When the announcement for Gender Awareness Week first came out, my primary reaction was to laugh. I pictured a sort of hyper-feminist discussion riddled with conversations about how women need to become “womyn” in the face of trite oppressions uncommon to most.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the speakers throughout the week addressed the subject of gender with a humble honesty that betrayed my initial perceptions.

On Monday night, the need for chapel credit (and perhaps a vague interest in the subject) drew many to attend the first session entitled “Gender Myths.” The room was unusually packed with students who either sat or stood in the back, all ready to hear about a subject that is often over-saturated with a narrow thesis on the marginalization of women in contemporary society.

The speakers of the evening, Dale and Jonalyn Fincher, were a refreshing change to this stereotype as they addressed the topic to women and men, and called both groups to keep in mind their wrongs, which removed the victimization mentality of women that tends to occur in such settings. They kept the dialogue very practical to students, which allowed for a better understanding of how to apply the lesson pragmatically.

At Tuesday night’s chapel, the high quality sessions continued as students had the privilege of hearing from women faculty members, who all shared their experiences and how they have been uniquely affected by gender. When questions of marginalization were present, it was addressed in an informed and well-rounded manner. In addition, the faculty members spoke from personal experience, and even when disagreements were present, they created a climate of dialogue that was both welcoming and thought-provoking for all involved.

This high caliber dialogue also extended into Wednesday night with a session that demonstrated the need for reconciliation and a mutual respect for one another that is grounded in scripture.

Because of the continued level of discussion throughout, both male and female students who attended these events left with a broader understanding of, and more positive feeling towards, a subject that oftentimes becomes polarizing and offensive. Overall, this was a subject that I had originally dismissed as trivial and redundant, but this chapel series proved to me that discussions on gender can be an invaluable subject when considered within such an honest and pragmatic climate as this.