I was offended when I read George Will's column (Jan. 27). The column dealt with Harvard President Larry Summers stating that the reason for fewer female tenured science professors at universities is because of "gender differences in cognition." Will ignorantly believes this is true and uses inflammatory language to bash both academia and females. He comments on an M.I.T. female biology professor's reaction to Summers' speech and describes her as a hysterical "Victorian maiden."

I am a women's/gender studies minor at Elon University and would like to set the record straight: Gender is simply a performative act. In other words, gender is culturally constructed and can be changed. Anatomy is not destiny. The argument Will makes, "nature sets limits to the malleability of human material," has been used historically and is still used to oppress females. Unfortunately, our society is far from treating females equally. Their pay lags behind most males, and this country has yet to have a female president.

I think every university student should be required to take a class in gender studies. It certainly changed the way that I look at myself and the people around me.

Charlie Remy
Elon