by Adele Ewan
Recently, I went with a few other girlfrands to McClurg for lunch and we decided to sit with some boys on “frat side.” Spooky. Monumental. Life changing– I know. It was whatever at first, kind of seen as a joke by most male specimens at the table with us. Then more of us lady folk sat down, and more guys started to trickle in. One guy had quite a fearful look as he approached his normal table. “What is this?” he asked, confused– startled maybe.
Why is this so surprising? Why is it something to question when there happen to be people of the opposite gender sitting at your and your friends’ table? It is what it is, I suppose. But it doesn’t have to be. And when I think about it, I, too, would be a bit scared if boys came to sit at my table. But I’d probably just go with it, which is what the some of the guys we sat with ended up doing. And it was pretty cool. So, let’s normalize it.
Also, I know that the title of this comes off a bit sexist. But I was trying to get your attention, lovely reader. And, to be frank, I have felt that men at Sewanee are for the most part less willing to approach me than I am to approach them– and I’ve never really felt like that until this semester.
Maybe it’s something that comes with living in the Women’s Center– a sort of stigma attached to that. Or maybe it’s me growing older and more confident in myself. Either way, it’s weird. Sit with me, boys. Please, I’m totally serious. And not just when we’re outside in your natural element. What are you scared of? Why can’t we be friends?