THE
FLASH OVER THE EDGE
Rocklin High School | Vol No. 24 Issue 1 | November 2016
Fall 2016 | Rocklin High School | Volume 24 Express . Connect . Discover
WHAT'S INSIDE․․․ | Cover Photo by Taylor Ruiz
Politics
School
Entertainment
Lifestyle
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Students that can Vote Abortion Assisted Suicide
Deforestation Black/Blue Lives Matter Gun Control
Gun Control
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College Education Females in English Hillcrest Fence How RHS has changed Chromebooks Parents at Rallies
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Olympic Controversies "Blonde" Album Guys v. Girls Sports Miss Teen USA
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Is Cheer a Sport? LGBTQ+ Feminism
Animal Testing Free the Nipple
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The Staff Editors In Chief Jessie Valverde Allison Gerber
Assistant Editors Ka'iulani Kawamoto Samuel Michael Photographers Alyssa Goyhenetche Mikaela Noble Kohana Ramirez Taylor Ruiz Angelina Tappero Staff Writers Justin Angellar Shane Atkins Riley Baldwin Marley Bauer Nikki Bhatia Connor Bolli Caitlin Caffrey Megan Campbell Lauren Cole Abbey Connell
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Design Director Sofia Fernando Miranda DaVoulas Sophie Day Ricky Freeman Isaiah Garcia Grace Gaumer Ashley Hay Maria Hudson Nicole Kinser Courtney Langstrom Raymond Matthews Audrey Mayer James Murphy Naeirika Neev Ashley Pfaff Hannah Shows Katelyn Suggs
Media Editors Logan Bik Sydney Stauts
Editors' Note S
tudents may often find themselves hesitant to voice their opinions with the fear of the disciplinary measures that may follow. However, most are uninformed on the rights they possess while on campus. Everyone has previously learned in their social studies classes about the rights that they earn as an American citizen. Under the First Amendment, all citizens have the right to free speech, press, assembly, religion and petition. Although we all have these rights, they each come with limitations. These topics that we are addressing are not directly attacking certain individuals or groups, we are just calling attention to controversial events or topics in the world despite any social biases. In 1969, the Supreme Court case known as Tinker vs. Des Moines was the birth of the student free expression law. This law protects students from the censorship of administration, unless deemed unconstitutional including but not limited to; blatant language or disruption from the operation of the school. People are often criticized of their opinion due to the fact that it may not be the “popular� way of thinking. In this issue, we hope that students will speak their minds on the current events and controversies that are happening today. We want this to bring attention to all different opinions and allow for people to see the beyond just your own beliefs and thoughts. It is your right as a citizen to follow your own beliefs on these topics, and we do not want to sway your opinions. We just hope for it to open your eyes to new perspectives. We ask that you respect our writers as these are difficult issues to address. The editors and writers have carefully regarded both sides of each story to appeal to the wide variety of readers’ views. We appreciate all of our readers and hope that they can gain as much knowledge from reading this issue as we did when writing it. We are hopeful that you will take this magazine into consideration when you wish to voice your personal opinions. Co-Editors-in-Chief
2016-2017 The Flash
Express . Connect . Discover
Note: all photos were taken by Rocklin High School students or by creative commons files
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Politics
FACE TO FACE The importance of sexual health campus wide and nation wide “Young people have a fundamental right to accurate, unbiased information about their body and sexuality.” Laci Green
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s teenagers we are faced with many challenges. Who we are as people, what we want to do with our lives and whether or not we chose to be sexually active. To be or not to be, that is up to you. However, it is important to be aware. We are all required to take a health education class at Rocklin High, but is that enough? Do we fully understand our reproductive health? Are we currently aware of our reproductive health rights and their political influence? We are educated on abstinence. We are educated on STD’s, condoms and contraception. (Contraception: The deliberate use of artificial methods or other techniques to prevent unintended pregnancy.) But what if a woman does become pregnant? Does she know her options? In the ongoing presidential election, abortion remains to be a controversial topic. Republican primary, Donald Trump, has in fact stated, “life is the most fundamental right. The federal government should not diminish this right by denying its protection. I am opposed to abortion except for rape, incest and life of the mother.” However, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic primary has taken the opposing view. “Politicians have no business interfering with women’s personal health decisions. As president, I’ll stand up for Planned Parenthood and women’s access to critical health services, including safe, legal abortion,” she said. What does Hillary mean by Planned Parenthood? Well, Planned Parenthood is a non profit organization that provides reproductive health services both in the United States and globally. It receives around $500 million dollars annually from the United States
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government. A local Planned Parenthood can be found providing affordable/free birth control, STD testing, pregnancy testing and depending on your location, abortion services. In the state of California, there are 169 clinics that offer abortions. However, in Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming there is only one. This disparity is because states can currently create regulations on these clinics, and these regulations are becoming deciding factors. The state of Mississippi requires doctors who provide abortions to sign an agreement with a nearby hospital in case major medical complications happen, when studies show that less than 1% of abortions have resulted in life-threatening complications. That is just one example of these regulations. The United States Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, however it seems to be stealthily state-reliant at this point. The question that most Americans are currently asking is whether the act itself should be legal or not. People who identify as pro-life are opposed to abortion, and people who identify as pro-choice are for keeping abortion legal. This issue is not strictly black and white. In a Rocklin High survey, students were asked how they identify on this issue, 25% of students are “somewhere in the middle” and 15% are “unsure.” We have the right to choose pro-life or pro-choice. We also have the right to be educated. Sexual and reproductive health rights is a concept of human rights. Just because it is applied to our sexuality, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be talked about. - Nicole Kinser
Stay woke and vote This year, 86 Rocklin High School students are privileged with the opportunity to vote. On the California ballot these students will be able to vote on propositions as well as officials. The central discourse regarding the 2016 debate pertain to the presidential candidates. The final candidates in the 2016 election are Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. The first presidential debate was hosted on September 26th, 2016. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were clashing to earn the vote of the viewers.
given the opportunity to serve a maximum of two terms. For students with the ability to vote, this election is important to them; they finally have a say in how the county will be governed. “I am excited to vote, it is exciting to have a voice and be able to choose which direction the country is going in.” said Jacob. In order to vote, these students must be registered. In California, voting begins on November 8 at 7 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. -Shane Atkins
If students had the opportunity to vote 34.61%
35.88%
Including commercials, the debate was two hours long, more than enough time to allow Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to express their ideas as well as attempt to deem each other’s ideas as unhealthy for America. Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump
“It’s interesting, I’ve watched past elections, and I think that it’s very different. Truthfully I’m not all for any candidate right now. But I probably will vote for a candidate in the top two,” senior Jacob Bauer said.
21.37% 8.14%
Gary Johnson
very four years the citizens of the United States of America who are 18 years or older are able to vote in the election.
Jill Stein
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Students with a voice in the government
based on online survey, 440 student responses
The two of the most popular candidates are currently Donald Trump representing the Republican party, and Hillary Clinton representing the Democratic party. “I mean, I’m torn between them, I never had paid much attention to politics until I had taken government,” senior Paige Tucker said. The elected President of the United States of America will be
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D
eforestation is becoming a fast growing problem in the world, trees are being cut down purely for instrumental value. Deforestation is diminishing our sources of oxygen. We all need oxygen to breathe, trees provide us with oxygen, so why are we cutting all the trees down? What do any of these possessions mean when we are depriving ourselves and the earth of the resources the forests provide for everything on this one and only planet we call “home�? 14 percent of the earth was covered in forests and now it has been cut down to a mere 6 percent. The tropical forest holds over half the earth's known plants, animals and microorganisms. Not only that, over 80 percent of pharmaceutical drugs derive ingredients from the tropical forest and researchers have found life saving drugs and are continuing to make hopeful advancements. Nothing but good comes from the forest, so why are we destroying it? Deforestation is wrong and we need to preserve the variety of life in the world while we can. If we continue to cut down trees at the current rate, the global ecosystem will be in shambles. Schools are one of the number one contributors to paper waste, can we erase this mistake? When we were young, we all grew up using massive amounts of paper. Paper to write on, paper for graphing, coloring, cutting, printing, ect. The point being is that schools are one of the major contributors to the waste of paper. On average, schools waste more that 11,700 tons of paper every year. Paper being thrown away isn't the only concern; cutting down this many trees destroys the environment, ozone layer, hurts animals and releases more carbon dioxide than oxygen being produced. So what can we do as a school? You have to take action. Reduce the use of paper, buy and use recycled products. Some schools are taking action by applying the use of chromebooks and Google Drive. This significantly reduces paper since teachers are now
having students turn in assignments through Google Drive. Reducing the use of paper could also help the amount of clutter in your backpack. If you do not have access to a chromebook at all times, you can still be mindful of what and how much you use. If all of us commit to being mindful of paper consumption we can save the school roughly $25,000. Sadly, the main issue is that people are not aware of how damaging stripping the planet of trees is to Earth. We must stop the slaughtering of our planet.
#SaveTheTrees -Riley Baldwin
The global issue on being green
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KILLER Treatment Alternative option for the terminally ill generates controversy
diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She decided to die with dignity, moving to from California to Oregon in order to die, but before she did so she spent her remaining time campaigning for the legalization of assisted suicide across the country. Her death and the surrounding media coverage was what caused many states to reconsider their laws considering the matter. The process of assisted suicide is harshly regulated even in the few states where it is legal. First, the patient must be 18 years or older and make a formal oral request to their doctor. 15 days later, they must make another request, again mentioning the fact that it is their wish to die. Furthermore, a written request must then be made with at least two witnesses present. Two days later, and only if a second doctor has signed off on the decision, lethal drugs can be prescribed. These must be self-administered by the patient without doctor assistance or it is considered euthanasia. At any point during this process, the patient can be denied access to the drug due to mental health concerns.
D
eath is difficult to deal with: whether it is friend or family, the loss of someone close is a struggle. This is especially true in cases of terminal illness, as the process is dragged out over weeks, months or years. Take cancer, for example. Although we are coming closer and closer to discovering a cure, there is still no perfectly effective way to kill the disease once it takes hold in a human body. This inability to destroy cancer leads to the only treatment we have: weeks, months or even years of intensive and life-prolonging therapy. Therapy is both a blessing and a curse: it prolongs the inevitable and gives cancer-stricken patients more time with their loved ones, but it is also an extremely painful process that may only make the pain last longer. This leads to a difficult decision: is allowing a terminally ill patient to end their own life acceptable in any way? This is the moral quandary at the heart of the debate over assisted suicide. In many places around the globe suicide is seen as wrong. Period. As an example, less than five states in the United States have legalized assisted suicide, with the remainder outlawing it. However, a few of the states which have outlawed it have begun to reevaluate their laws, largely because of cases like Brittany Maynard’s. Maynard was a 29-year-old woman who, in 2014, was
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In addition, if the patient has any doubts and halts the process midway, the entire undertaking must be started over. This is far from an easy process to go through, and the patient must display a strong resolve to wanting to die for about two and a half weeks, and longer still once the medication is prescribed - as once the meds are prescribed death is still not enforced. According to CNN, of the 1545 people who have been written prescriptions, 991 actually took the pills and ended their lives. That means close to 40 percent of people who pursued assisted suicide ended up not taking that path. This highlights why assisted suicide advocates argue for the process to be legalized: it isn’t so much that they want cancer patients to kill themselves en masse, but rather that they want the process to be available so that patients have the option. Brittany Maynard and the 990 others who have died were thankful for that option, and others too could be provided with the same if legalization is pursued.
-Marley Bauer and Connor Bolli
Black & Blue Nation
Are America’s Streets the New Death Row?
Those who have volunteered to join America’s police force are fully aware that their number one priority is to serve the public, and therefore aren’t beyond the public’s reproach. So why is it that anyone who critiques police action, no matter how excessive, is automatically branded as being anti-police? In our nation, the law has always been very clear regarding the line between capital crimes and minor offenses. However, as time has passed, this line has blurred and what were once considered minor infractions are now receiving the capital punishment: death. However, in these cases there were no court proceedings, and our country’s legal policies regarding the death penalty were not followed. This is because in these cases the judge, jury and executioner were not qualified to serve as such, simply because they weren’t judges, nor juries nor executioners. They were police officers. In modern day America, an overwhelming number of citizens find themselves distrusting or fearing police; in fact the public’s confidence in police is at its lowest point in nine years. Many say that they feel this way because some police are taking fatal action towards infractions which don’t lawfully warrant these responses. In fact, here are three actions which have warranted lethal responses by law enforcement. -Making eye contact: Freddie Gray -Walking away from police: Mario Woods -Walking toward police: Laquan McDonald Today, simply not being servile enough seems to warrant any range of violent responses, chief among which is death. However, in the context of subservience we must remember that the police are there to serve us, not the other way around. As public servants, the police are meant to serve the public’s best interest, and many feel that they are doing the inverse. They’re taking lethal action when they feel threatened, rather than using the plethora of non-lethal deterrents at their disposal, at the peril of the public. But, this shouldn’t suggest that those who feel this way are anti-police. Americans today are polarized based on whether they believe black lives matter or blue lives matter, but since when were the two mutually exclusive?
As an African American myself, I feel as though it’s irresponsible not to question the police, given the disproportionate number of African Americans who are killed by police nearly every month, all for a perceived lack of subservience. African Americans represent a very large segment of the public that the police serve, and we are basically screaming that there is a serious institutionalized issue. But it seems that no matter how we express this, society simply blows us off as being paranoid and tells us that we live in a “post racial” world. However, when we can see 12 year olds being killed just for being black and playing with toys, this is a hard pill to swallow. My parents are terrified every time I get in the car, given that I stick out like a sore thumb because Rocklin is 84% white. I always keep my speed two to three miles per hour under the speed limit because my mom has rigorously taught me to avoid contact with the police, because she’s terrified that I’ll be the next Tamir Rice. Even if I am, she wants it to be documented, so soon I’ll have to drive with a dashboard camera on my car at all times. This level of terror in any segment of the public is clearly counterintuitive to public servants’ goals. So, the question now becomes: how can African Americans feel safe from the police? I may not know the answer, but I do know that every time our concerns are discounted, and every time we see a new video of black people dying just for being black, it doesn’t seem like black lives matter. Simply addressing wrongdoing by the police shouldn’t mean that you oppose them; it should only suggest that you are concerned about their actions, and that you would like to make your voice heard. Furthermore, saying that black lives matter does not somehow devalue blue lives. Being concerned for black lives, or blue lives, means that you value human life, and in the case of human life, color doesn’t matter. -Raymond Matthews
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Shots Fired
Gun control, to be or not to be? That is the question
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n past years there has been an outbreak of controversy over gun control laws. Certain events have set people on a path to eliminate gun violence, but not everyone is on board with this movement.
“52% of Americans now oppose stricter gun control laws” -CNN News
Many people believe that applying heavy gun control laws is going to eradicate gun related tragedies completely. Unfortunately, this may not be the case. Gun control laws have one major flaw: people are assuming that felons are going to follow them. Some of these people break multiple laws a day, but these laws should stop them… right? On the other hand, there are the people that believe that laws are completely unconstitutional. They believe that these new rules are violating their second amendment rights. The second amendment states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” One big concern for pro-gun citizens is the government. They believe that if they lose their right to bare arms then they have no way to stand up to the government if ever they needed to do so. Pro-gun activists argue that if our country outlawed guns then only criminals would have guns and innocent citizens will be left defenseless. Anti-gun activists agree that this is true to a certain extent, but they don’t think it’s necessary for everyone to own a gun. Some people want to completely outlaw guns, but others argue that these people don’t completely grasp the concept of violence and its nature and that it would be virtually impossible to erase guns from our communities. This battle has been long fought and shows no signs of halting anytime soon. As long as there are gun related tragedies then there are going to be split opinions on gun control. At this rate there isn’t going to be a clear winner for a very long time. -Grace Gaumer
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School
Downgrading Community:
The College Expectation Our First-World Reality
“What are your plans for college? Have you taken the SAT yet?” or “Harvard right?” Unfortunately for most high school students of the twenty-first century, these questions have become a source of immense pressure and great expectations. A stressor for those who strive for a future in academic excellence, and for those who simply do not. In fact, even the stature of community college seems to have diminished over the years. Schools are preparing students for fouryear universities with the expectation and assumption that every student has the desire to follow that path on the way to a degree and a high-paying career. Young students are not offered as many tools for success if they are on a plan differing from what is the typical expectation. “Community colleges are one of America’s great social inventions. A gateway to the future for first time students looking for an affordable college education, and for mid-career students looking to get ahead in the workplace,” says Senior United States Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.
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And it’s true. Community colleges provide just as many opportunities to students as universities do, but in different forms. While it is not guaranteed that you will go from there into a well-paying job, community college gives young adults the time and the resources to figure out what they want to do, where they want to go and who they want to become. How could such an opportunity be frowned upon? Everyone wants a different path for themselves, and it should be the community’s job to provide the tools, guidance, and support those kids need to go into the world and be successes doing exactly what they choose to do. “After high school, I had two-thousand dollars saved, and I packed everything I could into my nineteen-ninety-five Nissan Sentra with no air-conditioning, and I drove out to Los Angeles.” That was the life strategy of Emayatzy Corinealdi, who eventually became an actress in Hollywood, best known for her role in the film Middle of Nowhere directed by Ava DuVernay. She brought success for herself, starting with surviving out of her car. The power of dreams drives people places, sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally. Things like community college and other alternate careers and education plans should not be downgraded beside the typical fouryear university. Especially in a middle to upper class community such as Rocklin, where careers in the medical field and other such high paying jobs, are most distinguished.
-Maria Hudson
Blocking the Walk R
New fence becomes controversial among students
ocklin’s campus has undergone many changes and additions in the past, from our LED scoreboard on the football field to the Chromebooks we now use in our classrooms. The most recent modification to our campus is more in the vein of the former: The fence. The fence is located at the very back of the campus, near the softball field and Spanish classes. It is far from visually appealing - a grey, chain link barrier that you can find practically anywhere. The barrier was put in place in order to stem the flow of students from Rocklin High into Hillcrest - the residential neighborhood directly behind Rocklin, as well as to put a stop to “illicit activities” - otherwise undefined. However, in attempting to stop these “activities” from happening, the school has inconvenienced many students who live in Hillcrest. One such student, senior Aaron Cain has been directly affected by the fence. “I used to be able to roll out of bed at 7:35 and take a quick, brisk walk to school,” Aaron said. “But now, because of the fence, I have to take a much longer, different walk.” Aaron is far from alone. Any student who took the now blocked path to or from school has had their routes made slower
or longer by the new barrier. The sheer inconvenience of the fence raises a question of whether its benefits are worth the negative impact on students. Quite a sizable portion of Rocklin’s campus lives on Hillcrest, and walking to school saved them gas money and the cost of paying for a parking space, as otherwise they would have had to drive to school. Any potential benefits of the fence are outweighed by the inconvenience it has created. In fact, many students have already begun find ways around or over the fence, thereby negating its purpose. Since the fence is arguably useless as it is, and seems to serve no purpose except to inconvenience students, it seems reasonable to say that the fence isn’t worth the cost of convenience. The fence was built with noble goals in mind, but with more than 2000 students at Rocklin, any physical deterrent seems doomed to failure. Like any change, this may simply need some time for students to adjust. After all, the fence has only been around for a couple months, so giving it a chance is only fair. However, if it continues to be nothing but a hindrance, serving no purpose but to add a few minutes to students’ walks home, its presence on our campus should be reconsidered.
-Connor Bolli and Marley Bauer The Flash | 11
“If technology is actually hindering a student’s ability to develop critical thinking skills—so that students are spending a lot of time on low level skills, rather than higher order thinking skills—then technology hampers learning.” Are Chromebooks all they’re cracked up to be?
W
in the classroom
Computer CRISIS
ith our future being shaped and reshaped by the booming Information Economy, it’s no wonder schools are taking the plunge and modernizing their classrooms. Technocrats—ranging from Silicon Valley moguls to influential educators— champion technology in the classroom, hailing it as “the pen and paper of our time.” Still, opponents of educational-tech question the academic gains from computer-based learning.
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Some classes at RHS are heavily dependent upon technology, such as AP Computer Science or Publications. They would suffer major setbacks—or even disappear—if computers should ever leave the classrooms. But what about the traditional core classes that have incorporated technology? What academic gains are they getting from integration? There is a limited, and often conflicting, body of research to support the benefits of a technologycentric education. In 2009, the Education Department released a review documenting their findings regarding online courses, finding that policy makers lacked “sufficient evidence” to back their claims of technological effectiveness. Stanford professor Larry Cuban went so far as to claim that “there is insufficient evidence to spend that kind of money [on technology in the classroom]. Period, period, period.” According to the New York Times, schools are taking a “blind faith in technology and overemphasis on digital skills” at the expense of real, fundamental learning. While double- and triple- checking MLA formatting is valuable, all too often polishing the appearance of presentations and papers consumes the time we would dedicate to understanding and studying the presented material. Supporters of tech in the classroom counter that the technological convenience of otherwise mindnumbing tasks (e.g. inputting grades, looking up words in a dictionary) improves classroom learning. Students learn to navigate, scan and condense multiple sources into succinct, comprehensive arguments that support their in-class learning. Technology also improves test scores. The “University of California Irvine medical school reported iPad-equipped medical students scored 23 percent higher on national exams than previously unequipped classes.” Taking these studies into account, Rocklin High School announced its intention to become a “1:1 Learning Environment” within three years. As of now, RHS boasts a 2:1 Chromebook to student ratio, courtesy of the RHS Parent Club. Out of 414 students surveyed, only 29.5 percent of students use Chromebooks in four or more of their classes. Such a large investment on the part of the school, the students and their families should be utilized to a greater degree by Rocklin High School.
In regards to staff preparation to integrate tech into classroom learning, RHS principal Mr. Davis Stewart concedes, “We are not as far along on that, [but] that will be an emphasis for upcoming professional development.” Despite the slow integration of Chromebooks in day-to-day learning, 93.3 percent of surveyed student respondents believe technology benefits classroom learning. According to Mr. Stewart, “the amount of knowledge that is available at the touch of a finger…and the enhancement of [students’] critical thinking skills and reasoning” is one of the biggest gains from integrating technology. Often, however, students can abuse their technological privileges. When checking social media accounts and googling cat pictures beats researching papers and developing thorough powerpoints, technology loses its educational purpose. “If technology is actually hindering a student’s ability to develop critical thinking skills—so that students are spending a lot of time on low level skills, rather than higher order thinking skills—then [technology hampers learning],” claims Mr. Jeff James, a senior Literature teacher.
This problem of student distraction is generally attributed to society’s frantic, evolving culture, lack of teacher preparation and student inability to use technology as a tool to pursue higher learning. Thankfully, high school is the ideal arena for students to develop effective computer practices to maximize learning and minimize distraction. “It’s trying to walk that fine line,” elaborates Mr. Paul Werner, who teaches Chemistry and IT Essentials, “this is a training ground. This is the opportunity [for students] to learn how to use their time wisely. When is it a good time to be on the computer and when is it not?” Technology in the classroom is only as effective as its users. Given time, hopefully Rocklin High School—with its willing staff and able student body—will successfully integrate Chromebooks with the classroom to create a challenging curriculum and coherent culture. -Hannah Shows
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Literary Letdown Erasing the East, Wiping out Women and Rejecting Race
It’s remarkable just how much books have the power to influence, to inspire and to teach. The written word itself is extraordinary, and the ideas planted in our minds are long-lasting, far-reaching and never truly disappear. However, this gives rise to a problem. If the books we read are not teaching us truthful information or giving fair representation of a diversity of perspectives, how can we ever hope to achieve an educated, worldly or sophisticated mindset? This is the problem that Rocklin High School is facing within its English department. Despite our dedicated teachers and strong test scores, the fact remains that our mandatory reading lists are not globally diverse or representative of a variety of people. This is a problem that’s not showing up on any test scores—because how can we objectively analyze a student’s “global awareness” or “appreciation of diversity?” Ninety seven percent of required reading in Rocklin is from a Western author. This means that students are reading almost exclusively about Europe and America. What happened to the rest of the world? Asia, Africa, and South America have produced extraordinary works of literature, art and poetry. These regions have developed unique philosophies, strong governments and robust economies. Their people have history and they face struggles just like the struggles detailed in every other book students read. So why can’t we encourage a healthy appreciation and respect for other cultures while simultaneously expanding the scope of our learning? It’s easy to dismiss other areas of the world because our government and our way of life is Western. But in an increasingly globalized society, it is vital that we learn about the entire globe—not just the region we happen to live in. 82% of these books are written by men. Yes, it’s true that there were fewer female authors hundreds of years ago—but they weren’t nonexistent. Our teachers need to make it a priority to include female voices in our readings. Women offer unique perspectives to issues that are often discussed by men alone. For example, life on the American frontier is rarely discussed from the point of view of women. Finally, let’s take a look at the authors’ ethnicities. 85% of the authors in Rocklin High’s mandatory reading are white. Again, we’re seeing a distinct lack of diversity in classroom literature. We’re all aware that Rocklin is a very conservative, very white town—over four-fifths white, actually. This means that it would be incredibly beneficial for students to read literature that exposes them to new perspectives—especially those of different races.
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Amongst protests, movements and the ever-relevant topic of racial injustice, it’s important that our students are educated about race and can hold informed, comfortable discussions on these topics. This isn’t an article advocating for a completely erased, re-written English curriculum. That would be drastic and unnecessary—after all, plenty of the books students read are both valuable and interesting. However, some steps can be taken by both students and teachers to ensure that we have more literary diversity in and out of the classroom. Students can make time for reading books outside of the classroom. Or when suffering through A.R. goals (yes, they’re terrible, but that’s for another article!) they can read books that are more globally diverse or represent different points of view. Teachers can adjust their curriculum. How long has it been since the reading lists were changed? Long enough that I remember in my freshman year seeing the senior reading list—and it hasn’t changed a bit. As we become more aware of certain issues like diversity, it’s important that we make the necessary adjustments to provide the best possible education for our students. Let’s start actively searching for diverse books rather than accepting the status quo that’s existed for years. Ultimately, this is about more than test scores or AP exams. Literary diversity isn’t going to show up anywhere except in the ways we think, the actions we perform, and the viewpoints we express. The education we receive and the words we read will leave their mark on us for a lifetime—so it’s about time we ensure that this mark is a good one.
-Ashley Hay
THUNDERING THROUGH THE AGES
W
e all know the look of our campus when we walk through the halls - green grass, plenty of trees and sidewalks taking the widest angles possible to get to class. Alongside the people, who are mostly a sea of blue and Converse, occasionally bursting with joy when they flip a bottle and land it upright.
These are some of the sights we know best, but how much has changed from when Rocklin High first opened back in 1993? Mrs. Nancy Hayes, who has taught at Rocklin since it opened, can tell us just that; from a time before the V-buildings had been constructed, and there was just a single class of freshman on campus. Mrs. Hayes insists that these first students kept the same high degree of respectability and desire to learn as is seen now. However, she points to an interesting trend as to how students attitudes have changed over time, and interestingly, she can see it best in the artworks of her students. Apparently, for the first few years, students seemed to deal with a lot less stress than we do now. “I used to have to lecture my students about how the content of their artwork shouldn’t be smiley faces and puppy dogs and rainbows and things like that,” says Mrs. Hayes. However, “I have found that over the last 10 or so years, the artwork that comes through my program, especially at the advanced level, is more accomplished than ever, but darker than ever.” Evidently, students’ artwork is literally painting a picture - a picture of the changes our school has gone through.
A painted timeline of how Rocklin High has changed since it first opened back in 1993 on campus, Mrs. Hayes points it all almost entirely to stress. She also believes that this stress is stemming from a new level of competitiveness being presented to 21st century children that simply wasn’t there before. “It’s more difficult to get into college, it’s more expensive to go to college... And so students are feeling that not only do they need to be a good student, but they have to be a super athlete, and they have to be the president of this, that or the other thing in order to stay competitive.” It appears that the staff has taken notice of this problem, with the introduction of the EQ assembly this year - an assembly centered around emotional well-being. Mrs. Hayes admits that though she has seen many trends come and go through the years, this one is one that she thinks is very important and timely for students currently being educated at our school. “It will raise awareness of teachers and parents and students themselves about the importance of taking care of themselves personally.” Mrs. Hayes has learned new things from the change in her students as well. “Now I’m kind of wanting them to go ahead and do the rainbows and the happy faces because I want the content to start being a little more positive again,” she says.
-James Murphy
As for what is concerning these changes in the atmosphere
The Flash | 15
Entertainment
You Throw Like A
GIRL
Have you ever heard of the Minnesota Lynx, FC Kansas City or the Chicago Bandits? If you are like most Rocklin High School students, you have never watched one of their games, let alone heard of them. However, have you heard of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Portland Timbers or the the Kansas City Royals? Plenty of Rocklin Students watch their games. All of the aforementioned teams won the most recent championship in their respective leagues. The difference is that the first group was women and the second group was men. Just because you have never heard of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) or the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) doesn’t mean you are sexist. In fact, over 90% of air time on many major networks centers on men’s sports. The “big three” of men’s sports, basketball, football and baseball are talked about whether they are in season or not. However, most of women’s coverage focuses on women spectators at men’s games. Women’s sports are often taken less seriously in the professional world, with lower quality graphics and less coverage. Another area where this difference is easy to notice is in pay. The women’s pay difference in the work world is highly advertized: women currently make around 77 cents for every dollar men make. In the sports world, this difference can be much larger. In the WNBA, the average woman athlete makes 1.6% of what the average male athlete does. In fact, the average woman makes less than $100,000 a year. In other sports, like golf and tennis, the men’s and women’s tournament prizes can differ by thousands of dollars. In soccer, the maximum womens salary in 2014 was $30,000, the same amount of money that the average factory worker makes. Women’s team players are not just sitting back and watching these differences. For example, the US women’s national soccer team started the hashtag #equalplayequalpay, which asks for equal salaries and field conditions. Sexism is not just limited to women’s sports. Because women are typically attributed to more artistic sports like dance and gymnastics, men often have a hard time joining these sports.
Gender stereotyping in sports can be detrimental to creating strong national teams and even holding an Olympic event in that sport. Men’s and women’s gymnastics events differ, with women doing more artistic disciplines and men focusing on strength. Women were banned from doing running events longer than 200 meters after the 1924 Olympics because they were seen as too weak to run any longer. Finally, Women’s boxing made its first Olympic appearance in 2012. In the sheltered bubble of high school sports here at Rocklin, the differences between girls and boys sports can be harder to spot. In fact, 53% of Rocklin High School students think that the genders are considered equal. However, Junior athlete Marie Navarro argues that Rocklin High School focuses too much on men’s sports, like football. “Clearly there is a lot of support for football financially and socially,” comments Navarro, “I think that the school should advertize girl’s sports more. They shouldn’t focus so much on football. The whole homecoming week focuses on football.” Whether it is due to lack of publicity or not, girl’s sports have consistently less fans at their games, with the exception of girl’s volleyball. This trend is the same as in professional sports, where men get much more viewership. Junior Basketball and Soccer player Megan Lie echos this sentiment. When asked who comes to her games, she says, “No one except parents. That’s literally it. No one cares about any girl’s sports except volleyball.” Even though high school sports are not for pay, there is still inequality in payment. For example, the JV girls golf team does not receive a district stipend, while JV boys golf does. Whether Rocklin is equal or not, the world of professional sports is clearly not close to equal. There is still a long way to go until men’s and women’s sports are held in the same respect by the media and the public. The first and most important step is to stop gender stereotyping. Stereotypes are arguably the cause of all inequality in both sports and the professional work world. With some publicity and changes in the world, maybe one day boys and girls will be able to play the same sports with the same rules. And maybe men’s and women’s sports will get the same air time. Until then, all we can do is go to a girl’s basketball or soccer game and find out what we have been missing out on. -Kate Suggs
16 | The Flash
Do gender stereotypes really affect sports?
Pink + White Frank Ocean 1:12
Blond F
our years can be a very long time to wait for something you’re excited for. It’s no fun, especially when it is something you have been anticipating for a long time. Frank Ocean fans understand this feeling more than anyone else. The alternative R&B artist debuted to massive commercial success and critical acclaim for his 2012 record “Channel Orange”. This album garnered a large and diverse audience, expanding all the way from the casual pop fan to the music critic with it’s experimental but catchy production and extremely memorable melodies. Cult-like fans worshipped the 55 minutes of music like it was a masterpiece, eagerly waiting for Frank’s next project. Little did fans know, those 55 minutes were all they were going to get for four long years. “Frank Ocean is dead,” was an ongoing joke because of how little he appeared on media and avoided any talk about releasing any new music. However, the wait is finally over. “Blonde” debuted on Nov. 1 to the album billboard charts. Fans swarmed to purchase the album, ready to see if their vast expectations were met. What listeners had hoped for was an album that sounded like a direct sequel to “Channel Orange” that was similar in style, structure and sound to his debut. Ocean, however, had other plans. Right off the bat with the opening track “Nikes” it is clear that Frank was willing to experiment more than he ever has before. With eery and soft strings playing behind a downtempo beat, Frank’s voice is altered into a high pitched falsetto which creates a very strange mood for the beginning of the album. It seems that this decision to open the album with a song so opposite of what fans were expecting is Frank’s way of saying that “Blonde” wasn’t going to be another “Channel Orange”. This was further emphasized with the next track, “Ivy.” “Ivy” has dreamy production that highlights Frank’s subtle
3:04
vocals throughout the track. Lyrically, the song explores themes of nostalgia and looking back at major moments in life. “I thought that I was dreaming, when you said you loved me,” begins the chorus that Frank sings calmly but with emotional power. These songs barely sound like they are from the same artist that made the accessible and pop focused “Channel Orange.” The entirety of the album has a relaxed tempo and soft sound. While “Channel Orange” could be enjoyed by anyone, this album appeals to a niche of extremely patient listeners. However, the slower style of music does give Ocean’s writing and vocals more room to shine. Frank passionately sings lyrics that are more in depth and personal than his previous writing. He delves into his past regrets with songs like “Ivy” and “White Ferrari” to deep personal struggles in “Siegfried” and “Pretty Sweet.” Almost every track is extremely introspective and has Frank making big statements about his character. With this album, Ocean took a direction that nobody expected, and it may have turned away a good portion of his old audience. The album isn’t influenced by pop. It is rarely catchy. There is almost no hit potential. In many ways it seems like the exact opposite of “Channel Orange,” one of the most celebrated albums of the 21st century. Does that make “Blonde” a bad album? That all comes down to personal preference. Somewhere within the four years between “Channel Orange” and “Blonde,” Frank decided to have his album be different. To tone down the pop sound he was known for, sharpen his writing and truly say something personal to his audience. Frank stepped away from album sales and potential hits to set the focus on his words and performance. Whether or not this was a mistake depends on the patience of whoever’s listening. -Justin Angellar
The Flash | 17
RACIST
Not really, but with everything that has come out in the past year, it might seem that way.
The Miss Teen USA competition has been an annual tradition for 33 years. The winner of the pageant must display beauty, athleticism, intelligence and grace. The American pageants are supposed to reflect the beauty of America and, in such a diverse country, you would expect more color. That’s why the top five contestants for Miss Teen USA in August was upsetting for many How could a competition that’s supposed to reflect the entire country deem five blonde, white girls the pinnacle of American teen beauty? The lack of diversity is not surprising, however, it seems that the judges eliminated more and more of the colored contestants as the pageant went on. This just seems to blatantly ignore competitors because of race. Once the arguments and social justice warriors on the Internet settled a winner was crowned. Karlie Hay from Texas was finally crowned on July 30. The Internet then went to work on a background check to once again make the point that, “beauty pageants are bad.”
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What they found was a number of tweets using the n-word. These slurs were used as a substitute for “friend” or “dude”. Despite the “friendly” use of the word, it began a new debate on how we want our population to be viewed. Miss Hay apologized for her actions saying, "I am very sorry... It's something I'm ashamed of... I thought it was OK to use that word. It's not OK. There is no excuse to say that word, ever." People have criticized this to be a too formulated apology, however the beauty pageant company is know to be strict with their contestants. The reason for the Pageant disregarding these tweets during the competition was because it had nothing to do with her beauty, athleticism, intelligence or grace at the time of the competition. She was 15 years old at the time and wasn’t aware that her actions were harmful. The takeaway from this is to pick the right battles. Yes, the Miss Teen USA competition should work on bringing a more diverse set of competitors since it is meant to reflect the population of America. But Miss Hay is not a racist; she just use a word that she was not educated on, and that does not invite the Internet to rip an 18 year old apart. -Courtney Langstrom
Is
CHEER
a sport?
Lifestyle “Here’s what I would say is that cheerleaders: They practice everyday, it takes physical activity and they are performing at games. So based on physical activity, skill that is needed to do it and comradery amongst the team I would say yes it is a sport,” said Spears. Despite being a former college cheerleader, Mr. Grant Depue does not believe sideline cheer is an official sport. “I look at high school cheerleading as an extracurricular activity. Every so often you’ll get a squad that will go to a tournament and compete, and [yes] that is being an athlete. Cheerleaders are athletes, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t believe it is a sport because there is not a winner and a loser. There’s not a tangible victory or finish,” said Depue.
I
f anyone has ever confronted an RHS cheerleader about cheer not being a sport, their response was most likely an intense and defensive argument. But ever since stunt became an officially recognized sport at Rocklin High in 2014, the question and controversy over high school cheer being a sport has begun to uprise yet again. There are three types of cheerleading at this school: sideline cheer, competitive cheer and stunt. Sideline cheer involves supporting different sports teams by performing along the sidelines and the other two requires competing against other high school teams. The problem at Rocklin is people do not know if sideline cheer should be considered a sport like the competitive cheer and stunt. Obviously, cheerleaders posses a strong bias because it is their sport and their lives revolve around it. “You are doing most of the same skills but you are also cheering on a crowd. If I hadn’t done all star cheer, I never would have realized how much work it takes to be a cheerleader and do all the skills that are required to cheer,” said sophomore Grace Martinelli who used to be apart of an All Star cheer team. However, there are students that participate in more recognized sports that seem to disagree with the cheerleaders. “It is mostly pumping up your school spirit, it does not require physical ability. I do think competitive cheer is a sport but when it comes to high school cheer I think the main point is to support your high school and sports teams,” said sophomore Taylor Melchiori. The question has also been aimed toward the athletic director, Mr. Ryan Spears. He is probably the most important figure in this conflict because of his occupation at Rocklin High.
The argument has even been diffused to almost the whole entire student body. More than two thousand students involved in different parts of the high school have been faced with this question at some point in time. In addition, cheerleaders count two years of sport each year and thus earn p.e. credit. “I think that stunt and competitive cheer is a sport but high school cheer on the sideline, no. A sport is competitive which is why I think the other two are. But high school cheer is just them cheering on the sport event. Which is good but it’s not a sport on its own,” said junior Aaron Zito. Though Zito does not believe sideline cheer is a sport, freshman Leah Mayer disagrees. Mayer said, “I think it has become a sport from all the tumbling, gymnastics, strength, coordination, flexibility and balance. There is a lot of athleticism that comes into cheer.” Sophomore Lauren Gerber also agrees with Mayer about sideline cheer being a sport because of her sister cheering on the team. Gerber said, “I don’t like it when people say it isn’t a sport because it’s a sport. You’re getting exercise and having fun and entertaining everybody like I’ve heard my sister say how hard it is and how much you have to be prepared when a girl falls on you.” It seems that the conflict of high school cheer being a sport is a mix of emotions for most people at Rocklin High. And even though not everyone’s opinion at this school is recorded, it still gives an overlook of what the general thoughts are of cheer being a sport. High school cheer at RHS is absolutely a sport because it requires substantial amounts of strength, stage presence, flexibility, durability etc. They exert hard work and dedication to perform to the best of their ability and it is a sad that many people at this school discredit that.
-Isaiah Garcia The Flash | 19
VISIBLE We’re here and we’re queer. Students at RHS share their story of acceptance.
“
16.74% students surveyed on campus identify as apart of LGBT+
Knowing who you are and being okay with that is the most important aspect of being apart of the LGBT community,” says senior Tucker Moore, president of the Gay Straight Alliance Club. The hardest aspect of coming out is accepting yourself for who you are. Of course, the hope is that others will accept you, but it’s most important to accept you for you. This is a struggle that many LGBTQ+ students deal with, as many are just coming to find themselves and are learning to accept themselves. Luckily, for the more recent generations, society has become far more accepting than it was in 1969, when the gay rights movement started. While there is still hatred against the community, there’s no denying that we’ve come a long way. It’s safer for people to come out and less of a challenge to accept themselves now. The LGBTQ+ community is incredibly special. You meet people you normally wouldn’t talk to and become friends with people you never would’ve been friends with before. Being queer brings all of us together and unifies us. Of course, there is conflict within the community, as there always is with any, but that doesn’t change the fact that the LGBTQ+ community is closer than most and are usually always there for each other. We know what it’s like to not be accepted, so we accept each other and help each other through everything. Rocklin, although residing in one of the most conservative county in California, has been accepting of LGBTQ+ students. “I’d say everyone’s been really accepting. In fact, I was surprised by how little people’s views of me changed,” says senior Andrew Tindall. Even though Rocklin has been fairly accepting, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the world is. As seen over the summer, there are still many hate crimes committed against those of us in the LGBTQ+ community. We didn’t even get gay marriage legalized in all 50 states until 2015, and what about visibility for people of other genders? Gender is another issue that people out of the gender binary have dealt with for a long time. There is transphobia in and out of the LGBTQ+ community and many people who are cisgender (identify with the gender assigned to them at birth) say that they don’t understand how anyone could be a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth.
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For Michael Kleinfelder, however, a transgender man, Rocklin has been very accepting of him. “Rocklin, as a school, has been very accepting. My friends have all been very accepting, my parents are a little iffy. But, besides that, I have received no hardships from teachers and [have been in] very accepting environments.” Allies can help the LGBTQ+ community with making LGBTQ+ peers feel accepted. “I would say always being a source of support [can help LGBTQ+ students] and always standing up for what they believe in. And that goes hand in hand with just being there for friends or kids that you know and standing up for anyone that’s getting bullied or dealing with an discrimination. It’s really important that we all live in a safe space and I think if you notice someone living in a safe space, then you should contribute and do your best to make it [even better of a] safe space,” says Tucker. As returning students might know, last year most classrooms received stickers that said “Safe Space” on them with the rainbow flag. This symbolizes that these places are safe for anyone in the LGBTQ+ community to be themselves and not be ashamed of who they are. Whether you’re in the LGBTQ+ community or not, there’s no denying that it’s time to start accepting those of us who are in the LGBTQ+ community. Support is something every LGBTQ+ student needs, and allies can help support us. Helping one person is all it takes to make an impact on their life.
-Samuel Michael
The Flash | 21
#FEMI Do you think that girls should only limit their time to cooking, cleaning and let the men handle all those newfangled fancy ideas, so they don’t hurt their tiny brains? If you answered no, then congratulations! You are a feminist.
W
hen you think of the word feminist, what do you think of? The stereotypical man-hating, Free-the-Nipple-marching, Hillary-sign-toting activist? Or maybe the Ivy League educated business diva with the quintessential “I don’t need a man!” Beyoncé swag? While they all may represent certain aspects of feminism, these archetypes don’t define the feminist movement. In 2016, it seems as though everyone labels themselves as a feminist. But beyond its foundational ideology, actually practicing feminism is just as important as the label itself. “To me, feminism is believing in and advocating for the equality of all people. It extends out from sex to race, gender, religion, class, etc.,” junior Veda Lelchook explained. Students on campus resoundingly agree that gender equality is a critical issue that should be dealt with. And while our school does respond to this by giving equal academic opportunities, extracurricular opportunities may be another story. Senior Randy Wright believes, like many students, that “extracurricular activities are equal on campus.” Unfortunately, this is not actually the case. While the majority of sports at Rocklin have both girls’ and boys’ teams, many do not receive equal treatment, especially when it comes to financing. The JV girls’ golf team is a great example of this. While the JV boys’ team, with about 20 golfers, does receive a stipend to cover expenses for their coaches’ work, the JV girls’ team--which boasts 32 golfers--does not. “[The girls team] doesn’t have an official district stipend and the JV boys team does, and the reason for that is that in the past, when the boys team was created they were an official league team… JV girls is not an official league sport yet, and that’s kind of the criteria of getting a stipend,” explained Athletic Director Mr. Ryan Spears. However, JV girls golf coach Mr. Frank Shields would disagree.
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According to Mr. Shields, the JV boys golf team received a stipend when they themselves weren’t part of a league, yet according to Mr. Spears, the girls were denied a stipend for just that reason. Local schools like Oakridge, Del Oro and Granite Bay all have JV girls golf stipends, while Rocklin’s team has to self-fund. Mr. Shields believes that this issue is simply “out of sight, out of mind” for the school district and that the boy’s team took precedence in funding. Still, these concerns go beyond the borders of Rocklin High’s campus and extend to current U.S. politics. Though America is seeing its first female presidential nominee, our government is still severely lacking female representation. In fact, according to the online magazine The Nation, our ranking in female representation has dropped from 59th to 98th in the world in the last 18 years. To put that into perspective, this places us just above the United Arab Emirates, and behind Kenya and Indonesia. Women provide an indispensable voice in our political sphere, especially given that according to The Nation, “women legislators—both Republican and Democrat—introduce a lot more bills than men in the areas of civil rights and liberties, education, health, labor and more.” The more pressing question, however, is why is this inequality happening? In order to answer this, we can look at the current presidential election and the public’s view on Hillary Clinton. According to the New York Times, many people take a strong disliking to Hillary Clinton because she carries the persona of a “workaholic.” Secretary Clinton herself acknowledges her workaholic attitude, explaining that her public image dates back to when she was attending Harvard. Once while taking her law school admissions test, male students spat threats of “you don’t need to be here” and “there’s plenty else you can do.”
MINIST “I know that I can be perceived as aloof or cold or unemotional,” Clinton told the social media journalist Humans of New York, “but I had to learn as a young woman to control my emotions.”
Even though this sexist act occurred likely over 40 years ago, her measured attitude still remains. Why? Because we live in a world of pseudo-feminism. The idea of feminism has become so mainstreamed that it’s become socially unacceptable to say that you’re not a feminist. But saying you’re a feminist and actually acting on behalf of the feminist movement are two very different things. The fight for gender equality is just that: a fight. Yet no fight can be won without fists. American independence, religious freedom, civil rights and all other American humanitarian causes were hard-fought victories. To be frank, activism in the feminist movement has somewhat stagnated in recent years. The guts-and-glory passion of pioneers such as Susan B. Anthony have been replaced by the passive voice of thousands of Americans who just label themselves feminists out of fear of political incorrectness. In the battle for gender equality, there are still boundaries to be pushed, fights to be won and victories to be claimed. Even though victory in the fight for gender equality is currently within our grasp, we seem to have laid down our swords.
“You don’t need to be here, there’s plenty else you can do”
-Megan Campbell and Raymond Matthews
The Flash | 23
T
hink of an innocent bunny or cat being taken away from its home only to be held in a cold, lonely cage, much like a prisoner. It’s a heart wrenching image. So, why is it that so many poor animals are being forced to become a science experiment? All kinds of animals, from mice, rats, rabbits, all the way to man’s best friend, are being used for testing in laboratories for reasons that can easily be avoided. One reason that scientists refuse to change their methods of testing is because they are already comfortable experimenting on animals since that has been the status quo. However, there are alternatives that can be used. One such alternative is a cell culture. Both human and animal cells can be taken from its source (human-on-a-chip) and used in place of the actual animals themselves. Computer models/virtual experiments, human volunteers, human tissues donated from surgery and even post-mortem tissue would work, as well. This option can even be more accurate than the live animal testing, as the suffering and stress that the animals go through can often skew results. Many of the popular cosmetics and domestic brands that are being used by the public are openly testing on animals. Such brands include L’Oreal, Maybelline, Clorox, Dove, Pantene, Old Spice, etc. However, there are cruelty free alternatives. E.L.F makeup, LUSH, NYX, Pacifica and many more companies don’t use animals for their own benefit, and they serve the same purpose as the brands previously stated.
Opinions about animal testing are being discussed all around the world. At Rocklin High specifically, there is a club dedicated to standing up for the cruelty placed upon the animals, known as ROAR club, or Reaching Out for Animal Rights. Senior Nicole Cartan, founder of ROAR club, believes animal testing is “morally wrong.” “There is no need for it, there are so many other options. It’s inhuman for animals and overly accessible. I honestly think it should be illegal.” Scientists are now attempting to follow the three “Rs” in animal research. Replace, reduce and refine. The first “R” is to replace the use of animals with alternative techniques like cell culture. After this comes reducing the number of animals used in the lab. Finally, there is an aim to refine the way experiments are carried out, to make sure the animal’s suffering is limited as much as possible. In the end it is really all about the animals. Why should they suffer so that we can use our beauty products that, by the way, have cruelty free replacements? Animal testing is a brutal way of using innocent creatures in order to make life easier for humans. Each year, 100 million animals are killed in the U.S. for experimentation, even though there are viable alternatives. It is almost evil to allow this kind of pain and suffering to inflict upon these poor animals, especially since some of them are familiars we keep as pets in our own homes. - Nikki Bhatia
ANIMALSinAGONY
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Global feminist movement that keeps people talking
F
ree the nipple: whether it’s seen as one of the most powerful movements or the most ridiculous, it’s sweeping across the globe, and it has become a vital part of feminism. The main issue being, if men can go topless, then why can’t women? It all comes down to the sexualization of women’s breasts and the reaction that society gives toward a shirtless female. An actual campaign called “Free the Nipple” is the leading movement that is helping spread awareness of this controversial topic. Currently, it is legal for women to be completely topless in 36 states, including California. Police officers are often uninformed of the rights that women possess in these states and illegally arrest women, resulting in the captives being taken to the station only to be immediately released. On the other hand, “Free the Nipple” isn’t only about being completely topless, another huge part of freeing the nips is going braless. The bra over time, has become a huge part of the feminine gender identity, so when a woman chooses not to wear one, it is seen as shocking and out of the ordinary. Many women are planted with the false information that a bra is needed once they begin developing. But, just like most things, wearing a bra is a choice.
from others. Ditching the bra, however, can provide many benefits to a woman’s everyday life, even health wise. A study done in France concluded that women who constantly wear a bra increased the rate at which their breasts sagged, leading to earlier signs of sagging... basically, bras stop the muscle tissues from growing. In the last year, “banning the bra” has been accompanied by many famous and inspiring celebrities. They reach out to their followers and fans and equip them with role models that show letting go and learning to love your body is okay. Such celebrities include: Miley Cyrus, Kendall Jenner, Rihanna and many more. If women begin prioritizing their comfort rather than submitting to social standards, soon enough wearing a bra could be the odd thing to do. So, set the girls free, save some money from boycotting expensive wiry contraptions, and use the money for milkshakes. -Abbey Connell
Although, leaving the house without a bra isn’t the instantaneous choice, due to a fear of non acceptance The Flash | 27