Barnard President Debora Spar has sent an email to students about the climate on campus following the school's announcement that President Obama would speak at its commencement. In the email she condemns the "outbreak of mudslinging...gloating, rivalry, and insult" that occurred in the comments sections of campus websites following the announcement.
Spar also speaks to the supposed feelings of rivalry between students at Barnard and Columbia, and explains that the schools are distinct and offer separate experiences: One is "a small independent liberal arts college," while the other is "a large research university."
Finally, she decries the sexism that was present in much of the bitterness and expresses hope that the president will talk about sexism in his remarks at commencement: "What transpired during this pre-Obama fracas should raise alarms -- at Barnard and Columbia, among women and men -- about the sexism that still exists in our society and about our shared responsibility to root it out."
See the full email after the jump.
