Page 7 - March 14 issue

news 7 THE SPOTLIGHT | BDSPOTLIGHT.COM | MARCH 14, 2014 LOOKING BACK AND MOVING FORWARD MARCH LOOKS BACK AT WOMEN’S ADVANCEMENTS, AND CONTINUES THE MOVEMENT FOR GENDER EQUALITY By Breanna Cooper staff writer hroughout history, women have proven them- not believe that women should have to change this. bris believes that some of this stems from gender roles selves to be strong, intelligent and capable. No- “I think our culture needs to change,” Dobris said. “It that we are forced into from the time we are small chil- Ttable women, such as Alice Paul, Amelia Earhart is not so much that women need to be taught to be “more dren. and Aung Saan Su Kyi have made their mark on history like men” (a false impression that people sometimes have “We teach girls and women to emphasize their looks and have inspired countless young women to make a dif- of feminism) so much as our entire culture needs to learn from the time they are babies,” Dobris said. “We tell little ference in their world. to value family, children and true equality of opportunity girls how pretty they are, how cute their outfts are and This month marks women’s history month, a time to for women and men. If we continue to offer more money, encourage them to put on make-up and play dress-up. look back and refect upon the many advancements ac- job satisfaction and security to those who sacrifce family Teenage girls often experience dramatic drops in their credited to women. For example, Alice Paul, along with in order to get ahead, how does that serve any of us in the self-esteem when they hit puberty and discover they Lucy Burns and Susan B. Anthony, fought tirelessly long run?” cannot starve themselves into the skinny, beautiful ide- for women to gain the right to vote, which was fnally Although women still face many setbacks in today’s als portrayed by the media. A woman over 18 or 20 is achieved in 1920. society, it is important to remember that women have encouraged to start worrying about aging, to buy a huge The original design of the American fag was created made many huge advances in society, including right range of beauty products, and to stay attractive no mat- by Betsy Ross in 1776. Even the Red Cross, which helps here in Indianapolis. Marilyn Pfsterer, a councilwoman ter what else she does in her life,” Dobris says. “Is it any citizens affected by tragedy to this day, was created by for the 14th district of Indianapolis recalls the difference wonder that we scrutinize the dress, hair style and physi- Clara Barton in 1881. between her opportunities as compared to her grand- cal attractiveness of our female public fgures? I think It is not hard to fnd advancements and discoveries mother’s. to a certain extent, when we see more and more women made by women throughout history. However, in many “My grandmother was born in 1880,” Pfsterer said. handling leadership roles effectively and effciently, looks nations around the world, including right here in the “She was a school teacher, and in that time, school teach- will become less important than ability, but this is a much United States, women are not always treated as equals. ers couldn’t be married. However, she met and fell in love bigger cultural issue that will require a lot of thought For example, in the United States, there is a huge gap with my grandfather, and they were married in secret for about how and what we value in girls and women versus in income. For every dollar that a man makes in his life- six years while she continued teaching.” boys and men. I do believe that things have changed and time, a woman only makes seventy cents for the same job. Pfsterer also goes on to state that “there are far more will continue to do so, but we have a long road ahead of Many politicians have called to change this, yet no change women on panels in the City Council than a decade ago.” us.” has occurred. Obviously, women are no longer barred from jobs due Amazing women have certainly left their mark on the Dr. Catherine Dobris, a professor of women’s studies to their gender or marital status. However, there are still world. While we refect on their advancements, we must at IUPUI, had this to say about gender inequality in terms many cultural barriers that can keep women from reach- also look forward and strive to follow in their footsteps. of the income gap: “The income gap between American ing their full potential as a professional. “In order to make a change in the world, you must women and men has changed very little in the last couple For example, it seems that whenever a female politi- educate yourself,” Pfsterer said. “Take advantage of any decades due to many factors that emerge from the con- cian is in the spotlight, the media tends to focus far more opportunities that come your way and never be afraid to struction of our family, social and work networks. It is no on her looks than her political ideologies and plans. Do- change something you fnd to be wrong.” longer simply about equal pay for equal work. Although more men help with child rearing and housework than in previous times, women still tend to feel responsible for cleaning, cooking and raising children, thus resulting in what some have called the second shift.” Dobris goes on to state that “although women and men our staf may have similar work aspirations, women are required to work a “second shift” when “work” is over. Women Editor-in-chief: Ashley Shuler / Features editor: Liwam Beraki / Entertainment editor: Monica Guzman / News editor: Sonia Valdez / Online editor: may choose part-time work, less rigorous schedules, or Anica Gross / Sports editor: Gabby Coleman / Online sports: Adonis Dix and Tim Leath / Business manager: Joe Ridenour / Photo editors: Adrian Carter and Grace Ishikawa / Writers: Janette Aquirre, Brittany Baker, Janelle Baker, Isabella Bertoni, Thomas Bibbs, Aislynn Biven, Matthew Brown, to step away from their careers to care for children or Dayo Coleman, Dionte Coleman, Breanna Cooper, Kristin Crouch, DeJana Dunn, Kierra Hall, Cody Harrell, Ally Johnson, Dominic Johnson, Reem parents, while men can continue working toward career Negash, David Newman, Atzyry Nunez, Emily Rasmussen, Aaron Smith, Nicole Tackett, Deon Thomas, Jacob Van Volkenburgh, Carlin Underwood, / goals, with the support of their wives. Women in part- Photographers: Alizzah Anderson, Madison Baker, Savannah Bettis, Yohana Beraki, Madeline Cook, Taylor Grace, Devon Fisher, Sara Kestler, Nakiyah Kilpatrick, Tifani Lang, Johanna Lopez, Michelle McElroy, Lacey McLaughlin, Autumn Miller, Celia Ochoa, Anissa Orozco, Jayden Porter, Taylor Pringle, time positions often lack insurance, paid leave and retire- Tre Redeemar, Cambria Sharp, Claire Smith / Adviser: Tom Hayes / Principal: Sandra Squire ment plans. Women who hope to return to careers after taking time off may fnd that they are unable to compete The Spotlight is the ofcial newspaper of Ben Davis High School. It was created and is maintained by the Board of Education of the Metropolitan School District of with males who have had years in the workforce unen- Wayne Township as part of the curriculum of the school district. Its purpose is to allow students to develop and refne their skills as journalists under the supervision cumbered by other responsibilities.” of the principal, Sandra Squire, and faculty of Ben Davis High School. The Spotlight represents and exemplifes Ben Davis High School and is not a public or open fo- rum. The principal and faculty of Ben Davis High School are therefore charged by the Board of Education with the responsibility of exercising editorial oversight to Although women are no less capable of working and ensure that contents of the Spotlight refect Wayne Westside Community Values, which may be found on the Wayne website and are available upon request from leadership skills than men, family obligations tend to Ben Davis High School. It is the policy of the Spotlight to accept letters to the editor from all readers. All readers must be signed and verifed for permission. The editor reserves the right to edit the letter for journalistic and grammar purposes as well as to maintain a safe environment and to exempt prohibited material. Letters to the hold back women far more than they hold back men. editor can be submitted to Tom Hayes in room C114 (X109) or to the editor. Letters can also be e-mailed to Tom Hayes at tom.hayes@wayne.k12.in.us or to the edi- However, Dobris, along with many other women, does tor. Readers who submit letters sent via e-mail must see either Tom Hayes or the editor for verifcation if they wish to be published. Businesses interested in adver- tising in the Spotlight should contact Tom Hayes at 317-988-7148. The Spotlight publishes 13 issues per school year. Advertising rates are available upon request.