Letters to the Editor | Promoting athlete stereotypes and ignoring victims of sexual violence problematic

We would like to respond to Ross Weingarten’s “College Sex Scandals Have Vassar Implications” (published in the 11.17.06 issue of The Miscellany News) We found the article objectionable and we would like to address some of the points that were raised.

We do acknowledge the consequences that athletes have faced as a result of public scandals. Though the repercussions of these events are serious for athletes, they are equally, if not more, serious for women and men who have and could in the future experience sexual violence. The heightened scrutiny they will now be placed under as a result of the “unreliability” of the accusers in these cases makes it even more difficult for those who have been affected to step forward.

Moreover, the Duke case is not as cut and dry as the author makes it out to be. The e-mail that surfaced a few days after the story broke damaged the credibility of the accused athletes, and at the very least reveals the violent and misogynistic culture of the Duke lacrosse team. In addition, the equation the author makes between rape and sexual deviance is at best misguided and at worst deeply disturbing.

In an attempt to deconstruct the stereotype of Vassar athletes, the author reinforces quite a few of them, characterizing them as sociallyconservative, straight, and male. The author makes the claim that, “Everyone at this school is entitled to feel comfortable.” We believe that this includes men and women who experience sexual violence on this campus.

Weingarten’s sophomoric writing and irresponsible journalism are not an excuse for offensive content. The flippant tone that this article takes in regards to rape and sexual violence at Vassar not only demeans those who have experienced sexual violence, but it undermines the credibility of the article.

—Carly Dahl ’07, Kat Hand ’07, Shruti Swamy ’07, Sara Weston ’07