[561] in peace2
Urgent MIT action: Tech disses Date-Rape Speaker
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Aimee L Smith)
Thu Mar 1 21:32:42 2001
Message-Id: <200103020232.VAA26460@mint-square.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU, peace-women@MIT.EDU, gwg@MIT.EDU,
women-announce@MIT.EDU
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2001 21:32:15 -0500
From: Aimee L Smith <alsmith@MIT.EDU>
Hi,
You are about to receive a cc of a letter I wrote
to a Tech photo-editor. If you can afford the time, please read
through and learn about the situation and take a moment to
express your concern about the lack of sensitivity shown by
this young photographer to Katie Koestner, a brave survivor
working hard to end violence for us all. (also, please cc me, so
I can see how many people made their voice heard -- and thus how
many voices they are willing to ignore.)
In unity,
Aimee
> (If you are not the same Aimee Smith I am looking for, please ignore this
> message, and accept my apologies)
>
> Ms. Smith -
>
> I am writing to express concern at how, I understand, you approached a Tech
> photographer to express your displeasure regarding his photographic
> coverage of an event. Our photographers are given assignments and do their
> best to come back with a picture that tells the story of an event (that is
> the role of a photojournalist at a newspaper). They try to be unobtrusive
> (as far as can be expected with flash photography) and will usually respect
> the wishes of people they photograph. Ultimately, however, their duty is to
> get a telling picture of the event or assignment.
>
> In the future, please direct any concerns you have with our photographers
> to photoeds@the-tech.mit.edu and we will deal with it appropriately. Please
> do not confront our photographers directly, as they are simply doing the
> best they can with what we give them. If you like, you may also send
> complaints to The Tech's impartial ombudsman (ombudsman@the-tech.mit.edu).
>
> Thank you for reading,
>
> Sephir Hamilton
> Photography Editor
> THE TECH
>
>
> .
> .
> .
> .sephir hamilton....................................
> ..master of science candidate................
> ...massachusetts institute of technology.
> ....building technology group..................
> .....hamiltsd@mit.edu............................
> ......www.sephir.org...............................
> .
Mr Hamilton,
I am *quite* shocked by your email. I reserve the right to express my
concern and disappointment to any tech or non-tech student who treats fellow
human beings in a demeaning and/or disrespectful way. The fact that you give
assignments and then claim that the "photo-journalist" is free from
responsibility for his own behavior is not accurate. But since you put
forth that claim, I will hold you responsible for the *extremely* disturbing
behavior of that young and over-eager photographer, Matt.
Katie Koestner spoke on Thur, Feb 15 on the topic of date-rape as
part of a week of events to raise awareness about the issues of rape
and dating violence on campus. Before beginning her talk, she asked that
we refrain from the use of video cameras or flash photography. Matt had set
up his tri-pod in the front row roughly 10 yards to the right of the speaker.
During the course of her talk, he had moved his tripod directly in front of
her. After a few minutes of this, the speaker became distracted by his
presence (as were several of the audience members) and she asked him to move
back and put his camera away. She explained that telling the story of the
worst night of her life is already painful enough as it is. Matt returned
to his original position with his camera, but then continued to photograph
the speaker for 10 or so minutes. The fact that Matt felt justified to
ignore the request of the speaker who had to interrupt her program to ask
him to move back and put away his camera, disturbed many people in the
audience. It is beyond ironic that Matt failed to respect the polite
request of a woman who was in the middle of telling about how her assailant
failed to respect her repeated and unequivocal "no's."
As I was involved in bringing the speaker to campus, I took it
upon myself to ask him to put his camera away. I walked over to him, stood
in between the camera and the speaker and asked "What part of 'no' don't you
understand? She said put it away." Sadly, I think my reference to the
anti-date-rape slogan was lost on Matt, but I do hope you appreciate it.
He did proceed to put the camera away and not disturb the proceedings for
the remainder of the program. I returned to my seat as soon as he began to
put his equipment away. Afterwards, he spoke with the speaker, but he
never spoke to me or others in the audience who were in fact looking to
chat with him afterwards. Many of us were embarrassed that an MIT student
would be so insensitive and angry that he would show such a lack of respect
to the speaker, organizers and all those present.
I was highly disturbed to learn that The Tech pulled the article
announcing and describing the nature of the event at very short notice
due to "conflict of interest." The perfect way for the Tech to make up for
this unfortunate turn of events would have been to send an "objective"
*journalist* to cover the event. You see, it is again ironic that a
*photographer* would be sent. The whole idea of ending violence against
women is that we learn to *listen* to what women have to say, and not
measure them by what they look like. It was a *talk*, not a circus act.
So, a perfect chance to make up for the communications glitch over
conflict of interest was botched. I realize you don't give the writing
assignments, but I hope you can see the comedy in all of this, and the
fact that this collection of events reflects very poorly on the reputation
of the Tech. (It is already pretty poor in regards to treatment of issues
of violence against women e.g. the nice cartoon that trivialized gang rape at
a fraternity.) There were other "mix-ups" such as failing to run adds that
were promised and putting the opinion columns of the organizers on the second
page to the article by Jyoti about how even though men get beaten less, we
should be doing more to help them... an interesting twist on minority rights.
I won't argue the lack of merits of her column just now, but it only adds
to the picture that of all the weeks that the Tech publishes, they chose to
have
that column run in that position that particular day. Even more, Mike Hall
solicited a column on the topic of relationship violence in spite of knowing
that there would be guest submissions on that very topic. I, along with
another
student, did speak with Mike and another main editor on these points. They
apologized for the photographer's behavior and for failing to send an actual
writer to the event to make up for pulling the article announcing it. I asked
them to write and publish an apology for the behavior of their photographer
for all the attendees who weren't there with me to hear it in person. They
said they would consider it. (Not holding my breath or anything...)
Recently, I saw photographer Matt in the hallway trying to photograph
a fire in the infinite corridor, in spite of a police officer repeatedly
asking him to evacuate the building as per safety code requirements. (At
least we now know that it isn't just women he refuses to listen to.) Since
we evacuated in the same direction, I took the opportunity to express my
sincere
displeasure at his behavior the Night of Feb 15. He told me it was taken
care of on account of the fact that he spoke with the speaker and apologized
to her. She accepted the apology. But, I explained, he didn't apologize
to the rest of us, so it isn't all taken care of. I said he should write
an apology in the paper. I was respectful and sincere. I never expressed
my belief that his behavior borders on sociopathy. I told him that I and
several others were very disturbed by his behavior and I hoped he would
learn to be more respectful of people in the future.
Now, today, I get an email from you, whom I have never met, telling
me who I do and do not have the right to make civil requests of. It really
completes the irony as you are a man telling me to "shut up." Why not throw
a "bitch" on the end as well.
Sincerely,
Aimee L. Smith
