To the Editor:
In response to Melissa Snow’s article “Women: Stand up for
Chivalry,” and in defense of both sexes, I have to say one thing.
You’ve got it all wrong. I am hardly one to wear short skirts or
high heels. In fact, the day you catch me in anything fancier than
a T-shirt and jeans is a rare one. I don’t curl my hair or wear
elaborate make-up or bare my cleavage, yet guys on campus and
elsewhere open doors for me all the time. See, you’ve got some
holes in your theories. You seem to think that guys should open all
doors and pay for all dates and open pickle jars. That’s fine, but
what do you do for them? You said that you rolled your eyes at the
group of boys who were talking about cigarettes and that you were
quite surprised when they held the door for you. Frankly, I’m
surprised, too. I certainly wouldn’t have held the door for someone
who had just rolled her eyes at me.
I agree that women who refuse chivalry contribute to its demise
and that guys might be a little wary of automatically paying or
opening whatever needs to be opened for fear of a “femi-nazi.” I
think the biggest contributor, however, are women who do not
recognize that this whole chivalry thing is a two-way street. Do
unto others, right? No guy had ever offered his seat to you on the
bus. Have you ever offered yours? Politeness should not be expected
only from men. We owe them some respect and consideration, too. As
for why they don’t offer you their seats or open doors for you, I
do not know what to tell you. If you so need to be on that
receiving end and if you believe that it won’t happen unless you
look like Britney Spears, I think it might be a lost cause. But my
trick? I smile and say thank you. And I don’t mind opening the door
for guy once in a while, too.
Jamie Vandenberg
Junior, psychology major
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