Stoneman Douglas High School, a quiet school in the suburban town of Parkland, Florida, was the site of a horrific mass shooting that occurred on Feb. 14, 2018. The gunman was then 19- yearold former student Nikolas Cruz. He walked into one of the school buildings heavily armed and set off the fire alarm in order to get people to vacate the classrooms. As students started pouring into the hallways, he opened fire, killing 17 people in total. Cruz was caught an hour after the police showed up at the scene and held without bond on 17 accounts of premeditated murder. On the day of his trial, Oct. 13, many expected Cruz to be sentenced to the death penalty. However, the jury decided to give him a life sentence without possibility of parole, which devastated many of the families of the victims, according to Yahoo News. Instead of finding closure, the victims’ families found themselves in the middle of one of society’s most controversial debates. Those advocating for the death penalty are doing so based on evidence that Cruz showed no mercy during the shooting, while those who support the life sentence argue that Cruz should be spared due to his mental illnesses, stemming from his mother’s drug and alcohol abuse during her pregnancy. The jury’s decision was ultimately correct because the death penalty is a punishment that accomplishes nothing substantial and deciding whether someone deserves to die causes more harm than good.
“I would probably lean towards the death penalty [for Cruz]. [Although] the death penalty is not a deterrent, it gives victims the sense of closure,” Advanced Placement European History teacher Donald Frazier said. “However, in most cases, victims should be the ones who are determining a perpetrator’s outcome because they were the people directly involved, [not the jury].”
The outcome of the Parkland trial left the families of victims and those following the trial divided because some think Cruz wholeheartedly deserved the death penalty, while others believe that Cruz will suffer more if he lives out the rest of his life in prison. According to Fair Punishment, in the state of Florida, there needs to be a
unanimous decision from the jury in order to give someone the death penalty. There are other factors that are also taken into consideration: for example, the person must have intentionally created a lifethreatening situation for multiple people or they must have already committed a felony. There were 12 jurors present for the trial; nine voted for the death penalty and three voted against it due to evidence of Cruz’s mental illness. No matter what the jury ultimately decided — whether it be the death penalty or the life sentence — there would have been a massive amount of backlash. Currently, the media is heavily criticizing the decisions of the jurors who voted against the death penalty. Cruz’s case is arguably one of those situations where the death penalty is not a harsh enough punishment for his actions. Living out his life in prison with the guilt of murdering 17 people, on top of the strenuous conditions of prison life, will not be enjoyable.
Additionally, while for certain crimes the death penalty seems to be the only fitting punishment, there are also cases where an innocent person has been sentenced to death. According to the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), Walter McMillian, a former dry cleaning store clerk in Monroeville, Alabama, was wrongly accused for the murder of an 18-year-old white woman named Ronda Morrison. McMillian had no prior criminal history and was a self-employed logger who had worked for many of the members of his community. What brought McMillian to attention was that he was having an affair with a married white woman, which at the time was particularly scandalous because he was Black. A public divorce between the woman and her husband brought McMillian into the limelight and in authorities minds, “he went from someone having an interracial affair to someone thought to be capable of murder” (EJI). McMillian was taken into custody and soon after, he was charged with capital murder and spent 15 long months on Alabama’s death row before being sentenced. At his trial, he was wrongly sentenced to death and spent the next six years on death row until Bryan Stevenson, the founder of EJI, proved his innocence. Without the help of Stevenson, McMillian would have been wrongly killed. This demonstrates some of the flaws of the death penalty. Even though the prosecuting team should have provided
an argument based on concrete evidence, the people involved with his sentencing were corrupt. They paid off inmates to give false testimonies in exchange for early release, forged evidence and even sent death threats to EJI. The death penalty also disproportionately impacts the Black community due to racial bias, making it a risky punishment as the decision-making process relies too heavily on jurors, and the death penalty can therefore be given to undeserving people.
“In most cases, it is hard to [quantify the value of] a human’s life,” sophomore Helena Groskreutz said. “However, there are exceptions because [certain people, such as] serial killers deserve the death penalty. They are a large threat to society and do not see what is wrong with their actions. They also often do not change their minds.”
The death penalty is the harshest punishment people on trial can receive. Still, even though it can help some victims find the closure they are seeking, it often only causes chaos. Those involved in the decision of sentencing someone to death also have to live with the guilt of being responsible for their end. Even if the person is undeniably guilty, at the end of the day, their execution is happening due to the jury’s verdict. This points out another flaw regarding people deciding whether someone deserves the death penalty or not: the jurors all have their own biases about Cruz’s case, and even though they were supposed to make a decision free of all bias, that was an impossible task. People’s views of the world around them are tinted by their opinions and experiences. On the other hand, a life sentence is a more deserving punishment for Cruz, especially considering factors like his mental health. Although Cruz may not fully understand the extent of his actions now, he has the rest of his life to reflect on them and live with the guilt.
“It is hard to live with the guilt of your actions, especially if you realize [the extent] of them,” senior Elizabeth Maeder said. “Mental health matters a lot when decisions are made in court regarding someone’s future. It does not excuse [Cruz’s] crimes, but it brings up the question of [whether he] understood what he did and what happened as a result.”
ANGELINA WANGIn a 2021 audio leaked on Oct. 9, since resigned LA City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilmembers Gil Cedillo and Kevin de León were heard discussing redistricting, the process of redrawing district lines. Throughout the conversation, Martinez said shockingly racist comments against Black and Oaxacan people such as calling the adopted Black child of another council member “un changuito” (a little monkey) and referring to Oaxacans as “tan feos” (so ugly). Because they currently aid racist agendas like Martinez’s and grant excessive power to politicians, redistricting practices in LA must be reformed.
During redistricting, politicians often try to reorganize district lines to increase the number of districts where a certain demographic is the most represented. In Martinez’s case, she wanted to redraw the lines so that there would be more districts where Latino politicians would be the favorites to win elections. This, by itself, is a reasonable cause as even though Latinos make up nearly a half of the city’s population, only three of the 15 current city council members are Latino. However, the current redistricting process is not the correct way to address such problems. As seen by her comments in the leaked audio, the current system transforms the push to get more Latino representation into a competition amongst different racial groups. In light of the clear flaws with LA’s current redistricting process, it is necessary to reform aspects which currently encourage egocentrism from council members and pit racial communities against each other.
The office of California State Attorney General Rob Bonta is currently investigating the 2021 LA redistricting to decide if Martinez and the other council members violated
any laws. Of particular interest for the investigation is determining whether they used race as the “predominant” factor in their redrawing, which would violate the equal protections clause of the 14th constitutional amendment. Whether it was blatant racist remarks or offhand references to racial groups, their consistent race-centric comments throughout the audio indicates that race was the biggest factor of their decision-making. Though it does not excuse their personal racism, the redistricting process is what exacerbated and allowed it to significantly impact the city. Beyond Martinez, there have been several examples in recent years of LA politicians abusing the powers granted to them by the people. In 2017, top executive of the LA Department of Water and Power David Wright awarded a $30 million contract from the DWP to a private company under a secret agreement that the company would give him a $1 million salary job offer once he left the DWP. Wright also admitted to destroying evidence and was ultimately sentenced to eight years in prison. In 2020, former council member Jose Huizar was indicted for accepting $1.5 million in bribes from real estate developer Wei Huang. Huizar’s trial is scheduled to take place in 2023.
To fix the current redistricting process and curb rampant corruption, LA should take the power to redraw district lines away from the council members and create a new committee that presides over it, a practice that is already utilized by other California cities like San Francisco. Doing so would eradicate race-based feuds amongst minorities and build a future in which marginalized communities are safesomething that is not feasible when people are preoccupied with internal conflicts. Marginalized communities should instead cooperate in order to reach the collective goal of eliminating white supremacist structures in government.
In the school-wide midterm mock elections held on Oct. 12, Peninsula students voted overwhelmingly in favor of Proposition 28 — the initiative to guarantee additional arts and music funding in all K-12 public schools. Unlike English, mathematics, science and social science instruction, which have funding guaranteed by state law, arts and music curricula do not. Proposition 28 changes that, setting aside 1% of state revenue for the visual and performing arts, and its passing on Nov. 28 represents a leap forward for K-12 schools across California.
But what is the catch? There is none. With a nearly $100 billion budget surplus, Californians should not be hesitant about contributing just a miniscule fraction of that towards arts education. In fact, there has not even been an advocacy group that has filed an official opposition statement on the ballot. Yet it is perplexing as to why 223 students — 22.23% of all students that participated — voted against the measure. Proposition 28 should be a measure supported by all Peninsula students, staff and families.
“I do think that high schools need to emphasize the arts and music more,” senior Harry Zhao said. “Personally, I feel that it is more viewed as a requirement for graduation and that people look at it like a chore than really a platform for self expression.”
At Peninsula where students would take AP Underwater Basket Weaving, people would rather put off pursuing their interests in art and music, opting for more ‘difficult’ coursework instead. What they fail to realize is that art and music offer tough intellectual and physical challenges, demanding a different set of skills to succeed compared to traditional academic courses.
“Everyone has some form of hobbies,” senior and choir president Charlotte Lew said. “Arts and music education is a great way to explore those aspects of our personalities and develop a good work-life balance early on, before college and beyond.”
Many staff agree with this statement, saying that it enables a different approach than teaching traditional academic subjects. Arts and music give a whole new meaning to in-class engagement, with the work of students taking the spotlight instead of a textbook.
“I think art and music allows schools to teach complex topics, like culture and history, to students at their level,” orchestra and choir Director Daniel Doctor said. “It is much easier to engage them with something that they are passionate about, with something that they love.”
Critics of Proposition 28 may argue that this additional funding should be instead used to support further STEM education. However, the arts and STEM are actually uniquely connected, with each complementing the other. Arts and music programs are not merely a way for students to express themselves — programs that incorporate the arts have been proven to increase creativity, improve academic performance, increase motor skills, enhance visual learning and boost higher decision-making skills (Brookings). Best of all, by utilizing the massive budgetary surplus, Proposition 28 aims to address arts and music along with traditional academic subjects, without sacrificing one for the other.
By far one of the most impactful areas this measure could land in is among lower income communities, who often struggle to cover educational expenses of arts and music programs with already strained budgets. By distributing a portion of the additional funding based on an educational agency’s share of disadvantaged students, the initiative takes a swing directly at this issue, requiring schools to allocate 80% of the funding towards hiring teachers and the other 20% going towards training and materials (Ballotpedia).
Ultimately, although not an entirely comprehensive solution to developing strong, robust arts programs, the passage of Prop 28 during the official statewide midterm elections is more than just a step in the right direction. With more than 64% of voters voting “Yes,” it appears that the supermajority of Californians see and acknowledge the issue at hand — that public education needs to put a stronger emphasis on multidisciplinary education.
THE PEN
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA HIGH SCHOOL
27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
EDITORS IN CHIEF Jeremy Kim Audrey Lin
MANAGING EDITOR Nomi Tsogmagnai
HEADS OF DESIGN Shai Becker Sakura Sasaki
HEAD OF BUSINESS Hana Rivera ADVISER Jaymee DeMeyer
PUBLICITY
WEBSITE MANAGER: Savanna Messner Rodriguez
OPINION
EDITOR: Zahra Habib
WRITERS: Alesha Paramasivum Angelina Wang Brandon Zhang
NEWS
EDITOR: Juliette Lin
WRITERS: Aarushi Chaudhari Siwoo Kim
FOCUS
EDITOR: Alena Rhoades
WRITERS: Caori DeGuzman Sivan Stoler
STUDENT LIFE
EDITOR: McKenna McCallister
WRITERS: Jacelyn Chen Jihoon Kwon
EDITOR: Josie Kwak
WRITERS: Tessa Kang Neha Sambangi
Hana Fujii Kiara Lee Zhixin Liu Jihee Seo Lynn Takahashi
ADS
Bridget Auer Lauren Farrar
Kana Fujimoto-Taitano Lexi Hollerbach
Eva Johnston
Caide Jung Natasha Kohli Sara Mizrachi
Frederica Nishioka Maya Owainat Kate Shenton
to Head of Business Hana Rivera at phone (310)347-1188
“The Pen” is the student newspaper produced by the advanced journalism students of Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. It is published eight times per year. Advertising inquiries may be directedBRANDON ZHANG
On Sept. 16, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, passed away in a hospital in Tehran, Iran. Officials claim that Amini’s death was due to multiple-organ failure caused by cerebral hypoxia, a condition in which there is a decreased supply of oxygen to the brain. However, shortly before her passing, she was first arrested by the morality police - a division of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces - for not wearing a hijab and not covering her arms and legs with loose clothing. Amini was later beaten to death by the morality police for allegedly not abiding by its hijab rules. Wearing a hijab has been obligatory for all Iranian women since April of 1983, and it is a procedure for a girl to start wearing a hijab when she starts puberty. Amini’s death served as a catalyst for mass protests, the first one taking place on Sept. 17, after her funeral in Saquez, when women ripped off their hijabs in solidarity. Since then, protests from Iranian citizens have swelled with demands ranging from more freedoms
following Amini’s death, has also appeared in discussion. Resistance in the form of videos have surfaced with women setting their headscarves on fire and cutting their hair with the shared message, “Woman, life, freedom” and “Death to the dictator”. Schoolgirls have joined in demonstrations in playgrounds and in the street alongside men and teenage boys, who are supporting the women’s demands (British Broadcasting Corporation). Although there have been prior mass protests in Iran, like in 2009 and from 2017-19, they were led by the working class and limited to major cities. The recent protests have involved people from all factions of society and age groups, which have spread across dozens of cities and towns (British Broadcasting Corporation).
for [bringing] change in the Islamic Republic’s laws,” Andrade said. “Since there is not a lot of information about the protests in the media, I think the U.S. is doing a responsible thing by imposing sanctions to work towards de-funding organizations working with the Islamic Republic. Hopefully, through these sanctions, we are closer to increased rights for people who live in Iran.”
Historically, women’s rights have been deeply
Khamenei, unpopular
Due to the large scale of these protests, Iranian citizens have been easy targets for violence inflicted by Iranian government forces. The protests, though they are mostly peaceful, border on being violations of Iranian law, and thus, law enforcement has responded violently. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, the names of 479 people killed during the protests, 68 being children, have been recorded as of early December. Sophomore Hana Tehrani believes that this conflict shows there should be a change of laws in the Islamic Republic.
“If Iran’s women and men continue [protesting], some policies inevitably will change,’’ Tehrani said. “The question is if these people will have the strength to continue despite the horrendous response from the Islamic Republic. While attempting to change all unfair laws is impossible and will simply backfire, enforcing basic human rights is necessary.”
SAKURA SASAKIRegarding international affairs involving the protests, Iran claims that it will sue the U.S. for its alleged involvement in the demonstrations. President Joe Biden showed support for the protesters in Iran by promising unknown consequences on the Islamic Republic and said that the U.S. stands with the women in Iran who are attempting to secure their rights. Along with this, the U.S. has announced diplomatic sanctions on the morality police for abuse and violence against Iranian women and the violation of the rights of Iranian protesters (Cable News Network). The U.S. is also working toward making internet access easier for Iranians since print media in Iran is currently under strict control with little to no news being reported about the protests. Although there is more coverage on websites, news outlets have to be cautious not to violate any rules instilled by the Islamic Republic. Junior Miguel Andrade believes that the implementation of sanctions was the right action for the U.S. to take.
“I think the sanctions should be effective
In a mildly controversial act, California Governor Gavin Newsom implemented a law banning the “pink tax” this September, a economic price trend causing products with a female target audience to be massively overvalued compared to male counterparts. More specifically, Assembly Bill No. 1287 prevents differences in pricing due to gender of the intended audience, and only allows price differences between goods with substantially more costly methods of production, such as requiring more labor force, materials and time. Previously, soap, lotions, razors and other products cost up to $2 more for women prior to the bill. Newsom stated that No. 1287 will end California’s price discrimination, stopping necessary expenses adding up quickly over a lifetime (Sacramento Bee). The ban has not been without backlash and controversy. According to Psychology Today, many economists argue that the products are naturally more expensive due to simple supply and demand. They claim that due to women’s alleged willingness to pay more for their necessary products, the price difference is justified as a way for companies to maximize their profits. Senior Omar Eltawil, president of the Business and Economics club, disagrees, noting that profitability does not equate to being ethical, nor does free market justify the wild west of corporations.
“Many corporations [make] the “free market” argument, but they fail to realize that the concept of free market does have restrictions [such as with] weapons and narcotics,” Eltawil said. “In addition, the government does have legal authority to stop corporate inflation. Therefore, it is perfectly moral and legal for the government to abolish any law that would raise prices on products for one gender over another.”
Many conservatives, on the other hand, argue that the pink tax is not even real. A prominent example is the YouTube channel “Don’t Walk, Run! Productions,” which has made three separate videos attempting to debunk the existence of the pink tax. The videos attempt this by claiming that men and women pay the same price using local data found from the content creator’s state of origin, New York. National data contradicts his comments: according to Capital Counselor, women are charged as much as 42% more than men for the same number of goods, and certain products such as shampoos, which can cost up to $2.50 more per product for women. Business Insider noted similar price trends as well, as female-marketed versions of care products are on average 11% more expensive than for males. Senior Jennifer Lee agrees that the difference in cost of care products is outrageous.
“[Because] of markups in menstrual [products,] women [across the country] stand to pay an
additional $150 million per year compared to men,” Lee said. “[We are] in a tampon shortage, and in [January of] this year, one box of 18 tampons cost $114 on Amazon. Women are paid less than men by 17%, but [are] expected to pay [on average] 13% more than men. The pink tax is disgusting and while it is a good start to end it in California, it should be abolished on a national level.”
Financial woes are not the only problem caused by the pink tax that Assembly Bill No. 1287 aims to address. The increased strain on money has also caused enlarged stress for many women, especially women of color who typically earn less than white women (Business Insider). According to junior Renata Lopez Vicencio, co-president of the Period Project, a club seeking to improve the lives of women who are financially and psychologically affected by their menstruation cycles, her founding of the club came as a natural response to woes experienced by low-income menstruators.
“I do know of people that have felt the effect of [high-cost menstrual products] and that is one of the reasons I started my club,” Vicencio said. “As a woman I felt it was wrong to even [put] a price on feminine [products,] let alone put a tax on it, considering women were born with [menstruation] and [it] is natural to our bodies. [Especially] for people with low income, a basic need for a pad or a tampon should not be something a woman has to worry about being able to afford.”
Marilyn Monroe has stood as a cultural cornerstone for decades and the world has long been enamored with her life. Blonde, a film about Monroe, premiered at the 79th International Venice Film Festival on Sept. 8, where it received a nomination for Best Film and a 14-minute long standing ovation, as reported by Variety. The movie displays the divide between Norma Jean Mortenson and her stage persona, Marilyn Monroe, by switching aspect ratios and replicating iconic photos of Monroe. The film directed by Andrew Dominik is based on a novel of the same name by Joyce Carol Oates. Although it is written as a biography of Mortenson’s life, Oates explained in the book’s copyright page that it does not intend to accurately depict Mortenson, but instead, uses the subject of Mortenson as a vessel for the idea of the 20th-century celebrity.
Despite this disclaimer, many felt that the film blurred the lines between fact and fiction. An example of a false aspect of Mortenson’s life being presented as true is when her mother, Gladys, is shown as being physically and emotionally abusive toward her. Although Gladys was severely mentally ill and spent most of Mortenson’s life away in a mental hospital, there are no known reports of her physically abusing Mortenson. Similarly, a studio executive assaults Mortenson at the beginning of the film. There is little evidence to suggest this assault ever took place (Vanity Fair). This and the abuse from Gladys could be seen as a mockery of the real abuse Mortenson suffered during her life, such as her exploitation at a young age and the domestic violence she dealt with throughout her relationships (Collider). Freshman Kalli Kastner was confused about what parts of Blonde truly happened and which were made up.
“I did not know much about Monroe going into the movie, but I was interested in knowing more about her life,” Kastner said. “After talking with some of my friends that knew more about her, I realized so much of the movie never actually
happened. None of the promotion for Blonde made it obvious that this was a glamorized and false account of Mortenson’s life, not a true biopic. It seems like the people behind Blonde did not truly care about Mortenson’s life and just wanted to make a movie about a character. In which case, using Mortenson to tell this story is cruel because she was a real person who endured real trauma.”
Blonde was also criticized for not including Mortenson’s childhood in foster care, choosing instead to show uncaring neighbors drop off a seven-year-old Mortenson at an orphans’ asylum. It was also missing two true passions of Mortenson’s: her love of acting as an art form and the creation of her own production company which provided fair pay and creative freedom to all actors (Marie Claire). Throughout the film, it is implied that Mortenson only earned her fame in the industry due to the executive who assaulted her in exchange for a movie deal, therefore eradicating the real hard work and talent that led Mortenson to her success, angering viewers (Vanity Fair). One New York Times critic felt that the movie also includes excessive nudity and grossly hypersexualized Mortenson. Freshman Dhaniella Ancheta condemned how Blonde portrayed Mortenson.
“I do not think Blonde handled Mortenson’s legacy properly,” Ancheta said. “Since so much of the book it was based on is fiction, it feels wrong to assign these false stories to the real person that was Mortenson, especially considering the real trauma she faced. It seems like the world has viewed Mortenson as a purely sexual object for a long time, and the amount of nudity in the film reflects that. It is disappointing to see since the movie clearly wanted to show a different side of Mortenson but it still managed to show her in the same light as people have always perceived her.”
The largest and most public controversy regarding Blonde was the pro-life messaging it contained. Although the movie included three instances of Mortenson’s abortions, there are no known accounts of her ever getting one (Vice). In the scene where Mortenson undergoes the first abortion, she decides to not go through with the
procedure, just as the doctors are about to begin. The doctors then chase a distressed Mortenson around the hospital and eventually corner her. Mortenson is then forced to have the abortion despite her begging to not go through with it. This mirrors a false pro-life talking point that doctors force women to have abortions for their personal gain, and that abortions are considerably more traumatizing and painful than they truly are (National Public Radio). Before Mortenson has her second abortion, a computer-generated rendition of her unborn fetus is shown. The fetus begs her not to get the abortion in a scene that has been described as “mortifying and disturbing” by USA Today. Conversely, some viewers used Blonde as support of the pro-life stance, saying that Mortenson would have been better off and saved from her tragic death if she had only kept the babies and become a mother (USA Today).
Despite Blonde’s inaccurate portrayal of Mortenson, there are other films and books that have handled her legacy with more sensitivity. Marilyn: Norma Jeane is a biography by Gloria Steinmen that covers the same topic of the separation between Monroe and Mortenson that Blonde attempted. This book was a driving force behind the shift in society’s perception of Monroe by showing her intelligence and kindness that the public was not widely aware of. My Week with a Marylin, a 2011 biographical movie, was acclaimed for its empathetic portrayal of Mortenson. Much like Steinmen’s biography, it displayed the many facets of Mortenson’s personality that made her who she was, something that Blonde was condemned for omitting (Variety). Freshman Allison Kumamoto agreed that Blonde should have focused on other parts of Mortenson’s life.
“The creators of Blonde should have focused more on her career and her as a person and less on her dating life and relationships,” Kumamoto said. “Mortenson had such a unique life story and impact on the world. It is upsetting that a biopic about her which had so much attention drawn to it failed to accurately show who Mortenson was and fell back on old concepts of her.”
A recent addition to the collection of various criminal biopics on Netflix, the series “Dahmer–Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” portrays the life of Jeffrey Dahmer in an unusual fashion. Rather than making Dahmer the focal point, those in charge of the show chose to shine a spotlight on Dahmer’s victims by centering the plot around them (National Public Radio). The series reached Netflix’s Top 10 Category after 12 days and within the first week of its release, accumulated 196.2 viewing hours (British Broadcasting Corporation). Although some viewers believe the show honors the individuals assaulted and murdered by Dahmer, there lies a considerable amount of controversy surrounding the ethics of encouraging the true crime genre in mainstream media as well as making money off of the victims of these tragic events. Along with these beliefs, many also acknowledge the thriller series for how much factual accuracy it embodies. Sophomore Ashley Rodriguez credits the show for the amount of research put into it, the attention-to-detail with casting and the recreation of events boosting the integrity of the show for many tuning in.
“The show itself is very accurate, and because of that I feel like it is easier to sympathize with the victims of Dahmer,” Rodriguez said. “I watched the real trial footage with all of the victims speaking before him on Youtube and almost everything is recreated perfectly [from] the actors to their words and their clothes.”
Despite the appraisals on accuracy, depicting the life events of Jeffrey Dahmer on-screen prompted backlash both from the general public and from the friends and families of the victims themselves (TIME). Relatives of the victims who were reimagined in the show were not told of the production, which led to Netflix being accused of insensitivity and crossing ethical boundaries. Clips from the new series recreating the emotional breakdown of Rita Isbell, the sister of the victim Errol Lindsey, were criticized by a relative of
Isbell in a recent tweet that discussed the negative impact of the show for the families and friends of victims. According to the New York Times, viewing this viral scene along with the rest of the show is demoralizing for the individuals affected by Dahmer, and glamorizes the man who committed these murders in the first place.
The official synopsis of “Monster” communicates that the show aims to highlight the crimes of Dahmer, his victims from minority populations and the failures of the Milwaukee police department at the time for not recognizing the murders happening (Newsweek). The director of “Monster,” Ryan Murphy, denotes that he did not want to center the serial killer himself in his new show but rather bring to light the lives and tragedies of the victims coming from Black, Latino and Asian LGBTQ+ backgrounds and the assumed incompetencies of the police force during these events (Vulture). On the other hand, a number of viewers believe that the production simply was not executed properly or did not pay enough homage to the individuals most affected by the Milwaukee murders like its producers promised. Film critics such as Matt Mueller, a culture editor for On Milwaukee, wrote that the series does not uphold the promise of shifting the limelight to the survivors and the people murdered by Dahmer. According to Mueller, the series took the time to feature the growing obsessions and curiosities of Dahmer during the discovery of the murders, ironically leaving out the message of how systemic issues, such as the dismissive racism from police officers, are overlooked in the background.
Along with the criticism, news of the thriller series eventually gained more recognition through social media apps such as TikTok, where some users reportedly idolized Dahmer even further. Many argue how the trends on the app, which includes fans focusing on the attractiveness of Dahmer or overly sympathizing with his situation, prove that the show portrays the serial killer from a romanticized perspective (Newsweek). The popularization of the show also inspired the sales of Dahmer Halloween costumes on eBay, though
these costumes were eventually banned from the online marketplace (Kidspot). Senior Nicholas Cha acknowledges the significance of film producers commemorating victims and the lives they lead, but he finds the methods used stray off their main intent and become problematic in the process.
“I think it is extremely important for the victims to be remembered, but there are also problems with creating a show about a serial killer,” Cha said. “I have already seen TikToks where people idolize and sexualize Dahmer because of his portrayal in the show. It is very disheartening to see especially because it means that the victims and their families are being overshadowed.”
The popularity of true crime and the demand for it in mainstream media continues beyond the realm of Jeffrey Dahmer flicks. Thriller shows and films focused on real-life murders and assaults such as “I Am a Killer” and “Tiger King” are peppered across streaming services. The popularity of these films and series suggest a pattern of romanticization and encouragement that make light of the crimes committed by serial killers and sex offenders (Palatinate). The way that they are turned into sex symbols contributes to this romanticization. In the 2019 film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” the popular actor Zac Efron is casted for the leading role as Ted Bundy. Good Morning America (GMA) mentions how fans have commented on the appearance of Efron, viewing him as attractive, despite Bundy being known for targeting young women to murder, mutilate and rape. Senior Matthew Sun considers how some onlookers may choose to disguise their romantic treatment as film appreciation rather than their lack of courtesy for the families of victims and the victims themselves.
“I think it is fine to appreciate true crime media, but it becomes a problem when people glorify murderers because of how they are portrayed in a movie or show,” Sun said. “The fact that people like Dahmer and Bundy have fanbases is disgusting and extremely disrespectful to the victims. I think the creators of the show Dahmer definitely should have taken more care to respect the victims and the wishes of their families.”
In May of her junior year, senior Elise Lee began her own Gel-X nail business that she manages through the Instagram handle @purslaynails. Her business grew rapidly and she attracted multiple clients in her first week. Even before starting the business, Lee had always enjoyed getting her nails done, but she felt that going to a nail salon could sometimes be too expensive, leading her to purchase a Gel-X kit online and teach herself how to do nails at home. Gel-X is a new type of nail treatment that provides the strength of gel and length of acrylics, without the damage to the natural nails underneath. She would practice doing Gel-X nails on herself first, then on her friends. When they saw Lee’s skills improve, her friends encouraged her to start a business. To begin, she needed to obtain the necessary tools; she purchased a nail drill, a nail lamp, nail polish, gels and charms for a total of around $140 to the total cost. After she acquired all the necessities, she advertised her work on social media. The appointments are scheduled through direct messaging on Instagram, and potential clients have to send available dates and pictures for reference. The flat rate for one set of nails is $50, which is
KIARA LEEwhich is immensely cheaper than some professional acrylic nail salons that charge up to $100 or more.
Lee booked six clients during her first week and quickly started to make a profit. Senior Samantha Steigh, one of Lee’s earliest clients, was deeply pleased with Lee’s work and low prices, which led her to set up a few more appointments.
“The environment is unique,” Steigh said. “It is in her home where she provides snacks, plays music and makes the overall vibe good. I was very satisfied afterwards because she had done the exact design I wanted. She is nice and considerate, asking if doing certain things to your nails are okay before actually doing them. I have gone back multiple times after the first time because I was satisfied with her work and the prices were good.”
Another client and a friend of Lee, senior Zaya Enkh-Amgalan, was also satisfied with the experience. Lee’s cleanliness and hygiene were especially impressive.
“I really liked her ideas,” Enkh said. “She knew how I wanted to get my nails done. She can do any designs on my nails, which is really impressive because I cannot do anything on my nails. Also, she is very clean with hygiene. She cuts the cuticles and cleans them before she paints them.”
Lee admitted that it was difficult to balance
the time she puts into the nail business with other aspects of her life. However, she was able to solve this as she improved her time management between appointments and extracurriculars. Another problem she faced was that when she increased the price of her services, many customers were confused. She had to explain that this was because she purchased new, more expensive tools.
The nail art business is not something Lee plans to do in the long term future. However, she explained that she will not be going to an esthetician school since she does not see herself becoming a nail technician. Currently, she plans to continue this pursuit as a side job even after graduation. Lee truly enjoys running her shop and is especially thrilled by the joy of positive comments.
“It feels great [to get good reviews],” Lee said. “A lot of the time, my customers [tell me I can] do whatever [I] want on the design and they just give me no boundaries, so I [get] creative freedom. It means a lot more when they like those sets [because] it is something that I put together instead of copying. It is really gratifying.”
Taylor Swift, multi Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, released her highly anticipated 10th studio album titled “Midnights” on Oct. 21 at 12 a.m. ET (The Cut). After re-recording her older music due to conflicts with her former manager Scooter Braun, this is her first new album since “folklore” and “evermore,” which were released in 2020. “Midnights” has 13 tracks telling the story of 13 sleepless nights throughout her life, 13 being her lucky number. For this album, she includes repeating symbolism of time and midnight, which serve as the hallmarks of her most recent era. When Swift first started in the music industry, she was a young country singer. Then, as she continued to alter her image in what came to be known as her different “eras,” each album came with a bolder iconography and a significantly evolved sound from her previous years. “Midnights” was first announced on Aug. 28 following Music Television’s (MTV) Video Music Awards (VMAs), where the “All Too Well” short film written and directed by Swift won “Best Longform Video,” “Video of the Year” and “Best Direction.” During her acceptance speech for “Video of the Year”, she announced the release date of “Midnights” and later posted the album art on her Instagram. Junior Alyson Matsumiya describes the appeal of Swift’s music to her dedicated audience.
“I was super shocked in a good way when I found out [about Midnights because] I felt like she would put everything on the table,” Matsumiya said. “As she has been finding herself, her music gets more mature; it is not like country or basic pop songs.
[Instead,] they have more symbolism and a deeper meaning. I think her music resonates with a lot of her fans because she has such a variety of songs for every occasion.”
Since the beginning of her career, a tactic Swift has used is implementing Easter eggs and clues to keep observant fans invested. “Midnights’’ is no different, because Swift was just as clever with her marketing. An example of this is that throughout her entire discography, she has said the word “midnight” in six of her songs, and the phrase “middle of the night” in seven. These numbers add up to her special number 13, and the total number of songs on “Midnights,” as pointed out by talk show host Jimmy Fallon. Another revelation that left Swift fans in awe is that on Oct. 21, when the album released, she was 12,000 days old, which corresponds with how the album was released at 12:00 a.m. “Midnights” also comes in four different styles of vinyl covers, and if arranged properly, the back covers form a clock. To further the anticipation prior to releasing the album, Swift also posted videos on TikTok in a series called “Midnights Mayhem With Me” from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7 where she announced the names of the tracks using ping pong balls and a bingo cage. In each episode, she spun the bingo cage and when a ping pong ball emerged, Swift announced the track title that matched the number labeled on the ball. Junior Chloe Sohngen appreciates how Swift’s tactics keeps fans engaged and on their toes.
“I think [Taylor’s marketing style] is very effective because it gets people excited for the album,” Sohngen said. “A lot of her fans are [clever and] go very deep into theories. [Because she is aware of this,] she adds some Easter eggs for them. I think it is a fun little game for her [because] she enjoys seeing us try to figure out her cryptic messages and hints. I feel like she is smart, and everyone knows [her cleverness], so at this point she is just having fun with her intelligence.”
Swift has experienced her fair share of hate and controversy after being in the public eye for so long, being painted as a villainess and getting into feuds with celebrities. One of the most well known feuds began at the 2009 VMAs where 19-year-old Swift was giving her acceptance speech for winning Best Video by a Female Artist for “You Belong With Me.” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, got on stage mid-speech and stated that Beyoncé should have won instead. Most people were immediately angry at Ye, but the tables eventually turned and after a few years people started to call Swift a “snake.” This was due to Swift’s reaction to a lyric about herself in Ye’s song “Famous,” that she expressed disapproval toward Kim Kardashian, the now former wife of Ye, came to his defense with doctored evidence of a phone call where Swift allegedly approved of the song lyrics. After being the subject of public backlash for a period of time, Swift returned with the album “Reputation,” released in 2017, which satirically played into the public’s negative image of her as a “snake,” addressing the Ye feud and the media’s criticisms of her for writing songs about her personal life. This album was her official transition from country to the world of pop. In “Midnights,” several years later, many speculated that she would address the Ye feud once again. This is because on the day she announced the album, Taylor was wearing a dress reminiscent of the one she was wearing at the 2009 VMAs, representing how she was taking back the show and once again entering a new era of her life. Junior Hillary Kchao describes Swift’s personal transformation throughout the years in relation to her music.
“[Fans] can see the development of her identity throughout the years in her music,” Kchao said. “The need to reinvent herself stemmed from the fear that she would not remain relevant in the music industry, and as she transitioned from country to pop to alternative and indie, [people] can see how her perspectives changed on everything from love to politics. [Midnights] definitely went beyond my expectations and did not disappoint.”
LYNN TAKAHASHI
On Sept. 25, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a traumatic head injury in the second quarter of an NFL (National Football League) game against the Buffalo Bills. Following a tackle from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, Tagovailoa’s head hit the ground forcefully and when attempting to get back to his feet, he appeared to nearly stumble back to the ground. He was then taken to the locker room, but passed the league-mandated concussion protocol and was cleared by team staff to return in the second half of the game, drawing criticism from many viewers. A few days later, in the Dolphins’ following game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 29, Tagovailoa severely injured his head again after being tackled and looked to be in a very critical condition. When medical staff arrived, he was unconscious with his fingers and arms flexed unnaturally; this was concerning because both are signs of a traumatic brain injury called a “fencing response.” He was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he was evaluated and sent home shortly after. Following this, the NFL Players Association, a labor union representing all NFL players, initiated a joint investigation with the NFL to review if the Dolphins properly followed protocol. This resulted in the firing of one of the doctors who examined Tagovailoa. Senior and varsity football player Jeremy Boze explains how the decision to let Tagovailoa continue to play was extremely risky considering his situation.
“I do not think Tagovailoa should have been able to continue to play in the game [against the Bills] considering the injury he had,” Boze said. “If the tackle was so forceful that his injury caused the medical staff to come on the turf, they should have examined him more thoroughly. If the examination was done in a more careful manner, he would not have had another injury in the following game.”
Following the completion of the joint investigation, the NFL and NFL Players Association decided to modify their concussion protocol with the goal to enhance player safety. The protocol now requires any player who is diagnosed with ataxia to be pulled from a game completely. Ataxia
is the medical term for poor muscle control associated with concussions such as unsteadiness or slurred speech. The updated policy was first used in the Dolphins’ game against the New York Jets on Oct. 9 when Teddy Bridgewater, the Dolphins’ backup quarterback, was diagnosed with ataxia. This made Bridgewater the first ever player to be removed from an NFL game as a result of his examination. Junior Steven Hack expresses how the efforts put in to change the protocol will lead to improvement.
“I believe that the modifications to the concussion protocol will benefit many players going forward,” Hack said. “This incident definitely hurt the reputation of the NFL, but [their attempt] to bring change, even though football is a rough sport, is very commendable.”
The injury that Tagovailoa sustained is part of the widespread concern over the risk of head injuries that football players have faced in the NFL. According to Cable News Network, football claims the highest rates of concussions in any sport; furthermore, brain injuries account for 65% to 95% of all fatalities in football (The Brain Institute). As a result, people believe that the NFL’s concussion protocols contribute to the high rates of head injuries. Previously, players underwent quick exams, such as repeating words in a memory test, showing coordinated eye movement and demonstrating balance if they reported to be having some symptoms of a concussion. With the changes being made to strengthen the protocol, the NFL hopes many players will be protected and that there will be a reduction in the number of concussion cases. Senior Dawson Sarner conveys his thoughts on the benefit of the players for the future with the new implementation of protocols.
“Football is a rough sport and there are so many ways you can get hurt which is why I think the NFL needs to have strong protocols,” Sarner said. “I really think it is sad to see the number of head trauma cases in the NFL and how so many people get hurt because they are not treated or cleared properly. With the new protocols in place, I believe it will largely help reduce the amount of injuries in the game.”
BRIAN WANG