Sarah Schulte and Rachel Gittleman, students
As students of Stuart Country Day School we have been taught To appreciate the evolution of women in society over the last century. It’s been almost 90 years since women were granted the power to vote. Almost 65 years later the first woman was inducted into the Supreme Court. Finally, over 15 years ago, Christine Todd Whitman was elected as the first woman to govern our state.
These are the women who have provided inspiration for us, expanding the identity of women today. Stuart has sponsored the Women in Leadership forum in order to celebrate today’s powerful and influential women. One speaker, Christine Todd Whitman, helped open opportunities for women by example.
Therefore, when the Catholic Diocese of Trenton canceled Gov. Whitman’s forum, we viewed it as a setback in the advancement for women’s freedom. While the Catholic Church doesn’t view Gov. Whitman’s pro-choice opinions as appropriate, we as young women believe that we should have had the opportunity to form our own opinions.
Due to our education at Stuart, we are capable of making our own decisions based on our values, and thus we view this decision as an insult to our intelligence. We view this as censorship. No matter what the Catholic Church wants us to believe, Christine Todd Whitman is a great role model for us and will continue to empower women today.
Gov. Whitman’s purpose was to come talk about the environment, but ironically, through her absence, she has taught usthe importance of independent thought and speech. We hope that eventhough her forum was cancelled at Stuart, we will have the opportunity to hear and learn from her in the future.
Sarah Schulte
Rachel Gittleman
Stuart Country Day School
Class of 2010
