshop in the Fishbowl Forum at 6:30 PM. “[Gregory FX] tours often, and this class would cost hundreds of dollars for a participant, and we are just offering it to our Wolfpack for free,” Lopez said, “It’s going to be lit.”

The screening for “The Descent” comes after the workshop at 9 PM. Although HorrorFest hasn’t been confirmed as an annual series yet, Lopez has ideas for future series themes.

“Maybe next year we can do a theme of Girl Power horror,” Lopez said. “Or Korean horror films or whatever.”

For a full schedule and more information about HorrorFest, visit www.lib.ncsu. edu/events/horrorfest.

wednesday, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | 4

news

¡Mi Quince! Mi Familia celebrates 15 Years at NC State YESENIA JONES CORRESPONDENT On October 13, members from all academic disciplines and various racial backgrounds could be seen enjoying themselves on the dance floor while learning the steps to traditional Latin dances in celebration of Mi Familia’s 15th year at NC State and the beginning of their scholarship fund.

The event had a Quinceañera theme, following a very traditional flow of events.

Peruvian food was catered by Alpaca and classic Quinceañera group dances were followed by anecdotes from past presidents and members. Guests were asked to bring “gifts” in the form of donations to disaster relief for those affected by the recent earthquake in Mexico and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Dr. Andrea Duhon, co-founder and former president of Mi Familia, started the organization in 2003 as a way to connect Latinos on campus and create an inclusive support group for students to lean on.

Duhon, who is originally from Miami, remembers a time when she felt alone at NC State as a Latin woman and one of the very few Colombians on campus.

“We called it Mi Familia because that’s

Kaydee Gawlik/Staff Photographer Gabriel Carrion, a fourth-year studying mechanical engineering, leads an attendee in a surprise dance, Friday, Oct. 13. Mi Familia held a Quinceañera for the organization’s 15th year in the McKimmon Center from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

what we were looking for,” Duhon said in her speech. Mi Familia started through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, also known as SHIP, which brought together Latin students at the time.

Duhon’s goal was to create an organization that would include all academic disciplines.

She went on to describe how proud she was of the community Mi Familia has created and encouraged students to use their voices to lift each other up, especially in today’s political climate.

Two other presidential predecessors gave their anecdotes on how Mi Familia has made a lasting impact on NC State’s campus. One of them being Cristal Vivanco, a 2016 graduate and former secretary, president and student advisor for Mi Familia.

Vivanco, a New Jersey native, described her high school as a predominantly white private school lacking culture. When looking forward to higher education, she wanted a school with more of a Latin presence.

She found what she was looking for in Mi Familia, and now regards it as her

“home away from home.” She recalls feeling welcomed and empowered to run for leadership positions during her first year as a member of Mi Familia.

“It makes me so proud that we are still as strong as we are, and that we are doing great things,” Vivanco said. She also said how important it is for students to continue to build Mi Familia’s community reach by taking initiative and inviting people to meetings.

As part of their efforts to be a part of the local Latin community, Mi Familia also announced their new scholarship fund.

Approximately 140 students, faculty and alumni attended the ticketed event and were excited to hear that the proceeds from the event were going to be included in the scholarship fund, which will eventually be given to an incoming freshman.

Stephanie Guzman, a second-year nutrition major, was especially excited to hear about the scholarship program.

“I think it’s really nice and a step up from what we already have,” Guzman said. “We have this program called Juntos, which is an organization that works with young

Kaydee Gawlik/Staff Photographer Members of Sube Ritmo perform a dance during Mi Familia’s Quinceañera, Friday, Oct. 13. Mi Familia held a Quincenera for the organization’s 15th year in the McKimmon Center from 6:308:30 p.m.

Latino and minority high school students to uplift them and help them to start thinking about college. This fund goes a step above that by actually investing in students and providing financial aid.”

This scholarship will be the first of its kind at NC State. It is currently the only scholarship funded by a student organization at the university that specifically aims to provide financial aid to incoming students of color.

It has yet to be announced what the criteria for scholarships recipients will be, and when the scholarship will go into effect. It is also unclear what the amount of the scholarship will be.

A celebratory cake cutting ended the night and solidified a moment of unification as everyone enjoyed their slice of tres leches cake.

“I think it was a good way bring all of us together even though we are all a part of separate organizations,” Guzman said.

“We always have fun sharing our cultural dances with others.”

Kaydee Gawlik/Staff Photographer Attendees enjoy the evening’s festivities by dancing. Mi Familia celebrated their 15th anniversary on Friday October 13 in the McKimmon Center. Mi Familia meets once a month on Mondays at 7pm in Talley 4101.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | 5

features

“GRACE for president” inspires On October 13th, “Grace for President” was opened by Raleigh Little Theatre at the North Carolina Museum of History.

The opening night event included book sales by Read With Me, one of the event’s sponsors, a “Grace” inspired gallery hunt in the museum, a photo booth, button making and a panel discussion lead by First Lady Kristin Cooper, First Lady of North Carolina.

Originally written as a children’s book

by Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, “Grace for President” is about a young girl who is confused by and fed up with the fact that there have been no female presidents. Her exclamation of “Where are the girls?” sparks a fun and informative election for third grade class president.

The play “Grace for President,” directed

by Judy M. Dove and sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, adds musical flair to Grace’s journey and invites the audience to be part of the story. The lyrics and music, written by Joan Cushing, incorporate many different styles of music, from ballads to hip hop, making sure there’s something for everyone. I found myself clapping along with the seven year olds in front of me to the explanation of the electoral college, a sentence I never would have thought I’d say.

Even without a child with me, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the play. Grace is a realistic, inquisitive, intelligent and kind-hearted kid, which makes her relatable to audiences of all ages.

Jessica Jones, who brought her daughters to the play, found an unexpected connection she and her girls enjoyed. “I didn’t

READY TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WORLD? DO THE UNEXPECTED. Connect with a recruiter: peacecorps.gov/recruiters

know any of the ages of the cast, but the fact that they’re middle schoolers, teenagers, and the fact that one of the cast is a home schooler, because we’re homeschoolers, that was really special,” Jones said.

Jones decided to make an event of the night because of how much her daughters love the look. “I thought it would be fun to have like, a mother-daughter night,” Jones said. “My seven-year-old got [Grace for President] for her birthday and we love that book. We read it and talked about it a lot during the election. I was researching field trips for our homeschool group, and I was looking through all the theater [RLT] had to offer and I saw this play, and I immediately said to my husband, ‘please, can we buy these tickets?’”

Grace Campbell is wonderfully portrayed by TaMya Bland, who attends Athens Drive Magnet High School. Bland learned of the role while working as a camp counselor for the Justice Theatre Project’s summer camp. She was told by a good friend that the director was looking for more females to try out for the part of Grace. After an audition and two weeks of anticipation, the role was hers.

Bland talked about the preparation process, and how she had to evaluate the character in order to portray her. It came down to one simple thing: “(Grace) knows what she wants, and she goes after it,” Bland said.

The panel discussion following the event was held on stage and mediated by First Lady Cooper. The panelists, girls in leadership roles from schools around the triangle, answered questions about how to apply what they learned and how they

ANAHZSA JONES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brandi Swarms/Contributed by Raleigh Little Theater.

Left to right: Thomas/Henry (Logan Harrison), Robbie (Blake Rose), Rose/Mrs. Phillips (Jessica Soffian), Grace (TaMaya Bland), Anthony/Mr. Waller (Matt Ellington), Clara (Stacey Mejia-Montano), Sam (Keith Petersen)

thought Grace could have done things differently. They offered the kids in attendance the chance to think more critically about the character’s actions. While the panel section did go right over some of the younger audience member’s heads, I saw more than one child nodding in agreement, or turning to a parent to add to the discussion.

You might be wondering why you’re reading this review in a college paper. The fact of the matter is, it takes a village to raise the children, and our community is our village. Am I suggesting you and all your college friends go see this play based on a book for six year olds? Maybe not.

But I am saying that if you have children, siblings, cousins, neighbors or any child in your life, Grace is a wonderful character for them to be exposed to early on.

Grace isn’t just a child concerned with politics, and let’s be honest, many adults aren’t as passionate as this kid was about politics. She’s someone who saw a problem and did something about it. That’s the true beauty of both the book and the play; Grace is a positive role model that children can easily identify with, especially children in the black community.

Maria Barber, an African-American mother who brought four children with her, said, “I thought it was a good show to see in the climate that were in. To see an

African-American little girl as the president, as well as a female as a president. It’s not something we see a lot in our current state.”

While Grace’s race is never mentioned in the play or the book, it is undeniable that she is a child of color determined to make a change in the world, and that is the kind of attitude all children of color need to see.

“This is an important story,” Bland said, “because it’s inspiring for black girls, and for girls in general, to stand up for what they believe in and know that they can lead.”

The play will continue at the North Carolina Museum of History until October 22. For a list of show times and ticket prices, visit raleighlittletheatre.org/shows/ grace-for-president/. And if you and your sibling, cousin, or the bald-headed kid you babysit on the weekends, can’t make it, the book is available pretty much everywhere. I bought one for my little sister, and even though she’s four and can’t read yet, I’m determined that the image of this little brown girl with the word “President” stretched above her head is something my little sister will see, know and believe.

wednesday, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | 6

opinion

YOUR VOICE: HOW OLD IS TOO OLD TO TRICK-OR-TREAT? Amrita Malur PHOTOGRAPHER

“At 21 it’ll be awkward

since you’re more of an adult.”

-Daiza Norman,

“As long as you’re

“16 is a little bit too old.”

First-Year Molecular Biology and Cell Development

“High school age, like

14, it’s more of a little kid thing at that point.”

-Quinton Mills,

Second-Year Science, Technology, and Society

-Bredell Moody,

Graduate Student Counseling Education

having fun, until you feel like stopping.”

-Katelyn McDow,

Third-Year Wildlife Biology

“20 or 21, 17 and 18 is too old

too but it’s fun, immature, and makes you forget about more adult stuff.”

-Demarcus Mears,

First-Year Exploratory Studies

Cultural Appropriation: A Halloween Reminder Halloween is coming up y’all, and you know what that means: we have to have a grown person conversation about cultural appropriation, because for some reason people feel shawn entitled to minoriFREDERICKS ty cultures and, on CORRESPONDENT Halloween especially, want to express how cool they are by bastardizing and diluting the cultural significance of other people’s cultures.

But plot twist: it’s not just white people.

Okay, so let’s get these fundamentals out the way: blackface is wrong, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) clothing is wrong and Native American costumes are wrong.

Now why are they wrong? Isn’t culture supposed to mix and spread amongst people to promote diversity and free expression? That’s reasonable to think, however the true dynamics of cultural exchanges are not so black and white (wink, wink).

Take for instance African American culture. Can someone tell me how white

people appropriating black culture has led to the uplifting of black people’s social stature in American society?

More specifically, how has the constant exchange, or should I say “transfer,” of black culture to white people lead to a better understanding of the struggles of oppression in communities of color again, more specifically, in the inner city?

People--and no, not just white people, love appropriating our culture. There’s Hispanics using the N-word, East Asians adopting black fashion, and South Asians also using the N word. (I’m looking at you French Montana.) Everyone loves black people when we dance, shuck and jive to a beat. They love it when we tell jokes, or put some of the most beautiful use of the English language in our linguistics and put some of the hardest rhyme schemes in raps that make the OG Dr. Seuss’ head spin.

They love it all, but cannot seem to keep that same energy when it comes to the everyday black person. To show admiration, not for the music or art or culture, but for the greater achievement of being one the greatest survivors of systematic and systemic oppression over the last four hundred years. For that achievement alone, black people should be given the highest of

praises and minimal belittling.

However, cultural appropriation bears itself across all different lines, including religious.

Now for a little history lesson: All Hallows Eve, or Halloween as we now know it, comes from an ancient Celtic holiday, Samhain. Christians converted this holiday and it eventually transformed to what we know today as Halloween.

There is, and always was, an unequal power dynamic. These dynamics ultimately come from colonialism. From indigenous people to the slaves, the majority has taken the culture without treating it--or more importantly the people of the culture--with respect.

However, it is not just the majority that practices cultural appropriation. It can occur between minorities, and I believe it is important to highlight this dynamic as well.

Recently, Black African culture has seen resurgence in popularity on the fashion scene. I would celebrate this if it was not for the fact of the egregious misrepresentation of African culture taking place.

As Journalist Zipporah Gene articulates perfectly in the magazine Those People, “I’m not trying to start a war, but I would

just like you all to realize the hypocrisy of seeing someone wearing a Fulani septum ring, rocking a djellaba, painted with Yoruba-like tribal marks, all the while claiming that this is meant to be respectful. It’s a hodgepodge, a juxtaposition, a right mess of regional, ethnic and cultural customs and it screams ignorance and cultural insensitivity.”

I make this point to say yes, without proper consideration we can offend and misrepresent a culture, and that there are power dynamics to cultural exchanges.

For the modern-day person, especially one who belongs to the majority, to be an active participant in culture, you have due diligence to approach different cultures with the respect they deserve what is cool to you may be sacred to others.

Culture is not a commodity. Culture is the essence of a people, their energy, their vibe and their wave, manifested in the physical realm. So be active and be responsible when engaging in cultural exchange, and make sure your participation is not to the detriment of people of the culture.

opinion

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017 | E

Say No TO Slut Shaming Halloween is just within our reach and with it comes a couple of things: spookythemed candies, seasonal costume shops and debates on the internet about the legitimacy of slut-shamKennysha ing. But despite the Woods internet’s propensity to CORRESPONDENT throw around words until they become devoid of any meaning, slut-shaming is still a legitimate term that needs to be discussed.

“Slut-shaming” refers to the act of chastising a girl or woman who one thinks is behaving promiscuously or representing herself in a sexual nature you deem inappropriate. For example, calling a woman a slut, hoe, whore, etc., just because she’s wearing a sexy witch costume is slut-shaming because you’re making assumptions about her sexuality based on her appearance.

In fact (and by this I mean “opinion”), slut-shaming is an archaic practice, and it needs to stop.

In this article, I focus exclusively on women and appearance for two reasons.

One: Men and women can be recipients of slut-shaming. However, the general belief about slut-shaming is that it perpetuates the sexual double standard.

Women are judged more often and more harshly than men, even if both are sexually assertive and show high sexual activity. If she flirts with multiple people, she’s a slut, but if he flirts with multiple people, he’s a player. It’s basic gender inequality.

Two: Some Halloween costumes marketed to women are the “sexy” version of something: sexy nurse, sexy superhero, sexy vampire, sexy firefighter. (Hallweencostumes.com even has Sexy Squirrel and Sexy Deer costumes, which, honestly, I think sparks a whole other conversation of its own.) They’re sexually provocative and revealing by standards of propriety.

Consequently, some women will buy these costumes and wear them, and I don’t agree with people making damaging assumptions about a person just because their costume is revealing.

We all know that the word “slut” and its synonyms have negative connotations in current American society. But it also dates as far back as the 18th century, according to psychological science researchers at the University of Mary Washington. In their study “Slut-Shaming on Facebook: Do Social Class or Clothing Affect Perceived Acceptability?” they say the word was used as an insult towards women of lower class, who were homeworkers and assaulted by male employers.

Nowadays, according to Merriam-Webster, “slut” is a derogatory word for “a

lewd, dissolute, or promiscuous woman.”

The word is still used to insult and shame women.

We saw it with the Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna revenge porn debacle.

Kardashian had posted explicit photos of Chyna on Instagram back in July 2017, some showing her with different men. “[Chyna]’s everybody’s and it’s been that way,” Kardashian said. The posts have since been removed, but those screenshots still circulate the internet.

Men are not the only perpetrators of slut-shaming; women do it just as much.

We can see it with the recent Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment allegations too. As more women publicly accused Weinstein of harassing them, Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, to name a few, Donna Karan, founder of the fashion brand DKNY, came to the defense of Weinstein, implying that the victims’ clothing was partly to blame for Weinstein’s advances. “How do we present ourselves as women?” Karan said in an interview at the CineFashion Film Awards, “What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?”

These examples provide a clear connection between slut-shaming and victim blaming. For every case involving a female victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault and even rape, there’s somebody going,

“Well, what was she wearing?” This sentiment detracts from these crimes and make the victim’s non-conformity to traditional social standards of appearance an issue when it shouldn’t be at all.

No woman is ever “asking for it.” What she wears is not the primary indicator of her wants and desires, nor is it representative of how many people she sleeps with, nor who she’ll sleep with. A woman’s sex life is nobody’s business but hers.

Although there are efforts in the contemporary feminism movement to dispel slut-shaming, such as model Amber Rose’s annual SlutWalk which, according to the their mission on the SlutWalk website, is “geared toward raising awareness about sexual injustice and gender inequality,” or women using “slut” to describes themselves and reclaim the term. A lot of work needs to be done to take slut-shaming out of our social fabric.

Halloween is a beacon of joy in the ceaseless string of classes between Fall Break and Thanksgiving Break. Whether you’re going to parties, trick-or-treating, masquerading in costumes or (in my case) watching scary movies as you gorge on candy, I think we can all agree that there’s no right way to celebrate the holiday.

But slut-shaming has no place in that celebration--or in any context, for that matter.

kenton’s corner: Protect Birth Control Oh look, President Trump is at it again.

I know I said I’d leave it alone, but for Christ’s sake it’s really getting out of hand.

His latest repeal is to allow companies to not provide free birth kENTON GIBBS control if it disagrees STAFF WRITER with their religious beliefs. It’s more than likely that a few companies who are more secular than a brothel will use this to their benefit so they can shave some money off of their costs. Although there’s plenty of vitriol to go around, I just want to know why people think it’s okay to do this.

From the top down, moments like this serve as a reminder that people can, in fact, be thoughtless in their decisions and wording. For example, the people defend-

ing the new act say things like, “There’s generic birth control at Walmart for about $9,” which has been a phrase used by many from Nationalist Review contributor James Allsup to random people on the internet.

There’s a few problems with this, the main one being people who say this are demanding that people take a certain type of birth control, in spite of what works for their bodies. Some forms of birth control carry extremely heavy side effects for women. Not to mention, it has been noted by multiple sources that increasing spending to prevent unwanted pregnancies more than pays for itself. The most recent study from the nonprofit Child Trends, shows that such spending would save an estimated $12 billion in total health care costs. But like in many other circumstances, actual costs don’t compare to religious morals in the minds of many.

We have never had anything close to

absolute separation of church and state, but we were moving there. The United States started to do things in the name of logic instead of rules and regulations based on religion. These rules are being used to control women’s bodies and it’s truly sad.

Men are not faced with the burden of creating another body inside ourselves, and legislation like this makes it clear.

The other phrases that I hear often ring of the same dog-whistle politics that most political rhetoric comes with. The personal responsibility theme is strong with this one. Some say, “I shouldn’t be responsible for paying for your sex life,” and others use, “If you can’t afford condoms, you shouldn’t be having sex,” as their battle cry.

My rebuttal to this gang is short and sweet: So only people with money deserve orgasms now? Imagine being told that not only will you be on the underbelly of capitalism, but you also no longer have the

right to orgasm while having sex. Granted, some people can still get full feeling without it, but some people really hate the feeling of condoms. Not to mention if two people have high sex drives, condoms can get expensive quickly. There are a plethora of other applications for birth control as well.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s National Survey for Family Growth, we are at a time where the numbers of unintended pregnancies and abortions were steadily dropping. That trend would not have reversed out of nowhere, so if the current administration really wanted to continue the trend of reducing abortions and single parent homes, why would they make such legislation?

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