(April 4, 2003) — “Throughout the twentieth century, women have had to continue to fight for a place in the community of physics,” wrote the author of Pythagora’s Trousers , Margaret Wertheim. Statistics show that men are more likely to move up the math and science ladder than women. But times have changed; in a school that emphasizes math and science such as Clark, women can have the same potential as men. Decades ago girls were not encouraged, even discouraged at times, to take advanced math or science, commented AP Physics teacher Gerald Gruss. This year there is an unusually small number of girls, only three out of thirty-three students in Gruss’ AP Physics class. “But girls show just as much ability as boys in [AP] Physics and other advanced classes,” said Gruss. To understand why statistics focus on the accomplishment of women advancing in math and science would only reflect the problem of sexism in society today. According to the 2000 Candidate/Interim Visit from the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Clark was recommended to “develop additional ways to recruit and retain female students in order to provide for greater gender equity.” With the recommendation taken to consideration, Clark has expanded the range of females in advanced math and science classes from 20% to 31% since the last year. The assumption that women can’t succeed in scientifically demanding classes and careers has been proved wrong by many female Clarkees, including teachers. AP Chemistry teacher Loussik Kassakhian had a difficult time when she was training to become a teacher in a male-dominated science department. “I thought the society set some type of acceptance of what you do in the future, so that’s why you try to accommodate the situation,” added Kassakhian. She was intimidated at first but she learned to be assertive and gained the respect of others. So is this one of the problems at Clark? According to Kassakhian, female students in her chemistry class put forth as much effort as male students. “That was then,” answers Kassakhian. “Now it’s much easier.”