Respect our clubs?

I enjoy eating-clubs — they are usually one of Princeton's many excellent elements. Our club system respects those who do not care for the revelry by isolating the party scene to a controlled off-campus setting. Yet it offers even greater advantages for those of us who like to go out on the weekends (and sometimes week-middles): Can you think of another university with such a prevalence of dance floors and tap rooms?

Now perhaps I have been mellowed by my journey through the trials and somewhat numerous errors of my first three years at Princeton. I certainly do not go out as much as I have in the past. Consequently, the following objection to one eating-club practice may be the product of a jaded and overworked junior ... but, I don't think so. I am eager to have as much sensible beer-infused fun as the rest of my fellow Princetonians. But there is a line that we as proud members and leaders of eating clubs must draw, and certain parties here, by their very theme, blatantly cross it. If we demand respect for our wonderful and unique eating-clubs, we must be willing to forswear events that are inherently disrespectful and quite possibly dangerous.

Many of us here have attended parties at Princeton where a sudden lack of clothing just seems to "happen." Unpredictably, an amusing Halloween theme party becomes inundated with cliche "sexy nurses" and "sexy [fill in the blank]s." Though these types of situations may make me feel a bit ill at ease personally, I wouldn't consider the events themselves insidious. The parties, themed or otherwise, continue, and those who wish to partake in this particular type of empowerment carry on with their fellow revelers. There is very little social pressure one way or another, and themed parties themselves are not at fault and are not the subject of this article.

But I would suggest that some parties here at Princeton are fundamentally exploitative and manipulative. An obvious example is the recent lingerie party at Cottage Club, but there are certainly other similar events. In fact, I'll make a stronger claim: These parties constitute a peer-induced and evaluated opportunity for the visual exploitation and degradation of women, a dangerous and suspect situation. It is not cool.

If we as a student body are really concerned with maintaining a safe and respectful environment on campus, in part by minimizing situations that could give rise to sexual assaults, I don't see how we can defend parties with the express purpose of combining beer and nearly naked girls with at least a sizable contingent of guys who responded specifically to the name of the event — "lingerie party" — and came out to drink beer and see ... bingo! — nearly naked girls. Seems a bit dodgy to me. Besides, things need not get to the point of actual sexual assault in order to be disrespectful and degrading.

"But wait," some might argue, "girls don't have to go — they choose to. This article is merely patronizing toward women, who can act as they see fit." First, this is a tiresome argument, and only arises due to my gender (which doesn't seem to be valid grounds on which to dismiss what I hope is a coherent point). Certainly, girls can dress as they please and party where they will. But I would suggest that if girls are happy to go half-naked to a party with lots of drunken college guys, then perhaps I know something about us guys that these girls somehow don't. It seems a sad fact of life that men often have a tendency to "objectify" a woman — to treat her as a mere object instead of a person; as something to use instead of someone to love. Should we be holding parties that engender such destructive attitudes? I would argue no — especially for eating clubs.

It is a fact that there is social pressure to attend some popular clubs on the Street — and their popularity is often deserved. Yet this pressure should not be used to blatantly encourage girls (who else wears lingerie?) to shed their clothes and enter what is quite likely to be a dangerous and degrading situation. Smaller, less visible groups might (unfortunately) be able to get away with hosting such parties without engendering any campus-wide disapproval — they are in a sense "under the radar." But if we demand respect for our eating clubs, we must ensure, as leaders and members of these clubs, that they promote respect as well. Events such as lingerie parties — organized, publicized and hosted by institutions we support and value — are hazardous and inherently demeaning. Who needs them anyway? Toga parties are always more fun. Tom Haine is a history major from Alton, Ill., and may be reached at thaine@princeton.edu.