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1992 The olC lege News 1992-4-23 Vol.13 No. 10 Students of Bryn Mawr College

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For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE NEWS VOLUME XIII NUMBER 10 FOUNDED BRYN MAWR COLLEGE APRIL 23,1992 The March for women's lives: what did we prove? By A pa ma Mukherj* of the women in front of us attracted the Did he know what he was saying? Was agonize and suffer in making the deci- attention of a group of young men leav- he the type of man to coerce or maybe sion to have an abortion and remember it We were finally warm— not only ing the stadium. force himself on a woman, persuade her always with pain? Was he one of those physically but emotionally and spiritu- "Hey, are you pro-choice?" oneof them to have sex without a condom? Or per- people spreading AIDS and STDs be- ally. We were hot, confident, strong ex- called out. haps a "real" rapist? Was he just plain cause "it's better without a condom?" cept with warm fuzzies thrown in. We "Yeah! Go! Choice..." some of us re- ignorant and trying to be funny with a Would he accompany a pregnant female had just marched with the over 500,000 sponded. snappy comeback? Did he think of an lover to a clinic or try to disclaim respon- other pro-choice activists and support- "Coool! abortion sibility? Did his friends agree with him ers on the March on Washington on April Pro-Choice as an easy, or did they just not say anything? Do a lot 5th. We had heard Patricia Ireland, Robin all the efficient of men feel that way and just not say it? Morgan, Cyndi Lauper, Peter, Paul & way!" a lone way of not What about the men I care for and know? Mary, and Democratic, Republican and Phillies fan interfer- All these questions were whirling Independent political-choice candidates approved. ing with around my head and I hated it. It made pledge not to turn back. This was his sexual me think of all the other shit things about We chanted empowering mantras like, fabulous— pleasure? the March and the day in general. Like "U.S. out of my Uterus," or "Bush, Bush what a great Didn't he standing between the Capitol and the outta mine..." We bonded (or at least feeling that have fe- Washington Monument listening to pretended to bond) with hundreds of the ordi- rn a 1 e Morgan Fairchild speak (oh yeah, she people wedidn't know, women and men nary, Mawrters and Fords at the March in loved provides a good role model for women spending theday in support of our rights. ubiquitous, Washington, D.C. on Sunday, March 5. ones who and perpetuates positive ideas), and The patriarchy was no where in sight mid-twen- would see March on page 4 and we felt gooood. ties white, So, as we strolled back to where the jock-wannabe, American, hopefully - McBride-sponsored Panel on school buses going back to the Main Line registered-choice-voting male was be- // were parked—behind a stadium with a hind us too. Multiculturalism: "... jump right in baseball game in progress— we were not At least for a few seconds— he fol- expecting any negative vibes for at least lowed up his affirmation with, "Yeah, By Elena McFadden ment was this, "you have to jump right another hour or two. Apparently the abortion, it's better than using a con- in." She was talking specifically about Phillies playing whatever home team was dom." Our sensitive New Age guy was "The things he taught me were great things: thedifnculty of communicating with each not enough of a diversion for some D.C. Mr.Misogyny in disguise. that all racism is rotten, white or black, that other when there is a lot of anger, resent- spectators, because we started running I felt like kicking the shit out of him. I everything is political, that people tend to be ment, and fear coming from everyone into people leaving the game early. had such a sense of well-being until this indescribably beautiful and uproariously who is trying to hold a conversation. Decked out in our pro-choice garb intruder screwed it up. The most I could funny." But as another panelist added, while (white BMC clothing, "Thelma & Louise muster, after registering what he had —Lorainne Hahsbury these feelings are completely valid, we are Pro-Choice" stickers, NARAL and said and meant, was screaming to his should also look hard for the courage to Planned Parenthood signs), weand some back, 'Tuck you assholes..." The following is an open statement to take the action necessary to bring these those whom I have recently come to af- feelings to a level where they can be fectionately call "the converted, but dis- discussed and hopefully turned into posi- couraged." I am writing to those, myself tive, constructive energy. Alcohol and you: the dry facts often included, who hate the patriarchy, A recurring idea that was expressed the racism, the sexism, and all the rest of was that pain and oppression are real, By Tania Galloni son's susceptibility to infectious diseases it. They know all the intellectual reasons and make us who we are. As such, the and cancer) why the problems in this world are so desire to "forget" the reality of why we Some things to think about before you bad, but when they search for what can are who we are is an illogical suggestion. take your next "drink:" And of particular interest to WOMEN: possibly be done to destroy any of the in- Rather, the challenge is to communicate stitutionalized hatred in this country, they and discuss what exactly can be done to Did you know that akohol is the ONLY SKELETAL SYSTEM see a structure that is deeply entrenched prevent such pain and oppression from drug that can damage virtually every •leaches calcium from the bones. and very powerful. As a result, aside occurring to others in the future. organ system in the body? Here are some from being able to join already organ- It is all scary, and it is all hard. But, in of the highlights.,.(A nd if you are not big For the chronic alcoholic, the news is ized marches, the CBDs feel helpless, reality, nothing is going to change until on lists, do not dismiss the article en- even worse. Alcohol can reduce muscle discouraged, and depressed about the we can understand the complex notion tirely. Move onto another paragraph. I'll mass, cause impotence in men and infer- kind of world they have been forced to of how to stop seeing groups and start understand.) tility, menstrual irregularities (as if it live in without a choice in the matter, seeing people, while being aware of past were not bad enough) and loss of sex On April 14, the McBrides sponsored and present group abuses of power. Alcohol's effects on: drive in women. The list goes on to in- an outstanding panel of three brilliant This includes respecting one African- dude irreversible brain damage, cirrho- and inspiring women speaking on the American woman's right to state that she BRAIN/CENTRALNERVOUSSYSTEM sis, pancreatitis, heart disease. topic, "The Dangers of Silence: Diversity is "tired of being asked so many ques- •alters and kills brain cells In fact, of the 97,500 deaths caused by Vs. Marginalization." In the wakeof Hav- tions," just because she is black. But it •impairs memory, coordination and alcohol annually (my source was pub- erford Plenary and Laura Brower, I ex- also includes not assuming every Afri- judgement lished in 1987), thirty-nine percent re- pected a packed audiencebrimming with can-American woman in our commu- •is a depressant on the central nerv- sulted from alcohol-induced illnesses. concerns and inquiries. nity feels the same way, and hence tak- ous system The remainder resulted from either alco- However, the meager attendance of ing the risk to ask and find out. hol-related motor vehicle accidents the panel discussion perhaps showed Courage means continuing to tell rela- GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM (twenty-seven percent)oralcohol-related that the converted but discouraged are tives and friends that sexist and racist •irritates the stomach and intestine suicides, and non-vehicle accidents even more discouraged than I generally jokes are unacceptable. It means making •causes stomach and duodenal ulcers (thirty-four percent). (Taken from The assume them to be. On the other hand, Thanksgiving dinner uncomfortable, for •blocks absorption of essential nutri- Recovery Resource Book by Barbara Yo- the panel had a main point which the the realization that perceivable domi- ents der, 1990.) CBDs really needed to hear: you do have nant groups of people can be justifiably •contributes to the development of Did you know that, according to the a choice about the world in which you held accountable for the violation and gastrointestinal cancers recordsof the U.S. Department of Justice, live. So, assuming a difference between exploitation of others is an uncomfort- alcohol use is strongly related to crime? apathy and feelings of powerlessness, I able reality, even in what we like to be- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM In 1983, of the 132,620 offenders con- would like to share some of the insights lieve is the land of the free and the home •causes high blood pressure victed for criminal activity, forty-eight I gained that evening. of the brave. •may cause anemia percent used alcohol just before commit- The most gratifying statement of the Change means asking the hard ques- ting the offense. The percentage is slightly evening came from a panelist speaking tions with minds open to the harsh an- IMMUNE SYSTEM higher (fifty-two percent) for those con- about how to approach issues of multic- swers, like why are all my professors •impedes functioning of immune victed of rape or sexual assault. Alcohol ulturalism within a biased, patriarchal "white" and all of the women who clean system cells (which can increase a per- see Alcohol: the dry facts on page 3 structure such as our college. Her state- see Panel on diversity and silence pg.4 Page 2 The College News April 23, 1992 A conscientious objector April 15,1992 to Bryn Mawr, as Fanburg and Tolchin Editors* Note Letters to the Editor admit, is true. I certainly would have felt Dear Mr. Pines: thing, and only one thing? For us, there is The College News lower. In response to your concerned and no "right" or "wrong" feminism, and to Bryn Mawr College Second, Emily Cottier's criticism of 77K outraged letter, we would like to clarify imply that such is the case is restrictive, Howl. This articleshould ha vebeen called for you, and for any other interested harmful, and unrealistic. Dear Editors, "My Views on Humor, My Involvement parties, exactly what our statement of A collective feminism is one made up wrth77rH(npf,and My Reasons for Think- purpose is. 77K College News is "a femi- of many different voices, none of which In your statement of purpose, you claim ing it Sucks," along with the caveat: "Oh, nist newsjoumal which serves as a source is given greater weight over the other by that "The College News is a feminist and I Hate Ford Men, too!" Amidst Col- of information and self-expression" for us. We do not judge what is written; we news journal which serves as a source of lier's views, in case nobody noticed, was Bryn Mawr College. merely clean it up for editing purposes, information and self-expression for the a denigrating remark about Haverford As a forum of opinion and discussion and present it to the community for Bryn Mawr community." Last week, I men similar to ones in 77K Howl. Cotlier for the members of this community, 77K consideration, discussion, or otherwise. read the entire publication for the first writes: "Unfortunately for us, no Fords College News is not controlled by the Mr. Pines, please do not presume to time, cover to cover, and was very upset qualify as men, let alone as dates, and we editors: we feel that what members of know our views on feminism, or any- that you have strayed greatly from these can't expect them to be anything but this community deem important enough thing else, unless we officially state them standards. horny little boys." I read to write is important enough to print. and claim them as our own. We are the For a "newsjoumal" or a ...if feminism is a the sentence again, think- The issues addressed are those selected people who put the paper together and "newspaper" (which your ing that she was comment- by students at Bryn Mawr, not only those we don't determine what is said or how elaborate headline and page "collective ing on 77K Howl, but dis- that we personally find of interest. it is said (unless it is grammatically unin- set-up informally claims), it process", how covered that this was her Information is not merely the dry facts, telligible.) was interesting to find so view. and our statement of purpose never in- Your assumptions are unfounded and little news on the front page. come your Dear Ms. Cotlier (and sinuates this. It is not our attitude to uninformed, and rather than attempting Instead, I found a collage of articles foster Editors): You epitomize simply regurgitate facts, but rather we to truly understand, you have con- opinions, which most news- such divisive the reason why rational encourage members of the Bryn Mawr demned without knowing the facts of papers print under the ru- women will not subscribe community to actively respond to events how our newsjoumal, or we as individu- bric of "viewpoints," or on thinking? to this uninformed variety which affect them. als, function. the last page. I am referring of "feminism." In your We do not ask writers to write a certain Finally, can you make well-founded, more to the two articles about The Howl, denigrating comments (which are on the way; we hope "through this continuing informed judgements after a single read- though Nadine Allaf's piece was not front page!), you typify the kind of male- dialogue, to promote communication and ing of a publication that has been pub- altogether innocent. Also, what I found bashing that is engendering fissures in understanding and to foster self-confi- lished bimonthly and available to you in the content of the articles caused fur- the women's movement, and sinking its dence and independence in expression." for at least three years? Please refer to 77K ther chagrin. ship. Many women in the Bi-College And the only way to foster such inde- College News issue of March 26 and read First, "In Defense of The Howl." This community are unwilling to be feminists pendence is by allowing individuals to our letter to the community, which may article should have been named because they do not consider themselves express themselves freely and in the have clarified the matter for you, if you "Extolling The Howl," or "The Self- see A conscientious objector page 4 manner that they wish. had based your analysis on a more Apotheosis of Karen Tolchin and Julie In our view, journalistic integrity is broadly-researched basis. Fanburg." This was not a defense but a Cotlier not taking undue liberty with an article Enough with such harsh criticism. We self-congratulating history of what I which bears another's name, and allow- appreciate response to what we produce, found mostly offensive and degrading to ing each writer in this newsjoumal to even when it is tinted with such preten- Bryn Mawr. Remarks, which they wrote responds stand behind what she writes. We in no sion and condescension. Constructive about themselves like "...Tolchin founded Emily Cotlier would like to apologize way claim that the opinions expressed criticism is always welcome. the Howlin 1989...and the campus hasn't to Mr. Pines for giving him the impres- by writers are our own; rather, they are Thank you for your time. (And we been the same since," or that their "core sion that she hates Haverford men. The opinions existing in the community and hope the fact that we did respond and staff" of the "most talented editors, sati- section he quotes from her article was are given a voice by the writer. print an unedited version of your own rists, poets..." are more apt in 77K Howl meant to be a sarcastic summary ofThe One thing that may have escaped your views gives you an idea of how we oper- itself, not in any serious campus publica- Howl piece, "How To Fuck A Tord," attention is that not all women have ate.) tion. If you do not take yourselves seri- and the opinions it expresses. The state- identical views, nor should they: and Sincerely, ously, then I'm sorry for this entire criti- ment, in this tone, as well as the rest of who decided feminism has to be one anu, Ellen, & Nadine cism! And if you want talented people, it the article, is meant to criticize how 77K would have been more factual and news- Howl insults and demeans Haverford worthy to write about Red Tree. men and women. Ms. Cotlier is not of Concerned for sisterly solidarity In 77* Bi-College News, the sports sec- the opinion that Haverford men are tion has a policy of not having someone "horny little boys"; on the contrary, she April 3,1992 ture and joke implies that all Fords are who is participating on the team write thinks that Haverford men deserve re- men. This assumption renders Haver- about that team. We see, in this article, a spect as fellow students and potential To the women of Bryn Mawr and Haver- ford women invisible. Not wanting to good reason to support this rule. And the friends or colleagues. ford: jump to conclusions, we read on, hoping notion that The Howl is self-depreciating E.A.C. '93 We welcomed the opportunity to read that this was merely an oversight. How- the most recent issue of 77K Howl. We ever, on page 30, we found "A Modest thought of The Howl as a positive way to Proposal." We saw in this an overt ex- THE BRYN MAWRCOLLEGE erLLEGE VOLUME XIII, NO. NEWS10, April 23,1992 examine and challenge existing stere- ample of malicious and harmful sexism, Editors Nadine Allaf otypes of women. Because of our expec- offensive to the degree that shit would c-7,649-5098 tations, we were even more dismayed have rightfully flown had a man written ami tatn and disappointed to discover that this this piece. Before we begin our discus- c-166, x5870 magazineissue perpetuated certain nega- sion of this article, it is important to note Ellen Sweeney tive stereotypes about both Haverford that we are discussing the piece as it was c-328, x5843 women and women in general. Frankly, allowed to go to print. although we like a good joke as well as Let's start with this sentence: "I pro- Arts Editor Kyong Yun the next person, we are sick of humor pose the deportation of all Haverford Editorial Board Hania Al-Hallaq, Annick that thinly disguises messages of intoler- women." This would implement the wish Barker, Laura Brower, Amy ance and hatred. expressed on the back cover— that Cavelier, Kelly Farrelly, Tanya The first thing that we saw was the Haverford women should disappear. Galloni, Wendy Gonaver, back cover, which read "Haveyou driven Next, the suggestion that women be Mary Green, Apama a Ford lately?" The accompanying pic- see Sisterly solidarity page 4 Mukherjee, Nicole Troncale, Kyong run.

Photography Kathleen Carroll, Amy Cavelier A final note on The Howl affair To the Community: Basically, she was, along with Karen Graphics Editor Monica Farrow I am a layout editor for 77K Howl. See- Tolchin and Julie Fanburg, pushing hard Ladies of the issue Monica Farrow, whose title we ing the fiasco grow and invade every for it to be printed in the magazine. botched, and Apama comer of the Bryn Mawr Campus (and At that point, it was discovered that Mukherjee, whose article some parts of Haverford), I could not the top editors had edited out any part of slipped between our fingers. help but be disgusted when I saw the the original article that was remotely This is the last issue of the semester. Anybody interested in contributing to articles appear in both 77K Bi-College News funny and that also explained that "The The College News should keep an eye out next semester for stgns and 77K College News. The final straw was Proposal" was, in actuality, making fun announcing our first meeting and deadline. We will be searching for new seeing the comment board set up in the of Mawrters. There was not enough space editors ana writers, as some of our loyal staff are graduating. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them, and to express gratitude to BMC Campus Center. Even though eve- to have the entire original in the maga- Annick Barker and Jessica Booth for their invaluable help. If anyone would rybody is telling the College the 'real' zine, so Vicky, Karen and Julie decided like to send us something during our hiatus, you can mail it to cl716. We story, I feel that I must contribute my that a line from the cut first part, inserted will accept articles written by women and letters from men. All opinions voice. into the main body of the article, plus a expressed in articles and letters are those of the authors only and are not representative of the opinions of the Ed board . I was at the meeting at which the lay- quote from the Haverford Harry song, STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: The College News is a feminist out staff finally decided to put the re- would be enough There you have it: they newsjoumal which serves as a source of information and vised "Modest Proposal" into 77K Howl. all agreed. self-expression for the Bryn Mawr community. Recognizing that Vicky Lepore, the frosh who wrote the There was no brow-beating the hap- feminism is a collective process, we attempt to explore issues of interest to all women, both as members of this college and of the piece, was there to defend it. Apparently, less frosh by the cruel top-editors; Vicky, larger world community. Through this continuing dialogue, we we weren't reading her article in the Karen, and Julie all agreed. That was the seek to promote communication and understanding and to foster spirit in which it had been written and, last I saw of "A Modest Proposal" until I self-confidence and Independence in expression. so, she was going to explain it to us. see The Howl affair page 4 April 23, 1992 The College News Page 3 An outsiders view of SGA and its President By Laura Brower certainly are not out of reach for any tatives Council (SRC) and the Steering Mawrter who wants to throw a party." Committee, both will report to SGA about It is an often heard truism by now: "the In responsetothe current struggle over what they discussed, hopefully foster- Student Government Association is one the issue, an Alcohol Education Program ing more communication and connec- of Bryn Mawr's oldest and most vital will be put into effect during the next tion. institutions, along with traditions and year. Customs Week for the Class of '96 As for committees in general, Arati squirrels." In an effort to communicate will provide orientation on the Alcohol wants to see an effort made to render what happened at oh-so important SGA Policy. Hopefully, some type of informa- them more visible. Committees will be meetings, I wrote an article in The College tion session will be put into place for the asked to write reports of their meetings News issue of February 13,1992, summa- International Student Orientation as well. to the Appointments' Committee. One rizing the previous Sunday's SGA meet- "Education" about the Alcohol Policy member of each committee will also serve ing. Such an article was useful at the will continue throughout the year, di- as a liaison with Appointments, so that time, due to the erratic distribution of recting itself also towards upperclass- communication will be more effective the minutes to the freshmen representa- women. and the committee's work easier. It must tives. However, since then Michelle During her term, Arati would like to be pointed out that committees do an Magee has proved to be an extremely see the role of dorm presidents redefined immense amount of work behind the effective secretary, which makes articles and enhanced. Previously, Dorm presi- scenes, which though not presently rec- such as mine pointless. dents' training centered around media- ognized by the community, should not However, goaded by curiosity and tion; in the future, she would like to see be forgotten in the future. other incidentals, I met with Arati Vasan, their training become more comprehen- Though this is by no means an exhaus- President of SGA, in the Merion SGA sive and come to include issues concern- tive list of what new measures are to be office to share with the community her ing SGA, relationships with dorm offi- implemented next year, this article will hopesand plans for thecoming academic cers, etc. perhaps provide the uninformed mem- year. She began by stating that though DPs would have to come to more bers of the community with the informa- her experience as President so far had meetings with dorm officers and resi- tion they lacked. Many thanks to Arati not been easy, it had been extremely dents. They would help structure/ or- for contributing her time and effort. positive, thanks to a tremendous group ganize dorm life around a more cohesive of people, the Assembly. Though the As- social life. Hopefully, dorm parties would The life of a Transfer: for some of us sembly is a large group, she strongly increase as a result, with residents as- feels that it has been able to discuss cer- suming more responsibilities. it's become a habit tain issues in an efficient and concerted Over this year, problems around the way. party notification form have come to the By Elena McFadden several of these at my previous school, One of these issues has been the Alco- surface. Is the DP just being notified of Okay, folks, I do not claim to be an and am now with my current attendance hol Policy. She emphasized the sense of the party? Is she responsible? Is she le- expert on the state of undergraduate at old BMC, in case you hadn't gathered responsibility that should result of the gally liable? These are questions that education in America. However, I do yet, an official member of this different campus-wide discussion of the Alcohol should be confronted and that involve a claim to have some insight from spend- breed. Policy. However, panic is not the atti- more precise definition of the DPs role. ing time at two undergraduate institu- I'll admit to running into the occa- tude to take when considering the rami- Another issue of concern is the Meet- tions, which I think are randomly inter- sional Transfer who for various familial, fications of throwing parties, and the ing Procedure and the reworking of the esting places to hang out in. economic, cultural, and lack of informa- decrease in the number of parties on Constitution. Though this may seem More interesting than the places tional reasons ended up for their first one campus is to be lamented. fairly trivial to an outsider, it is neverthe- though, are, of course, the people, of or two years at a relatively large, imper- Arati said, "The responsibility for less important that SGA should continue whom there is a distinct sub-group roam- sonal, bovine University and realized at parties has always been there at a high to ask itself: Are we effective? When is ing around colleges and universities in some point that they had other options. level and should continue to be there. We the Constitution too vague? Is it exces- thiscountry—colloquially called, 'Trans- There are, also, those who for sometimes are realizing more and more how those sively detailed in other places? fers". Out of sheer coincidence (others stranger-than -fiction reasons (such as responsibilities are expanding, but they Meanwhile, The Students' Represen- may claim cosmic significance), I met stamps falling off college applications) end up at institutions which they eventu- ally discover were perhaps not truly Alcohol: the dry facts cont'd from . i worth even of their "safety" status. Pg But most of the Transfers I have come contributes to seventy percent of all sex- kick out of it, but lam not a dreamer, and where one "drink" is equal to three or to know are of a different breed. They are ual abuse, including rape and incest. It is I know it is not everyone's first choice. four shots.) If you are not aware of what students who, for whatever reasons, important to remember that while a small But as women, we should especially you are drinking you may be counting never quite got exactly what they wanted dose of alcohol can increase aggression be aware of the fact that the same amount too few drinks. out of the first eighteen years of their life, in both men and women, larger doses of alcohol adversely affects women more 8.5. (Mine.) Be careful about drinking and believe that they can get "it" out of can cause thoughtlessness and a still than men, even when their body weight and dancing. Dancing makes you thirsty the next four; being ridiculously intelli- greater increase in the aggressiveness of is the same. Why? Body fat. It retains and sweaty, but reaching for alcohol does gent, motivated types, they are willing to men (Patricia J. Bush. Drugs, Alcohol, alcohol in the body longer, and does not no good because it dehydrates your body go through red tape like you ain't ever and Sex, 1980). dilute it like the fluid present in men's further. Also, when people are dancing seen in your life in search of what "it" is Have you ever thought about the po- extra muscle tissue does. And women and keep drinking to try and quench that they believe their life to be lacking. tential danger of sexual encounters when (not unlike men) have to consider the their thirst, they seem to think less about Most people end senior year of high your judgement is impaired by alcohol? risks (pregnancy, infection) involved how much they are consuming. school with one of the happier thoughts After all, alcohol can considerably affect with impaired judgement during a sex- 9. Know that your judgement and being that they won't even have to look at your negotiation skills and put you in ual encounter, particularly when women decision making process change— even another college application for at least situations you do not want to be in. Some are still, generally, expected to be re- with a couple of drinks. This is important another four years. To "the chronically questions to ask yourself: sponsible for things such as especially when making decisions about morose" type transfer student, though, •When drunk, how successfully can contraception.. .after all, from what I hear, sex. Making a poor decision could put the challenge of requesting transcripts, you ward off advances from someone more women buy condoms than men. you at risk for rape, S.T.D.'s, A.I.D.S., getting recommendations, conceiving you are not interested in? Right about now you're probably ask- and pregnancy. (Taken from the Student and typing the ideal college essay (or •Would you be able to communicate ing yourself: "So where is the good Health Services.) fouror fiveof them), and spending hours effectively? news?" Well, to be honest, I do not have on the telephone arguing with adminis- • Would you be able to act quickly and any handy, but what I DO have is some And for the HOSTS of any end-of-the- trative assistants from six different of- decisively (i.e. "get the hell out of there tips for RESPONSIBLE DRINKING that year bashes, here are some hints gra- fices and two or three different schools when things don't seem 'right'")? will hopefully be of some use. ciously provided by the Miller Brewing about why nothing is "in" even though it • If you were with a man /woman you Company in Guideposts for Responsible has all supposedly been "sent", twice, is were interested in having sex with, would 1. Eat before and during drinking. Alcohol Use. These include: make sure equivalent to the singular sense of pur- you remember to use a condom/dental 2. Do not mix alcohol with drugs, in- that there is more to do than just drink at pose and achievement that drives some dam to protect yourself and your partner cluding over-the-counter, your party, keep food around (to slow people to climb Mount Everest. from A.I.D.S. and sexually-transmitted prescription, and illegal drugs. absorption rate of alcohol into blood), When regular people think about it, diseases? 3.Recognizeanother person's right not provide alternative drinks, and do not they both seem to be such stupid things to • Would you "encourage" your part- to drink (a personal favorite of mine). "push" drinking. do. And yet, I suppose it truly is "because ner to use contraception? How would 4. Set a limit before you start drinking. it's there." you react if he/she refused? 5. Pace your drinks. By drinking about So there you have it. And there it is. I So, in case you hadn't guessed, I con- •If you were not using an oral contra- one drink per hour (e.g. one 12 oz. beer, hope that this article has been helpful to sider myself to be pretty well entrenched ceptive, would you remember to use one glass of wine, one shot of hard liq- you, maybe answered some questions, in the ranks of "the chronically morose." some other form of contraception, such uor) you can experience the relaxing, may be cleared up some confusion, maybe But even so, I think I am definitely learn- as spermicidal foam in addition to a pleasurable effects without over-taxing made you think about some important ing things with this little hobby of mine. condom, a diaphragm with spermicidal the liver or becoming "intoxicated." things? Maybe. A girl's got to dream. None of the lessons are convincing foam/jelly, or a 'Today" sponge? 6. Do not drink and drive or ride with If you have any questions or concerns, enough for me to take up basketball or someone who has been drinking stones left unturned and the like, please knitting instead of transferring, but they Whoa. Slow down. It is a lot to think (regardless of whether the person is feel free to contact A.S.A.P. (Achieve are interesting nonetheless. about, I know, but there is still hope. No, "drunk" or not). Substance Abuse Prevention) at x7328, I am not saying that if you ever take 7. (I know this one is a matter of opin- or come in during office hours— Tues- — If it is true that one can be "happy" another drink every one of your worst ion, but I'll leave it in anyway.) Keep in day9-10a.m.,Wednesday9:30-10:30a.m. anywhere or be "chronically morose" nightmares will come true, nor am I mind that drinking should not be the and 3-5 p.m., Thursday 2-3 p.m., and anywhere, then why does it really matter suggesting that you give up alcohol all primary focus of any activity. Friday 1-3 p.m., in the Peer Education where one is anyway? Might as well go together, assuming you use it at all. 8. Know what you are drinking (e.g. Room on the first floor of Erdman, or hang out in Flint, Michigan if that's the Abstinence is great and I personally get a grain alcohol, punch, or mixed drinks leave a message on the machine. see The life of aTransfer page 11 Page 4 The College News April 23, 1992

Sisterly Solidarity from Pg. 2 Dykes TO watch out For exchanged for "a set of taller (U Pennl nizing each other instead of fighting to men" implies that men are of greater achieve a greater position for all women value to this community than the women in society. All women lose when we are who are already here. divided and while all women are not the The idea of showcasing women por- same, we have all experienced oppres- trays us as merchandise, something sion on some level because of our gen- which is already done enough by most der. We can have our differences, but we forms of American media. The equation should not be so resentful of each other of women with commodities to be bought that we cannot offer support when it is becomes more blatant with the sugges- needed. tion that Haverford women be "auc- We think that the women of the Bi- tioned off to the highest bidder." This College community have bought into kind of an attitude condones extreme the notion of "too many women." Let us male disrespect of women, for it pro- consider the implications of this notion. vides men with the argument of "If First of all, "too many" is a relative term, women can say it about other women, and here it is a relative term to men. We why can't we?" Even beyond gender must stop defining ourselves in terms of lines, it is deeply offensive to wish slav- men. Furthermore, it is time to utilize the ery on anyone, as it inherently denies power of our numbers to effect positive her/his humanity. This isn't funny; this change in our community. All women in is hateful. the Bi-College community are different, The next paragraph expresses that if and weshould embracethesedifferences. "women...remaindifficult...I propose that Humor can be a way to examine our we enslave them and rent them out." differences without perpetuating hatred This is talking about women the same and divisiveness. way that many men talk about women who confront them on issues of sexism; In sisterhood, they perceive these women as "difficult" K.D., J.T., E.S., L.H., M.M., K.L., R.T., and wish to disempower them. MB., E.D., J.H., H.W., A.H., S.R., CM., When women talk about other women D.L., E. W.P., R.G., J.D., D.B., A.B., A.M.B., in such a reducing and disrespectful L.S., A.H., A.C., N.K. manner, it is even worse than when men and all the other women who signed the do it because we waste energy antago- petitions that are circulating.

A conscientious objector fr0m pe.Pg« 2 male-hating, and this "feminism" is as- wards for violent sex something to think sociated with this because of irrespon- about. sible people like yourself. I consider If you are to maintain integrity as a Panel on diversity and silence myself a feminist (Kathy Ferguson's newspaper, you must keep an eye to- feminism, not yours), and I was greatly wards your statement of purpose in insulted by your remarks, both as a everything that you publish. In this is- continued from page one "Ford," and as a person. And to add: it's sue, you did not provide a "source of mybathrooms "black." It meanscounter- istrative power, and even quite a few hard to take an article seriously that's information," but a source of opinion ing anger with patience, and frustration industrial places of power, we, as the internally contradictory. (most people probably don't read the with communication. rising generation to replace them, are in Enough with such harsh criticism. I whole thing, just the first few pages). And If we want to leave to future genera- a unique position. We are able to encour- found the remainder of the issue quite if feminism is a "collective process," how tions a world in which they will not have age and participate in the creation of enjoyable, especially the cartoons and come your articles foster such divisive to be defined and limited in who they are radically new power structures in the Lourdes-Marie Katherin Desjardine thinking? In the future, I hope that you by the pain and oppression that comes United States. Prophete's lampoon of Political Correct- give more consideration to what you with socially constructed characteristics It is a lie that we have no power. It is ness. The idea of having a horoscope and publish, the implications of what you beyond their control, then it is up to us to true that the current patriarchal struc- "Ms. Hank" also give your publication publish, and to journalistic integrity in do work now, to change ourselves, and ture is very good at convincing us that (and campus) some much-needed levity, general. lead by example. we have no power. Revolutions are born which I appreciated. And Lara Goitein's Sincerely, Alice Walker, in her essay, "My Fa- of the combined energy of individual review of Basic Instinct was great, giving Noah Pines, HC, '93 ther's Country is the Poor," makes a keen human beings dissatisfied enough with all those people who darted home after- N Pines, 896-1707 observation about racism in Cuba in the their condition in the state of the world to '70s. She writes, "But theolder Cubans in be willing to do something to change it. whom racism is endemic will be dead Either you are dissatisfied and willing The Howl affair cont'd from pg. 3 someday. Young Cubans will not have to make the effort towards change, or the social structures that allow racism to you are going to be counted as part of the got my advance copy of The Howl. At the because Vicky, herself, agreed with at flourish. That is revolution." problem when the revolution comes. Dis- coming out party for The Howl, I quickly least 98% of the final article which ap- With the "flower children" of the '60s couragement is understandable, but it is skimmed through my copy. Although I peared in the magazine. now in many places of academic admin- not an excuse. did not like most of the articles very Yes, Vicky is a frosh and when she much, I did appreciate most of the car- wrote that article she might not have re- toons, even Emily Cottier's. (Now that I alized that the relationship between The March on D.C know her feelings about The Howl, I Mawrters and Haverford women is not cannot under- the strongest one, stand why she by any means. Yet, continued from page one would include I believe that there is no that was stressed looking over the masses of faces and And it doesn't change the fact that as her own graph- one to person to blame again, and again, at seeing white. Just scanning the crowd I Mawrters, we are in the state of Pennsyl- ics in such a re- the meeting and, saw about three black faces, a few Asians vania, home of some of strictest anti- pressive un- for "A Modest supposedly, it was and a couple of people who might have abortion measures, with Democratic, funny maga- Proposal"... going to be taken just had good tans. anti-choice Governor Casey and Repub- zine.) But I di- the real care of in the final Where were the pro-choice people of lican Senator Arlen Spector and his con- gress. article. I can believe color? What was the women's move- tender Stephen Freund. They are both I found "A problem...is with the ex- that the top Editors ment and pro-choice activism not offer- known for misogynist tendencies; Spec- Modest Pro- tremes that people went to could have edited ing, and as an Indo-American woman ter is now infamous for his role in the posal" rather the article without why didn't I feel out of place? That dis- Thomas hearings and Freund for once quickly because exculpate themselves. her consent. I know tressed me, as did the number of hawk- saying something along the lines of "a I was interested for certain that they ers lined up and down the streets selling woman who is raped cannot become in seeing how it had turned out. Person- added a last line to another article, for no "official" March shirts along with food pregnant because a special fluid is se- ally, I found little change from the copy I particular reason, and without consult- and beverages at outrageous prices. It creted aborting the fetus.'* had first read, and rejected. I was not that ing the author. But, as I said before, there was all so cheap and commercial, like Enough with the negativity— I let these excited by The Howl this year; yes, I had were not any significant changes from some of the candidates who just came thoughts fester for about twenty minutes problems with it, but I just put those the basic article that was agreecVypoi^ in out to make a pitch for their campaigns and a nap before I caught a second wind. down to shoddy editorship and weak that meeting. and ride the "choice ticket." If more than half-a million people trav- submissions, until the reviews and ar- I believe that there is no one person to I don't like playing the cynic, but de- eled from all over the United States to ticles about The Howl appeared every- blame for "A Modest Proposal". Vicky, spite the sheer numbers present and the show we mean it when we say "Not the where. Karen and Julie all pushed it into The great events of the day, it all seemed church, not the state, women must de- Putting up acomment board todefend Howl and, yes, the layout staff agreed to futile and worthless. Why did we even cide our fate," change m ust happen soon. that which you believe to be maligned is it. But, the point of this letter to the bother? We could shout "Heigh ho, I had felt strong, empowered and united one matter, but using that same medium community is to show that real problem George Must Go" until our throats bled, with strangers for a reason; we really as a way to launch an abusive and deri- is not truly with "A Modest Proposal", it but Bush couldn't hear it at Camp Da vid. believe we can make a difference. My sive attack on a peer is despicable. People being rather un-funny, but with the ex- We could be solid for one afternoon, but plug: Vote— the Primaries are on April have written in asking to see the original tremes that people went to exculpate that doesn't change our avidly conserva- 28th in Pennsylvania and local pro-choice piece, so that they may fully judge the themselves. tive Supreme Court and stop them from supporters need your help. To work the piece for themselves. That is pointless Brooks Constantine '94 turning over Roe vs. Wade. polls give me a call at X5742. April 23,1992 The College News Page 5 The Appendix to the Mother Tongue Anthology

Letter from the editors of the Mother Tongue Anthology— One evening last semester, we were sitting in the library (not doing our work), when Grace said, 'The women at Bryn Mawr are so amazing; can you imagine what their mothers must be like?" And Kelly said, "Lefs find out." So started the Mother Tongue Anthology. Over the year many people have given their support, time and stories to the project. We want to thank everyone who has helped make this possible. Please look for the Anthology in the following weeks of school. We wish that we could have printed every submission we received, but we did not have enough room. The following pieces are some of the thoughtful contribu- tions people have made to the project. However, it's not too late to share your stories with us. We will be having a read- ing and reception around May Day. Everyone is invited to tell their stories and lis- ten to each others'. Please look for announcements.

Thanks again, Grace Kim and Kelly Farrelly

Matriarch

Mourning cloaked butterflies danced near the dried-up riverbed the Sunday after your death...

White walls, silent, sterile floors stained by your breath, blood and words you said in Mrs. Mawr twenty years you had lived, faded, Mother do you bear me any affection? since my birth. Or do you grip me in a love too stern... too strong for comfort or comprehension? Violet mourning, yellow traced wings I am not sure... perched But I know that I like to see you wear green on May Day on seraphic petals, pure, unmarked lilacs (it being summer, you would look strange in white) Soiled by bleeding heart buds, On my fourth birthday you swept into my room not yet blossomed, wearing rust and gold... motherearth. Your grey eyes seeming silver You told me not to bother about the ABC's of academia Mourning cloaked butterflies I thought you were joking until you laughed sailed and pushed away the books and coffee on lilypads of liquid words unsaid and showed me how to play with crystals in the sun- Months after your last struggle for breath. light

Sarah Plimpton Rani'92 Page 6 The College News April 23,1992 Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Southern Sisterhood By Nicole Troncale honor for her so I doubt that she rec- stood was full of praise of his wife and maid for years. I don't know if she chose ognized how it depersonalized her gratitude for all that she had given him. to be single or not but this resulted in the I walked off the plane directly into the andmadehertobeanextensionofher Now, three years later, this love was greater number of opportunities she ex- arms of a community of strong and inde- husband. Even more tragic is the fact gone from grace's life and she glowed perienced as an older woman than her pendent women of two generations be- that my grandmother was twice with an energy that came from her new- sisters did. Mary lived at home with her fore mine on my father's side of the fam- robbed of her name, this time by the found love of self. parents for almost twenty years after all ily. I was going to Alabama to visit my dominant male in her life and the first Josephine is the third oldest sister and her sisters had left to get married. After grandmother and I expected that one of time by the dominant culture. She my most admired great-aunt— so much, her father died, the last five years were her sisters would accompany her to the and her sisters arrived in America as that I named myself after her. For my spent with her mother. Before her mother airport. But I didn't anticipate that she girls with beautiful names that their tenth-grade confirmation, we were told, died, Mary took her to see Italy to her and three of her four sisters would be mother had given them. Because their to choose names for ourselves as a sym- mother-land for the last time. Although waiting to greet me as I made my way up new American school teachers had bol of the new dimension of self that we they were two women traveling alone, the gateway ramp. Although the excite- difficulty pronouncing the rolling r's are supposedly gaining upon becoming they got around the country safely be- ment of these four women made their and long vowels, their deliciously adult members of the church. Although cause they knew the language— Mary reception a bit overwhelming, it was the flowing names were taken without religious ideas never moved me, except surprised at how much she could speak most nuturing welcome I've ever experi- permission and in exchange, they were when I was protesting against them, I and understand and her mother sur- enced. given names that were flat and com- liked the idea of giving myself a name. prised at how easily it came back to her, From the very moment that i arrived, mon in comparison by people they Since we know ourselves best, it seems making her feel as if she had never almost every theme from the women's didn't even know. Soon after their appropriate that we should chooses our boarded that boat in her thirties and novels that I've read this year by Woolf, names were stripped from them, they own self-identities. I chose the name Jo- suffered through that long ride, preg- Kincaid, Morrison, Erdrich, Kingston, were forced to trade their culture and sephine to connect with my heritage as nant and with five children, fearful that Robinson, Dangarembga and rich ap- smooth-sounding mother-tongue for well as to define myself. one would catch one of the many ill- peared through these women, my great- customs and a language that would In her early twenties, Josie fell in love nesses that were spreading among the aunts and my grandmother. The themes never completely belong to them. with Louis. This was scandalous to her passengers. of motherhood, names, the mother My grandmother lived like a ser- parents because, among other possible Mary's mother died a few years after tongue, a female community, inheritance vant at home and at work. She and her reasons, he was not of Italian descent. the trip, leaving Mary alone and in her and selfhood became even more realistic husband both worked hard in the Understanding that her feelings for Louis forties. Her marriage a few years later to to me as i saw how they all pertained to store, but when the day was over, he were more important than pleasing her a salesman allowed her more freedom each woman's life. My own feelings of than many women experience because genuine relation to these books were of the late time in her life that it occured. justified by my connections with my fe- Although she never had any children of male relatives. her own, she accepted the role of step- As I observed these four women dur- mother of her husband's teenage daugh- ing the day that we spent together, first ter. Now, because her husband often trav- in the airport, then a restaurant, a home elled internationally for his business, she of one of them and the car trips in be- was usually with him, experiencing dif- tween, fragments of stories about their ferent parts of the world, as she was lives, that they or my parents told me in when I arrived. Although she may not passing, as if unimportant, flooded back . have to refrain from marriage when she to me. Their stories, though neverthought was younger, her early singleness al- of as so, are significant as women, moth- lowed her much more flexibility in her ers, immigrants and southerners. Since later life. no one has ever taken the time to tell Angel is the youngest sister. Although these stories, I am trying to piece to- she also married directly after high gether the numerous, random facts about school, her marriage ended very differ- these women that I've heard throughout ently from those of her three oldest sis- my life. Because I'm the first to tell their ters. She married Grye, her captain-of- stories, my accounts at times may be out the-football team high school sweetheart of order, embellished, assumed or com- who was also Italian-American. Living pletely fictional. Therefore, in telling these relaxed while she continued to work, parents, she eloped with him. One day, only on his job as a football coach, they stories, they have become my own. As cooking and cleaning for him and their she silently and inconspicuously packed struggled with money for the first couple part of my heritage, they have helped to two sons. My grandparents were able a small bag and they ran away together. of years of their marriage. But because of shape me as they have the women to to put their sons through boarding They returned a short time later as a his bear-like build, Grye was able to find whom they belong. school and college with grocery store married couple, settled down on a farm a job as a body guard for governor Wal- There are many aspects that make up money, none of which my grand- close by and had nine children. During lace. His new place in the racist and cor- these women's lives, but I have chosen to mother was allowed to claim as her the years that she devoted to mother- rupt world of Alabama politics gave him write only about their existence as fe- own, to do with as she chose, even hood, never resting as she raised her chil- the money to lavish Angel with furs and males and, specifically, as wives and though she worked harder for it than dren and took care of the farm, she lived jewelry and to provide a well-off up- mothers. One of my first thoughts when her husband did. With all that the with an impatience to live for herself. bringing for their six children. After I reunited these women was that they male-world had taken away from my Throughout all those years, she dreamed almost twenty years of marriage, while were all widows. They grew up together grandmother, she must have been re- of going to college and becoming a teacher Angel was pregnant with her seventh in a close-knit family that was ostracized lieved to finally be with women, her and this desire consumed her thoughts child, Gryedied suddenly and unexpect- as Italian in an area of the country that sisters, who weren't taking anything as she milked cows, threw feed to chick- edly of a brain hemorrhage. Almost forty was populated mainly by peopleof north- from her, only giving. ens, sent her children off to school and years old, pregnant and unemployed, ern European descent. After their child- Grace is the second oldest sister. damed her husband's socks. Only when the death of her husband caught Angel hood as devoted sisters, they all married Last year when I came to Alabama, I her children were all grown was she able off-guard and left her mourning trying in their early twenties. Although their saw Grace only when she was in her to realize the goal she set for herself. She to explain the meaning of death to her marriages were happy and they never home with her dying husband who took classes and eventually became a younger children and searching for the regretted becoming mothers, it was had become frighteningly emaciated kindergarten teacher. By this time her words to use in a few a years to ease the obvious that the switch of their attention since the last time I had seen him. husband had been admitted to a mental confusion that her unborn, but already back to each other had reawakened them. Although I sensed a dep love between institution and was considered mentally fatherless, son would face. Now, having Independent from their husbands and the two, she had clearly returned to a ill. After returning from the Korean War, been a single woman for over twenty children, they were able to concentrate, mother-role with her husband, Char- he had gradually become more and more years, independence was familiar to as they did as girls, on their own female lie, because he needed such nuturing. ill, until he was unable to perform daily Angel. community, their own sisterhood. Now, without the expectation of being functions. Even when Josie's nine chil- But new to her, and to all her sisters, • • » a constant giver, Grace seemed liber- dren were grown, she continued to be a was this recaptured femaledevotion. Not My grandmother was the oldest sister ated as she was surrounded her sis- care-taker for her husband and pursue a since their girlhood, when the boys still and the first to marry. My grandfather ters and like more of an individual. I career. Louis died five years ago but be- had cooties and their passion was for had to work in the cotton fields for sev- don't mean to disparage the love be- coming a widow did not affect Josie their mother, had they experienced such eral years to earn enough money to buy tween Grace and Charlie, though. I drastically. Since her husband had been a togetherness, in the short time that i a small grocery store. With his future remember when, on our family trip to emotionally dead for several years be- spent with them, I observed them return- finally looking financially stable, he Italy, they re-married each other on fore he actually died, Josie was accus- ing to this initial sister bond. Unaware married my grandmother and they ran their golden wedding anniversary in tomed to being independent. now as to how and for what they could the store together. Throughout most of thechurch where Grace's parents were The fourth daughter, Mary, was not have ever given up this strengthening her life, my grandmother worked along married. I cried as Charlie recited a with us on this day and the reason of her confirmation, each sister vowed to never side her husband in the store. She be- poem to Grace during the ceremony absence also explains how her role as a let go of it again, because through their came known to her customers as "Mrs. in broken Italian, their first language, woman differs from this of her sisters. rediscovery of a mutual identification, Joe", (from my grandfather's name, Joe). that was half lost to both of them. The Because she did not marry young, as her they were remembering and reclaiming People thought if this new name as an small amount of poem that i under - sisters did, she was considered an old their selves.

Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology April 23,1992 The College News Page 7 Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology

Memento Untitled "In remembrance resides the secret of redemption." Baal Shem-Tov By M. E. Green you? No, it can't hurt you. It doesn't Do you not remember? You know I do. hurt the flowers and the trees does The sweet repeated strains pulse in my antred veins We never seem to take advantage of it? It's good for them. They need And throb in the measured wanings of the moon; theopportunity to share our thoughts sunshine and rain to grow arid so do In mystagogic winters; the seed's slow growth; and feelings with those we love. We little children." Well, most mothers The deeds of long gestation becoming contemplation spend a good deal of our lives feeling wouldn't see things in quite that way. Beneath my heart, the vestal hearth of hope, regret at what we should have done We chase the children out of the rain, Like water kindled in the hidden spring... or said to someone. A few years ago, but Mrs. Jay knows a thing or two. Come back to the welling font of the ancient covenant: one of the churches in my hometown Her grandchildren did indeed play That perennial genesis, remembering. selected a woman dear to my heart as happily in the rain for a short while. the Woman of the Year. Now, I had After which, they came back in the If you cannot remember, you know I do. never told her how important she house and dried off and played as Ear pressed to my heart, tine per-expressive part, was— and still is— to me, but when contentedly as kittens, while Mrs. The life-chord's swelling undertone there you her family asked me to participate in Jay watched unobtrusively over Will hear. Oh, let it bind me to you aye, the program, I knew that I would try them. Vibrate within your mind that I have borne you! Bind to convey how very, very special You the dark appoggiaturas of day Mrs. Jay has always been to me. First, During my own childhood, Mrs. Jay That dance in maternal shadow! Bind you love— I read the following letter: used to send us out into the woods to Chamber-music rung on the heart, creative song— hunt for sassafras bark so she could That broods o'er the nidus of the brewing blood! make tea. Off we would go, wander- Dear Mrs. Jay, ing through the woods, hearing the Do you not remember? In me you may. I hope this letter finds you in good sounds of nature, smelling her scents, In the hypogaeum seven-pillared, wisdom's haven, health and still residing in the Good looking for bark. That was a wonder- In enacting without cease the mystery play, Lord's hands. I am well but I am ful way to expose us to nature and The faithful flame is burning. Remember spring. homesick. No, no, I am not far away get us to commune with it. Because Beneath the cerement where sleeps the feeding winter, or anything, but still I am homesick. of that early exposure, I have a The red phylactery, the scarlet string, What I mean to say is that I miss you healthy respect for nature and her Remembers, binding age to burgeoning age and your household. Your home has creatures. I have tried to pass this In rites that celebrate their sempiternal wait: always been a haven in which I've respect on to my son, my nieces and Your halcon nativity, O theophage. taken refuge throughout my child- nephews. hood, throughout my life. I've al- Do you not remember? Come recollect ways been touched by the love that Perhaps the words that best describe Here in my cloistered womb, until the mem'ries bloom, fills all the places where you are. In this special woman are "Mother Like crocuses through snow, in radiant fact. all my days, I have never heard you Nurture." Memories of her have You have been here ever: the chrysalis, speak a harsh or unkind word; nor nurtured me through the years. They The cradle and the catacomb, the brown rhizome, have I seen you lash out at anyone in are precious memories, which have Tumescent vestibule of home that is anger. Even during times of great served me in good stead, especially To come. Remember! It is all reprise: stress you have been steady. You when I became a mother myself. And Another gentle rest upon your mother's breast, have been truthful and committed to now I am walking on the path most And then at dawn we will together rise. every endeavor. suited to me, a path which Mrs. Jay has always pointed me towards, and Niki Holmes In a world where everyone has been which my memories of her helped too full of self-love to reach out and inspire me to find. When my first *Poet's note: The speaker here can be read at several levels: women, earth, touch someone else, you have been a book of poetry gets published, Mrs. body, Church. Take your pick. link that binds people together; yet Jay will be in every word on every you seem unaware of the joy you page. I have tried to write a poem es- bring to troubled souls. I have al- pecially for her, but again, the words ways loved you and admired you, fall far short of the mark. and at this time, I'd like to thank you Mother's Strength for allowing me to participate in your world. When I was young, I built within myself that Mother Nurture I could look anyman in the Eyes definition dilemma Sincerely even through tears: Some decisions are Cookie Through the years of fear and doubt reflectors of my soul-secrets regrettable Through sparse times of doing with- — Mirrors— others out shining the Light modifiable Through my silence you could hear back into my own eyes and still others are everlasting This letter seemed so inadequate at You made a smile of every tear showing me my own face. permanent the time because it did not really say Mothers are women enough. I wanted to say something When madness raged, you were a I've had many children since that who love you until about how inspirational I have found balm day, boys ask you to give them this woman to be. For instance, I You somehow soothed me, kept me Each one taking Some Thing from another kind of love remember Mrs. Jay telling her grand- calm. my Soul and then mothers children in the midst of a light, warm — Purifying— are kind & considerate summer rain, "Go on outside and I have not been able to finish this Leaving only those Good and Wor- but nevertheless play for a while." And one of them poem, but the point is that my efforts thy parts. they feel betrayed replied, in a tiny voice, "If s raining." to put my feelings into words has because In a motherly fashion, Mrs Jay an- been a difficult task. And yet, it is a They've gone away, the oral pleasures swered, "Why are you afraid of a task well worth the doing, for her, But it still remains have been displaced little rain? Do you think it can hurt and for me. — that Strength— replaced that I can look Any Man in the Eyes and they are left to wonder what Mother will mean Even through tears. w/o daughter.

Kristine M. Westover Michelle Wilkinson

Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Page 8 The College News April 23,1992 Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology m ft\% sss >M3 MORE THAN A SOJOURNER: Life as a Filipina Activist

Anissa Cadar district. He was a manong, one of the men who had come over in the 1920s to work (Human Development 130: Breaking in the agriculture industries. I was a member of the Filipino Students Organization the Silence: The Asian Experience at the University, and talked about the experience to the students there. They decided in America) to investigate the conditions that the manongs were living in. What we found were old men who had never married, lost contact with family in For the majority of the peasants in the Philippines, managing to survive at the most the Philippines, and had no support groups to rely on. They lived in broken-down, basic levels is a difficult accomplishment. Too often they are weary from the back- one room hotels with little stoves in their room and communal bathrooms down the breaking labor that it takes to support a family, and aren't able to look beyond their halls. The conditions appalled me: the dirt and the smells often made me feel like own farms and think about changing the world around them. However, there are throwing up. After the FSO investigated, we went to churches to talk about the some who, with support from the family, hard work, determination, and most im- problem and got people from the Filipino community involved. We all felt that it portantly, an education, rise above the common destiny and live to change the wasn't right for people to be sitting in lobbies for the rest of their lives. We found an communities around them. Aniceta Gaton Tigtig is one such person, a woman who unused building in the heart of the international district, cleaned it up, and in 1971 wrought changes; within the societies around her and within standards that were opened a drop in center. This was staffed by students, and it had magazines, commonly accepted as irrevocable. This is but a portion of her life as an activist for newspapers and books from the Philippines. It was a place for the old manongs to change. have a cup of coffee, stay and socialize. Eventually we received federal funding and to this day, the center has been an active community center. In 1969,1 married Usopay Cadar, a student of ethnomusicology and a Moslem I was born in 1940, the oldest of 6 children in a closely knit, Catholic peasant family. Filipino. This marriage would have never happened in the Philippines, where no one We lived on the island of Pa nay, Philippines, in the Buyan barrio of the to wn of Iloi lo. in the Catholic community would have wanted to cross the cultural antipathy It was a small fishing village, and my parents ran a prosperous fishing business. The towards Moslems. We both completed our masters' and were determined to go back advent of World War II caused business to drop, and they had to return to their to the Philippines and help people. We both had teaching positions at Mindanao State agricultural roots to provide for our growing family. The farm was about 15 acres, University, U so pay's alma matter. Here, we found ourselves in the middle of change and had been passed down, intact, from generation to generation. My siblings and and controversy. I felt that people needed to be educated about practical health I were born there: Aniceta (1940), sister Belen (1942), brother Cesar (1944), brother matters, and took it upon myself to teach the people the proper methods of sterilizing Douglas (1946), brother Eusebio (1949) and sister Fey (1951). water and the Lamaze method of childbirth. One of the fruits of my actions was that Although we were poor, my parents taught me the value of education. My father women who had learned from me taught other women and the method expanded in would come to school to sit in my classes to be assured that I was receiving a good popularity. education. My parents also emphasized the values of honesty and hard work. My One of the sad characteristics of the Philippines was that people in power often father said that, "As long as you have done what is right, you will not be afraid, even abused that power to make money. In this case, the President of Mindanao State if you have face a king." My mother would say that her children would be good University was going to have a bowling alley built on university land, and was going mayors or representatives, because they were fed food that came from honest hands. to profit from the transaction. Usopay and I circulated a petition against building the Even though it necessitated financial sacrifice from all members of the family, I was bowling alley, and preceding that, were harassed. Our house was burglarized three able to finish my schooling. After high school, I decided to go into nursing because times, and Usopay began sleeping with a gun under his pillow. The third time, Haji it was a practical profession. Through it, I would be able to go to the United States and Abdul Cadar (Usopay's father) sent eighteen men to act as bodyguards and protect earn enough money to put my brothers and sisters through their schooling. I us. I felt that I couldn't live in such a dangerous environment, because by this time attended Central Philippines University, where I first came into contact with Ameri- the conflict between Moslems and Christians was escalating. I resigned my position cans. I thought of them, the white administrators and teachers, as superior people and went back to my hometown. Usopay stayed in Mindanao and led student and and did not question the value system that placed Americans higher than Asians. faculty strikes and succeeded in instituting protection for the professors. I applied to the Foreign Exchange Visitors Program, and was accepted at the Albert On September 21st, 1972, Marcos declared martial law. On that same day, Usopay Einstein Medical Center in North Philadelphia. I arrived in June, 1963 and had only and I were in Digan City, packing our belongings to move to Iloilo. We were in the good experiences during her first year in the United States. According to the hotel El Toro, and just as we reached the lobby with the last of our suitcases, the floors program, I could only work in a hospital for one year, so I transferred to Cincinnati above us shook with an explosion. It turned out that the room immediately next to General Hospital. Upon arriving, I found that the salaries of foreign nurses were ours had a bomb in it. Not knowing this, we ran to our car to leave and were picked lower than the salaries of the American nurses. This was a condition I had taken for up by the police. We were accused of planting the bomb and were taken to police granted, because foreign nurses weren't registered in the U.S., but when I learned headquarters for four hours of interrogation. Meanwhile, the news had told the that foreign nurses weren't allowed vacations, benefits, sick leave or holidays, I felt people of Iligan that a Moslem subversive was being kept at the police station. This I had to say something. inflamed the people and they surrounded the station for two blocks, ready to form I went to the director of nursing and told her that it wasn't right, and that I would a lynch mob. probably leave the hospital because I wasn't going to stand for it. The director of Fortunately, the head of the National Bureau of Investigations of the Philippines nursing told me that I was just shopping for benefits and that she would include that (Colonel Incarnacion) was at the station and, being from my hometown, knew my in a recommendation letter to the next hospital I tried to work in. This made me family and was willing to help us out. He sent guards, took us back to the hotel, and furious, because that one unjust letter could have prevented me from working. I had guards stay with us until we flew out of Digan city. The next morning, martial wrote to the Ambassador of the Philippines, telling him of the practices at Cincinnati law was signed into law. I had a very strong belief that Marcos, in collaboration with General Hospital, that I didn't think it was right and that I felt that they weren't the military, was going to bum Iligan City with bombs and say that the Moslems and treating foreign nurses right. The Ambassador sent a letter to the director of nursing Christians were killing each other. This was to confuse his opponents and give him and this led to an investigation. During the investigation, I had to face questioning rationale for signing in martial law. from the Dean of Foreign Students and the director of nursing. Because of my We remained in the Philippines for another year and a half. During that time there complaint, the hospital's license to hire foreign nurses was revoked and after that was controversy in my hometown and our lives were threatened again. Usopay was year the hospital couldn't hire foreign nurses. The director of nursing either quit or going to the Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to work on his Ph .D., and was fired. They still didn't give the foreign nurses vacations or benefits, but I was we used this as a chance to quietly slip out of the Philippines. However, my actions successful in changing the hospital. This was the first time I felt that the foreign nurses and attempts to change the communities around me did not end. I no w live in Seattle, were being wronged, and I felt that this was the first struggle I won in this country. Washington. After my year with Cincinnati General was over, I worked in Montreal for two years. All during these first four years in Canada and the United States, I sent my She has continued her parents' legacy of emphasizing education and hard work salary to the Philippines to put my brothers and sisters through college. At the same She has two daughters: Royale, age 11, who loves painting, swimming, math and time I wanted to continue my own education, so I saved some money and applied to computers, and Anissa, a junior and sociology major at Bryn Ma wr College. She has the University of Washington Nursing School for a masters' in nursing and surgical remained active and prominent in the her community, always concerned about the nursing education. While I was there I received a offer to be a teaching assistant, and welfare of the Filipino people. Among many other accomplishments, she acted as through that, taught at Harborview Hospital. Of ficer-In-Charge of the Embassy of the Philippines in Seattle, attended law school, All throughout my work and education in the United States, the only Filipinos I and was recently interviewed by the local newspaper on the issue of Seattle's had been in contact with were educated and could speak English well. That changed skyrocketing property valuations. Now, she's concentrated her efforts on educating when I was called to translate for an indigent Filipino man who had tried to commit her daughters, and hopes that they will be leaders and bring pride to the Filipino suicide. He was in his late 60s, barely spoke English and lived in the international people.

Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology Mother Tongue Anthology

*N April 23,1992 The College News Page 9 AND ExteRTWMonr Skirting the experimental- Jesus Christ Superstar By Alessandra Djurklou breathed new life into the story. This refreshing interpretation of With "Jesus Christ Superstar", Broad- "Superstar" transcended blocking that way South has finally skirted the realm was sometimes too stiff and presenta- of the experimental. Gone was the usual tional: the odd missed note, abruptness, conventional (that is not to say fully sat- choppy flow, and lack of projection; but isfactory) approach to casting, costum- these technical problems could easily be ing, and set design. It was a pleasure, and corrected. also a great relief, to see a production A tip of the hat to Alex Walker (Jesus) about Jesus without the usual old bath- and Bill Toll (Judas) for doing a good job sheets; these were replaced by bajas, biker of a very demanding series of solos. The shorts, and miniskirts. same goes for Rebecca Charry (Mary), I wondered, however, if Jesus would and Tiffany Hartsell (Pilate). My per- be crucified in Spandex, but I did not sonal favorite, however, was Manjula have to worry; convention was returned Dias' King Herod, who, in a cross be- to in that case for the sake of accurate tween Oscar Wilde's Salome and Ma- symbolism. The set, too, was simple and donna, provided the high point of this functional, yet stood out when appropri- production. Shakespears Sister flex t\itir ate. Best of all, however, was the gender On the fringes, there were may gems switching; I don't think Herod, Pilate as well: Arielle Metz (Simon) again "dancefloorshakin muscle' and Annas have ever been portrayed in treated the audience to her near R&B By Kyong C. Yun probably sound dreadfully mediocn the ways in which they were, and thus see J. Christ Super Star on page 11 without the other, possess yin and yanj It's that time of the month. And my voices. Detroit, with her rough sneer, hormones are raging... to Shakespears pumps up some of the tracks (like the Sister, my latest musical Midol. ultra funky "Black Sky") with dance- The Babe: it's no Shakespears Sister consists of a pair of floor shakin' muscle. Fahey's wispy so- pop divas for the nineties, Marcella De- prano, which sounded so flat and girly in troit and Siobhan Fahey (yup, the her Bananarama days, provides an ade- home run Bananarama alum). If you're getting quate complement. And at times she into a rage the next. doubtful and suspicious of possible startles, as she transcends her usually By Megan Susman Goodman so dominates the picture Bananarama-like bubblegum pitchless- limited range, especially in the beseech- that no one else has a chance to shine. ness in Hormonally Yours , Shakespears ingly beautiful "Stay." The Babe in question is Babe Ruth, Trini Alvarado as his first wife Helen, Sister's second album, you'll be in for a There are a couple of tossable and before any of you get the wrong idea. who couldn't handle him, and Kelly pleasant surprise. If s radio music with uninspiring songs on the album (like the This movie is the first real Hollywood try McGillis as his second wife who can, are rev and sass... you know, the kind that's aptly named "I Don't Care"), but even at the life story of George Herman Ruth, merely there. Their roles, like all theother good to dance to and sing along with and they are tolerable exceptions. possibly the most famous baseball player parts in this movie, could have been filled (even for you pop phobics) solid enough When Detroit and Fahey knowingly ever. John Goodman {True Stories, Rais- by anyone. But I can't imagine anyone not to gag on. belt out in "Catwoman" a sort of parodic ing Arizona) takes a crack at playing a else as the Babe. Though only their second effort, the homagetothe upcoming Batman sequel: legend in his own time. It's too bad Goodman's extraordinary album's as smoothly polished as the "I'm a Hollywood brainchild to drive The Babe's story begins with a cheer- performance is wasted in such a medi- Pledge table. Some of the best producers you crazy. And I'm coming your way less childhood in the St. Mary's Indus- ocre movie. The Babe takes liberties with in the music industry lent a hand in real soon," it's almost as if they are sing- trial School for Boys, where he was history in an attempt to make a more engineering Hormonally Yours : Chris ing about themselves. Shakespear's Sis- dumped by his parents who couldn't exciting movie but doesn't succeed .With Thomas (The Pretenders, INXS), Alan ter dishes up savory, stylized, and swal- handle him any more. There he discov- a lack of strong supporting actors and a Moulder (Depeche Mode), and Dave lowable pop in Hormonally Yours. Havea ers baseball, and is such a prodigy at the weak script, the film doesn't do John Stewart (Eurythmics), who is also Fahey's little listen; it's enough to make you crave plate that he is signed at the age of 19 to husband. Goodman justice. and rave for more hormonally ragin' the Baltimore Orioles. He is then traded Rating: 3.0 out of 4.0 (entirely due to John Detroit and Fahey, who would each goodies from the duo. jovial and laughing one minute, flying Goodman) In the spirit of Thunderheart By Megan Susman Coutelle and Tribal Council leader Jack should), this movie barely scratches the policeman who gently points Ray to- Milton (Fred Ward) with his goon squad surface. The film stops short of outright ward both his own identity and that of If Silence of the Lambs shows the bright- want to eliminate the extremist organi- support for AIM, but AIM leader Dennis the murderer. Best known for his role as est side of the FBI, Thunderheart shows zation ARM (Aboriginal Rights Move- Banks visited the set, and one of AIM's Kicking Bird, the holy man in Dances the darker side that is more familiar to ment). Through the efforts of Maggie early leaders, John Trudell, plays ARM With Wolves, Greene also appeared in a many Americans— Native Americans, Eagle Bear (Sheila Tousey), spokes- leader Jimmy Looks Twice, the man the recent episode of "Northern Exposure". that is. Thunderheart has been called a woman for ARM and community activ- FBI want to pin the murder on. He is at his best in his sharp repartee with modern Dances With Wolves, but the only ist, and Grandpa Sam Reaches (Chief As for the actors, Val Kilmer certainly the FBI (Federal Bureau of Intimidation, similarities between the two movies is Ted Thin Elk), an ancient medicine man, looks m uch better here than in The Doors. as he calls them) agents. Hopefully the that a white protagonist learns to treat Ray gradually comes to side with the Clean-cut and constantly sweating, his talented Greene will get more roles in the Indians sympathetically, and both fea- Indians and help them main expression of future. ture Graham Greene. Dances With in their battle to pre- , emotion seems to The director, Michael Apted, also Wolves must certainly be credited with serve their traditions ThlS TtlOVie tHeS tO be to let his mouth directed Gorillas in the Mist and Coal opening the door for movies sympathetic and their land. hang slightly open Miner's Daughter. He has filmed a docu- to Native Americans, and Thunderheart The movie acknowl- touch...on nearly when shocked or mentary based on In the Spirit of Crazy goes one step further by removing the edges at the beginning pensiveortouched Horse called Incident at Oglala, which I issue from the distant, romantic past to that it is based on a se- all of the problems or...well, you get have not yet been able to see but am the gritty, brutal present. ries of actual events that the picture. He's looking forward to. The basic plot is that FBI Special Agent took place on Indian affecting modern adequate for the The movie tries to touch, however Ray Levoi (Val Kilmer) is sent to help reservations in the role and is actually briefly, on nearly all of the problems S.A. Frank Coutelle (Sam Shepard) solve 1970s. ARM is a thinly Indian part Cherokee. affecting modem Indian reservations: a murder on the Bear Creek Indian Res- veiled stand-in for AIM, Still, I had a pretty alcoholism, poverty, land theft, lack of ervation in the Badlands of South Da- the American Indian reservations hard time believ- funding for education and human serv- kota. Ray's boss's rationale for sending Movement, and Jack ing that the spirit ices, and pollution, particularly from the young agent is that his father was Milton is clearly meant of Thunderheart, a uranium mining. It is excellent at show- half-Sioux. to represent Tribal Council head Dick warrior killed in the massacre at ing prejudices toward Indians. I give it Although Ray knows nothing of his Wilson, who strongly opposed AIM ac- Wounded Knee, chose to come back to an A for effort; such a film would proba- Indian heritage and has tried all his life to tivity on the Pin.? Ridge Sioux reserva- help his people through this guy. bly not have been possible a few years disown it, he quickly becomes known as tion and who formed Goon (Guardians Sam Shepard is a good actor, but he ago. Just as Dances With Wolves helped "the Indian agent" (or, more derogato- of the Oglala Nation) squads which har- doesn't have much of a role to work with clear the way for this film, hopefully rily, "the Washington Redskin") and assed AIM supporters to the point of here. His main job is to act sympatheti- Thunderheart will open doors for more gradually accepts the title. As he delves drive-by shootings. cally in the beginning and gradually turn in-depth projects. Maybe we could even deeper into the murder, with the help of Some people in the audience seemed slimy. Not hard, and he accomplishes it gel a movie without a white protagonist. tribal policeman Walter Crow Horse shocked by the duplicitous actions of the well, but he could have put a little more Just a thought. (Graham Greene), he uncovers a decid- FBI. But as anyone who has read Peter gusto into it. edly different version than the one Matthiessen's In the Spirit of Crazy Horse Graham Greene, a full-blooded Coutelle wants him to find. knows (and if you haven't read it, you Oneida, is outstanding as the smart-ass Rating: 3.5 out of 4.0 Page 10 The College News April 23,1992 Bechdel bedazzles By Sara Rubin by the media. Somehow, we come to believe that we are not really women, or Alison Bechdel, creatrix and cartoon- womanlike, because we do not look like trix of Dykes to Watch Out For, spoke at anorexic amazons with tit implants or Stokes Auditorium to a full house of enjoy dressing up like babydolls. It was flaming fans and their friends at Haver- empowering to hear of Bechdel's discov- ford College on April 16th. She narrated ery that she indeed was a woman, and the slide show of her cartooning evolu- that, yes, we, with our aversion to bi- tion from early drawings to Dykes. zarre, mutated images of multi-media Bechdel opened with the statement females, are women, too. that she has been a cartoonist and a dyke Bechdel showed three examples of Spit VIIII: room draw all of her life. She does not consider her- female characters in mainstream com- self a cartoonist who happens to be a icstrips: a Garfield panel, a Blondie panel, dyke, but thinks that both are such a and a Micky Mouse panel. In the first, and warped logic significant part of her identity. Her first Garfield the cat is wooing a "female" cat slides were some of her earliest draw- who has obscenely large human lips and By Hania Al-Hallaq Neat. This was more than I expected. At ings: the first a picture of a horse and half-closed Marilyn Monroe 'come hither' 8 pm the night of room draw, I decided to rider on her grandmother's Daughters of eyes. In the second, the completely exag- I never realized how stressful room look at a couple of rooms in East. Just a the American Revolution stationary; the gerated sexualized Jessica Rabbitesque draw could be until this past week. I had few so that I could tell what the rooms on second, a green general (political percep- forms of Blondie and her daughter talk concluded earlier this semester that room the map would be like. I did not investi- tion, even then...). Next, she showed a with the slouch/schmuck Dagwood. In draw would be less stressful this year be- gate each and every room as some people photograph of herself the third panel Micky cause I am a rising junior and so are most did. One of my friends came in with a list as a young child, sit- Mouse is wooing Min- of my friends, but I was wrong ... Not of the rooms that she wanted, in order of ting on a stoop with— ...we...believe nie Transvestite; just only did room draw affect me and my course. and resembling in we are not change the clothing on friends but it also affected seniors. I When it was time for her to draw, she dress, coiffeur, and atti- the mice and you thought that they were experts at this by said, "Hania, I can get my number one tude — three boys. She really women... wouldn't know which now. choice! What do I do?" progressed through her one had originally been One rising senior had pulled into "Huh?" I was somewhat confused. If cartoons from her early because we do which. Bechdel illus- Erdman with all of her friends. Because you have the opportunity to pick your years to junior high trated the reality, she did not detest Erdman, I thought that first choice, don't you go for it? Maybe school, and high school. not look like which I am sure that things had gone relatively well for her. not. Maybe this was just a result that I She seemed to focus on anorexic ama- many of us have no- But there was one problem. Her friends arrived at to due to my warped sense of circus entertainers, tra- ticed every Sunday were planning to pull into rooms in the logic. I gave her the ad vice that I believed peze artists, dancers, zons with tit moming as we peruse same hallway, and her priority number to be correct, even if it might have been acrobats, sword fighters; the funnies: there are was a few numbers (2 or 3) below those of warped. dynamic characters who implants... significantly more her friends. Apparently the actions of "Get your first choice." I guess?! helped her escape the male characters which those 2 or 3 people could jeopardize her The rest of my friends drew into rooms pent-up frustrations she are more highly devel- masterplan. If they decided to pull into on the third floor. This made me happy experienced during the day. Much to her oped (just look at Bloom County), and the rooms in the same hallway as her friends, because I am hoping that the third floor mother's dismay, and despite her en- few female characters created are usu- she would have to live around the cor- will be quiet. couragement to try drawing some pretty ally the wooing object drawn completely ner. "Oooh, I wonder if I can trade?" asks ladies, Bechdel found herself able to draw as sexualized /idealized figures and look . Since this seemed to be a bad thing, she my friend. only male characters. nothing like real women. Or, they are tried to avoid it. She obtained the exten- "Why?" Eventually, in a college drawing class drawn (as in Dennis the Menace or in My sions of these 2 or 3 women who had "Because everyone I know is living on she was forced to sketch female models. Better Half) as clingy, dumpy girls/ wives. numbers above her. Apparently, she tried the third floor. What if you guys never Thus, Bechdel began drawing the female Positive, realistic, independent images to call each and every one to "ask" them come to visit me? Whatii; I hate everyone figure. Her cartooning at this point also of women are missing not only from the to leave her a room on the particular on my floor? What if the world falls apart became a bit more androgynous and comic strips, but often in other media hallway that she wanted. I thought that because I am living in my number one gender bending. Here, she showed an and in life. We tend to overlook the fact this was a very interesting approach to choice room? What if.. ." Well, maybe extremely interesting cartoon of an ef- that the cartoons, and other media im- room draw. One could definitely meet she did not really ask that last question. feminate male dancer/mime and an ages, are created mostly by white "golf many new students; it could become a Anyway, the next thing she says is, "I enlarged green sandle. playing" men. type of new "bonding" experience if one wish that I had not had a choice. Then I She began sketching pre-Dytes doodles Bechdel appeals not only to dykes but has both the time and energy to do this. would not be so worried about having in the margins of her letters to friends to many straight women (and she does Another woman who had a bad num- made the wrong decision." Dam this and, eventually, had one-panel cartoons get fan letters from men, too) because she ber as a junior was worried all week warped sense of logic that keeps bother- published in underground and gay/les- draws realistic female characters with about room draw. Her only concern was ing me! bian papers. And the rest is Lesbi-her- which we can identify and enjoy. In fact, whether any of her friends would live in We tried calling someone I knew that story. during the question and answer time the same dorm. I personally did not see might want to trade a room on the third I thought the most interesting part of there were countless questions, such as: this as a problem, as our campus is quite floor for this awesome room on the first her slide presentation was the discussion "I'm bisexual and I was wondering if cozy. Her plan was to write down the floor. She was not home, so we went over of her early preference for drawing only you would ever consider drawing a bi- name and dorm of everyone that she to East to see this number one choice male characters and her lack of identifi- sexual character..." knew during room draw. Thus she could room. My friend asked the same couple cation, not only with female characters, "I'm half Asian and I was wondering if get a room in a dorm with her friends. of questions about five times. "Do you but with females in general. She says she you would ever draw..." The funny thing is that this woman has like this room? Does it get lots of sun? Do always knew that she was not a boy, but "I'm a straight woman with a gay many friends, and she would probably you like living on this floor? This is nice somehow did not think of herself as a girl mother and I was wondering..." have a friend in every dorm. I guess that furniture, right? Do you like living in this either. In college she finally realized that It's high time that women, and dykes, she just had a need to verify this fact. room?..." she was a lesbian, which meant by the start representing themselves and their The next scenario is a classic. My "I think that it is time to go now, "Hold transitive property of tribadism, that she lives as opposed to perpetually being mediocre number was relatively pleas- my friend. After many hours of pain and was female. typecast as tranvestite Mickeys and ing. 152 would give me some choice of agony caused by getting her first choice I think there is much confusion in Sharon Stone nimpho-lesbo-killer- dorms. I was actually very happy and (?), my friend decided that she was happy young women who do not identify with whores. Let's hope that Bechdel has in- somewhat surprised to have pulled into with her decision. I cannot help wonder- the examples of womanness presented see Alison Bechdel on page 12 East, and some of my friends did too. see Spit Mill on page 12

^^J^xyikO^ a i/i wi yci/jr wi to oF-nteE-rwm? * EEBJ -itwled* t»s~*je - WE Qi'Mt.., •Ofentei"? k HAP A CMW. * WK men ON A an*etT & to j* PKOECTS D!/£ April 23,1992 The College News Page 11 DATES WOMEN MAKE Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25 The Spring Student Dance Concert. Bi-college students present dance pieces choreo- graphed by students and faculty, including modern dance, jazz, ballet and hip hop. The free concert takes place in Goodhart at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public. There will be a reception following each performance. Call x5208 for more info.

Soweto Soul performed at the Campus Center on April 10, 1992. They will be performing at U Penn on the 25th of April.

a.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door (on sale at Giovanni's and' Afterwords). The proceeds support the Pride parade and festival on Sunday, June 21. i

Sunday, April 26 Bryn Mawr and Haverford Vocal Ensembles will perform Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" in Marshall at 3 p.m.

Thursday, April 30 The Take Back The Night March is being held to protest violence against women. It takes place at JFK Plaza (15th and Market) at 5:30 p.m. Call Donnamarie at 985-3315 for more info.

Through Friday, May 1 Paintings by Maryann Devine, member of the Vox Populi Cooperative Gallery. The exhibit is at the Girlfriends Gallery, 1540 South St.

Friday, May 1 Shawn Colvin, winner of the 1991 Best Contemporary Folk Recording Grammy for her Tess Powers '93 and Bryn Edyn '92 are two of the students album Steady on, will be performing in the Cloisters at 8 p.m. Tickets are required and who will be performing in the upcoming Spring Student are available at the Campus Center Info. Desk beginning on Wednesday, April 22. pance Concert, which will be held on the 24th&25th of April. Saturday, May 2 The Bryn Motor Fine Arts Program will have a reception from 4-6 p.m. in the Campus Saturday, April 25 Center for their year-end show, "Works on Paper." The exhibit lasts until May 17and The Renaissance Choir will be performing in the Goodhart Music Room at 3 p.m. is open daily, noon-5 p.m.

Sharon Katz with Soweto Soul will perform worldbeat music from South Africa in an Margie Adam will perform an acoustic concert in which she blends personal and Earth Day celebration concert called "Blues and Greens: Songs for the Earth" at Penn political issues with a feminist point of view. Theconcert takes place at the University Towers, University of Pennsylvania. Theconcert starts at 5 p.m. and is free. Call 647- Museum, Harrison Auditorium, 33rd and Spruce Sts. Tickets are $15.50 in advance 8764 for more info. (They will also appear on May 8 at the Samuel Adams Bre whouse, and $17 at the door and are available at 21st Century Sound in Bryn Mawr, 525-7173. 1516 Sansom St. at 8 p.m.) Tuesday, May 5 Spring Fling '92, a dance presented by Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Pride of the Jewelle Gomez, poet and author, will appear in the Ben Franklin Room at Houston Delaware Valley, Inc. takes place at the 2-4 Club, 1221 St James Place from 9 p.m.-l Hall, 3417 Spruce St. Call 898-5044 for more info.

Behind the scenes at "Day of Difference // Editor's Note:By an oversight, we did not grams, and various Tri-Co events-to-be. school would feel alienated (especially tions and following up with personal print Aparna's article in our last issue. Our group consisted of five Mawrters Swat, separate from that tight, unique Bi- calls, inevitably we had to play telephone By Aparna Mukherjee (ultimately four), three Fords, and two Co relationship); and students too lazy to tag and deal with mixed messages. people from Swat. We were psyched to leave their home campuses would not While being generally insecure about After doing the Tri-College Summer get started and see our fuzzy ideas come miss out. exactly which groups weregoing to what, Institute: Seminars in Social Change, to reality, and I think within the first two Apparently, we were aiming too high; we were getting slightly crazed for other many of the feelings and views that I had weeks after break (Tri-Co was during the people who bitch about "nothing to do," reasons. How were we supposed to get about ethnicity/race and issues of ra- last two or three days of Winter Break), or "no social life" must try pretty hard to people from Swat and Bryn Mawr to cism and diversity had. altered or at least we must have met about three or four avoid having one because we could not Haverford on a Saturday? We decided been reevaluated. The progra m was o ver- times, once with the whole group, a find three consecutive weekends in a on getting Blue Buses back and forth on whelmingly positive for me. couple of times with just Bi-Co people, row when nothing big had not already a schedule which ended up being about When a new opportunity to explore and of course we saw each other every- been scheduled. So we finally decided to every half-hour. Joyce Miller and the the topic "race," in addition to four oth- where. Some of the members dropped do one big "Day of Difference" at Haver- Office of Institutional Diversity were ers (gender, sexual orientation, class, and little reminders of updates every other ford because it was the "central" point fabulous about supporting us in this religion), presented itself in the form of day, and I got used to getting some "real" among the three campuses, and it had endeavor and with the whole program. the Tri-College Winter Institute, I was mail. been confirmed by one of our Fords that Besides actually having a method of truly interested—especially considering Our plan was to be called "Day of Founder's Green and the DC were free. transport back and forth, we had to get summer Tri-Co invited only students of Difference." Actually, we werea lot more So we decided on sometime after Spring people on the somewhat costly buses. color from the entering classes of Bryn ambitious at first, when it was "Month of Break— the weather would be "springy" Here is where one of our major problems Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore, Difference." The idea was that at each of and pleasant for an outdoor event...hah! lay; we did publicize, especially since while the Winter Institute was open to all the three schools we would get various The weather on Saturday was unnatu- Haverford's Office of Multicultural Af- students of the frosh, sophomore, and religious, ethnic, racial, and, in general, rally cold and rain, sleet, snow, hail and fairs and its director Angela Gi Hem let us junior classes. Seniors were not included cultural organizations to do something— monsoons were imminent. So we moved make table tents, mailbox stuffers, and because one of the objectives of the pro- sing, dance, talk, read, perform, recite, the whole thing inside, crumbling my sign on its copy center account. To me it gram was to install action plans which show movies, set up a booth— basically vision of performers dancing on a stage seems the people who "didn't know might make more than one semester's anything they wanted, in order to foster in the sunlight, while other people shared about it" were not looking hard enough. commitment. understanding and communication their feelings on the lawn, reaching some I know I spent a whole day at Swat with The first annual Tri-Co Winter Insti- among the members of the Tri-Co Com- kind of microcosm of the world right a friend stuffing boxes and sticking sched - tute challenged and excited most of its munity. here on the Main Line- ules and signs everywhere. participants, and the prospects of enact- We, had planned on holding a multi- Anyway, we planned for it to be in- So when the Big Day finally came most ing our projects were stimulating. My cultural fair of this sort at each school side. This was about a month before the of the organizers (Heather Carwile, Tri-Co project group (the Institute was three weekends in a row. The reasons we event, and all of a sudden it was ap- Abigail Homstein, Sooji Kim, Luis Perez, split into four groups) was the first to try wanted to include all three institutions proaching fast. Although we had con- Laura Shipler, Jon Lawrence, me and out its plan from a variety of possibilities, were: the hope that participants from the tacted innumerable groups in the Tri-Co two Swarthmore students who did not including newsletters, overnight pro- other fairs would come over; no one area, writing them letters with sugges • $ee Day of Difference on page 12 Page 12 The College News April 23,1992 Behind the scenes at "Day of Difference" continued from page 11 with literature, food, members to speak, thousand—had a good feeling when they bother to show up) were a little psychotic artifacts, tapes and videos to communi- left and I sincerely feel all the time, en- to say the least. The schedule of events cate some of what makes their organiza- ergy, money that we expended was worth was slated to start at one o'clock with tion what it is and maybe why it exists. it for them and for us. But it really dis- student performances, including Native Throughout the afternoon we had a turbed me as I passed the Lacrosse field American Dance, Pagans Chanting and video and Race Relations Panels, a fabu- on my way to the DC that, even in that Scottish Country Dance. I, of course, lous Tri-East Asian Dance Performance lousy weather, there were as twice as /. Christ Superstar missed it while down at the pitch...you with audience participation, a movie from many Fords watching the game as there continued from page 9 know, rugby. La Casa Hispafta (which had to be can- were attending "Day of Difference." In voice. One of the soldiers (Eddie Anton) Anyway, after the performances a celed because not enough people fact, it pissed me off. I was excited that provided what was, to me, one of the number of organizations, such as Hillel, showed), readings by COLOR and ASA, many Mawrters made it to Haverford strongest and most terrifying images in Amnesty International, Baha'i, the Black and finally a discussion sponsored by that day, and I can not help thinking if we the production: the brutal kicking back Students League, Christian Fellowship, the BSL about Diversity and our commu- had done it at Bryn Mawr, a majority of of Mary Magdalen in the trial scene. Pro-Life Alliance, MAGIC from Swat, nities. the community would have The entire cast and crew of "Super- the Asian Students Association, Medie- The people who came—we had maybe shown...maybe we will do it here next star" deserve kudos for being inventive val Students, the Muslim Students Asso- sixty max at any one time from the Tri-Co year, and thanks to those who made it while doing justice to script and score, ciation and others had booths and tables undergrad community of over three happen. and this reviewer renews her nagging plea—how about Sweeney Todd foryour next production? The life of a transfer— a habit continued from page 3 the people with whom one is placed on a — My life is not only my college's title. Alison Bechdel way life is gonna be. hall or next door to is a completely ran- My satisfaction with life is adversely and continued from page 10 —Everything is a trade-off. There can be dom experience; and one ought to be positively affected by all the stuff I have spired some women to continue self- no perfection in nature. The reason it grateful and careful when one is given carried with me from those first eighteen representation in popular media (hint, works is because of the opposite forces the opportunity to live with people whom years. My parents, ex-boyfriends, friend- hint Emily Cotlier...). continually in pull. If it were perfect, one loves. ships, pain, and joy, go right into my Author's disclaimer: Any information there would be no reason for any of it to suitcase wherever I go, whether it is to presented here is not necessarily correct or ever change, and it would get pretty — We usually do not give enough credit Flint, Yale, Hawaii, or of Sac State, and solely the voice of Bechdel. Theauthordid not damn boring whether you were in Flint to the importance of how we are fed. there ain't nothing I can do about that. take notes and was not planning to cover the or anywhere else. Now, here's the corny part for all of event. But due to the utter coolness of the —As much as Hollywood has instructed you squeamish folks who have actually presentation, she felt compelled to report on it — It is impossible to generalize the lives me to the contrary, it is not something to made it this far without retching yet, for and mix her own opinions in with Bechdel's. and personalities of 1,100 people, or 2,700 be mourned that I am not living in Ani- your luck just ran out— all I can do is She makes no claims to complete accuracy. for that matter. Think about that the next mal house right now. No, really, I actually learn how to make peace with the past, to time you expect somebody to tell you don't like the taste of beer. accept, love, and respect myself for who why they transferred. I am, acknowledging what of my life has Spit VIIII — By the same token, in preparation for been beyond my control, and learning continued from page 10 — Perhaps the reason I am not finding belonging to the ranks of the chronically not to beat myself up for it. I need to ing if this dilemma is the epitome of what I think it is I missed in high school morose in the future, I am starting to understand also that right about now is Stress, and I can't see that because of my is because I am not in high school any- prepare now for the fact that after I gradu- the time when I have been given the own lack of sensitivity, or am I in the more. ate it is unlikely that I will be friends with opportunity and capacity to learn those Twilight Zone? I guess that next year, I Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, lessons I missed and put them into prac- will have another chance to investigate — There are nice, interesting hilarious and hang out in a bar with them being tice. this question. On the other hand, maybe people everywhere, yes, even in Flint, but sad about not being in college anymore. — Yeah, yeah, tell me another one. I will just become an HA, or a customs person. I wonder what living off campus is like? ...

^ O r^ O ~ ~ Sports Shorts By Aparna Mukherjee [with help from Jen Morse and Rakhi Datta - thanks!)

Tennis BMC's Tennis Team has made it through, thanks to the support from assistant coach Lucy Long some rough times recently. Coming in last place at the Seven Sister's conference, held at Smith this year, the Mawrters are still not daunted. Diane Blumeris and Dana Fredericks "did extremely well on their flight," while spectators saw amazing play from Jess Morse, Abby Herron and Rakhi Datta. More recently BMC played Bi-Co counterpart Haverford, but unfortunately lost. Despite the the general disappointment, Mary Waibel won a tough game at the Ford.

Track In spite of an extremely windy day and approximately half the team absent for varied reasons, Bryn Ma wr's Spring Track Club garnered a win at Stockton State. The team only had one more meet this season, at Franklin & Marshall on April 21st. Termed as a "learning season" for the new team, members hope to participate in more meets next year. The recently established club has had a struggle to get meets because other schools weren't aware of its existence. A positive aspect is the new equipment ordered in response to the numbers of runners to come out this season. Many of the Spring Track Club members are cross-overs from BMC's Cross Country Team. Viewing this surprisingly large team, trackster Jen Morse commented, "The whole team is doing well— many people are experimenting and trying different things...it's been fun."

Rugby The Bi-Co Toads are undoubtedly kicking ass this season. After coming away with the Virginia Women's Tournament title, they hit the pitch again against Franklin and Marshall with another win. With a score of 35-0, tries were made by Renata Razza, Joanna Weinstein, Mia Shapiro, and J.J. Shirley. Scrummers and backs alike looked good, and some beautiful kicks were made by Mawrter Angie Corcetti. With two more games to go, against Bucknell and Swat, at Swarthmore pitch, and an exciting Alum match at home during May Day Weekend on the Haverford Pitch, be sure to check out the action.

Lacrosse The Bryn Mawr Lacrosse Team's luck is starting to change. After a run of losses against Swat, Chestnut Hill, and Haverford, the varsity Mawrters did not do too badly last in the recent Seven Sisters Tournament at Holyoke. Playing strong games all around, BMC fairly beat Wellesley with a score of 7-6 and did not get destroyed by rival Swat. Strong play from sticksters Seble Kassaye, Adina Rheem, Shira Fruchtman, and Anne Stone was commented on.