FUSED Spring 2017
The retro issue
Bloomington High School North News Magazine
Tanner Thomas, Jacob Taylor, George Marpurgo, Nathan Kenshur
1960’s
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Photography by Frances Sheets
FUSED
BloomingtonNorthFused.org @BhsnNewspaper BHSN Fused Newspaper bhsnfused@gmail.com @bhsnfusednews
news magazine
Bloomington High School North Fused Staff
Editorial: More than just Good Music and Long Hair Jacob Taylor
pg 3
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Kristen Bills...............................................................Reporter Melissa Brooks..........................................................Reporter Arianna Buehler................Reporter/Social Media Director Cayla Burton..............................................................Reporter Mary Cashman..........................................................Reporter Juliana Crespo.............................................................Advisor Isabel Garcia.....................................................LitMag Editor Tracy Lamptey...........................................................Reporter Sydney Piercy.....................................Copy Editor/Reporter Frances Sheets..........................Photography Editor/Design Jacob Taylor.......................................Editor-in-Chief/Design
A Story that Transcends Time
LitMag
pg 4
Protesting for Change
Arianna Buehler
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Changing Country, Divided People
Sydney Piercy
pg 5
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Isabel Garcia
pg 8
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Jacob Taylor
pg 11
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Willy’s Story
pg 7
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Frances Sheets
pg 15
Cayla Burton
The Evolution pg 13 of Interracial Retro Friendships Playlist Tracy Lamptey
Civil Rights, Gender Equality & The Gay Libteration Movement
Melissa Brooks
pg 14
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I Want You, But Not You
Kristen Bills
pg 17
Senior Feature
Frances Sheets and Jacob Taylor
pg 19
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EDITORIAL: MORE THAN JUST GOOD MUSIC AND LONG HAIR By Jacob Taylor
When you think of the 1960s, you think of inspiring music, funky designs and outfits, and massive protests. However, the sixties were more than just the Beatles, hippies, and bandanas. There was a huge cultural shift during this time that changed the country and the world. Fused staff decided to dedicate our spring print version to the sixties. We wanted to incorporate different design, art, and photography ideas as well as explore stories of today and of the past. In our exploration of this history-altering decade, we discovered that the 1960s were not so different from today. Our country is divided. People are protesting at large numbers for change. The Black Lives Matter movement is connected to the Civil Rights movement. The actions against the Dakota Access Pipeline parallel Native American rights fought in the past. The women’s march was almost a flashback to the 1960s Women’s Movement. Literature, art, and music today are influential and culturally progressive, just as they were in the 60s. Liberals and conservatives are at odds and have been since the 1960s and long before. We wanted to take a look back at the sixties, not just to learn from the past, but to understand how and why we are where we are today. We encourage you to look back at the past while thinking about the future. Real journalism is becoming more important in the world of fake news and social media and it’s crucial to share our stories, get multiple perspectives, and think critically about what our actions could mean. It’s our job as young people to decide what kind of future we want and learn from the past.
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A
Year in
FUSED OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
PUBLISHED TWO PRINT MAGAZINES LAUNCHED Spring and Fall Issues
A WEBSITE
BloomingtonNorthFused.org
MAINTAINED INCREASED A SOCIAL STAFF SIZE MEDIA PRESENCE IMPROVED QUALITY OF DESIGN ORGANIZED TWO SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISERS
CREATED A LITMAG
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY A STORY THAT TRANSCENDS TIME
Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is hands down one of my top 10 favorite books. It has a strong plot, powerful themes, and is the science fiction archetype. The story draws parallels contrasting humanity and technology, portraying how beautiful and harmful either can be. In the beginning of this captivating novel, extraterrestrials come to Earth to conduct an experiment to jumpstart human evolution. They leave a large glowing rock, called a monolith, that can control the minds of the man-apes. This rock’s purpose is to get the man-apes to move, think and build in new ways. We follow the story of a man-ape named Moon-Watcher, who excelled in the experiment. The omniscient third person narrator leads us on a journey through the minds of individuals and through a history spanning four million years. However, this is no ordinary history lesson. We are thrown back and forth between past and future seamlessly. Everything is crystal clear and thoroughly enjoyable. Clarke guides the reader into the future with the expedition of Dr. Heywood. This expedition yields some of the most important information in human history. As the novel progresses, astronauts Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole are onboard the Discovery along with HAL, a computer. Discovery takes Bowman to the depths of Saturn. The true purpose of the mission is so covert that only HAL knows why they are going there. HAL is no ordinary computer. He can always think of what to do next and has internal conflicts throughout the novel surrounding themes of truth and concealment of truth.
Arianna Buehler 1968 Book Review BHSN Fused
The eloquent writing of the book galvanized me. I didn’t cry. The book was not inherently funny. But I will forever remember the awe-inspiring feeling that Clarke brought out in me. The prose that Clarke has written is timeless. However, this book is not perfect. The three main characters, Moon-Watcher, Dr. Heywood and Dr. Bowman, are all essentially the same guy: smart, ahead of their time, handsome, selfless, resourceful and willing to take risks. The three men are cardboard cutouts of the stereotypical leader. These are good qualities to possess. Yet, as a reader, I was uninterested in their personal lives and indifferent to what happened to them. They are flat characters, simply there to effectively drive the plot forward. Keeping with the criticism of stereotypes, Clarke makes it seem like space exploration is a “boys’ club.” The author mentions that there are many skilled and knowledgeable female scientists that contribute to projects but never mentions them by name. Whenever Heywood or Bowman communicate with Earth or some high official, they are always men. Clarke does not try to make huge leaps with the promotion of women in science nor does he attempt to curb any such stereotypes: “[Space ships] were usually christened with feminine names, perhaps in recognition of the fact that their personalities were sometimes slightly unpredictable.” Despite these critiques, do not let this stop you from reading this wonderful book. In the world of high school, I do not often prioritize reading for fun, but 2001: A Space Odyssey has reminded me of how wonderful it is to get lost into the pages of a book.
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CHANGING COUNTRY DIVIDED PEOPLE BY SYDNEY PIERCY
When it comes to the political culture of our country, 2008 marked the beginning of a more liberal, progressive America, where fighting climate change and women’s health were two of the government’s top priorities. Now 2017 has begun, and much of that is changing. President Trump is currently in the process of passing an executive order to defund the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and a bill has been introduced in congress to defund Planned Parenthood. As president Trump promised the abolition of Planned Parenthood multiple times on his campaign, this bill comes as no surprise to Americans. Many Republicans have been waiting a long time for Planned Parenthood to get defunded, feeling that the government is finally taking into account their strong pro-life convictions. Meanwhile Democrats are passionately protesting and fighting against this bill. There have been a number of protests since Trump took office along with a National Women’s March all across the country that took place the day after Inauguration Day, although this march was not directly related to Planned Parenthood or the defunding of it. When it comes to Planned Parenthood (a nonprofit organization that does research into and gives advice on contraception, family planning, and reproductive problems and provides women’s health services), the country is drastically divided. The defunding of the EPA is another issue that divides our country. President Trump and his new administration
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have already started withdrawing and replacing Obama’s “Clean Power Plan.” Trump plans to cut the EPA’s funding. His disbelief in human-caused climate change is changing national policy. With many conservatives feeling validated in their long held denial of climate change, and many concerned liberals who feel this will greatly harm the earth, the disagreement surrounding climate change is not a small one. Both of these issues are very controversial, with each side adamant and passionate, unwilling to give in. Studies from Quinnipiac University show that 62 percent of Americans oppose the defunding of Planned Parenthood, while 31 percent support it. In a 2013 Georgetown University poll, 87 percent of Americans believe there needs to be climate change related action in the U.S. The poll also found that only 13 percent do not want money given to the EPA to fight climate change. Since this poll was in 2013, opinions may have changed. These being primarily the opinions of Trump supporters who believe him when he says climate change is not real or nothing to worry about. After looking at polls from what is currently a Republican run country, how do high schoolers in a liberal city feel about these issues? Fused Newspaper polled North students on which of these two acts they support, if either. It appears that 54 percent of North students polled do not support the defunding of Planned Parenthood and the EPA. 38 percent support the defunding of both, while 8 percent support the defunding of Planned Parenthood only.
HOW DO NORTH STUDENTS FEEL? OPPOSES DEFUNDING OF EPA/ PLANNED PARENTHOOD 54%
SUPPORTS DEFUNDING OF EPA/PLANNED PARENTHOOD
SUPPORTS DEFUNDING OF PLANNED PARENTHOOD
38%
8%
SUPPORTS DEFUNDING OF EPA
0%
Data taken from Twitter poll of North student body Pictures from Women’s March on Washington taken by Frances Sheets
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The Evolution of
Interracial Friendships by Tracy Lamptey Of the many words that could describe relationships of all kinds in the 1960s, interracial is not one of them. Friendships in the 60s were mainly same-race. There were a few interracial friendships, but they were mostly in the North, and there weren’t a lot of them. North senior Isabella Castillo talks about the differences between friendships back in the 60s, as opposed to friendships now. “As time has progressed, so has our societal views and acceptance,” Castillo said. “I feel the majority of our school looks beyond race and doesn’t see it as a determining factor.” North science teacher Helen Bastin agrees. “Of course things were a lot different in the 60s,” Bastin said. “A lot of families were still [migrating] from different countries and had a natural tendency to stay with their families or relate to people that could speak their languages.” As a black African girl, I know my African history, and I also know African-American History. The difference between the two has to do with interracial friendships/relationships. Growing up in Ghana, I didn’t have non-black friends. But when I moved here, I met people from different races. To be honest, I never really thought much about how different we are. Rather, I focused on the similarities we have. Bastin had a similar experience. She grew up in a small town and went to a Catholic school with predominantly Polish, Italian and Russian people. “At school I didn’t have the opportunity to mingle with any other races [because it was mostly white
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students],” Bastin said. “But my dad owned a business and some of his customers were African-American. No one was unwelcome. In fact there were no racial issues in our town. Since I grew up in New Jersey, I was close to some cities that were more heavily populated with mixed races. For example, Newark, Hoboken, Harlem in New York, the Bronx were totally different than my small town but we had no problem going through those towns and associating with each other.” Castillo has also been in many interracial friendships since she moved to Indiana in 2010. “In all honesty, I never really look at race,” Castillo said. “Or think to myself, ‘I’m in an interracial friendship.’ I just look for good people, people that are great friends. Although coming from San Diego, where all my friends were Latino like me, it was noticeable at first, I may have my moments where I suddenly notice that I am the only Latina in my friend group, but it rarely crosses my mind.” Even though interracial friendships are more accepted now, there will always be ignorance and bigotry that exist in our culture today. Bastin shares her opinions on ways to shift that. “We have to learn to rise above them,” Bastin said. “And set good examples for our children because they learn so much more from us than we realize, and they emulate what we do.” There will always be racial tensions, that’s a given, but no matter what the issue is at hand, whether it be the Black Lives Matter movement or immigration policies, but I personally am confident that we will keep progressing, and moving forward towards equality.
cover art: isabel garcia & caleb poer
ISABEL GARCIA SENIOR
CALEB POER JUNIOR
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IF YOU WOULD LET ME GO There were flowers everywhere. Mike and Anthony stood on the corner across from the town square, squinting against the light. The green lawn that surrounded the town hall was completely blocked out by the people crowded into the space. They held signs with painted flower petals, real flowers in their hands, stuffed in their pockets, threaded through their hair. A man had a beard that reached his chest with dandelions peeking from the chestnut mess. Anthony was grinding his teeth, his fingers working at a seam coming loose on his sleeve. “Stinking hippies,” he said. “Ain’t any good for anybody. Ain’t got no honest jobs like us except complaining.” Mike didn’t look at Anthony as his friend talked, just continued to watch. “I’ll bet they’re dodging the draft, too,” Anthony grumbled. Cold sweat broke out on Mike’s forehead as he remembered the letter that sat on the kitchen table at home. No one had touched it since he’d opened it three days ago and seen his fate spelled out in fill-in-the-blank ink stamps. “Wouldn’t make great soldiers, though,” Mike said, not quite sure if he meant it as a joke. Anthony didn’t laugh anyway. “Watch this,” Anthony said with a grin. Before Mike could stop him, his friend had picked up a piece of the crumbling sidewalk as big as his fist and wound up like he was pitching a baseball. It sailed across the street and hit a young woman in the jaw. From across the street, Mike could see her snapping her eyes closed in surprise, hear her swearing. There was blood dripping from her mouth and her friends were trying to see if a tooth was loose. She pushed them away and spat on the ground. Handing her sign to her friend, (Drop Acid, Not Bombs), she marched across the street, evading the protective arms trying to keep her away. Mike wanted to run away, but Anthony wasn’t moving. As she drew closer, he got a good look at her. Long brown hair, brown eyes so dark they were almost black, and faded denim jacket with embroidered flowers. There were grass stains on her pants and blouse, and bangles almost all the way up to her elbow on her right arm. Her fists clenched with every heavy step. When she got to them, she glared at them, her head coming up to about Mike’s nose. He backed away. She saw and looked him in the eye. It was like being punched. “I’m not fighting you; I’m fighting for you, if you would let me,” she said. As her mouth moved over the words, Mike’s eyes were drawn to the blood dripping from the open scrape on her jaw. Drops of ruby red were falling on the petals of embroidery floss. She took the flowers out of her hair and held them out to Mike and Anthony. “What the hell?” Anthony growled. Mike put his hands up, getting ready to push her away. She pressed a fragile green stem against his palm, and reflexively, his fingers wrapped around it. He blinked. “I’m your sister, trying to keep you out of a war you shouldn’t have to fight. Why don’t you join me?” She asked, imploring, and Mike took another step back. That was something. When the draft notice came, his father had sighed and said there was nothing they could do about it. His mother and sister cried but nodded, agreeing with father like they always did, always would, and expected Mike to do exactly the same. But this stranger was protesting on his behalf where his own family wouldn’t? Anthony shoved her away, hard, so she fell back in the street. A few other hippies had crossed to lift her up and guide her away back to the protest protectively, chanting, “Not our sons, not your sons, not their sons” The two men walked away quickly, glares boring cold into Mike’s back. Anthony didn’t seem to feel them as he snarled insults that sounded suspiciously like pot head, Skank, and damn dirty hippies. Something told Mike that if the girl had heard these words, she’d just smile. “Are you going to hold on to that flower?” Anthony growled. “No,” he said. Mike crushed it’s frail petals in his hand but didn’t drop it. When he thought his friend wasn’t looking, he slipped it into his pocket. A month later, when Mike shipped out, a wilted flower was tucked into the pocket of his uniform jacket.
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MARY CASHMAN SOPHOMORE
DRAGONFLY KISSES you are distance, girl, soft humming, crocus slipped between your fingertips, dragonfly kisses. it has not always been milk and honey but don't let your tongue remember it you don't stop in the pulsing beat of gossamer wings; touch down on a flower and the past will come rushing back.
NEOGENESIS You can't fix what ain't broken, Nor can you repair centuries Of fissures in a foundation That is slow becoming sand. You can't salvage bloody fractures In an ill-fit mosaic And hope the same old problems Won't tear it down again. I cannot save a world That shatters me again and again. My shoulders are too weak to hold the sky. I am no Atlas. I am not titanic, So maybe I'll play God. AND ON THE FIRST DAY Let there be no light. We will have no need of it. AND ON THE SECOND DAY Create no sky Which pushes down on our bare shoulders. AND ON THE THIRD DAY Create dry land, That much we can retain. Allow the vegetation to take form And let it tangle in the night, Drawing no distinction between Persimmons and pomegranates. AND ON THE FOURTH DAY Do not create the sun, Do not create the stars,
Only the moon, And let it near enough To touch the tides Which it so yearns for.
SERENA FOX SOPHOMORE
THALIA HOLLORAN JUNIOR
AND ON THE FIFTH DAY Create the birds, And the fishes, But do not differentiate between them. Allow each to soar through Sea and air, Infinite and unassuming. AND ON THE SIXTH DAY Make the creatures of the land, And create man No different from the beasts, No crown atop his head. Create woman, Not from Adam’s rib, But from the feathers Of the phoenix. Now paint them colors, Give them different dreams and aspirations, And set them free. AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY The real work begins. On the seventh day, Let there be knowledge, And curiosity, And respect. Only then we can rest.
End of LitMag
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then and now:
protesting for change By Jacob Taylor A panorama of the Women’s March in Indianapolis, IN taken on Jan. 21. (photo by Isabel Parham)
People hit the streets in protest. They wave signs and scream at the top of their lungs. A leader emerges and speaks to the crowd. They’re packed closely together while they march through the streets. They want change. They want to make a difference.
In the last few months, more and more North students have started to speak out and participate in protests. They aren’t the only ones either; students are speaking up all across the nation. These demonstrations have centered around issues such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of religion, immigrant rights, and much more. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen massive protesting. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Civil Rights Movement, the Gay Liberation Movement, and the Women’s Movement all gained national attention.
“
If no one ever protested anything, then nothing would have ever changed,
”
North senior Isabel Parham said.
In the last few months, Parham has been to multiple demonstrations and joined the National Organization for Women, an activist group founded in 1966 that fights for women’s rights. Parham first got the inspiration to get involved from her mother. “When I saw my mom getting out there and getting involved—which I had never seen before—I realized that this is really important and I should be doing this too,” Parham said. Parham is just one of many students who have recently become more active or politically and socially aware. Emma and Abby Cannon also want to make a difference. These sisters have been inspired by older
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family members as well. Their grandfather, Rev. John D. Cannon, was an avid marcher for peace. Rev. Cannon was an Episcopalian chaplain at Columbia University. He founded one of the first student Homophile Leagues, which was basically equivalent to a Gay-Straight Alliance today, during the Stonewall Riots. Rev. Cannon was among the crowd of individuals who witnessed Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech and marched with the influential Civil Rights leader several times. “I’m really proud of what he did back then and to have that influence in my life,” Abby Cannon said. She sees many parallels between the work that he did back then and the work that her sister is doing today. Emma Cannon is the president of North’s Gay-Straight Alliance, United Students. She recently went to Orlando to speak on a panel about racial equity in schools for the National Education Organization. “I have always lived my life on the principle, ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself,’” Emma Cannon said. She has been to several protests in Bloomington against the Dakota Access Pipeline and Trump Administration’s actions, and attended the historic Women’s March in Washington D.C.
Rev. John D. Cannon and his wife Pat Goldberg are the grandparents of North Students Abby and Emma Cannon.
“It really makes you feel like you are doing something for not just you but for other people in the community you don’t even know, who might not be able to stand up for certain things,” Morpurgo said. Morpurgo notices the similarities between today and the 1960s and 1970s. “I truly believe that the reason we see these resemblances is because history repeats itself,” Morpurgo said. “It’s good to know the mistakes we’ve made in the past as well as know the accomplishments we’ve made in the past so that we can solve the issues when these things come boomeranging back into our society.” Morpurgo is extremely hopeful for the future because Protesters hold up signs at the Women’s March in Washington D.C. (photo by many people are choosing to speak out and spread their Emma Cannon) beliefs. “It was this incredible, surreal experience,” Emma Cannon said, while speaking on the Women’s March. “While you were there, it was overwhelming how many other people—it was 500,000 people—were filling the streets. Everyone was packed shoulder-to-shoulder.” Parham attended the Women’s March in Indianapolis with members of her family. “There were all these other women who felt what I was feeling and understood what I was feeling,” Parham said. “Even if they didn’t have the same experience as me, they didn’t look like me, [or] they weren’t the same age as me, I felt this kind of bond with all these people because [we] were all here for the right reasons.” George Morpurgo is another student who’s speaking out for others. He went to the Inaugurate the Revolution event in Bloomington on Inauguration Day.
“
”
It’s a powerful feeling,
Morpurgo said.
Isabel Parham, Katherine Mitchell, Georgia Parham, and Ann Mitchell, pose at the Women’s March in Indianapolis, IN.
Protesters gather in the Buskirk Chumley Theater for Inagurate the Revulation. (photo by George Morpurgo)
“We, as people, as citizens of the world, have a duty [to speak out],” Morpurgo said. Parham also feels this sense of purpose. “You have to stand up for other people,” Parham said. “It’s your duty as a human to make sure that other humans are protected and safe.” their beliefs. All of these students agree that protesting is important to everyone, even if they’re fighting on different sides of an issue. “If you don’t let people know that you’re upset about something, then nothing gets changed,” Parham said. “Even if it’s something that I don’t agree with, it’s your right to protest, it’s your right to say how you feel.”
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Willie’s Story:
From Guarding the Eternal Flame to Guarding Our Hallways In the 1960s, the youth of the time were faced with the war, law changes, rioting, and racial tension at it’s peak. Of these issues, the Vietnam War was arguably one of the most prominent concerns of not only teenagers, but everyone in the 1960’s, and everyone seemed to have a different opinion about it. Some chose to join hands and protest, while others chose to join the military to fight for justice and peace. North’s security guard Willie Alvin Smith, chose to fight. You may know Willie. He often roams the halls of North, smiling and conversing with students, keeping them under careful watch. From looking at Willie, you might just see a man who lives a small life in a small town. But he has a very different story to tell. Willie’s story begins long before the war. He grew up as a black kid in the 50s and 60s, during a time of segregation and turmoil. Willie grew up in a small city called Gary, Ind. He and his twin brother, who was always his partner-in-crime, often got into “mischievous trouble.” “We played devilish tricks on people,” Willie said. “We would run up to houses on trash pickup day, and my brother would help me set up the trash can right next to the door. We banged real hard on the door, and we would run for days. When the person would go to shove the door open, they were so mad and their trash would go everywhere. It was a good time, but we didn’t do much harm.” Willie and his brother stuck together, dealing with the trials of being black in the 1960’s. Willie said that in the 60s, people concentrated more on the color of your skin than your character. “I was in track in my teens,” he said. “Hard to believe right? And what they did was that we were allowed to race against white people, but they didn't want us to touch them.” Back then, black and white people avoided each other for fear it would cause a ruckus. In Willie’s story, his track team was well-known
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At a family gathering Willie holds his daughter in his lap surronded by his parents and other children playing.
across the state. He went to Roosevelt High School, the only black school in Gary. “Before we would go to compete, people would say, ‘oh is it that team from that school?” Willie playfully said with a few huffs of laughter. “They knew we were coming.” Even though the meets were unfair, Willie and his brother didn’t back down. They won four straight state championships in track, and then they won nine more. After high school, Willie got a scholarship but his brother did not. Because they had never been apart, they decided to go into the army, where twin siblings were legally protected against being torn apart. Though this was a law, Willie and his brother were split apart after basic training. Willie stayed and served all around America while his brother was sent overseas. “It gave me a bit of self-growth,” he said. “It was good for the both of us even though we missed each other a lot.” Willie and his brother William joined the army Oct. 5th, 1962 and served for three years. Willie was an honor guard with the President's troops while his brother was based in Germany. After the Kennedy assassination, Willie guarded John. F. Kennedy’s Eternal Flame, a presidential memorial. “It was a torch at first before the permanent flame was put in,” he said. “Since Kennedy got shot, people lined up to see it burn. They would cry and grieve. The line was as long as from school all the way to Marsh.” Even though Willie served in the military, he
was treated unfairly and only trained with other black recruits. “A lot of racism came our way,” he said. “We didn’t let it get to us. Mom and dad taught us not to talk about things like fighting against the white man’s power and stuff like that. You would never hear us go home and complain, ‘Oh, they won’t let me do this.’ We kept our pride about us and held our head high.” Through the trials and turmoil that crossed his path, he always carried his head high. Not letting anything stand in his way, he walked proudly and bravely through life. Especially because of Willie’s experiences, he emphasizes the need for acceptance and understanding. “Judge people by the content of their character and not their skin,” he said
Both Willie and his twin brother William were on the track team in high school. (Willie is in the front row 3rd from the left wearing a watch and WIlliam is the boy knelling behind him. )
boldly. “Learn how to blend with other cultures, and learn to accept others for who and what they are.”
BY CAYLA BURTON
RETRO PLAYLIST Melissa Brooks
“Shape of You”
"The Twist" -
- Ed Sheeran
Chubby Checker
"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
- The Beatles
"The Theme From 'A Summer Place'" - Percy Faith And His Orchestra “Tossin' And Turnin'"
- Bobby Lewis
1960s
"Hey Jude"
- The Beatles
"I'm A Believer"
- The Monkees
“Let The Sunshine In"
- The 5th Dimension
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" - Elvis Presley & The Jordanaires
“Sugar, Sugar" - The Archies
For more information on these artists and songs check out “Retro Playlist” on BloomingtonNorthFused.org.
“Humble”
- Kendrick Lamar
“That’s What I Like” - Bruno Mars
“ISPY”
- KYLE ft. Little Yachty
“Something Just Like This”
- The Chainsmokers
“Body Like a Backroad” - Sam Hunt
2017
“I Feel it Coming” - The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk
“Tunnel Vision” - Kodak Black
“Paris”
- The Chainsmokers
“Rockabye”
Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie
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Civil Rights, Gender Equality & The Gay Liberation Movement Nearly 52 years after protesters were beat with billy clubs and whips during the first march for voting rights in Selma, AL in 1965, more than one million people from all over the world gathered in the streets of Washington, D.C. for the Women’s March on Washington. Unlike the previous protest in Selma, after more than 10 hours of protesting during the Women’s March, not a single arrest or account of violence was reported from anywhere in the city. However, this does not mean that the issues being protested have been solved. Although we have come a long way since the 1960s, we still have a long way to go. 2012 marked the beginning of the modern “Black Lives Matter” movement, when Trayvon Martin was shot in Sanford, Flor. Caleb Poer, a junior at North, is an active supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. “The Black Lives Matter movement is something that I live,” Poer said. “I’ve chanted ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ and participated in countless rallies. Black Lives Matters is the Civil Rights Movement of our generation.” Poer feels strongly that there is still a lot to be fought for when it comes to race relations in our country. “There isn’t enough paper to describe the progress that needs to be made,” he said. “Our prison system and justice system as a whole [are] stacked against black people. We still have rampant police brutality and a pattern of cop killings of unarmed black men.” Police brutality is one of the biggest issues the country currently faces when it comes to equality and rights, but it is certainly not the only issue. Since 1848, women have been fighting for equal rights, originally focusing on voting rights, or women’s suffrage. The feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s marked a new era for women. Since the founding of the National Organization for Women in 1966, feminism has been at the forefront in the minds of many women across the country. Women have fought, and won, time and again. Men and women now share many of the same privileges, such as working, dressing, voting, and more. However, women still struggle for equal pay and value in the workplace, and young girls still have to fight sexism, which is often found in school dress codes and on the athletic fields. Women of color have to fight even harder to accomplish gender equality in the workplace and in schools. Many of the problems that women face, though, have become over simplified. “I’d say overall there’s a lack of intersectionality in the conversation,” said Thalia Halloran, North junior. “Sexism affects women of different races, sexualities, and abilities in different ways. Too often, someone wants to focus on one issue from an assumed neutral standpoint -- whether that be white, male, straight, cisgender, or something else -- and they don’t bother listening to other opinions and experiences. Listening is the first step to better understanding.”
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commercialized and sometimes applied on much too wide a spectrum. Women face hundreds of different issues when it comes to equality. This doesn’t change the fact, though, that women today are far more privileged and respected than they ever have been. “I can go to school, and vote when I’m 18, and pursue whatever career I want to,” Halloran said. “But also, these movements have shaped my beliefs about what people can accomplish. Collectivity and mutual understanding can change the world.” Mutual understanding is an important part of any fight for equality, and something that Americans, as a whole, could stand to work on. This especially applies to LGBT+ rights. The Gay Liberation Movement of the late 1960s and 70s encouraged gay men and lesbian women to take direct action and participate in gay pride. The 1960s marked an era of social upheaval across America, and an entire generation of gay youth began coming out to their families and moving to places like New York and San Francisco to join in the fight for LGBT+ rights. In a short period of time, LGBT+ people went from hiding out in illegal bars run by the mafia to kissing openly in the street. “I think just in the past 50 years, there’s definitely been a big leap in rights,” said Jackie Krieger, a junior at North. “The biggest would definitely be marriage equality. We’re able to be open and proud, no matter what. Even though there are some moments where you can’t do that, for the most part, if this was 100 years ago, that would not be possible.” However, with the start of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s, the gay community encountered many setbacks in the work that they had fought so hard to accomplish. The LGBT+ community has come a long way in the last 50 years, but there is still much to be fought for. It was not even two years ago that the Supreme Court ruled gay marriage legal in all 50 states. In very recent years, transgender people, especially youth, have suffered a huge amount of backlash for using their preferred bathroom. North Carolina’s “bathroom bill,” which required people to use the bathroom that corresponded with their sex at birth, and not their gender identity, sparked controversy across the country. Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or other continues to be a point of contention for many across the country. Krieger, who identifies as bisexual, finds North to be an open and relatively easy environment for those who identify as LGBT+ and is thankful that this is the case. Even for those at North who don’t agree with issues like gay marriage or trans bathroom usage, there is rarely any conflict. Times have certainly changed since the swingin’ sixties, but some of the issues our country faces when it comes to equality remain the same. Although things have certainly improved for many, there are still fights to be fought and battles to be won. Mutual understanding and respect could bring America a long way, especially in today’s political climate.
By Frances Sheets
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I want you,
But not you:
Women still not required to register for the draft By Kristen Bills
Imagine walking down the driveway to the mailbox, opening it slowly and seeing a plain envelope. You’ve dreaded this since you turned eighteen and registered for the military. The letter is from the Selective Service System, and as you read, you realize that you have been draftd for the Vietnam War. You ask yourself, ‘What happens next?’ This was the reality for men in the 1970s. The last draft call the U.S. government held was during the Vietnam War, and it was extremely controversial. “It was a really difficult time for the country as a whole,” said Cassie Soller, a U.S. history teacher at North. “[Especially for people] who were drafted into the military.” The U.S. initially entered the Vietnam War to stop the spread of communism in southern Vietnam. Many people at that time opposed it because they thought the U.S. was interfering with another country’s civil war. Although a lot of people still wanted to serve their country, they didn’t agree with why the U.S. was entering the war. North government teacher Peyton Balasko doesn’t feel that the U.S. should have been involved in the war. “The fact that it forced hundreds of thousands of people to go and fight for a war they did not believe in, that our country had no reason to be fighting in the first place and the public outcry towards that draft is a perfect example of why it shouldn’t be utilized today because the way we fight wars is not the same as it used to be,” he said. “The sudo-political conflict in Vietnam was messed up and it became really obvious after Vietnam.”
Just like during the Vietnam war, today the draft is also a heavily disputed topic. Some people wonder if women should be required to register for the draft alongside men or if there should even be a draft at all. “Personally, I’m opposed to the draft but if we’re going to have a draft I think it should not be based on sex,” Balasko said. “I think anybody is capable of doing the same job.” People who support the idea that of only men should be required to register for the Selective Service often argue that since men and women differ physically, they should have different roles, and men should be at war. “There is still a stereotypical belief that women are capable of doing less demanding work than men so they shouldn’t be on the front line of the military,” Balasko said. Despite is his views that men and women should be treated equally when it comes to the draft, Balasko is opposed to any type of military draft. “If someone does not want to volunteer to fight in the army, I don’t think they should be forced to,” Balasko said. However, if the draft continues to remain a part of the American military system, it is a possibility that women may soon have to register as well. Contact Corporate to Cupcakes for your graduation cakes, cupcakes and cookies!
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Year inReview
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Photos taken by Fused and Nikean Staff
Annika Gilbert
“I’m going to go to California College of the Arts in San Francisco and I’m going to study photography and creative writing.”
Sabrina Gasana
“I will be attending Indiana University Bloomington in the fall through the Groups Scholars Program. I am undecided about a major.”
Senior Bailey Gardner
“I’m going to be an au pair just outside of Paris and also take some classes.”
Robert Ison
“I’m going on a mission trip with my church, the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, and will be leaving around July. I’ll be called to a specific place and volunteer there for two years.”
Feature Hannah Jesseph
“Next year I’ll finally be on the path to a degree in secondary education. I want to have the same impact on my future students that all of my amazing teachers had on me.”
FUSED
Anthony Garcia
“I will be joining the Marines this upcoming August. Bootcamp will last 13 weeks.”
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