Editorial Columns

I’m Going to Upset Some People

By: Lauren Wozniak Layout Designer

I’m going to say it. I will upset some people but I’m not afraid to be controversial. There’s a line that has been drawn in the sand for years and I am ready to show what side I am on. We are divided now more than ever but I believe it is important to speak our minds. I stand firm in my beliefs and it is time that you all know:

I like pineapple on pizza.

Some of you may be asking yourself why I would say something so horrendous but here me out. It really isn’t bad. It is definitely worth a try. I will admit, I was apprehensive at first. I love pineapple. I also love pizza but could I possibly like both at once? The answer is yes! The sweet and savory balance each other well, especially with the salty ham on Hawaiian pizza.

There are more vile and weird things that people put on pizza other than the innocent pineapple. Anchovies and olives are just two examples among the millions! Also, it isn’t like we don’t already make sweet pizzas. There is barbeque chicken pizza and you don’t get berated every time you say you like it!

Come on people! It’s 2020 and it’s about time we accept pineapple on pizza as a normal meal option.

Blue Collar Gratitude

By: Richie Mroz Layout Designer

Every weekday of my life, I always know one thing. My dad will be up at 4:00 AM eating breakfast and will be out the door by 6:00 AM carrying his lunch pail with his bandana tied and his work boots on. I don’t see him again after he leaves until 4:00 PM when his truck pulls into the driveway.

My dad is a Union Millwright. According to Wikipedia, a millwright is “a high-precision craftsman or skilled tradesman who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.” For nearly 20 years, my dad has busted his hump every day to support my family. In the summer, he works in facilities with temperatures above 100 degrees and in the winter he works outside in below zero temps. He has traveled to different states, worked in dangerous situations, and also worked extremely long hours in order to complete a job. I really don’t know how he does it. I would be nowhere without both my dad and my mom.

My dad is not the only one either. Millions of blue-collar workers such as electricians, carpenters, pipefitters, lineman and operators bust their hump every day. They are the backbone of this country and that is why I am writing this appreciation for the blue-collar worker, because they deserve it.

Ask A Queer Person

“Ask A Queer Person” is a new column where people can ask about queer things! Got a question on your mind? Submit it to usfencounter@gmail.com!

How do you know which "label" you fit in? I see terms like "non-binary" and "gender-queer" but I don't even know how people start to identify themselves like that. Do they experiment with their expression?

In the technical realm, expression is more so the way we express ourselves and by we, I mean everyone queer or not. For example, if an afab (assigned female at birth) wears a dress and uses what our society considers feminine actions, then most people would automatically assume that this person is a woman (i.e. identified as a woman). But what if I told you this person identifies as a man? I imagine you would be very confused because the actions and attire indicate what you and most others think of as a woman. That’s why expression is tricky because how someone expresses their gender varies per person. It is more likely that you meant to ask how we (i.e. genderqueer people) identify and if we experiment with labels until we find the right one.

I can’t speak for others but I can say that I experimented with labels for my gender identity. I first really considered the possibility that I might not be the girl that everyone saw me as in middle school. I even asked my close friends to refer to me by a different name on the days I wore a rainbow necklace, but later on I realized that the fluctuations I felt weren’t binary. By binary, I’m referring to the societal idea that there are only two genders, man or woman. I wasn’t a girl on some days and a boy on others like I had assumed. I felt no particular attachment to either. I was boyish and girlish and not and obviously this was probably the most confusing thing to deal with as a middle schooler. It wasn’t until high school when I decided to compile a wattpad book on queer identities that I crossed words like non-binary, genderfluid, agender, demiboy, and etc. It was then that I started to try these different labels with definitions that seemed most like me. However, even now I’m mulling over whether I should change the labels that I identify with because I found something more appropriate. What’s important to remember is that even if the gender identity of someone you know fluctuates or changes, it doesn’t mean that they are lying to you when they tell you or change their mind. People can only identify themselves by what they know is right or wrong. It is only when the label provided by society doesn’t fit that people seek out labels that do.

-E. Porter, GSA President

Is it really possible to be gay/bisexual/transgender and still be a Christian?

The Bible preaches of love and depending on your sect of Christianity, often sharing that God loves you for you. As long as your soul is in the right place, you’re fine. I personally believe God wants everyone to just be happy. There’s definitely a whole philosophical conversation that can be had but many believe the body is a vessel and the soul is who you truly are. Although God’s creation is perfect, the first sin has allowed for mistakes to be made. Where your soul and spirit stands with God is more important than where your body does.

-Anonymous GSA Member

Don't Forget Your Mask!

Upcoming