JagWire Newspaper: Volume 19, Issue 4

JAGWIRE MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL VOL. 19 ISSUE FOUR DEC. 17, 2018 MVNEWS.ORG

gender RULES:

evaluating the role of gender in everyday life

02 CONTENTS

Dec. 17, 2018

Cover by Annie Myers

JagWire

table of contents

13

12

GENDER IN...

STEREOTYPES

LEADERSHIP

04 Isabella Baker 05 Blake Aerni 06 panel

16 clubs 17 teachers

SPORTS

MEDIA 08 portrayal

19 coaches 20 girls lacrosse

CLASSROOM

OPINIONS

10 class gender makeup 12 engineering

21 opinions 23 staff ed

POLITICS

WORKFORCE

13 nondiscrimination 14 government changes

24 occupation stats

19

20

2018-19 staff editors-in-chief Annie Myers

jagwire.anniemyers@gmail.com

Ally Nguyen

jagwire.allynguyen@gmail.com

Anika Roy

jagwire.anikaroy@gmail.com

business manager Hunter Ristau

jagwire.hunterristau@gmail.com

news editors Hannah Chern

managing editor

jagwire.hannahchern@gmail.com

Hunter Ristau

jagwire.tatumelliott@gmail.com

Tatum Elliott

jagwire.hunterristau@gmail.com

photo editor Andrew Tow

jagwire.andrewtow@gmail.com

a&e editor Steven Curto

jagwire.stevencurto@gmail.com

opinions editor Ben Wieland

jagwire.benwieland@gmail.com

sports editor Jakob Twigg

jagwire.jakobtwigg@gmail.com

features editor Sophie Lecuru

jagwire.sophielecuru@gmail.com

mill valley news editors-in-chief

reporters & photographers

Katya Gillig

Sophia Armendariz

jagwire.katyagillig@gmail.com

Elizabeth Joseph

jagwire.elizabethjoseph@gmail.com

Marah Shulda

jagwire.marahshulda@gmail.com

social media editor Hannah Chern

jagwire.hannahchern@gmail.com

jagwire.sophiaarmendariz@gmail.com

Jonathan Atchley

jagwire.jonathanatchley@gmail.com

Sam Hanson

jagwire.samhanson@gmail.com

Addie Kemp

jagwire.addisonkemp@gmail.com

John Lehan

jagwire.johnlehan@gmail.com

Anna Owsley

jagwire.annaowsley@gmail.com

Tanner Smith

jagwire.tannersmith@gmail.com

JagWire

Design by Annie Myers, Ally Nguyen & Anika Roy

Dec. 17, 2018

on the web

STAFF

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jagwire office 5900 Monticello Road Shawnee, KS 66226 Phone: (913) 422-4351 Fax: (913) 422-4039 Email: jagwirenewspaper@gmail.com Adviser: Kathy Habiger khabiger@usd232.org JagWire, a monthly publication of Mill Valley High School, is printed by Valley Offset Printing

professional associations

1

2 COMING ON THURSDAY, DEC. 20 SPECIAL PROJECTS: “VOICES”

1: Students express

3 MILL VALLEY NEWS ONLINE JAGWIRE NEWSPAPER | JAG YEARBOOK MILL VALLEY TELEVISION

H

i everyone. As always, we welcome you back to another issue of the JagWire. As we’re sure you’ll notice right away, issue four looks a little different than any issue we’ve put out before, as all 24 pages revolve around one coherent theme: gender. Producing this paper forced our staff to go beyond their comfort zone, and we’re so pleased with the result.

The idea for this special edition of the paper stemmed from a class discussion back in August.

We all noticed that some of our classes and extracurricular activities consisted heavily of one gender over the other, and we took note of some of the ways in which our peers were breaking gender “norms.” We collectively found these observations interesting, but we were both unsure of what angle to take on the topic and concerned there was

themselves through dance 2: Science teachers explain the science of sound 3: National Art Honor Society uses visuals to express themselves

Mill Valley News @millvalleynews @millvalleynews1

Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association Journalism Educators of Metropolitan KC The 2018 JagWire earned an All-American rating from NSPA and an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. It is also a member of the NSPA All-American Hall of Fame.

censorship policy The Kansas Student Publications Act guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists.

These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity.

This law also prevents censorship of any kind by the adviser, building or district administration.

editorial policy We value your opinions. If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor to the JagWire, you can do so by handing it in to a member of the staff or to the print journalism room (C101).

Additionally, you may email any member of the staff with opinions, as well as tweet us at @millvalleynews. Anonymous content will not be accepted. Please understand that we have the right to edit all copy that runs in this publication.

letter from the editors too much to cover.

We’ve spent the past four months bringing up gender-related ideas and dismissing them over and over again. Finally, during our story idea session in early November, we thought to dedicate this entire issue to cover the giant topic and voted to implement it. While the decision wasn’t unanimous, as some staffers still had concerns, we’re thankful for everyone for being cooperative and hard-working in spite of displeasement.

Gender is somewhat of a hot topic in today’s society — it affects us all. It’s a huge part of our identity and, whatever it may be, we have an opinion on it’s role in our lives. We believe it’s something worth discussing, and we hope this issue brings some light to it.

To reiterate, this production cycle was much

different than any other the three of us have experienced. It required so much learning, failing and reworking, but the pride in completing something so unique outweighs this all, and we really hope you agree while reading.

happy holidays,

04 GENDER IN STEREOTYPES

Design by Tatum Elliott, Ally Nguyen & Marah Shulda

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

breakingtheMOLD ISABELLA BAKER

While still holding a strong passion for fashion and other traditionally feminine interests, junior Isabella Baker participates in male-heavy, STEM-based activites and classes such as robotics and AP Physics II. // Steven Curto

S

cribbling complex mathematical equations across her paper in a classroom dominated by males, junior Isabella Baker finds herself representing the face of modern femininity in the world of STEM classes and activities.

After a childhood of dreaming about fashion as her future, Baker grew to recognize a unique part of herself, and she took “a one-eighty

turn to mechanical engineering” by joining Robotics, a predominantly male club.

“I really do love fashion and I’m very interested in it, but when I’m working [on Robotics] I feel like I’m actually accomplishing something and I feel so proud,” Baker said.

She also followed her interests into stereotypically male-dominated classes. For example, Baker is one of

just six females in the combined AP Physics II classes, and Physics teacher Ryan Johnston sees this as being against gender stereotypes.

“Females are stereotypically drawn towards careers and occupations where they can see tangible benefit to others; they want to help others and they want to be able to see that,” Johnston said. “You can still help others using the things you learn in AP Physics II for example, it’s just less immediately obvious to most people.”

While it took her years, Baker finally indulged her long-lived desire to purchase a stereotypically masculine form of transportation.

“I always wanted [a motorcycle] ever since I was five, but it was never practical enough and then I had enough in savings so I just went and did it,” Baker said.

Baker has not gone against gender stereotypes for the purpose of change, she simply does what she loves without letting stereotypes deter her.

“I am an advocate for people who break [gender] stereotypes — male and female — who should go out of what’s expected of them, but I never thought of myself as someone who was noticeable enough breaking those stereotypes,” Baker said. “It’s just always what I’ve always done.”

ILLUSTRATIVE INSIGHT

JagWire

GENDER IN STEREOTYES

Dec. 17, 2018

by sophie lecuru features editor

05

Junior Isabella Baker and senior Blake Aerni break gender stereotypes through participation in activities and classes typically populated by the opposite gender

by anna owsley reporter/photographer

S

BLAKE AERNI

enior Blake Aerni represents a change in standard stereotypes, such as the stereotype that theater is a girls’ department. Blake breaks this stereotype every day.

Blake has been in five productions and is a Thespian, however, theater hasn’t always been his focus. Before sixth grade, it was sports.

“I would say [the transition] was interesting because the people are a lot different in theater than they are in sports, and it’s not quite as intense,” Blake said. “It was a big change and it was nice because it was a relief.”

Blake experienced difficulties toward the beginning of his transition because of how his sports acquaintances viewed theater.

“Theater pushes me. It’s not an easy task to go on stage,” Blake said. “[The transition] was difficult because people I played sports with thought of me differently when I performed.”

Blake’s father Robb Aerni was happy Blake moved from competing in sports to performing on stage.

“I thought it was great because I saw how much he enjoyed theater, singing and acting,” Robb said. “As a parent I want to see my kids do what they love and enjoy so that was great.”

Robb also defies gender stereotypes with his occupation as a nurse, a

stereotypically feminine career field.

He has never experienced prejudice, but he noticed some people have misconceptions about his occupation.

“There are a lot of people who make the assumption that I’m in healthcare and they think I’m a doctor because I’m a male,” Robb said.

Blake also experienced misinterpretation of his father’s occupation.

“When people are younger they just have that stereotype that girls are nurses and guys are doctors,” Blake

said. “It was always weird when I was younger because no one really understood that my dad was a nurse.”

Although Robb’s occupation as a nurse is sometimes faced with false judgments, it’s been a gratifying experience for him.

“Being able to help and work with people who are in a stressful situation where they need care is rewarding,” Robb said. “Being there for patients is definitely the best part and especially when you have good outcomes.”

During his four years at Mill Valley, senior Blake Aerni has participated in five shows in the drama department. “I [have] always enjoyed singing and [I] thought that it would be a [good] way to use [my] talent,” Aerni said. // Hunter Ristau

JagWire staff members asked four students to draw and describe a “typical” female and male

06 GENDER IN STEREOTYPES

Design by Tatum Elliott, Ally Nguyen & Marah Shulda

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

QUESTIONING STIGMAS

A panel of male and female students ask different questions about accuracy of common gender stereotypes

Sophomore Tessa Grier (TG)

Junior

Freshman

Bella Line (BL)

Abby Hayes (AH)

Questions BL: What do guys think about makeup?

by anna owsley

features editor

reporter/photographer

Junior

Avery Altman (AA)

Senior

by sophie lecuru

Ben Stove (BS)

Freshman Declan Taylor (DT)

Senior Cade Clauder (CC)

Sophomore John Fraka (JF)

Answers BS: Even though I understand why you guys use it, it would be useless toward me.

CC: I think if a girl wears makeup, don’t use too much.

CC: Why do females always go to the bathroom together?

BL: Do guys cry often? And under what circumstances?

BS: What do you guys find attracive about guys?

AA: How do you deal if your friends stop being your friends?

BL: I feel like it’s honestly a security thing. There are some creeps out there.

AA: At restaurants I’ll try to go with my friends.

BS: I cry a whole lot, I’m just going to say that right now.

I’m really emotional.

CC: I’ll only cry at a funeral or a really sad movie.

AA: Not like too emotional, but caring about things.

AH: I agree with that. I think it’s weird when guys don’t show any emotion and they just hold it all inside.

JF: I feel like guys in general, mostly just drift apart instead of having some big confrontation.

DT: If somebody isn’t my friend I don’t make it a big deal.

TG: Because we can. If we have acne, we can cover it up.

DT: Why do girls wear makeup?

AA: Do guys think out text messages you send to a girl?

BL: Personally, I don’t care. You can think I’m ugly and ... it doesn’t really bother me, but it’s fun to put on.

DT: Sometimes what I’ll do is type it out in notes and send it to a friend and have them proofread it.

CC: I’ll have to read it again and then I’ll delete it. photos by Hunter Ristau

JagWire

Dec. 17, 2018

Design by Hunter Ristau

ADS

07

Mill Valley Booster Club Scholarship ATTENTION SENIORS! Are you interested in earning a $500 scholarship?

Then listen up. The Mill Valley Booster Club will award 12 $500 scholarships to graduating seniors. Any senior with a 3.0 GPA can apply if, they plan to attend a postsecondary 2 or 4-year school or a vocational/ technical school, AND WHOSE FAMILY (OR SINGLE PARENT) IS A BOOSTER CLUB MEMBER AS OF WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018.

HOW TO APPLY: Through the MVHS Booster Club online store at: https://bit.ly/2SCzigJ Select “Booster Club Membership”

or

Deliver the application and money to the MVHS office by the 19th. Membership forms are available on the Booster Club website at: https://bit.ly/2EkbRph Select the “18-19 Membership Form”

For more coverage, visit mvnews.org

MILL VALLEY NEWS

08 GENDER IN THE MEDIA

Design by Hannah Chern & Addie Kemp

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

CHARACTERIZATION OF CASTS Students share takes on gender representation in media by sophia armendariz reporter/photographer

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

W

hen sitting down in the movie theatre, popcorn in hand, you’re filled with anticipation to see a movie unlike any other, the first female-led action movie in over a decade: “Wonder Woman.”

Diana Prince, played by Gal Gadot, rules the battlefield, but has no problem showing empathy. You find yourself feeling a content pride, something built off of the thrill of seeing a female character built on more than a stereotype: empowerment. The media consumed by the people often holds far more meaning than most realize, the representation of gender in media’s effects are felt directly felt by the students and staff at the school.

For sophomore Madeline Augustine, the representation of women in film and television, particularly body image, is a personal issue.

“It’s always been really hard watching all of these thin women I was supposed to look up to but I could never relate to because none of them really looked like me,” Augustine said. “I think the lack of diversity could be very bad, especially for younger kids.”

According to sophomore Xander Hart, the differences in how many men and women are on screen can impact how the media itself is perceived. For example, while Hart didn’t “have a problem with them redoing things with a female cast” in the most recent Ghostbusters movie, he believes the remake “was done for money and popularity.”

“If it’s all-female casts, people are going to say ‘oh, well they’re pushing the feminist agenda’ and if it’s all-male casts, people are going to complain that it’s oppressive towards

theFIRSTFEMALES

women,” Hart said. “If we keep going ... it’s just going to be a constant seesaw back and forth. You can’t keep people happy, and that’s what they’re trying to do. It’s not going to work.”

While numbers have been increasing, women aren’t taking up a majority of the runtime on the big screen.

In fact, a review of the top 100 films of 2017 done by Women and Hollywood showed that women only made up 34 percent of all speaking characters.

As for new trends in media, Augustine sees beauty standards changing as younger actors enter Hollywood.

“I think [media] shows very young women, for example, Millie Bobby Brown, or a lot of young starlets who I think have become extremely hypersexualized. People expect [young women] to act older than they are and treat [them] as if they are an adult

Throughout history, women have achieved many feats in the media, specifically in the film industry

1777

1896

1929

1963

Sarah Siddons becomes the first women to play the male lead role in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”

Alice Guy-Blache becomes the first woman to direct the motion picture “La Fée aux Choux.”

Janet Gaynor becomes the first woman to win an Oscar for best actress in the movie “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.”

Elizabeth Taylor becomes the first woman to receive $1 million for a single film for her role in “Cleopatra.”

JagWire

GENDER IN THE MEDIA

Dec. 17, 2018

even if they are a minor,” Augustine said. “I’m not looking forward to seeing how this negatively affects young children today, like young girls in elementary school. If seeing only thin people made me have body confidence issues for more than 10 years of my life, I am scared to see what this hypersexualization will do to these very young, very impressional girls.”

Junior Park Zebley hopes for authentic, story-focused representation in the future.

“I think, truthfully, as honest as possible, not having a character be focused on ‘breaking the rules of gender’ if it’s just sort of for the shock of it, or if it’s not authentic to the character,” Zebley said. “It should seem like something a character should do, and the same goes for the opposite side or being really confined to it.”

At the same time, as a transgender male, Zebley wants creators to write characters who are marginalized “like real characters,” particularly transgender characters. A classic television example is Sophia Burset from the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, but one of his personal favorites is Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a musical about a transgender glam rock singer.

“Do more research into what it’s like to be a transgender person, but paint them as authentic characters with their own motivations. Don’t make their whole story about their identity,” Zebley said. “Whenever I see stuff like that on TV, it’s just weird.

That’s not how I live. I don’t spend my entire day thinking about how much I’m suffering, that’s just not it.”

Source: The Film Experience

1980 Sherry Lansing becomes the first female head of the major film studio 20th Century Fox.

09

Q&A Dr. Joseph Erba, assistant professor of Strategic Communication at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas, shares his perspective on gender representation in media

JagWire: Why do you believe representation in the media is important? What do you think is the main purpose of media representation?

Joseph Erba: Representation is important for many different reasons. Let’s say you are a white man watching TV, whether its a newscast, a movie, a sitcom, or any type of entertainment. Those representations of others, whether race or gender, directly influence how you think of those people.

People are more likely to interact with a racial minority in the media than they are in everyday life. If you’re a boy watching TV, what does it tell you about expectations of girls, or women, and how do you expect girls or women to behave around you? You can think about your own experiences and what media tells you about men and boys, and what men and boys in should look like or behave like. There’s no one way to be a man or to be a boy or to be a woman or to be a girl, but if you look in media, there is one way to be a certain kind of person, and that can influence perceptions.

JW: In terms of creating nonfiction media, what do you think the importance is of having diverse voices in the media?

JE: Get the diversity of voices and [educational backgrounds]. In the case of doctors, make sure you get a diversity of medical schools, because if you get two doctors who went to the same medical school, the same school that is quoted in the media, it tends to be the top ones. How can we be sure we write a story that represents different voices?

JW: What would you like to see moving forward or changed in terms of media representation?

JE: Counter-representation. We want to see everything we don’t see. Men who are not afraid to show their emotions. Women in leading roles. Racial minority characters in charge, without any stereotypes ascribed to them.

Unfortunately, we are still a very, very long ways from that, but one step at a time.

10 GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM

Dec. 17, 2018

Design by Anika Roy

JagWire

THE MASSES IN CLASSES Elective departments in the 2018-19 school year have unique gender makeups and participation by katya gillig

by john lehan

mill valley news editor-in-chief

reporter/photographer

performing arts “The guys have the same sort of sentiment [in drama], although at times we can be off task by talking or focusing on a joke for too long.”

life science “I definitely think it would be fun to see more guys take ap bio ... but in the end, I hope people prioritize their interest in a subject over apprehension of a class’s gender composition.” senior lauren rothgeb

senior jack jaworski

42.1%

49.8%

male

male

50.2% female

592 students enrolled

drama rep theatre band choir

physical education While maxing out in strength on Thursday, Nov 29, freshman Aidan Jacobs helps freshman Blake Boatwright rack the bar. // Jonathan Atchley

57.9%

197 students enrolled

female

ap biology anatomy zoology herpetology/ornithology marine biology environmental science

“I’ve never felt uncomfortable in [team sports]. I think it is better to have [both genders] together instead of having separate classes.” sophomore sydney knapp

75.7% team sports cardio fitness strength lifetime sports

male

24.3% female

663 students enrolled

JagWire

GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM

Dec. 17, 2018

art

“[Females act] how you would anticipate they would usually act [in any other class]. Males are the more talkative potion of the class.”

With an Exacto knife in hand, junior Megan Krown works on her sculpture project on Tuesday, Nov. 27. // Hunter Ristau

sophomore casey turpin

art sculpture ceramics drawing survey of fine crafts ap studio art

601 students enrolled

41.8% male

58.2% female

facs

business “We [as females in business] put more pressure on ourselves because, while we don’t see it every day blatantly, we do feel like there is the pressure to succeed.”

“[Family studies] isn’t really affected by [gender disparities]. There’s only like seven or so guys but we are all for the most part participating.” senior jacob hoffman

senior abby layton

38.8% male

65.7% male

34.3% female

705 students enrolled

marketing sports and entertainment investing business essentials finance web design

61.2% female

237 students enrolled

family studies teaching as a career nutrition & wellness career & life planning human growth & development

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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12 GENDER IN THE CLASSROOM

Design by Anika Roy

Dec. 13, 2018

JagWire

DIVERSITY DEFICIENCY In engineering and construction electives especially, students enrolled are predominantly male

by katya gillig mill valley news editor-in-chief

by john lehan reporter/photographer

W

alking into Engineering Design and Development, you initially see many heads staring at their computers. When engineering teacher Gayle Kebodeaux goes to take attendance, you realize only four female names out of 24 total are called. This is the norm for all engineering classes at the school.

Kebodeaux believes the lack of females is a result of a little representation in the workforce.

“Once they get [into engineering classes], being in the minority doesn't bother them as much as the intimidation factor coming in. The perception of an engineer as an old, white guy is very intimidating and not something

engineering/ construction

405 students enrolled

92.3%

7.7%

male

female

residential carpentry drafting engineering architecture drafting woodworking

you want to do,” Kebodeaux said. “If they don't see females in the STEM profession, it's going to be hard for them to imagine themselves as that.”

Senior Aniston Cumbie agrees, as she believes this can be daunting for prospective students.

“THE PERCEPTION OF AN ENGINEER AS AN OLD, WHITE GUY IS VERY INTIMIDATING” engineering teacher gayle kebodeaux

“I feel like it discourages [girls] a little bit because you feel a little bit more out of place than a guy would in engineering,” Cumbie said.

Senior Will Hecht thinks a maleheavy class could help males’ confidence to speak out in class.

“Subconsciously, I could see [the gender disparity] making me more comfortable to express my thoughts in class,” Hecht said.

By being a female engineering teacher, Kebodeaux hopes to show females how they can fit in in the field.

“I hope to expose females to and

help them understand that they can be a part of this and they can succeed,” Kebodeaux said.

Despite not personally being affected by the disparity, Hecht understands it may have negative effects.

“Personally, I don’t really see any of the effects of the disparity, but it’s definitely there,” Hecht said. “I could see how it could make a person uncomfortable, or even just have the effect of hindering how many points of view there are in class.”

A study by Microsoft shows that females start to lose interest in STEM careers around age 11. Kebodeaux believes another reason for the lack is females is the stigma that surrounds females going into these fields.

“They suddenly become different in how they want to be perceived,” Kebodeaux said “It's not [young girls’] abilities or their intelligence, it's more their perception.”

When she was a practicing engineer, Kebodeaux did not let the stigma bother her, but now hopes to change things for the younger generation.

“I was lucky in that mentally I thought, ‘I'm an engineer.’ I didn't think of myself as a female engineer,” Kebodeaux said. “I just didn't let it bother me, but looking back ... if I was still in the workforce, and there were younger females in the workforce, I would ask that it be changed for them.”

While working on their year-long engineering project, seniors Libby Mullican, Johannes Seberger, and Kaden Beck discuss what materials they should use. // Hunter Ristau

JagWire

Design by Sophie Lecuru & Annie Myers

Dec. 17, 2018

GENDER IN POLITICS

13

TRANSCENDINGISSUES by steven curto

by sam hanson

a&e editor

reporter/photographer

Updates proposed for district nondiscrimination policy to include gender identity for protection of students

Throughout the process of coming out, senior Alicia Ratzloff and her parents have grown closer. “My parents [went] through [a grieving] process for a short period of time,” Alicia said, “but they realized that I’m the same person, like this has always been me and now I’m just showing it.” // Hannah Chern

L

ike many other school districts in Kansas, USD 232 has a nondiscrimination policy that outlines what protections students and staff have under law. These include “not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, sex, religion, or disability in its programs, activities or employment.”

Students such as senior transgender female Alicia Ratzloff are hoping to change the nondiscrimination policy to make it more inclusive. “[I want to] make [the policy] more encompassing — it mentions sex but not gender identity,” Alicia said. “So you can’t discriminate against people because of their sex or expression, but [the policy doesn’t] state identity.”

The policy lacks protection on

the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. On Monday, Nov. 19, Prairie Village passed a city ordinance that outlined gender identity and sexual orientation specifically in their nondiscrimination policy. Gay-Straight Alliance sponsor Jeff Wieland has discussed a plan to amend the district’s policy so that it guarantees protections to all students and staff similar to Prairie Village’s by petitioning the district with the club, but no action has been taken yet.

“It seems that our nondiscrimination policy could be updated to make sure we guarantee protection to those individuals because that would cover not only students, but also faculty members.” Wieland said. “Perhaps [it] should be amended to include gender

POLICY POINTS

identity and sexual orientation.”

Mary Ratzloff, Alicia’s mother, worries that if a student feels discriminated against based on these classifications, they are not protected legally.

“If somebody is discriminating against [Alicia] because of her gender identity, I want to be able to take legal action, and [I] can’t if it’s not on that discrimination policy,” Mary said.

The district stands by its current nondiscrimination policy, saying the policy in place meets federal requirements. Superintendent Frank Harwood stated that although the policy does not mention LGBTQ students, the district’s civility policy states that students and staff should be treated with fairness and respect.

“We expect [fairness and respect] of students, parents and anybody in our district. That would be what drives our practice in how we treat students, staff and visitors,” Harwood said.

Harwood believes that adding a clause for LGBTQ protections to the nondiscrimination policy wouldn’t change how the district handles situations involving the policy. He also believes changing the policy would not affect fair treatment of certain groups of students.

“I really don’t know if changing [the nondiscrimination] policy would affect how we would address the situation, so I don’t think we need to change policies to treat people fairly,” Harwood said. “I think [fair treatment] is going to get back into the discussion of how [to] accommodate those students’ needs the best we can.”

District nondiscrimination policy does not include protections on the basis of gender identity

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION Policy prohibits discrimination in programs, activities or employment on the basis of: HANDICAPPED PARKING PERMIT 2018

race

age

religion

national origin

disability

sex

14

GENDER IN POLITICS

Design by Annie Myers

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

MAKING HER HERSTORY HISTORICAL MIDTERM ELECTION

116th Congress will include:

102

women in the House of Representatives out of 435 members

Gender representation increases in Congress Source: New York Times

There was a record number of women elected into Congress

23 ELECT TO REPRESENT

Ratio of male to female governors in Kansas history Source: Kansas State Library

42 3

male governors

female governors Joan Marie Finney (1991-95) Kathleen Sebelius (2003-09) Laura Kelly (2019-)

percent of seats will be held by women

&

22

(increase of 3 percent)

women in the Senate out of 100 members

ike many young girls, sophomore Patty McClain was inspired by the 2018 midterm elections record-breaking results. A record number of women were elected into Congress and other government positions, which in the past have been predominantly held by men. “[The midterms] made me proud to be coming of age in such an accepting time,” said McClain. “It’s inspiring to be a young American and watch diversity start to emerge in the government, especially as a young woman.”

According to the New York Times, 42 women will join Congress in January. Democrats had a record turnout and got around ninety percent of the midterm vote. In the Kansas District Three election, previous congressman Kevin Yoder was voted out and replaced by openly gay Democratic candidate, Sharice Davids. Many are labeling this year as the “Year of the Woman,” due to the Me Too movement which was founded for all people to be able to speak out and prevent sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Kansas Governor-Elect Laura Kelly is only the third out of 45 previous Kansas governors to be female. Kelly believes that it is important to have a wide range of culturally different people involved in government, including both men and women.

“We must work together to make

sure our leaders are more diverse,” Kelly said via email. “When it comes to policy decisions that affect Kansans, it’s important to have men and women from all backgrounds at the table.”

Only one percent of U.S. citizens actively participate in American politics and government, according to The Atlantic. Kelly believes that government participation is very important and encourages men and women to actively participate in government.

“It can be challenging [to be a women in a male-dominated field], … it’s important for women to demand to be included in important discussions. As governor I will make sure all Kansans’ voices are heard. We will encourage both women and men to be active and engaged in their government,” Kelly said. “Women and minorities have often been left out of the discussion and I intend on changing that.”

Likewise, McClain believes that everyone’s voice deserves adequate representation in all cases.

“I think that there is no situation in which diversity is not a positive thing,” McClain said. “America is a blend of so many amazing cultures, and all of those different cultures deserve to be represented fairly.”

When it comes to the controversial topic of rights for LBGTQ citizens in Kansas, Kelly will work to fix the changes the state government has

L

JagWire

GENDER IN POLICY

Dec. 17, 2018

by steven curto

by sam hanson

a&e editor

reporter/photographer

15

Changes in government bodies, both local and federal, highlight balance in leadership between men and women

OTHER FIRSTS IN CONGRESS: Muslim-Americans: Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib

LOCAL CHANGES Shawnee City Council seat filled mid-term due to vacancy Source: City of Shawnee

REPRESENTATIVE SHARICE DAVIDS

1

st

WARD 1: Native American: Deb Haaland

Native American representative in the U.S. Openly gay representative from Kansas

made in the last few years.

“I have consistently supported equal rights for all Kansans. When I take office, I will reinstate protections

“[IT’S] THE START OF AN ERA IN WHICH WOMEN FEEL MORE EMPOWERED TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS AND GET INVOLVED.” sophomore patty mcclain

for LGBTQ state workers that the previous administration eliminated,” Kelly said. “I will fight discrimination of any kind in our state and ensure all Kansans have equal rights.”

According to senior Sam Dufort, the characteristics and knowledge of a politician matter more than what gender they identify as.

“It’s more about the person [and less] about the gender,” Dufort said. “I think that a [congresswoman] could do just as much in Congress as any man could. I think that the only dif-

Jim Neighbor & Matt Zimmerman

WARD 2: Eric Jenkins & Mike Kemmling WARD 3: Stephanie Meyer & Lisa Larson-Bunnell WARD 4: Mickey Sandifer & Lindsey Constance

ference would be that she’d probably bring in a different perspective in terms of women’s issues like abortion, child care and education that some men might overlook.”

The gaining popularity of the Me Too movement last year has had a large effect on the number of college students voting women into political positions during the midterm election according to The Hill.

McClain sees these impacts in her daily life and thinks positively on the amount of women that were elected into office. “[It’s] the start of an era in which women feel more empowered to voice their opinions and get involved,” McClain said.

When Kelly takes office as the new Kansas Governor in January, she plans to continue her life goal of improving the community and to set an example for the next generation.

“Helping kids and families has been a lifelong mission for me. Right out of high school I went to work with troubled teens and later kids with mental illness. As a [Kansas] Senator, I continued to make helping families a top priority,” Kelly said. “I encourage students to find what inspires them and make it their mission to make a difference in that area. Even if you face challenges or even fail in your first try, keep working hard.”

Larson-Bunnell’s term will last from

2018-2020, representing west of K7, Monticello Rd. and Holliday Dr.

MAYOR MICHELLE DISTLER

1

st

Female mayor of Shawnee

16 GENDER IN LEADERSHIP

Design by Katya Gillig & Marah Shulda

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

A

s StuCo sponsor Erica Crist pulls up a copy of the agenda for the morning’s meeting, senior student body president Hannah Barnes goes over StuCo’s goals for the month, delegating tasks to members of each board. Barnes is one of many female leaders, as males are often the minority when it comes to leadership positions at the school.

For senior Zach Bossert, who is both an NHS officer and section leader in band, male leadership, as opposed to female leadership, could bring differences in perspective and group dynamics.

“If all the drum majors were girls, it might discourage some boys, [and] having a male as a drum major could bring different viewpoints, which would be helpful,” Bossert said. “Having a male as a drum major would help younger kids, [if] they’re afraid to talk to a girl … they would have the option to talk to a male if they’re new to band. [Male leaders] may be easier to approach to some people.”

On the other hand, all-female leadership has changed how StuCo works together, according to senior student body president Hannah Barnes, “When we had male presidents, [StuCo] was less based on relationships and more based on checking stuff off,” Barnes said. “I didn’t really feel that much of a connection with them, and that could have just been because I was an underclassman.

With [former StuCo president Bella Hadden] and I, I feel like student council has been more bonded and more based on relationships. I feel like we’ve been more approachable.”

Part of the reason for the difference in higher leadership roles, especially in band, according to Bossert, may lie in the level of effort involved.

“I believe that typically the males tend to be a little bit lazier when it comes to this sort of stuff,” Bossert said. “[For example,] section leaders [in band] are assigned based off of skill ... whereas as a drum major, you have to apply for that and sometimes I feel that males get lazy and they don’t really care about it that much.”

For NHS sponsor Sarah Sides, the

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

gap in the genders of those leading may be due to the personalities and qualities required in school leadership as opposed to the genders.

“I think it’s more about the personalities of the leaders, not necessarily the gender,” Sides said. “I feel like the guys who are officers … have those qualities that makes them a good officer, the same qualities of most of the girls who apply. There’s not a lot of differences in our male officers versus our female officers ... I just don’t think there are as many males who have those qualities, which is why we don’t have as many male officers.”

However, Barnes believes the differences in how leaders are perceived can change students involvement.

“I definitely think that having the face being a boy gets a different crowd into it, so when you have a well-liked guy it helps bring in the guys to the school spirit,” Barnes said. “I don’t know if it’s because I am a female, but mine is based more on connections. In years past, we did not have a great relationship with freshman, so we made it a real goal to get them involved and make them feel welcomed.”

LEADING the CLASS

A majority of the clubs, organizations and activities are headed and comprised of female students Looking out towards the StuCo members, senior student body president Hannah Barnes explains what is going on at their meeting on Thursday, Nov. 29. “I decided it would be a [good] way to get involved in high school,” Barnes said. “Little did I know that it would be the best decision I’ve made in all of high school.” // Hunter Ristau

JagWire

GENDER IN LEADERSHIP

Dec. 17, 2018

making the RULES

17

A highlight of club leaders and gender stats within each club

by sam hanson reporter/photographer

by tanner smith reporter/photographer

“A big part of [leading] is ... making sure the work is managed equally.”

SENIOR SETH HOBSON

6 10 3

number of girls in the club number of males in club number of female leaders

“I’ve learned how to both manage my time and to help teach other people how to manage theirs” SENIOR ABBY HOEPNER

34 7 5

number of girls in the club number of males in club number of female leaders

Ambassadors Band Black Student Association Catty Shack Choir Club 121 Creative Writing DECA Debate Drama/Thespians English NHS FCA Forensics GSA In The News JagFlight jagPRIDE Japanese Culture Club Literary Magazine Marine Bio Model United Nations MV Outfitters MV Outreach MVTV NAHS NHS Print/online journalism Psychology Club Robotics Scholars Bowl Science Olympiad SLT/JLC Spanish/French NHS StuCo Table Tennis Vid Pro Youth for Refugees Do Good Club

“[Leading] makes me appreciate what I do, because I know it’s affecting other people. “ SENIOR CIARA PEMBERTON

62 7 6

number of girls in the club number of males in club number of female leaders

“Leading is more than directing... it is showing that you respect and appreciate [club members]” JUNIOR ANNIE BOGART

49 0 6

number of girls in the club number of males in club number of female leaders

18 GENDER IN LEADERSHIP

Design by Katya Gillig & Marah Shulda

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

LEADING THE FUTURE A majority of the staff members who participate in school-related leadership roles are female

The building leadership team, made up of mostly female staffers, participates in a team building activity over the summer. // submitted by Jeff Wieland

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

I

n addition to student leadership initiatives, teachers take part in various committees and teams around the school. Most of these committees are either female-dominated, or have women in higher leadership positions.

Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Emily Schmidt feels that, because teaching is a very female-heavy workplace, more women step into leadership roles around the school.

“As an educator, you are in a pretty female-dominated industry, [so] you do see a lot more women taking on the roles of department chairs,” Schmidt said. “One thing that I ... think is important is that the leadership in our

building is that we have two males and two females, which is important to make sure everyone feels like they are all welcome. It’s not that males aren't necessarily leaders, because you do see more males going into administration.”

One notable example of predominantly female leadership, even among teachers, is the makeup of the social committee. According to paraeducator and committee chair Faith Bilyeu, the organization’s goal “is to find ways to unify our staff and to get them some opportunities … to know each other better outside of school.”

Science teacher Chad Brown, who is the only male on the committee, believes that part of the reason for the gender demographic is the status quo.

“A lot of [the social committee] is

GENDERBREAKDOWN

Statistics on the makeup of the staff, broken down by gender

33% male

29% HOW MANY TEACHERS ARE FEMALE?

male

out of 82 teachers

67% female

HOW MANY DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE FEMALE? out of 14 departments

71% female

based around giving gift cards for weddings or having babies, which, if you look back through the years, are tasks that would’ve been given to the female, back in the day, before we had more gender equality,” Brown said.

“A guy wouldn’t typically go to Target and purchase a onesie. That’s not the case anymore, but I think some of that still lingers.”

Schmidt believes that men may be less vocal in terms of leadership when placed in an environment with more female leaders.

“We do have gentlemen who are leaders. I think they don’t feel comfortable being the voice,” Schmidt said. “Even in my class, [guys] are typically much more soft spoken and won’t be the ones to be constantly raising their hands to give input and speak. When they do, everyone shuts up and listens because it only happens so often. I think a lot of that has to do with societal norms.”

Ultimately, Bilyeu hopes that the different initiatives teachers participate in around the school benefits students in addition to staff, regardless of the genders of those leading.

“Seeing other teachers have relationships with each other can only be a positive thing for the students … to see teachers that care about each other and are interested in each others lives,” Bilyeu said. “I think that it builds community, and I think that’s the main goal, is to have a stronger community.”

JagWire

Dec. 17, 2018

Design by Sophia Armendariz, Addie Kemp & Annie Myers

GENDER IN SPORTS

19

UNEVENPLAYINGFIELD

Coaches and players alike experience gender inequality in number present and in unfair treatment

1981

2018

At Kansas State University, assistant boys basketball coach Betsy Meeks played the position of guard. // submitted by Betsy Meeks

As the assistant boys basketball coach, coach Betsy Meeks enjoys building relationships with players like junior Jacob Doyle. // Andrew Tow

by john lehan

Betsy Meeks, who played basketball at Kansas State University from 1979 to 1983, faced gender-related challenges during her years playing.

“I left my shoes in the training room one day. When I went back to get them and put them on, the [male] trainer had put shaving cream inside the shoes,” Meeks said. “That was the silent ‘you are not supposed to be here, I’m gonna make you pay.’ He never would have done that to a boys player.”

Discrimination was greater than just one isolated event. When Meeks played, it extended from beyond the court to other places on campus. “[In the cafeteria], we would go

reporter/photographer

by ben wieland opinions editor

I

n light of the school’s recent girls cross country and golf teams’ state titles, one may come to the conclusion that gender stereotypes that place more value on the performance of one gender over the other in sports have dissipated. Although the imbalance between boys and girls in sports has been decreasing at Mill Valley, gender stereotypes remain an integral piece of history.

Assistant boys basketball coach

down the row and there would be a dish of steak and a dish of hamburger patties. [The boys basketball team] would come through and load up with a steak or two, and then we would get hamburger patties,” Meeks said. “We [were] treated poorly everywhere.”

Societal improvement can be seen currently at Mill Valley through students who value a diverse coaching roster, featuring both male and female coaches. For example, junior basketball player Jacob Doyle appreciates Meeks’ coaching based on factors other than her gender.

“It was interesting having [Meeks’] second perspective, especially since she played D1 basketball,” Doyle said.

“To me, it is more about their ability to coach rather than their gender.”

Sophomore cross country runner Jordan White said having a coach who doesn’t share your gender can be beneficial. “[I value] kindness and drive to coach,” White said. “You are able to form relationships with someone that you normally wouldn’t.”

Although Mill Valley has made improvements, inequalities continue.

Only 30 percent of sports teams are coached by women. Meeks believes things have improved significantly between her time playing and her time coaching, but there is still progress to be made.

“I think we’ve come a tremendously long way, but we still put down girls,” Meeks said. “People say ‘they’re just the girls team.’ We still need to keep growing, not just in sport, but in society in general. There’s still definitely some bias — you can see with the way the girls teams were treated at the [state girls golf] pep assembly.

But we’re making progress.”

male coaches

MALE

MAJORITY Proportion of male to female sports coaches by season

FALL WINTER SPRING

70%

female coaches

30% 83% 81%

3 boys sports 4 girls sports

17% 19%

4 boys sports 2 girls sports 4 boys sports 4 girls sports

20 GENDER IN SPORTS

Design by Sophia Armendariz, Addie Kemp & Annie Myers

Dec. 17, 2018

JagWire

CROSSING THE GAP LACROSSING

The addition of a girls lacrosse team in the spring of 2019, open to students from Mill Valley and De Soto, will function as a club, as the boys counterpart does. // photo illustration by Jonathan Atchley

Girls lacrosse team added for students within district by john lehan reporter/photographer

by ben wieland opinions editor

A

new district girls lacrosse team, open to girls from Mill Valley and De Soto, will play their inaugural season this spring.

The team was founded by DHS sophomores Kaitlin Torres and Kennedy Ebberts, who faced challenges just for the chance to start the team.

“We did a lot of research and sent a lot of emails and talked to a lot of professionals,” Ebberts said. “Then they finally listened to what we had to say.”

The girls initially planned on starting a lacrosse team for DHS girls only.

While investigating the requirements for forming a new team, they discovered the joint Mill Valley-DHS-St. James Academy boys lacrosse team.

This inspired them to allow girls from both Mill Valley and DHS to join the team. After deciding to follow the boys’ lead, Torres said the club came together more smoothly.

“Once we decided to start a team with Mill Valley and DHS, [organizing] became much easier,” Torres said. “We got [money] through a lot of fundraising.”

The team required funding to fulfill many basic team needs, such as

hiring coaching staff and purchasing team uniforms and sticks. These needs posed a variety of questions, according to Ebberts.

“There were lots of monetary questions. How we would afford a coach ... and equipment, those types of questions,” Ebberts said.

After fundraisers allowed the team to afford the season, they plan to begin playing this spring once they have a full roster. For now the team is incomplete, with only nine girls having joined thus far out of a mandatory 12.

Torres said the player shortage issue is particularly challenging.

“The hardest part about [starting the team] is getting girls to join,” Torres said. “They would say they would join but not actually pay and follow through.”

Despite facing not only funding challenges but also obstacles from organizers, Torres and Ebberts persevered through the challenges to get their team. For Torres, this was an important achievement.

“We faced a lot of pushback from some people but were able to get [the team],” Torres said. “I think getting a girls team is a really big deal.”

One of the inaugural team’s members, freshman Payton Thomas, is excited for the upcoming season.

“Joining lacrosse, you can meet a lot of new friends and learn sportsmanship and hard work,” Thomas said. “I’m excited to start games and travel around with the team.”

TEAM UP

How to join the girls lacrosse team

If interested in joining the team, contact:

1.

Email: millvalleylax @gmail.com

2.

Call or Text: Kaitlin Torres, (913) 286-8008

JagWire

Dec. 17, 2018

Illustration by Tatum Elliott

STAFF EDITORIAL:

Design by Ben Wieland

GENDER IN OPINIONS

21

AGREE: 16 DISAGREE: 5

GENDER SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DEFINE YOU Make decisions about gender based on your own beliefs, and don’t let other opinions influence you

A

multitude of things play into how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. One often overlooked part is our gender and the roles that come with it. While deciding whether to conform to gender roles is a personal decision, it seems as if it’s a controversial issue with everybody holding their own opinion.

It shouldn’t be controversial. Be your best authentic self and don’t worry how you’re perceived, and on the flip side, stop worrying so much about what other people are doing and just let them be.

There’s no debating that gender stereotypes are still prevalent. Research by the National Science Foundation found that gender influences decisions like toy preferences or favorite school subjects as early as age six. Gender roles in and of themselves do not present a problem, it’s more so the forcible perpetuation of gender

stereotypes onto children that harm them and may lead to lasting negative effects such as depression, substance abuse and suicide when they get older.

Studies by The World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins found that it is becoming more common in countries like China, India and the United States for girls to defy gender stereotypes. However, they also found that in those same countries, boys are pressured into fitting the role of “strong, emotionless leader.” Being a strong leader isn’t bad, but not giving boys the choice of what to be is. As a result, the mental and even physical health of girls is improving while the health of boys remains stagnant.

The National Bureau of Economic Research found that gender roles were born from traditional agricultural production, but industrialization has caused a drastic change in

gender roles. They tracked this trend until the modern day, when they concluded the perpetuation of gender roles has decreased.

Most young adults agree. According to a study conducted by Intelligence Group, two-thirds of people ages 14 to 34 agree gender “does not have to define a person.” In today’s society, it is becoming more common to circumvent and contradict gender norms. While some people still choose to fit into traditional gender roles, others choose to ignore these roles, and even gender itself completely.

Gender roles aren’t implicitly bad, in fact, many people still view them as a positive. It’s pressuring people to conform to them that causes negative effects. Whether or not to fit into gender roles should be your choice and your choice alone. Just remember that we all deserve the freedom to choose.

22 OPINIONS

Design by Ben Wieland

Dec. 17, 2018

DON’T VOTE BASED ON A GENDER Voting based on gender isn’t productive for either party by john lehan reporter/photographer

O

ften devolving into childish name calling or other forms of mudslinging, politics houses many candidates campaigning off more than just their stance on issues.

Many voters make decisions based on a variety of factors, but a candidate’s gender should not be one of them.

Political office is no different than any other profession. The most qualified person should get the job. A candidate’s skill and stance on issues should win or lose votes, not their gender. Hiring discriminatorily based on gender is illegal for standard interview and hire professions, so why

ing women, it is projected that women won 24 percent of congressional seats in the recent midterms. Predetermining your vote based on gender in an attempt to counteract these biases only fuels the cycle. Voting based on skill and stance is the only way to ensure the problem dissipates.

should it be any different when running for office?

Many will argue voting for a candidate based on their gender helps offset those who vote against a candidate because of their gender. Certainly, some people vote solely based on predetermined biases.

Although voting based on gender to counteract biases may seem necessary, solely focusing on the issue only inflates its relevance. A study conducted by Carpenter and Lake found not focusing on gender stereotypes such as clothing helped female candidates the most. Additionally, even though women face high levels of competition in the primaries, they are often victorious. Despite only 20 percent of congressional candidates be-

CHANGE IS UP TO OUR GENERATION Finding a solution for widespread gender inequality will be up to us by tanner smith reporter/photographer

G

ender stereotypes are so entrenched in society that although they are untrue, many are still seen as fact. Women are emotional. Men are tough. Women are supposed to be homemakers. Men are supposed to be doctors and lawyers.

These stereotypes misrepresent large portions of society and without change they will not only continue but become a larger part of society.

While some strides have been made — such as the increased election of women in the midterm elections — it is our generation’s job to break these harmful social norms.

JagWire

Currently, a male and a female of equal intelligence, capabilities and work ethic could be pushed into two completely different fields based solely on their gender. This makes absolutely no sense. The world should based on a person’s ability, not gender.

“THE WORLD SHOULD BE BASED ON ABILITY, NOT BASED ON GENDER” tanner smith

24

Percent of Congressional seats won by women in the 2018 midterm elections in both the House of Representatives and Senate, according to Washington Post

We can’t let gender become just another polarizing issue in this nation, where sides are chosen before a debate even begins. Combating gender disparities in political offices doesn’t mean voting based on gender, it means encouraging candidates to show why they are the most qualified no matter their gender.

A woman should be able to be an engineer and a man should be able to be a teacher without that being seen as abnormal. Without our generation taking a stance, we are encouraging the problem to continue getting worse. Our generation has the ability to be the most forward thinking towards gender roles. Everyone, no matter how open-minded, has some sort of predetermined judgment toward one gender or the other.

All of these societal changes seem like they would take a lot of work, but that is entirely false. While eradicating all gender stereotypes is going to be incredibly difficult and will require lots of work, any steps, like looking at your own biases and working to fix them, can make a world of difference.

Even just focusing on abilities instead of gender can help make the situation better. Sadly, our grandparents and parents generations are not fixing these problems. This makes it even more important that our generation acts to fix these issues. Even if it is difficult and may some days look like an unwinnable fight, it is our generation’s job to help fight these gender stereotypes.

JagWire

OPINIONS

Dec. 17, 2018

Gender roles are useful for many members of our society by tyler jeanneret

constricting and stereotypical. There certainly are roles that society has imposed that are simply not true. Lumping these ideals into gender roles is destructive, and harms the ability of individuals to fulfill their own gender responsibilities. Those that don’t fit these societal standards may feel that they don’t fit in. This is not the point of gender roles.

I believe that more traditional, simplified gender roles are highly beneficial to both individuals and society as a whole. Men and women have unique talents and gifts that allow each one to

58

guest reporter

I

t seems to be the status in today’s society to defy tradition. Political movements and new legislation all seem to point toward “out with the old, in with the new.” However, I fear that traditional gender roles may be the baby that gets thrown out with the bathwater.

People fear that gender roles are

Percent of Americans influenced by gender according to Pew Research Center

23

fulfill different but complementary roles. Women are natural and biological child bearers. They play a prominent role in the raising of their children. There are few blessings larger than a loving mother in the life of a child. Men often bring physical and financial security to a family. Men also bring a specific dynamic into a family relationship that cannot be replaced.

Now, don’t believe that these roles are completely static. Each family and individual’s needs are different.

Mothers may need to work, fathers may need to stay home with the kids.

But this fluidity shouldn’t mean that these traditional roles be removed altogether. Just because an ideal is not reached every time, does that mean we should all stop striving for it? No. The uniqueness of both genders creates a need for gender roles, and this complementary relationship brings much greater strength to society than could be found otherwise.

WHETHER TO

CONFORMOR NOT

Gender roles shouldn’t matter at all for either of the genders by julie brown guest reporter

G

ender inequality: one of the topics, like politics, that can end friendships, families and marriages if debated. Many self-proclaimed feminists that I’ve spoken to in my life say that, in their ideal world, women dominate STEM careers, with men pushed aside into caregiving and education careers. So, ignoring that feminism is actually about gen-

der equality, they seem to think that women should be raised above men, despite any problems caused for males. Just casualties of war, right?

I wholeheartedly disagree; women don’t need to be raised above men, and they don’t need to be forced to pursue STEM careers. Our goal should be to eliminate gender as a factor at all. People should pick their careers based on what they want to do.

Every feminism advocate I’ve spoken to in my life said that ‘women need to pursue STEM careers,’ and that may be true, but not all women should be pushed into these careers if they aren’t interested in them. If this happened, the genders would just switch roles, and 100 years from now children would absorb stereotypes about male teachers and nurses, and women who lead technological innovation in high-paying careers. Then a new band of people, probably called the “Misogynists,” would rise up and try to elevate men back up above women. And this cycle would continue endlessly.

Is this our goal? A never ending war over gender superiority? The only way to achieve realistic gender equality is to forget gender as a factor in career choice. People should decide what they want to do based on what they want to do. The numbers don’t need to prove that there are exactly 50 percent men and women in all career fields – that’s not realistic. But both men and women should be given the opportunity to make informed decisions about their future careers, with gender stereotypes reduced to simply an afterthought.

77

Cents earned by a woman for every dollar earned by a man for the same job, according to the U.S. government

24 GENDER IN THE WORKFORCE

in the

Illustrations by Anna Owsley

Design by Anika Roy

Dec. 13, 2018

LINE OF DUTY

JagWire

Gender stereotypes are also prevalent in the workforce in "masculine" or "feminine" occupations

47

53

percent of the workforce is male

97

percent employed in construction occupations are male

percent of the workforce is female

83.8

percent employed in engineering/architecture occupations are male

72.2 percent employed in office occupations are female

50.8

percent of U.S. citizens are female

49.2 percent of U.S. citizens are male

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau

75

percent employed in healthcare occupations are female