Not amused by cartoon

One of the freedoms of being an American is the freedom of speech, which I am in full support of. However, being a student at IU, the former President of the Briscoe Residence Hall and current President of the Residence Hall Association, I was stunned by the cartoon featured in the Opinion section of the Indiana Daily Student paper (published Dec. 3).\nAs a student at this University, I hate to see or hear about incidents which are intended to offend any of our fellow Hoosiers. While the cartoon may be seen as a freedom of speech, a joke or a thought-provoking drawing, it can also be seen as an inaccurate depiction of roughly 10 percent of the females who attend our University. If you believe that the card access doors, not campus access doors, are an inappropriate use of funding, there are other medians and modes in which such an opinion could have been expressed.\nOne way to voice an opinion about our halls is though open dialogue with either RHA or RPS. We are here to serve and represent our residence the best we can. When issues and concerns arise, we attempt to find a solution. Depicting our residence as “Fost -Whore, Briscoe-Ho, or McSlut ... ?” is not an effective or meaningful way to address an issue or concern.\nAfter living in the northwest neighborhood for two years, I have only positive stories to tell about my interactions with fellow residents, both female and male. When time is taken to meet the residents in the area it becomes noticeable that stereotypes are not true. The illustration portrayed in the cartoon of the female is inaccurate and degrading.\nI hope to never see another illustration in the IDS degrading a group of our fellow Hoosiers. \nAfter reading this letter, I hope you take the time visit Briscoe, McNutt and Foster residence halls and meet some of the most amazing people on our campus.