June 8, 2016
CONTENTS Transgender Target (Page 1) Becoming a Racist (Page 2) Does Media Cover Everything? (Page 2) Freshman Tips (Page 3) Women Traveling Alone: Death Trap (Page 3) Senior Page (Page 4) Mrs. Lee Retirement (Page 5) Mr. Koch Retires (Page 5) Bernie Sanders Rally (Page 5) Better Students May Become Bitter Students (Page 6) Why You Should Take ROP (Page 6) Are Cell Phones Really the Problem? (Page 7) From the Start (Page 7)
OXNARD HIGH SCHOOL, 3400 W. GONZALES ROAD, OXNARD, CA. 93036
Volume 9 Issue 5
Transgender Target Oxnard High School students and community members speak on a very controversial issue currently happening. By: Leslie Espinoza
Public bathrooms don’t seem like a problem to many people, but transgender people face many dilemmas when using them. RollingStone.com stated that 70 percent of transgender individuals had negative experiences in a public bathroom. According to BelongtoGroups. org, a transgender person is someone whose gender differs from the A local Target located at the Pacific View Mall one they were “as- By: Leslie Espinoza signed at birth.” it’s cool. And personally, I don’t think For example, an individual who is born it matters whatever restroom someone a male may later identify as a female or uses either way.” vice versa. Not everyone is pleased with the Target, a major retail store, recently change made. According to TheWashchanged their bathroom policy to al- ingtonPost.com, a petition made to end low transgenders to use the bathroom the transgender policy has reached over that best identifies with their gender. In 1,000,000 signatures. The petition was their announcement, Target said, “We created by the American Family Associwelcome transgender team members ation. The AFA president Tim Wildmon and guests to use the restroom or fit- said, “[Target will] lose a lot of customting room facility that corresponds with ers” because of the new bathroom poltheir gender identity.” icy.
“We welcome transgender teammates”
People in favor of the new bathroom policy, such as Riverside County resident Angelia Amezcua, said that the system “goes to show that society is slowly changing as a whole.” OHS senior Melanie Wu is also in favor Target’s change. Wu said, “I think
Target’s announcement comes just as North Carolina’s House Bill 2 was passed by their governor Pat McCrory, which prohibits transgenders from using the public bathroom that best identifies with their gender. Many of the people who are against the new policy have a common fear. OHS junior Hannah Quiroz said, “There’s a lot of [individuals] who think that there’s going to be men who will go into the women’s restroom and rape women.” OHS junior Roberto Gutierrez had mixed feelings about the policy. Gutierrez said, “Some people just like to hear that the policy is there, but it wasn’t nec-
essary to make a big statement about it.” A Target team member, who wishes to stay anonymous said, “Target decided to go public about this because they wanted to show support to all people throughout the community.” The person also stated that transgender people were always allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, just now it is known. The team member added, “Target believes that showing support for all issues will help them look like a supportive store [where] all people want to shop. In the end, it’s to drive business.” Other franchises have also taken the initiative to announce their bathroom policies that welcome transgender people to use the bathroom that identifies with their gender. USAToday.com stated that Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and Hudson’s Bay Co. were some of the stores to make a more welcoming environment to transgender people.
Picture by Leslie Espinoza Common public bathrooom signs.
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words!
Oxnard High School Senior Russell Partee talks about love between his two friends.
Seniors with Sports ScholarshipsCongratularions (Page 8)
“We tend to not like things we do not understand. Many think love is a very complicated matter, but I don’t see anybody who doesn’t enjoy receiving love. Therefore, I believe it is ourselves whom we do not understand. Love is simple, we are not.” -Partee
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