Given the theme of this week’s issue, I should probably be writing a column that has to do with being Green. But after writing about the presidential search USM is currently undertaking, and after meeting two of the candidates, I felt compelled to leave my favorite color alone for a little while.
As a white, affluent, 22-year-old American woman, I come from an era and a demographic that knows women have the same rights and the same opportunities as men.
Perhaps this is a na’ve impression, and I recognize that my experiences are not shared by everyone, but I have never once felt underprivileged because of my ownership of a vagina, or my socialized identity as a woman.
I am intrigued by the fact that Hillary Clinton is a viable candidate for the U.S. presidency, and that while she is obviously a woman, she is no joke. Last year I studied for a semester in New Zealand, whose prime minister, Helen Clark, is a woman.
But I am even more interested in the fact that two of our USM presidential candidates are women, especially given our seemingly male-dominated administration.
At the open meeting with candidate Selma Botman in Gorham last Friday morning, I tried speaking afterward to Christine Holden, associate professor of history and women’s studies, about her impressions of the candidates so far.
She would not respond regarding the candidates, but she did comment on the audience.
“More women than men asked questions of the woman,” she said. I had not noticed until she made the comment, but it was true.
USM students are 59 percent women, 41 percent men. We have more women’s athletic squads than we do men’s. And historically, our women’s teams-especially basketball and field hockey-have done better. The women’s resource center on campus puts on some of the most visible events on campus, including the upcoming Vagina Monologues. Our Student Senate chair, Emily Fitch, is a woman. The president of the Board of Student Organizations, Deb Penham, is a woman.
Even the state of Maine itself is slightly more female-we make up 51.1 percent of the population.
I am no women’s studies major; I know little about feminism except that I have a hard time with it in English classes discussing feminist theories; and although I hope I would be quick to defend my rights as a woman, I have not yet had to.
All of that being said, I would like to express my faith in our university, which has chosen two very strong, capable women as candidates for our presidency. As women, either would be a valuable addition to our administration.
I am interested to see how things turn out.