Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

There’s Nothing Juicy About It

With JuicyCampus.com spreading through Georgetown, there are no winners on the Hilltop.

Juicy Campus is a dangerous and undesired element, a cancer to our community, and action needs to be taken against its potential to do harm to our school. The Web site allows anyone to anonymously post gossip about whomever they want without any shred of proof. It’s a safe haven for spiteful people with an agenda to say mean things while cowardly hiding behind the cloak of anonymity that the Web site provides. So far, there have been very few posts of a seriously grotesque nature, and Georgetown should be applauded for this, but the possibility for serious harm exists. We fear that it will only be a matter of time before the Web site becomes a widely used soapbox for anonymous accusations, name-calling and rumor-milling. Not only GUSA and the administration but students themselves need to work to prevent the growth of Juicy Campus’ presence at Georgetown, and the best way to do this is by boycotting the Web site.

Though we respect the Juicy Campus’ First Amendment right to exist, we as students should do everything in our power to thwart its growth into a campus fixture. The Web site is entertaining to read, especially for those of us who aren’t tuned in to every aspect of campus gossip, but the damage it can inflict on people’s lives far outweighs the moment’s worth of entertainment you get from reading about someone else’s misfortune.

While there are still many posts on Juicy Campus from students making fun of the premise of the Web site, things are starting to get intense. Perhaps The Hoya is partially to blame. It is probably no coincidence that, after we ran a front page story covering the Web site, the number of serious posts exploded. We don’t condemn this decision – after all, newspaper’s responsibility is to report the news – but the connection seems evident.

Some projects are already in the works to stop the spread of the Juicy infestation. GUSA President Patrick Dowd (SFS ’09) is speaking with the administration about having University Information Services block JuicyCampus.com from the Georgetown network. This would make it impossible to access the Web site via any of the wireless networks on campus, or via any Internet connections in campus housing. Dowd feels strongly about the issue, saying about JuicyCampus.com, “It’s despicable, and there’s no place for that type of that hurtful speech in our community. … It doesn’t help anyone, and it has no place at Georgetown. Maybe there are some people that disagree, but few will be sorry to see it go, and if they are, maybe they need to ask themselves some tough questions about why.”

Even though we’d like for the university or the student association to put a stop to Juicy Campus – and they should be applauded for any steps they take – ultimately, it’s up to the students. The only way to stop Juicy Campus is to boycott the Web site. It is only by taking away the audience that people will stop posting. So Georgetown, let’s show that we’re above this cowardly trend.

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