Radio Chthulucene 87.9 FM

There is no place on campus that I feel explicitly drawn to. I’ve never lived on campus, and so I connotate all the locations I can think of with studying, attending class, and killing time in between lectures to (you guessed it) do more studying. Maybe it’s because the campus does not serve my semi-hedonistic ways, but I spend as little time as possible there. 

So instead of through a positive memory or association, I have to be a bit of a killjoy and say that the second floor of Geisel is my leading choice because of an uncomfortable flyer I encountered there. Last quarter, during finals week, my friend went to the bathroom and returned with a poster she saw on the wall. I’ve attached it below for context. 

Aside from the prejudice in targeting Middle Eastern and South Asian people, there are some embarrassing mistakes:

1. 82 Million Turkish? Turkish what? I’m surprised that they got “Afghans” right, at least. 
2. How can one even avoid the Gospel in countries that have been created and controlled by Western powers? Not to mention that Jesus was Middle Eastern himself. It reads to me like the centuries-old rhetoric of “needing to civilize the barbarians.” 
3. The funniest part in all of this? The person who made this flyer is obviously referring to Muslims by including only Muslim-majority countries. Not only do Muslims believe in Jesus Christ as a prophetic figure, but they also believe that the Bible was once accurate. However, according to their beliefs, the texts were misinterpreted, inaccurately maintained, and misconstrued over time. So yes, they have heard of the Gospel. And no, they want no part in it. 
4. I can’t help but point out the irony of this flyer being up during Ramadan too. Insulting a minority group during a sacred time for them just makes it worse. 

Although this was unintended, this journal has become more of a rant than anything else. All of this is to say that I feel a need to “reclaim” the space that was once occupied by the flyer which spread misinformation and was, for lack of a better word, offensive. More of these flyers likely exist on campus and still remain on display. I don’t know where they are and I can’t take all of them down but my anger feels a little at ease at the prospect of replacing that space with a radio project that promotes inclusivity and various cultures. 

Less interestingly, I spend a lot of time at Sixth as the Literature Department holds most of its Workshop classes there; therefore, if Geisel’s outlets prove unreliable, as they often do, I would likely host my radio station near the orange couches on the second floor. Maybe a student who is trying to complete an assignment last-minute or another waiting for their next class to start will enjoy some background sound to decorate the silence.

xx Deniz