-

Reslmnseslmlle llllenlel

To the offended feminists-I must say girls, I think it very well

if you wish to gather and discuss women's concerns and I am pleased if it makes you Should you actu-ally anything for the state of woman in society I would applaud you. As it is, you make me ashamed of my own sex. Your reac­tions to those "dreadful nasty men" reminded me of so much as a gaggle of geese in senseless

creating an image which, if any-undermines two centu-

ries of dedication to the liberation of women. Picturing the situation in re-verse, I cannot but at a man who would his foot like a child given to tantrums. Remember, the most is intellectual

react as you did to fun which was most not even aimed at you, but

out for general amusement. Whether or not it was succesful is 1..-.-·.01''""""1-

you cannot hide behind a sense of it should have been taken in

-'-'-''-<-"''-''-'-'- at with the

tions: Before I attack the recent public

slatements of Women's group, let me say that the idea behind the group is completely St. John's encourages all media if they fos­ter discussion; and I, for one, consider discussion good, !.c.;;u ... u.uc.oo

of topical concerns. In the .... ..,,JU<-'-'-"·

existence of a Women's group must be praised, and I it insofar as it obeys the St. John's ideal.

And I am certainly to believe that it does so within the context of its meetings. I have no desire to attend, but there are many similar groups I accord genuine respect, though I have never participated in them. Unfortu-

the respect I would like to grant the women 1s group as a mat­ter of course is not being reciprocated. In fact, I have found myself to at least two unwanted aggressions: the first was a wave of conspicuous and

loaded signs; the second was three full articles in the Gadfly tell­ing me how awful it was that these of­fensive and intrusive signs were mocked. These two insults are egre­gious enough; more how­ever, was the pretense held one writer that this women 1s group occupied an innassailable moral ground, due to its theoretical commit­ment to discussion. For these signs­packed with women's liberation slo­gans, one sided 1 thought questions' which raised no thought except anger against male society, and some ex­treme images of women in pop cul­ture-constitute a one way discussion;

att:err1pt not to interest vc~te1:1.t1.aJ n1ernbE~rs. but to lecture non­members, and to subconsciously re­mind them of their own These signs attacked me every time I saw

annoying me with useless cliches 1rn.o.o __ ,a,·v- moral as

LA<'-''"'"'·'"' I was by my maleness to venerate this group's ri 11-tr10-ri

teous aim. of other study groups exist with signs no more than the subject matter for and the time and place of its meeting. is the women's group different?

But the best description of the club's actions was made

Jenn Coonce when she defined ridicule in her article last week, when she says, "Ridicule does not invite reflection or u..1.c•'-'-'"""-'VH, and in it intimidates

from expressing alternate view-. This is what the

women's group has and this alone is the reason that the authors of the men's group remain anony-

2 The October 6, 1995

............. c.•::u, the women's group has .,,..,.,..,..,,""''rl so deft at this that it has sq-ue.lcllLed any discussion of women's issues that have taken in the student body at large, and has re­duced it to a few subversive snickers and at the mention of the is­sue. As such, the women's group has thwarted its own stated and has alienated itself from the very of campus it should be to reach. Alex Bilik '97

Dear Editor:

it any-the ladies of the soccer

of their name (as to do in any case), and were then to order new

all those old shirts would be transformed

i.-1-." ... "''"'" into valuable collector's items.

Letters

or SDt~llilH! as submitted.

words or

Two students sit on the quad read the most recent and

about the "Women's ~,.r-,.h 1.,.,,.,.,,... that has been on the minds of the student

Ian: What's up with Ms. Biller-ah­Bittle ... er.? Will: Wait if you call her that women will think an "ig­norant child."

Bite me. It turned me on. Will: You see she's angry and ex-

a mature, and i-spoKen answer to her~,..~,....·~-

Ian: So do I, Will! I do not think that her childish in the

can be considered mature. In I think she

have some re-sentment towards some­

to have lost her cool like that. came to St.

to be with a united group, not a campus of dis­senters and loners. I can­not stand seeing this cam­pus in such distress.

some words .__",_,i,4~·-~ behind your re-

sponse. But said your

I

women and you '-'-'-'".L'c.1.u

1 "' 11 r-r~",....,..,. out loud at the Men's Of course,

that's different. Ian: "The

too, but

one to an-other was that one was parody, and the other was the real thing. "The secret source of humor itself is not but sorrow."

Exclusion? But I they want us to go to their meetings, even though talk about women. Ian: All we do is talk about women. [Big This campus is

made up of and about half of them are The fact is that we all have to be able to

and I cannot see an ex1cluls1cmc:1rv the Women's but hinder this. If everyone who is dif­ferent starts a club to understand who he is and how he is different dis­cussing it, we would have three or four hundred one or two person groups that could not see eye to

Your take on this is all well and but I think full of shit.

Exclusion's to do with it. The women seem to feel of­fended lack of respect

! I I , ,I

'-'H'--H''"'-JLl.''J'. the other how can we live in How can we avoid out­

breaks of unsolicited

selves. From time to time friends and associates of mine remark about my actions either or with humor. If I am smart, I shall heed and

~--~._. .... ,,~~ u.;:;.u.u"'n the observant person. But what we must always re­member is that one must have res:pe,ct for others, or one will not get the same in return. I think the Women's should mull over that for a while. Will: I laughed at the sign because

was because it made the Women's

look also because it was somewhat itself. Even more, that it was silliness piled upon silliness, and

The

immature veoote and so on. If you don't

have to cry. Ian: That is what Ms. Bittle cry. I do not think that she understood

She came to this school

as or at her. I am more than

to have an open and re~>Dectt-conversation almost anyone, but when it is not I must leave.

noticed is that

assume, seems, much tion into other po:ss1IJl11t1es,

is an ex­of our "mali­

cious mockery. I don't think a sense of humor about the world is malicious. do some fail to un­derstand this?

some nD.,-,,-nlci

selves so up in the fact that are different and op-

will not hear any humorous or ~+•~~~"''"

as an attack. .,,.., ... ,..,,n 1oTn stems from the inflated belief of one's worth. For ccA•u.ucvicc,

ever talked someone idea about what Plato was say, the and when you said that he was wrong the person up in your face? I believe the same is true here: the women are so '-"''·'-"-'n

their that fail to see the other side with The anger .l.Lc-i1 U-1Ll.l.l:t:

when one's worth is im-:><T1nc1r1

lieved. Will: You may be but how can you someone you don't know? But then Miss

continued on page 6

October 6, 1995 3

4

minister Chen said. "And we re-

reunion at Cornell Univer­The visit was not ~AAi-..i .... u

October 6, 995

ep1en<le11ce on October 24 in but the recent Chinese

action indicate that intends to take a hard line.

small island off

per oeinet1c11:i.rv mium would move

to an estimated

of an IIDlDres~;;10n until men shoulder to shoulder from the Lin­coln Memorial to the steps of the tol building. Black men, save for bus

shoe shine boys, door men and the rare black congressman, are scarce on the Mall. One would nor-

ha ve to go to southeast D.C. to find such an accumulation of black men. But on October 1995 the traditional and famous alabaster of the memorials and build-

every was with buses, cars and trains

whose cargo was black men. Louis Ben

tives to the official one. want to com­mune with my fellow black one of the million Another

"To demonstrate white America that we matter, is I came." And one whimsical bloke de-

"I wanted to get away from and have a time."

No one seemed espe-those who concession

stands or hawked Million Man March commemorative Both the mood and tone of the event were felicitous.

for venomous litanies of the members of the Nation of who were a small but vocal and visible of the crowd. The women of the Nation of Islam didn't stand out as much in their dark Ara­bian From some of the Black L~•HHH'-' you could a bean

or a copy of the Nation of Islam's organ The Final in which

ex100~3es and His two and a half hour 01./'-'-"-""

denunciations of con­s0Lra,c1es, evil freemasonic rites and the

m~~rn:10.ne1a., was a its contribution to the tenor of the march

one. the entire "march"

wasn't any room for a march due to the vast number of men c .. ,.__i,~4,.,h,

was run a cabal of ex-cons. As far as I could the marchers were terested in atonement. And so were the engineers of the had to be. Most at one time or another have been indicted for and even convicted of crimes. The headline "'...., . ..._ ..... ,,-.. .... , read like a rogues' about any one found it hard to take any advice from

Chavis V"--'U~~v•

movement. There were a had salubrious messages

for the audience. But more ,,..,..,,. .. ,r.r+0•..-.+

than there were a few with dean character. At the lectern acter was at times a scarce .__...,,,ia ... "'·~n

when the crowded with the likes of Al

character seems beside the when one reflects that Louis

Farrakhan was the note speaker.

"So I have six kids but my testicles are crushed. Where does this leave me?" Kevin Davis on Vt~uterc)n«Jm~u

he should never be trusted

It is curious that black achievers of

march was confirm a sense of com-in the black men attended.

the

Farrakhans' announcement that he had God

messiahs.

"This book would not have been

'Tm gonna a second."

God here for "I almost talked three times."

Lili '98

The

Nicole Gomez nar.

October 6, 995 5

too. I don't know any of these women well to that. because won't talk to me. But that's besides the point. The is that many people on this campus found a reason to laugh along with the men's group and that pissed off the Women's Group. Then the Women's Group wrote to the Gadfly, and I feel their anger, condescention, and misunder­standing is and even a little out of line. Not to mention too self-centered. If they want discussion they must relax, keep their case in mind, but be accept the fact that all of us have our own points of even if they don't like it. The way to successfully incorpo­rate oneself into any community is to live with its mem­bers. Understand where the laughter is really coming from before condemning it. Ian: I think you are right. The way for one to know the prob­lem is to understand why it is a problem. What I would like to know is whether the women knew what they were getting into. It seems to me they did this without thinking of the thoughts of the The same is true for the men who up their sign: meant to but insulted in-stead, and caused more dissention. The only way to get another out from his low idea of self and separation from the world is to make him feel welcome, and not unwanted. Will: Are you trying to say let's all be friends? Ian: No, I just don't want us to be adversaries. Will: it would seem by their actions that they do. Their letters bother me much more than the sophomoric, yet still funny, Men's Group sign, because they are loaded with anger and misunderstanding. It is misplaced anger which invites ridicule, not the issues from which that bile springs forth. So, we might be laughing at Ms. Bittle's silli­ness, but not the issues she represents. In fact, reacting so

the Women's undermines it's very goal. Ian: I can see your sort of. The question still alive in my mind is what their goal is. I see them as an exclusionary organization, and although I may be wrong, their goal still escapes me.

discuss issues are tant to women and to provide an environment in which these issues can be discussed frankly." Ms. Bittle refers to a "real discussion about and pcychological damage done by a societal beauty standard which pressures women into butchering their own faces and bodies in pointless surgical procedures." Ms. Coonce's editorial doesn't mention what her goal is. She also misunderstands the origin of the joke by mistakenly taking it as and as "ridi­cule"; judgements I don't think she's in any position to make. Ian: It seems, in the quotes of the first two, that men are ex­cluded from the possibility of frank discussion because the Women's Group is only discussing matters that are impor­tant to women, not women and men. Will: But the other quote mentions a "societal stan-dard/' which I know includes men, too. Ian: Men are included as the of the but are excluded form participating in the conversation itself.

6 The October 6, 1995

Will: But on recent posters the Women's men to their The seems to be that the "frank"-ness would be violated. Ian: Yes, how could the women talk frankly to men about how are to blame for their pains? The Ms. Bittle speaks of male but leaves out the blame of women as well. Women are as much to blame for

the standards as the men that are blamed for One cannot accuse someone of oppn~ss10n

in the choice are asked to make. Will: The oppressed, would claim there was no choice involved, but that were forced to succumb. In which case men, and not become the bad guys. So us to their the

enemy to be reformed. Ian: "Adam and Eve now knew what evil was, and how do it. They knew how to do various kinds of wrong and among them one principal one-the one God had his mind on principally. That one was the art and mystery of sexual intercourse. " What they would like to reform is the so1on:tsn.ca·tea ""·"11 ·•nr.r• of males and females. Before was recorded men and women were attracted to each and in the modem world it is no different. The inclination to attract onself to another for the sake of sexual intercourse lives on in the bodies of and it manifests itself in different ways today. It is not, though, the fault the fault must be on our soul, God, or chance, but not men alone. Will: Gee, Ian, another digression into your theo­ries on life, the and everything. Not that it's bad to have a theory, but we must remember that others may dis­agree, and as a result we can't state our as fact. Let's just say that these women are asking us to reform based on their and that I with their conclusions. If that makes them angry can live with it, because I

can. Ian: If that is where we are at, then where can we go? What can we do? Have we learned -~"'"'~'~'T Will: I have learned something. You learned

learned too. But still see no reason for anger and accusation the way. The best conversation can deal with the most volatile of iCS while a civil and r<'.'c:nPrl"n

Ian: So be it. But let us be going, now that it has become less oppressively hot. Will: we not first offer a prayer to the divinities here? Ian: To be sure. Will: Dear grant that I may become fair and that such outward things as I have may not war against the spirit within me. May I count him rich who is and as for gold, may I possess so much of it as only a temperate man might bear and carry with him. Is there more we can ask for, Ian? The prayer contents me. Ian: Make it a prayer for me too, since friends hold all things in common. Will: Let us be going.

lunch If you

a check in campus mail '96

But beware, these October 30 to for ALL students.

'96 has an e-mail aa1:::1.rE~ss, Please write you have

else that you think has Damon

Classes: This is a reminder that Don

take on the rags are scheduled before the lhanJks~~1vmg

Nov.18

Tutorials and Laboratories cancelled on those tutors may schedule classes this

an-~~~··----

Sus3an Borden

continue to meet. Please note that Semi­ "~'m""·ind1s,cu:SSl€Jn,

December 13. lous activities attend.

Kevin Gardner

Alex Bilik and Aidan Kelleher did not receive the for Film Club because it was the consensus of the that the did not benefit from the Film's Club ~~~,~~.~ tion. Film Club did receive the of the theater. The Club's charter was -::innrr>U<::>rl

Minutes of the D.C. held on 1nP"'n;1v October 1995 at 6:30 pm in the Conversation Room Attendance: Pia Thadhani Rebecca Michael Steve Urich Seth Milliken

The

fund a Student Activities ~~~ ~..-." Center and a

for the ballet classes. This will be voted on October 24.

The Union received their The billiards club received

ter was c>n1nrrnTD•rl

their The DC now has..,..,, ........ ,_,. ... __.

n.i::;,cuua for October 24 so Heather Miller and the ~" ... """, reCJUE~Stln2 ...,...,,_,v.,,v for lab

24 go, Becca Michael

October 6, 995 7

surprised if the two did do such a

could say was familiar

Did a tutor Curious

with the rumor. Abraham assistant dean,

said that he's heard the rumors and refuses to believe any

variation.

Curious George, Mr. White said, "I didn't drive the win-

What you're asking about is the allegation that two dow at FSK with Mr. Sterling. I don't know the of

tutors, Mssrs. Walter Sterling and John White, when the The only thing that comes to mind is a senior

were students here, drove through the front window of in 1967or1968, several years after Mr. Sterling and

FSK. Many students have heard this rumor and many I had graduated. The seniors some cars into the

seem to believe that it's true. and decorated it as a car dealer's showroom.

One story, as told by Erin M. Smyth '97 is this: For this story begins to as an 'urban

Senior Prank the two students thought that it would be a Ms. Eva Brann said that she had never heard

hoot to put Mr. Sterling's in the middle of FSK. (I'm this rumor or any allusions to it. She wished to be

not sure what is meant by middle.) In order to get the saying, "If

Jeep in the building had to go through the window. would not have

Another version by Andrew B. Hill '98 runs: Sterling would not be tutors." I suppose that's

and White in similar states of drove a VW their kicked out of here wouldn't have

bus down the sidewalk leading to FSK and through the on to seek education elsewhere in of

doors, down the stairs, back as tutors.

come Monday the task needed to be undone to sound as if this rumor is

but the two saw that they would not be able to drive the grounded by no facts at all.

a rumor,

bus up the stairs that were so easy to drive down. So, this rumor has an among students

went the window out of necessity. Hill said, which says that Mr. Sterling tells his tutorials stories about

"Both tutors deny the story." all the fun he's is in-

Rebecca (Becca) Michael '97, said that she didn't know eluded in his repertoire.

what to add to the story collection, but she wouldn't be AK

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