Comments on: Tommie-Johnnie T-shirts selling quickly http://www.tommiemedia.com/diversions/tommie-johnnie-t-shirts-selling-quickly/ Campus, local and world news reported daily by University of St. Thomas students Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:14:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Carrie Vandelac http://www.tommiemedia.com/diversions/tommie-johnnie-t-shirts-selling-quickly/comment-page-1/#comment-364 Carrie Vandelac Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:43:37 +0000 http://www.tommiemedia.com/?p=2100#comment-364 Once again, it’s that time of year when Tommie-Johnnie rivalry is in the air. Students from both St. Thomas and CSB.SJU are getting excited for the game and enjoying the pre-game school spirit. But is it really school spirit? I believe the tradition of the Tommie-Johnnie game t-shirts has gone too far. For example, in order to put down the St. John’s football team, St. Thomas students always seem to resort to degrading St. Ben’s. To be clear, the students at the College of Saint Benedict are not St. John’s students “women” or “property.” And unless Tommies are trying to say that Bennies belong to Johnnies by virtue of being women, the connection between St. Ben’s and Johnnie football is unclear. More importantly than the lack of connection between the put-downs and football, they are misogynist and cultivate gender-based violence. While we often assume the misogyny to come from men, this simply is not the case here. A note to St. Thomas women: In a world where women aren’t valued enough already, why do we separate ourselves instead of standing together? These t-shirts do not serve as “extra school pride,” but as indication of the naïve, discriminatory culture that college students live in. CSB.SJU students, faculty, and staff are having many discussions about the student-led t-shirts this year (the back of the shirts say: Tommies going down on the field and each other since 1885), and many people are starting to critically think about the message they are sending with what they wear. I know of many people who decided not to purchase a shirt after having these discussions because they are discriminating against people who are homosexual. While we’re not all on the same page at CSB.SJU, I hope St. Thomas joins in on our conversation. I hope that we can all recognize what message we’re sending with our t-shirts, and start to live up to higher standards. Stand up against discrimination and misogyny, St. Thomas, and be the moral leaders that your school says you are- in all aspects of your lives. Once again, it’s that time of year when Tommie-Johnnie rivalry is in the air. Students from both St. Thomas and CSB.SJU are getting excited for the game and enjoying the pre-game school spirit. But is it really school spirit? I believe the tradition of the Tommie-Johnnie game t-shirts has gone too far. For example, in order to put down the St. John’s football team, St. Thomas students always seem to resort to degrading St. Ben’s. To be clear, the students at the College of Saint Benedict are not St. John’s students “women” or “property.” And unless Tommies are trying to say that Bennies belong to Johnnies by virtue of being women, the connection between St. Ben’s and Johnnie football is unclear. More importantly than the lack of connection between the put-downs and football, they are misogynist and cultivate gender-based violence. While we often assume the misogyny to come from men, this simply is not the case here. A note to St. Thomas women: In a world where women aren’t valued enough already, why do we separate ourselves instead of standing together?

These t-shirts do not serve as “extra school pride,” but as indication of the naïve, discriminatory culture that college students live in.

CSB.SJU students, faculty, and staff are having many discussions about the student-led t-shirts this year (the back of the shirts say: Tommies going down on the field and each other since 1885), and many people are starting to critically think about the message they are sending with what they wear. I know of many people who decided not to purchase a shirt after having these discussions because they are discriminating against people who are homosexual.

While we’re not all on the same page at CSB.SJU, I hope St. Thomas joins in on our conversation. I hope that we can all recognize what message we’re sending with our t-shirts, and start to live up to higher standards.

Stand up against discrimination and misogyny, St. Thomas, and be the moral leaders that your school says you are- in all aspects of your lives.

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