Nowelle Wright writes for The Daily at the University of
Washington.
By Nowelle Wright
Women will be allowed next year to attend the Virginia Military
Institute, a state-funded school. They will be required to live
under the same rules as the men attending the academy, which sounds
fair at first, but warrants taking a closer look.
The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) has refused to put locks
on the doors of the barracks for female cadets. These female cadets
are not only the extreme minority, but are also the target of
harassment from male cadets who do not want to see VMI turn
co-ed.
Just last week, Kathy Kreye, who had been planning on attending
next year, was waiting at a stop light when a car pulled up next to
her.
The man in the car rolled down the window and shouted that she
would be killed if she tried to attend VMI. Afraid for her life,
she decided to attend Virginia Tech instead.
"Female cadets will be treated precisely as we treat male
cadets," said Maj. Gen. Bunting of VMI.
Yes, female cadets will be treated "precisely" as the male
cadets, at the price of their safety. Even the Citadel, which
admitted women last year under court order, has provided locks for
the women’s barracks.
VMI seems to be inviting harm and misfortune to these young
female pioneers. It is required by law to admit women, but if they
scare the female cadets enough, they may just choose to attend
another school, like Kathy Kreye. No, this is not the Mafia, this
is the Virginia Military Institute.
Which, incidentally, also set policies regarding haircuts for
women that were different from other military institutions. Women
in the U.S. military academies and the Citadel are only required to
wear there hair short, but  surprise, surprise  VMI
decided not to follow the trend of their predecessors. The women at
VMI will be required to get a buzz cut. Yes, I said buzz cut. It is
now the only military academy that demands women to have their hair
cut within a half-inch of their scalp.
So, what would happen if a man tried to get admitted to a state
school for women that provided a better education than the co-ed
schools? (Ironically, I can’t think of a women-only school that
would qualify) What if that hypothetical school for women required
its students to conform to a dress code of a skirt and stockings?
Would we require the newly admitted male students to do the same?
Of course not. It would be degrading, in the same way that VMI will
be degrading their newly admitted female cadets.
VMI will also require female cadets to adhere to the same
physical standards tailored to the male cadets’ abilities. The
physical fitness test includes six pull-ups, 60 sit-ups in two
minutes and running 1.5 miles in 12 minutes.
Unlike VMI, The U.S. military academies and the Citadel have
taken into account women’s physiological differences. Women’s hands
are generally smaller, their legs and bodies are shorter, their
center of mass is lower and they have less distance between their
shoulders and hips than men. These factors influence the physical
activities that women will do worse, the same or better than
men.
For example, Olympic gymnastics competitions are completely
different for men and women. The women’s competition emphasizes
flexibility and mobility in the routines, while the men’s
competition emphasizes strength.
These differences in competitions are not just coincidences.
Rather, the competitions evolved to showcase the distinct
physiological designs of men and women. The difference between the
Olympics and VMI is that the Olympics recognizes that women and men
are sometimes physically designed to excel in different areas.
Women deserve the same educational opportunities as men. For
this reason, I am advocating a two-tier system at military
academies regarding physical fitness. However, I am not proposing a
two-tier system in actual combat.
For example, to be on the front line in a war, one might need
the strength to carry wounded soldiers to safety. There should be a
test to see if a front line soldier possesses the strength to carry
such a weight. If a soldier cannot, then that soldier should not be
on the front line, regardless of gender.
This sort of universal standard would ensure that all soldiers
would be ready for combat without denying women their right to an
equal education. VMI can and probably will continue to make
policies hindering female cadets’ performances, as well as putting
them in danger. Prior to the decision for co-education,
privatization of VMI was discussed to avoid having to admit
women.
According to the Washington Times, William W. Berry, President
of VMI’s board, was asked if the board voted to admit females
because it was the right thing to do or simply because the alumni
could not come up with the money to buy VMI. Mr. Berry acknowledged
that the "financial hurdles" of privatization dominated much of the
discussion.
Women deserve the same opportunities as men, as well as the
right to be safe. The good old boys’ network may have worked in the
past, but Beaver is almost 50, and has anyone seen June Cleaver
recently? On June 26, 1996, the Supreme Court ruled that single-sex
education was unconstitutional in a state-funded school. Let’s give
these women their constitutional right, as well as our support.