It’s that time of the year. The race for Student Union president is heating up and leaving red, itchy sores. Fortunately, Brooke Feldman is looking to put a stop to that.
In a race with only one candidate, on a campus in which nobody votes, for a position that is relatively ineffective, condoms have somehow become an issue. Not tuition, not the Guest Policy, not student life. Somehow the only thing worth discussing comes in flavored, lubricated and colored varieties.
Condoms. Rubbers. Jimmie hats. Call them what you want. If Trojan were running against Durex, maybe then the campus would pay attention. But for now, we get to argue whether the ever-present Lifebook — the holy bible of Boston University, which I believe was found somewhere near the Dead Sea scrolls — was violated by Feldman’s distribution of condoms. Only a university so perversely “politically correct” as BU could stir this type of discussion.
Sexual harassment is a serious issue. Women, and even some men, have dealt with unfair situations with overtly sexual tones for decades. But College of Arts and Sciences freshman Joel Kosh has taken it a step further. Kosh claimed in yesterday’s Daily Free Press that he believes the placement of a condom on his dorm room door was a violation of the sexual harassment policy in the Lifebook.
Let that sink in for a minute. I realize how traumatic a small wrapper containing a tube of rubber can be. I don’t know if Kosh’s door will ever be the same. After all, most of the doors in Warren Towers need some lube.
This type of complaint is the perfect example of how today’s culture works. Don’t like that someone gave you a mean look on the street today? Call the BUPD. I’m sure there’s some university code he or she violated.
It’s time to call a spade a spade. Sexual harassment did not occur. I’m not saying that a law — however asinine it may be — was not violated. But being offended and being sexually harassed are extremely different.
The condom was not used to pressure Kosh or attempt to sexually manipulate him. It wasn’t pornographic or suggestive in nature. It didn’t demand sexual favors in return for votes. It merely sat on his door, encouraging him to vote for Feldman and Mark DiCristofaro while alluding to the purpose of condoms: safe sex. Somehow supporting the use of condoms, which have been scientifically proven to reduce the chance of pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, has become sexual harassment. If I were to tape a couple Advil to a door, would that mean I’m encouraging drug use?
Welcome to college. If you’re an 18 or 19-year-old freshman who’s been so sheltered as to be offended by a condom, living in a dorm with a couple thousand college students is probably not for you.
Where do we draw the line? At what point are basic freedoms being limited to ensure the person beside us doesn’t blush? If you can’t put a condom on someone’s door, especially in a non-sexual manner, why should girls be allowed to display their midriffs in public? I would argue midriffs are much more sexually suggestive than condoms, yet on a nice day you’re going to run into them everywhere — not that I’m complaining.
In these kinds of situations we must weigh more than one person’s outlook. Kosh didn’t like that Feldman put a condom on his door. Doesn’t it matter that Feldman might feel her freedoms are being limited if she is not allowed to do so?
I find it preposterous that we’re even talking about this. Instead of having discussions on issues facing the student body, we’re talking about the campaign strategy of the few people with enough fortitude to run for a position — typical BU.
Hopefully, this issue will not be pursued and Feldman will enjoy a landslide victory. Otherwise, the model of inefficiency that has been the Student Union will only become slower and less effective.
