horace mann school's publication for gender issues
horace mann school's publication for gender issues
horace mann school's publication for gender issues
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Opinions <strong>horace</strong> <strong>mann</strong><br />
Defining Success: A Difference Between<br />
Male and Female Adolescents BY ERICA CHIANG<br />
alice taranto<br />
What do you want to do when you grow up This is the age-old question that adults ask children. But what happens when you ask<br />
a young adult Do males and females view this question differently as they become adults Recently, when talking to a mixed-<strong>gender</strong><br />
group of teenagers, I noticed a trend in the answers. Females often gave personal answers, aspiring to make a difference to the world<br />
or their life like “helping third-world countries as an environmental engineer.” Whereas, the males answered the question in a more<br />
general way, responding in ways like “being successful” or “getting the big bucks.” Hearing these answers by my male friends was very<br />
disappointing to me, and even though not all men answer in this materialistic way, I am starting to hear it more and more. Why is<br />
that Is it because they feel the need to support their family Or they feel that is the only way to show they are successful in life The<br />
traditional breadwinner idea is coming back more and more into male society. I feel that some men feel it is their duty to effectively<br />
support their future family, might I add, a family they don’t know, in order to feel like they succeeded in their own life. Wealth does<br />
not define how successful someone is or isn’t, it is himself/herself that determines it. What amazes me, is that when I was talking<br />
to this group of teenagers, one of the “ambitious” guys even claimed that as long as he had bragging rights in terms of wealth, then<br />
he is successful, no matter how boring his job is. The fact that some people are so obsessed with being rich and successful and not<br />
committing themselves to something that they love and want to passionately pursue really doesn’t make sense to me. I think everyone<br />
should try to pursue what the love, and if they love it so much, they will definitely succeed.<br />
The Stigma About Male Per<strong>for</strong>mers<br />
BY MATT TAUB<br />
I’m no athlete. That’s not to say that I’m not a huge sports fan and that I don’t enjoy following, watching, analyzing, debating,<br />
and casually playing sports, because I do, but there really is no chance that I can participate at a competitive level as an athlete. So<br />
instead, I’ve gravitated toward the arts, and as a student at Horace Mann I feel I’ve found my niche in the Theatre Company. I’ve<br />
enjoyed theater ever since I can remember, and to be part of the process of preparing and putting on a show was a thrill in my<br />
freshman year. Though I was on no athletic teams last year, I still feel I got a team experience in the arts. It’s not hard to equate an<br />
athletic team with a cast and crew: both are groups working hard day in and day out to achieve a goal, polishing their crafts and<br />
developing strong bonds in the process. Luckily, students seem to understand this at Horace Mann. I personally haven’t come by<br />
any adversity <strong>for</strong> being a guy in the artistic community; I haven’t fallen victim to cliché taunts or questions about my manliness.<br />
Why should I (or anyone else) Many of the men whose masculinity we question least are artists themselves, such as Brad Pitt or<br />
Jay-Z, men who are envied by other guys <strong>for</strong> their fame, style, and of course their superstar wives. These are examples of men that<br />
high school boys everywhere look to emulate and who are fawned over <strong>for</strong> their artistic abilities. Why flock to the movies then flee<br />
from the theater It makes no sense, then, <strong>for</strong> a high school boy to be considered un-cool solely <strong>for</strong> being better able to deliver a<br />
monologue than to deliver a touchdown pass. And here at Horace Mann, he isn’t. Many of my friends are athletes, and even more<br />
interesting, there are many students that are athletes one trimester and actors the next. It’s com<strong>for</strong>ting to go to a school that has a<br />
“you can be both” mentality, and even if Horace Mann did not have such an attitude, it wouldn’t make the sentiment untrue. I, <strong>for</strong><br />
example, may not stay after school every day running laps around the field, practicing my jumper, or working on my swing, but<br />
that doesn’t mean that I don’t watch ESPN, manage my fantasy basketball team, or lament over a trade I disagree with. The Horace<br />
Mann community owes itself a pat on the back <strong>for</strong> respecting individuals and their different interests, likes, and talents - and as<br />
discussed above - there’s really no reason <strong>for</strong> any community not to.<br />
6