Any sexism?

spencerg011
Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:18:49 +0000

Actually, Football 101 is a charity event run by the Kelly Cares Foundation (overseen by Coach Brian Kelly and his wife Paqui) that includes food, drinks, and football drills presented by the football coaching staff. It is indeed only open to women, but I think that is due to the fact that it is a charity event specifically designed for breast cancer awareness and prevention. As a guy, I’m actually a little jealous–the participants get to slap the famous “Play Like A Champion Today” sign in the stadium.

On a broader note, I think it’s unfair to characterize Notre Dame as sexist simply because it is Catholic. Women participate fully in all aspects of academic, social, and spiritual life here (minus the priesthood, but that’s a much wider issue). We are blessed with an excellent Gender Relations Center, and there are many lectures and workshops throughout the year that highlight issues important to women (such as fairness in the workplace). Given all these resources and opportunities, I feel that gender relations have come a long way since when your mother was here. Is there room for improvement? Sure, but we’re making progress all the time.