1. Superman (v.) Urban Dictionary Definition: When you are mad at your girl for not having sex with you. So when she falls asleep you masturbate and cum on her back. After that, stick the bed sheet on to her back and when she wakes up it’s stuck to the cum and she has a cape like Superman!!! (

Every year the Hall Council of each dormitory issues t-shirts in an effort to build community. The shirts often attempt to either cleverly insult the different dormitories or to create witty or risqué sayings. While in the past the shirts have included sexual innuendos, this year South Quad’s t-shirt crosses the line by referencing the sexually aggressive Soulja Boy song Crank That. The front of the shirt is emblazoned with the Superman logo, and the back says “Superman that…,” referencing the song’s chorus of “Superman that ho.” While the word “ho” is not included on the shirt itself, the line is still explicit both in its reference and its meaning. The act of “superman-ing” is not simply a sexual reference in a popular song, but rather a highly gendered act of sexual aggression and punishment.

Though I recognize it was not the intent of the Hall Council to propagate sexual violence, nonetheless the Council made an irresponsible and thoughtless act that undermines the dorm’s safe environment that the University Commitment promises resident students. While the phrase may seem an innocent or cheeky joke, it is distasteful and offensive particularly to women in its portrayal of masculine dominance. What lies at the root of the song is a message that belittles women and ignores their right to choose when or when not to have sex. Such a message, even with innocent intent, trivializes the problem of sexual violence itself as a joke and a catchphrase.

The South Quad Hall Council used University money to finance the dorm t-shirts that now many students have refused to purchase, and housing shirts serve to represent the community of the dorms. This community should not be represented with a statement that is both generally offensive and specifically demeaning to women. Months after the t-shirts were sold, the South Quad Hall Council issued an apology “to those who feel offended or insulted,” this in no way took responsibility or acknowledged wrongful behavior on the part of the council. This is not just about “feeling” insulted but about real insult offered by the Hall Council and the mass production of a slogan that explicitly references sexual violence. It was their mistake and lack of forethought that created the problem, not those who were offended. While the dormitory’s upcoming “Squad Forums” in February are designed to discuss “the nature of pop culture” and may address the issue, the events are being marketed as an educational opportunity specifically for residents. It is not just the residents that seem to need education about issues of sexual violence, but the Hall Council itself. Thus, I would ask the members of Hall Council to make a continued commitment to educating themselves about the issue of sexual violence. The shirts are no longer being sold to staff and students; however, South Quad should provide alternative t-shirts without the offensive slogan on the back so that all students can be equally comfortable representing their dormitory.