Professor disputes newspaper's terminology

To the editorman of the Skiff:
Last spring, I was interviewed by a reporterwoman for the Skiff. When she asked me to verify my title and the spelling of my name, I corrected “chairwoman” to “chair.” Yet, when the story came out in the Skiff, my title had been switched back to “chairwoman.”

I am not a “chairwoman,” I am a chair. I know this, because on my contract, it says “chair,” and since the chancellorman, the provostman and the deanwoman all signed it, I think that they meant “chair.”

A professorwoman in journalism suggested that the AP Style Book was the source of this error in title. However, I expect the studentmen and studentwomen of TCU to think critically about their practices, so I don’t see why some antiquated editorman’s scribbles in a style book should apply today at TCU.

If you insist on using the term “chairwoman,” then I think that you should be consistent: either all titles have “man” or “woman” stuck onto them, or none should. For example, I expect you to use “professorman” and “professorwoman,” “studentwoman” and “studentman,” “coachman” and “coachwoman” and “librarywoman” and “libraryman.” I assume that you will soon feel comfortable with titles such as “quarterbackman” and “quarterbackwoman,” “cheerleaderwoman” and “cheerleaderman” and, of course, “editorman” and “editorwoman.”

Sincerely,
Bonnie Frederick
Chair (sic), Spanish & Latin American Studies