I had no idea what college I'd go to my junior year of high school (back in '92/'93). So long as I could be near my boyfriend, that's all that mattered to me at the time.
I settled on
Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Virginia. It so turns out that I loved it and benefited quite well from my four years there. I would not be the same unlevel-headed, over/underachieving feminist that I am today. My husband would probably disagree, but whatever.
Among R-MWC alumnae are Pearl S. Buck, author of "The Good Earth" and a bevy of other minor-celebrities, politicians, artists, scientists and scholars. Not all dead, btw.
"Back in the day" (1900-1975) it was common for women to attend single-sex colleges. It's was actually almost a given if you lived in the Southern parts or the Northeast. In fact, my mother attended
Radford University, which--ha, coincidentally went co-ed in 1972. It's now a trash heap of bad sex, booze and Dave Matthews. Enough said about going co-ed. All bad-bad-bad news, folks.
So here's what appears to have gone down: the school took a look at poor turnout from a costly recruiting campaign as well as their finances--you know, for the glow-lights in the pool, new and cooler gym, the suede tablecloths, gold-leaf shower curtains, trips to Amsterdam, stock of caviar... the list of luxuries goes on and on!
They licked their wounds and realized that they "didn't have enough money to run operational costs," like salaries. The only option was to dip into the Endowment fund. All of a sudden--fuck, they're in a jam! The past-President, Kathleen Bowman just took a B-Line out of the school before all of this went down. What part of thou shalt not borrow from yeself's future did they not understand?
The board hired a research group that carried out a loverly (mock) study with results that pointed in a "not-so-good-news" direction: the college needed some dick to get more ladies, which would, of course, bring in more revenue over time. The Board summoned and agreed that indeed, maybe it needed to part ways with it's century-old, single-sex/vag-a-lot history and bring those smart, stunning men, waiting in earnest(!) into the campus fold.
And then die a slow death...like the kind that involves your arm being stuck in a KitchenAid mixer, except the attachment is not a wisk but a small collection of knives that keep twisting your arm in and cutting it to shreds.
The Board alluded to this move back this Spring, but never said that a vote (scheduled on September 9) was eminent--or that a vote of yes would mean the fusion of a co-educational institution in Fall of 2007. Nor did they mention that faculty, alums, community members or those who had established planned giving in their estate had not a nary-eary of a voice in the matter. Lame-a-tastic!
Alums are up in arms and turning their plowshares into swords. Word got out last Friday about the vote.
An online petition has collected almost 2,000 signatures in the last 3 days. Please sign it if you can. If you disagree with the board, you can also send a letter of non-support for making the school co-ed at board@rmwc.edu The more letters the better.
