To the Editor: Your paper misquotes me as saying that the evening is about "supporting women in whatever way we want to support them." What I actually said was that the evening is about men supporting women in whatever way they want us to support them. This is a crucial difference -- asking women how we can support them means taking a risk that they may want us simply to be present and not speak at all, or to remain behind on the Green while they march across campus without us. It means letting them set the terms of how the evening proceeds. And it means being willing to hear things that are not flattering to our gender. You also misquote me as saying that, "If you love women, stop debating these issues." What I actually said was that if you love women, stop debating them on these issues at least this one night. Sexual assault and harassment should be debated and discussed vigorously, and as the advisor to STAAR I train men and women to facilitate these very debates in campus workshops throughout the year. But Take Back the Night is not a STAAR workshop, it's a time for men to listen to the real and painful experiences that women have endured. Because there are men who have been sexually assaulted, or who have been unjustly accused of assault, I am all for creating spaces where their stories can also be told. Let's see some more campus men do something affirmative on this rather than simply criticizing the women who do all the work on events such as Take Back the Night. Kurt Conklin Student Health Service More on Women's Center To the Editor: I appreciated Steve Schorr's reexamination of the Penn Women's Center ("Just how far has we come?" DP, 4/4/98), as I believe constant evaluation is needed for any organization to achieve its goals. And it was rewarding to read an article in which a man recognized the challenges that women have faced in the past. As I continued reading the column, it became clear that Schorr does not believe many of these challenges still face the women of today. But that may be because he only identified "sexism and abuse" and "gender relations" as problems women faced. Although great strides have been made, there are still miles left. What it appears Schorr -- and many of us -- have forgotten is that life at Penn is quite different from the lives of many Americans. Pick up a copy of Ms. magazine and take a look at the "News" section. Then try to tell me that sexism, abuse and gender relations are problems of the past. And then there are the many challenges Schorr did not mention at all, for instance how society tells women to weigh 102 pounds (take a good look at the images of women in advertisements sometime) or how to balance a successful career while simultaneously raising children. The problems women on Penn's campus face today are still as staggering as when my mother was in college. Maybe the types of problems have changed slightly, but they are still there. But housing such groups is by no means the sole focus of the Women's Center. It is quite simply a place for women; it is where we can speak with other women about our problems, where we can get information and referrals and where we can feel safe. But are we satisfied having it represent Penn women? I am the president of the largest women's organization on campus.There has never been an occasion in which I was unsure about referring a member of my student group to the Women's Center, either for information, support or referrals. I have never had a member of my organization relate to me any negative experience involving the Women's Center. It seems to me that the Penn Women's Center is doing a wonderful job of representing the women of this campus. Janelle Brodsky Panhellenic Council President
u To the Editor: I am writing to highlight the gross level of ignorance Steve Schorr displayed in his column "Just how far have we come?" (DP, 3/3/98). Schorr's assertion that the "Women's movement has changed the face of gender relations" is dubious in the context of his column. Fortunately, the women's movement has made great strides in gaining basic human rights for women. Nonetheless, formal legal and institutional advances do not entail that gender inequality is not pervasive in society. Women are continually oppressed and violated by a culture which reinforces ideas of female sexual objectification and general subservience. The effects are evident. In the U.S., a woman is beaten every 15 seconds. Each year in our country, an estimated four million women are abused. In colleges nationwide, one in four women have been attacked by rapists. Since the risk of rape is four times higher for women ages 15-24, resources are especially necessary on college campuses. Schorr also displays a lack of understanding of women's issues when arguing that the Counseling Center and Victim Support are favorable alternatives to the Women's Center. The messages women receive in patriarchal society after being victimized not only greatly discourage them from defending their rights, but serve to shame and even blame women for their victimization. The fact that 36 students sought consultation through the woman's center during the 1994-95 academic year conveys this very point. To assert that the center is "not necessary" is contrary to logic in light of what women today have to deal with. Ultimately, the Women's Center not only caters to the sensitive issues which many women confront, but serves as a reminder to Penn of the prevalence of the victimization of women. Dean Sovolos College '98
