Should I work for the Odyssey? (An Epic Question)

Okay, so I despise The Odyssey. I think that it all too often portrays the community in a way that does us more harm than good. I got a call today from a woman who is the VP of Recruitment for the publishing corporation that makes the paper. She had received my name from a sorority sister, and she wanted to know if I would be interested in working on the exec team for the Ohio State edition. I asked what the various positions entailed and was told that the responsibilities included assistant publisher who would work in getting advertisers for the paper. Well, who would these advertisers be? In past issues of the paper, they included bars and drunk food locations. As a Panhellenic woman who co-edits and co-publishes the Panhellenic Post--something we created to help with AFLV requirements and to attempt to counteract The Odyssey--I didn't know what to say.

I explained that there were many editing errors (or, a perceived complete lack of editing in my opinion) in the paper, and I told her that this is something that frustrates me immensely. But I didn't tell her that I don't agree with the purpose of the paper; I didn't tell her that I am frustrated and annoyed and angry with the way that it portrays us. Articles about what to eliminate from your diet to get skinny, or articles about how you pregamed Greek Week activities are precisely the aspects of Sorority and Fraternity life that should not be showcased. I get that these are papers for Greeks by Greeks, but there are copies at Cuzzin's and at restaurants around campus. Anyone--even non-affiliated people--can see these stories and see the errors contained within them.

I really don't know if I want my name attached to that paper. Frankly, I don't even want my chapter or my community associated with that paper.

I really think that the only way that I would work for The Odyssey is if it changed. If it featured great things (which it admittedly has from time to time) in every issue. If it spotlighted men and women from the community in a "Greek-person-of-the-week" type of deal. If it stopped telling women which tanning salon works best or telling men how to bulk up or get with women. Then and only then would I consider working for it.

I guess I answered the question I posed in the title pretty much then. The answer to that question is, "No." The only way I would work for The Odyssey is if I were to be a writer and strive to change the content that it holds. That's my rant. Thanks for listening.