To the Editors:

Alex Selim ended his article in the March Observer: "If we can't make a difference in this microcosm called SAIS, how can we even think about changing the world?" I asked myself the same question while looking through the piece titled "March madness hits SAIS hard" in the April Fool's issue. I understand that the comments made about me, which I opt not to repeat here, were not intended to be offensive. It is nevertheless important to point out that jokes employing this brand of sexual innuendo display a careless insensitivity to gender issues in the workplace and undermine the credibility and authority of their (generally female) targets. They are simply inappropriate in the SAIS Observer.

I believe it is important that faculty not attempt to exert control over student publications. But I nonetheless chose to write this letter as a regular Observer reader. I've been continually impressed and inspired by the level of sophistication, idealism and humor contained in these pages. However, I believe that if we let humor of the type mentioned above pass without acknowledging it for what it is, sexist and degrading, we have no hope of achieving gender equality at a privileged institution like ours, let alone changing the world.

Mine Senses
(Assistant Professor in the
International Economics Program)

Dear Professor Senses and SAIS community:

Last month we published our annual April Fools edition of the newspaper.  This year we included a March Madness bracket, in which we hypothetically pitted professors against each other, and tried to poke some gentle fun at their stereotypes and reputations, and we hope that this humor was taken in the April Fools spirit in which it was meant.

That being said, we recognize Professor Senses’ legitimate concerns about the way in which she was portrayed in that article, and acknowledge that our sense of what toes the line and what crosses the line may have failed us in this case.  Therefore, we would like to issue a public apology to Professor Senses for our comments in the March Madness piece.

In this case it seems that appropriateness was sacrificed in an attempt at humor, and we are truly sorry for that.  Professor Senses, we hope you will accept our deepest apologies.

The Editors

On another note:
This seems an appropriate moment to point out that our hope is always for this newspaper to be a forum for SAIS students to speak to each other and share their viewpoints. 

In such a diverse community, we know that there are a wide variety of views out there, all of which deserve to be part of the campus conversation. 

We hope Professor Senses’ willingness to express herself through a Letter to the Editor will encourage others of you to do the same when you disagree with things that have been printed in the paper, or when you simply have something to say. 

The newspaper is SAIS’s forum to speak to itself, and we encourage you to use it as such.