There are criminals among us!

2nd March 2010

There are criminals among us!

posted in Eating Disorders, Humor, Rachel |

Looks like the powers-that-be at the University of Southern California are seriously out of the loop on what NEDAW is and who sponsors it (hint: it isn’t The-F-Word). I found this email from them in my overflowing inbox:

Hi Rachel,

We found chalking regarding the NEDAW posted illegally on the USC campus. Because this was the only email that we could find on your website, we are emailing you this warning. We have kiosks and bulletin boards around campus where you can legally advertise. Otherwise, please refrain from chalking anywhere on campus.

Attached you will find a picture of the violation we are referencing.

Seeing as you have no illegal advertising violations in the past, we are only issuing a warning.

Let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thanks,

Jacob Yum
–
SCheduling Office
3551 Trousdale Parkway
ADM 299
Los Angeles, CA 90089-4014
Tel: 213-740-6728
Fax: 213-740-8157
Email: SCevents@usc.edu

My reply:

Sorry, I don’t run, sponsor or coordinate NEDAW, which is a NATIONAL movement sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Association. I’m pretty sure they’re not behind your illegal chalking violation, either. Chances are it was a few students who acted on their own in order to promote healthy self-images on your campus. The nerve!

-Rachel

Stay strong, fellow USC’ers.

Guerrilla Girls On Tour has a new show “If You Can Stand The Heat: The History of Women in Food” that we will begin touring next month. We deal with lots of issues re women and body image, fat hatred etc. We would be more than willing to be media contacts (we’d have to keep our anonymity, though). Here is our contact info:

Guerrilla Girls On Tour

CONTACT: Aphra Behn

aphra@guerrillagirlsontour.com

New York, NY

917 74202973

www.ggontour.com

Available for: Radio, TV, Print

Areas of interest: i.e. fat rights, eating disorders

Relevant credentials: In 2001 Guerrilla Girls On Tour split into three groups – Guerrilla Girls On Tour was formed by three former GG members who were theatre artists. We now tour the world with plays and street theatre that addresses discrimination and prove feminists are funny.

Thanks for all you do!

Best,

Aphra Behn
Guerrilla Girls On Tour!
www.guerrillagirlsontour.com
917 742-2973

Click to Bookmark

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 1:09 pm and is filed under Eating Disorders, Humor, Rachel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On March 2nd, 2010, Dr. Ivo Robotnik said:

Sidewalk chalking! My god. The fiends!

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 1:35 pm

2 On March 2nd, 2010, spoonfork38 said:

Oh, holy cow–googling only gets you so far, people . . .

On the other hand, it’s nice to know that supporters are out there!

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 1:50 pm

3 On March 2nd, 2010, Sandy said:

Wow. I hope you keep us updated if there is a follow up email?

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 2:18 pm

4 On March 2nd, 2010, Mary Sue said:

Seriously? Chalk is illegal? Seriously?!

There’s a reason those of us from California call it the University of Spoiled Children.

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 2:21 pm

5 On March 2nd, 2010, Library Lady said:

I’m really surprised by this. All kinds of organizations at my college sidewalk chalked the hell out of just about every inch of pavement and nobody ever gave a rat’s fart as long as nobody was writing anything obscene. Sororities were usually the biggest offenders of this, but the student government and our chapter of Amnesty International are a few other organizations that readily come to mind who utilized the sidewalk. And much as it isn’t a stab at Greek life for me to say this (graduated sorority girl here) I think messages that organizations like NEDAW have to give are a little more important and meaningful than proclamations of “I HEART MY NEW LITTLE!!!”

Besides, this is really serious enough to warrant a formal warning? I mean, the great thing about sidewalk chalk is that it’s nothing a little rain or a bottle of water can’t take care of. Sheesh.

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 3:24 pm

6 On March 2nd, 2010, O.C. said:

Um… ok, since I used to work in higher education administration I’ll say that the reason that universities prohibit chalking is simply because it makes a mess. People track the chalk all over, into buildings and such, and when you live in a place where it doesn’t rain often, chalk becomes a pain to clean up. Pretty much every school I’ve ever worked at prohibits chalking, though the chalking still happens, of course.

I very much doubt that the university opposes the content of this message.

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 3:30 pm

7 On March 2nd, 2010, Regina T said:

Oh the calamity! A chalker in our midst! Forget about the spray paint….CHALK has reared its’ ugly head on our campus! SOUND THE ALARM~!

Seriously…I know it wasn’t you that did this, but WTF? CHALK? And I get that chalk can be messy ( I am a parent with a criminal chalker myself…she’s 9) but chalk??? It is interesting what universities get up in arms about…..let’s not ban the credit card hawkers with their free tshirts and junk they offer you if you sign up. Oh no…let’s go after the chalkers! And the fact that they ASSumed you were the culprit without anything like actual evidence or an eye witness just scares the crap out of me. I mean, you would have at least drawn a picture of a cake or something, right???

ps….does anyone else find the irony in the author of that email’s name in all this? Jacob YUM??? Hilarious! Now I want a cookie!

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 4:00 pm

8 On March 2nd, 2010, Twistie said:

Okay, I get that chalk makes a mess and the campus has a rule against using it. I have no problem with this fact. I get that they would like students and groups to use accepted channels to make their feelings and messages known. I’m fine with that, too. I even have no real problem with their contacting the person or persons responsible and requesting that they use school-sanctioned methods of getting their message across.

What I want to know is why the hell they think Rachel is behind this subversive act of pavement defacement? When did she become national – or even local – head of the National Eating Disorders Association? Not that I don’t think she would rock in that capacity, just that nobody sent me word of the ticker tape parade, which I feel very sure would be held in a (legally sanctioned) location where I could attend and chalk the sidewalk to my heart’s content.

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 5:00 pm

9 On March 2nd, 2010, J.S. said:

Twistie: The F-Word is the first thing that pops up when you Google NEDAW. Somebody from admin told Jacob to “find out who did it and send them a warning,” he’d never heard of it… So on and so forth. This is really funny, not least because a guy sending an warning to an eating disorders blog is named “Yum.”

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 5:58 pm

10 On March 2nd, 2010, Rachel said:

Actually, it’s the third result that pops up when you Google “NEDAW” and I have a link to the NEDA site in that post, so I’m not quite sure how exactly they deduced that I’m the one behind the whole event, let alone the chalking as our “About” page shows that the blog authors are nowhere near LA or even California.

I found the email a bit humorous, which is why I posted it, but yes, I am surprised that a USC student might actually receive a written “illegal advertising violation” for chalking university sidewalks. It’s pretty common at my alma mater and not generally frowned upon since it’s temporary and for the most part, harmless. Is there a fine involved if you’re issued a violation? Could you be expelled? I wonder…

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 6:42 pm

11 On March 2nd, 2010, LexieDi said:

Oh, so funny! There is just so much to giggle at. >w< Mr. Yum is my buddy, now, just for his name and oh-so serious warning.
HAHAHA!

Yes, my California-ish-ness makes this even more humorous. I need to buy myself some chalk.

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 11:32 pm

12 On March 2nd, 2010, living400lbs said:

I’m wondering if some of the “temporary and harmless” vs “causes a mess” has to do with the weather. (BTW those of us who went to school in Seattle fall in the “temporary and harmless” camp, at least during the school year

And yes, funny

posted on March 2nd, 2010 at 11:58 pm

13 On March 3rd, 2010, DaniFae said:

Living400lbs, I’m in the temporary and harmless camp, it’s rained frequently everywhere I’ve lived. I see no harm in subversive chalking.

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:22 am

14 On March 3rd, 2010, Pegkitty said:

But Rachel, it was obviiously your SoCal Minions! You don’t realize your own power!

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 am

15 On March 3rd, 2010, All Women Stalker said:

Wow. They were really a FAIL by emailing you that. Keep us updated if there’s a follow up email.

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 10:01 am

16 On March 3rd, 2010, luckyspaz said:

As an avid reader of your blog, and a USC student, all I can say is wow. Also, to the commenter who called USC “University of Spoiled Children,” just stop the hate, okay? Some of us actually had to work damn hard to get into the school. kthnxbye.

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 10:54 am

17 On March 3rd, 2010, RachelB said:

But it’s the rainy season in California right now– chalk is extra temporary and harmless at the moment. There’s scheduled to be roughly one dry day this week.

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm

18 On March 3rd, 2010, Elizabeth said:

Oh, PLEASE let us know if he answers. I’m dying to hear the response!

posted on March 3rd, 2010 at 7:08 pm

19 On March 4th, 2010, kim said:

HILARIOUS. HAHAHA.

posted on March 4th, 2010 at 10:56 am

20 On March 4th, 2010, Mary Sue said:

@Luckyspaz — I’m a UCLA Alum by marriage. Let’s hear some of the things you’ve called us during the Victory Bell game, then we’ll talk.

posted on March 4th, 2010 at 8:45 pm

21 On March 7th, 2010, NurseJoc said:

Wait, you posted the entire personal email and his contact information online because he was doing his job? Eck. At least try to pretend you’re a nice girl

It’s unfortunate that more people don’t know about NEDAW…

posted on March 7th, 2010 at 4:38 am

22 On March 8th, 2010, Rachel said:

@NurseJoc: It’s hardly as if scevents@usc.edu is a “personal” email address nor is Mr. Yum’s contact info some top university secret given that he works in one of the most public offices on campus.

posted on March 8th, 2010 at 12:31 pm