And by Regina George, I mean the DP. Thanks to tireless efforts to be ethical(if that clause was a wet dish rag there would be drips of sarcasm seeping from it.), the DP managed to purport my struggle with a "sexy", controversial illness into a centerpiece. Literally. As in my picture was the "centerpiece", as industry terms go, of Friday's issue. How special do I feel? SO. SPECIAL.
The garish display, especially without proper accompaniment, made the message appear hallow and insipid. The event attempted to capitalize on the strength of the individuals who participated, yet the commentary did the opposite.
The "beauty" of the event was the choice of the participants to share - and share in a way that they felt comfortable with(ie in a intimate setting of couches graced by 30ish of their peers). The DP, with the careless efforts of their photography department, successfully managed to completely undermine that. But a thanks is in order - now I no longer have to broach the awkward subject with friends, acquaintances, faculty, etc, myself - people are more than comfortable approaching me with a subject I was *clearly* comfortable enough with to plaster across the campus newspaper's front page. However, I will definitely think twice before participating in such events involving such sensitive subject matter, because those "in charge" of relaying these events to the greater Penn community lack the sensitivity necessary to do appropriately.
On this campus, a sorority girl pictured without her hair is as shocking as a celebrity's crotch shot. To those who suggest the public nature of the event makes such documentation(without permission) allowable: it's one thing to undress in a women's locker room; it is quite another to undress in front of a camera.
I wish I could say it was my brave act, as it has been referred to, that graced the cover of the DP, but that feels like a sham. Yes, I willingly ripped my hair prothesis(as my prescription that was summarily rejected by insurance says) from my head in manner similar to a drunken coed flashing "Girls Gone Wild" style. However, the coeds at least do so in front of a camera and (albeit drunkenly) provide (some sort of alleged) consent. In my case, the presence of cameras at the event became overt only during the discussion afterwards - interrupting the reflective silence, each comment was accompanied by a flash. And even then, no briefing was provided on the ownership of the cameras/photos.
I understand the need to utilize the sexier aspects of events for headlines and the like - I do dabble in the marketing side of things, after all. However, this can be done with ethics in mind - an element which has been sadly lacking from an arena whose dictates require said element. An arena that has lawyers, conferences, meetings, casual reminders, etc specifically for said element. Why waste the time and energy?
