Quinnipiac has been hit with what seems to be scandal after scandal the past few weeks, and yeah, I did contribute to some. But it wasn’t for some cheap drama. Your scandal is someone else’s story. Part of it was my story.
I took a big risk after writing “My experience with the Title IX office,” and I knew that when I wrote. Luckily, I was met by more support than I could ever imagine, and I’m eternally grateful. What I wasn’t prepared for was the number of people trying to take my story and using it to take the next step in their own goals.
Desperation can be an ugly thing when you have something so close to being in your grasp. I understand the frustration. But I’d never side-step others’ comfort with such a serious and vulnerable topic, to succeed in something that’s so minuscule in the grand scheme of things.
After the piece was published, people were rallying behind me, ready to take action. I appreciate it. I really do. Well, the genuine ones, anyway. And I can tell who they are.
I can tell the difference between students wanting to take action because they identified an injustice, versus students who participate in performative activism to feel like they’re doing something that’ll get them popular.
It’s not just my story that some people are using. Over the past few days, I’ve seen other people’s stories featured in things that are meant to promote an individual.
I’m glad that you are thriving off of the attention I hate so much. But you’re getting it without the negative side effects because you’re in la la land about how this is going to look great on your resume.
I’ve become somewhat of an involuntary activist these past few weeks since my story was published. I’m an activist in many forms, but I’ve never been one for myself. It’s a weird and unusual feeling, one I’m also completely unfamiliar with.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy to help change the way this school operates, but you have to understand, I was forced into this role because it was necessary.
First, it was published in response to comments made by the administration. Unfortunately, the only way to counter these comments was to offer undeniable evidence. Evidence that makes it impossible to say “this doesn’t happen,” because look, I just gave you over 1200 words of “yup, this is happening.”
Getting your personal story blasted on anonymous platforms such as YikYak isn’t fun, but it’s a necessary evil.
I’ll be honest, pushing through two days post-publication was hard, but what made it harder were people texting me, not with support, but to ask for favors while the gossip was still hot, just so they could get a leg up or be in the know.
If I weren’t helping others, I wouldn’t just be doing this for funsies. I wouldn’t be doing this for attention, as I’ve noticed a lot of these “activists” are.
How can I tell? Well, there are easy signs. One being: completely ignoring other outlets of participation, to start your own, so you can be the “leader” and trailblazer. The only reason the trail would be ablaze is because you’re lighting it up as you walk, liar liar pants on fire.
When you have options to do something via someone else’s channel that’s already established, but you still decide to make your own because you want your name on it, it’s clear you’re just in it to get the glory.
The Student Government Association did it right. Protest organizers QU for STAT did it right.
However, individuals who have used the recent administrative conflicts as leverage for their personal interests, and not communicating with the actual victims, are not doing it right.
Get out of my business, and maybe take a look in the mirror and see if what you’re doing is ethical and genuine, or just for a sliver of praise.
