A term that is widely used by University of Michigan students and sport fans alike, is “The Michigan Man.” The term serves as an all-encompassing definition of what it means to be a strong, moral, and loyal University of Michigan male student, and in most cases, student-athlete. The idea of the “The Michigan Man” was popularly adopted by the late head football coach Bo Schembechler in 1989. Before that, former 1940s athletic director, Fielding Yost used the term to describe “The Michigan Man’s” ability to “spread the gospel of their university” through strong loyalty and spirit (ciation?). Both Schembechler and Yost have left treasured and timeless legacies at the University; however, it was during their times as major figures in Michigan athletics that the men decided to coin and reiterate the term “The Michigan Man.” This phrase has come to represent the powerful, athletic, “mega-man” that is the male Michigan athlete. With subtle nods to nationalism, this phrase has worked magnificently in branding the power of the male student and athlete at Michigan. However, the idea of a wholesome, well-rounded, Michigan male athlete served as both a venue for masculine pride, as well as oppression not only towards women, but also men who did not fit that definition.

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         After being a student at the University of Michigan for the past four years, I have become increasingly more aware of the pride that is felt from being a Michigan student, a Wolverine, and one of the leaders and best. And that pride can be wholly empowering and used as energy in order to persevere when attending the University gets a little hard - aka a majority of the time. However, the pride that comes from the term “The Michigan Man” just doesn’t sit well with me. Not only is it promoting toxic-masculinity and a highly unattainable perception of what it means to be a student at the University; but it is also failing to recognize an entire gender of students who have their own unique and important experiences at the University of Michigan.

 

        So that’s where this project comes in. My interest in the importance of identity, mixed with my love of female empowerment made me interested in pursuing a project where I could highlight female voices in order to understand what it means to be a “Michigan Woman.” Add in a dash of current political events, and I am left with the feeling that now, more than ever, a project that discusses what it means to be a woman on a college campus is not only important, but critical in adding to the already growing movement of females feeling unashamed to share their experiences with the world. The goal of this project is to showcase and analyze the experiences of women at the University of Michigan in the hopes of adding to the conversation of powerful (and sometimes messy or not-so-put-together) female voices in society. This project may not serve to represent all women, past and present, who have attended the University of Michigan, but my hope is that it will shed some much-needed light on the issues women must carry and the victories they have found along the way.  

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       My capstone project has two components. The first is a timeline of important and impactful University of Michigan women in history. The second is a series of interviews I conducted with current University of Michigan women students. Both serve as a way to enlighten audiences of the impact women have on this University and empower the experiences and voices of the women who have attended and currently attend this place we call hoMe. Click the 'Timeline' button to move forward.