I write with a heavy heart today after having seen yesterday's (April 6) "Jockular" strip characterizing the women of Saint Mary's College as "parasites."
It grieves me to see that such negative attitudes are not merely existent on campus but that they are tolerated to such an extent that the young men who mistook their bigotry for humor could submit such a cartoon for publication with no fear of reprimand or community dismay.
Notre Dame and Saint Mary's are frequently called "sister schools," and like all sisterly relationships, there are sometimes bumps in the road and friction in the interaction. Like sisters, too, they share some common characteristics and a common heritage, but they are not the same school and should be valued and respected for the diverse gifts that each brings to the community of faith and learning that the Congregation of the Holy Cross planted in South Bend over a hundred and sixty years ago. While Saint Mary's undeniably benefits from its relationship with Notre Dame, the benefits are hardly one-sided - Notre Dame students who wish to become certified in education take the requisite coursework at Saint Mary's, for one example, and the Keenan Revue has been hosted at Moreau Auditorium for years because its audience capacity is greater than any of the performing arts venues at Notre Dame.
Alec White and Erik Powers owe a heartfelt apology to the Saint Mary's community for their narrow and uncharitable remarks and to the Notre Dame community for their poor representation of the same.
Gina Caponi ParnabyalumnaSaint Mary's CollegeApril 8
