Word: kirklander
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...words, actions and attitudes are ignored because they are attributed, albeit incorrectly, to a more palatable, though nonetheless fixed, image of Harvard athletes. Because this false image is the standard through which possible lottery changes are being discussed, I do support a reduction of the number of athletes within Kirkland House...
...whole, I believe that this administrative notion that reducing the number of athletes would be a satisfactory means of diversifying the Kirkland environment is a superficial one, based on an incorrect analysis of the athletes themselves and the true elements that inhibit the development of a more diversified Kirkland atmosphere. Athletics may be the most obvious source of Kirkland's uniformity, but it certainly is not the proper identification of the more detrimental elements within the Kirkland stereotype...
Sexism, heterosexism, and often racism, on the other hand, are the major contributors to the demeaning, though, unfortunately, honest stereotyping of Kirkland House. Too often the preponderant ingredients of Kirkland's degrading characterization--overtly male-oriented, strongly homophobic, predominately white, and often intolerant--go unacknowledged and sometimes unrecognized by students and administrators. Moreover, these elements are usually misclassified as latent qualities of Harvard athletes, and subsequently dismissed by many persons inside and outside of the house. These excusing attitudes and misnomers are the real barriers to achieving a profound and beneficial diversification of Kirkland House...
...tutors in the house, some of whom fit the stereotype and others who do not, who are not interested in the problem and are perfectly content to be living in the existing intolerant environment--so I do not speak for them. I also am not trying to denigrate Kirkland House as a whole; there is a genuine, friendly, and fun-loving quality about the house and many of its residents that can and should not be dismissed easily...
Furthermore, events of recent months, which were simply too offensive to be overlooked, finally stirred several concerned Kirkland students and tutors into discussing these problems in an open forum with the masters and senior tutor, who were a receptive audience. It is this kind of progressive action that should recieve attention from other members of the house and the Harvard community, not rehashes of unfair, inappropriate, and dated stereotypes of Kirkland residents...