Are women getting fouled at Centre???

Are women getting fouled at Centre???

1974

Article by Laura in The Flame, a feminist newsletter published by students at Centre College in the early 1970s. The article demands and equal playing field, both literally and figuratively, in regards to women's athletics at Centre, pointing out, among other things, the budgetary discrepancies between men's and women's sports on campus.

Sex discrimination in sports--Kentucky--Danville

Sex discrimination against women

Women college athletes--Case studies

Feminism and sports

Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- )--Sports--History

College sports for women--Kentucky--Danville--Sources

Athletics--Kentucky

English

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Are Women Getting Fouled at Centre??

In the January 11 issue of the Cento there appeared the figure $1,400 - the allocation for all women’s sports. The next sentence contained the figure for he football allocation, $19,000. One is tempted at this point to ask “Need we say more?” Unfortunately, it appears that we do.

Cento writers Mason Smith and Joe Myers say that Bryant, the head of the athletic department, “blames lack of space and money for the limited women’s program.” He has certainly hit the nail on the head. Our program is limited because it is limited. But why? Why is it that the mysterious factors that work on us simply do not apply to football players or any lesser breed of male athlete, at least to the same extent?

What Bryant said about football "paying off it in terms of publicity and new students may have some merit. I know when I was in high school talking about schools to my guidance counselor , she made up my mind when she mentioned Centre football. I 'm sure that must be true for many other women on campus not to mention the men. Yes, Centre may be gaining from football but it is the women who are doing the “paying.”

Women pay as much tuition as do men here at Centre . But our program is limited. The favorite rationalization is that women will not use what we have. To the extent that this is true it indicates a problem and calls for positive action, not smug complacency. The qualities that athletics are supposed to cultivate - ability; to work well with others, unselfishness, pride, responsibility, dedication, fortitude, and good mental and physical health – should be encouraged in humans of both sexes. I cannot believe that a man who would dedicate his life to the bettering of youth could knowingly neglect us, one-half of “youth.” The answer to my ‘why?’ could surely not be that he does not care about us.

Right now it’s “our ball.” The affirmative action must come from us, or not at all. We must demand honors and recognition, demand equal access to facilities where only one set exists and demand where two sets exist that ours be brought up to par. We must realize that sports are not only not un-feminine, but FUN.

-Laura