The Real World - Cabrini -

In this and subsequent issues of Loquitur, there will be a new feature to be known as "The Real World- Cabrini College." This segment works in conjunction with the Seminar 100 students taught by Dr. Seth Freschie and Dr. Charlie McCormick

The students conducted semester long research on issues of importance to the underclass population. They have worked in groups and individually on research from professional writings as well as field work at Cabrini. On March 27 and 28 they sat down with Loquitur perspectives editor Chris Nielsen and assistant perspectives editor Meghan Merkel to discuss their findings.

Despite progress, college sports still male-dominated

Elaine Abrams, Patty Bristow, Michelle D' Ascenzo, Mike DeRosa, Catherine Dilworth and Ellie Hicks met to discuss "Sports Participation and the Construction of Gender."

Is it important that young women get the same exposure to sports as young men?

Dilworth: I think it is important, but it is not as important. If females get the same exposure the male ego is hurt. the whole "got beat by a girl" thing. While it should be equal, there are outside circumstances that play a big role in things.

Do all men need to play sports? ·

Dilworth:No

Abrams: I think they do. There isn't a fraternity on this campus and otherwise they have to make friends in small groups. Like in the apartments or even in the houses the teams have parties all the time and it's like a typical "20/20" segment on binge drinking.

DeRosa: I don't play a sport but if you came to my who doesn't play sports?

DeRosa: Not really. I think every guy should get to play sports at least one time in their life. If you're not going pro at this point then you're just having fun with it, the way I look at it.

Dilworth: I agree. It's unfortunate if you never get to play. You need that teamwork and sense of belonging. But if you're not looking at it as a career at this point in your college life you should focus more on your studies. Do you think that teams can take away from students as individuals with the whole group mentality?

Abrams: I think you are going to try to be more like your team. You're going to end up dressing like them and getting the same hairstyle; I know from experience. You're going to want to fit in with them especially if you have a passion for the sport.

Is Title IX an important issue on this campus?

Dilworth: I don't think it's an important issue here. I think it's a bigger issue at larger universities. Is it still true more people want to see the guys play than the girls?

Hicks: It's like everybody talks about my sport like a female baseball game but really it's softball and nobody ever mentions that. I know when I play I'm there to win and I can be the biggest brat about it. I have the same competitiveness, but maybe that's not expected of me.

There's 17 girls on a team and we get a hotel room. And then there's a guys team and not only do they get first class plane tickets but they get three hotel rooms and that's not fair.

DeRosa: A Jot of female sports get a lot of attention on this campus, especially the women's field hockey. And the women's basketball gets a lot of attention. But I think you're right about the women's softball. I don't think that's fair, I never knew that. And you girls play at my old high school.

D' Ascenzo: When I went to high school, the guys had a huge baseball field, and the girls we had to go right in back of a.creek. The balls would fly into the creek and we had to go get them. We had to like make our own field.

E:

Abrams: I think there are still stereotypical roles. A guy who plays a sport is still a jock or hot. And then the women are seen as a brute or a lesbian, especially in field hockey.

Dilworth: Automatically if you're good at something apartment you'd think it was the lacrosse apartment. None of us play a sport. All I play is PlayStation.

I played sports my whole life from five years old till I was 18 and I can't play anymore because I have two jobs.

I just think your personality and how sociable you are decides what kind of friends you have.

Do you think it is a disadvantage to be a guy you're a brute or a tomboy. If you're a chick and you play a sport you're just one of the guys, and you'll never be looked at like a beautiful person. Like with the Nike commercials, girls should get to play sports because they encourage confidence and self esteem. But the flip side is that if you do this you're going to be brute. It's such a double standard.

Bristow: My high school was the same way. The boys football team was horrible. They were like 2-20 last year, and every year they get new uniforms. My softball team didn't get new uniforms for 10 years. We actually got to the point where we got pants. But our shirts are still paper thin.

D' Ascenzo: I think it's because guys bring in more money. So many people go to the basketball games, it is huge.

Do you think that sports participation makes an impact in gender construction?

Are the Nike commercials right, though?

Dilworth: Yeah, but if you notice all the beautiful people are in the Nike commercials.