We would like to share an incident that happened to us this past Wednesday afternoon while walking from LaFortune after picking up some groceries for a club event. On our way to the Library Circle to catch the shuttle back to Saint Mary's, we encountered two students talking on the green. As we passed them, we heard the male student make an insulting generalization to his companion about the students at Saint Mary's College. Here is a close approximation: "I could tell by the clothes they were wearing they were from Saint Mary's." After hearing this remark, we exchanged a glance of astonished disgust and continued to walk away from the two students. We stopped some feet away to discuss what had happened. Though we were angry — one of us was ready to shove her ice cream cone in his face — we decided that that particular response was too drastic.

Finally, we decided that we could not passively leave after hearing such an insulting comment. We walked back and introduced ourselves as Saint Mary's students. We explained that we had overheard the remark he had made concerning the students at Saint Mary's. The male student instantly groaned in embarrassment, apologized and explained why he had made that comment. Apparently a group of drunken Saint Mary's women had attended a party in his hall last weekend and one of them threw up in his friends' room.

We agreed that such behavior is inappropriate on any occasion, however this group of students was one of many such groups from all three schools partying on the first football weekend. We then explained to the two students that the majority of Saint Mary's women did not fit the stereotype he had used. He further apologized for the ignorant comment and said that he had never met Saint Mary's women outside of the party scene. We parted amicably with the pair and ran to catch the shuttle.

Sadly, the generalization used by this student is a very common stereotype. Though women from all three schools attend parties and occasionally drink to excess, the women of Saint Mary's are often singled out and looked down upon for supposed looseness. Obviously these stereotypes are highly insulting and far from the truth. Unfortunately, they remain because of the limited exposure that some students at Notre Dame and Holy Cross have to the women of Saint Mary's College.

To the women and men of Saint Mary's College, the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College: Respect yourselves and your fellow students. Stop making assumptions based upon a few bad weekend experiences and popular myth. We invite all the students of Notre Dame and Holy Cross to come and visit us at Saint Mary's. Discover for yourself that we do not fit the stereotype. Walk around our campus and talk to some Belles! Study at our library! Come and eat at our dining hall! We would love to show you what Saint Mary's is truly like. We are proud of our school and we would love for you to see it in a new light. Go Belles!

Asra Ashraf and Erin Schenz

juniors

Regina Hall

September 11, 2000

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• Stereotype leads to