Dickinsonian

Susannah Rowe calls for women to understand and appreciate the "traditional" male roles on the dating scene in her "Dating Too Traditional?" article in the March 2005 Dickinsonian. Rowe takes a look at how in all aspects of life, even in the natural world, men are supposed to take the lead in getting a relationship, or even dating. She calls for women to be more appreciative of the effort men put out to get their attention, and even asks women to consider taking charge of their dating life.

"Stereotyping the Genders" was a piece written by Susannah Rowe for the September 2005 Dickinsonian discussing an awareness event on campus. "She Fears You" was a program meant to draw attention to the stereotypes of men and women through provocative posters and a program. The main idea of the program was breaking the generalizations that "men rape" and all women "fear" men. In some cases, this is true, but Susannah Rowe writes about how the campus program worked to shatter some of these images.

Students traveling on Dickinson Study Abroad Programs run the risk of getting involved in serious relationships that sometimes end, like for Natalie Wilson on the Toulouse Program, with an engagement. Program directors note that dating natives helps increase students' understanding of the language and culture, but often times this separates the students from the rest of the student group. In most cases these are American Dickinsonian women dating native men, and usually these women never planned on meeting someone!

"No Time for Dating" is a piece written for the September 2004 issue of the Dickinsonian discussing how Dickinson students have no time for dating. According to the writer, students do not have enough time for a serious relationship, between "classes, clubs, homework and jobs there are just not enough hours in a day." Since we are mostly confined to the classroom for the majority of the day, and then spend the rest of the time in the library, it is hard to sustain a relationship.

Kathryn Egan, the Women's Center columnist for the Dickinsonian, discusses stereotypes experienced at college in the September 2004 issue of the Dickinsonian. She discusses the stereotypes of sororities, fraternities, those in favor of women's issues, those who attend a private liberal arts college, men and women. Kathryn expresses her disgust with how people stereotype all of these groups, stating that we all individuals, but because of that we have a tendency by others to be grouped.

While the national average for male female ratio is 45/55, at Dickinson in 1999, it was 36/64 and in 2003. 43-57. Dickinson wants to combat this increasingly female trend by emphasizing Dickinson's strengths in athletics or sciences, more "masculine" fields. It was stressed in the article that admissions decisions were NEVER based on gender and no one that was unqualified for Dickinson would be admitted even if they were of a lacking gender. That is why Dickinson is never 45/55 exactly. The decrease of male applicants created this upsurge in female matriculation.

"Girls debased by lack of clothing" was an article posted in the September 2002 Dickinsonian about the way women dress on campus. The writer rants about the way women dress in the cafeteria, that it is "not a place to parade around half-naked." She expresses her shock that "in today's ultra-feminist world there was so many girls who would let themselves be so degraded, let alone degrade themselves!" She calls for the college to impose some sort of dress code, nothing too strict, just that people dress appropriately for class and public places.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, the "love doctor" came to Dickinson to answer relationship questions. He discusses issues like masturbation, pornography, birth control, prostitutes/strippers. In conclusion, Dr. Drew wanted his audience to know that "sex is a wonderful and beautiful thing in the right context and at the right time. But if sex is abused or done in the wrong way or at the wrong time, then it can lead to serious and painful problems."  He also addressed cheating- men cheat beacuse they can. But women do because they are looking for a remedy for their emotional needs.

A poll of Dickinson students shows that the majority of those who responded "hook-up"- which they have defined as "being "physically intimate with people who they are not dating." 43% of students were in a serious monogamous relationship. 26% of single students were not looking for a relationship. 57% of students were not invovled in any relationship. The student respondents felt that the reason for this "hook up" culture was due to Dickinson's social scene focusing on parties and drinking.

Women's Studies becomes a major/minor program, not just a certificate (it had been since 1991). "Men don't know what it means to be marginazlied. If we are the make this world a better place for all people men must learn about the role of male dominance in oppression and injustice and learn what they can do to change that oppression."