After living in a small town in southern Indiana, I wanted to see more of the world than corn fields, so I decided to venture out to the University of Louisville. Super adventurous, right? Even though UofL is literally only twenty minutes away, the atmosphere of city life is completely different. People drive faster in the city and the Louisville nightlife is so much brighter and louder.
Attending an urban college is like putting the entire world in a box; there are so many people who come from different cultural and religious backgrounds, out-of-state cities, and even European and Asian countries. One of the best opportunities about going to college is the diverse types of people you will encounter. At my high school, we had some students who were studying abroad but only stuck around for one school year. There was some diversity, but the majority of the kids who went to my high school were all the same ethnically, religiously, and shared very similar political views. It was a very homogeneous community for sure.
During my freshman year of college, I took a Women and Gender Studies speech class for my dreaded oral communication requirement. Since speaking in front of people makes me extremely uncomfortable, I was looking for a speech class that did not require as much talking in front of the class. While the standard speech classes made students give about four to six speeches a semester, this particular class only required an oral presentation and a final speech. I reluctantly chose the class and prayed I would pass by talking as little as possible.
Little did I know this speech class would change my entire outlook on my femininity, which has now become a very important part of my life. When we were not discussing how to deliver speeches, we were talking about feminism and different aspects of it, from different feminist theories to topics that were culturally relevant at the time. While feminism was not popular in my hometown, my speech class was my first true exposure to the liberal arts. While I had stumbled upon posts about feminism on the internet, I skipped over them and never really thought much about them. However, this class really opened my eyes. When I discovered the great things that feminism did for women and other oppressed groups, I was hooked. I finally felt okay to admit that I did not want to have children when I got older. My thoughts on the pro-choice movement were altered completely. My thoughts on social justice had changed and in my opinion, they changed for the better.
After receiving such an eye-opening experience, I took a women and gender studies class nearly every semester afterward. Needless to say, I learned so much. I took a feminist literature course that tied environmentalism into its readings. This semester, I’m in a women and gender studies course discussing “sex roles” and we are currently discussing the transphobia in our country and how it affects people who are transgender, particularly transwomen of color. There are so many aspects of feminism that I never even thought about, and taking multiple classes on it is essential for me.
The women and gender studies classes are open to all majors, so there will be a diverse group in every class. For my own personal experience, I am an English major and I have noticed other English majors in my women and gender studies courses. I have also seen communications, biology, and other types of majors enroll in these classes. Not only will there be diverse majors in the classes, there will be people from different ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Also, classes on feminism are not “just for girls”; I have seen several guys in my classes as well, which is totally freaking awesome.
I’m not saying you should abandon your beliefs when going into these classes. If you have a stance on certain topics, keep your mind open to other opinions. These classes thrive on diverse mindsets and are open to discussion.
All in all, I believe every student should take at least women and gender studies class during their college career. You will learn more about diverse cultures and non-North American concepts of feminism. If you are interested, you can delve deeper into more specific feminist concepts. Each course will have a diverse audience. You will be able to shape your views on feminism and how you go about it in your everyday life, not just in the classroom. You will find yourself subconsciously doing social experiments and recognizing antifeminist rhetoric and fighting against it. These classes can really open your mind and enhance your critical thinking skills, which is important for every college student.
