Nope, I'm not talking about all the sanctions the NCAA levied on DI teams this week based on academic performance (or lack thereof). I am talking about the decisions made this time of year by colleges and universities about which famous persons will receive honorary degrees and awards.
Bad decision: Washington University in St. Louis has decided to give Phyllis Schlafly an honorary doctorate. I won't go down the list of all the anti-feminist ideas she advocates (including marital rape!) because Katha Pollitt did a great job doing so in her piece in The Nation. Needless to say, it was a bad decision. I haven't seen anything specific but I am pretty sure, given her anti-ERA campaign, she's not a fan of Title IX. (I had to throw that in because this is blog about sports and I realized that my post yesterday wasn't really about sports at all.)
Good decision: Barnard College will award Billie Jean King the Barnard Medal of Distinction this month. The award is the highest honor the college gives out.
I'm not saying that these things even out--because they don't. But I am pleased with Barnard and I am holding out hope that Washington U comes to its senses--well that ship may have sailed. I am hoping that all the pressure on them forces a reconsideration.
By the way, today the Sports Museum of American opened in NYC. King, who as a wing named after her--the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, was there for the event.
1 comment:
You're right, Schlafly is no fan of Title IX. Remember those comments she made about the MHSSA decision?
(Title IX Blog has them here.)
Also, the "King Wing" made me chuckle.
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