Ellington

Now let me see if I got this straight. A women's-only college in Virginia has announced that it will admit men in 2007. Officials at the 115-year-old Randolph-Macon Woman's College say that the move will help stabilize the school's depleted finances. What has me baffled is that the move has sparked protest and outrage among students and alumnae.

One alumnae group went so far as to hire a lawyer, while a group of students literally turned their backs on the school's president as she tried to explain the change. Am I missing something here? I read the article twice, maybe three times. Obviously, I'm lost. Traditional woman's college, check. Going to admit male students, check. It's a sign of the times.

But this type of negative response? Huh? I'm a tad confused. I always expect a few dissenters, but all-out anarchy? No. Isn't this the same country that has seen women make great strides in equality since the suffrage movement of the 1920s? For over a century, women have fought to gain equal footing with men. From voting to wearing pants, to being the breadwinner or a head of state, women have proven to be our equals in all facets of life.

As a full-blooded American male, I've watched as women have fought (often through litigation) to serve in the armed forces, to enroll in all-male academies and to get admitted to all-male clubs. Hell, Title IX promises that women's collegiate sports will be funded equally with male sports. Plus, there are sex discrimination laws in place to ensure that women are treated fairly in the workplace. Unfortunately, women still earn less than men in the same positions, and in that respect, the job is not totally done. But America has made progress.

Thing is, it seems to me that equality should be a two-way street. Women are not as quick to be "fair" when it's men trying to join their "exclusive" clubs. We're supposed to be "fair" when Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam want to enter men's golf tournaments. We're supposed to be "fair" when officials at the Master's tournament say they would rather jettison all of their corporate sponsors than let women play at Augusta. We're supposed to be "fair" when women want to be admitted to West Point. But instead of welcoming diversity, as you demand from us, the women at Randolph-Macon protest male students … shame, shame, shame. Even worse, I can't even figure out from the news why the women were so blasted angry.

The school's enrollment has fallen, and officials have had to scramble to keep the doors open. Fiscally, admitting men makes good sense. Socially, it brings us a step closer to a world where gender barriers are no more. Single-gender colleges and universities are simply outdated, and they should all slowly be eliminated. We've got enough problems just trying to figure out this black-white issue.

If I can stomach my alma mater, JSU, having a white quarterback last year (smile), then I think the women of Randolph-Macon can learn to share a classroom with a man. And that's the truth … sho-nuff.