As I rode the beloved Transpo Shuttle this weekend, I heard it referenced many times with a fun little play on words: "Oh the Sluttle's late again." I love the shuttle, and am thankful for the free transportation that is provided to us, and more importantly, I get a real kick out of pulling the cord when it's time to get off at my destination.
Any weekend night, you can see individuals waiting at the designated stops dressed to impress (or not), who eagerly anticipate the shuttle's arrival for their designated dorms on either campus. We're loud and crazy girls just looking for some fun, so the ride is pure entertainment. Let's face it, it's an all around great time. This is college. Embrace it.
A great proportion of students (both male and female) utilize the shuttle. I will be the first to admit that I have been known to use the preferred slang name, and it's pretty apparent that others use it as well. Why is it such a big deal if other students use those words, or play on other aspects of this idea? By making "sluttle" a common term in our collegiate weekend vocabulary, it leads others to assume we are fine with references of "sleaziness" and other associated negative terminology.
Really, in short, stop being hypocrites, ladies of Saint Mary's! Sometimes we bring it on ourselves. The Observer cartoons are meant to be comical. If anything, they should highlight the artistic and creative abilities of our student community. These comics range on a variety of subjects and take a fun poke at just about everyone. As your mother probably told you, "Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt you." There are more important things to be focusing our energy on, including recycling, saving Darfur, or even supporting our football team.
Let's stop bringing negativity on ourselves, and then maybe things can change. Words and references do not define character - actions define character. If we are the strong, independent women of Saint Mary's that we claim to be, our characters should exemplify that and no words, no matter how insulting, should shake the foundation of our character. So, this weekend, get all jazzed up, use the "sluttle" and learn to take things with a grain of salt.
Maribeth Yingling
junior
Le Mans Hall
Oct. 14
