Communicator: Volume 44 Edition 2 by The Communicator

A STUDENT VOICE

The Communicator Magazine January 2018

The College Edition.

January 2018

About the Cover DESIGN TEAM: MARY DEBONA, ELLA EDELSTEIN, GRACE JENSEN, ISABEL RATNER, MIRA SIMONTON-CHAO, AND MEGAN SYER

The pressure of applying to college is on. Students are being handed brochure after brochure about what each school will grant them: the best professors, the perfect town, the space to find out who they are. This cover illustrates the overwhelming amount of information that students have to sort through, which is repeatedly portrayed as the “biggest” decision of their lives. ABOUT THE BACK COVER

For our back cover, we chose a photo taken by Sam Burnstein of a road leading off into the horizon in Sequoia National Park, Calif. To us, this road symbolizes our path towards college or whatever our future holds. However, our path is not straightforward. Right now, we are at a bend. 2

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The Communicator Magazine January 2018

U of M Students Retaliate Against Schlissel and Spencer

West End Station

A train station in downtown Dallas, TX has become a hotspot for social gathering. Here are the stories of some of these people.

Take a Trip

Community teachers Anne Thomas, Robbie Stapleton, Steve Coron, Robert Morgan, and Tracy Anderson tell stories of their adventures on the road.

Protesters flood University of Michigan campus as administration decides whether or not to allow white supremacists to rent space on campus to speak.

What the Heck is a Regatta?

Financial barriers, parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education level, and question bias make standardized testing unfair for low-income students.

Disposing Our Environment

The usage of plastic bags has been on the rise; though effective, their impact on the environment is detrimental.

The Glaciers are Melting

Cities are disappearing and ocean levels are rising. Even though glaciers arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t close to us, they still affect us.

January 2018

Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, As we walk through the hallways of this brown brick building in the heart of Ann Arbor, we are also wondering where we will find our next home. Before this year, our futures weren’t as close. All of a sudden, we’re expected to have an idea of where we’ll hopefully belong for the next four years of our lives. At the same time, every day we still come to school, learning and growing in this building. The constant tug between our present and future is intense. It’s easy to get consumed in the application process — test scores, extracurriculars, essays, transcripts, and all. Even when reminded that everything will work out, it’s easier said than done. We’re learning how to balance our already-full plates and make decisions that will have a significant effect on us. It can be exhausting at times. By going through this process, though, we are becoming selfaware; our decisions are impacted by finding what is right for us: big school or small; city or town; structured or unstructured. The essays we wrote forced us to think about our most positive traits and articulate them for college admissions staff. The entire process has us searching for ourselves and who we are. What best represents us? What are our strengths? In this edition, we hope to highlight the strengths in our seniors by sharing their college essays. We also discuss the issues within this process, such as prejudice within standardized tests. Amidst this stress, we are proud of what our staff has produced together. We are beyond excited to see what this year holds for each of us. Enjoy.

Print Editors-in-Chief

Mary DeBona Grace Jensen Isabel Ratner Megan Syer

Web Editors-in-Chief

Mira Simonton-Chao Gina Liu Managing Editors

Abbie Gaies Ava Millman Sophia Rosewarne Andie Tappenden Design Editor

Ella Edelstein

Infographic Editor

Isaac McKenna Photo Editors

Alec Redding Cammi Tirico Copy Editor

Paige Duff

Social Media Editors

Atticus Dewey Claire Middleton

Business Manager KT Meono Art/Graphics Editors

Sports Editor

Shane Hoffmann Viv Brandt Shea O’Brien Content Editors

MARY DEBONA, GRACE JENSEN, ISABEL RATNER, AND MEGAN SYER

Elena Bernier Sam Ciesielski Madie Gracey Zoe Lubetkin Shea O’Brien Emily Tschirhart Sacha Verlon Human Resource Managers

Mission Statement: The Communicator is a student-run publication and an open forum established in 1974 and created by students at Community High School. The staff of The Communicator seeks to recognize individuals, events, and ideas that are relevant to the community. The Communicator journalists are committed to working in a manner that is professional, unbiased, and thorough in order to effectively serve our readers. We strive to report accurately and will correct any significant error. If you believe such an error has been made, please contact us. Letters of any length should be submitted via e-mail or mail. They become the sole property of The Communicator and can be edited for length, clarity, or accuracy. Letters cannot be returned and will be published at The Communicator’s discretion. The Communicator also reserves the right to reject advertising due to space limitations or decision of the Editorial Board that content of the advertisement conflicts with the mission of the publication. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the journalism staff and not of Community High School or the Ann Arbor Public Schools.

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Tracy Anderson Staff

Caitlin Mahoney Henry Schirmer

Your Editors,

Adviser

Camille Konrad Mazey Perry Suephie Saam Bella Yerkes

Ari Barajas-Hermosillo Bernie Barasa Neil Beveridge Josh Caldwell Will Carroll Leah Dame Jordan De Padova Brennan Eicher Ava Esmael Isabel Espinosa Ojanis Frometas Canales Liam Greene- Kaleski Isa Grofsorean Ebba Gurney Axel Hiney Emma Hoffman Loey Jones-Perpich Owen Kelley Talin Khanna Miles Klapthor Camille Konrad Callie Krawcke Linden Kronberg Ed Lewis Josh Martins-Caulfield Spencer Morgan Elijah Nation Rishi Nemorin Jonah Nunez Suibhne O’Foighil Madelynn O’Leary Andrew Plotner Roxie Richner Bruno Ruderman Sophia Scarnecchia Andrea Schnell Lucy Scott Angelina Smith Charles Solomon iO Soucy Kat Stanczak Lydia Stevens Ruby Taylor Sarah Tice Cortland Toschlog-Green Emily Tshirhart Morraina Tuzinsky Ajay Walker Liv Weinert Emma Winegarden

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NEWS

FROM MOTOWN TO ANN ARBOR, WITH LOVE

Detroit is less than an hour away from Ann Arbor. While the distance is fairly short in practice, Athena Agassi, a junior at Skyline High School, felt that many Ann Arbor teens weren’t taking advantage of the hip-hop scenes only a short drive away in Detroit and Ypsilanti. By Mira Simonton-Chao

FEATURE SHOPPING AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: UNIVERSITY FLOWER SHOP

The store, established in 1931, sits nestled deep in Nickel’s Arcade – a small business in both senses of the word. It sells housing wares like vases and pots, planting kits, and, of course, flowers of all kinds of colors. By Paige Duff

VOICE FREE SPEECH OR UNLAWFUL SPEECH?

Is Richard Spencer really someone we want speaking in our city, on our university’s campus? By Charles Solomon

A & E

DRESSING FOR THE JOB YOU WANT

“Dress like it’s your last outfit of your life,” York said. “You never know. I think about that a lot. That’s why I tend to wear things that are kind of weird. But I also feel like it is just clothes, and fashion is really fun to play around with.” By Sacha Verlon

SPORTS

THE FUTURE OF PIONEER SOFTBALL

One cool fall morning Kim Waddell, the finally-returning head coach of Pioneer Varsity Softball, sat on a dewy metal bench beneath the wooden ceiling of a faded purple dugout. On the home field at Pioneer High School, she could see both the past and the future laid out in front of her. By Lucy Scott

ERIC HUGHES HUMANS OF “There was one huge street that was under construction for a while. We sort of made jokes COMMUNITY

SONG OF THE DAY

about them never finishing it. Now, they probably never will finish it. I’ll probably go back someday. They need help.” By Paige Duff

On the track “17,” Mahalia confronts the struggles of growing up as a black girl and not fitting in with her peers. In the first verse, Mahalia proclaims that she is sick of hiding herself. She questions the human nature of always wanting to please. By Roxie Richner |

January 2018

U of M Students Retaliate Against Schissel and Spencer

Students gather in the “Diag” to protest their University president and the Richard Spencer’s request to speak on campus. Protesters march past the diag in the middle of the University of Michigan’s campus.

BY JOSH MARTINS-CAULFIELD

niversity of Michigan President Mark Schlissel is under fire. Months of social unrest at the university have hit their peak with Richard Spencer’s request to speak at a public venue on campus. In light of the white supremacist and his allies’ recent request to rent a space at the university to speak, Mark Schissel has issued a statement in the form of a public email sent to all faculty and students and published on the U of M official website. Many students and faculty were unhappy with his statement, and the Students4Justice group pounced on the opportunity to organize a week of protest against not only Spencer and white supremacy, but also against Schissel and the U of M administration. On Nov. 30, 2017, hundreds of students and faculty gathered in the famed Diag at the University of Michigan to protest the university’s decision to allow Richard Spencer speak on their property. The protest was organized by the Students4Justice as a part of their #stopspencer week of action. The week of Nov. 27 was full of chances for students and community members to be involved in action. They posted fliers all around the university with their full schedule for the week, with the events culminating in a school-wide student strike. The administration was annoyed, to say the least, and Schlissel issued another statement saying that a student’s best place to 6

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learn about these issues was in the classroom, and not by skipping their classes. This was a huge point of interest, and anger, at the protest Wednesday, as all of the student leaders who spoke at the rally mentioned felt that the administration had let them down. The Students4Justice student leaders, who want to remain anonymous, all spoke on their views of U of M’s administration, and their incompetence in numerous situations. “We have to show this university that this is not about hate speech, this is not about free speech, it’s about safety!” one of the speakers said. “None of us are safe if these Nazis are on campus.” “There have been hate crimes in Ann Arbor,” another speaker said. “There have been hate crimes on this campus, and what does Mark Schlissel do? Nothing! He literally asks us what to do after all of these things happen, and we tell him, and he doesn’t listen!” Schlissel’s main point in his statement regarding the situation was that — although he disagrees personally with Spencer’s views — the protests give power and relevancy to him, where a more effective way to combat his speaking at U of M is to ignore him, and to not give him and his supporters material to feed off of. “We can ignore him, reject the hate and evil he espouses, and offer support to those he targets with his racist and discriminatoNews

ry views,” Schlissel said. “We can also deprive him of the attention he needs to survive and deny him the crowds he craves. Imagine the power of a room mostly empty, with his only audience being a few followers surrounded by hundreds of empty seats.” This is a popular argument among conservative people who reject white supremacy, which led the mostly liberal students to believe that their president did not understand them. Among the protesters at the rally were around ten students from the law school. They were hard to miss, as they were all wearing bright green hats, and were — at least according to them — neutral to either side, and there to protect the first amendment rights of everyone involved, protesters or counter-protesters alike. Another job of theirs was to protect the protesters from any police interference, although police presence appeared to be light and no obvious interference from police or campus security was seen. After the speakers finished their brief speeches, the march section of the protest began, which circled around the Diag and went into different buildings— including the chemistry department and “Fishbowl” computer lab. The students shouted chants along the whole route; these chants opposed white supremacy, but also referred to directly to punching Nazis in the face. The protesters assembled momentarily in

the “Fishbowl,” where more speeches were made by varying speakers from U of M’s Students4Justice group. While hundreds of students filled the “Fishbowl” in support of the protest, there was also opposition present. One of the most adamant objectors of the protest was U of M student Princess Felix. Interrupting the speakers — who, to be fair, were in turn interrupting the studies of those who were studying in the “Fishbowl” prior to the entrance of the march/rally — Felix brought quite a few viewers with her loud voice, and engaged with a booming debate for over 45 minutes. Felix, originally from Nigeria, held fast in her position on the march and the same with Kai (an adamant supporter of the march). “When you shut down speech, you don’t know who you’re fighting for,” Felix said. “You don’t know your enemies, and you don’t know your friends.” Another student who showed opposition to the protesters (albeit a little more quietly than Felix), was a senior named Crystal Fletcher, who specifically pointed out Felix’s bravery to stand up to the protesters, who were the vast majority in the room. Fletcher also said that she was part of the women’s march, but realized while marching that the protesters had other motives to protest, and

in that in her opinion, the women’s march was not really about women. She believed the Richard Spencer protesters were perpetrating some of the same things she didn’t like about the women’s rights protesters, especially a tendency to quiet the voices of those who opposed them. “These people...they’re shutting him down. They’re doing the same thing that they’re advocating against,” said Fletcher. The leaders of the protesters were visibly shocked when the protest was interrupted by Felix. The chants stopped, the leaders quited down, megaphones were turned off, and the overall feeling in the room transformed from triumphant rebellion to apprehensive tension. One of the leaders tried to tell a story to get the attention away from Felix, but the protesters were paying more attention to Felix than the leader’s story. The protest finally moved out of the “Fishbowl” after heavy coaxing from the organizers using megaphones saying things like, “If you’re with the protest, we’re leaving.” About five protesters stayed behind to try to debate with Felix, but with little success. Overall, the protest went without any other major hitches, and their numbers skyrocketed as students passing by took in-

Top Left: Protesters gather in the “Fishbowl,” causing confusion for the students studying there. Bottom Left: A protester looks at students sitting down in the chemistry building who are not paying attention to the march.

‘‘

These people, they’re shutting him down. They’re doing the same thing that they’re advocating against.

terest and joined in as they made their way around campus and through classrooms. The #stopspencer week concluded Friday, Dec. 1, but with new issues coming to light what seems to be every day now, and the student activist’s very apparent opposition to President Schissel — who will remain in office for the foreseeable future — students should expect to hear more from Students4Justice in the future.

Top Right: The student leaders of Students4Justice hold a rally before marching through campus. Bottom Right: The marchers move through the diag. Two law students in green hats are there to help facilitate the march.

January 2018

Hillary Clinton Visits Ann Arbor to Explain “What Happened” BY GRACE JENSEN AND CAMMI TIRICO

“

What happened?” is a question many, in the political world and not, have been asking themselves since the November 2016 election. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answers that question from her perspective in her new book, “What Happened.” Clinton visited Ann Arbor on Tuesday, Oct. 24 as the sixth stop on her book tour across the country. She spoke to a soldout crowd of 3,500 at Hill Auditorium. A glance around the room showed a majority of older white women in the crowd, although people of color, men, and young people, especially college students, were also in attendance. Clinton spoke on many topics, ranging from Russia to her grandkids. Though her book’s main focus is how and why she lost the election to Republican candidate, now president, Donald Trump, she also spoke to what is happening now and what should happen next. In both the book and at the event, Clinton was “unfiltered,” as she said herself. The audience witnessed her speaking as a citizen, rather than a politician, now that her campaign is over. “For a lot of women, we really edit ourselves,” Clinton said. “But in the political world, they edit us even more.” This book gave Clinton a chance to write and share her unedited opinions and experiences. Clinton started off the night with a confession: after the election, she had not intended to write a book. However, she realized she needed closure. In writing, the truth became more clear to her, and she learned new information and developed a better understanding of her experiences during the election. “What Happened” is separated into six sections: Perseverance, Competition, Sisterhood, Idealism and Realism, Frustration, and Resilience. The speech at Hill also followed these same topics. Perseverance Throughout the campaign trail, Clinton faced numerous challenges, many related to her gender. However, this is far from the first time Clinton has had to overcome sexism. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1969, she applied to law school. She was accepted into her top two choices: Harvard and Yale. Clinton shared the story behind her choice: on her visit to Harvard, she 8

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was told by a professor that they “did not need any more women.” Clinton went to Yale Law School. Directly following the 2016 election, more perseverance was required of Clinton in staying positive despite her loss. “I am not going to lie, right after the election, I was devastated,” Clinton said. “I watched a lot of HGTV, read a lot of mystery novels where the good guy wins at the end, and drank my fair share of chardonnay.” Despite this setback, Clinton has persisted. Competition The Trump team’s strategy proved too much for Clinton’s more mellow campaign. The Clinton campaign faced electoral issues that may have cost them the win. Gerrymandering hurt, but she said a huge problem was voter suppression. Clinton used the example of Wisconsin to shed light on voter suppression. In Wisconsin, Clinton claimed 200,000 to 300,000 voters were turned away at the polls. Clinton lost Wisconsin by 22,748 votes. She talked about how voter registration needs to be reformed, and that 18-year-olds should be automatically registered to vote. Sisterhood Clinton spoke about women in politics throughout the speech. She was the first woman to receive the presidential nomination from a major party. She noted that the only other woman running within the major parties, Carly Fiorina on the Republican side, was treated badly in debates with over ten men. “The only way to get sexism out of politics is to get more women in politics,” Clinton said. She remarked that she was treated differently than male candidates—often told she was not qualified, constantly interrupted, and disregarded. Clinton had been a First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State before running for office and believes these positions more than qualified her. “We know we will have equality when a mediocre woman in able to get the same jobs as a mediocre man,” she said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd. She spoke about how women candidates are under more pressure and critiqued more than men. Not only are they criticized News

on their political views and what they say, as all politicians are, but they are also judged by what they wear and how they look, explained Clinton. She continued on to speak about how girls feel this pressure early on in their lives. “We have to start much earlier with little girls and building their confidence,” Clinton said. Idealism and Realism In “What Happened,” Clinton describes her deliberation on the balance between idealism and realism, two distinct but not opposing schools of thought. Both in 2008 and in 2016, she lost the presidential race to candidates that promised bigger, quicker, more radical change. She was criticized for being too much a “part of the system.” American voters seem to have wanted something different. Clinton was too much of a realist to make the promises that other candidates campaigned on. Despite not winning the presidential election, Hillary Clinton has made history throughout her career. In 2001, after winning a seat in Congress, Clinton became the first American first lady to ever win public office. She later became the 67th U.S. Secretary of State. Most recently, in 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party. Frustration A main topic of conversation was Russia. Clinton explained how through writing the book, she learned a lot about Russia and to what extent it altered the election. She described how just before the election in the state of Michigan, Russia posted propaganda on sites like Facebook and Google. She made the comparison that the online hacking and stealing of information was worse than Watergate. “To call it hacking is an understatement,” Clinton said. “This is theft.” In a chapter of the book titled “Those Damn Emails,” Clinton spoke about how the election could have easily turned out very differently if her emails did not play such a large part in the news coverage. Clinton talks about Oct. 7, 2016—a major turning point in the election—the day that the “Access Hollywood’ tape of Trump was released. In the eyes of the Democrats, her odds turned even more favorable. However,

Hillary Clinton sits on stage at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor on Oct. 24, 2017. She promoted her book, answered questions from the audience, and spoke earnestly about the 2016 election. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRACE JENSEN

mere hours later, Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, had some of his emails hacked and made public by WikiLeaks, working with Russia. This distracted much of the media away from the damaging Trump video. Resilience “The outcome in Michigan was not what we wanted, but I want today to be a reminder to everyone, do not grow weary,” Clinton said. “We have a lot of work to do, to stand up for the values we share and the causes we believe in. That is more important now, here in Michigan and across America, than it has ever been.” The last chapter in “What Happened” is titled “Onward Together,” which became a

theme of the night. Clinton focused much of the conversation on the future. “I’m not going anywhere except right into the middle of the battle,” Clinton reassured Americans. Reactions to Clinton’s speech The crowd reacted enthusiastically to Clinton’s words of tenacity. “I thought it was very inspiring,” said Kate Sherwin, a young woman attending the speech. “She does a really good job of motivating young women and young voters to really take action. I think she’s criticized a lot for the way she was presented, or presented herself, during the election. I think it was a really nice thing to see a different side of her and see her relaxed, because her true

personality seemed to really come out.” According to Brittany Pinnock, another young woman, Clinton’s speech was “absolutely amazing...[Clinton] speaking her truth, and really the truth, I really enjoyed it,” she said. Dr. Pat Williams Loyd found inspiration in Clinton’s speech. “We saw on the campaign trail that she is a symbol…she speaks so articulately for women and for [teenage] girls to get into politics, and not only politics, but to be a voice: to be a voice in your community and your family and your neighborhood and in your state,” Loyd said. “She was all of that and brought that passion to it.”

January 2018

Redefining

The Detroit Street Filling Station BY SOPHIA ROSEWARNE

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DETROIT STREET FILLING STATION

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News

The Ann Arbor restaurant reopens with an entirely new concept.

he Detroit Street Filling Station, a vegan eatery located in Kerrytown that began serving its meals in August, has already drastically changed their concept. The Filling Station is the third vegan eatery that Phillis Engelbert and Joel Panozzo have opened since their first brick-and-mortar operation in 2013, which is located in Kerrytown Market and Shops. The Filling Station recently closed briefly, and beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 28, it shifted its menu and concept to become more similar to the original Lunch Room. Now, the restaurant has the same style of service as The Lunch Room, where you place your order at the counter. They also swapped out their white tablecloths for the authentic wooden tabletops. Along with the change of setting within the restaurant, there has been drastic change to the menu and hours of operation. The new menu is described as “casual, wholesome, interesting and delicious plantbased food and drinks. Plenty of gluten free options! There is also a bakery case full of mouth-watering treats, and a curated collection of beer, wine and craft cocktails.” The restaurant will also now be open Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., as well as for brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Engelbert and Panozzo are also interested in hosting special nights to add to the fun and casual atmosphere of the new space. They would like to have the restaurant as

a space where people can help organize or host their own special nights, whether it be a private event, like a graduation party, or a public event including, but not limited to, poetry readings, art exhibits, book groups, and vegan singles mixers. To celebrate the re-opening and presentation of the new concept on Tuesday, the restaurant hosted local artists Drew De Four and Kim Curran, who performed from 6–8 p.m., and donated 10 percent of all sales to the Youth Justice Fund (YJF). The Lunch Room LLC recently co-founded the YJF, Youth Justice Fund. The YJF is a charitable organization whose mission statement reads, “The Mission of the Youth Justice Fund is to assist returning citizens, sentenced as youth to a term of imprisonment, with services and resources necessary to ensure human dignity and full participation in their communities.” The Detroit Street Filling Station plans to hire newly freed youth and has already committed to hiring two individuals expected to return this winter. The Filling Station also plans to also support the YJF by donating 10 percent of all sales made on Tuesdays and 10 percent of all barbeque tofu sales. Along with the Filling Station’s involvement with the YJF, they are deeply involved with Dawn Farm’s ‘Recovery is Good’ Program. They currently employ 25 individual in recovery. “We have been there to help them celebrate one-year clean, and we have been

there when they relapse,” wrote Engelbert and Panozzo in a Facebook post. “We have even taken employees into our homes,” Englebert said. It has been our greatest joy to see someone put their life back together and succeed.” Engelbert and Panozzo wrote a letter to the community in response to heat the company had recently come under for letting eight employees go after months of not turning a profit on their new restaurant. “The need to reduce costs at our newest venture had been apparent for the last couple of months,” wrote Engelbert and Panozzo on the Detroit Street Filling Station’s Facebook page. “While Detroit Street Filling Station had some great nights and guests enjoyed incredible food and service, the sales were not enough to pay the bills.” Engelbert and Panozzo knew that if they didn’t try something new, they risked losing the entire company. The Filling Station and the Lunch Room LLCs’ other locations are self-described living-wage employers. They provide employees with health and dental insurance, paid sick days, retirement benefits, a fitness allowance, and a bus pass. As the Filling Station settles into its new concept, it’s hoping to build a community, not just a restaurant. With the revamped atmosphere and a menu inspired by The Lunch Room, Engelbert and Panozzo are ready to transition the Filling Station back to their roots and “the identity that guests have loved since day one.”

January 2018

SongSLAM

The top three teams voted by the audiences are applauded for. From left to right: First place team for “Invictus”: composer Evan Snyder, pianist Neill Campbell, and mezzo-soprano Gillian Lynn Cotter. Secnd place team for “Moon Bird,“ from “SHEL: A Historically Fictionalized Musical”: composer and lyricist Noah Kieserman and vocalist Grace Bydalek. Third place team for “By The Word of God”: William Fishwick, voice, and Wes Fishwick, music and accompaniment.

Local Composers and Vocalists Share New Works at Kerrytown Concert House’s songSLAM.

BY ISABEL RATNER

he word “slam,” commonly associated with poetry, now has a new word to pair with: song. A songSLAM is an opportunity for composers to share up-and-coming works and compete for a cash prizes. On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Kerrytown Concert House hosted their first songSLAM—“a competition for new art song” to a sold-out audience. 12 different songwriting teams competed for cash prizes of $1000, $600, and $400 for first, second, and third place respectively. The event also served as a platform for composers to share their current work. Kathy Kelly, artistic director of the Concert House, emceed the slam. Kelly and the Concert House team began planning the event in April. They had just found out about the first songSLAM ever, which was held in New York City through an organization called Sparks and Wiry Cries. Sparks and Wiry Cries describes themselves as “a global platform for art song that explores the dynamic union of music and text through publication, performance, and commission of new works,” according to their website. When Kelly heard this description from Martha Guth, the creator of the event and co-founder of Sparks and Wiry Cries, she knew that Ann Arbor needed to have one. “[We had to do it here] because we have everything in Southeast Michigan,” Kelly said. “We have great schools of composition, we have great performers, and I just wanted to get this whole energetic thing going.” Registration for the slam opened on Sept. 15 on a first-come, first-served basis. Any style of music in any language was accepted, and at 6pm that same night, the 10 spots for the event opened and filled up in less

than an hour. The rules for the compositions were as stated on the Concert House’s website. All compositions had to: be composed for voice and piano, feature texts that are in the public domain or have written and signed permission from the author/trust, receive their world premiere at our event, and be no more than 5 minutes in length. Additionally, the composers of the songs had to be present at the slam. For many teams, the composers performed the piano parts of their compositions. Kelly began the night by introducing notable people in the audience. Guth, the creator of the first song SLAM, had made it to the slam after having driven all the way from New York that day. Also present were the evening’s sponsors, Linda and Maurice Binkow. Finally, Kelly introduced songwriting duo Bolcom & Morris. William Bolcom and Joan Morris are known for their performances and albums of Broadway, cabaret, and ragtime tunes. Each team was announced with a short introduction about how the composers’ and vocalists’ collaboration began. A large amount of the songs were of classical repertoire, and a few were musical theater pieces. English, Korean, and Chinese were all sung. After the 12 teams finished their performances, audience members were to mark down their favorite three performances on their programs, which served as ballots. Ballots were collected and counted. Concert House staff then counted the votes and Kelly returned to the stage to announce the winners. In third place was “By Word of God” by Wes Fishwick, with text by Mary Fishwick. The song was written for a family wedding. William Fishwick, a freshman Voice major

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at the University of Michigan, performed the song, with composer Wes Fishwick on piano. The team voted in second place was “Moon Bird,” with music and lyrics by Noah Kieserman. Kieserman and Grace Bydalek, who performed the song, are both senior musical theatre majors at the University of Michigan. “Moon Bird” is from a musical Kieserman wrote, entitled “SHEL: A Historically Fictionalized Musical,” which is about American poet Shel Silverstein. The winning team, receiving $1000 was “Invictus,” with original poetry by William Ernest Henley and music by Evan Snyder. This piece was sung by Gillian Lynn Cotter, mezzo-soprano, and played by Neill Campbell. The team has been friends for over three years since they all met at the Shreveport Opera in Los Angeles, and Cotter and Snyder are now students at Michigan State University. Once all three finalists were on stage, Kelly invited all of the evening’s performers to join them for one final round of applause. Shortly after, audience members, composers, and performers alike lingered around the venue to talk. Kelly beamed at the success of this event, and was especially pleased with the diversity in the winners. “One was a straight-up classical composition, one’s a music theater piece, and one is like a sweet religious song written for a family wedding,” Kelly said. “And I just love that. You can’t leave saying ‘It’s obviously what this crowd liked.’” The next songSLAM will be held in Minneapolis, MN. The Concert House is hoping to host another slam in Ann Arbor in 2018.

The Jugglenauts Land at CHS

Steiger sits and juggles in the Community High School hallway. Steiger has been juggling nearly everyday for a couple months. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAITLIN MAHONEY

Community’s newest hands-on club throws up a popularity storm in Courtney Kiley’s room during lunch. BY LEAH DAME

new club has joined Community High School (CHS), and it’s getting members up and active. The first day of Juggling Club had participants picking up the basics of juggling quickly. Members, including science teacher Courtney Kiley, met in Kiley’s room on Nov. 3 to begin the repetitive practice towards mastering the challenging skill. “I was engulfed by the glory of juggling,” Kiley said. “It’s addicting. It’s [also] good exercise because [you’re] squatting, you’re engaging all your muscles and all [of] your brain.” Max Steiger, a sophomore at CHS started the Jugglenauts, with the idea to spread his juggling talent to his peers. He loves to juggle and wants everyone else to learn to love juggling as well. Steiger is a self-taught juggler. His skillful talent all started from a night of procrastination. Steiger had to write a paper for Ju-

dith DeWoskin’s American Literature class but instead watched online videos of people juggling. It took him about three to four hours of straight juggling to master the first couple of sets. The atmosphere in room 318 during Friday lunches is “loud,” Steiger said. “Everyone is enthusiastic and really excited to learn.” Beginners of the club screamed out of joy when they finally got a complete repetition. The room was bursting with energy. Jugglenaut member Ruby Taylor said the first day was really fun. “I felt like I connected with a lot of the members of the club that I didn’t really know before.” Taylor joined the Jugglenauts because she saw Steiger juggling a lot and felt a bit jealous, wanting a ‘quirky’ skill like Steiger’s. “I’m definitely not good at juggling yet, but I’ll get there,” Taylor said. While Steiger doesn’t have any big plans

for upcoming Jugglenauts meetings, he hopes to implement competitions once everybody is comfortable with their juggling. Kiley dreams big about the club’s potential. “I think we’re gonna get away from tennis balls and bean bags, and we’ll get up to knives and flaming bowling pins, maybe some chainsaws and unicycles [too],” Kiley said. “We’re going to need a bigger space, I can see [the club] becoming really popular.” Anyone is welcome to join the juggling club. “People should join because it’s a fun time. Everybody loves juggling, and even if you don’t know how or you don’t think you ever can, you’ll have a fun time in juggling club,” Steiger said. “I want everybody [to do] what they are capable of doing. I’m not gonna expect everybody to be able to juggle five balls because it’s not an easy thing to do. I think anybody can juggle because here’s the thing about juggling, everybody can do it, it’s just that not everybody has the balls.”

January 2018

BY CLAIRE MIDDLETON

Education

Hold charter schools to same standards as public schools Eliminate for-profit charter schools Make college free for families with $120,000 or less fam income College debt relief for people who stay in Michigan, and relived faster if you are an entrepreneur creating jobs

Enviroment

Shutdown on Line 5 Eliminate the exportation and selling of Michigan water outside of the state Create more state forests and preserved areas Create more controls on pollution on the Great Lakes

Women Repeal “rape insurance law” Affordable child care Increase in funding for Planned Parenthood Equal pay for women Requiring colleges and universities to turn over sexual assault cases to local police Eliminate bail for domestic abusers

Equal Rights

Meet Shri Thanedar 14

A look into Michigan governor candidate Shri Thanedar and his progressive platform.

LGBTQ Inclusive sex education taught in schools Ability to self identify on drivers license More protection against transgender women Seniors Reduce cost of prescription drugs Offer free university classes to seniors over 65 to enforce lifelong learning Government Transparency Eliminate gerrymandering Automatic voter-registration for 18-year-olds Financial disclosure for every candidate that runs for state office Make forging signatures a felony

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“I’ll bring compassion and a lot of heart, because what we saw was a governor who tried to run this state like a business.” Thanedar gives a shpeal about why he stands with Planned Parenthood at a rally in Lansing in November. “I’m running for governor and I’m running on the most progressive platform.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAMILLE KONRAD

Stay of Removal? Not Granted. BY SOPHIA SCARNECCHIA

Lourdes Salazar, far left, poses in a family photo taken in Michigan with her mother, Butista Salazar, her sister, and her brother. Her mother was deported on Aug. 2, 2017. PHOTO COURTESY OF LOURDES SALAZAR

ourdes Salazar, 15, has been through a lot. She is a former student of Community High School. In addition to the hardships of living a teenage life, she has dealt with something only a few people imagine to go through. In July of 2017, Lourdes’s mother, Lourdes Salazar Bautista, was going through the process of deportation, from Michigan to Mexico. Lourdes’s mother was an official citizen of Mexico, but immigrated to Michigan. Bautista came here with a Visa tourist in 1997, she had since lived here until this summer. During that time, she had three children, who were all born here. The first attempts of deportation happened in 2010 from contact with the governmental department, ICE. She was detained for over a month, but her deportation threat was brought upon her husband instead. As a result, Bautista and her children stayed in the states. Her husband was sent to live in Mexico. Until this summer, Bautista was required to check-in with immigration services, and was granted a renewal of her Stay of Removal. A Stay of Removal is a temporary stay declarement which stops The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from carrying out an order for removal. However, that all changed in March when Bautista’s Stay of Removal was denied. She was then ordered to buy plane tickets and leave

the country by August 2nd. Many procedures were taken to keep Lourdes’s mother in Michigan: a petition was formed with over 8,000 signs, a rally was also formed by St, Mary’s Student Parish on July 17, 2017, in which over 100 people attended. None of the actions worked. On Aug. 2, 2017, Bautista was deported and Salazar, along with her brother, moved to Mexico with her. “I was very young during the time of what happened to my dad, and I barely remember the process of everything. I just remember my mom coming back home and being really happy,” Salazar said. “I’ll never forget Michigan, and I of course miss Community (school) too. I obviously never thought this would happen to me.” Even though that time in Salazar’s life was very scary, their moving transition to Mexico was low on stress. “One of Mexico’s governors, asked and sent some people to help us out,” Salazar said. “They picked us up from the airport and carried our bags. It was kind of cool though cause my mom was asked to be put in interviews right away.” In the U.S., a total of over 50,000 immigrants are deported each year, according to breitbart.com. It is the lowest deportation rate since 2008, with a total of 250,000. Salazar and her family were some of those people affected this year. “[Deportation] is worse than ever and

I think that’s because of what Trump has to say ever since he came into the White House,” Salazar said. I wasn’t worried, because we’ve stopped the deportation before. This year, we did bigger stuff to get the word out, I even told my friends to do posts and shout-outs for my mom.” Even though she spread the word as much as she could, that did not stop the ongoing deportations changing families all over the country. “This time it seems like more and more people become racist, and it upsets me so much,” Salazar said. “I honestly don’t even know when I could even come back to Michigan. “I don’t even know if any of my parents could come back [to Michigan].” Salazar is currently attending school. “It’s a little hard, because the school only speaks Spanish, and I don’t speak it all the time,” she said. “We just took exams too. It wasn’t until school started that I realized I missed everyone so much though. Ever since seven years ago, my life had been the same-missing my dad who was in another country, but now I have to get used to everything here. From the school in another language, to going out to buy essentials, to even having to hand wash our clothes. My life has changed so much. But, I know it will change. Deportation and immigrants should not be viewed or treated like this, and if anything needs to change in our society, it’s this.”

January 2018

Bad Suns Please the Crowd

‘‘

The indie rock band on the ride returnes to Detroit — this time selling out the concert hall from the early ‘90s. BY EMMA HOFFMAN

s lights of green and blue crawled across the heads of the crowd, excitement radiated off the bodies and into the thick air of Saint Andrews Hall. Jessica Banks propped herself up on a barricade—the only thing separating her and the several other fans from the stage. “I’ve waited in line since 9 a.m. this morning,” Banks said. “Honestly, I’ve been a fan of Bad Suns since their first album. Their music has gotten me through a lot of hard times in my life and they have so much energy. They’re just someone I look up to.” The indie rock band of four has carved a meaningful place into many young people’s hearts with its infectious tunes. Heavily inspired by musical pioneers from the ‘70s and ‘80s such as the Cure and Elvis Costello, the band has published songs like “Daft Pretty Boys” and “Cardiac Arrest,” which have captivated more than 1,000,000 listeners. “The lyrics are what really pulled me in.” Banks said. “I was a freshman in high school when I found Bad Suns. When I listened to them for the first time my initial thought was ‘Where has this type of music been all my life?’ From just a line to the entire song, I could always find something to reflect on.” Looking deeper, it’s no wonder the band tends to resonate with such young souls. A friendship blossomed between vocalist Christiano Bowmen and bassist Gavin Bennett in the seventh grade. Not long after,

the pair roped Miles Morris, on drums, and Ray Libby, guitarist, into the bunch and the quartet dove into the Los Angeles music scene. Their teenage years were consumed by their music, dropping demos in mailboxes and finding their perfect sound. Bad Suns’ music reflects a time when the musicians were discovering themselves; this is why it appeals to teens who have reached a similar point in their lives. “When my senior year ended, my parents divorced,” Banks said. “My house was constantly a screaming war zone before then, but I wasn’t really sure how to take it. I was angry and upset but relieved at the same time because it needed to happen. I ended up finding comfort in the words of these songs.” As the final words left her mouth, the house lights were cut and the room once lit with neon colors was cloaked in black. The diehard fans screeched at the top of their lungs as the band took the stage, opening with “Disappear Here.” As the familiar tune was pumped into the air, the crowd began dancing and singing with eyes glued to the musicians before them. “It’s not just people standing up on stage singing songs,” Banks said. “They have a purpose and I really love that.”

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Their music has gotten me through a lot of hard times in my life and they have so much energy. They’re just someone I look up to.”

The Band takes Saint Andrew’s stage for the first time. Prior to their Love like Revenge tour, the band had only ever played at The Shelter when in Michigan.

Christiano Bowmen climbs into the crowd for a verse of their song “Sleep Paralysis.” Placing his feet on the barricade and leaning into the crowd he places full trust in them to hold him up.

Ray Libby concentrates on his guitar while playing “Disappear Here,” the first song of the night. He traditionally plays a Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar which can be valued at about $600.

Gavin Bennett switches from bass to keyboard for “Love Like Revenge,” a song which relies more on vocals and beat than heavy bass. The original electronic demo for this song was started by Bowmen on a plane ride back to Los Angeles from

Bowmen hits high notes during “Love Like Revenge” while lights drown the stage in blue.

Miles Morris strikes his drum kit for “Transpose,” the first song the band worked on with their producer, Eric Palmquist.

January 2018

The 2017 Zebrotics robot successfully delivers a gear during a match. Delivering gears is a crucial way to score points in the 2016 game.

New Year, New Challenges

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIJAH NATION

Community High’s robotics team faces a new year and a new robot, bringing new challenges. BY ELIJAH NATION

xcited teams pack a noisy high school gym. A buzzer goes off, and six 120-pound masses of metal, three clad in red, and three in blue, surge forward, completely autonomously. A bell sound chimes, and six robot drivers grab their joysticks. Two minutes later, the match is over, and scores are announced. One group wins, one group loses. This is just one of many tournaments that make up the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), the premiere robotics competition for high schools around the world. With the new year approaching, Community High School’s own FRC team, called 5708 Zebrotics, is preparing for the upcoming season. The competition’s season starts in January with a kickoff event, where teams from high schools around the world gather and watch as the game—the task the robot has to do— is presented. After the reveal, the teams break off into their own rooms and discuss what they have to do, what the playing field is like, and come up with a plan. This is the start of the “build season,” the allotted time of about six weeks that each team has to design, build, program, and test their robot before the tournaments start. Starting the last week of February, the

competition season begins. During this segment of the season, each team competes in district competitions, then has the chance to move onto the next tier of tournament. Michigan teams must first go to a state competition, as there are too many teams and district competitions in Michigan to send all qualifying teams from districts to the world competitions. Teams compete in alliances with two other teams, with alliances changing every match of the qualifying rounds. After the qualifying rounds come the final rounds. The top teams then each become an “alliance captain” and may choose two other teams to compete alongside, forming a consistent alliance for the final rounds. If a team is not in the top eight by the end of the qualifying rounds, they still have a chance to make it to the finals should they be chosen by an alliance captain. Led by Community High science teacher Christia West, Team 5708 saw its first season in 2015, and has had varying issues in each past year. In their first year, although the robot was able to complete to task, it didn’t cooperate well with the other teams of their alliances. The next year, they faced issues with overheating motors that required them to use snow from outside to

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cool them down. The main problem 5708 faced last year was disorganization, lack of communication, and tomfoolery between the subteams, the specialized groups within the team who each focus on one aspect of the season. To overcome these challenges, West has reworked the operation of the team. Within the redesigned organization, there are six different sub-teams, as opposed to only four last year. The field team figures out what the robot needs to do, the design team designs it, and the fabrication team builds it. While the electrical team installs the electronics and other control systems in the robot, the programming team writes all the necessary code for the robot to work. Finally, the marketing team manages team publicity and merchandise. Despite challenges faced in the past, and still being a young team compared to the likes of Skyline High School’s 3322 “Eagle Imperium” and Pioneer’s 1076 “Samurai,” Zebrotics is going into the season strong, with more members than ever before, and is prepared to a season of challenges, fun, and success.

RIGHT: Senior Zenna Hodges and sophomore Cort Toschlog-Green make final preparations before a match at competition in Gaylord, Michigan. Before a match, the team must make sure the foam bumpers on their robot are switched to the right colorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;either red or blueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to correspond to their alliance for that round. BELOW: Senior Neil Beveridge and junior Ned Capuano lower the robot from its rope after a successful climb at a tournament at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. A successful rope climb at the end of a round yields a high amount of points.

January 2018

Opportunity for a Voice Barbara McQuade talks about her transition from the U.S. Attorney’s office to the University of Michigan and MSNBC. BY AVA MILLMAN

Professor Barbara McQuade poses in front of an American flag. Throughout every step of her career Barbara McQuade has shown her passion for serving her country and her community. As a law professor and Political expert for MSNBC, she was given the opportunity to inspire others to do the same.

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he studio was practically bare, containing a single camera, two pop-up lights, a few screens, and only two chairs — one for the camera man and one for Professor Barbara McQuade. She sat a few feet off the wall with a backdrop of the University of Michigan (UM) campus positioned behind her head, just large enough to fill the frame of the camera. The camera man placed a small earpiece in her left ear while she checked her iPhone for any last minute updates and instructions. Suddenly, a voice came over the speaker system and welcomed her to Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. This was McQuade’s second appearance on MSNBC of the day, and she had one more scheduled for later that night. It all started in early May — just a matter of days after she had begun her new job at the University of Michigan Law School — when McQuade got an unexpected call from an unknown number. It was a representative from MSNBC inviting her to speak about her former colleague, US Attorney Sally Yates’ testimony regarding Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Intrigued by the offer to help others form informed personal opinions about current events, McQuade accepted. McQuade had served as the US Attorney for eight years in the Eastern District of Michigan, and had been the Assistant US Attorney for 12 years prior. On March 10, 2017, McQuade, along with 45 other federal prosecutors, was asked to resign by President Trump and Attorney General Sessions. “Once Trump won the presidency I realized that I was going to have to leave,” McQuade said. It is tradition that when the presidential party flips from democratic to republican,

and vice versa, the appointed US Attorneys are replaced by representatives from the new president’s party. Therefore, when President Trump was elected, McQuade knew she needed to start looking for the next step in her career. “When I had the opportunity to return to my alma mater, the University of Michigan, I was very excited and jumped at the chance,” McQuade said. Despite having never expected to become a professor, McQuade has quickly fallen in love with her new career. “Teaching is an opportunity to reach, influence, and inspire the next generation of lawyers,” McQuade said. “At this point in my career what I really hope to do is work that has a positive impact. I always tell young people that work should be interesting, challenging, and important. And I find that teaching law students is all three of those things.” McQuade views her recent venture into commentary as an exciting way to serve the community. “It’s fun to do, it’s fun to have a voice, and [it’s fun] to feel like you are helping to inform the public so that they can make informed opinions about current events,” McQuade said. With the recent release of the first indictments of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, McQuade has been featured on MSNBC almost everyday; she has spoke on several different programs including The Rachel Maddow Show and Hardball with Chris Matthews. With an undergraduate degree in Communications from UM, it is no surprise that McQuade speaks so comfortably in front of the camera. However, she attributes her success in public speaking to the practice she got while in the courtroom. “I always used to get a little bit of an adrenaline surge whenever I would appear in court, and it is sort of the same feeling when I appear on television,” McQuade said. “But I always try to embrace that. I think that a little nervousness and a little adrenaline is a good thing.” Just a few hours before prime time, McQuade’s phone will begin to ring with dif-

“It’s fun to do, it’s fun to have a voice, and [it’s fun] to feel like you are helping to inform the public so that they can make informed opinions about current events.” ferent producers trying to book her for an appearance on that night’s program. Once she has scheduled a show the producer will give her a general topic, and she will go through some last minute preparations. “I read media accounts, I read commentary, I read some legal blogs, I talk with people about them, I listen to podcasts and television interviews,” McQuade said. “I try to inform myself as best I can with the facts, so I can provide some informed analysis about them.” In addition to television commentary, McQuade has had the opportunity to write multiple opinion pieces for publications such as the Daily Beast and the Washington Post. While her career now is fulfilling and challenging, McQuade looks at some of her accomplishments from her time as US Attorney as being her greatest professional successes. “We formed the office’s first ever civil rights unit,” McQuade said. “Where we did some pretty spectacular things including filing lawsuits that resulted in the building of an Islamic school in Pittsfield Township, after they were denied zoning privileges for what we believe to be pretextual reasons.” In addition to the Islamic school settlement, her civil rights department also worked out an agreement to build a mosque in Sterling Heights under similar circumstances. McQuade misses her colleagues at the US Attorney’s office, and their mission of helping the community; however, she enjoys her new environment at UM just as much. “Picking between the two careers is like picking which of my children I like the best,” McQuade said. “I love them both, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the chance to do both of them.”

Professor Barbara McQuade’s University of Michigan office is adorned with awards, photos of her family, and photos of her meeting various political figures, such as Joe Biden and Bill Clinton.

January 2018

Humans of Community BY SUEPHIE SAAM PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEC REDDING

ian keller

mei semones

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“One of the most important people to me is my friend who I’ve known since I was very young named Livy. She’s always been there for me and she recently had to move to London. We’ve still kept in touch almost every single day. It’s really shown me that if I want to keep in touch with somebody, even if they aren’t physically near me, I can. I’m able to still remain friends with her even though she’s so far away. Her dad has a job in London but her mom wasn’t really happy in London, so they came back, but her mom wasn’t really happy here either so then they went back [to London]. She’s just getting dragged around. I really feel for her, but it’s really nice to have a person who you can always talk to even though they’re all the way across the world. I’ve known her since I was born basically. We’ve lived next to each other. When we were really little, maybe three or five we used to spend our birthdays at Chuck E. Cheese and just invite each other. [My favorite thing about her is] that every time I see her when she comes to visit, it’s immediately back to where we were. There’s no skipping a beat or anything.”

“Playing music definitely [stops time]. Whenever I [play], even if I’m tired or sad or anything — I’m okay doing that all the time. [I started playing] guitar in fifth grade. I just thought it was really cool. I was inspired by Back to The Future. There was a guy and he was playing Chuck Berry guitar. That’s what I was inspired by. I like playing whenever no matter what, but I definitely enjoy playing with other people. When I’m playing with other people, I can be inspired from them and learn from them creatively. Versus when I’m just by myself, I’m just working on my own music. I’m not feeding off of other people ideas. Right now I’ve been listening to a lot of Grant Green. He’s a jazz guitarist. I’m planning on majoring in jazz in college. I just finished applying everywhere and now I have to do auditions in February. I work with Emily Tschirhart a lot. She’s in [my band] Rosewood. [Rosewood] started my freshman year, so around 2014. Clarence was like, ‘Let’s make a band!’ We went to play for Live on Washington, a bunch of Neutral Zone stuff, and we won Battle of the Bands. I couldn’t imagine my life without music. I don’t know what I would be doing without it.”

catherine nicoli

“I was on my Outward Bound trip — a threeweek sea kayaking and mountaineering trip in Washington. Outward Bound is a challenge-based outdoor expedition organization. It was this very difficult adventure for three weeks without my phone, without talking to any of my friends, and with seven other kids from around the country. Every night of our trip, we would do what we call the Evening Ebb, which is where we would check in with each other about the day that we had and we would do things called ‘Appreciations.’ It was our final Evening Ebb and we did this ceremony where we got Outward Bound pins. Most groups put the pins in the middle and the instructors told them to grab it when they think that they’re ready. But my instructor decided to put all of our pins at the bottom of a river. This was at eleven o’clock at night. He put them in the river and he said, ‘You guys can go find them. Stand up when you feel that you’re ready and you can go find your pins.’ So we’re all freaking out, we’re like ‘How the hell are we going to find these pins?’ It was pitch black and the water was super cold. I ended up being the last one to stand up to go get my pin, and it happened to be that they were all attached to glow sticks so you could see them easily. I got into the river and it was so cold. It was so cold that when it got up to my chest I almost couldn’t breath. When I dove down to try to get my pin, a rock moved over it. I came up and I thought ‘I’m such a failure.’ I dove down again and I finally got it and came out of the water and screamed so loud. I rushed back onto the shore as fast as I could. It was a combination of closure from the trip, the excitement that I finally got my pin, and the fact that it is so cold that made me really excited. I had a lot of adrenaline. I can still feel how happy I was now.”

carter schmidt carter schmidt

“The first time I got in a plane and flew it by myself was really just spectacular and scary in its own way. It was about a year ago. I was trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, and I discovered I wanted to be a pilot. I started going to the Ann Arbor airport and learning how to fly. Now I’m about five hours away from my private pilot’s license. So the first time I ‘soloed,’ which means flying by yourself, I went up for just fifteen minutes. It’s really about perspective I think when you fly. It’s really something special to me. There’s a layer of being scared that overshadowed the excitement I was feeling, but once you take off, it’s kind of just easy cruising.”

January 2018

WEST END STATION

The West End Station lies at the edge of the route in downtown Dallas. This gathering place serves each individual a different purpose, though they are connected by this single station. BY CAMMI TIRICO AND ROXIE RICHNER

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Feature

JOURDAN FIELDS Jourdan Fields, 19, loves fashion. From ripping his own jeans to changing his watch to match his outfit, he puts time into how he looks. “I like to look nice,” Fields said. you never know who you are going to see or meet.”

January 2018

Lee Jacobs and Damien Paul have been best friends since 9th grade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Damien has been there every time life tries to bring me down,â&#x20AC;? Jacobs said. They use the West End Station as a marketplace for their homemade fragrances.

LEE JACOBS & DAMIEN PAUL 26

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| Feature

CHRIS HAMFORD Chris Hamford spends everyday at the West End Station. It gives him a chance to relax, see his friends, and meet new people. It’s his break from his full-time job — taking care of his two year old daughter. “She’s the thing that keeps me smiling,” Hamford said.

January 2018

THE SIMMS Destiny Simms, 17 months old, waits with her mother Alicia Simms for the train that will take her to daycare. Alicia works two jobs to support Destiny. “She is my world. I do what I can to give her the life she deserves,” Alicia said. “I like to spoil her.” With her earnings from last week, Alicia bought Destiny new toys and hair accessories.

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MICHAEL THAYER

Michael Thayer sat at West End Station waiting for no train. Thayer was right in the middle of the station, with a toy horse on a stick and large cowboy belt with engraved detail. He was wearing a hat that his father had given him. He wore his Vietnam veteran’s pin proudly. “I hang out at the station to talk with people, and [I] hope to make some kids smile,” Thayer said.

January 2018

A CAUSE FOR CONSPIRACY

y c a r i p s n o C r A Cause fo The JFK files The JFK files don’t tell us much about his death– but they can show us but they can show us aabit bitabout about Americans. Americans.

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BY ELLA EDELSTEIN

ifty-four years after the death of President John F. Kennedy, the files regarding his death have been released for the public viewership. For Americans who believe in a CIA assassination conspiracy – 51 percent according to Gallup – this is big news. However, the files turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. In the most coveted tape, Richard Helms, then Deputy Director of plans for the CIA, is asked: “Is there any information involved with the assassination of President Kennedy which in any way shows that Lee Harvey Oswald was in some way a CIA agent or agent–” The document cuts off abruptly. Yet to those truly dedicated to discovering the truth, this abrupt cut off only proves that there is important information to be hidden. A belief in this type of conspiracy is not rare among Americans; in fact, many major events regarding the country have various theories surrounding them. According to a study conducted by the University of Chicago in 2014, almost 20 percent of Americans believe that the government was behind the 9/11 attacks. According to Public Policy Polling, over 20 million Americans believe that the moon landing was faked. Countless other conspiracies exist, so get woke: the CIA invented AIDS, aliens have visited the U.S. on multiple occasions, and a group of elite reptiles have been controlling the world for decades. Additionally, during the 2016 presidential election, the term “deep state” was pushed into mainstream media — largely by Trump and his supporters. Believing in a deep state implies the existence of some secret manipulation of the government whether by an intelligence agency, corporation or any body other than elected officials. Throughout history, the deep state theory has been used by different parties, although it was favored by Republicans this past year.

PUBLIC TRUST LOW AS EVER

The fact that so many seem to believe that there has been and continues to be a collusion of the American people shows a clear lack of trust in government. It might seem that it has always been this way, and for those born in the past couple decades, well, it has. However, during Kennedy’s presidency, public trust in national government reached all time highs: According to Pew Research, between 73-77 percent of Americans trusted Washington most or all of the time. While these statistics have ranged greatly between administrations, recently they have plummeted to new lows: less than one in five Americans have faith in government to do right. As easy as it would be to blame the Trump administration for this loss in confidence, this most recent decline in fact started at the beginning of the G.W. Bush administration and continued to trend downwards throughout the Obama administration. So what has made Americans so wary of their own government?

A CAUSE FOR CONSPIRACY

Many factors are likely in play: firstly, and most obviously, it should be noted that government intelligence organizations, particularly the CIA, which is featured in many conspiracies, were created specifically to hide their operations from the public. Now, it is well known that during Kennedy’s presidency they made multiple bizarre attempts to assassinate Cuban prime minister Fidel Castro, including by infecting his diving suit and poisoning his cigars. The FBI, another intelligence organization, considering civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. a communist sympathizer and public threat, bugged his house and tracked his every move. Hoping to tarnish his image and take him down from the inside, the FBI went so far as to meddle with his relationship with his wife; one of the recently released files reports, in intimate detail, King’s wild sex life outside of his marriage. Knowing that government agencies were not open about these, and many other, acts leaves little mystery as to why so many people believe in conspiracies like Kennedy and 9/11. As for the lizards who have secretly ruled this country for so long, their existence might seem a bit more far-fetched. Yet, other similar conspiracies exist, one of the most prominent being the theory that a group of Jews, called the “Elders of Zion” control the media as part of their plan for world domination. The theory debuted as a book used to spread anti-semitic propaganda in early 20th century Russia and, like reptiles running a government, stands to show a frustration in the way power and secrecy play out in a nation.

January 2018

THE FAULT IN OUR INSTITTUTIONS

While deep state and other conspiracy believers can be easily dismissed as crazy, they might just have a point: The government institutions that make many important decisions for the American people are largely made up of elitists who are wholly unrelatable to the public. According to The Washington Post, only nine percent of Americans have confidence in Congress, making it the least trusted government institution. No wonder – it can be difficult to trust in a body with a growing average net worth of over $1 million to prioritize the interests of the average American. Not to mention that the average member of congress is 57 years old, yet still makes laws for a country with a median age of about 38 years old and the generations to come. Age is particularly relevant on issues like climate change which will likely impact each generation more than the last. And while climate change believers have reached a majority in the U.S., almost 20 percent more seniors (65 years and older) than millennials deny its existence, according to a study by the University of Texas. Coincidentally – or not – most of those seniors will die in the next few decades, while the younger generations will have to cope with these issues for much longer. Partisanship likely also comes into play when considering trust in Congress. Because compromise between parties must always be made in order to pass a bill, the process is a) usually slow and b) often unsatisfactory to both sides. In fact, a study by Pew Research shows that a majority – 64 percent– of Democrats and Republicans believe that “on the issues that matter to them, their side loses more often than it wins.” The system set in place is meant to appease both sides to an extent, yet in reality, most aren’t being satisfied.

TRUMPISM

Yes, President Trump was freed of a bit of blame earlier in this piece, but he certainly does play a part in the way Americans now view our government from both sides. He works to build a sense of distrust throughout his own party by creating hysteria over fake news. Then, he slanders Democrats – and anyone with whom he disagrees – unrelentlessly, fostering more distrust on the other side. What is trustworthy about this and about all of the chaos occurring after only one year in the White House? Think Russian interference, sexual assault allegations, nuclear war threats, hiring and firing and hiring and firing, whitesupremacist sympathy… and this list is already much too long. Not to mention that Trump and his supporters are guilty of creating their own conspiracies. Who can forget that they once pushed Obama to release his birth certificate to respond to theories that he was not truly born in the United States of America? And that they accused him of being Muslim, which is firstly, not a crime, and second, not true? This kind of conspiracy is not a rational one, but one that came out of partisan bias and, frankly, racism. But this is common knowledge; now this is the norm. And now it can seem like the next scandal is just around the corner, one that will break before anyone has even had a chance to conspire about it. So, unfortunately, conspiracy and distrust may not be an overreaction. Instead, consider it a response to the way American people have and continue to be abused by the powerful institutions meant to give us security.

The Communicator Magazine

CBT in Schools

Students participate in innovative Cognitive Behavorial Therapy programs through Community High School. BY BELLA YERKES

ne out of five school-aged children are impacted by mental illness, but only 20 percent of those kids receive treatment. Community High School has been offering skill groups to students struggling with mental health for the past three years. Brian Williams, a counselor at the school, worked with Dr. Kashman through the University of Michigan’s medical program TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) to bring skills groups to Community. TRAILS is a statewide program designed to bring effective mental health care to all students. Mental health professionals are trained to be TRAILS coaches, and are then paired with school professionals to co-facilitate skill groups. The skill groups use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy,

and mindfulness strategies to help students who are experiencing anxiety or depression. They provide them with techniques and skills they can practice to improve their mental health. TRAILS has found that providing CBT through schools has decreased rates of depression and anxiety symptoms in students. “We’re trying to look at all these kind of negative thinkings. and try to come up with better ways and more healthier ways to change your thoughts,” Williams said. Williams and his fellow counselor, John Boshoven, currently run Community High’s skill groups. At first, the groups ran for 12 weeks, but they were eventually trimmed down to only six. Boshoven and Williams each run one group per semester, projecting to a total of four for the 2017-2018 school year. They also have an intern, Lizzie Perterson who

could potentially run a group second semester. They reach out to parents, forum leaders, teachers, and other staff to find kids who could benefit from the skill groups. “We’re experiencing it and you guys might see it, just an increased level of kids who are having anxiety or depression impacting their school, their education,” Williams said. Skill groups help students receive mental health care. “These are tools that help everybody, so they help me as a person too,” Boshoven said. He finds tools they talk about helpful to him personally. Williams believes they are practical, and become helpful through practice. “Just taking time to recenter and reground yourself is something everybody can benefit from,” Williams said. |

January 2018

Acceptance, Halfway Around the World: A Year of Sisterhood BY LOEY JONES-PERPICH

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Feature

ixteen-year-old Pauline Wehlmann sat in her family’s garden in the tiny village of Oberuff, Germany, anxiously awaiting a letter from Youth for Understanding (YFU), a student exchange program. Pauline had recently been accepted to spend a year in America, but hadn’t found a host family. This letter changed everything for her — it included news of a family in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that wanted to host her. YFU told her that the family was ‘different,’ a fact that confused her at first, but was one that she later brushed off upon finding that the only thing different was that she would be staying in a household with two moms. It made no difference for her, and she was utterly thrilled that she would soon be living in America. Within a couple days, Pauline was given information from the family, including a letter written from her soon-to-be host moms. The first time she ever read that letter was the first time she read my name. I was in seventh grade at the time. Before Pauline, my family had hosted two other year-long exchange students — two teenage boys in two years. Aside from that, I had lived my entire life with a younger brother. Pauline was this extraordinary opportunity for me to have a sister, and I was ecstatic to find out that she would be living with us. It was something of that sort for Pauline as well. She had three brothers at home in Germany, and despite loving them deeply, she longed to experience sisterhood. Finding a family for Pauline had taken longer than expected, so she only had a couple weeks to get ready to leave Germany. Her stepfather and brothers all had obligations the day of her departure, so only her mom, Anke, was able to take her to the Frankfurt airport. She sat next to an Italian girl on the flight, and was therefore forced to speak in English with the girl. They were both nervous, so they talked to each other for a while. They landed in Chicago, and during the layover before her flight to Detroit, she slept on a table. After her flight landed, she found my mom, Diana, waiting for her. She was shaking like a leaf. In that moment, after recognizing my mom’s face from pictures, she found a little security in the foreign country. Pauline was grateful for my mom’s kindness and tranquility. My brother and I woke her up on her first morning in Ann Arbor. My first distinct memory of her is from later that day, when my mom and I took her and our new dog on a walk along the Huron River. We talked about Germany, Ann Arbor, school, friends,

boys, and families, and I knew in that moment that finally, finally, I had a sister. I loved Pauline. I loved her hugs and her laughs, and I loved how many pairs of hand-knitted socks she owned. I loved her accent, and I loved that she didn’t treat me like a little kid. I looked up to her more than I’ve ever looked up to anyone — I still do, three years later. Because the American school year had started before Pauline arrived, she went to school right away. Diana took her to Skyline High School, the public high school for our neighborhood. She had never seen a school that large, making her immediately feel out of place. It was not long before she started to adapt to the environment however. She met other German exchange students in some of her classes and was comforted by the ability to speak German with them. As she assimilated, though, they stopped speaking German with each other and started speaking in English. At the beginning of the year, speaking English was exhausting for her, but slowly, without even recognizing it, she became fluent. She could only tell that she was thinking in English when she Skype’d with her mom back in Germany and spoke to her in English accidentally. The first time she ever had a dream in English, she was incredibly proud of how much she’d improved in the short time she’d been in Ann Arbor. Pauline joined the Skyline cross country team and there she met her best friend: Kate, an exchange student from Prague. Kate didn’t get along with her host family, so over the course of the year she slept at our house at least once a week. My whole family went to her first cross country meet. She told me that it made her feel so accepted and included. She was proud to have a family that loved her and grateful to be in a family that supported her. The first time my mom ever told Pauline that she loved her was something that Pauline would remember forever. She felt like she was truly a member of the family, and she was overjoyed to be accepted and safe with us. At the beginning of the year, we had planned on just being a welcome family — we would host Pauline for her first couple months here and then she would move out of our house and move into her permanent home. This disappointed Pauline and made her feel insecure that we might not like her, and even though she wanted to stay with us for the year, it was technically up to us. I wanted Pauline to stay, and so did the rest of my family. My mom told us that we could ask Pauline to stay, but if she want-

ed to leave we had to let her. I had grown accustomed to having her in my life, and was terrified that she wouldn’t want to stay. When we asked her to stay, she agreed immediately. When I asked Pauline if there were any big differences between my family and her family back in Germany, she had trouble thinking of any. She never felt shocked by our family, and she always felt at home. Pauline was never homesick with us. Her time in Ann Arbor went by incredibly quickly. It was suddenly spring, and she found herself not looking forward to going back to Germany. When the time came for her to leave, she fully realized that she was about to be torn away from the life she had built with my family in America. Her mother came to America in the last couple weeks of her exchange year and the two traveled together. Though she was glad that her mom got to meet us and they got to spend time together, she wished she had spent those last two weeks with us. I dreaded Pauline leaving. She had become an incredibly influential person in my life. I had only known her for nine months, and I wasn’t prepared to live without her. I slept on Pauline’s shoulder on the way to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. My family, including Pauline, sat together until the last minute possible before she had to go through security. We cried in each other’s arms. I didn’t know when I would see her again. Pauline and I still Facetime pretty regularly. Now 19 years old, she’s finishing high school and plans on traveling around Oceania and Asia in the following year. I miss her every day and I still think of her as my sister and one of my best friends. She reflects on the year she spent with us as a truly incredible year for herself. She grew up immediately in America. She was a changed person — she learned to accept herself here and stopped trying to conform to society’s standards. I asked Pauline why she thought it was important for kids to do exchange years, and she told me that without a doubt, you become more tolerant. She firmly believes that learning a different language and living in a different culture opens minds and hearts. The world transforms and you see it through different eyes. I am incredibly grateful for Pauline and the year we spent together. I know she is as well. I am thankful for her guidance, her love, her acceptance, and most importantly, our sisterhood. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

January 2018

The Communicator Magazine

Take

a Trip

January 2018

Community High Teachers Relive Their Past Roadtrips. BY SUEPHIE SAAM, NEIL BEVERIDGE, AND ALEC REDDING

Anne Thomas cherishes her road trips, but not only for the destination. What Thomas loves most about road trips are the memories that are made on the way. On her journeys, she loves to stop at as many places as possible. Some of her favorite detours have taken her to The Corn Palace, a larger than life statue of Babe, the Blue Ox, and The Jolly Green Giant statue. “Basically, stop and smell the roses or stop and see the Corn Palace,” Thomas said. “The Corn Palace is really a palace made out of corn. I mean, how cool is that?” Thomas also enjoys the bonding that can only come from the closeness in roadtrips. “You are stuck in the car with each other for that time, and you just have to talk, or you have to play games, or be together; it’s just really quality time to me, and I treasure that,” she said. “And I treasure it with my family.” Despite the liberation that comes with the open road, she admits that preparing for a road trip can be stressful. To solve this, she and her husband have created a master packing list, which has been perfected over the years. Recently, she embarked on a 10 hour road trip to New York and made sure to make plenty of stops along the way. “We don’t mind driving, and we like seeing the country,” Thomas said. “I love seeing the world that way, and I think it’s a lost art a little bit.”

“It’s an American thing. You know, the open road. It’s fabulous.” While in high school, Robbie Stapleton traveled to Florida on one of her first road trips and hasn’t stopped traveling since. On this trip, she and 13 friends traveled to the Sunshine State aboard a train of five cars. Despite the numerous risks and potential hazards that can be expected on a trip of this size, Stapleton made it back without experiencing any mishaps along the way. “Considering what could have gone wrong, I would say it was pretty amazing, actually,” Stapleton said. “We had a great time, it was very memorable.” Since this trip, Stapleton’s love of adventure has taken her across the country. Her favorite park that she has visited is the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. Stapleton explained that no one goes to the national park because no one knows about it. Despite this, Stapleton’s love of national parks has inspired her ambitions to see all that this country has to offer. “My husband and I are planning on biking in all the national parks before we die,” Stapleton said. “We’ve done 29.” Stapleton’s advice for young people about road trips is simple: “Definitely, you should go [on road trips].”

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When Steve Coron was 20 years old, he set out on a road trip from Michigan to California with his family. This was around the time when the public was able to communicate with truckers through a CB radio (Citizens Bands Radio). Steve described naming their Ford Thunderbird, as “Thunder Chicken.” “It was the first time I’d ever been on this ‘highway to America,” Coron said. For Coron, it is important to document his trips. He reminsces through the photos he took with his film camera on the trip. “I still have this photo book I made,” Coron said. He frequently travels with his wife who is also an artist. Besides these road trips, Coron does not travel internationally often. Coron explains that he regrets not traveling until he was 50 years old. He emphasizes the importance of traveling. “It really builds your character,” Coron said. “It’s good for your soul. Take the road trips, but be careful and be smart. Take the road less traveled.”

Accompanied by his mother, aunt, and two cousins, Robert Morgan has been going on roadtrips from a young age. As Morgan’s family prepared for their roadtrip to Florida, a mattress was placed in the backseat of his Aunt Kathy’s van, replacing the back two rows for him and his two cousins. Morgan’s first road trip was the most memorable. “It shouldn’t have been a problem at this point, but I was two and not potty trained,” Morgan said. “This is where Robertville started.” Although he was covered in urine, he was too young to care. While two year old Morgan was still enjoying himself, his cousins spent the last 19 hours of the 22 hour car ride shoved in the corner of the mattress in order to stay away from the growing line of urine. “I loved my life” Morgan said. “I just danced, and sang my Robert songs the whole way down.”

For 200 dollars a month, Tracy Anderson, 23, and her friend Brian Rosewarne explored Europe in a Volkswagen Camper and tandem bicycle. They traveled through Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, and Portugal. Anderson described how safe she felt in the Volkswagen Camper. The two travelers felt they had everything needed to conquer their dream road trip. Despite their financial situation, Anderson and Rosewarne utilized every penny. From eating spaghetti in a bag, to being offered free baguettes by locals, Anderson believes this added to their experience. While venturing through Portugal, they came across foreign mannequin dolls scattered along the road. Anderson explained they soon began to collect these dolls and carry them on their bikes. “It was just amazing, because when you drive-by in a car, you have no idea what’s on the ground,” Anderson said. “We were just like, ‘What’s up with Portugal and these dolls legs?’” For Anderson, travelling without a comfortable amount of money allowed her to savor the experiences. “You don’t have to have a ton of money to make something great happen,” Anderson said. “[That’s] when I’ve loved it the most.” |

January 2018

The Communicator Magazine

A Sweeter Kind of Change

How Scott Newell, high school dropout, and now business owner, transformed his life by opening a bakery.

BY ISABEL ESPINOSA

n the corner of Miller Avenue and Spring Street stands a yellow brick building that houses Big City Small World Bakery. Inside, the smell of baked goods and freshly brewed coffee fill the air as owner Scott Newell works. He opened the bakery in 2001 for selfish reasons: so his sister would have the financial stability to stay at home and take care of their grandmother so he didn’t have to. As a highschool dropout, Newell never had a solid plan for his life. He spent years trying to find a passion, eventually finding a love for film video studies — a combination of literature theory, drama, psychology, art, and technology. That passion was enough to inspire him to go back to school. He attended the University of Michigan at nearly 30-years-old. Just before graduation, he saw an opportunity to rent out the space in the main level of the irregularly-shaped building and he seized it. “[Opening the bakery] was not a linear, proactive, pre-planned kind of approach,” Newell said. “It was an opportunistic, seize the moment, seat of the pants situation.” The hardest part for Newell has always

been finding staff. It’s hard for him — as well as many other local business owners around Ann Arbor — to get good help from people. The biggest change that they’ve noticed is the number of college students that are working. When Newell attended U of M, most of the kids found jobs in order to support themselves. He’s noticed that in 2017, there are significantly less college kids working at local businesses. To him, the only thing worse than having a boss is being a boss. A business owner has to be responsible for everything that happens in the shop, even when they’re not physically present. The bakery is always in the back of Newell’s mind. For the past two years, Big City Small World Bakery has closed for the month of January for possible renovations and to give the workers a break. For that month, Newell can relax; he doesn’t have to worry about paying bills, or making sure there is someone in the store working. The break is a nice change, but Newell is always happiest when the bakery opens again in February. Despite all of the challenges of starting and owning a business, Newell loves it.

“Owning your [own] business is rewarding in a lot of ways,” Newell said. “There’s aspects of logistics, of responsibility that are not fun, but it is cool to make a thing happen — which is what you do when you have a business.” Although he had believed he would spend his life making documentaries and traveling the world, Newell has never regretted opening the bakery. He serves as an example of someone who turned his life around later than others did. His advice? Don’t be hard on yourself, and do what you want to do. “You can change your life at 20, you can change it at 30, you can change it at 40,” Newell said. “You can do totally different things. So don’t be afraid, and it will all work out.”

LEFT: Big City Small World Bakery, located at 500 Miller Ave., is decorated with signature wire sculptures made by Stef Kopka. To see the menu, hours, and more, visit their website at bigcitysmallworld.squarespace.com. ABOVE: Scott Newell talking to a customer after a sale. Newell likes to be a friendly face to those who stop into the bakery, not just the owner.

January 2018

SEXISM prejudice

stereotyping

discrimination

Sexism surrounds our everyday lives, yet many fail to recognize it. Laura Bates’ “Everyday Sexism” addresses many of these issues in new and unique ways. BY MADIE GRACEY

The Communicator Magazine

Feature

f you don’t actively think about it, it can be hard to detect sexism. It surrounds us. It’s present in our jobs, our schools, and our community. Sexism is an ongoing issue, one that in the past, has led to the likes of marches, protests, and demonstrations. Between the struggle for equal pay and the percentage of men to women in a workplace, sexism applies to everyone, even men. “Everyday Sexism” is a book written by Laura Bates. At the beginning of each chapter, there are a series of statistics, that were fact-checked by reliable sources. Along with the statistics are tweets from random people in society. The contents of the chapter is the author analyzing certain events, sayings, and things in our society. Bates provides evidence to her claims and relates them back to what the topic of the chapter was. The chapters are dense and filled with interesting points. They do not address all of the issues that women face. The fact of the matter is that women are constantly being oppressed by people who consider themselves to be superior: most commonly white men who are wealthy, hold a high position, and have that kind of power and mindset. “Everyday Sexism” is based around a worldwide movement and project. It gives real life examples, stories, and much more of ways that sexism is seen and interpreted. Sexism surrounds us. Follows us. Not just women, men too. The most intriguing part of the book is how she uses real-life examples to get her point across. She relates her talking point to the examples and experiences she gives from ordinary people around the world. In the U.S., there is a lot of stigma surrounding sexism. According to ‘The Guardian’ – an online news source – 63 percent of women agree that sexism still exists, where only 41 percent of men agree. Both men and women can contribute to this sexism. For me, sexism is a barrier that women still face today. There is so much stigma around women’s actions, as well as what professions they have. 79 cents to every dollar: a women makes 21 cents less than a man does per dollar. In Michigan, minimum wage is eight dollars and 90 cents: for 40 hours a woman would make 356 dollars where a man would make on average 364 dollars and 40 cents. It may not seem like a lot, but that eight dollars and 40 cents adds up quickly. A statistic from 2017 states that there is a 21.7 percent wage gap between men and women. That is 719 dollars to 871 dollars that women make to men even though they are working the same number of hours. Bates argues that it is good to be aware of sexism, but you need to be careful because it is something that everyone does. It is not always on purpose, but it is something that is in our subconscious.

“Though there are a lot of people out there who may try and tear you down for being who you are, there is always someone on your side.”

A Night of Anticipation

Community High School’s Bree Boehman talks about her experience coming out as a transgender woman. BY WM HENRY SCHIRMER

ree Boehman had a secret, one that had been on her mind for some time now. Something she had only told a handful of friends earlier that summer at camp. A week before the beginning of her sophomore year at Community High School, she felt that this was time for her parents to know. It was late at night, roughly 10 p.m., and the whole house was settling in for the night. She had decided it was time to be honest; Boehman came out as a transgender woman. For Boehman’s parents, it was a lot of information to take in, so they left without discussion. “They just went up to bed,” Boehman said. “So I spent the entire night worrying about it.” In the morning, her parents shifted right into the change. “It was almost like nothing happened,” Boehman said. “It was real but surreal, but also nice.” Since then, Boehman says not much has changed in her life. “It’s hard to explain because there is something definitely different,” Boehman said.

“But my home life is still the same and I still have the same friends.” The main change that Boehman has truly experienced is she is no longer treated as a man, but as a woman. “It is a small difference, but it is a difference.” Overall, Boehman has only seen positive responses to her transition. “There was a wide range of reactions,” Boehman said. “Some of them were just like, ‘Oh that’s cool, we’ll call you Bree from now on.’ Other friends were very excited for me and wanted to get right into hanging out with me doing ‘girl stuff,’ like makeup and clothing shopping.” One of her friends even stood up and shouted, ‘I knew it,’ when she came out. Boehman thinks it is funny, looking back on the years, that she did not realize who she was sooner. “I have always been pretty feminine,” Boehman said. “I’ve always disliked being a boy and being a male.” She believes the reason for this is due to denial and repression. “Whenever that question came up, ‘What am I really, am I really a boy or am I a girl?’ I would just shove that back down and just

try not to think about it,” Boehman said. “I was scared.” Over time, Boehman kept poking and digging deeper into this question. “Eventually I decided to get some space from everything and spend time just looking back at how I’ve always felt,” Boehman said. Leading up to this she tended to wear gender-neutral or women’s clothing. “It really helped me come to terms with my [gender identity].” As a whole, the transition has been a very positive experience for Boehman, and she is very grateful for all the love and support she has received. “It is very fortunate for me,” Boehman said. “A lot of people don’t get that. [For] a lot of people, their parents aren’t supportive or their friends aren’t supportive. I’m very grateful that my parents and all my friends support this transition.” Although Boehman was worried about the negative attention she might receive, she now knows that “though there are a lot of people out there who may try and tear you down for being who you are, there is always someone on your side.”

January 2018

On Medicine By Abigail Gaies

When Helpful Becomes Harmful

Americans die from an opioid overdose. Every day.

Currently, the number one cause for breakins in the United States is for the theft of prescription drugs. These numbers might sound crazy, but Dr. Jennifer Waljee has stopped being shocked by information like this. Dr. Jennifer Waljee, M.D., Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan, has recently become interested in opioid use, specifically as it effects her hand surgery patients. “We know that if patients are either actively on opioids, or they’ve been exposed to opioids in the year prior to surgery, they tend to not do as well after surgery,” Waljee said. “They have more complications; they’re less likely to go home; they’re more likely to be discharged to rehab facilities or nursing facilities; they overall cost the system more money; they tend to stay longer.” There are no proven answers as to why these things happen. Hypotheses include the idea that opioids are immunosuppressants , which hinder the body’s response to physiologic stress, like surgery. There is also the fact that if one is taking opioids, even stronger doses than usual will be necessary to manage pain; this can lead to other problems that can slow down recovery after a surgery. Her initial curiosity stemmed from the following question: “How do we know how much we’re supposed to prescribe our patients?” With all the guidelines in medicine, it may come as a surprise that there are few guidelines for this. During the time of Waljee’s training, a new concept was evolving: along with body temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, pain should be considered as the fifth vital sign. Patients, families, and even healthcare providers often believe that the healthcare experience should be pain-free. Early marketing around prescription opioids said they were not addictive, and if taken for acute pain purposes one could not become dependant on them. “It was thought that we would have license to prescribe them pretty liberally after surgery,” Waljee said. “If you prescribe too

many, it would be fine because if patients didn’t have acute pain they wouldn’t take them and it wouldn’t be a big deal. They were thought to be pretty safe. That turned out not to be true at all.” Waljee has been doing this research for the last two years with Dr. Mike Englesbe, a fellow surgeon, and Dr. Chad Brummett, Director of the Division of Pain Research. They are focusing on two main issues. The first concern returns to Waljee’s original question: “How do we know how much we’re supposed to prescribe our patients?” Waljee admits that although most people have reported that they take three to five pills after a surgery, doctors still prescribe 30 or 40, on average. Waljee wants to find out how many pills people should ideally be prescribed; she wants to educate doctors on how to prescribe in a way that is more aligned with what the data shows patients are actually taking, and even see if patients can manage their pain without opioids at all. The second problem relates to the disposal of the excess opioids. Extra pills are sometimes kept in a medicine cabinet at home for months, or even years. “People hang onto them for a variety of reasons, either because they just forget about them or they think that they might need them in the future if they have a toothache, or a headache, or whatever; they don’t want to have to go back and ask for another prescription from a provider,” Waljee said. One reason for this tends to be the high out-of-pocket cost of prescription opioids. Another may be people just forgetting that they still have them; Waljee herself said she had a few leftover from one of her C-sections. “Although I would say honestly the biggest reason is just lack of awareness of how dangerous they can be,” Waljee said. Studies have shown that the majority of people who use heroin were initially exposed to prescription opioids, either their own or those prescribed to a friend or family member. “It’s not necessarily they wake up and start buying them off the street from a drug dealer,” Waljee said.

Disposing of the excess medications is not as simple as throwing them in the garbage or down the drain. Some people have proposed flushing them down the toilet, but that contaminates the water supply; many communities offer a program where people can drop them at the sheriff’s office or other law enforcement agency, but that is not always convenient; they can sometimes be returned to pharmacies or hospitals/clinics, but not all places take them back. So the newest question Waljee and her colleagues are looking into is what should be done with these extra pills? Since researching this topic, Waljee finds she approaches her patients differently. She continues to prescribe opioids, but in smaller amounts. The main change she has made is having a conversation with her patients about their pain management and expectations. She discusses what they think they might need, based on their prior experiences, how many pills they have needed in the past if they have had a previous surgery, and what their experience was like with opioids. To her surprise, many people respond with things like, “I don’t need anything, I have some in my medicine cabinet from my last five procedures that I never took.” With these patients, she either prescribes very few pills — or even none. As is apparent from the increasing amount of media attention, as well as the stance our current administration has taken, this is a very complicated problem. Physicians walk a thin line between appropriately treating pain and contributing to the worsening opioid epidemic. As Waljee notes, there are many ways you can approach opioid research: from the perspective of chronic pain, from the perspective of addiction, or from the perspective of overprescription, to name a few. “I don’t want to portray the message that opioids aren’t good for pain when used appropriately under the control of a physician, but I think it’s important to know that they are not without risks, and it’s important to dispose of them safely.”

I don’t want to portray the message that opioids aren’t good for pain when used appropriately under the control of a physician, but I think it’s important to know that they are not without risks, and it’s important to dispose of them safely. 44

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Piecing It Together Kali Stark speaks on her mother’s cooking, the death of her father, and her Indian ancestry. BY ELENA BERNIER

A Childhood Kali Stark, still in the single digits, sat at her table sipping tea with her imaginary friend Molly. “I remember since I never had siblings, I would have imaginary friends,” Stark said. “I would pretend they were my siblings, who would come over and have tea parties with me.” According to Stark, Molly was not anything fantastical. She was a regular girl, Stark’s imaginary sister. For as long as Stark can remember, it has just been her and her mom. She doesn’t have any siblings, so she did a lot of things on her own. But being an only child has brought her and her mother closer together. Stark describes her childhood as a quiet and happy one. Her mother’s cooking is a major staple of Stark’s family. She doesn’t like to eat alone: her mother enforces that food is a social thing, and makes sure that dinner is eaten as a family. “I think my mom has definitely ruined a lot of food for me,” Stark said. “I’ll eat something at someone else’s house, or at a restaurant, and [think] my mom could make this better.” The Flu Every year, Stark’s mother makes sure they get the flu shot. They never miss a year, not since 2003 when Stark was two years old. That was the year her father forgot to get the shot. Stark’s mother believes that if he had, he would still be around today. Stark doesn’t have any memories of her father. When he got the flu in 2003, it triggered an autoimmune response which caused his body to start attacking itself. This led to blood clots in his brain. “It got to the situation where it was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Stark said.

The doctors could remove the blood clot, and he would die of too much bleeding, or they could keep it there, and he would die of lack of blood flow to his brain. Two-year-old Kali had just lost her father, and her mother had lost her husband. “My mom is not the type of person to be consumed by grief,” Stark said. She describes her mom not letting herself wallow in her sadness, focusing on raising her child. With pride, Stark describes her mother as a person with never-ending perseverance. “She’s a tough cookie,” Stark said. “There’s not a lot that can break her.” Although Stark doesn’t remember her father, she has been able to find ways to connect with him. “My dad used to play guitar a lot, and so I’ve recently graduated to using his guitar instead of my daisy duke pink guitar,” Stark said. “I’ve looked through his guitar case and I found some hand-written music, which is really cool. It feels like I’m piecing together part of the mystery.” Stark has also taken up swimming after quitting gymnastics recently. Gymnastics had been her sport since kindergarten, but Stark described it as a frustrating and painful activity. Swimming is a feel-good sport for her. “My dad was a swimmer, so there’s a connection there, and I feel like I have more purpose behind it,” Stark said. Heritage Stark never really had to think much about her relationship with her heritage until her freshman year of high school. “I grew up not around a lot of Indian people, so no one ever questioned how Indian I was,” Stark said. Stark’s mother came to the U.S. from India when she was nine, and Kali was born in Ann Arbor. Once Stark started going to

WIHI, an IB school in Ypsilanti, she was surrounded by kids whose parents had immigrated from Pakistan and India later in life, or were born there themselves. “I’ve been told so many times in my school now that I’m really white, or not Indian,” Stark said. “It does make me mad, because I want to feel like I have some connection to where my family is from, even if you could argue [that my family] is really from Southern California. And I want to keep that culture with me, but sometimes I feel like it’s not mine to want to be a part of.” In 2015, Stark travelled to India to visit her family that still lives there. She had never been out of the country until then. “We definitely live in a bubble [in Ann Arbor,]” Stark said. “Being on the other side of the world really helps to burst that.” Living in Ann Arbor, Stark had a very limited view of the world. “It’s really easy to feel detached from [my heritage],” Stark said. “It made me feel more connected to that side of me. Stark for Office Stark credits the 2016 presidential election as a catalyst that got her into politics. Really into politics. “I think I follow the Russian investigation a little too closely than is healthy,” Stark said. Looking forward, Stark wants to pursue politics. But whether she will be a politician or work behind-the-scenes is up to her. Although Stark is extremely bright and talented, she still doubts herself. “I think part of me thinks I lack the charisma to be a frontline politician,” Stark says. “I doubt the amount of grit that I have to actually go through with that.”

January 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEC REDDING

The Innocent Truth

Mohamed El-Hussieny shares his political views on democracy in the United States. BY RISHI NEMORIN

On a brisk Tuesday at the beginning of November, Mohamed El-Hussieny, a teacher at Community High School, did not show up to post his ballot. Instead, he was with his brother who had unexpectedly come into town. Not that missing a chance to vote would have made a difference to him. The first time El-Hussieny had the chance to vote was in 1996. Bill Clinton was running for re-election and had very good support from the American people, including himself. “I was young. It was like a Rock the Vote campaign, [and I] felt real good about going to do it,” El-Husseiny said. After Clinton’s second term came to an end in the year 2000, there were two new candidates running for the presidency: Al Gore and George W. Bush. It is known for being one of the most controversial elections, as the presidency was decided by one state — Florida. As election night on Nov. 7 drew on, the winner of the race was announced as Al Gore. Soon after, there was a recount and the winner of the election was officially announced as George W. Bush. This outcome didn’t sit right with young El-Husseiny. “[Al Gore] came out with The Inconvenient Truth, which was the first kind of groundbreaking documentary on climate change,” he said. “[I] just didn’t understand why someone of this background, who has this kind of knowledge, who wants to promote good for the world, wouldn’t be viewed as a leader, or why we would not want him in a position of power.” He was sure that Bush would not be re-elected due to his actions involving the Middle East in his first term as president.

But to his surprise, Bush would serve another four years in the highest office in the United States. “9/11 happened. It was tragic, but the response to move into Iraq literally didn’t make any sense to me,” El-Husseiny said. “It was found that there was really no connection to 9/11 and there were no weapons found [in Iraq]. I was really surprised by the fact that it seemed to garner a lot of support from most of the American people.” It was at this moment that he started thinking differently about the idea of voting. Back in 1996, El-Hussieny was young, naive, and had the idea that his vote made a difference in society. Twenty years later, his opinion has changed dramatically. “I felt like on some level I’m being told I’m making a difference, and if more people did this there would be change in the world,” he said. “And as I’ve gotten older, I just haven’t necessarily seen that.” El-Hussieny has witnessed throughout his life that there has never been enough money to go around, regardless of the president. He sees a problem with how money is distributed by the federal government. During the Bush presidency and during Obama’s first term, there was an economic downfall, and big businesses in the automobile industry were going bankrupt. The government gave these businesses taxpayer money to save them from bankruptcy. The money was supposed to help the companies create more jobs and stimulate the economy, but that didn’t end up happening. Both times this bail out occurred, the outcome that the government desired was never achieved, and he feels that this is no coincidence. “It seems like no matter what happens, it just seems like there’s a structure in place

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that is very difficult for real change to occur,” he said. “You go out and you vote and you get new people in office with these new ideas, but ultimately speaking no, the whole process does not allow for any forward movement.” Making change in the federal government seems to be the one thing that El-Husseiny wants, but can never accomplish. He can only think of one reason as to why this is true. “I feel like we don’t really live in a true democracy.” In El-Husseiny’s terms, a true democracy would mean that the president is leading based on what the people want. “The world you live in should reflect the opinions of the people who are voting,” he said. But as El-Husseiny looks around him, he doesn’t feel his vote is being represented and manifested through the policies and the political actions the government takes, and he thinks he knows why. “There are people who have a vested interest in people not knowing things,” he said. There are ties from the tops of big corporations and the people who are in Congress, which can make for biased voting and unfair laws made to benefit a select few. El-Husseiny would like to do away with this, and live in a fairer and truer democracy. Until this days comes, though, he will have to use the avenues he has available to him to make his opinions heard. “The true change really happens on the day to day,” he said. “You can vote with your money. You can choose to pay money towards certain places, not pay money. That’s how real change can actually occur.”

Cassidy Moravy-Penchansky grades students’ tests in the art room. She graduated from Community in 2012, and is currently a student at Eastern Michigan University. PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEAH DAME ART COURTESY OF CASSIDY MORAVY-PENCHANSKY

This Is What I’m Here For

Cassidy Moravy-Penschansky returns to Community High School as a student teacher. BY LEAH DAME

“It’s like my smile can’t be big enough, like my face can’t put the emotion on it,” said Cassidy Moravy-Penchansky, Steve Coron’s new student art teacher, as she described the feeling she gets when she experiences teaching connections with students. “It fills you up and makes you content and it gives you a purpose. You’re like, ‘This is what I’m here for, this is why I do this.’” Community High School (CHS) is the place where Moravy-Penchansky, class of 2012, realized she wanted to be an art teacher. Moravy-Penchansky had never realized that her love of art and being a mentor to others could put herself in her dream career, but one day “it [just] clicked.” She watched Coron express his love for art and talk about it back when she was a student at CHS. He was a big influence in her pursuit to become an art teacher. Moravy-Penchansky differentiates herself from most artists. She uses art to con-

nect with others, rather than sitting around and doing art by herself. “Having teaching to help me experience and educate myself on different mediums is really fun, because then I get to learn it and teach it to other people, and they get the same enjoyment that I get out of it,” Moravy-Penchansky said. “Being able to give that joy to somebody else is probably my favorite part about art.” She still considers herself an artist, but is now using her skills through teaching instead. Before returning to CHS, Moravy-Penchansky student taught at STEAM, a K-8 school focused on science, technology, engineering, art, and math. There, she met a lot of children who didn’t speak English. She worried that she would not be able to explain what she wanted from them in their art, because they could not understand one another. She wanted to help encourage these kids, so they could blossom and open

up. One day Moravy-Penchansky pulled out her Google Translate app and spoke into her phone, “Hi, my name’s Ms. Cassidy.” The students “took off” and their connection with her flourished due to the effort she was making to communicate. One of the most impactful things Moravy-Penchansky experienced at STEAM is that art transcends language. Moravy-Penchansky hopes to successfully improve students’ art skills in one of the drawing classes at CHS while graduating from Eastern Michigan University. After her experiences in student teaching, finding a job at a high school in Ann Arbor will be the next goal on Moravy-Penchansky’s list. “To be back and giving back to this population of students that are here because of the [same] reasons that I was here is going to be rewarding,” Moravy-Penchansky said.

January 2018

THE ESSAY. Deciding where to apply is hard enough, but for many seniors, college essays can be the most stressful part of the process. To celebrate the hard work that Community High School students have put into their writing, we are sharing seven essays written by the senior class of 2018. BY MIRA SIMONTON-CHAO AND ELLA EDELSTEIN

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The Essay By Ben Chosid

Depression and anxiety sufferers must not only battle a serious illness, but also the demeaning stigma produced by a widespread failure to grasp the root cause of these disorders. Chemical imbalances in the brain cause depression, anxiety and many other mental health disorders, not any character defect. Yet, many ill-informed and unsympathetic people demonstrate their ignorance and perpetuate the stigma by making unhelpful remarks like, “Hey! He’s the star football player and has straight A’s. His life is great! He just needs to appreciate what he has, and maybe he would not be depressed.” The depth of this misunderstanding hit home for me last year. The town that I have grown up in and love, Ann Arbor, Michigan, lost six high school students last year, three to suicide, directly resulting from depression. I have been personally affected by depression and anxiety in my high school career, and seeing so many of my classmates fall to their own battles with mental health right in front of me has made me realize how important it is that people stand up to eliminate the stigma around mental illness. To stand up means to educate. Many people are suffering today, some of whom are too nervous to tell anybody about it, due to embarrassment from the stigma surrounding depression and anxiety. Nobody with a mental disorder should be scared or embarrassed to ask for the help that they need. Embarrassment arises because others do not understand that depression and anxiety and many other mental health disorders are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, outside of the sufferer’s control. An example of this stigma is evident in the story of Stan Collymore, an English soccer player from 1990-2001. Collymore, a male athlete, was expected to conform to gender stereotypes, which meant, of course, that he was not to show emotion. However, Collymore suffered from severe depression, causing his career in soccer to plummet. When he decided be open up about his depression, he was degraded. His own manager told him to “pull his socks up,” and The Sun newspaper went as far as to say that he should be removed from soccer: “How could anyone be depressed when he is earning so much money?” As an avid baseball player, I relate to Stan’s predicament more than most. When I was in my darkest days, I never would have even entertained the idea of telling my teammates or coaches about my mental state. The only people that I had the bravery to tell were my two best friends and my parents. Luckily for me, those were the only people that I needed to tell in order to get the help I needed. I was fortunate to have a quick and robust response to treatment. However, not everyone has people whom

Ben Chosid on money, depression, anxiety, and the problems of the world. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LON HORWEDEL

they trust enough to tell. Although the solution was easier for me than for most, my goal is to assure that all people feel safe to ask for help. Every person who has a mental health challenge deserves the right to help. Last year was traumatic for me and my peers, those with and without depression. Suicide was something I knew about, but it took the loss of three students I knew to make the reality a terrifying problem that I would like

to help address. These deaths likely could have been prevented, and those children could have been helped, if the stigma did not exist. If more people were educated to understand that depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders are beyond the victim’s control, but rather result from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, many more kids could get the help they need — and deserve — and many precious lives could be saved. |

January 2018

The Essay By Emily Tschirhart

Music has always been Emily Tschirhart’s passion: from Rosewood to the American Songbook Academy. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY TSCHIRHART

I held my breath as I waited for Daryl, the pianist, to scan the room for the next performer. My heart leapt into my throat, pounding mercilessly, while my tongue grew numb. He nodded his head at me, and I smiled. My face was flushed. I approached the piano and waited patiently for the fear to die down. The first few chords of “Fascinating Rhythm” rippled through the room, weaving its magic through my brain, and I began. When I was a girl, I would sing. I would sing on steps, at tables, in halls, and in my room. I would feel a bubbling up of lyrics and melodies that could not be contained; an urge to belt out songs I’d learned in Girl Scouts or from Disney movies that glued my eyes to the screen. Yet, even with an irrefutable passion, I was deathly afraid of performing. The idea of standing in front of an audience and bearing my soul was laughable – if not utterly intolerable. My father took me to see “Carmen” at the Detroit Opera House for my eighth birthday. I plopped down in my seat, dressed in my wine-colored tulle gown and waited for the swaying of the red velvet curtains. Once the curtains opened, two things happened, befuddling my father: first, my older sister fell asleep twenty minutes into 50

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the show; two, I was clutching the armrests in wonderment, trying to mouth the words along with the professional performers. I went home and listened to the show, over and over. As I grew up, I found myself floundering in social settings, incapable of communicating in a healthy way. I inherited the gift of kindheartedness from my mother and the gift of stubbornness from my father, so I became a mishmash of warm and unmoving. The combination of the two traits always helped me understand all sides of every situation, while simultaneously staying true to my ideals. In the autumn of sophomore year, I was diagnosed with a panic disorder. Fear welled up inside of me on a daily basis, but I would still sing. Sing for my ears alone, as anyone else would be unwelcome to my petrified sensibilities. At this period of time, I was desperately searching for something to hold on to; to throw my passion into the void and pray that it sticks. Then, I met Marlene. Marlene InmanReily, my voice teacher, taught me to trust in my ability, engage the proper muscles, and respect my instrument: my voice. With new found trust, I was reacquainted with my passion; a passion that had never truly

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left. I was reunited with my voice. I plucked my voice from the earth and blew away the dust. Eventually, I made a band with fellow students,and we played R&B covers in Sam Uribe’s basement, eating plantain chips and working rhythm sections. We would do the occasional gig and every time my vocal confidence grew stronger. My comfort and my love for communicating through music became a home of sorts. My bandmates used to joke that I was only awkward when I wasn’t singing. I was accepted into American Songbook Academy in summer of 2017 and my heart grew an entirely new fondness for jazz and classical music – a love like no other. Working with my pianist, Daryl, gave me a purpose. I remember looking into the eyes of Michael Feinstein when I finished “Goodnight My Someone.” A smile spread across his face. There was never a moment, in my entire existence, where I ever felt as though music couldn’t fill a hole in my heart that had been left there by some mistrial or tribulation. Through all of the challenges I’ve faced, music was by my side, willing my happiness. For the rest of my life, I will be attempting to repay music for all that it has given me.

The Essay By KT Meono

KT Meono loves coffee of all different kinds and the University of Chicago wants to know why. Due to a series of clerical errors, there is exactly one typo (an extra letter, a removed letter, or an altered letter) in the name of every department at the University of Chicago. Oops! Describe your new intended major. Why are you interested in it and what courses or areas of focus within it might you want to explore? My intended major at the University of Chicago is Javanese. That is, essentially, the study of coffee. There are several areas of Javanese to study; I intend to take classes in each. I have already explored possibilities for my first year schedule. The class I’m most excited to take is Java Economics 110, in which you study the effects coffee has on the economies of small areas. The first unit is focused on certain towns in Kenya and their economic dependency on coffee, from local jobs on plantations to the revenue generated from international exports. Another class I’m looking forward to is Java History 340. In this class you learn about how the coffee bean was discovered. The course starts with the coffee bean forests on the Ethiopian plateau and follows coffee through history to modern day java branding. I also plan to take a class called From Plantations to Baristas known by the students as “Steps to Starbucks.” It focuses on the people who are involved and the process that the beans undergo before they become drinkable. I found the idea of this class very intriguing, and it did make me think more about how I don’t consider all of the people involved in the coffee-making process. From growing, to harvesting, to shipping and exporting, to roasting, to actually making drinks out of it, there are many people along the way. I’m excited about the paper due at the end of the first month in the class; the topic of which is sustainable coffee farming. Caffeine 101 covers society’s use and abuse of caffeine. I’m looking forward to studying how caffeine is a normalized addiction and how people actually can go through withdrawal like any other addiction. Yet this one isn’t stigmatized the way others are. I’m slightly concerned about the exams for some of my classes, however. The midterm project for one, the professor calls “What your coffee preference says about you” and is centered around the psychology of coffee; you have to design a study to test if people who choose extravagant drinks, like iced white mochas with extra whip and a caramel drizzle, differ from people who

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRACY FISCHER

choose simple black coffee in more than just their drink choice. The final exam for another class is about whether or not there is any tangible difference between gas station coffee and specialty coffee shops. For second semester I am planning to take The Language of Coffee Drinkers: A Focus on the Unique Vocabulary Used by Those Who Regularly Order Coffee Drinks and the computer programing class Java With Java: Programming Under the Influence. In addition, I plan to take The Medical Uses of Coffee which goes into how caffeine can be used to treat certain ailments. I found the syllabus for this course and loved the teaser about whether caffeine can be used to treat spinal headaches by increasing

the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid. The last definite class choice I have, is Tea vs. Coffee: How Drink Politics Affected Foreign Relations. This course has an emphasis on reactions to British rule in Colonial times, which I find particularly thought-provoking. I am very excited to major in Javanese. As an avid coffee drinker myself, I am interested in learning more about this ever-growing field and discovering the new directions this area of study is headed. My main concern is getting into the classes. I am aware class sizes are limited and everyone knows these are the best 8:00 a.m. classes to take because of the frequent coffee tastings.

January 2018

The Essay By Suephie Saam

Suephie Saam compares the protests in the Green Movement with the Women’s March, and reflects on her reporting. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL BRINKERHOFF

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I was nine-years-old when I heard my first gun shot. I was never one to feel fear, so in that moment all I could comprehend was confusion. I ran outside, placing my hands against the metal fence surrounding my grandma’s apartment—the only barrier between me and the riots in the street. Though the commotion was nothing new to my eyes, something was different; a 20-year-old woman, Neda, had just been shot for defending her own honor. After the 2009 presidential election in Iran, angry protesters demanded the removal of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The people were convinced the election was rigged, which led them to shout “Where is my vote?” Although I was growing up in Iran during this time, the Green Movement was still very raw to me. I experienced the frustration of the people. The protesters held a deep desire for democracy and a strong passion for peaceful change. Sadly, this aspiration was soon abandoned and the movement grew violent. I saw the looks of every devastated stranger in the crowd and could feel the fear through their eyes. I had one regret: not getting their stories. Throughout the three years serving as an editor for The Communicator, Community High School’s magazine, I’ve learned the importance of communication. The Green Movement protests weren’t the only protests I’ve taken part in. Though brutal, they taught me the importance of voicing opinions without violence. This past year, I had the opportunity to attend and report the Women’s March in Ann Arbor. I was able to interview the participants protesting for their rights, many of whom were also voicing their political opinions towards the recent presidential election. I was able to compare my two experiences and learn how to capture the stories I failed to capture in Iran. Now, I live my life understanding two contrasting political protests. But more literally, I live my life understanding these events through my reporting. After capturing these stories, I was brought to a realization: one of the hardest things to comprehend for a person can be the fear of living in their own reality. This is why my reporting matters. My reporting matters because I talk to people who think they do not have a voice; I give them a voice. While The Green Movement taught me about the violence in protests, the Women’s March taught me the importance of peaceful protests. Both of these experiences showed me how to use my skills to understand these movements through individuals. I’ve learned there is no way of knowing anything about anyone without the everlasting art of conversation, and that is where the true reality of the world becomes a little bit more clear.

The Essay By Sam Uribe

Sam Uribe on the topic of astronauts, consicousness, and teleportation for University of Chicago. Suppose you are an astronaut stranded on Mars whose spaceship has broken down beyond repair. In your disabled craft there is a Teleclone Mark IV teleporter that can swiftly and painlessly dismantle your body, producing a molecule-by-molecule blueprint to be beamed to Earth. If you activate the Teleclone Mark IV, which astronaut are you, the one dismantled on Mars or the one produced from a blueprint on Earth? Suppose further that an improved Teleclone Mark V is developed that can obtain its blueprint without destroying the original. Are you then two astronauts at once? If not, which one are you? From what I’ve learned from school, society, and my own experiences and perceptions, I would say that I am a single observer continuously experiencing my life from within. That simply means that I feel like I exist. This sense of inner being follows the ideas of the ego theory of consciousness. As I am typing these words, there seems to be an inner-self having these thoughts and actions at every click of the keys. Whenever I feel like my mind wanders from this essay to ponder other questions, there also seems to be an innerself contemplating these ideas. Now, if I were a stranded astronaut on Mars, before sending a perfect blueprint of myself back to Earth through the Teleclone IV teleporter, I would have to decide if the collection of molecules that would be regrouped into an Earth ‘me’ would truly become the same ‘me’ that was on Mars. At first I would want to follow the ego theory of consciousness, but if I did, it would actually complicate the situation. If the ego theory is true, then if I were to walk into the Teleclone IV, my inner-self could possibly disappear or be destroyed, and a new, false ‘me’ would be recreated on Earth. That is unless I were to critically question my own beliefs given to me through my experiences with society, religious organizations, and my everyday life. I believe that questioning and reasoning is a vital part of navigating through what we judge as truths. In that case I ask, are we our ego or do we even have an inner-self to begin with? Is our sense of self just an illusion created by our stream of thoughts? The focus now shifts from the question of, “if I would be the same person on Earth as I was on Mars,” to the question of, “do I even have a constant inner-self that could be altered in the process?” The theories that interpret our consciousness, not as a single observer or an inner soul, but by some other means, are all categorized as “bundle theories”. This name comes from Hume’s theory that our consciousness is not a single self, but instead is an illusion created from a bundle of sensations. Other well-known bundle theorists include the Buddha and Daniel C. Dennett. In the case of modern neuroscientists, some fall under the

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEC REDDING

category of ego theorists and others under bundle theorists, but from a scientific point of view, there doesn’t seem to be a need for an inner-self. The beautifully intricate labyrinth of neurons that is our brain, induces one state to the next without any intervention from an inner ‘me’. So, if my body generates the illusion of an inner ‘me’, when I am perfectly recreated molecule-bymolecule on Earth, the illusion will also stay the same. These bundle theories make my decision of going through the teleporter seem easier, but in reality they imply so much more. They throw out many conceptions of the individual and diminish the importance of our inner-consciousness. The ‘self ’ is now just a short-lived concept that comes and goes with each experience we have. The illusion of our consistent ‘selves’ only comes from each momentary ‘self ’ appearing with a set of memories; the ‘self ’ is just an idea. It feels easily epiphanic, but all my prior concepts of who I am will be shifted. To add to this mind-boggling scenario, if there was a Teleclone Mark V that could obtain its blueprint without destroying the original, would I be both the astronaut on Mars and the astronaut on Earth? I

want to believe that once each astronaut begins to have separate experiences, they would become different people and that I would still be the original astronaut stranded on Mars, however terrible that might seem. The problem with this is that it raises an infinite amount of questions. If the ego theories are true, how is my consciousness recreated? During the process, would my consciousness split into two parts? Would it disappear completely in both astronauts? If the bundle theory is true, would any of this even matter? Let’s take a moment to think. If I look at this objectively, these concepts of consciousness tend to be both very subjective and extremely difficult to grasp. These ideas have baffled humans for centuries and this problem could continue to be discussed for ages. How am I supposed to come to a conclusion or find an answer? I see this as an open ended question that will instead spark ideas inside many. I, or the illusion thereof, am just a 16-year-old that likes to contemplate and learn about these things. In reality, slightly stealing from Socrates’ sayings, I would say “I only know that I know nothing”. I will never stop questioning and contemplating the problems of the world. |

January 2018

The Essay By Suibhne O’Foighil

Suibhne O’Foighil writes of fear, addiction, and family in his essay for the Common Application. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. PHOTO COURTESY OF SUIBHNE O’FOIGHIL

My application wouldn’t be complete without mention of my struggle with fear or of my relationship with my older brother, Eamonn, who has struggled with drug addiction for nine years. During this span, he was kicked out of our house, was homeless, oscillated in and out of rehabilitation centers, lived in transitional housing, had stints of sobriety, and relapsed on multiple occasions. Recently, he agreed to return to rehab again, this time at a recovery center in Brighton, MI. Once there, he received a physiological evaluation, and the doctor concluded that Eamonn was showing symptoms of schizophrenia. After we learned of his diagnosis, he returned back to our house, and is currently living with the family for the first time in many years. His return has been hard, forcing me and my parents to change aspects our lifestyles not only to accommodate him, but also for his protection and betterment; he may not survive if he relapses again. Eamonn hears voices. They pick and prodd at his deepest insecurities, fabricating false information from the deep recesses of his mind, slowly warping his view of the people closest to him. He’s convinced that the voices are “spirits,” and is obsessed with the notion that everyone, including my parents, are habitual drug users, even though 54

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he has no real evidence to prove it. He’s also in denial of his condition, presuming that most people also hear “spirits,” but just deny it because of their fear of societal backlash. Sometimes, I witness him lock in conversation with himself for extended periods of time, and I can’t determine if he is just expressing his own thoughts or conversing with voices in his head. When I see my brother like this, a range of emotions overcome me: pity, sorrow, confusion, anger, and especially fear. Fear consumes me, because my brother may be dependent on me for the rest of my days, and I worry that I won’t be strong enough to save him. Fear consumes me, because Eamonn may continue to delve deeper down into a hole of non-reality, that has already taken parts of his sanity. The development of Eamonn’s condition isn’t completely natural, and that’s what concerns me most. His sickness has been augmented by his usage of hard drugs, in particular substances that cause extreme levels of anxiety and distress. His situation is urgent, and he must not return to his previous lifestyle of self-indulgence, or his condition may worsen to an irreparable state. If he continues to indulge in his addiction, Eamonn has no chance at returning to an ordinary, independent life.

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There was a time in my early adolescence, when I genuinely feared for my brother’s life everyday; I would come home, hoping the news of his death wouldn’t come. I felt hopeless, powerless, and lost, but I learned that I couldn’t allow fear to dictate my life, or I would never be able to realize my full potential and bring my dreams to fruition. As I’ve matured, I have learned how to recognize and manage my fear, and that there are many things in my life I can control by doing the simple things: living a healthy lifestyle, working hard, being a role model, and always practicing genuine kindness. I utilize these key traits, and my naturalness as a leader, to make the most positive-net impact I can; I do this not only for the benefit of my brother and myself, but for my peers, mentors, parents, and everyone in my life. There are plenty of people in the world with innate talent and skills that have ambitions, but their dreams never become fully realized. I will not allow myself to become an underachiever, not only because of my drive and will to succeed, but also because my brother is depending on me. I won’t fail him, and I certainly won’t fail myself.

The Essay By Viv Brandt

Viv Brandt has walked the University of Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s North Campus for years. Years later, it is the core of her U of M college essay. Describe the unique qualities that attract you to the specific undergraduate College or School to which you are applying at the University of Michigan. How would that curriculum support your interests?

As I walked across North Campus to my favorite place to study, the Duderstadt Center, the cold Ann Arbor air bit my nose. I entered the two sets of doors to the Mujo Cafe and grabbed a green apple, my go-to snack. After hiking up 3 flights of stairs, I searched for and settled down at the only table available, still winded. On that snowy Saturday morning, I was trying to study for my FOS 3 final, but was too busy reflecting on all the things I love about the University of Michigan and especially the Dude. The University of Michigan has not only provided me with my favorite Saturday football game, it has given me my favorite colors, a catchy fight song that is somehow always stuck in my head, and a place to go when I need to focus. At the University of Michigan, I will be challenged, be inspired, and become a person better equipped to make a difference in the world through the wide array of resources available to students. I will prosper. Of all of the University of Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s undergraduate programs, I have chosen to apply to the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. With over 2,000 courses, LSA offers countless opportunities such as their world-renowned study abroad programs, internships through the opportunity hub, and more. Although I am undecided in my major, I am interested in LSA because of its flexibility. Knowing that LSA offers over 85 majors and allows their students to build their own major, I am confident that LSA will push me out of my comfort zone to find a career I am passionate about. Sitting in the Dude, looking around at all the crowded tables and concentrated faces, I am motivated not by the time constraint, but by all the students working hard. LSA and its students will motivate me to find my career interests and major. And in case you were wondering, I aced my FOS final.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL BRINKERHOFF

January 2018

Write It All Down BY LOEY JONES-PERPICH AND EBBA GURNEY

very night, Ebba Gurney sits crosslegged on her bed, the dim light of her lamp blanketing her journal. She writes in a book filled with the thoughts that consumed her during the loss of a parent, the start of high school, the happiest moments of her life, and everything in between. Growing up during an era of worsening mental health in youth and teens, the young people of today are faced with an important question: How do we help ourselves? According to Mental Health America, in a recent five-year period, the rates of teen depression have risen by 2.3 percent, and making it worse, over 1.7 million youth have not been provided treatment after showing signs of depression. There is one simple, inexpensive treatment: keeping a journal. Studies show that journaling can move mountains for a person in only a little bit of time. It’s been proven to advance healing, especially after emotional traumas. Writing out your feelings in a journal or notebook is private and completely judgement-free, and can relieve the weight and stress of coping silently. It’s an outlet, especially if talking is harder for you, that can truly alter your emotional and mental well-being for the better. “I think [journaling] definitely has improved my mental health,” said Ruby Taylor, a CHS sophomore. “Whenever I’m upset about something, or really anxious about something, I write it down and I can 56

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think through it better. I think that makes me a healthier person; it makes me really in touch with myself.” While journaling is incredibly helpful as a tool to cope with loss or other emotionally tolling situations, it can also help people with stronger mental health. According to the Huffington Post, while writing, you’ll develop a natural urge to find more descriptive and advanced words, boosting your vocabularial intelligence. Improved emotional intelligence is another benefit of journaling. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to be aware of, manage, and express one’s emotions well, and handle relationships empathetically. Journaling makes you much more self-aware, and provides a good way to process emotions. Once you familiarize yourself with your own emotions, you’ll be able to more easily understand what others are experiencing. As well as teaching us about vocabularial and emotional intelligence, the Huffington Post also brings notice to mindfulness. Journaling brings mindfulness into your life with ease: It brings you to the present moment and focuses your mind. There is a direct correlation between mindfulness and happiness. It focuses your thoughts on the bigger picture and resolves your anxiety or negativity. In the past year, many Ann Arbor students have experienced loss in ways no one would ever hope to experience. Attempting to cope with the student deaths in the Opinion

school district, some students have turned to journaling. “After [my friend] passed, I knew I couldn’t talk to him anymore, so I’d write letters to him in my journal,” said Kayla Talampas, a sophomore at Skyline. “That definitely helped — I just let out as much as I can.” Though journaling is a therapeutic way to handle emotional and mental stress by writing down sad or difficult things, writing down the good in your life can be overlooked. According to Psychology Today, writing about gratitude has been proven to increase optimism and lower depression and anxiety in the lives of journalers. “One of the main things I do is I write all of the positives that happened,” Talampas said. “I tend to have very negative thoughts, so I try to make it as positive as I can. I think that definitely helps me.” Give journaling a try. You can write every day, once a month, once a year, or anything in between. It all depends on what you need and what will help you the most. “No problem is too big or too small that journaling can’t solve,” Taylor said. “Mental health comes first.” Teens, especially our generation, can be faced with many emotionally difficult situations. Coping can be really tough, so here is what we recommend: be grateful, be mindful, and write it all down. You could never anticipate how much the simple act of journaling could change your life.

Millennial Muckrakers

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARI BARAJAS

Surrounded by gossip and negativity, I learned that high school students’ opinions won’t matter in a few years. BY iO SOUCY

I’ve always been the weird, quiet kid: short red hair, wearing clothes from 1960-1980, earbuds always in, and talking three, maybe four, times a day at school. Growing up as an outsider, I’ve learned to stay reserved and to get out of people’s way. Don’t make them stare. Always stay in the background. Most importantly, don’t lose myself in drama. I’ve never dealt positively with being the center of attention. After attending Skyline High School for two years, I was going to be transfering to Community High School as a junior. I’ve always gone to schools on the large side, so going from 2,000 kids to 530 kids was a big shock. The shock was partly that in smaller schools, everybody knows everything about everyone else. I was unaware about just how much gossip actually occurred. During my first week, I’d found that my classmates thrived when something occured: big or small, good or bad. No matter what, there was always someone “being a psycho,” or something that was “totes-adorbes.” Nothing went under the radar. Between late October and early November of 2017, I wasn’t in the background anymore. A gossip-worthy event happened to me, and since humans crave validation and the need to connect with others, the attention had eventually spread like a tree’s roots. That event mixed with my appearance gave a lot of people reason to stare. “That really doesn’t match with her pants.” “She should really reevaluate herself.” I was no longer invisible in the hallways. People I didn’t know would turn themselves around and stare at me. Friend groups at lunch tables would smile and whisper to each other. A group of six peo-

ple stopped their whole conversation just to look at me. My stomach felt like it just hatched a crap ton of butterflies. My anxiety was through the roof. I started shaking. My heart was beating at an overwhelming rate. Did these people really not have anything better to do? I’d always loved how I dressed and looked, but underclassmen were altering my mind. I’d never felt more self-conscious about how I looked and dressed. I didn’t know how to handle the situation. I had never experienced being the subject of small talk. This was a constant occurrence for a week and a half. I was worried about what people were saying about me, but I was more confused as to why people found it so necessary to gossip. Having classmates talk about you creates a different feeling than just strangers passing by on the street. There is more of an intimate connection because of being around each other so much. I’ve felt that being surrounded by your peers not only adds an element of competition, but also a need to connect with others and to be validated. Gossiping fulfills those needs. When gossiping with someone you may not know very well, it brings you closer and makes you able to relate closely on a certain subject. Along with that, it also brings intense validation from the other person who is finding a liking to what you’re saying. Needless to say, it made me feel like crap. This could just be my anxiety talking, but I felt like I couldn’t do anything without someone noticing and turning it against me. In attempts to try and understand why people find it so gratifying and intriguing, I asked some Community students why

gossip is so apparent in teens and adults. “[School] just kind of creates a closed-off environment and I think that a closed-off environment provides a space where it’s easier to gossip and to spread things about people,” said a student who asked that their name not be used. “It’s so prevalent in our lives because as teenagers, our whole lives are our peers, people our own age, and our friends. People we interact with on a daily basis.” Another student responded with: “People are naturally drawn to wanting to hear drama and something interesting without actually being involved. They just want to talk about it.” The students had a point. People who gossip don’t have a lot to talk about besides other students their age. Being in the same building for eight hours a day, five times a week can drive a person mad. People who gossip love excitement without directly being involved. They are only human. As hurtful as gossip is, it isn’t going anywhere. The drive that humans have to gossip and to talk poorly about others is permanent. There will always be those snakes who find it their life purpose to talk to their acquaintance about what gossip they’d heard in precalculus. You can either absorb the negativity, or brush it off. I know it’s easier said than done but when going to high school, it can be a necessity to grow a thick skin. Now when people stare, I only smile. I’m learning that constantly thinking and stressing over strangers’ opinions and gazes is exhausting. Their opinions won’t matter in a year. If people are going to stare, you might as well give them something to stare at. |

January 2018

Inequality Within Equality

Shot from the Women’s March on Jan. 21. 2017

A Middle Eastern girl’s opinion on the divide within the divide. BY AVA ESMAEL

y dad came back from Iran a few months ago and got me a t-shirt with a Rumi poem on it. I laid out the shirt on my bed, rays of sun from the window shining on the elegant Persian words. The very next day, I wore the shirt to school, like a badge of honor. I felt so proud. I felt proud even when a white woman dragged her child away from me on the street quickly after looking at my shirt. Even when another white woman at a coffee shop gave me the second-dirtiest look I have ever received, the first being a glare from airport security with my very Middle Eastern-looking father. But it’s okay, because she had a Planned Parenthood pin on her bag. White feminism has always been present in American culture and it is time for it to stop. In 1866, Susan B. Anthony, the “feminist heroine” we learn about in school, said, “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the woman.” The women’s suffrage movement was tainted with racism. The two “mothers of feminism,” Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, were so outraged by the 15th Amendment that they actively worked and collaborated with white supremacists to ad58

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vance their cause. Although these women believed that “men and women are created equal,” they excluded people of color from this equality, influencing the generations of white feminism to follow them. Some might challenge my argument and say that times have changed, but unfortunately, in 2017, the racial divide is still present. White women helped elect Trump. In the most recent presidential election, 53 percent of white women voted for Trump, outperforming Clinton. Within that demographic, 51 percent of white women with college degrees voted for Clinton, while 62 percent of women without one voted for Trump. These women chose to overlook Trump’s blatant racism and sexism to support the belligerence rather than people of color, or more specifically, women of color. Elle magazine conducted interviews with a handful of female Trump supporters after the election, and they claimed that they were “absolutely not racist,” and they really just cared about the “economy” and “get[ting] a good job.” During the Women’s Marches on Jan. 21 2017, many women of color felt offended and excluded. “Women of color were often asked to not rock the boat with what were seen as side issues like racial equality,” said

| Opinion

Grace Hong, professor of Asian-American and Gender Studies at UCLA. Modern day “feminist icons” like Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham are examples of white feminism still present today. Schumer has made many offensive and racist remarks toward Hispanics and African-Americans. In her stand-up routines, she’s said “Nothing works 100 percent of the time, except Mexicans,” and also told an audience that Latino men are rapists. Schumer’s racist jokes have only white Americans laughing. Dunham is another white liberal feminist whose ‘hipster racism’ is often considered benign due to her outspoken feminist persona. Most recently, Dunham has been accused of being racist, calling Black former colleague, Zinzi Clemmons, a “liar” when speaking out on sexual assault. These automatic assumptions that women of color are lying are unacceptable in today’s society. Feminism is defined as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” This definition should not be exclusive to white women. As a young woman of color, I want the same opportunities as other women.

Empty Ballot Boxes BY JORDAN DE PADOVA

In the United States today, disenfranchisement is a popular topic with pundits and journalists reporting on cases affecting Democrats and Republicans alike. Although America has a history of voter discouragement, from poll taxes and literacy tests in the mid 20th century to controversial voter ID laws in effect today, the electoral system as a whole has been unrepresentative since its creation. In the 2016 election, despite receiving more media coverage than ever before, only 55.4 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot. This was no irregularity; In the last 20 years, the highest voter turnout was only 63.7 percent in 2008. America is often revered as a global leader of innovation and efficiency, but when it comes to our electoral system, we choose to stick to outdated practices. There are three major reasons for such low voter turnout: a lack of incentive, unclear and varying deadlines on voter registration, and the fact that Election Day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. When observing how other democracies function, it is worth noting that out of the ten countries with the highest rates of voter turnout, seven actively have or used to have compulsory voting systems. This means as a citizen, you have a duty to vote in local and general elections. Punishments range from $20 fines in Australia, to the loss of your right to vote entirely in Indonesia. The U.S not only has no incentive

#1 Australia 95%

for people to vote, but it doesn’t provide even a slap on the wrist to spur voters into action. In the U.S, another common obstacle voters face are the voter registration deadlines. These deadlines vary from state to state: for example, in Colorado, voters can register by mail or online only eight days before the election, as well as in person on election day. On the other hand, here in Michigan, you must register 30 days before Election Day by mail, or 21 days prior in person. Online registration isn’t even offered. With such drastic differences state to state, it is confusing and difficult for many Americans attempting to register to cast their first vote. The final, but most important reason for the United States’ poor rates of voter turnout is a tradition decided on in 1875: voting on Tuesday. In 1875, voting was much different than it is today. People traveled by horse and buggy and it took voters days to arrive at their polling places. It was also decided that no one should be forced to travel during the Sabbath, and this led to a law making the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November Election Day. Now, 150 years later, most voters live within a few miles of their local polling place. Many also have access to a mode of transportation more efficient than a horse and carriage. Holding elections on Tuesdays may feel like a harmless inconvenience, but it is a large cause of disenfranchisement and

Malta 94%

Chile 93%

low voter turnout as it targets low-income workers and families who are more impacted by the loss of a day’s pay. Asking the entire population of our country to take off a Tuesday is ridiculous and will always hold the U.S back from a truly representative democracy. In 2015, a bill was introduced to Congress to move election day to the weekend. The bill would make the U.S the 59th Democratic nation to hold Election Day on the weekend. Unfortunately, the bill has been stagnant since 2015, so it is unlikely that Election Day will change dates any time soon. The most simple and plausible solution would be following the example set by South Korea, which also has a Tuesday election day but declares Election Day a national holiday. This would allow voters all across the country from all walks of life to vote in local and general elections without worrying about the ramifications in their professional lives. Voting is a right that all Americans have, but despite amendments like the 15th and 19th that have nullified laws that blatantly disenfranchised people, there are still many aspects of our electoral system that don’t fairly represent people based on race, party, socioeconomic status, and many other factors. As the world’s most famous democracy, the United States needs to follow in the footsteps of countries like Australia, Chile and Malta. We need to modernize our electoral system so that everyone has a say in every election.

#4 Belgium 91%

#41 U.S.A 48%

Countries ranked by historic voter turnout in national congressional elections.

January 2018

STOP CALLING WOMEN

BITCH BY GRACE JENSEN

The Communicator Magazine

| Opinion

TIB

Sexism can be quiet, barely noticeable, but it is always there, deeply rooted in our society. Women have been treated as lesser than men since Eve was supposedly made from Adam’s rib. The least we can do is recognize sexism for what it is when it blatantly knocks down our doors and makes itself at home in our everyday conversations.

It is generally accepted, although there are still bigots who refuse basic decency, that a white person should not use the N-word. Similarly, a straight person should not use the term “f*g,” and “tranny” is a horribly outdated way to refer to a person who is transgender. These words are not banned under any law, but they are considered crude and insulting, and therefore socially unacceptable. This is not for no reason; language has meaning, and the larger social and historical context around these slurs means that they are a lot more than synonyms for “Black,” “gay,” or “trans.” If a celebrity uses a slur, it often draws justified backlash from the community, as can be seen in the case of Bill Maher calling himself a “house n*****” on live television in June. Slurs are derogatory terms applied to groups of people, and generally, they are frowned upon, as they should be. Why, then, is it still considered okay for men to call women bitches? The “B-word” originally meant a female dog, but has been used to refer to women since the 15th century, according to the

Oxford English Dictionary. It was used against women deemed to be too sexually licentious, because female dogs give birth to many puppies. It grew in popularity in the 1920s, during the age of women’s suffrage and bra burning. “Bitch” became the word for women who defied the patriarchy and held a decidedly negative connotation. It really took off in music in the 1970s. Nowadays, we hear the word every day, on the radio, the TV, or the streets as we try to walk to where we need to be. The leader of our country President Donald Trump himself has repeatedly called women “nasty,” “bimbo,” and “too weak to be president,” spreading the message to the young and impressionable that this kind of language is okay when referring to women. While other offensive terms have begun to fade from popular speech, “bitch” and similar sexist insults remain omnipresent no matter how much women try to get away, much like misogyny itself. I remember in eighth grade, a boy and a girl in my class were dating, and the boyfriend was becoming very annoyed that

one of the girl’s male friends was spending too much time with the couple when they wanted to be alone. While we worked on a project about great women in history, the boyfriend told me that he “wouldn’t normally call a guy a bitch,” but this crossed the line. I remember nodding knowingly and laughing. However, it stuck with me. I realized “bitch” wasn’t just an insult because it meant promiscuous, bad-tempered, and sleazy; it was also an insult because it meant “woman.” The word “bitch” is for women and women’s mouths only, as the targeted group of the slur. If she chooses to reclaim it, that is each woman’s decision for herself. Personally, I don’t like to hear the word; it reminds me that there will always be people around me who, regardless of my achievements, see me as of lesser value than my male counterpart. It is possible that one day, things will change so that hearing “bitch” will make me feel empowered instead of tense and nervous. Until then, boys, I don’t want to hear it.

January 2018

The Communicator Magazine

| Opinion

Give Real Control a Shot One semi-automatic rifle sold is one too many. BY MAZEY PERRY ILLUSTRATIONS BY CAMILLE KONRAD

n Oct. 1, thousands of people gathered in the Las Vegas Bay Area concert venue to attend a large music festival. In the middle of Jason Aldean’s set, a barrage of bullets suddenly started showering the crowd, and the sound of a semi-automatic rifle rang louder than the music being played. Screams filled the air. Some people ran, jumping over each other to escape the horrific scene. Others stayed, trying to help those who had been shot or injured by the hail of ammunition. 59 people were killed by Stephen Paddock that night. 489 more were injured. Authorities say that 23 firearms were found in Paddock’s hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Hotel, where he stood and fired shots out the window into the concert crowd below. Yet now with 59 people dead and 489 injured, no gun control laws have been changed. On Nov. 5, in the small rural town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, with a population of 600 people, another mass shooting occurred. Devin Kelley opened fire with a semiautomatic weapon, killing 26 people and injuring 20 others. The victims’ ages ranged between 17 months and 77 years. This was the largest shooting in Texas’s history. Kelley had previously been excused from the Air Force after he received a Bad Conduct Discharge. He had previously been charged with domestic violence against his wife and child. With the federal gun control laws that are in place today, Kelley should not have been able to purchase a firearm. The federal law states that if the person trying to buy a gun has any violent criminal background, or does not pass a standard background check, then they are not per-

mitted to buy a gun. The military did not release the information of Kelley’s charge, so when he went to buy his semiautomatic weapon, there was nothing on his background check showing the crimes that had been committed. Paddock, on the other hand, had no criminal record at all, and therefore had nothing stopping him from purchasing the large amount of weapons he bought. The gun control system in this country is a broken one. When asked about how gun control laws would change now that there have been two mass shootings just a month apart from each other, Trump responded with, “It’s not a guns situation, we could go into it, but it’s a little bit soon to go into it... it’s a mental health situation.” In the past month, 85 people have been killed in two mass shootings. Saying that the U.S. does not have something needing to be changed is the reason these shooting keep occurring. People should not go to a concert with fear that they might not come home because somebody in the crowd has the advanced technological weapon to commit mass destruction. People should not go to church in fear that their service will be interrupted by a semiautomatic rifle, and that they will watch their loved ones be shot sitting next to them. The phrase “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” is one commonly used when discussing gun control. This is not a legitimate argument, because it takes a person to fire a gun at someone. It is the person wanting to kill a person that starts it, but the gun is doing the actual killing. Guns don’t randomly go off at a specific target, or at a crowd of people. If guns weren’t sold to people who had the intention of murder there wouldn’t be a prob-

lem in the first place. In the case of the Texas shooting, the gunman was shot by a neighbor (Stephen Willeford) of the church, making Kelley unable to continue shooting. Trump used this as his argument as to why citizens should be allowed to own guns. He spoke about how, had the neighbor not had his gun, more people would have been killed. “Fortunately, someone had another gun shooting in the opposite direction,” Trump said. While it is fortunate the gunman was stopped, that is not what needs to be discussed. Willeford, who shot the gunman, was not using a semiautomatic rifle; Kelley was. Semiautomatic weapons were made for war and to kill mass amounts of people in an extremely short amount of time. There is no reason that an everyday citizen living in the United States needs to own a semiautomatic weapon. If Kelley hadn’t been able to buy a semiautomatic rifle, the 26 people shot and killed may still be alive, and Willeford would never have had to use his own gun to shoot Kelley. It’s all a vicious cycle that keeps going around, and nobody is using their power to stop it. The executive order power of the president is there to make changes that need to be put into action as soon as possible. It is there so that the president can make a law without it having to sit in Congress for long periods of time waiting to be voted on. There have been two mass shootings within a month of each other, and nothing is being changed. Anyone trying to make a change is being shut down, so it is up to Trump to make this change happen, and it is most necessary that something is done.

January 2018

Richard Spencer, public face of American White Nationalism or White Supremacy, speaks onstage.

Free Speech or Unlawful Speech?

PHOTO CREDIT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Should white supremacist Richard Spencer be allowed to speak on the University of Michigan campus? BY CHARLES SOLOMON

hen you search the name Richard Spencer on Google, 109,000,000 results pop up instantly. The top four hits are all news outlets or major websites naming him a white supremacist. The fifth hit is about someone punching him in the face. Is this really someone we want speaking in our city, on our university’s campus? On Tuesday, Nov. 21, University of Michigan ( U of M) President Mark Schlissel announced that the University would begin discussions with Spencer’s group on allowing him to rent space for a speech on campus. Schlissel said Michigan is “legally prohibited from blocking such requests based solely on the content of that speech.” While the U of M cannot legally keep Spencer out based on his speech’s content, they do have grounds to deny it for other reasons. Recently, Ohio State University, Auburn University, the University of Florida, and Michigan State University (MSU) have all denied requests from Spencer’s group to come and speak. MSU, for example, gave a compelling reason for their denial, saying in a statement that “this decision was made due to significant concerns about public safety in the wake of the tragic violence in Charlottesville.”

U of M shouldn’t allow Spencer to give a speech that will make many of its students feel uncomfortable and potentially even unsafe. The University must not let threats of a lawsuit scare it into yielding. Supporters of Spencer, and others like Schlissel, say that denying Spencer’s request to speak would be a violation of the protection of free speech in the Bill of Rights. But is it really? The Constitution states that Congress shall make no law “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” But freedom of speech is not all-encompassing—it has limits, the classic one being that you can’t shout “fire” in a crowded theater. Speech that may incite violence, or is intended to threaten, has been prohibited by the Supreme Court in cases such as Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, clarifying that speech that may cause an immediate breach of the peace is not protected; Virginia v. Black clarifies that speech calculated to intimidate is also not protected. In August, Spencer spoke to a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia at a rally protesting the removal of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s statue. Later in the very same protest, 19 people were injured and one woman died when a Neo-Nazi ran his

Opinion

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car into counter-protesters. This is a clear example of free speech crossing a line and becoming dangerous speech, speech which incites violence and threatens the safety of others. A final opinion, suggested by U of M Regent Shauna Ryder Diggs, is that Ann Arbor should just ignore Spencer if he comes to speak, and not give him the publicity he craves and the satisfaction of creating an uproar and getting a lot of publicity. This idea is good—to a point. But there comes a time where this attitude becomes too complacent. If we let Spencer say whatever he wants, do whatever he wants, we are creating an environment of tolerance for his and others’ hate speech and racism. We must show him that his message is not acceptable, and not what we believe in as a city, as a state, or as a country. Now, as U of M students conduct a week of walkouts, protests, and strikes to show commitment to their ideals, we as Community High students can do our part by contacting U of M administrators, joining in protests, and showing our support. We must send the message that Richard Spencer and his racist, hateful, and close-minded monologue should not and cannot be allowed in our city and university.

This graphic roughly lays out the ward borders in Ann Arbor. For a more detaied look, visit the Ann Arbor City Council’s online map.

AACC Election Results: How We Proceed BY PAIGE DUFF

he results are in! Ann Arbor citizens have spoken, and the Ann Arbor City Council has solidified their membership. But things do not end here. The following is a list of our five newly elected and re-elected officials for this city council term, and the issues they addressed as priorities during their campaigns. As we usher in 2018, Ann Arbor citizens are responsible for holding these representatives accountable for what they have campaigned on, just as they are on delivering their promises. All council member contact information can be found on the Ann Arbor City Council website, and Ann Arbor citizens are encouraged to reach out to their representatives with issues of concern. Congratulations to all five new council members, and here’s to productive and successful terms! WARD 1: ANNE BANNISTER (REGISTERED DEMOCRAT)

Anne Bannister campaigned on efficient sewer and road repair, prioritizing pedestrian safety and development that was

cohesive with Ann Arbor neighborhoods. Bannister detailed environmental priorities, such as water quality and sustainability. She also discussed aligning tax spending with what citizens want, and strong communication and understanding between the council and the people of Ann Arbor. WARD 2: JANE LUMM (REGISTERED INDEPENDENT)

Jane Lumm campaigned on balancing new development and neighborhood needs. She promised to bring Ward 2 issues of concern to the table, focus on thoughtful taxation and practical money management, and strive for a transparent and effective relationship between the council and Ann Arbor citizens. WARD 3: ZACHARY ACKERMAN (REGISTERED DEMOCRAT)

Zachary Ackerman campaigned on sensible spending, improvement of essential services and infrastructure, and working towards an Ann Arbor that will be attractive for generations to come. He also empha-

sized his focus on affordable housing.

WARD 4: JACK EATON (REGISTERED DEMOCRAT)

Jack Eaton campaigned on fighting gentrification and maintaining Ann Arbor’s unique elements and community values. He highlighted his goal of efficiency, cooperation, and communication both between the council and the people of Ann Arbor and within the council itself, as well as responsible financial distribution and improvement of basic services and infrastructure. WARD 5: CHIP SMITH (REGISTERED DEMOCRAT)

Chip Smith campaigned on planned development. He detailed his goals of thoughtful finance and investment, as well as housing affordability. He also emphasized his focus on environmental issues, clean energy, and sustainability, as well as an open and efficient relationship between the council and Ann Arbor citizens.

January 2018

What the Heck is a Regatta?: A History of Classism and Confusion Question 1-3 are examples of concepts relating to the following passage. BY ELLA EDELSTEIN

Among rows and rows of students, Pioneer senior Sophia

RUNNER: MARATHON::

Janevic anxiously matched the filled-in bubbles to the corresponding marks on her SAT test. If she knew a quesLine 5

A) envoy: embassy

tion, she was quick to bubble the answer and keep moving

B) martyr: massacre

on. When she failed to answer correctly, she knew it could make or break her score, her applications, and everything-

lying beyond the testing room.

C) oarsman: regatta

“This could be the question that ruins my whole future,”

D) referee: tournament

Janevic thought.

E) horse: stable

Not only have standardized tests like the SAT and ACT become a source of great stress for some teenagers, preparation and retakes can swallow hundreds of dollars for es15

pecially nervous test takers. Many students buy books and

Question 1 assumes that the reader has:

classes to prepare for these tests, but they also have to spend a large sum of money to take them, often multiple times.

A) Attended a school with the economic means for a rowing program.

An ACT test with writing — which most colleges require — is $62.50. Costs can add up to as much as $113.20 for 20

B) Lived in a location with a clean body of water where rowing and water sports are common.

one test, including late registration fees and score reports. The ACT can be taken up to 12 times, and the ACT orga-

C) Lived in a community where the words “regatta” and “oarsman” are commonplace.

nization recommends retaking it, as their research has concluded that 57 percent of 2015 graduates that retook the ACT improved their composite score by the second testing.

D) All of the above.

Public schools in Michigan offered a free ACT prior to 2015, but now have transitioned to one free SAT for every student, as have seven other states in the nation. While CollegeBoard — the organization that runs the SAT — 30

free test, students in the other 42 states and D.C. are not

Percentage of white:black students who correctly answered question 1:

guaranteed a shot at this. A test could easily cost anywhere

A) 51:47

partners with individual school districts and gives them a

from $46 to $200. 35

B) 65:76

Janevic took the SAT twice outside of the school, a total of three times, before she settled on her scores. To prepare

C) 22:53

for these tests, she bought prep books that average about Answers: 1) A, 2) D, 3) C. 66

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Opinion

$20 per book, as her school didn’t provide any of these materials.

RUNNER: MARATHON:: was removed in 2005 after 75

accusation of bias when many more black students failed to answer correctly than white students. Questions like the

Yet school-sponsored preparation varies between district

latter are rather rare in the new test. Yet, the idea of biased

and state. Some public schools have mandatory test prep

questions comes up time after time; not all students know

classes, some offer an optional test prep class, and others

the configuration of a baseball diamond, values regarding

offer none at all. There should not be an expectation that

gifts differ between communities, and use of vocabulary is

districts across the country be completely homogenous – 45

that would be virtually impossible – but the location and wealth of a student’s community, and therefore the avail-

Beyond question biases, test taking, and the stress of study-

able resources, vary widely from places like inner-city De-

ing, applicants have to pay for sending in test scores, ap-

troit to Bloomfield Hills.

plying, and ultimately the most daunting cost of then all: 85

quite diverse throughout the nation.

hefty college tuition. If Janevic gets into one of the private

It would seem like no surprise that a test taker’s parents’

universities she applied to, her tuition could cost at least

education levels and income correspond to their children’s

$60,000 per year for a four or five year degree, without fi-

scores. CollegeBoard has published studies which show

nancial aid. Even with financial aid and a rare scholarship

that students who have parents with higher levels of edu-

cation are much more likely to score highly. In 2017, SAT

added on, poorer students are consistently at a disadvantage all throughout the college process.

takers with parents who had no high school diploma met the ‘college-ready’ benchmarks 46 percent of the time for English/Reading/Writing (ERW), and 26 percent of the 55

From preparing for a standardized test to getting into col95

along the way. And although struggling to pay for things

cent of the test takers), their benchmark statistics were al-

is an implied burden for the economically disadvantaged,

most twice as high than the first group of children; 88 per-

college gives these students an opportunity for economic

cent in ERW, and 71 percent in math.

success in the future. An extra barrier to college is an extra 100

These trends create a caste-like system for test-takers.

barrier to the avenue of a future less strained with financial worries.

When a test used to determine college admission is influenced by the educational and economic background of

Recently, colleges have been continuously evolving their

their parents, the cycle of poverty – or if not poverty, a

admissions to accommodate lower income students and

barrier from achievement – is perpetuated. If standardized test preparation itself was standardized, the national play65

lege, low-income students experience impediments all

time for math. As for children of college graduates (20 per-

minorities, while free online test practices like Khan Acad105

ing field could start to even out.

emy are becoming more popular and accessible to all students regardless of income status. Yet for many, comprehensive preparation is well out of reach without extra

But many factors are at play here; while economic bar-

money for books, materials, and experience.

riers from test prep and general college information put test takers at a disadvantage, some say that the questions 70

110

“I had a second chance, and I did have the money to do

themselves are unfair to students from lower income back-

it, and I know that not everyone does,” Janevic said. “Not

grounds. One question, which has since been removed

everyone has the opportunity to take a class, or buy all the

from the test, caused particular controversy. The question

expensive books, and get all the extra help. Not everyone

is displayed on the previous page.

115

has those resources.”

January 2018

For the Culture BY SHANE HOFFMANN

Despite the University of Miami’s football program’s polarizing reputation and felonious history, the turnover chain reminds us of the true spirit of college sports, and why we love them so much.

he U” is back, and this time they have a new toy. According to the Sun-Sentinel, two weeks prior to the 2017–18 college football season, the Miami Hurricanes’ defensive backs coach Mike Rumph approached a local Miami jeweler about creating a rope chain that the team’s defensive players could wear after forcing a turnover. The finished product was much more gaudy than Rumph originally had in mind, yet the Miami-style — a five-and-a-half pound gold chain branded with an orange and green sapphire studded “U” insignia — perfectly embodied the team, the culture, and the city. Entering the 2017–18 season, the ‘Canes were ranked 18th in the nation in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. As the season progressed, however, Miami steadily rose through the ranks with win after win. An inconsistent offense was carried through several close wins as Miami’s defense showed they were one of college football’s elite. While not dominant in all defensive characteristics, they became the leaders in one of the most game-changing statistics; they finished number one in the nation in turnover differential. Whether you believe the chain has directly contributed to Miami’s abundance of turnovers and 11-2 season, or see it as just a coincidence, many ‘Canes players seem to have made up their mind. “It’s amazing,” defensive back Michael Jackson said to a reporter in a post-game press conference. “We’re like, ‘Who’s going to get the turnover chain this week?’ No matter what happens, no matter what time in the game, we all want that chain. I know everybody else in the country wants that thing.” “It goes to whoever gets the turnover,” said Shaquille Quarterman sophomore linebacker after a 41-13 win against Bethune-Cookman. “You get to rock that huge Miami-style chain. It was just another 68

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incentive.” In the past, other schools have rallied around an object like this for motivation. Most notable is Alabama football’s “ballout belt,” a UFC-style championship belt which players don after a takeaway on defense. After its debut in week one, the turnover chain grabbed national attention due to the likes on Twitter and various other social media platforms. Win after win, turnover after turnover, it began to take a life of its own as the legend only grew. Fans began creating their own chains, and companies produced licensed turnover chain-themed shirts. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have also been seen sporting chains. Along with the outpouring of support has come a torrent of criticism. Much like Miami teams of the past, the in-your-face style of play and over the top celebrations — which once helped brand “The U” as “thugs” and “criminals” — have returned. Predictably, so have the racial stereotypes, and the blingy Cuban link chain is only fueling the skeptics. Billy Corben, director of “The U” and “The U Part 2,” which chronicled the glory days of the university and the controversy that came along with it, took to Twitter to give his take. “When the racists come out, you know THE U is back,” Corben said in a tweet. He certainly has a point. Along with his tweet, he attached a collage of various tweets from others: “So the Miami thug-canes have a gold chain as a reward [sic] isn’t that like giving a drug dealer a reward for selling the most drugs to kids.” “Can’t even control their team. Classless. Overrated. Thugs. #TheU.” “Tried to watch Miami-VT, to root against VT… but the thugs of Miami make it hard to watch.” All three of those tweets, and many more, Opinion

demonstrate both the jealousy that arises along with success, as well as the hatred which forms when individuals display an inability to recognize others’ actions as “different” instead of “wrong.” Quite simply, it is an example of implicit racism. “The U” certainly has a reputation, and a poor one at that, but it is imperative to not let that cloud your perception of the newage Miami Hurricanes. It can be argued that the past ‘Canes teams were deserving of some of the slanderous name calling that went on, due to their past players’ on-field antics, felony chargers, and drug possession. However, fans around the country must also acknowledge that the present program is different and no longer permeated with these same issues. Yes, many of the players are Florida natives. Yes, many of them are black. Yes, they are winning a lot of games. And yes, they are doing it with style and swagger. But what about that is wrong? Criminal? Goonish? Young men playing at a elite level, rallying around an object that embodies the culture of a city that some of them are from — and all of them have embraced — personifies the beauty of college sports. They aren’t all pros on or off the field, and that in a way makes it even better. Everyone is prone to mistakes, yet on any given Saturday, a student athlete has the opportunity to electrify a stadium, a city, a nation. College sports are unpredictable, and that’s what makes them so special. Who would have seen something as simple as a gold chain take Miami from a good team to a top-10 team? The turnover chain is just the latest reminder that college sports are — and will be for the foreseeable future — some of the most entertaining and controversial sports in the world. “Do it for the culture / They gon’ bite like vultures …” – Quavo, from Migos’ 2017 “T-Shirt”

A New Perspective on Medical Marijuana While other prescription drugs are highly regulated, medical marijuana lacks almost any directive. BY SACHA VERLON

wenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana to treat a variety of health issues, including pain relief, musculoskeletal problems, and tumor reduction. Yet some people still reject the idea of using marijuana for medical purposes. Some view marijuana as a harmful recreational drug as opposed to a resource for clinical research and potential treatment. The problem is, because it is categorized as a Schedule 1 drug by the federal government, marijuana is hard for doctors to gain access to, inhibiting the amount of research that can be done. Schedule 1 drugs are classified as highly addictive and have no medicinal purposes. They include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and MDMA. To be able to research Schedule I drugs, the procedure would need to be approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It would also take time for this application to be reviewed, regardless if it is approved or not. Why was marijuana put into the Schedule 1 category in the first place? After all, it is ranked higher in the list than drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine, both of which are lethal and much more addictive. When the Controlled Substances Act was passed in 1970 during Richard Nixon’s ‘War On Drugs,’ the federal government did not know where to place marijuana on the spectrum. Nixon temporarily placed it into the Schedule 1 category and intended to re-evaluate the ruling later. But when a committee was tasked with rescheduling the drug, they sustained Nixon’s previous decision. This decision supported the majority of Americans. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 1969, about 82 percent of citizens believed the substance should be illegal to possess and use. Only recently has the majority switched to supporting legalization, at 53 percent in 2015. Despite its current legal opposition, Marijuana has been used as medicine to treat a variety of illnesses for over 5,000 years. For example, Chinese legend has it that in 2737 B.C., Emperor Shen Neng, prescribed people tea made out of marijuana leaves to treat malaria, rheumatism and other health problems. In the years before the drug was

nationally outlawed, marijuana was still being prescribed by American doctors to treat certain illnesses, even though it was illegal to use recreationally. The recent research that has been conducted on marijuana has provided doctors with insight on its medical potential. According to a study done by Dr. Wai Liu of the University of London, marijuana has the potential to shrink tumors at more efficient rates than radiation therapy. One of marijuana’s compounds, Cannabidiol (CBD), has been found to reduce the rate of epilepsies. A study conducted by neurologists at the New York University Langone Medical Center found that an extract of 99 percent CBD reduced the rate of seizures from a total of 162 people by a median of 36.5 percent. Two percent of patients reported to be seizure-free afterwards. The list of marijuana’s medical benefits go on and on. It is evident that marijuana can be used to treat many health issues, and most doctors know that: a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that about 76 percent of American doctors are in favor of prescribing medical marijuana. So why doesn’t the federal government legalize medical marijuana if it is known to have such positive attributes? Many of those against medical marijuana are not rejecting its researched medical benefits. Rather, they are unsatisfied with the lack of regulation around existing medical marijuana laws. They are right. In some places, you can obtain a medical marijuana card without ever showing a medical record. This means that anyone can go in and make up a medical condition, get a five-minute “examination” and walk out with a slip of paper that allows you to get any type of the hundreds of marijuana variations a dispensary has to offer. There are a number of problems with this. First, because you are not prescribed to a specific dosage of one or more of marijuana’s compounds, patients are able to buy any form of marijuana they want that may not be the most beneficial to their specific health issue. The two main compounds in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and CBD, have different beneficial attributes. Different health issues require the

It should be a doctor’s job to prescribe their patients the right medicine for their treatment. use of one or both compounds at different concentrations. Because patients are able to get any variance in THC to CBD concentrate with a medical card, they are not always getting the exact treatment that they need. A doctor is not directly giving the patient a specific dosage of THC or CBD; instead, they give patients a medical card that lets them buy whatever form of marijuana they would like. The unregulated medical marijuana business as it is pushes some people away from the idea of legalizing it on a federal level. It should be a doctor’s job to prescribe their patients the right medicine for their treatment. Leaving this decision to the patient is not effective, and could lead to further health problems. Although some perceive the drug to be harmless and addiction-free, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana does have the potential to irritate the lungs and reduce cognitive function, especially before the prefrontal cortex is done developing at the age of 25. And although it has not been proven that marijuana is physically addictive, it can be mentally addictive. Long-term users can experience irritability, sleeplessness, and a lack of appetite after quitting. To shift people’s mindset on medical marijuana, we need to start treating marijuana more like a prescription medicine and less like a recreational drug. It should be prescribed at specific amounts and specific concentrations to each patient, with instructions on how to intake it just as any other prescription medicine would. A patient who takes Xanax to treat their anxiety only receives its benefits if they ingest it at the right times and frequencies. The same should go for marijuana. |

January 2018

Standing Up *Kneeling For What You Believe In BY CAMMI TIRICO

The Communicator Magazine

| Opinion

s the stadium announcer asked for the parents, students, fans, and players to stand for the national anthem, Brandon Bedinger took a knee. Alongside him, three Skyline football players, Bedinger — known to all as Coach B — knelt. “I knelt with the players to show that I supported them and what they believed in,” Coach B said. “I wanted them to know I support them no matter what.” The issue of standing or kneeling has been in and out of the national news for the last year. Recently, tensions have been heightened and highlighted by President Trump’s comments at a rally in Alabama: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these N.F.L. owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” Right now, there are no MHSAA (Michigan High School Athletics Association) rules or regulations on the national anthem protocol during high school games and matches. The rules on standing and placing a hand on his or her heart are — at the moment — on a school to school basis, with the decision in each school’s Athletic Director’s hands. Currently, for most high schools throughout the state, the “Star Spangled Banner” plays before the varsity game. Often in high school, the junior varsity teams play preceding the varsity game, and thus before the national anthem. There are many arguments that the national anthem should be played before all games, no matter the level. According to MHSAA Director of Broadcast Priorities John Johnson, it is up to the schools, but a vast majority only perform the Star Spangled Banner before the varsity game, including all of the three main Ann Arbor high schools — Pioneer, Skyline, and Huron.

“Ladies and gentlemen: The privilege of this event was made possible by those who have fought – and continue to fight for — the freedoms we enjoy,” reads the Regulation for Introduction for the national anthem. “Let us now honor and respect their efforts and our country. Civilian gentlemen, please remove your hats. All veterans — we encourage you to render

the appropriate salute, and everyone able — please stand at attention, placing your hand over your heart, as we proudly sing our National Anthem.” Despite the fact that not all players or spectators stand at attention and/or place their hand over their hearts, the MHSAA script will not change, according to Johnson. What was once a forgetful act of patriotism now sparks debates. “I welcome those debates, because at least it causes people to

think,” said MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts. “My biggest complaint for many years has been the lack of thought that goes into most occasions when the national anthem is a part of sporting events. How casual we often are.” Currently, there is no denying that more and more thought is going into the national anthem. Everyone from news outlets, entertainment TV, sports magazines, and everywhere in between have been talking about the nearly two minute song. But it was not always this way: “The national anthem is so frequent and routine at most high school events that sometimes, spectators barely notice,” said Roberts in a 2016 blog post. “Honestly, not too many people noticed or cared, but we did not do it for a reaction, we did it for us,” Coach B said. Colin Kaepernick — the first NFL player to protest during the national anthem — said he could not show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses people of color. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” Kaepernick said to NFL.com reporters. “There are bodies in the street, and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Those in objection argue the national anthem pays tribute to the soldiers who have fought and continue to fight for the United States, and who have given us the protection to have freedom of speech. “I respect everyone’s first amendment rights, but I am the son of a World War II veteran, and believe that soldiers lay down their lives for the country, and the least we can do is stand with our hands over our hearts,” Johnson said. “But, I also respect those who choose to kneel, and what they stand for.”

January 2018

DISPOSING OUR

ENVIRONMENT

How the usage of plastic bags impacts our environment—and not for the better. BY MEGAN SYER

Worldwide, nearly 500 billion single-use plastic bags are used every year. It makes sense; we use plastic bags for various reasons, such as carrying groceries. In addition, the production is cheap, and the end result produces a durable and lightweight material, appealing to businesses across the globe. But, as we continue to allow plastic bags to surmount more environmentally-friendly ones, there comes a price that outweighs their useful purposes. By continuing to use plastic bags, we threaten marine life, the environment, and generations to come. Typically, plastic bags used to carry groceries are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a polymer extracted from petroleum. Unlike paper bags, these plastic bags are suspected to never fully biodegrade as they are not perceived as food by microorganisms. PLASTIC BAGS ARE USED Instead, plastic WORLDWIDE EVERY YEAR bags break down into fragments when in contact with the sun’s ultraviolet rays — a process known as photodegradation. Because plastic bags were invented in the 1900s, little research has been executed long-term; for this reason, it is unclear if these fragments will ever fully decompose. What we do know is that these small fragments and plastic bags can often be found floating in the ocean, and worse, in the stomachs of many animals. Sea turtles commonly mistake plastic bags for food, which puts their health at risk in multiple ways, including blockage in the gut, slows or halts in reproduction, ulceration, and

500 BILLION

death. Current research suggests that nearly half of all sea turtles have ingested plastic, as stated by Plastic Oceans, a global non-profit organization that raises awareness of the impact of plastic pollution. And it’s not just sea turtles that suffer the consequences we create; whales, birds, and seals also suffer from plastic bags entering their ecosystems in similar ways through ingestion or entanglement. Additionally, small sea creatures may consume plastic bags even after they have been broken down into tiny fragments over time. This results in potential harm due to toxic chemicals that may enter the body after consumption, according to Worldwatch Institute, an independent research institute focused on global environmental concerns. Nearly eight billion tons of plastic finds its way into the ocean every year, according to Plastic Oceans. Moreover, plastic bags are a large contributor to the collections of marine debris found in large bodies of water. One example is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — the largest collection located in the North Pacific Ocean that is twice the size of Texas, stands nine feet tall, and weighs seven million tons. When not disposed of properly, plastic bags are often blown by wind to storm drains; this jeopardizes urban environments and generates extreme safety hazards as they can clog drains and waterways. The first country to ban plastic bags was Bangladesh in 2002 as a result of flooding during the monsoon season due to blocked drainage structures caused by plastic bags. The flooding resulted in devastating effects such as destroyed homes and breeding grounds for water-borne diseases. This trend of banning plastic bags has been spreading globally, and many coun-

tries are using taxes to discourage people from using plastic bags. Since 2003 in Denmark, retailers are taxed for using plastic bags in an attempt to push stores to charge for plastic bags; in turn, they hope to promote the usage of reusable bags. In 2011, Italy officially banned the distribution of all non-biodegradable plastic bags. Some cities in the United States, have followed a similar path. Although there is controversy over this approach due to the impact on low-income residents, it does spread awareness on how damaging plastic bags can be to the environment. There are simple steps we can take individually to reduce the amount of plastic bags used, aside from cities banning and taxing their use. One option is to reuse the plastic bags you receive at the store for another purpose, such as disposing of trash. Carrying reusable bags; although they do require fossil fuels to make and won’t last forever, can significantly lower the number of plastic bags being distributed by stores. Acc›ording to Worldwatch Institute, less than one percent of plastic bags used annually get recycled. The rest end up in landfills or float around as litter. In Ann Arbor, plastic bags should not be placed in curbside residential recycling bins, as they will end up in a landfill. Check with your store to see if they have a collection bin for recycling plastic bags. The environmental impact left from plastic bags is devastating to marine life and the environment. But, using reusable bags, reducing the amount of plastic bags used, and recycling them by returning them to stores are steps we can all take to help prevent further pollution through plastic bags.

CURRENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT NEARLY HALF OF ALL SEA TURTLES HAVE INGESTED PLASTIC, AS STATED BY PLASTIC OCEANS.

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Washtenaw County made plans to impose a 10 cent fee on plastic bags at stores in 2017. However, due to a new state law, the planned regulations were unable to go into effect. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches from the West Coast of the U.S. to Japan.

The Pacific Ocean has the largest garbage patch, but is not the only one; the Atlantic and Indian oceans also have garbage patches. Additionally, Garbage patches can also pollute smaller bodies of water.

Bangladesh was the first country to ban the use of plastic bags in 2002.

January 2018

The Communicator Magazine

THE GLACIERS ARE MELTING

What does this mean for us? BY MARY DEBONA

ore than 60 percent of the freshwater on the Earth is trapped in Antarctica’s ice sheets, and almost 99 percent of the world’s land ice — glaciers — is located in Antarctica and Greenland, accounting for only half of the total land ice falling into the ocean, and taking the form of icebergs. This ice that is lost in the ocean becomes more vulnerable to melting due to increasing ocean temperatures. Land ice, such as the Antarctic ice sheets and the icebergs that they produce, is different from sea ice. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, land ice is composed of fresh water or snow, while sea ice is constructed from ocean (salt) water and evolves and thaws entirely within the ocean. As pieces of Antarctica’s ice sheets fall off and disintegrate in the ocean, more and more of our planet’s freshwater is disappearing. Glaciers are formed when enough snow accumulates during the winter to eventually turn into ice, which is re-covered each winter with another layer of snow, which must be large enough to outweigh the summer temperatures that could cause the glacier to melt. The glaciers are melting as a result of climate change and increasing sea temperatures. A small level of climate change is natural, but the cause of the current upward trend of increasing temperatures is undoubtedly the large amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by our use of fossil fuels; and even though we can change our habits, we can’t undo what we’ve already done. Climate change, also known as global warming, is the explanation for the noticeable above average temperatures that the Earth is currently experiencing. In a New York Times article on climate change, Justin Gills frankly answers questions involving climate change and who’s causing it. He attributes studies that were conducted to differentiate between natural and industrial. This means human-generated emissions, whose results concluded that humans are responsible for contributing to an increase in carbon dioxide levels at a rate higher than ever before caused by nature. Although these Antarctic glaciers might be far away, they affect us nonetheless. But, even closer to home, Alaska is experiencing some of the same melting. According to the Washington Post and a study conducted by the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, the amount of ice that Alaska’s glaciers are losing is nearly equiv-

alent to half of the amount that Antarctica is losing. But why should we care that they’re melting? Many people — one-sixth of the Earth’s population — rely on rivers and basins supplied by glaciers for their drinking water. Other communities depend on these water sources for their energy supply and agriculture, too. Additionally, the rise of ocean levels will threaten existence of coastal cities. At this rate of climate change, it won’t be long before all glaciers disappear. In 1910, Glacier National Park had roughly 150 glaciers, but today, less than 30 remain, and most have lost much of their original surface area. The National Parks Service predicts that in less than 15 years, Glacier National Park will no longer be home to any glaciers, as a direct result of climate change; and as I mentioned earlier, there isn’t much that we can do to prevent it at this point. Obviously, a decrease in human carbon dioxide emission-causing activities, like the burning of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) and deforestation, would not hurt glacier preservation, but unfortunately, it’s already too late. The first place to be affected by rising ocean levels will be coastal cities such as Boston, Miami, and New York. As written in an article from Earth Institute at Columbia University, the ocean would rise 265 feet; mountain glaciers, like those in Glacier National Park, would only be responsible for 20 inches of it, while glacial ice from Antarctica, the Arctic, and Greenland would cause the rest. This increase would lead to the devastation of buildings and infrastructure, erosion, flooding, and negative impacts on ecosystems. The Great Lakes’ levels are rising too, reaching the highest recorded levels in almost 20 years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and US Army Corps of Engineers found that all of the Great Lakes experienced an increase in water levels from June 2016 to June 2017. The increase spanned from 0.6 inches in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, to the largest increase, which took place in Lake Ontario: a 31.68 inch increase. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the rise in water levels is also an indication of climate change. It is caused by above average amounts of precipitation, as well as warmer spring and summer temperatures, causing ice in the Great Lakes to melt earlier in the year. This is merely a small scale example of glaciers melting into the ocean. |

January 2018

Crystal Clear: A Gallery

A study of water pollution and its hidden effects throughout the United States. BY LUCY SCOTT

The Communicator Magazine

January 2018

LEFT: Children playing in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay near Virginia Beach, Va. is not an uncommon sight, as the bay is a popular tourist destination. Unfortunately, contamination is also not an uncommon sight, as nearly 75 percent of its tidal waters are impacted by chemicals.

RIGHT: Floating on a small boat in the middle of Wamplers Lake, the surrounding nature appears pristine. Upon closer examination, though, it can be found that the fish are at risk for contamination by a variety of toxins, such as mercury.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Frankfort, Michigan’s rolling sand dunes overlook the glassy waters of Lake Michigan. There’s more to this lake than meets the eye, however — despite The Great Lakes holding approximately 22 percent of the planet’s fresh water, it contains pollution damage, which could take nearly a thousand years to fix.

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A&E

January 2018

Deer Ann Arbor, BY ANDIE TAPPENDEN

n Oct. 16, 2017, the Ann Arbor City Council voted for the reinstatement of their deer management program from the previous year. Their proposal for 2018 is bigger and bloodier than that of 2017, and includes expanding the number of areas where deer will be sterilized, as well as increasing the maximum possible deer to be shot from 100 to 250. This information was first delivered to me sometime around 7:30 a.m. on a weekday, by my mother as she stood on the opposite side of the marble island in our kitchen while I sat eating breakfast. I was appalled. The influx of emotions was overwhelming; sadness spilled over into rage, creating a hue of loss that left me feeling empty. 250. 250 deer shot among the vegetation they consider their habitat, despite the rumbling construction projects continually pushing them into a smaller expanse of land. Why should the deer be punished for human development exponentially destroying their homes? No one puts Bambi in a corner. But let’s look beyond the ethics of the deer cull for a moment. Although there are varying opinions on how extreme the deer problem in Ann Arbor really is, anyone who has precariously driven through a road sodden with deer watch signs can agree that a predicament exists. But here’s the deal. Deer culls. Don’t. Work. Don’t just take my word for it; take the word of the Humane Society, Animal Alliance of Canada, In Defense of Animals, Stop the Shoot, and other organizations currently fighting against deer culling. Time after time, communities have used deer culls as a way to control deer overpopulation – and they have been widely unsuccessful. Every single document I reviewed reported an increase in birth rates following deer culls, causing communities to either increase the numbers of “necessary” deer deaths — see the revised 2018 deer cull plan for Ann Arbor — or alter their approach. This happens as a result of a skewed ratio of female to male deer, since bucks are the primary target in deer culls. One example of this can be seen in a report done by wildlife biologist Wayne McCrory about the deer culls attempted in British Columbia. He told NewsWire that although culling sometimes had short-term benefits, “Deer numbers rebounded fairly quickly because of their naturally good reproductive rates, and from other deer simply moving in from the outside.” Another example comes from the Comanche Ranch in Texas. The Quality Deer Management Association wrote about their attempts at deer culling. The ranch tried both moderate and intensive methods, wrote the QDMA, but neither were successful in meeting their culling criteria. On the other hand, non-lethal deer management programs have been successful in East Hampton, NY, Clifton, OH, and San Jose, CA. Ovariectomies were cited as the primary and most effective method of population in almost all of their case reports; however, other approaches have also been well-received. Across the board, the most successful methods have been non-lethal: sterilization, fencing, and educating citizens on how they can help — not feeding the deer is one basic example — as well as other more humane methods. The sanguinary solution suggested by our city will not be successful. I refuse to support our community butchering innocent deer to no avail.

The Communicator Magazine

Opinion

Stop the

Cull.

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