Issue 3: Retro

R E T R O

R E T R O

letter from the EDITOR

Don’t flip your lid. Don’t bug out. It’s really here. We are totally psyched to welcome you to Issue 3: Retro Edition. This issue is a blast from the past - featuring shrouds of mystery through cold cases from our own take on BuzzFeed Unsolved, radical retro sports and technological development captured through the lens of cameras. We have debates on thrifting that will keep you looking fly, hot takes on old shows and updates on Johns Creek alumni. And, this holiday season, we have you covered through articles featuring past love traditions that will ensure you don’t get kicked to the curb. In the cover article, seasoned editor Ella Cho and budding staff writer Olivia Courtney search for the true meaning of retro, vintage and antique - terms that have often been misused in the current adoption of the past. Sampling music, Hollywood, growing up in the ‘90s, we have something for everyone in this issue. Put on your bell bottoms, start up your Cadillac and take an old record off the shelf; see you on the flip side.

-AASHWIN SHARMA AND RACHEL ROTHMAN

Editors-in-Chief

21. arts & entertainment

22. HOLLYWOOD’S OBSESSION WITH THE 20’S

24. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BLOCKBUSTER

25. SAMPLING MUSIC

26. LOFI MUSIC

25. opinion

27. GEN X VS GEN Z

28. FACE-OFF: HAS THRIFTING RUINED THRIFT STORES?

30. WHEN SHOULD OLD SHOWS BE CUT?

Playlist

1. Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind by Bob Dylan

2. Race for the Prize by The Flaming Lips

3. Cannock Chase by Labi Siffre

4. Ride Into The Sun by The Velvet Underground

5. The Lamp is Low by Chet Baker

6. Rock This Town by Stray Cats

7. Stagger Lee - Bandstand Version by Lloyd Price

8. Pandora (for Cindy) by Cocteau Twins

9. Disintegration by The Cure

10. You And Me by Penny & The Quarters

ROUNDUP

ROUNDUP

CHANDRA SENTELL, features editor

ITALY

Matteo Messina Denaro, a mafia boss, was arrested in Italy after eluding his capture for 30 years. Denaro was sentenced in 1992 for the murders of two prosecutors and other crimes including bombings, strangulation and the kidnapping of a 12-year-old boy. He was arrested outside a medical clinic after showing up for an appointment under an alias. Law enforcement believe his arrest will weaken the Sicilian mafia and disrupt its business because Denaro was a major player, especially as his former leaders are either dead or already imprisoned.

UNITED STATES

Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Priscilla and Elvis Presley, died at the age of 54 on the 12th of January, 2023. Paramedics arrived at Presley’s Calabasas home following a 911 call for a possible cardiac arrest. Upon their arrival, they had to perform immediate CPR, and Presley was rushed to the nearest hospital where she passed. She leaves behind her three daughters and a legacy in the form of her music career, published writings and the Graceland home that belonged to her father, Elvis Presley.

ECUADOR

In Yasuní National Park, some of the last groups of Indigenous people have been put at risk with a newly built oil platform that resides in the Amazon Rainforest. The drilling teams have slowly moved closer toward off-limit zones that are meant to protect these Indigenous groups and allow them to live in isolation. Most of Ecuador’s oil reserve lies beneath the rainforest, and as the government searches for ways to create more revenue, it leaves the people at risk of exposure, forcing them to leave their tribes to find a new place to survive.

UKRAINE

Despite the war between Ukraine and Russia, one public school near Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has found a way to continue to educate 430 schoolchildren, with ages ranging from 6 to 18, and has provided a sense of normalcy for these children. The community has banded together to help support the school by providing warm meals for the students and resources for them to continue their education. Due to the war, blackouts are a pressing concern for the school, and with Russian airstrikes being a constant threat, the school has begun to administer first aid training to its high school students. The school has safety measures in place and serves as a second home to many of its students.

AUSTRALIA

The Australian Open has banned Belarusian and Russian flags after a fan displayed a Russian flag during a first-round match between a Russian and Ukrainian player. Following the Australian government’s policy, the Australian Open has allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the open, but they are unable to represent their countries while competing. While other countries’ flags and symbols are on display, the Russian and Belarusian flags have been replaced by white boxes and removed from the tournament as a whole.

THE REAL HERO: DNA

How DNA Has Solved Cold Cases

DNA testing has been used to solve cold cases since 1987, first used to catch serial rapist Tommie Lee Andrews. The case involved a woman in Florida who was raped when her house was burglarized at night. After the police chased the suspect, they searched his car and found items connecting him to other crimes in the area. The police tested the DNA found in the car and in the other victims’ houses and arrested Tommie Lee Andrews when the match was confirmed. It is estimated that over 400 cases have been solved with DNA testing in America alone.

DNA testing has greatly improved since 1987 with the creation of new technology. A recent technological advancement is known as Next Generation Sequencing. This sequencing has revolutionized the use of DNA testing in crime, especially in cold cases. This technology can read through several fragments of DNA at the same time, causing the results and timing of the testing to occur faster and at a cheaper cost. An additional benefit of this technology is an increase in accuracy. Another advancement known as familial genealogy allows DNA samples to be traced to any related DNA in public databases and leads them to previously unknown suspects.

These advancements in DNA testing technology have also helped solve cold cases that are over 60 years old. One such example is a double homicide that occurred in January of 1956 in Great Falls, Montana. A couple-Lloyd Duane Bogle, age 18, and Patricia Ka-

litzke, age 16, were found dead, and DNA was found on Kalitzke. However, at the time there was no way to test that DNA. Later, advancements in testing technology allowed detectives to trace the sample of DNA found and search it in all public databases. This technology allowed detectives to connect the DNA to any relatives in any recorded database and connect it back to the criminal. In this case, the killer was found but had passed away 14 years prior. To prove his guilt, detectives once again used DNA testing from his ashes which matched up with the DNA found on the victim.

Due to the efficiency and capabilities of current DNA testing, families of the victims of cold cases are demanding that cases be re-examined. One such case is the infamous murder of Jon Benet Ramsey. The father of Jon Benet, John Ramsey, has recently demanded that his daughter’s case be moved to a private agency with advanced DNA testing technology instead of the local police office which has never had to deal with a large criminal case. He has stated that similarly to the case of the Golden State Killer, where familial genealogy was used to apprehend the killer, advanced DNA testing can be used to find the killer using previously found DNA samples and samples considered unusable.

DNA testing has solved numerous crimes and, as technology progresses, it will continue to revolutionize the way crime can be solved and bring justice to victims even several decades later.

HITI GUPTA, staff writer

The Evolution of

Artificial Intelligence

NIKHIL BHAGAVATI, staff writer

The evolution of AI, or artificial intelligence, has been a rapidly developing field in recent years. AI is a broad term that encompasses many different technologies and applications, but it generally refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as understanding natural language, recognizing objects and images, and making decisions. Its origins can be traced back to the 1950s, when researchers first began to explore the idea of creating machines that could mimic human intelligence. Early AI research focused on building simple programs that could perform basic tasks, such as playing chess or solving mathematical equations.

In the 1970s and 1980s, AI research shifted towards the development of expert systems, which were designed to mimic the decision-making abilities of human experts in specific fields. They can make decisions in complex instances like chess. In the 1990s, advances in computer hardware and software enabled the development of more sophisticated AI systems. Machine learning emerged as a powerful tool for building systems that could learn from data and improve their performance over time.

In recent years, AI has grown rapidly in terms of both its capabilities and its impact on society. Advancements have led to the development of powerful AI systems that can perform a wide range of tasks, including image recognition, language processing, and autonomous driving. AI is now being used in many industries, including healthcare, finance, transportation, and manufacturing. It is

being used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of many processes, such as diagnosing diseases, detecting fraud, and controlling self-driving cars. One of the most notable benefits of AI is its ability to automate repetitive or dangerous tasks in industries such as manufacturing and transportation, which can improve safety and reduce costs.

Despite the many successes of AI, there are also concerns about its potential impact on society. One of the most significant concerns is the potential for AI to automate jobs and displace human workers. Issues related to privacy, security, and bias in AI systems are some of the ethical and societal implications of AI. Another concern is that AI is becoming more and more powerful, and some worry that it could eventually become smarter than humans and pose a risk to our survival. However, many experts believe that these concerns are overblown and that the benefits of AI far outweigh the risks.

In conclusion, the evolution of AI has come a long way since its inception in the 1950s. From early successes in fields such as game-playing and decision-making, to more recent breakthroughs in natural language processing and computer vision, AI has proven to be a powerful and versatile tool with a wide range of potential applications. However, as AI continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, it is important to consider the ethical and societal implications of this technology, and to ensure that it is developed and used responsibly. The future of AI is exciting, and it will be interesting to see how it continues to shape the way we live and work.

RETRO SPORTS RETRO SPORTS RETRO SPORTS

Jazzercise, bowling and roller derby. These sports were loved by so many in the past that they earned themselves the title “retro.” The word retro, meaning “... the styles and… the fashions of the past” according to Merriam Webster, could not be a better description of these sports. Though they were more popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s than they are now, they are fighting their way back into the daily routines of the public and opening new doors to other modern sports.

Jazzercise was founded by Judi Sheppard Missett in 1969. Missett was a former dance instructor who found that normal dance classes were harder than most people could withstand. With this newly acquired knowledge, she invented the beloved “sport”, Jazzercise. Missett combined moves from cardio workouts, dance classes, HIIT training, kickboxing and yoga to make the perfect blend of exercise and fun that was available to all. The idea soon caught on and became a major trend in the ‘70s and ‘80s. USA Today even called it “the original dance party workout.”

With the rise of Jazzercise came

the rise of women searching for a way to feel comfortable in their skin and boost their fitness. Jazzercise became an outlet for those women because of the feel-good environment and the low equipment demand. To participate in a Jazzercise class, one only needs a resistance band and a set of small dumbbells. Because of its energy, Jazzercise is still practiced today, sometimes even from the comfort of one’s own home!

Another ancient yet beloved sport is bowling. Bowling originated in Germany around 300 A.D. as a religious practice that involved rolling stones at clubs to ask forgiveness for an individual’s sins. As time passed, it gained popularity and spread all over the world. In 1336, King Edward III banned bowling because it was preventing his soldiers from focusing on their training. Eventually, bowling made it to America where people took an instant liking to it and threw themselves headfirst into the world of professional bowling. Professional bowling consists of the top bowlers from around the world competing in tournaments to win prize money that could be

up to 250 thousand dollars or higher! All of this led to the creation of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA), the organization that coordinates and regulates bowling tournaments around the world.

Bowling, though less popular than it was in the 1960s and 1970s, is still very well-known. Professional tournaments are still going on worldwide, courtesy of the PBA, but the most common players today are families. Bowling is a sport where people can chat and enjoy quality time together, which is why it is most currently used as a bonding activity. Whether kids, adults, friends or family, bowling allows others to enjoy the company of those they love with a fun, undemanding game on the side.

Lastly, one of the most “retro” sports is Roller Derby. Roller derbies, though possibly unfamiliar to modern-day Americans, had a huge popularity surge in the ‘50s and ‘70s. Roller derby is a sport where two teams compete, with roller skates, to see who can win the most points by taking multiple laps around a track.

Roller derby was invented in 1935 by a former walkathon participant

SAVANNAH TOWNSEND, staff writer

named Leo Seltzer. He decided that he wanted to add a flair to the walkathons by making the athletes wear roller skates. It may sound simple, but it is a very complicated sport. Each on-track team consists of one jammer, whose job is to pass opposing players and not get caught in the group of skaters. There are also four blockers, who are supposed to prevent the other team’s jammer from passing them. To make things more complicated, all skaters may not use their heads, elbows, forearms, knees, lower legs, feet or head to make contact with another skater. Yet as complicated as this sport may be, it has brought individuals from around the globe together to enjoy a show of pure athleticism. These three sports are just a sample of the numerous “retro” sports that have impacted millions. While Judi Missett was founding Jazzercise, bowling was becoming more family oriented. And while bowling was becoming more inclusive, roller derbies promoted the trend of in-line skating, which is still a favored pastime today. All in all, these sports, no matter how complicated or old they may seem, still play a part in many modern lives today.

In 1996, Atlanta hosted the Centennial Summer Olympic Games, and since then, the city’s population has doubled in size. Within that 27-year period, census data shows that migration to Atlanta has vastly increased, with more than three million people having moved to the Empire State of the South and fifty thousand more each year since. Atlanta wanted to have downtown be the focal point of attention because they had been trying to expand infrastructure, transportation and entertainment for a long time. They saw the Olympics as a perfect opportunity to be in the spotlight because it justified significant expansions. The Olympics, being the single largest event in the city’s history, helped establish Atlanta as the business and sports capital of the Southeast that we all know and love today.

The announcement of the Olympic Games being hosted in Atlanta back in 1990 launched a more than one billion dollar campaign of construction projects, from Olympic venues to housing for the athletes. Some of the most prominent leg-

1996 The Olympics

ETHAN PALGON, staff writer

acies of the games that still linger today are Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta and Olympic Village, which is now used as dorms for Georgia Tech and Georgia State University. Olympic Park, the 21acre plaza that glistens in what was once an area of urban decay, has sparked economic development in the areas surrounding it. Harvey Newman, a professor of public policy at Georgia State University, says, “The area surrounding the park has added major hotels, condominiums, new office structures and, of course, people continue to flock to enjoy the Olympic rings fountain.” The park is a part of the Olympics’ five billion dollar impact on the city, including planting the seeds for new tourist attractions like the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola Museum right next to it. The games also brought drastic housing and infrastructure projects downtown that would not have happened as quickly or at all without its help.

Aside from infrastructure, the Olympics being hosted in Atlanta was responsible for a huge popu-

lation increase: from three million people in 1996 to more than six and a half million in the metro area today. But with spectacular growth almost always comes a downside: increased traffic. Along with population growth, a long-term benefit of hosting the Olympics was the attraction of large companies. The Atlanta region has been quite successful in attracting the headquarters of major corporations, such as UPS, CARE and The National Cancer Society. These newcomers, along with the local contingent that includes Coca-Cola, CNN, Home Depot and Delta Airlines, make the Atlanta region home to more Fortune 500 corporations than any but three other metropolitan areas in the United States.

The 1996 Olympic Games being hosted in Atlanta had an incredible and everlasting impact on the city of Atlanta by boosting the economy, population, transportation system, job market and opportunities for residents. Even today, Atlanta continues to grow.

JCHS Sports Alumni

AILEEN HA, managing editor

It’s no secret that Johns Creek High School has been home to some great achievements and produced extremely successful people. Within the realm of athletics, Johns Creek has housed star athletes that have accomplished remarkable feats, and after graduating, these supreme athletes have gone on to make a name for themselves and create a legacy that can span decades.

For Rowan Darnell, who graduated from Johns Creek just last year, football has been a priority in his life for ten years. Drawing advice and encouragement from coaches, teachers, teammates and family, he dedicates part of his success to those who have helped him along the way to his accomplishments, many of whom are from Johns Creek. Darnell stated, “Most of the time, if you aren’t succeeding in the classroom, you won’t even be given the opportunity you might deserve on the field…[and] the part I enjoy most about playing is building bonds with my teammates,” emphasizing how high school does have a profound impact on a future in sports, and that the people leave a lasting impact. From suiting up for Friday-night football games and loving the infectious energy of the school community, Darnell has shifted to playing division-one football at Kennesaw State University. His current goals encompass more than just rising through the ranks of football, but also creating a successful future for after college. As of now, football has become an even more integral part of his life, and he dedicates

the majority of his time towards harnessing his skills and preparing with the team for upcoming seasons. Allie Buchalski, a track runner who graduated class of 2013, has made it internationally. Both an alumnus of Johns Creek and Clemson University, she is currently ranked 1174th overall in the world. She has flourished since her time at Johns Creek, additionally earning the title of 58th in the world for the women’s 5000m. In 2021, she achieved her personal best time of 14:57.54 for the women’s 5000m at the Sound Running Invite in San Juan Capistrano, California and 4:06.19 for the women’s 1500m at the Portland Track Festival in Portland, Oregon. For Buchalski, running has allowed her to foster significant relationships, saying, “Running has taken me all over the world but what I’m most thankful for is the people that it allowed me to meet along the way. The running community is a special group of people, and I’m proud to be a part of it.” She has impacted a profound number of runners around the world with her position as a representative for the Brooks Running company and is currently represented by Flynn Sports Management.

Rowan Darnell and Allie Buchalski are only two people out of a great magnitude of others who have graduated from Johns Creek and gone on to achieve exceptional triumphs. Many of the athletes at Johns Creek have left their marks on the school and community and continue to strive towards greater challenges.

COVER: RETRO

OLIVIA COURTNEY, staff writer

ELLA CHO, news editor

Retro items reflect the productions of our past; the retrospective. Although these items may be considered out of date to some, others have a disposition to the noncurrent. Whether it is a vintage-inspired outfit or a copy of a vinyl record, items reminiscent of our past continue to be produced far beyond their original expiration. So, why are people attracted to these imitations of the past? Is it due to the nostalgia we get from obsolete items? The emotional experience of nostalgia is defined by the Dictionary as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past.” We may feel nostalgic as a response to our fear of change, or because of our dissatisfaction with the present, and retro items might just be what we need to feed our hunger for nostalgia. Still, reproductions of the past can often be misconstrued with authentic items from the time. One aspect of retro that most confuses people is the definition itself. Retro is an incredibly broad term used to describe a variety of items, and as a result, it is commonly mixed up with other words that refer to the past: antique and vintage. Starting with the oldest, the word antique describes objects of ancient times that are at least a hundred years old. It usually applies to art, furniture or any sort of decorative item that was valued in the past for its appearance and design. Vintage encompasses items that are from an era from at least twenty years ago. Though vintage is currently known as meaning “of age,” it actually stems from the French word vendange, meaning grape harvest. As a result, the original definition of vintage is related to wine, specifically the time at which wine is at its highest quality. Over the years, though, it has developed a second meaning commonly used to describe fashion or clothes from other time periods. Unlike antique and vintage, retro doesn’t refer to a specific time period. Derived from the French word retrograde, retro’s literal definition is backward, alluding to how it revives styles of the past. Retro items imitate objects made in earlier time periods with cheaper materials, so most have been created

recently. While vintage is commonly used with fashion, retro is commonly used with furniture and interior designs. The main purpose of retro is not just to reuse old styles, but to regenerate them by mixing in modern elements, bringing a funky yet classy image to life. Retro decors are brightly colored and made of synthetic materials such as plastic, vinyl and laminate, arranged in an abstract style that gives off an upbeat yet relaxed vibe.

The resurgence of older trends materializes itself in the fashion, music and art we produce and consume as well. The never-ending rotation of the fashion cycle ensures older styles are bound to make a comeback into contemporary fashion. Classic brands like Juicy Couture, Ugg and True Religion are re-releasing designs that were stylish at the height of their popularity. Some brands, such as ModCloth, create exclusively vintage-inspired designs. Retro hairstyles, makeup and accessories have also been resurfacing. Hairstyles from the past like the ‘70s style shag and ‘90s layered locks inspire modern haircuts like the “butterfly cut.”

Roller skates are being worn again since roller skating is returning both off and on the rink. Roller-skating was repopularized not only online, with creators like Oumi Janta on Tiktok showing their skills, but through appearances on other media. Roller skating was seen in Netflix’s “The Crown” and, most notably, the most recent season of “Stranger Things.” Because older styles are re-emerging, vintage fashion is more accessible than ever. Some prefer authentic vintage clothing to a retro reproduction because vintage is generally higher quality, and items are typically more one of a kind. Vintage clothing is now found beyond consignment and thrift shops. Online vintage and second-hand stores like Depop and Vinted have expanded the market for vintage clothing. In an age where we are ceaselessly digitizing, there is surprisingly a growing market for physical media as well. Vinyl record and CD collecting are expanding in popular - ity with a younger market. Vinyl records, in particular, have had an enormous re -

vival. In 2022, Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” album was released in not only digital, but vinyl, CD and even cassette format. “Midnights” was the first album in 35 years to sell more vinyl records than CDs. Despite this, in 2021, CD sales had increased for the first time in 17 years. In art, film photography has made a comeback with instant and disposable film cameras. Polaroid cameras had a comeback with the launch of Polaroid Originals in 2017, ten years after the discontinuation of the original Polaroid instant film camera. There has also been a revival of disposable film cameras, even after a major drop in sales from 1999 to 2008. In addition, directors are reverting to traditional film cinematography instead of digital cinematography. The second season of HBO’s “Euphoria,” released in early 2022, was shot entirely on 35mm and 16mm film. Video games are increasingly being sold in digital formats, but some wish to preserve the traditional aspects of video games.

Video game consoles have extensively evolved since 1967, when the first video game system prototype, the Brown Box, premiered. The Brown Box was later renamed the Odyssey to be sold as the first home video game console. The Odyssey allowed families to play a variety of games at home with their television set. Many new video game consoles have emerged to build what is now a multi-billion dollar industry. One of the most popular home video game consoles, the Atari 2600 was released in 1977. Since then, video game systems have evolved for a better playing experience. The PS5 console, released in 2020, has a 4k, 3840x2160 resolution. In comparison, the Atari 2600 has a 160x192 resolution. In 2017 Nintendo released the Super NES Classic Edition, a rendition of the Super Nintendo Entertainment system that was first released in 1990. The Evercade VS, first released in 2021 is another video game console modeled on a classic design. Retro game systems give users the experience of playing on a classic model but with a modern system. However, there is a difference between retro game systems and the hobby of retrogaming. Retrogaming is the practice of playing classic video games on original or modern systems. “Retrogaming is basi-

cally playing anything that was before the GameCube era. It’s 2D or 3D games, usually by Nintendo, Sony, Sega and Atari,” says retro video game collector Grant Hillman. Retrogaming is practiced as a way of preserv ing the authenticity of the game and for nostalgia. “It’s easy to play an emulated game, but I want to appreciate how the game was originally intended to be played.”

Aside from materialistic objects, retro isn’t just rec reated in clothes, furniture and games. People from past eras are carried into today by their ideals and accomplishments. Whether it is by their influence in the music industry or their role in historical events, their achievements in the past have turned them into iconic and well-remembered figures today. The 1960s was known for being an incredibly chaotic time peri od in history, including the Vietnamese War, the Civil Rights Movement and huge advancements in science. The Civil Rights Movement is one of the most mem orable moments in history that has had a lasting im pact on society’s structure, and Martin Luther King Jr. is always the first person that comes to mind for it. His actions have encouraged several people to take courage even today. Before King, many were scared to step forward and voice their thoughts. In 2022, however, when faced with injustice, people didn’t hesitate to initiate the Black Rights Movement and fight for their rights. While racism is still present today, King’s actions helped pave a path of courage for future citizens to walk on. In addition to societal changes, the field of science was greatly expanded through space exploration, promoted by John F. Kennedy. Kennedy believed in man’s unwavering quest for knowledge and shared his view by investing in the space program to help NASA send a human to the moon for the first time. It seemed impossible at the time, especially since America was considered young in scientific advancements. Still, the event succeeded and served to inspire the next few generations of engineers, scientists, and computer programmers. Since landing on the moon, accomplishments in space exploration have increased exponentially with landings on Mars and Venus, construction of James Webb’s infrared telescope for viewing distant galaxies and testing nuclear engines for use in future missions. Dreams and ideas that had seemed impossible then were now seen as possible, and today’s scientists are constantly working to realize them.

Moving away from the field of science, music from the 1960s holds a special place in the music industry today as many still listen to classic songs composed by The Beatles or The Beach Boys. The 1900s marked the

start of rebellious behavior in teenagers, which was reflected in music. The era gave way to multiple genres of music including rock and roll, folk rock, rhythm, blues and more. Many musicians used their songs as a way to protest against several societal issues, whether it be related to civil rights or simply spreading culture. Bob Dylan and Joan Baez both paved the way in creating music suited for political protests with one of Dylan’s songs, “Blowin’ in the Wind,” being a civil rights anthem. Among the African American community, still suffering from segregation at the time, the young musicians worked on refining the sound of jazz and funk to share their culture. The Beatles utilized a style of rhythm and blues with their music, becoming a huge hit in Britain and eventually in other countries as well. All over the world, the various music styles evoked feelings of freedom, and many of these talented artists’ songs are still played on radio stations today. Even younger generations are familiar with them since they can connect with the rebellious and free style of music. Humanity will continue to flourish in the future, but the past will always remain as an important factor in that growth, as feeling nostalgic is inevitable. As the fields of science, music and fashion continue to expand in new directions, the paths leading to the old will never fade. Someone will always walk down the paths to revisit both treasured and painful memories, and retro style and items aid that journey.

Chariot:Unsolved

AILEEN HA, managing editor

The world poses many questions in our society. Mysteries within government affairs, mysteries in science and mysteries about the simple inner workings of our day-to-day life plague minds with unresolved questions. This is the case for police departments and families around the world, as criminal cases are left unsolved with a trail that’s been cold for decades after the catalyzing event.

One bewildering case occurred 30 miles out of Columbus, Ohio and afflicted the entire small town of Circleville. In March of 1977, Mary Gillispie, a local school bus driver, walked out to her mailbox and retrieved a letter. While its sender was anonymous, it made clear that the writer had been watching Mary for some time. The unknown writer accused Mary of an affair with the school’s superintendent, Gordon Massie. According to CBS News, the contents of the letter not only accused Mrs. Gillispie of an extramarital affair, but they forced her to end it and threatened her daughters’ lives. The threats didn’t stop there; the writer sent letters to newspapers, fellow residents and town officials and began to target Mary’s husband, Ron Gillispie. The sender coaxed Ron to end the affair and kill both Mary and Gordon, eventually threatening his life if he did not follow the demands. One night in August of 1977, Ron received a suspicious phone call from who others believe to be the writer that resulted in him taking a gun and leaving the house in pursuit of the writer. Later that night, Ron

Gillispie died in a suspicious car accident, eliciting more questions regarding the situation. After Ron’s death, Mary came home to find a booby trap with a rigged gun; surprisingly, the gun belonged to Paul Freshour, Ron’s brother-in-law who, according to his estranged wife, was apparently deeply angered about Mary’s alleged affair. The town thought that they had finally found peace when Paul Freshour was arrested and in - carcerated when he admitted to owning the gun and failed his polygraph. Unfortunately, the writer again bewildered the town when hundreds of letters mysteriously started to appear again. It wasn’t possible for Freshour to have sent them, as he was constantly monitored, searched and isolated. After anoth - er decade, when Freshour was released from prison, the letters coincidentally stopped. Despite all efforts, the true writer of the letters has never been revealed. Some theorize that Freshour isn’t innocent and that he is the writer, while others believe that it could have been his angry ex-wife who set him up or that Mary was the culprit all along and planted the letters as a cover-up of murdering her husband. Although the letters stopped, it’s clear that many questions and mysteries still float in the minds of the townspeople of Circleville. An incident at Dyatlov pass that occurred in 1959 is yet another case that left many baffled. While this accident encapsulates the classic “hiking trip gone awry,” the circumstances surrounding the incident and deaths of the hikers are perplexing. As

nine friends made their way through the Ural Mountains in search of Mt. Ortorten, they never knew that all their lives would soon end in drastic ways. Their bodies were found less than ten miles out of their destination, with two bodies discovered with fractured skulls, another two with chest injuries and one with her tongue missing. At the time, Soviet officials quickly confirmed the cause was a powerful act of natural forces as six bodies died of hypothermia, but with further inspection, there are too many questions surrounding the case for it to be that simple. The bodies weren’t found collectively, as two were found under a tree near the fire at their campsite, three were found at increasing distances from that tree, while the other four were discovered in a ravine. It was later discovered that their tent had been cut open from the inside, which begs the question: if they were exposed to such cold temperatures, why did they not wear extra clothes that they had access to? After the bodies in the ravine were analyzed further, the bodies were found with multiple injuries that indicated that the impact of their injuries couldn’t have been caused by a human, and no other party was found near them. Strangely enough, the missing tongue became a topic of question, as investigators were never able to find it, and most of the skiers’s clothing had extremely high levels of radiation. Currently, people wonder what the true cause of these mysterious deaths was; was it just a simple case of hikers who died due to the elements, was it some kind of supernatural incident or was the Soviet’s impulsive closing of the case a nod to them as the real culprits? It seems as if this case is as cold as the Dyatlov pass. Some things are plain and clear, but at the same time, some things aren’t as simple as they seem. It’s no secret that the world holds many mysteries, and with the current state of society, we have the means that can either bring us steps closer to unraveling the truth behind many cold cases or bring about more questions and tangle the web of mysteries even further.

[“Some things are plain and clear, but... some aren’t as simple as they seem.”]

The first publicly available photographic process, Daguerreotype cameras were used commonly in the mid19th century. They worked by coating a copper plate with silver and developing it over hot mercury. Daguerreotype images are extremely delicate, and even a light brush can permanently scuff the image. By 1860, Daguerreotype cameras were already outdated with less expensive and more convenient technologies.

Invented in 1871, dry plate cameras became obscenely popular by 1879. By using gelatin as a base, numerous advancements were made. Perhaps the most important innovation in photography, dry plates could be bought off the shelf. In addition, it allowed cameras to be handheld. Upon further experimentation with the gelatin dry plate design, new plates were made with very short exposure times, leading to the invention of snapshot photography.

Very late in the 19th century, film was developed, which was a stark alternative to the hard, glass plates that had been the backbone of photography up until this point. The first film roll was made in 1881, which made cameras smaller and lighter and made photography cheaper. George Eastman popularized film with the invention of a box camera which he called Kodak. Film dominated photography for almost the entirety of the 20th century, and Kodak’s extremely early adoption made them a powerhouse.

Daguerreotype: Dry Plate: Film: 35mm

35 Millimeter film rolls quickly became the most popular form of film, and companies began producing them en masse very early in the 20th century. To no one’s surprise, Kodak became the world’s leading producer of 35mm film at that time. These rolls could be bought off the shelf and inserted into the consumer’s camera. Soon, the vast majority of all cameras used 35mm.

Point and Shoot: SLR & DSLR:

Consumer favorites, point and shoot cameras make photography incredibly simple. The instructions are in the name. While they don’t allow for the best quality, they became very popular for their ease of use. Today, there are both digital and film versions, with most film versions using 35mm. Surprised?

Standing for Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) and Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR), these cameras have become the epitome of both professional and hobbyist photography. SLR cameras were popular before digital cameras were invented, while DSLRs are popular now. These cameras allow for incredible quality, while still being handheld and convenient. Fun fact: Many of the images featured in The Chariot are taken on a DSLR.

Technological History Through the Lens of Cameras

DREW TOSTENSON, sports editor

RETRO Restaurants

Atlanta’s metropolitan area has a rich history, and its restaurant scene is no different. Restaurants such as The Varsity, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, La Grotta, The Colonnade and many others have stood the test of time and continue to serve Atlanta residents. While many historic restaurants have chosen to modernize, many have also chosen to maintain their vintage aesthetic.

The Varsity, located in Midtown directly across from Georgia Tech, was established in 1928 and is the world’s largest drive-in restaurant, taking up two entire city blocks. Originally named “The Yellow Jacket,’’ it was founded by Frank Gordy, a Georgia Tech drop-out and Reinhardt University graduate. The name was later changed as the business hoped to open more locations on other college campuses. Today, there are six locations - Atlanta, Gwinnett, Kennesaw, Dawsonville and two in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The Varsity has not abandoned its retro diner theming, with its neon signs and the em-

ployees’ soda-jerker hats. Its famous sign, towering above I-75/85 was built in 2000 but features Coca-Cola’s vintage logo and lots of chrome, which was popular in the 1950s. Speaking of, The Varsity is the largest restaurant consumer of Coca-Cola in the world, with a running partnership for over eight decades.

Mary Mac’s Tea Room is located in Midtown on Ponce de Leon Avenue. Founded by Mary MacKenzie in 1945, it was one of 16 tea rooms opened by enterprising women in Atlanta in the post-war period. At the time, labeling the restaurant as a “Tea Room” was the only way for a woman-owned restaurant to be considered acceptable. Mary Mac’s is the only original Tea Room still open today. The restaurant is famous for its devotion to the original intent of its founder, having the same menu and doing things the same way as in 1945. Mary Mac’s originally opened with only one dining room and has since expanded to six, making it one of the five largest restaurants in Atlanta. Recently, the State of Georgia and the

House of Representatives awarded Mary Mac’s with a special resolution for providing authentic Southern food and service, and it was officially named “Atlanta’s Dining Room.”

Marietta Diner may not be as famous or rooted in Atlanta history as The Varsity or Mary Mac’s, but it is easily the most recognizable for its retro looks. Opened in 1995, the restaurant offers 24hour service and has a reputation for its 500-item menu. It was even featured on an episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Its neon and chrome facade is absolutely unmistakable, leaving no doubt it is trying to keep the American tradition of diners alive.

If you are looking for some good food and even a portal back in time, Atlanta has plenty of restaurants that fit the bill. Georgia Tech students will urge you to go to The Varsity. Fans of southern cuisine will advocate for Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Those in the metropolitan area will campaign for Marietta Diner. You truly cannot go wrong.

DREW TOSTENSON, sports editor

VALENTINE’S DAY Over The Years

PRISHA MODY, staff writer

Valentine’s day: the day of love. It’s a unique day that many people look forward to every year and has evolved considerably from its origins. St. Valentine sent the first “valentine” to a girl he loved while confined in a jail cell and signed the letter “from your Valentine.’’ This started the tradition of signing letters and notes with “from your Valentine.” The first signs of this holiday were seen in Rome. Each February, boys would draw the names of girls and the pair would stay together during these festive times. Sometimes, they would even end up getting married. As time progressed, so did the traditions. During the Middle Ages, people started making handmade cards with sweet romantic poems inside which would be given to their lover or friend. Also, during the Middle Ages, in South Africa, young girls started wearing hearts on their sleeves with their secret sweetheart’s name. In the early 1700s, people began exchanging handmade cards and small gifts that showed their affection. Places all over the world had unique and different traditions that evolved over time. In Denmark, white flowers called snowdrops were pressed inside book pages and given to lovers as well as friends. However, as time passed, these traditions seemed to disappear. With the growth of factories and machines, many things started to appear in stores and the idea of handmade items seemed to lose meaning. Starting in the 1800s,

mass production of Valentine’s day cards became common, with a variety of styles made with lace and ribbons. As the economy grew and the world became more and more industrialized, the holiday became more commercialized. It lost the special touch that many people wished for. It became very easy to go out and buy a card instead of spending time making one by hand. In the United States of America, around 145 million cards are exchanged every February. This makes Valentine’s day the second biggest holiday for exchanging cards, after Christmas. There are over 22 billion dollars spent on this holiday. This includes buying chocolates, jewelry and other gifts to show love and appreciation for friends and lovers. However, some traditions still stand, with most couples buying flowers like red roses for each other to rep- resent their love. This tradition has stayed consistent all the way from the 17th century, with different flowers having special meanings. Red roses became very famous due to their association with deep love. This day of love has undergone significant changes from the start of the holiday to modern times. In spite of the fact that there are still many traditions in place, it has become increasingly apparent that the holiday season is now more about shopping for gifts as opposed to making homemade gifts that fall in line with past traditions.

Hollywood’sObsession with the 20’s

When many people think of the ‘20s, the words roaring, fun and party typically come to mind. In fact, a poll done by The Economist shows that the ‘20s are in the top three decades Americans would most like to relive. This is no coincidence, though, as many of these ideas stem directly from Hollywood and its iconic ‘20s scenes. “The Great Gatsby” is one of the most famous depictions of this decade. Gatsby’s luxury has been a symbol of the ‘20s wealth since the movie’s release. Flapper girls, jewels and excessive lights became the modern idea of what the ‘20s was like, but it didn’t stop at Gatsby. “Midnight in Paris” and “Bugsy Malone” are just two more examples of ‘20s luxury depicted all throughout Hollywood. All of the most popular ‘20s movies have one thing in common: luxurious, dance-tillyou-drop parties that never seemed to end.

The partying wasn’t completely unjustified or unrealistic, though. The ‘20s followed a time of great difficulty in America. The first World War had just ended in 1918, and with the end of the war came the reunion of families, the end of recessions and the reinstitution of familiarity in life. The takedown of

the Central Powers led to great nationalism all across the country and America had never seen such a strong connection among its people. In the early ‘20s, the economy boomed due to mass production in the states, with the nation’s wealth more than doubling, and families finally felt relief after years of economic distress. All of these combined factors led to a joyful and celebrating nation, and the ‘20s truly exemplified a time of joy for much of America. Additionally, because of all of the extra wealth circling the economy during this time, families now had money to spend on fun rather than necessities. This led many people to watch the newest silent films in theaters, where big names like Charlie Chaplin came to life. Consumers boosted the movie industry, and Hollywood began to get on its feet.

Another highlight of the ‘20s was society’s reaction to Prohibition, the nationwide banning of alcohol. Americans found a loophole in the law: Prohibition only banned the production of alcohol, not the consumption of it. Thus, consumers continued to drink alcohol, and with depleting supply and no production, illegal distribution of alcohol increased, increasing gang activity with it. Hollywood

GIULI CAPPARELLI, copy editor

took note, and mob and crime movies began to gain popularity. “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Last Man Standing” and “The Untouchables” all became classics for their depiction of crime during the Prohibition era. Many notable detective and old crime films came from this period, jumpstarting the crime genre in Hollywood. What Hollywood oftentimes seems to miss about the ‘20s, however, is that this joy was not equally spread to every American citizen. Although the 19th amendment was finally ratified in 1920, there was still much resistance against nonwhite women’s suffrage, and racial

stigmas remained strong. All of the glamorous parties were held exclusively for white men and women. The Klu Klux Klan began to terrorize the streets, and wages held by Black workers did not compare to those of white workers. The Harlem Renaissance did provide a similar music and party scene up north, though, where African American culture came to life. Manhattan became the center of Black musicians, street life, visual arts and, most notably, the Jazz Age. Although not as popular, Hollywood’s depiction of Harlem in “Passing” was very accurate, with the main character, Irene,

actively living in Harlem and being a part of its community. The film received great ratings for its unique storyline and accurate and personal depiction of the time, receiving a 90 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating. In the past, Hollywood has tended to share stories that show glamour, and fun; whatever will attract viewers quickest. In this trend, the other side of stories are often missed and misrepresentation is common. So, although the ‘20s did have much of the glamour and extravagance that many movies depict, it wasn’t equal for all, and many people had a much different experience in the ‘20s roar.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF B

lockbuster is the old-school Netflix, a retro video and movie rental store that revolutionized the idea of easy access to video tapes. The reason I’m still saying “is,” and not “was,” is because if you cruise northeast down Revere Avenue in Bend, Oregon, you will find the very last Blockbuster still standing. It is a mere relic, a small landmark to a titan of a company. At its peak in the mid-90s, Blockbuster employed some 85,000 people who assisted its 65 million customers in the United States. From a money standpoint, an individual movie rental was $25, a yearly membership cost $50 and a lifetime membership cost $100. All assets included, the Blockbuster company was worth north of $3 billion in 1997. The movie rental supercompany was an icon of retro-lifestyle. Nine thousand stores dotted streets across the world, embedded with the big, bold “Blockbuster” signs. “It’s hard to square Block-

buster’s near-total disappearance with the busyness of my nights there,” Ben Unglesbee, a former Blockbuster employee recalled in an interview. “People came by the hundreds to ask me and my fellow video store clerks what to watch that night. They came, they circled the shelves, they lingered to chat, they bought ice cream sandwiches, they argued about their late fees.” The hustle and bustle Blockbuster brought to the 20th-century movie scene was unmatched by any other movie rental chain. However, Blockbuster’s downfall was about as spectacular as its rise. With the introduction of streaming giant Netflix in 1997, Blockbuster’s boasted accessibility was its eventual demise. Netflix gave customers seemingly unlimited access to TV and movie streaming, revolutionizing what convenience meant in the movie industry. Blockbuster’s downfall seemed inevitable in the 21st century, and by 2010, two thou-

sand stores remained. In 2013, 300 stores remained. In July 2018, the second-to-last Blockbuster closed, leaving one remaining store open, despite the company being 1 billion dollars in debt since 2010. In late 2010, Blockbuster officially filed for bankruptcy for $1.2 billion. The official reason? Too many unreturned tapes and DVDs combined with the failure to keep up with the changes in the industry. While companies such as Netflix, Blu-Ray and Redbox were able to go almost fully digital, Blockbuster remained true to their original ideas, leading to over-reliance and under-consumption.

Well, at least Blockbuster ended with a bang. In a cataclysmic intercompany crash, over 70 thousand employees lost their jobs in five years. And yet, three employees still stock shelves for Blockbuster, working in the only Blockbuster left straight out of Bend, Oregon.

ELI FLEISCHER, staff writer

Sampling Music

Sampling Music

As the music industry develops throughout the years, new songs are always released and the need to find new melodies or tunes also increases. Sampling, the “reuse of a portion of a sound recording in another recording,” according to tunecore.com, can be a helpful tool for artists and songwriters and has frequently been used to generate new songs over many years. There are a few different ways songwriters can take inspiration or use older music in their pieces such as remakes, interpolation, demos and more, which are not to be confused with sampling. Remakes are covers of old songs, meaning the entire song will be almost the exact same as the original song except for minor or lyrical changes. Interpolation is when parts of a melody or lyrics are used, but rerecorded. These methods are different from sampling because sampling directly reuses the melody, rhythm, bars, beat and more, with adjustments if needed. The artist must get permission from the original artists and label for the song to be considered a legal sample.

One popular pop-rap song that many people aren’t aware uses a sample is Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams.” Lucid Dreams, released in 2018, placed number two on Billboard’s top 100 chart and

also received a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for selling one million units. The song was a major hit and one of the most well-known songs of the artist’s before his passing. The song sampled 1993 pop rock song “Shape of My Heart” by Sting. There were initially conflicts between the two parties over copyright issues, including rumors that Sting had sued Juice WRLD and tweets from “Lucid Dreams’” producer complaining about the 85 percent copyright Sting had obtained. Eventually, the parties came to good terms with Sting showing his love and respect for the sampled song as well as Juice WRLD’s tweet emphasizing the importance of the song’s good influences. A more pronounced sampled song, but equally as popular, is Ariana Grande’s “7 rings,” released in 2019. “7 Rings” interestingly follows the same melody and lyrical theme as “My Favorite Things,” written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The song was first per-

formed by Mary Martin and Patricia Neway in the Sound of Music Broadway show, as well as by Julie Andrews in the movie. “7 rings” was a major hit as it was successful in turning a more classical type of music into a pop style. Due to its high similarity to the original song, it is said that the original writers have 90 percent of the royalties.

Many other famous singers and songwriters like Drake, SZA, Kanye West, Olivia Rodrigo, Kendrick Lamar and more have released sampled songs. Sampling even crosses borders as some K-pop songs are samples of older American pop music.

Sampling sometimes sparks controversy among listeners as some find themselves disappointed when they realize their favorite song was not entirely original, while some find it even more fascinating when they can spot old songs and compare them to the samples. While sampling can cause some dismay or conflicts, it can be a good way to procreate music from the past and potentially introduce them to the new generation, building onto the music industry.

SEOJEAN AHN, staff writer

LOFI MUSIC

SANJANA SHAH, staff writer

To anyone that just wants a peaceful soundtrack to listen to after a long, stressful day at school, you’re in luck! Lo-fi music streams are drawing millions of listeners on YouTube everyday. These complex yet soothing rhythms are sure to set the tempo for whatever you want to do.

Lo-fi music is characterized by relaxed, unpolished sounds featuring elements such as crackling, static, and hissing that give the music a vintage or retro feel. These tunes draw plenty of inspiration from several genres including hip hop, jazz and dream pop. The music also features many “imperfections,” such as incorrect notes, background noise and low quality audio — all of which used to be looked down upon by industry professionals. So, this begs the question, what makes these tracks, songs that have no lyrics, few instruments, and drum patterns that repeat for minutes on end so mesmerizing?

Perhaps it is because of what Lo-Fi does to the human brain. Not only is Lo-fi music calming to the ear, but recent studies show that they can have an array of positive effects on mental health. First, Lo-fi music improves focus and brain activity. This is because of the Attention Drainage Effect Theory, which affirms that lo-fi sounds drain distractions by allowing the brain to subconsciously focus on a task while music plays in the background. Furthermore, the familiar sounds of water dropping, pages turning and humming creates feelings of nostalgia and homeliness, allowing for instant relaxation. According to The Mental Health Bene- fits of Lo-fi

Hip-Hop, these beats also significantly impact one’s mood by decreasing cortisol levels,a stress-inducing hormone, and increasing dopamine and serotonin levels, a mood-boosting hormone. Lastly, as spirit-lifting as Lo-Fi music can be, it may also help improve sleep quality. Japannakama, an up-and-coming lo-fi producer says it perfectly: “sleeping with lo-fi music makes you feel cocooned as if the predictable sounds protect you from the outside world, creating in your mind a safe space where you can fall asleep with your guard down.” Not only is Lo-Fi music good for one’s mental health, it is also beneficial for studying. According to Best Colleges, “an academic paper published in 1994 by the American Psychological Association Convention asserted the idea that music can help enhance cognitive performance. And while some musical stylings lack the cognitive-enhancing capabilities of Mozart or Debussey, other, more modern styles have recently been popularized by students.”

Aside from health and learning benefits, Lo-fi music is making waves online by creating the warmest communities of positivity and support. It is not rare to see Lo-fi YouTube channels flooded with comments like “I just feel like all of us listening to this are somehow a family” or “to anyone who is watching this video when studying, keep on fighting and don’t give up on your studies. You’ll be alright.”

So the next time you have to last-minute cram for that AP World History exam or Chemistry test, try turning on some Lo-Fi music. You may be surprised just how therapeutic these retro bops are.

GEN X vs GEN Z

VERA LEE, opinion editor

Ageneration gap is the difference in opinions that people of different collective generations have. There is an ever-growing chasm between current high school students and the parents who raise them. All of which seem to stem from technology.

Generation X, or people who grew up in the 80s and 90s, are characterized by growing up in a time of global tension. Gen X were children during the Cold War, the fight against communism and the constant threat of nuclear warfare. They were adults when the global war on terror began. For fun, kids during this time might have gone to the arcade to play some “Pac-Man” or have used their at-home-gaming system to play “Super Mario” or “Sonic the Hedgehog.” They may have also watched 90s sitcoms like “Friends” or the initial release of “Titanic,” the highest-grossing film that decade. Popular artists during those decades included Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. There also began an introduction and reintroduction of different music genres like punk rock and gangsta rap, such as Green Day and Dr. Dre.

In comparison, Generation Z, people born between 1996 and 2012, consider the trends and lives of the people in the past as retro or classic. Characterized by their tech-savviness and living their childhood during a recession, Gen Z has grown up to be both addicted to their mobile phones and budget conscious. According to Pew Research Center, Gen Z are also growing up to be the most racially and ethnically diverse generation with only around 52 percent of them being of non-Hispanic white origin.

According to the Economic Times, 98 percent of Gen Z own a phone with a majority of them spending more than four hours on it a day. In their free time, Gen Z are likely to play PC games like “Among Us” and “Fortnite,” watch shows on Netflix and Hulu or interact with social media apps like TikTok and Instagram. Gen Z is a generation that focuses a lot on mental health which may be due to comparing themselves to people online and the current political climate, with 75 percent of them citing school shootings as a cause of stress. Ironically, although Gen Z can stay connected with social media, they are often referred to as the “loneliest” generation because of their isolated behavior and undeveloped social skills. Because of social media, Gen Z are also more likely to be exposed to sexual content and predators at earlier ages.

Pew Research Center has also found that Gen Z are the most educated generation with 57 percent of 18-21 year-olds enrolled in a college. This may be due to the fact that Gen Z are more likely to be children of college graduates. Because more people are going to college than previous generations, there exists a greater competition to attend prestigious universities. Younger generations are also more progressive on issues like racial discrimination, climate change and LGBTQ+ rights. They are also generally more comfortable using gender-neutral pronouns and believe there is a need for societal and systemic change.

TikTok has ended the stigma surrounding thrifting and introduced a new form of sustainable fashion, but, ultimately, its negatives have trumped its benefits. Thrift stores originated as a way to make a profit off of secondhand clothes that most people did not want anymore. Their prices reflected their original demographic, people at or below the poverty line. Now, however, an increase in foot traffic has caused their prices to spike. The problem lies with hyperconsumption by those who can afford to find clothes elsewhere, but donation rates do not reflect this new trend. This inflation of prices has completely defeated the original cause of their creation, to provide poorer people with clothing and other luxuries that are usually outside of their price range. “Thrift

Over the last two years, the rising generation has begun to define what this decade’s fashion culture will be. With the rise of ethical awareness in fashion brands and overconsumption at an all-time high, many fashion-centric people have turned towards thrifting. The art of recycling old clothes and repurposing them in this new age of fashion has allowed a decline in fast fashion and clothes in landfills while opening up the accessibility of clothes in lower-income homes.

The year 2020 was famous for many things, but between quarantine and “Among Us” gameplay, many “GenZers” became familiar with Shein, a website geared towards selling trending clothes for low prices. The online site mass-produced micro trends in a budget fit for teens: under 30 dollars. In the last two years, many have uncovered Shein’s unethical means of production, yet no

stores have gotten wise to the fact that there are covetable, profitable gems lurking in their trove of textiles,” says The Wall Street Journal.

What used to be a sustainable source of secondhand clothing has led to an increase in fast fashion, usually characterized as being cheap, mass-produced clothing that has a high environmental and social impact. The price inflation of thrift stores has caused many people to turn to fast-fashion sites like Shein, a company known for violating human rights and several labor regulations. These clothes are often made overseas where there are fewer labor laws that minimize ethical and environmental concerns. The clothing industry is one of the worst polluters with it being responsible for 4 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, a rate that is the same as Germany,

alternatives seemed to arise for the younger generation until the revival of retro clothing began to surge. TikTok’s popularization of ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s fashion brought the art of thrifting into the mainstream. It has become an ethical and financial lifesaver. In a 2022 article by The Guardian writer Dilys Williams, it is relented that “most returns end up in landfill because it costs more to put them back in circulation.”

Seeing as many of the clothes popularized on the company’s site pull from vintage looks, shopping locally at second-hand shops gave people access to authentic pieces with a guilt-free conscience. While thrifting is overtaking Shein, many argue that it cannot compare with the company’s online capabilities. The store’s growth is directly linked to its accessibility to everyone via the internet, though thrifting seems to flourish in urban

France and the United Kingdom combined. Not only that, their dyes pollute rivers, and the synthetic fibers they are made with deplete and degrade the soil. Thrift store prices are also driven up by resellers, people who purchase items in bulk and sell them for higher prices elsewhere. While this process doesn’t have the ethical and environmental issues fast fashion has, they cause prices to go up and affordable plus-size options, which are usually hard to find, become even rarer.

Thrifting has ruined thrift stores by making prices skyrocket and limiting options for those who really need them, as well as causing more traffic to fast fashion. A harmless trend has suddenly become responsible for multiple environmental and ethical concerns, ultimately profiting the rich while harming the poor.

areas surrounded by consignment shops with quality clothes. The argument falls flat as apps and websites like Depop and Poshmark exist. Both sites allow people to resell vintage and retro clothing alongside more modern pieces without feeding into fast fashion. Although some resellers can charge high prices, the money is spent more on quality than quantity. Some people have taken more direct methods, offering to shop for people without access to thrift stores. They open up their social media platforms to those who struggle with finding looks or do not have the resources available nearby. With so many resources, thrifting has allowed for a rise in sustainability and ethical mindsets in younger generations. One can only hope that as the ‘20s continue with the recycling of clothes, the fast fashion enterprise can finally die.

When Should Old Shows Be Cut?

ISABEL WILEY, staff writer

Everyone has their favorite binge-worthy TV series. But no show is perfect, and many are left on too long and run their course before they formally end (disclaimer, minor spoilers ahead). Some have too many seasons like “Grey’s Anatomy,” some lose a main character, like “Vampire Diaries,” and some do not make sense anymore, like whatever is currently going on with “Riverdale.’’ Some shows, on the other hand, think that altering their characters with new plot deci sions is the only way to proceed.

After Steve Carell’s departure in the seventh season of “The Office,” the writers decided to move on to the next season and pretend they didn’t lose the face of their show; with out Michael Scott, the series was a shell of its former self, and many fans started to dislike this new era. “The Office” brought in big-time actors like Will Ferrell to distract audiences, but his charac ter was not nearly as humorous as Michael Scott and therefore audiences were not fooled. They also appeared to start over in the penultimate season, creating new characters out of the old ones and rewriting qualities of beloved characters. However, seasons eight and nine of “The Office” do have their good parts. We get to see the characters on new journeys, and the finale ties up everything that happened in all nine seasons in a little bow that leaves audiences in tears. Even with the decent parts of these seasons, the showrunners should have considered ending the series earlier after Steve’s exit.

“Gilmore Girls,” a beloved show of the 2000s, was not

immune to this issue; many fans of the show disliked the last two seasons. This is because the creators scripted extremely out-of-character decisions into the plot that do not fit into the existing storylines. Specifically, the infamous mother-daughter duo having an unprecedented falling out left many fans confused and upset. Nevertheless, “Gilmore Girls” still had plenty of characters to watch the show for in these seasons; the side characters become the main event as their plots become ones to root for and to enjoy. The Gilmore Girls do reconcile, but this spat becomes the first event in a series of out-of-character occurrences. “Gilmore Girls” is moreover an excellent series with fast-talking, witty and lovable characters that have you constantly looking up the references they make. However, producers should have crunched the numbers on whether harming the characters and annoying their audiences was worth continuing the show. Although these shows are over, they serve as examples of what happens when producers decide not to respect the integrity of their show or its characters. Showrunners should reevaluate their continuation when the decisions they start making are not ones the characters themselves would make. Although sometimes it is important for characters to face adversity and make different decisions for the purpose of moving the plot forward, there is a fine line between these decisions and the kinds that stop audiences from watching.

masthead MASTHEAD

PUBLICATION

The Chariot is a student-run publication printed for and distributed to the Johns Creek community. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Johns Creek High School, its students, faculty, staff or administration. Content is edited and controlled by staff editors, in collaboration with the staff adviser and the administration. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity and the invasion of privacy.

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COVER DESIGN

Shinyoung Yang

Rachel Rothman

Aashwin Sharma

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Rachel Rothman

Aashwin Sharma

MANAGING EDITOR

Aileen Ha

NEWS EDITOR

Ella Cho

SPORTS EDITOR

Drew Tostenson

FEATURES EDITOR

Chandra Sentell

OPINION EDITOR

Vera Lee

COPY EDITOR

Giuli Capparelli

STAFF WRITERS

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Nikhil Bhagavati

Olivia Courtney

Eli Fleischer

Hiti Gupta

Prisha Mody

Ethan Palgon

Sanjana Shah

Anika Srinivasan

Savannah Townsend

Isabel Wiley

Maya Clay

DESIGNERS

Rachel Rothman

Aashwin Sharma

Shinyoung Yang

Aileen Ha

ADVISOR

Gillian Alred

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