Wellesley

To the Editors of The Crimson:

After reading your April 18 article, "Two Tales of the Harvard Patriarchy and its Exploits: The Wellesley Tradition," I find myself in the position of defending Wellesley and its students against the fallacies represented in your newspaper.

First, Wellesley is an institution with an enrollment of 2400, twice the number reported in your column. It has a widespread reputation for top-notch academics and has received Barron's rating of "Most Competitive," matching that of Harvard. These statistics reveal an image contrary to the one your sloppy journalist painted, in which Wellesley is merely a place to "find girlfriends," and later underscored with freshman Slawson's comment, "The only reason to come to Wellesley is to socialize." In fact, a large number of Wellesley's students elect to seek weekend entertainment off campus because the serious acdemic environment prevails seven days a week.

Moreover, the article's insinuation that the typical Wellesley student is an old-fashioned domestic is both insulting and erroneous. In relaying the hoop-rolling story, it is significant to note that the prophetic nature of the race has been changed. Instead of being the first to marry, the winner is now deemed as first to be president of a Fortune 500 company. I can also personally state that Weellesley students are striving for more equal give-and-take relationships with men. It is a shame that a dinner cooked once for the special occasion of a birthday was misrepresented in print as a typical weeekly mass movement.

As a strong advocate of accuracy, I have found it impossible to remain silent on this issue. If your writer, Ms. Masters, wishes to discuss Wellesley, have her glance beyond the warped impressions of young Harvard men and a dissatisified Wellesley student who transferred. If she wishes to take part in Harvard's "Exploits," please ask her to remove the qualifier "Patriarchy." Jill Simeone   Wellesley College