I once heard a piece of wisdom that has now become frighteningly more applicable: Don't do anything that you wouldn't want to see covered on the front page of the newspaper. That is, when faced with a decision, imagine the consequences (with your name attached) as the next day's headline. With JuicyCampus.com, that imaginary front page has, unfortunately, become a little less imaginary.With this in mind, Juicy Campus, to me, seems a little less evil. Knowing that your actions may magically appear before the world for anyone to read may make you think twice before you drunkenly leap onto a dorm coffee table (I heard some guy tore his you-know-what doing that). But, if it doesn't get you to change your mind about certain courses of action, at least it can bring you to the realization that gossip is real and it just may be about you. Did you do something you shouldn't have with someone you shouldn't have over Spring Break? Well, if you thought no one was going to know about it, you're living in fantasyland. People talk. And isn't Juicy Campus nothing but a collection of thoughts, sentiments and notions that we all may have but just not verbalize?That brings us to the racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, anti-geekism, whateverism that is so shockingly prevalent in our classmates' posts (was anyone truly shocked?). Now, at least, the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's communities can't deny that these are real problems. Instead of these thoughts being locked away in our minds, they have manifested themselves on this public forum and, honestly, it's pretty ugly. I personally haven't been attacked on Juicy Campus but I cannot help but point out the most obscene, disgusting and utterly offensive thing I have found in the posts: the spelling and grammatical errors. This is Notre Dame and Saint Mary's. Come on, people. If you're going to cruelly degrade another person or group in order to cover up your own insecurities, at least retain a shred of your own dignity and use spell check.
Rachel Bourysenioroff campusApr. 24
