Calling It Out
graphic by marcelle wolfsberg
Picture this: your stroll around campus is rudely interrupted by the dreaded call:
“Hey pretty girl, can I get your number?”
“Yeah keep walking like that.”
“Smile for me.”
It might not even be a phrase, possibly just an obnoxious wolf whistle. To some, this might seem like a harmless pass, but we at Jerk are here to call out catcalling.
At its core, catcalling is a form of microaggression known as a microassault, meaning it is a purposeful attack. Catcalling is a verbal expression of heterosexist bias toward women (and sometimes men) and we hate to say it, but it’s common behavior here, at Syracuse University.
Recently, Jerk spoke with several female Syracuse students about their experiences with catcalling on campus. This week alone:
One student told us about a construction worker at the Dome that catcalled her as she walked by. He only persisted with the harassment when she chose to ignore him.
Another individual had a group of boys on bikes make passing comments at her while she was walking to Starbucks.
A group of girls had a number of boys inappropriately shout at them from a window in Sadler.
A man yelled “nice tits” at a girl from across the street.
Freshmen Emily Bronzi and Alicyn Formica experienced a man mutter “pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty” while watching them walk by Dunkin’ on Marshall. “It made me feel very unsafe because I didn’t know if he was going to follow me or not,” Emily said.
Catcalling can be extreme, but often it’s a quick pass from the window of a car or the seat of a bike. This is sometimes worse.
“There’s no time for me to process or respond to what they’re saying,” said SU sophomore, Zoe McCreary.
In telling their stories, each female student shares a common experience: catcalling is a normal occurrence in their lives on campus. Because this behavior is so normalized, many girls feel the need to just brush it off or not mention it at all.
After being followed multiple times this semester, freshman Megan Rienzo has her male friends walk her almost everywhere.
“I know if any of my friends that are girls walk with me, that’s not going to do anything,” she said with a shrug. “For some reason, men see you with other men and don’t interact with you.”
Catcalling leaves its targets with more than just an uncomfortable feeling or the need for a walking buddy.
“It almost feels degrading that someone just says that to you,” Bronzi said.
The fact that a woman can’t walk alone down Comstock without risk of being objectified is far from normal. Further, the notion that she must have a man by her side to avoid public harassment reveals the harsh realities of sexist norms in our society.
The SU campus is definitely not the only place with a strong presence of catcalling, but that does NOT mean we have to tolerate it. Spread awareness of this issue by sharing your experiences with catcalling. Make sure to always be safe by traveling with others and having the DPS number in your phone ((315) 443-2224).
And of course, if you witness a friend or anyone for that matter, engage in catcalling, follow our lead, here at Jerk, and call them out.