Are any students making speeches? Can any of them at the last minute throw in an explanation for why honoring her is wrong?

Unfortunately the media tends to brand anything young people (especially women) do as "immature" so no matter WHAT you do, there really you run that risk. That said, if you get a large group of women to put duct tape over your mouth and wear a sign that says "Phyllis Shlafly says married women can't say no" - that might get the message across. If you can get guys to wear signs that say "Phyllis Shlafly says I can rape my wife" that might get some attention. Just tossin' some ideas out there.

See if the admin will allow you to put a letter of protest or something explaining the outrage against PS in with the program or out on the guess and graduate seats.

Have protesters make up shirts that say things like "marriage =/= consent".

Hold a quiet protest outside but near the ceremony with candles lit for the victims of marital rape.

Post lots of signs all over campus and take out an ad in the campus paper if it's still running. Alumni and parents are likely to pick up a copy of the campus paper.

Haha, funny, the lady(Schlafly) seems to have lost her mind.

When she says - I think that when you get married you have consented to sex, she means that married women are practically prostitutes, with only one difference, they are supposed to have sex with only one person.

Why are they honoring her? For making such a "remarkable" statement or "abolished" one aspect of feminism?

Schlafly has also said that feminism teaches women to be "victims" when she knows that she is victimizing herself as well as other anti-feminists by saying that married women have consented to sex, so marital rape doesn't exist.

when President Bush spoke at my college graduation in 2005, we wore buttons that read "God is not a democrat or a republican" (we would have reversed it, but Sojourners already had that one) and some people wore arm bands with symbols of their problems with bush policy - a tree or a peace sign, for example. Something that is distinctive but still subtle, I think, is best. Also, if you can raise enough money to publish a letter in your local newspaper, that would be good.

Personally, if I was a graduating senior, I would refuse to walk.

That may just be a suggestion for me because I tend not to care about all of the ritual included in graduating.

Also, for me, giving PS an honorary degree would devalue the degree I had just earned so much that I would feel it wouldn't be worth walking across the stage for.

If enough people refused to walk, it would reflect poorly on Wash U's decision to give the honorary degree.

But I doubt enough people would go for that idea because graduating college is a major accomplishment that should be honored.

I don't know.

If I were a student, I would stand and turn my back during the presentation of her honorary degree. It doesn't prevent the moment from happening, but it makes a statement of explicit disapproval. I think folks have done this when Al Gonzales has been on their campuses.

What about turning your back when they make the presentation and her acceptance speech? Can you turn your chairs around? What about standing up and turning around? I also like the idea of wearing signs.

I have an MA from Wash U, so I've really tried to think of ways to encourage dissent among the women and men who regard Schlafly as a loathsome political figure who supports the dehumanization of women (and by virtue of her man-hate/men can't control themselves philosophy) the dehumanization of men.

So, here are a couple ideas:

1. When she receives the award have protesting students stand with their backs to the stage or move their chairs around and sit with their backs to the stage. Silently, no verbal remarks made or shouts. Silence can be powerful, but the body language must be clear.

2. Host a debate, perhaps through the women's center, regarding this issue--the facts will win out, especially since all the pro-Schlafly side can really do is suggest, "yes, she does not believe in the full humanity of women, but there are enough people in the US that believe that that merits our honoring them and their backward ways, oh, and next year Warren Jeffs is getting the honorary award." Speaking of that, hell, give out an award to Warren Jeffs in abstentee for upholding the honorable institution of child-rape.

Why is everyone focusing exclusively on the things she's said about marriage?

I think her views on a woman's role in society are much more pertinent on this occassion. It's a slap in the face to the women of WU to honor someone who doesn't even believe they belong there. I think THAT is the angle folks should focus on.

I'm pretty sure making an impromptu comment during a speech is not the way to go. I like the taped-mouths idea; maybe something along the lines of "According to Schlafly I shouldn't even be here."

I'm afraid my suggestion is not a very reserved one, and it is often the boisterous protests that are seen as juvenile. I would try to get the student body to laugh at the presentation of the degree. Nothing shows a nay-sayer that their opinion holds no hold over you like laughing uproariously at them--like their opinion is so outrageous that no one would think that they were being serious.

Is she being honored at the commencement? If so, I would just stand and turn my back when she's getting honored. Get others to do it as well. It's not immature, it's simply standing and turning. It's silent and it shows you do not agree with her or her bogus honor. What do you think?

I love the ideas from Thealogian. Since I'm a drama queen, I'd take the back-turning to the next level... Have some sort of sign you could throw around your neck so it hangs facing the stage when your back is turned.

They could all say something different like, "Schlafly doesn't speak for me," or "What HONOR is there in condoning rape?"

The body language will draw attention and while people read the signs they will be distracted from whatever pro-Schlafly message is going on up front.

I would highly suggest that students look into their code of conduct at the ceremony before planning anything. Know if you're going to be arrested or face any disciplinary action BEFORE you do it.

Ask parents to get involved! Have mom wear a shirt that says "my wedding ring isn't consent."

If the presentation happens AFTER you walk, then walk out on her.

And please, don't do the hissing thing...I hate the hissing thing!

Or if WU is one of those schools that just gives you the jacket and not your real degree, "return" your degree to the admin after the ceremony is over.

piggybacking on what other folks are saying, maybe you could compile a list of Schafly's most vile comments regarding women's place in society and print them onto signs clear as day and wear them during the ceremony.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and I cannot come up with any good solutions.

I am cautious about handing out suggestions because of a recent protest at my school (against John Ashcroft) that sparked heated controversy, with a lot of townspeople calling the protesters immature and saying that they gave my school a bad name.

You run that risk anytime you protest. But I think the armband, newspaper ad ideas are good ones. Very subtle, but visible.

I agree with several of the above posters- stand up and turn your back when she is presented with the degree. I know Boston College did this when Condoleezza Rice was the speaker / got an honorary degree (not sure which), and they had huge professor involvement, as well. It's a simple, quiet, unmistakable action.

What about signs that say "According to Schlafley, I'm Not capable of Rational Debate"? Or tape over the mouths?

I also like standing and turning your back during the presentation of the degree.

I think it is important that it not be a disruptive protest, but at the same time clear that you disagree with the university's decision.

I really think you need to be hammering the thing she's said about women in the sciences home.

Last year when Andrew Card was getting honored at UMass, students there did some great activism, both outside and in the ceremony. You can read more about it at the blog they set up: http://no2card.umassgss.org/

I'm all for silently standing and turning your back on her. She won't be overpowered vocally, but the message will still be loud and clear (definitely more effective than armbands or newspaper ads, etc.)

Refusing to walk is tough, because a lot of people are walking mostly for their families-- Mom and Dad want to see their little girl/boy graduate from college.

I like the back-turning and the tape-over-mouths at the ceremony-- could guests inside and outside the ceremony be carrying signs of protest, and also wearing duct tape?

i like the idea of silently turning around, preferably turning your whole chair around if possible, when her degree is awarded.

also, the taped mouths idea is great--sarahMC's "according to shlafly i shouldn't even be here" especially.

any kind of signs or buttons or visual means of communicating the message without creating a disruption of the actual ceremony is the best plan i think.

How about more MIT hackish. Maybe a huge banner that unrolls behind her when she begins to speak. I think that a pro-ERA message is in order to remind her that the dream is STILL alive. How about three banners that say: (E)schew (R)ape (A)pologists.

Hackers did something like this at last years commencement and it was very funny AND impossible to quickly quash...

I like idea that many posters have given about simply standing and turning around while she's being introduced/speaking. It's clear, and anyone there can participate (armbands, tee shirts, or signs might be hard for grads to display with their robes). It also allows everyone to focus on the graduates and their accomplishments while they're walking, but to make it clear that they don't agree with the honorary degree when it's time for that.

maybe you could compile a list of Schafly's most vile comments regarding women's place in society and print them onto signs clear as day and wear them during the ceremony.

I like this idea, so that people know what it is you're protesting. It also lets you show off all those research and citation skills you've just learned.

I really like Viola's postering idea. You could create a series of fliers that have some of the absurd things she's said (about women in college, the workplace, marital rape, etc), and guerilla poster them on places you know that people will see them. A good place (among many others) can be on the inside of stall doors, because the admin might not see them right away.

I'm pro standing and turning, with signs. We did that when Ashcroft spoke at my school. It was super distracting (we had about 60 people).

Is there anywhere behind the presentation area that underclass students might be able to do a banner drop? If possible, they could drop it while someone idiot is singing her merits on stage. Could be a good cue for everyone to stand and turn, or walk, or anything, also. The banner could say the same things as the posters, or what feministing readers have suggested.

I think whatever you do, you need to have words -somewhere- explaining why you're doing it. I think a lot more people in the audience will be angry at HER/Wash U. if you explain why you're acting against her/Wash U.

I am also a huge fan of one of the speakers saying something. I don't think it'd be labeled immature if it was handled professionally.

Maybe have people handing out information about PS's woman-hating ideas before/after the ceremony (this one is probably the most likely to get stopped quickly). This way, you could talk with attendees about it.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do - I'm just glad you're doing something!

If I were a Wash U alumni (of any gender), and I had earned a doctorate there, I would send a photocopy of my degree in the mail to the admissions dept. along with a letter reading roughly as follows:

To Whom It May Concern,

I read recently that you will be honoring Phyllis Schlafly with a doctorate, for her work in promoting misogyny.

Unfortunately, this means that the value of any degree from Washington University is now null and void. By distributing an advanced degree to someone who has no qualifications on any of your listed doctorate subjects, and has actively worked to promote ignorance, you have defined the worth of the degree as exceptionally low. In effect, you have reduced the value of your stock to $0.

Therefore, I am writing to request a full refund for the doctorate I earned as of 19XX, which at the time was worth $XX,XXX. Accounting for depreciation over XX years, you would owe me $XX,XXX.

Please mail the check to:

Jane Pstoff
etc.

I think a bunch of letters like that, coupled with a strike/sit-in by the female employees (faculty, staff, et. al.) would probably have an impact. If the people who work for Wash U show that they are not in agreement with this either, at the very least it sets a great example for current students. At best, it gets noticed by press, and as someone else pointed out, looks more "legitimate" and less potentially "immature" than a student-only protest. (Not that I agree with either of those labels for a student protest, but I get the point).

Alumni contributions are very important to universities. If I were a Wash U student, I would write a letter to the alumni association stating that I will not be donating to the university as an alum, as Wash U honored someone who would deny my human rights. I would also try to get a petition going for others to do so.

turn your back on her and boo loud
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com

Would it be possible to walk out of the ceremony while Schafly is speaking, and then come back in for the degree presentation? That might not work at a larger school; I had a small class and commencement was held outside, so we could have pulled that off, but it might not work for you.

But I agree with the various posters advocating standing and turning your back on her, as well as written forms of protest (signs, fliers, etc). Good luck this weekend.

I dunno... seems like the old standby of tossed rotten fruit always makes a strong statement. Might be worth getting arrested over.

Don't forget that the flat tops of your caps are great billboards...

What about getting the mothers of graduating students involved? Since she's on about married women, having some actual married women join in the protest, silent or otherwise, would be a very powerful statement. Moms could wear buttons with one slogan, and their sons and daughters graduating could wear another...

I agree with all these suggestions- my favs:
1) Turning around while she speaks/is honored 2) Handing out some literature on the matter 3) Get your moms/dads involved!! Nothing scares a university like pissed off parents.

Question: Are the men of WU (staff/faculty/students) outraged over this development or are the women pretty much on their own as far as opposition and protesting goes?

I second chicago,ill; Money is a HUGE motivator- especially for the alumni associations who have to do a lot of fund raising anyway. Refusing to participate/guaranteeing them that you will NOT be donating and getting others to do the same (just a few calls will get them freaked enough- money scares the shit out of people) should do wonders to get them on your side.
And I love the idea of unfurling a banner behind her- some kids just did a huge one on the side of the English building here at the UM, with the university president's face and "Tyrant" in Latin in protest of his refusal to make sure our school gear is sweat shop-free. It was huge and uncompromising and even better- difficult to get down.

I really like a lot of these suggestions and the idea I had (turning) has been said a lot. Great minds think alike. I also like the letter to Admin stating you want your money back as well as not donating to a school that supports misogyny.

I do want to ask someone who is graduating to send a video of whatever you do so that one of the Feministing gals will post it so we can see. I'm excited to see what happens.

Yes, please please please post a video, or photos, or anything. I'll be busy for much of the day (my fiancé graduates this weekend as well), but keeping tabs on the internet whenever possible to see what's up (and possibly blogging about it if I have time).

I would ask everyone I knew to wear a "this is what a FEMINIST looks like" t-shirt and find some way to put it on the robes. Or something along the lines of "she doesn't speak for me."

Best of luck! I am so sorry for the women at Washington U. I cannot imagine what it would to graduate as she is getting an honorary degree. It is just so wrong...

Well, I think I will be sending a letter to Wash U informing them that because of their decision, they are no longer on my list of possible graduate schools because they apparently think very little of women.

But for current students at the graduation, turning your backs is great.

I like:
* the idea of silence and turning your backs on her;
* using your mortarboards as signs (info is power);
* letters from alum$$, not (remember all the graduates will be alums);
*getting the guests, parents, involved;
*leaflet before people entering the parking areas, when still on public property, not the college's private property (make sure there is NO LITTER);
and, I would add:
Or, of course, a coughing fit during the presentation and her acceptance, just can not be helped, now can it ?

ciao,

I like:
* the idea of silence and turning your backs on her;
* using your mortarboards as signs--the women's symbol with an equal sign in it is simple and the message is clear (info is power);
* letters from alum$$, not (remember all the graduates will be alums);
*getting the guests, parents, involved;
*leaflet before people entering the parking areas, when still on public property, not the college's private property (make sure there is NO LITTER);
and, I would add:
Or, of course, a coughing fit during the presentation and her acceptance, just can not be helped, now can it ?

ciao,

I like:
* the idea of silence and turning your backs on her;
* using your mortarboards as signs--the women's symbol with an equal sign in it is simple and the message is clear (info is power);
* letters from alum$$, not (remember all the graduates will be alums);
*getting the guests, parents, involved;
*leaflet before people entering the parking areas, when still on public property, not the college's private property (make sure there is NO LITTER);
and, I would add:
Or, of course, a coughing fit during the presentation and her acceptance, just can not be helped, now can it ?

ciao,

maybe you could compile a list of Schafly's most vile comments regarding women's place in society and print them onto signs clear as day and wear them during the ceremony.

I love that idea. I would actually take it a step further and have people make up t-shirts with the quotes on them. That way they couldn't be confiscated. Just be sure to identify the quotes as Schlafly's so people know you aren't on her team.

This won't help with the presentation of the degree itself, but students should definitely try to get alumni riled up about it. There are various ways they can register their protest, such as the "refund letter" described by another commenter above. More simply, alumni could simply be asked to (threaten to) withhold their support for the school. It's not going to take the degree back, but the administration can be challenged to take some concrete steps to show its repudiation of Schlafly's ideology.

I agree with many that turning your backs would be powerful and effective.

Additionally, as far as signage and getting your message across, I think focusing on the fact that she doesn't even believe women should be in college/the sciences whatever. It is a direct insult to those recieving a degree on that day and so I think makes the protest more applicable and less likely to be criticized, if people could see the connection between the ceremony/the graduates and Schlafly.

maybe you could compile a list of Schafly's most vile comments regarding women's place in society and print them onto signs clear as day and wear them during the ceremony.

Along with standing with your backs turned, I think this is brilliant, and better than just saying "Schlafly condones rape" or something like that because it would be HER OWN WORDS damning her. When presented with her quoted words, it makes it harder for her apologists to argue that she's being misrepresented. Those quotes will speak louder than anything anyone can say about her.

Are there any women's shelters around? Could they be enlisted to protest PS's honorary degree? After all, these are real people that she is consigning to a life of rape and abuse. They might appreciate the opportunity to confront her as well.

Here are several quotes, reflecting her racism and anti-intellectualism as well as her misogyny. Many of them would work well at the protest. People should understand that while misogyny is a big part of what's she's selling, her bigotry isn't limited to women:

Sexual harassment on the job is not a problem for virtuous women.

Sex education classes are like in-home sales parties for abortions.

Much of the demand for women in combat comes from female officers who are eager for medals and promotions.

Shakespeare, Chaucer and Milton have been replaced by living authors who toe the line of multicultural political correctness, i.e., view everything through the lens of race, gender and class.

College students: Don't waste your scarce college dollars on a major in English.

After Big Media, US colleges and universities are the biggest enemies of the values of red-state Americans.

You can't be an American if you don't speak English.

[The Equal Rights Amendment] was a dumb idea in the first place.

Students for years have been telling me that the English departments are the most radicalized of all departments...It was no surprise that Cho Seung-Hui, the murderer of 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech, was an English major.

(BTW, she has a GRRREAT article wherein she blames the VT massacre on the killer's English professors. Oh yes.

http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2007/may07/07-05-09.html)

COULD THEY HAVE FOUND A BIGGER SHITHEAD?

Excellent ideas about making sure people know why you are protesting her...I am getting ahead of myself, but it would be so awesome if everyone who was going to turn around did so at the same time for some serious effect. There are so many things flying thru my mind that could be excellent cues for the students to all get up...hmmmm.

I wish I could be there to see it! Please post pics and video clips!

Excellent ideas about making sure people know why you are protesting her...I am getting ahead of myself, but it would be so awesome if everyone who was going to turn around did so at the same time for some serious effect. There are so many things flying thru my mind that could be excellent cues for the students to all get up...hmmmm.

I wish I could be there to see it! Please post pics and video clips!

I like what someone else said about using the hat's. I know last year at my graduation, almost everyone I knew decorated the top of their hat in one way or another. Even in a HUGE ceremony on the football field it was easy for my parents to spot me, and to pick people out of the crowd.

Maybe you could get a bunch of people to put the same thing on the tops of their hats, which the more people you could get to do that the better it would look. Or you could have different quotes of hers or whatever you want to say on there.

I think doing something like that as well as doing a lot of these things would be a great way to get the message across, and if one thing falls through (ex: you find out you can't hand out fliers) you still have standing up and turning around, the hats, the arm bands, the signs around the neck, the duct tape, etc etc. And all of these can be pulled off with out really disrupting anything (like booing, or having a giant sign drop)..

Make t-shirts for your family and friends who are coming. I don't know how signs would look with your gowns and t-shirts would be covered, right? But they could help you protest, and I think they're much less likely to be criticized for wearing a protest t-shirt. Then you could wear duct tape and/or turn your backs. This is sounding fun. Just make sure to remind people that yelling and stuff is not a good idea.

Honestly, I think that standing up and turning your back on the ceremony will backfire. The media will play it up as immature and further evidence of "liberal censorship of opposition". Plus it could easily be interpreted as disruptive and result in eviction from the ceremony.

What I would do is get several non-graduating friends to stand outside the ceremony with posters of Schlafly quotes against women in higher education. I think that's the least disputable argument against honoring her: she doesn't think women should have degrees anyways. She thinks that women are incapable of intellectual prowess.

You can't censor everyone you disagree with, but you can expose their blatant hypocrisy. Let her words speak for themselves.

If I were graduating, I would simply refuse to walk, and write a sharply worded letter to the administration explaining that their choice to honor a person for their well-known belief that I had no place even being there made me feel unwelcome at my own graduation ceremony. I might also try to contact alums/donors, so they know what they're supporting.

In the ceremony itself, I really like the idea of silently turning away from the stage during the introduction and presentation. It's not disruptive, but it makes a powerful statement of disapproval and unacceptance. Or, depending on its placement in the ceremony, you could get up and leave en masse at the beginning of the presentation. In any case, I think that it's important to explain what exactly is being protested, and why, but I'm not sure a banner is the way to go. Perhaps something could be handed out prior to the ceremony, when guests are still on public property (so the university can't force you to stop)?

Whatever you decide to do, good luck!

I like what someone else said about using the hat's. I know last year at my graduation, almost everyone I knew decorated the top of their hat in one way or another. Even in a HUGE ceremony on the football field it was easy for my parents to spot me, and to pick people out of the crowd.

Maybe you could get a bunch of people to put the same thing on the tops of their hats, which the more people you could get to do that the better it would look. Or you could have different quotes of hers or whatever you want to say on there.

I think doing something like that as well as doing a lot of these things would be a great way to get the message across, and if one thing falls through (ex: you find out you can't hand out fliers) you still have standing up and turning around, the hats, the arm bands, the signs around the neck, the duct tape, etc etc. And all of these can be pulled off with out really disrupting anything (like booing, or having a giant sign drop)..

here's a different idea:

how about if you give up on "looking for something that cannot be labeled "juvenile" or "immature"," and speak your minds in whatever way you find most powerful?

why pre-censor yourself in order to conform to a repressive idea of comportment? do you think that the women who won the right to vote were not labeled "immature", "juvenile", and worse?

do you think that labels like "immature" and "juvenile" are objective, non-ideological, ungendered judgments that you should respect? are you going to modify your behavior so that no one calls you "unladylike", either?

look: the people who want to keep you down are going to say things about you. fuck 'em. they are going to bad mouth you if you talk, and they are going to bad mouth you if you stay silent. you might as well make some noise.

she means that married women are practically prostitutes, with only one difference, they are supposed to have sex with only one person.

Wait wait wait wait wait. I'm really hoping that this wasn't what you meant, but no woman has given permanent consent to anyone. Ever. Including sex workers. Schlafly's remarks are in no way like saying that wives are prostitutes -- unless you mean that the right to rape them is trying to be freely handed out by a society that doesn't think they can be raped. That would be a similarity. But it's certainly not the impression I got from the comment. I'm sorry, I really don't want to derail, but I just couldn't let that one go and don't think I should have.

Great ideas happening here though. Carry on.

thanks kid blitzer,

I try to explain that to smart people a lot who don't seem to get it. And you put it /so/ eloquently...

When Condi was the commencement speaker at Stanford the students turned their chairs around in protest. I think it would be so awesome to see the student body stand, turn their chairs and sit back down as the honorary degree ceremony begins.

Try to get in good with one of the techie people and screw up her microphone. Remember the 'Dean Scream' effect when Howard Dean was run out of the race? It was theorised that the wrong microphone was purposely used (to cut out atmospheric noise and turn enthusiasm into maniacal screaming) as a 'dirty trick'. Who cares if people say that's immature? I agree that folks who like Shlafley will say that anyway. But the media would jump on an opportunity to show her looking foolish, what do you reckon? What you need is a techie nerd! BEST of luck.

This isn't exactly something to do at the ceremony, but I think that a write-in campaign to the biggest local paper explaining that there is a large contingent of the student body that objects to this "honor" and why. If enough people wrote, there would undoubtedly be letters to the editor and possibly one or more editorials. Advance publicity about the why of the protest couldn't hurt.

I agree with those who say that protest shouldn't focus on her condoning marital rape to the exclusion of all other things.

Perhaps, since the Wash U press release specifically mentions it as an achievement, there should be signs reading:

THANK YOU, PHYLLIS, FOR HELPING MAKE US THE LAST INDUSTRIALISED NATION THAT DOESN'T EXPLICITLY GRANT CONSTITUTIONAL EQUALITY TO WOMEN.

Or something substantially shorter, since people's attention would drift somewhere around word no. 4. in that one.

Or perhaps

ACCORDING TO SCHLAFLY, WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE (AND SHE SHOULDN'T, EITHER)

Another idea. This one is a bit more complicated logistically, and requires some really good tongue-in-cheek writing (and delivery) in order to pull off. The nuances would have to be just right in order for it not to be misconstrued:

Either a pamphlet, editorial, or a speech "thanking" Schlafly for her years of "advocacy" on behalf of American women, featuring the highlights of her antifeminist public statements and activism.

This would not only make it clear exactly why anyone would object to Schlafly being honoured, but, if done right, would also avoid any of the usual accusations of "immaturity" or "disruption".

I lean towards a pamphlet, personally, because distribution is easier than getting people to listen to a speech with the same content.

Found another quote, from her article opposing the International Violence AGainst Women Act:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=19577

"You can bet that a primary purpose of International Violence Against Women Act money will be to lobby the U.S. Senate for ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women so that its U.N. monitoring committee can force U.S. compliance with feminist goals. That agenda includes everything from requiring unlimited abortion rights to rewriting schoolbooks to eliminate so-called "stereotypes" and gender-specific references.

Our senators are taunted with the assertion that the United States should be embarrassed because 185 countries have ratified the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, while the United States has not. I'm glad the Senate so far has had the good sense to reject a treaty that fraudulently makes naive people believe it will improve the lot of U.S. women."

Um, I just have to say, duct tape on your mouth? Ouch! If you're going to do something like that, you should seriously consider using something that doesn't have so much potential to be painful. I suggest electrical tape; I've used it myself in a protest (in an X, since it tends to be small) and it won't pull off your skin.

Anyway, another idea: if you aren't handed the actual piece of paper that shows you've earned a degree in the actual ceremony, you and all of the other protestors could drop it as soon as they hand it to you, implying how it is worthless because of Schlafly. Though obviously you would need to have an explanation of why you were doing this. Or you could hand out pamphlets/flyers that have the things she's said about women, college, and degrees that ends with something like, "So apparently all you need to earn a degree is to denigrate women and higher education," or "Schlafly is a hypocrite for allowing herself to be 'honored' by something she doesn't even believe in."

Wait. She bashes colleges as a bastion of liberalism and feminism but she's accepting an honorary degree?

Hypocrite as well as a generally vomitous human being. What a combination!

Last year, my graduation speaker was Justice Alito (at a women's university no less), and we decided to carry roses with a little message on them (one side said "Remember the women" and the other side had a quote from our former president). We got students who were attending graduation, but not graduating, to distribute the roses to anyone who wanted one--including other students, faculty, guests and parents. As we went up to get our degrees, we set them in front of the stage. It was all paid for by donations (mostly faculty), and wasn't disruptful at all. Good luck either way. It really sucks to have a speaker who not only is boring, but who you feels misrepresents everything about the education you have received.

to be more concrete:

ask yourself how right-wingers would respond if washu were offering an honorary degree to, e.g., ward churchill or some other leftist bugbear.

they would follow the money.

first, figure out who are the largest corporate donors. find out who are the women in those corporate structures who will be outraged at this. threaten boycotts. tell them that by supporting washu, and not protesting this degree, they are agreeing that husbands have a legal right to rape their wives. tell them that you are raising money to place ads in the new york times that say "avon cosmetics is in favor of rape." (or whatever the donor corporation is).

now get the list of individual donors. repeat th e process. some of those donors are women. they should know about this.

now inspect the list of the board of trustees. it will have some powerful and independent women on it. explain to them what is at stake.

universities listen to money, and very little else. if their big donors start telling them that they cannot live with this, then schlafly will be disappeared.

in addition: political power. claire mccaskill is the junior senator from missouri. ask her how she feels about the most prestigious university in her state giving a degree to a women who thinks she should not hold her office. make her go on record.

ask yourself: why did northwestern university rescind its offer of an honorary degree to jeremiah wright?
(google: northwestern wright honorary).

because right-wingers leaned on them. and the leaning happens through money, and political connections.

this is do-able. don't waste your time arguing duct tape vs. electrician's tape. start reaching for the levers of power.

What about posters and signs congratulating PS for speaking up in public, working outside the home, etc. (you know, all the stuff she's done that she says women shouldn't do)? ;)

"I think her views on a woman's role in society are much more pertinent on this occassion. It's a slap in the face to the women of WU to honor someone who doesn't even believe they belong there. I think THAT is the angle folks should focus on."

Yeah, good point.

"How about more MIT hackish. Maybe a huge banner that unrolls behind her when she begins to speak. I think that a pro-ERA message is in order to remind her that the dream is STILL alive. How about three banners that say: (E)schew (R)ape (A)pologists."

Another good one.

"When presented with her quoted words, it makes it harder for her apologists to argue that she's being misrepresented. Those quotes will speak louder than anything anyone can say about her."

Like one of her anti-women-in-college quotes unfurled behind her as she gets introduced?

Last year, my graduation speaker was Justice Alito (at a women's university no less), and we decided to carry roses with a little message on them (one side said "Remember the women" and the other side had a quote from our former president).

Not to veer off-topic, but I"d just as soon Alito forget the women. Look at what he does when he remembers us!

1. Don't go. Make sure nobody goes. There is nothing quite as delicious as a reactionary who gets no reaction at all.

2. Failing that, go, but lead everyone in a rousing chorus of "Don't Stop Believin'" right in the middle of things.

kid bitzer's got it. Unfortunately, it's a little late for a lot of the money things. Graduation is this weekend (I'm a grad student at Wash U). Lots and lots of letter writing has already gone on with serious threats of money. Dear Phyllis must have donated her estate...

The standing and back turning is going to happen, I think. They've been talking about that forever. I'm worried that's simply not enough though. It seems like the administration only responds to being embarrassed and I think a spectacle is in order. Definitely don't worry about being seen as juvenile or immature. You don't get much more juvenile or immature than giving Phyllis Schlafly an honorary degree.

Distributing literature is a great idea so that parents know what is going on. There will also be airhorns when people stand and turn their backs (oh yes, there will be - and the more the merrier). Keep in mind this graduation takes forever. There will be time for solemnity and tears, there will also be time for farse and spectacle. Go for spectacle!

We want to make the national news. The story will either be that Wash U is a terrible place to go to school because we honored Phyllis Schlafly, or a great school because we didn't sit quietly (or stand quietly) while she was honored.

When I first read this somewhere else, I thought someone was instituting a new Phyllis Schafly Award for lame misogyny. So my suggestion is to actually hold that as a yearly contest from now on at the school.

If they don't give out the actual diplomas at graduation, maybe a trashcan could be placed on the stage somewhere and the students could throw them in there as they walked off the stage.

According to the university's website, there's the All-University Ceremony first, and then diplomas are distributed by individual academic units. Presumably the honorary doctorates are awarded at this first ceremony, which means the diplomas are handed out at a different time and place. Am I reading that right, dilexi?

Also, the web page says they'll be streaming the Commencement video live, for those who have a high-enough-speed Internet connection and want to see the excitement: commencement dot wustl dot edu

Another bit about the tape thing: painter's tape is designed to be gentle to wood finishes and the like, so it might work well, and it's bright blue, so it's really visible.

I would like to second dilexi's point: make it newsworthy. Fuck all if they call it juvenile or immature - those are the words people use when they are too scared to say radical. When an institution is being oppressive, as WashU has elected to be, it's time to get radical.

Nothing violent, obviously, but I think leaving, throwing out the holders of the diplomas, air horns, speeches, banners - why not do it all?

In regards to tee shirts and the like, what if everyone who was standing and turning took off their gowns, showing the t-shirts you've made? What if some non-graduating friends could throw the leaflets into the audience from a high up place? What about some good ol' anti-hate chants?

Finally, a word on duct tape: if you go for it, coat your lips and surrounding skin in vaseline! Pain-free removal!

When Ann Coulter was scheduled to speak at my school (thanks to the good old College Republicans) I planned a protest where dissenters would infiltrate the audience wearing tee shirts adorned with Coulter's own quotes. After she began speaking, we were going to stand up and turn our backs to her, so the rest of the audience could read her quotes on her shirts. In keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, you could write Schlaffly on buttons, signs, or even the tops of those silly hats we're forced to wear during commencement!

Luckily, Coulter canceled so our protest never went on as planned. The College Republicans got Ted freakin' Nugent, of all people, to replace her. Seriously.

So there have been some brilliant ideas listed here, but I hope mine still gets read even though its at the bottom.

Do the students have any way of contacting the other recipients of an honorary doctorate? There's six total, how do the others feel being put in the same category as PS? Your Student Government officers may have the info or power needed to get in contact with those people. I think it would be great for either those a. not show or b. show up and then say in their speech that they are not accepting this award.

good luck, and i'll be watching friday

I love a lot of the ideas that have been suggested so far! This honorary degree thing is beyond ridiculous and offensive to at the very least approximately one half of the people attending the ceremony. In fact, although I don't usually bother with "what about the men" statements, I think it's good to point out that people like Schlafly undermine the humanity of men as well as women- the women for obvious reasons such as assuming unlimited consent to sex, an assumption of unintelligence, and the idea that women should not be graduating from Wash. U at all; the men for being unable to control their sexual urges, which is totally offensive to them as well. I think it's a great selling point to get more men involved in protesting.

I think the best way to look "legitimate" in protesting her is to get as many people as possible on board. As much as it sucks to say this, getting more "adults" on board [specifically faculty, alums, and family of graduates] lends some legitimacy that a purely student protest could be misconstrued as lacking. Money definitely talks, too.

My favourite method of protest is tape over mouth and signs over the graduation gowns with quotes of Schlafly's or statements such as "Phyllis Schlafly doesn't believe I should receive this degree," etc. Combined with standing up and turning backs to her during the part where they award her the degree I think it can be very effective. It is also minimally disruptive, which I think is what a lot of people are aiming for, since commencement is for many people a really huge deal to them symbolically or to their family.

Then again, as I know from experience having had a part in organizing a silent, backs-turned protest against Schlafly herself when she spoke at my women's college last year, no matter what you do, you will be labeled as "immature" if you protest at all, using any method.
I really agree with this statement posted above:

"why pre-censor yourself in order to conform to a repressive idea of comportment? do you think that the women who won the right to vote were not labeled "immature", "juvenile", and worse?"

As a participant of the Smith College Ryan Sorba protest a few weeks ago, I love nothing more than making a huge-deal, activist fuss over things and doing it radically. I am so fed up with being expected to adhere to some pre-conceived idea of how "appropriate" should look- many activists throughout history have had great success making a huge, disruptive fuss!
However, since this is a commencement, it might be more palatable to many of the people in attendance if the protest is as minimally "disruptive" as possible. Standing and turning backs with an explanation of why achieves that nicely.

Good luck Wash. U students et al!!

I REALLY like the idea of unfurling a banner with one of her anti-women's-education quotes as she gets introduced?
It won't "distrupt" the ceremony per se, and it will CLEARLY demonstrate to those in the audience WHY many students oppose awarding her the honorary degree.
It's very important to make sure the protest is simple and CLEAR. While tossing diplomas in a trash bin is an interesting idea, it doesn't tell the full story. People will think "Weird, those kids are throwing their diplomas away," and won't necessarily make the connection between that action and Schlafly's views.
It is not enough for the protest to be understood by those participating. Whatever you do must be explicit, leaving no room for doubt about what it means or why you're angry.

Turning your backs during her speech is a good idea, but again, I think the whole audience must be made aware of what EXACTLY she thinks, how much disdain she has for higher education, and how little she thinks of women.

They might be difficult to get in the spring, but what if all the people who stood up and turned their backs also put on giant, brightly colored earmuffs, so they don't even have to listen to PS? Or just really big headphones.

More power to the standing with their backs turned to the stage! Great idea. I also like the protesting outside prior to the event because I imagine a lot of attendees will question why they are protesting and maybe learn something.

Something I have not seen mentioned yet is holding a sign up as you walk across the stage. Once you are on stage you are homefree. Graduations are taped, no one is going to pull you off stage. So a sign held by female grads (even on a smaller size posterboard with dark bold easy to read lettering) stating something along the lines of Phyllis Schlafly does not think I belong here would do the trick. The local media WILL address it and the school paper certainly will. If a lot of female students do it it will really make an impact and will be pretty embarassing. The students only get on stage to shake a couple admins hands who they will never see again. So stage, protest sign, shake hands, home free!

There are a lot of commencement ceremonies taking place this weekend. I won't be actually in one, but I will be watching my fiancé graduate. I'd like to wear a tshirt or button or SOMETHING expressing solidarity, but as he's at school in Ohio, I'm not sure many people would understand what I was doing. Any suggestions for ways to show solidarity during other commencements? Or should I not bother?

I made some images for use on fliers (or whatever) if anyone wants them: http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangetangodoble/sets/72157605058964603/

I think her views on a woman's role in society are much more pertinent on this occassion. It's a slap in the face to the women of WU to honor someone who doesn't even believe they belong there. I think THAT is the angle folks should focus on.

Get a clue!

Phyllis Schlafly is the personification of Rosie the Riveter. She put herself through WUSTL in the 1940s by testing out machine guns. She got her Bachelor's in 1944, then moseyed over to Radcliffe for a Master's.

Later, after launching a grassroots campaign and becoming a hugely influential political figure (albeit on issues that most women disagree with), she got her J.D. from WUSTL in 1979.

So to say that she doesn't think that women belong in education is b.s. that reveals your own ignorance.

The woman obviously believes in women's education. Tough luck selling any other theory to someone who knows her background.

What you can do is to fight her on her methodology, not her goals. Her academic achievement cannot, and should not be, undermined by women - that being the greatest sexism going.