OPINIONS

Tuesday, OcTOber 4, 2022

The MarqueTTe Tribune OPINIONS

ediTOriaL bOard

Andrew Amouzou, Executive Director Megan Woolard, Managing Editor of The Marquette Tribune Hope Moses, Editor of Diversity and Inclusion

Grace Cady, Executive Opinions Editor Laura Niezgoda, Assistant Opinions Editor Randi Haseman, Content Coach

Julia Abuzzahab, News Executive John Leuzzi, Sports Executive Izzy Fonfara Drewel, A&E Executive Skyler Chun, Investigative Executive Emily Reinhardt, Copy Chief RJ Siano, Design Chief Isabel Bonebrake, Chief Photographer Nancy Flaherty, Social Media Executive

STAFF EDITORIAL

Sarah Richardson, General Manager of MUTV Emily Bittman, General Manager of MURadio Kimberly Cook, Managing Editor of The Marquette Journal

Commend female leadership on campus

Having female leadership on college campuses is essential to keep women invested and active in higher education. At Marquette University, there are many student organizations, departments and resource centers that are dependent on the diligence and hard work of women. One of the pillars of involvement for women at Marquette is opportunity – an organization that helps provide them with this ability to empower themselves and their peers is the Institute for Women’s Leadership.

The Institute for Women’s Leadership is a group that advocates for social justice, has a mission to advance women’s leadership and focuses on how far we have come and where we are going as women in what is still very much a “man’s world.” Their mission statement notes that they aim to “engage, inspire

Society has a strange agreed upon resentment toward young women. If they simply like what’s popular, they’re basic. If they’re into things that are less mainstream, they’re trying too hard to be different. Wearing revealing clothing means you’re “asking for it” and covering up makes you boring. Prude or slut, madonna or whore.

The phenomena of young women being made fun of simply for existing is prevalent on all forms of social media. You can fi nd videos making fun of them for dancing, for their bodies and even for how they speak. An array of comments can be seen under any video or photo of a young woman such as, “The f in women stands for funny” and “This is why I don’t want a daughter,” along with referring to women exclusively as females.

Many young women face ridicule for visibly wearing makeup, whether that be to express and transform.”

This organization hosts events discussing women’s issues, meets to discuss how to make effective change for women in leadership and invites students to join their advisory board to take an active role in shaping the program.

This is just one example of the many wonderful organizations on campus that are run by or aimed to empower women and their roles in both the university and society in general.

Chaarg describes themselves as an “empowering wellness community” centered around college-aged women’s health at over 115 college campuses – including Marquette University. The organization aims to provide young women with a community to feel safe and comfortable while exploring various exercises and also to help them build friendships amongst their peers. It is such a powerful and dynamic organization that it has been recognized in major news networks including USA Today and The Washington Post.

Founder of Chaarg, Elisabeth Tavierne, said this about her mission: “My goal is to bring Chaarg to every university in the United States – if not the world. Ultimately though, my mission is to empower every Chaarg girl to be the best version of herself. I truly hope that all of our members fi nd their passion for health + fi tness – whatever that means to them.”

But Chaarg is not the only organization at Marquette that focuses on women’s health – or their strength.

Just this past school year, the Women’s Strength Club began at Marquette. This is a different kind of club, a different kind of

exercise program and a whole new community for women on campus. The strength club promotes how capable women really are. It teaches them how to properly weight lift, how to supplement their fi tness with nutrition and, overall, how to feel comfortable and confi dent in the gym surrounded by men. Adorned in their “Pump Cover” sweatshirts, you can be sure to fi nd members of the strength club at the university’s recreation facilities. Another overarching organization that showcases and strengthens the power of women at Marquette is the Association of Marquette University Women. This organization strives to “provide opportunities for service with peers” and “enhance women’s educational and cultural opportunities.” It also provides women with a variety This is why we can’t have nice things

themselves or to fi t into the current beauty standard. However if you don’t wear makeup and simultaneously don’t fi t into the beauty standard, you’re still ugly, which trumps all other aspects of your personhood. Then if you start wearing makeup, you’re trying too hard or lying. You must be beautiful with no, or at the very least undetectable, makeup.

Shockingly, this can be tracked to misogyny.

Misogyny can be diffi cult to spot outright, as it’s ingrained so deeply into our culture it can get lost in subtlety.

This results in the idea of not being like “other girls,” a phase which many women have gone through at some point in their lives. These other girls liked pink, makeup and attention. Basically if you were like these mythical “other girls” it meant that you were shallow and vapid, thus

Graphic by Metea Media undeserving of respect. This is a lose-lose scenario. You can either fi t into the binary of femininity or exist outside of it. Either way you will face ridicule. This stereotype is extremely toxic and indicative of society’s infantilization of femininity. It’s not just men who help to perpetuate these unfair standards, women too can be deeply cruel to one another and themselves. This is referred to as internalized misogyny. Internalized misogyny is when women hold subconscious hatred for other women or stereotypically feminine qualities. This can be seen in making negative remarks about your or other women’s bodies, slut shaming and comparing other women. Effectively seeing other women as a threat to yourself. The never-ending cycle of young women just trying to do something they enjoy and being judged for it has permeated the lives of most women at one point or another.

The minds of young women are constantly being fed these ideas all while surviving the turbulent time that is adolescence. The effects of being ridiculed for what they enjoy doing and thus trying to fi t into an impossible mold can weigh heavily on self-perception and esteem.

Over the past 50 years, with the advent of supermodels, beauty magazines and social media, eatof scholarship and grant opportunities to fund their education and service.

The women that we have as students and staff and organization leaders on our college campuses are invaluable. We commend Marquette for making a conscious effort to include and promote women in higher education, to see their necessity and give them places to feel safe and empowered. But, the work is never done. We must continue to build off of what we’ve started.

Having female-run and centered organizations is wonderful, but it is not enough. Marquette has never had a woman as president – and this kind of leadership on campus is essential for our female students to feel represented. The university has made strides in the right direction, but we must continue the journey. I had to exist in a box – that I had to be one thing and not the other. If I was sensitive, I could not be strong. If I was shy, I could not be bold. If I wanted to wear pink, I could not care about politics. more developed version of myself, I recognize the myth in that. sitive and emotional person ing disorders among adolescent girls has increased at a concerning rate. The rate for anorexia nervosa is 0.48% among girls from the ages of 15 to 19 years old and around 1% to 5% of girls are bulimic. Several studies report that media regarding physical appearance is linked to disordered eating behavior in girls. Young women are being fed the idea that they will never be good enough in their skin.

This is just one symptom of how young women will mold themselves based on society’s cues and who they can and cannot be.

The fi rst step to stopping this issue of tearing women and girls down is to come to terms with how we personally perpetuate misogyny. Ask yourself what internal narratives you have that look down on women and feminine presenting people. Only by addressing our own shortcomings can we actually foster a

Something I’ve learned about myself is that I strongly oppose the idea of being mutually exclusive in my identity.

I used to really believe that I had to exist in a box – that I had to be one thing and not the other. If I was sensitive, I could not be strong. If I was shy, I could not be bold. If I wanted to wear pink, I could not care about politics.

Now, as a twenty-year-old, more developed version of myself, I recognize the myth in that.

I actually can be a very sensitive and emotional person

With skin that resembles coffee, the nighttime sky and tells the story of generations of women in my family, I am a Black woman. The smell of Red Door by Elizabeth Arden bounces off my skin, as it once did my mom when she was my age and I feel grounded in my Blackness and womanhood. Outside of school, I have studied Black history in all its tragedies and triumphs and ing disorders among adolescent spoken the language of many girls has increased at a concernof my ancestors, but even be-ing rate. The rate for anorexia fore I am Black and a woman, I nervosa is 0.48% among girls am Hope.from the ages of 15 to 19 years old and around 1% to 5% of girls On Sunday mornings, I dance around my room to country are bulimic. Several studies remusic, waiting for the sound of port that media regarding physimy toaster waffl es to be done. cal appearance is linked to disUngracefully, I glide from one ordered eating behavior in girls. room to the other, without a care Young women are being fed the in the world that my interest in idea that they will never be good music may be unconventional.

This is just one symptom of When my feet stop moving long enough for me to sit, I’ll how young women will mold settle in front of the TV and themselves based on society’s watch “Gilmore Girls,” a 2000s cues and who they can and classic about a mother and daughter who are friends fi rst The fi rst step to stopping this and then family. I often wonder issue of tearing women and girls what life would be like with my down is to come to terms with mother and sister in Stars Hol-how we personally perpetuate low, Connecticut even though misogyny. Ask yourself what the place doesn’t actually ex-internal narratives you have that ist. I gawk over Dean and then look down on women and femiremember from the hundreds nine presenting people. Only by of times I’ve watched the show addressing our own shortcombefore, he is not the one.ings can we actually foster a I hold my Sunday mornings close because I know that in my home, I am safe being Hope fi rst because the way the

I write my own identity

while being strong – in fact, I think you have to be. I actually can be shy and a bit introverted while also being bold, brave and going after what I want. I actually can wear pink, I can care about my femininity, fashion and pop culture, but also be invested in the political sphere and what’s going on in our world.

One of my favorite movies is “Legally Blonde.” The iconic fi lm features a woman who goes from being a fashion major to studying at Harvard Law School and pursuing her career as a lawyer. She struggles to be taken seriously because she also really cares about clothes, her appearance and being the typical “girly girl.”

The irony of it all is that the exact reason people don’t take her seriously becomes her strength as a lawyer. She solves a murder trial based on her knowledge of hair care, and the people that once laughed at her sit back in awe that she was able to make such a roundabout revelation and come to really respect her.

But, why could they not have just respected her from the get-go? Why do women have to prove themselves because they are made into a stereotype by the perceptions of others?

In her documentary “Miss Americana,” Taylor Swift concludes with this quote that has left a lasting impression on me: “I wanna love glitter and also stand up for the double standards that exist in our society. I wanna wear pink, and tell you how I feel about politics. I don’t think those things have to cancel each other out.”

Swift speaks from her heart in this – and that really resonates with me.

I want to be able to encapsulate all of myself. I want people to look at me and see me beyond my surface-level value. I want to be able to care about how I dress, paint my nails, do my makeup and still add value to society because of my passions. I want that for all women.

Women are judged far too harshly just for their existence. If you put too much effort into your appearance, you are vain or you are just something to look at. If they don’t, they are lazy, they’re unattractive and they don’t appeal to the male gaze. If they care too much about their femininity, advocate for their womanhood and have streamlined interests, they are nothing special.

What a world it would be if we could look at women and see their hearts instead of stopping at the surface.

The idea that they have to fi nd a singular value and identity with that – that they can’t wear pink and care about politics, but rather have to wear pink or care about politics. Especially for young women, it is so important that we erase this narrative.

Grace Cady is a junior studying journalism and political science. She can be be reached at grace.

cady@marquette.edu

a study on the idea of “sounding white” by interviewing members of the Black community and concluded that for most, proper English was synonymous with whiteness and the opposite with Blackness. This idea that Black people can only speak one way is harmful and puts Black people in a box that considers us to be uneducated English speakers.

But no matter how proper I speak or even who I choose to love and how I choose to love my hair, I am a Black woman. I have skin that resembles coffee, the nighttime sky and tells the story of generations of women in my family. I’ve done much to ground myself in my Blackness and in my womanhood, but even before I am Black and a woman, I am Hope.

Hope Moses is a junior studying journalism and peace studies. She can be reached at hope.moses@

marquette.edu

Graphic by Vecteezy

world perceives Black women, leaves little room for us to be individuals. If we do not fi t into society’s idea of what being Black is and being a woman is, then we, ourselves, are not Black enough; we are not woman enough.

Growing up, I was called the “white Black girl.”

Although you will not fi nd this in your standard dictionary, the implication is that I was not Black in the way the world desired me to be. I receive this comment from white and Black individuals even more today, especially attending a predominantly white university like Marquette.

Typically, when someone says this to me, I remain silent, not because I do not know what to say, but because it doesn’t deserve a response. But for those that have unintentionally or intentionally diminished my Blackness, consider this the response: I can dance around my room to Luke Combs and Taylor Swift, but make no mistake, I am a Black woman.

I share the fears of many Black women around me – losing a child to gun violence, sex traffi cking or childbirth, not being lovable or worthy, worries that I am seen as strong before I am seen as soft – and my music taste does not change that. I share the hopes and dreams of most Black women around me as well – access to equal education and better resources for our communities, a successful career and a long, healthy life with those I love – and my music taste, or my other interests, does not change that either.

Besides music, the notion of “sounding white” is one that I have been ridiculed for and many other Black women as well.

Purdue University conducted Statement of Opinion Policy

The opinions expressed on the Opinions page refl ect the opinions of the Opinions staff . The editorials do not represent the opinions of Marquette University nor its administrators, but those of the editorial board.

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