A third-year entrepreneur drew the scrutiny of the Office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities (ORCSA) last week, after he set up shop in the Reynolds Club selling mugs that read, “Where fun comes to get mugged.”
Administrators told the RSO adviser who had loaned Stavitsky his table space that the slogan was negative and misrepresented the University’s relationship with the surrounding communities.
Stavitsky originally intended to use the proceeds of the sale for Simulacrum, an arts RSO which he leads. However, because Simulacrum is still renewing its RSO status, it was unable to reserve a table in Reynolds.
To get around the rule, he swapped donation money with another RSO for use of its table, effectively buying space in Reynolds Club. He later discovered that this is prohibited under ORSCA policies and apologized; the sale was allowed to continue through the end of the week.
Stavitsky, who is also a Viewpoints columnist at the Maroon, declined to disclose the name of the RSO whose table he used. However, an online ORCSA listing of RSO room reservations details a “mug sale” from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day last week under the name “FOTGC-Sigma Chi.”
While administrators bristled at the mugs’ depiction of University life as fraught with peril, a more peaceful image “is just not the truth,” Stavitsky said. He pointed out that a student was mugged during the week of the sale.
Stavitsky told the adviser, whom he requested be kept anonymous, that he would respond to any complainants’ direct questions and concerns. However, no one contacted him.
“I was kept relatively in the dark,” Stavitsky said. “I only have the vaguest idea about the complaints.”
Stavitsky said that he intended to spread crime awareness—a message which garnered a commendation from a passing UCPD officer, he said.
Though Stavitsky has never been mugged, his friends have. He said they “appreciated” the mugs.
Stavitsky said he would like to resume the sale at some point in the future, but that this is unlikely until Simulacrum regains its RSO status. He also plans to update the club’s bylaws, putting less focus on graphic design and more on student entrepreneurship—an emphasis he tried to demonstrate with the sale.
“Fundraising should be treated as a business,” Stavitsky said. “Most of the fundraising done on campus is not effective.”
Stavitsky said he originally intended to sell shot glasses reading, “Where Fun Goes to Get Shot.” He said he got the idea from a post on the Facebook group, “Overheard at UChicago.” However, he thought the phrase was too strong and that more students would buy mugs.
Roughly 90 mugs were sold at $10 each. He borrowed the money to purchase the mugs from friends.
I wish I would have seen these. I definitely would have bought one. Obviously not everyone gets mugged in Hyde Park (I’ve never been mugged), and life at the University isn’t “fraught with peril”, but I don’t think that’s the message the mug is trying to convey. Crime is a serious problem in the economically-depressed communities surrounding Hyde Park, and despite the University’s best efforts to keep the neighborhood from seeping in students are still targeted. I think the mug actually draws attention to the fact that despite the University’s hiring tons of security staff and making some half-hearted attempts to “partner with the community” crime is still a very serious problem, and when you look at the university’s relationship with the surrounding community it’s only to be expected. It’s wonderful that the University runs some wonderful charter schools, but what about the miserably failing public schools blocks south of here? It’s great that the University is supporting business on 53rd street, but what about 63rd street? It’s clearly not impossible to open a successful business there. Robust coffee seems to be thriving. Why not try to address the fact that students are terrified to use the nearest El station (63rd/Cottage) or the fact that in order to get cheap groceries students would rather go to Chinatown then take the 4 to the Aldi at 67th/Cottage? Maybe if we stopped trying to insulate ourselves then the community around us wouldn’t be so scary. I realize that there are very real dangers in the surrounding community, but adding more security staff and pushing campus further south with flashy new buildings isn’t going to make them go away. Plus, the mug is just plain funny.
What a farce. Though I appreciate the student’s entrepreneurial endeavors, safety on campus has come a long, long way. The fact of the matter is, you’re matriculating in a major urban area, and on the southside of Chicago. Especially when there’s no mention of this student actually being mugged, and mocking his neighbors (while earning a profit), and doing nothing to try and correct the perceived problems at root.
I shopped at Aldi (and Dominicks on Stony). I took the green line at 63rd without a problem. I also routinely walked back from the Green line through Washington Park. Was it wise? Maybe not. Did I ever get assaulted/mugged? No (though I saw some interesting things). The fact is, this doesn’t represent the campus I know.
Its time for the university to go through with part2 of urban renewal. The University needs to expand into Woddlawn. They can start a new denistry ,vetinary,or agriculture school.Although I think hyde park is great, the neighborhood would be strengthened by having a gentrified neighborhood to the south.
I think the mug is clever and people are to uptight about it. It doesn’t matter what the university does to reach out to the surrounding communities, the will still be a target. People must be more careful this is still the “big city” (as cut off from it as people may seem). It isn’t as if the criminals are going to say “oh I’ll leave them alone since they are trying to help the community”. Its just hilarious if this is the university’s crime figthing strategy. There is nothing wrong with trying to help the surrounding areas, but this can’t be a strategy to deter crime. I wonder if the university profiles certain people because everyone has an idea who the perps are. If they don’t they should be, its better to be safe than politically correct. I don’t think its too much too ask from the university if I’m spending tens of thousands of dollars to send my kid there.
I find it odd that anyone would find that coffee mug too offensive for the U of C. I wear t-shirts / sweatshirts which say “The University of Chicago Hospital Where Foreskin Comes to Die”. The Alumni assoc. sponsored a T-shirt design contest and included it on their official ballot. I even have coffee mugs with the same slogan and design. They all have a picture of one of our gargoyles dripping blood from a head which has been skinned. I guess nobody wants to challenge my design since it is true. After all, the U of C circumcises the highest % of newborn boys of any hospital in Chicago. People are welcome to come visit me to find out how to buy my t-shirts / coffee mugs. Or, just go to cafepress.com and search on “university of chicago foreskin”.