OP/ E D
OP/ED
MARCH 6, 2020 | 7
G A TE POST
Guidance
THE GATEPOST EDITORIAL
Xenophobia will not make you any safer The recent fear concerning the coronavirus pandemic has raised awareness about washing your hands on a massive scale. Unfortunately, a more insidious side effect has emerged from conversations about the coronavirus - the uncalled for racism and xenophobia toward Asian communities. Because the coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, multiple incidents of racism have been directed toward people of Asian descent throughout the United States. A recent CNN article reported on a Los Angeles man who proclaimed Chinese people are “filthy” and falsely claimed “every disease has come from China.” The Los Angeles Times also reported people have been avoiding Chinatown in Los Angeles, despite the San Francisco health officials saying there is no reason to avoid social gatherings or restaurants. According to NPR, an Asian-American woman in Washington D.C. was confronted by a man on public transit who told her to “Get out of here and go back to China.” And yes, incidents of Asian prejudice due to the coronavirus have happened in Boston. Also reported in the NPR article was a Boston resident who recalled a man yelling “Cover your f****** mouth” at her after she sneezed. She was also called a “diseased Chinese person” by him. That is simply not acceptable. It’s nothing short of blatant racism. They are all attacks on people for no reason other than the ethnic background. This is not to forget the more unspoken instances of racism - giving side eye on the bus, frantically grabbing tissues, and crossing the street to avoid contact when in the presence of someone of Asian descent. While these instances may not appear to be as serious as other forms of racism, they can leave a harmful impact on those in the Asian community, making them feel ostracized solely because of their heritage. This isn’t East Asia vs. the rest of the world. It is a rising, global pandemic being used as an opportunity to spread fear and fuel a pandemic of racism in this country. However, this isn’t an issue exclusive to the United States. There have been violent incidents around the world. Another article published by CNN reported that a 23-year old Chinese student in London was assaulted and told, “I don’t want your coronavirus in my country.” The attack resulted in multiple face fractures for the student, who may require reconstructive surgery, according to the student’s doctors. Some media outlets are also fueling the flame of racism rather than trying to extinguish them. The New York Post recently published an article covering the first positive coronavirus diagnosis in Manhattan. The article featured a photograph of an Asian-American man, even though the person with the diagnosis was an American woman in her thirties who recently returned from a trip to Iran. Yes, it is important that we are all washing our hands and coughing into our elbows - but it is even more important that we don’t forget how to be decent human beings. We are all worried about what coronavirus has in store for the world, but mass panic will not help us combat this virus - and neither will appalling racist behavior. Don’t let your actions be led by fear - we’re better than this?
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Put those rainbow sprinkles away
By Ashley Wall Editor-in-Chief
By Donald Halsing Editorial Staff The “sprinkles vs. jimmies” debate has consumed the minds of New Englanders for generations. Most often, confectionary enthusiasts might consider “sprinkles” to be tiny, colorful pieces of delight, while “jimmies” refer to the chocolatey nuggets of goodness. A bad selection at the ice cream shop will leave you immediately disappointed - choosing the wrong sprinkle flavor could haunt you for decades. However, we don’t care about what your great Aunt Sue from Back Bay names sprinkles. We know that - regardless of flavor - the popular topping should be called sprinkles, not jimmies. What we should really be focusing on is the rainbow vs. chocolate debate. Which sprinkle flavor ranks supreme? The two contenders have the same shape and size, but their colors and consistency vary greatly. Chocolate sprinkles are infused with cocoa, which gives them the taste we all crave and a little something extra atop your classic vanilla ice cream. Their smooth texture and crunch provide foodies with the opportunity to satisfy their chocolate desires. The challenger - rainbow sprinkles - may dress the top of your ice cream with many colors, but they don’t add anything special to your dessert. Whether your sweets turn out like Rachel Ray’s, Martha Stewart’s, or something out of Netflix’s “Nailed It,” chocolate sprinkles will be the savior to all of your baking desires. Rainbow sprinkles atop disastrous desserts look like a preschooler’s art project, while chocolate sprinkles blend in well and provide a sophisticated touch. Millennials and Gen-Z, if you define your kitchen skills as subpar - we’re with you! Chocolate sprinkles provide the ease of opening a plastic cap and pouring them atop your Ben and Jerry’s. While pouring rainbow sprinkles provides this same satisfying action, they also contribute an unfortunate addition to your bowl of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Although the colors may seem magical living along an ice cream counter, don’t let their appearances fool you. Rainbow sprinkles have no flavor whatsoever: they are tiny flavorless lumps consisting of corn starch, carnauba wax, and artificial colors - yum! Let’s be real: rainbow sprinkles are lacking in all areas. Just like a dropped ice cream cone, rainbow sprinkles ultimately end in disappointment. Even in baking, the rainbow variety offers no fun to funfetti, but instead a strange crunch in your favorite birthday cake. It’s time to settle this argument once and for all. The verb “sprinkle” means to scatter or pour drops or particles over something. Do you really want to be dropping flavorless chunks of corn starch and wax over your ice cream? Which confectionary delights you sprinkle on your desserts says something important about you. Sprinkles are a tool used to make other foods better choose your sprinkle wisely! Chocolate sprinkles offer a splash of gusto to anything they fall upon. Rainbow sprinkles detract from the dishes they desecrate, forming a barrier of sugary nothingness sulking in the way of spoons digging for dessert. Think of the spoons! Shoving your scooper into a pile of rainbow sprinkles is an inhumane crime! Whether you spread your sprinkles over frozen treats or drop your delights into cake batter, picking the wrong type of sprinkle could lead to disappointment for you and those around you. So, the next time you head to your favorite ice cream shop remember this: the screaming toddler is upset for a reason. Choosing between sprinkle flavors is hard! Pick the right sprinkle.
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