2018 FOJ opinion project

2018 opinion projects

02

OPINIONS FEB. 23, 2017

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BY BRENDA GAO

H

ave you ever wanted to quench your fatigue with a cup of coffee and a complimentary cuddle? Well, look no further! Have you heard of cat cafés? A peaceful haven of cats, snacks, and a great environment to destress, a cat café could be the perfect (and most unconventional) solution for the tired student body.

The concept of pet cafés took off when one in Taiwan was reported by media on a massive scale nearly 20 years ago. From there the concept spread to Japan and various other countries in Asia, taking the continent by storm. Tokyo itself is home to 58 cat cafés, and according to Wikipedia, “the popularity attributed to many apartments forbidding pets, and to cats providing relaxing companionship in what may otherwise be a stressful and lonesome urban life.”

Pet cafés have long been popular in Asia and several other continents, but have run afoul of U.S. health codes. A new breed of entrepreneurs found a loophole: Partner with animal shelters to promote adoption. The U.S. has taken some further adaptations from the trend.

While Asian pet cafés mostly generate revenue like a regular café, American pet cafés often charge entrance fees or require an hourly cover charge, selling reservations online, and drinks and merchandise in house.

Some work like any regular café with complimentary cat access. Local health regulations may require separate dining and cat access rooms, specific licenses or zoning permits, and occupancy rate of the café.

What about West’s own café, Pump It Up? Survey shows that since its opening this school year, about 44 percent of West students have never even been to Pump It Up, let alone contribute to possible revenue. And as for the remaining 56 percent who have been to Pump It Up, almost 90 percent of them have only gone there five times or less, the majority going to get snacks or coffee. Personally, I’ve only been there once to check out the setup. Implementing a pet aspect could be the key to popularizing our café by attracting more possible customers. The increased traffic and appeal to stay for longer periods of time could influence more students to purchase from the café.

Another benefit can be the stress relief the cats would provide. I myself have shed tears over dumb stressors from school, but in all honesty, all I really needed was a reassuring presence. In a Harvard Health Blog post, they explain the mechanics of their on-duty therapy dog, Cooper. Cooper is open to any visitors who need a mid-day stress relief by checking him out (like a book) with their Harvard IDs. With their “less-than scientific survey”, Cooper’s presence ensures fewer complaints and a lot more smiles. (Tbh I could use some of that!) Cats and coffee would be the greatest antidepressive.

A West student who has previously been to a cat café in Japan recalls their experience. The café they went to profited from the cats, selling tickets at the front for orderly access and having them wait for their turn in line. With the tickets they were given a complimentary drink, which was either boxed green tea or boxed apple juice. (The boxed-ness prevented major spills from cats.) “We were told not to feed the cats or give them drinks. We were also not allowed to bring any outside cat toys.” With this the café sold toys at the ticket booth and made easy money. “The cat café system I went [to] is probably not good [for Pump It Up unless they] only care about money and not their customers’ satisfaction and happiness.”

Of course there’s the lingering topic -- allergies.

When I was proposing my opinion topic, most if not everybody asked me that same question, what about the people who are allergic to cats? Unfortunately, if we were to partner with an animal shelter, most cats there are domestic short/longhairs, being of mixed ancestry (like the mutts of cats) and most certainly not hypoallergenic. The simplest solution would be to separate the dining and cat access rooms (as health regulations may follow).

All technicalities aside, the overall concept of pet cafés intrigues me -- with the unique dining experience to the special mechanics of managing a pet café -- what’s there not to love? A fix of coffee and a fix of cuddles would be just the thing to brighten my day.

03

OPINION

FEB. 23, 2017

CAFE DOGS & CATS Renamed for its addition of two dogs, this café was what set off the pet café trend in 1998 when reported by media on a massive scale.

CAT’S’ REPUBLIC The first cat café in Russia, Cats’ Republic is home to the Hermitage Cats, stray cats who have protected the world-famous art collection from rats and other unwanted guests since 1745.

NEKO NO JIKAN The first cat café in Japan, Neko no Jikan is known for its relaxing atmosphere.

DESIGN BY BRENDA GAO PHOTO BY EMILY MOORE

06

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

The Magic Lives On Harry Potter has become one of the most popular and long-lasting franchises, for many different reasons; it is also one that took me some time to get into and understand the true meaning of it all.

BY EDWARD KEEN

Twenty years ago, the story of a skinny, glasses-clad 11 year old boy learning to become a wizard hit bookshelves. In the following years, six more books and eight movie adaptations would release, each of them receiving financial and critical success. To this day, the Harry Potter franchise has become an integral part of culture, spawning a dedicated group of fans and a world that has persisted. But for me, it wasn’t until years after the series ended before I realized the remarkableness of it all.

My first encounter with the series was in 2011. I went to go see the final movie without any knowledge of the series except for the fact that it was from a big franchise. As I was watching, I was enthralled by the spectacle of the movie, but felt easily bored. I did not understand the meaning of it all and gave in easily. After that, I ignored the franchise for several years, despite many people recommending that I read the books, seeing that I was already an avid reader. To this day, I can’t piece together why I didn’t give the books a chance earlier on. Was it because I felt they were too long? Too tedious? Looking back, I realize how flimsy those excuses were. I had the time and ability to read them, but for a long time, I never bothered to even attempt reading the books.

Several years later, I went to Universal Studios in Orlando, where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located. I had a lot of fun, but there was something nagging at me afterwards. Seeing people of all nationalities and ages, draped in black robes, carrying their very own wands, and their delighted expressions when they entered Hogsmeade; the way they stopped to stare at Hogwarts in the distance, the enthusiasm and nostalgic awe reflected on their faces. I knew the books were fun and very popular, but just seeing the many distinct people the franchise pulled in and how passionate they were made me feel like a stranger to it all. I really wanted to understand the world and see what it was that made the franchise so long-lasting and special.

So, finally, in sixth grade, I began reading the books. And once I started, I couldn’t stop. Within weeks, I had finished all 4,100 pages of it. At the time, I thought I finally knew what made it so popular and abiding; it is easy to read, it is charming, and who wouldn’t enjoy reading a series about a boy who meets giants and werewolves, plays a sport on a broom, and makes things happen with a wooden stick?

That was four years ago. Believe me when I say that is not why the franchise is so intimate to people. Yes, the fantasy aspects do play a part in making the franchise so successful and popular, but that isn’t that entire reason the franchise has lived on like it has today.

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OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

WI ZAR D I N G FACTS

1998 Thousands of fans line up at Universal Studios Orlando on the opening day of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on June 18, 2010.

One reason I found to be why the books’ legacy has lived on is because people can relate to the characters and events shown. There is everything listed above, while at the same time characters have to deal with issues that people have to deal with in everyday life. They have to go to school, take tests, do homework, and face issues similar to our own. The world they preside in is so different from ours, yet the issues they have to deal with are surprisingly identical to our own.

Furthermore, it is more than just a plain, generic story of an unremarkable boy, destined to do great things, who makes friends, makes substantial mistakes and fulfills his destiny in the end. It is deeper than that; it is a story of power and corruption, of family and unrequited bonds and of sacrifice and pain. All the characters make mistakes and learn important life lessons, and have to deal with issues such as depression and coping in the face of fear.

Another reason is because of the world it creates. It creates a world with intricate architecture, majestic landscapes and whimsical areas that delve into the wildest parts of imagination. The world that has been created is one so descriptive and creative that you cannot just read the books once to get all the information. It is one that many fans have kept in their mind and have longed to be real.

And - the Harry Potter books are simply just good reads. The story is full of twists, adventure and humor. The writing style is pretty straightforward - they all have a sense of lightheartedness to them even as they progressively get darker - and the books, like stated, cannot just be read once to get the full experience.

When one is feeling bored or facing hardships, the books are an easy way to cheer oneself up despite their issues; a way to escape into another world, where magic exists and they can be free.

Ultimately, the Harry Potter series is one that has impacted many people, including myself, someone who, at first, turned the series away. The reason I found it to have lasted so long is more than the fantasy aspects: it deals with actual issues, deeper themes, and creates an imaginative world that is very much like while at the same time very different from our own. Even though it is all fiction, its world and legacy still live on. As Albus Dumbledore once said, “Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

7 7.7

is when the first book was published in the United States.

books have been published and 8 movies based on them were released. billion dollars is the amount the movies have grossed worldwide.

50 0

million+ copies of Harry Potter have been sold worldwide.

STU D E NT O PI N I O N S Eddie Wilson ‘19: I think that they’re pretty good as far as books go, they show a massive amount of detail for something come up by an author and it transports you to a more interesting world. However I’m not nearly as entrenched in the fandom as other people. I don’t really understand why there’s such a large following around it.

Rain Richards ‘19: They’re good books and I think they’re probably a major part of what inspired me to tell my own stories. To this day, I love to write.

Samayya Muhammad ‘21: I really love the Harry Potter books. They are fun to read and they kept me distracted when I was dealing with hard ships. Rather than just reading the books you can connect with other Potterheads. Overall, the books are amazing and I would recommend them all.

Aditi Borde ‘21: I love them, they will forever be a part of my childhood, and I’m so grateful for JK Rowling for writing them.

Works Cited “Hogwarts Express.” Wikipedia, 15 Mar. 2015, commons.wikimedia. org/wiki/File:Hogwarts_Express_(16658835527).jpg.

“Inside the Magic.” Inside the Magic, 18 June 2010, www.insidethemagic.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/54408252.jpg.

08

WHAT’S A FEMINIST ?

OPINION FEB. 17, 2017

ADITI BORDE

day from tv shows to seeing magazines at grocery stores “You’re a feminist? Oh gosh, why do you hate men?” that objectify and make fun of women. Our own presiThis is phrase has been thrown at me countless times dent has bragged about sexually abusing women. When whenever I tell people I’m a feminist. Other times I’m people only see women as being portrayed as being weak met with an awkward silence, aggression or just general or objects that’s what they start to believe and get use to. discomfort. But why? According to Merriam Webster, the So when strong willed feminists start appearing, I can definition of feminism is the theory of political, social see that frightening a lot of people away from the idea and economic equality between the sexes. To be it was of feminism. But rather than running from it, we need obvious, feminism was great and necessary thing. Which to learn to embrace powerful women and support them, is why I was so shocked upon discovering exactly how because in the end they are the ones changing the world. controversial it really was.

Another explanation on the taboo of feminism is I have always seen feminism as a good thing, a great because of white feminism. White feminism is a form thing. And I’m not alone, when I surveyed the students of feminism that only focuses on the struggles of white of west high, approximately 89% believed that women women, which fails to address the other forms of opdeserved the same social, political and economic rights pression faced by women of color and other women as men. Yet only 70% of students that don’t have the same privilege. actually considered themselves White feminism just reinforces “ I U N DE RSTAN D WHY feminists. So if people believe in the oppressive structure and lacks WO M E N DO N ’T WANT the idea and ambition feminism, to acknowledge minority groups. why don’t they consider themselves TO PUT TH E I R VO I CES Recently, a friend of mine told me feminists? The problem seems to that feminism to her was associated TI M E AN D POWE R be linked to the connotation of the with a negative connotation because I NTO A B R AN CH O F word. of white feminism. And honestly now that she’s mentioned it, I agree.

F E M I N I SM THAT [...]

As I began researching and invesFeminism is tainted with white O N LY CO NTU N U ES TO tigating the problem, I found two feminism. It dates back into the reasons that explained the taboo 1800’s when the women’s suffrage O PPR ESS TH E M .” around the term. The first was the movement began. Black women idea that all feminists are the typical were left out of the movement, and stereotypical feminists that society weren’t encouraged to participate. likes to portray us as. Angry, man hating, bossy women White women got their right to vote in 1920, whereas take all the power for themselves. And though women black women only got it in 1965. That’s 45 years after. have every right to be angry at the patriarchy, the idea of Don’t get me wrong, the women’s suffrage movement feminism is to bring everyone together with equality, not was inspiring and crucial, but it wasn’t intersectional or to shift the balance from misogyny to misandry. To many all- inclusive. Intersectional feminism is feminism that people the word feminist has become interchangeable considers other various forms of oppression that women with man - hating. For the most part in my experience, face, other than gender. Intersectionality accounts for feminists are just strong, empowering, capable women race, religion, sexuality, disability and social economic and men who are ready to fight for what they believe in. class, and how they all relate to the problem of inequalAnd society has conditioned us to be afraid of that idea. ity. In the past years, white feminism has grown under We’ve grown up seeing society portray women as shalthe name of feminism, but it’s still an issue even today. low, brainless and weak. The media we consume everyThe annual women’s march movements that started

09

OPINION

FEB. 17, 2017

after President Trumps inauguration in 2017, feature a “pussy hat”. The hat was made in response to a comment that Trump had made on his campaign trail. But many people have concerns that it excludes and is offensive to transgender women and gender non binary people who don’t have typical female genitals. As a women of color I understand why other women don’t want to put their voice, time, and power into a branch of feminism that only strives to end sexism for straight, cis-gendered white women, but continues the aid the oppression of other women. To a lot of people feminism has become synonymous to white feminism. When in reality feminism is intersectional and fights for the equality of everyone, unlike white feminism which continues to oppress women of color, trans women and disabled women, only focuses on the struggles of white women.

A lot of people are truly feminists, they believe in the equality between men and women, however they want to be associated with the term. Real feminism is intersectional and in the end helps everyone no matter gender, race or social class. More people need to be educated on what feminism really is. Even though word itself isn’t as important as the idea and ambition behind it, having people coming together as feminists unites us, making the fight for equality much more achievable. So before you automatically dismiss yourself as a feminist, ask yourself, “Do believe that all people everywhere, deserve the same rights, respect and representation no matter their gender?” And if you answered yes, (which you should), then you’re a feminist. And there’s no shame in that.

10

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

GOLF ≠ SPORT ONE GIRL’S RANT ABOUT GOL F

BY SUMNER WALLACE

I

hate golf. It’s boring to watch, boring to play, and honestly Tiger Woods ruined anything good about it. The recent Winter Olympics in PyeongChang has made me revisit this hatred and seriously question some of the activities we’ve all agreed to consider “sports.”

It seems fair to argue that old men, riding around in golf carts while young people tote their bags around, are not athletes, and therefore, golf is not a sport. First of all, golf involves no cardio. Everyone agrees that soccer, baseball, basketball, football and volleyball are sports.

No high school would be complete without them. So what do they all have in common? Cardiovascular activity. However, golf requires no such thing. All it takes is enough balance to stand up and enough coordination to swing a club.

Golf also seems to avoid physical exertion at all costs; driving around in a cart defeats the purpose of getting exercise (although high schoolers don’t use carts, but pssh minor flaw in the argument). One begins to wonder if the point of golf is to move as little as possible while still playing eighteen holes. On top of all this, golfers sport (haha get it?) the worst “athletic wear” ever.

Tam o’shanters, visors, flat caps, knickerbockers, khakis, and more polos than are really necessary, all make you wonder if golfers are really just Jake from State Farm with a thing for hats.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Committee categorizes golf as a sport, but, to be fair, they also think equestrian (taking a horse for a walk) curling (sweeping some ice in front of a rock) and skeleton (plummeting head-first down a steep and treacherous ice track on a tiny sled) are sports. Which begs the question: at what point does something become so ridiculous that it is no longer a sport?

Technically the definition of a sport is, “...an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment” (Google Dictionary). Some high schoolers would argue that just getting off the couch while stuck under three textbooks and a bag of chips requires physical exertion and skill. I would agree, but it can’t exactly be considered competitive. Some would argue that golf requires skill and coordination, and that it can be competitive. I will concede that point.

However, it comes down to the combination of skill, competitiveness, and athleticism that really determines what can and cannot be considered sport. A significant amount of all three and it’s a sport, but any less and it’s just an overrated game.

Golf will continue to bore me and drive me to the point of watching speed walking for entertainment. I don’t suggest boycotting golf. It is in the Olympic Games after all, and golf is a game (not a sport) regardless of what the Olympic Committee says. So, I say be a little bit skeptical about golf and all the other “sports” out there, otherwise next thing you know someone will be winning gold for Monopoly in 2020.

P.S. Mini golf is also awful, but maybe regular golf would be better with windmills.

11

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

TRIPLE BOGEY

71.5

percent think cardio is required for an activity to be a sport

percent think golf is a sport

9.5

of 42 students surveyed

78.6

percent play golf

12

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

MORE THAN

JUST A LABEL

13

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

The school day just ended and you’re drained. You get on the bus and find a seat near the back. The bus rumbles on its way and you play on your phone to pass time.

You try to drown out the loud conversations of the other students.

“Gay slut! You’re disgusting.”

Someone spits on your shoe. You were just called gay because your hair is short.

Labeling people is something everyone does all the time. You do it when you call someone’s name.

Sometimes labeling someone is necessary to be able to identify them, but it should never be used to hurt or stereotype them. Many people throw harmful words around carelessly, oblivious to the damage they cause.

We are pushed to believe things in a certain way. Labeling is our way of dealing with all the differences we have and is a natural human response. Categorizing people puts our differences aside so everything is so much less complex. We do it to try to understand people and make it seem like we know them better. But that still doesn’t make labeling acceptable.

Just because everyone else does it doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. When you label someone, you are essentially putting them in a

covering up the contents. You are blindsided to who they really are, and assume that everyone in the same category is the same.

When I was at a doctor’s appointment a couple years ago, my doctor told me to stop skipping meals and assumed I was anorexic. Because I’m underweight, I’m

BY TH E

N U M B E RS

75% 95% 83%

of people get labeled/hear others getting labeled often. of people are affected by unconsious prejudice. of people misjudge others often.

anorexic, right? This type of labeling is not just a simple “oopsie” mistake. It is something that can follow someone throughout their entire life. “I think there’s a huge effect on people getting labeled,” said Alyssa Skala ‘21. “I know a lot of girls who have been called fat and they are now anorexic. That

says a lot about the effect.”

One of the labels I am most disturbed by is calling a disabled person retarded. It’s ridiculous how they are picked on about something that is out of their control.

According to CBS, 785 million people worldwide have a physical or mental disability. It’s like taking all 785 million of these very different people and putting a big fat “retard” sticker on their forehead, making them seem like the same.

Just because someone is different than you or doesn’t fit your description of “normal” doesn’t mean they should be labeled.

You will always be labeled no matter what. Whether positive or negative, whether out loud or in someone’s head, it will always happen. Some people try to avoid being labeled by being someone they aren’t. But, they can only pretend for so long. They will eventually realize they are lying to themselves and accept themselves for who they are. You don’t need anyone else’s approval. The real you is the best you.

BY ALICE MENG

16

OPINION FEB. 23, 2018

REJECTED To all the colleges out there: Please stop discriminating against Asian Americans. We’re just hopeful high school students who deserve a fair shot to our dream colleges too.

BY LILY MENG

You have a 4.0 gpa. They have a 3.7. You have a 36 ACT score. They have a 33. You’re the reigning high school girls’ swim champion in the state, president of the art club, and avid member of three STEM clubs. They have no extracurriculars, except for a videogame marathon and snack session after school everyday. You work a parttime job at a restaurant on the weekends. They netflix and chill on the weekends. You clearly seem like a better applicant to any college than they are. But, you’re Asian. They’re white. You’re rejected. They’re accepted.

Asian Americans are facing discrimination more than people of other races in the college admissions process. According to the Asian American Coalition for Education, the number of Asian applicants to Ivy League colleges has tripled since 1993, but the proportion of Asians to the whole student body has remained stagnant around 18-20%. Many Asian Americans I know are qualified applicants, but one by one, they are rejected from Ivy Leagues and prestigious schools, because they are seen as virtually the same person. Why? Because they all have stellar test scores and grades, play the piano and excel in math and the STEM field? That’s ridiculous. Each Asian is a unique individual and should be regarded as such. They have different inspirations, passions and motivations.

Just because they all have the same skin color, come from the same background and work hard does not mean they should be grouped together and seen as the “same.” They worked extremely hard in high school, maintaining good grades and test scores, piling extracurricular upon extracurricular, finding part-time jobs and volunteering at various places. They are some of the most hardworking students I’ve ever met, and don’t deserve to be punished for persevering through high school.

My problem with the college admissions process is that colleges compare Asians to other Asians, where their stats seem similar, and they find little differences between them. Therefore, they only accept a few of these Asians. For other

minorities and whites, however, they are compared with the whole applicant pool, meaning there are more chances for them to stand out against others. Asian Americans should get the same chance as other applicants, so comparing everyone to the whole applicant pool would only be fair.

BY TH E

N U M B E RS

5 43

percent of the population of public high schools in the US are Asian American. percent Asian enrollment at CalTech where race does not play a role in admissions

3.4

percent of colleges say race has considerable influence on admissions.

Besides being compared to a smaller applicant pool, Asians must also have better test scores to be seen as equal to whites and other minorities.

A study done in 2009 by the National Study of College Experience revealed that Asians must score 140 more points on the SAT than white applicants and 450 more points than black applicants to be viewed in an equal light.

I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t Affirmative Action supposed to prevent this unfair discrimination? Indeed it is. But wait, before we move on, you should familiarize yourself with this term. Affirmative Action is a set of policies created to end discrimination, especially focused on education and employment for racial minorities. It’s necessary to provide a diverse student body and to prevent racism in college

admissions. But Asians are pretty much never accounted for in Affirmative Action. It is indeed supposed to help minorities, but does it help Asian Americans? No. Instead, many white students benefit due to legacy and huge donations from their families. Asian Americans don’t have any of these advantages, since they are considered minorities in everything except college admissions, and their parents most likely immigrated to the United States, giving them no chance to have legacy. According to the Pew Research Center, 59% of the Asian population immigrated from a different country.

Asian Americans don’t have the chance for legacy because they have been excluded from American society in the past. For example, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. The law was enacted because American workers were getting frustrated that the Chinese were willing to work for cheap labor and poor conditions, and took away many of their job opportunities. Because of this, many Chinese people weren’t allowed to immigrate to the US, and ended up building lives for their families in China instead.

This continued discrimination against Asian Americans makes them want to hide their identity and heritage. On the “race box,” they leave all the options unchecked. They avoid talking about their culture and family in their essays. They avoid “typical Asian” activities like piano and math club. To make Asian American applicants feel good in their own skin, they could be compared to the whole applicant pool.

That way, all applicants would get a fair shot at getting into the school of their dreams. Don’t get me wrong; I am comfortable in my own skin and I love my culture. I love the fireworks we set off at Chinese New Year, the dumplings we snack on and the beautiful language. I wouldn’t change it for the world. No matter what, I am proud to be Asian, and something so belittling like the college admissions process should not make me think otherwise.

17

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

MIRACLE CHILD

BY ELLA SMITH

September 22, 1996. A baby was born on their parents waiting lists, but unlike school, there is not a constant cycle of bed. The delivery was unexpected, three months early, the individuals leaving and being replaced. Because of this, parents newborn’s parents were unable to make it to the hospital in time. are never sure whether there will be an opening for their child.

Consequently, there was no supply of oxygen at the ready, and When talking to Jack’s mother, Wendy Trom, she he was not breathing when Coralville police officer Shane Kron discussed how hard it is for parents to stay in the loop and updated arrived at their home. Twenty-one years later, Jack Trom lives a on information, such as rules that the government is constantly life diagnosed with moderate intellectual disability and autism. changing from state to state. Requirements for individuals

I have known Jack and his family for 11 years because like Jack to join service jobs change, and keeping informed of my friendship with his sister, Sophie Trom ‘20. We have been on all the changes depends greatly on a parent’s case manager. neighbors since I was in kindergarten. Something that you will Fortunately, Wendy and her husband, Kevin Trom, have an learn quickly about Jack is his love informative case manager that updates

BY TH E for music. Anytime I come over to them regularly and prepares them the Trom’s house, Jack will be there, for what is to happen in the future, rocking back and forth on the couch even when it is still a few years away. with his headphones in, singing

Leaving the state for a new along loudly. Another love of Jack’s service job leaves families with a 1 I N Children are diagnosed with clean slate. Although that may sound is schedules. Jack enjoys staying autism in the United States.

68 busy throughout the day, even if refreshing to some, it isn’t as appealing it’s just a trip to the grocery store. to parents of autistic children. Moving Cost of an autistic

Now that Jack has come to a new state requires updated $2 .4 individual’s lifespan with to the last year he is able to stay at psych evaluations and finding an intellectual disorder M I LLI O N West High School, he will soon be funds, which can take lots of time. pushed into the harsh reality of life While waiting, parents may have to Extra cost per year for individuals with autism. As the take off work to watch their child, to educate a student $8, 6 0 0 year draws closer to an end, Jack’s causing potential financial problems. with autism parents struggle to find a service

Observing the Trom family’s job for him. With factors such struggles to plan Jack’s future breaks as independence, social surroundings, and never-ending my heart. They all deserve more than what is being offered for waiting lists, it is hard to find a perfect match for Jack. For them in this situation. I have known Jack and his family since example, services like Good Will have a one-to-four ratio, I was in kindergarten. I have watched Jack grow and develop a with one caretaker for every four autistic individuals. Jack system that he is comfortable with. The transition out of West needs a more one-on-one relationship with his caretaker. High and into the real world makes it very easy for his system Another factor is that caretakers are allowed to have 15 to be disrupted, which can be difficult for Jack and his loved minute breaks, which is not an option for Jack, because he is ones surrounding him. Jack deserves easier access to jobs and not able to be alone for that long. Jack is currently on a couple caretakers, and I believe there are many ways to combat this issue.

N U M B E RS

PHOTO BY WENDY TROM DESIGN BY ELLA SMITH

18

OPINION FEB. 19, 2018

“Miracle Medicine”

By Marta Leira

There has always been a status quo- something you should strive to be.

Long, thick hair, bright blue eyes, Perfect skin, well.. You get the point.

Ever since I was little, I had always taken pride in my originality. Although I had felt lots of pressure to do things a certain way, I had never let anyone’s opinions of me change who I was.. That is until two months ago when I started going on Accutane, and it wasn’t an easy decision. By taking it, I felt like I had to given in to society’s expectations for me.

Why do I feel guilty for going on Accutane? Accutane is known as a “miracle medicine” that treats severe acne, which I have struggled with for three years now.

Acne has harmed me both physically and mentally in more ways than you can imagine. It’s damaging when a little kid asks you, “What’s wrong with your face?” and it hurts when your friends tell you that, “Once your skin clears you’re going to be beautiful,” like you aren’t good enough the way you are.

However, by taking this medicine, I feel I’m doing myself an injustice, throwing away a part of who I am and my originality for beauty’s sake and letting society and its messed up beauty standards get the best of me. That’s because I live in a world where as a woman, I have trained myself to believe that I have to be beautiful or I’m not worth much, but if I try and change something to achieve this, I’m trying too hard. You see, I’ve grown up in a world that has pushed and pulled and molded me to the point where I didn’t recognize myself. The first time I wore makeup, it was only mascara and it made me feel great. I started with that and moved on

to lipstick, then eyeshadow, then finally foundation and concealer. People told me that I looked great, so I felt great. I was so thankful that I had finally discovered something that would make me pretty, but it turns out that what I thought would be my saving grace turned out to be the very thing that caused me the most pain.

Towards the end of seventh grade, that all changed. Makeup went from being an enhancement to a mask that I hid behind.

Makeup’s purpose for me was never a form of self expression or something that empowered me; it was actually the opposite. I wore makeup to make me look normal, to make me fit in. I felt that without it I wasn’t good enough, so everyday I piled on the foundation and the concealer and watched myself turn into a completely different person. It wasn’t to make me feel better about myself or a form of self expression; it was something that was supposed to make me look more attractive to other people. I was supposed to wear makeup to cover up all of my flaws, but it was supposed to look natural, not noticable.

We’re told to wear makeup but not too

19

OPINION

FEB. 19, 2018

much. Do our hair but not overdo it. Workout but not be too muscular, and dress in form fitting clothing but don’t show too much skin (because god forbid a man be distracted by my collarbone.) Who makes the rules? Who decided what’s beautiful and what’s not? Why do we give them power over us?

In no way am I trying to shame anyone who chooses to look a certain way. Instead, I hope to shine a light on the enormous amount of pressure that is put on people, especially teenage girls, on what they can and cannot do. We live in a world where posts are “me versus other girls,” women shaming other women for wanting to wear makeup or dress up. I’ll admit, I’ve said my fair share of “I’m not that type of girl” and I sincerely apologize to anyone who’s heard any of those types of comments.

Girls should support and uplift each other rather than try to compete and bring each other down.

My decision of whether or not to go on Accutane was not easy. I had to weigh many pros and cons.

The medicine has many serious side effects and is a big time commitment. Ultimately, I realized that many aspects of this decision were controlled by fear: fear of what other people would say, fear of what other people would think and most importantly, fear that I wouldn’t be good enough, that I wouldn’t fit society’s expectations, that I would fail.

I was doing things for the wrong reasons because I wasn’t doing them for myself. I was even nervous to write this article out of fear of being judged. But then I realized I haven’t done anything wrong. This wasn’t something I could control, but now it is. I have to practice what I preach so going on Accutane and writing this article is my “screw you” to society.

It’s me taking back the power, taking control over something that’s haunted me for so long and trying to encourage others to do the same. Everybody has flaws, so why do we feel like we have to try so hard to hide them? I have acne and I’m no longer embarrassed.

BY TH E

N U M B E RS

50

million americans struggle with acne.

70% 86% 13

Girls believe that they are not good enough.

Of teens with acne said that it makes them a lot less confident

is the average amount of negative self thoughts a women has per day

20

PIECE OF CAKE

OPINION FEB. 22, 2017

Baking can be hard, but it doesn’t have to taste bad with these simple recipes.

BY MADELINE EPHRAIM

Y

ou poured your pride and soul into a batch of cookies. But then you leave them in the oven for too long and pull out a unrecognizable burnt mass of ruined dreams. Or you discover bugs in your flour and suddenly you find yourself pouring it down the sewer in the middle of the night. I’ve been in the same situations too many times to count. This has led me to search for recipes that someone with no apparent baking skill could manage to pull off. While searching, I found recipes that claim to work while having a suspiciously low number of ingredients. I decided to test these so-called easy recipes and see if they actually worked

TWO INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ When I heard that it was possible to make a soufflé using only two ingredients, I was skeptical. Could I actually make a notoriously difficult dish in under 20 minutes? The answer is yes. I had a successful dessert that smelled and tasted delicious. The light and flaky dish rose swiftly and cooked thoroughly. It did take three tries to create “stiff peaks” when whisking egg whites, but the result was worth it. The soufflé was easy and quick, something I could easily bake.

FIVE INGREDIENT OREO CHEESECAKE COOKIES These sugar-packed cookies were the only recipe that I thought would actually turn out, and they did for the most part. The cookies were tooth-achingly sweet, but frankly, didn’t taste all that much like cheesecake. One issue I had was that it took almost three times as long to bake them then what the recipe stated. I probably won’t make this recipe again, as it was time consuming and I wasn’t pleased with how the cookies turned out.

HOW TO MAKE IT

½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread 2 eggs 1. Separate egg yolks and egg whites into two bowls 2. Mix Nutella into the bowl with the egg whites 3. In the other bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form 4. Fold egg whites into the chocolate and egg mixture until the mixture is smooth 5. Pour the mixture into a small greased dish.

6. Cook for 15-17 minutes at 375 degrees 7. Enjoy!

HOW TO MAKE IT

4 ounces cream cheese 8 tablespoons butter ¾ cup sugar 1 cup and 2 tablespoons flour 10 Oreo cookies, broken into pieces 1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy 2. Add sugar and flour, beat well on a low speed 3. Fold in Oreo cookies 4. Refrigerate dough for an hour 5. Scoop onto a baking sheet, about two inches apart 6. Bake for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees 7. Enjoy!

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OPINION

FEB. 22, 2017

THREE INGREDIENT CREME BRULEE An issue with this recipe was that it took over four hours to make. This was a problem when trying to find enough time to be able to bake the creme brulee. Eventually I found enough time, however, and the wait was worth it. The melted sugar on top created a warm crust while the creamy insides were cold, which created a conflicting taste. I had a lot of fun cracking the crust with a spoon, probably more than I should of.

This tasted great and wasn’t complicated. This was by far my favorite recipe out of the ones I tested.

HOW TO MAKE IT

4 cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 6 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 1. Heat heavy cream and vanilla in a saucepan until hot 2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar until well mixed 3. Pour in hot cream gradually while mixing continuously 4.Put a small dish into a large roasting pan and pour hot water into the large pan 5. Pour egg mixture into small dish and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees 6. Refrigerate for two hours 7.Spread a tablespoon of sugar on top of the creme brulee. Melt the sugar using a torch or broiling the dish 8. Enjoy!

FOUR INGREDIENT MOUSSE The mousse was fast, only taking about 15 minutes to complete. Coffee creamer was added, which gave it a strong, creamy flavor. There was also a lot of room to customize the recipe, from the flavor of the creamer to the chocolate chips used. It was really sweet, so I was only able to take a few bites before the taste was overwhelming. The mousse was light and fluffy, the way it was supposed to be. I will definitely make this again, but next time use smaller portions so it’s not too overpowering.

HOW TO MAKE IT ½ cup chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vegetable oil ¼ cup coffee creamer (any flavor works) ¾ cup heavy cream 1. Place mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 minutes 2. Combine chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a small pot over low heat 3. Remove bowl and beaters from the freezer. Mix coffee creamer and heavy cream and beat until soft peaks form 4. Add melted chocolate and beat until mixture becomes light and airy 5. Refrigerate for at least an hour 6. Enjoy!

22

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

EMPLOYMENT DEPLOYMENT

BY SIMON JONES Holding a career in high school can be a wonderful and daunting thing. Here’s how extra work can benefit your mental health, your physical health, and your future.

“Extra work?” I hear you say. “Are you kidding me?!” you shout. “How can putting extra work on top of my busy schedule possibly benefit me?” Stop for one second, hear me out.

This extra work is not schoolwork, and you’ll get a lot more out of it than you think. If you’re not already working, I’m about to inform you about a decision that could change your life: employment.

Having a job can really benefit your life beyond the obvious cold hard cash most of us want to work for. Working helps not only to build your confidence but also provide you with valuable experience for life. On top of that, you’ll get to meet swathes of new, amazing people and forge new connections to the community around you. It really helps you ‘get in gear’ with life, so to speak.

While I may have started working just for the cash, I quickly came to realize that my employment not only helped me grow as a person but served to help me improve myself.

Working, especially with all of the crazy and interesting people I’ve met between my two jobs, helped me to define exactly who ‘me’ is. It’s also improved my habits, my budgeting, and my life choices. Learning all of these things now means that I don’t have to graduate and stumble into life.

“ WORKI NG, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL O F TH E CR AZY AN D I NTE R ESTI N G PEO PLE I ’ VE M ET, H E LPE D M E TO DE F I N E EX ACTLY WH O ‘ M E ’ I S.” -SI MO N J O N ES Getting into careers early can also help you during the transition from high school to the

to the job market, or alternatively, college to the job market. Learning new skills in time management, responsibility, and personal finance help you when you’re trying to balance your life.You’ll also get exposure to taxes (boo, paperwork), scheduling, time management, and most importantly: budgeting. Being employed now also helps you to discover your job preferences ahead of time. I, for one, discovered that I despise working in the service industry because of how annoying customers can be sometimes (Sorry, customers).

It will definitely serve to support you in the future, whereas others might drown in the sea that is the real world.

Speaking of the real world, personal anecdote time. I’m currently employed at the Marcus Coral Ridge theatre as well as Pita Pit (A pseudo-Greek restaurant). Two jobs may sound like a lot at first, but it’s not that big of a deal. Originally, I only needed the restaurant job for things like gas and insurance, however I picked up the movie theatre job to help pay for a trip to Europe. When the school year descended, My schedule just fit too well that I really didn’t see a reason to quit either job. I also don’t want to say goodbye to my wonderful coworkers.

A drawback to working in high school is that I have little free time. I work nearly 14 hours a week at my jobs, and I’m enrolled in AP and Honors classes. That may sound crazy, but I manage to get by. The point is that I’ve managed to balance my job, my schoolwork, and my life. If I can do that, I believe that you, the person reading this, can too. If you can manage to take on a job, do it. Trust me.

Working can change your life and teach you things about yourself you never knew.

BY TH E

NUMBERS

60.6% 21M 14 7. 25/ H R of 16-24 year olds work

That’s equivalent to

teens

is the minimum age to work in Iowa

is Iowa’s current minimum wage Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Depaartment of Labor

Q&A Where should I start working?

Service is a good industry to start your career with. Although not glamorous, flipping burgers teaches you more than doing nothing.

How many hours can I legally work in a week?

If you’re 14-15, you can work 18 hours maximum during a school week, and 40 hours maximum during a non-school week.

Do you have any more tips?

When you’re just starting out, observe your coworkers, learn from their successes and mistakes, it’s a lot better than screwing it up yourself.

Also, don’t go wild with spending.

30

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

THE DOWNFALL OF DEMOCRACY

BY ANDREW BURGESS

Let’s take a collective deep breath and dive into the political nightmares that have transpired since 2016-- a Women-Disrespecting Cheeto™ being better fit for President than Hillary “But-Her-Emails” Clinton or a well-meaning, somewhat more socialist Doc from “Back to the Future.” Or what about millennials killing every industry, Russia, and terrible political Facebook memes? About that last one, though… It might be your fault.

The downfall of democracy isn’t really the fault of neckbeards living in their parents basement and using “reeeee” in conversation, but the fault of the algorithms behind social media. When you click on a YouTube video or expand a Facebook post, the websites use tags embedded in the content as well as your usage statistics to create a disturbingly detailed profile about you; what you like, what products you might buy, your political views, anything to make you spend more time on their website. However, this profit-first mentality has its downsides.

When users use social media enough, the content they see is carefully selected for its irresistible click worthiness. Because of this, many users only see social or political opinions they already agree with. But why would I want to regularly see stuff I don’t agree with? Because democracy itself is rooted on the concept of people with different opinions discussing and orienting their views towards what’s best for themselves and society. This isn’t happening because the algorithms running social media aren’t regulated by the government. Even programmers don’t always know what data their algorithms use to generate results. As a consequence, algorithms can racially discriminate, target underprivileged people, or those facing mental illness for advertising -- all outside the responsibility of companies. As data scientist Cathy O’Neil puts it,

“ALGO RITH M S AR E O PI N IO N S E M B E DDE D I N CO DE .”

Social media can’t be our main source of news.

A medium that puts overused memes at the same level of importance of school shootings maybe isn’t the greatest source of information.

So we instead rely on the Fake News Media™ for news? Yes, but not in its present form. Traditional broadcast media are relying on the social media-inspired tactics of clickbait and appealing to emotion in order to get more clicks, and it’s damaging the news sphere. Trolling and misinformation are also rampant, as people and organizations compete for more views. In their information bubbles, the misinformation can grow to hopeless proportions, allowing the opinion-holders to completely block out any dissenting information. Instead, broadcast media needs to establish themselves as clearly less biased than social media.

Social Media Engagement, Democrats vs. Republicans

SOURCE: WWW.DIGITALCONTACT.CO.UK

Some glimmers of hope remain in our Trump-forsaken America. Facebook has redesigned its algorithms to prioritize meaningful social interaction over clicking on sensational news headlines, and as a result, people are spending 50 million fewer hours on the site.

FAKE

STATS 2752

confirmed fake Russian twitter accounts

1.4 M

Twitter users warned of exposure to Russian accounts

470 K

retweets of Trump’s posts by Russian accounts

Democracy can be saved, but it’s our responsibility. 280-character rants or text-wall Facebook posts won’t solve the problem. The only change can come from people lobbying our government to regulate corporations and hold them accountable for their influential algorithms.

24

OPINION FEB. 22, 2018

25

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

BY VIVIEN HO

The Danger of a Half Cooked Media in a Democratic Society

“Omg, did you hear?”

“What?”

“There’s a huge snow storm headed our way! We’re bound for five or six feet!”

“What?! But--it’s July! And we live in South Florida!”

“Yeah, but I just heard it on CNN news. It’s because of climate change! The storm’s starting tomorrow!”

“OH MY GOODNESS!!!!”

“Oh--wait a second. Jk, just kidding, fake news!”

“What?! But I just bought all these parkas!”

Let’s be honest: the media has a pretty large stake in all of our lives. Whether it’s newspaper, television or just sitting through the ad playing before your YouTube video, news likely has some way of reaching you. Whether it’s newsppaper, television or just sitting through the ad playing before your Youtube video, news likeily has some way of reaching youl And while the scene pictured above is rather it’s not too far from the truth of what can happen when people are presented with biased or fake news. Now more than ever, with so much doubt and contreversy circling the White House and government, it’s

By Caitlyn Hill ‘21

imperative for the media to band together to collect honest, realistic news in order to keep the public informed of what’s really going on.

For instance, the recent Trump vs. FBI scandal; many people have strong opinions on it, but how many have correct impressions of what actually happened? The facts stand as such: the FBI and the Justice Department knowingly used an anti-Trump dossier, the writing of which was funded by the Hillary Clinton presidential the writing of which was funded by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, as the basis of their court case for spying on the Trump presidential campaign, largely initiating the questions about Trump’s ties with Russia and potential Russian interference in the 2016 election. When seeking permission from Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court(FISC), the FBI neglected to mention that one of their major information sources, while not fundamentally inaccurate, had in fact been financed by the opposing campaign. o essentially, the FBI, the federal agency that is literally in charge of protecting the civil

27 OPINION

FEB. 23, 2017

additionally, can make the article rights of American citizens and hard to choke down for people guarding against corruption, has flipped and become corrupt itself in with opposing viewpoints, assuming the New York Post really an attempt to use their powers to further their own political agendas. is tellign the truth. an effective Now, even if the political agenda of solution would be for papers the FBI happens to line up with our to start by presenting the facts own, is it not terrifying to think that of the matters in a way that is the organization we trust to conduct crystal clear to readers, and professional investigations into viola- then inserting bias and opintions of U.S. laws as welll as to gather,ions--sneakily inserted political bias is a microscopic step up analyze, and asses information on planned or committed criminal acts from fake news. may spin this information towards The media is the venue through their own personal interests or give which the general public receives their information of the biased reports of investigations?

The FBI is founded on the very prem- current happenings in the world, ise of being objective in its work, but and in the recent past, the media has been exceptionally effecif they come out as actively using their powers for their own political tive at getting this information out and causing real change to gain--well, how can any of us be expected to fully trust the FBI ever occur in the world. For example, reporter Jerry Mitchell’s stelagain?

But the real tragedy here is that we lar investigative report of Civil can’t even be completely certain that Rights Era Crimes for the “Clariall the information listed here is true. on-Ledger”. Mitchell’s investigaToday’s media is so quick to politicize tion and reporting, beginning in 1989, helped to track down and and spin bias on every occurrence perpetrators of various crimes that there’s no way to be sure of what you hear from them anymore. committed during the Civil While traditionally left leaning papers like “The New York Times” largely glossed over the facts of this case in their rush to exert their own opinions on the events and to discredit anyone who’d say otherwise, right leaning papers such as “The New York Post” were a bit clearer on the facts of the matter (if facts indeed they are), but tilted the entirety of the story so far to the right in all regards that it came near to falling over. I respect the fact that different political parties have large stakes in certain papers--”The New York Post” can lean as far to the right as they want to lean once I’ve got my facts straight, but doing so beforehand is misleading and draws from thier overall credibility, and

1989, helped to track down and incarcerate perpetrators of various crimes committed during the Civil Rights Era, like the murderers of multiple Civil Rights Leaders and one of the suspects of the Alabama Church Bombing in 1963 who got off scotfree. This is an example of media that had a real impact on the world; and media today is capable of doing the very same. The only difference is in quality.

What exactly are we reading when we get our weekly subscription to “The Washington Post” or “The National Review”? Who’s behind the pen of these articles and what are their potential biases? These are all factors we have to consider every time we crack open a newspaper for turn on the news, and really, they shouldn’t be. The media shouldn’t be biased, at least not so thickly that it’s hard to tell what’s going on from reading a story. The media’s role is to inform the public--that’s the basis behind the constitutional right of Freedom of the Press. Let’s not undermine that right; papers, put the facts first and let your opinions follow.

LGBTQ+, Good or Bad? BY; Ke’Asia Mullen

LGBTQ. Lesbian. Gay. Bisexual. Transgender.

Questioning. It needs to be accepted around the world because there’s going to be lots of people all around the world that will be coming out and being proud of who they are since former President Obama legalized gay marriage. There are YouTube stars who are either Lesbian or Gay or Transgender. I look up to the LGBTQ community because they are stronger than most of the people in this world.

They go through so much backlash,either from their families or from others. I’ve talked to people who are all for LGBTQ and many, such as Laila Alcholy ‘20, say the same thing, “ It’s a positive thing for both students and others to express themselves.”

It is clear that parents are the biggest influences on how the child acts. If the parent is against LGBTQ and the child is apart of that community or even accepting of it, it will only make the child cower and believe that their thoughts are wrong. I believe that parents should be apart of their child’s life no matter what their sexual orientation may be. Kid’s look up to their parents for the proper upbringing and they value their parents opinion in every different way their is.

Colors Club, and club that meets every wednesday in room 236, talks about the LGBTQ community. Colors Club has been around for years in both middle schools and high schools. It helps students as well as teachers come out of their shell and help each other in really tough situations. Everyone around the world are inspiring each other to be who they want to be or who they actually are but they are a lot prouder.

According to “The Washington Post,” 67 percent of the world population say that, “human rights should be applied to everyone, regardless of whom they feel attracted to or the gender they identify with,” but only 16 percent of the population disagreed with that statement. With those statistics that means that only there is 17 percent of the world is neutral and it doesn’t matter to them if a person is lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, or straight. We are all people and we all need to get on board with the LGBTQ community because it will only get bigger and stronger.

34

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

33

OPINION

FEB. 22, 2018

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE BY: ELLIE BROWN

48 days into the year 2018. 18 school shootings have happened in those 48 days.

I am absolutely gutted for the family and friends who have lost people to these horrific events. I am scared and anxious to go to school because as much as we want to believe that nothing like that could ever happen at West, we have to consider that we might be the next school. This shouldn’t be something that students have to worry about, but that is the world we live in. Because school shootings are a constant and serious threat that we have to deal with in today’s society.

There are many reasons and explanations for why, but they all point to one thing: guns.

Some people have given up. I have been told multiple times by different people that nothing is going to change. No laws or restrictions have been put into place even after everything that has happened, so why should we even try. By saying that nothing is going to change you are admitting defeat and accepting the fact that school children are going to continue being shot. I disagree.

While nothing may happen right now or in the near future, I can assure people that something will change. I have hope, because our government is run by the people. And we are the people. I know I am not the only one who is sick and tired of hearing about another school shooting and being terrified to come to school. We are the next generations of voters and I know that I will not be the only one who will use their power as the people to bring necessary change to our country.

I will never understand why people feel the need to own assault rifles. It boils my blood to know that if you went out looking to find the type of gun that guy used in the Florida shooting, you wouldn’t be able to find it because they are all sold out. The enjoyBY SAYING THAT NOTHING ment that people get from buying and using IS GOING TO CHANGE OR something that can take someone’s life in less than a second is something I will never feel. I THAT IT”S NOT WORTH IT, can respect hunting as a sport and owning a YOU ARE ADMITTING DEFEAT gun to protect family and property, but why AND ACCEPTING THE FACT do you need to own a weapon that shoots 45 rounds a minute? You don’t need that to THAT SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE kill a deer or to protect yourself. There is no GOING TO CONTINUE BEING reason for these types of weapons to be out in the market, especially being sold to peoKILLED. ple who can’t even legally drink yet. We don’t trust these people with alcohol and yet we When I get into arguments with people trust them with something that can take the about this, which happens a lot, their first lives of so many with the twitch of a finger? argument is that even if laws were put into place restricting the sale of guns, it is not going to stop these things from happening.

MASS MURDERS AT People who are this determined will find a SCHOOLS SINCE way to get a gun even with laws and restrictions. While restrictions may not stop COLUMBINE everyone, I believe that it could prevent at least one or more of these horrific incidents.

PEOPLE KILLED We can’t just say that if it doesn’t stop all shootings from happening then what’s the IN THOSE MASS point. It doesn’t have to be perfect for it be worth it. If stricter gun control laws MURDERS to or banning assault rifles could stop twenty innocent school children from dying (just a SHOOTINGS PER WEEK, fraction of those killed by guns every year), it worth it? These laws may not be able ON AVERAGE, ON A isn’t to prevent every shooting and death that CAMPUS SINCE 2015 happen, but every life is worth something.

Shouldn’t we try to save as many as we can?

Source: ABC news, 2016

50

147 1

IF YOU WENT LOOKING FOR THE TYPE OF GUN THE GUY USED IN THE FLORIDA SHOOTING, YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO FIND IT, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL SOLD OUT. What do cars and guns have in common?

They are both used as necessities, for fun, and both can kill people. However these two industries are very different. For one, the car industry spends millions of dollars a year to make their products safer for drivers. There are also many restrictions on driving. There are licensing requirements, speed limits, and age/mental/capability restrictions. And cars have vehicle identification numbers (VINs) so the police can track cars as needed. Cars are built with bumpers and airbags, not spikes and flame throwers. So while the car industry strives for safety, the gun industry is constantly working on ways to make their products more deadly and destructive. One is highly regulated with people having to meet age and capabilities requirements. The other prides itself on being easy to buy and use. These products are being used to mow down teachers, students, children, churchgoers, movie lovers, and family members.

No car does that, unless on accident. And yet they have more restrictions than guns.

We need action, not just prays and thoughts.

This keeps happening over and over again.

A shooting happens, there are thoughts and prayers from politicians and everyone, the people demand change, and nothing ever changes. Then the media moves on and so do we until the next shooting where we go through this all again. When does this cycle end? When are politicians going to stop praying and start acting? What does it take for people to realize that something needs to change? Well, for me it was this shooting. I am tired of nothing happening to prevent children from being murdered. I am done just sitting and waiting until the next one. I made a promise to myself that I am going to use my voice to try and prevent more innocent children from dying. Something needs to change, and it starts with us.

34

OPINION FEB. 23, 2018

STORE BOUGHT MACARONS VS HOMEMADE MACARONS We test out a homemade macaron recipe and compare it to store bought macarons to see which is more worth it.

By: Claudia Chia PREPARATION 1. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift 1 cup almond flour, 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar, and 2 tbs. cocoa powder.

3. In a mixing bowl, beat 3 egg whites with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and with mixer on high, continue to beat until egg whites are stiff peaks. Add another 1/3 of the sugar and beat again until egg whites are back to stiff peaks.

Repeat with last 1/3 of sugar, beating until whites are shiny and fluffy.

4. Add sifted ingredients to the bowl. With a spatula, fold the mixture into the egg whites, until the batter falls on itself but a slight peak remains.

5. Pipe batter onto prepared baking tray into 1 ½ inch disks with piping bag.

6. Lift and drop the baking tray onto a hard surface 2-3 times to smooth out the batter and knock out any air bubbles. Allow cookies to rest at room temperature for one hour, until a skin forms on the surface of the cookies.

7. Preheat oven to 285˚F. 8. To make the filling, beat 1/2 cup butter, 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla extract until light and fluffy.

9. After about one hour, gently brush the top a cookie with your finger to check that a skin has formed. The batter should not stick to your finger, if it does, allow to set for an additional 15 minutes.

10. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cookies peel away from the parchment when lifted.

11. Allow the cookie shells to cool completely.

12. Pipe the butter-cream frosting onto the bottom side of a cooled shell and sandwich together with a similarly sized cookie. *Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

REVIEWS Julie Xian ‘20: I prefer homemade since the buttercream filling contrast well with the base flavor.

Ruth Miller ‘1: I preferred the homemade one because the texture was smooth and the filling was sweeter.

Anna Moses ‘19: Homemade: filling was way better.

Perry Heredia ‘21: Homemade because less fudgy and filling is much better.

Madeline Ohl ‘19: I like the homemade ones better because they have a better flavor, more chocolaty and less eggy.

Nathaniel Nelson ‘20- I preferred the homemade macarons because of the filling and contrast in flavors.

Shawn Thacker ‘18: The mouthful of the creme of the homemade macaron surpassed that of the alternative in both texture and quality.

WHICH WON? I personally prefer the homemade macarons over the store bought macarons. Baking the macarons was not too difficult and was a fun experience, despite the longer prep time. You are rewarded with a fresh, crisp yet soft, and light delight of a dessert. With homemade macarons, you can experiment with different flavors of the cookies and filling. Although homemade is more expensive, you can continue using your ingredients to make future batches. With store bought macarons, you get more artificially sweet and processed macarons. Overall, homemade macarons is my winner.

35

OPINION

FEB. 23, 2018

36

OPINION FEB. 23, 2018

EIGHT TO FIVE Eight steps for five yards, a fundamental of the marching arts.

FAVORITES DCI

By Chen-You Wu “Why would you voluntarily do that?” That’s the typical response I get from my peers when I tell what I’m doing drum corps this summer. Actually, the first question is, “What’s that?” since no one even knows what that is. After I explain to them that’s similar to marching band, but at a much more intense level, their surprise and shock is very apparent.

You see, marching band season at West High is pretty widely disliked by the majority of band members. Many think it’s a waste of time. Some do find it kind of enjoyable, if only for the social part, such as hanging out friends at the football games and socializing with the other band members they don’t see throughout the year (there’s four different concert bands). But very few actually enjoy the activity of marching band itself, and one of those people is me.

I must admit, marching band at West tends to very frustrating. Since people don’t enjoy, they put forth no effort. People aren’t very good at marching and show no drive to improve. Most also tend to treat marching band as a time when musicality and musicianship don’t apply, which means everyone plays as loud as they possibly can, and everything just sounds pretty bad. Everyone also tends to treat marching band as time to socialize, so no one pays attention and makes rehearsing very annoying.

I personally believe that if we were to compete as a marching band, such as Prairie High up in Cedar Rapids, then it would make the experience more enjoyable. We don’t have to win or do well, but the motivation that comes from the want to do well in a competition would help everyone. People would actually want to improve, which means the overall activity would become much more fun.

OF

Sure, more time commitment would be necessary, especially during the summer, but if you treat it like a summer camp, then there’s no problem.

Also, competitive marching band is a fairly physical activity, so that could actually fulfill the PE requirement, if the district would agree.

If you care about the social aspect, competitive marching actually fosters closer relationships with your peers. The extra time spent together all working together for a certain goal actually makes competitive marching bands a family, as members like to say.

Unfortunately, I know that West High will never switch to competitive marching program. We’re raised in a band program where concert band is the main focus, and so the directors share those beliefs. This is really the main reason why everyone to hate marching band. It’s just simply attitude.

And honestly, that’s fine with me. I’ll live without marching competitively as a high school, even though sometimes it’s really a pain.

It’s actually because of my want to march competitively that I’m doing drum corps this summer.

Since I can’t get that experience through West, I decided to find a different alternative. Drum corps is a full-time summer commitment, and the activity is similar to high school marching band.

The main difference being that it’s done at a very high level of proficiency and is quite intense. Drum corps can be basically explained as the NFL or NBA of the marching arts. So for those who actually enjoy marching band as an activity, I highly encourage you to check out drum corps on YouTube, and maybe even participate in the activity yourself.

Photo

by Zach Ashcraft from Music and Marching used with permission

This is a list of some of my favorite recent DCI (Drum Corps Internatinal) shows or highlights that you can find online (YouTube or Daily Motion). This is by no means all of my favorite moments, just some of them. I encourage you to check these videos out!

Phantom Regiment Spartacus-2008 Into the Light-2010 Juliet-2011 Turandot-2012 City of Light-2015 Voice of Promise-2016

Bluecoats To Look for America-2013 Tilt-2014 Kinetic Noise-2015 Downside Up-2016 Jagged Line-2017

Carolina Crown Rach Star-2011 E=mc^2-2013 Inferno-2015 Relentless-2016 It Is-2017

Santa Clara Vanguard Ballet for Martha-2009 Les Miserables-2013 Ouroboros-2017

Blue Devils

Felliniesque-2014 Metamorph-2017

The Hierarchy of the Iowa City West High Band Imagine you are a high school student and you decide to try and audition for a higher band. You find out that there aren’t any spots left for your instrument so you quit the idea. When all of the audition results are released you find out that an extra student had been added to your section when there shouldn’t have been any spots left!

The West High Band program consists of 250 to about 300 musicians, with all of them at a different level of musicianship.

That is the reason why there are four bands available for all levels of players with a set number of parts for each instrument. But the placement system does not always reflect the purpose of having multiple bands. Most of the reasons why are not the directors fault or anything. It just happens and we have to deal with it.

BY CHRIS KIM Reason #1 Having too many students.

As seniors leave and freshmen register, the numbers are always different. Some years might have more seniors than freshmen and vice versa. This can create a problem in band placement.

Especially when there are a limited number of spots available for most instruments. For example, the average concert band would not have multiple baritone saxophones. Having only one is sufficient for the band. But there are times when more than one good player use the same instrument but meet the criteria for the same band. That is when overflowing can happen and you end up with more players than what is needed.

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Reason #2 No downgrades

Once you are accepted into the highest band you do not have to do any more auditions for bands or anything. But if someone gets accepted with you, neither of you can get downgraded into a different band which causes problems for the lower bands since there may be no players for them to use. For example, If two bass trombone players get accepted into a band and there are not other bass trombone players for the other band. No one moves or changes bands because having a bass trombone is not really a requirement.

But having one would definitely help in the performances.

Overall, there can be many evident problems in any bands placement system and most of these problems are made accidently or caused without any foresight of how it would affect the band.

As players come and leave, problems will seep through and disappear. We just have to deal with them when they are problems.

DYING

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OPINION FEB. 22, 2017

FOR A CHANGE Why America needs to fix its botched healthcare system

BY ANNABEL HENDRICKSON

T

hroughout US history, healthcare has been considered a right, not a privilege. In the preamble of the US Constitution, it states that the purpose of the constitution is to “promote the general welfare of the people”. The constitution is telling us that healthcare should be affordable and public to all people as a genuine human right, yet the US still doesn’t have free, nationwide healthcare.

Going back even farther in US history, the Declaration of Independence states that all men have “unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness”. Since we have the right to “Life”, we should have the right to affordable healthcare that allows us to live healthy lives.

Not only is affordable healthcare a human right, it’s just plain ethical. According to a 2014 US Census, 33 million people in the US don’t have health insurance. That’s 33 million Americans not knowing what the future holds for them if they get injured or need medical attention. Thirty three million worrying about their families. Thirty three million lives at stake. The government provides public schooling, law enforcement, road maintenance, and so many other

GET THE

WORD OUT Visit MoveOn.org Petitions to start a petition or sign them

BY TH E

N U M B E RS

Healthcare companies make money when their clients don’t need medical attention, and lose money when they do. Companies should not be making out of 34 countries in the Organization for Economic Co- profits on a basic human need, and allowing them to make profits off our operation and Development ailments just causes them to jack up don’t have free healthcare prices on medicines and procedures. The drug Daraprim, a medicine used to treat million Americans licing without healthcare infectious diseases, went from $13.50 a tablet to $750 a tablet, practically overnight. Daraprim is just one of the many million uninsured examples of how unregulated healthcare wroking-age companies thrive at citizens’ expense Americans with chronic conditions in the free market healthcare system-health care premiums are predicted to rise as much as 50 percent in the coming services, so why shouldn’t it provide public healthcare too? It’s astonishing to year.

Healthcare in America is appalling, me that innocent families can go bankand we need it to change. If you believe rupt from something that’s absolutely that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, pertinent to survival, and the current stand up and say so. Don’t let your voice government is doing nothing to help. go unheard, keep signing and creating I’ve had firsthand experiences with petitions until something changes. Make the United States’ insanely high medical a difference so families like mine won’t bills. Last spring, my whole family was have to suffer any more than we already involved in a car accident, injuring us have.

We need to convey to our governall. Before insurance, my hospital bills ment that affordable healthcare is an alone cost nearly $400,000, and bills are issue that will never go away until they still arriving. That number doesn’t even do something about it. include the rest of my family’s medical expenses. While looking through bills, I found that it cost roughly $2000 to insert a picc line, and around $4000 to be in critical care for a just few hours.

Fortunately for my family, we had good insurance that covered most of the costs, but luck should not be a factor in whether or not a family gets the necessary healthcare or goes bankrupt.

4 17 11.4

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OPINION

FEB 23, 2018

Esperanto: Simple but Functional OFTEN, STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO LEARN LANGUAGES AT SCHOOL TEACHING ESPERANTO COULD REMEDY THAT.

By Patrick Taylor

M

any students detest learning a language. Learning all the irregular verbs all the tenses can be exhausting. In many ways, it is a hard task. Students raised in an English speaking household do not know how to learn a language, nor do they know many of the grammatical terms in languages. One concept many students struggle with is tense, particularly irregular verbs. People in my French class complain about how many irregulars there are in the French. There is one language that has no irregular verbs, many English cognates, and only four tenses. This language is Esperanto.

Esperanto was created in the late 1800’s by a Polish Ophthalmologist, L.L. Zamenhof, who grew up the town of Bialystok, in modern-day Belarus. In his hometown, four languages where spoken: Russian, Polish, Yiddish, and German. It led to a sort of segregation in the town: people would not speak to those who did not know their language. He would later study many languages in college, and decided to create a simple, easy to learn and understand language.

The vocabulary is mostly based on Romance language family vocabulary, though there are some German, Slavic, and Greek influence.

The last letters of each word have significance: If a word ends in an -o, it is a subject noun, -on is an object noun, -s is a verb, -a is an adjective, -e is an adverb. There are four main tenses: Past, Present, Future, and Conditional. Because it is simple to learn, it would likely only take English speakers 1.5 years to become mostly fluent in the language, according to the Paderborn in. Its simple vocabulary and grammar would make it accessible to speakers of non-Indo-European languages, such as Mandarin. Since America is one of the dominant nations on earth, if we start teaching students Esperanto, we can encourage it on a global stage. Other countries would also likely start teaching it, since it is simpler to learn.

It has value in the classroom, too. A study by Columbia University in the 1930’s showed that learning Esperanto before taking another language such as Latin, French or German, improves the students later learning of another language. Unlike other Languages, Esperanto is simplified, so people can learn about languages, but do not need to learn the complexities that take extra time to learn and slow the language-learning process down. This is why they offer Esperanto as a part of the national sixth grade curriculum. Since it only takes a year to learn, teachers could easily learn enough, combined with a program, to teach it. The best year to teach it would be in sixth grade, as students are old enough to learn languages, but it will not take time away from other classes needed in Junior High.

LEARN SOME ESPERANTO • • • •

Hello: Saluton How are you?: Kiel vi fartas?

I am fine: Mi fartas bone.

My friends speaks Esperanto: Mia amikoj parolas Esperanton.

• I am an American: Mi estas Amerika.

• I will learn Esperanto: Mi lernos Esperanto.

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N EWS

Marijuana

FEB. 17, 2017

Marijuana is coming back into our lives as you know it. What are positives and negative effects of marijuana though?

By: Hunter Herman

History of Marijuana

Hemp, in other words, Marijuana was declared dangerous and a threat to billion dollar enterprises such as tobacco in September of 1937. For these companies to remain in power, hemp had to go. This lead men to push hemp throughout America even if it was illegal.

Why it should be legal

Why it’s coming back

Today, Hemp is coming back due to the many positive effects that have been shown. Effects such as millions of people with mild-tosevere health complications. Also the fact that marijuana smokers experience happier moods, increase in appetite, and sense of well being truly suggests that the benefits of marijuana are worth using and legalizing it. From legalizing recreational marijuana, the government can tax it like alcohol and benefit from tax money.

Marijuana should become legal because it has many benefits towards your health such as control epileptic seizures, stops cancer from spreading, helps Veterans with PTSD, and may even decrease anxiety. Marijuana can help many illnesses but we can forget what benefits us the most from it, money. Money in today’s world powers everything that runs, our Government can benefit from the excess cash coming in from recreational marijuana. In 2015, Colorado brought in $121 Million dollars to the state after recreational.

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When I lived in Colorado When marijuana first became legal in 2012, Colorado was one of the few states that legalize it. After a while I started to notice some changes around my town and the towns I lived by. I lived in Woodland Park Colorado at the time, the surrounding towns which were Divide, Manitou, and the City of Colorado springs. Tax money from marijuana helped these towns and city around me such as getting new books for some of the schools, getting roads fixed, and more businesses opening up. Colorado also got more tourist which lead our towns that were not clean or businesses that were not clean to clean up and look presentable. People around my town were much more happier as in more accepting of anyone who passed by and of people who lived in our town. Colorado also saw decreases in overall crime rates, violent crimes, and property crimes after the legalization of marijuana.

Pros Creates Jobs Jobs such as a grower, owner of a business, researcher, etc.

Helps illness Helps to reduce seizures, helps veterans with PTSD, etc.

Cons Brain Damage Adolescent brains but so is alcohol and tobacco.

Slower Reaction time Marijuana emergency room admissions are reported at the rate of 1,250 a day and 455,000 a year.

FEB. 17, 2017

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OPINION FEB. 23 2018

THE SHARKS IN OUR SOCIETY

By Bernardo Perez

At a first look, “West Side Story” is a fun musical with upbeat music, with a modern twist on the classic “Romeo and Juliet.” It comes ripe with good humor, fun action, and a sweet romance. However, all this comes at the expense of a group of people largely prevalent throughout the show. Puerto Ricans.

Who is who?

West Side Story

Romeo and Juliet

Jets

Montagues

Tony

Romeo

Riff

Mercutio

Sharks

Capulets

Maria

Juliet

Bernardo

Tybalt

Anita

Nurse

“West Side Story” was originally intended to be about the rivalry between Jews and Catholics. However, because of the high levels of gang violence and immigration at the time, the director adapted it to be about Puerto Ricans and Poles. The play is written by a white male who was most likely not very knowledgeable about Puerto Rican culture. As the culture is portrayed through his personal point of view,many misconceptions about Puerto Rican culture occur throughout the show. For example, the show portrays Puerto Ricans as gang members called “The Sharks”, placing emphasis on their stereotyped viciousness and tendency for violence. Puerto Rican men are shown to feel superior over women in the show. In the script, one of the men named Bernardo states, “Back home, women know their place.” These statements lead to the poor cultural understandings people have about Puerto Ricans. People argue that even though these statements are offensive, both the Poles and the Puerto Ricans are viewed as gangs and have negative stereotypes towards both of them. The problem with this is that Hispanics have been and continue to be the target of racism, not whites. In addition, people are very unlikely to get any other exposure to Puerto Ricans in popular culture, due to the lack of representation they have in any other productions or forms of entertainment. Seldom are they remembered to be in anything else, and because of “West Side Story”’s popularity, this is how people tend to remember them.

Now, this show is coming to West High School, being put on by Theatre West. Despite the skewed perspective of Puerto Ricans portrayed in the show, this is still a good show to be put on by students. It is an entertaining show which requires the actors to have a good amount of skill. It also interests a wide variety of people due to its popularity. However, I urge people to learn more about Puerto Rican history and reflect on matters of racial stereotypes. This musical was written in 1961, a time when the country was still struggling with civil rights. The passing of time has changed the way we look at issues involving race. We as a society should be more willing to expand our viewpoints when it comes to the culture of other people. Theater West has done a good job at adapting the script to be more educational and less offensive. Lucy Polyak ‘19 plays the role of one of the lead Puerto Ricans in the show, Anita. “Ro and Narah wouldn’t have us doing anything that we weren’t comfortable with, that the theater program wasn’t comfortable with. I feel all the lines that were left in show the impact of racism on American culture and what it does to people.” As shown by Theater West, people can still learn from this production by using this play as a takeoff board to educate themselves, as well as to avoid ignorance this show has caused in the past.