October was kicked off with a jam-packed day aimed to energize and inform our school’s continuing conversation about feminism. Hewitt’s MAKERS Day increased our knowledge of the issues that women have faced throughout history in the struggle for gender equality; we heard prominent MAKERS themselves, watched the ground-breaking documentary MAKERS: Women Who Make America, and engaged in compelling, student-led discussions.
The day started as 7th-12th grades gathered into the gym to watch the first chapter of MAKERS. This movie achieved the perfect balance of being informative, captivating, and humorous, and kept students engaged (even bringing a few to tears).
Executive producer Dyllan McGee was there through the morning, watching her film along with us and participating in a Q&A session. We were able to learn firsthand about her team’s hundreds of interviews with incredible women who have truly made (and are still making) America, about her thoughts on the modern women’s movement, and McGee’s career. The 7th graders definitely dominated the Q&A session, and though at times it felt like their questions were never-ending, it was refreshing to see their excitement and interest in feminism. Their inquiries signaled that this day was going to one which we would leave with more questions sparked than answers known, just as Ms. Weber had hoped, who spearheaded the planning of MAKERS day.
Along with Rebecca Aydin ’14, I led two discussion groups about men and women as feminists, different MAKERS, and our MAKERS Day. The first session was composed of 7th-9th graders and the second of 10th-12th graders. Splitting the grades up was a choice made by the curatorial committee because it allowed the younger girls to share their thoughts on the issues of feminism without feeling intimidated by the upperclassmen. However, some students questioned this choice. Francesca Caracci ’14 suggested that we should have 7th-12th graders mixed in each group because it would benefit the younger girls. Being able to see such passion about feminism in upperclassmen would give the younger girls motivation to join in on the conversation, not to mention the confidence to speak freely with an older audience.
Tajae Williams ’16 remarked, “MAKERS Day was an extraordinary event; however, next time, I suggest to make it either a half day or a day that consists of more activities which allow us to be on our feet. We were sitting most of the time, and that resulted in some lack of attention.” There was a general consensus among the 7th-12th grade that the day felt long. Nonetheless, students and teachers alike have marked MAKERS day as a big success.
Even after the day, Hewitt girls are conversing about the treatment of women by men and themselves and the portrayal of women in the media. In continuing the conversation, there sure will be thoughts concerning the image and status of women today.
Some of the most significant questions that were brought up on MAKERS Day were those of classification. Can anyone (regardless of age, gender, etc.) be considered a feminist? Do you have to take action to be considered a feminist, or can you just believe in total gender equality?
The conversation has only just begun, and you can continue it by commenting with your thoughts below and talking to your peers. Take a look at The Hewitt Times‘s MAKERS page for more resources.