The recent atmosphere of the school culture has been focusing on students’ well being; from conjuring up activities that release stress to the new multiple assessment pilot forms that alleviate students from taking more than three tests a day. Administration has worked tirelessly focusing solely on 9th-12th graders personal academic lives.
I think it is safe to say the norm in NC is having a stay-at-home mom and a breadwinning father figure, but does this predisposition leave us more or less closed off to the idea of gender equality? A poster hanging outside the English Office reads, “Gender Equality Is…” and gives students the opportunity to voice their opinions on a real, prevalent issue. Let’s not forget, us students, are apart of a bigger picture than just school. We are the future of this country and although some responses left on the poster read “intimidating to men whom have fragile masculinities,” most comments regarded gender equality as “a liberal myth” and “a tool used by feminists to justify their hatred for men.” If the anonymous person hidden behind their sharpie wrote these responses out of actual belief, and not as a joke in front of their friends, these comments should be concerning.
Furthermore, there are revolutionary campaigns for women marches and people of color that are pivotal moments in present history, yet discussed by very few students in clubs or small groups. It is worthwhile to say with all that we have to cover in school, there aren’t many opportunities for structured conversations about these issues, so rather than having a conversation about #MeToo, we might overgeneralize the sexual harassment claims. Also, is it fair to say that the #MeToo movement has put some men on the defense? (Per the quote about female hatred in the hallway.) Students should want to discuss the discerning relationships between men and women in America, not make a joke out of it.
Our school life doesn’t directly relate to current events. From class discussions to free periods and lunchroom chatter, there are very little conversations regarding the present arguments on women and minority rights, specifically Black Lives Matter. Our problem is that we are distracted by the physical kneeling of NFL athletes rather than paying attention to the bigger issue of police brutality and racism.
With all this focus on our wellbeing as students it may be easy to overlook some of the things that are affecting us as a society. Whether it is our young egocentric minds, (not in a negative way, but due to our adolescence), in combination with the New Canaan “bubble”, is it unfair to say we are less likely to have conversations about some of these big issues.
Students who are about to enter the ‘real world’ in a professional environment possibly face these same work imbalance experiences themselves, but aren’t comfortable discussing women’s rights during a free period. Once students stop worrying about their physics test grade and log off social media, why do so few take the time to discuss current events?
