Mean Girls.
We all know who they are. Some of us may even be mean girls. I used to be one myself. It really isn’t cute. So, I think it is time for a serious intervention. Maybe we can host a conference in the school gym and fall off the stage into each other’s arms after confessing our meanness? (Wait, we can!?*)
My concern is the nastiness and hostility many Notre Dame girls hold toward Saint Mary’s girls. To be perfectly honest, I had no problem with St. Mary’s girls before somebody during Frosh-O weekend told me I should despise and reject every Smick Chick I encounter. Why? Because they’re cuter than us? Less socially awkward than we are? Get to have all of the perks of being a Notre Dame girl without actually doing the work to get in? (Disclaimer: I am only repeating reasons I have overheard before) Or is it because now that we are out of high school, the playing field is level again and being surrounded by your intellectual equals at Notre Dame leaves some burning desire to find somebody to hate and knock down a few pegs whenever you have the chance? That sounds more like it.
A fair amount of Notre Dame women are obsessed with calling out their fellow sisters for how they dress or act at parties and in social settings. Phrases like “Sluttle Bus” and “Smicks” are anything but affectionate terms to refer to our fellow sisters down the road. It is pretty nauseating; the fact that we are essentially placing an individual below our own standards and physical, mental and emotional worth because of the mere fact that her college has a higher acceptance rate is superficial and pretentious.
It has come to a point in the Notre Dame community that the alleged looseness of SMC women on Notre Dame campus plays a role in our reaction to various situations. I fear that there are too many Notre Dame women and men alike that could potentially see a St. Mary’s woman in serious danger at a party and dismiss it just because of the less than nice reputation we associated with SMC.
Maybe it is a freshman thing, because as a sophomore I have realized how completely ignorant it is to reject girls you were probably best friends with in high school. As a freshman, the greatest insult you could receive was being asked if you were a St. Mary’s girl at a party or football game because of your behavior. It makes you question what would change in your inquirer’s eyes if you were to say that you were in fact a St. Mary’s girl. Would it be more socially acceptable to dance on a table or fall off the benches every five seconds while introducing yourself to every person you lock eyes with?
Before you place judgment on a Saint Mary’s girl, you must first understand the possible reasons she may be attending SMC besides the minute possibility she was not accepted to Notre Dame (Newsflash: not everybody is dying to be a Notre Dame student). For reference, I know a handful of SMC girls that could not even apply to Notre Dame because of their residency status and inability to receive Federal Student Aid. Some simply cannot afford Notre Dame’s tuition, while others may be attending Saint Mary’s for their excellent nursing and education programs. And there are even others that had no idea Notre Dame was literally right down the road and was an unexpected surprise once they arrived. So before you begin to say that Saint Mary’s is synonymous with lower S.A.T. scores and loose women, first consider the possibility of you being unable to attend Notre Dame because you do not come from a long line of legacies.
I never figured out what separates us so much, besides the fact that we attend different schools. We are all mature women and I think it is time to stop acting as though we are better than another individual based on the school they attend.
Upcoming Event: Sign-up for UNIVERSITEA, a tea party event hosted by MEChA of Notre Dame where we will be holding a discussion on strained female relations between Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s, and Holy Cross College! Come and meet some amazing tri-campus girls and build a foundation for future students! The event is October 12th and open to the first 100 to RSVP. Just shoot an email to mecha@nd.edu and let us know if you would like to attend!