Regardless of whether or not Playboy is paying tribute to the "Women of the Big Ten" or the "Lawyers Association," once women strip to pose, they inevitably reinforce the notion that no matter how arduously they've worked to achieve success using th eir intellect, they are actually nothing more than a piece of meat. If such women believe they are being taken seriously simply because their bodies are plastered across the pages of Playboy as opposed to Hustler, I strongly urge them to think again .
Although many people are under the misguided impression that "simply posing nude for a magazine doesn't hurt anyone," they need to realize that violence against women is directly linked to their objectification through pornography. Please do not con fuse material like Playboy with "art" - this is just another way of arguing for the subordination of women. Playboy, when stripped to its core, is nothing more than a magazine made for the pleasure of men and the devaluation of women. I encourage al l those who value such filth for the pleasure it arouses to ask themselves this question: "Is all this pleasure worth the dehumanization, subordination, and ultimate harm women experience?" - I hope you answer with a unanimous, roaring "no!"
Lara Hamza
LSA junior
As recent enrollment and application figures for Latino/a students demonstrate, the University has a problem recruiting Latino/a students as well as faculty. One of the factors influencing this is the lack of a space our community can call our own a t the University. Our community and organizations are in a constant struggle for space to hold events and meetings. The lack of a place where we can belong as Latinos/as is detrimental to the vitality of our community and contributes to the Universi ty's problems in retaining Latino/a students.
A Latino/a Cultural Center would contribute greatly to the University's efforts to recruit and retain Latino/a students, faculty and staff as well as making an invaluable contribution to the diverse atmosphere the University values so highly. As suc h, the University should pursue the creation of a Latino/a Cultural Center with as much vigor as many Latino/a students intend to in the coming months.
Nora Salas
RC senior
The article gives very comprehensive coverage of Playboy employees' understanding of the protest -quite enlightened - and reduces the purpose of the student protest to a few quotes. In the interest of actually representing the students' perspective we would like to correct the Daily reporter's incompetence and ignorance by offering the side of the story ignored in Wednesday's article:
Student posing: I have been waiting to pose since I was a little kid.
Student protester: I have been waiting to be regarded as a person not a piece of flesh since I was a little kid.
Playboy hair and makeup stylist: The protesters are misguided. I do not think many of those girls have ever looked through a Playboy.
Student protester: The pornographers misguide the public and perpetuate the subordination of women because it's profitable. These "girls" have seen Playboy and we've seen/lived its consequences.
Playboy photographer: They should protest something more national.
Student protester: Pornography is national. Playboy has the highest circulation of any magazine in this country. More people pick up the misogyny of Playboy than pick up a Newsweek.
Daily: Magazine officials found many protesters hoping to discourage women from showing their stuff.
Student protester: Every day, women at this university show their real stuff - their intellect, creativity and social activism - without putting their bodies on display.
We find the Daily's trivialization and misrepresentation of the protest extremely irresponsible and offensive, and hope the Daily will refrain from such shoddy journalism in the future.
Melanie Nelson
LSA junior, Co-chair, Women's Issues Commission
Yet, the Daily only mentioned the outcome of the presidential and vice presidential races. The outcome of the representative races and the result of the vote to change LSA-SG constitution were never covered. I would hope the Daily would do a more th orough job of reporting student government election results in the future.
Zachary Shirkey
LSA junior
However, this is a two-way street. Students should use MSA's homepage (http://www.umich.edu/~msa) to post messages, complete surveys and e-mail their representatives.
Assembly members must maintain "election type" contact with those they represent. This communication will increase the power and accuracy of the student voice.
Ryan Friedrichs
RC sophomore, MSA Communications chair