Feminism | Posted by Erica Lee on 08/2/2010

Banish Girl Hate Today

the result of girl hate.

I’ll admit it: I used to be a hater. After I hit 13, for whatever reason, I started to really, really dislike other girls. I was constantly jealous of them, hated when they talked to my array of (oftentimes disgusting/unworthy) boyfriends and basically wanted nothing to do with anyone with breasts who was outside my usual social circle. I just didn’t like them.

Or so I thought.

Actually, now I see I was brainwashed by society into being jealous of them.

Now, 10 years later, I know that most of my “hatred” for the other (beautiful, smart, talented) ladies around me was actually jealousy. Insecurity. A byproduct of a society that was becoming hypersexualized & overly focused on outward appearances.

So yes, I am a victim. And so is…

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Feminism | Posted by Danielle B on 07/5/2010

Shh, Don’t Say the F-Word

I’m a feminist. Man, that feels good.

I’ve been a feminist all my life but didn’t realize it until a few weeks ago when I checked out a twenty-pound stack of books from the library (everything from Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism to Ariel Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs). Somewhere along the line something clicked; maybe it wasn’t as glamorous as the whole light-bulb-over-the-head charade, but it was pretty dang life-changing.

My name’s Danielle and I’m your typical high school student. Even though I suffer from over-achiever-itis my friends still know me as the nice, funny one. I believe in honesty, compassion (all of that philosophical mumbo-jumbo) and really try to be someone my parents and friends can be proud of. But sometimes even that feels like a revolutionary act when you’re drowning in a sea…

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Feminism, Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 04/30/2010

How Are Teenage Girls Supposed to Identify as Feminists With These Role Models?

not (necessarily) a teenage feminist

She’s staring at me like I’ve just insinuated she embodies the anti-Christ. “A feminist? No, I’m not a feminist. Oh my God.” Despite the fact that this classmate of mine just spent ten minutes ranting about how a woman has the right to choose and thinks anybody who disagrees is archaic, she is equally appalled at the thought of labeling herself as a feminist. Am I frustrated? Yes. But as a teenage feminist, I’m used to it.

Teenage feminists are a mighty minority. You may find us in the malls, mingling amongst girls who carry bags plastered with the image of a naked torso and the word “Abercrombie.” We’re even at football games, willingly crushed between excited pubescent bodies. Maybe we’re the girls in the hoodies rolling…

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Feminism | Posted by Kate S on 02/3/2010

International Night for Dummies

yay diversity and stereotypes

This post occurs at the same boarding school where girls have to wear pastel dresses for commencement. Ah, the bright future that lies ahead of us as the esteemed, Ivy-Leagued educated CEO’s wives…

Another tradition (among many) that irritates me is International Night. This is an evening event hosted by yours truly, ASB, where the student body celebrates its diversity through ethnic dinners, performances, and finally, dance. The motivation behind the event is truly commendable: a campus fraught with students from various regions around the world takes benefit of its diversity and celebrates it. However, when applied, it becomes a crow-pleaser—a victim of superficiality.

As an avid critic of school events, I have never attended this event since my freshmen year (a traumatizing event we won’t get to…) but in…

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Feminism | Posted by Kate S on 10/20/2009

Painting Pastel

generic boarding school!

I attend an independent boarding school with some caliber. Wait, I lied. I attend a set of schools: one for the boys, one for the girls. Students are admitted through an application process. The tuition resembles that of Ivy League schools and in return, the school offers academic, leadership, and social opportunities.

As a second-year immigrant from Korea living in a heavily Asian-immigrant-populated city, I decided to apply to this school. It seemed to have an abundant amount of diversity. I applied with my poor English and I was ecstatic to find out that I had gotten in with financial aid. But, imagine my surprise on the first day of my freshmen year. I walk into my first class and there are no y-chromosomes.

Soon, I learned that freshmen and…

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