Women at UF competed for the time-honored tradition of being crowned Miss UF on Monday night.
The pageant offered the winner a $1,000 scholarship, gift cards for local businesses and roses. A free membership to a fitness center was an added perk.
But continuing the objectification of women on college campuses everywhere?
That came with the crowning - and it was completely free.
Female students already have to continuously prove themselves against their male counterparts in classrooms across the UF campus - who hasn't heard the condescending insult of getting an "Mrs. degree?" Or the half-joking claim of what a female student really needs to do to get that A?
But to have to sit back and watch as a respected institute for higher education lends its name to a beauty pageant is an antiquated tradition that should have been phased out years ago.
In this Girls Gone Wild campus culture in which college women can almost expect to be judged by their looks on a regular basis, we have to wonder why the university is still associated with such a sexist, obsolete event.
Sure, critics will argue that the women who compete to become Miss UF are judged mostly on their intellect and poise. Others will say that the women compete to further their education with the winning of scholarship funds.
If that is truly the case, then why do the swimwear and evening wear segments make up 20 percent of the contestant's score? Why not just completely eliminate them?
The answer is because the very nature of a pageant means that the contestants must parade themselves in front of a panel of judges who are focusing on their looks, not their intelligence.
Apparently, they would not be able to judge whether a woman deserves that scholarship if they don't see her shimmy around in a bikini first.
Also, women line up to compete for the chance to be known as Miss UF not merely for the prize, but also for the prestige and the privilege that comes with winning a beauty contest.
The appraisal of a young women's appearance could never be completely removed from a pageant like Miss UF, and that is why it should no longer exist.
It should be made clear that the problem we have is not with the actual idea of pageantry. Many women enjoy participating in such events for altruistic reasons, like bringing attention to charities. There is nothing wrong with a woman using a talent or attribute to further her personal goals.
What we do have a problem with is the fact that the University of Florida is lending its name to a pageant at all.
If female students want to participate in a pageant to win scholarship money, then nothing is stopping them from doing so - in local pageants outside the university realm.
The proponents of the Miss UF pageant will also argue that the tradition of the contest is honorable in and of itself and should be preserved for the sake of tradition.
But, the idea that just because something is a university tradition does not necessarily mean that it should continue year after year without a second thought at its implications.
Because when it really comes down to it, we aren't all the boys from Old Florida anymore.
