Serendipity

serendipity. volume 1, issue 1

may 23, 2016

intro.wsspaper.com

gossip: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically

rumors talk

involving details that are not confirmed as being true spread

whisper tell tales tattle dish the dirt information

about the behavior and personal lives of other people rumor or report of an intimate nature light familiar talk or writing hearsay small talk scandalous malicious chatter gabbler rumormonger juicy gossip.

gossip.

Telling Tales Page 9

COMPILED BY LILY WESTEMEYER

4 Salvaging your Summer

Contents 6 8 Behind the Curtain

The Unexpected Artist

9

12 Cover Story: Telling Tales

14

13

Such Great Heights

Civil War Review

Gracie Rechkemmer

Anjali Huynh

Pareen Mhatre

Lauren Katz

Opinions

16 Back Page

2 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

COVER DESIGN BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER COVER PHOTO BY PAREEN MHATRE

“Swear yourself to the mother “I won’t appeal to the duck or you will be banished, peas- Velveeta crowd.” ants!”

“I have all these raps in my head and I can’t express them.”

“Pineapple socks... your argument is invalid.”

“Dementors are basically performing reverse CPR.” “My hair’s pretty resilient...”

“When can we plant Obama’s hair?”

“I put gel in my afro to make it smaller.”

“She’s distracting me with her collarbone.”

“Here, chew this kiwi for me.”

“I am the lesbian mob.”

“Lord, bless our mac and cheese, and please take this communism away from us.”

“Care Bears are NOT prostitutes!”

“Stop smacking the pancakes!”

“Minivans are the new black.”

A conglomeration of crazy sayings overheard from West High students INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 3 DESIGN BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER

Salvaging your summer Though it may seem as if our dull Iowa town has nothing left to offer, Serendipity reveals local activities to spice up your #summer2k16.

BY ANJALI HUYNH Your life is over. You just finished the last episode of Grey’s Anatomy in tears, with the disheartening realization that this was the final remaining show that even slightly piqued your interest.

Your friends have all abandoned you for exotic, faraway places you could only dream of. It’s June, barely a week after school has ended, and you’re already bored beyond belief.

If this sounds familiar to you, look no further - this guide is here to save you from this familiar summer crisis, rescuing your summer one local activity at a time. From art festivals to outdoor concerts, our diverse city is overflowing with places to be and events to see that will quench your summer thirst for innovative staycation alternatives.

Iowa Arts Festival: June 3-5 Downtown Iowa City This weekend-long annual event kicks off Summer of the Arts and will be showcasing over 115 local and national artists. Summer of the Arts will also include a live music festival, featuring a variety of musicians ranging from local community members in the Iowa City Community Band to well-known American singer-songwriters like Aoief O’Donovan. If the arts just aren’t for you, the culinary row features food from BBQ to funnel cakes to Indian to Greek, and is a great way to fulfill your summer hunger.

This is the most awaited, must-see local summer event that you won’t want to miss.

City Circle Productions: June 17-19 Coralville Center for Performing Arts (CCPA) Missing the Theatre West magic? City Circle Acting Company (CCA) will be presenting the classic In the Heights at the Coralville Performing Arts Center this upcoming June.

In The Heights, written by Lin Manuel-Miranda, follows the lives of Latin-American residents of Washington Heights, a Latin-American community in New York City. This production features a variety of music from hip-hop to salsa to soul and is a unique production sure to delight many.

Katherine Yacopucci ‘20 has participated in several CCA productions prior to In the Heights and believes that this musical will rise to the prior greatness of previous shows. “It looks like it’s going to be very, very fun,” Yacopucci said. “The songs are very upbeat and fun...and the director has mentioned a lot of very cool set ideas. It’s going to be awesome, so you should definitely come see it.”

It’s going to be awesome, so you should definitely come see it.”

-Katherine Yacopucci ‘20 4 MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

Sidewalk Sales: July 22-24 Downtown Iowa City Tired of returning to the same stores at Coral Ridge over and over again? Pained by the expensive prices of overrated designer stores? Sidewalk Sales may be the place for you. Since 1968, downtown Iowa City sidewalks have been littered with tents and tables set up by your community businesses, and it’s back for its 47th annual summer event. Come experience this three-day shopping phenomenon to find the best items and prices your local vendors have to offer.

Iowa City Jazz Festival: July 13 In front of the Old Capitol and on Clinton St./Iowa Ave. Having occurred every summer since 1991, the Iowa City Jazz Festival is back to fulfill your taste for groovy, up-and-coming, summer jazz jams. Located at your fingertips in downtown Iowa City, world-class musicians, such as Grammy-winning Latin artist Poncho Sanchez, will be featured at this weekend-long event, ending with a bang for the Fourth of July.

Johnson County Fair: July 25-28 Johnson County Fairgrounds 4265 Oak Crest Hill Rd SE Iowa City, IA 52246 If the trek to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair seems too far of a journey to make, try the local Johnson County fair instead.

Filled with animals showings, mechanical rides and tremendous amounts of food, this event has something for everyone.

Senior Kara Schueler will be participating in her eighth year with the fair and is excited to be a part of it once again. “The Johnson County Fair is always my favorite part of the whole year [because] it’s really been a life changing experience,” she said. “I’ve met so many people there and I always have so much fun. It’s just a really fun place to go with your friends [to] ride rides, eat food, and just hangout and enjoy the summer weather.

In addition to this, some of the finest musicians from both City and West High Schools will be combined to form the United Jazz Ensemble. West band director Rich Medd is one of the conductors for this extraordinary group and has played a large role in the jazz festival because of this.“The Iowa City Jazz Festival is an annual event held in downtown Iowa City, featuring some of the best jazz musicians in the world for free, right here in Iowa City,” Medd said. “There’s a really strong lineup of players this year… [and] I think there’s definitely going to be something you’ll like, even if jazz isn’t your favorite kind of music.”

DESIGN BY PAREEN MHATRE

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MONTH 2016 5

BEHIND THE

CURTAIN

By Anjali Huynh

Jaya Blanchard ‘17 and Bre Bradshaw ‘18 Enhanced vocal, acting, and dancing abilities aren’t the only benefits of participating in Theatre West.

As stage managers Bre Bradshaw ‘18 and Jaya Blanchard ‘17 have discovered, the most unlikely of friendships can be formed through the dramatic arts.

“The best part of my job is getting to meet and work with the wide range of personalities and people that I never would’ve met otherwise,” Bradshaw said. “I don’t think [Jaya and I] would’ve met [outside of theater] because even though we went to ju-

nior high together, we never talked.”

However, through participating in theater and working together as head stage managers since the beginning of their Theater West experiences, Blanchard and Bradshaw have bonded immensely.

“We can’t even begin to describe it,” Blanchard said. “It’s a love-hate relationship.

We’ve bonded a lot [because] we’ve been through the best and the worst together…. [and] we are literally two peas in a pod.”

Their bond has formed in such a short period of knowing each other partial-

ly due to the large amount of time they have spent together.

From running errands to calling light, sound, and run cues, they have gone to great lengths to make the shows practically perfect.

“I haven’t been home right after school in months...it’s a big time commitment,” Bradshaw said.

Despite the great amount of stress involved in putting on a show, the two feel that their time and efforts are well-spent.

“It’s definitely rewarding because you feel like you’re responsible for what goes on

6 PROFILES MAY 2015 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

and seeing it go well is really cool,” Blanchard said.

Unlike the two graduating assistant stage managers, Blanchard and Bradshaw will be continuing their work into following years. Because of this, they’ve had to cope with the loss of senior cast and crew members leaving.

“It’s hard to picture Theatre West without the seniors, but I know that it’s just going to continue to get better,” Bradshaw said. “It’s just sad to think that it’s never going to be the same as it was this year.”

Though neither of the

head managers plan on pursuing theater after high school, the experiences and memories shared, both with one another and with other members of the community, are aspects that will survive following high school.

“Theater West is such an accepting group of people, and there’s really something for everyone,” Bradshaw said. “I’ve made some of my best friends that I’ll always remember after high school through theater.”

The two also believe that through theater, they gained valuable

qualities necessary for real-life situations in the future.

“I struggled really hard with making decisions and this has kinda helped me because you have to [be able to] make decisions, and you get a lot of leadership skills,” Blanchard said.

“I wasn’t very confident at the beginning of freshman year,” Bradshaw said, “and [after] being thrown into a leadership position, I definitely feel confident in myself now. So maybe that’s something that I will carry into my career.”

As the curtains of the 2015-2016 school year come to a close and along with it, this year’s Theatre West program, it’s time for the four individuals who make the shows possible to come out from the dark and take their bows.

Jared Kiebel ‘16 It’s not often that students discover their future careers in high school extracurricular activities.

For Jared Kiebel ‘16, however, this is exactly what happened.

Encouraged by his freshman English teacher, Theatre West director Katy Nahra, Kiebel joined the Theater West program his sophomore year, and hasn’t regretted this decision since, as he plans to pursue theater in the future.

“I started in set and run crew for my first two shows, Charlie and Annie, and that was fun,” Kiebel said. “Then in my next year, [for] Little Women and Cinderella, I wanted to do something bigger, so I asked Nahra if I could be a stage head...and she said, ‘Okay.’ And then, [later on], I became a stage manager.”

Since then, he’s spent countless hours performing various tasks in this position, from taking attendance to blocking actors, helping the shows run as efficiently as possible.

“For some reason, I’m always the person to take attendance,” he said. “And during DESIGN BY ANJALI HUYNH

rehearsal, [the other stage managers and I] help block the actors when Nahra puts them where she wants, we write that down, make sure people are focused [and] on task...and then, when it comes to being off book, we call lines when needed and make sure things are running like they’re supposed to.”

Even though being a stage manager can be stressful, Kiebel remains passionate about his job. His profound love for theater is derived from several sources, one being its ability to bring people together.

“You get to meet a lot of new people, and many different kinds of people...we all come together from different [backgrounds] and we bring it all together into one and it’s amazing,” he said.

Theater has become such a large part of Kiebel’s life that he plans to carry his love for theater with him beyond graduation.

“I’ll be going to UNI and majoring in theater production and design,” he said. “I would like to be in theater full-time, like in New York or Min-

Christine Kallsen ‘16 nesota or Chicago... and if that doesn’t work, I’d teach and be a theater director.”

Though he’s headed for the big stages, his time spent with Theater West, and the valuable lessons he’s taken away from it, are memories he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

“As an individual, you don’t stand a chance at perfection,” Kiebel said.

“But when we all come together as a whole, we’re perfect in every way and anything happen. Live in the moment and take everything with you. That’s basically what I’ve done, over the past three years in theater...and it’s amazing.”

And his advice for future stage managers?

“Be mean. Be aggressive. Don’t come off too nice; then [theater members] don’t listen. Why do you think they listen to me? For the most part, people listen to me, and they love me.”

dedication is really inspiring.”

As an ASM, Kallsen’s main concern is with helping the shows go smoothly.

“We make sure that everyone is where they’re supposed to be when they’re supposed to be there,” she said. “So it’s kind of like organization we take attendance or just [do] little jobs to help Nahra.”

Although the shows may appear to be flawless when showtime arises, the process leading up to the performances is rough - and the stage managers are first in line of fire, criticism wise, during this procedure.

“Being ASM is fun... but it can be stressful because when the directors get mad, they get mad at the stage managers,” Kallsen said. “There’s also the stress that comes along with tech week because it’s just kind of messy and it’s rough.”

The events leading up to a show may have its ups and downs, but Kallsen believes that the end results and the overall experience is amazing. Because of her own rewarding

From softball to Best Buddies to dance marathon, Christine Kallsen ‘16 lives a busy lifestyle outside of the school environment.

Yet among these numerous activities, Kallsen manages to find time to be an assistant stage manager (ASM).

She first began participating in Theatre West when she became a freshman after watching her sister go through the program for several years beforehand.

“My sister was really involved with [Theatre West], and she was a senior when I was a freshman, so she got me involved with [it],” Kallsen said.

“Then I really liked it so I stuck with it.”

Kallsen went on to participate in set and run crew prior to becoming an assistant state manager. She has been a manager for two years and credits her enjoyful experience with Theatre West to director Katy Nahra. “[Nahra] puts so much into every show,” Kallsen said.

“She has a little kid and she [still] does theater stuff so much. [Seeing] her

experience with the program, Kallsen encourages students not currently participating in theater to join. “[Others] should definitely do theater because you get to meet new people,” she said. “Even if you’re not sure you’re going to like it, you should try it because you’ll regret it if you start later and really like it because you’ll wish you could’ve done more.”

Kallsen does not plan on carrying theater as a large part of her life into the future; however, she has learned lessons from the program that she will cherish and reflect on postgraduation.

“Appreciate all the work that gets put into things,” she said. “Being in tech, I get to see all that goes on backstage and then being a stage manager, I get to see the work that the actors put in and...I’ve become really appreciative of everything that people do because there’s so much more than what meets the eye.

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 PROFILES 7

The Unexpected

Artist

BY LAUREN KATZ

Once upon a time there was a girl.

A girl who dipped her brush upon the palette of cerulean, azure, alice, cornflower blues, and chanced upon serendipity. For this girl was not always an artist. In fact, it was not until a few short months ago that she stumbled upon this unforeseen art.

Aisha Kazembe ’18 began her journey by doodling eyes- fitting, considering they’re coined the windows to the soul.

“I started off [with them], because they're so pretty and have so much detail, but my first real drawing was in an art class second trimester,” Kazembe said. One of Kazembe’s first assignments was to draw something depicting the passing of time. When she first intended to draw her mother’s ponytail, she wasn’t expecting much.

“I spent a week on four of the curls in the ponytail, and then Christian [the art teacher] jokingly told me he was waiting for me to just throw my pencils in frustration,” she recalled. Kazembe was pleasantly

surprised when the graphite trails began to take the form of someone she could, at least, recognize. When she set her pencil aside, she knew she’d found an ocean gem of something wonderful. “It's hanging in a bank now,” she said.

It wasn't always smooth strokes and easy going for Kazembe. "When I first started, especially when I was painting, I didn't know what I was doing at all," she said. "But as long as you keep painting, it gets better."

It helped her to look at the colors of an object, rather than remembering where the intricate details lay.

"Sometimes there are colors that you don't even remember being there.

As soon as you remember the colors, then it all comes together," she said.

Kazembe is gifted with the ability to crystallize ephemeral catches in time, and her love for painting people, specifically those she holds dear, resonates in a multitude of her works.

“I like to get their personalities. I did a watercolor of my sister, and

8 PROFILES MAY 2016 WSSPAPER.COM DESIGN BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER

I made it all different colors because she's pretty crazy and fun,” she said. Indeed, the watercolors frolick upon the paper; the pink blush- the color of rose petals pearled with morning dew- and the butter lemon yellows.

Kazembe also caught a moment of her brother, hand upon the brim of his hat. Him, beamingradiant- and laughter spilling from the page.

“I painted an acrylic of [him], capturing the brightness of the picture and his smile- he has such a great smile.” Kazembe treasures this picture, for her brother’s smile is a fleeting occurrence,

once in a blue moon.

Kazembe continues to draw and paint because she finds it soothing and gratifying. “It's kind of like going on a run without actually having to exercise,” she said. “When [I’m] done drawing, my hands are tired and I feel so refreshed like I'm breathing in new air.”

Telling Tales

BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER DESIGN BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER PHOTO BY PAREEN MHATRE

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 COVER STORY 9

Serendipity takes an inside look into the gossip epidemic that is overtaking the halls of West High School Listen to the whispers from the back of the bus and the heated conversations during passing periods. Read the countless passive-aggressive posts on social media. Watch as a classmate goes home in tears because half the people in the school know something about him that isn’t true. Gossip is everywhere, and it seems to be more prevalent than ever before on the grounds of West High.

For many students, gossiping about their peers is an everyday activity akin to eating and breathing.

In the opinion of Jane Smith* ‘18, talking about people behind their backs is a normal part of human nature, and nobody is immune to it. “Everybody talks about people. I’ve never seen anyone not gossip. Even the people who I thought were the nicest still talk badly about the people they don’t like,” Smith said.

Smith, along with many other students at West High, argues that every person is entitled to their own opinion, and as long as one doesn’t cross any boundaries, gossiping about people is not wrong.

“If I were to talk badly about someone to my close friends, wouldn’t that just be sharing my opinion, as long as I wasn’t taking it too far?” Smith questioned.

According to Smith, the line between acceptable and “too far” when it comes to gossiping is, quite simply, the truth. “Someone was talking to a bunch of different people about me, and she was making up lies. That is where gossip is taken a step too far,” Smith said. As long as what is being talked about is true and necessary, Smith doesn’t see a problem with sharing it.

On the contrary, Sierra Frost ‘18 doesn’t believe that gossip is acceptable just because it is true. “I feel like people just need to pay attention to their own business. You’re here for school, you’re not here to gosSierra Frost ‘18 sip about other people, and plus, if you hurt someone’s feelings that could be the breaking point between life and death.”

Frost believes that gossip is not helpful or neces-

10 COVER STORY MAY 2016 INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM

sary, but rather is a construct of our society. “I feel like everyone gossips. I feel like it’s not a human trait; it’s our society that teaches us that gossip is a good thing. Like with Mean Girls, Gossip Girls, and other media.”

The Social Issues Research Centre would dis-

If you hurt someone’s feelings that could be the breaking point between life and death.

-Sierra Frost ‘18

agree, and they claim that gossip is not simply a trivial pastime, but an essential part of a human’s social, psychological and physical well-being. Gossip has been shown to stimulate endorphin production, relieve stress and boost the immune Drew Duncan ‘18 system. In addition, gossip is a major way that humans connect with each other.

Regardless of whether gossip is acceptable or not, it is showing up more and more at West High, and it is affecting the students here. According to Drew Duncan ‘18, gossip tends to escalate especially toward the end of the school year. “People are tired and they want to start drama, and the drama starts to go nuts,” Duncan stated.

Gossip also seems to increase within activities at West High. Damarius Levi ‘18 finds that the amount of gossip in the theatre and choir programs at school is huge. “I feel like some people don’t see this, but there’s a lot of gossip in show choir and a lot in theatre.

It’s everywhere. I feel like it’s mostly within sports and arts, because I feel like everyone’s competing,” Levi said.

Levi admits to gossiping about people from time to Damarius Levi ‘18 time, but he also believes that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed. “[Gossip]

is harmful if bad rumors are being spread. Rumors are hurtful to the person they are about, and they can ruin reputations. I’ve been affected by rumors, so I think that rumors are not okay to spread,” Levi said.

While students may believe that their gossip is contained within the student population, it spreads farther than they often intend. Spanish teacher Dave McNair has overheard a large amount of gossip in his time teaching at West High, and he has seen its harmful effects on students.

“I’m sitting in my room in the morning and the door is open, and I can hear [the students] gossiping,” McNair Dave McNair said. “Some of it is benign gossip, but there is much more of it that is inappropriate, harmful and useless.”

McNair has also noticed that, over the years, gossip at West High has changed slightly. “A lot of the gossip today is being retold as second-hand information because someone sees it on social media,” McNair stated. “Before social media, it took a while to spread. It had to grow. But now it’s instant. Even if you take it back, a thousand people just saw it, so it’s very dangerous.”

Although the form of gossip has changed, McNair believes that gossip itself, including the topics gossiped about and the reasons people gossip, have remained constant. Much of students’ gossip is surrounding romantic relationships within the school, but topics can also span everything from drugs and alcohol to jealousy about somebody who is high achieving.

Possibly one of the most dangerous qualities of gossip that has been evident throughout time is its propensity to cause peer pressure. Since many students gossip, it is a common occurrence for an individual to fall into that same behavior because of their peers.

“You can either be part of the solution and stop gossiping, and tell your friends to stop, or you can be part of the problem and jump on the bandwagon,” McNair said. “Unfortunately, in my experience, many times students are part of the problem and not part of the solution. It’s rare that I hear

another student tell somebody else to stop. Very rare. It takes a lot to step up and face your peers, and tell them what they’re doing is wrong.”

You can either be part of the solution... or you can be part of the problem.

-Dave McNair

Standing up against your fellow students’ gossiping habits may be hard, but it may be the only way to effectively stop the gossip epidemic at West High. It is no secret that gossip is harmful to everyone involved, and it is very important to stop this tradition of hurting others through our words.

Smith offers a helpful bit of advice to anyone wondering whether their words about another person are acceptable or not: “If you are not okay with saying something to someone’s face, don’t say it at all.”

FACTS ON GOSSIP

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COMPILED BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER

of all human conversation is gossip. people in the USA have the last name “Gossip” hours per year is what the average person spends gossiping.

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 COVER STORY 11

Such Great Heights A story of beginning anew

FEATURE

BY LAUREN KATZ Wala Siddig ’18 was seven months old when she first stepped foot on American soil. Her parents sought a better life for their children, in the land that flows with milk and honey.

Their children, they knew, deserved a higher standard education than they were receiving in Saudi Arabia, along with a more prosperous life. Her parents were willing to go to great lengths to achieve their aspirations but heartbreakingly, they had some Visa and travel issues and her father was forced to stay behind. “It is just my mom and siblings here, which makes us even more motivated to achieve our goals,” Siddig said. “My parents strove so much for us to have a better life here, that they sacrificed being together.” Siddig travels back to Qatar to visit her dad each summer, and talks to him on the phone multiple times a week. ‘It isn’t so bad, but I guess it’s kind of hard planning when to call because of the eight hour time difference,” Siddig said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard my mom cry on the phone, but she misses him.” With her dad living overseas, it is a reminder that she should be trying her hardest each and every day to make the move worth something.

Siddig moved back and forth be-

DESIGN BY LAUREN KATZ

tween Saudi Arabia and Iowa until she was about six, when she finally moved to the land of the corn husks permanently. At the time, they had family residing in Iowa; moving to a place that didn’t house wholly foreign aspects was a pivotal factor in their decision. “Within those years, I spent a majority of that time in the U.S., but I don’t remember much [about Saudi Arabia]. I do remember that life was very limiting for a woman.” Siddig said that her mom could not go out alone unless accompanied by her dad or a male relative. “When a girl turns a certain age, she is required to wear the hijab (headscarf) in public and wear an abaya, which is sort of like a long black gown.” When her mom went ‘out on the town’ with a male relative that could not drive, she would have to take a taxi, because women weren’t permitted to drive.

“I just remember it being extremely hot. I mean, it’s a desert, and there isn’t much to expect other than heat.”

Siddig said, adding that even the chilliest winter nights reached over 50 degrees.

“The school that I went to [in Saudi Arabia] was an international school and it hosted grades K-12,” Siddig said. “It was just like schools here in the U.S. but with less use of technology, so there was more connection between the teacher and the students.”

There were different buildings for every few grades but all the buildings were close to each other. Siddig went on to say that all the girls and boys were together in her grade. “My sister, however, was in the third grade and the boys and girls were separated there.”

Upon settling into the American ways, Siddig regarded the U.S. barbie doll with apprehension. “In Saudi Arabia, we had our own version named ‘Fulla’. She came wearing the hijab and abaya and worked as a doctor or teacher.” The barbie was meant to uphold traditional Islamic values.

Each coming morning, Siddig

awakes to the reminder of her parents’ deeply-wrought benefaction. “[My parents] always put us and our education in front of their wants and make sure we are able to get what we [need].” Siddig is a girl on a mission, a girl seeking to make her mark upon the world to show her parents she treasures their sacrifice more than the most precious gift. She’s just being her, trying to reach such great heights.

My parents strove so much for us to have a better life here, that they sacrificed being together -Wala Siddig ‘18

INTROWSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 FEATURE 12

ENTERTAINMENT

Captain America: Civil War Review

BY ANJALI HUYNH

T hough Marvel divided its fan base by putting two fan-favorite heroes against each other, Captain America: Civil

War succeeded in uniting its viewers with a marvelous film.

Between the United States and Canada, tickets sold out in theaters in a variety of locations days before the premiere, and the movie generated approximately $181.8 million opening weekend. Not only were the sales a success, but the movie ratings displayed viewer approval, as 91 percent of Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the movie a positive rating.

Civil War brings the stories of previous Marvel movies Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron together with returning characters such as Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier, though the movie is predominantly focused on our favorite blond, buff guy, Captain America.

Opening the movie, Cap and the crew are found combating yet another group of villains in an attempt to make the world a better place - and accidentally causing a large amount of damage with many lives lost in the process. As a result, the United Nations members no longer trust the Avengers to perform tasks in a manner that is safe for the rest of civilization, and give them a choice: sign a document granting the UN the ability to control when and where they can use their abilities or go into retirement. This splits the group because members of the group led by Iron Man, are all-too-eager to sign this document; however, Captain America and his companions have their doubts about the document and believe that too much control over the Avengers will result in their morals being compromised along the way.

Due to these differentiating viewpoints, a feud arises between the two sides.However, this is a civil war, and as secret after secret emerges, leading to further hate and resentment,

BY THE NUMBERS

COMPILED BY PAREEN MHATRE

$943M $741.4M $250M

Amount generated in the box office by The Civil War

Amount generated in the box office by Captain America: The Winter Solider Budget of The Civil War

the characters find more difficulty in remaining unified. This movie will force you to question if a group as powerful as the Avengers is able to reunite or if their division will inevitably cause them to fall.

Civil War is a well-done remake of the Marvel comics that provides quite a bit of relief after the last disappointment of a movie with two major heroes fighting one another - Superman v. Batman. Though many differences can be found between the original storyline and this modern-day film adaptation, these plot modifications strengthen the storyline and leave the audience at the edge of their seat. From the high-quality, action-packed cinematography to the bitter plot-twisting points to comic relief characters like Spiderman and Ant-Man joining the gang, this movie is a well-done production that is a must-see for fans of high-quality action movies anywhere and everywhere.

DESIGN BY PAREEN MHATRE

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 13

OPINION

BEYOND THE BORDERS

BY ANJALI HUYNH

S

ummer is fast approaching, and along with upcoming freedom from the prison we know as high school, the lack of AP tests to cry over and the homework-filled bonfires to burn comes the inevitable rush of Instagram posts from various places in the world. You’ve seen them before: between the months of June - or, in the case of summer 2k16, May - to August, pictures from a variety of locations around the globe swarm all forms of social media. It’s a common fact: travel is often a large part of everyone’s summer life, whether it’s to your couch or to Costa Rica.

And don’t get me wrong, travel is a good thing. In the case of those who do choose to forego the thoughts of Donald Trump and understand the world beyond the United States borders, it’s an eye-opening, wonderful experience that allows you to experience the cultural values of others from an entirely new standpoint. Unless you’re from the US, of course.

Before you commence your numerous arguments against this statement, inclusive of how you’re

“so culturally experienced” and “that’s racist” and, of course, the all-too-famous “MURICA,” let me explain myself. From my experience as a traveler, I know what it’s like to completely immerse myself within the cultural landscape of each place I visit. When in a foreign environment, I’m willing to expand my taste palate beyond the nearest McDonald’s or explore beyond the walls of whatever hotel I’m currently residing in.

Sadly, this isn’t the case for everyone. It’s not hard to recount a time when someone has recoiled in disgust at a foreign dish, simply because it isn’t a part of the traditional American cuisine, or a tourist has looked upon the practices of the indigenous population of a region with obvious condescendence. I can’t say that I’m not guilty of these things on occasion, but the reality of these situations is that Americans, on a general basis, tend to be ethnocentric.

Now contrary to the connotation of this article, ethnocentrism - or the belief that one’s culture is superior to others - is not necessarily the issue at hand. It’s human nature

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to believe that one’s culture is better than another, and this is tolerable under certain circumstances.

However, when a person physically or verbally expresses their distaste for another culture, they demonstrate the amount of insensitivity and utter disrespect they have for the world around them.

And this isn’t even the worst part - the hypocrisy is the real problem at hand. The fact that people travel to another country and have the nerve to express their disinterest for foreign culture, then return to their home country and force it upon foreigners to speak their language and adapt to their culture is simply appalling.

An example of this occurred last year, when an elderly Indian grandfather was assaulted by a police officer for “suspicious activity,” also known as standing outside his son’s home where he was caring for his grandson. The now-paralyzed man did not speak English, and his inability to speak English was used as an argument for the guilty party, ending with a mistrial and no punishment for the offending officer.

Occurrences like this are an

abomination and give our country a very poor name. Is it right for us to demote other peoples for not speaking our language when we are a guest in their country, only to turn around and force it upon others to learn our customs when they are in our territory? No. It is not.

And yet, this is an event that occurs day in and day out, adapted as a normal custom in the American lifestyle. No wonder the rest of the world views U.S. citizens as spoiled brats - we certainly don’t give them a reason to think any higher of us than that.

The point I’m trying to get at is that people need to be more open to the wide variety of cultures that surrounds us. Trying new things is something many individuals simply need to try. So please, as you begin your summer adventures and travel abroad, refrain from calling something “disgusting” or wondering why no one speaks English.

Instead, stop complaining, learn to try new things and just learn to appreciate and adapt to the world’s beauty beyond the U.S. borders.

DEAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BY PAREEN MHATRE

E

lementary school felt like a dream. A really, really good one. But when I woke up from that seven year dream, I was forced to face the reality of the world - “actual” school. Going from having a couple recesses daily and half an hour of homework every week, to “longer”half an hour

lunches and a whooping two to three hours of homework per day in junior high. I think it’s safe to admit that I, along with many of my peers, had a rough transition.

Although junior high slightly prepared us for high school, elementary school did not prepare us for junior high whatsoever. In elementary school, beginning from first and second grade, our only assignment was to read nightly for a minimum of 15 minutes. In third and fourth grade, we were assigned spelling homework that was due at the end of the week. It would take

the average student 20 minutes to complete it. We had very few “tests,” and the “activities” we did in class were easily comparable to games. Sure, it was a fantastic way to keep nine and ten-year-olds occupied for 30 minutes, but this was superfluous in fifth and sixth grade.

The consequence of not turning in homework was missing a recess.

Sure, at that age, it seemed like the worst punishment to deserve.

Throughout elementary school, the amount of homework barely changed. In seventh grade, my peers and I were shocked and over-

whelmed by the amount of assignments and the frequency of tests and quizzes. Luckily, this helped in preparation for high school, but elementary school could have smoothed the transition, by assigning students an hour of homework every night in fifth and sixth grade.

On the other hand of this conflict, elementary school did allow me to enjoy my childhood, which I thank my teachers for. But now, because of how unprepared I was for high school, my teenage years are more composed of homework than experiences.

language, is it not? How utterly disgraceful it is then, that many of us still cannot differentiate between the two contractions. To shame on those of you who bother arguing that fault lies with auto-correct. Of course autocorrect slipped up; it is a finicky appliance to be used with care. To be sure, if I ever text “your” instead of “you’re”, I’ve been abducted and am signalling for help.

As Lynne Truss, author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves said, “I apologise if you all know this, but the point is that many of you do not. Why else would they open a large play area for children, hang up a sign saying ‘Giant Kid’s Playground’, and then wonder why everyone stays away from it? (Answer: everyone is afraid of the Giant Kid).”

It is of no coincidence that the word ‘punctilious’, defined as showing great attention to detail or correct behavior, originates from ‘punctuation.’ It is a show of etiquette- of conscientiousness- to imbue correct punctuation. Some of you may have calculated that ‘to whom’ is rarely used in colloquial speech, and have therefore decided to forgo this expression, instead us-

ing ‘who’; at least, you cleverly figure, you will be correct a majority of the time. Permit me to say one thing: it doesn’t matter if you are correct 99% of the time. The single time you use ‘to who’, an unbidden thought crosses every grammar stickler’s mind and it is this: I’m afraid you’ve made a grammatical error. It’s not ‘to who’, but rather ‘to whom’. You see, the preposition ‘to’ allows ‘who’ to become the indirect object, making the use of ‘whom’ imperative. If that was difficult to ascertain, maybe it’s time to invent a new language (notice that I did not say learn. Many other languages require the use of indirect and direct objects, and it would thus be inadvisable to embark on a doomed expedition).

The bottom line is that it’s of utmost importance to write good and never make no punctuation mistakes. One’s porpoise should be to defend the years of the student body against bad writing and gramma. Most importantly, I hope my article made you simile.

PUNCTUATION MATTERS

BY LAUREN KATZ

I

n the sixth grade, I had a dry-humored teacher by the name of Mr. Fisher, who once made some offhand comment along the lines of: “Unless anybody’s read Kafka…” To this I politely raised my hand and replied in the affirmative. I grew up reading Kafka and Stevenson. That’s not to say anything except for that I was a rather progressive child. Growing up listening to Treasure Island and The Trial, I developed a voracious appetite for the classics- in other words, the authors that knew how to correctly administer the English language; one really cannot be certain about the authors nowadays.

As I grew older, I realized with a burgeoning sense of bereavement that ‘progressive’ no longer means flaunting with prowess a Brobdingnagian vocabulary. No, a progressive child now entails the finesse of

DESIGN BY ANJALI HUYNH

phone savviness.

By now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I am something of a pedant on the topic of English grammar- a police unit (of one) on the lookout for punctuation criminals. I have a meter lurking in the recesses of my mind which ticks toward the Danger! half when my fellow homosapiens abuse punctuation. As soon as the needle enters the much-dreaded red zone, appraisal is passed.

There is a common rule that is ubiquitous to us punctuation pedants, and it is this: don’t use punctuation like an imbecile. It may seem like a quotidian observation, but the misuse of punctuation subsequently squashes any hope of communication. It’s like this. If we went fishing and failed to attach a worm to the hook, the fish would wonder what obscene abomination was interfering in their serene habitat; don’t drop a futile line to your fellow fishes.

In my humble opinion, anyone who inserts “its” where “it’s” is supposed to lie, should return to grade school; after all, English is America’s most commonly spoken

INTRO.WSSPAPER.COM MAY 2016 OPINION 15

Goodbye, West High!

BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER

Fill out this mad lib to comemmorate a wonderful year at the best school in the world!

One ____________ day, towards the end of ____________, a large and rowdy group of (ADJECTIVE) (MONTH) ____________ waited anxiously in their seats, tapping their ____________ and waiting for (NOUN PL) (NOUN PL) the ____________ to ring and announce their freedom. ____________ was especially (NOUN) (NAME) excited for the summer to begin, as (he/she) was leaving immediately for ____________

(PLACE) with (his/her) favorite ____________. When the ____________ struck 3:10,

(NOUN) (NOUN) ____________ halfheartedly signed a few of (his/her) friends’ ____________ (SAME NAME) (NOUN PL) before ____________ out the door and hopping into (his/her) private ____________.

(VERB -ING) (VEHICLE) After a ____________ journey and a few glasses of ____________, ____________

(ADJECTIVE) (BEVERAGE) (SAME NAME) was ready to begin (his/her) vacation. (He/She) spent the entire vacation in ____________

(SAME PLACE) ____________ with ____________, watching ____________ people in the ____________ (VERB -ING) (NOUN PL) (ADJECTIVE) (PLACE) and making ____________. After a wonderful ____________ days, the summer was over

(NOUN PL) (NUMBER) and ____________ was forced to accept the ____________ reality that school was about to (SAME NAME) (ADJECTIVE) start once again. ____________, (he/she) packed (his/her) ____________ and

(ADVERB) (NOUN) ____________ home. It had been a ____________ break, but nothing could make (VERB PAST) (ADJECTIVE) ____________ more ____________ than coming back to the most ____________ school in (SAME NAME) (ADJECTIVE) (ADJECTIVE) the world!

DESIGN BY GRACIE RECHKEMMER