Occasionally the HerCampus National Chapter will send out email blasts with article ideas, usually pertaining to the less well known or less publicized sides of being a college woman. So while bloggers may be tripping over each other to write stories about being a freshman, or loving their sorority sisters, or the best workout for a certain season, it’s awesome that our National Chapter encourages us to also write about experiences that might not be as mainstream. The experience I’m super excited to be writing about today is that of being in a club or student group where the majority of participants are boys – and why it can be so great!
When I entered college as a theatre major, I absolutely could not wait to be performing in and working on university quality productions every semester. However, when I wasn’t cast in either of the mainstage productions for a particular semester in September of my sophomore year, I decided to get re-involved in an activity I had been very passionate about (and successful with) in high school: Model UN.
At Northeastern University, Model UN, Arab League, NATO, and European Union are run through an umbrella organization called the IRC – International Relations Council. Upon going to my first meeting for this club, two things were very clear to me. One – the members of the IRC were incredibly skilled debaters, and if I worked hard I could be afforded some wonderful opportunities to similarly showcase my skills. And two – most of those debaters happened to be male.
Belonging to a club where the majority of participants are male hasn’t been something I’ve thought about until very recently. After now having been involved with the International Relations Council for three consecutive semesters, I can say this group includes some of the nicest, smartest, and most welcoming students I have met on campus to date. I received encouragement and support from my fellow teammates from the moment I joined the group, which is pretty astonishing considering the large attendance at our weekly meetings. I was urged to try out for the travel team even when I thought there was no way I was good enough, and have been #hashbrownblessed to have been on both the giving and receiving ends of the student mentor relationship. Through IRC, I’ve had the pleasure of participating in soon-to-be five travel-team competitions, and have won honors for both myself and as part of the team. And during all of these wonderful experiences – guess what? Many (if not most) of my wonderful, helpful, supportive team members have been guys. And that’s been awesome.As a female participant in Model UN et. al competitions, I’m used to being in the minority when I walk into a committee room. The photo at the beginning of the post speaks for itself – when I raise my placard to speak in debates, it’s more likely than not that the majority of the listeners will be men. So it’s not just that my fellow travel team members at NU are boys – this is a program-wide trend. Yes, men and women debate differently. While I might try to pack as many facts into my speeches as possible, I have sometimes noticed that my male opponents are able to command a strong stance by saying less. However, as a competitive person, I am able to notice these differences in debate styles and use them to my advantage. Were the committee room mostly women, I would similarly devise my tactics based on whoever was in the room.
I would disagree with the idea that a “good debater” has a stereotypical gender/sexuality/appearance/description, and I’d gladly accept a challenge from anyone who might try to assess my debating skills based on my feminine facade. My name is Cassie, I’m blonde and (wow!) I have boobs, and I can kick your a** in a debate on the topic of combating cross-border criminal activities with negative societal impacts within the Arab League. That my fellow committee members have been mostly boys has been a factor in my Model UN experience, but I wouldn’t say a defining one. A good delegate and debater will stand out no matter their gender. At the same time, however, I’d gladly welcome the experience to debate among mostly women, as I think women today can and should hold majorities in activities traditionally reserved for men. It’d be awesome for numbers to at least be more equal, and I know we can get there, but for now this “boys’ club” isn’t holding me back.
International Relations Council would be a different world if the majority of participants were women, and I really do hope that someday a generation of the club gets to experience what this would be like. It would be cool to see the majority of e-board members and head delegates be women, but as it is I think it’s safe to say that most, if not all, female travel members do rise into leadership roles at some point. They are definitely encouraged to do so. So for now, while women might be in the minority for numbers, percentage-wise I think we consistently have the guys beat on leadership roles.
I’m so thankful for the female student role models who have helped me and encouraged me at every step of the way with IRC, but I’m thankful for my male mentors and role models as well. Participating in a college club with a gender discrepancy can be an awesome experience, and sadly for many high-achieving women, it may more closely model the dynamic we’ll find in our future workplace. I’ve never felt held back by my gender when I’m debating in front of our club, and that’s definitely thanks to the fantastic environment cultivated each year by our advisor, e-board, and veteran members. We are a “boys’ club” in the strict sense of numbers only – numbers that are becoming more even each year – but debate-wise, it’s anyone’s game.