"you all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores. it just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores."

trust me, the Mean Girls reference is completely called for.

On September 18, the New York Times called attention to a ritual of hazing and bullying that has been going on at New Jersey's top-ranked high school, Millburn High. According to its principal, it is a tradition that has been going on for at least a decade: on the first day of school, a group of senior girls will begin circulation of the annual "slut list," targeting pretty and popular freshmen girls. Not only are the girls' names listed, but they are accompanied by "crass descriptions," and hundreds of copies are made and distributed throughout the school.

In some instances, the list is also reinforced with some physical bullying, as the article states that some freshman girls have been pushed, while others have had whistles blown in their faces, which has reportedly scared some students into staying home from school.

It's incredibly sad that stuff like this goes on. I've heard stories about boys making lists of desirable girls (and even going so far as to compete, NCAA-bracket-style, to see how quickly they can hook up with them; or, ranking girls based on their attractiveness on a week-to-week basis), but this is "girl-on-girl crime." When did it become okay for us to tear down fellow women, especially just for being beautiful or popular? Is it all just competition? We attack those we view to be a threat? Guys seem to fight these battles out on the basketball court or the football field, even in a game of chess, but we resort to name-calling and destroying other girls' reputations?

The worst part is, the principal pointed out that though there are girls who are upset to be put on the "slut list," there are students who are disappointed that they didn't make the cut. Really? Come on, ladies, have a little self-respect.

If you don't have respect for yourself, how can you expect others to respect you?

In other news...

• The Annie Le murder case continues to rage on, and a CNN source has claimed that DNA evidence led to the arrest of Yale lab tech Raymond J. Clark III. Also, the authorities are now citing the murder as a result of "workplace violence"... whatever that means.
• On Saturday, the body of a mother and her five children were found in their North Naples, Florida home. The husband/father, Mesac Damas, has since been arrested and is now facing first-degree murder charges. Though exact details of the murders and the condition of the bodies has not been released, the scene was described as "horrific." The only other real details being released at this point is that the murders are believed to have been "premeditated," but not necessarily planned far in advance. Additionally, there is evidence of domestic violence in the couple's marriage, as recorded by various battery and misdemeanor charges.
• The case of missing freshman Pennsylvania State University student Joseph Dado has ended in tragedy, as his body was found in a stairwell yesterday evening, around 6pm. Though authorities do not suspect foul play, he seems to have suffered severe head trauma after falling 15 feet to the concrete floor below. He was last seen around 3am on Sunday morning, leaving a Phi Gamma Delta ("FIJI") fraternity house alone. His body was found not more than 75 yards away from that last sighting. Though this is not a women's-issue-related case, as college students ourselves, our hearts go out to him. It's a terrible loss for his family, friends, and the entire PSU community. Rest in peace, Joe.