As Bucknell collegiettes we have a lot on our plates. Between classes, homework, clubs, friends, Greek life, and jobs, it seems as though how we look would be the last thing on our minds. However, despite all of these things going on in our lives, body image still seems to weigh heavily on our already crowded minds. With the high academic standards that Bucknell expects its students to uphold, as well as the pressure to be involved on campus in multiple ways, there is also pressure for women to uphold a certain standard of beauty. All of these high expectations on a campus where everyone is seeking to be the best put stress on Bucknell women to be thin, fit, beautiful, and fashionable, on top of all of their academic and extracurricular achievements. With body image being such a significant issue, some Bucknell collegiettes voice their opinions on their own body image as well as the perception of body image on campus.
First-Years:“Bucknell is often regarded as a school “for the beautiful” – which couldn’t be more true. As great as it is to be surrounded with all those lovely people, we all feel some sort of pressure at times to fit into an image set by society.”
“I truly love my body. However, here at Bucknell I do feel pressure to work out everyday and make a salad at the salad bar for every meal. Of course, if you are making a salad, it must be made in the clear bowls by the salad bar, so everyone knows you are, indeed, making a salad. Although the pressure exists, it has also encouraged me to evaluate myself. At Bucknell, I have been taking better care of my body, which has made me feel healthier and more confident; I love that many of the students at Bucknell do the same. But sometimes, the pressure can get too intense.”
Sophomores:“We all worry about our body image. But here at Bucknell, if you’re not working out everyday or eating healthy, you feel like you’re not fitting in. Body image is taken too literally at Bucknell and that needs to change. Accept people no matter what they look like.”
“I definitely have a love hate relationship with my body. I want to accept it as it is, and for the most part, I like the way I look. However, sometimes it is hard not to get caught up in the idea of the “perfect body,” especially at Bucknell where everyone is very concerned with working out and eating healthy. But I have definitely accepted my body more this year than last year.
Juniors“Here at Bucknell I find the general perception of what a woman’s body should look like is completely skewed. There is so much pressure not necessarily to be healthy but to be thin. With that said, as a junior I feel like I could care less. I have been the same size, (a size 12) for years. My body type is the way it is and I’m happy with it. I must admit I came to this conclusion only by being outside of Bucknell and interning in NYC over the summer. The Bucknell’ bubble is a scary place when it comes to body image. I have found it to be a place where people don’t appreciate various body types, the consensus is that it is better to be thin. This is a shame.”
“There are pros and cons to going to a school with a relatively fit and good-looking female population. The pros are that people are aware of their physical health and appearance and don’t judge you for going to the gym on a regular basis. However, the cons are that chances are, looking around in class, you’ll see another girl who is more fit or better-looking than you are. And while we hate to put ourselves down in these types of situations, sometimes it’s difficult not to, even though we’re juniors in college.”
Seniors“Putting on a bikini or a crop top will never be a stress-free process for me. As a first year, I fell into the dangerous habit of comparing my body to other women, admiring pencil thin legs and zit-free faces. But now as a senior, body image is no longer about wishing I was a cup size bigger or that my stomach was flatter. I have learned to accept my body and embrace my curves. Eating healthy and exercising is not about getting that ideal beach body, but rather feeling better about the choices I make on a day-to-day basis. While I haven’t ridden myself of the habit of comparing myself to other girls, I now view the prettiest girls as the ones who can wear a smile and walk with confidence.”
“As a senior, I feel so much less pressure to worry about my body than in previous years. At this point in my college career, I have established my friendships at Bucknell, and feel confident that these people are truly my friends and are not judging me based off of appearance. Yes, we all get caught up sometimes because it is so easy to compare ourselves to the beautiful people on campus, but this has become significantly less relevant for me this year. I do not spend nearly as much time worrying about the way I look and dress as I did in past years, because I am so comfortable being myself and don’t want to change. Senior year is all about being yourself and feeling good in your own skin, and I hope that in the near future, we can make it so the other three years can be about this too!”
From Fitting In to Individual Acceptance No matter what year Bucknell collegiettes are, these anecdotes suggest that body image still impacts their perception of themselves and how they fit in on campus. However, it seems to become less of an issue as students progress through their time at Bucknell. For first-years, being thrown into Bucknell’s very competitive and demanding community can be overwhelming as students feel that they must uphold the beauty standard.
Upperclassmen have more of a handle on how the perception of body image at Bucknell is skewed. It does seem as though every collegiette is fighting against the beauty standard in order to accept their bodies. The expectations of beauty never go away, but it becomes easier to ignore them once you are more comfortable with your place on campus.
It is not only at Bucknell where body image is an issue, and the beauty standard is not going to go away once we graduate. The small and incredibly competitive campus intensifies the expectations of beauty, but everywhere we go there are certain ideals that women are supposed to uphold. As women we should not have to feel that we must be beautiful on top of everything else we do. It should be our achievements that come first. We need to work hard to push back against Bucknell’s beauty standard, as well as all of the other beauty standards that we are going to be faced with in our lives. We must choose to accept our own bodies and those of others so that one day beauty standards will be obsolete, and what we do will finally become more important that how we look.