Dear Dr. Watson: We are writing in objection to a valentine message which appeared in the February 5 issue of The Koala. We have enclosed a copy of this message. As you can see, it is a tasteless joke about a very serious issue for women and men; incest.

The Koala consistently contains sexual innuendos which are degrading to women, but we generally chalk these up to the bad taste and immaturity of students who use women, ethnic groups, and others as the brunt of their jokes.

With the current article we feel we must speak out. Incest is not a joke and the incredible insensitivity of The Koala editors on this subject warrants at least a reprimand by the administration at UCSD.

The statistics now show that 1 out of 5 of college women have been sexually abused; many by their fathers. These women have been traumatized for life.

Our society does not condone racial and sexual slurs in the press and we feel that the university community and administration needs to speak out to The Koala to let them know that these limits extend to the campus press as well. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Very truly yours,
Mary R. Virga, Coordinator
Jennifer H. Wells, Assistant

This letter is being written to express outrage at the above referenced item which appeared in the October 29, 1986 edition (Volume 13, Number 2) of The Koala.

I find it indefensible to include such a blatantly sexist promotion for violence against women in a campus newspaper. In an age where violence (particularly against women) runs rampant throughout our nation, making "fun" of such situations in the media goes well beyond the boundaries of taste and responsibility.

Freedom of speech and of the press are important considerations, but they do not mitigate the opposition the public (campus community in this instance) can exhibit by voicing objections to such expressions. In fact, such opinions clearly do not reflect the opinions or attitudes of many persons on this campus as well as other communities.

I would hope that the staff of The Koala would exercise more restraint in the future - and refrain from perpetuating such a demeaning, potentially dangerous, sexist view of women.

Sincerely,
Heidi Crowley
Vice President
UCSD Women's Caucus

(hjc)
cc: Elaine Brooks, Pres., Women's Caucus
The Guardian
Student Affirmative Action Ctte
Rape Prevention Education Program
Women's Resource Center

Dear Dr. Watson:

The Women's Advisory Committee would like to formally advise you of a recent article which was published in the October 29, 1986 issue of The Koala (see attached). We found this piece offensive toward women and furthermore, believe that it perpetuates violent acts against women.

We realize that freedom of speech is essential in our community. However, material that degrades women in this manner can not be tolerated. In this regard, we would like to offer some possible solutions which may assist in eliminating articles such as this in the future.

We suggest a set of guidelines that regulate standards for printed material on campus should be established. These guidelines should be designed to protect members of our campus community from distasteful and derogatory statements. Additionally, we would like to propose that The Koala continue to be held accountable to the Alternative Media Board, Associated Students, and the U.C.S.D. community for the content of future issues.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

Cordially,

Members of the Women's
Advisory Committee

Cheryl Cartwright
Lisa L. Cauble
Ellen Comisso
Winifred Cox
Catherine Joseph
Christine Oakley
Ruth Stewart
Mary Virga
Connie Wilbur
Carrie Wilson

Attachment

cc: Editor, The Guardian
Editor The Koala

Bill Eggers, Alternative Media Board

John Riley, President, Associated Students
Vern Perez, Registration Fee Committee

Editor:
The “Cold Fish” article which appeared in the October 29th issue of The Koala is an example of the kind of “smut” The Koala continues to print in their newspaper. It not only encourages and sanctions violence against women (i.e. rape, battering, and even “murder”), but increases acceptance of such violence.

Great strides are being made in raising consciousness and awareness about the reality of rape and other acts of violence against women. Women and men, in fact, are beginning to re-evaluate traditional male-female roles and to change societal attitudes, only to have the above article come along and set us back another step. As long as the many myths and misconceptions about rape continue, we will not be able to reduce the incidence of rape. The myth that “women fantasize about rape” is reinforced in the above article with the statement, “We are the beginning to every woman’s nightmare come true.”

The Koala, by such an article, not only degrades women but also degrades men, showing them as animals who are only interested in “one thing.” All men are depicted as expecting something in return for an evening out.” Researchers have found that the media (in this case a campus newspaper), by printing articles such as the above, can lead to anti-social attitudes and behavior.

The article not only demeans sorority women (“sorority teases, frigid bitch”), but women who do not ‘consent’ to sex on a date or any woman who asserts her “right to say no.” The article encourages the attitude that men should take whatever means are necessary to engage a woman in sex, suggesting that the man can arrange to “drug her drink” and “if that doesn't work” to teach her a lesson.

So, Koala, although we are aware that the media is guaranteed freedom of speech, the above article may exceed the bounds of the kind of speech you are guaranteed and may stray into that area of unprotected speech. Our program, and the many women and men on campus who have expressed their outrage to us, not only demand an apology, but demand that The Koala discontinue its practice of printing such material and that the newspaper adopt stricter guidelines for future articles and advertisements.

Carrie R. Wilson, Director
Mary R. Virga, Coord.
Ann Kruegel, Asst.
Rape Prevention Education Program

Since the Koala is not being published again this year, a letter to the Editor of the Guardian would be in order. I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Dave Marchick
President
UCSD Associated Students

Dear Editor,
Although I am completely supportive of the alternative media’s first amendment rights, I do believe that there are limitations to these rights.

In your last issue, “The Best of the Koala”, there was an article that equated Iranians with “dirtbaggers”. This type of racist implication clearly oversteps your first amendment rights, and it is completely inexcusable.

I therefore, strongly urge you to write a letter of apology to the Iranian Student Association. Moreover, I strongly urge you to print an apology to the students of UCSD and a retraction of your racist comments in your next issue.

Sincerely,
Steven Tauber
Communications Commissioner
Associated Students

Editor:
I am a student from Indiana University. A friend from UCSD sent me a clipping from the Personals Section of The Koala.

Basically, the personal was a confession to rape perpetrated against an intoxicated victim: "Sorry you were to wasted to remember anything." The writer flaunts the rape and tells the victim, "If you ever want to be my living blow-up doll again, let me know," clearly playing on the myth that women want to be raped. (Rape is a violent crime, not a sexual issue.)

The appearance of this personal is infuriating, horrifying, criminal, and cowardly in more ways than I have room to include. My first concern is for the survivor of the assault, who may recognize herself in his heartless description.

Though this sick man is trying to humiliate her further, she should know that she is not guilty. The shame he attempts to throw on her hangs on him. She deserves to care for herself medically and psychologically.

Women's centers, rape crisis centers, and mental health services are ready to help her. She doesn't have to bear hear healing alone.

As for that newspaper, I am appalled that they would print an open attempt at intimidation made by a rapist against a victim. It shocks me that they offer them blatant encouragement for rapists perpetuates widespread violence against women.

Rape and sexual assault are not funny. Trauma, victim-blaming, feelings of shame and fear are very real. At least 25 percent of the female population experiences sexual assault; many men are victims, and all people suffer from the violence and the ambivalence of our society. Why do they intensify the problem? Idiots.

The perpetrator sounds as if he will continue to prey on vulnerable women. He needs to be stopped. Students should watch out for each other. For his sake, he needs psychological counseling. He is a pathetic example of the destructive effects of learned brutality, sexism, and hatred of women.

Michelle Michelson

As a woman and a Koala reader, I am insulted and outraged. I'm sure that the "Super Dode" article was intended to be simply a humorous parody of the "battle of the sexes." However, it is actually a glorification of sexual violence and assault.

That one female student was offended by your article probably does not bother a pack of male chauvinists whose publication regularly insults women and anyone else they can think of. The Koala prides itself on its ability to insult, outrage and offend people.

But on a college campus where sexual harassment occurs regularly and rape and sexual assault occur yearly, the publication of such an article is more than offensive - it is DANGEROUS!

I'm sure you would love it if some super-endowed, mega-meat, muscle-bound monster was on hand to quell your insecurities every time your penis size came into question. It would probably be very ego-gratifying if women actually passed out and braced themselves against the walls in the face of your "proud weapon."

But let me acquaint you with some facts: Just as no penis is that large, no woman is that impressed with the size of a man's dick. In fact, she probably could care less how big it is.

It is probably too much to ask for men to drop their macho competition with one another for the "super dode" trophy. However, it is not too much to ask for Mr. Perkins to keep his penis insecurity and macho-man superhero fantasies to himself when they degrade women and glorify sexual violence. To the Koala readers who think articles of this sort are "harmless fun," think about what you are laughing at.

As for the Koala editorial staff, if you really had brains, not to mention "balls," you would realize that your celebration of hatred directed at op- pressed groups alienates over half of your reader- ship, and you would put a long overdue end to this archaic Koala "tradition."

Lisa Rosen

Editor:
The recent murders of a San Diego State student, a UCSD student, and another woman in Clairemont should remind both campuses that violence against women in this society continues unabated.

Kevin Perkins’ article (“Super DODE”) in the 2/23 Koala simply reminds us that such violence continues without apology. That the murders and Perkins’ violent “humor” are as predictable as they are deplorable does not mean that they necessarily deserve extraordinary attention in themselves. Surely, those who knew the victims are also victims and will seek “justice” as society permits it.

Those who know Perkins, who laugh with Perkins, and who think like Perkins will, in an appropriately repressed way, communicate to him that he may have gone a little far this time; those who are repulsed by Perkins’ “humor” will convey the same message in more direct ways. In either case, the danger is that the murders will be seen as isolated events and Perkins’ story will be seen as only juvenile excess which the dear boy will outgrow. But this will be wrong.

Violence against women is constitutive of patriarchal society - one consequence of the many contradictions underlying neo-colonization of the body by in our time, corporate capitalism. Patriarchy is archetypically the privilege and power of ominance over women.

Perkins’ penile fixation, as well as his brutal need/desire to sexually humiliate women, is not aberration that is peculiar to Perkins; it is but one position on the spectrum of patriarchal objectifications (more precisely, reifications) of women. It may be different from other positions, but it is certainly not anomalous; that Perkins “chooses” that position is of more psychological interest than otherwise.

Under patriarchy, through its highly successful capitalist permutations and institutions, all women are potential victims, and all men are guaranteed the “right” to be oppressor.

It should not be surprising to anyone, then, that violence against women is pre-fabricated, not raw, material for humor and will remain so until women liberate themselves from every version of patriarchal roles of oppressors ( in short, when patriarchy is personally socially dismantled and the body is decolonized). To a great extent, then, Perkins’ “story” pre-exists him in a thousand different versions over several thousand years. That he so poorly represents the genre and publicly humiliates himself in the process unintentionally provides an element of irony that his parents, if any, and siblings, if any, might appreciate reading his work.

As for the murders, how do they differ from the murders of most other women who don’t happen to be college students? They don’t but they will unless we see in these tragedies the connections linking them to violence against women in general and to the underlying contradictions in our patriarchal society that made them inevitable.

Indeed, it does not greatly overstate the case to say that “rape” is one of the implicit enabling metaphors of patriarchal society. One of the first documented rapes in the “Virgin Land” of the “New World” was perpetrated by one of Columbus’ cronies on an enslaved “native” woman given him by good old Chris. As prize? Reward? Payment? The Americas themselves were raped over the centuries by Europeans spouting, among other lies and enabling delusions, “Discovery, wilderness, savage, Manifest Destiny, lebansraum,” etc., as, ultimately, 95 million native Americans fell to genocide, and the earth itself was secured for rape by capitalism.

All the while-could it have been otherwise? Violence against women proceeded apace: woman as property, as slave, as (de) valued, other, to be found, “discovered,” women, used, exchanged, impregnated, lost, left, sold, pedestaled, raped, murdered - as men empowered by patriarchy saw fit.

We need only remind ourselves that today one in four women in this society has been the victim of sexual abuse/violence to acknowledge that such violence is endemic to patriarchy.

In this light, neither the murders nor Perkins’ rather thinly-veiled masturbatory coming out is very surprising. If he’s lucky, Perkins will go on to a good-paying job with Dow Chemical, Carghill Grain, or the Department Of Energy, where avenues of mega-death sublimation come with job that was made for him.

The murderers of the three women simply will or will not be caught by society (and history) that generated them and thousands of others that preceded and will follow. Meanwhile, Perkins makes the Guardian look responsible, and the murderers make pigs with Automatics at UCSD look reassuring.

The Committee for World Democracy (CWD) works toward a world built on the rubble of patriarchy, a world in which not only Perkins and the murders are impossible but also one in which men and women are enabled to see and understand each other as equal and unique expressions in the poetry and dance of life.

CWD knows that patriarchy and democracy are mutually exclusive and that one of the most fundamental expressions of freedom is in resistance to patriarchal institutions and manifestation.
-Committee for World Democracy

Editor:

The Koala has done it again! Once again, UCSD's "humor" newspaper - which is funded by student fees - has fallen into its tired old habit of promoting racist stereotypes and dehumanizing caricatures of people of color.

That the Koala would do such a thing is certainly not surprising. Many students are all too familiar with its sordid history of blatant racism and sexism. Still, one would hope that the Koala staff would learn from its past mistakes and outrages and treat people of all races and nationalities with respect and dignity.

In case you missed it, we are referring to the comic strip Confucius Sez, which featured an anonymous Asian professor with thick glasses and buck teeth. The punch line: he mispronounced the word "three." Isn't that just hilarious? You know, he's one of those foreigners who can't even speak English!

What will those comedians at the Koala think of next? Maybe a Black professor who eats watermelon and fried chicken during class? Get it? Or perhaps a Latino professor who lets the class out early - because of a desire to take a siesta? Or perhaps a Jewish professor... you get the picture.

Ironically, the Koala said in this same issue that it intended to turn over a new leaf, to try not to make any racist or sexist slurs this year. We are left to draw two possible conclusions: either the Koala does not know that it is being racist, or that what it really meant to say was that it intended to try not to be too racist this year. In either case, we resent helping to support racism on campus by funding the Koala.

The Koala cannot be allowed to continue to stir up racism in the name of "fun." The editors of the newspaper have already been approached by members of the Asian/ Pacific Student Alliance as well as Students for a Democratic Education, in the hopes of persuading them that this kind of slur is unacceptable.

But, the edit remained intransigent, refusing print an apology in their second issue, which came out a week ago.

UCSD may be an ivory tower, but this does not mean that the institutionalized racism and prejudice against people of color so prevalent in our society stops once you walk on campus.

We call on the Koala to make a full apology in its next issue, and we ask that the A.S. refuse to fund the Koala in any way (including advertising) until it does so.

In addition, we urge all concerned students to boycott the newspaper until it decides to refrain from racist slurs.

Joe Wainio
Students for a Democratic Education

November 26

Dear Sir or Madam:

While on your campus, I was surprised that a magazine like "The Koala" was allowed to be distributed freely all over.

The pictures were pornographic. That is not Freedom of Speech; that is obscenity, and it shouldn't be allowed, I was a student myself years ago, and I understand that to promote the flow of ideas, sometimes we need to be a little bit more relaxed, but the picture depicting a penis inside a mouth of a lady was too much, as were the racial comments, etc...

I am happy to inform you that I am forwarding the copy of that magazine to the authorities and to the media to see who is responsible for this matter.

And I hope your office can stop this behavior. Student fees should not be use to promote these types of obscenities.

Thank you for your time.

Oscar Cabot

San Diego, CA

January 28, 2004

Dear Dr. Chandler,

I am writing to you in the hopes that you can make some type of statement to the campus regarding your feelings and action towards the Koala student paper. This paper regularly abuses the right to free speech and is a poor representation of our campus. Although I am all in favor of self-expression, this paper seems to be working to be as hateful and offensive as possible.

We are what we support. The cover story in this week's Guardian and the growing protests against this type of divisive hate warrants your attention and your reaction.

Thank you.

Bethany Lockhart '02

OFFICE OF THE VICE CHANCELLOR
STUDENT AFFAIRS

March 8, 2002


ALL ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UCSD
ALL STUDENTS AT UCSD

TO THE UCSD COMMUNITY:

As members of the San Diego community, and as individuals, the tragic kidnapping and murder of Danielle van Dam have profoundly touched us. The depth to which this community has been affected has been eloquently portrayed through the outpouring of compassion and assistance to Danielle's family. As a child, Danielle is everyone's neighbor, and what happened to her is everyone's concern.

We are ashamed of, and disheartened by, the Koala's incredibly callous trivialization of the horrendous circumstances of Danielle's disappearance. The article is an affront to common decency and the respect and humanity that characterizes our students, faculty and staff. On behalf of the UCSD community, we condemn the Koala's abuse of the Constitutional guarantee of free expression and disavow their unconscionable behavior.


Joseph W. Watson
Vice Chancellor

"A Koala was recently distributed on campus. I rarely peruse with the publication. However, I did read it, because as the Director of the LGBT Resource Center, it is important to be aware when comments are made about our community. And so, a response...

One of the beauties of higher education communities is the much-acclaimed 'marketplace of ideas', where discussion and debate are enshrined as core elements in producing and increasing knowledge. In tandem with this are the values of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both revered on college campuses throughout the nation. And these concepts exist within the framework of our UCSD community.

The Koala, and those who produce it, practice a form of expression that does not build up the UCSD community. The LGBT Resource Center, along with the Women's Center and Cross-Cultural Center, strive to create places and dialogues on our campus that build community, both in the aggregate and within specific smaller communities. Many students, staff, faculty and administrative units throughout the UCSD community do the same thing.

And so, as a response to the Koala, I will continue to use my voice, to teach others to use their voice, to practice the freedoms I and others in my community have but rarely use. I will come to work, on a campus that has a paper like the Koala, and I will strive to make it irrelevant, powerless, and unread. Because the work that I do everyday makes things better.

I encourage you to do the same. Use your power, influence those you can, change hearts and minds, rest when you need to, create peace. Make things better.

Thanks for reading,

Shaun Travers, Director of the UCSD LGBT Resource Center"