The Holy Cross chapter of Her Campus has faced criticism recently for reinforcing gender stereotypes and promulgating harmful social norms. I believe this criticism is important, because it serves as a reminder that every student at Holy Cross should strive to be an accepting and well-rounded individual. However, as a writer for Her Campus, I take issue with some of the statements made regarding the website.
I would first like to address the allegations put forth by Miss Patricia Corey stating that the writers of Her Campus Holy Cross “knowingly exclude women of other ethnicities, races, or those who are part of the LBGTQ community.” Because Miss Corey failed to support these rather serious accusation with concrete evidence, I will presume that she is basing this statement on preconceived notions she has about people like me—Caucasian, heterosexual women born to white-collar parents. Miss Corey commits the same error that she accuses the Her Campus staff of making in that she dismisses a large and diverse group of people as discriminatory, privileged, and ignorant without knowing any of us deeply.
Most of the girls on Her Campus are my close friends, and I can say with confidence that none of them consciously promote exclusion. When I attended the National Diversity Leadership conference as a junior in high school, I learned that prejudice is fostered by a lack of familiarity. Because Miss Corey has never attended a Her Campus meeting or submitted a piece to our editors, I contend that she is not familiar enough with Her Campus to wholly dismiss the organization. She has never seen that our membership includes women from a variety of races and backgrounds, including me. I am a second-generation American whose grandparents drove taxis and performed hard labor for a living. My “preppy” clothes are purchased largely with money that I earn from working three jobs, including one at home, which leads me to miss many weekends on the Hill. In addition, in high school I won a community service award for teaching at a multicultural educational program. I recognize that I am not a minority who can understand the difficulties that minorities face on the Hill, but I am also not the flippant, ignorant person that Miss Corey’s article describes when she portrays Her Campus writers. I understand that Her Campus writers are morally tasked with portraying Holy Cross in a realistic and inclusive sense, and campus chapters at schools such as Wellesley, Harvard University, and the University of California-Berkeley will serve as our models for doing so. Yet, our own campus chapter is still a fledgling chapter. The fact that we don’t yet fully represent the rich diversity of the Holy Cross Campus is not a symptom of prejudice but rather a symptom of the fact that we have literally existed for two months. We welcome all people to introduce us to their perspectives- we sit attentive, interested, and free of judgment.
I recognize that both of the young women who expressed their concerns about Her Campus are intelligent writers who acted bravely in publicizing their opinions. Yet, I challenge both of them to follow up on their criticism by helping us improve in areas where they find fault. Denouncing us from the sidelines only serves to deepen frustration and misunderstanding. We welcome you to attend any of our meetings, to write an article, or even just grab coffee with us at Cool Beans and let us know how you think we can become a more effective and diverse publication. All we ask is that you refrain from referring to us as a collective group of preppy, white girls whose wealth is only exceeded by our vapidity. Chances are we will surprise you just as much as you will surprise us.
The most important lesson that I have learned from this difficult experience is that we, as Holy Cross students, must strive to treat one another with kindness and understanding. While it is easy to dismiss one another, we as writers must recognize that we are discussing other human beings with feelings as legitimate as our own. It is always important to be kind when analyzing another person’s motivations as, more often than not, they are more thought-out than you might expect. We at Her Campus have frequently discussed how we can use language in such a way that transgendered, homosexual, and intersex individuals feel just as welcome as their heterosexual counterparts. I myself have agonized over the terms I have used in my articles and have frequently consulted a family member with two mothers as to whether I am being an understanding and welcoming writer. If you feel as though a writer for Her Campus fails to meet your standards of inclusivity, we welcome your ideas and encourage you to talk with us. It strikes me as unfair to publicly decry us as prejudiced individuals without contacting us first.
Her Campus is a nationwide organization that has always strive to both promote the success of young women and to discuss their more casual interests in an environment that feels comfortable. Achieving a balanced and successful chapter will take community-wide collaboration and dialogue. Yet, I believe that this dialogue should involve gentle sparring rather than arrow-slinging. I know our detractors mean well, but I challenge them to examine the assumptions they hold about young women like me. I ask them to recognize that we are trying our best. I hope that they will provide helpful feedback in the future to help Her Campus become reflective of a community in which every person—even demographically typical people like me—feel legitimized, welcomed, and represented. My friends at Her Campus and I do not disparage those who disagree with us but rather hope to learn from their ideas. It is my sincerest desire that they may come to learn something from our positions as well.