Solid Gold Clit

Posted by Nicholas Beckman in Campus

Notification of $250 imposed on the student body living on campus. Photo by Rose Abella

If you’ve walked around campus in the past week, you may have seen a string of gold-lettered graffiti tags reading “SOLID GOLD CLIT” on various buildings and structures. A movement started by artist Sophia Wallace, the “SGC” tags themselves(the most “controversial” of which were on the Shepard Fairey mural on the quad) were spread around campus by an unknown person(s). On  Jan. 19, a community fine of $250 was imposed on every resident living on campus. Both the tagging and the fine soon sparked strong responses on the Student Life Facebook page.

The Shepard Fairey Mural on campus got a taste of SGC. Photo by Rose Abella

Initially, the SFUAD student life Facebook page lit up with frustrated students voicing their concern with the fine. Eventually, the comments turned bitter over the entire situation, with some students calling out their peers and staff members with rather heavy and hateful language. “People were running around campus trying to figure out who it was and people got really nasty on the Facebook page in terms of body-shaming (people saying clits,[which are] something as natural as an elbow, are dirty and inappropriate),” said Katie Collins via email. Collins, a sophomore film student, participated in Wallace’s discussion when the artist visited last semester.

Once Wallace became aware of the situation, she posted a statement in support of the students to her Tumblr and Facebook page. In an email interview, Wallace told Jackalope that “There is a wonderful opportunity for SFUAD as an institution to be at the forefront…Whoever did the tagging put something into the public discourse that the entire society is telling them from a young age should never, ever be spoken of”…“Imagine if the ways your genitals are spoken of, and frequently are, almost exclusively to humiliate and shame. What is happening right now at SFUAD is powerful. I am excited to see what you as a community will decide to do. “

Later that day, Student Life sent emails to the Resident Assistants discussing the fine and instructing them to “please call an emergency hall meeting tonight.”

On Jan. 21, Laura Nunnelly, senior director of Student Life, posted to the Facebook page apologizing for the fine, and gave scheduled times to meet and discuss future actions. At a meeting that night in the King Hall lobby, the Student Life administration, comprised of Nunnelly, John Rodriguez, Ebonie Carter and Joanie Spain, expressed concern for a continuing open discussion on campus.  Regarding the initial fine, Student Life staff said it was the “industry standard and “not meant to stifle activism.” They also said the fine had been put in place not because of the content of the tags, but rather their placement on  campus, and was intended mostly to motivate disclosure of the perpetrators. They also clarified that the poster regarding the fine should have read “up to $250” rather than a flat $250.

“Traditionally, we have imposed a relatively minimal community fine per person when damage occurred in public areas, and this fine was larger,” said administrators John Rodriguez, Lauren Eichmann and Laura Nunnelly in a group e-mail interview.* “Student Life originally anticipated a larger clean-up cost.  However, when we reviewed the situation, we recognized that the fee was the wrong way to go under the circumstances and adjusted accordingly. ”

At this meeting, students and RAs raised questions about community fines and whether, on a campus as intimate and small as SFUAD, they are even effective. John Rodriguez, director of Campus & Residential Life, said in response to the questions that they are doing away with community fines completely saying “We can always change policy and procedure.”

Both Collins and sophomore Amy West subsequently met with SFUAD President Larry Hinz to continue the discussion.

“The artists had space they could have tagged legally, but chose not to,” explained Amy West, a sophomore who also attended both of Wallace’s lectures. “This shows that the artists responsible felt like it was an issue that has not been adequately respected by the school.”

Collins said Hinz indicated understanding of the student body’s reaction to the situation.

“It was reassuring that at the heart of all this the president respects the student body and is supportive of creating an open forum,” added West.

“-we continue to recognize that we have a responsibility to the whole campus community in keeping our environment clean and safe and we will continue to deliver on that promise,” said Rodriguez, Eichmann and Nunnelly. “We’re optimistic that having an open dialogue with students moving forward will help us resolve issues like this in the future.”

Indeed, President Larry Hinz will be hosting an open discussion from 4-5 pm  time Friday Jan. 31 at the Forum on campus.

* This post has been updated since publication to include additional responses from administrators that were received after deadline.