Umpire school is a little like sleepaway camp, in that we all stay in the same place.(1)  It’s a pretty intense schedule, so it makes sense that the school arranges for accommodations for students, especially because most of us are traveling to attend.

But it’s also another way that women are penalized for attending in a way that men are not.(2)

See, I have the option of a single occupancy or double occupancy room.  Shockingly enough, the single occupancy room costs double the double occupancy room.(3)  And if I were a dude, I could save a chunk of change by picking a double occupancy room and getting paired up with some other economically-minded dude, easy peasy.

But I’m not a dude, so I can’t.

In all honesty, I wouldn’t have doubled up anyways, because as my friends can attest, I am a solitary creature by nature(4), so this wasn’t a barrier for me personally at all, but it’s an economic disadvantage for someone just starting out to have to pay twice what her classmates pay just to have a place to live for the month.

These are the kinds of things that people need to think about when they say things like “we have a commitment to diversity.”  All these tiny little things that add up to someone not getting the same opportunity as someone else.

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1. A hotel, fortunately, not a leaky cabin.

2.   I want to be absolutely clear here:  I AM NOT laying blame for this penalty at the feet of my school, which has been nothing but pleasant and helpful to me.  They are not causing this problem.  I am simply documenting the fact that this is a barrier to entry that can discourage diversity.  It’s systemic, and typical, and people should be aware of it.

3.   I know, right?!  MIND BLOWN.

4.   They once came by my house to check up on me because no one had heard from me in days and they thought I might be dead.  Thanks, R!