By Courtney Cooperman ’16, Commentary Editor 

Newark Academy students have countless opportunities to voice their opinions, whether independently or through in-school outlets. Class discussions, essays, presentations, informal conversations, and articles for The Minuteman are all chances for students to speak their minds — chances most students take without hesitation. At home, many bring their perspectives to their families at the dinner table or to their peers through social media. Various students’ recent posts on Facebook regarding feminism exemplify our social consciousness as we move beyond the classroom.

Some initial articles on Facebook about feminism attracted attention, and as more and more students commented on the articles, they eventually reached a sizable percentage of Facebook users in the Newark Academy community. Back-and-forth comments intensified, eventually becoming more frustrating than thought-provoking. School Council President Hannah Zack ’14, an active participant in the comment thread, saw that students across grades and genders had passion for the issues brought up online. Yet as the debates turned into offensive attacks, she recognized that Facebook was not the best forum for such an emotional topic. As Hannah noted, “Discussion on Facebook is effective at getting ideas out, but everyone came to the consensus that it wasn’t the way to do it.” She stated that it was “pressing” to bring the conversation into the building, since so many students were already involved.

Students and faculty alike were eager to attend a face-to-face dialogue about feminism, which was held on February 12^th in the Eberstadht Room after school. Over forty people came to the conversation, occupying every chair, bench, and sofa, as well as much of the floor space. The in-school conversations highlighted the profound differences between virtual and in-person debates. Regardless of opinions on the issues, everyone recognized the absence of tone, a key element in sensitive debates, on the Facebook posts. Elias Neibart ’16 noticed, “The face-to face conversation allowed for people to share what they believed in a more formal, orderly environment. Often, on the web, thoughts might seem scattered or not cohesive, and the school discussion allowed for people to verbally articulate their thoughts.” Hannah Zack also pointed out that it is easy to scroll past a Facebook comment, but it is harder to ignore impassioned peers stating their beliefs out loud.

 Although girls and female faculty constituted the majority of the participants, more boys showed up than Hannah had expected. Maggie DeNoon ’16 noted, “It was exciting to see that this many people were interested, and it was really nice to see a bunch of teachers there, and students from all different grades with all sorts of beliefs. I thought the content was excellent, and everyone was extremely well-spoken.” Most of the teachers present took a more passive role, acting as listeners and exerting minimal influence on students’ expression. Faculty presence certainly did not reduce the emotion that students conveyed.

However, others felt that lack of complete gender balance in the group of participants stifled their ability to comfortably proclaim their beliefs. As Jordan Zucker ’16 stated, “The key thing is equal representation. It’s human instinct when there’s a majority on one side to take a more moderate stance on a topic you are passionate about.” Elias Neibart ’16 feels similarly, noting, “I believe that in-school, people – men especially – feel the need to filter what they say in order not to offend another group, when in reality, everyone should be able to speak their minds and take confidence in their opinions and ideas.” In future conversations, it is important to reach out to everyone, regardless of gender and perspective, to create an atmosphere with a balanced dynamic, in which all viewpoints can be expressed with equal strength.

 The initial conversation held a few weeks ago, despite its imperfections, sets a foundation for deeper exploration of feminism in our school community. Another dialogue after school on Thursday, February 20^th expanded on the themes of the first discussion, once again filling every seat in the Eberstadt Room. Considering all of the commitments students have after school each day, an overflowing room speaks to the community’s passion for discussing social justice.

Hannah Zack believes that discourse on feminism is “something that’s not going to go away, like it or not. No matter what side you fall on, it’s important to keep the ball rolling.” A Morning Meeting on feminism was mentioned as a possible way to expand exploration of the subject beyond a small group. Extensions of the first two dialogues will certainly proceed, and hopefully people with opinions on every end of the spectrum will feel comfortable expressing their views. As Jordan Zucker stated, “If people know that the numbers are equal, people will show up and speak their minds.” If a wider audience can be reached, increased diversity in perspective will greatly enrich the continuing conversations.