Editor:

Daughters on Campus Day. What a wonderful idea. A chance to show the many diverse and interesting jobs that are out there for women to pursue. Who can possibly argue with this ideal? After all, for many years women have been treated poorly in the workplace. For example, they have been forced into lower-paying jobs, or, if they happen into a decent-paying job, they have had to sit back and watch as their male contemporaries rise up the corporate ladder while they get passed over for promotion time and time again.

However, times are changing. Whereas that scenario was the norm a few years back, it is now the exception (due in large part to sexual discrimination suits filed against corporations). I agree that girls should go out and see their parents at work. They should experience as many prospects as possible so they can decide what they would like to do for a living.

But what about the boys? Those who had to go to school while their female classmates got to go out on a wonderful experience. Is it fair to them? Try to look at it through their eyes for a moment. Does it not seem as though it is more advantageous to be a girl? Does it not seem that you are being discriminated against solely on the basis of gender? Does it not seem that you are not as good?

I understand that women have been discriminated against, and continue to be discriminated against. I also realize that in our society a great deal of this discrimination begins when they are very young and in the classroom. However, is this problem solved by discriminating against boys in the classroom? Is it solved by giving girls an advantage over boys? I ask you to think about it for a minute.

I wish to counter the argument that I know I will hear from many of you, and that is that boys already have an advantage and that they will get good jobs based solely on their gender. I have to disagree. I see that we are approaching a period when people will be hired, fired, promoted and demoted based on their abilities, not their race or gender. By giving girls this wonderful opportunity while denying it to the boys, you have increased their ability to see and strive toward a certain occupation.

I am not saying that Daughters on Campus Day is bad. On the contrary, as I have stated several times before, I think it is very good. However, I also believe that, in all fairness, a Boys on Campus Day should be created.

One last thought for those of you who think I am making too much of this day, just remember, unless an injustice is pointed out to society, society does not realize it exists. Ask Rosa Parks, and I am sure she would agree.

Steven Weeks

Political Science Junior Read Next Article