3-13-08




Thanks to everyone who came out to the Grove House last night to help mold and shape our charter. I was really happy to give everyone on the Pitzer campus who felt excluded by our group a chance to modify our charter, but mildly disappointed/confused by the turnout. We had 2 representatives from Feminist Coalition, 1 student senator and 5 students (including myself and the current Vice President) in attendance. Nobody bothered to email me saying they couldn't make the meeting but wanted to offer their input. If anyone feels marginalized or excluded by our charter on the Pitzer campus, they have no further grounds for argument since they didn't accept our generous invitation. We can, however, prescribe cheese for your whine.

It should also be noted that everyone who was there seemed ready to have a good time. We bought some small pyrotechnics, had more than just a couple of laughs and the Man Juice was flowing. I'm really glad this group could hold a meeting on campus with minimal negativity.

I'd like to take this time to apologize to anyone in the Pitzer community, and the world at large, for ever considering (even for a minute) to change the name of our organization. We will never change our name. We will ALWAYS be the Masculinist Coalition and I'd rather watch this group go down in flames standing up for what I believe in, than cave to a few people just because we want a little bit of money from the school. I started this club in the spirit of great men I admire. Men with names like Favre, Eastwood, Bundy (Al not Ted), Dangerfield and Batman. I doubt any of them would admire me if they knew I sacrificed the identity of my organization (which was supposed to be rooted in a search/celebration of my own identity) for a measly 150 dollars and the approval of people who probably wouldn't be long term members. If Pitzer really is a progressive institution, students should applaud the efforts of this club for transcending all current definitions of Masculinist and attempting to create something new and positive.

The Masculinist Coalition will apply for funding/recognition from the Pitzer student senate when they meet after Spring Break on March 29th. If Pitzer decides to, once again, deny us funding then all members of the student senate will have to stand behind their actions that would only be marginalizing members of the student body, re-enforcing negative connotations for a word that could be positive and subscribing to some Animal Farm-esque idea that all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

I hope this is not the case.

Thanks again to everyone around the world who has taken the time to contact me to show their support for this group. Sorry if I'm slow to respond to your emails, I've just been overwhelmed by them. I'm also still doing my best to be a student at the same time.

Dashiell Driscoll
President of Pitzer's Unofficial Masculinist Coalition
http://masculinists.org