The Featheralist: Volume 01, Issue 02

002: MOVEMENTS

SUMMER 2018 | Classes start June 18

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foreword

by Ellie Feng and Skyler Wu

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics holds that the entropy, or disorder, of the universe can only increase. This means that whether we like it or not, the universe is always moving and changing. Our galaxies are always expanding. A drop of water on a leaf will always be changing, no matter how hard we try. Thousands of water molecules are wriggling free from the surface of that drop, evaporating into the air. Another couple thousand are slowly flowing down the leaf and onto the ground. To the naked eye, that drop of water did not seem to change at all; yet massive change had indeed occurred. No matter how much energy we use, we CANNOT STOP movement.

While we cannot STOP movement, we CAN choose to harness it to change the world. Solar power operates by harnessing the movement of high-energy, high-velocity photons from the sun and transforming that light energy into chemical energy. Hydroelectric power operates by harnessing the movement of crashing, tumultuous waves to spin turbines and generate electricity for entire cities. We cannot stop the sun from releasing photons. We cannot command the seas to stop churning up waves. But, we can, and we do harness that movement to make the world a better place.

We too, as humans, have an innate tendency for movement.

Modern science tells us that 20,000 years ago, early humans in search of better food and climate crossed the Siberian Land Bridge to found early civilizations in North America. The Judeo-Christian tradition holds that 3,500 years ago, the captive Israelites in Egypt embarked the Exodus, or a massive movement of people, across the Red Sea and into the Promised Land. The Islamic tradition holds that 1,500 years ago, the Prophet Muhammed and his followers embarked on the Hegira, arguably another mass movement, out of Mecca and into Medina to safely foster the creation of the Muslim religion. No matter what culture we examine, people have always used movement to bring about a better society.

this issue’s notable contributors graphic design club

paintbox art club

photo club

In early-modern and modern history, human movements have continued to catalyze change. In 1789, starving peasant women in France instigated the Women’s March on Versailles to bring back bread for the masses. In the 1930s and 40s, Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha movement in India strived to use nonviolent resistance to end centuries of British oppression and mistreatment. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. along with 250,000 protesters initiated the March on Washington to demand equal civil liberties for African Americans and people of color. This tradition of mass movement to create change has not only persisted but expanded in the 21st century.

From the #Metoo empowering women to speak up about sexual assault to Never Again MSD demanding school safety and gun-control reform, our innate drive for movement has never been stronger. Today, we do not observe people crossing land bridges or traversing the Red Sea anymore. But today, we do see a “diaspora,” of some sort, of movements. We see the #NeverAgain march being decentralized into thousands of smaller marches and spread across schools in all 50 states. We see millions of Twitter users dispersed all around the world uniting to support the #MeToo movement with a single tap or click. Imagine if a light bulb lit up every time someone retweeted in support of a movement—our world would be such a brighter place.

This 2nd issue of The Featheralist is titled Movements to capture the essence of multiple movements in multiple fields all underway in our society today. Our purpose is to demonstrate how we students can be part of something bigger, something that brings about change. Please continue to support The Featheralist in our goal to create a more politically-aware and active society. We would love any feedback you might have to that end.

- Sincerely, The Featheralist 2

table of contents

05 07 09 10 11 13 15 17 3

letter from the nau

by Yungho Jung

same values, different methods

by Daniel Herrick and Skyler Wu

protest versus action

by Ayesha Aslam-Mir

sad but doubtful

by Alecsander Gonzalez

#metoo

by Isabel Shih

a vaccine for gun violence

by Kane Xu

martin shkreli byJohnson Li

fake news

by Manasvi Vora

19 21 23 25 27 28 31 33 35

a new emperor rises

by Andrew Wang and Ken Zhou

ap stress: how much is enough?

by Ellie Feng

funding for the performing arts

by Gabriella Chang

i am an immigrant

by Varsha Bodepudi

did you know?

by Danica Chen

a rusty old toyota sienna

by Angela Chen

Paintbox Featured gallery

by Del Norte Paintbox

photo club featured gallery

by Del Norte Photo Club

meet the authors + citations

by The Featheralist Writers

4

A Letter from Nighthawks Activists United In the past few weeks, we have seen students walking around campus bearing one message on their shirts. The message is clear.

The message is simple. “School safety is not a political issue.”

Written on white with bold Helvetica Neue, it’s hard to ignore the immediate implications of the shirts. School safety is often taken as a political issue. However, students from NAU, Nighthawk Activists United, believe that it should not be a political issue. No matter if a student is a Democrat or a Republican, it should be every citizen’s responsibility to keep students safe from incoming threats and attacks.

In the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, we have seen students speak out against mass shootings. Out of the tragedy a new movement was created: March for Our Lives. March for Our Lives demanded that action be taken against gun violence in the United States. A date and time was released: 10AM on March 14th.

Districts and schools nationwide began to prepare for what would come on the 14th. Some prevented students from leaving class.

Some support students by not taking disciplinary action against those who would participate in the walkout. In our case, the Poway Unified School District made a decision to hold assemblies to memorialize the 17 victims who perished on February 14th.

As the date approached and social media posts were made, some students felt that the assembly would not make a difference. The entire point of the walkout was to create an uncomfortable situation for the school and thus inspire action nationwide. Confining the movement to the gym seemed to take away from the power of the movement. Yes, it was important to memorialize the victims.

However, the method chosen by the school district did not strike a chord with a majority of the student body.

March 14th eventually came. Last minute changes were made to the schedule and teachers faced the day of action with misinformation and uncertainty. Some students arrived at the gym as instructed by their teachers. However, a bulk of the students assembled at the front of the school. Nearly 700 students arrived.

Staff members tried to organize a moment of silence, but the effort was lost in the masses. After a few minutes, the students began to march out of the school. Students flooded the streets. Chants were made.

Yet among the masses were students who drove off campus. Some students shouted profanities. Some students snatched the megaphones out of student leaders hands to lead their own misguided chants. The sheriffs office was called and the police arrived. Select students began to throw rocks at police cruisers, while some escalated the situation by shouting. Later, some students would express that it was fun to be part of a movement. They had liked the thrill of standing up against authority.

In the end, the events that transpired on campus on March 14th would be memorialized by San Diego Union Tribune reporter Luis Gomez who would later write:

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“Earlier, students had walked out of the school and blocked traffic on streets near the school for about 15 minutes during a protest before police and sheriff’s deputies were able to get them to get back onto sidewalks”.

While the walkout continued out of campus, a group of frustrated students gathered in Dr. Hall’s classroom. We believed that actual change would come from more effective methods of getting our voices across. Eventually, the discussion lead to a common ground: it would be impossible to use this 17 minute block to come up with any concrete solution regarding school safety. To avoid further complications with administration and to protect possible advisors from taking responsibility, a student - led organization was created. Later, the organization would adopt a new name: Nighthawk Activists United.

After the March 14th walkout, we did not want to repeat what had happened. Not only did the purpose of the walkout become muddled with the inclusion of students who took advantage of the situation, the movement catered to a particular group of students.

It was clear that the walkout demanded stricter gun control and regulations. This meant that students on campus who shared a different viewpoint or held different opinions would not have a platform to voice their opinions.

In fact, in these past weeks, we have seen students who hold different opinions become isolated from our school culture. Some students have even vocally expressed how they do not feel safe on campus anymore. Not to the threat of an active shooter, keep in mind. The mere fact that they shared a different opinion than the majority made them targets of persecution. Rumors were spread.

A mob mentality began to grow amongst the student body.

It’s no doubt that school safety is an important issue. However, it should not be resolved with the persecution of those who hold different opinions from us. It should not be represented by students who are only willing to take advantage of the vulnerability of the nation. It should be resolved by conversation and collaboration. Only once we overcome our own prejudices can we come up with a cohesive solution. And of course, most importantly, it should be resolved through concrete steps. No longer will we stand for poorly planned walkouts. Only through constant action can we reach a solution.

So the next time you see someone wearing a school safety shirt, do not be alarmed. If you hold a different opinion or viewpoint than us, we would love to hear your story. We stand for your voice, not an agenda.

And by no means is NAU an organization geared only for school safety. NAU stands for other important issues on campus. We stand for sex education reform and better mental health resources. NAU will not disperse after school safety is resolved. We are here to stay. We are here to make change.

And we will not rest until every voice is heard.

6

same values, different methods

by Daniel Herrick and Skyler Wu On April 18th, 2018, The Featheralist was very honored to moderate a discussion between Yunho Jung (YJ), moderator of Nighthawk Activists United, and Finley Lamb (FL), an outspoken conservative and gun-rights supporter on campus. The purpose of the discussion was not so much to weigh arguments on each side, but rather to understand how Nighthawks on both sides of the aisle came to develop their positions and whether any common ground existed on such a controversial issue. The discussion revealed, up front and personal, how the schisms dividing Americans on the national level directly scaled down into Del Norte as well. From that discussion, many insights were developed, which are presented below. We intentionally included all of the notable quotes for you, the reader to analyze and draw your own conclusion. The questions prefacing each section below were meant as conversation starters; thus, the quotes listed may or may not directly answer the specific question.

What parts of your upbringing or any other experiences growing up have led to you adopting the positions you maintain today?

FL: “I was born with a rifle in my hands and have been shooting since 5 years old, air rifles. It’s my hobby to go the range just like riding my bike. I come from a long military family, and I have always been raised in a conservative family. Guns are a part of my life.”

YJ: “I am an immigrant from South Korea, a country with strict gun regulations but also mandatory military service. In my country, all men are legally required to learn how to shoot, but I personally have no exposure to firearms. I am open to learning more about this topic.”

FL: “People forget that the purpose of owning a firearm is to defend from a tyrannical government. In Vietnam, the Viet Cong ‘whooped’ the US. Guns are especially needed in a politically unstable environment.”

FL: “We do have hills and foliage to hide and conceal ourselves. We don’t need to eliminate a big army, just ruin their spirit and will to fight like the Vietcong did to us.”* *When asked about the practicality of a “militia” force defending against the high-tech US Army.

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Is compromise possible? If so, what is blocking compromise right now?

YJ: “Legislators have been researching for years, and the only way to do it is through real compromise. Compromise is achieved through looking beyond party lines.”

FL: “The problem is big government. As governments get bigger, they begin to kill the country. The government needs to step back, and stop defend[ing] yourself from yourself. Parties bar discussions, and I agree that the parties need to get together.”

Do we have any common ground?

YJ: “I admit gun control has not lessened mass shootings. After the Assault Weapon Ban of 1994, new guns were created to fit these specifications. These guns were used in the Columbine shooting.

Gun control is not banning specific types of guns, but rather more emphasis on background checks and [making] them ‘completely implemented.’ The Texas shooter had a history of domestic abuse, but he still got [a gun].”

FL: “[Gun control] is about bringing back family values. 75% of mass shooters come from a broken home, and 95% of bullied.The Parkland shooter had the police called on him 36 times. It’s the response of the community and moral values that results in this.

That guy needed help. Divorce and broken homes are what lead to school shootings.”

YJ: “The type of gun control we want is LEGAL firearm ownership.”

FL: “I totally agree, but what defines legal and illegal?”

Do the current implementations of gun control work?

FL: “The church shooting was stopped by judicial marksmanship.

When a skinny woman is getting raped, us[ing] a gun could have easily diffused the situation.”

FL: “Chicago has one of the most liberal governments in the nation, and yet you are 4 times more likely to die in Chicago than in Afghanistan, even though it has the strictest gun control.”

YJ: “Yes, I agree. But most guns are stolen and used in crime, and not legally purchased.”

FL: “We can make it illegal just like we did with Prohibition, but violent crime only rose with the rise of the mafias. But when we made alcohol legal, crime suddenly dropped.”

While we all agree that change is needed, how does the Constitution limit what we can do?

YJ: “The Supreme Court can reinterpret the decisions to any Amendment.”

FL: “It’s a free market, even for the mentally ill. We should run the checks, but we need to bring the same example to the 1st Amendment and Freedom of Speech. Take the vocal, oftentimes violent leaders of Black Lives Matter. Why won’t we take away their freedom of speech?”

FL: “95% of Chicago shootings are not rifles, but rather handguns and shotguns. Even if you eliminate handguns, you are still infringing on the rights of Americans. The Constitution explicitly states ‘Shall not be infringed’ But I do agree that the law should bend.”

Conclusions: This discussion has brought a new dimension to the gun control and school safety debate. While The Featheralist is a strictly nonpartisan group, some things did strike us. First, both parties had a common goal in mind: to make school shootings never happen again. Before we delve into the legalities and practicalities, it is important to understand that we are all facing the same problem. What is even more notable is that both sides agreed that we should bend the law somewhat. Furthermore, both parties are willing to compromise and agree that this compromise can only happen without partisan lines. While the original purpose of this discussion was to find common ground and the roots of both sides’ beliefs, we are fortunate to have gained so much more.

The opinions presented in this article/discussion do not represent the positions of The Featheralist nor do we claim they represent those of Del Norte as a whole.

The Featheralist would like to thank both Finley Lamb and Yunho Jung for giving up their time for this discussion. We hope this is only the beginning of a chain reaction of student-led reform and awareness.

8

A student walks out of his classroom, feeling triumphant and accomplished about leaving class. Another classmate accompanies him, holding her cellphone in one hand and texting her friends excitedly. And then another classmate joins them, carrying a piece of paper covered in bright red permanent marker. No, that paper is not his most recent A+ English essay, but rather a poster of a gun crossed out with big, bold red lines.

Each of these three students makes their way to the main gate, trooping out of campus triumphantly to participate in the March for Our Lives, a nationwide movement amongst American youth to demand for gun control.

Each student walks to raise awareness about an issue that genuinely touches them. And yes, this movement is a huge leap of progress for these youth. Yet at the end of the day, none among these 3 students will have taken true, measurable, and direct action.

The students of Del Norte themselves have done well in participating in a walkout and creating commotion to remind people that the tragedies of Parkland, Florida will not be forgotten. However, a controversy flared the following Friday when Mizel chastised students for not following up the walkout with an incentive for change. But Principal Mizel’s words must resonate with the youth as well. His call reminded students who planned to participate in a more massive walkout the following month that leaving the school wasn’t enough; he asked students to contact their representatives and to take direct action. Students should not be discouraged from participating in such mass movements like this walkout, which encourage students to be politically active. Mr. Mizel is correct, however, in pointing out that few students truly act.

Protest and action are different concepts that overlap briefly, simply because of the broad nature of the word “action.” To participate in a protest is to take action, but effective action is far more than just protest.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exemplifies a citizen who took action through protest. In an era of injustice, he rightfully sought justice through his various forms of peaceful protest. Dr. King’s protests, however, were archetypal of activism. The March on Washington was action. The The Montgomery bus boycott was action. Most importantly, Dr. King was willing to contribute to his movement no matter the consequences: such a mindset is indicative of true action.. Students who participate in movements such as the March for Our Lives are certainly protesting. A protest such as this works to raise awareness and create tension, or to ultimately raise awareness to the point in which legislators are obliged to bring about necessary change. It was the intent of the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to be heard and not forgotten. This is the true purpose of protest. In cases where those in power do not create change, action is necessary. In complicated debates such as those concerning reform of gun laws, the change-making process tends to be delayed by political views and priorities. Here, protest is no longer action. Action comes from not only contacting lawmakers but personally taking steps to learn more about the topic at hand and educate people as to understanding why it matters. It is reality that a large majority of those who participated in the initial walkout did not contribute to the range of actions undertaken to bring about safer schools.

Thus, it is safe to say that activism is the step further. Through activism, citizens consistently work to educate and involve others. It is also signifi-

cant to note that activism involves a rigorous pursuit or justice with the willingness to sacrifice something for what they are working toward.

In the second walkout, a noticeably smaller amount of students took part due to the lack of involvement of the administration in comparison to the first. More simply stated, more students took part in the protest when there were little to no repercussions to be met. This is another indicator of true action. One is more likely to face punishment after they truly act. It is actions that are better noticed, and it is actions that are more likely punished.

Ultimately, protest and action have a variable relationship. In some cases, the protest is so greatly needed and so little is done for an issue that it in itself is the action. In others, protesting and acting serve different purposes and are different landmarks in the changemaking process.

It is actions that are better noticed, and it is actions that are more likely punished.

It appears to be that, in the modern day of complex processes and levels of authority, that several steps are needed to bring about necessary change.

In this case, protest comes first; raise awareness and display to the authorities why they are wrong and why you are angry. If the authority fail to enact meaningful change after such demonstrations, it is time to act. As the American youth, we have the potential to transform our futures with our modern social and technological abilities. When the authorities look down upon us and ignore us for our age and perceived inexperience, however, we must take the step further into acting to bring our desired outcome. When lawmakers refuse to act on issues that directly impact us, it is time to up the ante. Meaningful action on our part entails a willingness to sacrifice some of our comfort and freedoms. But for a just cause, sacrifice is worth it. In a situation like this, you cannot quit after merely protesting. You must act.

I truly do believe, however, that the world is increasing in complexity of issues, viewpoints, and processes. Both protest and action, as they have throughout the course of American history in which the people have been guaranteed the right to protest, continue to be two concepts that act almost as a non-newtonian fluid; at times, the fluid is solid, at others it is liquid, and occasionally it appears to be both. It is most important to know that protest and action are not necessarily the exact same thing, yet the two overlap and are ultimately integral to the process of bringing change.

In the end, it is most encouraging that the American Youth is taking the first step in protest. I commend you for protesting; however, I challenge you to take action.

protest versus action 9

by Ayesha Aslam-Mir

Sad but Doubtful : The State of Victims in American Journalism

by Alecsander Gonzalez A brutal attack on a vulnerable young woman. A violent rape on a campus. A death threat over petty politics. These are all terrible stories that women came forward to tell. Three women—- Somaly Mam, Jackie Coakley, and Brianna Wu—-came forward with heartbreakingly graphic stories about their experiences with trafficking, unsuspected brutality, and fear for their lives.

Coincidentally, all three of those stories that were published, sent, and retweeted were proven either totally or largely false.

Somaly Mam has told her story about her alleged “sex trafficking” all around the globe, including in the UN. Prior to being exposed as a fraud in Newsweek, she was the head of an enormously profitable personal charity (she has since resigned).

Coakley spoke about a rape committed mainly by a man who did not, in fact, turn out to exist. When the journalist who interviewed her took her story, she didn’t bother researching if the perpetrator was a real person, or contact any other person allegedly involved in the act. Eventually, questions about the validity of the story forced Rolling Stone to retract the story. Later on that year, Rolling Stone lost a defamation lawsuit from the University who the members of the frat belonged to.

Brianna Wu, a U.S. congressional candidate and supposed activist who claimed to have received death threats, performed a speech at the UN in which she spoke about online harassment. What’s interesting to note about her alleged “death threats” is that she never was able to actually produce one. While the FBI actually took her claims seriously enough to thoroughly investigate, they didn’t find a single death threat sent to her.

Now more than ever, narratives drive our culture. We demand narratives in every aspect of our lives, from film to video games and now news publications. There needs to be clear cut villains, people to hold responsible, with shining heroes to match them.

The public demand for black-and-white stories, has, quite frankly, fueled the rise of these unsavory publications. It’s our fault. But we can and should be better at being critical of victim-centric journalism, for the sake of the very victims described.

Sad stories like these are highly profitable, both for the news publications and for the alleged victims. Mam, for example, was formerly the head of a charity claiming to fight the sex industry, and whose board of advisors included Facebook’s COO. While the public is whipped up into a frenzy, clicks and cash flow freely. But that doesn’t exactly translate into well thought-out, carefully researched articles. Besides obviously misinforming the public on many things (one of which being the actual nature of work in the sex industry), these articles funnel money from sympathizers into places where it ought not to go.

How, then, should we approach these types of stories? In the US justice system, there is a concept known as “reasonable doubt”.

Simply put, if it would be reasonable to have doubt of a story or witness statement, then you would not operate under the assumption that something that you heard was true. While this is a principle often applied in court to prove innocence, it works just as well for the validity of crimes allegedly committed against victims.

Simple testimonies from people living in Mam’s village created inexcusably huge holes in her sob stories. Applying this same type of thinking would create pushback and stop the spread against reactionary, disingenuous articles that are published.

There needs to be clear cut villains, people to hold responsible, with shining heroes to match them.

Of course, not all stories are false. Certainly, there are a myriad of terrible things in the world to be reported upon. Even so, if nine out of ten stories of that nature were true, the one false one can and will have repercussions, possibly incredibly damaging ones at that.

How should a campus administrator respond to such a shocking smear? How should a frat respond to allegations of rape? Worst yet, how would actual victims of sexual assault be affected by a story like the one in Rolling Stone? Who, then, would have the courage to come forward, knowing they’re unlikely to be taken seriously? The repercussions are by far the worst for the victims of sexual assault and the like-the very people that journalists are supposed to protect.

Sadly, the complex nature of the problems that surround protective journalism don’t lend themselves well to a catchall solution.

The public pushpack and demand for responsibility needs to be louder. It’s easy to buy into stories of brutality. It’s easy to find victims to pity. It’s easy to trend a noble-sounding cause to get behind by validating a brash and heart-wrenching story with instant likes and shares. Don’t do it unless you have some degree of certainty that the story did, in fact, occur.

Not if you care about actual victims, anyway.

10

#metoo

by Isabel Shih

Me Too. These two words gave a voice to the previously silent, unifying a collective force that had had enough of enduring more than horrific tortures.

For those unaware, the “#MeToo” movement was founded by Tarana Burke and publicized by Alyssa Milano in a tweet in which Milano asked her followers to retweet the words “me too” if they had ever been sexually harassed. The tweet soon went viral: 140 characters to 53,000 people. It garnered not just 67K replies, but also the attention of the entire world.

Unfortunately, the general fight against sexual abuse has only recently escalated. In fact, it’s only been around forty or so years since activists have begun organizing movements against this abuse. And yet, nothing today compares in size to the power and reach of the #MeToo movement.

It is only appropriate that such a movement gathered momentum online. With the new age of the internet and thus improved communication, it makes sense that the movement was able to spread faster and stronger than previous feminist and women empowerment movements. With the Internet, however, movements have become far more complicated. The powerful ability of the internet to act as a platform for change has enabled rapid dissemination of information, which can in turn be harnessed to misinform the population. I think we all agree that we must fight against sexual harassment. Yet in our fight, we must stay open minded and consider critics of the movement’s points as well. With the ease of spreading information with a single click, we begin to neglect the implications of each of our posts and retweets. With this increase in speed, we feel so compelled to click and tap away that we find ourselves more vulnerable to bandwagoning and more susceptible to joining a mob mentality.

Many critics are especially concerned about false accusations.

With Twitter and Facebook, almost anyone can start a rumor or a false accusation that will spread to thousands of people in a few seconds. After these 3 seconds or so, thousands of people can join in the “witch hunt”. In a letter in the Le Monde newspaper, actress Catherine Deneuve writes in response to the French equivalent of #MeToo that although she advocates for the fight against harassment, “This liberation of speech has been turned on its head. A time where simple denunciations on social media generate punishment, resignation and sometimes, and often, lynching by the media … I don’t excuse anything. I don’t decide the guilt of these men because I am not qualified to do so”. Online vigilantes are sometimes so eager to combat harassers in the name of social justice that they often don’t think twice about the legitimacy of both the claims and the denouncement itself. For instance, Paul Joseph, a man accused of rape by his ex-girlfriend Kate Woodhead, ultimately lost everything: ”he lost his job as an IT consultant, his home, and his collection of cars”. He didn’t just lose everything material-- he lost three precious years of his life to jail until police finally looked into his ex-girlfriend’s claims. This new ability has the potential to lead to a Scarlet Letter esque form of public humiliation, where people are crushed not by the fair justice system, but by the harsh judgement of society. People must take great care in these accusations— after all, lives are at stake. Ultimately, who has the right to decide an accused person's fate by court of public opinion?

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The movement must address this pertinent issue of false accusations, which is only exacerbated with the Internet. While #MeToo is established with undeniably just intentions, it should be sure to not deviate from its original purposes. It should never serve to further misandry. And by no means should it ever become a propaganda tool for political parties. Sexual abuse should never become a partisan issue.

“I think we all agree that we must fight against sexual harassment. Yet in our fight, we must stay open minded and consider critics of the movement’s points as well.”

“But only nine percent of allegations are false!” Right? Yet again, we must think twice about the legitimacy of these claims. The FBI claims that about nine percent of rape reports are “unfounded.”

And no, “unfounded” does not mean that there is “no evidence,” but rather it means that the “victim” actually later “recants her story”. In other words, the “victim” lied. In addition to the 9 percent of official retractions, a sociologist from Purdue University sampled one town in Indiana where 40 percent of rape reports turned out to be “false by the victim’s own admission.” He later surveyed other towns, finding similar results to both his own and other studies, including several surveys by prosecutors and law enforcement officials. Those reports estimated a range of false rape complaints to be from one in eight to one in five.

While #MeToo is established with undeniably just intentions, it should be sure to not deviate from its original purposes. It should never serve to further misandry. And by no means should it ever become a propaganda tool for political parties.

Of course, even if these accusations were rare, when they do occur, the effects are clearly devastating and should nevertheless be prevented.

It is unfair to put innocent victims behind bars for the sake of “justice”. If we look at this situation from a legal point of view, it is clear that we must first protect the innocent. In the United States, we hold dearly the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” While well-intentioned, the #metoo movement sometimes operates on the opposite; first spread the accusation to thousands of people, and then consider veracity.

While it is comforting that the #metoo movement serves as a pillar of strength for the abused to find justice, we must remain cautiously optimistic to ensure that #metoo does not devolve into a “witch hunt” of online “retweet vigilantes.”

While #metoo continues its crusade to bring the guilty to justice in the online battlefield, we should remember that there is another battlefield where sexual abuse is still rampant. And that battlefield is no other than our actual, physical daily lives. You too can join the fight against sexual abuse both online and offline. Online, you can just take a few seconds to sanity-check the retweet before clicking “retweet.” In real life, you can stand up against sexual abuse by becoming more cognizant of misogynistic or womanising language. Everything starts with awareness. Once we are aware, we naturally are inclined to take action.

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a vaccine for gun violence

by Kane Xu

In the wake of the recent deadly shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, the gun violence epidemic has once again inevitably, predictably, and tragically unleashed devastation on American soil. After Columbine, Newtown, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Binghamton, and Tucson, it may seem hopeless to make any progress on gun violence. The New York Times states that the U.S is now averaging one mass shooting per day. Yet, in the heat of this seemingly irreversible catastrophe, I am more optimistic.

The spread of gun violence can be compared to viral replication. Viruses first move through networks of bloodstreams and nerves, then hijacks the neighboring cells, and finally proceeds from cell to cell. An epidemic model from a Yale-Harvard study showed that the proliferation of gun violence in Chicago was heavily incentivized by a person-to-person transmission through a social network. In a sense, a virus spreads and replicates itself through a cellular network, just as a dangerous perpetrator can spread gun violence through a social network. Thus, by examining the types of treatment and prevention methods for a virus, we can derive a holistic answer to treat and prevent the issue of gun violence.

The solution is not liberal, nor conservative, but the incorporation of both. Fortunately, both sides agree on some kinds of gun regulation: that someone who is mentally unstable or ill should never be able to get their hands on a firearm. Both opposing sides of the political spectrum agree that the ‘point of purchase’ for guns is a leading cause for Parkland’s mass shooting. This brings up the issue of gun accessibility.

The U.S is one of the biggest hotbeds and breeding grounds for gun violence. According to a scatter plot that analyzes the correlation between gun ownership and gun deaths, the U.S ranked the highest in gun deaths per 100,000 when compared to other nations. Highly developed democratic countries like Switzerland and Germany also have high rates of gun ownership, but they don't have anywhere near the number of mass shootings as the U.S. Why? This is mainly due to the convenient and under-regulated accessibility for guns nationwide. According to a study conducted by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, 40 percent of guns sales in the U.S. did not require background checks. As a result, a huge gun market that is easily accessible makes it easier for dangerous suspects to be armed and use guns to inflict violence. School shootings are not the only result of an under regulated gun market--the loose accessibility for guns is also a leading factor for suicide and homicides. In a study conducted by the University of San Francisco, someone with access to firearms was three times more likely to commit suicide and nearly twice as likely to be the victim of a homicide than when firearms were not accessible (Kurtzman). Although guns on its own do not harm anyone, the under-regulated accessibility of firearms will inevitably land dangerous weapons in the wrong hands and bear devastating consequences.

We need to understand that perpetrators cannot spread gun violence without guns. In the same way, the virus HIV cannot spread without a specific enzyme called protease. Protease is an enzyme that helps the body digest different types of proteins. Like guns, these enzymes are inherently harmless. However, protease enzymes are an essential component for HIV replication. These enzymes help manufacture more viruses by replicating the virus’s DNA.

“In a sense, a virus spreads and replicates itself through a cellular network, just as a dangerous perpetrator can spread gun violence through a social network.”

When utilized by a dangerous virus/perpetrator, a protease enzyme/gun has the potential to spread devastation. In order to combat the spread of HIV, scientists developed an antiviral drug called Protease Inhibitor. Protease inhibitor drugs limit HIV’s access to protease enzymes by breaking the enzyme down, thereby inhibiting the replication and growth of the virus.

Likewise, we can inhibit the growth of gun violence by limiting the access to guns. Gun ownership should be treated the same as obtaining a driver's license. Obtaining an automobile is a privileged responsibility that is acquired through a series of necessary steps and a thorough demonstration of one’s responsibility. Obtaining guns should, too, go through a multilayered regulation system. Among the necessary steps used to obtain a driver’s license that should be implemented for gun ownership include: written tests on gun safety, stricter licensing standards, annual license renewals, annual weapon inspections, registration into a state or central database, and a mandatory liability insurance, which if combined will assure a reduced ease of accessibility. More universal stringent background checks should be implemented as well. Thus, we have successfully inhibited the accessibility of guns using the same enzyme-inhibiting process used for viruses.

While we should not disregard and underestimate the omnicity of guns, we must recognize that guns themselves are not the only cause of violence. Pro gun control pundits often focus on firearms themselves, some suggesting a complete gun ban. However, past proposed and implemented gun laws in the U.S demonstrate that a total gun ban will not eliminate the root cause. For example, both the 1982 California and 1976 Massachusetts handgun referendums failed to pass. Politicians realized that the handgun ban would fail to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. How about an assault weapons ban which includes the AR-15 used in the Parkland shooting? Although an assault weapons ban may prevent specific mass shootings, removing these weapons from American citizens would not have a big impact in mitigating overall gun violence. In fact, rifles and assault weapons make up less than 3-8% of all gun murders. This was the reason why the 10 year assault weapons ban from 1994-2004 failed to decrease overall gun violence. In short, a total gun ban that includes both handguns and assault weapons would succeed in removing guns from lawful gun owners, but fail to remove guns from dangerous criminals and perpetrators.

Similarly, eliminating all enzymes will not eliminate the virus. There are no medical treatments where doctors extract all of your enzymes in hopes to get rid of the virus.

Although enzymes play a vital role in spreading a viral infection, we don’t entirely blame our enzymes for causing a viral infection. After all, we don’t blame guns for killing people; we blame the shooter. An enzyme is not the root source of the virus, it only helps a virus in replicating more viruses. Likewise, guns are not the only root source for gun violence, it only helps a dangerous criminal spread more gun violence.

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For the same reasons, we cannot solely rely on gun control laws. In order to understand the full picture, we need to examine gun violence as a whole, not just mass shootings. When we focus on deriving a solution for suicide, homicide, and mass shootings, we can produce a more immediate impact on gun violence.

As mentioned earlier, suicides and homicides in inner city and marginalized areas are much more prevalent in our society than mass shootings. The most violent 70 American cities account for 41 percent of all murders in the US. On average, suicides account for almost two-thirds (62%) of all gun related deaths per year, and homicides account for 36% of all gun related deaths per year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Impoverished and inner-city areas such as Chicago, Detroit, New York, New Orleans, and Memphis all have strict gun control, yet these places exhibit the highest homicide and gun murder rates in the nation. What does this say about gun violence in America as a whole? These statistics suggest that gun violence is not directly correlated with guns, but rather with the population/people. Furthermore, sheer gun control will not guarantee a removal of all firearms from dangerous perpetrators that dwell in impoverished areas.

Therefore, simply implementing gun laws is woefully insufficient to battle gun violence.

Like gun regulations, none of the enzyme inhibitor drugs are targeting the virus itself. These antiviral drugs only function in relieving, reducing, and temporarily inhibiting a viral infection. These drugs do not take part in eliminating the virus itself. In the same way, sheer gun control does not eliminate the hostility of a criminal. This makes the issue gun control difficult, extremely difficult, but it is essential to realize that it is not an incurable terminal disease.

In order to treat HIV or any other dangerous viruses for that matter, it is always more effective to target and eliminate the virus itself rather than the enzymes. We should, therefore, find and target the root cause, which is the perpetrator. A gun is usually safe in the hands of a man with no criminal or mental record, but may be dangerous when used by a man with multiple alcohol and domestic violence offenses. Furthermore, taking a gun away from someone who is suicidal is not as effective as giving the suicidal patient mental treatment. Although the gun control approach is not wrong, it is more productive and effective to focus on who gets access to them. When we focus on helping the mentally ill and depraved, we target and eliminate the root cause.

In the medical field, a special procedure is implemented to prevent viruses from spreading once they enter our bodies: Vaccination. By taking a viral vaccination, our bodies preprogram antibodies that fight off the virus upon entrance.

Therefore, vaccination is a preventative measure to counter and eradicate a virus.

So how do we prevent gun violence? In order to treat the root cause of gun violence, we need to establish Intervention Programs that help treat mentally, psychologically, or economically deprived people in marginalized areas and schools. In Intervention Programs, health professionals provide mental health services to address underlying trauma and mental illness, therapy to correct criminal thinking, outreach mentors and wraparound case management supports, as well as educational opportunities, housing support, and subsidized employment with local businesses that can lead to unsubsidized, permanent jobs. This healing process leads to gains in economical, psychological, and social well being. Furthermore, these improvements to the root causes that are driving crime translate into reduced involvement in gun violence and other illegal behaviors.

“An enzyme is not the root source of the virus, it only helps a virus in replicating more viruses. Likewise, guns are not the only root source for gun violence, it only helps a dangerous criminal spread more gun violence.”

Intervention programs help instill the ‘antibody of hope’ into people that seem hopeless. When one feels an urge to inflict violence, he/she is able to fight off the urge with their newly instilled ‘antibody of hope’, Intervention programs prevents a person with financial, emotional, or social issues from turning into a dangerous perpetrator. Thus this process will ultimately prevent an act of violence from happening.

However, one might be skeptical about this idea. Are Intervention Programs really effective? The state of Massachusetts launched such an approach called the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) in 11 cities. SSYI is designed to impact root causes of violence by improving an individual’s behavioral capacities, relationships with others, and environmental opportunities. After implementation, SSYI cities saw a reduction of more than 5 violent crime victims per month for every 100,000 residents, representing more than 980 victimizations prevented from 2011 to 2013. In addition, Group Violence Intervention (GVI) Programs has now been implemented in a wide variety of American cities, with consistently impressive results. In 2002, Chicago saw a 23% reduction in overall shooting behavior and a 32% reduction in gunshot victimization. In 2007, Cincinnati saw a 21% reduction in monthly total shootings. In 2012, New Haven had more than 30% percent reduction in monthly group-related shootings. Also in 2012, New Orleans saw a 17% reduction in overall homicides. In 2013, Milwaukee had a 52% decrease in the monthly count of homicides.

These statistics tell us to focus on creating and integrating more intervention and mental health programs into our schools and society.

Gun Violence in the United States is one of the most divisive and complex issues we face.

Instead of taking political sides, we need to focus on finding the root causes and targeting them. However, there is no ‘one solution’. In order to devise a holistic solution, we need to implement a system of policies/programs. We need gun control laws that address our country’s issue of gun accessibility, as well as intervention programs that target the economically, socially, and psychologically deprived. This systematic approach limits gun accessibility and prevents the formation of violent individuals simultaneously. The combination of gun accessibility regulations and intervention programs is essential to significantly mitigate gun violence. Like the combination of antiviral vaccines and antiviral inhibitor drugs to treat a virus, one solution is insufficient without the other.

With this system in place, we can finally inhibit and ultimately eradicate the ‘gun violence virus’ itself.

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“The situation of rising drug prices only continues to grow in the United States. People like Shkreli are all too common in the pharmaceutical company, raising prices all for the sake of profit.

Although dire, the situation is not unsolvable.”

martin shkreli

by Johnson Li

Last year, Martin Shkreli was finally sentenced to seven years in prison for raising the prices of Daraprim, a lifesaving drug for AIDs patients, from $13.50 per pill to a massive 750$ per pill in 2015.

So good, karma was finally catching up and Shkreli was getting punished for scamming millions of patients who couldn’t afford the atrocious price spike. The only problem is that his arrest had nothing to do with his drug scandal, but instead had to do with lying to his rich investors. The loopholes that Shkreli utilized to raise his prices are still all too present in other generic drugs in the United States.

Who exactly is Martin Shkreli? He’s a businessman, probably best known for his work in the pharmaceutical industry as the CEO of the biotech company Retrophin and founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals. As previously mentioned, he’s now famous for raising the price of Daraprim by $736.5, and claiming that the price increase was to fund research on new drugs. However, Shkreli’s situation isn’t unique. Others such as Michael Pearson have made billions by rasing prices of life-saving pharmaceuticals. What sets Shkreli apart is how he handles himself online. Take for example, his constant harassment of journalist Lauren Duca, which ended in the suspension of his Twitter account. Both his egotistical attitude and air of invincibility led to his reputation as one of the most hated people in the United States.

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Drug

Use

Average Market Price Oct. 2013

Average Market Price April 2014

Average Percentage Increase

Doxycycline Hyclate (bottle of 500, 100 mg tablets)

antibiotic used to treat a variety of infections

$20

$1,849

8,281%

Albuterol Sulfate (bottle of 100, 2 mg tablets)

used to treat asthma and other lung conditions

$11

$434

4,014%

Glycopyrrolate (box of 10 0.2 mg/mL, 20 mL vials)

used to prevent irregular heartbeats during surgery

$65

$1,277

2,728%

$31

$234

736%

$27

$196

573%

$25

$121

522%

$34

$149

420%

Divalproex Sodium ER (bottle of 80, 500 mg tablets ER 24H) Pravastatin Sodium (bottle of 500, 10 mg tablets) Neostigmine Methylsulfate (box of 10 1:1000 vials) Benazepril/Hydrochlorothiazide (bottle of 100, 20-25 mg tablets)

used to prevent migraines and treat certain types of seizures used to treat high cholesterol and to prevent heart disease used in anesthesia to reverse the effects of some muscle relaxants used to treat high blood pressure

Table information provided by the Healthcare Supply Chain Association.

To understand why people like Shkreli can get away such actions, we need to examine why prescriptions are so expensive in the United States. A key reason for the stunning prices are “well-intentioned” policies that would give certain companies exclusive rights to a drug for certain drugs that were too small for profit.

Take for example the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, which gave exclusivity and certain benefits. However, a loophole existed allowing companies to test for a small unprofitable condition, gaining orphan status, barring other companies to make the same drug.

However, often times the drug was actually highly profitable for another disease or ailment, allowing the company the exclusive right to raise their prices on that drug. The US drug market is also dominated by big name brands such as Pfizer and Abbvie, who without any policy governing them, keep out competition by buying other generic drug manufacturers. Drug companies hold a monopoly on drugs, buying off other competitors that sprout from the market. Although this problem should be easy to solve with more regulation, the failure of the government to deal with the corruption in the drug industry only highlights the inefficiency and flaws present in the pharmaceutical market.

There needs to be stricter guidelines on drugs for the right to an orphan status, and other loopholes such as the extension of certain patents by securing new ones need to change.

Although seemingly difficult to solve, the United States could still very much fix the ever growing issue of rising prices. Countries like Canada, the EU and Japan all have policies to prevent monopolies from life-saving medicines, allowing for competition between generic drug companies and lowering prices as a result. Collaboration between countries is also very much an alternative. Allowing drugs approved in other countries with even stricter and more streamlined health guidelines such as Canada into the US market could very well bolster competition and help lower prices. Loopholes present in our current system also need to be changed.

The situation of rising drug prices only continues to grow in the United States. People like Shkreli are all too common in the pharmaceutical company, raising prices all for the sake of profit.

Although dire, the situation is not unsolvable, the government could still very much pass policies that could limit the loopholes and monopolies many of these drug companies share. However change cannot be easily made with the influence these companies have. Change can only be accomplished if we, as United States citizens, speak out about the handling of essential, life-saving drugs for the needy.

Although this problem should be easy to solve with more regulation, the failure of the government to deal with the corruption in the drug industry only highlights the inefficiency and flaws present in the pharmaceutical market.

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In 2015, California put together a bill, eliminating vaccine exemptions for school-age children on terms of personal or religious belief. The bill, SB-277, was prompted by a outbreak of measles in Disneyland, infecting at least 40 people due to a lack of vaccinations, and endangering thousands more. An outbreak, that could easily have been prevented through vaccines, led to the creation of a bill requiring all schoolchildren to be vaccinated. It makes sense, you know? In this day and age, it’s ridiculous to think that this would be a controversy, but it is.

Anti-vaxxers, as they call themselves, believe that vaccines are the real problem in America, that “Big Pharma” wants to control the population by making children sicker -- through vaccines of all things! These people, all over the world, believe that they’re being persecuted by vaccinations. And, even worse, they feel validated when someone like Andrew Wakefield publishes a false study. Wakefield, you might not have heard of. What you have heard of, however, is the idea that the mandatory MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) causes autism. This man created an “utterly false” study, according to his editor, and lost all medical credibility whatsoever after it came out. Not only was no one able to duplicate his results, but Wakefield himself also, was no longer allowed to practice any kind of medicine in the UK after publishing his study. His work was deemed a flat out lie, with the British court justice detailing that no “respectable body of opinion” supported Wakefield’s hypothesis that MMR and autism are linked.

However, people still believed what he said was true likely because of a few clickbait articles before his study was disproved. He manipulated statistics to prove his point, and used them to deceive the rest of the world. His work galvanized the anti-vaxxer community, however, as they finally believed that a medical professional was backing them up. He was a doctor, and had a study that contained statistics, so people believed him, no matter how unbelievably wrong he was. Not only did this lead to unvaccinated children, it created hundreds of potential disease carriers, for diseases that are rare or uncommon in our society, and more situations where that Disneyland outbreak could have happened. All because of statistics that were easily disproved.

That’s a little bit of a problem here.

fake news: you won’t believe what happens next

by Manasvi Vora

Picture this: Hundreds of people stand outside California’s State Capitol, clamoring for a chance to be heard.

They hold signs and hurl insults at the people inside, protesting for what they believe is right. “Kill the Bill” a poster reads, and others echo similar sentiments, calling for change and protesting for what they believe is their freedom.

“He was a doctor, and had a study that contained statistics, so people believed him, no matter how unbelievably wrong he was.”

They call it fake news today-- people take falsified statistics, fake quotes, or just flat out wrong information and spread it on the Internet, ensnaring hundreds of people to push a platform. But the place that fake news is used the most is undeniably in politics. People blame fake news for everythingfrom climate change to the Russian investigation. People want headlines, You’re probably asking yourself, “What’re they protesting and so real news gets more like clickbait. Many recognized news sites allow against?” After all, California’s a relatively liberal state for terrible misinformation, especially when involving statistics. I mean, it’s you know? What could hundreds of people hate so much not like you’d check, right? So they use these kinds of statistics to manipulate that they turn up in droves, fully equipped and ready to people into believing them. Fox News, a leading conservative news source, protest? The answer? Vaccines. Yeah, those vaccines. tends to be one of the main perpetrators of this. In 2015, Fox News brought guest Gavin McInnes onto the show, giving him a platform to tell people that “50 percent of murders in Texas have been linked to illegal aliens” Yeah, right.

But those were his exact words. With a quick check of Texas Department of Public Safety statistics, this claim can be easily disproved. Look-- people only really believed him because of his platform. They assumed that a big time news source would actually fact-check what their people said on TV , and hopefully would make sure that any statistics they presented were correct. We, as people, tend to trust journalistic integrity, so we don’t question news sources assuming that they tell the truth all the time. They assume wrong. Statistics like these are meant to scare people into reacting badly, to scare people into feeling like they have no other solution than the most drastic one, pushed by said platform. The FBI reported in 2016 that the number of annual hate crimes, especially against immigrants, increased by at least 5 percent. It may not sound like a lot, but in total, that’s actually over 6000 hate crimes-- and the number is steadily rising- coincidentally corresponding to the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment during the election. So yeah, lying to people about immigrants committing crimes probably creates crime against immigrants, and telling a large audience falsified statistics meant to create fear has direct effects too. Fake news exists, but it rarely announces itself to the world- it’s cleverly hidden in something you don’t realize is a lie until it’s too late. People with an agenda know how to manipulate their viewers, and the only thing we can do to combat that is to educate ourselves. Look at the events themselves, don’t listen blindly to someone telling you statistics. Make your own opinions, based on things

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outside what you access on social media. Because the media is important when you need to learn about politics, but everyone has a bias, and we always need to be careful.

But, politics isn’t just the only issue here- one of the biggest problems with misleading statistics is actually advertising. How many times have you seen a Colgate toothpaste that “80% of doctors recommend”? I mean, yeah 80% of doctors do recommend it, but what they aren’t telling you is that those doctors could have chosen more than one brand to recommend. It isn’t better- it’s just as good as all the others. Doctor recommendations make a product credible, but statistics like these are completely misleading, and it’s incredibly hard to prove them wrong. In the grand scheme of things, that particular ad isn’t inherently harmful, but there are ones that actually are. In 2016, a Volkswagen scandal rocked the world- the company had been faking its emission tests for years, lying to consumers about the statistics of its low-emission cars. Their violation of the Clean Air Act aside, they used manipulated emission tests, and frankly, faked statistics to con customers into buying their products. People thought that buying these cars would help save the world. Instead, Volkswagen made it a little bit worse. So, not only did they exacerbate the climate change issue, they preyed on the trust of hundreds of thousands of Americans, because, as a large car brand, who would expect them to lie? Essentially, advertising is built on tricking a customer into believing something, and most of the time, they tamper with statistics to do this.

We’ve all learned about logos- logic, statistic, reason-- a persuasive strategy coined by Aristotle, but existing long before him. The use of statistics is a major part of the idea of logos-- what better way to convince an audience than by showing them your proof? Logos usually works by creating an argument and providing supporting evidence to back up said claim.

Misleading statistics work as this supporting evidence, often backing up a claim they have no correlation to, or straight-up lying to an audience. And, while it’s always easy to trust a graph or a table, it’s also easy to fake one.

“Fake news exists, but it rarely announces itself to the world- it’s cleverly hidden in something you don’t realize is a lie until it’s too late. ” But, I mean, it’s not just this generation-- statistical manipulation has been happening ever since the beginning of time. Specifically, in the 17th century, rumors that King James II’s Irish army was coming to kill the inhabitants of English towns spread. Reports of the Irish army’s burning and the massacring of towns had begun to circulate, creating a mass panic known as the “Irish Fright”. At one point, a mayor even wrote that there were as many as 7000 men advancing, murdering everyone who stood in their way. Of course, these large numbers scared the inhabitants, and thousands of citizens mobilized, afraid, but ready to fight. All of the stories were false, of course-- an example of fake news before America was even conceived. People were afraid of the numbers because they never once believed that they could be lied to about something this size. So yeah, fake statistics once created a fake Irish army and a very real panic.

People blame fake news for everything - from climate change to the Russian investigation. People want headlines, and so real news gets more like clickbait. Many recognized news sites allow for terrible misinformation, especially when involving statistics. I mean, it’s not like you’d check, right?

Logos usually works by creating an argument and providing supporting evidence to back up said claim. Misleading statistics work as this supporting evidence, often backing up a claim they have no correlation to, or straight-up lying to an audience. And, while it’s always easy to trust a graph or a table, it’s also easy to fake one.

But this was all before the internet. If information could spread so quickly back then, imagine what it could do now, right? Every day, every single person is exposed to so many different stories and stimuli, and it’s our job to choose what to believe.

And sometimes we choose wrong. It’s not our fault-- things are built specifically to mislead the people, and there’s only so much we can do to make sure what we read is true. But just because it’s not our fault, doesn’t mean it’s not our responsibility. If we want to make decisions-- if we want to be taken seriously-- we have be educated with the truth. Any decision we make, any information we spread can affect the lives of those around us. So yeah, we have to be a little careful with what we read and more careful with what we believe. Check the biases of your sources, check the credibility, check the accuracy. Has it been proven by others? Never trust a headline, and don’t fall for clickbait-- read the whole article, don’t make assumptions. Look for facts, not sensationalized opinions. Keep yourself educated, but don’t just repeat what you read. If you spread a lie, it’s on you, because in today’s technologically advanced society, you have the world at your fingertips. You can’t blame not knowing something on an inability to access that knowledge. It’s our responsibility to make this world a better place, and we can’t do that without knowing the truth.

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a new emperor rises

by Andrew Wang and Ken Zhou Democracy is great.

Yes, our system has its flaws. Yes, the current product of our democratic elections may not generally be seen as ‘favorable’ to many in the country. And yes, bashing our system is a national pastime. The electoral college, the shady campaign ads, and the politicians’ blatant lies all paint a decidedly negative image of our system, after all. But despite all these failings by our democratic system, democracy is great, and that is because we can always hope for change. We can always hope for reform. We can always hope for a difference. Democracy gives us the power to act on that hope, to aspire to bring our visions, whatever they may be, to reality. After all, a new cycle of elections brings a new chance for a change of presidents, and that power for change— that beautiful passing of the scepter— works through our collective vote.

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Only when we look to other non-democratic countries, like North Korea, do we realize the luxuries we have. Only when we look back in history to autocratic rulers, like the Russian Tsars— like the Habsburg Emperors— do we realize the relapse that comes without democracy. Only when we look to the past, to eras we think bygone, do we truly appreciate what the present has afforded us. Because really, the greatest benefit of our system is not that it allows us the power of choice— it’s that it doesn’t promote regression. We choose our own status quo.

And yet, regression is what some rulers want.

Enter Xi Jinping, president of People’s Republic of China (PRC), who announced in late February his intention to revise the Chinese Constitution and end the term limit imposed on the Chinese presidency.

Xi Jinping is currently not only the president of China, but also the general secretary of its Communist party as well as its military chief. While the first position is currently limited to a maximum of two successive 5-year terms, the latter two are positions for life. If Xi’s proposal is accepted by the Politburo Standing Committee, he will have consolidated power to a level never before seen in Communist China— not since the illustrious founder of the People’s Republic of China himself, Mao Zedong.

Before Xi, previous chairmen like Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping each served two terms amounting to roughly 10 years before stepping down and adding their respective “thoughts on socialism” into the Chinese constitution. However, Xi Jinping has taken a radically different approach to governing China than previous leaders. Starting with his famous anti-corruption campaign which punished over a million government officials and potential political rivals, critics of the current chairman have long argued that Xi’s political agenda involves a dangerous consolidation of power. In addition, the government has already started considering adding “Xi Jinping thought” to the Chinese constitution even before the end of his term, defying the precedent set by the founders of Communist Republic of China. By extending his rule, Xi Jinping aims to finish and develop his future plans for China, plans which still remain unknown to the general public.

The question of whether Xi should be allowed to elevate himself to a status no different than the emperors of old is subject to debate.

Many have praised Xi’s decision, including President Trump, who stated that he viewed Xi Jinping’s proposal to abolish the term limit as a “great” decision, and even suggested that the US may even “give it a shot someday”. Others, however, have a more critical view on the president’s decisions. Chinese activists on social media site Weibo compared Xi Jinping to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and in response Weibo has banned any terms that go against Xi Jinping’s actions, including words as commonly used as “disagree” and “migration”.

That being said however, critics of Xi’s regime have cause to be concerned; Xi doesn’t exactly have a clean track record. In the early 2000s Xi was the governor of Fujian and was connected with two significant scandals during his term. During the first part of his term Xi ordered the execution of Chen Kai, a mafia leader who owned numerous casinos and brothels in the region, and the fallout from the case resulted in the prosecution of no less than 50 government officials for accepting bribes and corruption. Later in 2011, Chinese officials under Xi arrested Lai Changxing (leader of a massive smuggling scheme) in Canada for bribery of Chinese government officials and deported him to China on the condition that Chinese courts would not give him the death penalty. After his involvement in these scandals Xi himself said in a news interview: “Sometimes I have posted colleagues wrongly… Some were posted wrongly because I thought they were better than they actually were, others because I thought they were worse than they actually were”.

Regardless of whether his proposal goes through, Xi Jinping’s rule has already seen major activity both locally and on an international scale. Ever since the start of his presidency, Xi has been cracking down on corruption, and as stated earlier, his anti-corruption campaign has not only reduced corruption, it has also removed any political rivals that could potentially challenge him. But as for whether the future of China holds a new emperor or not, only time can tell.

What we can judge now, however, is the true ‘regression’ that this move promotes. And in order for us to make a rational, objective judgement, we must look beyond our society’s morality. We must look beyond our own viewpoint, beyond the freedom-devoted, democracy-loving hearts that beat within many of our chests.

Because what we must judge now is China: a country that has never known a long history of democracy, that has never known an extended period of stability. We must judge their viewpoint, and only then can we understand the true measure of the situation.

For us to understand the Chinese viewpoint of the situation, however, we must first understand this: China has never been a stable country. Though it has the longest continuous history of any country that still exists in the world today, such history is fraught with turmoil, discontent, revolution, and bloody inter-dynastic succession. There has never been a peaceful replacement of a dynasty. There has never been a diplomatic transition of power.

The Cultural Revolution under Mao that took place just three decades past was simply an extension of this turmoil-- an extension that brought the historic instability of China to the modern day.

in order for us to make a rational, objective judgement, we must look beyond our society’s morality.

Think of it this way: many Chinese citizens today have lived through the Cultural Revolution. They remember the chaos and insanity that reigned in their daily lives. They remember the famines, and they’ve lived through the tumultuous period of reforms that allowed China to be what it is today. Within them exists a very real want for stability, no matter how regressive we might think said ‘stability’ to be. Now, under the status quo of Xi Jinping, China has that stability. She enjoys a period of prosperity never before seen in her history. Her citizens have futures and are eager to embrace it. Though some might still protest Xi’s removal of the term limit, are they really going to rage against it? Are they really going to protest the censorship and the red tape and the lack of transparency of his regime when the memories of lynchings and death-squads and ‘revolution’ still remain in their minds?

Liberalization breeds discontent. When age-old dictatorships come to an end, when the veil of government secrecy is lifted to reveal stark black lies, when falsehoods shatter and truth begins its bitter reign -- that is when societies fall to chaos and turmoil.

Look to the fall of the USSR for an example-- look to the economic collapse of Russia and her fellow Soviet countries when that age-old monolith came crashing down under the weight of her own freedom. For those of us who viciously stand against Xi Jinping’s elimination of the term limit, let us ask this one question -- can we really afford to let China, the manufacturing heart of the world, fall as the USSR did? Xi’s reign might promote regression, but it is stable. Though his actions set a dangerous precedent, it is not a precedent we have to worry about right now.

Let the emperor reign for now, if he must.

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how much is enough?

by Ellie Feng

Your future is contingent on how many AP courses you take in high school. No one ever tells you that outright, but we all know it for a fact. Just imagine all the scary consequences that could befall you if you take one less AP (Advanced Placement) class than your friends: you could be cast out from your friend group, you could take a regular high school course and face eternal humiliation, or you could get rejected by all of the colleges you applied to and become homeless, living on the streets, begging for spare change.

Needless to say, you and I both know that this is an extreme exaggeration. But then why are we still so fixated on the number of AP courses we have in our schedules?

Ever since I was in middle school, I’ve been hearing about this mythical thing called an “AP class.” I’ve heard rumors about the immense homework load, the countless all-nighters you have to pull, and the insurmountable difficulty of the course. Now that I’m in high school and concurrently enrolled in multiple AP courses, I have to say that the rumors are 100% absolutely undoubtedly correct; that is, if you’re enrolled in 5 AP classes, playing 3 different sports, and involved in 18 different school clubs. It’s obvious that the amount of AP classes you can handle is directly related to how much free time you have to complete homework and study. But realistically, the number of AP classes you can handle is related to how much effort you are willing to invest in studying for that class.

And sometimes that “effort” can lead to stress, anxiety, and unhealthy patterns of staying up extremely late at night.

Before we go any deeper, let me briefly outline what an AP course is exactly. AP courses are college level courses offered at the high school level; they give students an opportunity to earn college credit. In order to earn college credit, you must pass an AP subject exam, an exam that assesses your comprehension of the content covered in a course and measures how qualified you are to earn credit for that course. AP courses are often weighted, meaning that an “A” in the class will be counted as a 5.0 in your GPA, while an “A” in a regular high school course is counted as a 4.0. This not only gives students the opportunity to raise their GPA if they perform well in the class, but also a cushion if they perform poorly.

AP courses have a large homework load. After all, they are college courses, and require a higher level of understanding of information than just pure memorization of facts. More often than not, students find themselves struggling to decide how many and what AP classes to take.

I’ve heard rumors about the immense homework load, the countless all-nighters you have to pull, and the insurmountable difficulty of the course.

Now that I’m in high school and concurrently enrolled in multiple AP courses, I have to say that the rumors are 100% absolutely undoubtedly correct; that is, if you’re enrolled in 5 AP classes, playing 3 different sports, and involved in 18 different school clubs.

College Board, a “mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity” that founded the SAT and Advanced Placement programs, sees AP courses as extremely beneficial in

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preparing students for rigorous college classes and giving students the opportunity to challenge themselves and delve deeper into subjects that interest them.

Counselors support AP classes, viewing them as a class that challenges students to persevere and learn difficult material. They see these classes as an opportunity to explore subject areas that may relate to the career one may want to pursue in the future. However, the significance of AP classes has changed for the worse.

Parents, especially strict ones, advocate taking AP classes in bulk, jamming their children’s schedules with AP after AP after AP. They want what’s best for their child, believing that if their child takes more AP classes, it’ll increase his/her chances of being accepted by a prestigious college. Other students view AP classes as an unnecessary burden on their schedules, or a class exclusively reserved for “smart kids.” Some students view AP classes as chances to “boost” their GPA and “distinguish” themselves from other competitive students.

In all cases, pressure, especially peer and parent pressure, is the root cause of this AP dilemma. If college is our personal decision, why should we listen to everyone else’s opinions over our own? When we view AP classes in this light, the original purpose of an AP class vanishes. Why do some students feel as if they aren’t qualified to take an AP course? Why do some students feel that the sole purpose of taking an AP course is to get an A or GPA boost? How are some students that are heavily involved in sports and clubs supposed to “compete” with their peers academically?

The truth is, in many competitive schools like ours, the intellectual social order praises the students taking many AP and honors classes while scorning those who do not. And many students, me included, have fallen into the trap of believing that academics are everything. It will be difficult or nearly impossible to change our conception of AP classes but we can all take steps to get ourselves out of the cloud of external pressure surrounding all of us.

Take a minute and evaluate yourself right now. Are you drowning in homework or do you have no homework? Are you procrastinating on your homework right now? Are you a varsity athlete that trains 25 hours a week or a tutor that helps students 10+ hours a week? When May rolls around, will you feel confident in your ability to score a 4 or 5 on your AP exams or will you feel completely hopeless and lost in all of your classes? Do you have a genuine interest in the classes you are taking or are you taking the classes for another reason that shouldn’t be as important?

It is our job as students to balance our learning and health. Some of us may have the time to invest in three or more AP classes while others may only be able to handle one or two due to other commitments. When our peers’ decisions cloud our judgement, we may find ourselves trapped in a commitment that can be damaging to our health. Conversely, we may also find that we underestimated ourselves and took classes that aren’t challenging enough. How much is enough? It is our job to determine that.

student statistics - Last year, in 2017, 2,741,426 students took AP exams.

- In 2016, 2,611,172 students took AP exams.

- In 2015, 2,483,452 students took AP exams.

- Approximately 79% of AP students took 1-2 exams while the remaining 21% of students took 3-15 exams.

- There is an average of of 1.81 exams per AP student.

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performing arts in treble as funds fall flat

by Gabriella Chang

Today, artists and movie stars are given lots of fame and media coverage. Society puts them on pedestals and idolizes them to the point where many of them become household names. With this in mind, one would expect schools across America to support and fund the arts programs just as much as they fund the english, science, math, and athletic departments. However, this isn’t always the case. Many districts put so little money into the arts that multiple schools end up having to cut the arts for the sake of managing money. Our school does better than most in terms of funding the arts, but the multiple arts programs at Del Norte are often struggling to keep their programs alive.

The arts at DNHS depend almost entirely upon donations and fundraisers. Students themselves speak to restaurants, collaborate with SnapRaise and Power Card representatives, and even hold multiple car washes a year to pay for instruments, art supplies, music, rights to shows, costumes, coaches, and more.

Even with such efforts to raise as much money as possible, our arts programs at our school remain as underfunded as ever. Dine outs held by the students and even some of the bigger fundraising opportunities like SnapRaise are not nearly enough to last the programs the whole year, and parents are often forced to pay out of their own pockets in order to ensure that their respective programs have enough money to survive. Shelby Westbrook (11), head of fundraising for the DNHS choirs, says that: “A lot of work goes into the fundraisers… for the bigger ones it takes a ton of planning.” Shelby went on to say that “sometimes we fall short of what we need to comfortably run the program”. Most years, the arts ends up with just enough money to make it through the year; money that the students have all earned and collected themselves.

When asked about the inadequacy of funding received from Del Norte, Drama Club member Kennedy Reed (10) said that the money administration provides them with is “not nearly enough.

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The drama department is almost completely broke...we are completely reliant on fundraising and parent boosters.”

“The performing arts programs at DNHS depend almost entirely upon donations and fundraisers... Even with such efforts to raise as much money as possible, our performing arts programs at our school remain as underfunded as ever.”

Many schools are faring much worse, however. All over the US, districts and schools are cutting funding for the arts to make way for sports, math, science, english, etc. Jill Hambek of the Washington Times says that with the unfulfilling amount of funding that the arts get, programs end up “relying more on private funds and patrons of the arts” (Hambek, 17). It is also shown that encouragement of artistic passions shows significant change in students’ success rates. Schools who provide more for their students in terms of music, art, and theatre program get more in return; their students are mentally healthier, more driven, and show more creativity and literacy. Burton Bloom, a teacher in New York City, told the New York Times that “Recent research has demonstrated that” strong funding of the arts “strongly correlate[s] with academic success” (Bloom, 11-13).

He emphasizes that money that should go to the school art programs often instead gets put into the math, science, and reading departments, “often in the form of test preparation” (7-8). This lack of funding is particularly detrimental to arts students. As artistically inclined teenagers develop in an environment that puts so much emphasis on science and math, their efforts and talents

As artistically inclined teenagers develop in an environment that puts so much emphasis on science and math, their efforts and talents go underappreciated and can often make them feel like the school doesn’t care about the arts... The academic environment of schools that has been set up by the students already has led to many arts students feeling unappreciated and ignored by the school, and the lack of funding only further reinforces that idea.

go underappreciated and can often make them feel like the school doesn’t care about the arts. The academic environment of schools that has been set up by the students already has led to many arts students feeling unappreciated and ignored by the school, and the lack of funding only further reinforces that idea. The emphasis put on test preparation for core subjects establishes the mindset that self-worth comes from what grade you get or what score you got on the final exam, a mindset that can be reversed by showing students that the administration cares about the art department.

It is important for these students to know that their talents are valuable in today’s society, and that can’t be achieved when the administration and district themselves ignore how underfunded the artistic programs are.

“ Encouragement of artistic passions shows significant change in students’ success rates.”

While administration has taken a further interest in the arts than they used to, many in the performing arts at DNHS have expressed their dissatisfaction towards administration. Although Del Norte students have made clear their belief that the performing arts are a critical part of the school’s education system, students in these programs tend to lean more towards feeling unappreciated by the school due to how little money goes into the programs. Zoe Teofilo (12), choir president, says that “we get no money from the school...we have always had to be very frugal because our account is never super stable”. The arts have become so unfunded that many times, the students aren’t even sure if they get money from the school at all. Many students who take classes like AP studio art have never felt quite appreciated at DNHS. Sara Liu (12), an AP art

student, says that “not a lot of people know that art is really important to a student’s education” and that even as an art major, she “didn’t know how to make professional quality art until I started taking classes outside of school.” DNHS does a better job than most schools by allowing AP Music Theory to run at very small class numbers, encouraging Night at the Museum, having members from administration come to performances and classes, and giving more money and support than most schools do.

However, many still feel as if most of the focus at DNHS goes towards STEM and sports; which it does.

The issue at hand, however, can be resolved simply by allowing the arts programs more funds. If schools invest just a little more money and interest into the arts programs, students will be able focus less on how to keep their program alive and instead direct their attention on how to make their program better. The artistic departments like AP Art, Ceramics, Choir, Theatre, and the Instrumental program could all greatly benefit from a more effective mapping of where money goes to and who needs it the most. Maile Pacumio (10) explains that “academics and sports should be the main priority”, but a little more funding for the arts wouldn’t hurt.” In making an effort to better financially support the arts, students across America would positively benefit in terms of mental health, creativity, emotional stability, and feeling appreciated. All these accomplishments will help foster artistic programs across America and help students in the arts feel supported and accepted by their school. Until then, however, the programs will simply have to continue functioning on the bare minimum.

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immigrant

a poem by Varsha Bodepudi

I am an immigrant And I’m not ashamed to say that I’m unapologetic I have no reason to feel sorry My family has worked just as hard as everyone else No wait, they’ve worked harder Just like millions of other immigrants have We came into this country with no money, family, or support I remember living in a small apartment Sitting on inflatable furniture Sleeping on inflatable beds I look back now and see how lucky we were to have those Many get by with less I remember learning English with my mother A copy of English For Dummies in her hand We would look through it every night She was determined to send me to school with no disadvantages I went to a private, Christian kindergarten I never thought I was different from other kids But when I told them I wasn’t yet a citizen That I had this thing called a green card I still remember the confused looks I would get When I told them that I hadn’t seen my grandparents or cousins in years They just wouldn’t understand I still remember the kids who would laugh at my name What was “Bodepudi” doing in a world of “Smiths” and “Johnsons”?

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I remember the teacher who asked me to wash the henna off of my hands Because it was too distracting I remember feeling ashamed at that moment Even though I was very young, I still remember the face of the lady The lady with blonde hair The lady whose face symbolized pure anger and hate The lady who shouted at my family and told us to go back to where we came from At the time, I couldn’t figure out why she was so angry I’m lucky to say that that incident was the worst I’ve had to deal with Many other immigrants face words and actions immensely harsher My brown skin seemed to differentiate me from the rest I was frustrated, tired of it I remember sitting in my room, only six years old Crying, trying to scrape off the color with my fingernails But you can’t hide your culture You can’t hide who you are Over the years I’ve learned to love my background I’ve seen my family through hardships I know how scary life can be with no stability But I’ve also seen my family overcome their struggles They’ve taught me that there’s a solution for every problem We’ve come so far from where we’ve started And that’s nothing to be ashamed about So now, I'm not so afraid I’m not afraid to love who I am I am an immigrant I am an immigrant, and I’m proud of who I am.

Art by Amanda Delessio

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did you know? a poem by Danica Chen

Did you know that I have never written poetry before?

Did you know that poetry doesn’t exist?

Listen: the world is going to swallow us whole.

The rivers hold their breath and wait for their cue to overflow Sparrows watch us with golden eyes and learn to make their own skin The pine trees sharpen their knives to hide them amongst their roots And we hold the stars as close to us as possible so they don’t try to steal them.

Did you know the apocalypse is happening right now, just very, very, slowly?

Our lungs are filled with air that we borrowed from the sky And the sky is filled with blue that it borrowed from the sea And the sea is filled with memories that it borrowed from us, And it you look from the sky to the sea to our veins, You will see blue and blue and blue, through and through and through.

Did you know that we never really learned how to breathe?

If you listen carefully to the silence at night You can hear the bones of a million empty promises Crack into pieces like the crunch of yellow leaves in autumn.

Did you know that the universe was born brittle?

Did you know the same words you put on a birth certificate are the words you put on a headstone?

Did you know there are three ways to pull off a dragonfly’s wings but only one way to kill it?

Did you know there are thirty species of roses on Mars and all of them speak Latin more fluently than I do?

Did you know there are fifty thousand stars in the sky and zero on my ceiling?

Did you know that we don’t really know anything?

Listen: we keep our hearts in ivory cages to defend them from bee stings And we wear our flesh on the outside to scare off the carrion flies And we teach our children to use the armor lingering in their blood.

We have been training our soldiers for centuries, And the moon has been training her tides for eons, But even so, our armies can sink ships just as well as hers can.

Did you know that we haven’t lost our wars yet?

Listen: we cannot understand, and we cannot breathe, and we cannot write poetry.

This is certain. This is known. These are truths that can never erode.

But we can live, and we must live, because we don’t know how to do anything else.

We hide from the world and we protect it as it destroys and preserves us, because it doesn’t know how to do anything else either.

We are implausibilities that continue in spite of ourselves.

Did you know that we can fight the end of the world?

Did you know that we could win?

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There was a blood stain on the hood of his rusty maroon Toyota Sienna.

-- January 18th, three years prior --

Calm down, Stevenson. Xavier’s fine, he just fell off the balcony of his first floor apartment, aka the porch. Mild injuries.”

“He what?” A groan. “Agnes, he doesn’t even have a first floor apartment, what are you talking about?”

“How long have I been here?”

“Okay, so you’re not entirely stupid from the ten gallons of beer you chugged last night.”

“About ten hours.” “...Ten hours? W - what happened?”

He remembered blinking in confusion and mentally scrolling through his list of normal things on car surfaces. Paint. Bird poo. Painted bird poo.

Nope, blood stains that practically camouflaged against the rusty maroon paint definitely didn’t make that list.

“You got extremely drunk and passed out on my couch. You’re welcome, Stevenson. I don’t allow many people to crash on my couch for ten hours.”

“Uh… thanks.”

He remembered running inside, grabbing a bucket of water and a rag, and returning to the garage. He remembered frantically scrubbing at the blood stain and cursing when it refused to come off. Dang it, should have gotten that stupid paint protection film.

He sat on the couch in silence with hunched shoulders and hands clutching his head. What a migraine. His head throbbed with each heartbeat as he desperately tried to remember even the slightest detail from the night before.

“Stevenson. Get yourself together. We’re going to the hospital.”

“Huh? I’m fine, it’s just a mild hangover- ” “No, not for you, you idiot. Xavier’s at the hospital.”

He remembered blinking hard, his brain reaching back back back into his memory. There was some event connected to the blood stain, and he was so close to recalling what it was, but it was just a millimeter from his reach - like a word on the tip of his tongue, except it was a memory and a brain and brains don’t really have tips. (Or do they?)

“He got into a car accident that just about split his entire pelvis in two.

Serves him right, that player.”

“He WHAT?!”

“Stevenson.”

“Oh god. Oh god. Is he okay?”

Agnes shrugged.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god we’re going to the hospital right now let’s go- ” His voice trailed off as he fumbled with the door lock, shoved the door open, and stumbled out into the apartment complex hallway.

He remembered staring at the blood stain on his car, the blood stain staring back. He remembered squeezing his eyes shut. Suddenly, images began flashing through his mind. Red-orange hair. Slick with blood. The colors meshed together under the light of the fading streetlamp; had the young man not been lying on the ground, he might have mistaken the blood for really strange hair gel.

“What? Why?”

“Xavier! Oh my god oh my god what happened to you oh my god”

“He got injured.”

“Hey - wait no, Stevenson, get off. I love you, but you’re choking me.

Stop.”

“Is he okay? What happened? Is he okay? How did he get hurt? Does his family know? Is he-”

“Sorry. Oh my god, Xavier, are you okay? What happened last night?”

a rusty old toyota sienna

by Angela Chen 28

He remembered the rush of denial. No. No no no no no. The blood stain on the car and the incident from three years ago couldn’t possibly be connected. It just didn’t make sense.

“Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. Apparently I got hit by a car, and the driver sped off. A stranger found me lying face-down on the street and called an ambulance. And now I’m here.”

“Who was driving the car? When I get my hands on them, I swear- ” “Stevenson, I… I don’t remember anything. I passed out afterwards.

And I have a concussion.” A pause. “Also, why is Agnes just standing in the doorway? And why don’t you have a shirt on?”

“He doesn’t have a shirt on because he’s extremely attracted to you despite your tragic pelvis injuries, and I’m standing over here because I’m repulsed by this PDA. ” “AGNES.” When he had found the blood stain, he had panicked - and after a few days of ruminating on the stain and the accident from three years ago, the panic did nothing but rise. The whole ordeal of discovering the blood stain flashed through his mind as he ran out of the garage and across the street and past two blocks and around a corner and through the building entrance and up the stairs until he arrived at the doorstep of apartment number 220. He slammed his palm against the door, sending rumbles through what sounded like the entire apartment complex, and collapsed against the wooden door frame.

A moment later, the door swung open, and he almost fell inside. “Déjà vu, Stevenson. If you’re looking for my couch, it’s not here. It got PTSD after the horrific night when you drunkenly made out with it.”

“AGNES, I DID NOTHING TO YOUR COUCH, NOW LET ME IN, I NEED TO GET SOMETHING STRAIGHT” “Okay, fine, come in. Why are you here? It’s almost midnight. And why are you wheezing so much?”

“I…” he wheezed. “First of all, I ran here. And second…” Dang it, he didn’t think this through. “I think I know what happened to Xavier.”

“Did he chop off all his orange hair and sell it on eBay for twenty grand?”

“What? No. Or, maybe, I don’t know. But that night three years ago, when I got drunk here-”

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He paused. “Agnes… the driver in the hit-and-run, when Xavier got hurt…”

“What, were you the driver?”

Stevenson stared at her, a mixture of doubt and confusion and guilt on his face. “You’re kidding me.”

“I’m not. I don’t think I am, at least.”

“That doesn’t even make sense!”

“It kind of does. If I was drunk before I got here, then I was probably driving while drunk.”

“Stevenson. Can you hear yourself right now? You’re blaming yourself for hurting Xavier when he got hit at around 11 p.m. The accident was, like, ten miles from here. You burst in through the doorway and collapsed on my couch, like, two minutes after Xavier got hurt. And you got here on a bike.

A bike, Stevenson. Not your bloody Toyota!”

He frowned. “I could’ve sworn I had driven home afterwards… and there’s actually a blood stain on my Toyota.”

“Oh, I was messing with you back there. You were definitely the guy who hit Xavier. Makes complete sense; you’re absolutely ridiculous when you’re intoxicated.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

“Hmm. I can’t tell either.”

“Xavier, what are you going to do?”

“As of now? Probably lie here until I can actually get up.”

“No, I meant if you were going to try to find the douchebag that hurt you.”

“I already asked the police. There were no eyewitnesses during the accident, no security cameras. Hardly any evidence at all.”

“Oh.” “Yeah. It’s… it’s dumb. They’re trying to find the driver. But I don’t think they’re gonna be able to.”

Agnes frowned. “You were crazy drunk before you got here.”

Agnes handed him an ancient-looking Nokia. “You wanna call him? Or do you want more time to actually reflect on what happened that night and how likely it really was for you to have been the driver?”

“Oh. That… actually makes more sense. Considering everything else.”

“... What time is it in Boston?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Like, 2 a.m. It’s fine, it’s not like Xavier sleeps anyway.”

“Stevenson, what about you? What are you going to do?”

“Find whoever hurt you and make them pay.” “... Look, Stevenson, I’m mad at the driver too. But violence probably isn’t going to help.”

“I meant make them pay for your hospital bills.”

“Oh. I guess that would be nice.”

“And send them to jail. And down to hell.”

“Stevenson, shush. Calm down. And for goodness sake, put a shirt on.”

The phone rang for an entire minute before Xavier picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Xavier.”

“Oh, Stevenson! Could’ve sworn this was Agnes’ number. What’s up?”

“This is Agnes’ number. I’m at her house.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Anyways, I just…” Stevenson bit his lip. “How are you?”

“I’m fine.” The raise in his eyebrows was almost audible. “Is everything okay on your end? You don’t usually call in the middle of the night, or from Agnes’ house, or both.”

“Yeah, everything’s okay.”

Agnes snorted.

“Okay, not everything is okay.”

“And I’m better now. Stevenson, I’m not mad at you. It would be nice if you could lend a hand in paying my tuition, but that would just be capitalizing on your current…this. This panic. So don’t worry about it.”

Stevenson paused. “Xavier, that’s….”

“What is it?”

He took a deep breath. Thank you, he tried to say. But the words stuck to his tongue and wouldn’t come off; his lips wouldn’t move, his jaw slackened.

“Stevenson, are you still there?”

He stood there for an agonizing moment before Agnes snorted, breaking the silence.

“Okay,” Xavier chuckled softly. “You’re just speechless, I see. And hey, Stevenson, if you want, we can talk about this later. But right now, I need sleep. It’s 2 a.m. and I have a long day tomorrow with school, the barber’s, work… all that stuff.”

“Oh.” “Good night, Stevenson. And… thanks for calling.”

The phone clicked shut. Stevenson stared at the Nokia for a moment before Agnes pried it from his fingers.

“The barber shop? I guess that kid might actually chop off all his orange hair and sell it on eBay for twenty grand. Never would have guessed.”

-- January 18th, three years later -He walked along the dark, uneven road. The streetlight above him flickered, as if simultaneously winking at the moon and flirting with the stars.

“Go on… ”

A sudden thought popped into his head: If Agnes were here, she’d call that streetlight a player.

“... Okay.”

He snorted out loud.

“Stevenson. What’s wrong?”

Hearing the soft whir of a car engine, he turned around to spot an old yet well-polished Toyota Sienna round the corner. If he had been in this situation a couple of years ago, every muscle in his body would have tensed at the memory of Xavier lying helpless in a hospital bed. How did Xavier feel when the car rammed into him? Did he see the headlights rushing towards him? Did he hear the crunch of gravel underneath the tires? Would something like that happen to himself as well?

“I… just… you remember that night you got into the car accident?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I… might have been the driver.”

Silence.

“And Xavier, I’m really dang sorry if I was; I was drunk and it was a stupid mistake and I must have gotten so upset over hurting you that I drank even more and woke up with a hangover and total memory loss and I’m so sorry it was such a stupid move and god. Xavier. I’m so sorry.”

More silence.

Agnes cleared her throat and pried the Nokia from Stevenson’s fingers.

“Xavier, I’d like to clarify. We don’t know if Stevenson was actually the driver. But he found a ‘blood stain’ on his rusty Toyota and freaked out. I've read enough of those dumb fanfics to expect the 'blood stain’ to actually be really weird rust or really weird paint smears. Anyways, if you decide to be angry, please remember that I’m an innocent flower and everything is Stevenson’s fault.”

A couple of years ago, he wouldn’t put himself in a situation like this. A couple of years ago, he wouldn’t even let himself leave the house at night.

But now was now.

Stevenson stood and watched as the car drove past him, down the winding road and towards whatever lay ahead. The red glow of its taillights grew fainter and fainter until he could no longer distinguish it from the soft blur of city lights in the distance.

He kept walking.

“No, I’m not angry. I’m more confused than anything else.”

Stevenson tugged the phone from Agnes’ hands. “Xavier, I’m really sorry.

I’ll pay your medical bills. Or if you don’t have any left, I’ll pay the rest of your college tuition. God. I’m so sorry.”

“Stevenson, I’m not mad at you. Neither of us know what happened for sure. It would be dumb to be outraged at something that might not have even happened.”

“But….”

“Plus, it was three years ago. And you helped me recover. And you’ve been a good friend.”

“But….”

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paintbox gallery The following is a selection of works from the onlne gallery of Paintbox. Del Norte Paintbox is a club featuring artists across all mediums and their artwork. To view more, visit their website: https://www.paintbox.site/ Paintbox is always looking for new artists and members, so be sure to join if you are interested!

dragon, by colin szeto

untitled, by derrek fan 31

boat, by jessica liu

horizon, by selena zhu

untitled, by noor bhaghani

heading home, by peggy shen

untitled, by derrek fan 32

photo club gallery The following is a selection of works from our very own Del Norte Photo Club. If you have a talent for shooting photos, or you just like photography in general, be sure to check this club out!

Allie Wong, 10th Grade: “A morning sun in Ecuador.”

Tara Hakimipour, 11th Grade: “I almost got kicked out of Antelope Canyon because I was taking too long to photograph this.”

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Maya Sinha, 11th Grade: “What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet. Romeo and Juliet (2.2.45-7)”

Imran Tallman, 11th Grade: “Beauty in a blur.”

Nived Neelakanti, 10th Grade: “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

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meet the authors

Curators of the Featheralist, and their political standings Ayesha Aslam-Mir, Sophomore

I personally would like to emphasize the student's ability to create change in their environment. I advocate for peace, diplomacy, and inclusion, and would like to work to break down prejudice. The gun control issue, denuclearization, party-dominated congress , and seemingly deteriorating international relations are all issues that will definitely impact the course of American society. I really. Enjoy. Soup for some reason.

Manasvi Vora, Sophomore

I align mainly with the intersectional feminist movement, along with any movement that supports equal rights in America, because I believe that nobody should be discriminated against on the basis of something they cannot control, especially religion, gender, sexuality, race, etc. Personally, I believe that any political movement involving actual participation from the people will end up changing the course of society.

Anurag Pamuru, Senior

I generally remain independent. I'm economically and socially liberal because I believe we need to better civil rights and living conditions in our country.

However, I'm centrist on both accounts because I'm estranged by today's political atmosphere. I believe that technology, and the regulation of it thereof, will become major talking points. I'm very sleepy. Not just when I was writing this, but just in general.

Alec Gonzalez, Junior

I was almost a member in the cryptocurrency movement before I chose to instead invest in a less shady form of money. I lament this decision every day. Every day I miserably contemplate the loss of what might well have been tens of thousands of dollars that I could have spent on pizza using 1/100th of a bitcoin per pizza. Cryptocurrency causes me pain. Please send help and pizza.

Zongsen Li, Sophomore

Progressivism. I believe in the current modern society, one needs to move forwards to better benefit the lower and middle classes. To improve health care and lower income inequality for all people. Liberals will continue to shape American society. Political correctness has become more and more significant in American society, and the trend seems to be continuing.

Maya Sinha, Junior

I believe that academic pressure and teenage stress is something we have to relieve in order to have a functioning and progressive society in the future. I hope that in 20 years Gavin from vine will be president because I’ve lost all hope in Kanye.

I like photography and sometimes, when I wear my green sweater, I look like Kermit the Frog.

Angela Chen, Junior

I align myself with the lethargy movement, a movement dedicated to not moving. We like to sleep as much as possible and move as little as possible. A famous lethargist named Min Yoongi once stated that he would like to be born as a rock in his next life. Me too, Yoongi. Me too. Did you see my motivation? I think it motivated itself to jump off a cliff. Sad. I wonder if I'll be motivated enough to go find it?

Kane Xu, Freshman

I am a conservative who values free speech and constitutional liberty. I believe that people should be able to say what they think without being punished for it, that people should be judged by their behavior rather than their skin color, and that people should be able to live without heavy governmental interference. I am a hardcore Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson fan (#BenShapiro2020). I also enjoy playing soccer.

Ellie Feng, Sophomore

Achieving equality, whether through gaining equal legal rights, pay, or social standing, is the goal that I value and support. As mass movements of our age help us solve some problems, other problems emerge. I believe that political movements will continue to evolve and reflect the changes and dangers posed by environmental damage, terrorism, school violence, and other problems plaguing our society today.

Siham Bougour, Junior

Since the newer generations - the millenials and Generation Z - are exposing the brokenness of human society, it’s evident that eventually people will actually take them seriously and help create a societal environment with fairer ethics. Let’s hope humanity learns from its mistakes. Aside from pretending to have political opinions, I enjoy sleeping a lot and making art a lot. Fun fact: I designed this magazine. Yes, all of it.

Daniel Herrick, Sophomore

I am personally aligned with the movement to keep plastic out of the ocean. I believe it is not right for us to throw our plastic away where it can harm other creatures. We all share this Earth and we shouldn't trash it or hurt the other inhabitants of it. Furthermore, we can simply recycle that plastic for further use. I think it is important that we stay globally aware and understand that our actions may have consequences.

Amanda DeLessio, Sophomore

I am humbled artist who strong believes in changing and challenging the viewpoints of those who believe that art is unecissary to life. I also believe in the statement "I would advise young artists...to paint as they can, as long as they can, without being afraid to paint badly...if their painting doesn't improve by itself, it means that nothing can be done- and I wouldn't do anything!"- Claude Monet.

Derrek Fan, Sophomore

I like to draw and read a lot. Most of the art I like is very fantasy oriented, with like dragons or other mythical creatures or people garbed in aesthetic unrealistic cloaks and such. Art is a pretty big passion for me although I don’t do much serious art, just a lot of doodles.

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Andrew Wang, Sophomore

I personally align with the pro-life movement. In my opinion everyone should be entitled to a choice for life. To me, the decision to end the lives of others prematurely is unfair. In 20 years, I think the antinuclear and LGBTQ movements will have a significant impact on American society. Both movements are gaining increasing coverage and traction and are relevant to today's society as well.

Gabriella Chang, Sophomore

I'm a very liberal person, which comes as no surprise. I'm passionate about Women's Rights, LGBT+ Rights, Gun Control, Black Lives Matter, to name a few.

They're important movements that provide a voice for minorities and the oppressed. I'm not expecting much to change in 20 years. If I had to pick one movement to change the course of American society, it will probably be LGBT+ Rights.

Danica Chen, Junior

I like net neutrality because I'm a Teen so I care about the Internet, uncomplicated conceptions of democracy and justice, and the illusory idea that we can ever extract big businesses from every crevice of our lives even as we not only permit but encourage them to flourish. It really seems clear that one way or another the gun control debate is really going to explode, even more than it already has.

Isabel Shih, Junior

I believe that everyone should have free speech and that we should be more open in our views. I feel like our current foreign policy, including the anti immigration and anti nuclear weapons movement will change the course of American society. It seems like such a huge determining factor in not just our foreign policy but also in deciding partisan issues and party lines.

Skyler Wu, Sophomore

I'm very supportive of education reform, especially for secondary education. I believe in equal academic opportunity and would love to work to make students of all economic backgrounds have equal college and career opportunities. I think that in 20 years, we'll start to consider political cosmopolitanism and begin to move closer to a United global community.

Other notable authors and contributors are: Varsha Bodepudi, Ken Zhou, and Yungho Jung.

works cited “Martin Shkreli”

Herper, Matthew. “You Hate Martin Shkreli. That's Sort Of The Problem.”

Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 9 Mar. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/matthewhe per/2018/03/09/you-hate-ma tin-shkreli-thats-sort-of-the-problem/#2157a92e6238.

Mangan, Dan. “'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison Says, 'This Is My Fault'.” CNBC, CNBC, 9 Mar. 2018, www.cnbc.com/2018/03/09/pharma-bro-ma tin-shkreli-sentenced-to-7-years-in-prison.html.

Stahl, Lesley. “The Problem with Prescription Drug Prices.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 12 May 2018, www.cbsnews.com/news/the-problem-with-prescri tion-drug-prices/.

“Orphan Drug Act: Fostering Innovation or Abuse? - The Source on HealthCare Price and Competition The Source on HealthCare Price and Competition.” The Source on HealthCare Price and Competition, 12 Dec. 2017, sourceonhealthcare.org/orphan-drug-act-fostering-inn vation-or-abuse/.

“On the Issues: Fighting to Lower Prescription Drug Prices.” Bernie Sanders, berniesanders.com/issues/fighting-to-lower-prescri tion-drug-prices/.

“You Won’t Believe What Happens Next”

Jamison, Peter. “Vaccination Protesters at Democratic Convention Compare California to Nazi Germany.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2015, www.latimes.com/local/poli ical/la-me-pc-sb-277-vaccination-protest-20150516-st ry.html.

“MMR Doctor Wins High Court Appeal.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Mar. 2012, www.bbc.com/news/health-17283751.

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Greenberg, Jon. “No, Undocumented Immigrants Are Not Tied to 50% of Texas Murders.”@Politifact, 1 July 2015, www.politifact.com/punditfact/stat ments/2015/jul/01/gavin-mcinnes/no-undocumented-i migrants-are-not-tied-50-texas-m/.

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Clarke, Osborne. “Colgate's '80% of Dentists Recommend' Claim under Fire.” Marketinglaw, 19 June 2015, marketinglaw.osborn clarke.com/retailing/colgates-80-of-dentists-reco mend-claim-under-fire/.

Hotten, Russell. “Volkswagen: The Scandal Explained.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Dec. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/business-34324772.

Jones, George Hilton. “The Irish Fright of 1688: Real Violence and Imagined Massacre.”Historical Research, vol. 55, no. 132, 1982, pp.

148–153., doi:10.1111/j.1468-2281.1982.tb01154.x

“A New Emperor Rises”

Buckley, Chris, and Keith Bradsher. “China Moves to Let Xi Stay in Power by Abolishing Term Limit.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Feb. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/02/25/world/asia/china-xi-ji ping.html.

Johnson, Ian, and Michael Wines. “China Arrests Its Most-Wanted Fugitive After Canada Deports Him.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 July 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/world/asia/24lai.html.

Liptak, Kevin. “Trump on China's Xi Consolidating Power: 'Maybe We'll Give That a Shot Some Day'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/03/03/politics/trump-maral go-remarks/index.html.

Osnos, Evan. “Rise of the Red Prince.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/mag

zine/2015/04/06/born-red.

Reuters. “China Accuses US of Arrogance for Xi Jinping Criticism at Rights Forum - Times of India.” The Times of India, India, 26 Mar. 2018, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/china-a cuses-us-of-arrogance-for-xi-jinping-crit cism-at-rights-forum/articleshow/63464480.cms.

“Xi Jinping Decides to Abolish Presidential Term Limits.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 1 Mar. 2018, www.econ mist.com/news/china/21737543-unhappiness-china-pa pable-xi-jinping-decides-abolish-presidential-term-limits.

Zhao, Christina. “On China's Weibo, It Is Now Forbidden to Say ‘I Disagree.’”

Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2018, www.newsweek.com/chinas-we bo-it-forbidden-disagree-president-xi-ji pings-plan-rule-822052.

“Funding for The Performing Arts”

Bloom, Burton. “Public School Students Deprived of Music and Art.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 May 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/05/20/opinion/music-pu lic-schools-new-york-city.html.

Hambek, Jill. “Arts Programs in Schools Often in Danger of Being Cut.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 14 Mar. 2016, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/14/arts-pr grams-in-schools-often-in-danger-of-being-/.

"How Much Is Enough?”

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“About Us.” The College Board, 12 Mar. 2018, www.collegeboard.org/about.

“#MeToo”

“False Rape Accusation 'Destroyed Life' of Surrey Man.” BBC News, BBC, 2 Nov. 2010, www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-su rey-11676804.

“History of the Movement.” WCSAP - Washington Coalition of Sexual Assualt Programs, 9 May 2016, www.wcsap.org/history-movement.

Kiefer, Halle. “Catherine Deneuve Wants to Explain What She Meant by That Open Letter Against #MeToo.” The Vulture, 15 Jan. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/01/catherine-deneuve-clar fies-open-letter-against-metoo.html.

Milano, Alyssa (Alyssa_Milano). “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Oct 15, 2017, 1:21 PM. Tweet.

Young, Cathy. "The Noble Lie, Feminist Style; False accusations of rape are more common than you think." The Weekly Standard, 1 Aug. 2011. Academic OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps doc/A262532974/GPS?u=powa9245&sid=GPS&xid=a6 7e00e3. Accessed 2 Feb. 2018.

“Sad But Doubtful”

Kristof, Nicholas. “How to Reduce Shootings.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/intera tive/2017/11/06/opinion/how-to-reduce-shootings.html.

Kurtzman, Laura. “Access to Guns Increase Risk of Suicide, Homicide.” University of California, San Fransisco, 21 Jan. 2014, www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/01/111286/access-guns-increa es-risk-suicide-homicide.

Lopez. “The Santa Fe High School Shooting Shows Why an Assault Weapons Ban Can't Solve America's Gun Problem.” Vox, Vox, 3 Apr. 2018, www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/4/3/17174160/a sault-weapons-ar-15-ban.

photo credits “Foreword”

Page 2 photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

“Letter from the NAU” Artwork by Derrek Fan

“Same Values, Different Methods”

Page 5 and 6 photos by Maya Sinha of DN Photo Club

“Sad But Doubtful”

Page 10 photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash

“#MeToo”

Page 11 photo by Joao Jesus on Pexels Page 12 photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash

“A Vaccine for Gun Violence”

Page 13 photo by Jaron Nix on Unsplash Page 14 photo by Alexander Andre on Unsplash

“Martin Shkreli”

Page 15 top photo by Pina Messina on Unsplash Page 15 middle photo from Wikimedia Commons by House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under public domain Page 15 bottom photo by Simone Van Der Koelen on Unsplash

“Fake News - You Won’t Believe What Happens Next” Page 17 photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash Page 18 photo by Carlos Muza on Unsplash

“A New Emperor Rises”

“Gamergate Part 01 of 01.” FBI, FBI, 26 Jan. 2017, vault.fbi.gov/game gate/Gamergate%20Part%2001%20of%2001/view.

Haag, Matthew. “Rolling Stone Settles Lawsuit Over Debunked Campus Rape Article.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Apr. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/04/11/business/m dia/rolling-stone-university-virginia-rape-story-settl ment.html.

Marks, Simon. “Somaly Mam: The Holy Saint (And Sinner) of Sex Trafficking.” Newsweek, Newsweek LLC, 21 Apr. 2014, 5:49, www.newsweek.com/2014/05/30/somaly-mam-h ly-saint-and-sinner-sex-trafficking-251642.html.

Page 19 photo from Wikimedia Commons by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison under public domain Page 20 photo by Jennifer Bedoya on Unsplash

“A Vaccine For Gun Violence”

“Did You Know?”

Donohue, John. “Ban Guns, End Shootings? How Evidence Stacks Up.” CNN, Cable News Network, 27 Aug. 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/08/27/opi ions/us-guns-evidence/index.html.

“Gun Violence by the Numbers.” Everytown Research, everytownresearch.org gun-violence-by-the-numbers/.

“Intervention Programs.” Giffords Law Center, lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/pol cy-areas/other-laws-policies/intervention-programs/.

“AP Stress - How Much Is Enough?”

Page 21 photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash Page 22 photo by Bernard Tuck on Unsplash

“Funding for the Performing Arts” Page 23-24 photo by Manuel Nageli on Unsplash

Page 27 photo by Rawpixel on Unsplash

“A Rusty Old Toyota Sienna”

Page 28 photo by Johannes Rapprich on Pexels Page 29 photo by Mauricio Masaro on Pexels Page 30 photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash

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37

notes

38

“Today, we do not observe people crossing land bridges or traversing the Red Sea anymore. But today, we do see a ‘diaspora,’ of some sort, of movements.”