Mr. Crimm,
Half a century ago, when you were a student at Wofford, the college was a different place. The weejun-wearing men all looked alike and many of you came from similar backgrounds and had similar aspirations for the future. Women and people of color were primarily on campus as housekeepers, cooks or launderers. That’s no longer the world at Wofford, just like that’s no longer the world outside of Wofford’s gates.
We’re no longer afraid to talk about contraception, and more and more women and men are using it to avoid unplanned pregnancy. According to the CDC, teen pregnancy in the United States dropped 9 percent between 2013 and 2014. Maybe in-your-face birth control advertisements — like the one you refer to in your letter — are helping. These days, contraception is considered responsible and the lack of would be considered irresponsible. The ad made a powerful statement, but probably not powerful enough to send intelligent, independent Wofford students into a sexual frenzy.
To your second point: As we all know, practice and statute do not necessarily equal reality. According to the National Women’s Law Center, “American women who work full time, year round are paid only 80 cents for every dollar paid to men — and for women of color, the wage gap is even larger.” We hope the women who are cadets in the Wofford Southern Guard ROTC Battalion will address your final remark about the ability and commitment of women who choose to serve our country in the military.
The Black Lives Matter movement also caught your distain. Were you chanting “All Lives Matter” before the BLM movement? Why does the BLM movement make you uncomfortable? The Huffington Post wrote a great article about the subject and made this comparison, which might help you understand: “If you went to a Breast Cancer Awareness event, you wouldn’t think that they were saying that other types of cancer don’t matter. And you’d be shocked if someone showed up with a sign saying ‘Colon Cancer Matters’ or chanted ‘All Cancer Matters.’’ Let’s embrace our discomfort. Isn’t that what college is about? Not sure about 50 years ago, but it is now.
What you call too politically correct, the Old Gold and Black calls civility, and a vital part of what it means to live in a just society. We do not need to rely on extremist, hurtful language to tell the story of Wofford College. Recently President Nayef Samhat with the support of the Board of Trustees, senior college administrators, faculty, staff and students, launched a new initiative to evaluate and improve diversity and inclusion on campus. It’s because Wofford is a place where we, at our best, respect other people, even when we disagree with their opinions. The Old Gold and Black will continue to be “politically correct” by combating divisive slander and hate with well-written stories based on research, interview and fact. Granted, we would probably have enjoyed writing a politically incorrect response to your letter, but we have chosen to suppress our own prejudices with responsible journalism.
Last year the Old Gold and Black was awarded 12 prizes from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in General Excellence. This validates our content choices, design, editing, interviewing and reporting. Your disappointment in the paper seems to be less about the Old Gold and Black than about your grievances with the way the world is changing around you, so we politely ask you not to make us your scapegoat.
And we looked up Hillsdale College. Really?
