Creepy Flyers

A 20 year old lady was sexually assaulted while she was sleeping on her plane ride by the 61 year old man she was sitting next to.  This makes me sick.  There are so many aspects to this that make it horrible and inappropriate, but the fact that this man was doing this to her in such a public and confined area shows that people really are crazy and we never know what they are thinking. As shocking as this story may be, its shock value isn't what made me want to share it. It made me think about the way people act in public and how they are perceived by others around them. 

I want to feel as safe as I can in my surroundings and I will do whatever I believe I need to, to feel that way. As important as it is to be aware of your surroundings, its equally important to express yourself in an appropriate way. Whether any of us want to admit it or not, we all judge people based on their outward appearance. We also act and dress in certain ways in public that gain the attention of certain groups of people. Men that stare a tad too long or act in a very mysterious manner will gain the attention of people believing that they should stay away from them. Women that dress in scandalous outfits will get attention from the wrong type of people, exhibiting a persona that may be far from the way they want to be perceived. There are all types of in betweens, but the point I am trying to make is that everybody is expressing themselves and putting on a demeanor in public, positive or negative, whether they want to admit it or not, that people are judging them from.

This story is a perfect excuse for women to continue to watch their surroundings and steer clear of the creepers. It also made me think about how I dress and act in certain situations, and how careful I try to be when it comes to judging people around me.  Ever since I starting flying alone, I have been more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. I find myself choosing my seat on Southwest based off of who an open seat is next to, tending to gravitate towards women that seem friendly.  This isn’t something bad that I am doing, nor is it something that I am ashamed of. Especially when you're young, and alone, at the airport, it’s easy for people to think they can take advantage of you.

"Boaz Hoe"

Never in my entire life did I ever think I would see so many girls running the halls naked. Before coming to SMU, I was a bit nervous about living in Boaz because of all the late nights and loud neighbors, but never did undressed girls cross my mind.  When you're living around other people there are just some things you have to change, but I feel like wearing clothes is a no brainer.  I would never in a million years walk around undressed in front of complete strangers.  Is this something that is just part of the “college experience,” and something that I need to get used to? I hope not, because it’s not right. Something needs to be done so that these girls are no longer walking the halls in less than nothing, because I am sick and tired of seeing random undressed girls whom I do not know.

These girls walk around in front of whoever, whenever, not caring who sees them unclothed. The first night I saw one girl walk down the hall topless and wearing just panties and from then on it all went downhill.  I know trends catch on and spread quickly but I never thought that something like this would become so popular so fast, nor did I think that there were that many girls with such little self-respect to think that walking around in front of guys wearing little to nothing or nothing at all was okay. 

Girls in Boaz have unfortunately claimed the nickname of "Boaz Hoes" due to their infamous sleeping around and nudity.  Unfortunately a majority of girls living in Boaz are proud of this nickname they have been given.  And to be honest I am disgusted with it, and very embarrassed to be put into that category.  When I told my mom about all of this, she was stunned and said that while she was in college, never would any girl even think about walking around a public place unclothed.  

What has changed so much in girls and their perception of themselves that it has become acceptable to them to expose their bodies so freely?  I am all for women empowering themselves, however, things like this cross a boundary and place the perception of women in a whole other category where instead, they are seen as degrading themselves.  By walking around naked without a care in the world, these girls are being perceived as having absolutely no self-respect, which in turn makes others have no respect for them.