Womanhood
noun | wom・an・hood | \ˈwu̇-mən- ˌhu̇d, especially Southern ˈwō- or ˈwə-\
a : the state of being a woman
b : the distinguishing character or qualities of a woman or of womankind
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Ah, yes. The debate of womanhood; a debate that has taken the hot seat within our world view as of late. What defines being “a woman?” And, more locally, what does being a woman mean on Denison University’s campus? I have been fascinated by the *suddenly* mysterious question of what a woman “should” be, what they “should” embrace, and so forth, all brought to light by the current social and political climate of our world. So, I couldn’t help but ask a group of Denison women their perspective on the matter. As a result, presented here is the first of many spotlight pieces of Denison’s women and their thoughts concerning the topic of womanhood.
Though these women do not represent every woman’s experience as a whole on our campus, I found the answers from just some of Denison’s best and brightest women both insightful and important. I found that by just speaking to fellow women around me about their individual experiences can reveal so much about how different the human experience is from person to person. And, to be quite honest, the answers I got from my female peers made me even more honored and amazed to share The Hill with them throughout our college experience. Hopefully this series gives you a taste of how amazing these ladies are.
Being a Woman on Denison’s Campus is…
Morgan Hogenmiller (‘19)
“Knowing my importance” – Morgan Hogenmiller
Morgan sincerely recounts that she has embraced and discovered “the power and importance of [her] voice, body, and mind” whilst at Denison these past two years.
“As a woman on Denison’s campus, I continue to take ownership of my strength in my femininity every day. I have learned concurrently that being a woman requires that I defend my voice, my body, and my mind with vigilance. To me, being a woman means being proud of who I am and being a feminist for as long as there are still women who do not have the opportunity to feel as empowered as I do.”
Morgan’s goals include learning as much as possible at Denison about the world around her, and in turn, learning about herself along the way. Though Morgan works extremely hard in her academic studies, she is also very involved in a number of organizations on Denison’s campus. As a member of LNO (Ladies Night Out), she sings as a low and has now been appointed as the Treasurer. She is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and has taken on the imperative position of Chief Operations Officer (COO). She has performed in various theatrical and musical productions on campus, as well as served as a Orientation Leader for the Denison Arts Orientation. Working as a Tour Guide and Admission’s Host, she has welcomed many new Denisonians to campus the past two years. This upcoming year, she will take on yet another important role at Denison as a Teacher’s Assistant for the Data Analytics Department (which is also her primary study at Denison).
Morgan has definitely utilized her thriving ambition and sparkling personality to reach her goals as a student.
***
There is no doubt that there are so many more stories of women to be told, especially in regard to culture, gender, and other prominent issues within women’s lives. Furthermore, I genuinely believe that the women I interviewed have something valuable to present to all of our campus experiences. I believe that knowing people’s individual perspectives on the subject of womanhood gives us a better campus-wide insight into how powerful and influential the women of Denison University are. Denison women display the incomparable fact that each woman does not fit an ideal mold. They do not exhibit the same “distinguishing character or qualities” of what society has deemed an “ideal woman” should be. In fact, we should consider their testimonies quite the opposite. Denison women are everything a woman could be and more. Their distinct personalities, backgrounds, cultural upbringings, and interests showcase that each Denisonian woman is a star, a voice, and a pioneer of worthwhile change. Let us strive to seek the value of their stories, endlessly.