As a member of the group ADAPT (Academic Diversity Awareness ProjecT), I am concerned that course content at Penn State reflect accomplishments and values of all people, not only those of White men.

An academic community which fails to examine truly diverse viewpoints and alternative schools of thought ceases to be truly academic, as academic standards entail completeness.

A theory based upon an incomplete portion of knowledge can therefore hold true only for the portion of knowledge that it reflects; thus, for instance, a psychological theory born of studies done by white men on white men may only explain the behavior of this group, rather than that of women or men of color.

Serious changes of substance in curriculum require much energy and thought, and Penn State, if it pretends to want a truly representative academic community must make resources available for this process.

On a smaller level, however, all professors, instructors and teaching assistants can change their language to reflect the community they teach. I encourage them to avoid assuming all students are heterosexual or of one religious faith and to avoid making stereotypical comments about women and people of different races and ethnicities even when these comments may be deemed by some to be "humorous.

Use of gender neutral language, such as "she or he" instead of "he," and "human" or "person" instead of "man," engages more people in the learning process. Learning to speak non-sexist language is an important part of being sensitive to the culture of women.

If you currently, in your position as a professor, instructor or teaching assistant, do not make use of non-sexist language then you must accept responsibility for the costs of your actions.

For instance, after hearing a racist, heterosexist, or sexist remark, I often find myself so angry I can not concentrate on a word of the lecture for 10 minutes as I deal with my rage or compose letters to the Collegian in my head.

With your language, you are immediately responsible for depriving me of education. Each "he" you utter in lecture, denying women, you declare that women are not important enough to be mentioned and considered.

Your message of women's inferior position causes women to devalue themselves, and be devalued by others. Your message objectifies women, and this objectification means that we are hit, battered and raped, because you uphold the patriarchy that allows these things to happen.

Each time you say "he" in class, each time you say "man" in class, each time you choose textbooks which fail to mention women, you are responsible for the RAPE of a woman. You are as guilty of this rape as if you yourself covered this woman's mouth and forced a penis inside her.

You create a society in which it is difficult if not impossible for her to report her rape, in which, even if she overcomes her pain and shame to do so, her rapist will often escape punishment.

YOU are responsible for the rapes your language causes and the racial and homosexual violence, as well as the religious persecution, your language engenders.