I have always found myself fighting for unity in this world, and I’ve always enjoyed the idea of calling myself a feminist. However, I never really understood what it meant to be a feminist until I took my first woman’s studies class and the University of Redlands. Through this class, my eyes opened to a new idea of what feminism entails. Feminism is standing up for what you believe in- it’s empowering. It’s about what you want and knowing why you want it. It’s sexy; it’s kick-ass; it’s fun. But the most important idea that I have gained from this class is the construct of respect. To me, feminism’s main focus should not be to level the playing field between men and women- which, yes, is incredibly important- but should be about respect. Respect is such a vital part of life- respecting ourselves, respecting others, and others respecting us. All people are owed respect merely because they are people. Respect for everyone is not only appropriate but also morally and unconditionally required. The world is lacking much respect today and I honestly believe that a reconstruction of the importance and understanding of respect would change society as a whole.