Mississippi University for Women has accepted men since 1982. That is, at least, what all of the brochures say. It still seems, however, that there is a gross double standard on campus concerning men. Ask any male on campus what it is like for him during Homecoming Weekend every year, and he will probably give countless retellings of strange stares from female alumni. He may even give accounts of being confronted once or twice because men aren’t welcome here (according to some alumni, anyway).

Most men here at the W understand that when these alumni were attending the university, men weren’t welcome here as students. We chalk it up to tradition and just let it go. Who can really be angry at a sweet old lady anyway? But what about the blatant suspicion we males face from everyone else: people who are here now?

With the exception of Grossnickle Hall, which only has two males, in every male dormitory on campus, and in every male wing, there is a flier or, in most cases, a whole poster or bulletin board about sexual responsibility. These boards offer quotes such as, “He who has the greatest power is he who has power over himself.” They give stories about guys who wanted sex but backed off. They give stories about guys who had opportunities to commit date rape and other things but backed off. There are countless statistics, countless numbers blaming solely males for sexual assault incidents. Nothing like this exists on any of the female floors or in any of the female dormitories. Why is that?

Yes, the majority of sexual offenders in this world are males, but the majority of males are not sexual offenders.

The administration wants to bring more males to campus and keep them, but will more males come if they must fear for their image here? No man would want to put himself in a position of being presumed guilty just because I'm a man.

Even if males were never the victims of abuse, I don't want to have to walk down my hall and look at a poster trying to persuade me not to commit sexual crimes. How would you like to see bulletin boards hanging up in your home describing crime rates based on race or religion and telling you not to add to it? Why do we have to walk down the halls of our homes here at the W and see this staring out at us every time we want a Coke?

I personally have family and friends who have been the victims of sexual crimes, and it is a slap in the face for me to have to see a poster blaming me for sexual crimes just because I am a male. I would never do anything like what these boards and fliers describe, yet I am apparently expected at any moment to jump out of the bushes and violate someone.
Honestly, it's all pretty simple. Not all females are rape victims. Not all males are rapists. Don’t blame me for the sins of others. I am but one, and I will not be blamed for their transgressions.