Giovanna Bernardo’s article is fraught with misogyny and gender role-squeezing. Even though I wholeheartedly disagree with her, a certain amount of respect must be paid to tout such an unpopular opinion on the pages of this newspaper. As a male, these gender-related issues don’t directly affect me the way they do females. However, there are a few things that I have to say from a male perspective.
The author claims that college is the time to look for a husband. There are many things wrong with that statement, including the money someone is paying for her to find a husband, the potential set-back of years of attempted destruction of such clearly defined gender roles, etc. But as a typical male at Binghamton, we tend to enjoy women whose belief system is in the same century as ours. Ambition, confidence and success are sexy. Misogyny, servility and contentment are not. While there are plenty of sandwich and kitchen jokes on this campus, a girl we can respect is more of a turn-on than the one in a miniskirt at the Rat (not that they’re never the same person).
Also, if a girl I didn’t know told me she was actively searching for a husband in college, I would probably be a little creeped out. That’s essentially what Giovanna did. She told the entire campus that she’s in college to find a husband. Can someone say red flag?
While I wouldn’t mind meeting the girl I marry in college, I am here to get an education, make connections and have fun. College is definitely one of the better places to find a spouse, but this isn’t 1930s England; A woman can go to college with more ambition than getting someone on one knee. College isn’t a matchmaker. It’s a place you come to learn skills you can use in the workforce. If you happen to find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with while here, you are one of the lucky few. But I guarantee you that the harder you look for a husband during your time here, the harder it will be to find one.
Guest Columnist Dorothy Manevich responds here.
Giovanna Bernardo’s original piece is here.