HORSE
Volume 3 Issue 3
CONTENTS FILM ISN’T DEAD - 2 RINSTA SINSTA - 4 QUEEN BEE - 7 #BODYposi - 11 THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND - 13 BADBLOOD - 15 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING MALCOLM - 18
Brooklynn Loiselle Editor in Chief Senior Cameron Brentlinger Photo Editor Junior
Kaya Noteboom Editor in Chief Junior
Keith Higbee Staff Advisor Brian Chatard Principal
According to Oregon law, student journalists are responsible for determining the content of this publication, except under limited circumstances. The subject matter, content and views of the news, features and opinion sections in this paper do not reflect the views of Portland Public Schools or Woodrow Wilson High School.
There’s more to hype than just short lived fads, feasted on by the masses. Hype is an alternate reality. Whether it’s the dream-like quality of film photography or the raw exclusivity of sinstagrams, people enjoy things that make life appear as they wish it truly was. This is what Wilson is hyped about. This is the Hype Issue.
1
FILM ISN’T
DEAD
Pictured: Emma Carey
Pictured: Griffin Morse
Push finger down, listen for click, then wait and see. Film
Portland thing. Which begs the question: Why is a tedious
photography is a lengthy process. The possibility of error
pastime becoming so trendy all of a sudden? What’s all the
is laughably large. It requires wallets that are pretty hefty
hype about?
too. To most people the following list would be more than
“It started out with kids wanting to be different,” AP
enough to deter them from ever picking up a film camera.
photography student, Maris Yurdana said. How ironic that
However, according to a poll taken by the film company,
the most infectious trends are brought about by people just
Ilford, film sales are on a steady incline. Supposedly, “30% of
trying to distinguish themselves from the rest of the herd. A
[consumers] were aged under 35” and “roughly 60% of them
scanned version of a Polaroid on an Instagram feed emanates
have been using film for less than half a decade.” It’s really
a sense of exclusivity and an air of retro-coolness. It didn’t
no surprise that this trend is running rampant in our retro-
take too long for something that set people apart to catch the
philic city of Portland, with vibrant neighborhoods teeming
attention of the masses.
with thrift shops and record stores. However, it’s not just a
2
TROJAN HORSE
JUNE 2016
Polaroid and disposable cameras are often the weapon of
choice when documenting joyous moments among friends.
photograph doesn’t matter as much as with film photo-
Aesthetically, analog pictures emanate a certain nostalgia
graphs. Putting so much effort into one photograph builds a
that’s enchanting to look at. They look and feel like physical
bond between the photographer and their work. There isn’t a
memories. Colors are warm and vibrant. Shapes are soft.
time investment with digital photography. The photographer
Slight imperfections give the photographs personality, just
doesn’t build that connection with the photo. This indiffer-
like us. Life appears more whimsical, more dreamy. In a film
ence and lack of connection bleeds into the way people live
photograph, life appears as we wish it truly was: cool, color-
the rest of their lives.
ful, effortless. Perhaps in a society pushing the extent of instant gratifi-
These days things happen so fast. We don’t care that we use our time frivolously, spending hours scrolling through
cation, film represents a certain slowness and intricacy to life
memes and Twitter feeds. The speed at which our society
that people may be beginning to miss. Going analog forces
moves creates a false assurance that there’s always going to
the photographer to put themselves in the shot. It forces pho-
be more time to do the things that really matter to us. The
tographers to take their time. Nico Taylor, a Wilson junior,
increasing popularity of analog photography reflects a gener-
said that his favorite thing about film is “the sentimentality of
ation that might be starting to care more about what they do
it. You have to pay money for film and to have it developed,
with their time.
unless you have a dark room, but even that is a whole lot
But how much longer will this affinity for the past last?
more involved,” he said. “You get the impression that the shot
At this point, there’s no telling if this push for sentimentality
means something.”
is a fad or real shift in values. If it is a fad, in a year tops a
Shooting digitally can produce a great image, but there’s
teen’s biggest concern will be, once again, the fastest, most
a feeling of detachment. Using film is intimate. It can take
convenient technology they can get their hands on. But
hours in a darkroom to produce an image, unlike digital,
maybe this is real. Maybe teens are beginning to find more
where the image is already there the second the shutter
reward in the intricacies of life rather than the instant grat-
closes and opens again. Digital feels fleeting, while film feels
ification we’ve grown accustomed to. If so, this is one trend
like the image will last forever. There’s a sort of indifference
that’s definitely worth the hype.
in digital photography in the way that the quality of each
Photos and story by Kaya Noteboom 3
RINSTA SINSTA RINSTA-SINSTA
DISCLAIMER: The names of students who were interviewed for this story have been changed to protect their identities as well as to maintain the secrecy of their accounts. The clear, icy blue waters of a foreign land glisten in
sions. Methods such as these are mostly employed by female
the background of the adventurous, rocky terrain. A figure
Wilson students to insure their public profiles remain artsy
stands on an edge overlooking the cinematic scenery. The
and “effortless”.
photo seems to be clipped out of a magazine, but actually is an Instagram post of a Wilson peer. When one scrolls through their Instagram feed, they observe the exciting, outgoing, and aesthetically-pleasing
“Everyone tries to stick to posting twice a week,” Amanda McMillian said. “You don’t want to look like you’re on it way too much. You want as many likes as possible.” Women are taught to care about their image from a
lives of their friends and family. Instagram, the social media
young age, and likes on one’s photos tends to symbolize
host for all things photography, has grown far beyond strictly
approval and popularity. In order to achieve the most likes
posting photos of one’s daily life. It has become a site where
possible on their photos, students also post at around 7 or 8
students go to craft their personal brand.
at night instead of during the school day, because this is the
Public profiles often follow a theme, like having the same filter on each photo, creating a sense of cohesiveness throughout the profile. As a whole, the profile may be com-
window when others are most likely checking their Instagram feeds. All of this work of crafting one’s brand can make Insta-
pared to a modeling profile as only Pinterest-worthy photos,
gram anything but a true reflection of a person. Public ac-
guaranteed to receive a substantial number of likes from
counts such as this are referred to as Rinstas, which ironically
hundreds of followers, are only posted on the rarest of occa-
stands for Real Instagrams.
4 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
“The public one is more for the aesthetic of it and just
without a fear of it being misinterpreted or taken in an offen-
pretty landscape pictures or things you’re doing with your
sive way. Rinstasinsta provides a real place where true, best
friends,” McMillian said. “It’s the best photos from their cam-
friends can see more than just surface images of things like
era roll or their best experiences.”
school dances or beach trips. Posts on Rinstasinsta can be
Deeper aspects of a person’s life are often shared in the form of Sinstagram, the “secret” Instagram. Sinsta has been making its rounds through Wilson for a while and serves a different purpose for each of its users. Sinsta, for many, con-
about anything and everything from acceptance letters from colleges, to embarrassing stories, to crying selfies. “We all know when we need to text each other supportive things,” Juilette Parker said.
“Rinstasinsta provides a real place stasinsta also do and inappropriate photos that one where true, best friends can see more not have to worry would not want about the quality than just surface images of things like accessible to the of the photo, the school dances or beach trips. Posts on perfectly phrased general public. It offers a sneak peak Rinstasinsta can be about anything caption, or the into the private number of likes and everything from acceptance letters on their photos. lives of students without revealing from colleges, to embarrassing stories, They do not have too much. to worry about to crying selfies.” Increasingly, posting multiple sists of partying
Users of Rin-
a person’s real self is being shared in the form of a Rinstasin-
times in a day, a taboo on Rinsta accounts, either. Interest-
sta, a real secret Instagram account. Small communities of
ingly enough, long captions with lengthy stories and many
friends at Wilson create Rinstasinstas, because it provides a
posts a day are encouraged as a way to keep other members
media platform for individuals to express their true issues
of Rinstasinsta involved in one’s life.
and emotions. Amanda McMillian is a member of Rinstasinsta with
Anna Stevens has 700 followers on her Rinsta but does not post that often because she does not feel comfortable
a group of nine other girls. On Rinstasinsta, she feels com-
sharing with all 700 of these people. On her Sinsta, she has
fortable talking about anything that comes up in her day,
around 50 followers, which is a much smaller following than
because she knows her friends have a genuine interest in her
her Rinsta, but it is still a large amount of people to send ev-
activities.
ery detail of her life to. On Rinstasinsta, however, she simply
“We literally just post everything going on in our day. It’s nice because you can talk about what’s posted [in person],”
follows nine of her closest friends. There is no magic number as to how many people one
McMilian said. “It’s like a giant group chat with pictures, and
can follow on each account, but the general consensus for
pictures say a lot more than text.”
Rinstasinsta seems to stand at around ten followers.
Because of the exclusivity of members in each Rinstasin-
“I feel like there are a couple people that I would add that
sta community, students are close and comfortable with shar-
I couldn’t care so much,” Parker said. “But where it is is per-
ing whatever they want to with this small group of friends
fect because the other people that have it, I know I am [one
5
of] the only people they’re sharing that with which makes it
don’t think it’s fake. It just does not have enough information
more comfortable.”
to be real.”
The one norm that stands in the Rinstasinsta community
They also are aware that the hierarchy of Instagram is not
is secrecy. If something is posted, it is not meant to be shared
something that seems ideal, yet it works for the lives of high
with people outside of the community. The posts are under-
schoolers, who are expected to share every aspect of their
stood to be secrets between best friends.
lives on social media.
In order for Rinstasinsta accounts to stay hidden, only
“I think it’s definitely a weird concept, but I like that you
other Rinstasinsta accounts follow each other. This way, it is
can have a place to be yourself [on social media] not around
nearly impossible to find the account on an Instagram search
the 700 people that I do not know,” Stevens said.
unless one knows the username of the account. For some at Wilson, their third account comes in the
With college approaching, it is difficult to know what will happen to these Rinstasinsta accounts. Stevens, when asked
form of a Minstagram, a Meme Instagram, where they post
if she will continue her Rinstasinsta account into college, had
embarrassing photos of their friends with joking captions
a simple answer, “Absolutely.”
that poke fun at each other's’ habits or after school activities.
Stevens believes that her account will allow her to main-
Minstas tend to be the type of Instagram favored by male
tain contact and stay involved in her friends’ lives. Stevens
students, because boys are not told by media to focus on
plans on keeping her Rinstasinsta exclusive to only her clos-
their self-image like girls are.
est high school friends. If college friends also want to create a
It is a complicated system, and yet, most students can
Rinstasinsta community, Stevens is open to creating a second
acknowledge that this is a reality for a large amount of Wil-
account to communicate with this new group of friends.
son students. Instagram, too, has acknowledged the existence
Rinstasinsta may not just be a hyped fad, but a legitimate way
of these secret accounts on a wider scale and recently made
high schoolers are choosing to maintain relationships with
it easier for their users to alternate between their various
each other, even after high school is over.
accounts by providing an option for multiple accounts to be logged in at once. With the switch of a button, students can now move from their Rinsta to Sinsta to Rinstasinsta and back again without having to type a single letter. Each account also allows for students to express themselves in different ways with others who will be accepting of their preferences and decisions. Students like Stevens and Parker acknowledge that their public Rinsta accounts may not be the most accurate description of themselves, but they believe that the Rinsta still provides valuable information about who they are as an individual. “I don’t think that it misrepresents who I am. I think that it just gets very small bits of who I am,” Parker said. “It has all the main points of my life, but it doesn’t have any detail. I
6 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
By Brooklynn Loiselle
QU EEN BEE
7
Singer, performer, businesswoman, mother, choreog-
ers. Loyal, obsessive (only in regards to the Beyhive), and
rapher, sister, producer, daughter, director, CEO, Acade-
ready to fight to death anyone who dares insult their leader.
my Award winner, superstar. All words that can be used
However, Christians have moral obligations, while the Bey-
to describe Beyoncé Knowles, a 32 year old woman who
hive simply love to idolize a person who truthfully, is just a
transformed herself from a little girl who competed in Texan
person.
beauty pageants into one of the most successful brands in the
One element to Beyoncé’s success is her carefully crafted
world. Not unlike King Midas, everything she touches turns
public persona. She’s courteous and kind with just a hint of
to gold. But what is so alluring and captivating about Queen
diva behavior. She’s also terrific at what she does. She proj-
Bey, as her loyal legion of fans called the Beyhive label her,
ects an image that people can only dream of. A perfect life
that keeps people coming for more? What gives her so much
consisting of a successful career, a seemingly strong marriage
power both in the entertainment industry and mainstream
and a loving child. She literally has it all, and it makes people,
culture?
especially young girls and women, want to be like her even
First, an overview of her success and influence is critical. Her influence can very well be compared to that of Oprah, or for those who lovingly refer to her as Beysus, even Jesus. Oprah was an attractive woman with a legendary daytime show that helped her skyrocket to fame and become the first Black female billionaire. To this day she remains a significant figure in
more. She’s also very mysterious. Although she regularly
“She only shows the public what she wants them to see; there has never been any hacked iClouds full of racy texts and pictures or any public meltdowns a la Britney Spears.”
updates her Instagram and has over 60 million followers, she has only tweeted 8 times, yet has over 14 million followers. She only shows the public what she wants them to see; there has never been any hacked iClouds full of racy texts and pictures or any public meltdowns a la Britney Spears. Instead, Beyoncé is always
not only Black, but also mainstream culture. She also recent-
calm, collected, and as she sings in her 2014 single “Flawless”.
ly created her own network called OWN (Oprah Winfrey
She is literally on goddess status because of her influence and
Network) that was launched five years ago, but continues to
success. By being relatable but still untouchable, Beyoncé
receive the highest ratings on television, according to The
keeps her millions of fans thirsting for more.
Futon Critic. There are so many similarities between the two
Beyoncé first came onto the scene with her R&B girl
women it’s crazy. Both have worked hard to be where they
band Destiny’s Child, and she was every bit the controlling
are today, and neither let anyone or anything stand in their
leader. Her father was their manager and her mother their
way. And both seem to be going down in history as major
hairdresser/stylist/makeup artist. She created the band with
trailblazers for their race and gender. Although Jesus is a
her cousin Kelly Rowland and friends Latavia and LaToya.
religious figure, Beyoncé’s fans seem to be like his follow-
Discord between the members caused Latoya and Latavia
8 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
to be replaced with Farah Abraham and Michelle Williams,
moves and costumes. She has been able to appeal to a wide
but eventually Abraham was removed, leaving the trio to
demographic due to her multi-ethnic background and catchy
dominate the charts. They quickly became one of the big-
music. According to NPR, her demographic consists of a
gest girl bands of all time, and
variety of races and genders, from middle aged white men to
waned to this day. Just last year
their influence has not they were number
three on Billboard’s list of Top Ten
Girl Groups
of All Time. However, Beyoncé has a level of success no other member When all three members went solo, Beyoncé’s
album was the
only one
that
fared very well. Although her first
reached has.
young black girls. Beyoncé’s influence on mainstream culture is magnificent. Everything she has associated with herself has become popular and widely accepted: for example, natural hair and the Black Lives Matter movement. Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy is always pictured with natural curly hair and Beyoncé has been largely unapologetic for it. Although she did not start the popular movement with Black woman keeping their hair natural and free from chemicals, she did influence the
choice of many young
two albums were wildly successful, the third one really showed us the Beyoncé we know and love today. It was from her third album I AM SASHA FIERCE that she introduced us to her sassy alter ego, Sasha Fierce. It was also in this album that she released anthems such as “Single Ladies” and “If I Were A Boy” that remain an inspiration for other performers such as Taylor Swift, Little Mix, and Selena Gomez who imitate her famous dance
9
girls as they kept their natural hair as is and stopped many
a part of the Beyhive. Major stars like Nicki Minaj and Lady
young mothers from polluting their kids hair with treat-
Gaga, and even the President of the United States of Amer-
ments.
ica, are huge fans. Then next best thing to being Beyoncé, it
She has also helped to popularize Black self-love when she recently dropped a proud Black music video called
seems, is being one of her fans. Beyoncé’s success and influence is the result of years of
“Formation” where she sang and danced about her Creole /
hard work, her millions of fans are loyal in every sense, and
Negro heritage, her daughter's crazy curls, and her husband's
her power doesn't seem to be diminishing anytime soon.
wide nose. Although this video has received lots of criticism
If anyone tries to criticize her, thousands maybe millions
for supposedly being anti-police, her video has helped lots
come to her defense, as to them she is untouchable. She has
of African Americans accept and be proud of their history
it all, and in our society that means respect and a position
and heritage. In 2014 for her VMA medley she performed
of power and influence. This is a woman even President
to a national audience with a backdrop of the word feminist.
Obama considers a role model for his daughters. Although
Other stars like Taylor Swift later declared themselves femi-
she is a singer and an entertainer she is also a mother, a wife,
nists as Beyoncé helped propel it into mainstream / popular
a businesswoman, and a billionaire. She knows what she's
culture.
doing, and she knows where she wants to go. This has helped
Her songs are relatable, her lyrics are catchy, and her
her to become one of the most famous figures on this planet
dance moves are doable, but no way will anybody be able to
comparable to our founding fathers. But can you expect any
execute them as perfectly as she had. It doesn’t matter that
less from a woman who dropped a self-titled album unan-
she is a thirty something old woman with a child, she is as, if
nounced and managed to sell more than a million copies on
not more, relatable as any teen or twenty something in pop
iTunes in 6 days?
culture. It’s not just her beauty or grace, it’s her art and creativity that make people take her seriously and love her. And when she becomes loved, anything and everything she says and does is considered in and cool. Everyone loves Beyoncé. Or at least that’s the way her fans make it seem. She’s so gorgeous and successful and great. And because she has pretty much everything society deems necessary for happiness, people are willing to blindly support her just to feel like they have something worthy about them. Like somehow being her fan and going the extra mile to try and imitate her actions will somehow make them, well, her. Because in every Beyoncé fan there is a touch of envy. They want her lavish lifestyle, her influence, her beauty, her success. Not only do they worship the ground she walks on, they want to be the Queen Bee. Another reason for her success is the fan base she has built. Unlike Justin’s Beliebers and One Direction’s Directioners, their is no shame in being
10 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
By Ihsaan Mohamed Illustration by
Cameron Brentlinger
#BODYposi
11
Anorexia, binge-eating, bulimia, the list goes on and
everywhere, including right here at Wilson. A sophomore
on. People will starve themselves or binge-eat to try to fit a
(who preferred to remain anonymous) opened up to me
certain desired body type. Magazines, models, actors and
about a period in her life when she struggled with an eating
friends can cause girls and guys to develop an eating disorder
disorder.
due to the low self-esteem fed to them by society. They are
“I just felt nauseous every time I ate; my doctor thought
conditioned to hate their own flesh, to magnify certain flaws
it was anxiety. However, my head was full of if I didn’t eat
they see and to make it everything. If you do feel good about
I’d lose weight, and if I lost weight I’d be skinny.” She felt the
yourself one day, you feel guilty for some unknown reason.
need to fit into the society “beauty” standards. To fit that
Girls and boys are developing these disorders at a very young
box, she starved herself. “It felt like everywhere I looked
age. They follow them throughout their lives. The body nega-
there were people without curves, unlike me, and I felt so
tivity epidemic needs to stop.
overweight. I felt happy when I wasn’t eating, I felt stronger
How has the world taken action against body negativity
than everyone else, because I could go without food for so
and turned the attention instead to positivity? France passed
long. People would compliment me on my weight loss, and it
a law prohibiting extremely underweight people from mod-
compelled me to keep going without food. I felt very phys-
eling. Dr. Oliver Veran, a doctor and French lawmaker, says,
ically weak all the time and just wanted to get away from
“We want to combat the idea that an agency could urge a
everyone.”
model to stop eating; for example, eating cotton balls to lose
Although she had friends to help her through, it was her
their appetite, to lose more weight.” (You can soak a cotton
own realization that pulled her out of the self-destructive
ball in orange juice and eat it to trick yourself into thinking
loop. “It’s about what you put into your body, not how much.
you are full.) He also says chief editors have to Photoshop the
Eating healthy rather than starving yourself is what is going
pictures of underweight models, not making them skinni-
to help you be healthy and be a healthier weight. Also, sur-
er, but making them bigger to hide their bones. Spain, Italy
rounding yourself with people who love you for you and tell
and Israel have also started to create laws against extremely
you that you are beautiful, that’s the voice what matters, not
underweight models in advertisements or modeling, in an
social media’s voice.”
attempt to not promote healthy weights. In America, companies such as Aerie have started an
Body positivity has exploded all over many different type of social media, especially Instagram. There has been a
unretouched campaign that includes plus size models such
surge of accounts dedicated to the movement and art pieces
as Iskra Lawrence, whose bodies are not edited in Photo-
depicting different body types. There are many, many ways to
shop. The company also has commercials with average sized
pass on the positivity and defeat the rampaging negative light
models saying, “I am no angel,” in reference to the Victoria’s
we see ourselves in. When you hear someone commenting
Secret’s angels campaign. Victoria’s Secret models are notori-
harshly about someone or even their own bodies, counteract
ously skinny and are often retouched in Photoshop. Written
them with a compliment or inform them that their words
on the dressing room mirrors at Aeries is the body positive
aren’t kind. You could also start a body positivity hashtag on
reminder: “In no way is this body before you not sexy.” Their
a social media site you frequent or even make an account
bags also include the line, “This girl has not been retouched.”
supporting the movement. Everyone’s bodies are beautiful,
The #Aeriereal and “The real you is sexy” campaigns are
and the differences between them are what make them that
aimed at reminding women that you should love you for you.
way. Get out there and spread the movement!
It’s an important message, and one that can help people
12 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
By Madeleine Mahar
THE MAN THE MYTH THE LEGEND Quinn van Horne. Nearly every student at Wilson knows
his enthusiasm to get students excited and happy, because he
his name, but why is that? Is it because at every assembly,
thinks school spirit is essential to the high school experience.
sports game, or pep rally, he’ll be at the center of it all? Is it
Which brings us to another key aspect of Quinn’s per-
because all the freshman remember his tour of the school?
sona. Positivity. It’s the driving force behind his enthusiasm
For whatever reason, it all comes down to Quinn’s enthusias-
and energy; it’s how he does what he does. “He doesn’t come
tic personality, his unwavering positivity, and finally, a circle
to me with things that are wrong or things he wishes I would
of friends that never let him down.
fix. He’s always coming with ideas, which tells me about his
If you’ve seen him at an assembly, Quinn’s enthusiasm is obvious; he’s always there, hyping announcements, hyping the latest sports game, and most importantly, hyping every-
focus,” Mr. Chatard said. However, instead of using his popularity to be exclusive, he strives to use it to be inclusive. “[I want to] help others who may not be having as great
one else in the room. He’s able to get people excited just by
of a time and give them a piece, make sure that they know
being there, with his enthusiasm, energy, and his constant
that no matter who you are, somebody does care.” Quinn
positivity. People tend to pick up on that, and it spreads
seemed to dislike the word “popular” in our interview
around the room pretty quickly. Quinn also carries with him
because of its slightly pejorative connotations. I think it’s be-
an almost infectious sense of school spirit, and according to
cause he wants others to be just as enthusiastic as he is, and
Quinn himself, that’s exactly his aim: “Assemblies are a lot of
it saddens him to see people having a bad day. “I don’t want
fun because you’re able to present yourself in front of the stu-
people to know me just because I am the loudest yeller, or I
dent body, get them excited about upcoming sports events,
am the most enthusiastic at sporting events, I want people to
upcoming dances, etc. That’s always great.” He wants to use
know me because I want to use that popularity to help others
13
Pictured: (Left to right) Quinn van Horne, Quinn van Horne, Quinn van Horne
out,” Quinn said. It seems like a heavy burden for a high school junior to
and enthusiastic. Another element to Quinn’s hype is the amount of time
bear, but as Quinn was quick to point out, “There a lot of
and effort he devotes solely to the school, through Leader-
people in the school that are like my cornerstones; they al-
ship or volunteering. Although Quinn says he arrives and
ways keep me going, definitely getting me hyped and getting
leaves school at about the normal time, he’s always willing to
me excited… and it’s really special.” Although Quinn may
spend hours upon hours after school to help plan events and
have a personality and energy that fills any room, there are
work with Leadership. Also, the effort he puts into school-
other people that do just as much as he does for Wilson, and
work and Leadership during school contributes to his hype.
he’s grateful for their support.
Once he enters Wilson he knows exactly what to do, and
“It seems like everyone knows who he is, for the most part, and there seems to be a lot of high-fives and positivity around him,” Ms. McFadden said. It’s important to remember that even people like Quinn van Horne need others to lift them up every once in a while. In our interview he thanked all his fellow Leadership students, along with Ms. McFadden, and his friends and family. He told us that they’re the biggest reason that he’s so positive
14 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
exactly where to go. He puts almost everything he has into the school.
By William Sweek Photos by Cameron Brentlinger
BADBLOOD
15
From 1975-1979, when Ms. Potestio was a student at
at Wilson, his main sport was football. While the Wilson
Wilson, the Wilson vs. Lincoln rivalry was strong and fresh.
and Lincoln rivalry remained fierce during his time, it lacked
During that time, Wilson’s student body was almost double
in real competitiveness. “In the big sports, we dominated
what it is today, with a student body of at least two thousand
them... Lincoln was not a blip on the radar screen,” Olsen
students. Lincoln’s student body was much smaller than
said.
Wilson. Because it was admitting students from East Side
Although the rivalry did disappoint on a competitive
schools, like Jefferson, according to Potestio, “Wilson had a
level, it did not fail in attracting students and families to
huge East Side influence.”
games. The most popular sports were basketball, baseball,
Wilson was in a league above Lincoln, competing with
and football. The rivalry, much like when Potestio attended,
large East Side schools like Grant, Marshall, and Madison,
stemmed from the proximity of the schools. “When I went to
whereas Lincoln competed with smaller high schools like
school here, Lincoln was a rival by proximity, not necessarily
Jackson, Roosevelt, and Cleveland. “We didn't meet each
athletically,” Olsen said. A main cause for such a deep-root-
other in inter-league play, because Wilson had a bigger stu-
ed and classic rivalry between Wilson and Lincoln was the
dent body, ” Potestio said. Because Wilson was a part of the
social connections as well.
bigger league and Lincoln was a part of the west, their rare competitions were usually a big deal. “I think that's why it's so competitive as a rivalry, because
“Everyone knew each other, through just being in the same community, same friends, social groups. We knew each other outside of sport as we did inside of sport,” Olsen said.
it was often Wilson as the east representative vs. Lincoln in
Students from Lincoln and Wilson would do the same activ-
the west, ” Potestio said. “I built my competitive rivalry with
ities outside of school, like working at the same businesses
Lincoln, because we would win our conference, they would
or hanging out as friends. So when Wilson and Lincoln met
win their conference and we would always be battling for the
each other on the court or field, there were many personal
city championship,” Potestio said.
rivalries between the players, as well as between the fans.
During Potestio’s time at Wilson, many sports contrib-
Mr. Shetler has had his own experiences with the Wil-
uted to the hype like soccer, softball, football, and basketball.
son/Lincoln rivalry. During his senior year, he and some
These sports generally saw the biggest crowd and were the
friends made a shirt in marketing class that said, “We’re not
most intense.
stuck up, we’re just better than you.”
A big reason for the Lincoln and Wilson rivalry is that
“We had Gang-Green, which was the Hype Squad of 89,”
the two schools are so close. Due to their proximity, many
Shetler said. He also said that the games were more spiteful
students would go to middle school together and then
because of Wilson’s overwhelming dominance. The Lincoln
choose to attend either Wilson or Lincoln, tearing the local
kids had no other outlet for their frustration than vandalism.
neighborhoods apart. “Sharing the hillside [with Lincoln],
Before Shelter’s era at Wilson, Lincoln lacked in compet-
you had more neighbors. It would have been more mixed,
itiveness when it came to team sports. The most competitive
so when you split off to schools the rivalry got that much
sports during that time were individual sports, like tennis
stronger,” Potestio said. This separation of the community
and swimming. These sports were more prominent, because
intensified the rivalry.
kids that participated in them could take private lessons and
Another notable Wilson High School alum, Mr. Olsen,
participate on clubs teams outside of school. Lincoln's team
attended Wilson from 1988-1991. He experienced, first hand,
sports were less outstanding than their PIL counterparts. “
the rivalry between Wilson and Lincoln. During Olsen’s time
“There was little, true on-field rivalry, with Lincoln in
16 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
your big sports. Because they weren't very good,” Shetler
Lincoln kid burned an L into the Wilson field,” Curtin said.
said.
“We thought that sounded cool and wanted that for our high
A large reason for Lincoln’s struggle was due to their surrounding community, which had little to no youth programs
school experience.” The formation of the hype squad has lead to an enhanced
for team sports. “The focus wasn’t always on team sports,
sense of spirit surrounding Wilson sports, particularly men’s
because there wasn’t a lot of youth team sports,” Shetler
basketball. One such instance of the resurgence of the rivalry
said. Those who did show promise in sports in the Lincoln
was displayed in the Wilson vs. Lincoln basketball game this
area often chose to attend high school elsewhere, in order to
year at Lincoln, where Wilson’s varsity men won, 79 to 76. At
compete on a higher level than Lincoln had to offer. “A lot of
this game, the Hype Squad arrived early in order to steal the
the families that lived in the west hills that were athletically
Lincoln student section. Following the final buzzer announc-
inclined chose to go to Jesuit,” Shelter said.
ing Wilson’s victory, the Hype Squad flooded the court, and
Another problem that plagued Lincoln sports was their
the Lincoln fans threw objects such as burritos at the Wilson
facilities. Because of Lincoln’s more condensed campus, it
fans. This resulted in the ejection of the entire Wilson Hype
was often a hassle to find places for teams to compete. “Their
Squad as well as a few Lincoln students.
baseball field was their football field. Home plate was the southwest corner inside their track,” Shetler said. Tired of their school’s sub-par sports teams, Lincoln
The rivalry returned when Wilson had to play Lincoln at home later on in the season. Lincoln came prepared with chants like “Little Brother.”
parents began funneling money into Lincoln facilities and
As it was when Potestio, Olsen, and Shetler attended
programs, as well as youth programs for a new era of ath-
Wilson, the rivalry still stems from how Wilson and Lincoln
letes. Their efforts paid off, and Lincoln quickly became a PIL
are the only two westside schools in the PIL district. “The
powerhouse, competing for state titles and rekindling the
fact that they call us Little Brother doesn’t help,” Curtin said.
Lincoln and Wilson rivalry.
“Little Brother” refers to the years 2009-2014 when Wilson
In 2009, because of reduced enrollment, Wilson was designated a 5A school, while Lincoln received a 6A label.
was a 5A school, and Lincoln was a prestigious 6A school. For Jackson, the rivalry between Wilson and Lincoln ex-
This shift led to a significant lapse in the rivalry between the
tends far beyond the basketball court. “Track is pretty hyped
two schools. In 2014, however, Wilson regained its 6A status,
right now,” he said, “I’m curious to see how the season goes.”
bringing back the old rivalry that tore up neighborhoods in the late 70’s. Juniors Nate Dowling and Jackson Curtin formed Wil-
Regardless, Wilson alumni are pleased to see the rebirth of the rivalry and the intensified spirit surrounding sport. “I would say [the rivalry] is starting to come back. I'm pleased
son Hype Squad, an organization that focuses on getting the
to see some of those traditional rivalries... They help in re-
fans excited about basketball games during their sophomore
uniting the PIL,” Olsen said.
year. During last year’s playoff game, Curtin decided that the group of boys needed to become more structured. “I was sitting there thinking we should make a club to make this a little more organized” Curtin said. Curtin takes his inspiration from the past. “I just hear
By Aidan Ormond &
Aidan Grimshaw
Photo contribution by
Minhtam Tran
stories about how the rivalry has been going on for decades. My basketball coach told me that when he went here, a
17
Artist Profile
The Importance 8:24 am, Tuesday March 4th Karen was sitting on the couch, picking at the flaky spot
like that couldn’t be healthy for him. “Alas, no.” But he was so poetic.
on the arm where it spilled its yellow foam guts. She held a
“You never do.”
cordless phone lightly in her lap, her hand hovering nearby.
“The thing is, Ms. Powell, the account you gave us before
It rang, and she snatched it up.
was overdrawn.” There was a brief pause on the other end.
“Hello?”
“Ms. Powell?”
“Hi Ms. Powell. It’s Malcolm.” She melted, just a little bit.
“Oh, I’m sorry Malcolm.” How could she have been so
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Karen?”
stupid. This was the last kind of thing Malcolm needed to deal with right now.
“At least once more, Ms. Powell.” He was always saying
“You don’t need to be sorry. I’m just trying to help you,”
things like that. Polite as could be, but with the tiniest flirt
said Malcolm. “As soon as we get that payment sorted out we
mixed in somewhere.
can put your order through.”
“Oh you,” she said. “How have you been? It’s been forever.”
“And then I’ll be ‘taking baths in cash,’ right Malcolm?” She tried to lighten the mood.
“Forever and a day, Ms. Powell. I’ve become old in the absence of your charming conversation.” She laughed a
“That’s right, Ms. Powell. That’s right.” “Let me get my card,” she said.
breathy laugh. “What have I become then, I don't like to think.”
6:46 pm, Thursday March 6th
He thought that was clever because he let out a short
Karen was sitting on the porch, looking into the depths
little laugh and said: “I’m sure I don’t know, Ms. Powell.” “So, Malcolm,” Karen took on a motherly tone. It was
of the tomato sandwich she held in her hands. The phone lay on its side on the table next to a pile of napkins. It rang. Kar-
a real tragedy that such a nice young man should lose his
en grabbed the phone, cradling it in her palm so she could
mother like that, and she wanted to be there for him in these
lick her fingers clean as she put it to her ear.
trying times. “What’s on your mind?”
“Hello?”
“Well, it’s the order…”
“Ms. Powell, hi, it’s Malcolm.”
“You never call just to chat!” Penting up his emotions
“Oh, hi Malcolm.” She tried to sound happy for him.
18 TROJAN HORSE
JUNE 2016
of Being Malcolm A short story by Guthrie Stafford “Is everything okay, Ms. Powell?” But it didn’t work. “Oh, Malcolm, it’s so sweet of you to ask. I’ve just had a rough day, that’s all. My son, Frank you know,” she let out a long sigh. “Well, I just found out he’s going through a divorce.” “I’m very sorry to hear that Ms. Powell.”
your account, to prevent fraud.” “Oh, okay. So I’ll get the money back though.” “Oh yeah, it's all electronic Ms. Powell. It’ll happen in the blink of an eye. Less than that, actually.” There was a pause. “Well that’s not so bad then.” “Not so bad at all, Ms. Powell.”
“It’s just… on top of losing his job and all, well, he’s probably going to have to move in with me now. But…” What was
1:45 pm, Saturday March 8th
she doing? Why was she dumping all her problems on him
Malcolm was jogging down the esplanade when his
like this. She back pedaled. “I mean, obviously it’s nothing compared to what you’ve
phone rang. He stopped and leaned against the trunk of a palm tree to catch his breath, shielding his eyes from the sun.
been going through. As… as soon as I can get my order
He took a sip from his water bottle and answered. The voice
through, everything's going to be okay.”
on the other end sounded even worse than last time.
“I’m actually calling about that Ms. Powell. There’s good news, your account checked out.”
“Malcolm? Is that you?” “Hi Ms. Powell.”
“Oh that’s wonderful Malcolm…”
“You sound out of breath, Malcolm.”
“Now we just need you to authorize a small sample
“Well, what do you expect. You caught me on my after-
transaction to our third party facilitator and we should be squared away.”
noon jog.” “You’re jogging in this weather?”
“ A sample transaction?.”
“I happen to take my health seriously, Ms. Powell.”
“Exactly, so I'll just send you all the…”
“I guess so, just be careful is all.”
“I… I’m sorry Malcolm. I don’t quite understand what
“I will be. I’m actually glad you called so I can have a
that means.” God she was stupid. “Oh, don’t worry Ms. Powell, you're fine. It just means
little break. So what can I help you with?” “Oh, well I’m sorry to bother you. It’s just the...the sam-
you send a tiny amount of money to a few subsidiary partici-
ple transactions. There were a bit more than I thought from
pants and they send it back. It sort of lets us triangulate in on
what you said and they… they haven't come back yet.”
19
“Oh don’t worry about it, Ms. Powell.”
messages, I’m just a little nervous about this thing you had
“Really?”
me sign. Frank was looking over it and it says that the inter-
“Yeah,” Malcolm wiped some sweat out of his eye. “Yeah,
est rate goes up over time. I was wondering if the guy who
yeah I actually meant to call you about that. See the samples
owes you a favor could do something about that or what the
are all tied up right now because the computer got into its
deal is with that. If you could find a time to call me back that
mind that you have what it calls ‘abundant funds.’”
would be great. Oh, and the samples still haven't come back.
“But I didn’t... I don’t have…”
Just thought I’d let you know. Anyway, have a good day.”
“No, I know Ms. Powell, I know. It’s just that the...the
Click
computer is looking at those plus loans I hooked you up with, remember? Well, anyway, it’s looking at those and, see
5:24 pm, Wednesday March 12th
I messed up a little and maybe gave you more than I should
“Hi Malcolm, Karen here. If you could just give me a call,
have, and so now it thinks you might be trying to scam us.”
whenever you can it’d be great. I’d really like to get a chance
“But I’m not…Malcolm you know I’m not.”
to talk to you and sort this out. Ugh, it's just so complicated.
“I know Ms. Powell, I know. And you know, I really feel
It’s kind of crazy making, right? Anyway, call me back.” Click
kind of personally responsible for this whole thing. That’s why I’m going to make sure we get this all sorted out, okay?” “Okay.”
9:52 am, Thursday March 13th “Hi Malcolm, it’s Karen…” Beep
“Okay. Okay, so...so… you know what, screw it, I’m going to make this right. Here’s what we're going to do.” “What?”
2:37 pm, Friday March 14th “Hey Malcolm…” Beep
“On my own time I’m going to draw you up some papers for an active fidelity loan and I can even call a guy who owes
9:20 pm, Saturday March 15th
me a favor and get you a killer interest rate. Then all you have
“Malcolm, hey, Karen here…” Beep
to do is sign it off to cover your plus loans and we can put this whole mess behind us.” “Oh that… wait, but Malcolm. That sounds like I’d be taking out another loan.” “No no no Ms. Powell, not at all. See, we’d just be covering your existing deficits. I’m going to move things around so
12:11 am, Sunday March 16th “This is Frank, Karen's son. I’m calling to tell that sonof-a-bitch Malcolm that he’d better call my mom back right away and fix all this stuff or he’s going to be sorry. That’s all.” Click
we can unlock those sample transactions and get those back to you as soon as possible.” There was a pause. “Ms. Powell?” “Malcolm, are you sure?”
4:31 pm, Monday March 17th “Malcolm, it’s Karen. I’m really starting to…” Beep
“Trust me, Ms. Powell. I know what I’m doing.” 6:23 am, Tuesday March 18th 9:15 am, Monday March 10th
“You listen to me you sick twisted mother…” Beep
“Hi Malcolm, it’s Karen. Sorry I’ve been calling so much, I just can’t seem to get ahold of you. Like I said in my other
20 TROJAN HORSE JUNE 2016
1:39 am, Wednesday March 19th
“Malcolm? Malcolm? Malcolm, Why? ...” Beep
the balcony holding a handgun. Laughter came hysterical, crackling over the line. Gale after gale of laughter filled up
1:52 am, Sunday March 23rd
the whole night, and trailed after Frank as he half ran, half
Malcolm's phone buzzed on his nightstand. He sat up
staggered through the knee-deep snow, away from the scene
blearily, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He picked it up. “It’s the middle of the night, who is this?” The voice on the other line was a whisper.
of the flaming corvette. The man who was not Malcolm hung up and lay back, kicking off the sheets, lacing his fingers behind his head. He
“Are you safe?”
lay naked on the bed, watching the blur of the ceiling fan
“What?”
and listening to the sounds of nightlife drifting in through
“Are. You. Safe?”
the open window. Tomorrow, and the next day, and the day
“Frank?”
after that all stretched out before him, burgeoning with life,
“So you know who I am?”
dappled by the tropical sun. But they could wait.
“Yeah, Frank, listen…” “No, you listen. Cause I… I got… I got the answer.”
For now, he let out a chuckle of deepest contentment and said aloud, “I could go for a steak.”
“The answer…” “The answer to ‘are you safe?’” Malcolm froze. He spoke in a quiet voice. “Frank, whatever you're doing…” “The answers no, Malcolm” Frank’s voice was quieter. The way his big tongue moved around to form those little syllables, “No, no, no,” it was grotesque. “Frank…” “You were easy to find, Malcolm. Just looked you up in the company direc...directory. And here I am.” He spread his arms wide, standing in front of the house. He let out a little giggle. “And you know what I just did, Malcolm? It’s so funny.” “Frank!” “I just covered your fancy car in gasoline.” “Frank, listen to me!…” “And, oh, look how pretty that looks.” The whooshing sound of flames came over the line and Frank was shouting,
Do you like to write? Want to publish stories of your own and be a part of a small community at Wilson? Forecast for the Trojan Horse Magazine next school year to join our family of writers and make your voice heard.
his breath fogging in the freezing air. “See that glow out your window, Malcolm?! See that glow and know that you're not safe! I know where you live, Malcolm. I can find you any time...any time I...wait.” Because the real Malcolm, an overweight man in his underwear, had just stepped out onto
21
LEGAL LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS INQUIRIES Brian Chatard, Title VI, IX Coordinator (503) 916-5280 Maude Lamont, 504 Coordinator (503) 916-5280 DISTRICT TITLE VI & IX INQUIRIES Greg Wolleck HS Regional Administrator (503) 916-3963
DISTRICT 504 INQUIRIES Tammy Jackson, Director, Student Services (503) 916-5460 AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT CONTACT Maureen Sloan, HR Legal Counsel Human Resources - BESC (503) 916-3025