Feminism can bring up many different images in people’s minds. Whether it be women in hand-sewn dresses demanding suffrage or angry “burn-your-bra” females yelling about how men are horrible, many misconceptions of modern feminism circulate today.

Feminism is considered as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” And although the definition may seem concrete, it can stand for different things for different people.

Senior Sierra MacMillan is currently the first chair violinist in advanced orchestra at NHS. To her, the word feminism brings to mind men who try to put women in a lower place in society; women whose only duty is housework. However, when she thinks further on the word she reaches a different conclusion.

“I don’t think it’s really that anymore. It’s more about better pay and equal pay opportunities,” MacMillan said.

Occasionally, there will be a feminist who preaches that women are better than men, and that men as a whole are bad people; however, in this case one bad apple ruins the bunch. MacMillan recognized that while some feminists can cross a line, the majority simply want to help.

“There is a place where it can go too far, but if one does something wrong, all feminists get blamed for it,” she said. “They are very brave…and want to help a lot of women who can’t [help themselves.]”

In her opinion, MacMillan felt that feminism has not only improved women’s state of living in society, but has given them more confidence as well.

“[Feminism] has impacted society greatly. Women are almost on equal footing as men, doing our jobs just as well as–sometimes doing our jobs better–than men. Women are more aggressive with the way we tackle things,” MacMillan said.

On another side, junior and transgender male Lucas Licon views a feminist as someone for equality for all, not just one gender.

“[Feminism] is drawn to one gender, for women, when it’s [really] for all minorities,” he said. “[It is about] giving minorities other opportunities people normally wouldn’t get.”

Licon expressed the benefit of feminism in our society today and how the American culture can use it to benefit the country.

“When used properly, it produces an open minded society. Then our society is sure to blossom,” Licon said.

Licon continued to expand his hopes of feminism for humanity in the future.

“I am one for the fighting of equality, of creating a world for the future us,” Licon said. “Not in technology, not in advancement of mechanics, but in advancement of a society. To where, when I leave, I can say I fought as hard as I could and impacted in a positive way.”

Shannon White, a Social Studies teacher at NHS, has had a more rocky experience with feminism and its impact on her life.

“It’s a lot different today than when I was in high school,” White said. “I was very resistant to it in high school.”

She mentioned her friend who was very passionate about women’s rights and equality. White said her friend would go on tirades over small remarks, to prove she was just as good as they were.

“It was the only exposure I really had to feminism,” White said. “[My friend] was much more extreme than I wanted to be.”

However, White soon came to realize that the principles of feminism were ones she agreed with, and she wanted to take part of them.

“I can distinguish more as an adult versus in high school,” White said. “I was resistant to feminism for a long time, and I had to go through a growing process.”

White mentioned that radicals have a part to play with the negative connotations that come with feminism.

“Everything’s on a spectrum and the radicals are on both sides,” White said. “They’re the ones people hear. It has nothing to do with sexual orientation, religious orientation, political orientation, although people can find them in those areas

Bethany Zilligen, an English teacher at NHS, although not identifying with feminists themselves, agreed with many of their ideas and values.

“I believe all people should have equality, and if that makes me a feminist then I’m not going to fight back,” Zilligen said. “I don’t like to box myself into one category.”

Even though Zilligen doesn’t have a definition for herself, she is able to deny the misconceptions of feminism.

“People think of power hungry women who went to take over the world, who aren’t satisfied with what they have,” Zilligen said. “They are mainly negative connotations.”

Although many people have different ideas of what feminism is, there is an underlying agreement that the negative connotations of the word “feminism” are generally incorrect. Instead, feminism is viewed as a positive concept, meant to benefit those who have less, and impact society towards a more accepting future.

“Like Emma Watson, I love what she is doing, fighting against [sexism] in the media,” Zilligen said. “People like Emma, and Jennifer Lawrence as well, someone like her, I can get behind that argument.”