I was disappointed by the irresponsible journalism demonstrated in The Dartmouth's coverage of the Proud to be a Woman Dinner and V-Time events ("Dinner kicks off V-Time Festivities," Feb. 15). The article was a misrepresentation of the dinner and the mission of the VDay movement, and it could detract from the positive and progressive effort to which numerous men and women in the Dartmouth community contribute. As an organizer of V-Time events, I am writing to clarify the purpose of VDay by correcting some of the article's erroneous and misleading claims.
The article skewed the message and atmosphere of the dinner. The lead sentence is inflammatory and out of context: "Women should band together to achieve sisterhood and leave men in the gutter,' Jennifer Sargent ... said at the Proud to be a Woman' dinner on Monday, soliciting laughter from the all-female audience." The portrayal of the event as a men-bashing forum on Valentine's Day is disrespectful to all those involved. It was scheduled on Feb. 14 based on the availability of the venue and the two speakers' schedules. The women gathered because they associated with being "proud to be a woman," and this bond was the inspiration that brought them there that night.
That evening, Judge Sargent addressed an issue very relevant to the audience: sisterhood. She urged women to "pool all of our collective resources" to achieve something great rather than engaging in unnecessary competition and unproductive behavior. She illustrated her point with a vivid example taken from her days trying homicide and major felony cases as a criminal defense trial and appellate attorney: an instance when two different girlfriends of a defendant fought over who would pay the $500 to bail the man out of jail. She remarked that the women would have been better off doing something productive with the combined $1,000. The money was a quantifiable symbol of the "resources" that would go to waste and the man represented a cause that did not deserve their attention. When Judge Sargent said to not fight over such "pieces of crap" and to "leave men in the gutter," I laughed because I knew the theatrical exclamations had nothing to do with actually leaving men in the gutter. Judge Sargent said so herself: "I am overstating my case." She was not maligning men, not even that man in the story. Rather, she was imploring the audience to take a step back and work together on things that truly mattered. She ended by saying that she did not even recommend an old girls' network, but rather a new girls' network, to help each sister out. That was what her speech was about.
Inaccurate journalism is especially upsetting in the context of discussing gender issues on this campus. Gender dynamics at Dartmouth are volatile, and discussions are delicate. The most detrimental effect of the article is that it perpetuates the stereotype of men-hating "feminists." Recently, Dartmouth men and women have come a long way in accepting feminism for what it is: equality of the sexes, and simply that.
As far as I can tell, every man and woman I have met through the VDay campaign agrees with the notion that you do not have to be anti-men to be pro-women. We all belong to multiple communities. The women's community fostered and promoted by the Proud to be a Woman Dinner is an important one, but one that coexists with many others. The discussions at the dinner are often extremely meaningful because they take place in a safe space women are honest because they realize that their views are heard by those who understand that gender relations are not a zero-sum game. This forum provides an opportunity for women to talk about the experiences of being a woman, specifically at this school. Every V-Time event except for the dinner is open to all.
It would be unfortunate if the article's portrayal deterred anyone from V-Time events, because they would be deterred by a message that does not represent the VDay movement. VDay is a global campaign to end violence against women and girls, locally and internationally. The organizers and contributors of VDay Dartmouth are trying to create a better place for women, because that is synonymous with creating a better place for all people. The inspiring messages were strong at the Proud to be a Woman Dinner, and I look forward to upcoming V-Time events and beyond for chances to engage campus in thoughtful dialogue.
Hikaru Yamagishi '12, an organizer of V-Time events, is a guest columnist
