Uni High Gargoyle Staff Blog

Recently, Andrea Park and I were planning to write a story about what Uni students think is a “hot body.” It was going to act as a sidebar to a body image story Michelle Gao and Erin Hayes were writing. However, I got an e-mail from Ms. Kovacs saying that a story like that may be in danger of becoming a sexual harassment issue, due to the student handbook which says that making “hot lists” is off limits.

But why, from a research standpoint, would asking Uni students what they think of as attractive be a form of sexual harassment. Isn’t it a vaild goal to find out what Uni kids think of as hot in comparison with the rest of the world? Similar to the bullying survey we took a few years ago, this story would be looking at what importance Uni students place behind physical aspects, and what kind of traits they look for.

To be fair, Ms. Kovacs did say that we just needed to be careful, not necessarily terminate the story idea. Nevertheless, it scared me and Andrea off.

I think that it is a shame that such limits need to placed around stories like this. Of course, I understand Ms. Kovacs point. A student reading about what others think of as attractive might feel uncomfortable if they don’t fit any of the descriptions being laid out.

But at the same time, isn’t finding out what Uni students think about bodies the same thing as finding out what Uni students think about anything. A Republican student may feel uncomfortable reading a story that says a majority of Uni students are Democratic.

In truth, it is kind of a small matter. If something you do or say causes discomfort to another, you should try to refrain from doing or saying it. Still, I feel a sense of remorse for the investigative story that shall never be written.

—Sarah Pfander