“That’s what you get when a woman writes about sports.”

This little gem popped up on my Twitter feed on Wednesday. It was in response to a column I wrote entitled, “Dooley, one more year.”

The article was a controversial piece and not something I expected to get a lot of positive feedback on. No big deal. Growing up with a family of sarcastic boys, I’ve learned to take criticism.

The truth is, I’m a student journalist. I’m just finding my voice. I’m by no means a great writer. I’m not even a good writer. Just ask my advanced sports journalism professor.

I’m fighting my way through my senior year, trying to pass classes and make sure I have plenty of content for the Daily Beacon sports beat.

Between working out, going to classes, studying, investing in my family, church and Volunteers for Christ, there isn’t much free time left, but all of it is invested in my writing.

In fact, the ratio of time invested to skill acquired is depressing. By all accounts, I should be better than I am.

In fact, one of my advisors told me I’ve taken, “too many journalism classes.” I don’t know how it’s possible to take too many classes in my major, but I’ve done it, to no avail.

Obviously, taking myself too seriously at this point probably isn’t the best idea. There’s a lot to hate about my writing, my style and my voice. It’s true.

That’s why I enjoy getting feedback from my readers. For one, it’s just nice to know that someone out there in the cosmos reads what I write. For another, taking criticism from my readers is the only way I know to improve, outside of practice.

Please, tear my articles apart, that’s what my dad does and there’s no one I love and respect more. His good opinion is worth earning.

Unfortunately for this particular critic, his opinion isn’t worth the time it took me to read it. There are arguments to make, but he didn’t make one.

Yes, his tweet caught my eye. In all honesty, I laughed when I saw it. I took a screen shot and posted it on Facebook. It’s not like the perpetrator was saying anything I hadn’t already heard. Maybe that’s what sad about his comment.

He didn’t take the time to say what he didn’t like about my article, as though my gender has anything to do with the fact that he didn’t like my column.

Is calling for one more year with Dooley a feminine thing to do? Judging from the emails in my inbox, no.

I wonder what he would have said if my (male) assistant sports editor had written the same thing? I’m guessing he wouldn’t have said it was a great read and agreed with the opinion stated.

Yes. There’s a stereotype about women in sports journalism. I, myself, have been known to make fun of certain women in the field. There are some women in sports journalism that I wouldn’t care to immulate in any form or fashion. They don’t help the stereotype much.

But just as there are women who give a bad name to female sports reporters, there are women who I admire and respect, women who I look up to. In the same way, there are male sports reporters that I like and male sports reporters that I wouldn’t care to know.

My point is, I’d like to be hated for what I write.

That’s my goal. I’d like to think I’m not setting the bar too high.

In hindsight, he was probably just kidding, maybe just trying to get a rise out of someone or, at best, a re-tweet.

Instead, I wrote another column.

— Lauren Kittrell is a senior in Journalism and Electronic Media. She can be reached at [email protected].