Radcliffe Sponsors Speech for Athletes

Harvard's female varsity athletes gathered in Agassiz Theater last night for an inspirational talk by writer Mariah Burton Nelson.

Entitled "The Courage to Live Out Loud: Women's Ways of Winning in Sports and in Life," the talk focused on the issue of female empowerment through competition, power and outspokenness.

Attendance numbered about 100 with athletes from many different teams as well as alumnae and members of the administration. The talk was sponsored by the Undergraduate Relations Committee of the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association in an effort to cater to the population of female athletes at the college.

Through childhood memories and a series of slides, Nelson illustrated basic aspects of competition, namely accepting a loss, celebrating a victory and getting used to compete within a specific sports environment. Nelson also extended the analogy to real life situations.

"You need to get comfortable with the idea of yourself as a winner and extend it to other areas of life," she said.

Nelson focused on the need for women athletes to establish their own power rather than attempt to fulfill a set feminine image. She described women's concern with weight as a "modern girdle" which represents an obstacle to women's empowerment.

"We need to let go of our ideas about how we should be and how much smaller we should be," she said. "Where do we get this idea that muscles are male? That women should be small?"

According to Nelson, women athletes are too often afraid that men disapprove of female victory and let their fear keep them back from asserting themselves. For this reason, women need to be more outspoken.

As a member of the lesbian community, Nelson said she feels happier speaking out especially since homophobia has long plagued women's sports.

"It's incredible freeing yourself to be who you are," she said. "There's a lot of power in being out."

Finally, Nelson stated that in being competitive, powerful and outspoken, women athletes would necessarily attract opposition. She therefore warned the audience "not to be surprised or intimidated," to take a stand and to expect male resistance as well as the existence of personal doubt.

In the question and answer session that followed her speech, Nelson developed her ideas on the existence of a male sporting culture. Some women athletes buy into this culture, prioritizing it above their own. Nelson would like women to realize this fact and unite against it.

The athletes reacted favorably to Nelson's talk. Junior Liz Yellen, a member of the Radcliffe lightweight crew, mentioned it was "a great way of making women feel empowered." She added Nelson had done a good job of relating sports to real life.

Nelson closed off with a quote from writer Emile Zola: "If you ask me what I came into this world to do I will tell you: I came to live out loud."