“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” - Queen Grimhilde
Beauty. This one word can conjure images ranging from expensive designer gowns and celebrities to diets and sunsets. How can one word have the ability to bring both pain and pleasure all at once? Since the beginning of time, beauty has been desired by all. But is there really a set standard of beauty? Is there a set of traits or features that all inspire the same admiration?
Models, bodybuilders, athletes, singers, social media, and movies present a united front of what beauty ought to be. The current standard in most Western countries is a white, blonde, skinny woman with a full hourglass figure. For men, it is a muscular and tall build, sharp haircut, and golden skin. So when questioned as to the standard of beauty, most people in Western countries would provide you with a similar answer. Yet when asked about their personal idea of beauty, their answers concerning what beauty is seem as varied as the colors on a color spectrum.
When asked by interviewers in a video by the CUT, people from different areas of the world defined beauty differently. The answers also varied based on what they described as beautiful, be that a man, a woman, or just the concept of beauty. Some had particular physical characteristics that they viewed as attractive, while others were more concerned with a person’s personality. There was no set of traits that were considered beautiful by all these people. This variety of answers points out the subjective nature of beauty. There are things that I view as beautiful that others would not even notice. This subjectivity of beauty leads to a great diversity of beauty appreciation.
So, if all beauty is subjective, can any two people really agree on what beauty is? While there is no set standard for beauty, there are things that are considered beautiful by many people. A smile, a lovely flower, or a song can all be considered beautiful, even across cultural barriers. Beyond these commonalities, though, the answers are as varied as the words in a book. Some people are attracted to height, others to complexion, and others to personality. Everybody has their own standard for beauty.
Given the great diversity of Andrews University, it is customary to expect that each person here has their own understanding of beauty. Their “type” has been formed by culture, social media, society, family, friends, and many other factors. As such, you are likely to see people who are each portraying their ideas or take on beauty. Some might agree with them, and some might not. But because of the many differences, there seems to be no one standard of beauty on the Andrews University campus. Students are less likely to experience the same pressures to conform to one specific set of beauty standards than they may on other, less diverse campuses.
“I think diversity anywhere would result in less of a single standard…so you get a mix of standards.” - T Bruggemann, Computer Science and Math Studies, Super Senior
“I think because we are such a diverse school, we have many different tires. I feel that in other Adventist schools, there is one set tier, but here, there is a diversity that makes it less concrete. There are still standards, but more of them.” - Jonathan Lutterodt, Finance, Junior and Kato Golooba-Mutebi, Finance, Sophomore
“There is still a pressure to conform to a certain standard, but on Andrews, there are many standards, not just one specific standard.” - Kato Golooba-Mutebi, Finance, Sophomore
“I feel like it is very hard to say that there is a set standard because there are people from so many different places. There are many different types of beauty, you know?” - Dersanys Holguin, Biology-pre med, Sophomore, and Gahyun Kim, Nursing, Sophomore
Each person has more freedom to express and appreciate beauty in their own understanding. The pressures from the outside are still there, which means that students at Andrews University still have to deal with difficulties concerning beauty standards and identity. However, because of the great diversity of the Andrews University student body, a united front of similar beauty standards among peers is not as strong, giving each individual the opportunity to have their own unique opinion of what beauty really means. There are many different standards of beauty on campus, but no one voice is too loud to overpower all the other voices describing what beauty is.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.