Today when I flipped open The Observer, I immediately read the Question of the Day. Normally the answers amuse me, but today I was woefully disappointed. Dave Gruener's response to the question, What community service do you do and why?, made me smile. He said, "I'm going down to New Orleans to do some hurricane relief work over break." However Patrick Pawlicki's answer - "I hang out with SMC chicks" - infuriated not only me, but a percentage of the Saint Mary's population.
There is a reason that The Observer is an "Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary's." It's impossible to express the frustration we Saint Mary's women feel about the stereotypes held by a number of Notre Dame students. Saint Mary's is a remarkable place, and we love our school. The women here are confident, talented and goal oriented. We are not here for the sole purpose of pursuing Notre Dame men, in spite of what people such as Pawlicki believe.
Saint Mary's is not an inferior institution - quite the contrary. The school has a unique history and an outstanding academic reputation. We respect and admire our Notre Dame family, but did not choose Saint Mary's simply because of its proximity to the University. Nor did we choose to come here as the "second-best" option to Notre Dame. We are separate and proud of the distinction, and couldn't be happier here across the street.
It's unfortunate that Pawlicki feels that offering his manly presence to Saint Mary's women is a service to us. I pity his closed mind. He's missing out on the chance to meet some of the most incredible people in this Notre Dame, Holy Cross and Saint Mary's community.
Sarah Kingfirst yearSaint Mary'sOct. 6
