Elementary school girls used to chant “Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider” whenever a boy claimed superiority at something
That was years ago. Today, the underlying message of the quote still remains, manifesting in the distribution of leadership roles at school.
Out of nine major clubs at Monarch, all are either led or co-led by girls.
In Senior and Junior senate, National Honor Society, Student Council, DECA, Thespian Society, Yearbook, KYOT, and The Mix, there are 15 girl leaders and seven boys.
There’s an imbalance in the school where most students taking an active leadership role in clubs are girls. This article is not an attempt to undermine the few male leaders and participants, but a recognition of the imbalance.
Student body co-president Anderson Morgan ‘24 notices the contrast of leaders among his peers.
“Maybe boys are not focused enough on their future, and they’re just thinking about short-term things that are happening right now,” Morgan said.
Clubs at Monarch are generally aimed toward students who are passionate about the club topic and those who like to actively participate in school activities and events. The temptation to join comes from a desire to engage in the community.
Keirra Kernan ‘24 is the co-president of the American Sign Language Honor Society and puts countless hours of work into her role in the club.
“I’ve noticed that girls are more dedicated to school-based activities and their education,” Kernan said. “Generally, from what I see, male leadership roles are more about power, while women in leadership roles use their positions to influence and advocate.”
Lucy Roberts ‘24 is co-president of the Senior Senate. She was inspired to get more involved in school and student-run activities.
“I wanted to be in a leadership position, especially in the Senior Senate because it handles so many senior activities,” Roberts said. Her dedication to pursuing an active role in her class community spurred this decision.
Similarly, co-president of the National Honor Society (NHS) Meghan Durfee ‘24 took on the role because she understood the value of gaining leadership experience.
“I think it’s important to offer leadership, and I feel as if I was pretty involved with NHS before becoming a leader,” Durfee said. “I think it’s an important club at Monarch and I thought it was important to be part of it.”
Kernan ran for the role of co-president because of her passion for ASL. She and her other co-president were the only two people who ran.
“I feel like I show more passion, dedication, and responsibility towards ASL, whereas a lot of my male counterparts in ASL Honor Society don’t take as much action towards it,” Kernan said. “It feels like I see more girls in honor society as well because for boys, it’s not something they find worth their time.”
This is a phenomenon that is occurring at Monarch right here, right now. Girls are taking over leadership roles in clubs. It’s as simple as that.
However, there’s one club that has a more equal ratio of boys to girls.
DECA is a club that focuses on creating leaders in marketing and entrepreneurship. There are 178 members in total, with 92 girls and 86 boys.
“I feel like when you get into the quote-unquote real world, leadership becomes more of a power symbol and a drive for more material value, which isn’t bad,” Kernan said.
Even so, most Monarch clubs are driven by passion and education. People who join and run for leadership positions have an enthusiastic outlook on what they can do for the school, rather than what they can gain by joining.
“At this age, there’s more of a feminine passion that goes into certain societies, clubs, and activities, while boys focus on stuff outside of school,” Kernan said.