I don’t know about the rest of the class, but I found today’s discussion really interesting. I really enjoyed that we were able to focus on pop culture and it’s views on rape as well as being able to connect that to rhetoric. From our readings, it is interesting to take an article like the Rolling Stone article about the student at University of Virginia and apply, such as the common topic of conjecture and figure out the answers for each of those questions. Those questions being, “What exists, what does not exist, the size or extent of what exists, how things use to be (past conjecture) and how things will be in the future (future conjecture).” If applying those questions to that Rolling Stone article the answers will be the following. For “what exists” we know that Jackie was gang raped by the Phi Kappa Psi house members. For “what does not exist” is the proof that these men committed that crime. As for the questions, “the size or extent for what exists” is very large due to the amount struggle and emotional pain, along with sexual assault and violence that Jackie has gone through to get close a peaceful place again. For the conjecture question, “How things used to be” is that many students wouldn’t come out about rape and when it happened to them. Many women learned to doubt themselves and convince themselves that they were over reacting. And for “how things will be in the future”... I can only hope that we as a society can learn to support and help these women come out and face their fear of judgement and retaliation. It is so sad that women face that fear after they are the one’s that are victimized. It is hard to understand where society went wrong in making women fear the consequences after they are the one’s who have been hurt.
But I wanted to go back to the conjecture question of “how things used to be.” When we talked in class today, and Professor Condon talked about how they were allowed to ask out girls and it made me laugh, but at the same time it made me start thinking too, would it be that bad if things were like that? Understandably, it would be hard to run things and push people to act like that when we have such a strong grasp on technology. With the way that society is ran and the way my generation is so attached, controlling young adults would be almost impossible. And if it got too strict, a rebellion would break out. (Not super shocking.) Is there a way now, in present day to control dating to some degree, and make it safer for young female college students too go out and have a good time? Also, is there a way for us to filter out the nasty, gross inconsiderate men that run these frat houses? And also, where is the University when these problems do occur? Are more universities, such as Florida State University, more concerned about their reputation and the athletes they produce versus the well being and safety of their students? Also, another thing is where is the guidance and the rules taught from the parents when these students were younger? Didn’t anyone teach them that “no means no?” There are so many fine lines, you wonder where does that fine line end? And how we can help make that line not so fine? And how can we properly teach young women the signs and safety that is required to live in a society like this?
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