To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the article entitled "Major Gender Discrepancies?" [April 30, 1997, The Dartmouth].
While quoting statistics about the number of women majors in the sciences, she incompletely defines the science disciplines at Dartmouth as "biology, chemistry, engineering, computer science and physics."
The article unfortunately left out Earth Sciences and Mathematics. According to the ORC, these both fall under the heading "Sciences," in addition to the ones the reporter lists. While the author may have omitted Math intentionally because she personally does not consider it a true science, there is no excuse for neglecting to include the Earth SCIENCES. It seems rather obvious that this department should fall under her "sciences" category.
Not only is the Earth Sciences department part of the physical sciences (what the writer terms "hard" sciences ... One might wonder: does this make biology "soft" or "easy?" I would tend to disagree), but of the 33 current EARS majors, 20 are female. That is 61 percent. In a "hard" science.
I am not saying that all her statistics and claims are incorrect, but the reporter should have presented all the relevant facts -- especially those which counter her argument -- before making broad generalizations.
