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…
Ashley Lowe (’18)
“Empowering”- Lowe
Ashley puts it pretty frankly that, “Women at Denison are brilliant biologists, chemists, teachers, captains, artists, vocalists, writers, activists and all around bad asses.” And, isn’t that the truth!
Ashley deeply admires Denison and transferred to school when she was a Sophomore in college. Though there are many things on The Hill to love, Ashley especially admires Denison for it’s Liberal Arts education, which she feels assists women in finding passions they may have not discovered before coming to college.
In addition to Ashley being so “Denison Proud,” she also has achieved a number of accomplishments. For starters, she participates as a Senior Interviewer as well as an Educational & Environmental Studies Fellow. That being said, she also has an incredible presence in Denison’s Greek Life. Ashley proudly serves as the President of Panhellenic Council and as a Panhellenic Judicial Board member.
She says that:
“…as president of the Panhellenic Council, my biggest goal is to foster an environment where women are inspired to become the best version of themselves. I want each Panhellenic woman, regardless of affiliation, to feel that she has the power to make a difference because she is a strong, smart, and powerful person.”
Whilst studying Education and Environment, Ashley has strived to constantly contribute as a “positive and engaged member” in each of her classes. You may ask… What else does Ashley want out of her experience at Denison?
“I want to make the most of my time left here on campus by pushing myself and others to do the absolute best they can everyday.”
***
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.