the messenger
VOL 16/ ISS 7
THE MESSENGER | 1
masthead CONTACT US
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
(770) 497-3828 nhsmessenger@gmail.com 10625 Parsons Rd Johns Creek, GA 30097 nhsmessenger.com
Nithya Mahakala Sarika Temme-Bapat
PUBLICATION The Messenger is a student publication published for and distributed to the Northview community. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Northview High School, its students, faculty, staff, or administration. Content is edited and controlled by staff editors. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity, and the invasion of privacy.
Amanda Beard Mira Sydow
NEWS EDITOR
Shashank Ganeshan
SPORTS EDITOR Akshay Nair
FEATURES EDITOR Sherry Liang
OPINIONS EDITOR Jack Lowrance
PHOTO EDITOR Justine Ulrich
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
BUSINESS MANAGER
The Messenger staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, libel, obscenity, and invasion of privacy.
ADVISER
ADVERTISING The Messenger publishes ads with signed contracts provided that they are deemed appropriate by the staff for the intended audience. For more information about advertising with The Messenger, please contact the business manager.
IN THIS ISSUE
Cover design: Mira Sydow
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MANAGING EDITORS
Alex Perry Chris Yarbrough
STAFF Atenea Caldera Megan Cistulli Kyndal Dickey Kaushal Gandikota Arib Husain Upasna Kotakonda Suchita Kumar Nikki Lokhande Ben Minder Evan Moody Meghana Ramineni Noelle Reid Irene Rho Sophia Rivers Sruti Sajja Erin Shin Jennah Sooknanan Sheetal Tadiparty Jennifer Xia Sravika Yerneni Sydney Yim
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EDITOR’S LETTER
FAREWELL TO BARR
FOOD REVIEW
SARIKA TEMME-BAPAT
06 MONTHLY BRIEFS STAFF
KAUSHAL GANDIKOTA
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BOYS TENNIS GOES TO STATE
BEN MINDER
26 FACEOFF
SRAVIKA YERNENI
NOELLE REID ALEX PERRY
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TITAN FEST RECAP
ADVERTISING
STAFF EDITORIAL
MIRA SYDOW
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COLLEGE WORKSHOP
STAFF
17*
STAFF
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MEGHANA RAMINENI
BREAKING THE SILENCE SHERRY LIANG NITHYA MAHAKALA
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SUCHITA KUMAR
JENNIFER XIA
EVAN MOODY
SPORTS PROFILE
JASMINE BAE
MUSIC
SYDNEY YIM
FASHION
THE MESSENGER | 3
Designer Cleaners 6250 Abbotts Bridge Road #200.300 Johns Creek GA, 30097 Phone: 770-232-7379
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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Earth Day Comes and Goes
his year, like every year, Earth day took place on April 22nd, a holiday many would forget if not for the Google Doodle. A day that, while its rooted in the spirit of conservation efforts, I see manifested mostly in nature pictures on Instagram. These practices are all well and good; a connection to the earth has been at the core of all great conservation efforts. But the earth needs far more than once yearly appreciation to protect its diverse ecosystems and the populations that rely on them. Without consistent personal action and a major shift in focus from Washington, we may need to search harder every year for something to appreciate. Crusading under the banner of protecting miners and energy companies, President Trump has done little to appease environmentalists. In its first year, the Trump administration’s EPA began to scrap the Clean Power Plan and withdrew from the Paris climate accord. It has yet to be seen what, if any, kind of major environmental policy Trump will pass, so while the future of environmental policy under the Trump administration is still one of the murkier aspects
of the administration, under new Trump administration policy changes, the US risks failing not only to meet Paris Agreement goals for Carbon emission reductions, but Copenhagen Pledge standards set years ago. Often buried beneath more pressing news stories in the 24 hour cycle, climate change is an ever present but often overlooked factor in the future of our nation, if not much of a factor in our politics. Climate change has long served as a rallying cry for liberals, but looking to our lawmakers to take the lead on preventing this phenomenon seems at times as futile a method of activism as earth appreciation via social media. Judging by the Trump Administration’s record in the last year, political pushes for conservation will be too little, too late. If Americans want to have an earth to celebrate in years to come, we need to adapt our lifestyles to the capacity of our planet to support it, and call on our politicians to enact the changes we need. Sarika Temme-Bapat, Editor-in-Chief
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IN BRIEF 4/9 - 4/13
4/11 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in front of Congress following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
US and allies including Great Britain and France hit Syria with airstrikes at weapons and chemical facilities following reports of an alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians by the Assad regime.
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Every year, Northview’s Beta Club puts together Stress Awareness week in which each day holds some means of combating stress, a common problem Northview students struggle in managing daily. “Beta Club strives to allow Northview students to become aware of their workload and stress. We know that we don’t have the ability to make a student’s week completely stress free with activities, but we want students to rather be aware of their stress and to find some time in their schedule to relax,” Club Vice President and junior Sylvia Bui said. On Monday April 9 students are allowed to wear their pajamas. Tuesday incorporates a new activity: a meme day where students imitate pop culture references in their clothing style. Wednesday is WHOLE Fit Day, which will take place during both A and B lunches. Students will be able to play capture the flag. For this event, the Beta Club is working together with the WHOLE Fit organization to relieve stress through exercise. Thursday there will be a 30 minute stress break in the school day. Finally, on Friday April 13 there will be several puppies to play with in the auxiliary gym during both A and B lunches. Beta Club hopes that Stress Awareness Week will alleviate tension for both the students and faculty as well as leave Northview Titans with a healthier mindset even beyond the week.
Rob Anderson has been a passionate educator for 20 years and has served as the Area Executive Director for the Central Learning Community, Chief of Staff, Area Superintendent for the Northeast Learning Community and Deputy Superintendent of Academics for the past two years. Recently, Anderson was offered a position as Superintendent of schools in Boulder, Colorado. Anderson’s move will be a big loss for the school due to the lack of clarity regarding who will be replacing him. Bringing more than experience to his position, Anderson did what was best for the students of Fulton County by always putting them first. “He has always championed doing what is best for our kids, and to the opposite of that, getting rid of obstacles that aren’t good for our kids,” Principal Brian Downey said.
NEWS
The Messenger’s monthly digest of events at Northview and around the world
4/7 The former Brazilian President Da Silva was arrived for corruption-related charges, ending his campaign.
4/14 The NBA Playoffs began on April 14.
On March 24 at 11 a.m., about 30,000 citizens in Georgia gathered at the Center for Civil and Human rights in Atlanta, marching the Capitol to protest for reform and making communities, especially local schools, safe again. Young adults all around Georgia, including many Northview students, attended this event, eager to shine a light on such an issue. “It was inspiring to see so many different individuals including teachers, students, and parents concerned about their children’s lives and seeing everyone come together,” junior Sanjeev Kumar said. March for Our Lives is a nation-wide mission that strives for results because thoughts and prayers do not save lives. The founders of the Women’s March directed the event and rallied international support, placing an emphasis on taking action towards ending gun violence and promoting gun reform. Other marches that took place around the United States including one in Washington D.C. as well as in Parkland, Florida.
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Titan
FEST UPASNA KOTAKANDA/STAFF
Students' hard work pays off as Titan Fest kicks off spring break MIRA SYDOW, MANAGING DESIGN EDITOR
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t the start of their senior year, Student Council Presidents Jennifer Ahn and Vivian Luu were handed a seemingly endless list of responsibilities. At the top of that list: Titan Fest. To celebrate the beginning of spring break, perhaps the last week of freedom before students double down on studying for finals, Northview hosts Titan Fest, an event packed with games, club activities, and food trucks. While Northview’s student body did
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not give the event a second thought, Ahn and Luu began the extensive preparations in January, about three months ahead of time. “You have to keep in mind that we had over 70 clubs on our roster at the beginning of the year, and there’s only 50 tables, and only so many clubs who want to participate,” Luu said. “Getting all of those people together is really complicated.” The long list of duties, spanning from organizing clubs to maneuvering around
safety restrictions, kept the presidents’ hands full. Like all prior years, the 2018 school year presented a different set of challenges which Ahn and Luu tackled with unique enthusiasm. This year, Ahn and Luu struggled to cope with Fulton County’s tax returns issues from December of 2017. The budget cuts meant that Titan Fest lacked certain attractions like inflatables that previously drove up attendance. Though the inflatables engaged more students, they presented their own list
NEWS
of restrictions, like liability issues in the event of an injury. “We used to do inflatables and stuff but this year it was really hard to replace that because of the budget thing that happened in December,” Ahn said. “That’s our huge selling point.” Without certain attractions like inflatables, Ahn and Luu pursued alternate sources of entertainment. As a result, only about 58% of Northview’s students attended Titan Fest in 2018, a contrast from dayto-day attendance at around 94%. Yet Ahn and Luu’s efforts to increase this amount were reflective in the preparation and work they put in. “This year I’ve seen a lot more seniors that I have in the past three years,” Ahn said. “It’s actually a lot of work, but it’s worth it because you see all of the people having fun.” Creating an engaging environment for students of all grade levels meant contacting businesses and comparing financial plans that offered students a better experience and gave the presidents invaluable communication and marketing skills. “You learn a lot about money because we have to go through Ms. Belasco, the bookkeeper. You [also] have to learn a lot about communicating with businesses professionally.” Luu said. Student Council’s responsibilities include other events such as homecoming, but with Titan Fest, the presidents received complete creative freedom from advisors Brian Rawlin and Victoria Hedden. Ahn and Luu’s dedication to Titan Fest showcased the efficiency and quality of work that Northview students produce on their own, but some staff members aided the
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preparations as well. Titan Fest required a cohesive relationship between the staff and students, even though Ahn and Luu have more than proven that they have no qualms with shouldering the burden. “When you’re an officer, you’re in the thick of it. You’re the person everyone is relying on for information and leadership,” Luu said. “The main thing is, you learn how to work with others a lot more.”
down at the stadium. We assign different locations for people,” Downey said. “In terms of safety, we’re pretty comfortable with the protocol we have in place.” Even with this protection in place, gathering most of Northview’s students into one limited area at the same time raised concern from some students. Applying national politics at a local level, leaders of Northview’s walkout compared the risks of Titan Fest with its rewards. Originally, the activist group of students did not bat an eye at the progression of Titan Fest’s activities, but upon further examination, they began to contemplate the idea that more safety precautions could have been taken. While Senior Giulia Jackson recalled seeing cops, sophomore Binayak Pandey noted that a few resource officers may not be enough protection in the event Titan Fest is targeted. “We think that the cops were mainly there to make sure students wouldn’t leave…I don’t think resource officers are well-equipped to deal with a situation,” Pandey said. “Now we are concerned about safety, but we didn’t really think that at the time.” Downey agreed that once the safety of the students was secured, the payoff of Titan Fest was well worth the efforts. Despite its critics, Titan Fest ran relatively smoothly and Ahn and Luu’s work was realized. With adequate protection, free admission, and 50 clubs with unique activities, Ahn and Luu reflected that months of diligent planning paid off. “Titan Fest is stressful because Rawlin was very hands off. He told us ‘it’s going to be what you guys make it’,” Ahn said. “I think it was pretty successful.”
T i tan Fes t is s t ressful b e c au se [o ur a dv iso r s] we re ve ry han ds off. . . I t h ink it was pre t t y successful .
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-Jennifer Ahn Though the focus of Titan Fest was providing a stress-free, relaxing time for Northview’s students, recent violent events in schools across the country prompted administration to take extra steps to ensure student safety. Principal Brian Downey enacted precautionary procedures around Northview such as changes in fire drill protocol and entering the school building, but he also applied safety measures to Titan Fest. These safety measures included involving all Northview staff members in the festivities inside and outside the school building. “We ask our entire staff to be visible
THE MESSENGER | 9
UPASNA KOTAKANDA/STAFF
NEWS
College Workshops Northview seniors help juniors prepare for applying next year MEGHANA RAMINENI, STAFF WRITER
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pplying to college is an extremely stressful experience for most, if not all, high school students. One reason it can be especially hard is due to the lack of guidance through the application process or exposure to the intensity of it. Fortunately, Northview offers college workshops as a way to provide advice and information about anything concerning applying for college for mainly juniors that, this year, will take place from April 18 through April 20. During the span of these three days, a group of senior volunteers from NHS and Titan to Titan will discuss essential elements of the application process: Common App, senior info sheets, recommendations, and general majors/minors tracks on the first day; essays on the second day; and financial aid, scholarships, resumes, and interviews on the third day. Each day, the senior advisors break into groups and present powerpoints to introduce the basics, including details about the application process, how to narrow down college choices, discussing extracurriculars, and
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more. The seniors provide advice that they think would be beneficial, in order to help answer any questions or concerns the class may come across during the next year. “Last year, they told us so much and would joke around while giving us useful information, making the whole process seem less intimidating,” senior Suma Yarabarla said.
who is also president of one of the clubs organizing the event, said. “It’s long and confusing so gaining some wisdom from experienced seniors will help them plan ahead and make their college application process as smooth and easy as possible.” The seniors are the students who may volunteer to host the meetings, in order to direct their focus on educating juniors about applying, however sophomores and freshmen are welcome to attend. The workshops do not only provide extremely helpful tips for juniors, but seniors are also giving the opportunity to benefit from interacting with these juniors and providing insight that may have needed in past years. For both seniors and juniors, the workshops allow for the students to organize their thoughts on the college application process. Even though the seniors are already done with their applications, they are still able to point out areas of improvement or common mistakes when developing interview skills or creating resumes. “The application process doesn’t end just at the end of high school but it goes on to college, internships, jobs, etc,” Vikraman said.
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“It’ s ve ry h e lpf u l fo r j u ni o rs b ecause t h ey ca n ge t a gli mpse of wh at th e co l l e ge a dm i ssi o n pro cess is li ke .”
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- Pooja Vikraman The juniors then split into groups where senior mentors are grouped in with a few of the juniors and encourage an open discussion. These sessions can help reassure the students who might be unaware of the process. “It’s very helpful for juniors because they can get a glimpse of what the college admission process is like,” senior Pooja Vikraman,
SPORTS
profile
highlights
Jonathan Baker SUCHITA KUMAR,STAFF WRITER
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his year, junior Jonathan Baker, a long jump and triple jump sprinter, has emerged as a premier talent for the Northview track team. Baker is currently second in the region for his long and triple jumps, and on top of that, he possesses the school record for his triple jump. “He is one of the most naturally athletic people I know and he works hard to train for each of his events,” junior Keren Kapwadi said. “No one has ever pushed me to run,” Baker said. “I like doing the best I can to better myself and teach myself new things.” Last season, Baker made it to state for long the jump and triple jump events. This season he is one of the top jumpers in the entire state of Georgia, and he hopes to once again make it to state for the event. Though track and field is primarily an individual sport, each athlete trains to excel in their own individual event, hoping to place amongst other runners. Along with his jumping abilities, Baker also participates in relay races such as the 400 meter and the 1600 meter races. By competing in relay events, Baker is able to further exhibit his talent and help the team win more awards. The team practices each event multiple times according to their individual weaknesses. Baker, in order to become a region champion, practiced the triple and long jumps 20-30 times a week, setting aside time daily to hone his jumps. He also has found time to practice for his other events; at state, he competed in a total of five events. “Jonathan is a hardworking guy; he knows he needs to put in the work to be successful,” Coach James Young said. Track is largely an individual sport with a majority of the training done outside the season. He regulates his own amount of ex-
IRENE RHO/STAFF
top in Georgia for triple/long jump
set 2 school records
member of the track team for 3 years ercise, diet, and stretching. “One of the biggest things I keep up with as a runner is hydration,” Baker said. “I also try to keep myself strong mentally and physically.” Young acknowledges that Baker is a mostly self-taught athlete, but still implements some of his training and assistance in other avenues of Baker’s running career. On and off the track, Baker demonstrates the qualities of a truly well rounded athlete, excelling highly in academics and earning respect from peers, making him an necessary asset and enjoyable teammate. Baker exudes strong leadership through his management of preparation as well, making him a respected team captain. “He isn't super serious all the time and just likes to laugh and make jokes,” Young said. Baker has caught the interest from multiple universities looking for sprinters to add to their own collegiate team, and plans on joining one of them after his senior year. “He would able to compete in the future for a state or national title at the rate he is going,” Young said. “I’m really looking forward to running in college,” Baker said. “If I’m lucky, I can make a career out of it as well.”
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Farewell Coach Barr Girl’s soccer coach Jennifer Barr departs Northview High School after thirteen years KAUSHAL GANDIKOTA, STAFF WRITER
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ennifer Barr, the varsity girl’s soccer coach, recently announced that she will be leaving Northview High school to take on another position at the newly formed Denmark High School. Barr has been the coach since 2005, and she has overcome many challenges. Under her guidance, the team made playoffs in 2009, the elite eight in 2014, and became state champions in 2010 and 2012. These accomplishments are only scratch the surface at the notable achievements that the girls have achieved under her leadership. One of the major reasons for the fruition of her teams is because of the hard working mentality Barr instills in all
SPORTS
comfort my players in difficult family times,” Barr said. The fact that they are comfortable with asking for my help is more important to me than our winning record.” She believes that, as a coach, she was able to make more of an impact on the students compared to the average teacher. The competitive and draining side of soccer exposes a player’s emotions that would not be expressed in a classroom setting. This has enabled her to play a large role in the athletes lives and maximize her effectiveness as a coach. “Students often feel like their teachers do not understand who they really are. As
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her players. The influence that coach Barr has had on her players is a testament to her and her coaching. “She pushes me to do my best and doesn’t let any of our hard work go unnoticed,” junior Maya Patel said. While Barr cherishes the moments she spends with the players on the field, she feels as though the most rewarding aspects of coaching are the interpersonal relationships that she has developed in her tenure. These relationships that she’s been able to build are more valuable to her than any material feat. “I’ve been to alumni's weddings; I’ve been to knee surgeries, and I’ve been able to
my next challenge will be coaching at [Denmark],” Barr said. Barr feels that the new high school is the perfect opportunity for her to create the foundation for a successful soccer program based on a strong work ethic and good morals. She is ecstatic to be able to place roots for her own team traditions and values in a new community. Denmark is one of many programs that have offered Barr a position; however, an accumulation of many factors ultimately led her to accept this position and not the rest. She was not able to accept the other offers because they were untrue to her. “God just kept opening up the door for
G o d j u s t ke p t op e ni ng u p the do o r for th i s wond e r f u l op por tu n ity, and I fe l t l i ke i t was th e r i g ht t ime . Th e re we re oth e r fac tor s i n my d e c i s i on; th i s h i gh s c h o ol i s mu ch c l os e r to h om e
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a coach I get to see the real personalities of my players when they’re being pushed to the maximum during practices,” Barr said. During her time at Northview High School, Barr has had the opportunity to leave her legacy behind. She has created an environment in which her players spend hours perfecting their craft as well as their relationship as a team and community. She values her success at Northview, but now she feels that it is time to move onto a new challenge. “When I first came to Northview, our soccer team wasn’t on the map and that was the challenge that I faced. After many years and a couple of offers, I have decided that
-J e nni fe r B a r r
this wonderful opportunity, and I felt like it was the right time. There were other factors in my decision; this high school is much closer to home,” Barr said. Despite being sad to lose their adored coach, her players know that this opportunity is too good to pass up. “I’m happy that she gets to start her own program from the ground up,” senior Rachel Nichols said. Barr has been an integral part of Northview’s success on the soccer field, but more importantly she has been a nurturing and caring figure to many generations of the girls soccer team.
THE MESSENGER | 13
Boys Tennis Takes a
Swing
at State
The Northview Boy’s Tennis Team P repares to Compete in the State Tournament
ARIB HUSAIN/STAFF
SRAVIKA YERNINI, STAFF WRITER
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fter winning the state championship last season for the second time, Northview’s varsity boys tennis team looks again to reclaim their title this May. The team has had a fairly successful season with a record of 9-5 in one of the toughest regions in Georgia, defeating teams such as Chattahoochee and Alpharetta. They have also gone on to place second at regions (62) this past February, earning a home court advantage for the first couple state games. After coming this far, the Titans face immense pressure and are working extremely hard to reclaim their status as state championships. “We have been prepping diligently for state championships and want to keep our streak from regions,” sophomore and tennis player Jason Zou said. “Since we got second, we will have home court advantage for the first few state games, which is a plus”. Home court advantage will give the team
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a sense of familiarity on the court and slight edge during their first few games. This will definitely help the team, as it is the first time all seven of the team members have played together for state championships. “[This year] has been a little more chal-
But I’m very excited because this is our first time heading into state with this team,” Tennis Coach Tracy Hefner-Ramage said. The outcome for the team is a bit uncertain this year though, because of the number of new players on the team and changes in team dynamic. The boys have had to “restart” in a sense, as they have had to get to know their new teammates and create that bond within the team again. Also since tennis is largely an individual sport and many of players are on a half-day schedule, the players have mainly had to bond outside of school. With seniors stepping up to lead the group and create a closer and tighter bond, the boys continue to overcome barriers put in place this season. “Most of the new players are from the JV team this year, and so they just moved from junior varsity to varsity,” Zou said. “We often meet after practices and games
We have been prepping diligently for state championships and want to keep our streak from region.
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- Jason Zou lenging than the past four years because we have a lot of new players. The past four years, we have had pretty much the same team, so it was easier to strategize, and we knew our what areas were our strong points.
and go out or simply hang out. Over the course of this year, we have definitely got to know each other better and this has reflected in our games.” Although the influx of new players has challenged the boys to recreate a team dynamic, it has also led to the team having more versatile players and thus a wider set of skills. This change has also given the boys a chance to explore different positions and plays, as there are many positions waiting to be filled. The team has exceeded expectations this year by winning region runner up and beating Centennial and Alpharetta to get there. However, there is still a lot of pressure on the boys as they are two-time state champions. “We tried our best for number one at regions but we got eliminated in finals. We still did our best and went above and beyond by beating Alpharetta, which has a really strong tennis team. After this, we really want to do
well at state,” sophomore and tennis player Ameya Dani said. There is a lot of riding on the two-time champion team, as they are expected to uphold their status as undefeated at state this year as well. Due to this stress, the team is forced to prepare mentally and stay positive. “This year the boys don’t appear to be that nervous at all and I think this is because the they play in a lot of tournaments and are used to this. However, this being state there is a lot going on and I think they are doing a good job of staying focused,” Coach Ramage said. This year will be Ramage’s last year coaching Northview’s tennis team, retiring after nine years of coaching and teaching. The tennis coach for next year has not been finalized yet, as Northview is still in the works as finding a qualified replacement. The team is determined to end the year with success with Coach Ramage, and will be playing their first state game in a week or two.
By the
SPORTS
Numbers
9-5
2
season
time state champs
ARIB HUSAIN/STAFF
THE MESSENGER | 15
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SPORTS
breaking the silence
SHERRY LIANG, FEATURES EDITOR NITHYA MAHAKALA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF THE MESSENGER | 17
I
f you drive down any neighborhood street in the city of Johns Creek, you’ll be hit with a sickeningly pristine image of a suburbia utopia; think: The Truman Show. Lawns freshly clipped and birds chirping, neighbors greet each other and head off to their nine-to-five jobs. Their kids line up orderly at a stop sign, obediently scaling the yellow school buses to attend some of the best schools in the state of Georgia. Even through the halls of Northview High School, the four pillars brand the artistic, athletic, and academic endeavors of every student, fostering an environment of impossible achievement and even higher expectations. An environment where students’ achievements in school diminish greater issues outside the classroom. And just like the specious streets of Hollywood, Northview is plagued by a similar false sense of security. A misconception that a community of privilege is immune to adversity. That an untarnished reputation couldn’t possibly be tainted by issues beyond any existing solutions. “The fact that we say it won’t happen because it’s Johns Creek hides the fact that it happens,” Cam said. Cam is a student here at Northview High School. She walks up and down these halls every day just like you and me. She sits through lectures and hangs out with friends, and on the weekend of the eclipse, while the world seemingly stopped for everyone else to observe in awe, her world stopped for a different reason. She was traveling north with a couple of her friends for a better view of the eclipse, just as so many other students did that weekend. They went to a Waffle
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“The fact that we say it won't happen in Johns Creek hides the fact that it happens.” House near a festival where they planned on watching the eclipse, and she met a local high schooler. They initially hit it off, but the situation escalated beyond her control, and their innocuous flirting evolved into an invasion of her body and her mind. It was an act of sexual assault carried out against the her will. It was rape. Before the incident, Cam was a social person, hanging out with friends as normal high schoolers do, but in the following weeks, she found herself recoiling from normal acts, such as physical touch. In the beginning, she found it difficult coming to terms with the nature of the situation. “I kind of had to slowly get over that and realize just because I didn’t say no, I didn’t say yes. I wasn’t comfortable with it. So, it was rape,” Cam said. “I kind of had to realize that through friends but also because I was literally flinching at physical touch.” Slowly but surely, Cam was able to take her mind off the matter, and instead of letting it consume her, she found other outlets to channel her emotions. Through art and dance, Cam found a venue to express herself and others. Devoting her time to dancing and drawing allowed her to productively relay her emotions through her work, and Cam derives satisfaction from witnessed her countless hours of dedication paying off in the end product. “When you get to a point where you love an activity a lot, it becomes less about the act of it and more about the serenity that you feel,” Cam said. “That’s important to use when you’re trying to recover from something like that.” The most significant thing she had to learn was the concept of consent. As a
society, the implications behind the term have become increasingly prevalent, especially with the rise of the #MeToo movement; however, in the heat of the moment, “yes” or “no” bears the weight of a barrier that cannot be replicated in any other form. Not in flirting or foreplay; yes means yes, and no means no. “I know when it was happening to me, I was too scared to do anything. I didn’t know what to do, so I didn’t do anything. I know one person who had asked me after; she was like, ‘But you didn’t say no, right?’ I didn’t say no, but that doesn’t mean I said yes,” Cam said. “When you’re in a situation like that, you just freeze, and no matter how much has been driven into your head to say no, you just kind of lose it all.” Cam’s other takeaway was the importance of having a loving and accepting support system. For anyone with a friend recuperating from the traumatic repercussions of rape, Cam reiterates the importance of listening to him or her and using personal judgment to gauge the amount of support they need. “Help them as much as they ask for unless you know it’s unhealthy for them. I had an amazing support system to get through that,” Cam said. “But if this person who’s gone through it doesn’t have that support system with completely different minds to help them get through it in different ways, then I would say yes, have you, just as a friend who knows about it, try and help them.” Recovering in a sheltered environment such as Northview was another factor in her healing process. As she has noticed before and especially after, this community has a tendency to be ignorant to such issues. Many people watched and supported the #MeToo movement from
afar, but no one batted an eye at the community around them. “As important as [#MeToo] was in my eyes before, it exponentially grew in importance in my eyes,” Cam said. “I now know firsthand how hard it is to speak out about it and how hard it would’ve been for them because in a lot of cases, it was against very influential people.” Through her experience, the magnitude of Northview’s privilege became increasingly apparent, and while many students are aware of these events happening in society, the community is generally unaware of the proximity of these issues. The perfection that Northview strives to uphold shadows the importance to address these issues and to ensure, should it happen to someone, that they do not feel alone in this community. “A lot of kids believe that they have entitlement. And entitlement can be mitigated by appreciation,” Cam said. “If you have it, you should appreciate it, and in doing so, people will realize that with another person, you’re not entitled to doing whatever you want with them.” For Tania Pope, a literature teacher at Northview, her own experiences of verbal harassment came in the form of a rash, temperamental ex-boyfriend. “My ex in South Africa was a boyfriend I had just before I came to America, and he was verbally abusive. I think he could’ve gotten physical if things had gone further and I’d stayed in there, but I got out before things really got bad,” Pope said. “But the verbal abuse was enough to diminish who I was.” The assault of insults left her feeling alone, isolated in shame, and unable to reach out to others. Pope’s cheerful character was replaced with the implications
THE MESSENGER | 19
of the harsh words thrown at her. “I was just not good enough, and I found myself sort of withdrawing as a person,” she said. Pope’s eyes were opened to the dangerous situation she was in after a student directly inquired why her typical happy personality disappeared. From there, she knew she had to get out. Pope credits the relative ease of her escape as an immediate consequence of not being trapped by chains in the relationship; they were not married, had no children, and were financially independent. However, for many others, they’re trapped in place by a system of dependence. “We’re talking about systematic oppression, and when you’re dealing with a system that has allowed that to happen, it is not easy to walk away. And there are so many emotions you’re caught up in,” Pope said. Pope uses her own experience of harassment to provide advice for students at Northview who have dealt with similar situations. Her classroom has a steady stream of adolescents going in and out, ready to discuss, ask for help, or simply talk with Pope. In one instance, a female student of Pope’s was persuaded to approach her about her own sexual harassment experiences after reading the novel “Speak” in literature class, which tells the story of a girl who has been raped over the summer. It follows her journey back to
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school where she ceases speaking and must learn to find her voice and her value in herself again. “She stood in front of my desk, and she said ‘Ms. Pope, that’s me. That happened to me’,” Pope said. Just as Cam reiterated the importance in rallying a dependable support system, Pope places a strong emphasis on finding guidance externally. Most importantly, she stresses to avoid faulting oneself for the perpetrator’s wrongdoings of harassment. “Seek help from someone you feel safe with, that you can open up to. When you seek help, you’re not alone in this,” Pope said. “Rape lives with you forever. It’s not just a bump on the arm. It’s invasive. It’s one of the most violent things you can do to another person.” At Northview, reporting sexual harassment cases begin by telling an assistant principal, who will then lead an investigation into the situation and start interviewing those involved. Once basic facts are established, the school is obligated to contact the Fulton County Police Department and alert the parents of the students involved, as the situation is potentially criminal. Because of criminal charges and possible court involvement, Fulton County Police take the lead and set in place their own procedures of fact-checking, pulling in evidence, and contacting other witnesses. At the wrap up of their own inves-
tigation, Northview administration is brought back into the loop to make their own decision regarding the academic career of a student found guilty of sexual harassment and/or assault. “The variables are going to be the individual facts in each situation. If the facts come back and it’s a non-consensual situation and charges are moving forward, the most likely outcome is that we are going to push for a disciplinary hearing,” Principal Brian Downey said. In a school system where a principal is authorized to suspend up to only ten days maximum, administration will push for disciplinary hearings to determine how long the period of suspension should last, ranging from rest of the semester, rest of the year, or, in some cases, forever — in the event of expulsion. “In my time here, I’ve seen all the scenarios played out depending on the facts of the situation,” Downey said. “It gets very difficult because if there is no evidence to support what is being alleged, it’s hard. Ultimately, it’s the principal’s responsibility to weigh the facts as you know them and arrive at the best decision you can make given the information you were handed.” Administrators at Northview focus on building strong relationships with the student body to foster an environment of trust where students can feel safe reporting such events. They recognize the strength it takes to bring forward such
allegations and set forth an investigation while also dealing with the social pressures of being a teenager. “The schools mirror society. What happens here happens there, meaning the same experience that some of our kids have here, people in society have. It is very hard for a victim to come forward. There is a lot of shame involved. There’s that emotional piece,” Downey said. “There’s that ‘I don’t want my parents to know’ piece. There’s that peer pressure piece that people are not going to believe them. All that happens in society, and it also happens here in a school setting.” Cam’s story isn’t who did this to her or what happened to her. Cam’s story is the lives she hopes to touch through her recovery and resilience. Cam’s story is the friends who supported her throughout her journey. Cam’s story is the change she hopes to see in society from her newfound perspective. Cam’s story isn’t in a Waffle House parking lot or in the car of an invasive perpetrator. It’s here too — in your classrooms, neighborhoods, and community. Cam’s story isn’t only her story. It’s a community’s story, standing behind her while providing her, and so many others like her, with the resources and people needed to make her feel accepted, valued, and loved.
THE MESSENGER | 21
SPECIAL
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FEATURES
Picture Perfect Senior Jasmine Bae’s AP Art score places her among the b est in the world JENNIFER XIA, STAFF WRITER orthview students are known for their extraordinary accomplishments, whether it be in the arts, academics, or athletics departments. Senior Jasmine Bae has spent her high school career dedicating herself to pursuing art in the future. This past year, Bae submitted an art portfolio for her AP Studio Art: 2-D Design class, hoping to receive high marks. In the last month, Bae found that her art portfolio received a perfect score, being one of the only nine people in the world this year to obtain the honor. “When I first received my score of a 5, I was very relieved to know that the time and effort I put into my art pieces gave me a result I was happy with,” Bae said. “I was very surprised when I found out I was one of the few in the world to get a perfect score. It is still hard to believe.” In AP Studio Art: 2-D Design, students are required to turn in an Art Portfolio that consists of 24 pieces in total. The portfolio is split into three sections: breadth, concentration, and quality. The breadth section is a variety of works demonstrating an understanding of 2-D design issues where students experiment with different types of styles and media.
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The concentration section focuses on an indepth exploration of a particular 2-D design by using an recurring theme throughout. The quality section is five works that showcase the students best pieces overall. With the amount of time and effort needed to be put into this portfolio, Bae’s determination and dedication towards her art is clearly shown. “I would say that Jasmine was totally dedicated and tenacious about her approach,” Jeanette Clawson, Bae’s mentor and Northview art teacher, said. Clawson, who has taught Bae since freshman year, has helped her along her journey throughout the years. Bae credits teachers like Clawson for encouraging her to grow in the art field and add a more academic perspective to her artwork in order to grab accomplishments like this. “My teachers have helped me make my artwork better and push myself further by breaking boundaries of different types of media and styles of art,” Bae said. Along with her teachers, Bae’s parents have played a great role in her art career so far. Her mother, Chang Sook Moon, has been more than willing to supply her with materials
and send her to art camps and schools to better her skills. Moon has also been an amazing support system for Bae. “I always prayed for her, and I understood and believed in her,” Moon said. “I can feel her sensitivity when she creates a piece by using stories and experiences she has had or has seen others with.” Bae, a usually quiet, humble, and soft spoken student, speaks loudly and captivates her audience with her work. Bae knows how to put her story into the piece and finds inspiration in artists such as Tran Nguyen, combining realism as well as surrealism to draw viewers into her artwork. Teachers like Clawson are amazed by her ability to interpret her inner self and show it to the world through her work. “She has the ability to render her technical skill in a human form in an accurate way that’s believable, and because she’s so skilled at this, she’s able to take her style to the next level where she can take the human form into symbolic environments that express her inner thoughts and feelings in a way that is difficult to achieve when you’re just representing straight reality,” Clawson said.
I can feel her sensitivity when she creates a piece by using stories and experiences she has had or has seen others with.
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- Chang Sook Moon, Bae’s Mother THE MESSENGER | 23
the magic of
FEATURES
ord BUFhighway
Food Review
El Rey Del Taco 5288 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA 30340
Mozart Bakery 5301 Buford Hwy NE Atlanta, GA 30340
Tea House Formosa 5302 Buford Highway Suite A3 Atlanta, GA 30340 24
Exploring Buford highway's array of cuisine BEN MINDER, STAFF WRITER
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his month, we decided that instead of a single restaurant, we would showcase different kinds of foods and restaurants that all had something in common; the mutual theme of the chosen restaurants was reflective of their shared location on Buford Highway, an area home to a popular food and entertainment scene. Of the three establishments on our tour of Buford, none of them disappointed, and there were a few pleasant surprises. Our first stop was El Rey Del Taco. The first dish we tried was their chips and salsa that most restaurants of that nature serve as an appetizer. The salsa was a bit spicier than the average complimentary salsa, which was a plus. It had larger chunks of peppers and other vegetables chopped in it, which in this case failed to work out. Normally, salsa is good because one can heap a bit onto the chip as you eat it. Yet this time, the larger chunks made eating it a chore because you would eat a large chunk with a chip rather than being able to savor the actual salsa. The main entrée we tasted was their chicken wings and fries. Although this is not considered to be their specialty, but we still felt compelled to try the novelty dish. Unfortunately, they were painfully average. The fries were dry and were obviously of the frozen variety. They also had a lack of salt and were not crispy in the slightest. The wings weren’t very spicy, as the sauce they were served with added nothing but a slight tang. They were also generic and wet, and shared the same lack of crispiness as the fries did.
The next dish we ventured for was the quesadilla with chicharrones. It had a good cheese to meat ratio, and both the ingredients were at the perfect temperature to go well together. The meat in particular was very succulent, and combined with the handmade tortillas, which was the selling point of the quesadilla, made for a very good experience. I can’t stress enough how good the tortillas were, not just for this dish, but for others that we tried. Initially it may not seem like the tortilla would make much of a difference, but it surprisingly enough was all the difference for taste. The final dish we tried at El Rey Del Taco were the eggs with beans and rice. The eggs themselves were fluffy and had a very good consistency. The dish comes with three of the handmade tortillas I have previously spoken about. It also came with a green sauce that soured the eggs, which was a disappointing aspect. The beans and rice that came with the eggs went well with it, and were of the same quality you would find at other restaurants. This was also one of the very limited vegetarian options on the menu as most everything else had some kind of pork or chicken in it. The next place we visited on our smörgåsbord of Buford Highway was called Mozart Bakery. We didn’t eat much there, but what we did try did not disappoint. We first tasted the coffee cake, which was very buttery yet dense. It also had less cinnamon than one might expect. The sweetness of it was also not as overpowering as expected,
fried green beans
chips & salsa
which was a major plus. In combination with being slightly moist, it was overall good but forgettable. The other thing we tried was the pound cake. It tasted largely similar to the coffee cake, except that it had a subtle lemon flavor as opposed to cinnamon, and was a bit softer. The last place we went to, which was my personal favorite, was Tea House Formosa. The interior was quiet and atmospheric. The first thing we tasted was the hazelnut milk tea. It tasted how it sounded, which was good. The hazelnut was subtle, but still noticeable, and the milk added a creaminess that went well with the hazelnut. The other tea we sampled was the yakult green tea. Contrary to the hazelnut milk tea, we ordered this one cold. It was overpoweringly sweet, and tasted more like candy than tea. It also had copious amounts of foam, which paired with the sweetness, made it seem more like a milkshake rather than tea. Despite this, it was still rather good, and once you get past the sugar, the taste is actually very good. The last thing we ate at Tea House Formosa, were fried green beans. This was the biggest surprise of the day. I normally don’t like the taste of green beans, but it came with a fried shell that had a hint of spice which benefited it greatly. It also found a good balance of softness on the inside, and crispiness on the outside. Although it was the last thing we tried that day, and all of us were feeling full, we managed to finish the entire basket.
wings & fries
hazelnut milk tea
JACK LOWRANCE/OPINIONS EDITOR
THE MESSENGER | 25
faceoff should there be consequences for making false accusations of sexual assault?
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yes
OPINIONS
NOELLE REID, STAFF
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n the United States, the length of a prison sentence varies depending on the crime committed. For different cases pertaining to sexual assault, the maximum sentence is 14 years. If the crime is aggravated sexual assault, the prison sentence gets lengthened to 20 years. For any sex crimes that involve minors 10 or younger, the ultimate punishment is life in prison. This is only if the potential offender is caught, as not many perpetrators of sexual assault actually get convicted of the crime, with only around one percent of rapists facing any type of sentencing. Some victims go as far as not even reporting the crime, in fear that the police will not do anything to help, or that they will not be believed. Due to the nature of the crime, rape typically has zero to little evidence, relying on word of the alleged victim against the word of the alleged offender. There are very few incidents in which someone falsely accuses someone of rape, with only around two to ten percent of accusations being false, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center or NSVRC. When someone makes a false sexual assault accusation, it perpetuates the misconstrued ideal that all victims who press charges are
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lying. These misconceptions of the public only lead to the fear of not being believed by people of the public or police officers that many victims of assault have. Many of these victims, overwhelmingly men, falsely accused of rape and other violent crimes such as murder and robbery, are black. A black man is around four times more likely to be wrongly convicted of a sexual assault than a white man, especially if the victim of the crime is Caucasian. African-American men also tend to face prison sentences that are 20 percent longer, so that 14 to 20 year sentence could actually end up being a 17 to 24 year sentence. These convictions based upon false allegations fuel stereotypes and misconceptions around black men and violent crime. Emmett Till, a young black man from Mississippi in 1955, was accused of whistling at a white woman while visiting his uncle and cousins. White men from the town in Mississippi killed Till because of the allegation. Till was shot in the head after he was brutally beaten and mutilated beyond recognition. After he was tortured and killed, his body was sunk in the Tallahatchie river. The woman who accused Till of whistling at her would
go on to tell press that she lied. She admitted to lying this past year, in 2017, over 60 years since Till’s death. This false accusation cost him his life; he was only 14-years-old. The current justice system just shows how the unequal treatment of black men has only evolved from slavery, to Jim Crow laws, and now the prison system and mass incarceration. Women who falsely accuse men, regardless of race of the offender, need to be punished accordingly for what they have done. Sexual assault is a serious crime, therefore, when someone lies it should be treated just as severely. There should not be any sense of empowerment behind making false allegations. The feminist movement, does not and should not support this type of behavior in women, as it is childish and illegal. Filing a false police report in many states, including Georgia, is a criminal act and is often ruled as a misdemeanor or a felony. Women who make these false allegations should get their due punishment of seven to 20 years in jail. We should stand with the victims who were brave enough to speak up about their experience, yet we should stand behind men who have been falsely accused of rape as well.
ALEX PERRY, BUSINESS MANAGER
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ur court system is dependant on a combination of witness testimony and evidence, making it the responsibility of the jury to assign weight to each fact introduced. In cases of sexual assault, the jury often bias their viewpoint on cases as “victim centered”. Due process becomes corrupted before the accused steps into the room. To fix this, victims should not be punished for unfounded accusations, but instead juries must learn to recognize that the weight of a victim’s testimony and hearsay should be weighed like anyone else’s. Unfounded accusations have the potential to destroy a person’s life. It is not the fault
of the victim, but rather the mentality of our society when it comes to responding sexual assault. As empathetic beings, humans often lean towards believing victim testimonies. And with many sexual assault cases relying on testimony rather than physical evidence, lives could easily be destroyed if society leads with believing victims first. To counter this, more physical evidence and indisputable facts should be introduced in court. Our judicial system is not perfect and has tried to account for human error, with laws against perjury preventing those giving testimony to lie. However, perjury is not often considered in sexual
assault cases, as our system is so quick to believe the accuser versus the accused. However, we must remember that victims of sexual assault often deal with trauma and memory loss, causing them to become unreliable witnesses when recalling events. In a perfect world, juries would recognize this and measure their credibility accordingly. The problem with unfounded accusations lie within our inherent bias that has become the emblem of anti-rape culture. By believing the victim as soon as an assault in reported, we corrupt our judicial system by destroying due process and making those accused guilty until proven innocent.
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OPINIONS S TA F F E D I TO R I A L
Technological Terror A
s one of the most popular and successful companies in the world, Facebook has over 2 billion users monthly. With such immense usage, the once small company skyrocketed to one of the world’s most valuable companies with thousands of third-parties pouring millions of dollars into the site to promote their respective business. The multi-billion dollar company dictates many people’s lives as a large number of social media users rely on the service for a variety of functions, from staying up to date with the news to keeping in touch with family and friends and more recently, dating using the app Tinder. While a fun, engaging personality quiz may not look harmful, the reality is much less innocuous. Recent reports have surfaced revealing that Facebook allowed third-party company Cambridge Analytica to harvest over 87 million users’ data using this same quiz. While Facebook asserts that its users had the opportunity to disable the action, the reality is that the average person does not have the time nor the energy to sift through the privacy agreement. In fact, two researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found it would take over 76 days at a pace of eight hours a day to read the privacy policy. The absurd length of the policy makes it almost impossible for anyone to analyze one. This shifts the primary responsibility of data security to the company itself. While it is fair to criticize Facebook for divulging personal information, data harvesting for targeted advertising has been around for decades. For example, if you like a post with Nike trainers tagged in the picture, hours or days later, advertisements promoting different shoe brands or articles concerning shoes would be presented. For the most part, these ads solely pop up on the screen after one has displayed interest in a certain area and cause no more harm than a small inconvenience. Many companies partake in similar practices; however, Facebook has experienced greater scrutiny due to the fact that Cambridge Analytica asserted that they solely were using the data for university research.
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In addition, when Facebook confronted them about the collection, they said they deleted the information from their databases. The reality, however, is that they kept the information, and now-President Trump’s campaign team used the data collected from Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 presidential election. Through the data gathered from Cambridge Analytica, the Trump campaign was able to amass an online profile using digital footprints. Thus, they were able to show specific advertisements to specific groups of people which enabled them to maximize their efficiency. The ads clearly achieved its purpose and was a major factor in the election according to Vox. Furthermore, there are doubts that Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who has already been indicted by Robert Mueller, released some of the data to Russian operatives. Even though many people are enraged over their loss of privacy, Facebook should not face external punishments. Cambridge Analytica lied to the company about its uses for the data collected, and Facebook has taken swift internal action to make changes about user privacy. Furthermore, we live in a digital world where our privacy has been largely stripped, and our personal information can be found in a variety of places. It is unfair to only criticize and blame one company for partaking in a practice that a variety of business perform. If the data leak is such a large problem for users, they can reduce their online footprint by limiting social media usage or by lobbying for the Federal Communication Commission to impose stricter internet regulations. With Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg set to testify in front of Congress, we will have to wait to see the consequences of the latest scandal. Regardless of the aftermath, the issues raised by the privacy loss can serve as a reminder to everyone to be weary of your online footprint and be cautious of whom has your personal data.
COLUMN
THE LOW DOWN
What We Can Learn From The Gilded Age And how we can escape from our mo dern one. JA C K LOW R A N C E , O P I N I ON S E D I T O R
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merica has a problem. A big problem. The rich are richer. The poor are poorer. The greedy whims of billionaires are more important than the livelihood and well being of the masses. America is sick. But we’ve seen this before. Back in the late 19th century this country had similar problems. I think there’s a lot that we can learn from that time. The Gilded Age, as it’s known, was a time of prosperity among the ultra wealthy and great struggle among working class people. Income inequality was the highest it had ever been. Monopolies controlled people’s lives and limited economic freedom. Poor people were routinely exploited by greedy robber barons. Politics were consumed by the deep and forceful influence of large businesses. Consumers had little to no protections from ill-treatment. Big businesses were booming and the wealthy were living it up-- but all the while, the rest of society was depressed and suffering. We are living in a new Gilded Age. Instead of Rockefeller and Standard Oil, we now have Zuckerberg and Facebook. No more J.P. Morgan; now it’s Jeff Bezos and Sergey Brin. At the top, things have never been better. America’s richest have never been richer. And the likes of Google and Amazon and Facebook continue to spread their tentacles and entrench themselves in every corner of American life-largely unfettered by government regulation. Massive corporations are influencing our politics and buying our elections. The rights of the consumer are increasingly ignored. The bottom 90% of earners in America lay claim to just 23% of the nation’s wealth. Elon Musk is so rich that he can send expensive sports cars into space on his own rockets. And yet back in 2017, UN investigators who traveled to parts of Alabama found poverty far worse than anything they had previously seen in the developed world. Apparently, residents of Lowndes and Butler counties still frequently suffer from cases of Hookworm-- a disease common in extremely impoverished countries with poor sanitation that was believed to have been eradicated in the United States over 100 years ago. The system is rigged against poor people. To be poor in America is to be exploited and forgotten. How can these two polar extremes possibly exist in a country so successful as ours? This country isn’t healthy. And it’s in denial of its
sickness. We all too commonly like to brush these startling developments off as normal occurrences-- don’t. This isn’t normal. A little more than a century ago, we escaped the Gilded Age. Muckraking journalists exposed the malpractices of big businesses. Reformers like Jane Addams fought for the rights of the needy and weak. And presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson led the way in breaking up monopolies and enacting badly needed regulations to reign in powerful businesses to protect vulnerable consumers. This time was called the Progressive Era. America needs a new Progressive Era. Whether we care to acknowledge it or not, we currently embrace a culture that measures a person’s worth by the size of his wallet. If you aren’t rich then you aren’t valuable in this country. You’re practically left for dead. This needs to change. Everybody deserves a chance at a good life. Few of our politicians would openly disagree with these words of mine, but their actions say otherwise. They care about satisfying the wants of their wealthy donors, not the dire needs of their constituents. It’s time that we guarantee healthcare for all Americans. That we make quality college education affordable for all who care to pursue it. That we fight to end gun violence. And combat the existential threat to humanity that is climate change. Amid the boom of internet age globalism, America’s super elite have grown too powerful. Elected officials have abdicated all responsibility in caring for America’s vulnerable, needy, and forgotten. It’s time we reign these people in-- just as we have had to do in the past. Now I’m sure those who disagree with these arguments will be quick to call me a socialist, but on the contrary, just the opposite is true. I love capitalism. And it’s precisely out of this love that I believe we need to put limits on our system. Capitalism is like a garden. You can’t just let it run wild. It has to be pruned and meticulously managed for it to be beneficial to all. If we don’t reform our capitalist system, the Americans who have been oppressed by this oligopoly will eventually turn on it. And if that happens, we may lose our capitalist system forever. Neglecting these people is what led to the populist, anarchist, and socialist movements of the Gilded Age.
Now such movements are afoot again and we wonder how to quell them. It’s simple. If a fair system and pragmatic governance truly exist, the people won’t be driven to support extremists. Part of our problem in ushering in this badly needed new age of progressivism is that we have a large swath of working class people who believe that government has no capacity for positive change. Since the days of Reagan, many Americans have been convinced that small government is the only route to prosperity. That taxation is theft. They believe that any semblance of reform will lead to tyranny. But we’ve become so dogmatic in our opposition to tyranny, that we’ve lost touch with what an effective and healthy government is supposed to look like. Nobody wants authoritarianism-- but show me a country where tiny, limited government has been successful and I’ll show you a map. They don’t exist. Often we speak in terms of big and small. But the size of our government shouldn’t be as important so much as how effective it is. I want a good government. I want a government that works. Give me an effective government, and I’ll show you a successful society. It’s time that we abandon dogma. It hasn’t worked. Our government needs pragmatism, not toxic partisanship. Paying taxes shouldn’t be a painful affair. People shouldn’t feel like they’re being robbed. The people need to see results for their taxation. Where are our modern roads and bridges? Our robust public schools? Our affordable colleges? Our sensible environmental regulations? Instead we see partisan squabbling and ethics violations abound. We need accountability. Trust can’t be spun up in an ad campaign. If the American people are known for anything, it’s their rugged individualism. Self reliance is as American as football. But in an era of massive corporations and internet fueled globalism, you can’t just go it alone. Everything is interconnected. And to ignore that glaring reality is to wallow in an easily exploitable ignorance. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. We’ve reached another critical point in American history and how we respond will be remembered for a long time to come. There is no moral grey area here. We must do the right thing. We’ve done it before-- and I’m sure we can do it again. It’s our responsibility.
THE MESSENGER | 29
music
SYDNEY YIM, STAFF WRITER
Invasion of Privacy
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ardi B’s new album “Invasion of Privacy” is some of the most versatile music she has ever released. The album features many other familiar artists like Migos, Chance the Rapper, Kehlani, SZA, 21 Savage, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and YG. In this album, we see a lot of different sides to her that we have not seen in any other parts of her music style. Her humor and music approach is different from many others. She seems to be taking a more relaxed approach and letting the featured artists shine in their verses. Yet, Cardi B’s powerful personality still shines through the new tone to her style.
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The Wave
his song gives off funky and retro vibes which are different from much of the music that artists have been releasing this year. The New York City-based duo brings in Leikeli47 in this song as a teaser for their upcoming second studio album. It’s an accurate representation of what the millennial and 60s mashup can be.
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aba is an upcoming artist that was able to create a new album “Care for Me” which discusses the emptiness of social media. He is clear with the message he wants to send throughout his music and tackles topics that many artists do not mention often. This features Chance the Rapper, and both styles of music play well together with a consistent upbeat, yet mellow tone.
Don’t Let Me Down
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abrina Claudio was a Youtube sensation and went on to fulfill her dreams as an R&B artist, and has already come out with two tracks. In the song “Don’t Let Me Down” her vocals come across more soft and light. This blends well with Khalid’s trademark low, rich voice. The song’s hard beat meshes well with the artist’s soft voice and satisfies the ear.
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fashion
COLUMNS
EVAN MOODY, STAFF WRITER
Calvin Klein, $19.99
Stein Mart, $19.99
Forever 21, $14.00 Papaya, $11.99
American Eagle, $19.98
A
H&M, $12.99
pril showers bring May flowers. In the light of seasons changing, we tend to move the long sleeve shirts and the pants away into the back of our closet and bring out shorts and t-shirts. With the changes in season come changes in style. During Spring, we see brighter colors and shorter clothing come together. This marks the beginning of a new season. However, most people grow out of the clothing they used to fit into from the previous year. Buying new clothing can take time and be pricey, so we’ve decided to take the liberty to find Spring clothing at very reasonable prices. Free of charge of course.
Forever 21 Men, $12.90
H&M $17.99
THE MESSENGER | 31
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