2008 Woodie Awards
RSSEditor's note: The preceding letters refer to an article "A woman's role," which appeared in the most recent edition of the independent, student-run publication, The Lehigh Patriot. Because this periodical is published less frequently than The Brown and White, we agreed to host this discussion so opinions could be heard in a more timely manner.
Patriot article should aggravate women
From Andrea Joy Berends, '08
I would like to call the attention of all Lehigh women, whether they are students, alumnae, faculty or President Alice Gast, to an article published by Adam Segal, '08, in the most recent edition of The Lehigh Patriot.
In his rant, Segal asserts after graduation "many women get caught up in their professions, ignore their biological clocks, and by the time they realize the implications of their social disconnect, they are no longer attractive mates and potential mothers in the eyes of most desirable men."
Segal's proposed solution for this "emptiness," as he calls it? A course for freshmen women where a "happily married mother" can teach them about the importance of family.
Lehigh women, we have been here for almost 40 years now. We are educated, accomplished and successful. If an article like Segal's does not aggravate us, then why are we here?
My role: putting my foot in my mouth
Adam Segal, '08
In the most recent issue of The Lehigh Patriot, I submitted an article titled "A woman's role."
Believe it or not, it was initially intended to be a pro-woman piece, mainly stressing the irreplaceable importance of a female's role in the family. Then the actual writing started, and I'm not sure exactly how I ended up with my final product.
As any reader of The Lehigh Patriot could attest, I am an unapologetic conservative, and I rarely pull punches when it comes to attacking liberal and progressive causes. However, what resulted did not assail any political school of thought; it simply demeaned any woman working hard to better herself (this consists of just about every single girl here at Lehigh, which may speak to my own intelligence in selecting my audience).
The article was intended to be controversial; I meant to toe the line of political correctness for entertainment and thought-provoking purposes. If I was writing in the 1920s, I'm sure it would have done just that.
The message of my writing was clearly lost in callous attempts at humor, all at the expense of the female student body. Even worse, I honestly didn't appreciate how offensive some of my suggestions were until speaking with female readers.
I hope anyone who was deeply offended will realize I didn't intend anything of the sort, but I am aware any female should have been offended if everything I wrote was taken to heart. I appreciate your understanding.
Letters: Patriot article was offensive
By Andrea Joy Berends, '08 and Adam Segal, '08
Issue date: 4/1/08 Section: Opinion
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Richard Earl
posted 3/31/08 @ 10:21 PM EST
I commend Adam for his humility. It is a rare thing indeed, especially in academia. While I do believe that the value of motherhood and the raising of children is a neglected art causing severe distress in our culture, there are better ways to express that idea,as Adam has admitted. (Continued…)
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