“C’mon. Give us the juice. Posts are totally, 100 percent anonymous.”

This is the tagline of JuicyCampus.com, a Web site which only a few weeks ago was an obscure link advertised on Facebook but has exploded into a nationwide phenomenon.

And while many students use the Web site for gossip, an equally large number finds the site detrimental and hurtful to their peers.

Directly above a Feb. 15 post titled “Hook-ups” runs a thread called “Think before you type.” Right beside a Feb. 20 thread announcing “The biggest slut at Vandy” runs a header saying, “This website is LIBEL!”

Students seem to agree.

“As we promote civility as a core value of our community, we must realize that the destructive material posted on JuicyCampus is malicious and cruel, permanently harming our community internally and externally,” said Vanderbilt Student Government President-Elect Joseph Williams.

And it’s that external harm that could come back to hurt the university in a big way, several campus leaders have said, as prospective students and job recruiters may find their way to the Web site.

“Members of our community who are posting on this site, viewing the site and spreading the hurtful gossip on this site are to blame for the harm being done to Vanderbilt's reputation, as individuals and as an institution,” Williams said.

Under U.S. law, sites like JuicyCampus do not bear responsibility for the content posted by their users, and JuicyCampus blocks its discussion boards from search engines like Google.

But while JuicyCampus’ terms and conditions ensure privacy for those making libelous claims against their classmates, it does not offer the protection of anonymity to someone posting dangerous statements.

"If your school calls upset about some girl being called a slut, we're not handing over access to our server data,” the site’s companion blog reads. “If the (police) call telling us there is a shooting threat, you better believe we're gonna help them.”

Because this alleviates part of JuicyCampus’ threat, campus leaders are unsure how to address the site.

Although Vanderbilt does not block any Web site from its network, some student leaders want to ban JuicyCampus — but most recognize the problem in setting that precedent.

“Vanderbilt's policy against banning sites is the correct one,” Williams said, “as the slope is quite slippery once you start blocking (any site).”

Last week, student leaders met and initiated an effort to boycott the site.

“JuicyCampus is driven by students, and it is in the hands of students to stop it,” said VSG Vice President-Elect Wyatt Smith. “Visiting the site is the same as promoting the hurtful comments found there, and the site will continue until students decide that they are not going to promote it any longer.”

Greek organizations are also encouraging their members to simply avoid the Web site.

“The opportunity such a Web site gives for free speech is admirable,” said Jessica Demorest, public relations delegate for Kappa Delta sorority, “but the way that it has been abused has simply made it hurtful, demeaning, and in my opinion, unacceptable.”

Most student leaders maintain their anti-JuicyCampus stance, expressing faith the community will cease communications through the site.

“I believe that this will pass,” Smith said, “but it is a shame to see the mean-spiritedness on such full display to the Internet community.”

— Nikki Bogopolskaya can be reached at veronika.bogopolskaya@vanderbilt.edu