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The preliminary constitution’s list of organizational…

“The preliminary constitution’s list of organizational officers included a “Ball Guy” to “maintain any balls owned by the league collectively.” The university rejected this initial draft because “Ball Guy” implied gender specificity. Evan and I fixed this problem, then added “he or she” after each…” quote by Andrew Heaton
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““The preliminary constitution’s list of organizational officers included a “Ball Guy” to “maintain any balls owned by the league collectively.” The university rejected this initial draft because “Ball Guy” implied gender specificity. Evan and I fixed this problem, then added “he or she” after each reference to the captain position as further evidence of our “open to women” policy. Then, for our own amusement, we shoehorned in hilarious jargon to see if they’d catch it. Here is an excerpt from the final ratified constitution: At””

Andrew Heaton

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The constitution’s “Ball Guy” title was gendered, so it was changed to gender‑neutral language, then humorously expanded.

In simple terms: Gendered titles were replaced with neutral terms.

Key Takeaway

Use inclusive language in official documents.

Themes

inclusion language policy

Mood

thoughtful lighthearted

Type

institutional educational

When to use this quote

  • drafting bylaws
  • student organization meetings
  • policy revisions

Key Concepts

gender neutrality institutional humor

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can humor be balanced with professionalism?
  • What other terms could be made gender‑neutral?
A Different Perspective

Humor may undermine seriousness of the document.

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