OPINION: Yearbook Controversy
Last month, seniors were instructed to create their senior pages for the yearbook. Each student was given the freedom to express who they were and how they wanted to be remembered on their own page. The guidelines for these pages were defined with the sentiment of “reading in between the lines” serving as the central basis of the do’s and do-not’s of the pages. It was clear to most that prohibited content would consist of “no obscenity, profanity, inappropriate clothing or drug paraphernalia.” However, several students submitted photos that were rejected for publication.
When we reviewed the pictures allowed in previous yearbooks, it became clear that the regulation of senior pages for the class of 2018 was far stricter than it has been for the past two graduating classes. New head of the yearbook, Mr. Zaretsky, and twelfth-grade dean, Mr. Rufer, were the faculty members responsible for senior pages this year. With Mr. Rufer and Mr. Zaretsky being at the forefront of this controversy, we asked them to clarify their stances on the issue and share where they draw the line of what is appropriate and inappropriate.
Mr. Rufer explained, “I don’t know that there is a particularly clear line of what is appropriate and what’s not. I don’t view the yearbook as any different from any publication in that regard. What’s appropriate for a newsletter or a magazine or anything that is published like a school document should be appropriate for the yearbook and senior pages.” He added, “ I would also say the book is a record, publication of the school and not possession of the senior class.”
Mr. Zaretsky added, “Up to this point the school hasn’t set specific guidelines.” He further explained, “A general guideline of appropriate clothing is what you would wear to church, a college interview, a job interview. If it’s something you would say no to then it’s probably inappropriate. I understand that there’s a lot of gray area.” He concluded that he was happy this controversy started this important conversation “for both adults and students to have.”
Nonetheless, the censorship of many students’ photos shocked our peers and faculty. This incident serves as a wake-up call to further examine the values of Grace and to what extent we will allow society’s sexualization of female bodies to poison our community. Now is the time to collectively dig deeper; it’s time to face the underlying issues of this controversy, in all of their complexities.
Are we really the ‘progressive school’ we like to call ourselves when we are labeling tank tops as ‘inappropriate’? We cannot help but feel like the school is just picking and choosing when to be progressive. We understand that this is not a democracy. We give up our freedom the moment we enter Grace’s front doors. This, however, does not prevent us from questioning the judgement of the administration. As an institution, Grace prides itself on giving a platform to passionate students for their voices to be heard. Therefore, we students are led to believe that the line of this harsh regulation can be changed for the better. However, whether or not this conversation will lead to change is up to the administration. At the least, this controversy will serve as a precedent for the rising senior class of 2019.
Seniors Erica Grosso, Julia Sebastia-Lopez and Jenna Hua are a mere handful of women whose photos were flagged. Although all three photos were flagged for different issues, the concluding reason for why the photos were prohibited all dealt with the pervasive issue of over-sexualizing female bodies. Each senior has written their own description of how and why their photos were censored, which you can find below.
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By Erica Grosso
“I really wanted to include this photo in my yearbook page as it is one of the few photos that exist of all of my friends and I together, especially where everyone is looking in the same direction, and no one is blurry. The yearbook is about commemorating our high school experience, and obviously my friends are a big part of that. First, my photo was flagged because of ‘glassy eyes.’ When I look at that picture, no one’s eyes appear glassy to me.
I went back to my dean and Mr. Zaretsky who said this wasn’t acceptable for the yearbook, and I asked them to reconsider and reevaluate my picture. I was then told that they were going to ask a female teacher for a third opinion. When I went back to see what they decided, the third teacher, said that my picture was too ‘hyper-sexual’ and not acceptable for the yearbook. Calling a picture of a group of girls smiling for the camera ‘hyper-sexual,’ to me, is beyond insulting. We look like average girls smiling together.
Calling my friends and I hyper-sexual made us feel uncomfortable. A teacher even compared the outfit of a student pictured to content from a Victoria’s Secret magazine. I never expected this from our school, a place that is usually open and accepting, and I am very disappointed over the way this was handled.”
By Julia Sebastia-Lopez
“This photo is important to me because it is with my best friend throughout all of high school. The teachers said it was flagged because our outfits were too revealing, too sexual. At first I felt uncomfortable that a picture of two teenagers was immediately thought of as something sexual, but as I tried to fight for my picture, my discomfort turned into anger. I felt like the school wanted me to be ashamed of my body. I think I was so angry because just two days prior we had watched the film The Hunting Ground. After watching it we discussed rape culture, and what we can do to combat it, so I was left with the feeling that I had to do something.
So when my male teachers came to me saying there was something inappropriate about the picture, I was offended and hurt that my so-called progressive school was censoring my body the way they would drugs, for example. Grace taught me how to stick up for myself and what I believe in. I feel betrayed.”
By Jenna Hua
“I had no hesitation when including the artwork in my yearbook page. Even Mr. Zaretsky, who I asked to give my page a final look over before submitting, saw nothing wrong with the page in that moment. The artwork was created by the Quentin Monge, a French artist that is most known for his drawings of simple silhouettes – I later contacted him and received permission to use his artwork on my page.
I wished to include the artwork because of how free and at-ease the female silhouettes seemed. To me, it sent a message about female empowerment and self-love. To Mr. Mahabir, Mr. Rufer, and Mr. Zaretsky, however, the artwork represented “naked people,” and due to certain figures’ sexually-suggestive nature, it was not allowed in the yearbook.
What is most ironic about this whole situation is that the message I attempted to send by including the art in my page, coupled with the excerpt of “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou has so much to do with issues of over-sexualizing women in the first place.
I ultimately brought this issue to Mr. Mahabir. He decided that due to the public nature and JK-12 audience of the yearbook, the artwork was inappropriate and not allowed on my page. I did not expect Grace to betray me this way. This is far larger than just a yearbook issue. This is a gross breach of trust.
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