Letters to the Editor

OWL defends its decision to endorse Gail for president

The Organization of Women Leaders quotes Margaret Mead in its letterhead: "Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." OWL has never professed to be a group consisting only of women, working only for women. To the contrary, the founders, officers and members of OWL have spent the last year working to create an organization that serves the entire Princeton community.

OWL's decision to endorse David Gail '03 for USG president was arrived at after a group of 14 officers debated and argued at length the very issues that have overwhelmed the eating clubs, dorm rooms and halls of Princeton during the past few days. It is an offensive suggestion that the very people who have dedicated their Princeton careers to developing OWL, working to improve campus life, would make such an important decision based on friendships with each other or the candidates. Yes, the 14 officers have become friends and share common interests in promoting women's issues, but it is indeed a diverse group of women. The idea of equating a "tight-knit group . . . [with] similar personal feelings," as suggested by Keija Parssinen '03 in yesterday's article, with a common desire to subvert the basic principles of OWL is ludicrous.

The claim of "OWL's abandonment of the female candidate" is unfair; one wonders how much time and thought Justin Mirabal '03 had to put into this statement, considering that "he did not have enough time to pursue OWL's endorsement." We have in no way abandoned our basic purpose of supporting women. It would be irresponsible and hypocritical for OWL to stand behind a candidate whom it did not feel was concerned about the basic issues and goals of the group. We have not abandoned the women of Princeton, nor have we abandoned our basic goals and principles. It would also be interesting to ask those quoted as citing "OWL's close-ties with Gail" to back that statement up - there are absolutely no concrete examples to support this statement.

Endorsements by student organizations exist for the very purpose of allowing officers, the students who presumably hold the deepest understanding of the purpose of the organization and spend the most time furthering it, to express their collective opinion about which candidate will do the most to serve the goals of the organization. These are informed people, striving to make informed decisions. The OWL officers unanimously voted to endorse Gail because of his focus on women's issues and dedication to working closely with OWL in the coming year. This endorsement and the explanation accompanying it was in no way intended to degrade or work against Nina Langsam '03, but it's silly to think that the Organization of Women Leaders could endorse a male candidate without offering a solid explanation.

Yes, Princeton has not had a female USG president since 1990, and yes, a female president makes a statement about the atmosphere of the campus. The next female USG president will be making a huge statement, and this is the greatest explanation for why she should be overly qualified, rather than narrowly concentrated. Would it not be hugely irresponsible for OWL to endorse the first woman who ran without being confident that she was the best representation of the female students and their concerns, knowing the impact this female president could have? The presidential search committee did not appoint President Tilghman because she is a woman but because she was the best candidate; if it had appointed a woman - the first at Princeton - without being assured that she was the best candidate, this would have been a much greater detriment than a help to the women of Princeton and the community as a whole. It is interesting to note that the article was placed next to one discussing sexual harassment on campus. This issue is one that Gail professed in his interview to be one of his priorities; Nina's main goals were the revision of the advising system and the creation of a departmental handbook.

It is also crucial to recognize the extensive work that OWL has put into furthering women in leadership at Princeton as well as furthering awareness about women's issues. Many women endorsed by OWL in last year's elections indeed won, and there has been a marked increase in the number of women in student government since the male-dominated elections in the spring of 2000, which in part spurred the foundation of OWL. We are committed to supporting leaders of both sexes and yes, in particular women. It would be, however, ignorant - and undermining to the credibility of our organization - to assume that the best leaders are always women, simply because they are women. OWL asks people to decide who the best leaders are, reminding them not to overlook the women, but never claiming that women are always superior.

The activities of OWL clearly reflect a dedication to furthering women at Princeton. Our mission statement presents a commitment to "the purpose of providing a network of support for female students, developing their talents and leadership skills and raising awareness of pertinent women's issues." Nowhere does it state that we are dedicated to the purpose of helping women simply because they are women; OWL promotes leaders, encouraging recognition of leaders who are sometimes overlooked. Nor are we dedicated to changing the perception that we are perhaps a man-hating organization. The fact that OWL is comprised of such a diverse body of members, from sorority and fraternity members to athletes to student government members of all races and both sexes, speaks for itself; pro-women does not have to mean anti-men.

OWL exists to promote feminism and end sexism, and our choice to endorse Gail for USG president supports these goals. By endorsing a woman merely because she is a woman, we would be working against all of our progress. Informed members of the Princeton community should be encouraged to consider issues rather than just sex, and any feminist organization that argued otherwise would no longer be a feminist organization. We are thrilled at the amount of controversy and conversation spurred by this issue; this type of uproar over an election is unprecedented in our Princeton careers. We encourage all students to consider these issues and to decide whether the idea that "not all women are feminists and not all feminists are women" applies to you. Erin Culberston '03 Nancy Ippolito '03 OWL Co-presidents