Melinda's decision to do her report for Mr. Neck on suffragettes was significant in a few complex ways. For one, most readers would agree that is seems healthy for Melinda to research and report on women standing up for their rights. It seems like they could act as healthy role models and inspiration for Melinda to stand up for her own self. 

In a way, they do just that. When Mr. Neck tells her she needs to give an oral presentation on her report, Melinda does a couple things that seem positive and healthy. For one, she reaches out to a friend, asking David to help her prepare. Additionally, she does stand up for herself, in a silent protest in front of her whole class.

However, the issue is more complicated than that. As David points out, the suffragettes fought so that their voices could be heard, not to stay quiet. For Melinda to truly stand up for herself, she needs to speak out about what is going on with her. Thus the suffragette report is a stop on Melinda's path to speaking up, but definitely not the end point.