When did average become a bad word?
In the weeks since the release of the Women's Initiative report, which coined the term "effortless perfection" as the description of the standard to which undergraduate women hold themselves, and the publication of an anonymous guest commentary in The Chronicle by a woman who suffers from bulimia and depression, students have grappled with questions about the culture of perfectionism that has come to light at Duke.
Conversations in the dorms have evolved into formal discussion groups and forums aimed at pinpointing the root of the problem--does a standard of unattainable perfection exist at Duke, and if it does, what can be done to change that?
Two events Monday night, a panel discussion on East Campus and an open discussion for greek students on West, were both geared toward this issue.
At the forum on East, four panelists who were involved with the Women's Initiative answered students' questions about the report and listened to comments about issues ranging from the dating scene at Duke to the peer pressure behind the "effortless perfection" standard. The panelists were Betsy Alden, administrative coordinator and visiting lecturer with the Kenan Institute for Ethics and the Hart Leadership Program; Donna Lisker, director of the Women's Center; Ray Rodriguez, administrative coordinator for student health; and Susan Roth, professor of psychology and Women's Initiative executive committee chair.
Many of the students at the panel discussion said they have felt the burden of appearing effortlessly perfect since high school, or even middle school. Lisker said the students' reactions were indicative of personal identification with the guest column and the letters that were printed in response.
"The anonymous [column] in The Chronicle has taken that discussion to a different level," Lisker said. "When that individual wrote in and said, 'This is my life,' I think that elevated it to a different level.... It made people sit up and take notice."
Later that night, a group of greek-affiliated students gathered at a discussion sponsored by Greek Impact, a ministry and spiritual resource aimed at students in fraternities and sororities. Participants had a variety of reactions, from strong identification with the issue of perfectionism to a sentiment that students facing these issues needed to find their own inner peace independent of outside factors.
"I saw two immediate pressures," said Jonathan Tran, a graduate student in religion, who led the discussion. "There was a mixed response--this is an issue that is present here at Duke, but I also got the sense that it's up to the person to get over [their need for perfection], and that's the same type of pressure that is on the person in the first place."
The reflection will continue this afternoon with a session for student leaders hosted by Counseling and Psychological Services titled "'Effortless Perfection' at Duke: The Emotional Costs of Perfectionism."
Unlike Monday night's forums, the CAPS presentation and discussion this afternoon was planned long before the Women's Initiative committee released its findings. Organizers said they have recognized the problem of perfectionism and the pressure to conform to certain images for a while and that the department's new program series, "The Shrink is In: Help for the Helpers," seemed like an appropriate way to bring such a discussion to the forefront.
"A lot [of students] tend to look around and see students who appear to have it together, be assured, know what they want, appear very in control, but most students actually don't feel as on top of things as what tends to be projected," said John Barrow, assistant director of CAPS, who will help lead the session. "The comparisons can lead them to feeling depressed if they feel like they don't measure up and continually compare themselves with an ideal standard."
This afternoon's discussion will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. in the media room on the second floor of McClendon Tower in the West-Edens Link.
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