Fresh off of Homecoming, the Del Norte boys have had their fair share of things to complain about: buying dance tickets, making dinner reservations, finding ties to match with impossible dress colors, and of course, devising the most extravagant, original, heart-warming scheme for asking a girl to the dance—let’s face it, these past few weeks, it’s been tough to be a guy.
But these past few weeks have also been a blast from the past—a past where men take charge, do the heavy lifting, and tell the girls not to worry their pretty little heads about anything. A past where the expectations of women don’t go far beyond looks.
Truth be told, these past few weeks have been a subtle indicator of the dated sexism prevalent in the lives of modern-day high school students.
Let’s think back to Homecoming. What happens the moment a girl sets foot in the gym? She’s being judged—from the length of her dress to the color of her eye shadow to how well she can walk in her heels—all this assessment coming from guys and other girls alike. Not to say that that the guys aren’t being judged as well. They’re being evaluated on the attractiveness of their date; sorry girls, this one’s on you too.
Appearance isn’t exactly a new struggle for the average female high school student. Girls have been dealing with heightened expectations in this area throughout their entire lives from almost every direction. And there are plenty of mixed messages out there: yes, try to squeeze into shorts that are two sizes too small, but no, don’t even think about showing up to practice in your sports bra.
Education-wise, things aren’t looking too good for the girls either. Girls are faced with tougher college acceptance rates as the number of girls seeking those coveted college acceptance letters continues to grow. And, ladies, did I mention what to expect after you’ve got that degree? Believe it or not, women can still expect lower paychecks for equal work after they’ve joined the working world.
Don’t get me wrong—I think the male half of our Nighthawks has done an admirable job this Homecoming. But while the inequality that exists makes the guys’ lives a little tougher for a couple weeks, it reflects a much more difficult truth for the girls.