Confessions of a HUEC Major

S. Jayd Stone

O.K. I've had enough! No more Miss Nice Gal. I've heard more snippy little comments about my major than I can stuff intoasewing basket. And if one more person says, "Oh you'relearning how tocook and cleanhouse, right?"I'm going to boil over.

Contrary topopularbelief, we human ecology majorsarenotall engaged and learninghow to stayat home (nobody saysthere's anythingwrong with that, butstill, thepointremains). We do not all have huge hairwithbows — thosewho do aretrulyadisgrace, inmy opinion. We aren't all members ofChi Alpha, nor do we wear flowered dressesall the time

I'm sicktodeath ofstereotypes We don'tgo around callingjournalism majorsLoisLane, so why do you insist on callingme BettyCrocker? You stuffedshirts, OOPS, I mean business majors, who do you thinkdesigned that silk tie you spentall yourwork study paycheck for? An accountant? Idon'tthinkso Hopefully you'rebrightenough tofigurethatone outon your own Sportsmanagement majors (as ifyou all have room totalk) dream about sitting inaplush officeall day conversing with young entry-levelsportsmanagement graduates. Would you call anurse todecorateand design your office? Of coursenot; you'd call an interiordesigner Speaking ofnurses, when you'rewatching your favoritesoap opera, "GeneralHospital,"and you noticethecooloutfits they'rewearing, do you reallythinkateacherdesigned theirwardrobes?

What I'm gettingat is this: We don'tbelittle your major, sowhy do you crackjokesaboutours? Many ofyou areprobably thinkingwe have itsooooo easy I beg todiffer If any ofyou haveever takenone ofDr.Treva Babcock'stests you remember it.She'sthechairperson ofthedepartment. Dr.Diane Millerheadsup thefoodsdepartment,and sheknows how toputatest togetheras well. And MatalieHoward,thefashioninstructor, well, hertests areanightmare!

We do learntosew;that's notarumor. I'll gladly admit toit. And I'll betI can make my paycheck last longerthanyours, because I'm brightenough tofigureoutaVogue pattern. Yes, I can make my way through ClothWorld withoutgettinglost; and yes, I'veeven made midnight runsfor a differentcolorofthread Sowhat!

Allofyou make such ridiculousassumptions When I seesomeone who lookslike afreshman, I don'tautomatically assume he is ayouth major. Just because someone'swearing glassesandsportingapocket protectordoesn'tmean he'samath major. So, why,when you hearthatI'm a human ecology major, do you giveme "that"look. You know thelook. It's thelook that says"Ah,you're an airhead, and I had such high hopes for you."

Well,I'vehad it. I deserverespect. I demand respect. I'm notjustgoing tosit back and let you run me intotheground No more

Well you'veheard enough from me, I suppose. I just couldn'tlet another day passby, or another comment go unanswered. Next timeyou starttomake arude, obnoxious comment about one ofusHUECers,thinkagain