The Lumberjack -- March 1, 2024

Indigenous students work to restore San Francisco peak to the Hopi name

Around the country, efforts to remove site names with racist origins and restore their Indigenous roots are pushing through state and federal government processes. In Flagstaff, a group of high school students led the fight to rename Agassiz Peak with the Hopi word for the mountain, Öo’mawki.

Students in the Flagstaff High School Native American Club, known as the Indigenous Youths of Flagstaff, hosted a workshop in March 2020. Activist Sarra Tekola from Seattle-based organization Women of Color Speak Out tasked the students to write a press release as a group.

After the teenagers deliberated on potential topics, they planned a project to permanently alter Flagstaff’s history. Their assignment turned into a campaign to restore the original Hopi name for the second-highest San Francisco Peak.

Almost three years later, on Oct. 24, the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names (ASBGHN) approved the name change from Agassiz Peak to Öo’mawki. However, federal approval from the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is still needed as the Peaks are within the Coconino National Forest, which the United States Forest Service manages.

Darrell Marks is the Native American mentor for Flagstaff High School and father to Makaius Marks, a Flagstaff High School alum and current NAU senior who assisted the Indigenous Youths in the name change approval.

“For the youth, it was an empowering opportunity to do something that to some people felt not as significant, but the conversations and the narratives that came out of the work that they did, and the people that they met with and the scale in which

they collected stories and conversations with across the country is evidence that even small things like a name for a space has a lot of importance,” Darrell Marks said.

Swiss-American scientist Louis Agassiz is the namesake for sites internationally due to his impact on geological and zoological research in the 19th century.

However, his legacy has been scrutinized, as he is known for promoting scientific racism. Agassiz was a proponent of polygenism, the pseudoscientific theory that different races evolved from separate species. Polygenicists believed white people evolved to have superior genetics, a concept that some American southerners used to justify the existence of slavery.

This recent reconsideration of Agassiz’s relevance as a historical figure has led to the renaming of many of these locations.

In November 2020, Flagstaff City Council renamed Agassiz Street to W.C. Riles Drive after NAU’s first Black student, Wilson C. Riles.

After researching Agassiz’s history, the Flagstaff High School students settled on pushing to rename Agassiz Peak to Öo’mawki because of the name’s Hopi translation as “house of clouds.” Makaius Marks said the name carries both literal and symbolic meanings.

“You can see that there are always clouds surrounding it, and you can see it in the figurative sense too because people from all around the world come here, plant their roots, they are this community, they are the house of clouds,” Makaius Marks said.

More than 13 tribes have historical roots in and around the San Francisco Peaks. Makaius Marks said the Indigenous Youths were initially at odds about which tribe’s language should reflect the peak’s name.

See PEAKS on PAGE 4

The unspoken way women communicate

One in three women have been subjected to physical or sexual violence, according to data collected by UN Women. As a result, many women rely on each other for safety, especially in public and nighttime settings that are potentially more dangerous, like bars or parties.

Due to the dangers women often face, they developed safekeeping behaviors, or “safety work,” to protect themselves, including avoiding activities after dark. Along with these behaviors, women have the ability to silently communicate with each other. This trait stems from a mutual understanding of what it entails to be a woman and the experiences that come with the identity. Women developed this skill to protect themselves and other women.

Makayla Bradley is a second-year psychological science major at NAU. She said women’s ability to communicate with one another nonverbally is a superpower.

“Women go through a lot of the same things, so when you are able to read expressions, even when it’s just a microexpression, that’s extremely important in a situation that’s very loud and crowded,” Bradley said.

A micro-expression refers to a subtle facial expression

that lasts a fraction of a second and is often involuntary.

Bradley is also a member of the sorority Delta Phi Epsilon and said fraternity settings are frequently overwhelming and packed, making it more important for women to look out for each other.

“Going into a frat setting, it can become more like a thing of safety,” Bradley said. “If something becomes a little bit sketchy, there’s almost a silent conversation that happens between women.”

It is important for women to look out for one another, Bradley said, because a woman never knows when she might be the one who needs help.

At parties, Bradley said it is not difficult for women to differentiate between when a girl is having fun and when they are distressed.

“It’s easy to pick up on these signals just because I feel like you’re able to know when you’re putting them out yourself, and you would hope that someone will be able to pick up on them,” Bradley said.

Another reason why women can communicate like this is because of empathy, Bradley said. Many women have experienced situations where they are in danger or feel unsafe, and because of that, they know to look out for one another.

Souksavanh Keovorabouth, a Diné assistant professor at

NAU in women and gender studies and applied Indigenous studies, holds a doctorate in women, gender and sexuality studies from Oregon State University.

Keovorabouth said this superpower is not limited to cisgender women.

“I’ll add queerness and transness into this because I think there’s a common way that women, and women of color, but also queer people, trans people, etcetera have adopted this way of communicating,” Keovorabouth said. “This way of being able to hopefully lean on each other in times of need which I think is very powerful because a lot of the times our groups, communities, have been marginalized.”

Members of these communities can rely on each other because they know what it is like to be silenced, Keovorabouth said.

“[Silent communication] is not meant to keep us silent,” Keovorabouth said. “We’re not continuing on to be silent within those spaces. We’re doing it to acknowledge solidarity. We’re building a connection between each other that allows us to exist in these spaces.”

Women and marginalized groups often silently communicate because they need to wait to be in a safe space to communicate openly, Keovorabouth said.

See WOMEN on PAGE 11

Makaius Marks poses for a portrait in front of the San Francisco Peaks, Feb. 18.

Chloe Legay | The Lumberjack

Left: Mei-te Coco (right) chats with a friend at Rendezvous inside Hotel Monte Vista, Feb. 10. Right: Kristin Polacca (left) darts her eyes at Aneesa Molina (right) at Collins Irish Pub & Grill, Feb. 10. Lian Muneno | The Lumberjack

GRACE MEINEMA

Editors note: This story contains mention of sexual violence.

CHLOE LEGAY

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Language is all around us: in the people we meet, the world we live in and how we present ourselves. It’s part of who we are and who we want to become, defining the way we are raised and how we carry those characteristics throughout our lives.

The language we use has power and can shape the integrity of our actions. It serves as a testament to history and how each generation leaves its mark on the world.

As a concept, language is both literal and abstract, shaping the sound of a crowd on a busy street or a silent exchange between friends.

There are more than 7,000 languages spoken worldwide. In the United States, people communicate in more than 350 languages with varying accents and dialects. There are dozens of accents found in English alone. From there, factoring in age, gender, level of education, cultural

Creative terms translated:

English:

1. Write

2. Photograph

3. School

4. Drawing

5. Story

background and personality, spoken expression can vary tremendously.

While many people think differing languages are obstacles to understanding one another, I believe they offer new avenues of connection. By finding a way to speak the same language — through shared understanding, backgrounds or expertise — the communication barrier falls down.

The stories our team covered in this issue touched on languages used by different communities and how they work to preserve them, ways to improve communication and what happens when language is misused. Our content also covered manners in which dialogue and expressions can affect how people interpret signals, stories and ideas.

As journalists, our job is to communicate with the community and share its stories. The language we use and the approaches we choose to take can drastically change how a story is conveyed. To us, it’s important to begin each story with an open mindset and an eagerness to learn. I believe this is a habit everyone should adopt to form a better language of our generation.

Español (Spanish):

1. Escribir

2. Fotografía

3. Escuela

4. Dibujar

5. Cuento

Diné (Navajo):

1. ’Ak’e’alchi

2. Éé’élyaa

3. ‘Olta’

4. Naashch’ąą’

5. Baa hani’

Español translations found through the Cambridge Spanish - English dictionary. Diné translations found through the University of Northern Colorado Navajo - English dictionary.

BRISA

ABOUT OUR ISSUE...

Dear reader,

We are proud to present to you our first print issue of the semester! Our staff have been working endlessly for the past month writing, photographing, drawing and editing to bring you the Language Issue.

With the Language Issue, we wanted to explore the importance of languages in connection to each other and our environment. As a form of communication, language has the power to shape relationships, communities and even define a whole culture.

In the upcoming pages, you will find a story on the recent shift in political rhetoric, a feature on interpersonal communication among women and a gallery showcasing photography as a language. Other content includes an opinion piece on video game dialogue, the international influence on NAU’s track team and LJ staffer’s favorite quotes.

When we express ourselves through different mediums like art, music, and writing, it allows us to be more in tune with our environment. It helps us connect with the people around us whether that be close friends or someone you just met. Ways of communicating are always evolving; however, we hope by reading the stories in this issue you will enjoy our favorite way of communicating with you.

As always, thank you for reading

- The Lumberjack Editorial Board

EXECUTIVE BOARD VISUALS

Jonah Graham, Editor-in-Chief

Brisa Karow, Managing Editor

Lian Muneno, Director of Digital Content

Rose Baillie, Copy Editor

Tess Bandstra, Director of Print Design

Phone: (928) 523-4921

Fax: (928) 523-9313

lumberjack@nau.edu

P.O. Box 6000 Flagstaff, AZ 86011

EDITORIAL STAFF

Ava Hiniker, Digital Producer

Hava Herzog, News Editor

Abigail Celaya, Deputy News Editor

Abigail Seidenberg, Opinion Editor

Katie Squires, Deputy Opinion Editor

Makayla Richardson, Lifestyle Editor

Emma Stansbery, Deputy Lifestyle Editor

Zachary Markewicz, Storytelling Reporter

Noah Butler, Sports Editor

Anthony Bracha, Deputy Sports Editor

Makayla O’Bannon, Senior Reporter

Madison Easton, Co-Director of Photography

John Chaides, Co-Director of Photography

Chloe Legay, Senior Photographer

Alexis Beaman, Director of Illustration

Storey Welch, Director of Multimedia

Taylor McCormick, Director of Social Media

McKayla Holder, Assistant Director of Social Media

FACULTY ADVISERS

Bree Burkitt, Faculty Adviser

Katherine Locke, Reporter Adviser

Rory Faust, Sports Adviser

Northern Arizona University sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region. We honor their past, present and future generations, who have lived here for millennia and will forever call this place home.

SOCIAL MEDIA

comments from Flagstaff High School students, Maldonado thanked the youth for speaking and the parents for raising their children to take leadership roles.

said. “We want to make sure that people know that we’re still here and we still have a voice. Part of this name change is that visibility and making sure that it’s part of the recommendations made to our city.”

On top of visibility, Toehe said an essential part of addressing Indigenous needs is upholding wellness. She said wellness is not just about physical health but also respect for the earth and the elements.

Toehe said the peak renaming contributes to this concept of wellness because it demonstrates an understanding of the mountain’s presence as a sacred place.

“Wellness includes respecting and taking care of those sacred spaces and sacred places,” Toehe said. “That is all our responsibility. Part of that wellness is making sure that people know that this is about taking care of a sacred entity, a sacred being, the mountain that she is. She has life too, and she should be given voice through those people who can understand that.”

Due to the assistance of Toehe and other advisers, the Indigenous Youths received several letters of support from elders and students from across the country by October. Other supporters included Agassiz’s descendants, who have encouraged efforts to remove their ancestor’s name from sites and repair the damage of his actions.

The students also garnered support from tribes both in and outside of Arizona with histories of restoring the names of sacred sites. Oglala Lakota ceremonial leader Basil Brave Heart wrote a letter describing his experience fighting for years to rename Harney Peak, which is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

To resolve the conflict, the Indigenous Youths interviewed elders of various tribes in Flagstaff to gather opinions on renaming the peak.

“When we gathered the names from the elders, as well as the youth who were leading the charge, it allowed those who knew the traditional understanding behind Öo’mawki and those who knew why we were pushing for it, that whole narrative of bringing people together, ‘house of the clouds,’ it allowed us to get permission from our own elders from all these tribes,” Makaius Marks said.

The question of tribe choice was reintroduced when the ASBGHN heard the Indigenous Youths in October. During the meeting, board members asked Makaius Marks why the Hopi name was chosen instead of other names. Marks said the elders and youth of the community came to a consensus about Öo’mawki without disagreement because of the name’s symbolic meaning.

Board member and Chairman of the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Roland Maldonado added that surrounding tribes recognize the Hopi as one of the oldest communities in the region.

“Being from Kaibab, the history goes, they came and stayed with us for about 600 years before they went to the Mesas, First Mesa, Second Mesa, Third Mesa,” Maldonado said. “They are our relatives, and we understand and appreciate their ability to maintain language, culture, history, ceremonies, all those things that are important that identify us.”

After hearing Makaius Marks’ proposal and supporting

Maldonado served as the Kaibab Paiute cultural preservation director before he b#ecame chairman. During the board meeting, he said he appreciated the students’ efforts toward preserving Indigenous culture for future generations and encouraged his fellow board members to approve the renaming.

“One of our teachings is that we look forward,” Maldonado said. “We look forward seven generations ahead because this world is not ours as they had brought out, but we borrow it from our children and our grandchildren. That’s the way I would encourage the board to look at these things. What are we leaving them? We’re borrowing this world. How can we make it better than we found it?”

The meeting was initially scheduled to occur in February 2023, but according to ASBGH minutes, it was deferred due to a lack of information from the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and tribal elders.

Several supporters from Indigenous-led committees and organizations advised the Indigenous Youth to gather public support for the renaming. The City of Flagstaff coordinator for Indigenous initiatives, Rose Toehe, was one of these supporters.

Toehe is the head of the Indigenous Commission, a City of Flagstaff board that advises city council on issues affecting the Indigenous people of Flagstaff. Toehe said the peak renaming is vital to maintaining a healthy relationship between the city and its Indigenous populations.

“We want to make sure our people are visible,” Toehe

The mountain was named after a U.S. Army officer infamous for his violence against Indigenous people. Brave Heart successfully campaigned for the BGN to change the peak’s name to Black Elk Peak in honor of Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk. In his letter, Brave Heart wrote about the healing nature of restoring Indigenous names.

After viewing the Indigenous Youth’s letters of support and hearing their arguments, the ASBGHN unanimously approved the change from Agassiz Peak to Öo’mawki.

“To see something like this change, just the change at the state level, was shocking,” Makaius Marks said. “It was a shock because we’ve asked for changes like this before in the past, the tribes, Indigenous people, communities of color, and when that change is demanded, it lasts for years. It lasts for generations.”

While the name change was approved at the state level, the recognition of Öo’mawki is not federally established. Federal approval processes are currently in motion but have not been finalized. As of Feb. 8, the renaming is on the BGN’s review list, which the Domestic Names Committee discusses and votes on monthly.

However, a public affairs specialist from the U.S. Geological Survey said the board can not vote on Öo’mawki’s name change until they receive approved minutes from the ASBGHN and a recommendation from the U.S. Forest Service.

Those interested in suggesting a site rename can submit a proposal on the ASBGHN website. The board holds quarterly meetings open to the public.

local professionals weigh in on political discourse

Political discourse has shifted in recent years, and many Americans feel it has become less respectful and fact-based. This change affects all levels of politics, resulting in less civil behavior in national leadership and in local community debates.

Flagstaff City Councilmember Deborah Harris has lived in Flagstaff for more than 30 years. She moved to the city in 1993 to work at NAU’s Campus Living, formerly the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Harris has worked for several committees and organizations, including the Flagstaff Police Department Citizen Liaison Committee and the Southside Community Association

According to her city council profile, one of Harris’ guiding beliefs is people should have the ability to disagree with one another without being disagreeable, a phrase Harris said she heard from former NAU

President John Haeger.

Harris said she was aware of a shift in political discourse before she ran for public office, however it has come to her attention in recent years. She said the change in political discussion seems more prevalent on a national level but has started to seep into community politics.

At times, people engaged in debate can twist words and make conversation unnecessarily personal. While some may become passionately heated, Harris said, those engaged in local politics can draw inspiration from what they see at higher levels.

“People at the local level feel that they have permission because they see it at the national level, and it’s OK to call people out … or to say things about them, or to put stuff out there that we know isn’t true,” Harris said.

A rise in hostile local politics is counterproductive, she said, because it impedes a community’s ability to work together. Harris

said community members engaged in local politics will often run into each other outside Flagstaff City Hall, and if they have had uncivil political engagements, it could lead to uncomfortable interactions.

While Harris is optimistic political figures will return to calm and collected debates, she said she believes this change will largely fall to individual efforts.

“I think it is going to get better, but it’s gonna mean that people are gonna have to step out there and insist that people be civil,” Harris said. “And that means all of us. When we hear people being uncivil, maybe we ought to say something.”

Harris said the path forward might include disengaging from those conducting themselves inappropriately or aggressively in political settings and taking the time to calm down to ensure discussion remains civil.

While she feels passionate about addressing Flagstaff issues, Harris said she tries not to become aggressive and harsh against those she disagrees with politically.

She referenced Proposition 480 during last year’s local election. The defeated referendum whether to move forward with plans to build a new health facility. The issue reached a high level of intensity. Harris said she is hopeful Flagstaff will reach a point where its unity can serve as an example to other communities.

“I think we can get there, but it’s going to take all of us having those courageous conversations and being willing to stand up and say, ‘That’s not really the way we talk to people in our community,’” Harris said.

A January study from Pew Research Center found seven out of 10 Americans believe elected officials and those campaigning for office should avoid heated or aggressive language that could lead to violence.

Andrew Dzeguze, an associate professor for NAU’s Politics and International Affairs department, has degrees in history and law and a doctorate in public affairs and policy. He said the intense, impolite language in politics today is not new and has always existed.

Advertisements fiercely criticizing political rivals were commonplace after

the mid-1960s. Dzeguze said since then, candidates and officials have been involved in more open hostility.

Campaign ads that make harsh claims about opposing candidates have been around for decades, as has coded language used to appeal to a broader base of polarized and moderate voters. One example of this is Richard Nixon’s “Southern strategy” he used during his 1968 presidential campaign. The tactic used law and order to appeal to racist attitudes about minority groups.

Dzeguze said part of the shift in language comes from a realization that there is a more polarized voter base to appeal to. If there is not a substantial pool of voters in the middle, candidates may not feel obligated to appeal to people who are not voting strictly along Democrat or Republican party lines.

“In a truly polarized universe, the gloves would be off,” Dzeguze said. “In races where people truly feel polarized ... people in the middle can just ignore politics because there are not enough of you to matter.”

Canidates’ use of bold and, at times, uncivil language can be the result of moderate candidates failing to win elections or even secure nominations, Dzeguze said. Additionally, attempts to remove more openly aggressive candidates can end poorly.

A leaked recording of the then leader of the Arizona Republican Party Jeff Dewitt seemingly attempting to bribe senate candidate Kari Lake into dropping out of the race resulted in Dewitt’s resignation from his position.

Dzeguze said it is possible the results of the 2024 presidential election may impact this trend of aggressive language. People involved in national politics will follow up on what appears to be successful with voters.

“As long as a politician sees it as in their best interest and as their most likely way to get to whatever they see as important, they are going to use the language they think will help them,” Dzeguze said.

The general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. For more information, voters can visit the City of Flagstaff website for more information.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS BEAMAN

Father and son Darrell (left) and Makaius Marks (right) pose in front of the San Francisco Peaks near Buffalo Park, Feb. 18.

Chloe Legay | The Lumberjack

ALEXANDER ZIEGLER

PEAKS continued from FRONT

The college culture of online dating

CHLOE DURAN

Online dating has been around since the ‘60s. Before the creation of dating apps, Harvard Students Jeffrey Tarr and David Crump used an IBM 1401 computer to create the first computerbased matching service in 1965: Operation Match

It was not until Match.com was created that dating apps quickly advanced.

In 1995, Gary Kremen created Match. com, and online dating spread throughout America. The website allowed users to directly message each other through email or fax. Since its launch, the site has gained 30 million users

Dating apps changed how university students communicate within romantic relationships. Users can initiate conversation at any time of day with their phones, pick a partner based on a profile and swipe left or right in a cycle of potential matches.

Now, Tinder, Hinge and Bumble are the dating platforms people use to find romantic partners. A 2024 article from Statistics & Tech Data Library showed that worldwide, there are more than 1,500 dating apps and websites for different audiences. For example, Tinder connects users by having them swipe on profiles. Online dating sites like FarmersOnly and Sizzl target niche communities like ranchers and bacon lovers, respectively.

Tinder launched in 2012 and gained 50 million users within two years of its release. Of those users, 50% were college students.

Natalie Arroyo, an NAU sophomore biology major, downloaded Tinder in September. She said she assumed it would be harmless fun — a chance to go on dates and maybe find a long-term boyfriend.

“My friend would tell me stories all the time about all the guys she met, and I thought the validation would be nice,” Arroyo said. “Instead, I got a man who has

created three accounts to talk to me and reached out to close family friends of mine when I keep blocking him.”

While using Tinder, Arroyo said she felt she was treated like an object.

“Now, I’m weary of anyone on there,” Arroyo said.

A 2020 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found the use of dating apps can impact mental health relationships and sexual habits.

Generation Z consists of the 70 million people born between 1997 and 2012. According to data compiled by Pew Research Center in 2018, 57% of this generation are university students who grew up as the world’s first digital natives, or individuals who cannot recall a time before the convenience of the internet.

Social media apps were available to Gen Z at a young age, allowing them to find social support through social media. High screen time has also been linked to declining self-esteem.

Nora Ann Stefani, an NAU School of Communication assistant teaching professor, specializes in gender and media studies, specifically how humans understand physical attractiveness.

“One of the challenges with dating is the first meeting, and online dating apps make it easier to initiate,” Stefani said.

While researching physical attractiveness, Stefani said people like the certainty that comes with likes, comments and text messages. Often, people find those notifications imply how successful someone is.

“Getting a compliment is always going to feel good,” Stefani said. “Dating apps can give you a way to quantify how attractive someone else thinks you are, ultimately how attractive you think you are.”

Data compiled from 2015-17 by LendEDU, an informational site on student and other loans, found 44% of Tinder users ages 18-22 reported they swipe solely for a

confidence boost.

Aubrey Jones, an NAU junior studying public health, said online dating became popular because of its convenience.

“It is easier for people who don’t go out as much or may not have as much confidence to talk to someone,” Jones said.

Although some denounce dating apps because of their connections to hookup culture, others say they have developed stable relationships.

“Online relationships can be longlasting and genuine,” Jones said. “I dated the best person for about a year after meeting on Bumble.”

Bumble was one of the first apps that allowed women to message potential dates first. One of Tinder’s co-founders said she noticed the gender dynamics within dating — both online and in-person — were outdated and saw this as an opportunity for women to make their own choices in romantic relationships.

Macy Mobley, an NAU senior biology major, said she feels like creating genuine, long-lasting relationships now depends on the person.

“Because everyone is online, social skills are not what they used to be,” Mobley said.

Swiping on Tinder allows users to judge who they want to pursue based on their appearances in photos, which Mobley said she feels ignores prominent aspects of a person’s character.”

“Online dating made people judge potential partners more on looks rather than actual personality,” Mobley said.

Though some students are utilizing technology to pursue romantic endeavors, a recent study suggests dating trends are changing. A November survey conducted by Axios and Generation Lab found that 79% of college and graduate students are not currently on dating apps and prefer to meet people in person.

Resources for language barriers in academia

MORGAN FELKER LEWIS

NAU has been a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) since 2021. With this designation, NAU provides campus resources for students facing a language barrier or who want to learn more about their cultures.

The Hispanic and Latine populations on campus make up a quarter of the total student population, or roughly 6,500 students. To qualify as an HSI, a minimum of 25% of the student population must identify as Hispanic or Latine.

NAU provides scholarships for undocumented students. 2024 is the first year TheDream.US is offering its National and Opportunity scholarships to NAU students. The college and career success program provides aid to students across the country with unmet financial needs.

Esther Valadez Cuellar, the assistant director of scholarships at NAU, helps students with financial aid questions and applications. She works with Hispanic and Latine students to provide resources specific to their cultures and help promote NAU as an HSI.

Cuellar also assists undocumented students with filing financial documents, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and TheDream.US scholarships, and students who may not know about Hispanic and Latine resources.

“It’s important to maybe have someone who speaks the language, someone that looks … similar to how the student looks, so they do feel a sense of security,” Cuellar said. “So they know, ‘NAU is a school I want to go to’ … not just for the personal touch and educational component but also knowing they have people to serve them as well.”

The Global Engagement and Language Learning (GELL) Center is a campus resource that promotes community among students learning languages.

The GELL Center helps teach modern languages at NAU through student engagement. The center has conversation rooms where any student studying a language can practice speaking with native speakers.

Jessica Wood, a German associate teaching professor at NAU and associate chair of the GELL Center, works with students who are learning new languages.

“Essentially, we support Latine and Hispanic students from both sides of things,”

Wood said. “Both, if they’re interested in learning about the culture and if they’re sharing what they know.”

The conversation groups employ student facilitators based on their cultural background and knowledge of speaking with students learning their native languages.

This fosters a space for native speakers to share their culture with others. The center has native Spanish speakers from countries like Mexico and Spain. These students find a community in those who are eager to learn about their culture, Wood said.

The GELL Center also offers heritage classes for Spanish heritage learners. These classes depend on individual needs shown by third- or fourth-generation students who do not speak the language and students who may have experience speaking Spanish at home but have not formally studied it.

These classes adapt to students’ needs and are formed on the basis of students’ knowledge. They depend on how much of the Spanish language students know in topics including grammar, reading and speaking.

The Office of Inclusion: Multicultural and LGBTQIA Student Services (IMQ) houses Hispanic and Latine clubs on campus and Hispanic Greek life. Students can join these clubs through True Blue Connects or by visiting the IMQ. The IMQ also encompasses the Hispanic, Latine Student Services which promote cultural diversity through student-led events.

According to the IMQ’s mission statement, it strives to promote diversity through cultural events and resources for students.

Hispanic, Latine Student Services also host cultural events and club meetings, such as Unidos en Versos: Hispanic, Latine, and LGBTQIA+ Poetry Slam or Somos NAU Somos NAU is a club that aims to culturally support students through advocacy.

As an HSI institution, NAU can apply for federal grants. HSI grants can be allocated to any minority group and are not limited to Latine students.

In 2022, the School of Forestry received an HSI grant worth over $250,000 for its project: “Training the Next Generation of Hispanic Leaders for Managing Resilient Forests.”

The School of Forestry grant provides NAU with paid research, internships and training for new faculty and staff to

accommodate Hispanic and Latine students.

Vidal Mendoza, assistant director of Hispanic, Latine Student Services, works in the IMQ to promote student resources.

Mendoza is one of the only faculty members with Hispanic/Latine support in her title, which Cuellar said makes her a valuable yet often overlooked resource.

“A lot of students don’t know that we exist, and even though it’s me who may have that in my title, for me, we’re a community,” Mendoza said.

Every fall, the IMQ hosts a Hispanic community mixer. Next time, the IMQ plans to expand the event to all students and hold it at a bigger venue. Mendoza said she strives to elevate student voices above all else and aims to provide an inclusive, trustworthy space where students can share any aspect of oncampus or off-campus struggles.

While she said there are always improvements to be made, since NAU is a newly declared HSI, dedication and

collaboration with other departments is significant.

Mendoza and Cuellar have collaborated with NAU’s Marketing Team to market toward Hispanic and Latine students, specifically, to let students know there is Hispanic representation and resources on campus.

Mendoza said authentically marketing to Hispanic and Latine students is a significant part of NAU’s HSI mission.

“Marketing has put a lot of time and effort into being authentic and intentional and really embodying the image of the students who are currently here,” Mendoza said.

More information on bilingual and multicultural resources is available on the Department of Educational Specialties website

Additional information on Hispanic and Latine resources is available on the Equity and Access Office website

A man sits at the bar and opens Tinder while he waits for his drink, Feb 9.

Photo illustration by Beau Foy | The Lumberjack

The endangerment of Indigenous languages

Throughout United States’ history, Indigenous tribes have endured extensive hardship that has threatened their cultural identity. In the 21st century, Indigenous communities continue to face endangerment of their diverse network of languages

The majority of the factors that contribute to the loss of identity within these cultures stem from cultural suppression within U.S. education that has been ongoing for centuries.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, from 1819 through the 1970s, the U.S. enacted federal legislation implementing American Indian Boarding Schools nationwide. While the U.S. government presented the boarding schools as a way to assimilate Indigenous people into Western culture, survivors of these programs endured extensive abuse

The boarding schools forced Christian values on young children and prevented them from using traditional Indigenous language. The programs supplemented Indigenous languages with English as a way to detach young children from their Indigenous roots.

Navajo student and historian of NAU’s Navajo Language and Culture Club (NLCC) Haileigh Spencer said her grandparents were sent to one of these boarding schools where they were prohibited from using the Navajo language.

“They are able to speak the language fully, but whenever I ask them to help me write something in Navajo or read something in Navajo, they really struggle,” Spencer said. “So, because of that, it’s affected the next generations and of us learning and teaching Navajo because they were discouraged from speaking it.”

While Indigenous language education is rare in American schools, some are beginning to offer classes.

“I feel like I never got the chance growing up to learn Navajo until I got to NAU, because they have the Navajo class and the resources available,” Spencer said. “They have so many resources for Native American students, and that includes the club where we get to learn our language.”

Jennie DeGroat is Diné and teaches in NAU’s Department of Educational Specialties. She has been in the

field of language revitalization for over 20 years.

DeGroat said absence of Indigenous linguistic education can be attributed to the lack of funding for these programs and the fact it “competes with English instruction.” Some Indigenous communities have taken the initiative to create language programs, DeGroat said.

“In other communities, they actually take on the lead without the funding and just rely on their own resources to help the language to be spoken,” DeGroat said. “In some cases, it seems to be more sincere because it’s not based on funding.”

NLCC treasurer Tyiera Deschemy said in her public

“I FEEL LIKE I NEVER GOT THE CHANCE GROWING UP TO LEARN NAVAJO UNTIL I GOT TO NAU, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE NAVAJO CLASS AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE”

– Haileigh Spencer, Navajo student and historian of NAU’s Navajo Language and Culture Club

school experience, classes operated as English-based learning environments.

“We could only speak English, and learning English was easier to communicate with everybody,” Deschemy said. “But making conversation with my grandparents is much more difficult now that I have pulled away from my culture.”

Some Indigenous NAU students have taken action to preserve cultural traditions and rejuvenate their native languages.

“We just can’t tell someone, ‘Do you want to learn the language?’” Deschemy said. “It’s literally up to them, but we just want to let them know it’s still here. It’s still active, and if you want to learn, you can learn it.”

Founded in October by NAU senior Ashley Hale, the NLCC has become one of the newest additions to the collection of cultural diversity and inclusion clubs at NAU. Hale and fellow members said the driving force behind the club is to reconnect Diné students with the Navajo language

and help preserve their endangered culture.

“If I don’t make myself learn Navajo and try to find resources for me to learn Navajo, then my kids are not going to know Navajo,” Hale said. “So, I feel like if we want to preserve our language, now is the time.”

Even though younger generations are not tasked with being solely in charge of language preservation efforts, Hale said she believes it is their responsibility to revive their culture.

“If we’re not going to do it, then who else is going to?” Hale said.

DeGroat has worked alongside numerous Indigenous communities within the U.S., including the Apache language teachers in Cibecue, Arizona, the Pipa Aha Macav language teachers in Needles, California and the Athabaskan language teachers in Alaska. The purpose of these efforts is to encourage Indigenous speakers through specialized immersion programs for each of these tribe’s linguistic needs.

“Research has shown that immersion is the most effective way of encouraging people to learn their indigenous language,” DeGroat said.

While teaching at the American Indian Language Development Institute at UArizona, DeGroat designed an immersion class for the institute and taught there for 10 summers. The NLCC uses immersive group activities, such as games and daily conversation topics, to help students expand knowledge and application of the Navajo language.

Reports show there were over 300 Indigenous languages by the Indigenous Language Institute show before U.S. colonialism. Roughly 170 of these languages are spoken today. While this decline has garnered media attention in previous years, DeGroat said there is a lack of adequate intervention to slow down the rapid decline.

“[Linguists] say that in 2050, out of around 170 languages spoken, there might only be 20 left,” DeGroat said. “This information, I think, is not well presented to revisionists. Those that work in the field may be some of the only people who have a good grasp on what is happening.”

More information on resources for Indigenous students is available on NAU’s Native American Cultural Center’s website

LEXI WIGHT

Members of the Navajo Language and Culture Club poses for a group portrait at University Union, Feb. 16. Yanissa Romo | The Lumberjack

Officers of the Navajo Language and Culture Club pose for photos in the University Union, Feb. 16. From left to right, President Ashley Hale, a senior; Representative Chiara Holgate, a junior; Representative Sahale James, a sophomore; Treasurer Tyiera Descheny, a junior. Yanissa Romo | The Lumberjack

Let ‘em TALK THE Talk

NOAH BUTLER SPORTS EDITOR

Recently, trash talk has become more publicized and polarizing to national viewership, garnering mass criticism and backlash from backseat-coaching fans and prominent talking heads.

For the most part, these talking heads are people very loosely tied to the sports world and use their loud voices to be heard by national audiences. With people like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, loud and aggressive is the way to go, and they have garnered millions of fans off that approach alone.

The media has always been keen on hearing what athletes say about their competitors, but as social media became widely used, people could pull up clips of athletes bad-mouthing the competition and displaying attitude. These instances then get incorporated into fans’ agendas against specific players.

One player who frequently gets singled out for his outbursts is Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. He has a history of being one of the league’s more vulgar players, both in his words and actions on the court, and has amassed a large audience of people who look down on him for it.

Green acknowledges the criticism he receives yet continues to be one of the league’s best defensive stoppers and biggest personalities.

Just as Green is one of the league’s best defensive players, he is one of the best trash talkers, and his remarks leave a lasting impression on opposing players. He joins players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kevin Garnett and Cheryl Miller who were all tabbed as esteemed trash talkers among their peers.

Each of these players are also Hall of Fame worthy, and something can be said about their talents in basketball and talking smack. Green is the modern embodiment of this group, as he has elite basketball skills and smack-talking prowess.

During the 2022 NBA Finals, Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics began to jar with Green in Game 2, so Green talked right back. In a MassLive article, Green explained his decision to do so, noting when players diss him, he has the right to defend himself.

“When a guy comes and starts -- when you say that and then you start talking junk to me, then yes, I’m going to say something about that,” Green said. “... Once he starts going at me and he’s ‘yap, yap, yap,’ all right, bro, you can’t say that.”

His rebuttal reflected his and teammate Stephen Curry’s stance in 2016 that the ability to trash talk was just as important as being a good basketball player.

“Trash-talking is part of the game,” Curry said. “You have to give it. You have to be able to take it. It’s just that you don’t want to see it ever cross the line and become personal because the game of basketball is never that serious in regards to disrespecting people. So, you have to leave it on the floor.”

The chastisement Green receives from the sports world also blooms from the time he spends in the limelight. The more attention the media gives to a player or sport, the closer people will look at words and actions that spur from them.

This is exactly why the sports world has turned to women’s basketball — the college game, specifically. As players like Caitlin Clark and Juju Watkins elevate the sport tenfold, many who have never watched an ounce of the sport flock to social media comments to disparage their games and attitudes.

During last year’s March Madness tournament, this became apparent in the national championship game between LSU, led by Angel Reese, and Clark’s University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

Reese, who many middle-aged men had already dismissed because of her status as a star player in her sport, hit Clark with a pair of taunting celebrations that angered more men and started discourse that completely took away from LSU’s championship victory.

In an article from The Lumberjack last year, writer Monty Gantt wrote about this very issue and put the reasons for this discourse very bluntly.

“Men in sports are praised for their high intensity level of trash talk,” Gantt wrote. “Plain and simple. Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Philip Rivers were amongst the elite levels of trash talkers in sports history. When men talk trash, it makes the game more intense. When women do it, it’s not attractive [in the eyes of the average male viewer].”

To expand on Gantt’s words, the women’s game has evolved to the point where indignant fans cannot decide if they want to hate the players because they are women or because of their play on the court. In sports, people always have to find things to hate when most of the time there is absolutely no need.

Trash talk is the game inside the game, and every athlete knows that to be true, regardless of the level of play. Only those who have been involved first-hand in sports and have experienced its ills should be privy to talk about athletes’ comments about one another on the court or field.

Oceanic NAU athletes dial back sarcastic humor in America

MAKAYLA O’BANNON

The NCAA broadcasts its cross country and track meets regularly on ESPN throughout the sport’s respective seasons. People from several other countries tune in with Americans to watch NAU run.

When redshirt senior Theo Quax was in high school, he watched college and professional meets from his home in Auckland, New Zealand. He said NAU always stood out to him because those students were the ones who typically won races or showcased the most technique.

“I was like, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard of this Northern Arizona University, but I better check it out,’” Quax said. “[NAU] almost became a hot spot in New Zealand for New Zealand distance runners in high school.”

Runners from New Zealand were on the NAU track team in 2018 when Quax first watched the broadcasts. Although the school was on the opposite side of the world, he said he wanted to apply because there were already people there who would understand his culture.

Quax and several of his former high school classmates rushed to contact the runners at NAU. They wanted to learn everything they could, he said, about how to attend such an elite school in the running world.

When Quax arrived in Flagstaff a few years later, challenges arose starting his first day of class. He said it looked like the movies when he saw his fellow classmates without uniforms, which are required in New Zealand, and American symbols on the walls, like the U.S Constitution or the country’s flag.

Although Quax adorned a New Zealand flag on the wall of his dorm, national flags are not common in New Zealand classrooms.

Yet, what shocked Quax most was the lack of sarcasm he encountered. He said he hoped to bond with his teammates through teasing banter and quick jabs, but his plan backfired.

“It’s still English speaking, and it’s still Western culture, but there is significant cultural differences,” Quax said. “Everyone’s very sensitive and takes everything to heart.”

Quax said he was used to a more “rambunctious” energy in New Zealand.

At NAU, he has toned down his sarcasm to match his American peers but said it was probably for the best. He said he did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings just because of his distinct humor.

“BEING ON AN ATHLETIC TEAM, YOU ARRIVE AND YOU ALREADY HAVE 100 FRIENDS … AND A SUPPORT SYSTEM OF COACHES. IT’S REALLY, REALLY AMAZING. YOU ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE TO GO TO.”

– Nikita Moore, Junior in NAU Track and Field

Some of his fellow Australian teammates felt the same shock by American idiomatic differences.

New Zealand and America are two countries that mainly speak English, but since they are in different parts of the world, their idioms have differences. For example, ‘Back of Bourke’ translates to “a very long way away.”

Sophomore Keira Moore runs the 800-meter and mile races. She is from Brisbane, Australia and noted similar changes to her vocabulary after spending time in the United States. She said to avoid offending any of her classmates or friends, she tried to use less sarcasm day-to-day.

“In Australia, people are more blatantly rude, but no one takes it seriously,” Keira Moore said. “Everyone is just fine with it.”

She said the adjustment to life in the U.S. has been smooth but strange. She shared the same sentiment as Quax about sarcasm and jokes.

Although each person on the track and field team is from a country whose primary language is English, there are still cultural differences that distinguish American English from Australian or New Zealander English.

Countless words and phrases vary between the two countries. For example, Australians call gasoline “petrol” and the gas station a “servo.”

“When I go home and I say, ‘Oh, we need to get gas,’ all my friends are like, ‘Why did you just say that?’” Keira Moore said.

Keira Moore said British and Canadian cultures more closely resemble Australia because there are fewer variations with words, and the people are just as sarcastic.

Keira’s older sister is another runner on the NAU team.

Junior Nikita Moore had a jarring experience with wording during an incident on move-in day. Nikita told her sister she had accidentally embarrassed herself because she did not realize Australians called “flipflops” something completely different.

Shower shoes are necessary for shared bathroom space, but Nikita Moore did not bring a pair with her on the plane. She said she innocently asked her roommate to go on

a shopping trip to Target so she could buy some “thongs” for the shower.

In Australia, no one would have batted an eye, but her American roommate looked at her shocked, confused and a little concerned, she said.

“There were definitely some moments that people had to correct me or tell me I shouldn’t say that,” Nikita Moore said.

When she first moved abroad, there were Australians on the men’s track team, but she said the women’s side “lacked” others from her country. There were a few men and women from New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, but a majority of the team was American.

Other schools she thought about attending had larger groups of men and women from Australia on their track team, but none of them stood out to her as much as NAU.

“Flagstaff, I love with my whole heart,” Nikita Moore said. “It’s a great place. It’s a home away from home … Eventually, I talked to the other girls on the team, and I was like, ‘I’m going to get along with these girls. They are really cool, down to earth people.’”

Transitioning from running at sea-level near beaches to mountainous terrain in a staggering 7,000-foot elevation gain proved a tougher challenge than the cultural barriers.

Keira Moore said she had symptoms of elevation sickness, such as dizziness, fatigue and nausea, for well over a month after moving.

“It probably took me a month before I could finish a workout and probably three months before I felt confident in workouts that I wasn’t going to have a panic attack because my breathing was so off,” Keira Moore said.

The adjustment to the altitude proved to be useful for her and her teammates. She said she considers the elevation an advantage because they get to endure constant strength and aerobic training. When her team goes for a jog in lower elevation, they are faster and feel less exhausted.

Adjusting to altitude or a new country can feel intimidating for some, but Quax, Keira and Nikita Moore said they were more comfortable because there were already others on the team from the same country, going through the same challenges.

“I’m so beyond grateful,” Nikita Moore said. “Being on an athletic team, you arrive and you already have 100 friends … and a support system of coaches. It’s really, really amazing. You always have someone to go to.”

The support system was there before Nikitia Moore arrived in Flagstaff. She talked with other women from the track team before and after applying to NAU. Quax also had the chance to speak with other male runners from New Zealand online before moving across the globe.

The team’s connections eased the minds of the international athletes. They can ask questions or receive feedback from their friends and teammates to become more comfortable with American culture.

Senior Theo Quax runs the third leg of the men’s distance medley on the Findlay Toyota Track, Feb. 17, 2023. Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack

GALLERY

A photographer’s language

Sometimes it takes more than words to tell a story. In addition to our writers and editors, The Lumberjack features a team of staff dedicated to capturing news visually. The pictures in the gallery below each carry a message personal to the photographer who took them, demonstrating the power of photography as a narrative device.

This is a photo of good vibes and peace. This was a time where I felt that there was not a care in the world.The colors and postcard editing style make me think of the good times. Photo taken at Spanish Landing Park in San Diego, Dec. 27, 2023. Landon Johnson | The Lumberjack

A sunset moments before a hail storm breaks. The illuminating rays of the sun cast light on the mountains and trees at Aspen Corner, Oct. 9, 2023. Caitlyn Anderson | The Lumberjack

A woman looks up at the annual solar eclipse with filtered glasses at Lowell Observatory, Oct. 14, 2023. When capturing the essence of a grandiose event such as the solar eclipse, we often turn our cameras to the action or the subject, in this case, the solar eclipse. I found the story not in the shadows cast on the ground or the eclipse itself but in the people who gathered to watch this celestial occurrence. Madison Easton | The Lumberjack

This is a photo of my mom and grandma. It is very special to me because I can see the profound love between them. I get to see the decades of love that has been going on since long before I was born. I am so grateful that I got to take this photo, since I captured a moment that I will get to remember my grandma by forever, April 23, 2023. Bennie Hart | The Lumberjack

A Seal Beach firefighter, from fire station 44, hoses down burnt trees along the 23 freeway in Moorpark, California during the Easy Wildfire on Oct. 30, 2019. The fire broke out shortly after 6 a.m. near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. John Chaides | The Lumberjack

Christian Legay stands in a garden in Nancy, France, May 23, 2023. I took this picture of my grandfather when I visited my family in France last summer. My French is terrible and his English is rusty, so we communicate through our shared love of photography. This picture is part of that picture-language we have developed, and it represents my love and respect for such a foundational figure in both my life and artistic pursuits. Chloe Legay | The Lumberjack

This double exposure photo emphasizes the intertwined relationship of humans and the environment they fill, Nov. 29, 2018. Lian Muneno | The Lumberjack

Staying close to those far away

Maintaining a relationship with somebody who lives far away can have its inconveniences. However, college students are finding ways to stay connected using new and old methods.

The digital age offers new and efficient ways for people to communicate through social media apps, video conference calls, email and online gaming. Combined with an array of devices and software, virtual communication across the globe has become highly accessible

Fewer people are sending personal letters in the mail. According to CBS News, just under a third of Americans have written a personal letter in the past year. Thirty-seven percent claim to have not written a letter in five years, and 15% claim they have never written one.

“I LIKE SITTING DOWN AND SPENDING TIME ON [WRITING LETTERS] AND PUTTING IN ALL THE EFFORT. SOME CALL IT AN OLD-FASHIONED WAY OF COMMUNICATING, BUT I STILL THINK IT’S A VERY SPECIAL WAY TO COMMUNICATE.”

– Joven Laforteza, NAU junior

However, while mail is not as common as it once was, this method of communication is still used by some people with long-distance connections today.

The process of writing a letter can be tedious, as it takes significantly more time than writing a text. After it is written, it needs to be packed in an envelope with a stamp and mailed off. The United States Postal Service averages around two and a half days to deliver mail within the United States. When mailing internationally, this time period can vary depending on where the letter is going. Texting, alternatively, provides instant message transmission.

Joven Laforteza and Emily Levinson are both juniors at NAU who have an affinity for writing letters, they said, believing there is some uniqueness involved in the process of sending written messages to another person.

“I like sitting down and spending time on [writing letters] and putting in all the effort,” Levinson said. “Some call it an oldfashioned way of communicating, but I still think it’s a very special way to communicate.”

Texting has become the dominant form of communication among Generation Z. Being able to reach out to someone so efficiently boasts its usefulness in settings such as school or work.

However, Laforteza said he believes writing letters holds a special significance that modern texting culture ultimately lacks.

“Letters give me the vibe of genuine communication because I don’t really picture anyone being ‘fake’ on a letter, just writing your emotions,” Laforteza said. “It’s much more sentimental.”

Levinson said there are stark differences between writing a text and a letter, and she can get her point across better in letter form.

“To me, the main difference between writing a text versus a letter is that, in a letter, I write pages, but with a text, I send only a few words,” Levinson said. “I think if you wanted to get closer to someone, whether it’s family or friends, I think sending a letter is a good way to do that.”

While enjoying the benefits of written communication, Laforteza said she recognizes sending mail can have its difficulties.

Occasionally, the post office or mail systems can see delays when delivering packages or letters. These delays can be caused by a number of factors, such as weather, the volume of mail or transportation issues.

Letters can also get lost in the mail or mistakenly sent to the wrong address.

“Letters just sometimes take forever to get where you’re sending them,” Laforteza said. “The distance plays a big role in that, and there could always be delays with the post office. But even then, I still think it’s worth the wait.”

Writing letters has the potential to provide a more intimate experience, Levinson said, especially when trying to reach out to someone far away. Despite potential obstacles when sending these letters, such as delays or impatience, Laforteza and Levinson still utilize this cycle of communicating with others.

Writing letters is one method college students use to forge bonds. However, many students have taken to the online world to talk to their friends.

Since digital communication has continued to evolve, many people have found themselves making friends with others online. These individuals may live in different states or countries.

Samuel Metacat-Yah, a recent college graduate from the University of Alberta, found friends from NAU through the internet. He said online friendships can bring a unique dynamic to a friendship.

“I would say that the in-person bond versus a virtual bond would be just as strong, just in a different environment,” Metacat-Yah said. “Sometimes people you meet online can still grow apart as you get older, just like friends you know in person.”

Metacat-Yah met each of his online friends by playing video games. He said playing games online and using different communication platforms, such as Skype and Discord, allowed him to forge strong relationships even at a great distance.

Specifically, Metacat-Yah said he believes part of what allows online friends to grow close through gaming is the many popular

“I WOULD SAY THAT THE IN-PERSON BOND VERSUS A VIRTUAL BOND WOULD BE JUST AS STRONG, JUST IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. SOMETIMES PEOPLE YOU MEET ONLINE CAN STILL GROW APART AS YOU GET OLDER, JUST LIKE FRIENDS YOU KNOW IN PERSON.”

– Samuel Metacat-Yah, college graduate

multiplayer games that include a voice chat. With this feature, he met friends who started out as fellow players.

Metacat-Yah said he found the concept of online friends far less common when he was younger. As he has grown up, however, he said he noticed the idea become more common.

“I have some buddies at work or school that have made lots of online friends, and I know all of my siblings have friends like that too,” Metacat-Yah said.

He said he believes online friendships still have some uncontrollable downsides. In this case, he said different time zones across the world have caused some issues when communicating with these friends.

Levinson said distance is a reason sending letters can take a while to reach their recipient. She and Laforteza said, however, the long waiting period to hear back from a friend can feel gratifying in its own way.

Despite these challenging obstacles, people work through them to stay connected.

Through hand-written letters or the community-centric world of online gaming, communicating with those who live far away is more patient and personal than instant messaging. The distance of these relationships might have its drawbacks, but to some, it is worth it.

Markers and other stationary supplies sit on a desk, Feb. 8. Photo illustration by Caroline Creed | The Lumberjack

JAMES PATBERG

Top: Someone types an email to a long distance friend, Feb. 8. Bottom: A person drafts a handwritten letter to a friend.

Photo illustration by Caroline Creed | The Lumberjack

A 2022 University of Essex study found 47% of women feel unsafe at night, and 21% of women feel unsafe at pubs, bars and clubs.

Keovorabouth said communication through expression builds community and connection, even with strangers.

“As a non-binary, two-spirit person, [silent communication] has helped me indicate who I can and can’t trust within spaces,” Keovorabouth said. “It’s indicated the ways in which I can have conversations with people and how I have those conversations.”

Two-spirit is a term for queerness separate from Western culture, Keovorabouth said.

“Two-spirit recognizes diverse gender, sex and sexuality prior to settler colonial contact in the Americas,” Keovorabouth said.

Kilee Espinosa works at Flagstaff’s Lumberyard Brewing Company as a manager and bartender. Espinosa has been with the brewery for six years.

“I feel like we’re just used to sending signals without speaking,” Espinosa said. “Even when you go out with your girlfriends, and they meet a guy, you can understand the different eye contact and gestures … I feel like if it’s going good, too, it’s a really similar look, but you can still tell the difference between it.”

There are small distinctions in the subtle looks women give each other, and it takes a certain understanding to differentiate the meanings, Espinosa said.

As a female bartender, she said she looks for signs of discomfort or danger among everyone at her bar, especially women.

“We’re constantly watching people for signs of intoxication, too,” Espinosa said. “You need to know if people are still good to serve. So, it’s not even just women that you’d be watching as a woman.”

Like Bradley, Espinosa said women are better at

noticing red flags because most have experiences with dates going wrong or being uncomfortable with a man.

Due to these shared experiences, women often know to be on alert for one another.

“Even if you hated a girl, if you saw her having issues with a guy, or some guy is trying to take her home and she’s drunk, or she’s super uncomfortable, you’re going to go up to that girl still,” Espinosa said.

Angel shots are one safety measure Lumberyard Brewing Company has put into practice. If someone orders an angel shot, it means they feel unsafe and would like to be escorted to their vehicle by an employee. If someone orders an angel shot with lime, it means the police need to be called. There are signs within the women’s bathroom stalls to spread this information.

A subtle way to ask for help is crucial so women do not have to fear a violent or aggressive reaction from the person making them uncomfortable, Espinosa said.

Bradley said she would be nervous to order an angel shot but would do so if necessary.

“In the back of my mind, I’d be worried that [my date] would also know what it is,” Bradley said. “But, ultimately, if the date is really that bad and I’m really that nervous to go to my car, I’m not going to call the police by myself in the bar.”

While no one has ordered an angel shot from Espinosa, she said she has experienced customers joking about ordering angel shots. She said the customers who joke about this safety measure are always men, and it scares her when she cannot tell if they are serious about potential danger.

“You can’t just cry wolf with that,” Espinosa said.

These safety measures are only efficient if they are taken seriously, she said.

Help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

With the evolution of the internet, Generation Z slang has become full of expressions that would have been meaningless years or even weeks ago. The Lumberjack quizzed NAU faculty members on what they think Gen Z terms mean.

Dave Zorn is part-time faculty for the School of Communication, Ryan Williams is part-time faculty who teaches photography and Teresa Del Vecchio is an academic advisor for the College of the Environment, Forestry and Natural Sciences.

What do you think the phrase “pop off, queen” means?

Dave Zorn: Someone who just pops off at a moment’s notice and doesn’t think about how it’ll affect other people.

Teresa Del Vecchio: Is that someone who is the queen of having answers for everything?

Ryan Williams: To do really well. Answer: Complimenting someone on their appearance or something they did.

Can you tell me what it means when somebody gets the “ick?”

Zorn: Is it when somebody gets sick?

Del Vecchio: That means they’ve got COVID, maybe.

Answer: Having an adverse reaction to someone in a romantic sense.

How about the word “rizz?”

Zorn: No idea.

Del Vecchio: It sounds like it could be a happy word, so ‘rizz’ could mean happy. Is it short or reason?

Williams: I’m not venturing a guess.

Answer: Rizz is slang derived from the word charisma.

What does it mean to “slay?”

Zorn: Does it mean to look good?

Del Vecchio: Do real well at something.

Williams: To kill it!

Answer: To do something really well, to kill it.

What is a “himbo?”

Zorn: A guy of some kind of nature.

Aspilled cup of coffee tells you everything. The second the cup falls from the hand and hits the floor with a thud, you know the person will have a bad day.

The moment you smell coffee beans soaked into the wooden floor, you know that bad day has been cemented.

Pair it with the panicked look in their eyes, and you know they were probably feeling a bit anxious, too many thoughts swirling around in their head. The movement of dark brown eyes to the floor and a quick squat tell you what you need to know.

Your saliva is drying up, and your mouth tastes like cotton because you feel for them. You have spilled your coffee, too.

By the time they have cleaned up the mess you have thoroughly analyzed, you have peeked into their life. You just know.

Or at least I do.

You do not need spoken words to describe a feeling, and I do not believe everything elicits a verbal response. That is why I am taking a vow of silence. Some people take one because of religion. Some people do not have a choice. I am choosing to rely on my senses to communicate.

My language is the language of movement, smell, taste. I listen and I perceive and I respond in that way. I do not need people to understand it. I just need them to respect it.

My mom does not really get it, but she is trying. She sits down across from me now, squishing herself and her large bucket bag into her side of the small booth.

“Hi,” she tells me and waves her hand. She looks tired, and I know it is partially because of me.

It has been six months since I started my new vow, and she still does not understand. She does not understand why I will write but not speak.

“How is your no-speaking challenge going?” she asks me. She picks up her menu and starts to thumb through it. I am not sure why. We both know she is going to order the strawberry pancakes.

I smile at her and give her a thumbs up. She just shakes her head.

“Not sure what you think you are accomplishing.”

I shrug. I explained it to her before I started, and I explained it to her over text more times than I can count. Unlike most people, Mom does respect it, even if she begs me to quit it.

“I think I’m going to get the strawberry pancakes,” she tells me, and I just roll my eyes. I’m not sure why she bothers telling me things I already know.

The waitress comes and collects our order. I can tell she enjoys her job because of the multiple bright colored pens she has clipped to her belt and the way she tries to memorize what Mom says. Her eyes are crinkly, and her lips are rosy and wet. She put on lipstick for this.

I point to what I want and give her a smile: an order of chocolate chip waffles and a side of bacon. She walks away with a pep in her step and my mom frowns.

“Customer service these days. She must have been in a mood.”

I raise an eyebrow at her. We must be seeing the world through different eyes. Perhaps we do not even live in the same world. She lives in a world where vocalizing your thoughts is key.

You have to be the loudest person in the room to be heard. You have to scream when you are angry and break your voice when you are sad. You have to whisper in quiet settings to be appropriate and never speak over others.

In her world, the way you speak is your value and your worth, but in mine, it means nothing at all. In my world, it is in the way you smile, the twinkle in your eyes, the clothes you wear and the subtle movements in your fingers.

We communicate in different languages, and still, we are human. On one small earth, we are still one.

But while a cup of spilled coffee may mean nothing to you, in it, I see life.

Del Vecchio: Is that like a potential boyfriend?

Answer: An attractive man, typically not the sharpest tool in the shed.

ABIGAIL CELAYA

Top: A sign explains the purpose of an angel shot inside a bathroom stall at Lumberyard Brewing Company, Feb. 10.

Bottom: Sunn Mixom (left) and Heather Overton (right) chat while sipping their drinks at Steep Leaf Lounge, Feb. 11.

Lian Muneno | The Lumberjack

WOMEN from FRONT

MAKAYLA RICHARDSON

Music is a form of expression for many people. There is a song for every occasion, whether the mood is happy, sad or excited. No matter the language or genre, many songs have a message. People can understand the core meaning of a song regardless of an artist’s choice of lyrics or instruments. NAU students shared what music means to them, how the art has influenced their lives and how their music journey has progressed.

Maleah Hamilton Freshman

Criminology and criminal justice

“Music has been in my life for a while, and it really plays into my life,” Hamilton said. “It helps me with stress, anger [and] sadness. It’s just overall a stress reliever.

“I feel like music speaks volumes. Music is more than just a song. Music is like a statement. There’s different ways you could really portray music. I feel like everyone gravitates toward that.

“Music, to me, is a political statement. In terms of me being a person of color, I’ve seen how music has evolved throughout our culture and things like that. It’s a way to protest racial equality or gender equality … music is more than just music.”

Brandee Keyonnie NAU Faculty (RaMP researcher) Department of Biological Sciences

“Music means a lot to me, in the sense of growing up Native American too,” Keyonnie said. “It played into prayers and songs for healing. Then, more modern music. It has helped me with focusing on my schoolwork or work-related stuff.

“I think I started exploring music more when I got to college, just meeting new people and having to go through different experiences.

“I feel music speaks to a lot of people because it holds a lot of emotions and feelings behind it, and it’s a good way to communicate with people in another form.”

“I was in a band before I moved here,” Esquivel said. “We were doing pretty good. We played in bars and were making the newspaper.

“My dad was a pretty big influence. My dad and big brother. I was around music all the time. My dad would be in the garage working on his trucks, and I’d be holding the flashlight for him with music going on in the background. It started at a pretty young age.

“Music just gets you going. It puts you in a good mood.”

Drew Esquivel Freshman Health sciences

BENNIE HART AND LIAN MUNENO

“My music journey started with my dad,” Vanetsky said. “He was always playing music around the house no matter what we were doing. It has changed since then. Becoming my own person has changed a lot of my music tastes. When I was younger, I would strictly listen to whatever my dad listened to because that was all I knew. But as I grew up and had different experiences, the soundtrack to my life changed.

“Music has always been really important to me. Ever since I was a kid, whenever I would be listening to the radio with my dad, he would go, ‘Who’s singing this?’ and for some reason that became a big part of our family dynamic.

“I think music speaks to different people because they all have their own experiences with it. I think that music is associated with memory and feelings no matter what song you’re listening to, you probably have some sort of memory with it, or maybe you don’t and you’re just hanging out at home listening. But that in and of itself can be an important experience. So, I think it’s a universal experience that everybody has, and that’s why it speaks to them.”

“I think music has so much value and emotion behind it no matter what genre or what the lyrics say,” Rogers said.

“It’s all about the melody and the beat because you can have so many major or minor melodies, and they evoke different emotions, feelings. So, even if you’re listening to something in Italian and you have no clue what they’re saying, you can still hear the emotion behind the singer’s voice, and you can connect to just that.

“I think music is such a healthy way to just relax. When I sit down and listen to music or put it on to clean or just dance, I feel like it brings me so much joy.”

Olivia Rogers Freshman Ecology and evolutionary biology

Taylor Kluge

First-year master’s student Clinical speech language pathology

“When I was a kid, I used to get a lot of CDs,” Kluge said. “I had a CD player and karaoke machine in my room, and that started my music journey. It really just followed that same pattern of using music as a fun way to escape the stresses of life and just singing along to songs that make you happy.

“Through school, I have learned that a lot of people love rhythm, and it gives them a place to just feel happiness and an escape from reality. Especially as a college student where you have to make your own life, it gives you comfort.

“Music is also a getaway for me. I can go out and have fun with friends, and it usually involves singing and dancing.”

Jacob Vanetsky Senior Environmental sustainability

PHOTOS BY

Demolishing communication barriers within construction

JONAH GRAHAM

The construction industry has improved its technology between trade partners, design firms and owners on how each project will look and function, according to Construction Business Owner

Using Building Information Modeling (BIM) — an online 3D modeling tool — for material interference control, augmented reality during job walks and dozens of user-friendly management softwares allows project teams to focus on building and catch a glimpse of the final result.

However, despite technological innovations in the industry, communication still serves as a massive hurdle for construction companies to overcome. Language barriers hold the construction industry back from progress.

Jonathan Matuzak, a project engineer at Granite Construction in Tempe, Arizona, said the success of a project is reliant on how efficient the communication on a job site is. From the bidding process to construction phase and job wrap-up, establishing high-quality communication is a key aspect of ensuring everyone is on the same page and can keep progressing.

“Communication is what makes the whole thing turn out successful,” Matuzak said. “Between the teams, field, office, communication with the owner, communication with the engineers, everything.”

According to a 2018 report from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, construction is the leading industry that is relying on employees with foreign language skills. It also concluded the construction industry will see a 49% increase in demand for foreign language skills in the next five years.

Jake Johnson, a superintendent for DPR Construction based out of Phoenix, has experienced many language barriers from trade partners, owners and personnel throughout his 10 years in the industry.

“AMERICA IS MADE FROM A CULMINATION OF OTHER BACKGROUNDS, AND IT’S THAT CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY THAT’S GOING TO SHOOT OUR INDUSTRY INTO THE FUTURE.”

– Jake Johnson, DPR Construction superintendent

Johnson said he has encountered Navajo, Spanish, Arabic, German and other European languages on-site and in meetings. He said he often experiences a language barrier with people he consistently works with.

More recently, Johnson was supervising job-site activity and talked with a crew of DPR’s self-performing craftspeople installing fire extinguisher cabinets. Johnson said he went to them to understand their workflow for the day and what was next.

“They look at me with blank stares like they didn’t even know what I’m saying,” Johnson said. “It makes it really difficult for me to understand and plan if I can’t have that communication.”

This is not a problem exclusive to the field side of the construction process, and Matuzak said the same issue is prevalent on the owner and supplier side.

“It’s definitely a challenge,” Matuzak said. “There’s times where the owner wants to see something or express an interest in a certain thing, but you don’t quite understand what that is, and it takes a while to get to that answer.”

As foreign companies develop facilities in the United States, including the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Johnson said understanding cultural differences and practices is a critical factor when it comes to project communication.

Ben Petzinger, project director at Okland Construction, started his career assigned to ArvisoOkland, a joint venture working primarily on the Navajo Nation. Petzinger said despite his knowledge of U.S. history, he knew very little about Indigenous culture and sought tutoring from the Arviso family on the customs of Navajo people.

“Everybody speaks English, but you run into elders that would prefer to speak in Navajo,” Petzinger said. “I didn’t work with them on a daily basis, but I at least wanted to know how to introduce myself, at least know how to say things politely in their language.”

In Navajo culture, beginning an introduction with the individual’s ancestral clans is important, as it allows others to understand where the individual came from and what defines them. Establishing this cultural aspect is critical when groups begin to develop relationships. The first step in creating connections is understanding the user groups that will utilize the completed projects, Petzinger said.

Cultural and language understanding is at every positional level, from the laborer in the field to the president who signs the contracts. There is not a one-size-fits-all method, Johnson said, but it takes everyone being invested and involved.

“It’s one industry, and it’s not one individual that’s going to fix it,” Johnson said. “We have to help them feel more comfortable. Just like when I go out and practice Spanish, they help me so that I don’t feel so uncomfortable.”

New technological developments in the industry are also helping bring about progress in this area. Artificial intelligence software is becoming sophisticated enough to give real-time translations to workers in the field.

Johnson said he was excited about this innovation in the communication sector as well as the tools and resources used by everyone in the construction industry to help with the language gap. Petzinger said these advancements will lead to workplace convenience, as employees can use their phones to translate a language instantly instead of seeking help from their bilingual coworkers.

However, technology is not always present on-site or in meetings. Matuzak said having the fundamentals of a language to lean on will always be the most effective form of communication, especially with the initial desire to learn a secondary language and the continual learning that takes place.

Matuzak said he has experience with learning a foreign language, and as a student at NAU, he took Spanish courses.

“I know enough words so when they speak really slowly, I can pick up on the premise, but it didn’t help enough for

me, at least with the one or two classes that I took, to get over a strong language barrier,” Matuzak said.

Matuzak said he thinks a lot more people are learning English as a second language because they understand the importance it has for their business. However, the awareness of learning a second language needs to be greater, especially with Americans, he said, so they can help break down language barriers.

Petzinger said college-level construction management programs are seeing the value of introducing basic Spanish to students and recognizing the industry investment.

On the professional side, some companies are taking the initiative to ensure employees understand languages other than their native ones, Johnson said.

“DPR does training every year,” Johnson said. “We have multiple Spanish modules [that] take two hours every Wednesday, and you actually meet online with the professor, and she teaches just DPR people who are interested.”

Johnson said more could be done to help the industry with language barriers. Companies could implement English lessons into their apprenticeship programs.

With billion-dollar projects built yearly, more complex building design and owners demanding aggressive schedules, problem solving comes down to communication, but Petzinger said management cannot enforce it. He said it has to be a combined effort from parties who can respect each other.

“America is made from a culmination of other backgrounds, and it’s that celebration of diversity that’s going to shoot our industry into the future,” Johnson said. “I think trying to force somebody into a path is never the right way. Respect where they came from, respect their background and respect their comfort. You can’t force somebody to do it.”

In Petzinger’s case, he said if there is a desire to learn a language, he will try and help those interested as much as possible. Coming from a German immigrant family, Petzinger said he understands the importance of learning a language to make progress but believes it cannot be a onesided effort.

“Bridges are supposed to be in the middle, right?” Petzinger said. “It shouldn’t be just one way. There’s a lot of political speech about [how] it’s got to be one way. I don’t think so. I think it needs to be both ways making an effort.”

Construction management senior Maggie Helmen, junior Thomas Faulkner and junior Landen Waymire analyze the architectural wood finishing on the exterior ceiling of the NAU Science and Health Building, Feb. 3. Photo Courtesy of Jonah Graham

Senior Ryan Atkins points out a detail in a set of drawings, Feb. 3. Photo Courtesy of Jonah Graham

Facing adversity with an accent

MAEVE LARSON

The tones and inflections of someone’s voice can show where an individual might be from and what kind of cultures they are part of or have been exposed to.

At NAU, there are more than 1,400 international students Faculty, staff and students with different regional accents from the United States also contribute to the variety of dialects spoken around campus.

Reiko Akiyama, originally from Yamanashi, Japan, has been a Japanese language professor at NAU since 2016. She earned a doctorate in curriculum studies at a university in the Midwest.

When she worked as a teaching assistant in education, students complained about her accent and English skills, Akiyama said.

“The students always pointed out that my explanation was not clear, my English was not clear,” Akiyama said. “Students wrote that in my teaching evaluation. I had a lot of negative comments, but my teaching itself, students were very kind, and they highly evaluated me.”

At this previous institution, Akiyama never had difficulties within her teaching program. There, she had friends and peers from other countries, such as Turkey, Iran and Taiwan. It was in the classroom and outside of the university, she said, where people struggled to understand her.

At NAU, Akiyama said she has not experienced any kind of prejudice or discrimination because of her accent. She said she believes Flagstaff is very diverse compared to the town her previous institution was in, and because of that, people are more understanding toward individuals with a different background.

“Of course I have an accent,” Akiyama said. “But because my profession is teaching Japanese, students never say my English is not good because they understand my first language.”

Being able to share and teach her native language to others is something Akiyama said she feels greatly rewarded by. She has witnessed

students returning from their study abroad trips with immense personal growth in maturity and the way they think.

An international student from southern France, Bliss Taleb, is in her third year of school, pursuing a double major in physics and chemistry. Taleb said she thinks NAU’s international program is great, as everyone is welcoming and inclusive.

“[In France] if you have an accent, they will kind of judge you, but here they are really nice about it,” Taleb said.

From her experience, Taleb said NAU professors try their best to help in any way they can, which she said she appreciates greatly. Many people are curious, Taleb said, and ask where her accent is from and what it is like in France.

However, Taleb said drunk men at a bar in downtown Flagstaff have yelled expletives at her regarding her nationality. At first, the hate was directed to the general French nationality, she said, until later in the night when the men explained the hate was just toward French men.

“Apparently, they hate the French guys and not the French girls,” Taleb said. “They think that a guy with a French accent is so goofy for no reason.”

International students living on campus are typically housed in Campus Heights, also known as the International House community. Because of this, Taleb said she has not been able to meet many Americans compared to the number of other international students she has met.

Taleb has a roommate from France, another from Japan and a third from China.

“We try to always speak English … to include the people around us,” Taleb said.

She said it is important to her to speak in a language others understand so she can be inclusive and make more connections with others.

As a French conversation leader at the Global Engagement and Language Learning Center in Babbitt Academic Annex, Taleb speaks in her native language with other students through guiding

conversation groups.

Mauro Tanaka, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, is the president of the International Club at NAU. He was raised in Tokyo and is Japanese and Brazilian.

Tanaka has moved between Japan and Brazil and said he experienced discrimination in both countries because of his mixed ethnicity.

Similarly to Akiyama, Tanaka said he has not experienced discrimination in Flagstaff because of his accent or the languages he speaks. However, he said he was racially discriminated against while working at a restaurant in Phoenix.

“I said I was from Japan, and then, she immediately reacted, ‘Are you a spy from Japan?’” Tanaka said. “I assume she was drunk, so I didn’t take it too seriously, but it still sucked.”

As the International Club president, Tanaka said he believes NAU does a good job of being inclusive toward international students.

Through the International Club and the Center for International Education (CIE), NAU students can connect with other students of multiple cultures and backgrounds, Tanaka said.

Exchange students from Japan help host cultural events at the CIE, Akiyama said, which allows students to mingle and get first-hand cultural immersion.

“Not many people realize [NAU] has a huge group of international students,” Tanaka said. “My goal with this club is to increase awareness and have the opportunity for local NAU students to make friends and gather connections with international students.”

Both Taleb and Tanaka said they enjoy being able to speak multiple languages so it is easier to travel and communicate with people from around the world.

“Sometimes people really don’t understand how difficult it is to describe your feelings or situations in a different language,” Akiyama said. “By being bicultural and bilingual, you can think about a situation from different angles, so actually, I think that it enriches your life a lot.”

Words to live by

EMMA STANSBERY

Throughout history, words have marked important moments in people’s lives all over the world. Wedding vows, greeting cards, song lyrics, protest chants, prayers, powerful speeches and knock-knock jokes are all ways people have created meaning and connection through words.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. John Lennon guided everyone to imagine a world of peace. Many people hold these words close to their hearts, allowing the legacy of those before us to live on. Staff members of The Lumberjack reflect on what words have impacted their lives and share their most valued quotes, or words to live by.

Tess Bandstra: “We humans have lost the wisdom of genuinely resting and relaxing. We worry too much. We don’t allow our bodies to heal, and we don’t allow our minds and hearts to heal.” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Noah Butler: “May you always remember to enjoy the road, especially when it’s a hard one.”

- Kobe Bryant

Tony Bracha: “Earn this.” - Captain James Miller, “Saving Private Ryan”

Natalie Davis: “Find the most talented person in the room and if it’s not you, go stand next to them. Hang out with them. Try to be helpful.”

Ramis

- Harold

Amanda De Luca: “Everyone is a Ferrari fan. Even if they say they’re not.” - Sebastian Vettel

Madison Easton: “Just ‘cause a girl speaks her mind doesn’t mean she’s a psycho.” - Lindsay Weir, “Freaks and Geeks”

Nathan Ecker: “People never pay enough attention to the world around them.” - Kanan Jarrus

Morgan Felker Lewis: “And may we remember the past but not hang on to our old ways.”- Noah Kahan

Jonah Graham: “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” - John Wayne

Rebecca Heizelman: “If you are feeling disheartened, that you are somehow not enough … set your heart ablaze.” - Kyojuro Rengoku

Nay Hernandez: “I am not a fish.” - Zachary Markewicz

Hava Herzog: “If it weren’t for second chances, we’d all be alone.” - Gregory Alan Isakov

Ava Hiniker: “Opportunity knocks once. Let’s reach out and grab it.” - The Muppets

Landon Johnson: “Do or do not. There is no try.” - Yoda

Brisa Karow: “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” - Bob Marley

Chloe Legay: “So when you go solo, you hold your own hand and remember that depth is the greatest of heights.” - Fiona Apple

Grace Meinema: “Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem.” - Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, “La La Land”

Lian Muneno: “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard nor welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” - Audre Lorde

Jesselle Ortegon : “No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.” - Mac Miller

Lenore Otero-Strong: “I believe that by changing ourselves we change the world …” - Gloria Anzaldúa

James Patberg: “I don’t know. I’m making this up as I go.” - Indiana Jones

Makayla Richardson: “Time goes on.” - Donna Campbell

Abi Seidenberg: “Be courageous and try to write in a way that scares you a little.” - Holley Gerth

Katie Squires: “All flowers in time bend towards the sun.” - Jeff Buckley

Emma Stansbery: “The room is on fire while she’s fixing her hair.” - The Strokes, “Reptilia”

Lexi Wight: “We’ve come back to reclaim our stolen breath. We are the revenants.” - The Distillers

ILLUSTRATION BY HADLEY LOPEZ

LIFESTYLE

Creating space for Diné education

BRISA KAROW

Students hear common classroom terminology in Diné from their first day in Ilene Ryan’s kindergarten class. Yá’át’ééh ábiní — good morning — greets children as they walk into the first level of learning at Puente de Hózhó Elementary School.

Puente is a bilingual magnet school located in east Flagstaff, part of the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) with English, Diné and Spanish programs. It serves students from Flagstaff and surrounding areas, including children from the Navajo Nation.

The school’s Navajo immersion program has evolved in the more than two decades since it first launched as teachers shift their teaching methods and adjust to new standards.

The Diné team at Puente covers kindergarten through a joint fourth- and fifth-grade class. Each of the five teachers have taught Indigenous students for more than two decades. Some have surpassed 30 years in the profession.

Standing in her position at Puente since 2005, Ryan estimated she has taught Diné to around 380 students in 19 kindergarten classes.

She works with the rest of the Puente Diné team to teach students fundamental Navajo language skills and cultural ideals. The teachers also incorporate English lessons and materials into students’ days, the amount varying depending on grade level.

In kindergarten, Ryan primarily speaks Diné to her students, allowing them to immerse themselves in the language while in the classroom. As students move up to first and second grade, the balance between English and Diné begins to even out. That continues through third, fourth and fifth grade.

Without standardized materials for teaching the Navajo language, the Diné team creates its own curriculum, deciding what content the students should learn and how to approach teaching it, enveloping both language and culture into lessons.

In their classrooms, teachers craft the majority of posters hung on the walls and learning materials students use.

“Everything that we do, we create on our own,” Ryan said. Navajo materials require more work to obtain than English ones. The team sources books written in Diné from neighboring states or translates English materials into Navajo to create their lessons.

Each morning, Ryan’s kindergarten class talks about the date and day of the week: if it is a Sunday (Damóo) or Wednesday (Damóo Dóó Tágíjí). Depending on the weather, students might identify whether it is sunny outside (Tl’óodi éí ádinídíín) or windy (níyol).

Alongside English, Ryan teaches her students the Navajo alphabet, which consists of 36 characters. It has four basic vowels — a, e, i and o — which can be accented and doubled to create different sound profiles. Navajo is a tonal language, meaning sounds can have low or high tones. Depending on the region people are from, pronunciation and intonation can differ.

They practice common words in Diné alongside English. Ryan thinks students learn almost double the amount in English because it is easier for them to grasp.

They read through Diné short stories that help them practice vocabulary. For example, titles like “Díí Shí asht’í!” or “This is Me,” talks about belongings and “Shighandi,” or “Where I Live,” covers landmarks.

With few resources available to teachers, Ryan said she wishes she could take a year’s sabbatical to create materials for people to use anywhere.

When she began her first year of teaching, she researched and talked to Indigenous people about the language and cultural differences found across the Navajo Nation. She grew up on the reservation, but found variations in language, backgrounds and ways of understanding depending on where people are from or where their families were raised.

Navajo teaching is very intentional, Ryan said, and culture is interwoven into teaching the language to the students. The Puente teachers emphasize leadership, responsibility and resilience to their students and encourage them to represent their cultures proudly.

Many teachers implement the Diné Educational Philosophy, otherwise known as the Navajo Philosophy of Learning. Teachings are centered around the Navajo’s Four Sacred Mountains, which coincide with each of the cardinal directions and seasons and represent the stages of life.

In the east is Sis Naajiní’, or Mt. Blanca in southern Colorado, a symbol of the beginning of life and spring. During the infancy phase, the Navajo establish who they are and the values that will guide them throughout life.

Tsoodził, or Mt. Taylor in northwest New Mexico, represents the south and summer. The concept of health and physical development goes alongside the planning process during adolescence.

Dook’o’oosłííd, known as the San Francisco Peaks, lies in the west. The mountain range serves as a testament to life in the adult stage and the importance of relationships and developing social competence. The fall season also coincides with the west.

North is represented by Dibé Nitsaa, or Mt. Hesperus in southwest Colorado, and winter, and aligns with elders, hope for the future and passing knowledge on to the next generation.

As a recently appointed International Baccalaureate (IB) school, Puente also implements English programs provided by the organization. The mission of IB schools is to build intercultural understanding among students to shape inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people.

IB themes covering concepts of “Who We Are,” “Sharing the Planet,” “How We Express Ourselves” and “How the World Works” are taught to all Puente age levels.

Ryan recently covered the concept of “Who We Are,” in which students learn how to introduce themselves in Diné, saying their names and their parents’ names. These lessons provide the first few steps to a traditional Navajo introduction that names a person’s homesite and four clans: the mother and father’s first clans and the maternal and paternal grandfathers’ first clans.

When Puente became an IB school in 2022, Ryan worked

alongside the English and Spanish kindergarten teachers to build a curriculum around the new programs, finding a way to teach all the necessary skills to students without overlapping concepts via languages.

Each summer, the Diné team meets for a four-day curriculum rebuild, deciding whether to change lessons or add new ones for the next year.

They use results from state-mandated English assessments and Diné tests the teachers create to gauge the students’ progress Since they are required to teach IB and statestandardized concepts, the teachers often shift the way they approach teaching Navajo.

However, Ryan said the teachers are adamant about keeping as many Navajo lessons in place as they can.

“We really had to fight for the philosophy that we were functioning under,” Ryan said. “A lot of the Navajo curriculum is based on the season, and we really had to fight for that.”

Certain subjects are meant to be covered during specific seasons, Ryan said. The astronomy curriculum happens in the spring. Students learn about water in the fall and animals in the winter or spring.

For many of the students, Ryan said, Puente is the only time they receive Diné instruction or conversation; parents do not always speak the language, and some of the cultural teachings can only be found in the classroom.

Navajo is a hard language to learn, Ryan said, and it is difficult for students to retain the words they learn, especially if their families do not speak them. A lot of the language knowledge is lost over school breaks and the teachers have to reteach the content.

This is where parents come into play.

The Diné Parent Committee at Puente was reinstated to increase parent and community involvement last year. The group hosted community presentation nights, traditional dress and jewelry-making days at school, a Késhjéé, or shoe game, a visit by Miss Navajo Nation 2023-24 and is aiming to put on a student pageant for the community by the end of the school year.

Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch, the committee vice president, works to provide more opportunities for the students to learn the language and culture outside the classroom. As a parent, she said she speaks Diné less than 50% at home, and the

Diné language teachers Ilene Ryan, Amy Begay, Roberta Gorman and Victoria Tomas (left to right) smile for a group photo at Puente de Hózhó Elementary School, Feb. 13. Lian Muneno | The Lumberjack

Ilene Ryan points to the number chart that hangs on the whiteboard of her kindergarten classroom at Puente de Hózhó Elementary School, Feb. 13. Lian Muneno | The Lumberjack

events the committee hosts are a way for children to get more hands-on practice.

The events highlight Indigenous history, cultural attire and practices through role models, literature, stories, performances, art and food.

Jumbo-Fitch said many of the parents are younger and haven’t had a chance to show their children how they grew up or what their gradnparent’s traditional practices. So, the community events were a way for parents to serve as role models and preservationists of the language and culture, she said.

“We want to teach [children] that role model and responsibility at a young age so they’re proud to show their attire, their language and represent throughout the district, not just at Puente,” Jumbo-Fitch said.

The parent committee meets with teachers monthly to plan activities and ways to increase family and community engagement. Both Jumbo-Fitch and Ryan said when parents are involved, it makes the learning experience more effective.

The committee and teachers encourage parents to attend, participate and present in events so students can see their parents teaching and parents can see students learning, Jumbo-Fitch said.

“Every kid wants to show their mom and dad what they’ve been doing and what they’re working on,” JumboFitch said. “So, these little, little tedious things, they do really help promote that mom and dad sees them.”

Ryan said when parents help out and organize these events, it puts less stress on teachers to cover cultural teachings. However, they have stepped up to pass traditions on to the newer generations in the past.

With the adoption of IB programs, teachers have fewer areas to designate to cultural teachings and have been working to get back on track and add language and culture back into lessons.

“I believe the Navajo teachers at Puente really are committed,” Ryan said. “We are in this to preserve, to revitalize the language. I wish more people would see the importance of that and how anxious we should be about it.”

Puente aims to shape foundational knowledge of the Diné language and culture so when students move onto the middle- or high-school levels, they carry on those lessons through FUSD.

At the center of Flagstaff High School (FHS) lies a second home for its Indigenous and international students. Known as the Multiculture Room, it serves as a spot for students to come together in a safe space to hang out before or after classes, eat, work on homework and converse using Indigenous languages.

The Native American Club at FHS also uses the room to hold its weekly meetings and initiatives.

Navajo senior Althea Etsitty is president of the Native American Club and said the reasoning behind putting the room together was to create a safe place for students of color at FHS.

“It’s such a big school, and a big majority of it is white people,” Etsitty said. “So, some people of color don’t feel that there’s a place for them, and that’s the whole reason we have this room so that they have a space to be and to feel comfortable.”

The room is designed to reflect a traditional Navajo hogan, or hooghan — a one-room dwelling and ceremonial structure. The students enter the Multiculture Room as they would when participating in cultural ceremonies: turning left as they walk in and following a clockwise loop before settling down in their seats. On the western wall of the room, there is a microwave and snacks, positioned where a kitchen would exist in a hogan.

Similar to Puente classrooms, the colors, banners, words, artwork and symbols in the Multiculture Room have cultural significance.

Each of the room’s walls are painted according to a sacred color, mountain and direction, with added imagery following the stages of life.

The eastern wall is the color of white shell, with paintings of Navajo and Hopi women in traditional dress by students representing the tribes students are born of. On the south wall, graduation cards from current and former students

cover much of the turquoise backdrop, the color representing adolescence.

The cards stop as they reach the western yellow wall which embodies the adult stage. Rules made by the students are displayed there alongside upcoming dates and responsibilities, and tribal symbols adorn the wall, representing each of the students’ backgrounds.

The north-facing wall showcases the school’s elders, with handprints and signatures of graduates scattered across the jet-black painted space. Each year, seniors add to the legacy.

While the majority of students who use the room are Indigenous, it welcomes students of any culture, Etsitty said.

The room also serves as the office of Darrell Marks, the Native American mentor at FHS. However, the students are the ones who take the leadership role in the room, Marks said, and he encourages them to take ownership of the space.

Everything in the room is intentionally placed and meant to help students find a sense of belonging and connection to their education, he said. The symbols can have different meanings to different students.

“We try to be very deliberate in the way that we use our language at school, whether that’s putting something on a wall that has a statement or a declaration because it’s going to mean something to that student or that community,” Marks said.

FHS is working to infuse Indigenous narratives and ways of learning into students’ education, he said. The school observes Students Observing and Advocating Relational Responsiveness (SOARR) practices, which are a way for students to engage in education through academic, cultural and social aspects. SOARR practices are based on applying the four concepts of thinking, planning, implementation and evaluation, which work together to form resiliency and self-empowerment.

Marks said science is one area FHS implemented Indigenous teachings. Offered as an alternative to reptile

dissections, elders show students the processes behind animal preparations. In these sessions, students discuss anatomy, biology, physiology, history of the practice, the farm-to-table journey, sustainable practices, economics and language and cultural understanding.

International and Indigenous students find similarities between their cultural communities, Marks said, through the different teachings of animal preparations. He said Hopi, Navajo, Apache, African, Turkish and Greek students have participated in the lessons.

The school also offers three Diné language classes — Navajo I, Navajo II and Diné History and Government — for students to take. Etsitty said many of the Native American Club seniors who have taken the classes together and are familiar with the language often joke around in Diné.

“The environment we have in here helps us express that as well,” Etsitty said.

The Navajo language is description heavy, Marks said, with emphasis on what is happening rather than who is doing the action: It is meant to be a conversation.

Marks estimated that about half of the 40 students in the Native American Club speak Diné. Sometimes, those who speak the language can get excited and raise the volume of the room.

“When it comes to humor, when it comes to making a statement, or even talking about or describing their families, parents, that’s when the language comes out and it comes out strong,” Marks said. “... They’ll start talking in a fluency that is one to marvel.”

As students leave the room, it is common for them to exchange phrases like “I love you,” “Be safe” or “Be careful,” Marks said, even if they are heading to the same class. Cultural symbols follow students throughout the building in forms of murals, signage and language, offering representation to the Indigenous student population.

An Indigenous traditional blanket hangs on the outside of the Multiculture Room at Flagstaff High School. Feb, 14. The symbol of the Hopi sun god “Dawa” is on the left and the Navajo sun god “Tsohanoai” on the right. Jason Maggio | The Lumberjack

A poster hangs from outside the Multiculture Room, displaying the ways of saying “hello” in Indigenous languages at Flagstaff High School. Jason Maggio | The Lumberjack

Black Culture Fashion Show

Top right: Senior Timi Balogun walks to the end of the catwalk for the last run through. Second right: Junior Melissa Umuhire holds a can of hairspray as she poses on the catwalk. Third right: Junior Chloe Jones sways as she holds up her leather jacket on the catwalk. Bottom right: The coordinator and models of the Black Culture Fashion Show pose for a group picture to celebrate a successful show. The coordinator of the event, Cassie Bonah, put together this event to showcase the different cultures found at NAU in the Black/African diaspora. Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack

Top left: Senior Surprise Dowayee puts her hand above her head as she poses at the end of the catwalk for the Black Culture Fashion Show in the DuBois Ballroom, Feb. 10. Second left: Alumna Hannah Imohi holds a pair of sunglasses as she struts down the catwalk. The event showcased the evolution of fashion before the audiences eyes through different cultures and decades as they enjoy cultural dishes. Third left: Junior Emily Gyasi poses as she reaches the end of the catwalk for the last run through of the models. Bottom left: Freshman Jaden Branson strikes a pose at the end of the catwalk. One of the goals of this event was to place Black students in the spotlight, to feel special in their identities and their contributions to the fashion world.

Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack

Clickbait headlines are suffocating journalism

As the influence of social media rises exponentially journalism is a casualty of clickbait wars. Some reporters have become loose when it comes to the truth and quality of their work. Their goal of informing the public of the truth, in some cases, has become about views instead of value.

One of the ways media outlets and so-called journalists deceive the public is through clickbait journalism — the use of misleading headlines to attract viewers to certain content. Clickbait journalism is killing what people look for in news: the truth. Using clickbait to entice readers lacks ethics and promotes misinformation. Headlines are supposed to draw readers in but should still be upfront about what the article contains. However, the takeover of flashy headlines is affecting how some journalists publish their work.

However, a journalist’s ethical duty remains to report the truth with no bias or personal agenda. The beauty of journalism is getting to accurately inform the public of current events while doing what most of us love: writing. Clickbait should stay out of journalism and be reserved for videos or stories that are not informing the public of important information.

Clickbait headlines could include “10 shocking secrets that’ll change your life” and “You won’t believe what will happen next.” This enticing language might make sense from a business perspective to attract readers, but it does not uphold journalistic standards.

Companies want to draw new and old readers to their sites for profit. The only benefit of clickbait journalism is that websites can get higher views and charge more for advertising space.

With more news sources using hyperbolic headlines, so-called journalists are simplifying their information for clicks and company gain. Seventy percent of writers have become burnt out in their jobs, and it has affected the quality of their work, damaging journalism’s reputation and abandoning the ethical reasons for involvement in the industry.

I got into journalism to report the truth, provide readers with honesty and gain their trust. Writing should not be about getting clicks for who you work for — it should be about cold, hard facts to inform readers.

True journalism is about objectivity, unless one is

intentionally writing an opinion story. Headlines should be witty and grab the reader’s attention, but the guidelines of truthful, objective journalism should still be regarded.

Additionally, with so many sources of information on the internet, it’s getting harder to find unbiased content Websites cater to the traction and clicks they can gain instead of to readers. Especially with the race to break the story first, reporting is less accurate, and important facts can easily be missed

Misinformation is all over the internet, and it is increasingly difficult to find sources without bias or hidden agendas. Journalists have even spoken out about the current lack of faith in the industry. Trust is disintegrating between journalists and consumers.

Another turnover in the world of journalism is that X formerly known as Twitter, has lost its reliability. Users now have to pay for the verification that once signified a source’s credibility. As a result, any user can now pay to appear reputable.

In the past, X was a resource and friend to journalists. Many prominent media outlets created professional accounts to broadcast breaking news. With all the misinformation and fake accounts on the site, such as false information about the Russia-Ukraine war or accounts impersonating the Los Angeles Police Department, the blue checkmark is no longer a deciding factor for who and what information to trust.

Many journalists have left this once relied-upon site. In January, Elon Musk, the new owner of the platform, randomly suspended multiple journalists who questioned his actions. He later reinstated their accounts without explanation.

X is blocking websites journalists frequently link, including Substack, where they can share their work and other reliable sources. Musk accused Substack of trying to steal its database to become an X clone. He marked all Substack links as “unsafe,” and any searches of it autocorrect to the word “newsletter.”

TikTok is turning into a hotspot where people go for news, but the problem remains the same with this social media platform. Anyone can post about current events and share their thoughts on the app. Random content creators discuss important topics with no reputation or credibility behind them. Additionally, there is no verification for those who post truthful information.

Viewers may not recognize the misinformation they’re

receiving and look no further into the topic than what pops up on their “For You” page.

The TikTok algorithm caters to the opinions and interests of viewers’ accounts. Therefore, users are seeing content because it appeals to them and not because of credibility or accurate sourcing. On average, a TikTok video is 38.8 seconds long, but this may not be enough time for viewers to fully grasp and understand the topic. Just because a video is seemingly informative does not mean it is reliable.

Everyone has opinions regarding news, and there is no inherent problem with having a personal bias, but information should be based on facts.

Another problem resulting from the social media clickbait takeover is small-town newspapers quickly dying out, leaving the reliability of printed media in the past. Print media, such as newspapers and magazines, were once a credible source for breaking news. The journalists who wrote for print news had to build their reputation to get those jobs and publish their work.

When local papers die, it can be difficult for readers to know where to find local news coverage. A 2023 study conducted by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University found since 2005, the news industry has lost 2,900 newspapers and 43,000 journalists.

Communities without regularly circulated papers are forced to rely on limited coverage and may not have a reliable source to keep them informed of what is happening in their towns.

Small towns take pride in their papers and value the effort hometown journalists put into informing them of current events. Without these local news sources, communities are left in a news desert — a rural area with limited access to news. With a lack of resources to find out what is going on around them, many are turning to unreliable social media sites for their news.

For journalism to regain a shred of its respectability, the spread of misinformation and clickbait must be left behind. Viewers should source the ethical journalism they consume to help the industry get back to its roots and reignite the desire to spread truthful information. Websites’ success should not be prioritized. The focus needs to be put back on the readers.

The reputation of the journalism community can be restored, but it is a journalist’s duty to be respectful and honest with what is going on in the world and leave clickbait to YouTube.

SAIGE STEELE

ILLUSTRATION BY HADLEY LOPEZ

Generation Alpha changed meme culture

COREY STAKLEY

As the oldest members of Generation Alpha start to reach their high school years, the memes they make are becoming mainstream and beginning to take over old-school memes that people grew to know and love. While these new memes and the different slang terms they include are funny to Gen Alpha, they’re confusing the generations that built meme culture because of just how abnormal they are.

Gen Alpha is making previous generations feel old and out of touch with the emergence of new memes. Many Generation Zers have made comments about how quickly their memes and slang have become outdated and replaced by what younger kids are making.

Although these new memes and slang terms seem strange and don’t make sense to most, Gen Alpha has been defining its place in internet culture, just like Gen Z and Millennials previously did.

One term in particular, “Skibidi Toilet,” has become popular in the last few months. Across generations, many don’t understand this meme or how it’s funny to Gen Alpha. No one has been able to clearly define “Skibidi,” but many have said it’s supposed to describe an evil person.

The meme originated on YouTube in February 2023 and was posted by 25-year-old Alexey Gerasimov, also known as DaFuq!?Boom!, on social media platforms. While not a member of Gen Alpha, Gerasimov ran with this concept and has since turned the meme into a constantly growing series of 154 videos, with the most recent video released on Feb. 13.

The series builds a fictional apocalyptic story of toilets with human heads — or Skibidi Toilets — at war with other humans, known as “Speakermen,” who have

televisions, speakers or security cameras as heads. This ongoing battle was started by the Skibidi Toilets as a way to transform more humans into Skibidi Toilets to destroy all of humanity and take over the world.

It’s confusing why kids are so enamored with and entertained by this meme.

A majority of “Skibidi Toilet’s” fame can be attributed to just how absurd of a concept it is compared to older memes, like Salt Bae, Florida Man and Grumpy Cat

Older generations have always found what younger generations deem funny to be somewhat absurd or disturbing, so this concept isn’t new.

However, Gen Alpha has taken it to a whole new level with the complexity and extreme oddity of their animated memes.

As Millenials and Gen Zers age, they find these memes harder to understand and enjoy, similar to how baby boomers have been confused with the memes made by their succeeding generations.

“Skibidi Toilet” isn’t the only confusing meme Gen Alpha has created either. “Fanum Tax,” “Wise Mystical Tree” and Fortnite remix songs, like “Number One Victory Royale” and “Fortnite’s Kinda Dying,” have also been hard for older generations to find amusing.

“Wise Mystical Tree” is initially from a 2017 video game ad that Gen Alpha reclaimed and made popular in 2022. The Fanam Tax meme only generates more confusion, even to those only a few years older than Gen Alpha, with so many new slang terms that make zero sense.

This meme originated in 2022 from the TikTok comedian Fanum. It’s called “Fanum Tax” because the creator is known to take a bite of his friends’ food as a “tax.” TikTok communities didn’t actually popularize the

“Fanum Tax” meme until October when the parody song “Sticking Out Your Gyat for the Rizzler” by user Papayaboy020 went viral for containing unheard-of slang terms, including “Fanum Tax.”

Gen Z started referring to these new memes as “brain rot,” when one’s intelligence lowers due to the media they consume.

While the original creator who posted the song deleted it, it was quickly reuploaded by user Homestucklover398 for Gen Z to continue to criticize and wonder what these words could mean.

Many speculated what “gyat” or “rizz” actually meant, and despite criticizing Gen Alpha’s memes, older people had to turn to them to ask what they meant and how they were used as slang.

The slang term “rizz” is an abbreviation of the word “charisma,” so it would be used to describe someone charming or attractive, but what on earth does “gyat” mean?

There have been several definitions for this new word, and many people debate what it means. Essentially, this strange word describes someone who is curvy or goodlooking to others.

Although those outside Gen Alpha still don’t understand what this slang truly means or in what circumstances the terms are properly used, this is essentially the same phenomenon Millennials went through with Gen Z and baby boomers with Millennials.

Every generation has one thing or another they find funny that those older than them just don’t get, and there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that.

These changes in memes and slang over time show, as the world around us constantly changes, how adolescents define slang and funny memes differently, even if it’s in a way that others don’t quite comprehend.

ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA HEIZELMAN

From Pixels to life lessons

Video game dialogue can reach audiences in ways people would not expect.

ROBERT HILL

When people think about video games, they often think of them as a medium to waste time, relax or detach from the real world. While that is sometimes true, an incredible game with well-written dialogue can leave lasting marks on the player that trigger emotional responses, whether they are positive or negative. This is coupled with the idea that these gaming experiences can bring together a community.

Dialogue in games is crucial to progressing the storyline and keeping the player engaged. It keeps the player immersed in the world and plot, entertains players and, in some cases, can be relevant to real-world situations.

Games with strong fundamentals, such as story structure, dialogue and user interaction, can provide life lessons, including managing resources effectively, resilience and teamwork.

The dialogue in games is essential for character development that takes place through different narratives. Well-written dialogue fleshes out characters’ motivations and personalities and often gives the audience something to relate to.

Relating to characters makes the player feel more in tune with who they play as and encourages them to develop a sense of compassion for the character’s story.

Dialogue, in most cases, helps the narrative move forward while immersing the player in the game’s setting. This can make the player care more about their in-game decisions and blur the lines between reality and fantasy.

Worldbuilding — the process of fleshing out a setting beyond the initial concept — inside a game allows the player to learn more about the culture and lore of the world they’re traveling through.

This enhances the experience and is built by the player’s voice lines and interactions with non-playable characters to provide more context as to what is happening in the game world.

Some games provide dialogue choices where the player gets to choose what happens, giving them a sense of agency and power over the game’s outcome. The video game development company Bethesda produced many games where the player has multiple choices in gameplay, yielding different endings.

One of its most popular series, “Fallout,” has the player explore an apocalyptic wasteland where every choice they make has some sort of consequence. In the most critically acclaimed installment, “Fallout: New Vegas,” the player’s choices throughout the game can lead to one of six different endings.

Deciding how they would like to approach each situation and challenge impacts the outcome of a player’s unique playthrough. This reflects player agency and makes them more conscious of how they would like to act during their playthrough.

If they want to spend the whole game being evil, then the consequences may not be optimal; however, if they play through with good intentions, they can arrive at more positive results. Regardless, the choice is theirs to make.

Making choices is something everyone does in their day-to-day life. As games encourage players to make tough decisions in a fantasy world, this can prepare them for realworld decisions.

The ability for users to make choices separates video games from other forms of media because they’re not as cut and dry as movies or books that typically don’t let the consumer choose what happens.

While games may seem fantasy-based with no real-world connotations, some do a fantastic job of capturing real-world issues in their storylines. “Life is Strange,” a game developed by Dontnod Entertainment, is an episodic adventure game that tackles issues like depression, suicide and other mental health topics. While the subject matter may be heavy, these types of games help people understand complex situations and feelings.

When players put themselves through games with tough situations, the experience can elicit all kinds of emotions that can leave lasting marks and motivate the player in real life.

Pacing is another crucial aspect of dialogue. More intense moments throughout the game during heavy action sequences can contrast nicely with the slower-paced quiet moments that give the player time to think about what is happening around them. This duality can make or break a game’s pacing by giving players variety throughout their gameplay.

I was around 12 years old when I started playing the Bungie-developed “Halo series. The main plot of “Halo” games is based on future warfare between Earth and an alien species. While Earth’s soldiers are severely outmatched by the aliens’ future technology, the protagonist is an advanced super soldier who faces almost unwinnable circumstances.

I have fond memories of these games and learned many life lessons during my time playing.

The knowledge I gained ranges from making in-themoment tough decisions to unity, leadership and, most importantly, perseverance in the face of unfavorable odds. These skills have stuck with me for many years after playing “Halo” games for the first time.

Though gameplay challenges are difficult, it is always possible to push through these conflicts. Throughout the games, many instances of dialogue provide a sense of hope and wanting to overcome dire situations.

I made many friends along the way playing video games, whether that was through our love of the games or improving our teamwork skills while working toward achieving a common goal.

The gaming community as a whole is full of great people who have also experienced games that have strongly affected them. The memorable moments in games can provide a culture for people where discussing favorite lines and moments can bring players closer together

Even though video games may seem like a useless pastime that is just for people who want to separate themselves from the real world, the dialogue found in these games can provide life lessons and important social commentary about realworld issues.

Situationships are ruining dating

EMILIA MENA

The meaning of dating is lost to time. Casual connections and vague relationship statuses have replaced the once-valued commitment of the past. Situationships ruin the process of finding love.

In their simplest form, situationships are relationships without the commitment of being in one. Carina Hsieh, the sex and relationships editor at Cosmopolitan, coined the term in 2017, which gained popularity through social media apps such as TikTok and X.

A typical situationship involves people who are hanging out in a romantic sense but do not want to be exclusive just yet. There are unclear boundaries and they can last from weeks to several months, even spanning years in some cases. Situationships can be purely sexual, or they can look like a serious relationship, excluding the title.

The contemporary dating scene is a gray area. People are still looking for love — which will likely not change — but there is a growing fear of being tied down to one person. Several causes can be attributed to this lack of commitment. People want romantic freedom to focus on their careers or to live life before settling down. Observing this, it is clear individuals prioritize their own desires over a committed partnership.

There is nothing wrong with putting oneself first. The issue arises when one partner doesn’t want to put in loyalty and effort when that is what the other is looking for. It is better to avoid stringing others along if commitment is not an option.

Dating apps, such as Tinder and Bumble, also contribute to the lack of exclusivity in today’s society, making defined relationships even harder to find. In the past, looking for love meant going out and actively searching for a life partner. Now, with the swipe of a finger, finding casual options has never been easier.

When Tinder was released in 2012, it was designed to serve as an easier way to find a significant other. Now, Tinder and other dating apps are mainly used to find hookups and one-night stands.

“Dating” seems to no longer exist or at least hold up to its original meaning. The modern world sees it as a way to have fun instead of developing a genuine connection, with only half of dating app users actively looking for a relationship over a fling.

The new norm of casual dating discourages people who do want to find a life partner. Through experience or observation, individuals notice that there are new expectations. Monogamy, courtship and finding dates in person are considered oldfashioned. Fewer people are looking for a partner as generations did in the past.

Traditional courtship comes with safety and trust. There is no fear that a significant other has more romantic prospects or that time is being wasted in a healthy relationship. Romantics still hope they have found “the one.”

Situationships are the complete opposite. There is little optimism that these casual relationships will last. It is hard to feel secure when a partner will not commit.

Waiting for a partner to commit is emotionally taxing. The lack of clarity can cause anxiety and stress. People may feel unworthy of a real relationship after strings of partners who do not want to be exclusive.

One TikTok shows a user sharing how the ambiguity of her relationship causes her pain and confusion. The texts she shares online between her and her partner showcase the true nature of situationships. The individual tells her they aren’t ready to commit, but they still love her regardless, even though there may be a possibility they are interested in someone else.

This is what dating is now.

No one deserves to be stuck in a place where they are constantly wondering if their feelings are reciprocated. If the feelings aren’t the same, there is no reason to stay.

Self-worth plummets when the person someone wants to commit to does not want the same in a relationship. To combat the feeling of rejection, knowing and communicating personal boundaries is key. Entering a relationship with someone who values those boundaries will help build a foundation for a happier experience.

Look for signs in a romantic partner that show they are entirely devoted to the relationship, such as sharing important information as soon as they can or actively listening and engaging in conversation.

Situationships are marked by ambiguity and poor communication, blurring the boundaries of traditional dating.

Considering priorities, whether they value suffering and heartache in a “no strings attached” situation or love and confidence in a traditional partnership, can help the contemporary dater navigate relationships.

POINT

Whether it be spending quality time together or receiving a heartfelt gift, love languages can often connect to a deeper feeling of security with a partner. The five love languages — acts of service, physical touch, quality time, gift giving and words of affirmation — are ways people have learned to feel most loved and seen. They are a vital part of feeling understood within a relationship.

The different acts of kindness that are given and received through love languages can be emotionally beneficial to maintaining a deep connection.

Honoring a partner’s love language starts by communicating which acts of love one prioritizes giving and receiving. This can look different for everyone: hand-holding while stressed around others, bringing home a treat from the store or writing a love letter. Love languages uphold a relationship.

A study conducted in 2022 by PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes research on over 200 topics, assessed satisfaction within relationships in correlation to love language preference and how often that desire is fulfilled. Additionally, the study tested for sexual and emotional competence. The results of this data articulated that partners who bring one another’s love languages into a relationship create a satisfactory emotional and sexual bond.

Multiple factors play into an unhealthy or weak relationship, and one key point is the disregard for what makes people feel loved. There can be hardships when love languages differ, but as long as effort is exerted to understand one another’s love language, a struggling relationship can be helped

Love languages may also act as a gateway to overcome attachment styles and how partners can grow to have a secure bond.

This means couples with one partner who has an anxious attachment style who worries if they are wanted in the relationship, or a partner with an avoidant attachment style who is more closed off and doesn’t show emotions, can use love language patterns to help each other feel more secure within the relationship.

Satisfaction in a partnership cannot be reached without the knowledge and effort of how everyone feels most loved.

As a long-term relationship unfolds, it can often become less lovey-dovey, but when partners continue to use love languages, acts of kindness can serve as reminders or snippets of playfulness and appreciation that don’t have to dissolve with time.

When I am feeling anxious or insecure in my relationship, I have learned words of affirmation help me most. Learning what love languages resonate most with me is important for my partnership on both ends. It creates a safe space to know I am loved and valued by receiving acts of love and kindness that touch me to my core. My partner benefits from this too by knowing how to support me best in stressful and anxious times.

Learning about others’ love languages also helps cultivate awareness of how people feel most loved. This type of education can coincide with past traumas or experiences, how one feels dismissed or unloved and how someone can gain their trust. Self-awareness regarding this topic can then be passed on to a partner to understand.

If someone doesn’t know how they like to give and receive love, how can their partner know how to make them feel loved?

Love languages do not only apply to romantic relationships; they can be used in friendships too. Platonic relationships deserve the same energy and time as romantic ones because people should feel loved and supported by friends.

Acts of service or quality time together are just as important with friends as they are with a partner. Feeling loved is not exclusive to romantic relationships.

It can be difficult when one partner feels most loved with physical touch and the other hates being touched. This dynamic can make it burdensome yet still possible to create a deeper connection. With time and effort, people with different love languages can learn to build a partnership as long as communication is used to vocalize what each partner wants from one another.

However, if love languages are similar, it can help strengthen the companionship because both partners are giving and receiving the love they enjoy. This can create an undeniable bond in a relationship. All it takes is learning more about the people you spend time with.

Cherishing one another is a core component when building and maintaining a relatinoship’s foundation. Feeling heard and seen in meaningful ways can pave the way to a deeper and more satisfactory connection between partners and friends. Honoring each other’s love languages even when they’re different is a valuable way to cherish a partner.

Love languages are a two-way street, and both partners must put in work to create a healthy, lasting relationship. The giving and receiving of love is a beautiful aspect of relationships that should be embraced and cherished instead of ignored.

Create Satisfactory relationships through love languages COUNTERPOINT

ILLUSTRATION BY CALLEIGH

JUDAY

Lay love languages to rest

The theory of love languages has been around for three decades, and while it has gained popularity the past few years, it is simply too out-of-date with modern relationship research to deserve any merit. There are many variables that go into evaluating if two people are compatible that the love language theory does not consider.

Gary Chapman established the theory of love languages in his 1992 book, “The 5 Love Languages.” The premise of his book is everyone has a primary love language, and most relationship problems stem from differing love languages between partners. However, it is unlikely for a person to have just one love language they respond to more than others, given people tend to respond positively to all of the love languages.

While Chapman’s theory is widely known and accepted in pop culture because it is an easy framework to diagnose relationship problems, love is often more complicated and nuanced than he suggests.

Psychological research regarding love languages shows the theory has little scientific merit. Research by Virginia Tech shows that people with the same love language are no

happier than people with differing love languages.

The love language theory asserts everyone has one preferred method of giving and receiving love. Most people embrace all of them in some capacity, making the rest of the theory fall apart. Receiving all forms of love in different ways is important, and showing appreciation toward your partner by doing a small gesture of kindness is a great way to build the foundation of a healthy relationship

For example, people may prefer to receive words of affirmation since it is a practice partners can do daily to build a relationship but rate gift-giving higher when taking a love language test because, on special occasions, it makes them feel more loved.

Love languages can enable people to prioritize their partner’s needs over their own instead of compromising and finding a way to both be happy. If a person’s love language is physical touch, but their partner does not want to be touched all the time, there is no way to solve this problem through Chapman’s theory without one person ending up unhappy.

A short excerpt from Chapman’s book tells the story of Ann, a woman he counseled, who was unhappy with her marriage. Since Ann’s husband’s love languages were physical touch and words of affirmation, Chapman suggested she stop complaining to him and initiate intimacy more. This story is particularly concerning because Chapman’s marital advice pressures one person to fix the marriage instead of encouraging partners to collaborate to mend their problems.

There are many elements to being in a long-lasting, healthy relationship that love languages simply do not encompass. Having differing core values or life goals can be a deal breaker for many people, and having the same love language cannot mend different beliefs.

Religious values, honesty and communication can make or break a relationship. Sharing these with a partner can provide a safe space and help when an important decision needs to be made. When partners are on the same page, it lessens the likelihood of a breakup

Having similar life goals is another important relationship factor the love languages theory does not consider. If one partner wants kids and the other does not, growth and communication have to happen if either person in the relationship is going to be happy in the long run. Relationships can be difficult at times, and sharing a love language or having the same goals does not mean two people are destined to be together.

Chapman’s research is geared toward straight Christians. He started out as a Southern Baptist pastor who counseled couples at his church. While that in itself is not a problem, it may be frustrating for people who are not heterosexual to read his books when they are not the intended audience. Since he only works with heterosexual couples, his theory should not be used to define all relationships, especially queer ones.

Chapman’s background is in anthropology, not psychotherapy. In the field of psychotherapy, people are trained to analyze and help patients make positive life changes. While anthropologists also study humans, they are not trained therapists. Given this, that should be kept in mind when considering his opinion.

Thinking of a partner’s needs is a cornerstone of relationships, but boxing the love they require into a love language is not necessary. Being attentive to a significant other can be achieved by supporting them and asking questions about what they need at that moment.

Love has too many factors to place the survival of relationships on just one theory. It is time to lay love languages to rest and focus on strategies that are known to strengthen relationships.

TESS BANDSTRA

SCOTTIE ANAIR

ILLUSTRATION BY CALLEIGH JUDAY

The casual appropriation of aave

Several media outlets have exposed non-Black Americans to African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and the dialect is now being hijacked.

NAY HERNANDEZ

The misuse of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is far too common. Using AAVE as a non-Black person is a form of cultural appropriation, even if one is not aware the vocabulary they wield is part of Black culture.

Cultural appropriation is when a dominant group inappropriately adopts elements of a marginalized culture or society. Misusing AAVE falls under this definition because AAVE is a part of Black culture warped by non-Black Americans.

AAVE is a dialect of American English created by Black Americans in the 1700s as a way to communicate among slaves In the 1990s, Black culture and music were heavily popularized and influenced mainstream pop culture. Since then, Black culture has become a source of slang, style and musical influence, which has led to the culture being grossly appropriated.

A “blaccent” is the appropriation of the way a Black American naturally speaks with the use of AAVE attempted by a non-Black individual. Some examples of words and phrases people may not realize are AAVE are “they ate,” “bae,” “finna,” “boutta,” “cap,” “drip” and “extra.”

If a non-Black person uses AAVE or a blaccent, they are appropriating Black culture.

The use of AAVE on the internet by Black creators, like Maya Cherry and Kevin Langue, has influenced the slang of Generation Z and Generation Alpha. Before it was popularized, AAVE was seen as incorrect or informal English, but with the popularization of AAVE on TikTok, it is hard to escape its misuse in comment sections and conversation.

In 2021, the comedy show Saturday Night Live aired a sketch that was meant to poke fun at what they called Gen Z slang but was actually AAVE. The show received backlash from viewers on Twitter who were angered by the mislabeled dialect.

Hollywood celebrities are not strangers to misusing AAVE and blaccents. A few who have been called out for this are Billie Eilish, Awkwafina, Charlie D’Amelio and Olivia Rodrigo. Each of these celebrities have faced backlash due to their actions and after confronted, ceased to speak in blaccents and with AAVE.

A recent case of someone misusing a blaccent is Tray Soe, a young ThaiAmerican who posted a video on TikTok at the end of last year talking about her soul food meal. She pronounced the word “cornbread” as “conebread,” upsetting many TikTok users. The video has since been taken down as well as the video she made in response. In Soe’s response video, she claimed she speaks the way she does because she grew up in Georgia. TikTok users debunked her fake accent after finding her YouTube channel which showed she spoke differently in old videos.

Saying a blaccent is a result of where someone grew up is not unique to Soe. Actress and comedian Awkwafina also

reasoned that, because she grew up in Queens, her surroundings influenced her speech rather than admitting she was using a blaccent and appropriating Black culture.

Growing up in Chicano culture, Chicano Vernacular English (CE) and Hispanic Vernacular English were very prevalent in my upbringing and affected the way I communicated with other people of color (POC).

Although AAVE and CE are very

of voice, in uncomfortable or oppressive environments.

POC often start code-switching at a young age and continue into their adulthood as a means of being accepted by their peers and employers.

Black Americans are often looked down upon for using AAVE while nonBlack people are praised for their misuse of a dialect that is not theirs.

AAVE has sparked conversations

of the community. These words are often mislabeled as LGBTQ+ slang and are widely used by members of the community without thinking twice.

AAVE is a critical part of Black culture. It extends further than the creation of American ghettos and segregation and is a foundational part of Black American culture. The dialect is more than words to those who regularly use it and grew up in communities where the majority speaks it.

similar, they are their own respective dialects and may be misconstrued by non-POC. AAVE influences CE, but the two tend to bleed together. More often than not, they are spoken in the same areas.

A reason the misuse of AAVE angers POC is because many have to change the way they speak to be socially accepted This phenomenon is called code-switching or when a POC changes the overall way they speak, including vocabulary and tone

ILLUSTRATION BY LENNON OTERO-STRONG

around the way educators should navigate students’ use of AAVE in classrooms. The stigma that Black students who speak with AAVE are unintelligent and lazy is typically promoted by non-Black educators and students.

Within the LGBTQ+ community, words like “slay,” “queen” and “period” are of common use, but not everyone who uses these words understands they are derived from AAVE and Black members

African Americans were stripped of their culture when they were unwillingly brought to North America. As a result, they strongly cling to the culture they have built for themselves through hardships like slavery, segregation and systemic racism. After everything they have been put through, they deserve to keep the dialect they have created without fear of it being appropriated.