36 years ago, The Weather Vane asked EMU (then EMC) this question: Is the U.S. ready for a woman vice president?

I found this article in The Weather Vane’s archives completely by accident. I was looking for data on past voting habits at EMU, but when I saw this, I did a double take. Finding this segment was jarring not just because of the identical time stamp or the several adverse responses to a woman in office. Rather, it served as a reminder that 36 years ago, in this exact place, EMU was talking about the same thing. This question could just as easily be run in today’s newspaper, and is—on page 5 of this issue, where you’ll see clippings of the original 1984 Sounding Board next to current responses from EMU’s students today.

For some context: In the 1984 election, incumbent Republican President Ronald Reagan defeated former Vice President and Democratic candidate Walter Mondale. Reagan won by a landslide, facing little opposition. However, what made this election stand out was Geraldine Ferraro—Mondale’s VP pick and the first-ever woman to be on a major party’s presidential election ticket. 

Since Ferraro, a woman on a major party’s ticket has only happened three times. The first was Sarah Palin in 2008 (with Republican presidential candidate John McCain), the second was Hillary Clinton in 2016 (the Democratic presidential candidate), and the third is Kamala Harris (with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden) in this year’s election. If elected, Harris stands to be the first female Vice President, and not only that, but the first woman of color to be Vice President. She is the first woman of color to make it to a major party’s presidential ticket.

Only 36 years ago in this place, the notion of a female in office was radical. Women of color were not even a part of the conversation. I would like to think we have come far since then. The responses of our students today greatly contrast those of 1984. But we should not be able to ask this question. It’s 2020.