the
Mix
The Student Voice of Monarch High School
Sucked In Social media impacts teens’ mental health
329 Campus Dr
Louisville, Colorado
Volume 24
Issue 2
January 2022
80027
The Mix The Student Voice of Monarch High School
OUR VISION: MoHi Media’s vision is to be the source of information for the Monarch community. Our school can count on us to tell the stories that need to be told and to voice the opinions and ideas that need to be heard in an honest, truthful way.
OUR POLICIES: Opinions or expressions made by students in this publication are not expressions of Boulder Valley School District Board policy. The district and its employees are immune from any civil action based on any expression made for or published by students. The Mix is an open forum for and by the students, faculty, and community of Monarch High School. The Mix is willing to accept and publish any appropriate articles. We will not print letters sent to us without a name and signature.
OUR SITES: Instagram: @mohimix 2
The Mix
Website: mohimix.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Kate Muldoon EDITORS
Maeby Aleo Layla East Minh Anh Le STAFF
Arianna Bergman Zack Frieder Josie Furst David Maxwell Zoey Perrine Brenna Severson ADVISER
Ben Reed
Contents The Mix
Vol. 24
4 The Mix-Up MIX & MATCHES
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8 Life in the off-season FEATURES
10 Sucked in 12 Protecting the pack 16 When you wish upon a rock star MIXED OPINIONS
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20 Lost in labels 21 Pet peeves 22 Disney’s disloyalty 23 Slow your scroll January 2022
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MIX-UP WARM WINTER WAFFLES Student reminisces about breakfasts at family cabin By Kate Muldoon
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aking up to the smell of sizzling bacon and freshly squeezed orange juice was just another perk of the annual cabin trip Mia Reinke ‘23 went on as a kid. “Every morning, my dad and my godfather would cook up a massive breakfast for all the kids and parents,” she said. The Reinke family was joined by four other families at their shared cabin in Grand Lake. Breakfast was always the highlight of the trip. “They would cook like five pounds of eggs, and five pounds of bacon along with bagels and pancakes and waffles for all the ten kids and five parents,” Reinke said. In addition to the insane amount of food, other dishes were occasionally featured. “Sometimes my mom made pumpkin spice waffles which were delicious, or I would ask them to put chocolate chips in my waffles,” she said. Breakfast was always a time for all the parents and children to spend time together and make memories. “It was a great cabin, with great people, and obviously great food,” she said.
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Try Mia’s waffles to spice up your next Sunday morning breakfast: Add 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and ½ cup of pumpkin puree to your favorite waffle mix or recipe. Cook your waffles and top with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream, fresh fruit, or whatever you like!
Miseria: a mystery The second chapter of our ongoing short story By Layla East and Josie Furst
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ast issue, Aries was left in a state of paranoia when she received a mysterious note. Here’s where the story continues: “Calm down. I can’t be seen with some freak,” Eris seethes, eyes darting to the students surrounding us. “I have bigger issues than your reputation,” I whisper. “Someone’s threatening me.” As he lowers his eyes to meet mine, he states in a sickly condescending tone, “You overestimate your importance. You’re not the only one who got a note.” I bite my lip in an attempt to silence an oncoming insult. Turning on my heel, I head towards my next class. My ginger curls whip around me, and I hope they hit Eris in the face. “Since I care about my grades, I’m going to class.” He doesn’t respond. I shift my weight to the side, uncomfortable by Eris’s silence. “We can talk later.” The silence persists. I can’t take it. I spin back around and Eris is standing there with the note in his hand. But he’s not the only one. Everyone else in the hallway has a note in their hand on the same lined paper I got. Soon I hear them talking. Looking at the note. Staring at me. “Aries.”
“Who’s that?” “Why is she writing us notes?” “What kind of egotistical…” “Does everyone have one?” Eris snatches a note from a girl next to him. He tears it open, eyes widening. “Are you gonna let me in on your little secret?” He asks, handing it to me. The same handwriting glares up at me, except my name signs this note. “There’s someone in this school I’m coming for. Because I’m the best, and there’s only room in this school for one of us.” it reads. “Signed Aries.” I feel everyone’s eyes on me as people read the note with my name on it. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out. I mean, you know one of the smartest guys in your grade,” Eris says with a smirk. Of course he takes a moment to make himself look good. I spin around and more eyes meet mine. Some are confused. Some are judging me. None are friendly. “Shut up for once, Eris,” I say quietly. He creeps closer to me, clumping the note in his hand. “What was that? Sorry, with everyone talking about you, it’s hard to hear.” I face him. My anxiety went from zero to a hundred and I can’t take it anymore. I open my mouth to respond, but I never get there. Everything goes black.
THE YELP Student reviews of Netflix’s Squid Game
CoyoTEA What are red flags in a relationship?
Ben Anderson ‘25 “Never try to get the first kiss on the first date. Strong relationships take more time.”
Jasmine Puska ‘23 “Lack of communication is a big one.”
Sam Van Houten ‘24
“Someone who’s not supportive of me.”
“I thought the show was pretty good, just a little overrated.” — Dawson Bauer ‘25 “I genuinely enjoyed how the show was made, and I’m a sucker for good filmmaking. The behind the scenes are pretty insane, and I think a very talented team of people made this show as great as it was.” — Benedict Pothier ‘22 “I like the way they were able to include life lessons, like money can’t buy happiness, into a TV show.” — Xavier Gonzales ‘22 “I really liked its honest view of capitalism and overall execution.” — Leah Buck ‘23
Matea Legge ‘22 “Excuses. Being like, ‘Oh, I totally would, but…’ and constantly coming up with something instead of being honest.”
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Seasonal self-care
3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!
“My friends come over and we all hang out and make yummy mashed potatoes and asparagus.” — Isabella Martino ‘23
What are your New Year’s traditions?
Methods to combat the winter blues
“I write the year as many times as the year. Like if it’s 2021, I write 2021, 2,021 times because I always forget to write the date right.” — Cora Markley ‘25
“Come New Year’s, everyone in the family and friends gather at my grandpa’s house, and we have a huge dinner, and everybody’s laughing, and talking, and catching up because we don’t see each other very often because we’re all so far away.” — Alana Saliba El Habre ‘23
“I like to have a vacation somewhere with a beach and warm sunny weather, but journaling is also great because it lets me express myself somewhere.” — Maya Volkov ‘23 “I like to ski and hang out with my friends while skiing. I also like to watch Elf, it’s a classic Christmas movie.” — Matthew Younce ‘22 “I read a lot in the winter because it’s relaxing and a good thing to do while staying cozy rather than just being sad that it’s cold out.” — Catalina Puska ‘23
Teachers: they’re just like us They go to the gym
They ar e mess y eaters 6
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bored They get
Fit for the season Gray plaid outer jacket
Classic neutral t-shirt
The color theme for 2022 is misty sunrise. These are curated outfits inspired by the colors of the year. They use misty blues and warm pinks to make cozy and fashionable winter outfits.
Electric blue pants UV protective sunglasses
Outfits made possible by Express
White pom pom beanie
Dusty pink fuzzy coat
White pom om beanie
Warm pink tank top
Black pants with bow
LET IT SNOW Pick your favorite winter things and find out what to do on a snow day Pick a winter drink: A. Hot cocoa B. Apple cider
C. Hot tea D. Peppermint mocha
Pick a binge-worthy TV show: A. The Office B. The Vampire Diaries
If you answered mostly A’s: Your favorite winter items are basic and traditional, so you should go to a coffee shop to hang out with friends! If you answered mostly B’s: Your favorite winter items are spontaneous and random, so you should go and make a snowman or even an igloo!
C. Gilmore Girls D. Friends
Pick a comfort food for dinner: A. Soup B. Pot roast
C. Lasagna D. Mac and cheese
Pick an indoor activity for cold days: A. Curl up with a book B. Bake cookies
C. Take a nap D. Watch movies
Pick something to snuggle up with: A. A blanket B. A sweatshirt
C. A pillow D. A pet
If you answered mostly D’s: Your favorite winter items are fun and exciting, so you should embrace your inner child and go sledding!
If you answered mostly C’s: Your favorite winter items are relaxing, so you should lay low and take the nap that you know you want!
January 2022 7
Life in the off-season Caden Schalk stays in shape for baseball season By Zack Frieder and Arianna Bergman
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ake up at 7 AM. Finish a few random math problems, read a chapter of a book for LA, drive to school, go to the gym during an off period, leave school and drive straight to practice, get home, eat dinner, and do another few hours of homework. The life of a typical high school athlete during their sports season is grueling. The work seems to be never ending. Dedication to athletics is vital to success, but makes it extremely difficult to keep up with school, maintain a social life, and have other hobbies and priorities. However, during the off season, many athletes’ schedules open up. Senior outfielder for the Monarch baseball team, Caden Schalk ‘22, stays involved in baseball while also branching out. “While I’m not in season, I try to focus on myself and not dedicate everything that I do to baseball,” Schalk said. “For example, get a job, spend time with friends and family, and try to split up having time for myself and baseball.” Working out and throwing with his dad are still woven into his schedule, but Schalk aims to make sure he has time for himself. For many people, the off season is the time to grow as an athlete and a student. Everyone’s routine is different. Some people prioritize their home life and completely step away from the sport. Others continue to prioritize their sport and play year round. For some sports, practice during the winter isn’t even an option due to Colorado weather. No matter what, the off season is valuable time for athletes to reset.
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mix &
MATCHES A look at Monarch’s teams, althetes, and everything sports
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Girls Basketball
“One of the goals I have for our team is to win the league championship again because I think we can definitely do it. We have a lot of skill on our team this year.” — Arezo Safi ‘23
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Wrestling
“The farther you get really shows who actually puts in the work and who doesn’t, unlike other sports where you can really float off of athleticism.” — Dillon Roman ‘22
Girls Swimming
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Hockey
“I think it’s the most exciting sport to watch and to be a part of, especially if there’s a lot of people in the stands cheering us on. It makes us play harder and it’s physical.” — Liam McKewan ‘22
“I’m looking forward to having meets in person because last year all of our meets were virual but this year we are actually swimming with a team that is there with us in real time and I really missed that last season.” — Alicia Chapman ‘22
Ballin’ with Myers Boys basketball hopes to make comeback By Zack Frieder and Arianna Bergman
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he Monarch boys basketball season is just a few games in, and Garrett Myers ‘22 is confident. He hopes to lead the team far into the playoffs. “I think last season we had a lack of motivation with no fans and no student section. That really affected us,” Myers said. “We didn’t have the support that we needed to be our best.” The team had a disappointing end to the season last year, with a first round playoff exit to Mountain Vista, making it the second year in a row the team was
eliminated in the first round. “I have been on Varsity since I was a sophomore, and we haven’t made it past the first round both years,” Myers said. “I feel like as a senior it’s my job for the team and for myself to make a deep run into the playoffs.” With the leadership of Myers and the talent that the team has, this is a big season for Monarch boys basketball.
Garrett Myers ‘22 plays in the first home game of the 2021 season.
January 2022
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Sucked in Social media impacts teens’ mental health
By Layla East, Minh Anh Le, and Zoey Perrine
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asked Lauren McKenzie ‘24 how much time she spends on social media each day. “Like two hours,” McKenzie said. “That’s a fat lie,” I responded. “Okay, like five or six hours,” she admitted. When McKenzie started her Instagram account in middle school, she already had anxiety about how she was perceived, but social media made it much worse. “I changed my personality after getting Instagram in seventh grade,” McKenzie said. Seeing how people reacted, positively or negatively, to the portrayal of herself through Instagram made her actually adjust who she was. At only 13 years old, McKenzie was already changing herself to fit the media’s standards. Instagram had made its mark on her life. “If I didn’t have social media, I probably would
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feel more confident in my looks, abilities and achievements,” McKenzie said. The thousands of posts telling her how to look and act became hard to ignore. McKenzie’s experience is not unique. In fact, Instagram is detrimental to teens’ mental health, and Facebook, the company that owns the app, knows it. Facebook ran an internal investigation in 2019. One specific study revealed that of teen Instagram users, 40% of those who said they felt unattractive said that the feelings began while using Instagram. Despite knowing its effects, the company kept this information private until it was leaked in 2021. McKenzie is just one of the many teen girls suffering at the hands of Instagram. Facebook’s internal research presentation in 2019 said, “Teens blame Instagram for the increases in the rates of anxiety and depression.” Similar to McKenzie, Skylar Schmidt ‘25 joined Instagram during eighth grade. She has since noticed the effects that it can have on people like her. “I think that Instagram can definitely give people body image issues,” Skylar Schmidt ‘25 said. “It’s impacted my mental health for sure,” she said. But it’s not just Instagram. Social media
as a whole is putting pressure on teens. “I’ve thought less of myself since social media,” McKenzie said. “I’ve gotten a lot less confident.” According to the Mayo Clinic, 97% of teenagers have at least one social media account allowing the effects of social media to become incredibly widespread. Monarch counselor Autumn Coppejans is concerned about what social media is doing to teenagers. “It’s created another layer of barriers for young adults to really find out who they are,” she said. It’s often easier to focus on negative feedback or comments on the internet than it is to feel confident. “What happens with social media is we post something and we’re hoping for encouragement, but then we focus on one post that is negative or saying you’re not worth it,” Coppejans said. McKenzie has had first hand experience with such negativity.
“Sometimes someone says something, and you’re like, now I have to change this thing about me because they have 500,000 likes,” she said. According to a 2019 Common Sense Media survey, teens consume just under seven and a half hours of screen media a day on average, excluding school work. With almost 32% of the day for teenagers being spent on the internet, it’s important to take breaks. “Some people just have to get off social media to be able to help their mental health and be able to separate; real life is your life, online is not real life.” Coppejans said. Despite knowing how important it is to step back from social media occasionally, it’s still a struggle. “On social media with all the fake and negative stuff it’s easy to get sucked in,” Schmidt said.
“On social media with all the fake and negative stuff, it’s easy to get sucked in.” — Skylar Schmidt ‘25
6h 15m Average daily screen time of students, according to a @mohimix Instagram poll
Lauren McKenzie scrolls through social media.
January 2022 11
PROTECTING the
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P A C K
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Copy. This is Steve. We’re a go for security at BVSD. Over.
By Josie Furst, Kate Muldoon, and Brenna Severson
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drive into school and see the familiar face of Steven Brown, Monarch’s former security guard, signaling me to pull into Senior Lot. As I make my way up to the school entrance another former Monarch security guard, Levelle Hamilton, proudly claims it’s Tuesday, even though it’s Friday, making each student chuckle. I shake my head at the classically embarrassing school photo on my fob and enter the school. Seeing my face in the big mirrors in the lobby, I remind myself to fix my hair when I get inside. And sometime during the day, I know Steve will freak out a freshman by saying their shoes are untied, even though their shoes don’t have laces. This is a seemingly normal morning, but more than half of these occurrences are unique to Monarch High School security with many thanks to Steven Brown. “If you walk into the main entrance, you see the big convex mirrors,” Brown said. “I bought and put those in so that the front office lady could see people walking in and out.” Students may not notice these mirrors because they’ve been here for quite a while, but they’re still special. These efforts are why Brown has left his position at Monarch to become one of the school district’s new School Security Advocates (SSA). Brown is the exact kind of person Jesse Lundsford, BVSD’s Safety and Security Manager, was looking for in the new SSA Program. Rather than going to police officers for school issues, like the School Resource Officer Program (SRO), people with an ample amount of security experience will now uphold safety within schools.
Steven Brown poses with the mascot of Monarch High School, a coyote. Brown loved his old job at Monarch where his main priority was to protect the pack.
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“We need somebody that’s more than competent to do their job. They need to be excellent at training and everything else.” Lundsford said. While Brown wasn’t the only person who’s contributed to the well-structured security at Monarch, his passion for the job sets him apart. He had an extensive career in the federal government and police force. However, a different type of excitement comes to mind when he thinks about school security. “When I had the ability to retire from the federal government, I took that opportunity to go into schools to protect children,” Brown said. “I love high school and I want everybody to enjoy their time here.” SSAs will schedule monthly fire and lock down drills, investigate
“You don’t want the students to fear you.”
— Steven Brown
situations that occur within schools, and work to maintain an overall secure environment, similar to the former SRO Program. Police may not always be the best people to figure out the cause of school-related issues, so SSAs are ready to step into that role. They understand that different scenarios require different responses, so the new program aims to provide schools with a trusted safety resource, without a police badge. “Police will still get called if they’re needed,” Brown said. “We’re trying to go case by case and not refer everything to the police.” The new model for BVSD security all comes back to Monarch High School, which has been referenced as “the flagship school” in Boulder Valley when it comes to security. It starts with an idea and support of the staff. “[Brown] helped us review what our safety procedures are. It was good to have somebody to knock around ideas with,” Principal Neil Anderson said. When Anderson joined the Monarch team in 2017, he was ready to tackle certain issues in security with Brown as a resource. The first thing that went to the drawing board was the security and student relationship. Brown was ready to become fully immersed in the Monarch community and find the balance between having fun and laying down the law. “You don’t want the students to fear you,” Brown said. “We’re their ally, we’re here to help.” He has carefully worked on creating a relationship with students in order to let them know he’s striving to keep them comfortable, learning, and happy. In order to enforce safety protocols, Brown is firm with students, especially the underclassmen. Once kids know Brown means business, he has the freedom to joke around and be goofy. He lightens up on his demeanor, but never his safety measures. “I think he had a good balance,” Garrett Myers ‘22 said. “He always
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wanted us to be rowdy at games, but at the same time he always wanted us to be safe.” Another aspect of the security at Monarch that has changed over the years is the way fire drills and lockdowns are conducted. The classic fire drill procedure is to immediately leave the building when the alarm sounds. However, one thing became clear regarding the safety of this design. An active shooter could pull the alarm to get students into the hallways and into their line of fire. So, to accommodate this new risk to student safety, the staff made some changes. “We had to rewrite our entire emergency operation plan, train and retrain our staff and students on what we want to see when it comes
79% of Monarch students said they feel safe at school, according to poll on @mohimix
*376 Monarch Students voted on @mohimix Instagram
Then and Now: Mirrors
How have Brown and Monarch changed the entryway?
What happened then?
1. Front office person working 2. Kids and visitors who walk in are visible to them 3. Unwelcome visitors can crawl in unnoticed
What happens now? Brown shakes the hand of an excited student at the senior night football game. Brown has carefully crafted a student-security relationship that is admired by many of the staff and students at Monarch.
to situations of emergency.” Anderson said. Big changes needed to be made to ensure every student would continue to feel safe during drills and actual emergencies. Since the idea of a school shooter entering the building was on their minds, the idea for key fobs came into play. These are cards that allow any Monarch student to enter the building without waiting for someone to let them in. Soon the district took notice of Monarch High School. “There’s physical security….then there’s the people part of it,” Lundsford said. Monarch has been working on both aspects of security BVSD believes are important. This is where the idea the district has been working towards comes into play. “We are refocusing how we look at everything from a student first perspective,” Lundsford said. By addressing how students see their school and what will make them feel the safest, it’s a consensus in BVSD that the safer the student is, the better they learn. Brown and Hamilton are two people who have successfully implemented a school safety system that is admired by BVSD employees and students. They are now working towards bringing that vision to all Boulder Valley schools in their new jobs in the district. “I think I’m more excited for this position than I was for the federal government position,” Brown said.
1. Convex mirrors are installed 2. Front office person can see all sides of the lobby 3. Everyone who enters is visible 4. Gives student pleasant view of what they look like in the morning
Fire Drills
How have Brown and Monarch changed fire drills?
What happened then?
1. Fire alarm goes off 2. Everyone rushes out of building 3. Gather outside 4. Potentially run into a school shooter
What happens now?
1. Fire alarm goes off 2. Staff finds triggered alarm 3. Steve and others rush to the location 4. Determine if there’s an emergency 5. Evacuate, stay put, or go into lockdown
January 2022
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When you wish upon a
ROCK ROCK ROCK STAR STAR STAR Maddy Mastrine pursues her ambitious dreams
By Maeby Aleo, Arianna Bergman, and David Maxwell
January 2022
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Maddy’s
Accomplisments Played music with Jack Johnson
Performed at Red Rocks with her band twice
Won Boulder High’s Battle of the Bands
Has a recording date at eTown in Boulder
Maddy’s Musical Medias @vocallymaddy @maddy.daddy.music
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Maddy and her band, Blind Taxi, perform at Ska Street Brewstillery in Boulder. They played their one-hour set full of classic rock songs like Ramble On by Led Zeppelin.
O
nce upon a time, there was a little girl with dreams bigger than her love for The Little Mermaid. In her backyard, she scrambled up a rock, climbing higher and higher until she reached the top. She was on top of the world. She started to sing, “Wanderin’ free, wish I could be, part of that world,” from her favorite song ever, sung by none other than Ariel, her favorite Disney princess and idol. Dressed in a green and purple mermaid costume, the little girl’s imagination drifted into a world where she became Ariel. She could hear the waves crashing below her. She could feel the ocean mist spraying her face. She could sense the movement of music in her soul. “It felt like I was almost flying,” Maddy Mastrine ‘23 said. Maddy felt her fantasy become a reality through the magic of her voice. As a child, music made her dreams come true, and it would continue to do so throughout her life. “That was the moment I realized I was going to sing,” she said. While she had no idea how high she would climb, Maddy’s parents immediately recognized her natural talent and saw a spark within their daughter’s voice. “She had this great pitch and a beautiful, natural vibrato,” Maddy’s dad Brad Mastrine said. A vibrato only happens when a singer has a near-perfect singing technique. It’s an advanced skill, which is normally developed well into a singer’s lifetime and is nearly impossible for a three-year-old. “She has a really dynamic voice with a nice range and an incredible ear,” Brad said. “Probably even perfect pitch.” Knowing the music industry is competitive, Brad believes his daughter will make it. “If she gets the right break, I think she could be a star,” he said. Maddy’s musical spark reminded Brad
of his own talents which led the fatherdaughter duo to share their love of music with others through social media and push his star-in-the-making to be the best musician she can. “A few years ago, I was just messing around on my guitar and playing a Led Zeppelin song and Maddy started to sing it,” Brad said. “Then we made an Instagram account for our music.” Maddy and her dad share a lot of similar music tastes. Their common love for bands like Soundgarden and Led Zeppelin comes from the way Maddy views her dad: as her role model. “I feel like she looks up to me a lot when it comes to music,” Brad said. “It’s this unique bond not a lot of other parents can share with their kids.” For Maddy, her dad has always been her greatest influence, both in music and in life. “He’d always sing me to sleep and play the guitar when I was growing up, and it inspired me to want to make music, too, even if it’s not for a big crowd,” she said. However, playing for big crowds is Maddy’s real dream. Her dedication to music lifted her from the little rock in her backyard all the way to one of the biggest rocks in all of music: Red Rocks Amphitheater. “I looked out and could see thousands of people,” Maddy said. “I could see the different colored lights that were shining on me. The stage turned red and green and blue. It was the best feeling ever.” More than 10,000 people filled the rows of the amphitheater. Maddy’s heart was pumping and her breathing slowed as she looked up at the people staring back at her. “It’s something you really can’t feel anywhere else,” she said. “When you’re passionate about something, there’s this amazing feeling you can only have in the moment.” Maddy’s passion for singing has become stronger than her passion for anything else. The looming sensation of stage fright doesn’t
even cross her mind when she starts to sing. “There used to be a moment of ‘oh my god’ where I’d get super nervous when I was backstage,” Maddy said. “But then when I get on stage, I know it’s where I belong.” Stage fright was no match for Maddy’s courage to sing in front of a crowd as big as the one she faced. After finishing her band’s set, Maddy stepped off the stage and was completely overcome with excitement. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and millions of thoughts ran through her head. “Everybody was saying congratulations to me,” Maddy said. “People in the crowd and even security guards were telling me how well I did. I immediately wanted to hug my bandmates when I got off the stage.” The Red Rocks stage grew familiar to Maddy when she got to play on it a second time in 2021 with her band, Blind Taxi. At 16, she’s lived thousands of people’s dreams of playing on the famous stage, not once, but twice. “Every single time I perform is a completely new experience, and I love it,” Maddy said. Performing live for a crowd is one of Maddy’s biggest desires, but her future in music holds just a bit more excitement. “My band won Boulder High’s Battle of the Bands a few months ago,” Maddy said. “The grand prize was a date with eTown, which is a really big recording studio in Boulder.” Maddy and her band plan to record some of their original songs at eTown to get their music out into the world. Recording original songs and posting them on public platforms is exactly what Maddy needs to get her foot in the door of the music industry. Making it in the competitive music industry takes a lot of hard work, and dreams don’t always come true. But for Maddy, music means more than just fame. “As long as I’m doing music, I’m doing what makes me happy,” she said.
January 2022 19
Lost in labels
Gen Z is obsessed with labels. Am I the only one who’s noticed?
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hen I lived in Pennsylvania, I was lazy. Sounds harsh, but it’s true. I cut my hair short because I didn’t want to deal with knots, I wore my brother’s hand-me-down clothes, and I lived in slip-on shoes and sneakers. I was content in who I was. I didn’t need a label from anyone. Questioning my sexuality and gender never crossed my mind. In 2015, Caitlyn Jenner came out as a transgender woman. Multiple sets of judging eyes turned my way. I became, “The girl who looked and dressed like a boy.” My first label. I’ve been mistaken for a boy a few times, but that never affected me like the next couple months did. My best friend’s boyfriend started telling the whole school I was transgender simply because of my appearance. I felt everyone stare daggers into my back as I walked down the halls and look up immediately as I walked into class. I became exiled. This wasn’t a label I wanted, but I didn’t have much of a choice. As rumors do, though, it passed as soon as some kid puked in the hallway and my time under the spotlight ended. During those couple months, however, two things crossed my mind. First, maybe I should change how I dress because everyone thinks I look like a boy. I spent way too much time looking in the mirror trying to figure out if I looked enough like a girl to go to school. I felt like a girl. It never occured to me that people would judge my gender on what I wore.
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The Mix
By Josie Furst It was the first time in my life I saw myself through other people’s eyes. I didn’t love what I saw. Second, if I was trans, how could I survive the isolation? It drove me insane. There were people out there, struggling to express who they are, and it wasn’t just me who saw this. According to the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, 69% of teens are harassed for their gender expression in schools. At the end of seventh grade, my parents told me we would be making the move to Colorado. A place 26 hours away and a major culture shock for me. If I could ever find a place the polar opposite of my small town in Pennsylvania, it would be Monarch High School, a place more accepting than any other place I’d lived. As I went through high school, I tried to become more confident in who I was, but I actually felt peer pressure to not be straight. My friends would ask me, “Don’t you think girls are attractive?” and “Are you sure?” They even made harsh jokes about being straight. I ultimately came to the conclusion that being a cisgender straight female is who I am, and I love it. But it didn’t end there. One time, my friend told me I dressed like a “trendy bi person.” This surprised me. I thought I dressed like a straight person. Their comment reminded me of my time in middle school when I was given a label that wasn’t me because of others’ thoughts. After a couple more people said they also understood the comment, it sealed the box my friend made for me. Questions swirled around me.
How many people thought I dressed like that? What does it even mean to dress like a straight person? I would pick out an outfit and stare at myself in the morning wondering if I looked straight enough to go to school. I knew I was straight and didn’t want other people thinking differently. I have no hate against the LGBTQ+ community, but I just knew I wasn’t in it. Then I realized a similarity between Pennsylvania and here. Everyone in my generation is obsessed with labels. Yes, people who label themselves can feel relief. But for some of us, society shoves you into a stifling box, giving you little room to live. You have to be Straight. Or Bi. Or Gay. Or Trans. Or Asexual. Or use They/Them Pronouns. There is something called a gray area in life. We can’t label it because then we complicate an already complicated world. How do you expect people to live their lives doing what they want if they need to be labeled? Or told what to be through peer pressure and rumors? Do we need to eradicate the gray area? Some part of me wonders if this is a stupid trend we’re creating in high school. I also think sometimes I’m the only one who sees this. The fact that every single thing in this life needs a label, from what you wear to who you love. Then I remember high school isn’t the real world yet. Because let’s be honest... The real world still has gray area.
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OPINIONS Pet peeves Bad drivers Baseball haters Saying “no offense” ‘No offense but…’ Stop. If you have to start a sentence with no offense, then it’s going to be offensive. Obviously, you know your comment is not positive, and you’re choosing to say it anyway. Haven’t you ever heard the expression “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all?” Apparently, most of you haven’t. And if you are going to say something offensive, what’s the point of saying no offense first? To pretend that you’re not being rude? Prefacing your rude interjection with no offense means it will be followed with something offensive. So, what’s the point in saying it at all? - Zoey Perrine
Speed up. If you’re going 40 miles per hour in a 45, I might or might not follow you really closely from behind. It’s pretty simple. Apply a bit more pressure to the gas pedal, and you will speed up. Amazing, isn’t it? It’s seriously not that hard. Hit the gas and get moving. Not to mention all y’all on your phones. 1) It’s illegal. 2) It’s dangerous. And 3) You aren’t paying attention, so you either slow down, or you’re over the line into the lane next to you, making it impossible to pass. Quit talking to your Aunt Carol and hang up the phone. Better yet, turn it off. No one needs you to block half of a lane and no one needs you to go under the speed limit. If you do want to, you might as well go back to Driver’s Ed. - Maeby Aleo
Monarch’s horrifying WiFi speed Monarch’s WiFi deserves profound recognition for being the only thing to take longer than getting out of Monarch’s parking lot. The amount of time that Schoology takes to load one assignment is absolutely impressive; it reminds me of how much more efficient paper and pencil can be. To make matters worse, texts never go through. Phone calls are now my main source of communication in school, but even then, those barely work because I can’t even hear anything on top of x number of other noises along the hallway. I have to admit, having an excuse to procrastinate on my schoolwork is comforting, and, yes, the dinosaur game is 10/10. However, I definitely don’t appreciate its slowness when I can’t log into Schoology to take a quiz. I’m no expert on how wireless devices function, but please consider changing it. - Minh Anh Le
“Baseball is so boring, and it’s, like, the easiest sport to play. You just stand there.” If this is a thought you have had, you don’t know anything about baseball. If you think that baseball is an easy sport, here are some facts. Hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, by far. It’s easier to “Moss” the best defensive back in the NFL than it is to hit a baseball off of the best pitcher in the MLB. You go stand in the box and try to hit a 100 MPH fastball, then try to hit a 82 MPH curveball that breaks more than a foot. People don’t understand the difficulty. For everyone that says it’s boring, every play in a football game is intriguing, right? That’s like every pitch in a baseball game. Everyone complains that the games are too long, but really an NFL game takes longer. No one seems to understand that. So if you have this incorrect opinion, change your mind because you’re wrong. Don’t hate the game; get educated. - Zack Frieder
Loud chewers I can’t stand the irritatingly familiar sounds of my mom’s gulping and chewing. Hearing her Diet Coke swooshing around in her mouth makes my blood boil. But it’s not just her. Countless people smack their lips around like there’s nobody watching, and I can’t bear it. Sometimes it’s so aggravating that I have to leave the room. My irritation builds up over time, and the longer I sit there and listen, the worse it gets. Sometimes, it doesn’t affect me at all, but other times I have to go and watch a movie because I can’t stand sitting at the table while listening to these noises. To make it even worse, sometimes my own chewing exasperates me. But, unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about that. - Arianna Bergman
Talking during a movie Shush. No need to hear you chitchattering as the movie plays. The point of watching a movie is to watch the movie. You may think your whispers are quiet, but trust me, they aren’t. I can hear your whole conversation about how only 300 people liked your Instagram post from five rows behind you. I’m sorry, is 300 likes not enough? Would 301 be better? Who do you think you are? Charli D’Amelio? And then there’s the people who decide it would be nice to spoil the whole movie while it’s playing, or better yet, before it even starts. Like, why are you here? Movie theaters are for the thrill of watching a movie the first time, not for being distracted by other conversations! - Brenna Severson
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Disney’s disloyalty Loki’s potential dies in the hands of Disney writers
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isney, the powerhouse of entertainment, is shockingly bad at writing their characters. This is evident through multiple Marvel characters. From glossing over the trauma they put their characters through to changing the motive and personality of a character every other movie, they can’t seem to effectively create their characters. This is most evident in the character Loki, known as the egotistical, narcissistic brother of Thor. Loki is most known for his villainous role in The Avengers movie, and he is a great example of Disney’s awful writing. In The Avengers, Loki is a shallow, selfcentered, man-baby who wants nothing more than for the people of Earth to bow at his feet. A perfect picture of villainy. Or he would be, if that was where his story started. The first movie Loki appeared in was Thor, where his motives and overall personality were much more tolerable than in The Avengers. His motive wasn’t to be vindictive; it was to get recognition he never got. He desperately craved the attention and praise Thor got from their father and Asgard as a whole. Loki’s story seemingly ended with the conclusion of the movie when he purposely fell off a bridge after realizing he’d never be loved like Thor. But he ended up surviving his suicide attempt and that’s where The Avengers movie starts. After going through as much trauma as Loki did, you would think it would be brought up in the next movie or even be the main topic of discussion for his character, but you would be wrong. Disney decided to never bring up Loki’s failed suicide attempt
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The Mix
By Layla East again and make him a petty villain in the next movie, completely diminishing him into a one dimensional character. Loki’s character has heaping amounts of potential. His heartbreaking motives and moral gray area could breed some interesting plot lines, but if you put a character in a box labeled “just a villain” then that’s what you’re going to get. Just a villain. At the end of Thor: Ragnarok, Disney started to give Loki a redemption arc: hope at a better future with his brother by his side. But in the very next movie, they killed him off in the opening scene and called it a day. This enraged a lot of Loki fans, including me. While this seemed like the end of his character, as many Marvel fans know, Loki never truly dies. Disney released the Loki Series this summer, and it gave me hope for the character. Disney claimed Loki would be at the forefront of the TV show with no one overshadowing him and he would get a lot of character development. But what we got was more than a disappointment. The first episode is filled with other characters holding Loki accountable for his actions, and he feels remorse for them. They took a deep dive into the interesting psyche of Loki, finally using the character to his full potential. I was blown away by how amazing the writing and plot was. Then episode three happened. The entire show ends up centered around a variation of Loki, named Sylvie, who has the most annoying personality I’ve ever seen in a Marvel character, which is saying a lot. Throughout the rest of the season Sylvie continuously bullies and ridicules Loki for
simply being himself. It felt like Disney was trying to tear down the character they worked so hard to build up in the first episode. Along with bullying their own character, Disney decided to repeatedly bring up how much of an egotistical narcissist Loki is, which is not true. Loki doesn’t want power because he feels like he’s entitled to it, he just wants recognition. This, once again, demeans the character by making Loki one dimensional. While the show is attempting to give Loki a redemption arc, Sylvie’s storyline vastly overshadows that. Sylvie is the main conflict, Loki’s love interest, and completes her life’s mission at the expense of Loki and the rest of the universe. She is made into the main character even though the show is literally named after Loki. Every movie Loki has ever been in the spotlight was never on him. That’s why the idea of a show solely about him was so intriguing. But only after the third episode the spotlight is stolen away from him once again. Loki is Sylvie’s punching bag and he just puts up with it. In the attempt to give the character growth Disney stripped him of all his personality and spirit. He is now a kind, soft spoken guy, who is drastically different from the sassy and clever character he was before. When it comes to writing, Disney does an awful job, especially with Loki. They wasted a character who could have been a favorite across the fandom. Now he’s condemned to the fate of being just another shallow villain who’ll get a bad redemption arc.
Staff Editorial Slow your scroll Teenagers are too focused on their phones Opinion of the staff editorial board
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ocial media is addicting. That’s obviously not some massive revelation, but we have grown so dependent on our phones that we forget how addicted we actually are. Yes, TikTok and Instagram can be entertaining and even informative, as long as the information is taken with a grain of salt, but is the interdependence worth the enjoyment? And Snapchat is certainly convenient, but is it necessary to send blank pictures back and forth all day? What are you really gaining from that? Social media takes a toll on teenagers’ mental health. We have our phones in our pockets or right next to us at almost every moment--even while we sleep. Throughout the day, teens always have their phone notifications in the back of their minds and jump to take out their phone when they have even a moment of free time. That is not healthy. Constant exposure to the ideal version of others’ lives through social media creates a false sense of reality. According to the Wall Street Journal, internal research by Facebook of Instagram found that 32% of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, and Instagram made them feel worse. Focusing attention towards what’s happening online distracts teenagers from their in-person lives. Teens even told Instagram’s researchers that they don’t like the amount of time they spend on the app, but they do so because they feel like they have to. We need to limit ourselves. We need to hold ourselves accountable. While it’s true
that companies like TikTok and Facebook are knowingly allowing their products to negatively impact their users, we can’t expect them to change. Instead, a more immediate solution is to take a personal step back. It’s obvious we can’t rely on tech companies to have our best interests at heart, so in order to protect ourselves, we have to take matters into our own hands. Don’t open your phone as soon as you wake up. We know it’s easier said than done, but at least make an effort.
“We have grown so dependent on our phones that we forget how addicted we actually are.” We promise you can wait 15 minutes without missing out. Use those 15 minutes to get out of bed, drink some water, and wash your face or brush your teeth. Maybe you’ll even have time to pick out your outfit or eat breakfast. Then, while you’re sitting in class and you’re bored practically to tears, try to think of something to do other than mindlessly scroll through random apps. Make a to-do list, get a head start on homework, read that chapter of your book for language arts that you’ve been procrastinating. Make an effort to be productive.
When you go to lunch with your friends, be present. Leave your phone in your pocket and have real conversations with the people around you. Yeah, your “for you” page is funny, but we would hope your friends are more interesting than some random dance trend. Finally, when you’re laying in bed, just go to bed. Stop forcing your eyes to stay open so you can send one more text or like one more post. It’s hard to rationalize in the moment, but sleep is far more valuable than whichever app you happen to be looking at. As it is, 72.7% of high schoolers get less sleep than is recommended, according to The National Sleep Foundation, so why subtract even more time from your sleep just to look at your phone for no valuable reason? And this may sound drastic, but you could even try putting your phone on airplane mode before you go to sleep. This way, you won’t immediately be tempted by notifications when you turn off your phone alarm upon waking up. Sooner than later, it will be easier to spend time away from your phone. You’ll feel more aware of what’s happening around you without the continuous question of who just texted you in the back of your mind. It is certainly easier said than done, but real life is more interesting when you pay attention to it.
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