October 26, 2016
Ghosts of MC Carolina Brust, Staff Writer Halloween:
that one time of year that you can enjoy a bowl of candy alone and wear what you want without any shame. And with costumes and candy come ghosts. We all have a ghost story, or at least know someone that does. Meredith College is no exception to this, having its own fair share of paranormal ghouls. Throughout the years, Angels have reported strange sightings on campus, in their residence halls, and even in the elevator. In spirit of the Halloween season, I present to you… Ghosts of Meredith College. According to legend, Molly was a sophomore resident of Brewer when she discovered she was
pregnant. With the father of the child unknown, she decided to save herself from the scandal by jumping down the elevator shaft. Her body is said to reside in the basement of Brewer and her spirit haunts the elevator to this day. Rumor has it that every time you ride the elevator, you have to be nice to the resident ghost or face the consequences. “I’ve had some friends that were taken to the basement instead of the first floor at Brewer, they said it really creepy!” said Torie Tracy. The weird thing is, there is no button to the basement but a key hole instead. The only way to get down there is either with a key or have someone
in the basement call for the elevator. Remember this next time you get on the elevator, and give a little hello to Molly for me. The other ghosts of MC are recorded in the archives of the Meredith Herald, previously named The Twig. In an article appropriately titled “Ghost on Campus...Aaaag!”, a former staff writer writes about the ghosts on campus during the ‘90s and recounts her own experiences. “The most well-known haunt is in 4th Brewer….a student hanged herself and haunts the hall to this day. Moaning fills the silences - though I’m told she stops if you ask her to,” writes
Ginny Bonkemeyer. How sweet, just like our dear friend Molly. Bonkemeyer continues to tell of a ghost that scaled the trees of Stringfield and peeked through the windows. The last ghost is a personal favorite to Bonkemeyer, by the name of Casper. “My loyalties will always remain with our little friend...in my 1st Vann bathroom. Casper would move the bathroom door and cast shadowy lights...but he always kept us company.” Do you have any ghost stories to share? Have a Happy Halloween and keep an eye out for your neighborhood spirits!
The Experience - Corn-tastrophes and All Teressa Berton, Staff Writer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, Cornhuskin’ is here! While many students here on campus will be a part of this beloved Meredith tradition, few know its history on campus. Cornhuskin’ has been a part of campus life since its conception in 1945 as the Meredith College Corn Shucking Bee. The tradition was originally intended to be a way to welcome freshmen to campus, but quickly became the class-wide competition that we know and love. In its earliest years, Cornhuskin’ was made up of many events, some familiar, like the parade and hog callin’, and others less familiar. Some of the less familiar events include cow milkin’, where students made their own cows compete, or the hillbilly couples’ dance. In the hillbilly
couples’ dance competition, students would dress in their best hillbilly costumes and perform a dance. Over time, more events were added, like tall tale and apple bobbin’, and competition continued to escalate. By the 1960s, the competition heated up with water pranks and other pranks on dorms. In 1976, safety regulations were put into place, creating what we know today as Hall Raids, as well as safety guidelines for competition. As time has gone by, more events have been added including tall tale, skit, and the sing-song competition which has transformed into the class song event. However, Corn is not always 100% fun all the time. Everyone knows that as Cornhuskin’ approaches and tensions rise, it can seem as
Leena Torky:
Women of MC SeungPang,StaffWriter
Neema Kimaru: “The BLM protest was important to me because it forced students, faculty, and staff on our campus to acknowledge the issue of police brutality among innocent African Americans, as well as other minorities. For some people it’s easy to ignore that this is an issue. You can turn off the news, the radio, block things out on social media, but it’s hard to ignore a group of over 100 people dressed in all black, laying in the grass protesting on your way to class. I appreciated that the Black Student Union offered a discussion session the following day so that people could come together, learn, and discuss change.”
if Cornhuskin’ is bringing nothing but disasters. Whether it be a reign of terror to your sleep schedule or making day-to-day life a little more hectic, the current struggles of Corn season are nothing compared to the corn-tastrophies of the past. We have all heard rumors of the insanity that was Cornhuskin’ before the implementation of the rules of conduct in 1976. Maybe you have heard the unconfirmed story of a sneaky student who fell through the roof of Jones Auditorium while spying on the senior class’ preparations. Other catastrophes were the water pranks played on students by upperclassmen, as well as damage to college property. Water pranks often consisted of students pouring boiling water down from the breezeways
“Being here at Meredith has been the biggest confidence boost for me. Being at a women’s college surrounded by smart, driven, and caring individuals has really helped me get so involved and learn a lot about myself in the process. My amazing Big, Taylor Hudgins, started the FEM club (Female Empowerment at Meredith) during my freshman year and I have been involved ever since. Bri Crumbley was the second president of the club and really helped to get me even more involved in campus activities, and I really look up to her as a role model. This year is my first as president of FEM, and I couldn’t be happier. Meeting every week with such awesome and intelligent folks to discuss all sorts of intersectional feminist topics feels like a dream. This organization is a safe place for women and gender-nonconforming
between Stringfield and Vann onto unsuspecting victims. Thankfully, today the only remaining pranking traditions are hall raids. Over the years, Cornhuskin’ has continued to be a beloved tradition, that has grown and evolved with the college becoming a unifying force across campus. As times have changed, we can be thankful that we have a found a happy balance in our Cornhuskin’ festivities. With the rules of conduct in place, we can focus on unity as a college, and become even cornier together. Whether keeping students up all night, bringing Odds and Evens together, or joining alumnae across generations, Cornhuskin’ is a tradition worth experiencing.
individuals to talk about important issues, and most importantly to learn and grow from one another. It has truly been one of the most enriching and empowering experiences for me, and I look forward to every meeting. There’s just so much to learn from all the amazing people on this campus!”
STAFF Emily Chilton, Editor in Chief. Sarah Kiser, Associate Editor. Sarah Smerko, Features Editor. Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Niki Bell, Op-Ed Editor. Rachel Crawford, News Editor. Mallory Dean, Layout Designer. Olivia McElvaney, Online Editor. Staff Writers: Katrina Thomas, Yessy Anorve-Basoria, Kayla Kushner, Laurie Diggett, Carolina Brust, Morgan Whithaus, Lauren Cannon, Lizbeth Hall, Anesia Fletcher, Teressa Berton, Seung Pang.
News Honors Students Head West
Sarah Kiser, Associate Editor This week 70 students, one Honors alumna, nine faculty members and one staff person set out for Asheville N.C. for the annual Honors Fall Trip. They left Sept. 23 and returned Sept. 25, having explored Asheville, the Biltmore Estate, and a variety of topics across all disciplines. The overall importance of the honors trip is “being more well-rounded,” said Meredith senior Katie O’Dell. “You get to find something you’re passionate about and explore it, but also you get to learn about things you wouldn’t typically learn about.” After their arrival on Friday last week, the group took a tour at the Biltmore Estate. Saturday morning was spent with faculty in mini-courses. Every year students do reading beforehand, then conduct research with the mini-courses and make a presentation to share on that Sunday morning, so they get to see all the research that’s been done that weekend. Saturday afternoon small groups ventured out to explore downtown Asheville and the surround-
ing mountains. Some went to Chimney Rock, and some to Maggie Valley. Students could choose from nine minicourses in topics such as tuberculosis sanatoriums in 1900s Asheville, homemade Appalachian yogurt, conservation and ecological restoration, or literary adaption of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, to name a few. “Usually I go for the education ones… but they had one this year that was so interesting I couldn’t not pick it because it’s studying the movie Dirty Dancing,” said O’Dell. The 1987 classic film was partially filmed nearby at Lake Lure. This year is O’Dell’s fourth and final time attending the fall trip, and her first year on the planning committee. She helped to plan the activities, especially what students could do in their free time on Saturday afternoon. She came up with mostly free options like a walking tour of architecture, museums, and a thrift shop with an in-house museum on ghost paraphernalia, different ways to explore the city. “I like how we have free time to go ex-
plore on our own because that’s when most of the adventures happen. I remember when we went to Charleston S.C. we stumbled upon this festival that there’s no way we could have known about otherwise.” Meredith sophomore Catherine Jones participated in the biology/chemistry mini group with Dr. Powell. It was “about yogurt making and how it applies to being in the Appalachian area where everything is self-sufficient especially in olden times,” said Jones. They learned about the bacterium and chemical processes that go into making yogurt. “Because,” explained Jones “bacterium make acid with what’s in the milk itself.” Jones also described her visit to the Biltmore Estate. “It was huge; it was gorgeous,” she said. “What stuck out with Biltmore was the fact that someone had at some point that much money. Walking into even their dining room there was this …mantel piece. It’s just a mantel but it reached all the way up this 20 foot ceiling and there was a
carving of a war scene in it.” Jones, along with others, explored downtown Asheville. “There were a lot of interesting people.” She laughed. “This guy had a parrot on his arm. I have no idea why. He was just walking by and the parrot was just bobbing its head, a beautiful brightly colored parrot. Another guy was painted all bronze like he just came from pretending to be a statue. There was someone dressed like Avatar. I don’t know what was going on, a lot of interesting characters.” As an extra activity on Friday night, the honors students had a hoe-down with folk music. They learned several square and line dances along with the waltz. In addition to learning new dances, the Honors Trip is also an opportunity to meet more honors students. “The two big opportunities to meet people in the honors program are the honors downtown meet up and then the Honors Trip,” said O’Dell.
Clinton health a non-issue, says Meredith professors Sarah Smerko, Features Editor Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has been under significant scrutiny ever since she became ill at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony, and her doctor revealed that she had pneumonia. In a CNN report Clinton’s doctor, Dr. Lisa Bardack, said that Clinton “was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule.” Clinton’s pneumonia diagnosis has given right-wing conspiracy theorists and conservative media a field day. Conspiracy theorists think that Clinton’s health is on the brink, and have even gone as far as to suggest her team employing body doubles to keep up a ruse of a healthy presidential candidate. Conservative blogger Brian Joondepth of The American Thinker argues, “These health concerns are not a big deal if they involve the 68-year-old woman living down the block, but they do if the 68-year-old woman is the potential President of the United States, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Services, arguably the most powerful
leader in the Free World.” Joondepth goes as far as to claim Secretary Clinton’s health episode as “the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.” Is it though? Dr. Whitney Manzo, associate professor of political science, weighs in. Manzo says that “the whole issue with Hillary’s health has been blown wildly out of proportion. She was sick, she kept going because it’s an important time in the campaign, and unfortunately it fed into odd conspiracy theories that the far right had been circulating about her.” Manzo continues, “I would also say that the debate over her health is entirely sexist. Donald Trump (70) is older than her and claims he’s entirely healthy, Bernie Sanders (75) is quite a bit older than her and some people have suggested he replace her, and Ronald Reagan was older (69) than she is now (68) when he was elected and no one questioned his health. The common factor must not be age, then, but gender. The undertone is that a
woman can’t handle the rigors of the presidency without getting sick, and is therefore unfit.” Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promoted conspiracies about Clinton’s health, often commenting on her health himself. During Monday’s first presidential debate, Trump said that Clinton “doesn’t have the look [and] doesn’t have the stamina” to be president. How has Secretary Clinton responded to continual debates around her health and if she is fit for the job? Clinton’s response to Trump last night says it all. She argued back, “As soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, and a cease fire, a release of dissidents, an opening of new opportunities in nations around the world, or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina.” Dr. David McLennan, professor of political science points out that health concerns have posted legiti-
mate concern in presidential elections in the past, citing Franklin D. Roosevelt as an example, but are not an issue of concern in this election. McLennan comments, “Hillary Clinton’s health issues are not significant and, for about a week, it was a media frenzy, fueled, in part, by the Trump campaign and conservative bloggers. Her past and present medical issues are not unusual for her age and would not cause her difficulties in performing the duties of president.” Based on last night’s debate performance, it is safe to say that Clinton isn’t backing down anytime soon. http://www.vox.com/2016/8/18/12505078/hillaryclinton-health-stroke-conspiracy-fake h t t p : / / w w w. t h e a t l a n t i c . c o m / p o l i t i c s / a r chive/2016/09/hillary-clinton-health-conspiracyhysteria/501293/ http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/health/hillaryclinton-health/
ALittleLeapforaBigSpecies:GiantPandasNoLongerEndangered Katrina Thomas, Staff Writer Animal lovers, rejoice: on September 4, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) announced that giant pandas had been bumped down from “endangered” to “vulnerable!” The uplifting news also happened to follow the birth of twin cubs at Zoo Atlanta the day before. Pandas’ new status is the result of hard work to breed them, reforest destroyed habitats, protect their remaining homes, and increase the number of reserves. Additionally, in 1981 and 1988, China
passed legislation banning skin trading and poaching (respectively), which used to be large problems (officials looked into 115 illegal fur trading cases in 1988). From 2004-2014, the wild giant panda population had increased by 17% to a total of 1,864. As of now, reserves are home to nearly 1.4 million hectares of habitat and about 67% of the wild panda population. However, people still need to do their part to keep conservation going. It took 26 years to take this species
from “endangered” to “threatened,” habitat fragmentation is still an issue, and climate change is predicted to wipe out over 35% of giant pandas’ remaining habitats within 80 years. Additionally, many animals are still endangered, and some, including four of the six great ape species, are at the even worse “critically endangered” level. In summary, giant pandas no longer being endangered is good news, but it’s also important to continue supporting conservation organizations and main-
(Photo from www.huffingtonpost.com)
tain the environmentally conscious perspectives that got the animals here. Information for this article was found on wwf.panda.org, cnn.com, nationalgeographic.com, and worldwildlife.org. To learn about how animals are classified as vulnerable or endangered, visit iucnredlist.org.
Arts & Entertainment StudentPerspective:WhitneyWayThoreBringsBodyPositivitytoMeredith Laurie Diggett, Staff Writer On September 13th 2016, Whitney Way Thore came to Meredith College to teach a dance class and give a talk. For many attending the 4pm dance lesson, it was merely a chance to dance with a professional and have fun. For others, however, it was an opportunity to rediscover ourselves and our capabilities. Thore showed us that we can do anything we set our minds to as long as we work for it and prove that we truly wanted to reach our goals. When I first entered the auditorium, I looked around and thought there wasn’t any way we were going to fit everyone on stage. So many people had shown up, but somehow we managed
to all fit on stage at once. Before we began, one of Thore’s team members talked to us a bit about Thore’s struggle with body shaming and self doubt in the past. Having struggled many years with bullying, an eating disorder and a terribly steep, uphill battle with weight loss, Thore had found sanctuary in the power of dance and began her No Body Shame campaign. After being given this short blurb about her, Thore came onto the stage and we didn’t waste any time getting into the lesson. In class with Thore I felt motivated and engaged in dancing. She taught in a way that made moves come easily to me and helped me flow smoothly with the music. After
rehearsing a few times at the back of the entire group, I was ready to be in the front. I felt excitement from head to toe as we were split into four groups, all of which would be filmed dancing for Thore’s show, My Big Fat Fabulous Life. The music started and I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline course through my body. I gave that final dance my all and enjoyed every second of it. I soon realized that Thore was motivated by her love of dance and her unbreakable refusal to never let anyone take her passion away. Thore taught us that we cannot control anyone’s opinion of ourselves except our own. We are our own biggest critic. Thore showed each and every one
of us that we are valid in being ourselves. Thore wants everyone to remind themselves who they are, and I plan to look in the mirror and validate myself everyday for the rest of my life. Overall, Whitney Way Thore brings motivation and reason for individuality with every word she utters and every step she takes. Being able to dance with her and hear about her struggle with bodyshaming and self-doubt will have an everlasting impact on my life and I encourage everyone to go to one of her events if at all possible. It will truly make you see yourself and the rest of society differently.
Why is Hollywood Still Obsessed with ‘Whitewashing’? Lauren Cannon, Staff Writer Whitewashing, the act of casting white actresses and actors to play minority roles, remains one of the biggest controversies in Hollywood. Though it has sparked outrage for decades, Hollywood’s filmmakers continue to cast these roles to Caucasians because they think this provides the widest appeal to audiences. Additionally, filmmakers have claimed that casting a minority as the lead role is too risky -- they don’t want to spend millions creating a film with
a minority lead. However, research shows that movies with diversity typically do better in the box office. In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the female and minority leads led the film to success. Hollywood’s lack of diversity has gone on forever. For example, old-time Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor was cast as the title role in Cleopatra. In more recent years, Christian Bale was cast as Moses in Exodus: Gods and Kings, and Disney cast the heartthrob Johnny
Depp as Native American, Tonto, in The Lone Ranger. Recently, fans of Disney have expressed their concern over Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan. Fans are worried that Disney will whitewash the remake, as the company has in the past. Several petitions were even created, one with over 100,000 signatures, aimed at persuading Disney to cast an Asian Mulan. Whitewashing is sending harmful messages to the
audience; especially the younger generations who aren’t seeing diversity represented. Additionally, Hollywood often characterizes those in minority groups as “bad guys” and immoral. Ultimately, even after all the criticism, why does Hollywood continue to put on an ignorant facade when it comes to whitewashing?
Meredith’s Ensemble Theatre Presents Lysistrata Teressa Burton, Staff Writer For the season opener, the Meredith College Ensemble Theatre will be presenting the Greek comedy Lysistrata, written by Aristophanes. The play is about the women of ancient Greece at the end of the Peloponnesian War who have decided to bring the war to its completion; however, director Catherine Rodgers has updated this classic. In this fresh new twist,
the story is brought forward to the time of the American Civil War, where Lysistrata (played by Victoria Mitchell) convinces the women of the community that they have their own role to play in ending the war. The show also highlights the work of several Meredith College students and faculty, including sound design and original music by freshwoman Maigan Kennedy. Kennedy’s music
brings life to the play and pairs well with the choreography of senior Dielle McMillian. The bluegrass music and choreography brings energy to the fascinating sets of faculty designer Jenni Becker. Together, all the contributors to thsi production help to captivate its audience and bring us into their world. The production will be running from September 27 to
October 2 in the Meredith College Studio Theatre. Lysistrata is free for Meredith students and employees, $10 general, $5 students/seniors. Reservations can be made by calling 919-760-2840 or emailing boxoffice@meredith.edu. See http://www.meredith.edu/theatre for more information.
Movie Review: Kubo and the Two Strings Carolina Brust, Staff Writer If you must blink, do it now. Laika studios, creator of the 2009 animated film Coraline and the 2014 film The Boxtrolls, has just released its new animated, mythological feature Kubo and the Two Strings. Kubo (voiced by Art Parkison), the son of a fallen warrior and star, lives in the side of mountain with his mother (voiced by Charlize Theron) above a sea side village. There, the two haved
lived in hiding since his grandfather, the Moon King, stole his left eye as a baby and continues to hunt him down for his remaining eye. After his grandfather sends his aunts to find him, Kubo goes off on an adventure to find his father’s golden armour to face off against the Moon King. Aided by a monkey talisman and an amnesiac warrior named Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), Kubo learns more
about his past and his growing powers. Despite the limited amount of diversity in the cast, the film makes up for it with a stunning instrumental soundtrack and detailed Japanese backdrop. Inspired by Japanese folklore and art, Laika Studios weaves a colorful world of origami, magic, music, as a backdrop to the theme of finding home when you least expect it. From the first
minute, the audience is pulled in with eye popping visuals, a fantastic mixture of woodwork, yarn puppetry, and computer generated imagery that breathe life into our heroes. Finishing fourth in the box office, this film is a treat for all ages and will be sure to leave you at the edge of your seat. No matter if you’re five or fifty, this film brings out the warrior in all of us.
Editorials Fractured Racial “Unity” in Cornhuskin’ Rachel Crawford, News Editor
Meredith is famous for its traditions, especially Cornhuskin’. Corn is supposed to be a time of unity, celebration, and school spirit. Unfortunately, not all students are able to experience Corn as unifying. Many commuters, adult students, students with night jobs, and students with heavy course loads feel left out because they are unable to attend nightly practices and manage the intense time commitment of participating in Corn. Also, while Corn is supposedly about unity, many students of color have felt like Corn creates a racial divide that excludes non-white students from the sisterhood. When asked if she thought Corn lacks racial diversity, one anonymous source replied, “Yes, because they are based off of tradition when Meredith was not diverse.” Traditions are fundamentally passed from one set of hands to the next, and it seems like each set of hands keeps happening to be white, stretching from now all
the way back to the tradition’s origins seventy years ago (long before black students were admitted to Meredith). A source from the class of 2017 said that Corn leadership is directly alienating to non-white students, stating that in most cases, “people of color are not asked to participate in writing the skit, picking the theme, thinking of can art, or anything really.” The network of class advisers, chairs, board members, and subcommittee leaders is disproportionately white, which limits the potential for diversity as each class prepares for the competition. Students of color also feel uncomfortable with participating in dances and skits for Corn because of cultural appropriation issues. Inevitably, every year, pop culture references sneak their way into Corn: dance moves, slang terms, and more, often finding their origins in African American subculture. When a white student incorporates a certain hip hop song, dance move, or AAVE slang
phrase into a Corn skit, she takes something that may or may not be meaningful to students of color and treats it like a meaningless joke. A senior student adds, “I also think the language around the dances is not so inclusive. For example, if there is a hip hop section, the dance leaders use the words ‘ghetto’ or ‘hood,’ not hip hop. That is unnecessary and can be offensive to some people.” This kind of subtle anti-blackness can be unbelievably harmful to black students who are honestly just trying to learn a fun dance with their friends. Exclusion from traditions intensifies the racial divide that already exists in American culture, and it turns our campus, which should be a safe and welcoming space, into a hostile place for many students. “It makes students of color feel like they are not having the full Meredith experience, just because the majority takes over events,” one student stated. Another student writes, “You hear a lot about
the sisterhood; but as women of color we feel so disconnected because of the lack of diversity Meredith has. It’s already hard for women of color to feel of some importance in society and Meredith traditions remind us of that.” This is a major problem on campus that must be addressed. Luckily, there is a simple solution: representation and communication. “Include students of color in the planning of Corn, not just the participation,” urges a 2017 student. “If you see a dance choreographer or the co-chair for can art is a person of color, it makes people of color want to participate. It’s always comforting seeing people like yourself in a crowd.” Another student suggests, “Have conversations with everyone participating in corn to make it more culturally diverse.” representatives have been “very receptive to working together to better this
Little Black Rings Are Always in Style Niki Bell, Op-Ed Editor
Freshman year, I had no idea how much Ring Dinner would mean to me. I had no idea how much it would stand for and what emotions it would bring about. Sixty credit hours later and after surviving four semesters of finals, it was time to slip on a shiny black Onyx of my very own. After spending two years staring at upperclassmen’s bling, I grew increasingly excited for the day I would receive my own Onyx. Admittedly, it did not fully hit me until spring of sophomore year when I headed to the Alumnae House to place my ring order. Since that day, I spent months anxiously awaiting the moment it would slide onto my
finger. I looked forward to joining the sisterhood and to celebrating my own personal growth and accomplishments alongside the junior class. The entire night felt surreal. From the moment I walked into the convention center downtown, my heart began racing. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach all day, but as I walked into a sea of black dresses everything intensified. I looked around me at all of my friends and fellow classmates and felt instantly connected. It was an emotional rollercoaster of a night. The guest speaker, Nicole McGuinness ‘08, had a very vulnerable story to share with our class. She spoke of her battle with
cancer and expressed how important her connection with Meredith remained throughout the years. Having been a Ring Dinner co-chair, she knew all about this very special night. Nicole talked about how her Meredith classmates kept her strong and stayed with her during her toughest times. Hearing Nicole put everything into perspective, the entire junior class seemed to be in tears by the time she finished. Then, Jean Jackson took the stage and talked about the history of Meredith’s class ring and Ring Dinner itself. It was following her empowering words that the class of 2018 finally got to slide on their Onyxes. My eyes
welled with tears and I was filled with so much Meredith pride. The rest of the night was taken up with excitement, tears, and lots and lots of pictures. Ever since Friday night, I haven’t been able to stop staring at my Onyx. I wear it with pride and am so proud of the junior class. We’ve all come so far since freshman year and we’re now officially part of the sisterhood! I know that I will always look back on Ring Dinner as the best night of my Meredith experience. Nothing compares to it, and I’m so happy to be a member of 2018. We did it. Now go show off that bling, you deserve it!
Nasty Women Will Vote, but not for Trump Sarah Smerko, Features Editor
Does anyone else feel like this election is a bad dream? When Trump first announced he was running for president in June 2015, I really thought it was a joke. Yeah he’s famous, but what does this guy know about running a country? Who is up next? Taylor Swift? Now, November 8th is rapidly approaching, and this man might end up being the 45th President of the United States. Trump’s candidacy stopped being a simple joke when he called for a ban on Muslims entering the country, calling for “a total and complete shut down of Muslims entering the United States” (“Donald J. Trump Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration”, December 7, 2015). What about the time when Trump mocked a disabled reporter? Tweeted a picture of himself on Cinco de Mayo with a taco bowl saying, “I love Hispanics”? By simply googling “offensive things Trump has said”, you can find multiple articles and lists. In fact, the New York Times just published an article titled “The 282 People, Places, and Things Donald
Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List.” The fact that such a comprehensive list of terrible things a presidential candidate has said exists is indicative of this man’s character. I could go on and on about the horrible things Trump has said, citing multiple examples of xenophobia, racism, and bigotry. However, the straw that broke the camel’s back, the moment that transformed this election from a sick joke to a terrifying reality, was Trump’s comments from the 2005 Access Hollywood tape. I felt sick to my stomach hearing Trump brag, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful-I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ‘em by the p*ssy. You can do anything.” Wait, what? Did the potential next president of the United States just brag about sexually assaulting women? In light of Trump’s comments, I have been horrified to see other women defending Trump. Trump
chalked up his horrific comments to “locker room talk”, a pitiful excuse. But to hear other women defend Trump’s comments as simply dirty or crude comments is unthinkable to me. Trump’s behavior is akin to the creepy guys in bars we desperately try to avoid on a girl’s night out; his words similar to men who catcall us on the streets. Would you vote for one of these men to be president? No! These are the men who cause us to travel in packs whenever we’re out on the town, and who cause us to quicken our pace on the streets. Women defending Trump’s words is horrifying to me because what he said is not simply “locker room talk” or “mean words.” The man who wants to be the next leader of the United States bragged about making sexual advances towards women without their consent, and that is simply unacceptable. Neither candidate has perfect character. Frankly, they have both done some pretty shady things. However, I would rather vote for a candidate who
is under scrutiny for deleting e-mails, than a candidate under scrutiny for his sexually aggressive comments and demeaning behavior towards women. I would rather vote for a candidate who campaigns for the rights of women and girls, than a candidate who has so little respect for women as to call his opponent a “nasty woman.” There are many reasons why I am not voting for Trump; as a Christian, a feminist, a Democrat, a woman, but also as a human being. I cannot support a candidate who threatens the dignity and safety of any group of humans, whether they be Muslims, immigrants, refugees, or women. Newsflash, Mr. Trump, us “nasty women” are tired of being put down, talked over, and made to shrink as small as possible by men like you. We are done shrinking. We will rise, all the way to the polls, where we will not be voting for you.