Walking around campus, I all too often hear groups of girls chatting about getting an “MRS degree” upon graduating college. An MRS degree is the idea that women go to college to take a few classes, while expecting to meet a rich, pre-med husband that will be able to buy them a big pretty house in the future. When I hear girls talking about their greatest aspiration being to find a husband, the feminist in me cringes. College, although a great time to date, is not a big, extremely expensive version of Match.com. College is about finding yourself, becoming an expert in your field, and making yourself credible to land your dream job and make the world a better place.
Growing up, we all dream of how we will meet Prince Charming and plan out our perfect wedding. We dream of the day that we finally find “the one” and live happily ever after. But what if we instead channeled all that energy that we put into searching for a guy into changing the world?
Sorority women make up the largest organization at the University of Colorado, and it is all strictly led by women. As sorority members, we are individually unique and together complete. Individually, we are some of the most intelligent, caring, and creative women on campus. Together, we are a huge force to be reckoned with. We need to use our huge influence of leadership at CU to empower each other as women, and learn how to make this world better for everyone.
Instead of using college as a time to find a husband to depend on, use this time to improve upon yourself and others. Focus your positive energy on bettering yourself and learning as much as you can about your potential career field from CU’s top-notch professors. Take advantage of the amazing opportunity at CU and go out and meet people and make connections. College is a time to be a little selfish, focus on yourself and become the best woman you can be.
In today’s day and age, hearing someone refer to themselves as a “feminist” (gasp!) often makes people shudder. Unfortunately, feminists receive a bad reputation by many, because people have the wrong idea of what a feminist truly is. They picture them as frumpy, old, men-hating women, who want to control the world. In reality, a feminist is defined as “a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.” Feminists are actively working to make the world better for women and men. Feminists are leading the revolution of gender equality and are caring, successful individuals who want the best for everyone.
As the powerful group of philanthropic, intelligent and ambitious sorority women we are, it is time to embrace what it means to be a feminist in today’s society and empower the women around us. We have the opportunity to achieve equal rights for women because we are living in the middle of the conflict. The fact is, sexism still exists in today’s society. Whether it be unequal pay for the same performance at work, discrimination in the workplace or sexual harassment, gender equality unfortunately does not exist yet.
However, as sorority girls we have the ability to change the world for our sisters, daughters and ourselves. Instead of focusing on chasing a guy all the time, and receiving an MRS degree, focus on becoming the best person you can be. Become the best leader in your field, and revolutionize your area of study. Take care of yourself while at CU. Stay active, stay healthy. Try new things. Land internships. Take risks. Make mistakes. Travel all over the world. Understand other cultures. Be adventurous and ambitious.
Use your time at CU to explore new things and better yourself the best you can. It is time to realize that the world is changing for women. It is time to stop viewing college as an opportunity to get a MRS degree. Take college for what it is really for: to get a top-notch education and change the world. And let’s face it, while you are active in pursuing your own ambitions and dreams, you’ll probably find a great guy along the way.
