Post-High School Thoughts

I have learned more in the past year then I learned in high school; expanding my knowledge on world events and societal norms that were once encouraged by my teachers. We all grow post-secondary and acknowledge the norms we've lived by need to be challenged-well, for those who choose to. But something I regret in high school was submitting and condoning slut shaming and, indirectly, rape culture.

By allowing dress codes to control myself and defining sexuality in a frame of normality, not only did I disregard anyone who didn't fit into the standards but I unknowingly participated in judging my fellow classmates by what they wore and how it reflected on their characters. More make up must mean you want to attract someone. Pushup bras must mean you're asking for sex. Crop tops must mean you want to blow the next guy in the bathroom. Archaic ideas that have been engrained in my head since day one. And I never questioned them.

And it's not like I knew any better, teachers never challenged the opinions I shared with majority of my class, instead they were teaching me how to find an atomic orbital which ended up being wrong following my first university lecture; how beneficial! Instead of teaching us about ideologies and culture, they taught us Calculus and Microsoft Word when it would inevitably change in the coming years. Needless to say, high school failed us.

Since the wheels of change move slowly, the system remains the same but the media has made the next generation more aware. After listening to a sexist speech from her principal, Marion Mayer took to her Facebook and Tumblr page to expose the injustice knowing it would bring more attention to the matter. Kudos. Her fierce post made the Huffington Post as it broke down his problematic lines like "modest is hottest" and "boys will be boys".

It's refreshing to see this young woman, and in my eyes feminist, voice her opinions on condoning rape culture and sexual assault against women. Third Wave Feminism is popping up everywhere and to see it stem in the young sixteen year old shows more wisdom from a high schooler then the high school teachers and system put together.