Title
Chapel Talk, 2017 October 4: Battle of the Sexes 2.0 / Elizabeth Roach
Date
October
4
2017
Decade
2010s
Notes
Elizabeth's chapel talk is so aptly titled, "Battle of the Sexes 2.0." She describes living in a very loving and supportive home with her parents and four sisters. She speaks of her love of sports and being a dedicated athlete as well as scholar and the difficult transition to high school where boys did not only not recognize her talent but her tenacity as well.
Elizabeth says: "In many ways, the progress and equality we now seem to enjoy can also be dangerous because it can only make us complacent; it can make us not see the subtle things that we, as a society, do to keep women down. The overt oppression is easier to see and respond to, while the more hidden or veiled sexism is far more dangerous and insidious. Furthermore, we can - as both men and women - actually contribute to the sexist narrative, unknowingly, unconsciously, unintentionally." Elizabeth talks about women's appearance and the way some women are "forced" to dress in certain cultures. "...the historical narrative that girls' and women's bodies should be covered, that girls and women are somehow responsible for not distracting boys and men, that their bodies are objects." Elizabeth goes on to describe St. Andrew's as a "laboratory of learning for both students and faculty." And her final thoughts, "We need to move from 'The Battle of the Sexes' to the 'Alliance of the Sexes.'"
Elizabeth says: "In many ways, the progress and equality we now seem to enjoy can also be dangerous because it can only make us complacent; it can make us not see the subtle things that we, as a society, do to keep women down. The overt oppression is easier to see and respond to, while the more hidden or veiled sexism is far more dangerous and insidious. Furthermore, we can - as both men and women - actually contribute to the sexist narrative, unknowingly, unconsciously, unintentionally." Elizabeth talks about women's appearance and the way some women are "forced" to dress in certain cultures. "...the historical narrative that girls' and women's bodies should be covered, that girls and women are somehow responsible for not distracting boys and men, that their bodies are objects." Elizabeth goes on to describe St. Andrew's as a "laboratory of learning for both students and faculty." And her final thoughts, "We need to move from 'The Battle of the Sexes' to the 'Alliance of the Sexes.'"
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