I take offense at Greg Chick’s column, “BG Girls should step up their womanhood” [Dec. 5], for a variety of reasons. I realize his column is in the Not News section, but that does not excuse his comments. The point of the Not News section is to be humorous, not hurtful.
I find it discouraging that Chick would choose to publish his views about the girls in BG not being up to par with the “girls back home.” The Midwest’s literary and general education rates are much lower than in New England, so we all must be illiterate and stupid. And according to Chick, being a female from this area disqualifies me from having any positive characteristics whatsoever. If you want to write a column about being single, more power to you. But if you publish stereotypical comments about girls from the Midwest, I guarantee you will not find a girlfriend any time soon.
What the “millions and millions of Greg fans” may not know is that Chick is the graduate assistant of the BGeXperience program. As a BGeX peer facilitator, I am appalled by the derogatory comments Chick directed toward the local girls. Apparently the values and critical thinking skills the BGeX program teaches are completely useless to women, because we will continue to be “pigheaded and shallow” no matter what type of education we receive. What kind of message does this send to the female peer facilitators he works with and advocates for every day? Whether Chick likes it or not, he represents BGeX – even through his work at The BG News.
BG Girls should step up to their womanhood? Maybe Chick should step up to his manhood and stop blaming the opposite sex for his own inadequacies.
– Laura Wurns Junior, Social Work
It’s a good thing Greg Chick was talking about copouts [“BG Girls should step up their womanhood,” Dec. 5], because I think that’s his only sorry excuse for writing something like that.
Many people have been where Chick is now, facing the awkward phase that comes at the end of a serious relationship. Talking to the family about the breakup, the whole “getting back on the horse” issue and, possibly the worst part of all, talking (or not talking) to your ex.
Even though this situation is hard, I don’t think it is any reason for coming up with excuses or copouts to explain why there are no “real women” around. Like many other typical college students, I’ve been though my fair share of breakups and complicated relationships. Throughout my life, I’ve learned each individual has his or her own story and depth of soul.
I’ve also come to realize that as long we use the right point of view, anybody can be a fascinating, amazing person. There are excellent people all around us. The only thing that stops us from meeting amazing people is our own ability to seek out the excellence in one another.
Seeking out excellent people requires only two basic tools: open eyes and an open mind. It seems to me that coming up with excuses why everyone around you is “shallow” and “pigheaded” is a far cry from seeking out excellence in others.
I fully understand that Chick’s column was primarily a list of hypothetical excuses. However, if you plan on bashing BG girls, even if you’re only speaking in terms of hypothetical excuses, The BG News is probably not the best place to do it. If he truly wants to move on from his awkward breakup situation, he should try to not turn the girls around him into a satirical joke.
The fact is, as long as he’s looking through pigheaded and shallow eyes, he’ll see nothing but shallow, pigheaded people. Probably the best way to turn over a new leaf is to go by a new motto.
The other day I saw a guy walking around campus with the right idea. Maybe he truly believed in having an open mind for everybody, or perhaps he was just wearing the shirt for fun. However, I think the message is a good start for most of the guys on campus who seem to be the hopeless romantic type.
His shirt wisely read, “BG Girls, Best in the World!”
– Jeff Jack Sophomore, Psychology
