We hear a great deal of talk today about the modern girl. Much criticism is hurled at her because of her way of doing things, her manner of dress, the way she wears her hair and so on down the line. There are some people who are fearful of the result of modernism on our girls of today. They feel that the rapid pace that she is setting will eventually bring ruin. However we do not entertain such fears and feel that the modern young woman is able to take care of herself. We believe that she is stronger and far superior to her sister of an earlier day. Of course the modern girl is not perfect, neither was the “old-fashioned girl” of the ”good old days.” But we do feel that the torrent of abuse and criticism that is heaped upon the girl of today is unnecessary and unjust to her. Some people have the mistaken idea that because a girl has “bobbed hair,” she must be classed as a “flapper.” This is indeed an erroneous idea. Just because a girl wears her hair short is no reason that the is not as serious or as efficient as the girl with her hair puffed on all sides of her head and especially pulled down over her ears. With the advent of bobbed hair came the revelation to some of us that girls actually had ears. There was a time when it was considered bad for a girl to allow her ears to be in view.
Perhaps some of the tings we have said about the modern girl have been said lightly, and maybe we have been unfair in our attitude toward her critics. But with all seriousness we believe she should be defended against those who would brand her as frivolous and lacking in serious thought. We believe that the modern girl of today is the hope of American womanhood. Her activities in college, in the home, in the business world today will mean that women are to have privileges that have long been denied her. We do not believe that they should be allowed to engage in some of the activities that must be carried on by men, but she should be given her chance.
Women are taking their place alongside men in business. She is dressing for the part. None can deny that bobbed hair and short skirts increase the efficiency of the working girl. We must allow her some freedom. Would we have her go back to piling up switches on her head and put her back in bustles?
From the editorial page of the Maroon and Gold, student newspaper at Elon College, Feb. 4, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2015236757/1925-02-04/ed-1/seq-2/#words=FEBRUARY+4%2C+1925
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