January 2017 Murmur, Waterford Kettering High School by Waterford Drift

MURMUR

Volume 14, Issue 3 January 20, 2017

Woman for the future

16 page

Breaking biases is becoming a norm for every girl interested in the science, technology, engineering, and math field. But the intimidating male dominance of STEM has created roadblocks bigger than the gender pay gap.

MURMUR Editor-In-Chief: Calvin Habba

NEWS

contents

FEATURE

Web Editor: Andrew Kelley

News briefs

Feature briefs

Whale whale whale

4-5

Is this what we call living?

Copy Editor: Bridget Ekis

Weed economics

Q&A at the DIA

Copy Manager: Baila Lakatos

A&E

Punching out prehistoric gender

A&E briefs

2016 Meme hall of fame

10-11

Design Manager: Alexander Dorcey

What’s happening

Sports Editor: Dathon Skelton

Winter driving

Design Editor: Hannah Neal

Sports Manager: Bryce Mojica

OPINION

roles

24-25

Ads

26-27

SPORTS Sports briefs

The filthy truth

8-9

What the puck

The Trumpedency

Flipping out

Photo Editor: Erin Eggenberger

Reverse racism is racism

Unweighted system

Business Manager: Kevin Elkin

INDEPTH

Social Media Manager: Ally Pierchala

Assistant Business Manager: Riley O’Bryan

Women’s workforce gearing for 16-21 change

Staff Writers: Jason Acciaioli, Andrea Alvarado, Kali Berg, Oliver DePauw, Riley Gregart, Trevor Jenkinson, Audrey Jutis, Phathit Renas Advisor: Jodie Zwiren Waterford Kettering High School 2800 Kettering Dr. Waterford, MI 48329 (248) 673-1261 SPONSORS

Nicholas Ackley, The Andreas Family, The Andrews Family, Mia Bills, The Bredow Family, Karen Brown, Chris Burlingame, Patty Cascioli, Debra Clancy, Deconinck Family, Elijah Farrell, The Fields Family, The Groth Family, Pam Gutierrez, Jackie Harnock, The Jaque Family, The Kane Family, Tonia Lawnde, Jessica Lesh, Karline Littlebear, Luke Locke and Family, The Lopez Family, Just Mail, Natalie Macias, The Maggi Family, Zach Mattison, Anthony Miller, O’malley, Gage Percival, The Regner Family, Amanda Rineer, The Saffron Family, Andi Steaban, Kim Wasilk, Xavier Welch, Sandy Stepanski, Monica Bandlow, Margaret Bryce, S. Snow, Carol Renas, Mike Malley, Shelley Werthman, Laurie Ankoviak, Natalie Britten

THANK YOU!

The Murmur is printed monthly, and completely put together by the students in the journalism class at Waterford Kettering High School. The Murmur serves as an open forum for student expression, and the opinions printed are not those of the administration. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters from the readers are encouraged. Letters may be delivered to room 501 or can be sent to the newspaper’s email address, ketteringmurmur@ gmail.com. All letters are subject to editing of grammatical and punctuation errors. Letters must be submitted with a signature. Letters with libel or slander towards another person will not be considered for publication. Letters must be limited to 250 words. ADVERTISING Advertisements do not reflect the views of the staff. Potential advertisers can contact the staff through the Kettering phone number. The Murmur editorial board has the right to refuse any inappropriate advertising. COLUMNS or editorials represent the opinion of the writer. Thoughts or views which are expressed are not those of the entire staff or administration. STAFF EDITORIALS are written by the staff and include the combined opinion of the full staff.

NEWS

BRIEFS

Progress for basic income

2017 marked the start of the Finnish experiment to provide basic income to 2,000 citizens. These people, aged 25 through 58 will be receiving a monthly salary of $583 from the Finnish government. This is the first major experiment of basic income, with countries like Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and Iceland soon to follow.

Istanbul nightclub attack claims 39 victims On New Years Eve, a nightclub in Istanbul was attacked, claiming 39 victims. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, though this statement could not be verified. The suspect has not been detained yet. Victims were natives of 14 different countries.

$400K awarded to OU professor to study diseases Fabia Battistuzzi, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Oakland University, was recently awarded a $400,000 grant to study infectious diseases, and their evolution. The grant will last three years, and will be used to study how to combat the rapid evolution of various diseases and to develop medicine to fight it.

Russian diplomats expelled by Obama The Obama administration announced new sanctions against Russia in retaliation against Russian efforts to hack the recent presidential election. These sanctions ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats. Obama issued an executive order that gave himself more authority when dealing with cyber attacks taken against the US government.

Syrian cease-fire agreed upon

A cease-fire agreement has finally been reached by the Assad Regime and its opposition, brokered by Russia and Turkey. This was the third cease-fire reached in 2016. Officials believe that all groups have agreed to the cease-fire, and that it will be followed. Photos courtesy of creativecommons.com, wikiipedia.org, and oakland.edu

JANUARY 12, 2017

THE MURMUR

News

hale whale whale

Animal cruelty made a splash in the news as reports of animal abuse have flooded SeaWolrd parks

nimal cruelty is a phrase that typically gets linked to household animals like dogs and cats, sadly the abuse stretches far past the living room. Animals in the wild roaming free could one day wake up in a cage. Abuse towards animals has caught the attention of many in the past decade, bringing large protests to the surface, fighting for the rights on behalf of the innocent animals who can't speak for themselves. One of the most popular cases of animal abuse in the media has followed the vicious fight for the rights of the animals swimming around the SeaWorld parks. Raising awareness on the issues, protests have been caught on camera and posted for the world to see. With signs that exploit the park's actions, protesters plop their pickets in the grass and whip their hurtful words through megaphones, their hearts are overflowing with passion and their arms are bared and ready to fight. SeaWorld has built an empire on being a ‘safe place for the whole family to enjoy’ conveying a very friendly and inviting atmosphere filled with fun, animals and abuse. When advertising, the park conveniently leaves out some of the inhumane acts they put their animals through on a daily basis. One of the largest amusement park companies neglects to tell its customers exactly where their prized orcas, dolphins and

belugas come from. Hand picked straight out of their homes in the ocean and shipped back in confined tanks just for your enjoyment. Several of the whales have been stripped of the only place they’ve ever known, and if that isn’t traumatic enough, families have been separated and shipped to parks miles away from one another. SeaWorld has placed animals in the park using unethical tactics of capture, or through disturbing methods of inbreeding, with the help of a little trainer extraction. These helpless animals are subjected to life in a tank without consent, and the only voice being used to help them has been over-ruled. SeaWorld has broken several of the Animal Protection Laws of the U.S. the only thing that protects the animals from cruelty. In 2014, the company was called out by PETA, stating there were visible scars and lesions on several of their dolphins and whales, posing the question of whether or not SeaWorld has been abusing their animals. In attempt to prove to the public the animals were safe, a veterinary specialist was called in to evaluate the park. SeaWorld’s plan backfired when the vet uncovered more alarming behavior, primarily a result of living in inadequate tanks stressing the animals psychologically and physically. This wasn't the first time SeaWorld has been caught by the organization; earlier in the year they looked into the sunburns several orcas

displayed on their backs peaking through a streaky black exterior. PETA discovered the orcas were painted with black zinc oxide to prevent further damage and cover up their existing burns, this recoloring violated the Federal Animal Welfare Act. PETA’s display of concern helped reel in the support of thousands. Boycotts sprang up left and right against a park that has become known for it’s distraught whales who swim in endless circles, dolphins who take out their pent up aggressions on each other, and even a walrus who regurgitates his own food out of boredom. Lending their voices for the animals, several groups of activists have used powerful pieces of writing, unsettling documentaries, and a handful of inhumane photos to bring about change. One documentary in particular, Blackfish, makes the controversial topic of whales in captivity come to life. The film offers first hand cases of what the confinement does to whales and those who work with them, raising red flags for theme parks just like SeaWorld. The endless stream of protests, lawsuits and headlines will continues to scrape the surface of the issues. The ball is in SeaWorld’s court when it comes to making a decision on how to put an end to their ongoing fight. Hopefully the animals’ actions can speak more than the silenced protesters.

1. Bloody Blowhole

After an aggressive attack with her tank mate, Kandu the one pictured, is spewing blood from her blowhole as a result of the traumatic injury. Confined tanks turn to battlefields when more than one whale gets placed with another. 45 minutes later the whale was found dead.

2. Tiny Tanks

Confined to a tank that feels like a bath tub, injuries like collapsed dorsal fins show the public the effects captivity life has on these creatures. SeaWorld crams their whales in inadequate tanks that only end up hurting their reputation and their animals.

3. A World Of Wounds 4. Open wide

3. 4

4. NEWS

As a result of traumatic life in captivity infections are common and injuries are sustained while performing, training and aggressive outbursts. SeaWorld lets the wounds “heal” on their own by neglecting to help repair or treat the problems at hand.

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The orcas in captivity tend to gnaw on the steel bars that hold them in their habitats, breaking the surface of their teeth. Workers the drill holes and flush out the pulp of each tooth exposing it to bacteria on allowing for complete loss of the tooth over time.

JANUARY 12, 2017

Facts courtesy of seaworldofhurt.com & Petafoundation.org Photos courtesy of creativecommons.com

BY ALLY PIERCHALA Social Media Editor allisonpierchala17@waterforddrift.com

Stories of animals being injected with drugs surfaced in the media after a story regarding a aggressive beluga flooded the media. The whale was dosed with Valium before a performance to calm it down, but backfired due to the whales pregnancy and led to a psychotic episode.

A former SeaWorld employee told reporters about the vicious attacks that occur between orcas in the same tanks. Peeling skin off of one another, biting fins and ramming each other into glass are among the worst injuries.

Renovate or Rehabilitate: Actions SeaWorld can take to save their animals. Enlarge tanks and habitats, giving the animals a more realistic and comfortable atmosphere to live in. This would also help reduce the injuries both animals and staff members sustain on a daily basis. Create a manual for divers and staff that contains rules, proper care methods and answers to “what if” scenarios that will keep the animals and the team as safe as possible.

JANUARY 12, 2017

Home Sweet Home

THE MURMUR

OR Choose to send the animals to a marine life sanctuary, here they can still be admired but in a safe and more ethical way. They can also provide the correct care the animals need and deserve, in a space that feels more like their natural homes, where they will be returned to once they’ve healed.

NEWS

Weed Economic$ The economics behind the legalization of the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana BY BRYCE MOJICA Sports Manager Brycemojica@waterforddrift.com

aziness, foggy memory, and utter stupidity are traits that are sometimes associated with the use of marijuana. But despite the stigma that surrounds the use of marijuana, states are still rapidly legalizing the recreational use of the drug. Drug scheduling is classified into five different categories or schedules. Schedule one drugs have a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological or physical dependence. In states that have not legalized the use of marijuana, it is classified as a schedule one drug. Other schedule one drugs include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide also known as LSD, and methaqualone. For marijuana supporters, the impact on the economy is the biggest argument they have. In states like Colorado or California, where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized, it’s effects on the economy have been noticeable. In 2014, the first year of legalization in Colorado resulted in over 700 million dollars from medical and recreational marijuana. A mature marijuana industry could generate up to 28 billion dollars in tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments. Also, if the marijuana industry had a federal tax of 23 dollars per pound (similar to the federal tax of tobacco) it would produce 500 million dollars. If marijuana had just a ten percent sales tax it would result in an additional five-

point-three billion dollars. In the state of Michigan, the use of medical marijuana is currently legal. This requires a license that proves you have the right to buy. There are a number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Michigan currently, but it does not tax the sale of marijuana but just the price of the licenses themselves produced over 35 million dollars in 2014. After the 2016 election 28 states now have some form of legalized marijuana. The biggest is perhaps the state of California. With an estimated revenue of one billion dollars in revenue annually the state that is known for marijuana made it legal this November. Aside from the economic possibilities presidential candidate Gary Johnson believed it not only would help the economy but also the crime rate and violence that occurs because of it. “By managing marijuana like alcohol and tobacco—regulating, taxing and enforcing its lawful use—America will be better off. Alcohol Prohibition (1920-1933) had only a minimal effect on the desire of Americans to drink but pushing alcohol underground had other effects: overdose deaths, gang violence, and other prohibition-related harms increased dramatically during the Prohibition years,” Johnson said.

Colorado’s marijuana revenue since its legalization for recreational use in 2014.

By the numbers: •

A federal tax of $23 per pound of product, similar to the federal tax on tobacco, could generate $500 million per year

•

Just a 10 percent sales surtax could generate $5.3 billion per year, with higher tax rates collecting proportionately more.

•

A mature marijuana industry could generate up to $28 billion in tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments, including $7 billion in federal revenue

•

There are three types of state taxes on recreational marijuana: the standard 2.9 percent sales tax; a 10 percent special marijuana sales tax; and a 15 percent excise tax on wholesale marijuana transfers. For December, Colorado collected $11.3 million in recreational taxes and fees and almost $2 million in medical taxes and fees.

States that have legalized the recreational and medicinal use of marijuana in the United States

Key

$200 million

2014

2015 Years

2016

Facts courtesy of http://extract.suntimes.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.mpp.org, http://taxfoundation.org, Onthissues.org.

NEWS

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

JANUARY 12, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

BRIEFS

Movies to watch out for

Justice League

The ultimate fight against evil hits theaters in 2017, the Justice League combines some of the best metahumans DC comics have ever created. Batman and Wonder Woman round up the perfect team of superheroes to defeat a newly awakened threat to humanity. Aquaman, Cyborg and The-Flash complete the team, but evil has its ways of shooting down even the best of the best. If you’re a regular superhero junkie then the league will definitely be a movie to keep an eye open for.

Beauty and the Beast

If the beloved Disney cartoon swept you off your feet when you were a little girl dreaming to be a princess yourself, then March 17th, 2017 is going to make your dreams come true. This tale as old as time is recreated in a real life version of the fairytale, showcasing some of movies biggest stars like Emma Watson who captures the beauty of Belle to a T. if the little kid in you is jumping with joy at the news, the wait is slowly coming to an end.

May the force be with you, Carrie

Pitch Perfect 3

The comedic geniuses behind the first two Pitch Perfect films made fans dreams come true when they announced the Barden Bella’s will hit the big screen once again in 2017. With a plot that is still in the works reports have surfaced explaining the brands biggest faces such as Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson will make an appearance in the film. If the last movies pitch slapped you with their endless wit and musical talent there’s no telling what the next has in store.

January Playlist:

Todays most played tracks on the charts, available for download or take a listen for yourself on Spotify, the link is on our Twitter, @waterforddrift.

If 2016 wasn’t bad enough, the tragic news of Carrie Fisher’s death hit home with hundreds of fans across the nation. The year had already taken several beautiful lives, and the beloved Star Wars princess was next when she was pronounced dead on December 27th. What made the tragedy even harder for many was the shocking passing of her mother Debbie Reynolds the very next day. Reynolds passed from a stroke just hours later, posing a question, can you really die from a broken heart. Reynolds last words haunted headlines for days stating “I want to be with Carrie,” The dynamic mother-daughter duo will be dearly missed by millions.

JANUARY 12, 2017

THE MURMUR

A&E BRIEFS

THE FILTHY TRUTH

The disgusting reality of the ancient invention of toilet paper BY PHATHIT RENAS & RILEY O’BRYAN & CALVIN HABBA Staff Writter & Assistant Business manager & Editor-In-Chief phathitrenas@waterfoddrift.com rileyobryan@waterforddrift.com calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com

eople have been turning to toilet paper to clean their rectums for centuries. When the use of toilet paper first became widespread in America during the nineteenth century it was praised and thoroughly enjoyed. Far more efficient and cleanly than corn cobs or sticks, (which were the main ways of wiping prior to toilet paper) American’s had plenty of reasons to indulge in this new butt wiping method. It has been 159 years since the invention of toilet paper. Over this span of time humankind has created the automobile, gone to space, created atomic weapons, and increased the average life-expectancy by nearly ten years. It is a mystery as to why wiping with a dry cloth is still the most popular method of cleaning one’s self. Arguing that such an accepted is wrong may seem trivial, but(t) toilet paper has many flaws that one may not be aware of. Among other issues rectal chafing is one. Companies such as Charmin and Cottonelle market their toilet paper as being extremely soft as to not irritate customers rumps. Though irritated skin is a common problem among toilet paper users regardless of the brand of the product used. A stream of water, however, does not irritate the skin of ones behind in any situation. In most cases if person were to get fecal matter on their hand they would clean it off with at least water if not soap as well. Which makes it seem strange that almost no one in the U.S. uses such a method when cleaning their behinds. Countries like Egypt and France have popularized the use of bidets and spray pipes which use a stream of water to clean themselves. Though unfortunately in

OPINION

facts courtesy of: http://www.oddee.com; http://www.huffingtonpost.com; http://encyclopedia. toiletpaperworld.com; http://articles.mercola.com; http://www.the9billion.com; http://www. health24.com; http://www.cleaninginstitute.org; http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au

the United States toilet paper is still king. In 2013, Columbia University’s health department said that “dry wiping after a bowel movement is not the most hygienic, but the most widely available method of cleaning up in the U.S.” They then proposed other ways of cleaning up including bidets and moist wipes. Switching to bidets would not only be more hygienic but cheaper as well. A typical family spends about 140 dollars on toilet paper a year however a bidet costs about 500 dollars which means a bidet would pay for itself in less than four years. Another reason to boycott toilet paper is that the effects that it has on the environment are far worse than it may seem. On average the United States uses seven billion rolls of toilet paper annually. A tree can provide about one thousand rolls which means at least seven million trees are being cut down a year for just people in the U.S. to wipe their butts. Switching to an alternative method of maintaining rectal hygiene that used a renewable resource such as water would help slow the worlds already pressing problem of global warming. America’s unwillingness as a country to try new and different things is a product of generations of closedmindedness put upon us by a deplorable past. Challenging popular beliefs and practices may be intimidating but every once in a great while it is a necessity. It’s time to make a change in this country. To stand against unclean anuses and chafed bums is to fight for the common man. Down with the capitalist agenda of the toilet paper industry and up with the mighty water pressure of the bidet. It is time to make America’s collective butt

64 PERCENT

of kids don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom at their house. You should always wash your hands to stay away from germs and bacteria.

FOUR BILLION people don’t use toilet paper, which is about 70 percent of the whole population. Toilet paper is one of the leading causes of deforestation The average person uses around 100 toilet paper rolls in a year. This shows how much of the toilet paper gets wasted by everyone in a year.

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

One toilet paper roll equals 100 rolls

JANUARY 12,2017

SANITARY STATISTICS

There are many hygienic figures that can be very shocking Shampooing

Stylists Recommend

Daily hygienic necessities include Brushing one’s teeth, washing one’s body, wiping one’s butt, but not necessarily shampooing one’s scalp. Many shampoo daily, but that may be a mistake. Shampooing everyday does keep the scalp clean but it also makes it constantly dry. shampoo conditioner Humans produce skin oil called sebum which moistens the skin and protects hair from damage. Shampooing daily drys out the scalp which then causes overproduction of sebum. This leads to greasy hair which in turn leads to more over shampooing. Shampooing less can fix this problem but quitting the use of shampoo is what some are Almost Half doing now. of Americans The users of this method believe that once your do not wash their body adjusts to the lack of a dry scalp that it will hands long enough. produce just enough sebum. The expected time for hand washing is at least 15 It’s true that less skin oil will be produced but seconds under warm not shampooing at all has consequences. soapy water. When left unwashed hair can have an unpleasant odor. It also promotes the build of dead skin cells that should be removed. Not washing also leads to dandruff, and inflammation of the scalp which can lead to increased chance of hair loss and thinning. Shampooing semi-often is the best choice as far as researchers can tell. Everyone’s scalp is different so different things work for everybody.

to shampoo twice a week at most. It is most effective to shampoo less and use conditioner more. This is because shampooing strips your hair of the natural oils.

Beauty

Beauty companies use large words to disguise disgusting ingredients .In perfumes and colognes a very common ingredient is ambergris, now people will look at that and just think it’s a fancy word and not think much of it, but ambergris in simpler terms is whale poop or vomit. On the other hand makeup is also a very popular product and two widely used forms of makeup are mascara and lipstick. That shimmering shade of red many lipsticks come in uses a certain red dye called cochineal dye. Cochineal dye is made from crushed up beetles that produce that vibrant red everyone loves, so sorry vegans but i guess no more red lipstick for you, but not just that no more mascara either. Mascara is made with guanine which is a fancy word for crushed up fish scales.

JANUARY 12,2017

ONE IN EVERY TEN

people in the United states admit they forget to brush their teeth. Teeth bushing is always important to preserve the freshness of ones mouth and others noses.

THE MURMUR

Hand Washing The majority of humans have hands. And a large amount of those that are privileged enough to have hands do not properly clean them. Of course not everybody has access to soap and clean water but for those that do in the U.S. 30% don’t wash their hands often enough. It is recommended that you wash your hands at least seven times a day. Washing your hands a proper amount lowers the risk of disease for you and those around you. It has been proven that those who wash their hands seven or more times a day suffer from infectious diseases less frequently than those who do not. Washing your hands also doesn’t mean rinsing them under water. The Center for Disease Control says that in order to properly clean your hands to use warm water, lather your hands with soap and scrub for twenty seconds making sure to get between your fingers and backs of your hands. Then thoroughly dry your hands Next time you see someone leave the bathroom without washing their hands be sure to tell them that they are a stain on society because they are making others sick as well as themselves.

Deodorant

Deodorant companies put labels on their products promoting “all day protection” or “extra strength” but deodorant and antiperspirants don’t actually stop you from sweating they only decrease sweat by twenty to thirty percent. But how much you sweat doesn’t even matter in terms of how well you smell, sweat is actually odorless. What deodorant actually does is kill the bacteria that’s growing in between your arms. Now in today’s market the average stick of deodorant costs around four to eight dollars but does the same job as a fifty cent bar of soap. In retrospect you don’t even have to wear deodorant to not smell bad because no matter what you’re going to sweat, all you have to do I wash under your arms to keep bacteria from growing and you’ll be just okay. People spend eighteen million dollars a year on deodorant and antiperspirant with a false sense that it is protecting their underarms from sweat and odor but could save far much more money by simply just using soap.

OPINON

2016 Meme Ted Cruz the Zodiac Killer

R.I.P. Harambe

Blurry Mr. Krabs

Caveman Spongebob

Crying Jordan Dat Boi

A&E

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JANUARY 12, 2017

Hall of Fame BY ALEXANDER DORCEY Design Manager alexanderdorcey@waterforddrift.com

Inner Evil Kermit

Ken Bone

The Dab

Views from the 6ix

DJ Khaledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Keys to Success

The Phelps Face

JANUARY 12, 2017

THE MURMUR

A&E

What’s h

PPening?

Applications from the “App Store” and “Play Store”that are currently popular among students BY CALVIN HABBA & TREVOR JENKINSON Editor-In-Chief & Staff Writer calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com Trevorjenkinson@waterforddrift.com

Gamerlink

Hearthstone This popular online game recently has been the subject of many updates and came onto the mobile platform strongly, offering both Android and Apple support. Retro graphics and addicting gameplay continue to draw more players in. This app is free to downlaod on the Google Play Store or App Store.

Gamerlink is an app created to help gamers on all platforms find others to play with. The game allows you to search for other players on the same platform using several criteria such as play style, platform, game, and even whether they have a microphone or not. Gamerlink allows you to enter at any time you want to play, and displays other users that are on as well.

Tap Smiths

Tap Smiths a fun rhythm game in which you switch back and forth, tapping your screen to build more items, and earn money.

Webtoon If you’re a fan of comics, creativity, and a broad range of genres, Webtoon is the app for you. Webtoon is a free app that has a huge library of free webcomics separated by genre. You can subscribe to a comic and receive notifications for when the next chapter of a comic is uploaded. The categories on the app are drama, fantasy, comedy, action, romance, superhero, heartwarming, thriller, sports, sci-fi, horror, and slice of life. If this all isn’t enough, the app also can be accessed by a computer page where you

Word Reference

As many people in foreign language classes have discovered, this app can be valuable in letting users find translations of words in a way that lets users see all available translations of the word in various languages.

A&E

can upload your own webcomics! The app does require internet, however, the school wifi does work with it! I would highly recommend downloading Webtoon and giving it a try, today!

All Apps listed can be found on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store as of December 20th

30 Day Fit Workout

Ever wanted to work out more, but didn’t have a plan? Well 30 Day Fit Challenge Workout is here to help. The app gives you a precise workout around a certain area to work on, and gives you a plan.

Hill Climb Racing

An oldie but a goodie, Hill Climb Racing offers a fun and casual game to play wherever you want, even without data. You collect vehicles, earn money to upgrade your vehicles and score in the leader boards.

WWW.WATERFORDDRIFT.COM

Orbit

This fun little gravity puzzle game lets you fling little moons around a planet and make it orbit around for the planet for different challenges and exciting gameplay. Try not to get addicted!

JANUARY 12, 2017

The Trumpidency

Writen By Kevin Elkin Designed By Alexander Dorcey Business Manager & Design Manager kevinelkin@waterforddrift.com alexanderdorcey@waterforddrift.com

The ugly truth that America and its citizens needs to wake up to

o one in their right mind could have predicted the rise of Donald J. Trump. Admittedly, when I first heard Trump was running I thought it was a joke. Everyone was so confident Donald Trump was going to lose. All the while “The Donald” mumbled, “Wrong!” Who would have ever thought he was right. The “Trumpidency” is a historic happening. Never has an individual who has not held public office nor been a military leader been elected to the highest office in all the land. Trump was elected as controversially as he ran for office. Trump lost the popular vote by almost two million votes and yet won a commanding victory all thanks to the electoral college. Any other way would just be disappointing for the rise of such a controversial figure. Trump’s campaign has yielded numerous protests and acts of extreme civil disobedience that can only be described as riots. “Love Trumps hate” has become a battle cry of the disgruntled proving that there are no ad majors against Trump or at least no good ones if that is the best they could come up with. “#notmypresident” has become a popular social media punch line. I wonder if claiming such a thing is an inadvertent way to reject your American citizenship, because unless you’re a Canadian citizen then Trump is, in fact, your president. The prospect of the “Trumpidency” drove many celebrities to claim that they would leave the country. Celebrities such as George Lopez, Miley Cyrus and Amy Schumer. Fortunate for these celebrities, Trump’s immigration plans do not restrict people leaving the country, so they are free to leave at any time. However to my knowledge they are planning on hanging around for a little while. How fortunate for us, we get to hang on to an obsolete actor, an idiot on a wrecking ball, and a loud

JANUARY 12, 2017

mouthed comedian. Thank God they were just running their mouth, otherwise we would have lost some true national treasures. Let me be clear, I am not a Trump supporter. I am a realist who has accepted the situation and holds immense disdain for hypocrisy and incompetence. Hate has never defeated hate, nor will it ever. Trump may not be what you wanted in a president, but he’s what we’ve got and he might not be that bad. Hope for three years and if after that hope yields nothing, riot to your hearts content. What does hope look like for the “Trumpidency”? Well, look at the projected concepts for the first hundred days. Trump has strategically avoided his most controversial policies such as “the wall” and the “ban on all muslims”. He has said that he will delineate most of his effort to bipartisan appreciated goals such as increased defense against cyber attacks and bans on lobbying. These are at the very least gestures to the opposition that he intends to be fair, and is willing to work with them. Although he has claimed that he will still work to gratify his supporters with his promise to revoke membership in the Trans Pacific Partnership

and to re-evaluate current visas. The “Trumpidency” also plans to execute an interesting policy that “For every new regulation put in place, two old regulations will have to repealed”. This is a policy meant to assure no new regulations are put into place. Congress can’t even decide on a yearly budget. Is it logical to assume that they will be able to pass a regulatory standard while simultaneously deciding on two obsolete ones? A clever ploy by the President elect that could potentially be good although only time will tell. Trump also plans to do away with environmental restrictions. This is more likely not such a good idea but again, only time will tell. The true test of Trumps’ merit will come when some of his policies inevitably fail. Will he admit it frankly and try something else or will he blunder on, blinded by ego and arrogance? The “Trumpidency” will be a mark on history. Whether it is a stamp of success or a stain, is yet to be determined.

THE MURMUR

Initial Presidential Approval Ratings

Donald Trump 48% Rating

Barack Obama 75% Rating

George W. Bush 65% Rating

Bill Clinton 67% Rating

*Ratings courtesy of Business Insider

OPINION

Reverse racism is racism A rational opinion on the resurgence of racism in society today BY ANDREW KELLEY Website Editor andrewkelley@waterforddrift.com

veranalyzing society is bothersome. I save all of that for the extremists of the left and right; however, there is one thing I can’t let go: complete contradiction, seen most commonly when reverse racism is spoken of. Reverse racism is racism. Nothing in the definition of racism states whether the majority or the minority is oppressed, unless you look for that definition in a biased place. Racism is the belief that all members of a race of people share characteristics, used to distinguish them as inferior/superior.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION was coined by John F. Kennedy to help combat the racism that was apparant at the time, in schools, colleges, and society as a whole Reverse racism is defined as, “Prejudice or antagonism directed towards a majority or dominant ethnic group.” In today’s age, this is seen most commonly in colleges, where 21st century progressivism is at its strongest, and it is bound to affect any student planning for college; however please know that there are still some on the far right that are just as racist as some of those on the left. The history of racism in colleges is long and arduous. Our modern day system began with JFK and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 60’s with the rise of progressivism, and continued onwards until 2003, when the Supreme court ruled that colleges can take race into account, as long as it is among several factors.

The Supreme Court has ruled IN FAVOR of universities using RACE as a factor, as long as it is one among many This can be considered racist, but I don’t mind. Colleges have an image to keep up, and being diverse is part of that image. The problem comes when these colleges pass up capable students for less capable ones, just for the color of their skin.

one thing. Race is the only factor, and that determines which category you are shoved into. The University of Michigan was held under the scrutiny of the supreme court, in Gratz v. Bollinger in 2003. The university had been making race a decisive factor on whether applicants would be admitted into its undergraduate program. Luckily, the Supreme Court ruled the University’s actions unconstitutional. Unluckily, this ruling has gone mostly unenforced. A minimal amount of universities have replaced racially-focused admissions programs with racial-neutral ones, with some even burning evidence of their

Schools must PROVE that admission policies only factor in race along with OTHER FACTORS, such as acedemic skill and economic status. These capable students work hard, bust most importantly they have money to pay for college. These colleges look away from that potential student, and instead focus on taking in someone that would better their image. With better image, comes more funding federal and state governments. I don’t care if the students being brought XII IX

III VI

in are skilled enough, but usually, they aren’t. Unskilled students take up spaces those skilled students could have taken. It just so happens that those unskilled, unprivileged students are usually minorities, and that the skilled students are usually white. I am nowhere saying that white students are more skilled than minority students, but it is most often the case in today’s society. A rational individual would judge these people case by case, taking the ability and socioeconomic status of each applicant into account, but modern colleges are far from rational. With the plague of 21st century progressivism, there is outright racism against white students that apply to colleges, deemed “too privileged”. Applicants are judged on

discrimination.

Reverse racism actually HARMS minority students when they apply but the MINORITY QUOTA has already been reached Minorities have had their time of discrimination. Whites are experiencing theirs now. Racism against the minority, racism against the majority. Racism causing harm to some, and benefitting others. Maybe one day Americans will be equal in each other’s eyes, but that day is not coming anytime soon. Facts courtesy of heritage.org

OPINION

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JANUARY 12 , 2017

CORNER

CREATIVE

Creative Corner is a new showcase of students writing pieces. If you are interested in submitting your own piece to be seen in the next issue of The Murmur, please email your name, grade, and writing to calvinhabba18@waterforddrift.com. Name: Doni Stapleford Grade: 12 What is piece about: It’s about breaking the stereotype of black women. What inspired you to write? Im very well spoken, i’m very educated, I’m not like the original black girl. I’m not ghetto, and thats what alot of people expect when they meet me. What do you want to do? I’m hoping to go to college and focus on psychology.

Name: Johnny Skarritt Grade: 12 What is piece about: This piece is about not caring what other people think, and just doing what you do, or doing what you like to do. What inspired you to write? I was inspired by just listening to various artists that speak their minds. Truth, you know. What do you want to do? I am not really sure what I want to become.

Dark Woman

Say Anything

“You speak like a white girl” People seem to be confused by me. They look at my dark skin and brown eyes, and expect me to be loud and ghetto. To their surprise, when I open my mouth to speak it’s not slang that falls out, but education. I speak, not as a whit girl, but as an educated dark woman. It’s not because of my white father that I read so well, or that I can speak with manner and astounding articulation. I don’t need porcelain skin and blonde hair to understand the importance of respect and proper pronunciation. My father is dyslexic, and he’s better with science than he is with words or people. My black mother is the one who showed me the importance of how you present yourself. My black mother, who is probably more acquainted with art than any of my white friends white parents, is the reason I’m so familiar with names such as Dali and Escher and Barbari and santvroot. It’s not because I’m half white that I hold creation and art and music and education so high in my life. It’s because of the lessons I’ve learned, as a dark woman, and the ones I was taught, by a dark woman, that have made me the young woman I am today.

Forever living in this environment I have hated, Been here so long that my mind is tainted, By this toxic behavior, it’s hazardous, It like it’s cancerous, Don’t believe me? Answer this, What about this shit we live in is so glamorous? It’s 2016 and in our reality, people are still mocked for homosexuality, When we claim that everyone was created equal, that were all just people, But we’re just acting peaceful, when on the inside we’re pure evil, We’re such weasels, so deceitful, When called out on our bullshit, we get more triggered than a Desert Eagle. They say honesty is the best policy, but honestly, you can’t possibly Believe in such modesty, when most have tried to demolish me, Because I’m an oddity that is viewed as an atrocity. Why is it called mankind, when there’s not a man kind? It’s a bad sign, when were still being judged for the thoughts that expressed from our damn minds. Acting like a gnarly gent, then they get involved with the dark events, So two faced might as well call them Harvey Dent.

JANUARY 12, 2017

THE MURMUR

Name: Faith LaRue Grade: 12 What is piece about: I don’t really wanna give the answers to that, people should be able to interpret it however they want, What inspired you to write? a therapy appointment that I had. What do you want to do? I’m interested in writing but I don’t know if I can make a job out of that, maybe political journalism or science.

I Told My Therapist We Should See Other People He asks, How was your day at school? There was blood red on either side Separated by a thin white line I’m not feeling very energized I was very aware of my teeth all day I say, Boring He asks, How is the medication working? I feel that I am full of moths They fly behind my eyes sometimes Sedate myself and I am fine I say, My mom tells me I’m doing better He asks, Do you have a boyfriend? He saw my insects and he tied His shoelaces in double knots I make sure every door and window is locked twice before I leave I’ve only known love like a drive-by shooting But I put the key under his welcome mat Just in case Just in case I say, It’s complicated He says, It looks like our time is up I don’t think this is working out I say You took the words right out of my mouth.

FEATURE

A womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s place in STEM

n the past, gender norms have controlled the social aspects of all Americans. Women were expected to stay and take care of the home while the man was made to look like a hero and provide for the family. The 20th century revolved around the idea that men were superior than women. But in a changing worlds, old timey, outdated, and sexist patriarchal systems gave way to the new, modern and strong working women. However, with a recent fluctuation of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs within high schools and colleges, the future of science could gain a new appearance and community of brilliant females. Yet, even with a raising percent of women in the male field, females are still facing informal discriminations within the workplace, and even before starting their careers. Continued on page 18...

INDEPTH

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JANUARY 12, 2017

BY AUDREY JUTIS & HANNAH NEAL Staff Writer & Design Editor audreyjutis@waterforddrift.com hannahneal17@waterforddrift.com

JANUARY 12, 2017

THE MURMUR

INDEPTH

Women’s workforce Females in Kettering challenging the misconception

he typical high school cheerleader lies behind a foreground of anything with tools or even know what we’re doing.” stereotypes; preppy, loves their school, always positive, only cares Similar to Newkirk, Junior Maddie Fields is also breaking down about football games and competition season. Although Senior roadblocks and stereotypes of women in STEM. Fields is highly involved Abbey Newkirk is passionate about within Kettering; being in Student bringing pep to every school event, she council, playing varsity lacrosse and works hard during halftime and in the “I think in today’s society if you strive to be swimming, Fields is more than a jock. lab. Breaking stereotypes is mandatory Also like Newkirk, Fields has found for women in a STEM field, and being what you want to be you can achieve it. Maybe herself in challenging and AP courses to a girl is the first. When Newkirk isn’t in history the field may have been gender bias better herself for a future in science and cheering on the basketball team or but I think that we’ve come a long way, especially heighten her love of the field. hyping up the crowd at a game, she’s in careers and colleges.” “Science is just so interesting because excelling in the classroom. Taking AP Fields, Eleventh you can learn more about how the world and notoriously tough classes, Newkirk works and learn more about complex is preparing herself for a hard but long things most people don’t understand and awaited career in the science field. help with the world we live in.” When Newkirk heard of an opportunity opening up to Kettering and Fields has taken interest in the Chemistry field of science and plans Mott students to dive into STEM and discover which specific field was on majoring in it. Unalike from Newkirk, Fields does not see a gender for her, she leapt at the shaky new chance and hoped for the best. With bias within in the science field, influence from the STEM program, Newkirk was to new and different “I think in today’s society if you strive to be what you want to be fields she had never even considered, and guided her into choosing the you can achieve it. Maybe in history the field may have been gender best suited field for her, and even changed her mind on her initial plans bias but I think that we’ve come a long way, especially in careers and for the future; colleges.” “STEM helped me realize I don’t actually want to go into engineering.” Although there is staggering differences between male and females in Newkirk said, “I am going more into fishery and wildlife side of science, the STEM, the field has truly developed from what it once was; between instead of sitting behind a computer I’ll be more hands on.” 1970 to 2011, based on the U.S. census, the percent of women in Although Newkirk has chosen a field that is actually 52.9 percent STEM rose from 7 to 24 percent. More specifically: social sciences (archive.aacu.org) female, other field aren’t as lucky. Careers in went from 17 to 61 percent, engineers grew from 3 to 13 percent, yet computer programming, database administrators, and engineering are computer works went from 15 to hitting its peak in 1980 with 34 and extremely low, reaching only 7.9 percent in mechanical engineering then decreased to 27 percent. Even with rising and changing numbers, (archive.aacu.org). STEM has a long way to go to truly represent 50 percent of the collegeEven though Newkirk’s field is equally male and female, fear of educated American workforce (archive.aacu.org). gender bias is still a thought to her, “I feel men don’t think we can do

Influential women in STEM *ivyengineering.com *stemjobs.com

1830

Emily Roebling

INDEPTH

Roebling stepped in as the first female engineer and technical leader of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1833.

1910 Marie Curie

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Curie studied radium to create a primitive version of the modern day x-ray and helped use her technology to treat soldiers in WW1. She won the Nobel Peace Prize for physics in 1903 and for chemistry in 1911.

JANUARY 12, 2017

gearing for change that only men can succeed in STEM driven fields

emale African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Latinos represent 30 percent of the U.S. population and are projected to reach 40 percent by 2050 and shorten the color gap between majority and minority (whitehouse.gov). Since 2000, underrepresented minorities’ involvement in engineering and in physical sciences have been flat, and their share in mathematics and statistics have dropped at a steady rate. Compared to Caucasian women in 2011, whom earned 57 percent of STEM degrees, minorities earned only 12.5 percent of the degrees (whitehouse.gov). To eliminate this

ith the help President Obama’s recent (whitehouse.gov) 5-year STEM education plan which focuses heavily on women and minorities involvement and graduating with a STEM degree, hopes to double the amount of students with degrees of STEM to 1 million in the next decade (whitehouse.gov). With goals of reducing the dropout rate of women which happens around the point of reaching mid-management and where female peers lessen, Obama aims to breach the stigma society has around minorities in the field. With multiple plans to improve the workplace and view of STEM field jobs, Obama believes first and foremost, encouragement and opportunities are needed. “One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls interested in math, science, and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.” Obama said (whitehouse.gov), when announcing his plans to reconstruct the STEM workforce. Change and development of the field is crucial to America’s global leadership. Without the critical expansion of including minorities and encouragement by society, America will fall behind in the STEM world. Creating programs that are specifically designed for females and minorities has started a trend of inclusion and excitement

1920 Beulah Henry JANUARY 12, 2017

gap in minority involvement, communities with higher numbers of diverse and minority groups have reached out to companies such as Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, and Women in STEM are groups and clubs mainly focused on creating involvement and interest of minorities into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Closing the gap between African American and Caucasian women is critical for all women together, to close the even bigger gap between men and women.

for girls entering or interested in the field.(energy.gov) Programs such as Girls Who Code, Exploring Computer Sciences, and Black Girls Code all encourage and give opportunities for minorities in STEM to meet one another and thrive to create a better future. School Districts across America have increased their programs that include STEM classes, giving student exposure to the hands-on work they would be doing in a STEM career. Mentoring is a major key in the Obama plan for get girls excited for a career in technology. By having powerful women who work in the STEM field inspire, boost, and promote young ladies in the workforce, interested females will see opportunities and fun in a career where she gets to break boundaries and help the world. Yet changing the view young girls have of science is on society itself, we have created a pink and blue world, with gender specific choices. To show girls across America the opportunity to excel in STEM course, they must be taught that it is possible for them to do so.(archive.aacu.org) Research shows that girls are less interested in STEM course because of the lack of exposure at a young age by toys and the community they are raised in. A change in social attitude and prehistoric beliefs about jobs that are suitable for women will possibly have a strong and positive effect on the amount of females choosing the STEM careers.

Henry patented a doll with flexible arms and created a typewriter that made copies without using carbon paper. Henry was known as “Lady Edison”.

1940 Hedy Lamarr

THE MURMUR

Lamarr invented a remote controlled communication system for the U.S. during WW2 which now serves as a basis for the technology that supports WiFi and Bluetooth.

INDEPTH

Women make up

30%

*archive.aacu.org

Engineering in STEM is most commonly recognized through robotics programs in schools. Jobs in this field include; aerospace engineers, environmental engineers and engineers. Many engineers work outside or in a workshop, and pay depends on the job.

of the STEM workforce Women make up

50% of the U.S. college-educated workforce

Engineering

Technology Technology in STEM is related to computers and software programming. Jobs in this field all relate to using computers or programming them and the pay is relatively high, depending on the type of work that is being done.

Science in STEM has many choices of potential occupations. These fields range from chemical engineer to physicist and offer jobs in schools, laboratories and offices. Pay for the science fields in STEM depends on the specific job.

1990

Stephanie Kwolek

INDEPTH

Math in STEM has a few possible occupations to pursue when following a Math-based career path. A few of these occupations are; mathematician,statistician and research analysis. Due to the difficulty and specialization of the field, pay in these occupations is relatively high.

Science Math

Kwolek invented a liquid crystalline polymer that resulted in Kevlar, which is used to make bulletproof vests, radial tires and airplane fuselages. She won the National Technology Medal in 1996 and the Perkin Medal in 1997.

2000 Margaret Hamilton

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Hamilton taught herself to program computers and became the Director of software engineering of MIT instrumental laboratory. She and her team developed a code for the Apollo guidance computer. She won the NASA exceptional space act award in 2003.

JANUARY 12, 2017

Start Geometry or Chemistry?

Chemistry

Geometry

Are you artistic?

Do you consider yourself attentive?

Interested in

Yes

Physics?

No No

Yes No

Yes

Interested in cost accounting?

Are you good

Do you enjoy designing?

with technology?

Yes Yes

No Yes

Are you a hands on learner?

No Does computer

Are you a team player?

software interest you?

Outdoors

No Yes Yes

Lab environment or outdoors?

You’re a Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers use computer software programs to design engines, machnes and robots. They have very strong tecnical abilities, along with math and analytical abilites. they are very creative, good at communicating and are good problem solvers.

JANUARY 12, 2017

Lab

You’re a Civil Engineer Civil engineers design airports, tunnels, dams and bridges. They are good at cost- accounting, geometry, and geology. They prefer hands-on work, like building and construction and they can easily manage projects. Math is one of their strongest subjects and they enjoy working outdoors.

You’re a Chemical Engineer Chemical engineers are great with math and chemistry. They are creative, attentive and skilled at physics. Their ideal working environment would be in a lab.

THE MURMUR

You’re an Electrical Engineer Electrical engineers design, maintain and build electrical systems, machinery and equipment. They are skilled in math, science and analytical skills. They can easily understand diagrams and design and draw blueprints. they have strong analytical and decision making skills.

INDEPTH

Is this what we call living? When hitting rock bottom becomes your social status BY KALI BERG Staff Writer kaliberg@waterforddrift.com

’m not entirely sure how to phrase it,” sophomore Samantha Toia said. “It’s literally feeling sad to the point where you don’t want to do anything, you have no motivation to do anything that makes you happy anymore.” Depression is a mood disorder that causes a feeling of sadness and a loss of interest. Also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think, and behave. Depression can also lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It all started when Toia was really young, around six was the earlset she could remember feeling entirely sad. “It makes me feel like doing normal day to day things are the hardest to do,” Toia said. “It’s like depression is just a side effect of living.” Each and every day was a struggle. “At my lowest point I felt horrible,” Toia said. “I was terrified for myself looking back at it. I really hated who I was, I didn’t want to be alive. I felt so undeserving of it, like something was wrong with me.” Toia was unsure on to handle herself, and she was at a loss of ideas to get better. “I wanted the pain and the feeling of never really being good enough to just go away, so I did what I could to distract myself.” Depression left Toia feeling stupid, annoying, useless, lazy, and just overall horrible about herself. For some people finding a distraction to focus on rather than can be quite easy and un-harmful, for others it can turn into a distraction by pain. “The first thing I did was self harm, whether that meant cutting, burning myself, ripping out my hair, anything that would distract me from the mental pain or show me blood to remind myself that I was still here and living,” Toia said. There were points where Toia didn’t feel the self harm was helping, and eventually she turned to overdosing on any type of medication she could get her hands on to

numb herself from feeling. “I started taking two more than I should have and it slowly increased to 8-12 every time I did it,” Toia said. “I just wanted to be numb, I didn’t want to exist. It made me feel so much shame in myself that I felt too ugly and fat, and it caused a long path of anorexia and bulimia.” Toia’s self confidence was at the lowest. “There was really no escaping for me but I was willing to try anything. There’s some things I’m not too proud of but it’s part of my past and I shouldn’t feel shame in it,” Toia said. She pushes herself to get through each day even if she doesn’t want to. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that I am used to it, because no one gets used to that feeling,” Toia said. “But I’ve learned how to just pretend like it’s not there until I get done what I need to, but as soon as I have a second of rest I feel consumed by my thoughts and sadness all over again. “I don’t exactly deal with it either, I just tend to avoid it until have no other choice but to face it and then I usually just turn to music or fill up my schedule to the point where I barely have time to breathe just so I can get a distraction from it.” The day she started playing the violin was the day she had discovered a whole other alternative world where she could escape to which was music. Over the years, Toia has reached out and gotten help by home base therapy, group therapy and in office therapy. In 2014, Toia entered Havenwyck. Havenwyck Center is a licensed, residential, secure treatment program for children and adolescents ages 8 to 17, with emotional and/or behavioral impairments that require them to be in a secure, 24-hour supervised therapeutic living situation. “The employees, except for two nurses, gave me hell,” Toia said. “They called me an attention seeker, and confirmed my feelings of being worthless.”

and think.. Are you really okay? (it is okay to ask for some help)

One day things

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255

JANUARY 12, 2016

Deep Thoughts Samantha Toia sits alone, isolating herself from those around her because she fears no one understands whats going on in her mind.

THE MURMUR

FEATURE

Q&A at the DIA

Senior Star Shelton explains her passion for art as she takes a stroll through the Detroit Institute of Arts BY BAILA LAKATOS Copy Editor bailalakatos@waterforddrift.com

Q: A:

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT ART? “I am passionate about art. There are so many different forms of art, that it is nearly impossible to find one piece you don’t like. I always thought that I could appreciate art because I wasn’t an “artist” myself. Then I came to realize that art makes me feel something, and that’s how I know I’m passionate about it.”

Q: A:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF ART? WHY? “My favorite type of art is contemporary art, or minimalistic art. I find beauty in the mystery of negative space and guessing the meaning behind different pieces of art.”

DO YOU THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO BE EDUCATED/INFORMED ABOUT ART? A: “I do think it is important for everyone to be somewhat informed about art, because I believe that everyone has a creative side to them, so if they’re introduced to art at a young age, maybe they’ll get into it and pursue it as they get older. It’s like a sport, if a kid is introduced to a sport at a young age, they usually continue to play that sport as they get older. So if a kid is introduced to art at a young age, they might continue to create/love art for the rest of their life.”

Q: A:

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE DIA? “What I like about the DIA, is that it’s one of the few places that tons of people can come together to view art. Whenever I’m at the DIA, I look around at the people who are there and I just think about how cool it is that we’re all there, in that moment, looking at these amazing pieces of art that another person has created, and each person could be looking at the same piece in a different way.”

Q: A:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EXHIBIT THAT YOU’VE VISITED? “My favorite exhibition I’ve seen at the DIA was the 30 Americans exhibit that I visited last January. There were over 50 paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art, all created by the most influential African American artists over the past 30 years. It showcased contemporary art that explored the issues of a culture. Each artist had a different experience and you could tell through their pieces. Each one told a different story.”

Q: DO YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE A TRIP TO THE DIA? A: “I do think everyone should take a trip to the DIA, because it’s a great

learning experience. The first time I ever went was in fourth grade on a field trip, and my teacher set up a “scavenger hunt.” We had to go find specific pieces in the huge museum and it was a lot of fun, I’ll probably never forget it. Ever since that trip I’ve been going any chance I get. And even though the same art is there every time, there’s usually a few parts of the museum you haven’t been before, and there’s different events or exhibitions going on.”

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU THE MOST ON YOUR TRIP TO THE DIA? A: “What inspired me the most during my trip to the DIA, was probably

just sitting in front of a specific piece and using my mind to think about what was going on through the artist’s mind when they were creating it, or what inspired them to create it. What also inspires me, is thinking about how every artist who’s art is up for display in that museum, was a beginner at some point in their life. And now their art is on display for hundreds of people to see every day. It’s never too late to express interest in something you love.”

FEATURE

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JANUARY 12, 2017

Punching out prehistoric gender roles BY BRIDGET EKIS Copy Editor bridgetekis@waterforddrift.com

unior Gage Percival has long hair, it Percival is not alone with his thoughts on flows right past his shoulder blades gender, senior Faith LaRue also questions and can easily fit into a ponytail if he it’s affect on society. desires. Gage loves his luscious locks; In LaRue’s opinion, gender plays a role however, he knows it draws attention to in just about everything even though she others and attracts weird glares. wished it didn’t. LaRue and Percival share Percival spoke of his long hair in terms the common thought that gender cannot of defining his masculinity, he associated clearly be defined by the typical male and having long hair with being not as female roles. masculine, even though he doesn’t believe “I feel like that hinders everyone, it tells this personally he’s aware that most people men that they have to be masculine and do. they can’t cry,” LaRue said. “It tells women “I definitely have feminine qualities but that you can’t be aggressive and angry I also have masculine qualities,” Percival and you have to be docile and submissive said. “It’s just a balance.” when that’s not how it should be. You Although others may think differently, for should be true to yourself instead of the someone like Percival, the idea of gender box that you’re being put in.” isn’t so black and white. As an active feminist, LaRue advocates “I think it’s a spectrum. It’s not like you’re for all groups of individuals and wishes for one or the other, there’s hyper masculinity everyone to feel comfortable in their own and hyper skin like femininity she does. a n d Although “If you’re a woman you don’t have to be feminine. women are ever ything in between,” If you’re a man you don’t have to be masculine. I usually the P e r c i v a l don’t think that men should equate to masculinity main focus or women should equate to feminitity,” said. “Some of feminism, people might L a R u e Faith LaRue, Senior recognizes be more feminine that the or more movement masculine, that’s just who they are and it’s stands for men too. not a bad thing.” “I feel like men are completely left out Aside from the idea that gender can of the conversation sometimes which isn’t be a spectrum, Percival also mentioned good at all because I want them to know the importance of men expressing their this is hurting you too and this isn’t just emotions. Often times phrases such as about women,” LaRue said. “suck it up” or “man up” can be damaging LaRue agrees that she too possesses to young men, since they force boys to both masculine and feminine qualities. lock away their emotions Percival says. One day she could be clothed in a mens Percival compared men to a rock, flannel and a T-shirt and the next she could and said that society has trained them drape a silky skirt over her legs. that they need to be strong and stable She does not condone to one side of humans; however, he has learned through the spectrum, but rather flirts with both and experience that all people can’t be strong sometimes falls somewhere in between. all the time. By doing so, she has boosted her self “Someone who is suppressing their confidence significantly within the past emotions is someone who is not trying three years. Even if it may not make sense to show their vulnerability, which we’re to others what she’s doing sometimes, humans and we’re all flawed, we’re all she’s content with that. deeply flawed; When you try to cover that “I think that once we stop limiting up I think you just make a fool of yourself,” ourselves to these certain rules of Percival said. masculinity and femininity that we can In Percival’s mind vulnerability does not progress past that to being individuals and equate to weakness, and weakness is not not coinciding with what a certain group a symptom of expressing one’s emotions.” is telling us to be or do,” LaRue said.

FEATURE

EMOTIONS

In a research study conducted by Raymond DiGiuseppe, PhD, found men score higher on physical aggresion, passive agression and impulsively dealing with anger than women

BRAIN STRUCTURE Research has found that the parietal cortex is larger in men and explains why men naturally have better awareness of the area around them than women

BEHAVIOR

According to study conducted by Marco Del Giudice*, where he analyzed personality traits of men and women, men were described as dominant, reserved, utilitarian, vigilant, rule-conscious and emotionally stable

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MOOD DISORDERS Men are 3.5x more likely to die from suicide than women

JANUARY 12, 2017

From the beginning of time the way males and females interact has influenced how each gender grows and adapts. With this new wave of opinions, women may find it socially acceptable to pay for the bill at the end of a dinner date; and, men are expressing their emotions in greater depth. Here are two students who don’t let their body parts define their personality.

EMOTIONS

June Tangney, PhD, states that women deal with anger differently and usually talk to the person they’re angry with and use more problem solving strategies than males

BRAIN STRUCTURE

Women’s brains have been known to have deeper limbic systems, which explain why women are more natural caregivers and emotionally engaged

MALE AND FEMALE DIFFERENCES

BEHAVIOR

In the same study for the behavior of men*, women were associated with words such as, warm, trusting, sensitive, emotionally reactive and deferential

MOOD DISORDERS According to the World Health Organization, women are 2x more likely to have specific mental health conditions than men such as, depression, eating disorders and panic disorders

Q&A with Oakland University Sociology of Gender professor Geroge Q: Is gender something we have, or is it something created? A: Obviously, gender is complicated.I think that one of the mistaken assumptions is that gender is this fixed thing. And it’s something that you have, and it’s either one thing or another. As social scientists we know that our ideas about gender and what makes up masculinity and femininity characteristics have changed over time.

Q: How is gender different in other cultures? A: When we look at other cultures and societies we know that there are different perspectives on what constitutes appropriate behavior or thinking or feelings regarding whether one identifies as male or female. Also historically and cross-culturally we in the United States tend to focus on one of two genders whereas there are an abundance of gender identities that are available to people living in other cultures.

Q: Is gender more biological or social? A: We think about gender as something being socially constructed. It’s not something biological, however biological sex is. But even that is complicated by a number of other different categories including the category of intersex. Which is a far more common condition than people generally realize. Intersex people are born with ambiguous genitalia or chromosomal expressions which means that they don’t neatly fit into this male or female. So if biology is problematic, and kinda has this grey area than all of our assumptions that are based on biology themselves should be understood as grey and unfixed.

Fact courtesy of American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychological Association, World Health Organization and healthguidance.org

JANUARY 12, 2016

THE MURMUR

FEATURE