Wait Until You Hear About the Supposed 'Life Changing Experience' a University Is Offering Extra Credit for

An Arizona public university is offering its female students extra credit for refusing to shave their armpits for 10 weeks during the semester.

Female students at Arizona State University can earn extra credit by defying social norms and refusing to shave their armpits and legs. (Image source: Campus Reform)

According to Campus Reform, females at Arizona State University can receive the credit for defying social norms and not shaving during the nearly three month period.

The opportunity is being offered by Women and Gender Studies professor Breanne Fahs who wants students to document their experience in a journal.

“There’s no better way to learn about societal norms than to violate them and see how people react,” the professor told ASU News. “There’s really no reason why the choice to shave, or not, should be a big deal. But it is, as the students tend to find out quickly.”

One student told the school newspaper that it was a "life changing experience."

“Many of my friends didn’t want to work out next to me or hear about the assignment, and my mother was distraught at the idea that I would be getting married in a white dress with armpit hair,” Stephanie Robinson added.

[sharequote align="center"]“Many of my friends didn’t want to work out next to me or hear about the assignment..."[/sharequote]

Men can also receive the extra credit points if they shave their bodies from the neck down, Campus Reform reported.

According to Fahs, one student "did his shaving with a buck knife."

A former participant said other classes can benefit such methods of teaching.

“The experience helped me better understand how pervasive gendered socialization is in our culture. Furthermore, by doing this kind of activist project I was no longer an armchair activist theorizing in the classroom.” she said. “So much is learned by actually taking part in the theory or idea we learn in the classroom, and we could benefit from this type of pedagogy being taken up by similar classes.”

(H/T: Campus Reform)

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