Let's end the graffiti dance
Letter to the Editor
The Graffiti Dance was a memorable point in my Freshman Orientation at Notre Dame late last summer. Unfortunately it was memeorable for all the wrong reasons. Besides becoming very good at finding a place left on my t-shirt for people to sign and relating my name, dorm and probable major, I came away with nothing more than a t-shirt full of names that meant nothing, phone numbers that would never be called and disbelief in the fact that the graffiti dance was supposed to be the highlight of official Freshman Orientation social events.
So, what is so bad or wrong about this time honored tradition at Fresh O? Well, I guess not that much if you don't want to consider that we hold a "dance" were no one is dancing. Go watch the graffiti dance and there is absolutely no one dancing. Barely audible music and throngs of people walking around searching for that next phone number to fill up the remaining space on their shirt does not constitute a dance. Fine, so perhaps all that is needed is to change the name of the event. Well, let's try renaming then... how about "Waste of Time on Basketball Courts."
Recent meetings have brought the downfalls in the current "dance" into the spotlight. At the most recent CLC meeting our very own Student Body President Elect, Brian O'Donoghue gave as his reason(s) for keeping the "dance" the following statement, "There is a meat market mentality, but no one gets rejected." So I guess according to Brian it's okay to accept a meat market mentality. Let's really sit back and think what is meant by the phrase, "meat market mentality". The phrase implies that those at the dance, both male and female are viewed not as potential friends, but as pieces of meat, and thus call for the respect given to a piece of meat.
I believe that our student body and especially those freshmen of the futre here at Notre Dame deserve and should demand BETTER than a "meat market mentality" for those who are becoming part of our Notre Dame family. Further discussion is needed to search for an alternative to this currently accepted "meat market" of a culminating social activity for freshmen at our University. Walking away with a shirt full of names and phone numbers does not help anyone orient themsleves to any aspect of Notre Dame.
Maureen Gottlieb
Freshman, Cavanaugh Hall
March 8, 2000
All Viewpoint Stories for Tuesday, March 21, 2000
