MIRROR 1.15.20
WOMEN'S FASHION 4-5
WOMEN IN POLITICS 6
PPGA ADDS THEIR VOICE 7 GRACE QU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
2// MIRR OR
Editors’ Note
STORY
DIVYA KOPALLE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
This year marks exactly 100 years since 1920, when the 19th Amendment was ratified and women in the United States were granted the right to vote. 1920 marked the end of a centuries-long battle by women to secure their ability to voice their opinion and fight for their political rights. In the 100 years since, the women’s rights movement has seen many more successes, like equal opportunities in higher education and equal pay, but it has also encountered many more setbacks, like the recent restriction of reproductive health rights. And lingering beneath everything that has happened over the past 100 years is a consistent undercurrent of oppression of those who identify as female, which makes achieving success difficult and each setback disheartening. This week, Mirror celebrates the history of women’s rights and the progress women have made since the fateful year of 1920. We examine how fashion evolved alongside women’s rights, chart the track of women in politics and tell the story of a group on campus that has worked to protect the reproductive rights of women. We hope that while reading this issue, you will consider how the events of the past century may inform the events of the next. And we hope that you will see the importance of women’s rights in defining the future as well as the necessity of continuing to protect them.
follow @thedmirror
1.15.20 VOL. CLXXVI NO. 115 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DEBORA HYEMIN HAN PUBLISHER AIDAN SHEINBERG MIRROR EDITORS KYLEE SIBILIA NOVI ZHUKOVSKY COPY EDITOR JULIAN NATHAN ISSUE LAYOUT GRANT PINKSTON
By The Mirror Staff
Where do you feel the most included on campus? Lucas Joshi ’23: Dartmouth Hall. I love the cultural exploration of the Spanish and Portuguese Department. Anne Johnakin ’23: With my group of friends. They’re all so nice, and I don’t have to be afraid of being myself around them. Christina Baris ’22: My freshman year dorm was the first place that truly felt like home on campus. I’ve met some of my best friends there, so it’ll always be a super important place to me. Elizabeth Whiting ’21: I probably feel most included with my friends. Generally, no matter what they might be up to, I feel welcome to join in (within reason). What is the boldest thing you have done at Dartmouth? LJ: The first time I ever used my DASH dollars at Collis Market. Needless to say, I have not been able to stop since. AJ: I haven’t done anything bold yet, but one of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more confident and sure of myself, so I’m excited to do things that scare me this term. CB: I’m pretty risk averse, so most of the bold things I want to do are still on my Dartmouth bucket list. In general though, I’d say I’ve learned to be much less scared of rejection since coming here. EW: The boldest thing I have done at Dartmouth was probably walking on to the heavyweight crew team as a freshman as a coxswain. Coming from Santa Fe, NM I had absolutely no clue what crew was, let alone that rowing could be a sport, but I jumped in and tried to make it.
CB: Freedom of expression. What does women’s suffrage EW: I perceive gender identity as mean to you? the extension of personality that LJ: The continued empowerment of pertains more to the idea of sex and is all the women I am lucky enough to determined by society. This answer is see every day, as well as a reminder vague, but it reflects my pretty vague for the milestones still left to be understanding of gender identity. achieved. Angelina Scarlotta ’23: Identity AJ: It means the recognition of is inherently a personal word and, women as an important and valuable as such, gender identity is a personal group within society whose opinions choice. It is something that sticks deserve to be heard. One of my with you, that is deeply embedded favorite movies growing up was in your personality, so you should “Mary Poppins,” and it has a song be able to choose any identity that called “Sister Suffragette” that you please. has shaped the way I see suffrage is your “I’m pretty risk averse, Who and the feminist f e m a l e ro l e so most of the bold movement. model? CB: The right to things I want to do are LJ: My mom. have a voice and She never settles make my own still on my Dartmouth for the status decisions. quo and brings bucket list.” EW: I guess the a heart of love m e a n i n g t h at to every task she comes to mind -CHRISTINA BARIS ’22 is given. first would be AJ: Mindy women having Kaling, and not the right to vote, but the systemic just because she’s a Dartmouth ramifications of that right complicate alum. I’ve always looked up to her my nice, clean answer. To me, in because she’s so funny, confident this day and age, women’s suffrage and talented. pertains more to equal respectability CB: My mom. She’s the most selfless and assumed capability within person I know. politics of all sorts. EW: Honestly, my grandma, mom and friends — the women closest How do you perceive gender to me in my life. I also have some identity? historic female role models like a LJ: It is not reflective of sex, nor Helen Spitzer, a woman who helped should it be a political issue. Identify fellow inmates escape Auschwitz. as you choose; you are the only voice AS: My mom, for sure. She is the that matters. hardest working, most caring person AJ: I’ve been lucky enough to feel that I know. She balances her career, secure with my gender identity, but family and personal endeavors. I think it’s important that people are These qualities are simply inspiring able to feel comfortable and accept and I’m honored to have her as a their gender identity. role model.
MIRR OR //3
Women's Rights Are Always in Season 4// MIRR OR
STORY
By Allison Falco
Like the rights of women, fashion women began to engage in societally O’Rourke added that Chanel’s is constantly evolving. Trends in the “scandalous” activities. Flappers design aligned with the revolutionary fashion industry can be indicative danced to jazz music while smoking changes occurring for women during of the social state of women at a cigarettes and sipping liquor. The her time. given time. For example, the trend new lifestyle for these women called “These changes coincided of women wearing corsets in the for a change in fashion. Comparative with social changes — women had 19th century represented the lack of literature and women’s, gender and recently acquired the right to vote, freedom women had during this time; sexuality studies professor Graziella more young women were working flapper dresses in the 1920s reflected Parati, who teaches COLT 42.01, and living alone in cities, more the increasing freedoms of women; “Prada, Chanel, Ferrari: History women were engaged in sports,” and housewife and Literature,” O’Rourke said. “So, in my opinion, attire reflected commented on this really created the model for what t h e g e n d e r "When women change t h e e f f e c t o f we still have of a modern type of expectations of their condition, they fashion on the woman.” women in the changing rights The 1940s brought even higher change the way they 1950s. Fashion of women. hemlines and more ways for women to is often used for dress." “When express their individuality. Hourglass self-expression, women change silhouettes were now on trend, but but retroactively their condition, women added “masculine” features it can also be used -GRAZIELLA PARATI, COMthey change the to their wardrobes. As WWII to tell history. way they dress,” waged on, women adopted military PARITIVE LITERATURE Art histor y Parati said. silhouettes and utility suits. The PROFESSOR and women’s, 1940s was the first time women could gender and I n a d d i t i o n wear pants, because many women sexuality studies t o s h o r t e n e d worked in the factories during professor Kristin O’Rourke, who hemlines, women began to wear loose the war in which pants were the teaches COCO 1.03, “Fashion and dresses that had dropped waistlines. safest things to work. Pants quickly Identity: The Power of Clothing,” Coco Chanel introduced this style escalated from workwear to casual discussed the political implications of dress, which is when the “little wear for women, which increased of women’s fashion in the 19th black dress” was m a s c u l i n e century. born. O’Rourke influences “If we think of 19th century noted that Coco "Certain professions in women’s clothing of the upper and middle C h a n e l h a d a still deman a fashion. In the classes, with large, cumbersome positive impact on 1940s, women’s masculine form of skirts, hoops and constricting corsets, women’s fashion s w i m w e a r women were not able to move freely, in the modern era. dress. The more incorporated nor did they engage much in the “ S h e 'conservative' the increasing public sphere,” O’Rourke wrote in f u n d a m e n t a l l y degrees of midriff an email. “Up through WWI, women c h a n g e d t h e profession, the more exposure as the spent a significant part of their day s h a p e o f masculine the dress bikini emerged. dressing.” women’s clothing, Many women for women." A high beauty standard was set e l i m i n a t i n g deemed bikinis in the 19th century, and that has not l a r g e s k i r t s too revealing, but entirely changed. American fashion and restrictive -JENNIFER SARGENT, some adventurous remained relatively unchanged undergarments,” ones wore them. until the 1920s, when the flapper O ’ R o u r k e WOMEN'S, GENDER AND A c c o r d i n g t o movement challenged 19th century w r o t e . “ H e r SEXUALITY STUDIES women’s, gender beauty standards. With the flapper streamlined look and sexuality PROFESSOR movement, women shortened both and menswearstudies professor their hair and their hemlines. inspired cuts Jennifer Sargent, When the 19th Amendment was allowed women fashion in the ratified and women were allowed t o b e a c t i v e 1940s into the the right to vote, many women and deemphasized a traditional 1950s gave women more freedom had more of an opportunity to feminine shape and style, which in their self-expression. liberate themselves from society’s meant breaking the long-standing “We saw women wearing pants, expectations. At this time, the association of women with the owning what was traditionally the flapper movement took off and frivolity of fashion.” ‘male’ fashion, being able to cover
their bodies or uncover their bodies Sargent said. “They were very in a far more unique and individual much using fashion for internal way and to be able to gender bend,” validation.” Sargent said. The 1970s also brought radical Although the 1940s introduced changes in fashion trends like bell more masculine influences into bottoms and platform heels. Feminine women’s fashion, silhouettes the 1950s brought became more "Wearing clothes in the housewife p o p u l a r, b u t fashion trend of is part of how we women also full skirts, cinched project who we are continued to dress waists and large in masculine attire. b u s t s . I t i s to the world around Further more, important to note, us." pantsuits became however, that the more popular for top designers of women in the women’s fashion -GRAZIELLA PARATI, 1970s as more in the 1950s were COMPARITIVE and more women men. Christian held professional Dior is credited LITERATURE PROFESSOR jobs. with creating Masculine “The New Look,” fashion influences which is what we know as the made a mark in the 1980s, with the 1950’s aesthetic. With this, Dior use of shoulder-padded blazers as sent the fashion industry backward. a political statement. Women wore O’Rourke commented on the these large blazers as a way to show implications of Dior’s new design power in the workplace, where men at the time. were dominant. The expectation for “There was, of course, a backlash women to dress a certain way at work in the 1950s with a return to more has extended to today’s expectations. traditional ‘values’ and gender roles, “Certain professions still demand exemplified by the restrictive, hyper- a masculine form of dress,” Sargent feminine style of Dior’s ‘New Look’ said. “The more ‘conservative’ the dresses with tight waists, large skirts profession, the more masculine the and high heels” O’Rourke said. dress for women." Much of social change in The 1980s and 1990s also brought the 1960s was dominated by opportunities for women to rebel feminists who fought for equal in their fashion choices. Punk and pay, ending domestic violence and grunge came onto the fashion scene sexual harassment, and ending the and people began to be more and expectation that women would be more experimental in their selfhousewives. Women in the 1960s expression. Women’s individuality challenged gendered fashion trends. was at a high. It was then that miniskirts made their Women have g ained more debut and boyish silhouettes came freedom over the years to express back to style. The corsets and girdles their individuality through their were gone, which made the 1960s clothes. There is, however, still a “a second flapper era” as women high beauty standard for women. began cutting their hair short again According to Parati, however, newer and even began to go braless. These stylists have women’s empowerment women embraced 1960s’ flower in mind, which is promising for the power and individuality. future of women’s fashion. “The ’60s was the first time we saw “Wearing clothes is part of how women feeling not only empowered we project who we are to the world by fashion but owning fashion for around us,” Parati said. As that themselves and not for attracting projection changes, women’s fashion anyone for external validation,” will continue to evolve.
MIRR OR //5
LILA HOVEY/THE DARTMOUTH
6 // MIRR OR
Women in Politics at Dartmouth and Beyond STORY
By Anne Johnakin
Dartmouth opened its doors to women in 1972 in a decision met with much resistance from both staff and male students. Since coeducation, Dartmouth has graduated 47 classes of women, many of whom have pursued careers in politics. 2020 is the centennial anniversary of women’s suffrage. More than just being able to vote, suffrage opened the door for women to get involved in politics and get elected themselves. However, according to history professor Annelise Orleck, it wasn’t until 20 or 30 years ago that we started seeing a rise in the number of women in elected positions. Globally, the U.S. ranks 75th in women’s representation in government. Despite being over half the population, women only make up 23.5 percent of House of Representatives seats, a record high in 2019. Why this number is so low is hard to pinpoint, but author Kirstin Kanthak, in her essay “Gender Differences in Political Ambition,” cites differences in decision making and risk taking as reasons why women may not seek out political roles. “Gendered election aversion happens because women are less willing to run for office than are men, even if the structural ‘playing field’ is completely level,” Kanthak writes. Over the last 70 years, the percentage of women in Congress has increased by over 20 percent, and today, women cast over half of the vote, according to government professor Deborah Brooks in her book, “He Runs, She Runs.” Despite this improvement, Brooks argues, underrepresentation of women in government prevails and leads to the marginalization of women’s issues and opinions. “Women in political power also empowerotherwomeninasymbolicsense by simply being in office: participation, efficacy, and political interest have been found to increase substantially among women when they are represented by women,” Brooks writes. “This effect reaches into future generations as well: David Campell and Christina Wolbrecht found that adolescent girls had a higher level of planned political involvement when they were exposed to more highly
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Women advocate for their rights at a 2018 march in Arizona.
visible women in office.” Current Dartmouth students hail from a generation that has had strong female officials to look up to, including some Dartmouth alumni. Dartmouth has given rise to prominent women involved in politics who have become household names, such as Kirsten Gillibrand ’88. Gillibrand began her Dartmouth journey just over a decade after Dartmouth became a coeducational institution. As a student, she advocated for women’s involvement in athletics, completed a senior project on Tibetan refugees, and interviewed the Dalai Lama. Jennifer West ’20, a government and history major, has been inspired by female politicians she watched growing up, as well as mentors she has found while at Dartmouth. “I think coming from D.C., I was always exposed to political forces and
political actors,” West said. “Being constantly surrounded by people who were trying to make the world a better place was really inspiring for me, and it showed me this pathway. I don’t know if I would have the same goals had I not had those role models growing up.” West said she constantly tries to keep in mind that many great women came before her and paved the way, but now it’s her job to work to make the world a better place for the future generations. “I think being a woman is so intrinsic to my identity, so I sort of carry it around with me in all the work that I do,” West said. “I see it as my responsibility to bring up gender in contexts that are not really seen as having that as a component. I feel like it is my obligation to draw attention to gender injustice when it’s not being addressed and when addressing it would provide a valuable improvement to the conversation.”
Just as the 2018 midterm elections were a turning point for the number of women in government, the 2010 midterm elections were a also pivotal moment, according to Orleck, because they resulted in the passing of laws that restricted the rights of women, Orleck said. “One of the struggles that your generation will have to wage will be not only moving forward towards ever greater equality but, in fact, winning back some of the rights that earlier generations of women activists won but have been eroded over the last few decades,” Orleck said. The political landscape has improved in the last 100 years. Seeing so many women, including one of Dartmouth’s very own, on the Democratic debate stages this year shows how far we have come. “Something I really like is that now
that there are more women running for higher office, their defining characteristic isn’t that they’re just the woman in the race, and I think that’s going to be really influential going forward,” West said. “I think it’s important to have a space where we don’t necessarily assume that all women are the same or conflate them and their perspectives.” Inmovingforward,Orleckemphasized the importance of remembering the past. She strongly encourages all women who want to go into politics study history. “I think as a culture we are profoundly amnesiac. But I don’t think it’s possible to make reasoned policy decisions without a knowledge of history,” Orleck said.“I think then we have lots of rhetoric floating around in the air that is not tested by the evidence of the past. It’s on the basis of [the past] that we move forward. It’s what we build on, it’s what we reject, it’s what we are inspired by.”
MIRR OR //7
How PPGA Adds Their Voice STORY
By Kate Yuan
There are more than 350 Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapters across the country. The Dartmouth chapter of PPGA was founded in fall 2016. While it is fairly young, PPGA has taken on a wide variety of tasks and initiatives surrounding advocacy and education surrounding a wide range of reproductive rights and issues — though not just abortion, as the media tends to focus on. The club is spearheaded by an executive board of women looking to exercise their voices in meaningful ways. Sarah Birnbaum ’22 joined PPGA last winter and currently serves as the external affairs president. The issues of reproductive rights and healthcare have always been important to Birnbaum, and she said PPGA presented her with the opportunity to focus her efforts on meaningful change. “I haven’t necessarily had super personal experiences with Planned Parenthood, but I just really believe if you have those organs, then you should get to choose what to do with them, and it led me to this club,” Birnbaum said. PPGA has organized a number of COURTESY DARTMOUTH CHAPTER PLANNED PARENTHOOD GENERATION ACTION public events in the past. A particularly PPGA plans events including a panel discussion and awareness campaigns on campus. notable panel discussion took place in April 2019 and focused on the effects and support women’s rights and were really focused on canvassing and contains information about where to with controversial issues like abortion, of the 2016 election on reproductive reproductive healthcare on a broader phone banking,” Casey said. “We find contraceptives, about abortion members find that support on campus hosted Annie Kuster (D), our state and testing for sexually transmitted is usually more positive than negative. healthcare. For many individuals, the scale,” Cunningham said. The agenda of the club often representative and Molly Kelly (D), diseases as well as various other “It’s a fact that abortion is highly 2016 election served as a catalyst varies with the a gubernatorial candidate, which was resources pertaining to sexual and politicized,” Cunningham said. “I for involvement political climate. a really cool experience.” reproductive health. do know people who are involved in in the fight for “It’s a fact that abortion Caroline Casey During the fall term of 2019, PPGA Birnbaum said she was inspired organizations that do not have the r e p ro d u c t i ve ’21, co-president hosted another panel discussion that to create the flyer after hearing same beliefs as us, but you can still f r e e d o m . is highly politicized. I do of PPGA last focused on menstrual poverty. One from friends and students around be amicable with those individuals.” One of these know people who are Cunningham noted that not i n d i v i d u a l s involved in organizations year, discussed in five teens has struggled to afford campus that while there are a lot of the importance menstrual products in the United resources on campus that exist for everyone who needs reproductive was Phoebe of being aware States, and this issue is even more different services, the information healthcare identifies as a woman. C u n n i n g h a m that do not have the of threats to pressing around the world. is not compiled in one place so that The language surrounding this ’20, w h o same beliefs as us, but r e p ro d u c t i ve Cunningham noted her excitement people can make the most informed issue is often gendered and is not currently serves necessarily accurate for all cases. Since on the PPGA you can still be amicable h e a l t h c a r e , over the recent passing of a New decisions. especially under Hampshire bill that mandated free “Having all of these great resources a lot of work surrounding Planned executive board with those individuals.” t h e c u r r e n t menstrual supplies in all public in one place makes them as accessible Parenthood emphasizes education, as treasurer. administration. schools. as possible and that’s been one of being active and mindful of the words “After the “When PPGA created a reproductive our goals, so seeing the flyers around people use is important. election, I was -PHOEBE CUNNINGHAM ’20 I took over last source sheet this past fall that was campus has been really great,” really looking fall, it was right approved by the Student Wellness Birnbaum said. Caroline Casey is a member of The for a way to While PPGA is often associated Dartmouth staff. be impactful in the community before the midterm elections, so we Center for dissemination. The flyer
8// MIRR OR
Liberation PHOTO
By Naina Bhalla and Lorraine Liu