Volume V
February 2, 2017
Issue XI photos by Laila Borden
by Laila Borden and Ava Hearn On January 21, people across the world marched in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington following the day of the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. The stated intension of the march was to not only advocate for women’s rights, but for the rights of all minorities that have felt threatened by the discourse of the past election cycle including immigrants, muslims, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Native People, AfricanAmericans, and survivors of sexual assault. According to their mission statement, the Women’s March on Washington stood for democracy and diversity, recognizing that “defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us.” According to the Women’s March on Washington website, approximately 5 million people participated in one of the many marches on all 7 continents (including Antarctica), 76 countries and 673 cities. Within the Women’s March movement there are several other movements that aim to bring attention to a variety of issues. One such movement is a collective group of nationwide knitters known as the Pussy Hat Project. A sea of pink hats could be seen during the marches across the world. The Pussy Hat Project provided people of the Women’s March on Washington DC, as well as other Women’s Marches, with close to 1 million pink cat eared “pussyhats to create a visual statement during the march. The project was a direct reference to the famed Trump quote, “grab them by the pussy.” Despite the Pussy Hat Project’s sarcastic response to this comment of the new president, the intention of the movement was
not to provoke president Trump or his supporters, but to take a stand for women’s rights and to “empower the pussy.” The Women’s March of Ashland was organized by co-coordinators, Sharon Dohrmann and Samae Chlewbowski. Their initial idea following the election was to organize a candlelight vigil in downtown Ashland on inauguration day, but after reaching out to the community they found that most people preferred the idea of a march. Chlewbowski and Dohrmann, like many in the Ashland community, were floored by the election and felt the need to do something in response. “The election was an eye opener that our progress towards true equality is not a given,” said Dohrmann, describing her need to take action. “I’m marching to show my support for human rights, environmental rights, and respect and dignity for all people. I’m marching to be united with my community and with the world to send a message to our leaders that our values are important and that we want to be heard.” Dohrmann stated that some of the issues she would like to highlight in Ashland will be the need for education, women’s right, the value of diversity and inclusion and the importance of protecting the planet. “We all have a First Amendment right to free speech which includes our right to assemble and we should use it to let our leaders know what’s important to us. They need to hear from us and they need to hear it often, lest they forget who they were voted in to serve,” said Dohrmann. The Women’s March in Ashland has received a
very positive response and lot of support from the community. Ashland Parks & Rec and the Police Department were all on board, and several local businesses sponsored the event. People from all over the Rogue Valley attended the march, including residents of Ashland, Medford, Grants Pass, Central Point, Klamath Falls and more. Around 8,000 people, 8 times the expected number, assembled at the Ashland Public Library on January 21. The crowd marched through downtown, ending the procession at the Lithia Park bandshell. At the bandshell there was a celebration featuring a series of speakers and musicians. The Peace Choir of Southern Oregon University performed and several female leaders in the community gave speeches, including Ashland High School (AHS) student body president Kate Joss-Bradley who received a standing ovation and enthusiasm from the crowd. Joss-Bradley and her co-president, Amelia Zeve, first heard of the Women’s March movement when Chlewbowski contacted them about speaking at the march in Ashland. Unfortunately, Zeve was not able to join Joss-Bradley in speaking at the bandshell because of a prior engagement. Nonetheless Zeve would like to encourage her peers to “be actively engaged in this country,” and to stay informed with accurate facts and data. Both Zeve and Joss-Bradley urge AHS students to stand up and use their voice. “Whether or not you agree with the authority of this country, now is the time to be empowered with yourself and create the world you want to live in,” Joss-Bradley said.
Sweeney Todd Preview by Colin Timmons
The Ashland High School (AHS) theater program is known to perform a wide range of plays and musicals. The next musical comes out in March, so those working on the production have time to prepare for the dark wit found in AHS’s rendition of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The legacy of Sweeney Todd has spanned generations of actors and stage performers. Each new generation adds to this legacy every time the character is portrayed. AHS Senior Jonathan Connolly is the newest addition to the long list of actors to play Todd, a tragic character. “It’s kind of hard to make a serial killer a relatable person,” Connolly said, “but I think the opportunity to play such a difficult role is pretty exciting.” After being falsely accused by a corrupt judge who has a plan to steal Todd’s wife, he returns to London to seek revenge with Mrs. Lovett (played by Sierra Milburn), his partner in crime. “The show is very dark,” Connolly stated. “There is a lot of physical violence and murder.” Though the school will adapt certain parts of the musical for a school enironment, they plan to leave most of the graphic scenes in. The character Sweeney Todd has a very long and complex history. Debuing in the 1846 penny dreadful, The String of Pearls: A Romance. Since his debut, he has appeared across multiple forms of media, though he is most popular in cinema and stage perfor-
mances. His first onscreen portrayal dates back to the 1928 silent film, Sweeney Todd. It is commonly disputed whether or not the character Sweeney Todd is based off a real historical figure. It is undeniable that his mannerisms and exploits are inspired by real historic events and people. A signature act by Sweeney Todd and the character of Mrs. Lovett, his partner in crime, is to bake the bodies of their victims into meat pies and sell them out of Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop. Cooking people into food was a popular urban legend well before Sweeney Todd ever appeared, though he was the one to popularize it in stories. Though the feeling of the play is dark and brooding, viewers should go into it with a grain of salt. “It has a feeling like Cabaret did,” Connolly stated. Moments of intensity are capitalized on by the setting of the play and the time period it takes place in. “More than anything, the show is a thriller,” Connolly explained. Despite the dark tone, everyone in the working on the project is happy to be putting this amazing piece together, rehearsing the play and honing the characters and setting in preparation for their March performance.
photos by Zelda Baldwin
The Music Scoop by Liv West
2016 was a great year in the world of music, as popular artists adapted to a new era of sound and displayed arguably some of their best work. Chance the Rapper threw intensely profound lyrics at his fellow Americans through his record titled Coloring Book, which was a timely call for social justice. The sounds of 2016 were danceable, powerful and innovative. Those who listened to an album called 22, A Million experienced the inventive Bon Iver at his continuous peak of creativity. Unlike his folksier albums, this record was a twisting ride of eccentric sound. Even someone who indulges oneself in heartfelt acoustic melodies could take pleasure in hearing an artist create a different style of music like 22, A Million that fits perfectly to this day and age. In 2017 it just gets better, as records pour in and out of the new releases racks in music stores. Already in January I See You by the XX came out, their first record since the release of Coexist in 2012. The XX is an English electronic rock band who rose into popularity in the early 2010s. They exhibit dreamy vocals and some colorful, calm, rainy day keyboard licks that define their unique sound. Their new album has that same calming electronic sound which they are renowned for. Run the Jewels came out with their 3rd album on January 13. For independent record stores, the group released the LP on gold vinyl and included in this package was a limited edition gold chain pendant that was coveted by devoted fans. The album itself is the first hip-hop record of 2017, and it seems the hip-hop world will bring even
more to the table as the year continues. Come February, the country rock world will be hit with Prisoner by Ryan Adams. In preparation for this release, check out his second-to-latest release on which he covered Taylor Swift’s album 1989. In doing this, he created a Springsteen-esque vibe that is worth a listen. This is very evident in the cover of Shake It Off, which he reworked from a thoughtless pop song to a Born in the USA type ballad. Those who have not heard of the up-and-coming Swedish musician Jens Lekman will be pleasantly surprised when they buy his new album on February 17. Lekman is on the independent label Strictly Canadian, and he has been soaring into the ears of those folks who dig deep into the underground and overseas scenes. His music is lovely, and perfect for post-finals escapades into the countryside for some relaxation and rejuvenation. A song to try out is A Postcard to Nina, from his 2012 record. It’s terribly sweet, with a glockenspiel ringing out through the whole song, and that strangely happy nostalgic vibe that many high schoolers know and love. The first song that can be downloaded from the February album Life Will See You Now is titled What’s That Perfume That You Wear, which has a floaty sound similar to that of Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams (2015). For those who take pleasure in that flowery, fun, Coachella-type indie rock, this is certainly an artist that will be worth scoping out. If all falls right with the world, highly anticipated albums will come out from the Killers, Vampire
Weekend, and John Mayer. The Killers, a Las Vegasbased group with a vintage New Wave vibe, are rumored to be putting out their LP in summer this year with a producer who worked on the noteworthy Joshua Tree by U2 in the 1980s. Lead singer Brandon Flowers has said the album will be much heavier than any previous releases. Some of their popular songs include a lovesick classic titled Mr. Brightside and an upbeat dance song called Human. Similar to the mystique of the Killers, Vampire Weekend’s new album is rumored to be titled Mitsubishi Macchiato. It is not clear exactly what the album will sound like, but it will be exciting to see what this group does next. The last thing seen from Vampire Weekend was when they played This Land is Your Land with Bernie Sanders at one of the senator’s rallies in spring 2016. The new John Mayer album will be called The Search for Everything. He is dropping the album in waves of two to three songs, so the complete record may be out sometime during spring. One song already out on Apple Music is called Love on the Weekend. Its smooth bluesy guitar sound is enticing and this record will be a huge hit in days to come. This only covers a small amount of what is coming and what already has been released this year. There are still numerous unannounced records that are sure to make their presence known soon, so hopefully this will be an excellent year of music. Go down to a local record store and see what’s new in the world of CDs and vinyl LPs.
Random Student Features
Lyric Sylvan
by Jade Bromley
The first month of the new year is often the most hectic of all, with rapid changes and the desire to fulfill newborn goals. However, for sophomore Lyric Sylvan, this year started out similar to the last. Skiing is a very important part of his life, and his main goal for this year is to improve his skills. Sylvan stated that he would only be happy with at least 60 days of skiing. Even though he loves skiing, he is not on the Ashland High School ski team. After being on the team his freshman year, he decided that the exclusive racing atmosphere and not being able to determine how he used the mountain, such as training on powder days, was not for him. Sylvan explained how the kind of skiing he loves is the extreme kind with a thrill: skiing off cliffs, going down steep runs and traveling at the speed of a car on a snowy highway. It is the freedom and independence that entices him. In fact, he often skis alone. He says that when he skis with other people he cannot go the speeds that he wants, but he does enjoy skiing with his dad. Besides skiing, Sylvan hopes to spend more time with his family in 2017, including his older sister, his mom, his dad and his dad’s girlfriend. His sister is 18 and attending Rogue Community College. He and his sister are fairly close, perhaps because she is not living at home anymore. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Sylvan expressed that he does not expect much to change this year. For a lot of students, the new year occurs in the middle of the school year, so the changes that come from December 31 to January 1 do not provide observable differences. But changes will come in 2017, including Sylvan’s shift from a 15 year-old sophomore to a 16 year-old junior in the coming school year. Sylvan said, “hopefully things change a little,” but it does not really make a difference to him what year it is. He went on to say that he is ready to be a junior purely based on the fact that he will be one year closer to graduation, and after graduation, he plans to ski. Although it is important to look at life and to make changes that will im-
Ella Stringer
photo by Jackson McRae
prove overall well-being and health, it is also important to recognize the present good. When asked what his favorite memory was from 2016, Sylvan said it was his friend’s birthday party. It is a simple memory, but it is significant, and as the year progresses, it is friends, family and passions that should be remembered.
photo by Jackson McRae
by Liam Dunleavy
Freshman Ella Stringer is determined to be a better person in 2017 through her New Year’s resolutions of being kinder to others and not making judgements based on first impressions. The origin of her resolutions goes back about 10 years when she moved to Ashland from Kentucky 2 weeks before the start of kindergarten. It was then that Ella first saw, and fell in love with, the incredibly accepting nature of Ashland. The wonderful atmosphere of Ashland is what motivated her to make these commitments toward kindness. However, Ella did not stop there. She has been following through by not listening to her friends’ opinions on people before she meets them. Ella believes that keeping her resolutions she has become a better person by following this policy of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Ella is without a doubt one of the more active freshman on the Ashland High School campus. By participating in Drama Club, Ted Talks and Tea Club, Robotics Club, Band, and the theatre department’s upcoming play Sweeny Todd, she is constantly busy. When talking about Drama Club, Ella mentioned that it is not essential for getting cast in a play but that by participating she gets to go to elementary and middle schools to host workshops for kids who are interested in theatre. It is through those workshops that Ella has found joy in working with kids and making them laugh. Ella dreams of being a pastry chef, where she gets to put smiles on faces with delicious cookies and cupcakes. Similarly, Ella’s work in Robotics allows her to help kids through the club’s outreach programs in visiting elementary schools. Since her focus is business, she is often balancing the checkbook so that the club can host workshops at other schools. This experience in business has given her an idea of what it would be like to open her own pastry shop one day. When not busy with her extracurricular activities, Ella is often deep in a book, usually from fantasy series such as the Shadowhunters, Harry Potter, and the Lunar Chronicles series. She loves these series due to their magical and fan-
tastical elements, such as wizards and witches in Harry Potter and cyborgs and androids coexisting with humans in the Lunar Chronicles. When she is not reading, Ella can also be found whipping up delicious pastries for her friends and family. Ella said she has been baking for as long as she can remember. The passion she has for baking shows up again when speaking about Robotics, her eyes lighting up and enthusiasm shining through.
Gen. James N. Mattis - Defense The Secretary of Defense commands power over the United States military in a manner second only to the President. Trump’s pick to fill this post is retired General James Mattis, whose Senate hearing went ahead despite a standing law prohibiting generals from serving for 7 years after retiring. The original intent for the law was to ensure the department would be led by a civilian representative (as opposed to the military establishment). In fact, Mattis will be the second retired general ever to serve as Secretary of Defense and the first appointed in contradiction to the 7-year limitation following an overwhelming bipartisan Senate vote to nullify the said qualification. Mattis diverges from the President’s views in key ways, including his rejection of isolationism in favor of “continued American engagement in the world.” Moreover, the former general favors a hard line stance against Russia. The popular moniker “Mad-dog Mattis” follows the retired general from his years with Central Command operating in the Middle East. Although some veterans disagree with Mattis’ failure to rescue Special Forces in one of the first operations in Afghanistan, and others find his quotes about killing the opposition in the Middle East to be ruthless, a significant number of others support the retired general and admire his patriotic resolve.
Betsy DeVos - Education
The Department of Education was created by President Reagan in 1980 to oversee civil rights in education and federal funding for school buses, computers in classrooms, student loans, and a significant portion of other education costs. President Trump has selected Betsy DeVos to lead the agency. Though DeVos is neither a professional educator nor an educational leader, she draws from her experience as a prominent lobbyist in her state on behalf of the charter school industry and has pushed laws to protect charter schools from legal accountabilities for low test results, allowing charter schools to be run for profit and diverting state funds from traditional public schools to support private and charter schools. Supporters of public schools worry about DeVos entering the helm of an agency that she spent millions per year lobbying to overhaul. During DeVos’ hearing, she would not verbally commit to uphold the Obama administration’s 2011 guidance on campus sexual assault and parried questions about support for the LGBTQ community in schools, focusing instead on how she sought to give parents greater access (through vouchers) for the various alternatives to standard public education.
Mike Pompeo - CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is the US’s primary source of intelligence regarding foreign affairs. Information collected by the organization plays a vital role in aiding the President and other US officials in making decisions regarding policy and security. The President is responsible for naming a Director, who serves as the head of the CIA and reports to the Director of National Intelligence. Kansas Republican Mike Pompeo, also a former Army Officer, is Trump’s pick for the position. Pompeo said in his confirmation hearing that the CIA’s recent report on Russian hacking of the 2016 Presidential election made it “pretty clear what took place.” Pompeo has also contradicted Trump’s stance on torture, asserting that if asked by Trump, he would “absolutely not” use enhanced interrogation tactics, but it should be noted that when a 2014 Senate report stated that the CIA had used enhanced interrogation methods, Pompeo released a statement supporting the methods used and called it constitutional.
Gen. John F. Kelly - Homeland Security The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) oversees border security, emergency response, and the United States’ defense against terror (for which DHS was created following the September 11 attacks in 2001). President Trump selected John Kelly for the job, who in 2016 retired from the Marine Corps with 45 years of experience and recognition as the nation’s longest serving general. Kelly has worked with the military’s division acting in South and Central American nations—dubbed the Southern Command—as well as worked in managing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. With border security featuring among the agency’s primary responsibilities, Kelly looks to enter the position familiar with many of the nations that see significant emigration bound for the United States. Kelly diverged from Trump’s stance this month by saying that “a physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job,” and that supporting the economies of struggling nations will prove a more effective means of deterring the flow of migrants and drugs over U.S. borders. “Diplomacy and targeted aid” to poverty-stricken countries also appear to be higher on Kelly’s list of priorities than deportations, as he seeks to find a sustainable solution for the situation at home and abroad that compels millions to become displaced. Finally, Kelly stated in his approval hearing before the Senate that he will not support denying entrance into the U.S. for Muslims, a policy for which President Trump had repeatedly voiced his support.
TRUMP’S CABINET: by Dylan Kistler and Ellie Carter
Sen. Jeff Sessions - Attorney Genreral Heading the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Attorney General is responsible for both providing legal counsel for the President as well as having accountability for the various organizations that fall under the DOJ—most notably the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Attorney General also supervises other U.S. attorneys and marshalls and head federal jail institutions. Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions is Trump’s pick for the position. Sessions has served in the Senate for twenty years and served as Alabama’s Attorney General for over a decade. His nomination has faced much scrutiny after critics have pointed out he was denied confirmation by the U.S. Senate once already in 1986—President Reagan sought to appoint him a federal judgeship, but based on accusations of racist comments made by Sessions, he was not granted the position. Sessions was also the first U.S. Senator to publicly back Trump and has worked closely with his team throughout Trump’s campaign. In Sessions’ Senate confirmation hearing on January 10, he reassured the Senate that he would enforce laws that he may not agree with. He also broke away from Trump on two key issues—the Muslim registry ban (saying “I... do not support the idea that Muslims as a religious ground should be denied admission to the United States”) and using enhanced interrogation methods.
Reince Priebus - Chief of Staff The position of Chief of Staff, despite not technically being a cabinet member and not requiring Senate confirmation, is one of the most powerful officials in the Executive Branch. The main responsibility of the position is to manage all West Wing staff— from senior advisors down to their own aides and assistant—as well as acting as the President’s primary advisor on a wide range of issues. The Chief of Staff also acts as a gatekeeper to the President, often controlling who or what they deal with personally and what gets turfed to other offices in the White House. Reince Priebus, who was the longest serving chairman of the Republican National Committee, is Trump’s choice to fill this slot. Priebus famously led the Republican party in an “autopsy” to search for where the party went wrong in 2012.
Govenor Nikki R. Haley -U.N Ambassador The position of U.S. representative to the United Nations (UN)—often called the “perm rep”—advocates for U.S. interests among the 193 other participating nations. The U.S. representative also acts as a bridge between the U.S. State Department and the UN, which meets in five different committees and was founded in the wake of World War II. Trump’s pick to fill the position currently held by Samantha Powers is South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. She is the first Indian-American governor and the first woman governor of her state, and in recent years has risen to a prominent position in the Republican party—first coming to the public’s attention in 2015 after calling for the removal of the Confederate flag from the state’s capital after the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting. Soon after, she delivered her party’s response to the January 2016 State of the Union Address, where she criticized Trump for contributing to “irresponsible talk” and for not more firmly disavowing support from white supremacists. In Haley’s Senate confirmation hearing on January 18, she echoed Trump’s concerns about the alignment of the U.S. and the UN in terms of interests, but also pledged to fight for American values internationally, commenting that the U.S. “has always been the moral compass of the world.”
Changes at the Helm Disclaimer: these short biographies on the cabinet nominations of the President are intended to inform our readers. They are not meant to endorse nor denounce any specific nominee.
Rick Perry - Department of Energy The Department of Energy (DOE), founded in 1977, is responsible for overseeing the innovation, environmental interests, and security capabilities of the nation’s energy resources. With a budget of over $27 billion, the DOE chooses how to allocate massive funds to some or all of: clean energy research, nuclear research, nuclear defense programs (which accounted for 65% of the budget in 2016), and other energy sectors. During the Obama administration, a Nobel laureate in physics and a physicist that worked in negotiating the Iran nuclear deal served as the department’s leaders. President Trump has tapped Rick Perry for the position, who in 2015 retired from a governorship that was the longest in Texas history. During his time as governor, Perry notably increased oil production in the state and denied the effects of man made climate change. Liberals have cited these facts as issues with his confirmation. However, Perry also made Texas the leading producer of wind energy in the country while supporting it throughout his 14 years as governor. Perry has notable ties to the DOE from his 2012 presidential campaign trail, when he forgot the name of the department he is now slated to run despite then calling for its elimination.
Dan Coats - National Intelligence The position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) was first created in 2005 and acts as the head of the US intelligence community, ensuring that the sixteen intelligence departments (including the CIA, NSA, and FBI) function smoothly together. The DNI also provides the President with “timely and objective” intelligence, from military, foreign and domestic standpoints, and sets the budget for national intelligence programs. Trump has nominated former Indiana Senator Dan Coats for the position, who has served in Congress for a total of sixteen years and acted as the US ambassador to Germany in the early 2000s. Coats, who is generally respected across partisan lines, is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and pushed for harsh sanctions on Russia after their annexation of Crimea.
Wilbur Ross - Commerce One of President Trump’s most frequent promises to the American people was that his experience in global commerce would enable him to win trade wars with competing nations and to force companies to move factories back to the U.S. through the use of tariffs. The Department of Commerce will be critical in the execution of these goals, as it leads federal efforts to create jobs, negotiate favorable international trade terms, and integrate new technologies into the nation’s economy. Wilbur Ross has been selected to lead the department, to which he brings a broad understanding of the coal and steel industries and has a notable record for having recently switched party lines to ally with the GOP (the party whose administration he has been appointed to). Labor unions representing blue-collar workers are divided on Ross. He has at times saved domestic factories, yet in other instances permitted the exodus of over 2700 jobs. Furthermore, while Ross has pledged to restructure the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico as soon as possible, he has also voiced support for the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership and said during his Senate hearing that he was certainly “not anti-trade.” Ross further aimed for centrism in his hearing, when he struck an aggressive tone on combating countries that bully the U.S. with “malicious” trade deals, but quickly added that he understood the dangers of tariffs such as those that dramatically diminished world trade in the 1930s.
Rex Tillerson - State The Secretary of State, often viewed as the most vital member of a President’s cabinet, is the chief advisor to the President on matters of foreign affairs. In addition to providing information regarding international politics, they also carry out the administration’s policies in the State department and play a major role in the conducting of international negotiations. Rex Tillerson, former Exxon Mobil Chairman and CEO, has been tapped by Trump for the senior cabinet position. Tillerson’s only job experience has been with Exxon, starting in 1975 after receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in civil engineering. Tillerson’s confirmation hearing on January 11 was marked by tension from within President Trump’s own party. GOP Senator Marco Rubio, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign for President in 2016, grilled Tillerson on foreign policy during the hearing, and expressed that Tillerson’s answers were not satisfactory. Rubio noted that Tillerson’s view that the US should interact internationally with “moral clarity” were pleasing to him, but said “we can’t achieve moral clarity with rhetorical ambiguity... if confirmed by the Senate... you’re going to have to label countries and individuals all the time.”
Scott Pruitt - Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shoulders the responsibility of working on legislation to preserve the health of Americans and the natural world. Furthermore, the agency creates regulations on resource use and business in order to achieve environmental goals. Scott Pruitt, Trump’s pick for the head of the EPA, is a choice accompanied by a complex background as Oklahoma’s attorney general. Pruitt said earlier this year that global warming is an issue “disagreed upon by scientists” in regards to its extent and connection to human activity. These sentiments, combined with the President’s recent comment labeling global warming as a concept “being created by and for the Chinese to make U.S. manufacturing uncompetitive,” would suggest that Pruitt is likely to dial back what some consider to be overreaching regulations by the EPA. However, Pruitt’s past is not black and white: on multiple occasions while serving as Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt supported regulating the pollution entering nearby waterways and guaranteeing Native Americans their historic access to local waterways. Still, the administration’s connections to the coal and oil industries suggest that Pruitt will likely diminish the influence of the EPA to ease regulations on business.
Steve Mnuchin - Treasury
The role of the Treasury Secretary is to both make and recommend economic policy on a domestic and international scale; this includes managing public debt, collecting revenue for the government, managing the national banking system, and helping pay obligatory fees. Trump has tapped OneWest Bank Chairman Steve Mnuchin to fill this position, after Mnuchin served as Trump’s campaign finance chairman. Mnuchin has contributed to candidates from both parties in the past. He has stated that tax reform will be his top priority coming into the West Wing. Mnuchin’s hearing was clouded by his previous role in the 2008 financial crisis, when he was named the “foreclosure king,” after his bank OneWest foreclosed on over 32,000 homes. His confirmation is currently being held up by a boycottt from the Democratic members of the Senate Finance Committe.
Tom Price - Health and Human Services The Republican party—poised to control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives—has made clear that reforming the 2010 Affordable Care Act will be a top priority to combat rising insurance premiums and associated healthcare taxes. Georgia Congressman Tom Price is Trump’s selection to head the Department of Health and Human Services, which contributes to healthcare policymaking and oversees 11 smaller agencies including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Administration for Children and Families (ACF). Price aligns well with the prevailing feelings among his party constituents and brings along a track record as a longstanding critic of the Affordable Care Act. Price’s experience is rounded out by his time as state senator serving on the congressional committees for Health and Human Services, Consumer Affairs and Education. While some members of Trump’s cabinet have been questioned over their expertice in the department they will be running, Price’s relevant experience cannot be denied. In his ethics review, however, it was revealed he had profitied from stocks he bought in companies who benefitted from policies he pushed in Congress. Democrats are currently boycotting his hearing until they feel they have better answers about his financial dealings.
Social Media The explosion in social media platforms has drastically changed the way we communicate and some scientists argue, how we think. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, some researchers have suggested that online social networking can cause or exacerbate symptoms of depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. However, because of the newness of social media, the effect on mental health is unclear and controversial. In recognition of January as Mental Health Awareness month, Rogue News has devised an experiment to learn how social media effects the mental health of teenagers in the 21st century. Two writers experimented with social media, with one brave writer abstaining from all social media for a week while the other learned how to navigate social media for the first time.
@umamcguire
photo courtest of Taylor Hanks
If you were my mom you would call me an addict. If you were like most teenagers my age you would say that I’m an average internet user, since prior to one month ago, I was still using an iPad mini to navigate the online space. I joined my first social media platform, Instagram, in October of 2012, after the era of Myspace, before the years of musical. ly. Since then, I’ve signed up for Snapchat, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and for a regretful amount of time, Vine. Tweet, post, like, reblog, add to story: I do it all. Because of my dependence, I had no idea what to do when I was forced to cut all of it out. I had a plan:
no social media for one week, a writing pad to note all of my babble. After deleting social media, only 5 apps remained on my phone. Social media is something that I indulge in, not just because as a teenager I feel obligated to, but because I find a comfort and joy in it. I love taking the picture that is edited just enough to look satisfactory on my feed. For those who don’t know, the feed is the grid of pictures on your Instagram profile, it’s stupid, inconsequential and holds no meanng yet I will avoid posting a picture if I know that it won’t tie into the “color palette.” The impulse to be “good” at social media, is usually my aspiration like some people will have a better image in their mind when they think of me. Despite what my mom thinks, I am conscious of how much time is wasted away on my little screen. Whether it’s the small pull in my gut telling me to turn off my phone and do the numerous amount of things that lay undone on my “Things I Want To Do” list, or the temptation to see if I’ve gotten a snapchat or text when I am away from it. At the beginning of my 1 week vacation off social media I immediately texted a good friend to keep my snapchat streaks up. The first few days were eye opening, I knew just after
that short amount of time that social media for me isn’t just a casual hobby. I found that if I didn’t have my social media apps to go to I would just find a way to supplement my time with apps like Mario Run (I got to level 20 during the week) or watching an unhealthy amount of Netflix. I soon recognized that sometimes, I’d rather stay in bed looking at nothing on my phone than actually do something with my life. In those instances, where I would be at my house for long periods of time, I would start to feel disconnected, forgotten, and somehow out of the loop. 2 weeks ago I was at a friend’s house with a few other people and as per usual there were moments that everyone went on their phones and I just sat there waiting. It was only a few seconds after that my friends looked up, noticed, laughed, and then went back down to their phones before putting them away. The temptations I felt during this time were numerous including my strange need to snapchat my friends whenever I took a nap. I’m not sure when the habit to inform my friends of such things occurred, but declaring my napping schedule was on the list of things that I missed doing during this period. A sample of things I wrote in my notes include: remind-
M Scattering the Rogue Valley, schools are beginning to embrace the positive effects of yoga and meditation. Here at Ashland High School (AHS), staff have begun to introduce yoga and mindfulness (being aware of oneself) to freshman students on a bi-weekly basis, as part of the required Wellness Class. Yoga classes at schools around the Rogue Valley are led by members of YoMIND, a community organization of volunteer yoga instructors. Libby Edson, the founder of YoMIND, is the main instructor at Ashland High School. Edson is the mother of 3 former Ashland High students. For over 10 years, she has been instructing adolescents in yoga and mindfulness and is now a volunteer at AHS. For YoMIND.com, Edson explains the integration of two mindful activities. “We’re doing an open-circuited meditation as we’re practicing [yoga].” In yoga, one has to be mindful about the location and control of their body parts, as well as their breath. “That type of activity, of bringing your attention back to the breath and paying attention to where you are helps regulate the emotions,” says Edson. “It’s about building a culture at this school where emotions are okay. Becoming emotionally intelligent at this age can impact the quality of the rest of your life.” Edson’s philosophy, as well as that of YoMIND, is all about building strong, healthy minds and bodies at a young age. Practicing mindfulness is one of many effective ways of doing so, and is being used in many places around the world. She also believes firmly in neuroscience, the study of the human brain. Mindful-
ing to tweet about my dad learning a Kendrick Lamar verse, posting a picture from when I went skiing which included a subnote to add a blue hue edit, and that I wish I had Snapchat to document when I dressed my cat Poppy in a flapper outfit. To ease my social media withdrawals, I tried mass texting my friends pictures but eventually gave up on that. Before doing this experiment I believed that not being on social media would free up time to go back to hobbies that I have recently neglected however I found that it was much harder to change my routine in 1 week than expected. As a teenager in the 21st century I expect to be entertained, and constantly provided with weightless information all the time to save me from my inevitable boredom. More than that, I realized that I have an incessant need to share an experience before even I have had the chance to experience it myself. As observed by Henry David Thoreau, more often than not, technology is not controlled by us, rather we are enslaved by technology. Since quitting, I’ve tried to decrease my social media use by hiding the apps deep in folders and turning off notifications. But as time has shown, there is no quick fix for an addict.
A t s h a h t l a e H l a t n e
ness helps to relieve stress and anxiety as soothing neurotransmitters are released into the brain when we “name it to tame it.” This means that even identifying an emotion can help to fix it, whatever ‘it’ happens to be. These neurotransmitters are an aid to help “broaden our vision,” as Edson puts it, letting us focus on things other than the problem that may be the main stressor. This makes us more tolerant, productive, and able to find a more straightforward way out of that problem. CNN’s Deborah Bloom studied the impact of mindfulness and yoga on youth. She observed that the extreme level of stress put on juveniles from home as well as social and school lives can decrease their focus in the classroom, as well as lessen their tolerance and cooperation regarding classwork and peers. The relaxing “Mindful Moment Room” at Baltimore’s Robert W. Coleman Elementary School made a big impact on the focus and overall wellbeing of the students after being sent there for detention. This, the many benefits of mindfulness, is the rea-
by Sequoia Snog
a Experiment
@nicolemullen
photo courtest of Taylor Hanks
I tap repeatedly on the icon, hoping that the more rapidly I press the button, the less anxious and afraid I will feel. A second passes. Then a cheerful message reading “You have successfully created an account!” pops onto my screen. But cheer is not what I feel. I have downloaded my first social media platform, an act that reminds me of countless disturbing stories of aggressive online predators, catfishing, identity theft and the inevitability of falling into an unending black pit of wasted time. Paired with the doctrine preached by many adults about how one uncouth or distasteful post can destroy job opportunities, relationships, my future and my delicate psychological state as a teenager, I felt I was reasonably apprehensive. I have never actively used a social media platform before. At first, it was the admonishments of my parents that prevented me from participating in this new and confusing form of communication, but later it was the fact that I had no time to spare. I would rather sleep than spend time learning how to navigate social media. However, I admit that when I was asked to write this story, I was curious about the world of social media and how it
would affect my mental state. Instagram was the social media platform I used throughout my week of social media use. Instagram is known for displaying pictures of ethereal beauty, sunsets, the Kardashians in waist trainers, artful latte designs and the infamous selfie. The selfie is a phenomenon that is especially puzzling to me. A selfie is profound and brave act of self-confidence that puts your physical self in the public realm for the sole purpose of judgement. When a selfie appears in a social media feed, the viewer is quite literally asked to rate the photo based on physical criteria by “liking” it, or refraining from doing so. This act was confusing to me as a new social media user. Why would I want near strangers to rate me, based solely on my physical image? According to the New York Times, who investigated this phenomena, selfies are posted for a variety of reasons including vanity, cultural and social validation, and communication. During my experience with Instagram, I saw upwards of 100 selfies, all of people making oddly inauthentic faces. My first thought was, ‘how did their lips get so big?” It felt fake and disenchanting to see people that I knew nearly unrecognizable because of the filters, edits or frankly unnatural positions. I assume this fervent editing is because with the posting of a selfie, comes the fear of rejection that is quantified by the number of likes a picture receives. The emotional experience of receiving likes or not receiving them is something I experienced acutely with Instagram. When my first picture posted garnered 43 likes, I felt a surprising joy and awe. The likes were direct and instant validation that while I liked the picture, others enjoyed it too. This social validation made me feel con-
nected to these people that enjoyed the same picture that I did. I understood why some people become addicted to the drug-like quality of likes and positive validation. The effect of addiction to likes is so poignant that in 2014, Thailand’s Department of Mental Health issued a warning about young adult addiction to likes, warning that unliked selfies could cause young adults to “loose self-confidence and have a negative attitude toward themselves.” Even as a new social media user, and by no means ‘addicted,’ I felt the disappointment when the likes on my next picture decreased. This roller-coaster of emotion could have a detrimental impact on the thoughts and self-esteem of especially socially vulnerable teenagers. A 2016 study by public health researchers at Brown University showed that negative experiences on Facebook caused young adults to be at a significantly higher risk of depression. I did by no means feel depressed by using social media sites, but I did have a strange feeling of being left outside in the cold. The idealized and curated lives of social media users made my ‘average’ life pale in comparison. Seeing the pictures, posts and comments of others made me feel like exactly what I was in this case, merely one of many “followers” whose only purpose is to like the post, even though the post was never directed toward me. It is like watching a slideshow of a life pass by. Here I am, in my house in a chair watching as images of people experiencing life flow across my screen and it is disappointing that I am not a part of the magnificent adventure posted on social media. I started to question the authenticity of my relationships. It was strange. I felt disconnected from the world while simultaneously,
I was being told by society and tech companies that I am “completely connected” when I use social media. Yet, even after all of this, I will tell you the mind boggling truth; I used social media and I loved it. Everywhere I looked I was attuned to every miniscule part of my life and this aching desire to share it with everyone. I found a flower in my yard and immediately took ten pictures from that many angles with the sole purpose of posting it. Then I saw my cat, and my omelet breakfast, and this new shirt and a pinecone and I thought to myself “Nicole, you must restrain yourself. Everyone does not really need to see your omelet splashed across their feed.” We are the generation of social media. Though our grandparents scoff at this younger generation who is perpetually engulfed in their screens, social media allows a sort of connectivity that can be heartwarming and inclusive. During my social media experiment, I connected with a friend I hadn’t communicated with in almost a year. When I saw the pictures she posted, I felt thankful for the ease with which I can feel near this friend and her experiences, even if she lives a thousand miles away. Still, I sometimes wonder if our grandparent’s complaints have some merit. We are living in a time of such increased speed and interconnectivity, that the need for instant gratification in the form of likes drives our human search for social validation in a way unprecedented by generations before us. Social media is inarguably changing how we interact with people around us. However, because of the newness of social media, it is unclear how this drastic change in interaction will affect the social, emotional, and mental health of the next generations.
hland High Scho ol
gren-McGinnis
son that Libby Edson has committed to spreading mindfulness to schools around the Rogue Valley. In fact, she and Ashland High School’s ASB co-presidents have been brainstorming ways to increase the support for students through mindfulness and yoga. Since the beginning of their campaign, Amelia Zeve and Kate Joss-Bradley have wanted to focus a greater amount of their time and energy on the students’ mental health. “We will definitely be working in Community and maybe with Grizz Academy teachers to implement some activities or check-ins in hopes of focusing more on student emotional wellness,” explains Joss-Bradley. Edson mentioned the same thing, calling the daily activities “mindful moments.” This would involve all stu dents spending a few moments a day being mindful, doing things like a short meditation led over the intercom, or even just a few minutes of complete silence. This is expected to calm the whole school down (including teachers), and create more focused, tranquil surroundings. Currently, AHS’s Yoga Center, room H-38 is fully
equipped with yoga mats, pillows, and blankets, and teachers are free to bring their classes, provided that they are small enough, into the room as they please. Next door in H-39, there is a small collection of books on emotional health and neuroscience that is available to students. Eventually, Edson, Zeve, and Joss-Bradley hope to outfit H-39 to create a more comfortable environment where students can go to “take time for yourself, get information or help, or talk to someone,” according to Joss-Bradley. This space will be called the AHS Wellness Center. “There are still some staffing issues,” states Edson, “but it would be ideal to have the studio open all the time.” Originally, the room was planned to have a staff of students, but due to the current lack of interest, that intent has been postponed. Hopefully there will be more involvement as students learn more about this initiative. According to Edson, it is all part of the grand effort to destigmatize anxiety and depression, among other common mental health issues, and to make sure that students know that they’re not alone,. Edson now offers free yoga sessions during all periods and guided lunchtime meditations on Wednesdays in the gym. In addition, Edson leads meditations for detention and mindfulness sessions for staff in the Yoga Center. For more information about YoMIND, visit YoMIND.com.
Guiding Principals by Kiara Hills In the blur of daily life, very few students stop to ponder exactly how their school is run. This can cause a great deal of confusion for those who are trying to find the right person to talk to about a certain subject. It is important for students to better understand the structures in place at the school and district levels.
Superintendent
Director: John Williams
Suzanne Cusick is the interim Superintendent of the Ashland School District. Her job is to bring about the goals and plans of the School Board and the community. She is also in charge of hiring principals and staff of the district. Cusick’s role also extends to the management of these core employees. It’s her job to make decisions such as whether to add or reduce the staff of the district, to identify and correct problems, and to be the go between person with different people and groups within the district. A superintendent is comparable to the president or CEO of the School District.
Chair: John Westrick
Principals
The principals of the various schools in the Ashland School District all have very different day-to-day issues to address. However, they all have essentially the same job. Their task is to manage the students, go to meetings and to direct their school. Bare explained how some of the hardest choices she has to make regularly include financial choices and organizing funding in which she must prioritize certain groups based on their needs. Other examples are class offerings, decisions on student discipline, scheduling and keeping the student handbook updated. This seemingly simple job turns out to be very challenging and quite diverse.
Ashland High School Erika Bare
Bellview Elementary School Christine McCollom
Ashland Middle School Steve Retzlaff
Helman Elementary School Michelle Cuddeback
John Muir Rebecca Gyarmathy
Walker Elementary School Tiffany Burns
Vice Chair: Eva Skuratowicz
Director: Eric Strong
Ashland School Board The School Board’s main priorities include hiring the Superintendent and setting the goals for the district. This is especially important now since the district is in a search for a new Superintendent for the academic year of 2017-2018. This is due to the fact that Suzanne Cusick will be stepping out of the position after the school year terminates. The School Board also handles the budget of the district, the creation of a vision for their district, setting policies and the creation of the school calendar. It is a difficult job trying to achieve goals and stay within the tight budget of the district. As stated by Eva Skuratowicz, “it’s always a balancing act to make decisions that are in the interests of students, the school district and the community.” The School Board members are elected by the community and the board members are also residents of the school district. All the School Board meetings for the Ashland School District are held at 1175 East Main Street on the second Monday of every month, and the meetings are broadcast on television for the community.
Director: Deneice Covert-Zeve
Willow Wind Debra Schaeffer Pew
photos courtesy of Ashland School District Website
Getting to Know Superintendent Suzanne Cusick by Bella Mannray The Ashland School District is often praised for its robust academic funding, as the district provides the means for structuring a successful education system that fosters opportunities for all students. The “Commander in Chief ” of the school district, so to speak, bears the responsibility for effectual educational instruction, and finance. Dr. Suzanne Cusick serves in this role as the Superintendent of the Ashland School District. Last year, Ashland’s Superintendent of three years, Jay Hummel, resigned, leaving the Ashland School Board to find a new superintendent. Due to the lack of sufficient time, the board made the decision to hire Dr. Suzanne Cusick as interim superintendent for the 2016-2017 school year.She was chosen for her wide background in educational administrative roles, as well as her connection to the Ashland community. In 1981, Cusick, her husband and their four children moved to Ashland from the Bay Area. The couple was looking for a community to raise their children in that valued the arts, contained a university system, and contained a strong K-12 education. Moving to Ashland, Cusick claims, was a decision she and her family never regretted. Cusick started off working as a music teacher at Lincoln Elementary, as she is an avid pianist, and studied music in college. Later on, she moved to Ashland Middle School where she worked as a music teacher. In the early 90s, after her children had graduated from Ashland High School, an opportunity arose for her to become the principal at Hillsboro High School, and then the assistant superintendent of the Hillsboro district. After a few years, Cusick moved to Longview Washington to take a position as Superintendent which she held for 6 years, choosing to retire afterwards. Last year, Cusick and her husband were living in Portland, when she heard about the interim position in Ashland. After being asked by
individuals of the Ashland community if she would be interested in moving back to Ashland for a year, Cusick decided to accept. The Ashland School Board felt an interim was necessary for the school year due to the timing of the resignation and rigorous position hunt required to adequately fill the position. As Cusick explains, “It is very difficult to find superintendents. Ashland is such a unique community that you really want to find a good match. Not only do you want them to know curriculum, instruction and finance and basically how to run a big business, but you also have to understand the uniqueness of Ashland and its community, which we absolutely love- but not everybody would understand it if you haven’t lived here.” Currently, the board has opened the search for a permanent superintendent, in which Cusick assists by, en-
photo by Zelda Baldwin
gaging in the screening process. However, she states, at the end of the day, the decision is up to the Ashland School Board. The position of Superintendent encompasses an abundance of responsibilities that require careful attention and upkeep. Cusick explains that safety is among top priorities of all superintendents. “If students don’t feel safe, they can’t learn,” states Cusick. She strives to make all Ashland schools safe both emotionally and physically. She has stressed the importance of upholding sexual harassment and cyberbullying policies, and promptly investigating allegations. In terms of education, Cusick’s role entails hiring teachers passionate for education and learning, and working with them to create strong curricula. Another duty of the superintendent that is often overlooked is the upkeep of school infrastructure. She is currently working on a bond that will be voted on in 2018 regarding the improvements and upkeep of educational buildings throughout Ashland. Building strong community partnerships is also an element Cusick feels is critical to the job. She currently sits on the Chamber of Commerce board, and has reached out to important leaders in the community for educational support including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival executive director, the Ashland Police Chief, and the Mayor of Ashland. Due to her small stay as the superintendent, she stresses that her top goal for the position is to keep the school district as stable as possible. This goal is vital because she feels it allows a new superintendent to swiftly move forward on their own plans of action. Cusick’s experience as a teacher, administrator and mother has the widened her lens on the position as her overall philosophy for the job is to have compassion for all kids in the district and ensure that each student has a wonderful experience in the Ashland School District.
A NEW GRIZZ
Was making the Grizz Pageant inclusive the right choice? Each spring, 8 Ashland High School boys have danced, sung, and given everything they had to in an attempt to raise money for charity and win the Mr. Grizz pageant. This year, a new rule that makes the formerly all-male pageant open to all genders has opened up a debate about whether the call is a good step toward inclusivity or a mistep in the fight for equality.
Changing Grizz is a Step Foward
“Grizz” is Not the Only Option
by Izzy Nicolier
by Amani Mussell
Things are changing. In this new age of equal opportunity, traditions are being broken and beliefs shifted. It is only natural that traditions such as school dances and other school gatherings are being modernized. The Grizz Pageant is just one of these school gatherings that are being modernized. The Grizz Pageant is an Ashland High School (AHS) fundraiser for the Asante Children’s Miracle Network. Previously, the Grizz Pageant had been a malegendered comedic event. However, the new adjustments to the contest that are being implemented this year stipulate that there will be no gender regulations to participate. Although the requirements to be a part of The Grizz Pageant have changed, the spirit of the comedic event endures. AHS is one of the most progressive high schools in the country, as demonstrated by the all-gender inclusive royal court at school dances. Every time a change occurres, like the adaptations for the school dances, there is always a portion of people who resent the new developments. Some diagree with the changes recent because they break the tradition of the original Mr. Grizz Pagent, but AHS Student Leadersip decided that the modifications to Mr. Grizz should be made to prevent the exclusion people based on gender for a school and community supported event. People who are against the new Grizz Pageant may say that there is no reason for the update because if girls are allowed to participate, the fundraiser will turn into a beauty pageant. Others argue that only the most popular girl would be able to win, which will take away the humor of the event. These people need be reminded that there are judges in place that eliminate the potential bias of peer judge’s votes. As far as the concern that the Grizz pageant will turn into a beauty contest, the participants are being judged on comedic and creative elements, not image. These revisions are fitting for the ever changing times. Another reason for modifications to the Grizz Pageant are the lack of motivation the participants tend to have. Amelia Zeve, co-president of the Ashland High student body, said “ We usually only have two or three boys doing Mr. Grizz who are actually motivated.” She continued on saying that Leadership will have to put in the work for the other participants who do not raise money or create scenes for the performance. It is unfair and unrealistic for Leadership to put in extensive work to create entertaining content for the Grizz pagent and allow an unmotivated participant to take the credit. In light of the demand for participants who will contribute their fair share of work for the performance, the Leadership community has included all of the AHS student body in participation for this fun event. These new modifications are for the better. Not only do they allow our school to continue to amaze the country, these modifications are also necessary for the event to continue. Without motivated participants, the ability to effectively fundraise and create an entertaining preformance for the public is hindered. Mr. Grizz turns into a group of boys messing around on stage without a purpose, while the Ashland community pays to watch. Asante Children’s Miracle Network deserves more respect than that. This small change will not affect the running of the program, but it will have a larger impact. The show will still be the same laugh-inducing performance it has always been, with the added benefit that everyone is welcome to join. These progressive steps by Ashland High School will hopefully inspire other high schools to follow in the same direction upwards.
Changing the Ashland High School Mr. Grizz pageant to include all genders is not a necessary action and could potentially take away from the significance and original purpose of the Mr. Grizz pageant. Mr. Grizz was initially created to be satirical towards pageantry and to place men in fun and ridiculous situations. Over time, Mr. Grizz has taken on a mission of creating equality and leveling the playing field. This new decision to make Mr. Grizz genderless may not achieve the equality that is intended. It is important to make the distinction between sex and gender, especially when discussing something like the Grizz Pageant where the lines between the two tend to blur. While sex is a biological distinction that classifies organisms as having the genetic traits distinct to someone of a certain reproductive faculty, gender is a personal identity choice and a societal judgment: how you dress, what you like and how you present yourself. Recently, the Mr. Grizz Pageant included all people of the male gender, regardless of sex. In this way, keeping Mr. Grizz an all-male pageant doesn’t take away from equality because it includes all who identify as a man, which is a progressive ideology and helps show the distinction between sex and gender. Separation of genders has never been the root problem of the inequality between them. There has always been separation of the sexes based on physical ability and other such general traits attributed to them (think men’s and women’s professional sports). We, as a school community, are striving to make men and women equal and increase inclusivity, which means removing the idea that your gender should match your sex. Since gender has nothing to do with genetics, separation based on genetic disposition would be discriminatory. However, allowing a satirical male pageant executed in a way that balances the genders in importance and power structures demonstrates that separation does not take away from equality. Balance is very important in the modern world; having all parties represented is essential. The pageant scale has always tipped toward women. Having an all-male pageant tips it back toward men a bit. It helps balance out those scales, and equality between male and female genders means better understanding and equality for all other genders as well. There is a reason people find humor and great enjoyment in Grizz being all male: because it is unexpected, amusing and it shows young men expressing themselves in a way that is far from conventional. If young men can channel more feminine, or not traditionally masculine, aspects of their being, then they are demonstrating that anyone can construct freedom for themselves and express unconventional features of their actuality. The male in Mr. Grizz has nothing to do with sex, but with gender. Where we stand in the modern world, separating people from other people of the same gender based on the sex one was born with is a colossal, disastrous error. Keeping Mr. Grizz all male would not be a discriminatory action, but simply an alternative way to create equality and to break down gender norms. There is more than one way to go about changing the inequality that exists between genders, but for the time being Mr. Grizz does quite well.
artwork by Frida Graumann
Sadie Hawkins by Ana Ferguson
Ashland High School (AHS) offers many dances every year that vary in theme and venue. Students at AHS are able to enjoy the traditional homecoming, winter formal, and prom, and the non-traditional gender-bender dance. In most dances the boy asks the girl to the event, yet a Sadie Hawkins event would add another non-tradition opportunity to the mix. This chance at role-reversal is intriguing to some, yet disconcerting to others The Sadie Hawkins dance was inspired by a character in a comic strip that ran in the 1930s. In the comic, Sadie was considered to be an undesirable spinster. The men of the town where she lived decided that she was plain and unmarriageable. Sadie’s distraught father took matters into
his own hands, and in an attempt to help his daughter, he created a” Sadie Hawkins Day.” The rules of this event, a sort of twisted version of The Bachelorette, were that the men of the town would participate in a race for Sadie’s affection. During the event Sadie would chase after the racing men, and whoever she caught was deemed her husband. After the comic was published, Sadie Hawkins fever hit the nation. Struck with “inspiration” hundreds of universities and high schools created dances based off of the premise of the comic. Eager women were enthralled with this opportunity where they could finally ask a man to the dance. Although this event was considered socially acceptable in the 1930s, is it really still relevant in 2016? In the past
hundred years’ gender roles have been examined and revised. The idea that women need a special opportunity to ask out men seems archaic and politically incorrect. Some argue that the Sadie Hawkins dance gives women incentive to ask out men. Despite the time period we live in, it is predominantly the men who initiate relationships. The Sadie Hawkins dance might give women the chance to act on their feelings without a sense of taboo. This is true, yet it seems counterintuitive to design one day a year where women are allowed to experience this side of equality with men.
artwork by Lillian Witnauer
Winter Formal by Gemma Coster Some say it is nature at her best. Others say the epic collision of electrons, atoms, and molecules in the Earth’s ionosphere creates a sight that is unforgettable. Whether you have experienced the dazzling view yourself or have heard about this wonderful light show, it is undoubtedly a no-brainer for the inspiration behind Ashland High School’s (AHS) 2017 Winter Formal. On Saturday February 4th, the National Honor Society of AHS is back again to host the annual Winter Formal dance. Situated in the Rogue River Room at Southern Oregon University, it promptly begins at 8:00p.m. and extends to 11:00p.m. Carson
Barry, one of the chief officers in the National Honor Society, hopes that it will be a “good dance” with a blast all around. The party will have the usual suspects of music, dancing, and a mass of students; but there will also be a couple roadside attractions that will hopefully garner more students. There will be an aurora borealis themed photo booth as well as a face painting station that is open to anyone who wishes to dive into the spirit of the party. Barry, along with her National Honor Society members desires to “make the setting really nice and elegant”, with the intention of reflecting the beauty of the aurora borealis into the backdrop.
Winter Formal is usually very well attended, but every year one of the main goals of the National Honor Society is to have more students participate in the festivities. Barry is up to the challenge and hopes to accomplish this by “trying to have student input on the playlist”. While the dance is one of the most popular attractions of the school year, there are always quite a few of the school population who have hesitations about going. To all those of you who have reservations: if the sound of music, the allure of the aurora borealis, or the company of friends won’t get you out of the house… then at least come for a beneficial cause. All the
Design Board
Editors-in-Chief...............................................Lili Smith, Karl Moeglein, Lucas Searcy, Frankie Mora, Zaida LaRose, Maisie Roberson Front................................................................Sophia Wiencek Music Scoop.........................................................Nicole Sagal Random Student Feature...................................Lily Annen Cabinet...........................................Aaron Yan, Garrick Kosct Social Media/Mental Health..........................Taylor Hanks Super Intendent Feature.............................Madison Fung Grizz................................................................Frida Graumann Winter Formal/Sadie Hawkins................Lillian Witnauer, Gabby Ogier Sports/Kip’s Quips............................................Dawson Abel Back.............................................................................Raisa Rich
proceeds from the dance will be donated through AHS to promote educational services at the high school and in the community. So if you still have any uncertainties about going, cast them aside for the sake of a good cause if not for your own pleasure. The Northern Lights will conceivably never go out of style, however the same cannot be said of school dances. Therefore, it is best to make the most out of each and every party. As you dance among the lights, keep in mind the inspirational beauty behind this magical time.
artwork by Kip Parowski
by Ivy Amann
Snow Sports
Basketball
This year, a strange thing has happened on both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams: the girls’ team has no seniors, whereas the boys’ team has eight seniors and only three juniors. Rogue News wanted to find out how this affected the dynamics and goals of each team. Freshman varsity player Mikayla Titus said that there is an opportunity for her and her teammates to take on leading roles since the team lacks upperclassmen. In comphotos by Ian Rinefort parison, senior varsity player Tucker Atteberry explained how his team has a stronger team dynamic from all the years of playing together. Jake Hansen, also a senior on boys’ varsity, agreed that the chemistry within the team is strong and helps bring them together. Atteberry’s goal for the season, an aspiration that seems to be shared with the rest of his teammates, is to host a home playoff game. Atteberry said that patience is the most important lesson he has learned from being a part of this team. Hansen added that something he will take with him past high school is a lesson he learned from his coach, Sam Osofsky. He said, “life is all about relationships.” Both teams are anxious about how next year will turn out, but they know that whatever happens, they will always have great memories from their time on Ashland High School’s basketball teams.
by Ana Ferguson While Ashland High School (AHS) transitions into its second semester, many athletically inclined students bundle up and prepare to hit the slopes of Mt. Ashland. Mt. Ashland is a hub for the students who choose to partake in various winter sports including snowboarding and Alpine or Nordic skiing. Tourists flock to Ashland in the winter to enjoy the natural beauty of the snow-capped mountains. Unfortunately, for the past two years, a lack of snow has impeded AHS’s winning streak in the winter competitions. This year, however, the athletes are lucky enough to be able to practice their sport under good conditions. The deluge of snow that hit Mt. Ashland and the Rogue Valley this winter gives the AHS students a great advantage in their upcoming events. AHS junior Haley Mullane is excited to enter her third year on the AHS snowboarding team. She’s observed that the amount of snow this year has helped her ability to prepare for future meets, but she also affirms that there’s an incredible amount of talent on the snowboarding team. Mullane is confident that the batch of girls on the team are proficient and notes that “this year there are a lot of professional girls on the team,” who will hopefully dominate their upcoming competitions. The ski team agrees that the amount of snow on the mountain has created a positive impact on the teams’ practices. It is sophomore Mina DeVore’s second year on the AHS ski team, yet she has skied for most of her life. Although there was snow on the mountain last year, DeVore acknowledged that the patchy amount of snow on the mountain was less favorable than the abundance of snow currently. “The light, almost fluffy snow is a lot easier to practice and compete on than the typical icy conditions,” DeVore stated. Combined, the winter sports teams seem to be off to a great start this year, and the massive snowstorm that closed AHS for multiple days has opened up new possibilities for both skiers and snowboarders.
Noodle-Scope by Lucas Searcy
artwork by Nicole Sagal
Rotini: Your life tends to turn a full 360 degrees in the matter of minutes. You are flexible and adapt to life’s many challenges. Your adaptability shows those around you that you are an easy person to get reliable information from. Be sure to share your experiences in order to help others achieve.
Udon: You are very organized, always sticking to clean cut schedules and todo lists. You complete tasks one thing at a time. Check. You have a daily routine that you follow to the dot and it works on most days, but complications will occur so be prepared for them. Life isn’t always one thing at a time, try as you might to make it so.
Spaghetti: You like having step by step instructions to ease your way through life, like having a gamer’s guide while playing a video game. You would rather have all the answers than face a challenge. This will limit your imagination and creativity from developing an idea past its most basic stages.
Yakisoba: You are a good choice for a lot of friendships. You flow through many friend groups and often stand with your own personal opinions. Self-expression and advocation is rare these days, and you should be recognized for your bravery. The average Joe won’t have the courage that you do, so inspire them to be brave.
Elbow (Macaroni): You like to live life on the edge, with a close companion (cheese). Crazy adventures await at every turning point in your life creating unforgettable moments and memories. Go into these adventures with caution, but continue to allow yourself to act freely.
Bowties: Professionalism is your forte. You are always looking sharp and working hard. You work a lot and don’t allow yourself the time to relax, for business and profits wait for no one. Take a vacation and relax a little. Breathe deeply before your next meeting or presentation.
Fettuccine: Similar to spaghetti, you enjoy a nice, straight path to your destination. You take the main roads to work or school, not letting yourself get lost in the crazy world around you. Take a premature left on your venture to your next destination and see what life has in store for you; you could
Ramen: All noodles are simply food. You need to eat and fast. You have a lot of commitments and events that take up your time, so you don’t sit down and have a full, real meal. Free up your time and go out to get coffee, or a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant. Spoil yourself; you deserve a break.
Rice noodles: You are rebellious against normalcies. You love the fact that different is good. Since you’re made up of different ingredients you will bring an unpredictable experience to your interactions. Don’t let your own experiences and beliefs invalidate others, instead, welcome them.
Shaped: You are spontaneous. You buy new things without even looking at the price tag because they look good. Rethinking plans isn’t something you normally do. Try to be more patient with things so you don’t run yourself into the ground by accident. Clear and precise plans will help you reach your destination more quickly.
Penne: You love the simplicity of life. Things usually fall into place when they come your way. You have a lot of patience and tend wait for success to find its way to you. Get up! Go out and see the world’s adventures that you are missing. Mix yourself into messy situations and sort them out to learn different routes in life.
Shells: You bottle up your emotions and rarely open up to others. You treat solidarity as if it’s worth more than solid gold. Break down your emotions and find their sources to work out problems and let them resolve themselves. Critically think about your past actions and analyze them to predict future ones.