Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrating and the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month

MAYA GALINDO-BENSON

staff writer

National Hispanic Heritage Month falls between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 of every year. The tradition of celebrating Hispanic Heritage in the United States started in the late 1960s, and, according to a hispanicheritagemonth.gov article, the month was enacted into law on Aug. 17, 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month honors the histories and cultures of people descended from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, as well as the contributions that they have made to American society. There are many reasons that it is important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and understand its history. Denise Broda, Foreign Language Dept. member said, “I think it is really important for us to learn about the culture and the history, and it is also important for the Latinos to be able to celebrate and to be recognized.” Although Hispanic Heritage Month is a way to celebrate a culture that is very prevalent in the United States and the history of people in this group, it is also a way to appreciate identity. Alessandro Herrada (12) said, “I think it’s important because it is a good way to express oneself, something to show how proud someone may be to be Hispanic because it really is something to be proud of.” One’s culture really is something to be celebrated and honored, so Hispanic Heritage Month appreciates the Hispanic culture and the Hispanic people. The culture, like any, has its own set of values that make it special and have helped infl uence American society. “The importance of family, the importance of the group over the individual is often something that I think is special about personal identity in the Hispanic culture,” Broda said. The value of family is very important in Hispanic culture and also helps to allow for a sense of identity. Soledad Benítez, a woman in the Wooster community from Ecuador, working at the OARDC described that the Hispanic/ Latinx group and traditions are not only a culture, but also make up people’s identities and allow for a sense of individuality. “It becomes part of who we are. Those small traditions, recipes, sweets, stories, music and language stay with us as we grow up, as we move to other places, and as we experience other cultures as well,” Benítez said. All the small traditions that help make up the hispanic culture help make up people’s individual identities and are the reason that Hispanic Heritage should be recognized and celebrated.

Doha Heat, an acclaimed podcast on iTunes, provides listeners with authentic stories about life in Qatar, told by the people living there. According to TheGoodTrade.com, Doha Heat, “offers a behind-thescenes look at the culture and social norms in this Middle Eastern country” for anyone who wants to widen their views on other cultures.

Resources to learn about other cultures

MATTIE DUNLAP AND GRACE KOSTOHRYZ

staff writers

Horizontal Vertigo, by Juan Villoro, is a nonfiction book that takes its readers on a journey through the largest Spanish-speaking city: Mexico City. As stated in penguinrandomhouse.com, “... (Villoro) reveals, in all its multitudinous glory the vicissitudes and triumphs of the city ’s cultural, political and social history.”

A website called globtrottinkids.com aimed towards a younger demographic provides its users with global learning activities and resources to learn about the world around them. Users of globetrottinkids.com are able to choose what category they want to learn about, then view a list of websites to further their knowledge of that particular topic.

Breaking gender norms in pop culture sets standards

LUKE POMFRET

co-editor-in-chief

In society, there are plenty of gender norms that children are taught. Parents lecture their children that men should not wear a dress, and they should not cry. Women are traditionally taught to aspire to marriage, but the same can not be said for men. Fortunately, some celebrities change the narrative and challenge society’s expectations of men and women. The most recognized trendsetter, who has reinvented herself over multiple decades, is Madonna. Madonna fi rst caused controversy with her depictions of biblical allusions and provocative references. Her hit single, “Vogue,” sparked a movement in pop culture in the 1990s. Thousands of fans tried to mimic her dances used initially in only the underground ballroom scene worldwide. Madonna is highly prized because of her authenticity and courage to challenge social norms. In recent years, Lil Nas X has skyrocketed his career from songwriter to poster child for individuality. Lil Nas X was initially known for his hit single, “Old Town Road,” released in December of 2018. Everyone was obsessed with the song, and Lil Nas grew a fanbase. On June 30, 2019, Lil Nas X came out as a gay man and broke the record of the longest time an LGBTQ+ artist had a no.1 song on the Billboard Top 100 Hits. “Old Town Road” held the number one spot for 16 consecutive weeks. Lil Nas X made a striking appearance as he walked the red carpet for the 2021 Video Music Awards. Christian Allaire, fashion and style writer at Vogue, describes Nas’s outfi t, by stating: ”The musician’s crystal-covered look, designed by Versace, featured the structured shape of a mensy tuxedo blazer and trousers, yet had a swath of trailing fabric on the left which acted like the elegant train of a dress. The soft, lavender hue all over was an unexpected color choice, but proved to be surprisingly fresh when set against the dazzling studs of jewels overtop. The star also gets bonus points for matching his square-toe boots perfectly to the look. If the VMAs were to ever have a Prom King? It would defi nitely be him.” Another current artist who has caused controversy over breaking gender norms is Harry Styles. Styles posed in a dress for the cover of Vogue for their Dec. 2020 issue. Styles captioned, in an Instagram photo of the Vogue cover , “Bring back manly men.” Styles later told Vogue: ”Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with… What’s really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away... once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play.” There will always be representation in pop culture focusing on individuality and fostering a love for all.

Fast fashion impacts the beauty industry

LAURA RAPPORT

a&e editor

Over the past few years, there has been a push for sustainability in the fashion industry and the end of fast fashion. Although there has been plenty of media coverage surrounding the unethical production of clothes, there has been little talk about sustainability in the makeup and skincare industry. According to an article from the anti-waste blog, Zero Waste Week by Rachelle Strauss, published in 2018, the makeup industry makes over 120 billion units of packaging, which contributes to the loss of over 18 million acres of forest annually. In 2019, the cosmetics brand e.l.f. Beauty launched the Project Unicorn initiative in order to streamline the amount of waste the brand created, according to a statement on e.l.f’s website. In February of 2020, the brand said on their website that they eliminated an estimated 650,000 pounds of packaging by removing excess packaging from their products. E.l.f claims on their website that having a smaller packaging footprint allows them to fi t more products on shelves; therefore, making their products more accessible to consumers. Although some brands have cut down on packaging in order to decrease their carbon footprint, some brands have been criticized for releasing an excess of products during the year and creating an extreme amount of packaging. The beauty brand Colourpop Cosmetics released a total of 47 makeup collections in the year 2020. The brand’s co-founder Laura Nelson said in a 2018 interview with Fashionista.com by Cheryl Wischover that it is the company’s goal to release frequent collections, saying, “It’s all about applying the fast fashion model to beauty.” While the model of fast fashion may be unpopular, it has seemed to work for Colourpop, who made an estimated $150 million in 2020 according to E-Commerce Revenue Analytics. Although some brands may celebrate their use of the fast fashion model, other brands have rejected it entirely. The skincare brand Lush prides itself on its use of fresh and vegan ingredients, handmade products,and sustainable packaging. Lush products are not packaged until they have been purchased, and they are wrapped in all recyclable materials, according to Lush’s mission statement, available on their website. It was estimated by the Humane Society of the United States in 2013 that only 68% of beauty brands are cruelty free. While all the brands previously mentioned claim to be cruelty free. Popular brands such as Clinique, Maybelline, and Revlon still test on animals, according to the animal right’s blog Cruelty-Free Kitty. Despite the recent popularity of sustainable and ethical fashion brands, some brands in the beauty industry have not yet live up to the high expectations that some consumers may have about products. There still appears to be an issue with how much waste the makeup industry creates every year. However there are plenty of sustainable brands consumers can purchase from and enjoy. GRACE BROWNSON Wooster High School senior Ashton Dunlap and the cast of Mamma Mia rehearse choreography for ABBA’s hit song, “Dancing Queen” on the stage of the WHS Performing Arts Center

Mamma Mia comes to Wooster

SOPHIA MERA

staff writer

Mamma Mia is the WHS Drama Club’s newest production. With auditions already completed and a cast list set, Drama Club director Brett Hiner says the performance dates are set for Nov. 13, Nov. 14, and Nov. 19 through Nov. 21. In thinking about how he went about choosing the musical, Hiner said it was a very easy process. When asked why he chose the musical Mamma Mia, Hiner says, “The kids had been begging for that show for five years, they finally wore me down and we were finally ready for it.” Hiner also explains that when he is looking for a show he tries to think about the popularity of a show, so more people would want to participate as well as people who want to watch. Hiner notes there were about 74 students who auditioned for the show, which he said was a great turnout and noted the auditions consisted of singing, reading script and some choreography. Four-year member of Drama Club, Sydney Ebin (12), is playing the lead role of Donna Sheridan. Ebin says she is excited to do Mamma Mia because it should be fun and it is a popular musical, noting she is looking forward to, “…all the amazing songs in the musical.

Mamma Mia features songs from the band ABBA and it will be so exciting to perform them all.” Ebin says as far as rehearsals go the commitment and time rehearsing depends on the role. In looking at how the rehearsals are run, Hiner says COVID precautions include students and directors wearing their masks at all times, except for when they are actively performing. Caleb Singer-Holden (11) is playing Harry Bright and said that along with the love of the music aspect Mamma Mia brings, he is most excited for the costumes and music of the show. “The songs are amazing and so fun to listen to, the plot is not the best and at point does not make sense, but the songs are what sell it,” Singer-Holden said. Singer-Holden also says that he believes the vocals for this show will be some of the best the WHS Drama Club has produced.

Montero is a heartfelt & strong debut

ALEXANDRA PARSONS

a&e editor

After a long wait, rapper Montero Lamar Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, released his fi rst studio album, MONTERO, an album that has been two years in the making. Before this album, in 2019, Lil Nas X released his country rap song, “Old Town Road,” which started his rise to fame, and he then released the 7 EP.. MONTERO was released Sept. 17 after many odd social media campaigns, including a fake court case that included the shoe brand Nike and Hill’s “Satan Shoes,” and a fake pregnancy photo shoot and birthing video, with an entire baby registry linked to LGBTQ+ charities to which people could donate. The album, which has 15 songs on it and clocks in at around 41 minutes, allows Lil Nas X to show off a lot of what makes him such a great artist. His song diversity and ability to make songs tell a story and speak to an audience are highlighted by songs like “Sun Goes Down,” which is a song that deals with his suicidal thoughts as he dealt with his sexuality as a young teenager. MONTERO is truly impressive, with the fi rst half of the album being truly upbeat, with songs including, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” which is a song that created controversy at the time of its release as well as, “DOLLA SIGN SLIME (featuring Megan Thee Stallion),” which is a song devoted to their haters. The second half of MONTERO holds some of the more emotional songs, including the previously mentioned, “Sun Goes Down” and “LOST IN THE CITADEL.” In general, this album only has one large fl aw and that fl aw is its length. It is an incredibly short album that with its quality, makes fans truly crave more music from Lil Nas X. MONTERO is a great album with a short length that takes listeners into Lil Nas X’s mind a little more and has many of his passionate fans anxiously awaiting more music from the artist in the future.

What is the purpose of The Met Gala?

OLIVIA HINER

trends editor

The Met Gala has occurred on the first Monday of May every year since 1948, minus 2020, of course, and 2021’s postponement. Throughout the past 73 years, the purpose of the Met Gala has often been buried underneath the glamour and popularity the event has attracted. After posting a poll on Instagram asking, “Do you know what the purpose of the Met Gala is,’’ 67% of those that responded to the poll voted no. Clearly, the original purpose of the Met Gala has stopped reaching its audience. According to a thecut.com article by Sarah Spellings and Andrew Nguyen titled “Met Gala 2021: What is the Met Gala Annyway,” the Met Gala is: “a nickname for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala. It’s essentially an opening-night party and fundraiser for an annual fashion exhibit curated by the Costume Institute, the museum’s fashion department, and the only curatorial department at the Met that has to fund itself.” The theme of the Met Gala is dependent on the clothes featured in the museum exhibit. However, this is not how the event started. Jenna Adrian Diaz wrote an article for Vogue titled “Everything You Need to Know About the History of the Met Gala” on May 4, 2020. She explains that Eleanor Lambert, fashion publicist, “spearheaded the Costume Institute Benefit, a midnight supper that swiftly became the party of the year.” In 1995, Anna Wintour became co-chair of the event and shaped the Met Gala to what it is today. According to the Vogue.com article listed above, the event’s guest list, “evolved to reflect the boundary-pushing stars of fashion, entertainment, and politics.”

Dancing With The Stars fi rst same-sex couple

LUCIA PERFETTI

cover editor

Sixteen years, 30 seasons and millions of viewers after its premiere, and Dancing with the Stars , the reality TV show where a celebrity is paired with a pro dancer and competes different styles of dance, has finally featured a same sex couple.

Dance Moms child star JoJo Siwa and DWTS pro Jenna Johnson made their debut Sept. 20 as the first same sex partnership on the show. Not only is this a historic occasion, reflecting a hopeful trend toward more representation for LGBTQ+ identifying persons in television, but also an accomplishment for dance as a whole.

DWTS previously featured only male-female partnerships because the style of dance performed- usually variations of ballroom dance- traditionally required a male lead and a female follower. This restrictive barrier has been completely disregarded by Siwa and Johnson. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Siwa remarked on the traditional roles, saying, “half the time I didn’t know which one I was doing.” For too long, couples dances have been about a strong, confident man showing off his delicate, yet flexible female partner. Siwa and Johnson were able to go beyond this formulaic and outdated attitude, with their two highscoring performances so far this season showcasing Johnson and Siwa’s strength and flexibility, making the event not only groundbreaking for the LGBTQ+ community, but also for strong women everywhere who have repeatedly been told that no matter what they do, they will always need a man to lift them up. Because Siwa and Johnson each ‘led’ at one point or another, they were both put in the position of supporting the other woman while she performed various intricate forms of dance, something that was a new challenge to both of them since they were wearing high heeled shoes. “This week we were in a three inch Latin heel,” Johnson remarked to Entertainment Tonight. “Two girls trying to balance on each other...my body hurts.” This remarkable feat also meant that when Johnson almost slipped during a part of the number, it was Siwa’s responsibility to keep her partner steady and carry on with the performance, which ultimately gave them the highest score of the night. An instance like this, although small, stands out to me, because not only did Siwa do the traditional “man’s job” of supporting Johnson in a moment of weakness, but she also did this feat in three inch heels.