Issue 6 by Ben Graeber

The

Volume 110, Issue 6 May 2015

Oracle

North High School 501 Holcomb Ave Des Moines, IA 50313. A public forum for student expression

TOC!

THE

Social Justice

THE_SNAPS

IssUE

3 4

Law Legalize it? - Hannah Varela and Hatte Kelley Educate not Educut - Reagan Clay

Protest How Many Times? - Hatte Kelley Matress Girl - Taj Milton

LGBT The Laramie Project - Michael Xayavong Bisexual Agenda - Rachael Nash

Identity People

The Gender Experience - Hatte Kelley

5 6-7 8 9 10

Esperanza Vargas-Macias: Homeless to Success - Aminah Lothi Feminazi - Sammi Linebach // Tattoo Taboo? - Sammi Linebach

Love Complex Characters - Hannah McNichols A Cold War Within America - Makayla Patterson

Power I Want to Punch Society in the Face - Hatte Kelley Mental Illnesses are not Trends - Taj Milton

Glass Ceiling You throw like a girl - Tanna Jones

Photo one : Principal Vukovich gets down with the students at the pep assembly. Photo Cred: Cheyann Neades Photo Two: SIL Graeber gets Pied in the face at the pep assembly. Photo Cred: Cheyann Neades Photo Three: Principal Vukovich makes his famous crepes at postprom. Photo Cred: Jennifer Dryden Photo Four: The Newspaper Ladies at their Finest. Photo CreD: Rayshawna Collier

COVER_PHOTO_CREDIT: Autumn Miller, special to The Oracle

oracle staff

Cover_Design_Credit:

Rachael Nash

Executive Editor & Master of Design – Iliana Castillo Executive Editor & Chief Storyteller – Hatte Kelley Copy Editor - Michael Xayavong Social Media Director – Jasmine Moreno Sports Editor – Tanna Jones News Editor – Kelsey Ambrose Features Editor – Sammi Linebach Opinions Editor – Hannah McNichols Creative Arts Editor – Cheyann Neades Photography Editor – Taj Milton Cover Guru- Rachael Nash

Photo Five: The Characterist draws two seniors at Post Prom. Photo Cred: Jennifer Dryden Photo Six: Prom King Arturo and Queen Iliana as they enter the building. Photo Cred: Rayshawna Collier Photo Seven: Two seniors act as hamsters during post-prom. Photo Cred: Jennifer Dryden Reporters: Aminah Lothi Austin Pitts Hannah Varela Kyle Siberz Makayla Patterson Ariel Wilson Alexis Barnes Kirsten Niblo Somerle Rhiner Adrianna Dedmond Rayshawna Collier Madison Houska Reagan Clay

LAW!

Educate not Educut

Legislation debates about increasing school funding By Reagan Clay The deadline for the budget for the 2015-16 school year has gone and past and there is still no agreement on what the final decision is for an increase. State law requires lawmakers to make the funding level for the next year’s school year within thirty days of time the governor releases his budget. Terry Branstad released his budget on January 14, 2014. This means lawmakers should have agreed on something by February 13 of last year. They have not agreed on a budget and didn’t until April 30, triggering Iowa teachers to come together to dress in pink to represent the pink slips some districts have decided to give out because they have no budget. The democrat-controlled senate originally wanted a four percent increase whereas the republicancontrolled house wants 1.25 percent. Many people believe anything less than a three percent increase is just a “break even” amount. These amounts will not allow programs to expand, only to maintain, if not degrade. The democrats’ and republicans’ budget differences are about $100 million for k-12 schools. Schools had to finish their budgets by April 15 and could give pink slips by April 30 because they do not know how much money they will receive. Des Moines Public Schools will issue about forty pink slips due to the small budget, according to a news article on WHO-13. In an email to The Oracle from Phil Roeder, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at DMPS, Roeder said, “the best way to sum up the budget situation is that DMPS will be ‘treading water’ for next year if nothing changes at the legislature.”

An Iowa student marches around the entrance to the state legislature with a sign in protest of the indecision of school budget. Photo credit: Hatte Kelley.

Roeder stated that they will not be handing out pink slips for the 2015-16 school year but they will also not be hiring more employees to fill in the fifty positions from people who are retiring. “In addition, the district does not plan to cut any programs next year but, unfortunately, will not be expanding programs, either.” The 1.25 percent is the lowest funding towards education that is being talked about in session. “By almost every measure, the state and nation are enjoying a very strong economy. Unfortunately, some legislators are acting as if we are in an economic crisis, and using that as a poor excuse to not

adequately fund public schools in Des Moines and throughout Iowa,” Roeder said. Legislature claims there is not enough money for education. Democratic Representative Sharon Steckman said in an email to The Oracle, “I would counter that the state has over $450 million in tax credits each year and passed a commercial property tax reduction last year that will cost the state over $200 million this year. We also have a surplus and rainy day fund of over $717 million. Allowing for this type of revenue reduction does not show me that education is a priority.” The majority opinion is it is not fair for teachers

Legalize it? Same-sex marriage considered for federal law By: Hannah Varela and Hatte Kelley As of April 2015, the Supreme Court is in the process of considering same-sex marriage as a federal law. The first protest for the law was from the state Massachusetts, the first state to legalize same sex marriage in 2003. There were also protesters against the law, and they shouted sentiments such as, “Jesus doesn’t love you!” In return the proponents of the federal law responded, “We shall overcome.” The Supreme Court debating if the constitution protects our rights to marry someone of the same sex or not, and if so,

can we put laws for same sex marriage in states that disagree upon the argument? Over 30 of the States have agreed on same sex marriage, and 15 have banned or are undecided on same sex marriage. Three of the Supreme Court justices have asked for the presence of a same-sex couple for their thought the law under consideration, but also they asked opinions of those opposed to the law. On April 28 the Supreme Court listened to oral arguments on the constitutionality of state bans on same sex marriages. Associate Justice Kennedy last week has

stood up for the dignity and equality. According to US News, “scholars who have studied his work say he has long stressed the importance of valuing people as individuals.” Kennedy recognizes people of all sexualities are entitled to equal protection under the law. The big divide currently is to between whether the federal constitution requires all states either to licenses same-sex marriages or to recognize those marriages if they we’re performed in a state where legal.

Protestor at East High Love Rally, in Des Moines, they carry a sign in support of same-sex adooption rights. Photo Credit: Hatte Kelley.

and students to be working as hard as they do with the little support they are receiving from the state. The fact that legislators can’t decide what their budget will be and when will they will decide on it, is absolutely crazy, say some teachers. It makes one wonder how much of a priority the education is in the state. “As far as when we will come to an agreement… that is hard to tell. I am on the Conference Committee and my party (Democrats) offered 6 [percent] last year, then 4 [percent] at the beginning of our committee meetings, and finally 2.25 [percent]. All have been turned down. What is happening now is basically starving public education, and it is unacceptable,” Steckman said. Now that the democrats have come down to compromise to a 2.25 percent, many think the republicans should come up and end this debacle. Jennifer Dryden, journalism adviser and English teacher at North High, has been very involved with this topic. She has rallied at the Capitol and fought for her students because of what she believes in. “It seems like this problem is ongoing and there’s no reason for the state to not have a budget after a year and a couple months. I feel like I do my job teaching these amazing students, I believe they should be doing their jobs too by funding them,” Dryden said. On May 14, Iowa Senate approved a two-year state appropriations bill. This bill was worth more than $6 billion, which includes a 2.62 percent increase for kindergarten through twelfth grade and a 4 percent increase for the following year.

PROTEST! HOW MANY TIMES?

Black men get murdered by police time after continuous time By: Hatte Kelley Two minutes were made into forty minutes, a heartbeat turned into a lifetime, and an arrest turned into bloody murder Jeffrey Dahmer would be jealous of; a cannibalizing of the human spirit to attack them at my core, their spine. Freddie Gray’s death has been classified as a homicide, and the six Baltimore officers involved in the arrest have been suspended as routine for an, “in-custody death”. According to a Fox timeline story of the fateful day of April 12, 8:39 a.m. was the time Freddie began running from the police, and two blocks away he surrenders without force to the weapons charge. Yet again, less than year has gone by, and another black man in America beneath a police officer has said, “I can’t breathe.” Gray requested an inhaler, was ignored, cuffed, put in the back of a squad car while screaming, and traveled without being seat buckled. The negligence of not buckling someone in handcuffs is abuse: no two ways about it. At 8:42 a.m., the trip to the central booking begins with what should have been a straight shot, two minute trip was made into a 40 minute circle, which put the nails in the coffin of Freddie Gray. Four stops were made, one of which Gray was taken out, added more shackles to ankles and wrists, then laid face down on the van

floor, according to a Fox timeline of events. By the third stop, 8:59 a.m., Gray requests medical attention twice, and says he can’t breathe. Upon the fourth stop it was discovered Gray was no longer breathing, a medic was finally called at 9:24 a.m., and Gray was in cardiac arrest. He was rushed into surgery. A week later Freddie Gray, at age 35, died on April 19, 2015. Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Sean Bell, another black boy dead whose name will be forgotten, far too many black boys will never be brought back and have no voice in these tragedies. Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo both were suspended with pay because of “in-custody death” regulations. The six police officers responsible for the murder for Freddie Gray have been charged with a vast array of crimes regarding the incident. Justice is finally being given a shot, but this centuries of injustice, black boys and girls being poplar tree hanging wind chimes can never be undone, police brutality ravaging the streets of ghettos across America, and systematic generational poverty for people of color in America can only begin to be undone, but we have to make this start.

This baby step towards justice is so necessary. The trial hangs in the balance, it dances in the wind, and the streets of Baltimore, Ferguson, and

New York City can’t breathe until this noose of nuisance is loosened by this groundbreaking charge.

Drew Angerer—Getty Images

Protestors encourage passing cars to honk while standing in the middle of York Road near Vaughn Greene Funeral Services during the wake of Freddie Gray in Baltimore on April 26, 2015.

MATTRESS GIRL

A RAPE CASE HITS HOME HARD WHEN A STUDENT SHOWS THE WEIGHT SHE CARRIES EVERYDAY.

By: Taj Milton

ANDREW BURTON/GETTY IMAGES

Emma Sulkowicz, student at Columbia University, lugs around her mattress to symbolize the weight she carries around everyday after being raped. Emma Sulkowicz, more famously known as “Mattress Girl” has become the face of anti-rape activism by taking her personal experience at Columbia University and turning it into a

performance art piece that has become a national revolution against campus sexual assault. On August 27, 2012, the first day of Sophomore year for Sulkowicz, she was allegedly sexually

assaulted by a fellow classmate and someone she considered to be a close friend. What began as a consensual sexual encounter suddenly turned into a terrifying experience for Sulkowicz. Originally deciding against reporting the incident due to not wanting to deal with the emotional trauma and being too embarrassed and ashamed to talk to anyone about the rape, let alone report it, several months later after meeting two other women who had been sexually assaulted by the same person, she decided to bring her situation to the university’s attention. All three women decided to take action and separately report their case to the university. Sulkowicz found the courage to speak out not only to see their alleged rapist exonerated after a shoddy investigation and a hearing at which she was subjected to clueless and insensitive questions, but left emotionally scared from the process. Feeling wronged and failed by the outcome and how the university mishandled her case, Sulkowicz urged herself to bring the aftermath and trauma she deals with to light and show the world the weight she carries around as a survivor of sexual assault. She revealed how the idea first originated in an interview with NYMAG. “The idea of carrying a mattress got stuck in my head the way a song gets stuck in your head, and I unpacked why carrying a mattress is an important visual for me. I thought about how I was raped in my own bed at Columbia; and how the mattress

represents a private place where a lot of your intimate life happens; and how I have brought my life out in front for the public to see; and the act of bringing something private and intimate out into the public mirrors the way my life has been. Also the mattress as a burden, because of what has happened there, that has turned my own relationship with my bed into something fraught.” -Emma Sulkowicz Sulkowicz then produced the idea that launched her to the frontier of combating sexual assault and has given survivors of sexual assault a voice. Created in September 2014 for her senior thesis, Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight), involves Sulkowicz vowing to carry the 50lb, extra-long, dark-blue mattress she was assaulted on, wherever she goes on campus, until the student she alleges sexually assaulted her is expelled from or leaves the university. It’s been two years since Sulkowicz has started her endurance art piece and her alleged rapists still attends the same university as her.

FOR MORE STORIES, GO TO NORTHHSORACLE.COM!

LGBT

The Laramie Project

BISEXUAL AGENDA

by Michael Xayavong Where theatre meets social issues, The Laramie Project; a show about the people of Laramie, Wyoming and their reaction through stories and interviews to Matthew Shepard’s tragic murder for his sexual orientation. The incident happened in 1998, where the it was deemed as a hate crime, which in the small town of Laramie was unheard of, but the incident received national attention. Moisés Kaufman and the members of Tectonic Theater Project set out to interview the people of Laramie to put those stories into a stage play, and instead of being divided up by scenes, there are “moments”. These moments are not a transition from one scene to the next, they’re used to convey a moment in time to convey an overall meaning. From its premier in the Ricketson Theater in Denver, Colorado, the show has hit all types of theaters around the world. Including our very own East High School in Des Moines, where they were suppose to be picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church, however, they failed to show up. Jamaal Allan, the theater director at East stated that he wanted to do the show because “It’s a relevant show that adults and kids should hear because it’s happening around us”. Then he began to gather his associates and began making plans on how to do the show. Instead of making a huge production with a huge set and elaborate costumes, they went with a minimal feel to really showcase the acting and the piece that was performed. They wanted to convey the overall message

that everyone is human, which was an overall theme and goal among the students who participated. Myles Boone, the lighting director said that he was raised as a Catholic and believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman, however, his mind changed as the show progressed. Kevin Le, an actor from the show made a comment that he’s more comfortable with the choices that the people make around him and their sexual orientation since the show. Which says a lot about how the actors and actresses went about this production. Mariah White said that the strongest moment in the show was when Matthew Shepard’s father, despite the loss of his son, stood up and said that even though he was violently murdered, they do not deserve the death penalty. Along with that, Gordon Lear said that the character he played was an emotional point for him because he was the one that found Shepard’s body, that it was suppose to happen so that he didn’t have to die alone. “The play should be performed everywhere constantly because it’s a story that needs to be told and shared”, Kayle Kozeliski added about the show’s importance. This show has helped push social issues about what is happening in the world and has made not only these cast members think about their life, but have opened it to a wide audience of people. They feel accomplished with their goals for the production and have portrayed their message: to love, not hate.

by Rachael Nash My name is Rachael and I am a bisexual female. I don’t want to ruin your relationship, I don’t want to have sex with everyone, and I most definitely do not want to have a threesome with you. I’m not looking for attention, and I don’t think that being bisexual makes me a slut/whore. I just like boys and girls. I don’t understand why people would be confused. If you can like dogs and cats, why can’t I like boys and girls? One thing that really bugs me is when people police what I say my sexuality is, and how I feel about it. One noticeable example is when people say “You’re not bisexual because you’ve only dated guys.” That may be true I have only had relationships with guys but that doesn’t mean I am not attracted to girls either. I just haven’t found a girl who I am able to have a healthy relationship with yet. It’s like saying, “I have never seen snow it doesn’t exist sorry!” When you try to say I am not bisexual based on dating history you are contributing to the reason I hate being myself. There is a misconception that when a bisexual female is in a relationship with a male, or a male bisexual is with a female, they are no longer bisexuals. Meg Turney, stated in a video titled: “True Bisexuals” And Other Disrespectful Phrases: A Rant “The idea that I am with a man, does not make me straight and the idea that I’m with a woman does not make me a lesbian. I am still bisexual. I am still attracted to both sexes, and that doesn’t change because I’m in a relationship with a man.” Another fallacy is that bisexuals are more likely to cheat. I like to have one partner and one partner only. More than that will get too confusing for me, and make my head hurt. Turney also went on to say in her video: “Just

because I love men, and women, doesn’t mean I love them at the same time… It’s just like saying ‘just because you are a heterosexual male, and you love women, you must love all the women at the same time. You can’t be in a relationship because you love all the women!’ Not true. The way a heterosexual male wants to be with one female is how I would like to be with just one man, or one woman.” Another problem I have, -but I feel like everyone who likes the same gender has this problem- that when you come out, someone, and when I say someone, I mean someone almost always says “Oh, ha-ha, hope you don’t have a crush on me!” It makes the situation really awkward and turns the attention from the person coming out to the person that said it. It is a bad thing to say to your gay, lesbian, bi, or pan friend, it also turns their sexuality and trust into a joke. I personally do not get crushes on my female friends, and if I do, and they say, “I’m straight” the feelings go away almost instantly. So don’t worry, your gay, lesbian, bi, or pan friend does not want to sleep with you. Don’t be that person, and stop flattering yourself. My sexuality doesn’t define who I am, it just says who I am romantically and sexually attracted to. It shouldn’t matter, and shouldn’t determine what happens to me in the work force, or anywhere really. Yet teachers are still getting fired over it, and people are still afraid to come out due to violence and ignorance. Bisexuality isn’t a phase, and isn’t something you can pick and choose. It’s real, start treating it as such.

Des Moines, Iowa

“I definitely recommend living on campus – that’s where all the exciting and really fun stuff happens!” – Aly Merschman

The cast stands in front of the stage to honor the death of Matthew Shepard

LEARN MORE AT

ONE OF OUR VISIT DAYS Summer Do the View Visit Day Friday, June 12

Photos courtesy of EHS Theater Department.

Trial scene of the show where Matthew Shepard’s murderer is presented

Scan to hear more about what Aly has to say about her Grand View experience.

IDENTITY!

ESBIAN

ISEXUAL

RANS

Q Q i

The Gender

Rooseveltian, Rosie Cook, poses mid-runway. Photo Credit: Iliana Castillo

UEER

NTERSEXUAL

SEXUAL, GENDER, ROMANTIC

ANSEXUAL

Written By Hatte Kelley Hair spray, fake beards, dresses, suits, and smiles splatter the scene of backstage at the Gender Experience. Walking in and seeing the trans flag (because every orientation has a flag) and the rainbow flag spread across the welcoming table. Walking into a room and knowing there was safety and acceptance in each and every person in the entire room is a euphoric and enveloping feeling. Cindy Carrillo, a senior of Roosevelt describes The Gender Experience, “it’s kinda like a drag show, but instead of calling it a drag show, we’re calling it “The Gender Experience” because we want to stray away from the problematic atmosphere that drag shows tend to provide; they tend to be trans phobic or sexist.” Transphobia is defined as a range of antagonistic attitudes and feelings towards transsexual or transgender people, based on the expression of their internal gender identity. Carrillo continues, “Our theme tonight is the empowerment of the oppressed, so we’re really focused tonight on exploring gender, experiencing gender, and empowering trans-youth.” When asked to define gender, Carrillo had to think for a moment and concluded, “Honestly, it just feels like a label, ‘you have a thing and you don’t, you’re a girl, you’re a boy’. Honestly, it’s so much more than that...” This was Carrillo’s first time participating in any event like it, she was excited, and encourages others to participate in next years event, “Because I’ve never been to one before, I feel like it would be cool just to see people being transformed like that.” Carrillo says why she wants more people to come out and support, “Because they’re people...

and they’re oppressed and they need our support.” An audience member would never be able to tell they ever needed any support, the female impersonator Stephanie, walked with a powerful gait and dominated the runway. Jordan (a.k.a. Stephanie) started drag at age twelve and has been performing the craft for seven years now. Stephanie was the most experienced performer of the night and the tallest. He is senior at Johnston High School. He commented, “Shows like this? This would be my first, drag shows I’ve done multiple of.” He differentiated that, “[drag shows] are more risky! They’re pleasant, but they’re more scandalous,” Jordan says you should support an event like this, “Because we all have the right to be ourselves. Supporting and being here for this event makes you an open person and more well rounded person when you’re here exploring different things.” Elliot Smith, a Valley junior attended because, “I think it’s really important to have events like these because they are just so positive in showing the different variations and gradations within the spectrum of gender. Showing that there are happy and talented people within the gradations.” A daring duo of drag, performed together as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell, they were excited before show time as they painted masterpieces of facial hair on each other. Mariah White aka Pharrell, an East senior said, “I think it’ll be more inspirational [than a drag show] and more people might actually do this instead of just eighteen and older.” Mattima Surbeqxu aka Snoop Dogg, a Roosevelt senior said,”People who are struggling right now, because a lot of drag shows are either 18 or older or they are 21 and older, a lot of teenagers and preteens...really need empowerment right now, they can come and see this!” Finbar, Rooseveltian sophomore, and pansexual transman is in attendance because, “I am a part of Roosevelt GSA, and I’ll be leading next year, so I’m trying to get into the whole organization experience. So, next years show could possibly be even better.” Petra Lang, Roosevelt GSA sponsor says, “We provide space for folks to gather, and if they need help organizing or, setting up, or communicating, we do that, but they’ve been so phenomenal. This group has just blown my mind; I’ve never seen

another student group like it. She emits admiration, “they have such amazing leadership, they always have a presence at our diversity assemblies, a wonderful job at that as well.” She spotlights other successes, “there was a Simpson Professor invited them to speak as a panel to her class.” Lindsey Smith admits, “I co-sponsored the Roosevelt GSA, the students did all of the work.” Smith details, “My fears were just making sure everything was still school appropriate, and my expectations were that it would be a great night which it was.” Jordan Miscu, a junior at Drake and Vice President of the Rainbow Union, “Whit and I set up all the lights and the stages, but really Roosevelt did most of the work.” Whit Hegarty, Drake junior and President of Rainbow Union, “I was emailing Rosie last year, they did it, but this year was way more developed.” The Union’s President explains the difference between drag and this event, “Drag Queen is more

Top: Cindy Carrillo, Roosevelt senior, is lip syncing as Prince Eric to the song “Her Voice”. Bottom: Nate Schlaf reads a poem about their experiences of being transgendered. Photos Credit: Iliana Castillo

Experience about expressing femininity how they see fit, and Drag Kings is kind of a silly thing. I feel this was serious and a personal note, for the kids.” The President’s opinion of student attendance and awareness, “I think it is always important for kids to attend any type of event that’s a part of any underprivileged community, gender’s a thing a lot of people don’t know anything about, so I wish more people would come that didn’t know anything.” Hegarty comments on how this event might better itself, “More people would be great, the more performances you have the longer the show is, the more stuff you can advertise, the greater message you can get out, and the more voices you can reach.” Rosie Cook, a Roosevelt and Central Academy senior and the president of the Roosevelt GSA,” We worked alongside [the Des Moines Student Activist Network] primarily in promotion, in terms for this specific event. Primarily with promotion, some of the members in terms of volunteering and documenting.” She spills her fears, “decorating in time, and making sure things went off without a hitch. Making sure everyone was here and in costume” Cook accounts the benefits of this event “One, you are helping to support trans youth who would otherwise wouldn’t be able to present as how they feel as they identify due to financial or parental

6/7

Left: Mattima Surbeqxu, senior at Roosevelt, and Mariah White, senior at East, team up as Snoop Dogg and Pharrell. Below: Kai Greiner and Rosie Cook, both Roosevelt seniors, host The Gender Experience. Audience members said they were very quirky with their dialogue. Photo Credit: Iliana Castillo

reason; that’s an important part in and of itself.” Cook finishes with, “Two, the performativity aspect because I feel like it gives people the capacity explore their own gender identity and how that fits within the performance of the gender as well as other people being able to respect how they present and why they present that way.” There was a table tucked away in the back corner selling t-shirts for the event, and an adjacent table littered with trans-youth supporting pamphlets, survival guides, and bumper stickers all for free. A new and growing culture is being fostered in Des Moines. One of acceptance and understanding, free of judgment. The Gender Experience has amassed 200+ articles of clothing and are still receiving and collecting donations.

Students take their final bow as a set list of performers. From left to right: Rosie Cook, Kai Greiner, Mattima Surbeqxu, Mariah White, Cindy Carillo, Finbar Murphy, Elliot Smith, Kasey James, Jordan, Hatte Kelley, and Nate Schlaf. Photo Credit: Iliana Castillo

PEOPLE!

Esperanza Vargas-Macias: Homeless struggle turns to successful future By: Aminah Lothi “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle,” – Napoleon Hill. For North High senior, Esperanza Vargas-Macias, she knows this all too well. Esperanza has moved from home to home throughout her whole life. Her mother, single mom of three, has constantly struggled to make ends meet. Esperanza has been living in a motel for the past ten months, and in June 2015, it will have been a year. From living through homelessness, trying to keep up with school and theater arts she still finds the courage and strength to get up every morning to do it all again and look amazing doing it. The motel room consists of two small bedrooms shared by Esperanza, her oldest sister and her mom. “One of the biggest changes is that it’s a lot more cramped, there’s no privacy. It’s not that drastic because we’ve always been poor. It’s different but not a good kind, it’s a bad different,” says Vargas Many kids her age usually wake up in a warm

cozy bed that they can call their own. Vargas is currently staying at a Motel 6 miles away from North, making getting her own education a daily challenge. Her mother is currently employed at Motel 6 as a housekeeper and is getting Esperanza shows her strength in front of North High School. Photo Credit: Rayshawna Collier the cost of the she would average about four hours of sleep at room taken out of her checks every night. night.” Vargas, adds. Often times, Vargas’s mother would be woken up When asked about leaving her mother, she in the middle of the night to work and continue to responds, “I feel guilty and sad, and bad that I’m clean rooms. “She’s working right now as we speak,

Feminazi: It's not just another word By: Sammi Linebach

According to urbandictionary.com, a feminazi is a sexist whereas a feminist is a supporter of womens’ rights. I personally am a feminist. After all, I am a Libra, meaning I am all about balance and equality. Feminazi’s are those people who think not wearing a bra is a symbol of oppression; that shaving our legs is apparently showing that we give into male pressure to be attractive; that snowmen must be called “snowpeople.” Uhm, whaaat? Bras were not made to please the men of the world; they were made to help support breasts. Women have used a variety of garments and devices to cover, restrain, reveal, or modify the appearance of breasts since before the fourteenth century. Coming from an average woman’s point of view, we shave our legs for ourselves. That prickly feeling is beyond awkward. Some woman stop shaving because they just don’t care anymore, and I’ll probably be like that too, when I’m 70. As for snowmen, who cares?! They are lumps of snow. They will melt. Okay. It is incredibly offensive to claim that feminism is in any way, shape, or form like Nazism. Comparing a group of angry women with Adolf Hitler is disgusting and infuriating.

Allow me to re-educate you on a little piece of history that I hope you’ve already learned by now, but apparently not. It is known as the Second World War. Hitler led the Nazis to capture, torture, and murder more than 11 million people. Jewish, Roman, POWs (Prisoners Of War), homosexuals, disabled--all victims of the Holocaust. Why? Because Hitler believed that they weren’t worthy enough for life and because they were biologically “inferior” in his mind. That is not what feminism is like at all! Feminists have never been responsible for mass murder. We do not support the elimination of a certain type of person from humankind. It takes a special kind of ignoramus to warp the goals of feminism to somehow be related to Nazism. Feminists fight for equality. Nazis acted and still act on a belief that their victims were not equal to them. Their goal was to ‘better’ the human race by wiping out people that didn’t fall into their idea of ‘perfect human beings’. Come on. You cannot actually compare that to feminism’s goal of empowerment and equality for all. However, with all the attention that feminists and feminazi’s are getting, the point behind it all is getting across; women deserve the exact rights that a man has. Each term may have slightly weighted/biased views, but the topic of equality is still getting out there, and that’s the point right?

leaving her behind but I’ll go anyway because I want to be better. I want to be able to give back to her. The only way I know I’m going to be able to do that is to go to college and make something out of myself. I want to give back to her. She’s worn herself down so much that she deserve so much more than she has given to me.” Vargas will be attending Iowa State to study English and Communications. She has received the MVP Scholarship full-tuition scholarship and also the Polar Bear Fund Scholarship of $1,000. “I’m just proud that I achieved so much. I didn’t think I would receive a full tuition paid scholarship. Things have been hard for me. I’m just glad I have been able to come so far. I’m just happy I am able to do that because I didn’t think I was going to go to college,” Vargas says. From Varagas’s skills of poetry, journalism, fiction writing and acting one couldn’t be more shocked to find what she has been through. Like Rafiki (from the Lion King of course!) said, “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.”

Tattoo Taboo? Acceptance in ink By: Sammi Linebach

Tattoos should be accepted at any job, no matter the corporation, the amount of professionalism or lack of, the time of day, or even the city in which a company resides in. Tattoos should be accepted – point blank. Tattoos give meaning to those who have them. Owning a tattoo not only means that you went through the pain of piercing your skin with needles 3,000+ times per minute. It means that you have made a permanent decision, almost like having a child – you have to take care of it, especially in its beginning stages. There are many reasons why people get tattoos. For identifying themselves, to honoring a loved one, to covering up scar tissue, etc. No matter the reason, people get tattoos basically because they want to. *The annual amount of U.S. spending on tattoos exceeds $1.65 billion. *Of the 14 percent of Americans that have at least one tattoo, almost everyone has heard “now you’ll never get a job!” On the contrary, many companies are very accepting of ink because of their stressing commitments to diversity and inclusion of everyone. Bottom line, tattoos are becoming increasingly unproblematic across the board. Although there are some companies and occupations that still do not allow tattoos, it is evident that with civil rights becoming more abundant, everyone is starting to loosen their policy on tattoos. Two ladies walk into a corporate job interview. One has her arms covered in tattoos while the other

has breast implants and no tattoos. Which one would be most likely to get the job when both women are equally qualified? Most seem to lean towards the woman with the breast implants. But why? The stereotypes people associate with different forms of self-modifications are outrageous. Say two guys come in for the same job interview. One man is covered in tattoos, but is beyond qualified. The other is dressed in professional suit and tie attire but is a former taco truck cook. Who is to get the job? Why do people associate bad things with tatted people? According to a debate website, many people believe that people with tattoos are uneducated, cheap, class-less, and are just looking for attention. I don’t think I’ve read more BS in my life than I have reading the opinions on this website. Or maybe it percolated from the mere idea that only a crazy person would willingly fuse permanent ink into their aging skin. However, if you think about it, those who have gone through the process of getting a tattoo, believe the design is a form of art. Furthermore, if their job performance is the same, why does corporate America continue to stifle this form of self-expression? Hey guys, remember the First Amendment? *Statitics were located from statisticbrain.com

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POWER!

Mental Illnesses are not Trends “My girlfrien d

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These quotes seem too ignorant to be true, but sadly, statements like these are tossed around all the time. The “trend” of mentally healthy people using mental illness as some sort of accessory is rampant. It seems like today mental illnesses are “fun” things to joke about and have. As of recent self-diagnosis of mental illnesses have become trendy. You’re not special unless you’re severely anxious or depressed. The romanticization of mental illness is something that needs to be addressed and stopped. This notion of mental illness as just a quirky personality trait is not only disgusting, but also extremely insulting to the people who are actually suffering from crippling psychological disorders. The appropriation of mental illness has become so popular that it actually has a name, “The Misery Movement.” The constant inundation of uniformed people professing they suffer from depression or OCD, illegitimatizes mental illnesses, which in turn, creates a grave difficulty for people who really do suffer from them. With mental illness comes a certain social stigma. This stigma has changed over the years. Initially, people with mental illnesses were thought to be crazy and most likely dangerous. Nowadays they have an equally disadvantageous stigma that they are attention-seekers, faking illness to gain the admiration of their peers. They aren’t taken seriously.

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Now, with this recent wave of people thinking mental illness is the new crop top, it makes it that much more difficult for people who are actually suffering from these illnesses to come forward in fear of being brushed off as another attention starved person. What these people who pretend to have mental illnesses such as depression, social anxiety, insomnia, bipolar, and other mental illnesses, fail to realize is that these diseases are crippling. They have the ability to consume a person and turn them into someone they don’t recognize when they look into the mirror. They are a battle. Day in and day out, it is a struggle to maintain. Tasks as simple as getting out of bed or showering are immense impediments to overcome. Self-care is a challenge. Sometimes even living is an obstacle. This “trend” of having mental illness as cool and hip has gotten so out of hand that the popular clothing company Urban Outfitters released a line named “Depression” in which two of the most controversial pieces of that line were shirts, one with the word “Depression” written all over it in different font sizes and the other with the words “Eat Less” largely printed in the center of it. Blatantly endorsing this sickening movement of using mental illness as trends. Not to mention openly triggering people who actually do suffer from these illnesses.

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anxiety or something.”

Things like depression and anorexia are not to be taken lightly and made light of. These are illnesses that can lead to the destruction of lives and families. They can lead to death. Mental illnesses are not the hot new fad to be flaunted on shirts. Misinformations about mental illness are at the root of this “Misery Movement.” People don’t fathom what it honestly means to have a mental illness, so they ignorantly throw disorders around like they’re nothing because that’s the “cool” thing to do now, and it will make them seem “artsy” and “deep.” Either that or they claim they have them because they really think regular, every day stress, sorrow, and anxiety are disorders. The reality is, just because you’re sad sometimes does not mean you suffer from depression. Just because you sometimes check two or three times, because you don’t remember if you locked the door doesn’t mean you have OCD. Talking to yourself does not mean you’re schizophrenic. Just because you change your mind sometimes doesn’t mean you’re bipolar. Being distracted does not mean you have ADD. And being shy is not the equivalent to Social Anxiety Disorder. People need to thoroughly discuss their emotions and thought processes with one another to clear the air about what’s an illness and what’s “normal,” because it seems a lot of people today walk around

I Want to Punch Society in the Face! Sexual objectification in America and North Hig h School By: Hatte Kelley Mary Lou Hill said good morning to me today, looked me up and down, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of my shorts and said “those are way too short.” I knew my shorts were long enough, and had only rode up my hips to rest at my waist as they often do on people. I yanked them down my torso to show her I was in fact conforming to regulation. She, and two men sitting at the front security desk by the polar bear, all rang in agreement that I needed to keep them down. Sexism, racism, and homophobia make me uncomfortable, but I can not ask people to change their mind because they are comfortable in their parents’ mindset. Well, it’s going to be eighty degrees today and these shorts make me comfortable, but they make you uncomfortable enough to make a rule against them; even when I am revealing nothing actually sexual. The upper parts of my thighs are given sexual desire and value by others without my intent. Why must I keep my clothes in check, let it be a constant concern of mine, constantly shielding men’s, women’s, boys’, and girls’ eyes from my thighs? Why are they so afraid of my thighs? My pasty, pink, and polka dot thighs, they must have super powers! The power! The power of distracting boys and teachers alike, able to stop a learning environment in its tracks, able to turn track pants into boner tents! Whew, these things near my vagina are just so dangerous, I swear! Only a month ago did I hear the North administration gawking and laughing over how blatantly sexist and ridiculous Dowling’s dress code was towards young women; now, a month later, while spring has truly sprung our plasmas are plastered with pretty much the same petty remarks. Objectification of women in American society is

the root of the problem. This is because boys thighs, shoulders, chests and stomachs are not ‘revealing’ or ‘scandalous’ and girls’ nearly identical biological body parts are. The only boys dress code violation anywhere near resembling a sexual body part is the ‘sagging’ restriction. Sagging has a scared straight argument making up a wives tale of the style originating back to males sexual availability in prison, which is considered ‘feminine’ or ‘homosexual’. This is misogynistic and homophobic prejudice towards the style and those who wear it. It is also racist when other alarming teen style like goth are not consider criminal because the style is popularized among black youth. Dr. Caroline Heldman, Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA, has created the SOT, the sexual objectification test. Objectification by definition is “the process of representing or treating a person like a sex object, one that serves another’s sexual pleasure.” In the last ten years, according to Nussbaum and Langton, there has been a new age of sexual objectification with a drastic increase in quantities of objectification in media and hyper-sexualized media because of technology. Ninety-six percent of objectified persons are female. According to Heldman, when thinking about sexual objectification we’re thinking about the difference between objects and subjects, taking us back to grammar school and parts of a sentence, objects are acted upon and subjects do the acting. Heldman postulates in her TEDTalkIf sex sells, then why aren’t there half-naked men all over women’s magazines. Heldman remarked,“We see men’s magazines with scantily clad women, and we see women’s magazines with scantily clad women.” Something else is being sold here, gender roles. Men

subjecting women to feel powerful, and women finding value and spending to become better objects. Young girls in my life and across this nation have suffered from what is termed, self-objectification. It is known as fact that this societal pressure has adverse effects, by and large, on all women in the U.S. • depression • habitual body monitoring • eating disorder • body shame • depressed cognitive function • sexual dysfunction • lower self-esteem • lower GPA • lower political efficacy • female competition It has taken ten years of research by psychologists to fully understand and prove this phenomenon and we all have bought into the lie. This social paradigm of women being sold the idea of hating themselves doesn’t just crumble because this girl behind a keyboard wants it to. No matter how hard we wish it would. I beg, stop consuming the media that makes you hate yourself. Please love yourself, be yourself, forgive yourself. Stop tearing down other girls because we have to stand in solidarity together, we have to find and ally with the men who understand us, and we have to rise above our own humanity to care for one another.

thinking they’re suffering from disorders when they absolutely aren’t. The actuality of the situation is, public speaking makes everyone nervous. Everybody has conversations with themselves. No one likes to send the first text and would rather have their friends text them first. Every single person in the world gets stressed out and overwhelmed at times. And everyone goes through one of those phases of questioning if their friends actually like them or not. There is a tremendous difference between being anxious and having an anxiety disorder and there’s a difference between being sad and being depressed. The phrase “disorder” denotes that the problem is so debilitating, it keeps people from functioning through daily life. So please consider watching what you say and take some time to reflect on your actions. You may think saying you have anxiety or depression is fun, and makes you cool, but there’s nothing fun or cool about waking up at 3a.m. to racing thoughts, heavy breathing, a pounding heart, and tears that can’t stop. Or being too depressed to even br,ush your teeth, or eat, or properly care for yourself. Mental illnesses aren’t accessories you can put on and take off whenever you please.

Don’t treat them as such.

LOVE!

Complex characters: Media creates a shadow of women By: Hannah McNichols Powerful women aren’t always associated with being “girly” or “independent”. They deal with a lot of unnecessary nonsense. On a recent episode of ABC’s hit show Scandal, Abby Whelan delivered a monologue that perfectly articulated that struggle. Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, has had her fair share of rants but on season four, episode fifteen, the famous red head, Abby Whelan, played by Darby Stanchfield, went on a tirade about how her name was always associated with her boyfriend, but her boyfriend was never associated with hers. Abby, who is currently serving as White House Press Secretary -- and doing a damn good job -- begins to write a letter of resignation when a sexy book written by “Kinky Sue” (played by Lena Dunham) threatens to expose the sexual history of both Abby’s current boyfriend, Leo Bergen, and her ex-boyfriend, David Rosen. Leo seems confused as to why Abby’s

job would be impacted by a scandal that only implicates him. But as Abby is quick to explain, when you’re a powerful woman involved with a powerful man, his personal life has a sneaky way of creeping into your professional one. “What happens to you, happens to me,” she says. She goes on to articulate exactly how much the coverage of her professional life and successes -which Leo has nothing to do with -- is attached to him. “Every article about me has your name somewhere in it,” she says, “because apparently, there’s this rule: In order to mention my name they have to report to the world that there’s a man who wants me. My work, my accomplishments, my awards -- I stand at the most powerful podium in the world, but a story about me ain’t a story unless they can report on the fact that I am the girlfriend of DC fixer Leo Bergen. Like it validates me, gives me an identity, a

definition. They can’t fathom the concept that my life doesn’t revolve around you.” Abby also touched on the way women’s physical appearances are picked apart by the media in a way that men’s seldom are. “If I wear lipstick, I’m dolled up. If I don’t, I’ve let myself go,” she says. “They wonder if I’m trying to bring dresses back, and they don’t like it that I repeat outfits even though I’m on a government salary. They discuss my hair color. There are anonymous blogs that say I’m too skinny!” Abby may be a fictional character, but her monologue is rooted in truth. When powerful women are written about, it often becomes about much more than their accomplishments. How many articles were written about Hillary Clinton’s decision to “stand by her man” when the Lewinsky scandal broke? Or about how she didn’t wear makeup? Or her use of scrunches’?

A cold war within America: Dowling Catholic Hig h School gay rig hts walkout By: Makayla Patterson On April 16, 2015, freshman at Roosevelt High School, Tyerell Jones started a protest for gay rights. After he heard about what happened with Dowling Catholic High School previously with not hiring a gay teacher because of his sexuality and their policies to their district hiring, he organized a walkout to happen for students to show all people deserve the same rights, regardless of their sexuality. Jones told everyone he knew to spread the word and join, to get the word out there. They met in the drama hallway, then walked through the halls and straight out the front door. They stood in the front of the school chanting, “Gays can still pray” and “Gay rights matter” along with “2-4-6-8 you can’t discriminate.” Then he led the crowd back to the drama hallway and ended with a short speech. The speech that was given is “some of you don’t even know what this walkout is about, although this is inspired by Dowling Catholic it’s not for them. It’s to raise awareness about the discrimination around the world. It happens to every single person in every single country of every single nation around the world. I can guarantee that all of you have been discriminated in some way shape or form because of who you are or what you are. I will not stand for this. I will not live in a world where it is 2015 and I still have to be scared about calling myself gay. I have to wonder who to say it around because I might not get the same opportunity as a straight man. With your help I will do my best to eliminate discrimination.

Thank you all for coming, it truly does mean a lot not just to me but others who struggle with the same battle.” Jones made this event happen to stop the hate, and show that everyone is equal. He wanted to raise awareness about the discrimination that happens everyone today. He believes that everyone is equal and he isn’t going to stop until everyone is treated equally as well. Jones believes that this gave the power, strength and hope that people are not alone. He wanted to give people the voice who were too scared to stand up and speak for themselves. “To anyone out there who has been shut out and discriminated, this is our time! We will fight for what is right and this is our fight. A cold war within America!” he said. Caitlynn McGinn, freshman at North, feels that “Gay people are not different, they are the exact same as regular [hetero]sexual people, they are as normal as everyone else. Although Dowling is a Catholic school and in the bible it says you are made to love the opposite sex. ‘You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female, it is an abomination.’” Lev. 18:22 Jayda Hawkins, sophomore at Roosevelt High School, was also a participant in the walkout on April 16. Hawkins feels that the reason is that we live in a country where people have been discriminate for years. “For a country that’s supposed to be free no one is actually free. If we were everyone would be equal.”

Roosevelt students shows their support of gay rights, by a walk out on May 6, 2015. Photo Courtesy: Chess Montgomery

Remember when people freaked out over Michele Bachmann eating a corn dog? And speaking of Lewinsky, remember when she was personally and professionally ruined after being involved with a man in her early 20s, while the man was able to bounce back in far less time? Finishing her argument, Whelan says, “My life doesn’t revolve anywhere near you, its horrifying, “property of Leo Bergen”. Tell me when they write articles about you Leo, how often do they mention me? Do they talk about your clothes? Write about your thighs? There is a difference. There is, so what happens to you, happens to me.” The media tends to shine a far more scrutinizing light on the daily habits, looks and personal lives of women -- especially in the political world. As Abby says when it comes to powerful men and powerful women: “there is a difference.”

BIONIC WOMAN

11 Equipment Differences 1) Softballs can range from 10-12 inches, baseballs are only 9-9 1/4 inches. 2) Softball bats are a maximum of 34 inches with the diameter of 2 1/2 inches. Baseball bats are a maximum of 42 inches with a diameter of 2 3/4 inches.

“You throw like a girl” Rule Differences

1) There are significant differences in addition to the field size. An official baseball game consists of nine innings as opposed to a seven-inning softball game. 2) On a softball feild the bases are 40 feet apart, bases on a baseball field are 60 feet apart.

By: Tanna Jones I have speed and consistency; I play on the green when I’m on the field. Why wouldn’t someone want to throw like me? Oh yeah, because I’m a girl. “Girls are weak.” “You can’t do this because you’re a girl.” “Girls aren’t faster than guys.” Constant slams from the opposite gender are common in the athletic world. Females have never been equal and are unfortunately looked down upon. We are now in the 21st Century; the average woman has gone far politically now, why can’t we be respected as athletes? We are more than stay-at-home mothers and Barbie doll look-a-likes. “Don’t break a nail.” I have always been the one to jump in the dirt, and get down and dirty; especialy when it comes to sports. But yet it doesn’t stop there, not

only are female athletes looked down on, our sports are too. Some people say that softball is the female version of baseball. That is completely inaccurate. The basic rules are the same; the lead off rule differentiates the two sports. In baseball, the runner may leave the base at any time. This usually involves a short lead off the base with the occastional stolen base attempt. In softball, a runner may not leave the base until the ball is pitched. When it comes down to what’s most important in a softball game, it’s speed. A 70 mph fastball from 37 feet away in .35 seconds leaves the batter with only .25 seconds to accurately spot the ball. This shows that making the assumption softball players can’t accomplish much athletically because of their gender is contradictory to the toughness it takes to be a successful female athlete.

Fun Fact A 70 mph softball has a .35 second reaction time at 37 feet, which is faster than a 100 mph major league baseball.

Field Differences 1) Softball pitchers are on a flat surface 35-43 feet away from home plate, baseball pitchers are on a 10-inch downward slope facing home and are 59 feet away from home plate. 2)A softball homerun fence is a minimum of 220 feet, on a baseball field it’s nearly 350 feet to the homerun fence.

Prom Week RECAP

To view photos and stories from past events visit northhsoracle.com