BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY (BGQ) APRIL 2020

from BLACK & GOLD QUARTERLY (BGQ) APRIL 2020

by CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL

The shape of the world

A Two-Sided

History

Reflecting on societal changes throughout history that altered men and women’s lives both in the past and today.

by: MALLORY SWOPE staff writer

The feminist movement is one of, if not, the longest-spanning societal movements of all time in America. Because the movement has gone on for so long and its effects continue to trickle down from generation to generation, it has a sort of connotation that makes us as a society oblivious to the whole of its effects. Throughout all of the changes made in the feminist movement, society tends to solely acknowledge how women’s lives were altered. This leads the public to overlook the second side of the story, the men’s perspective. When the first women stepped into their new jobs in factories alongside men, the women were not the only ones to experience a jolting culture shock. As men left for their shifts after women were adopted into the workforce, they felt their own sort of culture shock. They wouldn’t leave their wives at home for 12-hour shifts anymore. Instead, they both left for work at the same time and came home at the same time. This advance in society was just one of the first that began a series of changes that would be observed for the next several decades and even into the next century.

The foundation of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) - 1869

Impacts on Women:

With the establishment of the NWSA came the beginning of the official Women’s Suffrage Movement, and it motivated women nationwide to vote. In areas of the country where it was still considered taboo for anyone who wasn’t a white male to vote, the NWSA inspired women to take control of their beliefs and promote them. They were encouraged to become involved in the government and political reforms which created a domino effect as sub-groups of the NWSA such as the National Woman’s Party were created.

Impacts on Men:

Even though the Women’s Suffrage Movement was centered around women, men were the ones who had control over the results ultimately. The feminist movement also caused conflict between men who had opposing viewpoints on women’s voting rights. Men were also presented with the fear that women would use their right to vote as a way to spite them for the years of societal lag the women suffered, according to the National Association of Scholars.

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Impacts on Men:

Opposite to the women, men’s power was slightly limited by the ratification of the 19th Amendment. To compensate for the balance of status in society, men were forced down so women could rise. No longer would men have all the say in elections and the ratification of laws. They were also prohibited from trying to prevent women from voting in any election, and this became an act punishable with the same consequences as breaking all other Amendments.

Impacts on Women:

Ratification of the 19th Amendment - 1920

After 41 years of fighting against the government, women were finally given a promotion in society. It became one of the most revolutionary events in the history of female empowerment and gender equality, even to this day. This was one of the first times men and women held some sort of equal power in society, and women were able to help make decisions that impacted both their lives and the lives of future generations.

Flapper Movement of the Roaring 20s

Impacts on Women:

During this movement, women of all ages stepped outside of their comfort zones and the norms society had in place at the time. An increased number of women were found in the workplace and enrolled in college, and fewer spent their lives as stay-at-home mothers or housewives. They adopted new senses of fashion and hairstyles, tastes in music, and loves for drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes that made them stand out more than ever before.

Impacts on Men:

Men, especially those who were older and more traditional, resented the flapper movement. In some cases, they were embarrassed by how their wives appeared out in public with their revealing clothes and how their wives participated in activities that they previously considered taboo. In other cases, men endorsed their wives’ new behaviors and their marriage dynamic was strengthened because of it.

Impacts on Women:

Impacts on Men:

As women continued to gain power in society, their male employers who they sued for discrimination had their lives turned upside down in some cases. Women were likely to team up and host sit-ins and strikes in and around the businesses they called out, trashing the names and images of both said businesses and employers. Men also suffered because of their female counterparts’ empowerment through the form of divorce. Divorce rates spiked in the ‘60s and ‘70s, forcing men to lose their property and belongings in addition to their families.

This wave of the feminist movement showed the country and the world that American women were adamant about making something of themselves in society. Their fight against discrimination in the workplace called negligent male employers out on their faults, and the women proceeded by digging deeper and initiating the battle for equal pay. The second wave revamped the feminist movement after what appeared to be a lull that spanned several decades.

The Second Wave of Feminism - 1960-1979

Impacts on Women:

Women involved in this portion of the modern feminist movement branched out and showed society that they would not accept abuse or harassment from men anymore. Promoted by gender equality, these women allowed themselves to single out events and people who changed their lives for the worse because of sexual assault. Celebrities who called out their former coworkers and producers inspired women of average class to open up about their struggles. Women all over the country who were affected by sexual assault were given major closure through this movement.

Me Too Movement - 2006-present

Impacts on Men:

Assuming the best-case scenario in unsolved cases, 201 men lost their standings in society due to their alleged sexual misconduct. They lost their jobs and struggled to find new sources of income, bringing down their families in the process. As the Me Too Movement gained momentum nationally and globally, men who were falsely accused of sexual harassment were given their shot at justice with the Him Too Movement. The movement originated in France and crossed the Pacific in 2018, encouraging falsely-accused men to refute their accusers through lawsuits.

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100 years ago atCentral

The 1920s, a walk down memory lane as seen from high school students 100 years ago. Century old Black and Gold Newspapers and The Pines Yearbooks tell the stories of Central’s students in the 1920s.

Building:

The Central High School building in the 1920s was made of yellow brick. Throughout the 1920s, there were portable structures out front because of overcrowding in the school. Later in that decade, a red brick addition was added on to the sides. Some of this building is still standing today and serves as Central Grade School. The red brick addition is now the Lars Hockstad Auditorium. Music:

Through the 1920s, the high school orchestra was a constant, however, the band was a new addition in 1926. The band was made up of both Junior and Senior High students and was an after school club. Even though the band’s original director left after only one year of advising the club, the band continued on. Sports:

Central 100 years ago was doing well in sports. Our football team was thriving. We won almost every football game throughout the decade and our boys basket ball team did well too. The girls basketball team did not have anyone to compete with, so they just practiced, but they did so fiercely.

by: JOIE BALDYGA content editor

Clubs and Organizations: Some clubs and organizations were fleeting - they showed up once and never came back, but through the 1920s, many of the clubs grew and expanded to include more people. One of the most reported on clubs/teams of the 1920s was the high school’s debate team. The debate team was strong, winning many of its competitions most years. Some form of a Drama club was always around in the 1920s, however, it took many different titles. Originally known as the Amicitia Et Humitus club, which was girls only, this club was more a social club than a drama club. Later, the club was known as the Thespian Society. This version of the club was also girls only, but they did start to focus more on dramatics. By the end of the 1920s, the club took on the name “Drama Club” and began to welcome boys. The glee clubs of the 1920s were also prominent standings. The decade started out with only the boys glee club, but by 1924, a girl’s Glee club was added. Other clubs through the 1920s include a girl’s Chorus and a boys chorus, science club, agriculture club, student council and government, yearbook, and newspaper.

1800s Lab

November 22 ‘29 SOCIAL CALENDAR

Friday 22 - End of second six weeks. Saturday 23 - Bay City vs. T.C.H.S (there). Monday25 - Freshmen class party. Tuesday 26 - P.T.A. Lecture. Wednesday 27 - Report Cards. Journalism club. Thursday 28 and 29 - Thanksgiving vacation. Friday 29 - Older Boys conference. Sunday 1 - Older Boys Conference. Tuesday 3 - P.T.A. Lecture. Wednesday 4 - French club. Journalism. Friday 6 - Petoskey-T.C. Debate

From the Pub of 1920