John F. Kennedy High School
Volume 53, Issue 1
January, 2020
THE TORCH
Table of Contents 01
Letter From the Editors
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Boys Will Be Boys, And Girls Will Be ___.
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A Generation With Open Arms
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Should Cancel Culture Be Canceled?
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Words As Weapons
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A Life Built Around 360
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Support at the Source
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Staff
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Mission Statement
Letter From The Editors
OK Boomer. Two words that have started a war between generations. Not a war of violence, but a war of differences and misunderstandings. As Gen-Z, we see ourselves as superior to Boomers, but in reality, we have our flaws like any other age group. Gen-Z, or Zoomers, have made mistakes, and plenty of them. We literally went through a phase where we thought it was funny to eat tide pods. Tide Pods. Actual laundry detergent. Not to mention the dozens of other ridiculous challenges that could have put our lives in danger. We inhaled cinnamon, burned our skin with ice and salt, swelled our lips to the point of bruising, and jumped out of moving cars. I cannot think of any other word to describe these actions other than stupid. Generation-Z continues to criticize Boomers, but we must remember that we have made our fair share of mistakes too. Through this magazine, we explore Gen-Z with both the good and the bad, taking a step back without our rose-colored glasses and realizing that sometimes, an OK Zoomer is more appropriate than an OK Boomer.
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Boys Will Be Boys, and Girls Will Be .
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t is difficult to comprehend why the world we live in has become too harsh. Females everywhere are being criticized and judged by the way they act, dress, the friends they have, and so many other characteristics. There is a term used to criticize women who are perceived to violate expectations of behavior and appearance regarding issues related to sexuality known as slut-shaming. There are various reasons people slut-shame. From a personal perspective, slutshaming hits close to home. Comments, glares, and inappropriate actions happen at Kennedy often. Sometimes, as much as we don’t want to admit, it escalates to more. It could happen to anyone. It has happened to me and many others. Wearing a shirt that reveals a small amount cleavage is enough to cause comments and judgement. “[Slut shaming happens to] mostly females, because society has different rules for males and females,” Jason Kline, principal at Kennedy said. One day I was walking down the hallway in a low cut shirt and a skirt, all of a sudden guys I didn’t know were laughing and saying vulgar comments about my body. Ignoring those hurtful comments is not always enough.
“Be kind. Think before you say something, ask yourself is this something I would want said to me?” Officer Charity Hansel, school resource officer at Kennedy, said. It happens everywhere. It’s on social media, through text messaging, or as you walk through the hallways. If you have been slut-shamed one time or multiple times, it’s almost as if you were branded like cattle. You will always have that mark on you. Students are too quick to attack and not always quick enough to understand. “People do it to each other because they don’t know how to appropriately interact,” Hansel said. “It’s horrible to feel attacked. Whether a person is sexually promiscuous or not it’s none of our business and we don’t know if something is going on in their life or what they’ve been through.” Slut-shaming is not limited to females, but it’s more common to hear a female get called an array of hurtful, nasty words than a male. Sexist comments are brushed off as harmless teasing, hidden under the disguise of “a joke”. Not everyone sees it that way.
Haylee Brewer Kaylia Richards
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A Generation With Open Arms
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eneration-Z is making a change for the better when it comes to inclusivity. Those who are included in this generation are more accepting than those that have come before. Inclusivity doesn’t pertain to only a certain amount of Gen-Z kids, it applies to the majority. This generation is vastly diverse with no choice but to make a change. Every person that belongs to Gen-Z has a different background which could make it difficult to be accepting. “We are more accepting of others due to exposure of different cultures through… social contact and electronic technology,” Gabe Barnes, GSA Leader at Kennedy, said. As a generation that has grown up alongside technology, Generation-Z members are able to connect in 04
ways that used to be impossible. This opportunity to connect has allowed individuals to learn about and from each other. “We have [the ability] to communicate with billions of other people that have wide differences in religion, culture, and ideas from our own,” Barnes said. Exposure to people from a variety of different backgrounds allows members of Gen-Z to see the world from a different view. More than 20 years, ago schools were not as diverse as they are now. At Kennedy, we see people from many different groups and cultures. As a newer generation, we have been exposed to many causes that have brought new people into our society. While prejudice still exists, there is less now than there was before. This has created a large forum for members of the LGBTQ+ to come out and be a part of the
community that wasn’t always accepted. We are also living in a world where immigration is very prominent in bringing different cultures into schools. “We as a society are more exposed to others than any generation before us,” Barnes said. “Because of that, we are more capable of understanding other people and accepting the differences that we have, but also able to find common ground in our beliefs and values.” Examples of a more inclusive 3 generation can be witnessed within Kennedy High School. Clubs such as the Gay Straight Alliance and Black Student Union focus on including others and making everyone feel welcomed. “Being a leader of the Kennedy GSA has taught me that everyone has a wide variety of backgrounds and histories, and though no one should necessarily be forced to share their history, it is helpful
to raise awareness by putting differences out there to inform people that even though we may be different, we are all human beings,” Barnes said. Generation-Z has had the help of previous generations by building up standards of tolerance and acceptance. This generation is on track to continue raising these standards. Generation-Z is putting differences aside in efforts to create a better society. Generation-Z has had the help of previous generations by building up standards of tolerance and acceptance. This generation is on track to continue raising these standards. Generation-Z is putting differences aside in efforts to create a better society.
Lindsey Matus 05
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Should Cancel Culture Be Canceled? I
n a world of media, people are often perceived from different angles. From James Charles, an online phenomenon, to Carson King, a local celebrity, many people are being ‘canceled’ for their past actions. Canceling is the act of publicly destroying an individual’s reputation. The action most commonly takes place on social media, specifically Twitter. This phenomenon is referred to as cancel culture. The act of ‘canceling’ occurs when people who dislike the individual will do a deep dive into their content and old social media posts. They do this in order to pull out anything that could potentially begin an outrage. After people share these old posts, the media begins to manipulate it and then use it as evidence against the individual. This causes a possibility of immense harm to their reputation. Some people attempt to justify cancel culture because celebrities will begin to face repercussions for their actions. Other people believe that it is unfair and cruel.
People will go to extreme measures to destroy an individual’s reputation by pulling the most miniscule errors from their past, whether it’s deserved or not. Carson King published two racist tweets at the age of 16. As a teen the prefrontal cortex which is in charge of decision making and judgement is not yet fully developed. This allows room for error. Yes, King published the racist tweets, but we all learn as we grow up. However, cancel culture uses our youth and inexperience against us. People are held accountable for everything they put onto social media. 30 years ago, that was not an issue. People didn’t have to worry about their every move being recorded and kept until the time that someone hiding behind a computer screen wants to use it for revenge. As social media has become more prevalent people have started to demand cancel culture. And the truth is people enjoy it. Cancel culture has the ability to 07
anceled#canceled#canceled #canceled#canceled#canceled#canceled #can
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increase their status by giving them ‘clout’ and allows people to share enemies. Since it is done behind the screen, there are little to no consequences and not many are afraid to supply. This creates something that will only continue to snowball. The relevance and structure of cancel culture has changed dramatically due to social media. As people spend more time online, issues such as cancel culture continue to grow. As teens in highschool, we have a close connection to media and the celebrities that create it. We use only our opinion to judge them. However, we cannot judge people on the basis of what is posted on social media. We have been able to see that most of what is shared on social media is either a stretched truth or simply just false. We take this false or stretched truth to apply a negative opinion to the victim. Even though we are aware that this is most likely being done with the intent of harm.
Though the act of canceling is not always permanent, intentionally hurting someone’s reputation causes cancel culture to grow and become more accepted. Since cancel culture has the ability to grow rapidly we are not learning from it. It is not helping people grow from their mistakes, it penalizes them. We do not mature by intentionally spreading a negative impact. We cannot allow cancel culture to grow anymore than it already has. Instead, we need to address the situation appropriately and attempt to help people grow from their mistakes. As teens we need to realize that there are consequences to our actions. Just because we are young and have the ability to make mistakes doesn’t make it okay. Grow up, and let’s cancel cancel culture. Maggie Talbott-Malone
Words As Weapons.
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s I walk through the hallways at Kennedy, I hear things. There are people talking about the test they just took and the homework they forgot to do. They’ll talk about that funny tweet they saw this morning or the tik-tok that made them laugh. I hear friends joking and teasing each other. Most alarmingly though, I hear hate speech, specifically against people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Hate speech is an enormous problem at Kennedy. Every school day, whether I’m in a class, in the hallways, or at an extracurricular activity, I hear some form of racist or homophobic slur. It’s typically said in a joking manner, like an off hand comment or a teasing remark. Regardless, the suffering that it causes is immense. Movements working towards ending hateful speech have been happening for years, most recently being the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign. Yet, while this campaign has almost completely ended the use of slurs towards those with mental disabilities at Kennedy, other terms are spoken daily. “It’s easy to hear people casually calling their friends f*g, and I feel like there’s a standard that’s held with most slurs where you can’t say it if you’re not a part of that minority, but with slurs for lots of other groups, anyone can say it and it’s not held to that same standard. That’s not fair because there’s history behind both of them,” Gwen Thompson, jr., said. The impacts of these phrases are not always visible. It’s hurting the student who hasn’t come out yet, who sits in the back of the classroom and hears the hatred being spilled in what is supposed to be a “safe space”. It’s the student who hears their identity used as a derogatory term, and goes home, carrying that feeling
of worthlessness with them. The hatred does not end with homophobic comments. There are white Kennedy students who have been caught using vile language against people of color. “Last week in my first hour this white guy was talking about saying the n-word and he was saying that he could say the n-word because he had a black friend,” Rahma Elshiekh, jr., said. These words can have lasting impacts on the students that face this discrimination. The history behind hate speech is tragic, and no amount of time can or should erase the grave mistakes of the past. If Kennedy High school is really the place that we all wish it was, why are the halls filled with words that make me want to cover my ears? Why is there so little respect or concern for others? Why do students use language that they know is harmful? Why when I am sitting in class do I hear such hurtful words? Why do so many students stay silent? I know I am not the only student who hears these degrading terms that fill the school. There have been so few occasions where I have heard anyone reprimand these actions, teachers or students, and that is where the change needs to start. If any form of hate speech is said, it is up to the bystanders to say something. If not, the hatred will only continue, and the pain will be irreversible. Jami Martin-Trainor
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technology driven society has shaped the lives and behaviors of Gen Z, as well as the lives and behaviors of their parents. The method of parenting and the way we stay connected has shifted from ‘be home before dark’ to ‘make sure your location is turned on at all times.’ Patrick Cory, a teacher here at Kennedy High School and a father of three explains that the biggest difference in parenting now compared to the past is the technology that is available. “When I grew up we all had to plan that ‘I’m going to be down at the creek’ and my parents would say ‘this is the time you need to be home’,” Cory said. Instant monitoring of communication and location is just a click away. Apps such as Life 360 and Family Time allow families to track each other’s real-time whereabouts. Parents have instant access to location, estimated time of arrival, crime reports, crash detection and the driving reports of their children. 12
“It comes from good intent. There’s no parent that I am aware of that says ‘I can’t wait to catch my kids messing up or lying to me.’ It started with the intent of just ‘if something was to happen I’d like to know,’” Cory said, “The result though could be extreme parenting through minute by minute micromanaging, and that can be unhealthy at times.” Concerns have been raised in regards to the possible unhealthy relationships that this micromanaging could cause. Officer Charity Hansel, Kennedy’s School Resource Officer and a major advocate for the Life 360 app was quick to shut these concerns down. She explained that juveniles in the state of Iowa have no rights, and therefore should not be expectant of privacy and independence as a teen. “There is no such thing as manipulative behavior in parents,” Officer Hansel said, “Phones, cars, all those things are privileges not rights.” Officer Hansel argues that a parent’s job is to parent, not be your friend. That
involves monitoring your behavior, location, and social media. “The problem with social media and phones for your generation is that you can not unplug,” Officer Hansel said, “You guys do not have enough self control because your frontal lobe is not developed in your brain to know that ‘I need to unplug’.” These apps are important safety tools in the modern world, but can easily be taken too far as parents walk the fine line between safety and micromanaging. Maddie Fitzgerald, jr., and her family have been using the Life 360 app for the past couple of months. “I obviously did not want to have Life 360 because it feels like an invasion of privacy.” Fitzgerald said. Over time Fitzgerald became less skeptical and more accepting as she realized her parents’ harmless intentions of safety rather than the obsessive monitoring. “It’s more geared towards safety, which is a good thing obviously, but some people start using it to basically stalk their own kids,” Fitzgerald said, “It doesn’t really affect my life that much, but I’d still rather not have it just because of the principle of it.” This technology needs to be used as an establishment of trust and safety between parents and their teens. High school is a critical time period for teens as they develop independence and selfimage. Gen Z is being robbed of their ability to make mistakes and develop those important traits as they enter into the harsh reality of adulthood and responsibility.
Olivia Riley-Schmelzer 13
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y peers and I are suffering. One in five teens in America are diagnosed with a mental health disorder. One in five of my classmates are dealing with depression, anxiety, and other challenges on a daily basis. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults. Kennedy High School has resources put in place to combat these unnerving facts. Yet, the mental health issues facing our students are not being talked about regularly. There are not enough educators and administrators to reach out to the majority of struggling teens. For two years, Chantel Mobberly, Kennedy’s in-school therapist, has provided comprehensive therapy and support for students. “I am a mental health therapist [for] anybody that’s struggling with a wide range of things, that really is just dependent on the student themselves and what they’re facing in their day,” Mobberly said. 14
Mobberly’s time is divided between schools as she acts as a viable resource for thousands of students. Most school psychologists, like Mobberly, have at least two or three schools they work with. Across the country, there is only one psychologist per 1,400 students. The school also provides several counselors who have gone through training in mental health and access to resources. “[We help] students with social, emotional, behavioural concerns so when students just pop in, we all have an open door policy. If our door is open, even if we’re working on a task that is an indirect service, or writing a letter of recommendation or working on student’s schedules, we drop that and we help students,” Rachel Collins, counselor, said. The rest of the counselors’ time is dedicated to program planning and other duties like paperwork, testing, and lunchroom duty. Though they do not have
the same training as a therapist, many are involved in mental health and crisis courses. Teachers are accessible adults to reach out to, but they are only a stepping stone. Most are not adequately trained on mental health to tackle their problems, but they can help students find another person who can help. There is more support for teens than in previous generations, but this epidemic is not being solved. At this point, struggling students are the ones who need to reach out and seek resources for themselves, which can be extremely difficult in times of emotional distress. Nationally, 80 percent of youth who need mental health services will not reach out to get them. They stay silent with their pain and struggle alone. Mobberly believes some teens don’t reach out for help because they do not want to feel weak. “There [are] people that are very proud,”
Mobberly said. “They don’t want to reach out because if they reach out, then that means that there is something wrong with them or that they’re not strong enough to be able to do this themselves, they’ll see it as a form of weakness.” We need a group of trained individuals who will band together to seek out struggling students and provide a helping hand in their time of need. Dana Melone, teacher, wanted to achieve this here at Kennedy. Foundation 2 and Project Big came together to construct the Green Bandana project for high schools that seeks to combat this crisis. At Kennedy, there are now around 45 trained green bandana members. Melone intends to increase this number as the years pass. That is 45 students who are aware of mental issues and have a sense of how they can help their peers. Melone believes that Green Bandana will encourage more students to get help.
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They are more likely to talk to other teens rather than administrators or other adults. “I think the first person you’re going to is your peers,” Melone said. “I think that’s why when we were looking at students to be a part of this program, we wanted to make sure that we have students from a lot of different peer groups like we didn’t just want to take students from peer group A or peer group B, because we need kids out there from all different types of groups.” These students are trained to respond to their peers when they reach out to them. They are a person to talk to about their problems and to provide resources like Foundation 2 and hotline numbers. There is a possibility that making these teenagers partially responsible for the wellbeing of their peers raises a personal risk to themselves. However, Mrs. Melone is not concerned about this because their training addressed it heavily.
“One of the things that we did talk about is that they need to know when they need to say ‘hey I’m struggling because I had to deal with this and now I need someone to talk to.’ That was talked a lot about in their training,” Melone said. Green bandana is a large step in making our school a more mental healthconscious community. Still, this doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging our counselors to talk with students about their problems, school-related or not. We need to be active in solving this epidemic.
Elise Hrabik
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
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1-800-273-8255
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Fall Torch Staff Editors:
Special Thanks To:
Jami Martin-Trainor Olivia Riley-Schmelzer
Raafa Elsheikh
Photo Editor: Haylee Brewer
Social Media Manager: Alyssa Friedley
Designers: Ashton Nanke
Staff: Joel Dillman Elise Hrabik Lindsey Matus Samuel Miranda Kaylia Richards Savanna Sievert Adam Sullivan Maggie Talbott Mathew WorthingtonBarnes Joey Young
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Rahma Elsheikh Noah Hargrafen Dayton Hasse Daniel Juarez Elise Kim Grace Ntanyungu
Our Mission Statement The student staff and adviser are committed to producing top-quality student publications, applying high standards of writing, editing, and production. These media seek to fairly serve the Kennedy High School faculty, students, and staff showing no favoritism to any particular interest, individual, or group. Final decisions about content are the responsibility of the individual editors and the Editorial Board.
Non-Discrimination Policy It is the Torch’s policy not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (employment only), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status (students/ program only) in its educational programs and its employment practices.
Ownership The Torch publication, website, official social media, and broadcasts serve as a public forum produced by the students in Journalism-Newspaper. Student editors make content decisions consistent with the Torch Editorial Policy, Iowa Law, and ethics of journalism.
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