Paige Hesson is a senior here at Loyola University Chicago, majoring in economics and minoring in marketing. I met her a little over a year ago through another organization on campus that focuses on service and leadership. Paige and I joined at the same time, and quickly became friends. I look at her as a role model, not only since she is older than me, but because she is so strong, intelligent and just an all around wonderful, genuine person. I know Paige is a feminist and is not afraid to share her opinions, and I love and respect her for that. So, I thought it would be beneficial to ask her to express her thoughts through a very impactful platform– Loyola’s chapter of HerCampus!
Meet, Paige Hesson:
Hayley Accola: If you could tell your future daughter one thing about feminism/women’s rights, what would you tell her?
Paige Hesson: I would tell her that no matter what, she can do anything she wants. I would tell her she is strong and she is beautiful and she is fierce. Most importantly, I would let her know that no one can ever take those things away from her. That’s the beauty of feminism. It’s a fight for the equal rights of men and women, but it also empowers women along the way. My daughter will know that she isn’t less than anyone. She might face discrimination or double standards, but these societal flaws have no implication or meaning on her inherent equality.
HA: How do you like to empower yourself and feel confident?
PH: This might sound ridiculous, but the best thing I’ve done for myself this year is going on a social media cleanse. I deleted everyone from snapchat, instagram, and facebook that I just didn’t need to have around. Whether it was ex-boyfriend or people that have brought negativity to my life, I realized I didn’t need to keep them around on social media. It’s true that getting rid of toxic people will make you happier and stronger.
HA: What are your thoughts on wearing makeup and the stigma that girls are sometimes told they have to wear makeup to be pretty?
PH: I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with makeup. I love it because it allows me to express my creativity and feel better about myself. It’s also just really fun to put on. But, sometimes it feels like a burden. It’s expensive, it takes time out of my day, and sometimes I feel like I can’t go outside without a layer of foundation on. A few weeks ago, I didn’t wear makeup for a week. I prepared to hate my face in the mirror. I braced myself to avoid having pictures of me taken, and expected to run away from my own reflection. Instead, the opposite happened. Most people in my life didn’t even notice. Nothing happened. I was still myself. This might sound like a simple thing to realize, but I’ve been wearing makeup religiously since I was 13. I found myself happy, even without my beloved makeup. It was so refreshing and made me so much more confident and sure of myself.
HA: Picture this scenario: you’re going to a women’s march. What does your poster say/look like?
PH: “53% of white women voted for Trump. White women, educate, organize, and mobilize your communities. It’s on you.” This quote is taken from my friend Hannah Imani. Hannah actually marched with this sign during the Women’s March in 2017. Feminism lately has become a trendy tagline, a piece of loose rhetoric. It’s one thing for a white woman, like myself, to buy a cute shirt at Forever 21 that says “grl pwr” or “the future is female.” However, it’s much more pressing and crucial that, as a white woman, I understand and listen to the grievances black and brown feminists, and feminists of all sexual orientations and gender identifications, have against our current social system, our current presidency, and even myself. It’s time for white women to listen. It’s time for white women to realize our contribution to the problem. It’s time we stop getting offended, take responsibility, and work to change our actions that are problematic.