WINTER 2019-2020
THE GROWING THREAT OF ECOANXIETY As the climate crisis accelerates, so does the strain on our mental health
PLAGUED BY NORMALCY
An honest look at the public’s perception of sexual assault
221 W. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48933 Phone: 517.203.0123 Fax: 517.203.3334 Publisher Tiffany Dowling VP Media Planning & Buying Jennifer Hodges Account Managers Megan Fleming Liz Reno-Hayes Zack Krieger Editor Mary Gajda Art Director Mark Warner Graphic Designer Aspen Smit Web Manager Kyle Dowling Writers Bridget Bartos, Anna Carnes, Heather Haely, Molly Harmon, Emily Hobrla, Sydney Naseef, Kristina Osterman, Katherine Stark, Rockila Young Editors Olivia Dalby, Silvia Hoxha, Tessa Hunt, Demitri Kanellopoulos, Mark Ostermeyer, Grace Rau, Sophie Schmidt, Leah Wright Social Media Sydney Naseef, Bridget Bartos, Tessa Hunt Digital Content Manager Molly Harmon, Rockila Young, Mark Ostermeyer Layout Team Olivia Dalby, Heather Haely, Sophie Schmidt Marketing Team Katherine Stark, Silvia Hoxha, Demitri Kanellopoulos, Kristina Osterman, Anna Carnes, Gabrielle White 02 WINTER 2019-20
A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR By Sophie Schmidt Dear reader, The first thing I would like to do is thank you for flipping open our magazine.. Whether you found it in the building you have class in, have a friend who helped make it or you picked it up in a coffee shop—we appreciate you for taking a moment to check out our work. At the start of the semester, none of us knew what would happen in this class. When we sat down in 214 Bessey and Kate told us we had to create a magazine from scratch. This was my first time in WRA 480, and it’s one of two capstone classes I’m currently in. I don’t want to speak for all of my classmates, but I was a little intimidated by this mission. As the class settled into its routine, though, I found that making this magazine was one of the most exciting things I got to do two times a week (more if you count the homework). Developing the tone, voice and overall look of The Current was a challenge that we took head on, and it became something we all are proud to look at. We wanted to bring an edgier tone to this magazine, and we didn’t want to shy away from issues that we as students saw as extremely important and pressing. This is why, in this issue and future issues, you will find topics that may be controversial, but they’re subjects that need discourse and awareness. Reflecting on my work with this team, it is an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. We put our hearts into these pieces, and I sincerely hope you find something in these pages that stirs you as well. All my best, Sophie Sophie Schmidt is a senior studying professional writing with a minor in Asian Pacific American studies. She hopes to work as an acquisitions editor in a publishing house, but might also end up writing your BuzzFeed quizzes. When she’s not in class, Sophie can be found curled up with her cat with her nose stuck in a book.
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Caught Unaware? Awareness months, weeks and days
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My Own Experience Sex Ed in Michigan
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The Poetry Room Lansing’s spoken word hub and creative watering hole
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The Growing Threat of Ecoanxiety As the climate crisis accelerates, so does the strain on our mental health
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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Call 517.203.0123 Interested in hosting a distribution location? Give us a call at 517.203.0123 or email at kelly@m3group.biz The Current is published seasonally by M3 Group, Lansing, MI. All rights reserved. © 2014 M3 Group No part of this magazine may be reproduced whole or in part without the express consent of the publisher.
CON TEN TS
Our Aftermath: The Ripples of Gun Violence Shootings and mental health
She Was Only 13 Human Trafficking in Michigan
Debunking The Metal Music Stigma To raise awareness for mental health issues
English as a Second Language at MSU The ins and outs of testing
Plagued by Normalcy An honest look at the public’s perception of sexual assault
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NOVEMBER
CAUGHT UNAWARE? By Rockila Young
It seems as if almost every month comes with a push for awareness. Some months offer awareness about more than one subject. In addition to awareness months, there are also awareness weeks and days celebrated nationwide and worldwide. For example, October features Bullying Prevention Month, Mental Health Awareness Week and World Mental Health Day. Most awareness months, weeks and days began at the proclamation of a president. What would inspire a president to spread awareness about a subject that may or may not have anything to do with them? The answer is very simple, and it’s because we need to know what is happening in the world around us and to the people around us. We need to know that such things as bullying and mental health struggles are real and 04 WINTER 2019-20
can happen to anyone. Spreading awareness is one of the most helpful and positive things we can do for this world. It may not seem like much, but people’s lives have changed because more people have become aware of what other people in the world are going through due to others educating themselves and sharing their newfound knowledge. Making people aware is the only way things are going to change. If you don’t know about something, how could you do something about it? While it might seem a bit random that awareness topics are broken up into different months, weeks and days, it makes it easier for people to organize and plan events. Walks, inspirational and educational speeches, and fundraisers are just some of the events people tend to plan to spread awareness. These events have helped people in the past and will help them again in the future. Fundraisers help raise money for research, speeches give people hope and information and other events help people find a community and know they are not alone. It may seem like people just ignore these awareness events, but every year more people become aware and willing to help spread knowledge to other people.
Technology has taken spreading awareness to a new level. Not only do people help spread awareness by having physical events, but now social media is involved. As many people know, younger generations are heavily into technology, the internet and social media. Some people post pictures or personal, inspirational posts to help spread awareness. Also, social media sites themselves are helping get the word out. For example, the application Snapchat has filters that pertain to whatever awareness topic is the highlight of the month, week or day. When your birthday is near, Facebook gives you the option to raise money for a charity that means a lot to you. Being aware is becoming the new “it” thing, so make sure to join the trend. Stay aware and spread awareness. Rockila Young is a senior studying professional writing with a concentration on editing and publishing and a passion for creative writing. She one day wishes to be a published novelist and chief of editing. While having a passion for writing, she loves children and is currently working in childcare. You can follow her on instagram @r.o.c.k.i.e
National Men’s Health Awareness Month Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month American Diabetes Awareness Month Epilepsy Awareness Month Lung Cancer Awareness Month Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month Military Family Appreciation Month Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month Stomach Cancer Awareness Month Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Month Nov. 10: United States Marine Corps–Happy Birthday 1775 Nov. 11: Veterans Day Nov. 13: World Kindness Day Nov. 14: Great American Smoke Out Day Nov. 15: America Recycles Day Nov. 21: Operating Room Nurse Day Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Day
DECEMBER
Crohn’s Disease Awareness Month National Impaired Driving Prevention Month Safe Toys and Celebrations Month Dec. 1: World AIDS Day Dec. 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Rememberance Dec. 10: Human Rights Day Dec. 13: U.S. National Guard Birthday–Happy Birthday 1636
JANUARY Birth Defects Awareness Month Blood Donor Month Cervical Health Awareness Month Glaucoma Awareness Month Healthy Weight Awareness Month National Mentoring Month Poverty in America Awareness Month Radon Action Month Thryoid Awareness Month National Activity Professionals Week (Jan. 19–Jan. 25) National Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 26–Feb. 1) Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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SEX ED IN MICHIGAN
“ To purposefully deprive young individuals about the information they need to have a physically and emotionally healthy relationship with sex and sexuality is to endanger them.”
By Anna Carnes
My Own Experience Thirty girls aged 12–14 stare at the projection screen, wide-mouthed and concerned. Graphic photographs of sexually transmitted diseases leer back at them, taunting the threat of contraction. “Do you want to find this on your lady parts?” the speaker asks, pointing aggressively with a ruler to the pictures. The class mumbles vague negatives in response. “Good,” the teacher confirms. “Let’s move on to some role-playing activities.” I attended a fairly wealthy public school system in the suburbs of Grand Rapids. Our sexual education program began in fifth grade with an explanation of puberty led by our gym teacher. Then, in eighth grade, letters went home to 06 WINTER 2019-20
all of our parents, informing them that a representative would be coming into our science class to teach our main sexual education class. We needed our parents’ permission to take part. The program, called “Willing to Wait,” was separated by gender and based around abstinence. The side I experienced involved scare tactics, horror stories about teenage pregnancy and creative ways to say ‘no’. One activity that still stands out to me is when the instructor had us all rip pieces of tape off their rolls and repeatedly stick them to different surfaces around the classroom. Afterwards, she used the tape as a metaphor for women, suggesting that the more sexual partners females interact with, the less “sticky” they would be, and therefore less likely to form lasting relationships. At that point in my life, at
the age of 13, the only exposure I had to the topic of sex was through books, TV or the internet. My parents did not have “the talk” with me, possibly because they assumed that was the school’s job. Most of my friends were in the same boat, having undergone puberty and beginning to explore relationships, but lacking a fundamental understanding of what sex was, let alone how to partake in safe practices. My own relationship at the time was affected by an overwhelming hesitation partially from not being ready to move forward, but mostly a result of my own ignorance and fear of the unknown. I was in desperate need of a program that was going to teach me not only the biological facts about sex, but also how to choose a method of contraception and the importance of consent. I did not receive
that. The frustration and stress experienced among my friends and me surrounding sex was unhealthy and could easily have been avoided with a more comprehensive sex ed curriculum.
topic, I was not expecting nearly the amount of passionate responses I received. Some were hesitant but willing to share their experiences for the sake of moving forward. Others were quite outspoken and had no problem The Issue telling me exactly how they felt. After As it turns out, shaming tween girls is going through all of the messages, the not only inappropriate, but it also can underlying theme within the majority have potentially detrimental effects on was that these young adults did not feel women later in life. I spoke to 16 people fulfilled by their curricula and/or they between the ages of 20–24 about their did not feel like the material suited them. experiences with the sexual education Arguably the most glaring omission that programs taught at the schools they students noted was that many didn’t attended. Fourteen out of the 16 agreed even learn what sex was. What should that they did not receive the education have been covered in basic biology they expected or required. When I asked class, prior to any further education, them to elaborate, it was unsettling at was missing in several cases. Another best. When I posted on my Facebook concern addressed repeatedly was an wall that I was looking for input on this inadequate discussion of contraception.
Many told me that the word condom wasn’t even mentioned within their programs except to reassure students that they didn’t work. The pill was never presented as an option, nor were the complicated side effects that can come along with it discussed. Also noted as a topic of worry was the lack of inclusion. One commented that their program never touched on anything other than cisgender, heterosexual sex, which was upsetting and confusing for those who identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Another individual stated that queer sex and relationships were avoided completely, continuing that she encountered problems later in life after coming out and having no concept of what safe THECURRENTMSU.COM 07
practices looked like with a member of the same sex. Additionally, even the basic concept of consent seemed to be lacking in the curricula people encountered. While many learned how to say “no” in support of abstinence, in no program was it adequately communicated that both parties must verbally agree in order for consentual sex to occur, and the avoidance of this critical topic left out an important lesson on sexual assault. One individual described their experience: “The most important thing
however, I cannot recall the topic of consent being discussed. As a victim of sexual assault, I cannot stress the importance of everyone learning the warning signs of a sexual assault about to take place and how to step in.” Another person shared with me that one of her close friends was part of a severely abusive relationship, but did not feel like she had the correct tools to help support her due to a lack of knowledge.
Furthermore, almost all of the programs separated the classes by girls and boys. Not only does doing so present a potential complication for those identifying as non-binary, but it also advocates a narrative that female students need to learn different material than male students, or vice versa. One person commented that after talking with her male friends, she discovered that the boys’ sexual education course covered more content and was overall much clearer than the one for the girls. In creating a program like this, boys are given more power and control over sexual experiences while girls get left behind to be convinced of bad sexual habits later in life. Another person commented that “the system seems to be designed in a way that puts women in the dark and shames them for being open and sexually free. It’s designed to serve a male-dominated culture.” By teaching students this rhetoric, schools are perpetuating a system of shaming women instead of protecting them. The Result According to a report published by the Journal of Adolescent Health, abstinence-only education often is not effective in preventing adolescents from having sex. The report acknowledges abstinence as an important strategy for preventing the spread of disease and avoiding pregnancy but states that it tends to be controversial when presented as the only option for students, especially when other choices are misrepresented. The article argues that abstinence-only
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curricula tend to be morally problematic and leave out a lot of other critical material. The effects of students not receiving a comprehensive education became clear for many of those I interviewed later in their lives as they began taking part in serious relationships. While some simply realized that their backgrounds were different than their partners’, others referred to their sexual growth as being “stunted” as a result. Several females described feeling guilty and ashamed when taking part in sexual acts with their partners in high school and beyond. Some avoided intercourse altogether due to the fear of the potential consequences. One woman opened up about the difficulties she still faces in her present relationship, which she believes to be fault of her failed development of knowledge on the subject. “Even now I’m still struggling with this—knowing that I am worth infinitely more than what I was told—but also feeling like every time I make progress on thinking better, I take several steps backward. My insecurities are absolutely stressful and severely impact intimacy with my partner.” Also mentioned was the idea that adolescents are going to experiment with sex regardless of how much or little they know of the subject. Repeatedly, people stressed that hiding important facts from children only serves to disadvantage them. Keeping students in the dark about such a critical topic poses a huge risk for teenage pregnancy, dangerous sexual practices and overall unawareness of how to maintain one’s sexual health.
One commenter went as far as to wrap up her opinion on the topic by saying, “To purposefully deprive young individuals about the information they need to have a physically and emotionally healthy relationship with sex and sexuality is to endanger them.” National and State Laws At the federal level, the United States Congress has continued to substantially fund abstinence-only education,
and in 2016, funding was increased to $85 million per year. This budget was approved despite President Obama’s attempts to end the program after 10 years of opposition and concern from medical and public health professionals, sexuality educators and the human rights community. They stated that abstinenceonly education withholds information about condoms and contraception, promotes religious ideologies and gender stereotypes and stigmatizes THECURRENTMSU.COM 09
It’s unclear what exact steps need to be taken in order to create a more inclusive and effective sexual education curriculum,
adolescents with non-heteronormative sexual identities (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). As it turns out, the law in Michigan for teaching sexual practices is fairly undefined. The State of Michigan requires that districts teach students about dangerous communicable diseases “including, but not limited to, HIV/AIDS,” but can choose whether or not to teach general sexual education (michigan.gov). It is also within the law that parents must be notified of the content being taught to their children and reserve the right to opt the students out of participation. These laws leave a profound amount of authority within individual school districts. Due to this 10 WINTER 2019-20
lack of set laws, students across the state receive vastly differentiating education. It states under the Michigan Public Education guidelines: “All public school sex education programs must stress that abstinence from sex is a responsible and effective method of preventing unplanned or out-of-wedlock pregnancy, and that it is the only protection that is 100% effective against unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease and sexually transmitted HIV infection and AIDS.” Michigan is one of 26 states that require abstinence to be stressed as a part of sex education; 11 others require that it be covered” (michigandaily.com). State law also allows for schools to bring in outside
parties to teach content, but the curricula must go through a formal approval process before being presented to students. Solutions When I later looked into the program my school utilized, I discovered that it was taught by a Christian planning group that actively posed as an abortion clinic but then convinced vulnerable pregnant women to keep their pregnancies. Since my class graduated, the school district recently chose (with pressure by student guardians) to cease that curriculum and switched to certifying the district’s own teachers to instruct sexual education.
but judging from the lack of Michigan laws, it may need to begin at the state level. One potential part of a solution that I heard from several individuals was the suggestion of sexual education programs that begin before students reach puberty (fourth or fifth grade) and continue throughout high school. Many school districts provide one brief middle school course vaguely followed up on in high school health class, but not to the extent that students needed. One person I spoke with, a nursing student, stressed how often young women come into the hospital with “stomach pains” because they are too afraid to talk to a trusted adult about the fact that they had unsafe sex. Her suggestion was to have the high school education segment focus more on the emotional and hormonal side of sexuality while also reinforcing safe sexual practices including different types of contraception and where to find them. She also noted that the programs could potentially be taught by medical professionals or social workers to ensure that the content is accurate and to avoid the risk of discomfort between school teachers and their students. Safe Sex Campaigns in Michigan One program that several districts in the Kent and Muskegon counties have recently chosen to partner with is the Safer Choices Project, which is supported by the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative of the Michigan Department of Community
Health (MDCH). Safer Choices claims to provide young people with the information and support they recommend to develop healthy relationships, prevent unprotected intercourse and sexually transmitted infections and increase communication with their parents or guardians (plannedparenthood.org). This program markets itself to adolescents aged 12–19 and classes are available through online application.
Anna Carnes is a senior studying professional writing with a concentration in editing and publishing and minoring in Spanish. Following college, she hopes to pursue a career that integrates both fields of study, potentially writing grants for a nonprofit. Outside of class she enjoys practicing underwater hockey, shopping, and eating pints of Ben and Jerry’s. You can find her on Instagram @annacarnes_.
Another group, the Michigan Radical Sex Ed Initiative, focuses on creating a curriculum specifically to support members of the LGBTQ+ community. In their Guide on Implementing Queer and Trans Inclusive Sex in Michigan, it is argued that describing cisgender and heterosexual identities and relationships as the “norm” in classrooms has a real impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning young people. The article also states that “only seven states require that sex education and HIV/ AIDS instruction in schools be culturally appropriate, or inclusive of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, disabilities, socioeconomic status, gender identity/ expression or sexual orientation (thetaskforce.org).” This group is part of the National LGBTQ Task Force, which is working around the country to ensure that all students are represented in their sexual education teachings.
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DEBUNKING THE METAL MUSIC STIGMA By Kristina Osterman
When Kyle Pavone, the lead vocalist of We Came As Romans, tragically died at 28 while at the height of his career last August due to an accidental overdose, his family immediately opened up an organization in his name that is backed by his bandmates. They are continuing with their band in remembrance of Pavone. The Kyle Pavone Foundation’s motto is “the opposite of addiction is connection,” and they are living that out by using Pavone’s death as a way to connect to other musicians who are struggling in similar ways. They believe that no one should struggle with mental health issues alone, and the foundation’s goal is to help other musicians who are struggling with addiction. 12 WINTER 2019-20
Metal music is often characterized by screaming, moshing and throwing up devil horns. Due to this, many people believe that metal music is just noise and that it should not be considered real music. This stigma is what ultimately turns many people away from a music genre full of amazingly talented artists. Big events, such as Warped Tour, Self-Help Fest and Knotfest have made strides toward normalizing this musical genre, but no matter what, judgement is cast upon it left and right. Many frequent metal listeners love that the music lets them release emotions. The music is generally powerful, intense and energetic, which causes many people to admit to it actually improving their emotional state, allowing them to process their anger in a healthy way. On top of allowing someone to get out their anger, listening, moshing and head banging at shows can be a good way to release those negative emotions. In addition, metal fans are also a tight-knit group of people who are always wanting to connect and support each other. Most do not understand how strong the sense of community surrounding metal music actually is. Being respectful, unique and confident are all characteristics of metal fans. According to Sara Riggby, the listeners are also very safe—there is a well-defined etiquette for mosh pits. Neuroscience News reports that fans of metal music are also generally more open to new experiences, much more adjusted to society and often have more positive emotions than non-listeners.
At metal shows, it becomes obvious how much fans care for each other. Every time someone falls down, the other people in the pit make sure to stop and pick them up.
getting music to resonate with the audience. Metal music and the musicians who play it are very aware of the stigma that follows around their genre. With recent deaths, such as Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, and Kyle Pavone, vocalist for We Came As Romans, there is an increase in attention being brought onto mental health issues surrounding metal music. While many studies have tied listening to metal music to releasing negative emotions rather than generating them, it is hard to show the general population how great metal is due to its outside appearance.
This sense of community is paying off as, according to a 2019 Loudwire report, “heavy metal was the fastest growing genre in the world in 2018.” Specifically, according to the independent music distribution service TuneCore, there was a 154% increase in listeners. Michigan State University student Jake Janowitz, who plays guitar in the band Rocco Verace, weighs in from a musician’s perspective. He explains that metal is “just another genre to [him]” and that he enjoys it because the lyrical content is very different than what you hear in the Top 40. In response to the statement that many people believe metal is just noise, he goes on to discuss that metal music is still music. Not only is metal an actual genre, but “it is highly related to classical music due to its complexities.” Janowitz provided an interesting perspective on metal’s increase in listeners, explaining that he believes that “no certain genre of music deserves anything over another,” and that he thinks every type of music has its own sense of community. Janowitz believes that people, in general, should be less concerned about the size or stigma surrounding any sort of community and should embrace whatever they enjoy. He did touch upon the fact that metal music has a lot
of subgenres, including the ever-growing subgenre of metalcore, which may be a reason that metal, broadly defined, is on the rise now. In terms of actually playing, he said the most rewarding part is seeing the reaction of the audience. He loves when the audience has a positive reaction to the music that he and his bandmates play, which makes playing more fun for him. Shows are always more fun when the audience is interacting at a high level and the musicians have high energy, and the genre doesn’t necessarily impact whether or not the crowd has fun. The atmosphere and energy of the musicians are most important in
Along with the Kyle Pavone Foundation, another project that’s bringing awareness to mental health issues within the metal genre is the Songs That Saved My Life albums. The first album was released in 2018, and a second edition is set for release on Nov. 11th. These albums are full of covers of songs that musicians feel had a great, positive impact on their lives. This way, musicians can not only easily admit that they’ve all been through bad situations too, but uncover the songs that allowed them to get through their rough times. All of the bands included on the albums volunteer to record a song that will go toward helping fund Crisis Text Line, Hope For the Day, The Trevor Project and To Write Love On Her Arms. With big-name metal and punk bands such as Neck Deep, Dance Gavin Dance, Taking Back Saturday and Oceans Ate Alaska, and well-known songs being covered, such as “Let it Be,” “Such Great Heights,” and “Semi-Charmed Life,”
this album is reaching millions of plays on Spotify and making an impact for these organizations and the stigma surrounding metal music. In this day and age, it’s important to look past first impressions and truly understand something for what it is. The metal genre has been misunderstood for a long time. Newer bands want to put an end to this stigma and prove that they are able to make a difference in the world by taking part in projects that support the awareness of mental health issues and connect people who are struggling with resources that can help. If you or someone you know is dealing with mental health issues, there are resources that can be utilized, including the organizations mentioned above as well as hotlines that can be called 24/7. To get in contact with the National Helpline, simply call 1-800-662HELP (4357). Always remember that there are people in your life who care about you and want to support you. Ending your life is never the answer. Kristina Osterman is a senior pursuing a double major in professional writing and communication. She wants to eventually become a fantasy and realistic fiction author, but is currently aspiring to work in public relations. When she’s not focusing on her career, you can find her dancing, knitting, embroidering, or reading. She is a member of Orchesis Dance Company, an intern at the CREATE for STEM Institute, and a Peer Assistant at the Engagement Centers here at MSU.
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THE POETRY ROOM By Molly Harmon
The Poetry Room has served as Lansing’s spoken word hub and creative watering hole for years. Founder Masaki Takahashi started his creative performance endeavors with rapping then slowly moved into poetry. This newfound art lead him to join Michigan State University’s slam poetry team. He stopped writing poetry after college for a bit and fell in love with it all over again when he was asked to perform at a local theatre. Afterward, Dylan Lodge, owner of the Robin Theater, asked him to jump-start an open mic night. The process of making this idea come to life flowed on from there. “We had a whole summer to talk about it,” Takahashi said, “and in my past experiences, I’ve created loose themes for the poetry nights. I talked to a lot of my network, and the Renegade Theater asked me to start an open mic with them. That really created the foundation for what we have now.” When speaking on the community within the Poetry Room, Takahashi spoke as highly of those who share in the occasion as one would speak of those who have truly changed their life. “There’s a community, and you really trust the audience to listen,” Takahashi said. “We really start knowing one another, it’s a very safe space as well. [The event has] made me a better person. There’s a lot of things that I
was never exposed to, [like] specific gender issues. That was never something that I was exposed to growing up. Being able to have those conversations openly really makes me learn about other peoples’ struggles.”
For new performers looking for pro tips on how to get up on stage and perform their most personal work to an audience, Takahashi has some simple yet profound words of wisdom, “That nervous feeling is actually a great feeling. Some of us get over it. Some of us never do. The more you do it, the more comfortable you get. Anytime you’re vulnerable, it’s kind of scary, and it’s like a roller coaster ride. Then the moment you get on, you’re like ‘I’m glad I did that, and I want to do it again.’”
The Poetry Room also focuses on communities outside of its own in order to create unity and inspire young writers. “I go to high schools [and] colleges and try to encourage people to write. I believe that all people need a little bit of encouragement. We concentrate on each person and try to encourage them to be the best that they can be,” Takahashi said. He also reaches out to students in Grand Rapids and Detroit and mentors them in writing workshops. Upcoming events include a November workshop sponsored by Sycamore Creek Church and an open mic in December at Henry’s Place. A portion of the proceeds earned at these events will be donated to a charitable cause. As a donationbased organization itself, it is undoubtedly commendable that the Poetry Room focuses its charity on causes outside of its own. If you’d like to learn even more about the Poetry Room, check out its Facebook page or take a seat at an upcoming open mic to see it for yourself. Molly Harmon is a senior professional writing student from California hoping to end up in a big city. She loves finding hidden fashion gems, listening to pop culture-esque podcasts, and snapping her fingers at poetry open mic nights. If any of that peaks your interest, you can follow her on Instagram @mollyharmon.
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THE GROWING THREAT OF ECOANXIETY By Katherine Stark
The odds are good that if you pay any attention to the news or social media, you’ve seen an increase in coverage of environmental topics over the last couple of years, and even more so in the last few months. Thanks to the efforts of climate scientists and activists, climate change is finally becoming a larger part of our national and global discourse. Just this September, the world saw a massive wave of global climate strikes; the Guardian reported that at least 6 million protestors took to the streets in cities across the globe demanding action. Still, the topic is far from being discussed as urgently as the scientific research suggests it should be. And too often, important parts of the story are ignored. When we talk about climate change, we tend to focus on the physical effects it will have on both our natural habitat and our species’ survival. These are, of course, the most pressing consequences of a changing environment. But we should also be discussing the effects that it is having on our mental health. Besides covering the work of activists, recent environmental news has focused on an alarming number of ecological disasters, including everything from wildfires, floods and hurricanes, to the more gradual crises of melting glaciers and changing temperatures. While the scientific consensus about the pressing reality of human-caused climate change has been hovering steadily at 97% for years according to NASA, the evidence
backing it up builds every day. More people have taken to referring to the process as “the climate crisis,” because climate change simply isn’t a strong enough term anymore. With a problem of such a scale on our hands, it shouldn’t be too hard to guess that mental health is also impacted. New types of anxiety and depression have come out of this crisis, though individual responses vary from person to person. One of the responses to climate change we have seen a remarkable amount of in the United States, despite how much scientific evidence there is backing up the reality, is denial. When we feel a sense of cognitive dissonance over our daily actions—which happens when we do things like choose to travel by plane, even if we know it’s one of the worst contributors of carbon dioxide gas—we often turn to denial or avoidance to resolve the internal conflict. Norwegian psychologist Per Espen Stoknes found surprising evidence of this habit when he analyzed public opinion polls regarding climate change over the last 30 years. He found that the more certain the scientific evidence of a crisis becomes, the less concerned the public feels about the issue. These findings make sense from a psychological standpoint. After all, what difference can one person make when confronted with such a complex and terrifying issue? That kind of responsibility is enough to induce anxiety in even the most determined of
us. According to sources like the American Psychological Association (APA), denial is one of several common responses to this kind of anxiety, along with other coping methods like conflict avoidance, fatalism, fear, helplessness and resignation. On the other side, some people choose to take action. Berelian Karimian is a student at Okemos High School who recently moved to the Lansing area from New Orleans, where she saw the results of climate change even more clearly. For Berelian, anxiety about the future of the planet is familiar; in particular, she says that watching videos and speeches about the climate crisis often cause her anxiety, as well as frustration over the situation she and others her age have had forced upon them. “We shouldn’t have to think about this stuff,” Karimian said. “This shouldn’t be a problem, but it is.” She chooses to channel those anxieties into positive action—participating in events like the global climate strike and even organizing rallies and school strikes of her own. As the climate crisis accelerates, more people are falling into some combination of these responses. But since the topic of climate anxiety has only recently become part of a more public conversation, there’s still a lot to be understood about it. One of the most influential pieces of research on the subject to date comes from the APA, published THECURRENTMSU.COM 17
just two years ago. In association with two environmental organizations, the APA released a 2017 report titled “Mental Health and Our Changing Climate.” The report presents research surrounding the effects of climate change on our physical and psychological health, and offers recommendations for coping with this threat as individuals and communities. Before this report, most of the research on the impact climate change has on health had focused on physical health effects; the APA report, however, notes that not only can those physical effects impact mental health, but mental health effects also exist as a separate, direct result of climate change. In cases where people have had to deal with the consequences of extreme weather—whether through a natural disaster or the more gradual results of changing weather and rising seas— implications for mental health can be serious. Those who have experienced loss of home, traditions, and culture through these types of environmental changes face the worst potential for acute and chronic mental health
effects, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse and higher rates of aggression and violence. For those who haven’t seen the most drastic effects in their own lives, but are becoming aware of the rapidly approaching threat of climate change, fear for the future is enough of an issue to produce its own kind of anxiety. In a Yale survey from December 2018, researchers found that Americans are growing increasingly worried about the climate crisis. The percentage of Americans who rank as “alarmed,” those who are most concerned and most motivated to do something about climate change, rose to 29% last year, double what it was five years ago. Six in 10 Americans are now “alarmed” or “concerned” about global warming, while the percentage of those who are “doubtful” or “dismissive” decreased to 9% for each category. This growing trend of concern over global warming has given rise to a new psychological disorder—ecoanxiety, a term coined a decade ago and popularized in the last couple years. Though few people know the word yet, many are already familiar with the feeling it captures. When I asked a Michigan State University freshman at the first climate strike of September if she’d heard of the term ecoanxiety, she responded without hesitation.“Oh yeah, I have that.” Other young people at the event who never heard the term identified just as easily with its meaning. Psychology Today acknowledges ecoanxiety in an article from 2018, defining it as a “fairly recent psychological disorder afflicting an increasing number of individuals who worry about the environmental crisis.” This worry can be divided into two categories according to the APA: worry about specific impending natural disasters or a broader feeling of anxiety about the future our planet is facing.
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The latter is increasingly common, especially among younger generations who are more likely to understand the threat posed by climate change and will eventually have to face it themselves. It’s also very important to note that the impacts of climate change and the challenge it poses to mental health are not experienced equally by all groups—and there’s a deeper divide than just a generational one. The APA report emphasizes that some groups are much more vulnerable to the physical and psychological effects of climate change, including indigenous communities, lowincome groups, communities of color and people with disabilities. This divide occurs within countries such as the United States, as well as across borders. Countries with fewer resources and those which rely more heavily on a relationship with the natural environment are at a greater risk than many developed Western nations, despite the fact that it’s countries like ours that are contributing the most carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The psychological distance that results from this divide is part of the reason that the majority of us are still not taking action; we imagine the effects of climate change as something that will impact others, in a different place, or far from now. If we’ve been privileged in our ability to avoid the worst effects of climate change up to this point in time, we don’t see the struggles of other far-away communities as indicative of a threat that will affect us, and we seem to have a lack of empathy for their fate in the meantime. Just as inequity has been identified as an important issue when speaking about mental health more broadly, it must also be taken into account as we deal with the emerging psychological impacts of climate change. The issue of ecoanxiety has risen at a time when we’re researching and discussing
mental health more than ever before. An APA report from 2018 identified stress levels and common stressors among Gen Z (ages 15-21) and compared them to other generations. They found that 58% of Gen Z was stressed about climate change, along with 51% of adults overall. The report concludes that this along with all of the other issues stressing Gen Z and older generations has resulted in adults across all generations feeling more stressed in general. Though younger generations are more willing to discuss mental health than those who came before them, the newer topics of ecoanxiety and climate grief are still so foreign to the majority of the general public that we continue to struggle to find ways to talk about them. Part of the reason for this is that not everyone is thinking about climate change. For some, it’s because the issue has become politicized,
and it doesn’t align with the rest of their ideological beliefs. Others simply don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. Many still believe it won’t affect them personally in their lifetimes or are too overwhelmed by the science to feel like they can make a difference. Alexa Marsh, an environmental and sustainability studies major at Michigan State University, is the president of the Sustainable Spartans group on campus. Because of her chosen areas of study, she says the climate crisis is constantly on her mind. “It’s all I think about now,” Marsh said. “It consumes me.” That reality can get depressing, and she admits it’s very easy to get discouraged, especially when she sees so many people around her ignoring the issue for these reasons. “I don’t expect (climate change) to be on the forefront of everyone’s mind—everyone has something
they’re passionate about. At the same time, it definitely should be on their minds more, because it will affect them more than they think it will.” And the time in which people will be affected more directly by climate change is approaching quickly, as is the deadline for taking action: An oft-cited estimate from the United Nations’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warns that we need to come close to halving our carbon emissions by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change. What’s more, there are many climate scientists and activists who don’t believe that even this goal is urgent enough. When placed within the context of such grim predictions and urgent warnings, the rise of ecoanxiety makes a lot of sense. Where that anxiety is channeled, however, makes all the difference. It can be hard to THECURRENTMSU.COM 19
Tizedez’s belief in the power of such individual actions isn’t just the opinion of one optimistic person. Source after source in my research, including leading climate scientists, psychologists, and everyday people who are invested in this topic, all agreed that trying to live their own lives in a more eco-friendly way was one of the best ways to deal with individual ecoanxiety. As psychologist Nancy Prober summarizes it, “there is hope in action, and it gives our anxious energy a place to go.” Of course, individual actions alone shouldn’t be mistaken for a complete solution to the climate crisis. Far from it. Rather, they’re a good start, and along with other actions of self-care can help lessen ecoanxiety and prevent paralyzing psychological responses from taking over. avoid hopelessness, avoidance, or denial, but that’s exactly what’s necessary in order to take desperately needed action for our future. For Marsh, her dedication to action is a matter of common sense. “How can I just give up? I still have a life to live, and I can’t just sit back and watch …I want to be the change.” Marsh’s words echo the sentiments shared publicly by a growing number of young climate activists across the world: 16-yearold Greta Thunberg’s school strikes inspired thousands worldwide to join; Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise movement, is leading the fight in the U.S. for the Green New Deal; Autumn Peltier has spent years fighting for water rights and now represents 40 First Nations communities across Canada. Alongside these activists, there are just as many young people making impacts in their local communities. I recently met dozens of teenagers at the climate strike in Lansing doing exactly this — most of them were still high schoolers, concerned about climate 20 WINTER 2019-20
change but dedicated to making everyday impacts on their world. Along with the people who are marching in the streets, those who are making conscious decisions to lead more sustainable lifestyles, such as riding a bike to work, reducing single-use plastic usage, and going vegan, are what MSU alumna Hannah Tizedes would call “everyday activists.” Tizedes has long been interested in environmental issues and admits to feeling ecoanxiety on a daily basis. The question she repeatedly asks herself as a way of dealing with it is, “What have I done today to make a difference?” Though she admits it’s hard to believe that such small actions make a difference when such large-scale political and corporate change is needed, individual actions inspire others, and the effects grow. “You have to believe that you’re making a difference with every little action you’re taking,” Tizedes said. “Everyone in their own way has their own power to create change.”
Just as we’re beginning to speak more openly about the impacts of climate change on our world, we also need to begin speaking more openly about the implications it carries for our mental health. Only by sharing our struggles openly and working together to preserve our mental health in the face of this threat can we have the mental fortitude to continue fighting together for a liveable future. Katherine Stark is a senior studying professional writing and Spanish. Outside of class, she’s usually busy managing the Red Cedar Review or writing things for other assorted campus departments. In her free time, she enjoys both cooking and running, hobbies which she finds complement each other very well. Follow her on Instagram @stark.katherine and it will definitely not spam your feed, as she rarely remembers to post.
MSUFCU MEMBERS CAN NOW SEND FUNDS TO EACH OTHER INSTANTLY– AND FOR FREE By Deidre Davis, MSUFCU Chief Marketing Officer
MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) recently unveiled its newest exclusive member service: Member2Member (M2M) transfers. M2M is free, easy to use, transfers money instantly and is secure. Based on member feedback and requests, M2M was developed to provide convenience and additional account control for MSUFCU members. Other mobile payment services, such as PayPal, Venmo and Cash App, allow users to send funds to other individuals, but these apps can take up to three business days to process a transaction and may include fees. M2M allows Credit Union members to immediately access funds sent to them once they’ve accepted the transfer — at no additional cost. In September 2019, M2M was rolled out to
MSUFCU membership. As of October 17, 2019, 9,170 members have enrolled and performed 21,856 transactions. The introduction M2M has been highly anticipated by MSUFCU membership and offers a free and convenient way to send funds to friends and family, within the Credit Union’s digital landscape. With the addition of optional digital greeting cards, members can congratulate their loved ones or wish someone a happy birthday with the click of a button.
contact list upon the member’s acknowledgement and approval. This makes it easy and fast to select the member to send money to. M2M is part of the Credit Union’s MoveMoney feature, a secure and free way to send money, make loan payments, pay bills and transfer money within MSUFCU and external accounts. For more information, visit msufcu.org/m2m.
MSUFCU members are identified within the M2M transfer system by their phone numbers and/or email addresses. In the Credit Union’s Mobile app, this section imports the user’s THECURRENTMSU.COM 21
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AT MSU By Emily Hobrla
College is difficult, but completing a degree in a second language is even harder. According to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees Policy committee, the Times Higher Education ranks MSU as #9 on the list of 25 US universities with the most international students. With 5,741 international students making up approximately 12% of MSU’s student body, it is not surprising that MSU’s English language learning structures are so comprehensive. As an American undergraduate who speaks English as my first language, I had not considered the actuality of going through college in another language until I worked at the Summer English Program for the International Teaching Assistant Program this past summer. At the Summer English Program, I helped Teaching Assistants with varying levels of English proficiency become more comfortable speaking in a TA setting. We practiced introductions, syllabus composition and cultural differences between the United States
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and other countries. We also talked about the culture at MSU. At this program, I was working with Ph.D students, mostly in the fields of chemistry and math, to help them improve their English in preparation for the MSU Speaking Test, which is an English proficiency test required by MSU for Ph.D. students to become TAs. Dr. Dan Reed, the Director of Testing at the English Learning Center, is one of the main liaisons for English language learning at MSU. Dr. Reed explained his work with the ELC and provided an overview of the different tests that international students take at different stages of their academic careers at MSU. The first test is the TOEFL, or the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Both prospective undergraduate and prospective graduate students take this test prior to application to MSU and submit it for review with their application to the university. For undergraduates, this is the only English language proficiency test that is required. However, for TAs, there is additional testing that must be completed, the amount
depending on the student’s performance on the initial test. This initial test is the MSU speaking test, and it is modeled after a test developed by ETS, a private, nonprofit testing company (ETS also makes the TOEFL and the GRE.) This is where Dr. Reed’s expertise comes in. At the ELC, a lot of his work is staying up to date on the research about the most effective ways to administer and evaluate English as a second language tests. He said that the ELC faculty’s survey of the research helped them to develop the MSU speaking test and its standards for grading. At the Summer English Program, titterings from the TAs about what the MSU Speaking Test was like can be heard. Having taken numerous practice tests each, they were all pretty familiar with the layout, and some even had jokes about the opening lines of the voice recording of the test’s instructions. Dr. Reed said that the test is all machine delivered. The students sit in a room with headphones on, which play a recording of the
speaking prompts. The student then replies with their response to each of the prompts. Each prompt is asking the student to discuss a certain topic, with a total of 12 questions. Dr. Reed said that there is not much special preparation that a student needs to do for the test, and also that it is not graded on whether the student presents correct information, rather, they are graded on if they are able to elaborate. The ELC website does list some test prep resources on their website though, like examples of past questions. The way that this test is graded is a question that Dr. Reed says comes up fairly often among both international students and people who have heard about the test. He says that the question bias is sometimes raised and cites a study where subjects rated people’s English worse if they saw that they were people of color. He makes sure that MSU takes this into account and that people have nothing to fear, especially with the structures MSU’s ELC has in place.
At the ELC, the people grading the tests are the ELC faculty, who all have extensive higher education and training in English as a second language learning. They also are extremely diverse. Because MSU’s ELC is actually one of the best university ESL programs in existence, the faculty is comprised of some of the top researchers in the field. Dr. Reed’s coworker, Heekyoung Kim, majored in English Language and Literature at Sogang University in South Korea, completed a Ph.D. in ESL education at Texas A&M University. Working at Clemson University, and came to MSU’s ELC in 2006 where she now works as a testing specialist. Another ELC faculty member, Luca Giupponi is from Bergamo, Italy, and completed his Masters in TESOL at Arizona State University. He now works at the Center for Language Teaching Advancement, a branch of the ELC. Most faculty have had extensive language teaching experience abroad as well. Most importantly, all faculty at the ELC are devoted to student success, and want students to do well on the speaking test. THECURRENTMSU.COM 23
To grade the test, the faculty score the test against a rubric that contains samples of what each level of English proficiency sounds like from level 1 which is low English ability to level 5 which is high. Then they match the TA’s recording to the samples of speech on the rubric. Dr. Reed said that there is sometimes some ambiguity in These factors all work to combat any potential bias or hindrance to students taking the MSU Speaking Test.
The next stakeholder is the university, because if parents and students are not satisfied with the quality of instruction, enrollment will decline and the university will lose money and reputability. Dr. Reed said that the speaking test was a solution for the numerous complaints MSU received about Teaching Assistants’ unintelligibility in undergraduate classrooms. Since developing the speaking test, the complaints have ceased.
Dr. Reed says that he considers stakeholders to be important in the discussion surrounding the MSU Speaking Test. The stakeholders closely related to the MSU speaking test are most immediately, the TAs who are taking it with the hopes of teaching undergraduate classes at MSU, and also the students who are in the classes that the international TAs are teaching. TAs came here to complete their postsecondary degrees, and have an advantage in the workplace if they can demonstrate teaching abilities. Being able to understand what the lecturer is saying is important for comprehension of the content of the material.
This does not mean that the speaking test is barring TAs from teaching. Dr. Reed says that the best part of MSU’s ELC compared to other universities’ is the appeal process that allows students to try another test to demonstrate their English proficiency. If a student gets below the required 4 out of 5, then their department can submit an appeal. The student may then take the two required support courses and take the face-to-face test. After this process, the appeal is almost always successful. Dr. Reed said that 99% of graduate students who wis to teach at MSU end up doing so sometime during their schooling.
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A lot of MSU students are not aware of the English language teaching structure at MSU. This, combined with never meeting international students until coming to college, can lead to ignorance. When asked about what MSU undergraduates can do to help their international TAs, Dr. Reed said the most important thing is “[e]mpathy. Put yourself in their shoes.” Imagine if you had to teach organic chemistry, calculus or English literature in a second language. Remember that the next time a TA stumbles over their words a bit. They came here to study just like everyone else, and with a little empathy, we can form an international network of Spartans. Emily Hobrla (@emilyhobrla) is a Senior studying professional writing with a focus in editing and publishing and research interests in linguistics. She loves making new friends in the PW major and beyond, and is excited to contribute to The Current with writing and editing work. Outside of school, her interests include fashion, tennis and squirrel watching.
OUR AFTERMATH: THE RIPPLES OF GUN VIOLENCE By Heather Haely
When people feel helpless, it’s easy for them to become numb.
It’s March 16, 2019, the day before St. Patrick’s Day. College kids are having a blast; it’s a day of celebration famously known for massive amounts of alcohol. At approximately 4:30 p.m., family members and students at the University of Michigan receive a call reporting that there’s an active shooter on campus. I am one of those family members. I pick up the phone and immediately feel my heart drop. My sister, Jenny, and many of my friends from high school go to school there. I call my sister right after hanging up on the automated voice message, but I can’t reach her. I panic. I call her repeatedly as tears start to stream down my face. Then I get in touch with my closest friend, Ashley, who also attends the University of Michigan, and I am so relieved to hear that she is all right. I ask her to see if she can get a response from my sister. I tell my mom the news, and we hope that nothing happened to her. We wait for three hours with bated breath, and later in the day, we find out that it was a false alarm. That threat wasn’t real, but on that same day, four people were shot in Camden, New Jersey, which left one dead. The false alarm in Michigan was set off during a candlelight vigil for the victims of the New Zealand
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mosque shooting. An extremist man perpetrated that crime, and his destruction left 50 dead and 50 injured. The panic left us in Michigan, but the fear of the possibility stayed while others mourned. Some twenty years after the first school massacre, Columbine has seared its way into the hearts of many. The killers rampaged into the school with only two goals in mind: to terrorize the nation by creating the deadliest mass murder of their time and to become famous for it. Most millennials didn’t grow up with the fear of that kind of violence, but that hasn’t stopped us from having to adapt to it. Elise Tomaszewski, a senior at Michigan State University, commented that she heard about Columbine when she was younger but didn’t really think about the event. “I just heard that people got shot, and I thought that it just happens sometimes. It didn’t make me afraid to go to school until more happened,” she said. Our society was shocked when the Columbine shooting occurred in 1999. Since then, it has kept occurring—copycat shooters use it as a how-to guide for committing mass murder. It’s hard to handle these events, so many desensitize themselves. When people THECURRENTMSU.COM 27
frequency of such shootings. She now recognizes that kids of all ages must think about the possibility of a mass shooting in their area. Elise Tomaszewski first encountered gun violence more directly when she heard about the movie theater shooting in Colorado in July of 2012. She grew up with guns and was extremely surprised when she heard the news. “It shook me. I remember hearing about people falling to the ground and having to act like they were dead and climbing over people to try to protect themselves,” Tomaszewski said. She recalled that she didn’t want to go to a theater for a while.
feel helpless, it’s easy for them to become numb. A lot of people do care about gun violence, but as we’ve seen more and more horrible acts as time progresses, they don’t concern us the same way. As the frequency of these actions have increased, our society has shifted away from the immediate reaction of pure terror and grief. Now, active shooters are normal. Megha Patel, a senior at MSU, wasn’t aware of gun violence until Sandy Hook, the tragic 2012 mass shooting that took the lives of 28, including children. Before Patel heard about the shooting, she had never encountered firearms and thought that cops were the only ones who had them. After the tragedy of Sandy Hook, though, she started to realize the power that guns had. Patel said, “Those kids just went to school like any other day and never came back. I thought it could have been me, but then I just went back to my life because I thought it was just one incident.” It wasn’t until high school that she really thought about the issue and saw the devastating 28 WINTER 2019-20
Millennials have grown up being exposed to news stories about active shooters, and some have taken it into their own hands to try to feel safe. “Every single time I go in a building, I look at exits. It didn’t used to be like this, but now I always think: ‘how can I get out of here if there’s someone with a gun?’” Patel said. Tomaszewski commented further: “Now, I think about where I can hide if I need to, and I think about when I have kids. My mom’s biggest worry was about dating when I was younger. Mine will be worrying that some psycho is going to shoot my kindergartener. It makes me fear for the future.” This is the dangerous reality now for parents, family and friends of students. Anthony Norris, a sophomore at MSU, said, “Mass shootings are a deadly fear for me. You don’t want to be oblivious; I have a defensive mindset now.” When asked if these students ever thought about a shooting happening on MSU’s campus, they gave a resounding yes. “It’s so easy. Buildings aren’t restricted, but maybe they should be because this is what our country has come to,” Patel said. “We feel immune and invincible because we feel
so safe on your campus, but then you look around, and it hits you that it could happen here.” But in spite of the media’s general tendency, mental health isn’t what we should be pointing our fingers at for violence. Hate, white supremacy and racism, which aren’t mental illnesses, fuel most of these shooters. “You can’t generalize that mentality ill people just want to shoot others. It makes people not want to get help because they don’t want to be seen that way,” Tomaszewski said. Stigmatizing mental illness does nothing to stop mass shootings from occurring—the truth is that most people with mental illness are nonviolent and are more likely to be victims of violence, according to the American Psychiatric Association. In addition, Mental Health America states that 95-97% of gun violence is not caused by mental illness. There is a difference between mental illness and the ideation of violence that drives the monsters who perpetrate mass shootings. “I’ve shot a gun before and know all the safety procedures. When I hold one, I know the insane amount of damage that I can do and how to prevent it,” Tomaszewski said. Our society has been rocked by these events, and we will never be the same. We must always remember those who lost their lives and the reasons people took them. It isn’t until we and our government do something about it that we will change for the better. I hope that one day, our kids will not have to live with the fear that we do, and it will all just be a distant, horrid memory in our history books. Heather Haely is a senior studying professional writing and advertising. After graduation, she wants to edit or advertise for a publishing house. Heather loves good books and free time with friends. Her perfect day is in the sun with the sand in between her toes. She also likes to make fun of herself and dance like no one’s watching. Follow her on Instagram @heather_haely.
SHE WAS ONLY 13 By Bridget Bartos
Deborah Monroe was only 13 years old when her life changed forever. At 13, she went to the fair, intending to run away and find a family, so she set out seeking the bearded women and the stretch guy. Instead, she was greeted with 26 years in a human trafficking ring. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, human trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” 30 WINTER 2019-20
Monroe is from Jackson, Michigan. Throughout her childhood, Monroe and her brothers were in and out of foster care. When she was 10, her mom went to bingo and never came home, leaving them with their alcoholic father.
Monroe got in the car with him and he took her all the way to Detroit. When she arrived, he put her in a motel room on 13 Mile and Woodward. He didn’t spend the night with her, but in the morning, he took her back to Jackson.
When Monroe’s mom left, the family had to live out of its car which resulted in her going back into foster care. Her father met someone new, re-married and started his life over. Her new stepmom had kids—boys similar ages to her brothers—so they fit right in. Monroe did not. Her new stepmom didn’t want her to live with them, so at 11, Monroe’s dad found her an efficiency apartment.
He left her on a bench in front of the Sheridan Inn with $20 and a decision to make. He gave her an hour to choose: stay with him, or go back to the fair.
After Monroe was caught stealing to stock her apartment, he took it away, leaving her on the streets alone. The court put Monroe in a program connected to the juvenile home—a three-month family reconnection program, where no family reconnection was fostered. Not wanting to return to the house that abandoned her, she went out on her own. Enter the circus: when Monroe arrived, she didn’t find the bearded women or the stretch guy. Instead, she found a man. He was nice to her, he walked with her, he bought her food. Monroe doesn’t remember what they talked about, but she trusted him enough that when he asked her to show him around her hometown, she did.
“All I could think about [when I] was sitting on that bench...was that he didn’t want me, and I had done something wrong again,” Monroe said. “And when he showed up an hour later, I felt relieved and got back in the car with him.” He took her back to Detroit and had sex with her. She was 13.
“I felt like this was a family,” Monroe said. “People that cared about me.”
created a habit and would run off. Her care for him faded.
Not used to this kind of ‘home,’ making $300 a day was empowering to Monroe.
She went to jail for a year, and when she was there, her pimp was investigated for running a prostitution ring. When the FBI agents asked her to testify against him, she denied that he had forced her to do anything.
She was arrested for the first time when she was 14 for being in an area of drugs and prostitution. She was taken to juvie, and her dad was called. He wouldn’t bail her out because he didn’t want to lose a day’s wage. After two weeks of her being there, her pimp called her father telling him to bail Monroe out. If her father did, her pimp would pay him his day’s wage of $80. In Detroit, she was greeted with four other girls. He told her she would be going to work that night. He gave her clothes, the girls did her hair and she went to the Crestwood Motel on 8 mile to work. She shadowed the oldest girl for the week. After her first night out, the older girl told her the rules. “She told me at the end of the first night that what I needed to do when we got home, I needed to stand in line and we needed to give him every dime that we made,” Monroe said. “And so that’s what I did six days a week.” Her life became a steady cycle. She would work, come home, give her money to her pimp and sleep.
She felt that if she did what he wanted, she was safe. She kept doing this for years, moving from state to state, working, giving him her money and getting arrested was a weekly occurrence.
“See, I still cared about him. I still loved him, like this was the only person that ever cared about me,” Monroe said. It was her only family. She wanted to protect him. “If you would have asked me, I would have told you never. He never forced me because the day that I got in the car with him in Jackson…It was my choice…I didn’t see any other options for myself,” Monroe said.
“I think I’ve been arrested in almost every state,” Monroe said.
Within the year, he was arrested and given 28 years in prison for running a prostitution empire.
She’s been working to get those convictions expunged; her most recent are from New York and New Jersey, and she’s working on Washington D.C.
While he was in prison, Monroe was on the streets. On her own, she got deeper into drugs. Cocaine turned into smoking crack, and her life was spiraling.
She stayed with her pimp for almost eight years until she got involved with drugs. Instead of going to work for the money, she was going to get high. As she got more and more involved with narcotics, she
“I went from being a high-class call girl to a $20 crackhead,” Monroe said. When she lost three of her kids to the State of Michigan, she lost hope. THECURRENTMSU.COM 31
She fought to get her kids back and got two of the three while keeping up the same lifestyle. It was here when she realized she needed help. “This was the first time I think that getting help ever crossed my mind. I didn’t know what was going on with me,” Monroe said. After therapy, she got involved in peer work. She helps people, mostly women, struggling with mental health, substance abuse and human trafficking.
“I had never held a job. I didn’t have any support. I still hadn’t seen my mother. My dad left Michigan and went to Georgia and married another chronic alcoholic, so I didn’t have any family support. I felt like that was all my life was ever going to be,” Monroe said. After being arrested and unable to complete her probation requirements, she went to court. Not wanting to repeat the usual cycle, Monroe asked the judge for a year and a day. He gave her one and a half to four years. “That one and a half to four years actually saved my life,” Monroe said. She got out of jail, got somewhat clean, and thought that would be enough. As time passed, she realized it was more than that. “From the age of 13 all the way for 26 years living that lifestyle...it was a lot of trauma. I would brush being raped off as a part of the job,” Monroe said, “Sometimes I was raped twice in a day. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, manipulation…I just learned how to cope. I detached, and that’s how I learned how to survive.” 32 WINTER 2019-20
“And I’ll tell you, that’s what gave my life meaning and purpose…It changed my life completely,” Monroe said. Now she does advocacy work within jails and the community for human trafficking. She sits on the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission and is part of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, where she is fulfilling her passion of helping others.
would have told you yep...yep sure did,” Monroe said. As the crisis is coming to light, more resources are becoming available to help victims across Michigan and the United States. For more information, check out the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force to find out how you can help. It’s real, and it’s happening: right around the corner. Bridget Bartos is a senior studying media marketing journalism with a double minor in public relations and graphic design. With her love for writing and public speaking, she hopes to work in public relations or marketing after graduation. Along with her love for writing, she enjoys art, photography, and social media. Speaking of which, follow her on Instagram @bridgetbart or on twitter @bridget_bartos.
According to Monroe, the commission has sub-committees that focus on policy, victim services, victim resources and more. Monroe herself is part of victim services but now wants to move into laws and policy. “I got on the Human Trafficking Commission because I wanted to be a voice...it took me 26 years to get out because I didn’t know about the resources available. I was considered a criminal...I was never considered a victim,” Monroe said. Human trafficking is a relatively new term; most victims don’t even know what it means. “If you would have asked, ‘Are you a part of human trafficking?’ I would have said no. If you would have asked if I had a pimp, I THECURRENTMSU.COM 33
PLAGUED BY
NORMALCY By Sydney Naseef
Michigan State University continues to be plagued by the Larry Nassar scandal. The Penn State University child abuse tragedy serves as a constant reminder of the pull powerful figures have at established universities. The public was shocked when a decades-old, decades-long case of abuse at Ohio State was only recently brought to light. Meanwhile, individual cases are hitting college campuses left and right, from Stanford University’s Brock Turner to Baylor University’s Jacob Anderson. But far-reaching crimes are kept under wraps and survivors’ statements are swept under the rug far too often and for far too long. We are living in a state of “it happened again” and “just another one.” When did college campuses become rampant with stories of sexual assault? Has this long-been an issue hidden by stigma and fear? How do we change the public’s view on sexual abuse and the criminal justice system’s view on perpetrators? How do we right decades of wrongs? To be clear: this issue doesn’t strictly affect twentysomethings fueled by alcohol and illegal substances. It stems higher. To powerful people, trusted people, people
decades older than their victims. They, too, are making headlines here. And survivors aren’t just anonymous figures in the paper. Survivors are your children. Your sister. Your brother. Your cousin. Your best friend. Your roommate. It’s time we live in a world where sending them off to school, a place for learning, growth and new experiences, doesn’t make them feel tormented by mistrust and concern. Just because these stories are only recently hitting newsstands and flashing across television screens doesn’t mean these crimes haven’t been taking place for decades. Amanda McCafferty, co-founder of the Go Teal movement, believes these issues are “nothing new.” Go Teal hit MSU’s campus in response to the Larry Nassar scandal to give hope to survivors and call on the administration to formulate change. McCafferty recognizes that the issue of sexual assault has long been plaguing not only our campuses, but our nation. It’s reached a point where it feels normalized. It’s reached a point where the public no longer feels shocked by a news story detailing yet another assault. But this abuse isn’t new.
“At one point in our history, it wasn’t considered rape if a man had sex with his wife without her consent. At one point in our history, it wasn’t considered rape if she was black. At one point in our history, rape was considered a property crime—women were viewed as something to own,” said McCafferty. “We have consistently and tirelessly been rewriting the laws against sexual violence to de-normalize something that our history has always normalized.” In the face of the #MeToo movement, survivors have gained a newfound platform to share their stories and connect with others. But long before we reached this stage, ongoing cycles of abuse—sexual, physical, psychological—were still plaguing the lives of people everywhere. Maybe we just weren’t talking about it back then. Now, there is more open and honest discussion developing around the topic of sexual abuse and its effects, spurring action and implementing change while dually offering comfort for and providing a safe space for survivors. “Movements like #MeToo are not only encouraging everyday bystanders to speak THECURRENTMSU.COM 35
“ For some reason, our society values the reputation of a ‘good’ man over the lives and health and well-being of the people they harm.”
up when they see something–they are educating the general public on how to safely intervene in a situation. And that is essential,” said McCafferty. While some things have improved from the recent fire that’s been lit under the topic of sexual assault, the amount of work left to do is undeniable. According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), an American is assaulted every 92 seconds. One in six American women and one in every 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape. One in three U.S. women and one in four U.S. men have experienced some form of sexual violence, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. RAINN also reports that only 20% of female student victims report to law enforcement, and for every 1,000 sexual assaults that take place, 995 perpetrators will walk free due to low reporting percentages and a flawed criminal justice system. 36 WINTER 2019-20
Let’s boil it down. Imagine you’re headed to class or work on Monday. In your quick commute, you can point to any given three women or any given four men that you walk past on the sidewalk or drive by on the street and, statistically, one of them has been afflicted in some way by sexual assault. We have a problem. It’s not a surprise that three out of every four assaults go unreported. We’ve seen it play out time and time again. At MSU, it took more than 400 survivors to break the long-held silence by the university’s administration and leaders. At Stanford University, Brock Turner abused an unconscious college woman now known as the brave and powerful Chanel Miller. Turner only received a minor sentence followed by lenient probation. Across the world, survivors’ stories are diminished and belittled to nothing because they were wearing a revealing outfit, had too much to drink, or are dubbed “liars” when in
reality a mere 2% of all reported assaults are determined false. So how do we right the wrongs of a university, a nation, that for decades has normalized rape culture? McCafferty believes that in order to spur change on college campuses and beyond, it will take education. Parents often shy away from discussions of sexual assault and schools often neglect sexual education courses, concerned that they shouldn’t be diving into these tough topics with children and teens. The fact is, those children grow up, and they grow up lacking the proper knowledge needed to handle these situations when they arise. Or worse, they engage in these crimes themselves, because maybe they weren’t taught early on what sex and consent should look like. McCafferty said it’s time we educate, so we can stop shying away from a topic “so clearly demanding our attention.”
On top of a lack of education, this is a criminal justice issue. Brock Turner assaulted Miller beneath a tree, in the dirt, in public, against her will. She laid unconscious throughout the entire attack, intoxicated and undeniably unable to consent. When Turner was approached by two bystanders who quickly intervened looking to stop this unwarranted sexual activity, he immediately fled. These are the actions of a guilty and disturbed man, yet, he was sentenced to serve a mere six months and served only three. His sentence, at maximum, would have (and should have) been 14 years. A sentence Miller fought for. “I spoke with conviction. I felt that it was working. I felt that it was everything I could have done. So I felt relief and pride and now thought the hardest parts were behind me, but they weren’t,” Miller said in an interview with NPR. “When the sentence was announced, the immediate reaction I had was humiliation.” Miller is yet another survivor diminished by a demeaning sentence. “I applaud Chanel Miller and stand with her. Know her name,” said McCafferty. “She is changing the conversation for the better for all survivors of sexual violence and really being the light we need right now. Our judicial system failed her and, in return, has taught perpetrators that their actions won’t have serious punishments. I hope Chanel proves them otherwise. I hope we prove them otherwise.” And then there’s Jacob Anderson, a former fraternity president at Baylor University who brutally raped a 19-year-old woman. Because of a plea deal, he is serving no jail time and does not have to register as a sex offender even though, according to the
survivor’s lawyer, he left his victim “to die face down in her own vomit.” His only consequence for stealing a massive piece of another human’s life was a $400 fine. These triggering names don’t even begin to cover the far-reaching ground of the accused whose names may never surface. They merely shine a daunting light on the many ways the justice system fails survivors and allows perpetrators to continue their horrific reign. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, “mandatory minimum penalties for sex offenses are applied less often in the federal system compared to other mandatory minimum penalties.” We are treating a completed robbery as if it is more detrimental to a person’s life than a completed rape. We are letting even the most infamous abusers—the ones making headlines, the ones warranting petitions achieving hundreds of thousands of signatures in a demand for justice—get off with nothing but a slap on the wrist and the freedom to go about their lives. But their freedom will long loom over their victims’ lives, perhaps to the same extent that the assault itself will.
President of the United States, or when your abuser could serve on the Supreme Court? Why come forward when it always seems too late? These horror stories are the reasons why victims shy away from speaking their truth. “The message it sends is clear,” said Thomashow. “[Perpetrators] are shown they can disrespect other people’s bodies with little to no consequence. The value of survivors’ stories, lives and bodies is not important.” Perhaps what we value is the underlying issue. We place value into the notoriety of abusers. Nassar wasn’t considered a serial child molester for decades, despite the fact that this ongoing abuse was recognized by many. He was the esteemed USA gymnastics national team doctor and admired MSU osteopathic physician. And Brock Turner still often isn’t labeled as the convicted offender he is. He is referenced as the Stanford swimmer, a “good
Amanda Thomashow, a survivor and the co-founder and executive director of Survivor Strong, a Lansing-based organization advocating for systemic change in support of survivors, believes this current culture is giving abusers an additional foothold. Meanwhile, it is continuing to push survivors deeper and deeper into silence, because why come forward when Nassar’s abuse reached hundreds of girls before anyone decided to care? Why come forward when decades after a prominent doctor at the Ohio State University dies, it’s revealed that he spent his days abusing young boys? Why come forward when your rapist could become the THECURRENTMSU.COM 37
guy” and talented athlete who had his sights set on the Olympics. Newspapers still can’t seem to get this one right. “For some reason, our society values the reputation of a ‘good’ man over the lives and health and well-being of the people they harm,” said Thomashow. At MSU, countless officials were informed of Nassar’s wrongdoing. A vast number of women mustered the strength to come forward to those they thought they could trust only to be let down by indifference and disbelief. It’s all because of the harsh light that these actions would place on Nassar and the shadow it would cast on the distinguished university. Now, though, MSU isn’t recognized strictly for the malpractice of this one man. It’s recognized for the malpractice of many who valued status rather than acknowledging the pain it was bringing to its students. In addition, the rape kit backlog acts as another aversion for survivors. DNA plays an integral role in the eventual conviction of offenders, but with hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits sitting on shelves, often survivors experience this invasive exam immediately after undergoing an attack only for the evidence collected to be left untouched. In response, organizations including RAINN are working fervently to end this backlog, leading a national campaign that is educating lawmakers, the media and more on this issue and what action is needed to begin addressing it. It’s a start. Nationally, powerful political figures and dedicated organizations are addressing the backlog. When it comes to the work being done in the courtroom, the United States Sentencing Commission reports that the percentage of convictions for sexual abuse 38 WINTER 2019-20
offenses carrying a mandatory minimum penalty increased from 21.4% in 2004 to 63.2% in 2016. Sexual assault cases are complex, and it is often harder to find justice due to the emotional nature of these crimes and its various underlying factors. It isn’t as cut and dried as “you stole” or “you killed,” even though it should be. Sexual assault lawsuits require a level of understanding that, unfortunately, many in power often lack for fear of venturing deep into its disturbing territory. Still, there are those who are working to spur change in this field, rewriting this story each day when they go to work. More abusers are paying for their actions now than they have historically, and while it is important to fight for survivors whose stories are being diminished in court, we must not turn a blind eye to those whose trials are being handled fairly and justly. Locally, Thomashow’s organization, Survivor Strong, is working with law enforcement, prosecutors and judges to teach them how to properly handle and understand cases of abuse and violence. Right on the university’s campus, The MSU Center for Survivors (formerly the Sexual Assault Program) on campus is bringing survivors together, regardless of their sexual identities, regardless of their stories and regardless of their pasts to heal in community with those who understand through support groups, counseling and advocacy services. MSU Safe Place is a safe haven that resides in an undisclosed location for spouses and their children who are fleeing abusive relationships, providing advocacy, shelter, counseling and more. The Office for Civil Rights and Title IX at MSU is focused strictly on responding to these campus issues and investigating all reports of harassment and gender-based violence. These organizations and missions are the stepping stones to an on-campus, local and
national cultural shift, no matter how small each pebble of hope may seem. Ultimately, Thomashow says all we need is for people to care. The days of flipping through bleak, enraging newspaper headlines and answering those pleas with inaction needs to become a thing of the past. Change is around the corner if we embrace it and continue pushing. We are educating bystanders and teaching the public what consent looks like. Growth in discussion surrounding abuse, assault and harassment is leading to action. Sexual assault has been, and will always be, a problem that our friends, our families, our college campuses, our workplaces and our nation will face.
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But that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope. Maybe we can shrink the statistics in half. Maybe we can demand justice and actually see it play out in real-time. Maybe we can continue giving survivors the strength to share their story and change the narrative with their truth. Maybe, rather than each story of assault ending in shame and heads hung low, these stories can instead end in triumph and in fists pushed up toward the sky, a glimmer of hope for survivors everywhere. Sydney Naseef is a journalism major and public relations minor in the Honors College at Michigan State University graduating in 2020. She is working as a student practitioner at Martin Waymire, an awardwinning PR firm in Lansing, Michigan. When Sydney isn’t at work or in class, she likes to spend her time writing, taking photos or exploring her new love for graphic design–all while listening to The 1975, of course.
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