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Assignment 5

As someone who was once a high schooler, a lot of things mentioned in the book were things that remained quite fresh and relatable. However, hearing the author’s point of view and her take on the meaning behind the traditional rituals of high school was something that never occurred to me in the years I spent in high school. The school administrators definitely had a unique part in creating an environment that allowed superiority over certain aspects of gender and sexuality. Many events that symbolize high school, especially for River High, consist of Homecoming, football games, Winter Ball, Mr. Cougar, and prom, all symbolize the normalization of heterosexuality and the power of masculinity, aspects deemed central in preparation for the upcoming entrance into social life for the senior students (Pascoe, 2007; 39). Mr. Cougar, in particular, is looked upon by the students as a popularity contest, most often targeted towards white boys who are recognized by their peers as being very masculine and strong by partaking in a sports team (Pascoe, 2007; 43). It is hard to imagine what the purpose of such an event is, and why the school would even allow for such a futile event to take place. In hindsight, it may just be the school’s long-standing tradition, yet it singles out certain individuals and reward them with the title of “being the best out of all” in terms of how masculine they are. This forces the students to become someone that is regarded as ideal by society and not particularly someone they want to be. This is exemplified by Huey, a student that Pascoe mentions in her book. Huey is ostracized by his peers because of the way he dress and the way he acts, which falls outside of the theme of masculinity; he is even teased by his teacher for his lacking masculinity (Pascoe, 2007; 36). As a response, he starts to make himself look funny in others so that the other students would laugh at him and regard him as funny, which was, for Huey, better than being ostracized. Social discrimination forces him to act a certain way and give up a part of himself that truly makes him who he is. The school plays a huge part in formulating an environment that allows the growth of certain aspects of gender and sexuality that sets a boundary between the students.