Students meet to discuss controversial editorial

A group of about 50 students gathered in in Whitehurst on Tuesday Sept. 13, for a two-and-a-half hour discussion on "A Letter to Women," an editorial published in The Collegian.

The group consisted of primarily females, and about 10 males showed up. The discussion was moderated by history professor Eric Yellin.

The discussion flowed on its own for the most part after an initial question posed by Yellin. Students, who sat in a circle, spoke as they felt like it.

They commented on the statements of those around them and those of the letter. Some issues discussed included what makes an attractive woman, how men should think and act, how women dress and the differences between men and women. Also discussed was the impact of modern culture upon how these subjects are viewed.

The author of the letter, Brendan Rhatican, had discussed the relationship between the amount of clothing women wear and the level of respect they get from their male counterparts in his letter. He asked that women wear more modest clothing so that they would be more respected by men and develop deeper and more meaningful relationships.

While some at Tuesday's meeting appreciated the honesty of the writer and saw at least some merit to his argument, others completely disagreed. They felt the letter it gave men an excuse to act disrespectfully toward women.

"Women should be respected regardless of how they dress," Hannah Kelly said.

Another issue that came up was with whom the responsibility lays. Should a woman's dress be affected by the thoughts of men? Should she change what she wears in order to make it easier for some men to look at her in an appropriate manner?

"A woman's action should never be subjected by the mentality of men," freshman Diego Leal said. "Change should not necessarily come from women, but men should also change their mentality."

The idea of respect was talked about throughout the discussion. How can men be more respectful toward women and vice versa? What does it mean to truly respect someone? What can women do to help those around them act respectfully towards them?

"It is my responsibility as a human to treat every other human being with respect regardless of any circumstances," Johanna Gehlbach, organizer of the discussion group said.

The forum ended with multiple comments concerning how to deal with the issues that arose.

"Discussions like this one are a great start to advocating change," junior Chrisitne Parker said. "There is also value to and an appropriate time for organizing events and talking to administration."

Contact reporter Eunice Brumskine at eunice.brumskine@richmond.edu