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NewsvineWith Big Game fast approaching, Stanford Student Enterprises (SSE) and the Stanford Store began accepting orders for the traditional Big Game t-shirts last week. The popular shirts mock Cal every year, but some students thought one joke this year went a bit too far.
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One of this year’s designs referenced Azia Kim, the impostor revealed by The Daily last May to be posing as a Stanford student. After a protest initiated by Kelvin Vuong ‘08, SSE and ASSU officials decided to pull the controversial design, which read, “It was either a FULL RIDE at CAL or SNEAKING into Stanford. — Azia.”
“The Azia Kim jokes make me feel sick to be a part of the student body,” Vuong said. “She is not a joke and is a human being that deserves the same respect that we give to each other.”
Last Friday, in a push to have the design withdrawn, Vuong sent an open email to the ASSU Executives, the SSE CEO, the Stanford Store director and the group making the shirts.
“I find it hard to believe that we, as Stanford students, would stoop to attacking an individual in order to make a Big Game shirt,” he wrote in his email. “In the end, all we accomplish is making fools of ourselves and showing to others that we are insensitive.”
Dean of Freshmen and Transfer Students Julie Lythcott-Haims ‘89 said she had not heard of the incident but acknowledged that the t-shirt may have crossed the line from humor to inappropriate.
“I imagine that Azia Kim was a very troubled young woman,” she said. “So, however humorous and innocent the intention was behind the t-shirt, it feels appropriate not to make fun of her situation or of the mental health difficulties at its foundation.”
Other students agreed with Vuong and Lythcott-Haims about respecting Kim.
“It is good that they didn’t go ahead with the design,” said Stacy Aguilera ‘11. “I think she has been victimized enough already.”
Not all students, however, supported the decision to cut the shirt.
“The Azia t-shirt is actually very funny. I wish I could have gotten the t-shirt,” said Ethan Sufian ‘11. “It was a bit of light-hearted fun, and I don’t think anyone was getting hurt. She hurt us as a student body by stealing from us, so what makes it so bad to poke some light-hearted fun back at her?”
ASSU and SSE officials said they decided to discontinue the shirt out of respect for student opinions.
“Due to concerns which have been raised by members of the Stanford community, we have decided to no longer distribute the Azia shirt,” said Tabari Dossett ‘08, the general manager of development for SSE. “The decision to no longer distribute the shirt was made by our organization as a result of the various perspectives presented to us.”
“The decision to withdraw the t-shirt was made due to concerns over its appropriateness,” ASSU Vice President Mondaire Jones ‘09 said in an email to The Daily. “We are confident in the quality of its replacement and believe it will resonate with current Stanford students even more than its predecessor.”
Dossett added that an alternate design has replaced the Azia version and is now available in addition to the four other designs.
“We encourage students to review our revised order form for our current selections,” he said.
In the end, Vuong was pleased with the ASSU’s course of action and its quick response, as the t-shirt was removed by Sunday.
“All in all, they made what I feel was the right decision,” he said, “and I am impressed with the way they handled the situation.”