Serena Williams once said, “I feel it’s really important to stand up for what you believe in. Especially if it can affect the future and affect a lot of people in the future. That’s what it’s all about.”
That is exactly what the American tennis player has been trying to do these past few weeks. After accusing an umpire of his ostensible sexism at the U.S. Open final, Williams has been the talk of news journals around the world, which closely followed the story. Accusations quickly circulated about who’s actually reporting the truth and what steps need to be taken to prevent this from happening in the future.
Whether you have followed the Serena Williams debacle or not, nobody can deny the fact that sexism still exists. And sadly, sexism will always exist. A big debate today for women’s rights advocates is “equal pay for equal work.” In many professions, men are receiving a higher paycheck for equal to less work. Controversy over this issue is often sparked up in Hollywood through movies and TV shows. Actors with minimal lines and no bearing on the actual plot will frequently get paid more than a lead female role. The issue of sexism, unfortunately, does not stop with women. Contrary to popular belief, men deal with just as much gender prejudice as females do, making their difficulties just as logical and valid.
Here at Huntington University, we break through these social barriers to create a space where people’s feelings and ideas are important, cherished and overall accepted. This is a place where boys and girls are free to speak their minds and where they can know that they will be listened to and treated with the utmost respect. Whether you join a club, get a job or simply spend time socializing with friends in the DC, you can always feel a comforting type of pride radiating off HU students. Since joining the campus as a first time freshman, I have grown to know the values that Huntington puts forth. This might not undermine the sexist bigotry that continues to face our world today, but it does create the opportunity for everyone at HU to progress and know that every Forester here supports you.