Issue date: 4/22/09 Section: Editor Columns

When I began my tenure as Editor-in-Chief as a sophomore in Spring 2007, the University was reeling from one of the most controversial decisions it had made in recent history - a controversy that, two years later, half the current undergraduate student body likely has never
heard about.

Earlier in the semester, the University had forbidden a student from bringing a performance of The Vagina Monologues - a groundbreaking play aimed to combat violence against women - to campus. Though administrators agreed that the fundamental values behind the play were something they supported and in line with the mission of the University, its nature, they claimed, was too divisive to bring to St. John's.

Months later, however, the University unveiled notoriously misogynistic rapper Ludacris as its headlining act for its Just Press Play concert - a decision which former Torch Editor-in-Chief Stephen Pasqualina rightfully criticized as "audacious hypocrisy."

The issue ultimately boiled down to this: Ludacris was a musical act that, although just as divisive as a performance of The Vagina Monologues, would undoubtedly fill seats in Carnesecca Arena - and fill the University's wallet at the same time.

Ultimately, Ludacris ended up backing out of the planned performance for reasons unrelated to the controversy, but the whole scenario, which took place just a month before I took over my position on the Torch, left a lasting impression on me and greatly shaped the way I viewed St. John's these last two years.

I've examined nearly every University decision under a critical lens; after all, in light of the decisions regarding The Vagina Monologues, why shouldn't I have?
I've learned that it's of utmost importance that the student body - and future editors of this very paper - remain skeptical and questioning of University procedure. And as we look to the future, there is no better example to dwell on than the creation of a student-run Gay-Straight Alliance, a task currently being undertaken by sophomore Kyle Collins, and a task that could very easily run into the same problems The Vagina Monologues faced two years ago.

Collins' aim, as he recently told the Torch, is to create an academic and informational organization for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning" students, a group he feels is
necessary on campus.

Administrators said that they were discussing how best to incorporate such a group on campus. And Jose Rodriguez, dean of Student Life, informed the Torch that there have been a number of attempts at creating such a group in the last 23 years, but they all fizzled out, possibly due to "dwindling interest from the students."

Continued...

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