2 Opinion/Editorial
2.26.21
Layout by: Makenzie Mills
Watching the news is a lot more exciting than it should be Nearly a year ago, we were hit with a crushing sense of uncertainty. Schools were closed, businesses shut down and we found ourselves scrambling for information on a virus that had already infiltrated every corner of the world. Amidst the panic of it all, I was tasked with finding new ways to pass the time now that I seemed to have plenty of it on my hands. Out of this unprecedented time came a new, if not unusual, hobby: watching the news. I’m sure I’ve already lost quite a few people, but let me explain. I had stayed somewhat informed prior to last March, but the pandemic drove me, as I’m sure it did many others, to pay more attention and stay updated on this unpredictable situation. This is how I discovered just how fun it is to flip between CNN and Fox News. For those of you who aren’t super familiar with these news channels, the short
version is that CNN tends to lean liberally in its approach to reporting while Fox News is more conservative. Therefore, I struck gold whenever their networks would cover the same topic at the same time. It was amazing how many ways a single story could be spun to fit a narrative. Instead of taking the content seriously, I was busy constantly comparing how the two channels presented a subject. Though I appreciated this tendency at the time, I recognize how problematic this is. One of the first lessons I learned as a freshman in Journalism I was the necessity for objectivity when reporting the news. While I take watching CNN or Fox News with a grain of salt, think of those who solely watch one or the other. If this is you, you’re not receiving unbiased information by viewing either program. There are situations where this can become dangerous. My mind immediately goes to the protests and riots last summer following the death of George Floyd. I was disappointed with both networks’ choices. Fox News refused
to acknowledge the existence of discrimination against the black population (side note: checking the official Federal Bureau of Prisons website’s Feb. 6 update led me to find that 38.6% of federal prisoners were black and 57.5% white at the time of the update. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that white people make up 81.6% of America while black people stand at 12.0%, mixed race 2.1%. Draw your own conclusions.). On the other side of things, CNN recognized the injustice, but simultaneously downplayed the rioting. Both versions were dangerous and divided the country further. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still get enjoyment out of flipping back and forth between these channels. However, I think it’d be best if we left the satire to podcasts and SNL. The news should stick to reporting indisputable facts. We can get our commentary elsewhere, but if we don’t have access to the unbiased truths first, it becomes impossible to know what the truth is anymore.
Deciding whether to get a new Prom dress or not I always thought I was going to get to have three Proms, considering I went my sophomore year. That is, until we got shut down last March. Then all I wondered about was if I was going to get to wear my $300 Prom dress for an actual dance or if it was just going to sit in my closet. Luckily, I did get the opportunity to wear my dress at least once for the Miss Jefferson County pageant and for senior pictures. Some girls weren’t as lucky as I was. Yes, some of them got to wear it for the pageant, but they didn’t get to wear it for anything else. Now as Prom plans are being made and juniors are buying their dresses, seniors have the choice of wearing the same dress they were supposed to wear last year or spending money on a new dress.
They have the opportunity to go into a dress shop and spend hours trying on different styles of dresses until one stands out to them. I was one of them that decided to get a new dress. A lot of time was spent talking to the other seniors, hearing out their opinions. The majority of them are wearing their dresses from last year, while the juniors and I wear brand new dresses. Being broke high school students, a lot of people just do not want to spend that kind of money on a new dress after not wearing their one from last year, which is completely understandable. I am very fortunate enough to be able to go to two Proms unlike my fellow classmates and the class of 2020, and I empathize that they didn’t get the same opportunity as I did. Not everyone is going to get the same magical experience as me and it makes me want to have another Prom. Now, let’s hope Prom 2021 is a normal experience for the classes of 2021 and 2022.
