At Pomona College, tradition dictates that intramural inner tube water polo must play by certain rules. The sport is co-ed, and each team must always have two women in the water at all times. Women's goals, being more rare than men's, also count for more: When a male player scores, he earns one point for his team, but when a woman player scores, she earns two. The set-up has been a stable one since its inception, and has allowed the sport to thrive. Now, however, the hallowed traditions of co-ed inner tube water polo at Pomona have come under fire for being insufficiently attentive to the finer points of sexual difference.

From the notes of a recent student senate meeting:

Sports Commissioner Alex Wakeman '06 asked the Senate for advice about an inner-tube water polo scoring system concern. Currently, female participants are awarded two points per goal and male participants are awarded one point per goal. One student was concerned about where transgendered students fit in this system. Wakeman understands the concern, but she is reluctant to change the scoring system because she feels it encourages more women to participate. DesRochers pointed out that the Senate needs to learn more about transgender issues because they do not have the vocabulary and background to provide the best solutions for these problems.

Via Local Liberty.

Thanks to Maurice Black for the link.

I think there are numerous good solutions, none of which would probably be chosen. (1) Determine the gender of the transgendered student by the locker room from which the student emerges to join the game. If that's unacceptable -- I've been aware of rest room issues where neither gender would accept a transgendered person in that gender's rest room -- then award a transgendered person 1.5 points per goal. This might be consonant with institutions that have a third rest room for transgendered people. (And I don't mean this as facetious -- the problem is that given current cultural constraints, almost any solution may be taken as such.)

...depends if they're good players or not, doesn't it?

Easy, make everyone's goals worth the same number of points.

Problem goes away.

I'm just happy for the people at Pomona who must have such stress and effort-free lives as to be able to devote time and energy to worrying about this.

realistically? I think Sigivald's solution makes the most sense. I mean, I'm female, and if I were playing some sport co-ed, I'd be kind of irritated to find that my goals counted twice what the men got, because the assumption I would make would be that Those Who Set the Rules assume that a woman is only half as capable at whatever sport as men are. (I suppose, it being California, the assumption is actually that women are somehow oppressed during the playing of the game and so when they fight through the patriarchy enough to score a goal, it should count twice, considering the fighting through the patriarchy and all).

I'm trying very hard not to look at the whole thing symbolically, in terms of, say, affirmative action....

i suggest that you determine the number of points they score by the bathing suit they wear. this should aptly show whether they consider themselves male or female. in the off chance that they wear an old fashioned "bathing costume" i suggest that the student senate require them to be the goalie.

If I were on a team, I would ask everyone to wear a bikini top/bottom regardless of gender. If you say you're a woman - you're a woman. Double points. Easy win. To not take advantage of the situation is silly.

Obviously, transgendered students should claim both genders and receive 3 points per goal.

Sigivald unnecessarily simplifies the problem. Too simmple. Ms Rowntree's suggestion is fascinating, but unfairly benefits the transgendered.

I think they should do as golfers do: establish a handicap, with each player getting a "scoring coefficient" (possibly ranging from 1.0 to 5 or 6). Any goal made by team member x would be counted as C(x)*P (where P is the number of Standard Points awarded for the goal).

Coefficients would be determined in the usual way - by the skill and prowess of the player. The weaker the player, the higher the coefficient.

In the ideal case, this would result in all games ending in a tie.

The amount of points per goal should vary inversely with whether or not the change involved addition or subtraction in a certain area of one's person. If one had something added in that area, then one would lose one of the points one would have previously earned for a goal. If one had something subtracted from that area, then one would receive another point for any goals scored after the addition was finalized. And I say this as someone who refereed co-rec innertube water polo when I was an undergraduate and who therefore grasps its various complexities.

Ah, Brett, you forget that there are two possible areas from which things may be added or subtracted (and I understand that the upper area usually benefits first from the changes).

I'm sure that the system was established purely as an incentive to get an equal distribution of players, even if the women thought they weren't "good enough" to play. The real question, then, is there a good representation of genders on the teams? The answer to that would determine the appropriate modifications to consider.

The students don't have the "vocabulary" to provide the best solutions to the transgender issues? What words do they need to know that they don't already know?

This sounds like it could have been a discussion among Roman senators in 300 AD.

I'm a Pomona alum and this is so embarassing. John Bruce - the restroom issue came up at Pomona a couple of weeks ago with regard to the restrooms in the student center. Students representing themselves as spokespersons for the transgendered crowd demanded unisex bathrooms in the center. I don't know if they got them or not.

I thought people went to Pomona to get an education, not worry about how many points an intramural water polo player can score!

Think I'm gonna start writing letters....