Dear ladies of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's,
Last week in South Dining Hall, I was shocked by the lack of class and common sense a young woman displayed through her choice of clothing. Like I've unfortunately noticed several others doing since, she was wearing tights as the only thing covering skin from hips to ankles. The shirt this young woman was wearing stopped right at the top of her tights, and to keep this reader-friendly, I'll just say her outfit left very little to the imagination.
It's completely inappropriate that I was presented with a detailed view of her private area simply because she stood in front of me while talking to a friend. This was in the dining hall as I tried to eat lunch, not a strip club. Some reading this will see nothing wrong with the situation I described and will wonder why I'd even think about complaining. My reasoning is that if a woman apparently doesn't respect herself enough to present herself in a non-risqué manner in everyday life, I cannot trust her to respect me. I'd be wary about pursuing anyone like that.
Over my time at Notre Dame, I've heard many people's thoughts on the "hook-up culture" and how many don't like that those involved are often objectified by their hook-up partner(s) and treated as unimportant, ignored or even avoided afterwards. When you give the impression that you don't care what people think of you by dressing in overly-revealing clothes, you send the message that people are OK disrespecting you. I certainly know that not everyone does this, but I've noticed a disturbing rise in how often it happens.
You were accepted to these schools because you are smart individuals. Please, think about how you present yourselves to everyone who sees you through the course of a day and how your choices every day affect your reputation. If you want to meet a true gentleman that will treat you as an upstanding young lady as opposed to just a successful end to a fun night, act like it.
Kevin Brainard
junior
O'Neill Hall
April 1
