The OWL Call    

volume 1, issue 1                                                                                              October 2000

Author of Men’s Health “The Best and Worst Campuses for Men” will be among speakers at Oct. 18 event

by Sarah Miller ’03

According to the September issue of Men’s Health magazine, Princeton is one of the top “male-friendly” universities in the country.   Far from being an accolade, this designation is seen by some reason for concern.  The author of the article, Laurence Stains, rated colleges’ attitudes towards males based on criteria such as the number of women’s studies classes and rules about consent and sexual harassment, described as the preponderance of “sex codes that redefine rape so that all men are guilty.”  The perceived absence of such rules at Princeton helped put it on the list of top 10 “male-friendly” schools.

In response to the article, OWL has organized a panel to discuss why Princeton has been categorized as favoring males, and to assess the validity of the assertions made in the article.  According to OWL Co-President Erin Culbertson ’03, “Universities should not be labeled as ‘male-friendly’ based on this criteria.”  She suggests that both the media’s portrayal of lenient sex code standards as a positive and the issue of whether Princeton needs more stringent rules need to be addressed. The idea that tolerance for sexual harassment warrants choosing Princeton for undergraduate schooling is something that should be addressed by the campus at large. 

            The Princeton community has reason to be concerned about the use of such rankings.  In a September 5 editorial that appeared in the Washington Times, Stephen Moore, an adjunct fellow at the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank, wrote that “help is on the way” for “the new oppressed minority on college campuses these days…the white male.”  He suggests that the Men’s Health rankings of colleges “can serve as an invaluable guide in helping your son choose a school where he will not be treated as an oppressor.”  Moore further states that “Parents with daughters should also take note of the list unless you want your little girl to come back home four years later radically feminized and inculcated with a creed that makes them angry at half the human race.” 

            The goal of OWL’s panel discussion is not to attack Stains, but to create an open forum where the issue of Princeton’s “male-friendly” sex statutes can be addressed.  Participants in the panel are: Stains, Mike Lafavore, founding editor-in-chief Men’s Health Magazine, Nili Safavi ‘01, President of Terrace Club, Lisa Tan ’01, editor of Voices literary magazine; Brooke Friedman ‘01, who organizes Take Back the Night; Nat Hoopes ‘03, a sophomore varsity athlete; Richard Just ’01, editor of the Daily Princetonian; and Peggy Giordano, director of news at ComCast, a New York and Philadelphia area station. The panel will occur on October 18 from 4:30-5:30 in the Frist Multipurpose Room, and is open to everyone on campus.  Suggestions for panel questions should be submitted to Kit at kgiordan@Princeton.EDU

OWL members to protest international abuses at World March of Women

Poverty and violence against women will be key issues at the Oct. 15 march in Washington, D.C.

by Melissa Renny ’03

On Sunday October 15, at 11 am, thousands of women will gather at Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. to march against poverty and violence towards women.  Among them will be 50 Princeton University OWL members, eager to join in the fight against injustice to women. 

The purpose of the World March of Women, organized by National Organization for Women (NOW), is to demand an end to poverty, violence against women, and social and gender inequality.

“Since the goal of OWL is to promote all issues concerning women, a great way to do this visibly is to participate in a widespread demonstration,” said Owl Co-President Nancy Ippolito. “It is the perfect thing for OWL to do.” 

Some of the targets of the rally will be the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, two organizations that should be addressing poverty and violence against women in a more pro-active manner, according to Angela Arboleda, a NOW Field Organizer.  The march also takes place at an important political time, right before the November elections, and leaders of the march hope to influence candidates as well as the results of the elections. 

The march is OWL’s first big event, and participants are very excited to join others around the country and the globe in the struggle for women’s rights. According to Ippolito, women from Australia and Canada will be marching along with American women on Sunday, and over the next two weeks more than 155 other countries will also be participating in the World March.