Source Stoney Creek High School 575 East Tienken Road Rochester, MI 48307
Volume 12, Issue 6
March 31, 2015
Repressed. Rochester High School’s student newspaper under prior review. pg. 6-7
Editors:
Staff
Web and Breaking News: Julia Clay School: Rachel Tudor and Matt Schmucker Lifestyles: Mila Murray Sports: Alex Hadd Opinion: Simon Sun Social Media: Bailey Compton Entertainment: Spencer Kopp
Photographers: Jordan Sickon Rachel Elphick Megan Sennett
The Current:
Editor: Jennifer Pafford Announcer: Rebecca DeBucce Announcer: Alex Hadd Announcements Manager: Giancarlo Canu
Columnists:
Business Staff:
Staff Writers:
Advisor:
Claire Mechler Anna Stabnick
Stephanie Seneker Emma Persson Kaitlyn Reyff Dan D’Onofrio
14
Censored
Rochester Highschool student newspaper faces new scrutiny
Maveric Guitar Annie Knoblauch
Gayle Martin
Editorial Policy: We, the Stoney Creek Source staff, produce this publication to accomplish the following goals: The Source will serve as a means of communication between students, teachers and members of the community. We will respect all opinions and present them in an unbiased manner. The Source will inform and entertain readers and address trends and issues important to its audience. Although we are a student publication, produced by Advanced Multimedia Communications class, we will strive to make the Source accurate and truthful to adhere to all standards of professional journalism. We recognize and respect the privileges given to us under the First Amendment, including the freedom of speech and of the press. The Source is a forum of student expression and we, the staff have the editorial authority to make our own content decisions. We will provide a sounding board for the student and the community; therefore the opinions expressed in by-lines opinion articles and letters should not be considered to be the opinion of the entire newspaper staff, the advisor and the school administration, or the student body as a whole.
5
To all the Lady Cougars
The definition of feminism changes with the times
10
Spring Break
How many things can you think of to do on a plane?
February Issue At A Glance 2 - Contents 3 - Info-fun 4 - Q&A: Conner Stormer 5 - Peer Mentoring 6 - 7 Prior Review
8 - 9 Feminism 10 - 11 March is Reading Month 12 - 13 Spring Break 14 - Pro/Con: Open Carry Laws 15 - Staff Editorial
Find us online at www.scsourceonline.com Follow us on Twitter @scssourceonline Follow us on Insta @scssourceonline2014 Letter Policy: Letters to the editor, guest articles, and art may be submitted to Mrs. Gayle Martin in Room C285. All letters, articles, and art must be signed. Names can be withheld upon request.
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Cover by Bailey Compton
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FEBRUARY 30, 2015
CONTENTS
Info-fun TOP Reasons to TEN love spring
The world seemingly blew up over the color of a dress. Whether you see gold n’ white or black n’ blue, we can all agree that there are more pressing matters:
10. No more snow 9. Longer days 8. Sunny skies 7. Driving with the
STUDENT VS. CELEBRITY Sophomore Colie Fleming June 22, 1999
“Teenagers aren’t dumb, we’re just stupid.”
CATEGORY
Ian Fleming
Birthdate
May 28, 1908
“Her Instagram captions are cooler than I am.”
Rochester Hills, MI
Hometown
London
Todd
Father’s Name
Valentine
Fantastic sense of humor
Most Famous For
“James Bond” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
Aeronautical Engineer
Dream Job
windows down
Author
Information provided by Colie Fleming and ianfleming.com
5. Easter candy
TAKING AIM: Ways for Google to control the Moon
4. Spring sports
No t
3. Dairy Queen is open
de c e n t Pretty
Wifi Singing the National anthem
m Al
Fisticuffs: fist fight Balderdash: nonsense
Bumfuzzle: to confuse or fluster
r pe
m oo n c o n t r
ro
ol
Fly Fishing
l Gravity Dancing
“I was no match for his tickling.”
Doodle jump
A whole lot of dental floss Kevin Bacon
NSA Water Canons
Memes Roast it. (like a marshmallow)
Tides Ask nicely
“Life didn’t give me lemons. Life chucked them at me.” “Would a barn made out of bricks just be a weird mansion?”
Blackmail
Cattywampus: crooked or messed up Curglaff: the shock felt in bathing when one first plunges into the cold water
os
m p le t e c on t t co
Spoons
Voodoo
Words to Bring Back
Satellites
Telekinesis
Su
1. Spring Break
m u c h c on t r o l
CIA
“I better not look like a Cheeto during spring break.” “Your weekend was more adult than my weekend as a teacher.”
6. Going barefoot
2. Boat shoes season
OVERHEARD IN THE HALLS
The Who’s Who
Secret Service
“I can’t even drive. How am I supposed to graduate?” “I need Mrs. Tigue’s vaseline.” “Tater tots comfort me.”
Numbles: animal intestines and internal organs
INFOFUN
MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 3
QA &
with...
CONNER STORMER
A suitcase, a plane ticket and the big city. Senior Conner Stormer, with the help of his minimalist mindset and an award-winning photography piece, has the opportunity to revisit New York City from June 10 to 12 for the National Scholastics Art and Writing Awards. “I went to New York over the summer and when we took this boat ride planes kept flying over our heads. Everyone on the boat looked up and started to take pictures of the planes but I was more interested in the ground,” Stormer said. “It was all rusted and worn looking so I started taking pictures. One of the pictures ended up winning a scholastics award.” The scholastic winner will be accepting a gold medal for his photography piece alongside other qualified classmates receiving their own awards. I was lucky enough to sit down with one of the many scholastic winners that grace our hallways this year. Not only did he share tidbits on imagination and inspiration, but also the thought process behind his award-winning pieces.
Senior Scholastic winner takes home the gold Q: What form of art have you had the most success in or do you enjoy the most? A: Transportation design, which is designing cars rather than engineering which most people think of, and photography too. Q: What or who got you started in art? A: I kind of just picked up on it. No one really told me to do it, I just started drawing and liked it! Q: Who is your role model or inspiration? A: I would have to say Syd Mead. He’s an older car designer who made a lot of changes and set a lot of stages for future designers. Q: How long do your projects take you on average? A: It depends on the project. For photography the process is pretty quick because I do it all digitally. That’s part of the cool thing about photography is that you can snap a quick picture and have instant gratification. Actually designing a car for transportation design and creating a model can take two months. Q: Where do you get your inspiration or creativity for your pieces? A: Just around me. I try to see things that other people would normally overlook. I like to do minimalist, specifically with my photography, and focus on simple things. Q: Do you ever run out of ideas? And if so how do you get back on track? A: I mean, it can be hard to come up with new designs and ideas but if you just keep sketching something will eventually come out of it! Q: What other things do you like to do when you aren’t working on a project? A: I like to play music, guitar mostly, and I like to skateboard. Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years? A: Designing cars either in Italy for Ferrari or locally for Chrysler. Q: What is your favorite piece you’ve ever done? A: I think I have two favorites. The first is my photography piece that I took at a skate park in Detroit, I caught a guy in midair with an old and abandoned background. The second is probably a car I’m designing right now, so I hope it turns out! (Interview by Jordan Sickon)
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SCHOOL
“I love this class so much it’s ridiculous, I don’t even know where to start.” -Senior Kelsey Reynolds
In the Classroom Junior Carlie Arduino works with Sarah Sandelands in Ms. Dodge’s classroom. This semester was Arduino’s first experience with peer mentoring. (photo by Rachel Elphick)
3
Peers helping peers
1
Steps to becoming a Peer Mentor
Talk to a current mentor
Peer mentors share personal experiences in the CI classroom by Anna Stabnick
M
ath: check. Science: check. Classes to cover remaining required high school credits: check. Scheduling for senior year can be stressful. Students must make sure they will get enough credits while still being able to take classes that explore their specific interests and possibly get them interested in a career path. Without anticipating it, senior Kelsey Reynolds was able to do just that. “Originally, I didn’t know what it was going to be to be honest,” Reynolds said. “I was doing freshman mentoring for the incoming freshmen so when I saw Peer Mentoring I thought it was just like another student mentoring thing.” She talked to her counselor and signed up for the unique class. Reynolds had no idea what exactly she was going to be doing, but she knew she wanted to help people, making peer mentoring a perfect fit for her. “It was a pleasant surprise,” Reynolds said. “This is now the class that I look forward to everyday. It’s amazing.” According to CI program teacher Sarah Mueller, peer mentoring is a senior class in which students spend an hour of their day in one of the CI classrooms. There they are helping the kids learn as well as learning about cognitive impairments, inclusion, and the disability community and culture through everyday assignments. The student is able to learn a lot by doing and experiencing what they are learning by being a mentor.
SCHOOL
The mentors are constantly “I wanted to help out and I knew doing new things and learning through that I would enjoy working with the kids,” experiences. junior Carlie Arduino said. “I want to go “The key is to just dive in and just do into nursing someday so it’s something i’ve it even if you’re nervous,” Reynolds said. always been interested in.” “Ms. Mueller helped too. She’s awesome.” Only being a junior, Arduino was able Throughout the semester, the to take the class by talking to CI program mentors make bonds and friendships teacher Tarra Dodge who emailed her through helping the students learn and counselor. She is now a peer mentor for grow and being there for them as a friend. Dodge’s classroom along with two other This has created lasting impressions seniors. for everyone involved from the program “It’s so much fun being in this class teachers to the mentors to the students in everyday and getting to know the kids,” the classrooms. Arduino said. “They’re the nicest people I “Throughout the semester I have an know.” overwhelming sense of pride because [the Being such a different type of class, mentors] get it,” Mueller said. “They really starting out was not so easy for new and truly own the idea of inclusion and mentors. treating them just like everyone else, as a “Initially peer mentors have a hard friend. It’s just really great to actually watch time because they are outside of their it all being played out.” comfort zone, and that’s natural,” Mueller The class has had lasting effects on said. mentors as well. Reynolds, who is taking The program teacher recommends the class both semesters her senior year, that students who want to take the class sees it staying with her in the long run. should have an interest in the field as well “I’ve figured out that this is probably as a sense of leadership and initiative and what I want to go into,” Reynolds said. “I are not afraid to try something new. want to go into special education “Going into it was hard and I want to continue working because I didn’t know a lot with these guys even after about mentoring and I graduate. I feel so the best way to do it so blessed to have had communicating was the opportunity to be in difficult at times,” Arduino here and hangout with said. “For us, we use a these guys and I would lot of actions when we recommend people take talk to them to help them this class 110 percent.” understand new things, which was something new -Junior Carlie Arduino for me.”
They can answer any questions you might have and let you know if this is a class you would enjoy. (photo by Rachel Elphick)
2
Make an appointment with a counselor
This is especially important if you are a junior. Ask if the class is a good fit for you and make sure it will fit in your schedule. (photo by Claire Mechler)
3
Don’t be afraid to dive in
“It’s fun to hang
out with them. They’re the nicest people I know”
It’s new and different but according to Arduino and Reynolds, the experience is worth it. (photo by Rachel Elphick)
MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 5
REPRESSED: After controversial photos, stories, RHS Talon put under prior review by Simon Sun, Emma Persson, and Matt Schmucker
O
n Feb. 10, Rochester High School senior Danielle Kullmann walked into her journalism class to find her advisor, English teacher Julia Satterthwaite, crying. “I got a text from our advisor saying I should go to her room,” Kullmann, the editor-in-chief of RHS’s student newspaper The Talon, said. “I went in there and she was crying and trying to hold back tears.” As Kullmann would learn, Satterthwaite had been told that the Talon would be placed under prior review. The decision, made by administration, means that the staff of The Talon must now have all of their content checked and approved by interim principal Neil DeLuca before publication. While Satterthwaite declined to comment, staff members feel this interferes with the class. “It’s kind of been messing up our routine. We’re not getting as much done in class,” senior and staff writer Jessica Leininger said. “It’s just another roadblock. Even when we have the paper done, it’s still taking forever to actually get it published.” The Journalism Education Association (JEA) views prior review as the first step towards censorship. Their website states that “prior review... undermines critical thinking, encourages students to dismiss the role of a free press in society and provides no greater likelihood of increased quality of student media.” DeLuca, however, views the move as a necessary measure. “[The Talon] had two instances of lapses in judgement,” DeLuca said. “We felt it best that we have another set of eyes looking at the paper.” DeLuca and administration made the decision after the January issue of The Talon featured a photo of an 18 year old student smoking a hookah pen. However, troubles began much earlier, in November, with a photo of a banana wrapped in a condom.
Where it all went bananas For the November issue, Leininger chose to write a story about a subject usually brought up to embarrassed giggles-sex education. “It was a topic that was relevant to all students because it is a class that all students are required to take and learn about,” Leininger said. “It’s a touchy subject and we understood that, but it didn’t seem distasteful.” According to Leininger, great care was taken while writing this story. “We knew when we decided to write it that there would be some controversy around it,” Leininger said. “We put so much effort into making sure it was a balanced story and doing so many interviews and putting so much effort into researching it.” The story was accompanied by the photo of the banana. “It wasn’t any one person’s decision to take the photo and put it in the paper,” Leininger said. “After going through our options, the banana photo seemed like a rational choice.” The photo and the story drew a lot of attention, both positive and negative. “We did [get one parent complaint],” Kullmann said. “But at the same time we got a lot of parents who said that it was really good for them; they sat down, had a talk [with their kids] and stuff, and a lot of students too said that it was really good.” According to Kullmann, the complaint was later rescinded. However, it was enough for former principal Charles Rowland to pull the issue from their website. Thereafter, The Talon staff began an uneasy relationship with Rowland, according to Kullmann. No further action was taken, however. Rowland left the school at the end of the semester and was replaced by DeLuca. But The Talon’s troubles did not end there. Hookah, line, and sinker Although recent press coverage
SCHS weighs in The Source conducted an online survey of 171 people in the SCHS community, including students, teachers, and administrators. Respondents self-identified groups.
2 out of 4 administrators surveyed agree that high school students should have the same freedom to exercise their First Amendment rights as do adults.
31 out of 59 staff members surveyed say that high school students should have the same freedom to exercise their First Amendment rights as do adults.
26 out of 29 students surveyed agree that high school students should have the same freedom to exercise their First Amendment rights as do adults.
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MARCH 31, 2015
SCHOOL
focused on the banana photo, DeLuca says that the real culprit was the hookah photo published in January. “The hookah pen picture is violating the code of conduct for Rochester Community schools,” DeLuca said. According to district policy, student publications “may not… advocate violation of the law or school regulations.” Hookah use is illegal in hookah bars for people under 18, and hookah may not be used in public places, according to the Michigan Smoke Free Law. But Kullmann does not believe the newspaper did anything wrong. “[The photo was taken] off school grounds... he was 18,” Kullmann said. “It’s not even illegal for that kid.” DeLuca, however, explains the thought process behind the decision. “Whether you’re an 18-year-old or not, the code of conduct still applies to all students in RCS,” DeLuca said. “Now the [contention] they have is that he wasn’t on school property. Well, it didn’t say that in the article, it didn’t say that anywhere… so we just have to assume that because he’s a student we had to protect him, make sure that people don’t see that he was on school property or not.” Prior review was imposed that February morning. Since then, according to Kullmann, DeLuca has requested the covering-up of an “inappropriate” hand gesture, as well as the removal of an advertisement from a pregnancy center, which Kullman says has been running in all three high schools’ newspapers for several years. Reviewing the situation Regardless of the reasoning behind the decision to impose prior review, recently news media have begun focusing on possible First Amendment violations. The Student Press Law Center and the Oakland Press, for instance, have published articles regarding the situation. Many point to the
26 out of 29 students surveyed agree that student news media should be allowed to report on controversial issues without approval from administrators.
SCHOOL
1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines, in which the Court concluded that “students don’t shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gates.” DeLuca and other administrators, however, point to a different case, namely the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, which concluded that, “even if the government can’t censor such speech outside of school, public schools have the authority to limit that speech.” DeLuca doesn’t wish to go that far, however, stating in an interview with the Adams Kilt that it “isn’t about control.” “My goal is to protect students and make sure they’re making the right decisions,” DeLuca said. “That’s basically it— we’re making a school environment that’s safe for all students to go here.” RCS policy backs DeLuca’s views. “Freedom of speech and of expression in student publications as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is to be observed by the administration and faculty,” the policy reads, but “It is incumbent upon the professional staff to define the limits of responsible journalism and speech.” Kullmann, however, disagrees with these statements. “Prior review can never be justified, no matter how controversial, unless it actually is obscene or libelous or slanderous,” Kullmann said. “Even if it is something controversial that we publish, we, as students, should get the opportunity to deal with it.” Kullmann also points to the fact that The Talon’s editorial policy establishes them as an “open forum.” According the SPLC, open or public forums are granted much more First Amendment freedoms and are essentially exempt from the Hazelwood decision. School officials are only allowed to inhibit forum publications “when they can show the publication will cause a ‘material and substantial disruption’ of school activities.”
Flying on Kullmann and several other students are fighting the prior review, noting that perhaps administration may not grasp the scope of the situation. “They don’t seem to understand the seriousness of it,” Kullmann said. “We really need to figure out a way to like get that across. This is, like, really serious.” The students have already taken steps to talk to administration. “We went to talk to Mr. DeLuca, and he was a lot nicer and not condescending and very open,” Kullmann said. However, trying to reach higher administrators has proven to be a challenge, Kullmann says. She had set up a meeting with Director of Secondary Education Carrie Lawler to discuss the situation, but the appointment was canceled and not rescheduled. Lawler also declined an interview with The Source. DeLuca, however, states that prior review will most likely continue to the end of the year. “I think for the rest of the school year we’re going to be looking at the paper,” DeLuca said. Board of Education president Jennifer Berwick agrees. “Because student journalists are still engaged in the learning process, school administrators and/or advisors provide rational guidance to ensure content is appropriate and not offensive to other students, parents and the community,” Berwick said in an email. Regardless, DeLuca still is incredibly proud of the staff at The Talon, despite the prior review. “I love our Talon newspaper... our spreads are unbelievable, the stories in there are impeccable,” DeLuca said. “Unfortunately this is one instance where there’s a bump, but we’ll get over it.”
1 out of 4 administrators surveyed agree that student news media should be allowed to report on controversial issues without approval from administrators.
MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 7
by Mila Murray
De
by Mila Murray Meninist, an account on twitter advocating male rights with the bio “Go make me a sandwich” ends up on Senior Sydney Watson’s twitter feed often, causing her to shake her head at tweets like “Ever notice it’s human and not huwoman?” “It makes people think of feminism as a joke rather than a movement to create equality for both men and women,” Watson said. Recently, the issue of defining feminism has not only been spreading on Twitter and other social media outlets, but in the celebrity world. On Sept. 20, actress Emma Watson attempted to make some clarification of the subject. She gave a speech to the United Nations emphasizing the idea that feminists are not “man haters” but men and women who want equality for all. Fast forward to Dec. 17 when actress Maisie Williams argued against Emma Watson stating “there are bigger things going on in other countries...there are women in other countries who have it much worse.” And even further down the line, actress Patricia Arquette made a speech at the Oscar’s regarding women’s wage equality. With this topic receiving national attention, the definition is becoming even vaguer. The Evolving Definition
#FeminismInSocialMedia: Students hold up signs of twitter hashtags that play a huge role in the movement. #YesAllWomen and #Meninist show modern contradicting ideas of what people in the movement do. (Photo taken by Mila Murray)
#YesAllWomen
“#YesAllWomen because the media presents men as people but presents women as sexual objects.” -@yesallwomen 8 SOURCE
MARCH 31, 2015
Feminism, originally, is the belief that men and women should be given equal rights and opportunities. But in the words of Women’s Studies Professor Lacey Story who teaches Intro to Women’s and Gender studies at Oakland University, the definition of feminism is becoming even broader than before. Her personal definition isn’t just fighting for equality of women, but fighting for equality of all. “Feminism in the 21st century has really taken a turn and now is looking at all different types of inequality that exists,” Story said. “It’s now looking at gender inequality, like the identity of men, women, and trans members of our community and fighting for people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.” For high school teachers, Feminism is a little more than what it used to be as well. “[Feminism is a] strong understanding of who you are and what you stand for. It’s having a strong belief in yourself,” math teacher Kelsey Knapp said. But for others, feminism remains oriented around the traditional definition. “I think feminism is the idea that women can do and be and represent whatever they want. It’s about total choice,” social studies teacher Channon Washington said. When a few students were asked what feminism was to them, some responded with a negative comment, like Senior Luke Sabo, who is active on social media. “When I think of feminism I think of girls being unfair to men,” he said. Senior Spencer Shaheen, also active, sees it in a similar light.
LIFESTYLES
efining Feminism
With the Feminist movement taking place on the web instead of the streets, this civil rights battle is evolving and becoming more complex than protests and picket signs.
“It is when a female views women as higher than men,” he said. Watson, on the other hand, simply believes that feminism is a confused topic. “A lot of guys think that feminists are trying to promote superiority,” Watson said. “But in actuality it’s meant for equality—every gender deserves equal rights.” The Movement With the growth of online activism, the feminist movement is becoming digitalized. Twitter pages and hashtags referencing feminism—for better or worse—all contribute to the now vague concept. This new, technological wave differs greatly from the other three pre-internet waves of feminism—the fact that it’s being advocated for on the internet rather than on the streets allows for more diverse definitions, according to Story. Activism is a subject spoken a lot about in Story’s class since despite of the time, it has played a very important role in each generations fight. “That was the huge part of feminism and still is,” Story said. “In the ‘70s and ‘80s they didn’t have computers or social media so they participated in activism by physically being present with one another and planning marches and protests. And now you see a ton of stuff happening on Tumblr and all of these blogs regarding the Feminist movement. And there are groups now that are trying to blend both of these aspects.” Lady Parts Justice is an organization that participates on social media and live events. Lizz Winstead, the founder of the site who has worked with Story before, has been a part of the prior feminist movements and therefore wishes to utilize their tactics in a more modern way. According to Story, Lady Parts Justice has a website and social media accounts that display promotional videos featuring famous figures while doing events and protests like traditional feminists. Locally, there are simpler ways people can participate actively in this movement, whether it’s by having a “Cats against Cat Calls” bumper sticker like Watson does or by teaching it to the next generation. “I have been more of an activist as a mother when it comes to feminism than in my own life,” Washington said. The Role of Social Media in Feminism With any movement, organizations form with and against it. Sometimes, parodies and jokes even form. Twitter accounts like Meninst tweet out jokes about the sexist double standards some men feel they experience. “I think [the Meninist twitter account] is really funny,” Shaheen said. “A lot of the stuff they say is really true, like how if a guy says something it’s viewed differently than if a girl were to say it.”
LIFESTYLES
Others say this joke could be potentially offensive “The Meninist twitter is funny—if it is taken as a joke. I don’t think it’s supposed to be taken seriously because it would be pretty offensive if it was,” junior Max Stutz said. According to Story, the Meninist group actually exists and had their National Conference in Detroit this past year. “It’s very disturbing,” Story said. “They feel like feminists have derailed men and have taken away their privilege. It’s not just men in the group either; there are women who say that if a woman gets raped, it’s her fault. These people are continuing to spin what [feminism] really means.” Fighting against Meninist ideals is the #YesAllWomen tag, which displays experiences of women being discriminated against. Sexual harassment, lower wages, and women not being represented well in the business world are topics discussed under the #YesAllWomen tag. But some of these tweets are perceived as radical and aimed negatively towards men featured for example “Men’s purpose on earth is to destroy life on the planet, then set off to somewhere new”, These women are called Radical Feminists, or Rad-Fems. “They attack men and claim they’re all misogynistic and rude,” Watson said. “Even though they don’t represent the whole group of feminists, people see them as the main focus because they’re the ones who get publicized.” Back to the definition The definition, cloudy from all of the different internet opinions, causes different identities to develop in the student body, whether it is feminist, anti-feminist, or even “meninist”. But what is the true definition of feminism? Is it a movement against men? Is it a movement to get more rights for women? Or is it simply women fighting for equality between men and women? Psychology teacher Mary Joy Hickey claims that even in the classroom the definition is vague. “[I] have not gotten into the definition of feminism or looked at how that term and women’s equality and rights have been addressed over the years,” Hickey said. Story thinks that educating students more about feminism at a young age, especially feminism in the media, may alleviate the ignorance and confusion. Students agree. “Even in classes I hear teachers misconstrue the definition of feminism and believe that it’s more so for women when it’s actually for women and men,” Watson said. But for now, questions remain. “I think in order for population to have a better understanding feminists can’t just talk the talk they have to walk the walk,” Story said. “People come into my class and they know nothing about women’s rights. We at least need high schools bringing in professors or guest speakers who can do lectures on women in history or women in pop culture. We need to bring it into high schools so you could be more aware of it, because you need to be more aware of it. It shouldn’t be hidden from you.”
#Meninist
“Just got kicked out of the library... guess they didn’t like how I put all the women’s rights and feminist books in the fiction section.” -@MeninistTweet
What students think Boys
14% Feminist 86% Not Feminist
Girls 78% Feminist 22% Not Feminist
Boys
Positive Negative (Survey out of 17 students)
MARCH 31, 2015
Girls
SOURCE 9
SPRING INTO A GOOD BOOK The battle continues between classic and modern literature by Bailey Compton Reading can boost concentration, limit stress, and slow memory loss. So that being said, what’s next on your reading list? Maybe it’s time to cut those teen dramas out of your life and stage an intervention against those sparkly vampires. Try replacing all that teenage angst with a mature collection that still happens to include war stories, terrifying monsters, and maybe a visit or two from the dead. To kick off, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five both chronicles and satirizes his life in World War II as well as adding some interesting embellishments to make the read more than just another lazy snooze. For example, both Billy Pilgrim, his protagonist, and Vonnegut experienced life as a prisoner of war and both stood in awe at the bombing of Dresden. However, Pilgrim’s experiences with the Tralfamadorians are clearly more than a human experience. Being able to experience life continuously even after death? Yes, please. Vonnegut’s indifferent tone in this novel will keep you captivated for hours. But wait, there’s more! That single book isn’t nearly long enough to last you a whole lifetime. So when you finish, be sure to check out Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Contrary to popular belief, the Monster’s name isn’t actually Frankenstein. This story focuses on the mystery of the supernatural by reawakening the dead. The sheer horror of body parts being cut and pasted together to create new life might haunt your dreams. Besides those terrors, the book begs a question every high school
student regularly asks themselves: Is superficial beauty as important as the emotions that lie within? In the end, this might not be the best story for boosting self-esteem, but the adventure at the finish makes it well worth the read. Another classic to get those brain cells circulating is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Recognize this title? Not surprising! Bella happened to really like it in that teen fiction everyone raves about. That’s probably because the vampire story was basically a copyright infringement for the ages. Just remove the supernatural elements from Twilight and you’re left with the epic love triangle between Heathcliff, Cathy, and Edgar. If for some reason your language arts class has spooked you out of all English literature, fear not! Personal experience has taught that listening to audiobooks of this story can greatly enhance the experience. Maybe then you can listen to it in the car instead of blasting that horrific gangster rap. As an added bonus, it won’t blow out your speakers! If you’re the type to try and “fight the power,” or the kind of person to question your previous beliefs, or even if you just like reading for fun on the weekends, these classics are the literary masterpieces for you! But if you hate reading, and you really do not care about your future mental health, or if you just seriously miss your adolescent tween fiction, then perhaps you should log in to Netflix under the kids account and get to binge watching. However, I seriously recommend changing your ways and setting aside some time to enjoy a truly wonderful collection of written words.
56%
of teens read more than 10 books a year
3%
of Stoney students barely ever pick up a book
33%
of U.S. high school graduates never read a book after high school
10%
of Stoney students read for fun
48%
of Stoney students read only popular books
39%
of Stoney students read when it’s necessary
Illustration by: Bailey Compton
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LIFESTYLES
Students share opinions on EReaders and print books by Jordan Sickon
Photo by: Jordan Sickon
THE HUNGER GAMES
DIVERGENT
“I think that it was pretty faithful to the books but I liked that they made a few differences too. It made it seem new and less like a ripoff!” -Sophomore Wyatt Key
“I think the movie followed the books really well! I especially appreciated how they conveyed Tris. She was just like how I pictured her to be!” -Sophomore Arielle Sturr
LIFESTYLES
The month of March celebrates one of the simplest forms of entertainment: reading. This pastime has evolved over centuries, morphing with technology to create the many forms it has today. From Jane Austen to J. K. Rowling, the ever present time killer has become a huge factor in the everyday lives of people all around the world. Recent studies on libraries.pewinternet.org have shown that people from the ages of 18 to 25 have the highest overall reading rate and those who are 16 or 17 are most likely to use a library. This is not only due to the increased accessibility of books online but also the newfound popularity of reading technology. The hype for ebooks and audiobooks is most common among the younger generation, 47 percent of the younger generation to be exact, but some students still prefer to avoid all of the bells and whistles with a good old paperback. Senior Laura Hanly is one of them. “I love reading hard copies because I like actually flipping through the book. It feels like more of an accomplishment to see how much you’ve read all bound up into three hundred pages,” Hanly said. Seventy percent of Americans said they read print books last year and only 4 percent of Americans claim to exclusively read books electronically, according to pbs.org. Though Hanly is part of the 70 percent to choose print, she admits that electronic books are undeniably convenient as well. “Especially with the advancement of audiobooks, I think its good for people who have auditory learning styles. The technology is making it easier for all different types of people to enjoy reading,” Hanly said. Librarian Judy Freels agrees. Not only is she a book lover who recognizes the positive influence of technology with reading, but she also has found many ways to incorporate these different options in the school library. Nooks and playaways can be rented out to students and the school library has just started using the app Overdrive as an at-home virtual library. This allows student access to EBooks from any smartphone or computer in practically any location. Even with the new abundance of choices, Freels noticed the options being less popular than anticipated. “Some people say ‘Why need a library, why need books?’ but I know there’s always going to be someone who prefers having a physical copy. Not everyone is fit for the electronics,” Freels said.
HARRY POTTER
“Yes! I think the original movies were really good adaptations of the books because they managed to include almost every major plot event.” -Senior Janani Chinnam MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 11
101 THINGS TO DO ON AN AIRPLANE
(Photo by Stephanie Seneker)
by Annie Knoblauch
Spring break starts April 3 which means planes, trains, and automobiles to get you to your destination of interest. When flying on a plane to your spring break destination, the best thing to do is to find something to occupy yourself because a lot of the times you’re stuck for 2-3 hours left to your own thoughts. Follow this list of 101 things to do when you’re on a plane to solve the boredom that may take over your mind. 1.Listen to music 2. Watch a movie 3. Read a book 4. Think about the quarrels in your life 5. Smile at a stranger 6. Write a novel about yourself 7. Take a nap 8. Convince the stranger next to you that you’re secretly a cat 9. Think about what your life would be like if you were a llama 10. Draw a picture 11. Take a screenshot of a turkey 12. Imagine what other people are thinking 13. Play a game 14. Call the flight attendant over and convince them there’s a ghost 16. Let everyone know that you are indeed flying on a plane 17. Attempt to hug to person next to you 18. Grab a stranger’s hand during take off 19. Have a dance party in your seat 20. Become ordained online 21. Carve a piece of wood 22. Make a macaroni noodle necklace 23. Design your own dress 24. Ask people to play BINGO with you 25. Meow every time a stranger goes past you 26. Ask the flight attendant if you can fly the plane 27. Do homework 28. Reconsider your decision to do homework 29. Lift weights 30. Online shop 31. Paint an intricate design on your nails 32. Tell the flight attendant it’s your birthday 33. Play Monopoly with the person next to you 34. Read the SkyMiles magazine 35. Put on a musical 36. Reenact the piano scene from Big 37. Make up a friendship handshake with the person next to you 38. Perform a runway in the aisle way 39. Create a clay sculpture 40. Try to lasso the person 4 seats ahead of you 41. Pretend everyone around you is a turtle 42. Imagine a life without watermelon
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43. Watch a documentary about the migration patterns of geese 44. Come up with an accurate biological description of your hairline 45. Order an octopus online 46. Go to the bathroom every 5 minutes 47. Write a journal entry about your plane experience 48. Learn Chinese 49. Investigate things to do on your vacation 50. Occasionally make the sound of an eagle 51. Learn how to use InDesign 52. Track your flight on a map 53. Convince the pilot you need his hat in order to live 54. Play a murder mystery game with strangers 55. Try to order an edible arrangement 56. Ask for a ridiculous amount of pretzel bags 57. Blow up a pool floaty 58. Online shop for animal onesies 59. Sneak up behind people and whisper “I like oranges” 60. Make a short film about hats 61. Imagine that the plane is a giant bird 62. Make a hair sculpture from the hair of an African elk 63. Polish a bald man’s head 64. Perform a wedding ceremony for the you and person next to you 65. Teach an algebra lesson 66. Start a tribal chant 67. Choreograph a dance to go with your tribal chant 68. Paper Mache 69. Compose a 5 note kazoo solo 70. Take all of the carry-on luggage down from the over head compartments 71. Contemplate all your past life choices 72. Write your last words 73. Continually open the overhead compartments as the flight attendant closes them 74. Learn how to play the harmonica 75. Study the behavioral patterns of water buffalo 76. Investigate everyone on the plane as if it were a crime scene
77. Give strangers compliments 78. Pinch the person next to you and act like it wasn’t you 79. Point out the window and scream “Oh my gosh it’s the Hulk!” 80. Pretend like you’re typing on a keyboard and ask the person next to you if they like what you’re writing so far 81. Empty your water cup and throw it in the aisle shouting “I choose you Pikachu!” 82. Put a single piece of ice on the floor and tell everyone you’re skiing 83. Call the flight attendant over but then pretend like it wasn’t you. Do this every 5 minutes 84. Make a clay sculpture of a strangers head and give it to them 85. Try to start an uprising against the airline about the lack of fresh peaches 86. Put a cup of water on the ground and have a diving competition and ask people around you to score you 87. Scream “watch this!” then sit quietly in your seat 88. Paint a picture of the dolphin version of Katy Perry 89. Act like a shark and do the JAWS theme song when you go up to people 90. Growl at people that walk by 91. Pretend to be a cat and rub against people and start purring 92. Create a softball team with the people on the plane 93. Ask the oldest lady on the plane if you can borrow her ointment 94. Reassure people that you are in fact “not a murderer”. 95. Try to Photoshop a picture of yourself onto a lemur 96. Continually ask the flight attendant for more blankets 97. Convince everyone that you need to act like an ostrich to survive 98. Go on the intercom and say “Buddy the elf, what’s your favorite color?” 99. Caress the calf of the person next to you 100. Play “We are the Champions” as people walk off the plane 101. Finish a newspaper story
LIFESTYLES
Opinion
BIKINI BODY OR BUST?
Body Shaming: Teens obsess over getting that perfect body because of pressures from the media and society. It’s your body, do the things that make you feel genuinely good about yourself (photo by: Megan Sennet)
Media feeds into teens’ desires for the “perfect” spring break body. by Annie Knoblauch
Spring break is overrated. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty fun to mess around with your friends and be in a place that will forever have better weather than Michigan, but, a lot of the time, teens sit on the beach and compare their bodies to other people. Obviously this happens every day, but it increases as girls try to make their bodies into that “perfect bikini body.” The amount of times I hear that “I need to get in shape for spring break” every day at school is a little bit insane. Now, if whoever is reading this has said this at some point, I’m not criticizing your choice at all, I’m simply saying that this shouldn’t even be a phrase that teenagers and even adults need to be worried about. Magazines nowadays feed into teens’ obsession to have this so-called perfect body. But who can even tell you what that perfect body is? The National Association of Anorexia and Nervosa and Associated Disorders posted statistics about body image showing that 47 percent of girls in fifth through twelfth grade reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures. Also from the National Association of Anorexia and Nervosa and Associated Disorders they found that 69 percent of girls in fifth through twelfth grades reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body shape. Buzzfeed just recently released a list of 37 Totally Perfect Bikini Bodies and it included women of all shapes in bikinis. This is just one of the steps into diminishing this idea of the “perfect bikini body.” On their list they also said, “There are no rules.” There truly are no rules. There are no measurements or guidelines that everyone must follow to have this “perfect” body. In the dictionary, a rule is defined as one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere. Last time I checked, Hollywood hasn’t set a “perfect body” rule that every girl must follow, so why even listen to what those people are saying about bodies. Simply put, they have no power over you. The media has ruined the idea that you can be happy with your body and you shouldn’t change. One day they give you an article about self-confidence and the next they give you an article about getting the perfect body and how many people in Hollywood are overweight. The media need to stop with the body shaming articles and focus on the men and women in Hollywood that are actually fighting
back and saying something about bodies. Obviously, if this many teens are influenced by the media, don’t you think that putting positive messages all over the media about self confidence will have just the same amount of influence? I would hope so. When you go on spring break this year, I have a proposition for you. Every time you see someone your age you go up to them and tell them they look amazing, regardless of gender and whether you like them or not. You know how great compliments feel and you know how awful high school can be, so do me a favor and just tell them. I’m sure a lot of you have put on a bikini or swim trunks before and looked at yourself in the mirror and thought about how fat you are. You may not want to go out at all that day because of how bad you’re feeling, so if you were told by a complete stranger that you look amazing, wouldn’t you feel at least a little better? I hope so. Now I’m sure you’ve heard this sort of thing all the time and read different stories about why you shouldn’t worry about your body blah blah blah and this is just another one of those. But please take this one to heart. I’m in high school with you, I know how terrible it can be to go to school every day and be worried about your body and I know how great it feels to get a compliment. So please just do this one thing for me on spring break and maybe spring break won’t be something teenagers have to worry about. REMEMBER: No one is paying attention to your body; they are far too concerned with how their own body looks.
35%
51%
14%
-Freshman Anwyn Brock LIFESTYLES
“I like to go shopping a few weeks before Spring Break so I know I have everything when I pack.” -Junior Kailyn Sprinkle
Sunscreen and aloe
Passport Phone charger
50%
SPRING BREAK PREP
35%
Working out and eating healthy 15%
Shopping Tanning
(out of 25 students surveyed)
HOW DO YOU PREP FOR SPRING BREAK? “I try to find recipes that are healthy but that I also like for a variety of healthy food to eat.”
SPRING BREAK PACKING ESSENTIALS
compiled by Rachel Elphick
“I like to go a few times a week to get a base tan so I don’t burn on vacation.” -Senior Kate Reynolds MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 13
Pro
Con
Julia Clay
Katie Fleming
Open carry could discourage criminals, benefit students
Open carry on school property is dangerous and inefficient
On March 4 and 11, Lamphere High School was sent into full lockdown because a Royal Oak resident named Shawn Nixon exercised his right to openly carry a firearm on a public walkway near the school. “Having the safety of staff and students as the priority, schools are locking down the building while they assess the situation,” Lamphere superintendent Dale Steen wrote in an email correspondence. “This is very time consuming and disruptive to the school day.” According to the Rochester Patch, local police officers asked Nixon to leave, but they and the school administrators had a confusing issue to solve. Though Nixon’s demonstrations disrupted the school and were seen as a potential threat, nothing he did was illegal. In fact, his actions are protected under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. According to michigan.gov, “You will not find a law that states it is legal to openly carry a firearm. It is legal because there is no Michigan law that prohibits it; however, Michigan law limits the premises on which a person may carry a firearm.” There are eight areas where it is illegal to carry a firearm, including hospitals, theaters, and sports arenas. Had Nixon been “brandishing” or loading his weapon in public, then law enforcement would have had reason to issue him a misdemeanor. Nixon was not. Admittedly, he was not subtle--he was walking outside a school with a handgun and a rifle--but he did nothing illegal. This is the dilemma that school administrators around Michigan are struggling with now. For Michigan government officials to keep this option open to the public, there must be a benefit to having at least a small percentage of the population participate in open carry. The most obvious reason is that a gun clearly displayed in public is a strong deterrent to crime. Should a shooter enter Stoney Creek, the sight of adults ready to retaliate against crime with equal or stronger force would be daunting. Without the allowance of firearms in the school, we are sitting ducks. Our best defense is the single pair of scissors on the teacher’s desk. The NRA slogan, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” is extremely applicable to the situation but admittedly risky for schools. “If I see someone who’s not in a uniform carrying a weapon, my first obligation is to make sure all of my students are safe and I’m going to assess their intent later,” Principal Cathryn Skedel said. Though guns absolutely are a very dangerous weapon to have in schools on a daily basis, a trustworthy owner of that firearm can potentially be an amazing asset to the school.
Columbine High School, Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook Elementary. For many, the mention of these schools brings chilling nightmares. These schools are only three of countless public school shootings that have happened in the past 30 years. When looking at these nightmarish stories it is clear to see: guns and public schools do not mix. Yet, despite our nation’s traumatic history with school shootings, it is still legal in the state of Michigan to openly carry a firearm on a public school campus. On March 4 and 11, Royal Oak native Shawn Nixon slung his Russian-made rifle over his shoulder and took a leisurely stroll in front of Lamphere High School, sending the school into full lockdown. On March 5 in Ann Arbor, Josh Wade carried his handgun into a choir concert, causing the director to call the police. Their goals? To “educate people” about the open-carry law. But is this appropriate way to demonstrate their rights? Though Nixon and Wade were not directly threatening the schools, they sent hundreds of people into panic, causing fear and wasting valuable class time as administration and police clear up the situation. Think of our lockdown drills. We must sit in a dark corner of a classroom, no moving, no talking, and no cell phones, but these are only drills. It’s hard to sit quietly in the corner of a classroom when you do not know if there is an actual threat to your life, or the gun-loving neighbor is taking a stroll over school grounds. Principal Dr. Cathryn Skedel reassures that if faced with this sort of situation, student safety is priority. Only after all students are safe would the intentions of the carrying-individual be questioned. Making open-carry illegal on school grounds would provide more clarity in situations such as these. Open-carry of firearms is currently prohibited in eight different public locations throughout the state of Michigan: banks, churches, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day-care centers, hospitals and bars. Doesn’t it just seem logical to add public schools to the list? School districts cannot even prevent open-carry on their own campuses. According to miopencarry.org, Michigan legislation bars school districts from making rules forbidding the lawful carry of pistols. When Clio Public Schools attempted to do so, they were faced with a lawsuit. According to Dr. Skedel, due to open-carry incidents in nearby districts, Rochester Community Schools firearm policy is currently under review. “We have to follow the law,” Dr. Skedel said. “Whether we like the law or don’t like the law.” Guns are dangerous weapons to have on school property. Public schools should be added to the list of locations where the open-carry of firearms is prohibited.
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Lockeddown and loaded
The pros and cons of open carry laws for schools.
O
pen carry laws for firearms are inherently controversial, but in a school setting they take on an even more drastic twist. While on one hand firearms can be great protective tools, in the wrong hands they can be destructive and even lethal. Recently in Lamphere and Ann Arbor schools, activists have been exercising their open carry rights. How could this affect students in our school and around the state?
(Top hoto from Hyattguns.com open license) (Bottom photo from flickr.com openlicense)
OPINION
&PRRR
STAFF EDITORIAL
GRRR
A Facelift for Feminism
As feminism enters a new era, the movement is showing signs of trouble. The push for equality may need a new image. Feminist. To many, that word strikes up horrific images of tribal, manhating women, burning bras and denouncing the patriarchy of the world. “Feminism” can almost be perceived as the “f-word” of today, according to the American Psychological Association. The media creates negative stereotypes of powerful women, the APA says. That’s why the movement needs rebranding. Feminism simply cannot achieve its goals with such negative connotations. When only 20 percent of Americans identify as feminists, when only 23 percent of women consider themselves feminists, there’s definitely an issue. According to the Huffington Post, nearly 40 percent said that
Source Staff Vote: Does feminism need rebranding?
“feminism” is a negative term. Comparatively, more than 80 percent of Americans believe that “men and women should be social, political, and economic equals.” What? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” In other words, those 80 percent do believe in feminism, after all. But the fact that only a quarter responded positively to being labeled a feminist highlights the fear that people have to the term. And when people are afraid of the very name of the movement, it’s very difficult to imagine the movement gaining any ground. “Perception of feminism needs to change,” Dr. Kate Richmond,
clinical postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania Counseling Center, said to the APA. Indeed, the movement needs a new name to get rid of that perception of “bra-burning, man-hating” women. That’s why actress Emma Watson’s speech to the United Nations last year was so powerful. She rebranded feminism to “gender equality,” dropping the female-heavy term. Her organization, He for She, incorporates the pronouns of both genders. This unity between males and females is what feminism needs to move forward. If we want to start improving the situation of women, we need to start by improving the perception of the movement. Feminism needs a facelift.
Split in two directions: Singer Zayn Malik leaves boyband One Direction, the group reported on March 25. We can hear the cries of fangirls now. Parking problems: Orange tickets are being left on students’ cars. Orange you glad you got one?
PRRR Madness, I say: Upsets, bracket-busts, and hard-fought victories... March Madness is back, and it already looks to be a memorable one. The smell of learning: As bad as the stench may be, science classes have begun various dissections. Education is great, we guess. Sorry, noses.
BY THE NUMB3RS
776,551
Followers on the @ MeninistTweet Twitter account, as of March 26
Agree: 50%
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, FOLKS!
Q:
GRRR
Photos by Mila Murray
What does feminism mean to you?
77
Volumes of The Talon published through the years
3.4 million
Books available on Amazon. com
Freshman: Leeshawn Morris
“I support feminism because it allows both genders to be successful, not one over the other.”
OPINION
Sophomore: Arielle Sturr
“Someone who is a feminist is someone who stands up for women having equal rights as men and the same opportunities.”
Junior: Erika Williams
“Feminism to me should not be striving to beat out men, but it should be working together, men and women, to solve the gender gap issue.”
Senior: Alex Balabanov
“Feminism is a really weird topic because of the people that try to enforce it. Sometimes they go over the line and make it sort of sexist towards men.”
2
Classes in the peer mentoring program
Days of spring break
10
(Sources: Twitter, TechCrunch.com, The Talon)
MARCH 31, 2015
SOURCE 15
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