The Esports Super Smash Bros Ultimate Tournament, held in the Redlands High School library on April 26, was really fun. This event taught about sportsmanship and teamwork through Esports.
Esports students from different high schools and a middle school in Redlands Unified School District participate in the Esports tournament on April 26, 2024 at Redlands High School. (Christian Rolle/ Ethic News photo)
Everyone who stuck around really got along with each other and I even met people there with the same tastes in games. The sportsmanship of the players was really nice, and most, if not all, of the games ended off with a firm “well played” handshake to whomever they were playing against.
Even if I had played the first game and lost in the tournament, I couldn’t really be mad because I really enjoyed playing against someone I didn’t know about. I learned that I could definitely improve and watching the other really good players taught me important things like being careful in the game. Every time a person lost they were immediately showered with “you did good” and “nice try.”
Orangewood High School Esports advisor, Caleb Allen, and Orangewood senior Sophia Gomez watch Orangewood senior Sora Reynolds during one of the matches. (Christian Rolle/ Ethic News photo)
Just simply watching the last two play off against each other was really crazy, too. The fight was out of three, and they each won the first two games, so the last one had everyone in the room with their eyes glued to the screen. The fact that middle schoolers were also invited to play against each other was really cool, too. We saw one of them go against a skilled high schooler and win.
Orangewood, Redlands High School, Redlands East Valley High School, as well as Cope Middle School and others took part in the tournament. Esports advisors from the different schools supervised the event. (Christian Rolle/ Ethic News photo)
For the high school bracket, there were a total of 12 players going against each other individually, not including the one middle schooler who volunteered to also play in the bracket. In total, including the separate bracket for the middle schoolers alone, the player count was 29. (MANUEL GONZALES/ Ethic News photo)
The event started at 3:40 and ended at 5, which is also when the individual winners of both the high school bracket and the middle school bracket were awarded 20 dollar gift cards for Target. (MANUEL GONZALES/ Ethic News photo)
Trigger warning: This article talks about sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Many students that experience sexual assault and harassment are afraid to speak up about their problems, leaving them to suffer in silence. However, when they do speak up, staff often pays little to no attention to their problems and give a minimum amount of effort to solve them. If a student experiences assault or harassment, they need to speak up for their safety, and adults need to listen.
Harassment of all kinds is severely wrong and can get to a point where it destroys lives. Many young sexual harassment and assault victims at school and in extracurriculars struggle from a consistent feeling of being unsafe. They are often afraid to speak up or are ignored by their peers or “trusted” adults. But in truth, who is there to trust if nobody stands up for them against these things? Many teenagers who experience these instances like to keep to themselves, and those who do not, live in fear that an event like this may occur.
Melia Godwin, a 15 year old freshman at Citrus Valley High School says “good protocol” in “deal[ing] with sexual harassment, especially proper disciplinary actions and seriousness toward every complaint are crucial.”
Many people believe that sexual assault and harrassment only happens to women, as there is a higher rate of recorded attemps against females. But, this is not always the case. It has been proven time and time again that men, as well as women, feel just as unsafe and uncomfortable with negative comments about their bodies and attempts of sexual violence. A study by The American Association of University Women reports that 83% of girls and 60% of boys experience sexual assault or innappropriate comments about their bodies at school.
“I’m unaware if the school does have active measures to prevent sexual harassment, but I do hope that they do a good job at preventing the physical assault,” says Citrus Valley freshman Daniel Davis.
Davis believes that “for verbal assault it can really depend on the school administrator present.” To prevent it, he says, “I think that if I keep working out and taking self defense classes I can protect not only myself but the others around me.”
Speaking up for yourself is crucial. I know this as someone who experienced different levels of sexual harassment. While it was happening to me, it was very hard to speak up about what was happening, even to my own parents and friends. I understand, along with many other teenagers, the constant terror of experiencing things that feel more comfortable when they are kept in private.
Digital image made on Canva.com Apr. 22, 2024 depicts statistics from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center about sexual assault and harassment happening around a variety of ages. (PARKER HOLSONBAKE/ Ethic News image)
If someone feels uncomfortable about the way somebody is treating them, they have to analyze the signs and ask themselves if they would consider this as assault. If people no longer feel safe, they must speak to a trusted adult and distance themselves from that person. It will not get any better if they do not do anything about it. Seeking help may be hard, but the impact it can really change someone’s life for the better.
Digital image made on Canva.com Jan. 20, 2024 mentions signs of what sexual assault and harrassment are. These are to recognize what someone could be experiencing. (PARKER HOLSONBAKE/Ethic News image)
If you constantly experience any of the above events from one or many different people, you are strongly encouraged to ask for help or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
It has been named the Israel-Hamas War, but many have claimed it to be a genocide against the people of Gaza.
As of Oct. 7, 2023, there has been a so-called ongoing war between Gaza and Israeli forces that has so far claimed over 30,000 Palestinian lives, but has been said by the Gaza Health Ministry that there has been no clear count of casualties because of the intensity of combat.
Oct. 7 is the date Hamas attacked Israel killing over 1,200 people and took over 240 Israelis as hostage. It’s been said since then over 9,500 rockets have been sent to Israel by Hamas.
The loss of innocent lives is truly tragic.
The whole conflict between Israel and Hamas is complex and has a long history, rooted in a variety of political, historical, and territorial issues.
Some individuals argue that the severity of the atrocities in Gaza align with the definition of genocide. Genocide refers to the deliberate killing of a significant number of individuals from a specific nation or ethnic group to eradicate them.
According to The Center for Constitutional Rights, “Prominent human rights advocates and scholars have argued that the killings of Palestinians and their forceful expulsion from mandate Palestine in 1948, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, and the violence and discrimination directed at Palestinians by the Israeli government have violated a number of human rights protections contained in international human rights law, genocide being among them.“
Newborn babies, toddlers, small children, preteens, teenagers, young adults, adults, and senior citizens; all murdered, all for living in their homeland. Those most affected in this combat have been harmless with no way to protect or save themselves. More Than 350+ schools have been destroyed, more than 80% of homes, most hospitals, universities, public buildings, neighborhoods have been destroyed.
It’s a deeply distressing situation that calls for attention.
On Jan. 11, 2024 there was a court hearing held by the International Court of Justice, also called the World Court, the main judicial organ of the United Nations. This court is “the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between nations and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues,” according to the University of Connecticut School of Law’ International Human Rights Law research.
South Africa brought this case to the attention of the courts accusing Israel of violations of the Genocide Convention. Israel denied the allegations of committing genocide and called them “grossly distorted.” Israel argued that the combat was between Hamas and not the Palestinian people. They also disclosed that this was a response to an attack that took place on October 7, 2023 that claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and the 240 hostages taken by Hamas. They further said that it has performed under the law and they have the right to defend themselves.
The court ruled that Israel must take measures to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, but did not order a ceasefire, according to Human Rights Watch.
The court did not rule on the genocide allegations, which may take years to decide.
Many have been left upset by this verdict.
This has not only been a war. This has been a mass murder of innocent children.
No justice nor solution is being served.
The ongoing loss of life is deeply saddening, and it’s a conflict that has had a profound impact on the lives of us all.
I’m here to tell you how Orangewood is and what Orangewood can do, and yes, I know you are probably thinking that Orangewood is where the bad kids go, but that’s completely false.
You see, here at Orangewood all the staff and principal care about is graduation and helping you succeed and there is no drama here or fights…well, we rarely have fights, but it’s always over something dumb and not worth anyone’s time.
Orangewood has many opportunities so that you can walk with your class on graduation day. For doing community service you get credits, for working you get credits, coming to school and doing your work you get credits.
Orangewood goes by so fast and grades are quicker than regular high schools and it’s so easy to talk to your counselors. It’s simple, fill out the form, send and boom they call you up. You can also switch classes and you can even choose to have a 5th period or 6th period, although I do recommend that if you are struggling, get a 6th period cause you’ll get more credits. Also you can graduate early!
My experience here at Orangewood though is that it can go by so fast. But it’s also like it goes so slow because even though I do my work and try to come to school, I feel like I’m not doing anything or getting any credit but my counselor says my GPA looks better than it did at my homeschool.
That’s what Orangewood does. It makes you feel like nothing is changing and that you aren’t doing anything when really you are. I’ve told my friends about Orangewood, but one didn’t want to come cause she wanted to try and get her grades up and my other friend her mom said no because “it’s an easy way out.” Okay, that is completely false cause Orangewood is not an “easy way out.” It’s actually not and is very much like other schools, but better.
We have Advisory. That’s when we all come together on Wednesdays and we can see our graduation status to see if we are on the right track. If not, that’s when they help us find more opportunities again like getting a 6th period or community service or work getting a job.
Graduating is so important! Because if you don’t graduate, finding a job will be so much harder. Believe me, I have seen it. Your futures all depend on how you were as a teenager. So students please if you are struggling come on down to Orangewood. I promise you won’t regret it.
It’s your girl Ariana, live from Orangewood, signing off
Many students and teachers are unaware of the impacts they have on each other. They share small details of their lives with the other, only some teachers and students try to dig deeper into the lives of the people around them. This can make it uncomfortable for students to share life challenges, circumstances and good things that are happening in their lives.
As students grow up, they face difficult challenges that they can’t talk with their parents about. Teachers and school staff are people that many students go to when challenges are presented. How much these teachers and students know about each other can affect the way they treat the other. When teachers know more about their students, students feel more comfortable in a classroom setting.
Teachers often share about their lives at the beginning of the year. Then students have a basic overview of their teachers’ lives. Some teachers share more about the experiences they go through throughout the school year. The more these teachers share about their lives the more comfortable students are with sharing their own experiences. Let’s hear what the Citrus Valley High School teachers and students think about how they have impacted the other.
Elena Villa is the theater teacher at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Villa said that students have impacted her life by watching “little things they do everyday” and getting to “meet them on their journey, but every student has their own journey and story.” Villa hopes she has impacted a students life, and “enjoys when a student comes back and tells” her that “they are doing well.”
Rebecca Strode is the freshman English honors teacher at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Strode said students have “absolutely” impacted her life. Strode believes her students “keep [her] young” because she gets to “see what they listen to and read.” Strode has students “who continue to come back and visit,” students have also told her that she has “impacted them in many ways.”
Jesse O’Donnell is an Integrated Math I, Integrated Math I Honors, Advanced Placement Statistics and aquatics teacher at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
O’Donnell “wouldn’t say one student has, but groups of students have [affected him], as a team.” An “example was the 2019 girls swim team, who weren’t expected to be contenders and ended up shocking everyone, and won it all.” Certain groups have reminded O’Donnell that “if we work hard we can achieve anything.” He hopes he has impacted students’ lives as well, as he teaches and coaches “to help them understand the dreams they can achieve and how to achieve them.”
Isabella Newell is a 15 year old sophomore at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Newell believes teachers have impacted her life in every way possible. She said a teacher who has impacted her greatly is O’Donnell. First as her “math teacher and later as a coach.” Newell had been struggling all her life with the subject, but in her “freshman year of high school, O’Donnell not only made math easier, but he also got [her] excited about math.” For the first time in her life, she got an A in math. Not only did he help Newell excel in math but in swim as well. “As the year progressed Mr.O’Donnell became Coach Jesse to [her].” As a Coach he pushed Newells physical limits of swimming and he also pushed her mentally to truly believe in herself and her abilities. Without his impact on her life last year, she “wouldn’t be half the athlete or student” she is today.”
Jennifer Lim once said “Mistakes are proof that you are trying.” Newell had a teacher, at a young age, who used this quote as her classroom motto. “After hearing that quote everyday, it has truly stuck with” Newell all these years. Newell said that she “most likely hasn’t made much of an impact” on teachers, but knows that she has at least “made a few teachers laugh and smile.”
Ashley Sorrell is a 14 year old freshman at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Sorrell believes that teachers have impacted her life in many ways. Including her “8th grade math teacher who was very patient and helped [her] understand math.” Although Sorrell doesn’t believe she has impacted a teacher she does believe that “students can affect teachers in both positive and negative ways.”
Savannah O Roark is a 15 year old sophomore at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
O Roark says “Mrs. Strode is a great example of someone who has impacted” O Roarks’ life. Strode is one of her “favorite people to talk to and she has a sense of humor that really brightens the mood and just really enjoys talking to her.” O Roark believes Mrs. Strode can seem “a little intimidating to other people but she is truly one of the sweetest people.” O Roark is glad to be “close to her and is glad [she] can go to her for anything.” O Roark thinks “everyone needs a Mrs. Strode in their life.”
Daniel Davis is a 15 year old freshman at Citrus Valley High School. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Davis believes that “Coach Bruich” has impacted him and taught him “to learn to push against being uncomfortable.” Although Davis doesnt think he has positively impacted a teacher’s life, he does feel he might have negatively impacted one.
Students and teachers impact eachothers lives everyday and they don’t even realize it. They can even change each others’ views on life as well as brighten each other’s days.
Trigger Warning: This article below can be triggering to some and contains the topics of domestic violence, sexism, and ableism among other sensitive topics.
Though comedy is subjective and each person is entitled to their own opinion, the majority of people can comparatively calculate “bad comedy.” An amused crowd is typically gauged by their immediate response varying from slight smiles up to cascading laughter and standing ovations.
Typically, jokes that land among audiences tend to contain a combination of several aspects. These crucial components consist of delivery, condensed wording, and overall witty commentary.
As social media continues to provide platforms to anybody with the skill of garnering attention, it also grants permission to upcoming “comedians.” With more and more self proclaimed comics, comes the conflict of, “Where do we cross the line?” With many hiding behind the facet of, “dark humor,” masking harmful and controversial beliefs with a layer of jokes erasing all of the social change that we as a generation have been actively striving towards. But when is it too much?
Recently causing discourse on the online social media platform, Tiktok, promising comedian Matt Rife gains attention through his good looks and charisma. Not only securing a steady fanbase, but a Netflix special also procures an interesting reputation for himself.
In said comedy special, Natural Selection, Rife acknowledges his mostly female fanbase and shifts gears in order to appeal to the more masculine audience. By attempting to accumulate male support, Rife curates misogynistic jabs. Threatening the feminine devotees who initially boosted his social media presence.
Kicking off the comedy special, Rife tested the waters by laying out an unfunny joke. The punchline? Domestic violence. To which he follows up, “I just wanted to see if y’all were fun.”
Through this joke and shameless response, Rife successfully made a deeply misogynistic gag. The offenses of this comment were diminishing women to the skill of cooking, teasing about an uneasy topic such as domestic violence, and judging a stranger’s personal life and airing it out in front of an audience.
In unpacking this, one must realize that the “TikTok star” acknowledges the impact of his joke and potentially offending his fans, feeling no remorse towards his actions. Doubling down with the implication that Rife was indifferent to his supporter’s feelings.
These disrespectful jokes caused a whirlwind of controversy and complaints to circulate both Instagram and TikTok as loyal fans were disgusted with Rife’s revolting remarks catered to men by using women as the butt of his jokes. To no one’s surprise, Rife caught wind of the comments and video replies and decided against addressing his mistakes, but rather taunting those who took offense to his Netflix special. Rife uploaded a link to his public Instagram story captioned, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told–here’s a link to my official apology.” Immediate shock followed, as Matt Rife’s “apology link” was actually a link to an online shop selling special needs helmets.
Sure, the world of stand-up comedy is a dangerous territory and taste in comedy is subjective. However, were these jokes calculated to be amusing, or just outwardly expressing his internalized misogyny and ableist beliefs?
Funnier than his jokes, Rife is completely self-aware of his controversial “jokes” as his world tour, “ProbleMATTic” plays on his harmful nature by adding his name into the word for personal flair. Confidently owning his ignorant comments, he’s gone as far as making inappropriate sexual comments about women’s bodies that has further upset online viewers due to his degrading statements.
Women have been actively striving to rid themselves of the baggage of the preconceived notion and expectations that we inherit at birth. Leaping forward then taking a few steps back as we won bodily autonomy but were recently met with the overturn of Roe V. Wade. A parallel can be drawn with the addition of Barbie.
A family friendly movie directed by Greta Gerwig, intended to bring together generations of women as societal pressure is expressed in a simple way. A movie celebrating differences, allowing women to embrace their femininity and follow their dreams career-wise, reversing the roles of men and women to emphasize the reality that women live in. By also providing insight to the realistic standards for girls in their coming-of-age transition into adulthood and facing the world as we know it.
A cinematic masterpiece with strong female portrayals including but not limited to Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, Issa Rae, and Kate Mckinnon, illustrating that there is a Barbie for everyone because no two dolls, children, or even women are the same. One Barbie cannot encompass every walk of life–including racial background, career path, ability, even down to hair and skin color.
Robbing the film of its deeply inspiring and poetic being, comedian Jo Koy made several jokes directed towards it during his monologue at the 81st annual Golden Globes. Though Oppenheimer and Barbie competed at the box office in the summer of 2023, their drastic differences in the movies themselves cannot hold either on top of the pedestal. Each movie has its own purpose and diversely catered to its audiences, despite online critics comparing and contrasting the two.
To no surprise, Koy decided to open up with the expired comparison of the two. Even worse, by minimizing the effects that Barbie had not only on women, but to its audience in general. Koy’s failed joke poked fun at the physical attributes of the doll, sexualing women and exposing himself as a misogynist.
The audience was taken aback as the crowd fell silent, unanimously expressing their disgust and dissatisfaction with his comments. It goes deeper than that however. Barbie’s mission was to call to the attention of the audience and bubble up to the surface the rooted conditions in which women live their everyday lives with pastel hues and lighthearted jokes to lessen the blow.
It’s a shame that Koy summed up the movie in that way because it either reveals that he watched the movie and did not understand it or care for its inspiring message, or he ignorantly believed that he would be able to crack a shallow joke about the beloved joke and get away with it. When the audience proved their annoyance and displeasure, Koy defensively combatted the silence and frowns by justifying his ten day notice to write the script.
Coming back full circle, is blunt disrespect an upcoming “trend?” It seems as though comedians are taking inspiration from excluding marginalized communities and continuing these harmful expectations rooted in society and putting a mic to it and throwing a bandage on it for another day under the semblance of comedy.
Infographic made on Picsart showcasing Matt Rife and Jo Koy’s current controversial comedic instances. (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News Photo)
Note: This article contains the subjects and images of needles and blood.
In the heart of Redlands, California, a beacon of community service shines from the campus of Redlands East Valley High School. The school has recently organized a blood drive that not only highlights the altruistic spirit of its students but also underscores the profound impact such an event has on society and individuals alike.
This is where donors are seated to get their blood drawn. As the chairs go into a flat position, this allows the blood flow to circulate throughout the body into the blood bag. (NAILEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
Redlands East Valley High School held a blood drive on January 12, where students can get their blood drawn in order to donate and help people in need. ASB (Associated Student Body) and Life Stream worked together to host the event in the school’s gymnasium. REV opened its doors to students, faculty, and residents, turning the school gymnasium into a hub of life-saving activity. The initiative was not just a call to action but an educational experience, raising awareness about the critical need for blood donations.
Once the donor is seated, the Life Stream staff insert a needle that’s attached to the tube. Then, the tube begins to attract the blood into the blood bag. (NALEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
The benefits of this blood drive ripple through the community and beyond. Each pint of blood collected could potentially save up to three lives– a statistic that translates into a significant impact when considering the collective effort of a school community. The American Red Cross has declared an emergency blood shortage, donations are at a 20-year low. “In order to shore up the need at hospitals, an extra 8,000 blood donations would have to be collected each week,” states The Red Cross Foundation
This picture shows how you are supposed to squeeze the heart-shaped stress ball every 30 seconds. The blood pressure cuff helps to stimulate the blood and plasma transfer. (NAILEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
For individuals, the act of donating blood is both a noble gesture and a health benefit. Donors undergo a mini-physical, which can provide an early indication of health issues. Moreover, the process of blood regeneration post-donation can help to rejuvenate the body’s blood supply, which is beneficial for the donor’s health.
Plasma is drawn and collected to be used with the ALYX machine which is an apheresis machine that separates and gathers various blood components and returns what they aren’t using back to the donor. (NALEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
Furthermore, students who participate in the blood drive learn valuable lessons in civic responsibility and the importance of community engagement. ASB gain organizational and leadership skills, as they navigate the complexities of planning and executing a public health event. The blood drive becomes a living classroom for empathy and science education, teaching students about human biology and the medical processes that save lives every day.
Shown above is the station where they analyze your blood pressure and iron levels to determine if you qualify to have your blood and plasma drawn. (NAILEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
Redlands East Valley High School’s blood drive is a testament to the power of community involvement and the difference a group of dedicated individuals can make. It’s a reminder that in our interconnected society, simple acts of giving can have profound implications for the health and well-being of others. This event not only provides immediate benefits to those in need but also sows the seeds for a more compassionate and health-conscious generation.
The machine in the photo is where the plasma and blood bags are held for the process. All the bags can get easily transferred between setups with this machine. (NAILEIAH MILLER/ Ethic News photo)
“Cancel culture” made its debut in early 2020 and has been popularized through the years working effectively to take celebrities out of the spotlight that don’t deserve to be in it. It gives people the voice to speak out about celebrities and seek accountability for their actions. Yet there seems to be a genuine dislike for cancel culture, with many faults in the system, such as changes in socially acceptable sayings, person’s maturity levels, and even personal beliefs.
Nevertheless, cancel culture is alive and well, and is continuously taking down many seemingly unfit celebrities, including the uprising TikTok comedian, Matt Rife, who recently got his own Netflix special, causing his downfall.
One might think that having your special on the number one app for entertainment would be the cause of your uprise, not your downfall, or even count as your big break, but Rifet seemed to have different plans.
Rife’s Netflix Special premiered Nov. 15 and is called “Natural Selection.” He opened his comedy show with many socially inappropriate and tone-deaf jokes. Rife opened the concert with a joke about a woman experiencing domestic violence , “I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
Once the internet got ahold of the “jokes” everyone immediately took a side and urged for an immediate apology. Rife soon after posted his link to his apology on Nov. 20, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told — here’s a link to my official apology,” which led thousands of people to a website for special needs helmets, leading to even more backlash. Once cancel culture got ahold of the “joke,” the rest of the comedy show was majorly overlooked.
Currently, “Natural Selection” has a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a two-star rating on Google, and a 4.8-star rating on IMDb with most reviews being “disappointed” with the jokes he presented. Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok immediately spiraled with one side instantly thinking Rife was out of line and unfunny, while the other side stated comedy is meant to push the barriers of what is funny and what isn’t.
The majority ruled to cancel Rife until he acknowledged his actions and had some accountability. Based on his reply to these critics, he has no remorse and feels he has no reason to apologize. Rife avoided the critics, but those who still believed he was in the wrong, continued to avoid him and realized, based on his sketches and videos, that he was never funny from the beginning.
Ultimately, Matt Rife backed up his humor in 2021, defining the line between what is funny and what isn’t, “If it makes one person laugh, it’s funny.” If you agree, this special might be for you, but if you disagree, maybe look for a different comedian.
Feature Image: Collage of social media images behind TikTok comedian Matt Rife. Image created with canva.com (JULES ACUNA/ Ethic News image)
As of 2023, Netflix’s standard plan is 93.9% more expensive than its original price.
Ever since its launch in 2007, Netflix has dominated the market as one of the most widely used streaming platforms. However, in current years, the platform has become overpriced given the quality of service it provides users. From canceling beloved original series, to cracking down on password sharing, Netflix has proved to be less than efficient when it comes to appeasing its subscribers. A fact that’s only made worse when the majority of their price increases come down to greed rather than improvement of the platform.
Nearly every year, Netflix raises its prices, and Oct. 2023’s price increase saw the basic plan (a plan no longer available for sign up) increase from $9.99 to $11.99, and the premium plan increase from $19.99 to $22.99. While those prices rose, the platform’s ads tier ($6.99) and standard tier ($15.49) remained at their previous price.
With prices like these, subscribers are given the expectation of a worthwhile catalog of longstanding original content. And although Netflix has some worthwhile original series, a lot of them aren’t longstanding. Netflix is no stranger to cancellations, and in 2023 alone they canceled over twenty original series, among them being fan-favorites like “Shadow and Bone,” “Sex Education,” and “Inside Job.” The thing that makes these cancellations hurt so much is that viewers are given a taste of a great series, only to have it ripped from them with little chance of resolution. When subscribers are paying up to $22.99, this shouldn’t be something that they regularly have to deal with.
Claire Watson, a junior at Redlands East Valley High School, said that some of her favorite series like, “Anne With An E,” “I Am Not Okay With This,” and “The End of the F***ing World” fell victim to past-waves of Netflix cancellations. Watson added, “[The cancellations] were very confusing… [The show] left you wanting more but the cancellations left the shows feeling unfinished and inconclusive.”
In return for the cancellation of their favorite series, subscribers are given numerous poor-quality original series and films. Infamous series like “Hype House” and “Love is Blind” are just some examples of the poor-quality series Netflix has released in recent years, both of which score under 50% according to Rotten Tomatoes’ audience scores. As for recent original films, Netflix has released things like “He’s All That” and “Spy Kids: Armageddon,” both of which also score under 50% according to Rotten Tomatoes’ audience scores. By outputting poorly received content in favor of renewing beloved original series, Netflix decreases the value of their own platform and further proves their price increases to be unjustifiable. Subscribers shouldn’t have to face constant price increases when the platform constantly devalues itself by prioritizing newer, poor quality content over older content that people genuinely enjoy and want more of.
Jasmine Gurrola, a junior at Citrus Valley High School, said, “I really liked [‘The Society’] and I was really mad about it being canceled… Seeing [Netflix] keep bad shows like ‘Ginny and Georgia’ instead of it was really upsetting.”
Netflix also cracked down on password sharing in the summer of 2023 with a new feature that restricted account usage to a single household. The new feature boosted the platform’s subscriber count by nearly six million, causing them to jump from 238 million subscribers to around 244 million. Assuming that the majority of these new subscribers bought the standard tier, this would add around $1 billion to Netflix’s yearly revenue. According to statista.com, the basic plan that rose two dollars in Oct. of 2023 accounts for around 12% of Netflix subscribers. This means that the singular price increase added around $711 million to the platform’s yearly revenue. Subscribers shouldn’t have to deal with the price increase of the basic plan when the revenue it generates was already created earlier that year with the removal of password sharing, it’s simply unfair and greedy.
However, this greed might just be what these constant price increases come down to. The price increase seen in Oct. of 2023 came directly at the tail end of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, both of which demanded that streaming platforms pay better residuals to both actors and writers. Better residuals means that actors and writers alike will see an increase in the gradual earnings they gain from having their work featured on a streaming platform. Essentially, Netflix is minimizing the loss of profit they face from the strikes by maximizing the amount that subscribers must pay for the platform. Subscribers should only be forced to pay more for a streaming platform if the platform itself sees some sort of quality improvement, they shouldn’t have to pay more when it only seeks to maximize profit rather than improve its service.
While Netflix subscribers may not be able to solve the service’s decline in quality and subsequent price increases, there are alternatives that they can turn to for entertainment. Services like Hulu provide a vast selection of content that spans numerous genres and niches. While other platforms like Max are home to beloved films like “The Batman,” “Coraline,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and the “Harry Potter” franchise. Even services like Prime Video routinely put out great original series like, “Daisy Jones & the Six,” “Invincible,” and “Fleabag,” all of which are shows that exceed the quality of the average Netflix original.
Gurrola argued, “I think Hulu and Max are better than Netflix. I feel like they have a better selection of content and have quality stuff unlike Netflix. A lot of Netflix’s stuff is the same thing for a long time, and then they have a lot of stupid original shows that aren’t even that good.”
Watson doubles down Gurrolas argument, saying that, “Max has a great selection of shows. Shows like ‘Euphoria’ and ‘White Lotus’ are so good, such amazing shows… They have a bunch of stuff, like Cartoon Network, [Adult Swim], Studio Ghibli, and just a bunch of great stuff all around. And Hulu also has so many great, lesser known movies that you can discover on it.”
As streaming continues to grow in both popularity and price, subscribers need to start considering which platforms are worth the price being charged. Although Netflix has dominated the market for years, its noticeable drop in quality and increase in price may be a sign that it’s time for a new platform to take its place as the face of streaming.
Featured Image: The Netflix logo placed atop a black and white, blurred, capture of the platform’s streaming catalog. (TRAVIS FOLEY/Ethic News Image)
To fully understand what’s happening between Israel and Palestine in 2023 it is important to know how the conflict started.
1897: The origin of Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish movement that originated in the late 1800s under the idea that the Jewish people needed a home state because of the religious persecution they faced in Europe. In 1897 Theodor Hertzl made the first Zionist congress in Switzerland to make a more organized effort for Jewish colonies in the modern day Palestinian territory that the Jewish people originated from in ancient times before their European immigration in the middle ages. Zionism became more and more popular from its creation through the 1900s due to the growing violence and antisemitism in Europe during WW1.
1917: The Balfour Declaration
Palestine, a former Ottoman Empire territory, was placed under United Kingdom territory in 1922 after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire at the end of WW1. During the time of the British Mandate for Palestine, the “Balfour Declaration,” proposed in 1917, made Palestine the national home for Jewish people because of their poor treatment in Europe and other regions. At that time Jews only made up around 9% of the population, but due to British help in moving Jewish people from Europe into Palestine, that number rose to 27% by 1935. The Balfour Declaration had a couple of issues though one of which being that there were already people living in Palestine.
Although the Declaration made sure to mention that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine,” the British also promised Arabs independence. The Declaration, however, put Palestine under British control and therefore not “independent” like the other former Ottoman territories. The Balfour Declaration was strongly opposed by many Palestinian officials who claimed the British and Jewish Zionists had no right to the land.
1948: The End of the British Mandate and the Nakba
This situation caused a lot of tension eventually leading to an ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, coined the Nakba,” meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic. On May 14, 1948 following the end of the Balfour Declaration, Zionist forces established “The State of Israel” causing the first of many Arab-Israeli wars in the Palestine territory. In this violent attack the Israeli Zionist forces kicked out at least 750,000 Palestinians from their land, killed around 15,000 Palestinians and destroyed more than 530 villages in a series of massacres that resulted in the Israeli capture of 78% of the Palestinian territory, leaving the rest split between the now West Bank and Gaza strip, in an act that many consider to be a violation of the international laws against taking land by force.
1967: The Six Day War and the Naksa
Due to rising tensions, Israel launched an unexpected attack occupying the lands of the Gaza strip and West Bank of Palestine, as well as the Golan Heights in Syria and the Sinai peninsula in Egypt in only six days, known as the Six Day War. As a result of this occupation, Palestinians lost control of their home and between 250,000 and 300,000 Palestinians were displaced. This event eventually became known as the Naksa, or the defeat.
1987: Hamas forms
In 1987 Palestinian protests became riots, with rocks and molotov cocktails being thrown at soldiers. In response Israeli forces arrested, killed and deported Palestinian protesters. By the end of 1987 a full-on uprising had started in Gaza that lasted five years. At first led by the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the intifada was fought with ambushes and rock throwing by the Palestinian side, but eventually with the Hamas movement taking over and arming Palestinians in their fight for independence from Israel. By the end of the war in 1992 1,194 Palestinians died with 16,000 imprisoned and around 200 Israelis died.
Hamas, or the Islamic resistance movement, is an Islamist Palestinian movement founded by Imam Sheikh Ahmed Yasin and Abdul Aziz al-Rantissi in Gaza at the end of the first intifada. Hamas’s stated goal is the “full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea” and will not settle for anything less than the 1967 borders with Palestinian refugees that were displaced throughout the decades of wars to be given a home in Palestine. Hamas believes that Israel’s establishment is illegal and does not recognize Israel. Hamas also believes in a fully armed resistance to Israel.
2000: The Second Intifada
The Al-Aqsa intifada or the second intifada began in September of 2000 when Ariel Sharon, the then Prime minister of Israel, attacked the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem with 1,000 armed policemen. Outrage between the two sides had grown with the production of Israeli settlements in Palestinian land. In the start of the Intifada, Palestinians practiced civil disobedience which the Israeli forces met with violence. The second intifada caused at least 4,973 Palestinian deaths with 32 being medical personnel. This war also resulted in the blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt which took away Gazan civilians’ freedom of movement and is considered by many to be a crime under international law.
2023: Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the Israel-Hamas War
On Oct. 7 Hamas militants launched an attack hitting 22 locations in southern Israel through land, sea, and air taking more than 200 innocent civilians hostages and killing over 1200. In response, Israel formally declared war with the objective to completely destroy Hamas with the outspoken support of western countries including the United States, France, Germany, Italy and Britain. The retaliation to Hamas’s violent terrorist attack resulted in a gruesome bombing campaign that is tearing through Gaza because of Hamas’s assimilation in the territory. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, told Gazan citizens to leave Gaza through Egypt to avoid the bombing which is an impossible feat for many of the 2.3 million people in an occupied territory with Hamas militants reportedly blocking the exit.
After declaring war on Hamas, Israel stopped supplying all of Gaza with food, water, and electricity in an act that falls under collective punishment and is a violation of international law, according to the United Nations. Hamas planned to use their Israeli hostages as bargaining chips openly stating they will kill hostages if innocent Gazans are harmed and will trade Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. There are 4,450 Palestinian prisoners including 160 children and 530 administrative detainees which are people being held without charge or trial. Thankfully prisoner trades started when the conflict went through a temporary ceasefire.
In the non-Hamas controlled West Bank, conflict-related issues have killed at least 267 Palestinians. Israeli settlers in the West Bank have also been getting violent in attacks that President Joe Biden described as “pouring gasoline” on the situation. Since the war started an estimated 1.9 million Gazan civilians have been displaced and 18,000 killed according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which many believe to be Hamas-controlled.
With the rise of antisemitic and Islamaphobic hate crimes rising in the United States, it is important for everyone to stay well informed and conscious of what is happening in Gaza and Israel right now and for the past century. In any political issue remember to look at both sides of this conflict and do your own unbiased research before coming to an opinion.
Feature image: An image depicting a map of Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank along with the flags of Palestine and Israel. The image was created using canva.com. (MIA CALIVA/ Ethic News image).
America, the “melting pot” of the world, embracing many cultures and heritages, recalls the original inhabitants of the United State by making November Native American Heritage Month, or Indigenous Peoples’ Month. The month celebrates the heritage and history of many different Native cultures, including Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and the many nations like Cherokee, Keetoowah and Navajo to name only a few.
Originating in 1990, November Native American Heritage Month began once President George W. Bush approved a resolution to celebrate Indigenous Peoples during the month of November.
Heritage months, of any region, are important as they give everyone the opportunity to inform themselves of other cultures to not only break stereotypes but share the things that represent them.
Not only is November NAHM month, but Nov. 26 is Native American Heritage day. November, often being associated only with Thanksgiving, brings attention to Indigenous cultures all over with the help of many different associations.
For instance, according to the National Park Service website, the National Park Service offers resources and learning opportunities for visitors and for teachers to share.
Highlighting resources and the visibility of the many cultures helps break stereotypes about Native Americans, sharing with the public the rich culture, community and heritage.
Unfortunately, Native American culture is underrepresented in many media forms, whether that be in books, films or television. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, in 2018 less than 1% of childrens characters in books depict First Nations, whereas 50% were white.
With Native American Heritage Month, indigenous communities are seen and highlighted, helping to begin to counteract stereotypes and discrimination.
Infographic bringing light to the ongoing struggles for Native Americans to get accurate and positive representation in the media and curriculums. Infographic created using Canva. (JULES ACUNA/ Ethic News image)
More than a third of Americans take on debt to pay for holiday purchases.
Christmas has become a holiday focused on consumerism. This has been shown through the amount of money spent on this holiday over the years. The origins of this holiday have also faded over time, and it now focuses on materialism. Advertisements have also played a large role in the shift to capitalism
We live in a time where there are constantly new advances being made to anything possible. This ranges from toys, to cameras, to games, etc. With this being said, most children and teens constantly view products they could purchase. This constant stimulation has caused teens to become very materialistic and making parents spend absurd amounts of money when it comes time for Christmas. Now more than ever, society has placed an emphasis on having the newest products, which has placed a burden on parents.
Even though Christmas is said to be a religious holiday, specific to Christians, it has become adapted by much of the world. Christmas is now viewed as a holiday where you are able to give and receive gifts. One does not have to be of a particular faith to point out how much capitalism has changed the perspective of this once religious holiday.
Advertisements during holidays have also become entirely focused on the time leading up to Christmas and products to buy for loved ones. The shift in advertisements is extremely noticeable as numbers become constantly slapped on the screen. Black Friday is a great example of this. Most if not all advertisements about Black Friday are focused on the price drop of products. This method makes customers believe they are truly receiving a great deal, which brings these industries overwhelming wealth. These ads are made to make these companies money and will continue to do so if America continues to hold the standard that thousands of dollars should be spent for Christmas.
Even though this problem could be extremely difficult to solve because gift giving is so embedded in the idea of Christmas, there are possible solutions. For example we can begin by setting budgets on the amount of spending happening. Even though this wouldn’t stop consumerism entirely, it is important to take small steps when moving forward with this process. Besides budgeting we can spend the money on those in need instead of having an excess amount of purchases. This can be done by donating to charity or even donating toys to families who struggle financially.
Even though Christmas has become focused on consumerism, there is room for change. Restrictions on spending can save a financial burden on you and those around you. There is still time to return back to the wholesomeness Christmas once held.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican Candidate for the 2024 presidential election is turning heads with a proposal to increase the minimum voting age to 25. Many seniors and juniors at Citrus Valley High School will be 18 or older at the time of the upcoming election. Do they agree or disagree with this radical proposal?
“With the rise of the education gap, I think the voting age should be increased but not to 25. I do know of psychological studies that show our brains are not fully developed until our late 20s so this proposition would make sense” – Logan Quach, Citrus Valley senior
Some students at Citrus Valley agree with Ramaswamy’s proposal citing psychological research of teens developing brains. According to the National Health Service , teen years consist of “fine tuning” of the brain and teens are not fully developed until the mid to late 20s. Critics of this proposal cite the fallacy in this argument because 18 year olds are allowed to enlist in the army and at 21 have full rights to drink alcohol but now will not be represented in voting for their country.
Ramaswamy’s take on raising the voting age however largely pertains to experience. He shares that “everybody’s equal and on the same foot at the age of 25 and onward.” Some points include young adults not yet having established jobs and “[carrying] the same burden” when they are freshly 18.
Other seniors at Citrus Valley as well as many democrats and voting rights activists see through Ramaswamy’s proposal and are calling it “a political strategy.”
“Raising the voting age would eliminate the representation of many young people who are in the working class and have to deal with the policies made by our government” – Riley Houser, Citrus Valley senior
Young adults ranging from 18 to 24 years old have shown 63% voting Democratic. This can be interpreted as a ploy to dilute the democratic vote. Some students see this as exclusion from representation. They argue that they also pay taxes, participate in the work force and have to deal with legislation regarding student loans and education.
Ramaswamy’s solution to avoid misrepresentation is applying a civics test and allowing those who have enrolled in the military or a first responder to be able to vote. However, a large margin of young people below 25 will be excluded from elections. It also seems dangerously similar to the literacy tests which discriminated against minorities for years. When asked about the issue Vivek completely dismissed the idea that his proposal will discriminate against anyone.
If Vivek wins the upcoming 2024 presidential election young adults will lose their power to vote and be represented in politics. The students at Citrus Valley are surprisingly open to this new political development.
Infographic made on Canva.com on October 3, 2023 in Redlands, California. (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News Photo)
The 2023 Writers Guild of America strike took the world by storm when it began in early May. Infiltrating news headlines and social media pages, the event unfolded May 2nd and concluded September 27th. Why did it happen? The Writers Guild of America union members believed that they deserved a higher pay, protections from artificial intelligence drafting scripts, and residual payments once a project receives a lot of attention. The desired pay increase consists of about 11% in the initial first year and a 4% increase every year after.
In trying to get their point across, members and supporters protested on the picket lines outside the Netflix, Amazon, Warner Bros, and Paramount studios. TV shows and movies were temporarily put on hold in all processes of production.
This later influenced the 2023 Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to launch their strike starting on July 14, 2023. Breaking news as the most recent simultaneous writer’s strike since the ‘60s.
According to the WashingtonPost.com the negotiation was, “…three writers for six-episode series, five writers for shows with seven to 12 episodes, and six writers for shows with 13 or more episodes…” The contract was given to the union members to be signed within the time period of Oct. 2nd to 9th in order to solidify their negotiation.
Some of the participants of the strike were Nina Dobrev, Rob Lowe, Sarah Ramirez, Lamorne Morris, and Pete Davidson among many others.
As a high-school student, it can be frustrating when your hard work in class goes unnoticed. As a journalist, you want the effort you put into your piece to be recognized and celebrated. As a human, we all want to do what makes us happy and feel rewarded at the end of the day after finishing a large project.
The arts are known for being a risky industry because wage and salary are fluctuating and cannot always be acknowledged as steady pay. However, pursuing an interest should never be met by financial consequences. Every American citizen should be able to professionally pursue their interest without worry of monetary matters. Unfortunately as the saying goes, American society tends to “live to work” rather than the other way around.
Though screen-writing and film-making aren’t held to the same standards as surgeons or politicians, their endeavors should never go overlooked. Similar to a surgical staff in an operating room, there are many people who specialize in different tasks.
They are all equipped with the same goal of executing a film or show. According to StephenFollows.com, “The average number of crew credits in the top 1,000 films between 1994 and 2013 was 588.” This illustrates the amount of people that it takes to fulfill the labor of finishing a film.
If you think about it, TV shows and movies bring us together. Many icebreaker questions start with, “What’s your favorite movie/TV show?” It’s an easy and simple way to get to know someone without asking anything too personal. Most people can answer this question without thinking, especially because pop culture is something that revolves around our everyday lives.
We see a character and they influence the way we dress or style our hair. Over time after watching a show for a while, we may mold our humor around its comedic style. Or, we might see a character endure hardship that we relate to and take comfort in their story line and how they overcame the circumstance.
Similarly, we can take comfort in specific shows because of the amount of times we’ve seen the series all the way through. For example, some people associate Gilmore Girls and Grey’s Anatomy with the fall and winter seasons because of the setting and weather. As well as how the characters dress, or just the overall mood of the show altogether allows the audience to associate TV shows with seasons.
These works of media influence us as a nation. Movie night with your friends and/or family is an activity guaranteeing quality time and community. The characters and storylines can move you to feel emotions–happy, anxious, excited, angry, etc. Emotions are what make us human, and the feeling of relating to the characters and other people watching helps to reinforce the human bond. The comfortable story-line and witty one-liners in Gilmore Girls allow the audience to feel at ease and laugh.
Think about all of the hard work behind the scenes next time you sit down to watch a late-night show, or at a showing of a new movie.
Gratitude is something we as people should practice every day. Gratitude is the quality of being thankful. When you feel down and can’t see the positive, look around. Begin to look at small things that make a huge difference. Take a deep breath and be thankful for the air you breathe. Even being able to read and comprehend this article is something to be grateful for, something that you have that other people long for.
Let’s discuss the different types of gratitude. Gratitude comes in different forms, whether through traits, mood, or emotion. when you experience it you may have feelings of being thankful, fortunate, blessed, etc.
According to PositivePsychology.com mood gratitude is “a sense of happiness and thankfulness in response to a fortunate happenstance or tangible gift.” It’s important to experience mood gratitude often. It makes a great change whether it be lightening your mood or benefiting your mental health.
Some describe the trait of gratitude as an appreciation mood trait. The Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley states that, “Some psychologists further categorize three types of gratitude: gratitude as an “affective trait” (one’s overall tendency to have a grateful disposition).”Tending to express gratitude to others can be a chain reaction. Spreading happiness and letting those you care about that you appreciate them can make a huge difference. Try it out, whether it’s someone you know or not just express appreciation and gratitude and see how it can affect your and the other person’s mood.
Emotional gratitude is a feeling that one experiences after receiving something. That could either be a word of wisdom, gifts, or just simply a hug. Once you receive the gift you may feel strong emotions of just being present and thankful. At times it can be so powerful it could bring someone to tears. If you always seem to be on the receiving end and know how it makes you feel, try to give it to someone else. It may encourage others to do the same. It doesn’t even have to be too much, it can be as simply as letting someone know that you’re thinking about them, who knows it could possibly save someone’s life.
Here are some ways you can incorporate gratitude in your daily life and ways it can affect your mental health for the best. First start by taking a piece of paper or anything you can jot on and write down all of the blessings you have whether it be big or small. Some even take it as far as dedicating a whole journal to gratitude. To name a few things, clean water, fresh air, food to eat, free education, etc.
At times when life gets us down, we start to only be able to notice the negativity in life when in every situation there can be a lesson. Take a chance on yourself and free yourself from that negative mindset. There is so much to be thankful for.
Over the years there has been an increase in the amount of suicide rates, depression rates, and anxiety rates in children’s health. Due to this excessive increase in children’s mental health situation in the United States, more needs to be done to make these numbers go down.
There have always been children who have been diagnosed with mental health disorders. That is not a bad thing, depending on the disorder. What is a bad thing is our society is skyrocketing with children from the ages of three to seventeen being diagnosed with depression, panic disorder, anxiety, etc. A lot of the time adults do not notice these changes in their children which could lead to getting into substance abuse.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention collected data and statistics from 2016-2019 about mental health from children of the ages of three-seventeen. This data came back with 9.8% of children diagnosed with ADHD (6.0 million), 9.4% diagnosed with anxiety (5.8 million), 8.9% with behavior problems (5.5 million) and 4.4% diagnosed with depression (2.7 million).
Disorders like depression have also been diagnosed with anxiety. About three in four children diagnosed with depression were also diagnosed with anxiety and one and two had behavioral problems.
Though all of these statistics and data were from a few years ago, recently there has been a spike in suicide rates throughout children. In 2020 there was even more of a spike with the child and teen death rate increasing to 28 deaths per 100,000 ages one to nineteen which has been the highest rate since 2008. This has also increased the homicide and drug overdoses in children. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused this to increase even more due to loss of friends and family. According to the 2022 Kids Count Data Book the crisis has killed over 1 million people counting 1,600 children’s deaths.
After the pandemic, depression and anxiety rates spiked 26% since 2016. In 2016 it was 9.4% of children diagnosed with these disorders (5.8 million) and in 2020 it rose to 11.8% (7.3 million). Before the 2022 Kids Count Data Book survey 9% of high school students have attempted suicide this number has raised since the survey. It rose to 12% of Black students, 13% of students with two or more races, and 26% for American Indian or Alaska Native high schoolers. 23% of LGBTQ students have reported attempting suicide and 9% in heterosexual students.
In 2022 15.08% of children 12 to 17 report suffering from at least one major depressive disorder. Over 10.6% (2.5 million) are suffering from severe major depression, going back to substance abuse 4.08% of children reported having a disorder related to substance abuse. 1.64% had an alcohol use disorder and 3.16% had a drug use disorder.
Though these numbers are so high nationally only 27.2% of children/people with these disorders actually get treatment. This leaves over 60.3% of children who don’t get treatment for these disorders which is a huge number.
Even with these numbers or statistics the numbers only seem to be getting worse over time. If in fact so many of these children are in fact showing signs and suffering through these mental illnesses, why hasn’t there been anything to help?
Challenges
Cost and insurance
Unfortunately a lot of the time treatments needed are not covered by certain insurances or cost a lot of money which some families simply don’t have. Also some parents choose to not get treatment for their children.
Stigma
There is also such a stigma with mental health being an uncomfortable subject to discuss. A lot of the stigma comes from the media making many shows and movies that are showing mental health in a bad light. Such as the movie Split and the popular show Thirteen Reasons Why. This could also be a reason why a lot of these disorders go untreated, because of the fact that going to therapy is considered something is wrong with you.
Mental health should not be a discussion people are scared about talking about, as many people in the United States are in fact suffering from some sort of disorder. The stigma of mental health needs to be let go before we as a society can see any change in youths mental health.
What can be done to help?
Listen to those with personal experience
There needs to be more of an open conversation about mental health in order for it to be a comfortable discussion. The more people are exposed to the conversation the more support the conversation can have. With having this discussion more often it could help remove the stigma by educating people of mental health and mental illnesses correctly instead of basing it off of what the media provides. Talking to people who have had experience with that mental illness or have a certain mental illness would give an accurate portrayal of what it is like. Sometimes people who suffer from mental illnesses just want someone to listen to them; advice is not always needed unless they ask for it.
Provide information and resources
Another thing to help decrease mental health problems is to provide help to people who may need it. In addition to listening to them, share information that could help them. This could include hotlines, places to get help for therapy, support groups, or strategies and coping mechanisms.
Open the conversation at school
Something that schools can help is have a broad conversation, a lot of people go undiagnosed because when they think of needing therapy or potentially having a mental illness they think of the extreme. If schools talk about what depression or other mental illnesses can look like it would help people determine what they are feeling.
Discussions seem like they would not do much but in the long run they could change it as a whole. People who grow up with this discussion being normalized can help others. Mental health is the biggest pandemic that doesn’t seem as important but mental illness is still an illness and is fatal. Anyone who is involved in the discussion is playing a factor in helping mental health decrease.
If you or anyone you know are struggling with mental health, contact these resources:
Crisis Text Line: 741-741
New Hope Crisis Counseling Hotline: (714)-639-4673
Suicide Hotline: 988
Feature image: Digital art portrays the increase in mental health. (ETHIC NEWS/ Monique Varela)
Breed-specific legislation refers to laws that limit or ban dog breeds in particular areas in an effort to decrease dog attacks. As panic regarding dog attacks increases, BSL is advertised by the media as an effective method to stop dog attacks. It is portrayed as a quick and easy solution to dog attacks when, in actuality, it is not an effective long-term method.
Breed-specific legislation targets large dogs in many American states. (Wikimedia Commons)
In nearly half of all U.S. states, “there is currently BSL being enforced and there is no state/province/territory level legislation that prohibits BSL,” according to the BSL census.
“Over 10 years with BSL enacted in Toronto, dog bite incidents increased 57% based on hospital records for serious dog bite-related injuries,” as written by pitbull info.org. This ill-advised legislation not only does not work but has even worsened the problem of dog bites.
This is because the banning of dog breeds will only cause breeders to change their methods and will thus not decrease dog attacks. American citizens have been convinced that these laws have been effective but they are being manipulated by social media panic.
Social media has allowed fear and lies to spread across the country about “dangerous” dog breeds at a much quicker rate. People fail to see that the real danger is not the animal, but instead the dangers of social media and hysterics.
According to the Integrity Institute, “as content gets closer and closer to becoming harmful, on average, it gets more engagement.” Misinformation will get more attention and thus spread faster the further away it is from the actual truth. Therefore, what used to be able to be referred to as “common knowledge” now has a much higher chance of being factually incorrect.
In many ways, people think it is common knowledge that certain breeds are more dangerous than others. However, as said by foundanimals.org, “experts report no relation between breed and aggression.” There is no relation between breed and aggression, yet it is still a common stereotype that larger species are aggressive. This is because when someone is attacked by a small dog it is not reported but larger dogs will be reported. The disproven stereotype that larger dogs are violent and dangerous utterly fails to address what creates a violent dog.
According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, “When compared with a convenience sample of 5,239 companion dogs, abused dogs were reported as displaying significantly higher rates of aggression and fear directed toward unfamiliar humans and dogs.” Similar to humans, animals that have experienced abuse or been raised around aggression have a significantly higher chance of being aggressive themselves. So this begs the question, is it the dog at fault? Or rather negligent owners?
Dogs can also suffer from mental and behavioral disorders that affect their behavior. As written in an article by Debra Horwitz of vcahospitals.com, “Infectious agents such as rabies, hormonal imbalances such as hypothyroidism, psychomotor epilepsy, hyperkinesis, neoplasia, and a variety of genetic and metabolic disorders can cause or predispose a dog to aggression.” Dogs suffering from mental illness also have a higher chance of behaving aggressively toward people and other dogs. People will misdiagnose a dog that is suffering as aggressive or bad-natured instead of helping the animal.
There are plenty of alternatives to BSL that don’t involve the complete ban of a specific breed of dog. There are laws regarding the containment of dogs that are often overlooked, such as leash laws. If an individual has an aggressive dog, they should follow leash laws and/or put a muzzle on their dog when outside their home. Veterinarian offices can also offer low-cost training or neutering to dogs suffering from mental illness or who have experienced abuse. There is also the option of preventing people with a violent criminal record from owning animals.
BSL should no longer be used because it puts the responsibility on abused and neglected animals instead of owners. BSL was created out of mass hysteria and is not a long-term solution compared to holding owners responsible when following leash and abuse preventive laws. America needs to end this witch hunt period that targets these innocent and undeserving animals.
Have you ever bought something because it became a trend and later question why you’ve purchased it?
Trends created on social media have created an overbearing amount of overconsumption that affects essentially every aspect of our lives.
Trends have always been going around, although they are always usually different they’ve grown to become short lived after each one begins. With our current technology becoming extremely advanced over the years, overconsumption has had no pause to it. Aside from overconsumption affecting the world’s status of climate, it has also affected the mentality of most people as the idea of perception has become important to most young individuals and causes people to follow trends.
For example, with the app Tik Tok gaining popularity in 2020 as a result of COVID keeping people inside their homes, many individuals looked for an outlet that was new unlike Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. The growth on Tik Tok was up to 180 percent amongst 15-25 year olds. On the app Tik Tok most videos were up to a minute, most times less. We saw trends in food, ideologies, politics, and most significantly materialistic items. Websites such as Shein and AliExpress created ways for you to buy and receive clothes at a very cheap price with an extended period of time waiting to receive your item. Many videos on Tik Tok circulated popularizing 90’s style with a modern take on it. Clothing items such as band tees, mini tank tops, and baggy jeans were once again popularized. Other articles such as cd’s, vinyls, specific types of jewelry, and other accessories also blew up during this time. These trends of 2020 as a result of Tik Tok began to create endless niches for people on the internet. Fast fashion was at its peak and the cycles of trends began to die at a rapid pace.
With the internet becoming extremely advanced in its ways to purchase items there has been an influx of shopping online and a decrease in retail shopping. With this being said, various websites offer fast delivery with no stress of having to step outside your home. As a result of quick shipping and variety of merchandise, there has been a large amount of trash ending up in landfill that is returned items people have purchased online since customers are unsatisfied. People’s expectations are raised when something is marketed to them online and different in quality once received in person. The trash in landfills continues to grow at a concerning rate. Companies understand this but most have done nothing about it. Many apps and websites that sell products of any sort often have an “as seen on Tik Tok” selection or a word with the end “tok”. Amazon, Ulta, Target, Barnes and Noble and various other stores being either online or in person have become aware of the influx of shoppers as a result of Tik Tok. Corporations have made it extremely easy for people to mindlessly buy these items as it benefits them by setting up a selection of merchandise that has recently gained popularity through social media. Now more than ever the internet has advanced and will continue to do so, it will only become easier for customers to shop any time they’d like.
Further more people now with greater reason care about opinion and perception, this varies whether it is about themselves or the people around them. Most individuals have at some point in their life followed a trend of their time, as humans we look to connect with those around us. If you look around and see others with the same thing, it will begin to feel important to you too. With this being said, people are extremely likely to follow what is deemed as “cool.” They buy the clothes or change something about their physical appearance in order to feel bonded to those around them. We are affected socially by trends and feel pressured to participate, it is a part of human nature. By this process, overconsumption has escalated, corporations use sweatshops to keep up with trends and quickly put out merchandise. The quality, time, effort, and skill for someone to make a product has become irrelevant to people while the price and relevance of the product itself has become the most valued features. Marketers have seen these opportunities and take their chances to grow, they value money and sales while the amount of consequences resulting from these industries is infinite. This has only been the beginning of what marketing has become and it will continue to change, corporations understand the vulnerability of people that want to be a part of something and have taken advantage of it.
Although there are multiple potential alternatives to solving this issue, I believe some of them include changing the types of materials corporations use in their merchandise to something slightly more eco friendly. By doing this, the mass production of these items would be less harmful if they are thrown out. Since most if not all corporations use materials that are unsustainable they will be in landfill for many years to come, with eco-friendly perishable materials this problem can be avoided and decreased.
For these reasons, social media has created overconsumption to be in an overbearing state that will be extremely hard to return from. This has only been the beginning of the drastic change we see happen to the world as a result of social media unless we make efforts to reverse it.
After 15 ballots and almost five days of voting, Rep. Kevin McCarthy was voted in as the current speaker of the house on January 7. While some rejoiced in regards to the decision, many also took notice of the mudslinging, bitter, and almost violent behavior displayed by both sides of the aisle.
While certainly a contentious vote, with Republican holdouts refusing the more moderate McCarthy for a number of days, it does not validate the childish behavior that our elected officials have displayed.
There are many notable examples of bad behavior from our elected representatives that have been displayed during this most recent speaker of the house election. Matt Gaetz, a representative from Florida was a major culprit of this infancy, with refusing to ratify his party’s house nominee, and instead nominating Donald J. Trump, the former president of the United States.
Following the 14th vote in which Gaetz refused to ratify the nomination of Kevin McCarthy, fellow Republican Congressman, Mike Lee was caught on video physically lunging at Gaetz, having to be restrained by North Carolina Republican, Richard Hudson.
Republicans were not the only party with bad actors, as the Democrats too had notable examples of immature, disrespectful, and frankly childish behavior on the house floor. Prominent examples include California district 47’s Rep. Katie Porter pretending to read a profanely titled sardonic self-help book, and Democrats shouting and loudly decrying the nomination of Kevin McCarthy during the period of Republican voting.
On this topic of bad behavior, California rep. Peter Aguilar stated, “Despite the unfortunate theatrics of some of my colleagues, a Speaker was selected after five days and fifteen ballots.”
All of this poor behavior, though, is simply a larger issue with the political system Americans have set up. The major issue with the current system is that the loudest voices, disregarding reason or logic, seem to always prevail over cooler heads. This feeding of bad behavior has caused issues like the ones seen during the speaker vote to increase in frequency, not to mention severity as well.
It is often thought that the current era of bad feelings for those on the other side of the aisle was began with the 2008 election of Barack Obama, as his election was a catalyst for thousands of inappropriate racial remarks, along with a rise in islamophobic attacks against muslim americans, caused by conspiracy theories that stated that Obama was a “secret muslim” or “responsible for 9/11”, both of which are clearly false statements used to only divide the United States further.
The blame for this time of division should not be placed on Barack Obama, but instead it is more accurate to shoulder the brunt of it on former president Donald Trump. His expletive-driven references to African nations, his ban against travel to and from majority Muslim nations, and his slow dismissal of the actions taken on January 6, 2022 are just a few examples of how his rhetoric negatively affected the American spirit.
His behavior has had lasting impacts on the way we as citizens talk to one another, but perhaps the most important effect is how his actions effectively gave permission to the American people to treat each other without respect, as the behavior he modeled in talking about his rivals clearly demonstrated that lack of respect as well.
How can the people of the United States be held responsible for a time of division if our elected officials refuse to counteract it? The question can be answered in many different ways from many different perspectives, but there is never any harm in being more understanding and loving; especially to those one disagrees with. Setting this example for one another will not only make each person who does it happier, but it will create a ripple effect of goodness that has the potential to change the world. It all just starts from kindness and charity, both of which today’s society needs a lot more of.
Not everyone likes school. Long hours, lots of work, frustration and burnout. For some, it feels stressful and unnecessary, a social mess. However, how do people with autism spectrum disorder feel about it?
The author of this article has autism, and in their experience, thinks that school is especially difficult for anyone with ASD, due to the stress and awkwardness of having to work through a system not designed with anyone on the spectrum in mind.
First and foremost, diagnoses are an issue. Expensive, difficult to get ahold of and finicky, diagnoses are one of the major barriers to qualifying; they shouldn’t be. It takes multiple phone calls, complex layers of dead ends and insurance not covering what it should be covering just to get an appointment and it’s rarely cheap. Even if one is lucky enough to get an appointment, and one can pay for it, costs begin in the hundreds of dollars and only increase, which may or may not be covered by insurance.
Secondly, even with an accommodation, getting a 504 plan respected is another process in itself. While rarely do teachers intentionally or maliciously ignore requests, sometimes it’s just a matter of being difficult to work with. For example, a student with accommodations to type being required by a teacher to print things out would be within the bounds of a 504, but frustrating to do. Another example is that people with ASD do not typically like social interactions like public speaking or group work, but it’s impossible to have a single kid graded entirely differently, so it simply ends up as an annoyance. It is rarely malicious, but always annoying to the student.
Thirdly, it’s an issue of school overall. Any game or event requiring to sit in an uncomfortable, loud environment is difficult, so being encouraged to do such always is met with a groan. Frankly, it makes school spirit more of an annoying obligation rather than a memorable point in time. At high school campuses specifically, it’s horrible for anyone with ASD to navigate in certain spots.
Overall, school could be better for those with ASD. Even with a diagnosis and a 504, it’s difficult to adapt and this should be changed for the better. More formal accommodations and separate spaces, like at lunch or during passing periods, for people with 504s would be nice.
FEATURE IMAGE: Ribbon representing autism with black background from Canva.com
Let’s face it, school feels very out of touch with the outside world. The education system seems to think extensive algebra takes priority over skills that are important as an adult. As a senior, you may wander out into the world with only your high school education and wonder: “What now? How do I apply for housing? What even are taxes?” But you know about integers and variables if you managed to pay attention in class.
Life Skills classes are essential, and should be a mandatory course. Assistance after high school and school resources should be available and should be regularly emphasized to students. Curriculum can be outdated at times and if adjustments aren’t made, students won’t be the only ones affected.
Even if you get a Life Skills class in your schedule as an elective, the information is either too general or too specific. Students feel like it doesn’t apply to them, so they’re not engaged. We need a mixture of fixed and flexible curriculum that adapts to students.
Andy Simmons, a senior at Orangewood High School, says, “I feel current life skills classes are necessary, but they’re not well executed. The curriculum isn’t solid and the information is too specific to apply to students.”
Matthew Stewart, a Career Technical Education teacher at Orangewood, expresses his frustration with the curriculum and its coverage on economics and business.
“You get taught theories of the economic system, not where the money goes or how it works. Schools fail to teach you the basic economics of life,” said Stewart. “Current classes miss the mark, they teach you to be an employee for the rest of your life without moving up.”
There are different opinions on what curriculum should be in the classes.
“Helping students prepare for a more specific career path, taxes, how to buy a car are good ones,” Simmons says. “They need to teach students how to be eligible for an apartment. They also need child development education since it’s required for a lot of jobs.”
Stewart adds, “They should be teaching you guys what bare minimum is to survive financially and socially. Other things like the basics of banking and credit along with home and vehicle maintenance would be very useful as well.”
Staff have noted that the class should also teach social concepts to students, such as things they wished they learned earlier in life.
Stewart gives examples such as, “How to engage people in a civil manner and having an open mind. You need to understand your position in society and either be happy with it or change it.”
Jason Knight, a counselor at Orangewood, adds, “I wish I learned about finances and using business technology, like Email and Word. Being able to read official documents like paystubs, tax forms, and contracts saves you a lot of trouble.”
Stewart also notes the need for students to find other goals in life, emphasizing life isn’t all about money or success.
The question is, how do we keep students engaged? Most students will go straight into the workforce with their high school education and nothing else. They won’t learn any other life skills that high school relies on college to teach. Students may feel what is being taught doesn’t apply to them because they aren’t going to college.
“We need to make sure students know that they will encounter the scenarios that are taught in a life skills class no matter what,” says Knight.
School staff also feel that students need different services or classes. Field trips to help students get jobs, apply to colleges, and apply for other government services would be extremely useful. Even after high school, students who are on their own as new adults are lost and may need additional help programs.
“Students need more assistance with post high school situations,” said Knight.
Knight goes on to say that Career Centers are a great resource that goes unnoticed by students. They typically provide information about scholarships, financial aid, job opportunities, and college exploration. There are also other resources online that could aid students, but none of these things are stressed to students. So, these resources will continue to be overlooked unless staff worry less about academic classes and more about relevant skills.
If changes aren’t made, students will continue to go into society unprepared and knowledgeable of how the world functions. They will be easily taken advantage of by other members of society, creating a generation of people that don’t know their options. This isn’t just for the benefit of newly graduated students, this is for the benefit of our future society.
If you’re a quiet kid and need a club, you should keep reading.
I have always been one of the quiet kids.
I know how hard it is to be alone without any friends. So, maybe a club might help quiet kids like us get more friends and not be as quiet.
Some kids like to stay quiet, and that’s okay, but maybe if there were more clubs available, people might socialize better.
Some of us are so quiet that it’s hard to make friends. But if we were around more people we had things in common with, it might make it easier.
So, if you’re in need of a club, I have some ideas. The clubs that are stated in this letter, are clubs that aren’t here yet, but should get added. If or when they do get added and you’re interested in joining, I think you should go ahead.
I’m interested in joining an LGBTQ+ and band club if they’re added.
Many people are part of the LGBTQ+ community at our school, but some are quiet kids. I myself am one of them. And I know there are others that are quiet, too. I think that if there was an LGBTQ+ club, more kids that are part of the community could socialize with each other more.
But it’s not only an LGBTQ+ club that might help quiet kids socialize more. Other clubs for people with things in common might help too.
Clubs could bring people that are alike together.
I think that a club for band people would be a good idea. If there was a club for band people, they could practice and arrange for there to be an assembly so they could play in front of the school. And maybe sometimes they could play during lunch.
But, while I may be interested in an LGBTQ+ or band club, you may disagree or even be interested in a different type of club. I got some feedback from students and they had different opinions on what clubs should or shouldn’t be made.
Some people didn’t like the idea of an LGBTQ+ club because they felt it discriminates against straight people. Others felt that LGBTQ+ clubs were okay so that people could be more comfortable with each other, express their feelings and talk to like-minded people without the fear of being made fun of.
Some felt there shouldn’t be a band club because it would be too loud, but others felt that a band, car, or bike club would be okay.
Maybe we could have all those clubs.
All in all, what I’ve been trying to say in this letter is that, if you’re a quiet kid who needs a club, as I do, join the club! We’d be glad to have you.
Redlands East Valley students vandalized a single-use restroom stall in the Performing Arts wing. No further action is known to be done. (Credit / Emerald Gonzalez)
The school year started only a few weeks ago, and there have already been several hateful and homophobic incidents directed toward LGBTQ+ students at Redlands East Valley High School. The largest of which was the band room vandalism that occurred on the second day of school in the Performing Arts wing. Several students tagged the bathroom door, the bulletin, and the choir door with vandalism that included several homophobic slurs and threats. The vandalism included the following statements, “You’re all gay,” “LGBTQ is a mental illness,” and “lock your doors.”
Further vandalism of the Performing Arts building causes distress amongst LGBTQ+ students at REV. (Credit / Emerald Gonzalez)
According to an interview that occurred on August 25 with Brian Hollett, the band and orchestra teacher, and Emerald Gonzalez, the theater technician, this was not the only incident that targeted students in performing arts.
Hollett stated, “On the first day of school, a burrito was thrown down the hall at the music students. On the second day, as the band was marching to the quad, food was being thrown at them, and they were also being yelled at by other students. I decided not to have the students perform and as we were walking back, someone threw milk in the halls. On Friday morning the bathroom door, the bulletin, and the choir door were vandalized. Stuff was swiped off the window and onto the floor.”
During this interview, they stated why they think the band room vandalism was able to happen and who could have caused it.
“Who is doing something about this? Is security doing anything? Is the admin doing anything? School culture allows it,” Hollett said. “If the football players were being harassed I don’t think they’d be like ‘oh well.’ It’s a political touchstone, we live in what has been a pretty conservative area. Nobody was caught and the security camera only captured the top of their head. The band room was robbed two years ago and the camera only caught the top of their head.“
Gonzalez added, “I went to admin right away and we want to find who these kids are, and punish them, there need to be consequences. The fact there was no security footage or anyone who could punish them, you don’t have any proof as to who they were. We looked at security footage for what we could, to find out who was here, they haven’t seen.”
They gave their opinion on what they would like to be done about homophobia on campus. Hollet stated, “We just want this behavior to stop. I don’t want my students to feel unsafe. ‘Lock your doors’ what does that mean? I don’t know who’s out there and what their intentions are.”
Gonzalez added, “We’re not asking for everyone to hold our hands and be friends, but don’t say those things and keep it to yourself. The change is coming. The admin is all on your side.”
After the interview, a Google Form was posted on several Google Classrooms. Results of the survey were gathered from 28 REV students including members of the band, Pride Club, and other consenting students. The form inquired about their experiences with homophobia if any at all. 14% of the students surveyed said that either themselves or a loved one has been bullied for their sexuality or gender identity at REV, and half of those students fall under the transgender umbrella. Most of those students also answered that they had been bullied by other students at REV.
However, when asked to give a summary of their bullying experience, Kris Garcia, a junior at REV answered, “although it wasn’t explicit bullying per say, I’ve experienced a lot of discrimination from many of my teachers, especially during freshman year.”
The survey also asked the students if they have ever changed a part of themselves to combat homophobia, Kris Garcia continued, “I changed my name and email to my preferred name so that teachers couldn’t use that excuse anymore.”
More responses from the survey were collected from students such as Lauren Wasmuth, a junior at REV who said, “It should be brought up with school administration because it is a serious issue. Punishment should be done to the people who are bullying. People can’t control their sexuality and they should not be bullied for something they can’t control or change.”
Kris Garcia said, “I think reports of homophobia should be taken more seriously.”
Tegan Foutz, a Sophomore at REV said, “Tell the students at REV that any form of bullying will not be allowed no matter what it is for.”
Of all the students who responded to this survey, 50% answered that they were not sure if homophobia is a problem at REV, 21.4% answered that it is not, while 28.6% answered that homophobia is a problem at REV.
Many of these students expressed distrust toward the administrators and felt that they needed to take more action. Homophobia is rampaging at REV and few of the participants are facing the consequences of their actions.
The fact that the camera system in the Performing Arts wing was not changed after it failed to catch the identity of the thieves, who robbed the band room two years prior is unacceptable. This is precisely the reason why the individuals who vandalized the Performing Arts wing have not been caught.
Security needs to be more diligent, punishments need to be enforced, participants need to be caught, and students need to be aware of the discrimination on campus as well as the consequences of bullying.
The safety of LGBTQ+ students at REV is being threatened and their cries are not being answered, very little is being done to ensure their safety or prevent any further incidents. Students are being mocked, threatened, and terrorized daily on campus, losing their faith in staff due to their idleness. The lack of action from the administration and poor safety measures such as the security camera system all contribute to why homophobia is a problem on campus. This problem needs to be solved.
Change needs to come, it needs to come from the actions of the staff who are supposed to protect the students. It also needs to come from the students who can either speak out or change their behavior for the better.
If you are an LGBTQ+ student who has been bullied at REV, you are not alone. You are worthy, you are valid, and you are loved. It is important to speak out about your experiences to make a difference. All it takes is one voice, one tune, to start a symphony of change.
Content warning: This article contains references to sexual harassment, abuse and assault.
Former kickboxer Andrew Tate has been rightfully removed from many social media platforms due to his harmful content.
Tate is known for his large platform where he shares misogynistic statements along with inappropriate and disrespectful remarks towards sensitive topics such as sexual harrassment and assault.
Tate likes knowing that he has power and being in control. Removing his platform removes some of that.
In an interview he stated, “I like Eastern Europe as a whole because corruption is far more accessible,” followed by the statement he said he enjoyed being able to buy off cops and other law officials so they wouldn’t infringe on his business operations and personal habits.
Andrew Tate has had many many controversies surrounding him because of how he talks about mistreating women. Tate started gaining backlash for most of his statements, domestic abuse organizations calling them “extreme misogyny.”
So how long has this been going on?
Andrew Tate first rose to fame after appearing on the TV Show “Big Brother” in 2016, but was removed after a video of him resurfaced hitting a woman, which he called a “consensual act.” Shortly after, another disturbing video also resurfaced dealing with abuse towards women.
More controversy later followed because there were some posts containing homophobic and racial slurs that were found on his twitter page in 2016. He was also criticized by mental health organizations for saying that depression “isn’t real.”
Tate has been under investigation for abuse allegations and trafficking allegations. Because of these allegations spreading all over social media, he took to instagram posting a picture of him in a fake investigation room with the caption mocking women.
Tate describes himself using this misogynistic quote: “I’m a realist, and when you’re a realist, you’re sexist. There’s no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist.”
While everyone has and is entitled to their own opinions it should be known on what is appropriate to say on social media.
Tate has since gained a huge following of men, his main target audience being younger men due to his advice that he gives.
Tate uses his platform to target the younger generation and convince them that it is okay to mentally and physically abuse women. What he says affects how this generation is growing up and today’s youth is so easy to influence.
Women have always feared men but with Andrew Tate spreading his toxic, hateful, misogynistic and revolting comments, abuse is only going to get worse and women will feel less safe.
Not to mention how younger women are getting mixed messages as to what love is and what it should look like. Most of his audience defends him claiming women are mad because he’s bringing back “the strong masculinity.”
Ever since he got banned, his fans defend him saying he’s also a good person because he wanted to donate a lot of money to charities. This still doesn’t change the fact that he is a very dangerous person with a very dangerous mentality.
Please hold these types of people accountable and be careful with what other people see and support on social media. If you have social media,use it wisely and help teach the younger audience towards what they see online.
A goal at Orangewood High School will always be to help students feel welcomed in their learning environment.
Normalize pronoun usage
A common issue that is experienced is uncomfortable pronoun usage or reference.
People attach their identity to how they are referenced whether it’s he/she/they/them. After speaking and taking personal experiences from students that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community on campus, I feel it’s important to bring awareness for those that feel left out of everyday society during the school day, simply because others are uncomfortable with using a specific reference that applies to their gender identity.
A solution to this would be teachers having a brief lesson on the importance of pronouns even for heterosexual people, and get students comfortable with each reference. Many people use pronouns and ask people to use their pronouns because they want society to respect their identity. Blogs, like Prospect, give personal reasons on why pronouns are important.
Encourage school attendance
After speaking to students on campus, being in the time frame during the year where absences are at a peak, I’d like to share helpful opinions on what would motivate students to come to school.
Some students, like Orangewood Senior Thomas Vasquez, agree that they would be more motivated to attend if school lunch was better in quality and different each week.
Senior Sidney Hammons also mentioned more activities on campus, like movie nights or spring festivals.
A more realistic and easier alternative to those activities that was recommended would be more interactive lesson plans like games that involve the lesson or subject being studied. Tracking students’ absences and approaching them to check if they have a personal issue at home is helpful, according to companies like Creatix Campus. Sometimes asking them shows that someone cares and notices, which could mean more to a student if it was staff that asked.
Featured image was created by AVA LARSEN using canva.com
Guns are no doubt cherished by many Americans, whether they are used for recreational uses such as shooting in the range, practicing accuracy or hunting. But others have different views on guns, and they have good reasons to view guns in a negative manner due to the tragedies guns have caused. But all in all, guns should only serve one purpose and that’s self defense.
A gun, considering its potential to cause lethal trauma, should not be looked at lightly by America. Guns should overall be harder to obtain all around America equally, as they are able to take someone’s life in a flash. Guns should not be obtained easier in some states compared to others as it creates an inequality.
The differences between the two political parties have caused the parties to oppose one another’s beliefs in political views, such as gun control. With the two parties opposing each other’s gun control beliefs, neither parties stop to think about the effects their decisions might cause Americans. The parties who are mainly in charge of democracy should not be so careless on crucial laws like gun control. Both parties need to wake up and realize that their decisions impact America, whether it’s positive or negative. They need to think outside the box. If they truly cared about Americans, they would put their differences aside and agree on a safer alternative rather than completely opposing the other party. In other words, don’t oppose something that could greatly affect America; elaborate and discuss how both parties could modify their beliefs and agree on something.
Now let’s say the Republicans and Democrats continue to act with the same beliefs, in terms of Americans’ safety, in that case heavily arming public places such as schools, malls, and supermarkets would decrease mass shootings or decrease the likelihood of these tragedies occurring. If guns are so easy to obtain, then why don’t places that have been susceptible to shootings use guns in defense? A mentally unstable 18-year-old is able to acquire a gun, but schools, while still being frequently targeted by shootings, do not arm themselves as they should.
With the frequent shootings that have occurred, America has gotten to the point where it’s “better safe than sorry,” and since anything can happen, why not prepare for the unexpected? It could save countless lives.
America should have wisened up the moment the first school shooting ever happened, but hasn’t yet learned from those past tragedies. American children should never have to go to school in fear that it might be their last school day ever.
In eighth grade, the students in an honors science class were quietly finishing a water cycle worksheet as their ears catch the sound of a young man, watching a YouTube video on his phone. The piercing silence was perforated by this sudden blast of car noises, coming from the video the boy was watching. The teacher, frustrated by this mild act of defiance, grabs a chair nearby her desk, thrusts it above her head, and slams it onto the floor, creating a deafening roar. This was one of the first instances in which students suddenly realized that teachers needed to be held more accountable for their actions. From the perspective of the students in this classroom, this teacher received no consequence for their inappropriate behavior, and continued instruction the next day.
This event shaped much of the student body’s perception of this teacher. It was one of the first times in which students realized that as they get older, they must be treated as such, as with the increased responsibility of growing up, it also comes with a greater need for mutual respect. Across the district, many examples of teachers overstepping their boundaries have occurred either at the elementary, middle, or high schools. There are teachers who use their authority to silence discussions outside of what they believe to be true, not to mention the problematic power dynamics that exist in the intrapersonal relationships that the students have with their teachers. Any opinions shared by students are lambasted by these specific teachers, almost to the point of public mockery. While it is cruel and unhelpful to defame or otherwise degrade the character of these teachers on a public scale, this is illustrative of a greater trend at the Redlands Unified School District.
Currently, students have no official way to evaluate their courses, nor report teachers specifically for their inappropriate behavior. The only format for students to voice their concerns is through their assigned counselors, who have been known to, on numerous occasions, dismiss the concerns of the student and write it off as teenage angst and attitude. It is crucially important, however, that the district establishes a secure line for students to evaluate their courses.
Not every poorly behaved teacher is acting in these extreme manners, though, as there are some who simply do not input grades regularly, give unstructured and unfocused lessons, and have personal issues that bleed into their teaching responsibilities. One major way for teachers to be evaluated is through standardized testing, whether it be at the district, state, or national level. This has its own problems though, as many students suffer from test anxiety, and others don’t pay attention to instruction, it is not fair for the quality of a teacher to be judged through the work their students complete.
Most major collegiate level institutions already have a system for evaluations of courses directly by the students, so why shouldn’t high schools? Many opponents of this idea have brought up the fact that college students are acting as customers of their school, but high school students are not, therefore they should not be permitted to review a service that they do not pay for. This equivalency is false as by federal law, all minors are required to receive some form of schooling. If they do not, the parents and/or legal guardians will be fined and in some extreme cases, the children are taken from their homes. If students are required to attend a school, would it not be more imperative that they are able to share their thoughts and concerns? Not all of these evaluations are needed for reasons as innocent as simply not doing their job very well, sometimes the behavior requires further measures to cease inappropriate personal conduct.
The SpriGeo system, buried under tabs and links on the district and school websites, has been recently put into place to address harassment concerns on campuses but it is not specifically designed for reporting of interactions and behaviors of teachers and other staff members. Many students feel that they still do not have a secure line to specifically address the issues that come up with campus staff.
The system further has problems lying in the fact that in the actual report filing program, it states that their grade should be listed, if known, and it suggests that students talk to an administrator, completely negating this premise of anonymity, not to mention how it asks for the person reporting the issue’s name. While optional, it may lead students to believe that the promise of anonymity is misleading. This ignorance of teacher harassment and misbehavior further isolates the student from putting a stop to the issue.
Teacher accountability is not limited to only the behavior that they exhibit in their instruction though, as it also extends to the personal relationships they share with students. RUSD has paid over 41 million dollars within the last five years in settlement money for sexual harrassment lawsuits alone. This number far exceeds any competing figures in other school districts. Unprofessional and off putting behavior could have been reported earlier, possibly even stopping some of these cases from ever occurring. If the school district decided to create and heavily publicize lines of help for these specific instances we would likely have a great deal fewer cases of this abuse. The SpriGeo system, while a step in the right direction, needs further improvement and clarification as to what types of reports it accepts.
The board of RUSD are elected to their offices by local citizens, to serve the adults of the community and their children, while providing the highest quality school environments they can, as it is crucial to the benefit of their education to give students a safe and secure place to learn. It is the campus staff and teacher’s job to keep their students safe and provide them with the highest possible level of quality in education, which also includes a good environment for students to work in.
An image of the safety section of the RUSD 2025 plan. Other sections of this plan can be found at RUSD.net
The district pushes forward its ‘RUSD 2025’ plan, and while to the general populace, this is regarded as a step into the right direction, and even into the future, it makes very little substantive progress in regards to the safety of students. The 2025 plan does make mention of safety in Redlands schools, but frames every point made in regards to safety as an outside issue, as opposed to pointing the lens of misbehavior upon itself, which unfortunately is where most of the danger lies. Excellence in education may be the district slogan, but it certainly is not the district standard.
Correction: The last two paragraphs and image were accidentally omitted in the original publishing of this post at 8:30 pm on May 12, 2022. It was corrected at 9:13 pm on May 12, 2022.
CollegeBoard suffered through two grueling years, but alas, high school juniors are taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test once again. As students bubble in their information on their registration papers, they chat amongst themselves, many admitting that whatever score they receive on the exam, they will not be submitting to colleges.
If the pandemic brought students one benefit, it was the test-optional phenomenon where universities now give first-year applicants the option to not submit their SAT if they do not believe it will reflect their strengths as a student. All University of California schools and California State Universities officially do not require SAT or ACT scores and private institutions vary. Nonetheless, the majority of private or out-of-state schools have gone test-optional, from schools like the University of Redlands to the infamous Harvard University. If this is the case, why are a concerning number of students reporting that their teachers are claiming that private and out-of-state schools do require the exam for admission?
Paige Williams, a senior at Redlands High School was recently accepted into the University of Redlands, yet she has never taken the SAT. “I would say that the experience of applying to colleges has been much less stressful. I don’t think that standardized testing such as the SAT should be used to gauge a student’s academic ability and intelligence” says Willaims. She goes on to argue that, “Colleges and universities should start to use SAT scores as placement tools rather than admissions criteria.”
Once again, the same question is asked: why are educators lying to their students about the college admissions process despite having access to the most accurate information and the latest resources for this matter? There can only be a couple of answers, and those answers reveal the grueling realities of our educational system. First, educators around the nation could be inheriting the responsibility of saving the CollegeBoard’s SAT as it quickly declines in popularity and need. Second, educators hold an internal stigma against this unconventional route of applying for college and are not ready to see a holistic approach to college admissions. Now, what exactly is a “holistic approach”? When it comes to college admissions, this means that college admissions officers will look closely at a student’s extracurriculars and accomplishments outside of the classroom as opposed to a student’s test scores or grades. In essence, taking holistic approaches can benefit both students and colleges, as they will be providing broader opportunities for students based on their character and how that character melts in with the culture of a particular school.
During these crucial times when the SAT is constantly being challenged or debated, it is imperative that students understand what options are available to them and how necessary the SAT is for them personally. The same should apply to colleges, considering that looking at a student’s personal accomplishments is much more telling than any other aspect of their application. For example, an NYU applicant with a score of 1500 on the SAT can ironically never guarantee that the student understands gentrification in New York City. However, a different applicant’s involvement in a social justice-based club is more likely to comprehend not only gentrification, but a variety of other social issues on college campuses and can perhaps even be of great assistance to that institution’s community one day. If such methods of admission are practiced constantly, colleges will secure an enriched student body because their students have been and will continue making the world a better place.
This shift in mindset should not just take place amongst college administrators, it must be promoted primarily at high schools. Encouraging AP classes and the SAT/ACT make up the majority of a school’s recommendations for college-bound students while participation in activities or community service is nothing more than an afterthought. Instead of meeting with students to only discuss their class choices, counselors should get to know their students and inform them of clubs or service opportunities that align with their interests. Counselors should also speak with students on how they can highlight the extracurriculars they are a part of on their application with more intention, Many times, students do not realize the power of extracurriculars until they reach their senior year and are scrambling to engage in any activity that will allow them to access to scholarships and grants. Nonetheless, students can only be blamed so much when schools are telling them that by solely focusing on their endeavors within the classroom, they are on the perfect path to their dream school.
Changing systems is never an easy task, but with the concept of the “new normal” reaching the college admissions process, there is simply no other choice. Each group, be it students, teachers, or administrators all have a role to play in making the college process the best it can be. All groups should align themselves with the holistic review, inform each other on what that looks like, and feel confident in the unique abilities of each applicant. It will be a collective effort to unlearn any internal stigmas and detach from fiercely competitive academics, but it will surely result in students seeing intentional (and mentally stable) professional futures.
School is draining. Any student can agree, some more than others.
“It’s draining because you wake up in the morning everyday and go to school for how many hours, six to seven,” says Niamonie Calloway, junior at Orangewood High School.
Students work, deal with family issues and some play sports. A break is well deserved. It would help students stay in a more calm state of mind.
Students are the new generation coming up. It’s a lot of pressure on adults, of course, to make sure we are great individuals. But students, as kids and teens, we feel pressure. We feel like we have to meet everyone’s expectations and we become stressed. Everything is new to us.
We deserve at least one mental break weekly from all the thinking and the expectations and all of the worry.
Research shows that academic stress leads to less well-being and an increased likelihood of developing anxiety or depression. Students who have academic stress tend to do poorly in school. This mental health day will be a good thing for students’ future and mental health.
Having a mental health day off will encourage students to come to school when there is school. Students don’t come to school because they are drained or have higher priorities to deal with. With a mental break day, they will wait just for that day to come so they can get it out of the way. If you look at attendance around scheduled breaks, like Spring Break, the week before and after students are more likely to attend because they know they have that break. When there is school for days and weeks on end, students feel like there isn’t a break so they start to miss school. With scheduled mental break days, students will be more encouraged to show up to school.
It is true that some students may take advantage of this. Yes, some students may still not show upon scheduled school days. The school can make a rule that if they miss school without an actual good excuse, they can’t take the mental health day because it will be replaced with a make-up day. A few teachers on a rotating basis will be on campus on these mental health days for those students who need to make up missing work from an unexcused absence. Those who showed up during scheduled school days should get the mental health break.
Students not only need a break, but would benefit from a mental health day off each week.
There is an issue in high school attendance: tardiness.
There are many reasons students will not show up to school on time, as well as why students should be able to excuse their own tardies.
Mental health
Students may be dealing with mental health issues at home of which they don’t feel comfortable disclosing with school staff.
They could be living with depression and having trouble finding the motivation to get out of bed.
They could have obsessive-compulsive disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or other disorder, any of which can affect what time a student wakes up and what time they are ready for school in the morning.
Transportation
There is an assumption that all students have a way to get to school on time, but many students have compromised means of transportation and or live a further distance from the school than most students
A majority of high school students do not have their learner’s permit/driver’s license and many students or their families also do not have cars. A few examples of why students may not have access to a license or car include not being able to afford it, not being permitted by their guardian to do so, or simply being too afraid and not wanting to drive.
Some students have to bike safely up and down hills and through car-busy highways and roads, take city busses or even use costly ride-share apps.
Family size
Schools tend to neglect the fact that many students have many siblings, all in different age ranges, attending schools with different starts times, as well as possibly living in a one guardian household.
It would not be unreasonable to accept the verity of limited time in the morning. With this in mind, there is the challenge of trying to get every child in that family admitted to school on time every single day. No matter how prepared and organized a large family may be, there can always be unexpected obstacles like a traffic jam, or a type of mechanical error with their vehicle.
Are students responsible and trustworthy enough to excuse their own tardies?
While it is understandable for teachers and staff to be skeptical about the very real possibility of students abusing the ability to call in sick, it is also important to note that the trust between students and teachers is generally strained due to prejudice from teachers towards students that are late or miss school frequently.
More than often, instead of trying to figure out why their students are missing school hours, the teacher will give the student unneeded and discouraging discipline. Students that get punished for something they had no control over may be less inclined to take responsibility the next time they could have control over their situation.
Many students, contrary to many adult beliefs, have very real and very complicated issues. Some of these problems, students might not be willing to share with teachers, especially in front of their peers during class time, which is more than often the time and place teachers choose to confront late students. This is a very disconcerting and uncomfortable situation that is far too familiar to many young adults in highs school. One could argue that a more appropriate time and setting to address the tardines of a student would be after class when the student is no longer occupied or in the presence of an audience of their peers.
Teachers may find that in listening to their students, they will also find understanding. Sympathy for students can go a very long way, and they may be less inclined to lie about their whereabouts, or wander the school halls with meandering minds.
The denigration of students’ personal issues is a disease among schools. The allowance of young adults to be trusted and involved with the responsibility of attendance issues may lead to a more adamant will to attend school and attend on time, of course keeping the issue of transportation in mind.
Ultimately, trusting the judgment of high school students for calling in to excuse missing class time in advance could gradually diminish tardiness. Allowing students the responsibility to excuse their own tardies may motivate an initiative in students to protect that responsibility by not abusing it.
Content warning: This article mentions teen suicide.
“No one heals himself by wounding another.” -St. Ambrose
Hand drawn and colored image of how a student feels when being bullied. (AYEISHA FORDHAM/ Ethic News art)
Bullying is a serious problem not only across the United States, but also in communities that we live and go to school in. There are a lot of ways that students can prevent and help a victim of bullying, from just thinking before you post or speak to seeking resources or help from an adult.
There are many different effects of bullying, from distractions to tragedies. Students should not have to be worrying about what other people think about what they wear, who they like or how they look. Bullying can cause a lot of chaos, drama, and lead to fights in school, when school should be about having fun while getting an education.
In the worst cases, bullying can lead to suicide. Bullying is the leading cause of suicide in the United States for the ages of 11-17, according to Americashealthrankings.org. It is a huge problem across the United States. According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “In the past decade, headlines reporting the tragic stories of a young person’s suicide death linked in some way to bullying (physical, verbal, or online) have become regrettably common.”
Students should try to help anyone who is being bullied. Words and actions can help prevent it from continuing or getting worse.
Actions you can take if you or someone you know is being bullied:
If you see something, say something
If you see someone being made fun of, you should get an adult involved to stop the process.
If you are being bullied, tell a trusted adult
If feel you are being made fun of in a way that you makes you uncomfortable or you are afraid for your safety you could go to the office or the adult you trust the most.
Image created using Canva. (DEBBIE DIAZ/ Ethic News image)
Questions to ask yourself if you or someone you know is being bullied:
How can I help?
Who is someone I can trust to assist?
What could be the outcome if no one says anything?
Actions you can take to prevent or help stop the spread of bullying:
Don’t start or continue rumors about others
Even if you did not start the rumor, do not continue it. Whether or not you believe that the rumors are true, do not continue them.
On social media, think before you post
Social media has been being used for many things and one can include bullying. Before you press that post button, think about the effects of what you are posting.
Image created using Canva. (DEBBIE DIAZ/ Ethic News image)
Questions to ask yourself when speaking or posting about others:
Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it directed against someone?
Everyone can play a role in helping their families, friends and peers so students can get an education safely without the acts of bullying on campus.
More resources that can help:
For information on who to contact and how to approach a bullying situation:
Directed by MIYAH SANBORN, KENDRA BURDICK and AVA LARSON
Filmed by KENDRA BURDICK
Featuring SPENCER MOORE and AVA LARSON
With Christmas music, decorations and festivities often beginning in November, Christmas is sometimes believed to dominate the holiday season. Ethic News staff members Ava Larson and Spencer Moore debate if Thanksgiving is given less attention due to its close proximity to Christmas.
In most schools, there is too much of an emphasis on a four-year university and not enough on other opportunities. Some of these opportunities could include trade schools or jobs that only require a high school diploma. Receiving a college education can create a huge student loan debt and this can take a while to pay off.
An image of an electrical board that an electrician may work on. This is just one of the many careers that are available out of high school.
One negative aspect of a four-year university is the student loan debt. The price of a universities’ degree can be massive, even with financial aid. According to U.S. News, most college graduates have around $30,000 student loan debt. EducationData says it takes an average of 20 years to pay off. These numbers can be persuasive in the argument questioning the necessity of college.
An alternative to going to college is getting a job with a high school diploma. Jobs such as plumbers, insurance sales agents, patrol officers and electricians all require only a high school diploma. These jobs range from 30K-50K without the need for a college degree, as reported by U.S. News. The money made from this also won’t be going towards paying off the college debt; another reason for its benefit.
Another opportunity besides a university is a trade school. At a trade school, people can earn an associates degree in two years and then start their skilled profession. This is much faster than a four year university and it will provide you with more hands-on experience. The price varies by school but they cost an average of $33,000, according to BestColleges. They can last from three months to a year for a diploma and 18 months to 24 months for an associate degree. This is a noteworthy alternative that is not discussed much in high schools.
In schools, students need to be more aware of these opportunities that they have. Counselors and teachers are more focused on promoting college pathways for students, rather than trade schools or jobs. This can be fixed by integrating discussions about trade schools or having pamphlets with job information available. This would allow students to gain the information they need while also keeping the college pathway available.
In most high schools, there is too much focus on attending a four-year university. There is little talk about opportunities such as trade schools and jobs that require a high school diploma. These options can be more beneficial or attractive to a student, but many are not aware of them. This can be fixed with information available in pamphlets and discussions about alternatives to college in schools. It is always important to know that there are options.
Homework has been required in academic settings for years, but is it really helpful for students? This question has been thrown around within the academic setting for decades since it’s invention in 1905 as a punishment.
Homework is an unhelpful tool to students and it is about time it is removed or at least decreased in schools. Homework does not only increase burnout and take up more of students’ free time, but it doesn’t improve academic abilities, as well.
Burnout has already been a problem for students in the Redlands Unified School District, making it hard for students to actually learn. This problem is escalated with teachers giving out homework on the weekends, which are supposed to be students’ break days.
Redlands High School freshman Adrian Sandoval stated, “It’s a feeling that if you don’t face it, you feel even more disappointed, but if you deal with it, it ends with even more exhaustion — but that’s the only way to become calm and orderly again. If you don’t keep in the lines of managing time good and bad, it all ends up bad.”
The weekend homework point bleeds into the argument that homework takes too much of a students’ free time. Work life balance is constantly pushed in today’s society, but students are never able to achieve a healthy balance with the tons of homework pushed on them. Students are told that they should be able to have time outside of school, but the amount of homework received would tell them otherwise.
Citrus Valley sophomore Jasmine Rosales poses for a picture on November 12. The picture is supposed to symbolize the overbearing amount of work students receive.
With later start and end times, many students are unable to consistently get home at reasonable times. This means they could spend the rest of their evening doing tedious assignments that might not even help them.
This is the most common complaint among students: homework doesn’t help them improve academically. Alfie Kohn, an American lecturer and author with a focus on education, stated, “There is absolutely no evidence of any academic benefit from assigning homework in elementary or middle school.”
Kohn also states, “At the high school level, the correlation is weak and tends to disappear when more sophisticated statistical measures are applied.”
What could be a solution to this homework problem? Simple, ban or decrease the amount of homework a student gets.
Most, if not all, problems would be solved by just decreasing the amount of homework students get. Burnout would be decreased and students would have more free time without homework.
Homework has been a problem for most students for years and it’s about time something is done about it.
It’s time districts learn what Doctor Kevin C. Costly of Arkansas Tech University has found in his research, that “In-school supervised study had a greater impact on achievement than homework, and achievement did not increase when students spent more time on homework.”
Trigger Warning: This article mentions suicide rates.
Every 1 in 4 LGBTQ youth use pronoun combinations outside of the gender binary construct, according to Trevorproject.org.
Newer pronouns should be taught in schools to show their importance. Nowadays, more and more people, old and young are using different pronouns than the standard she/her and he/him. It could help students feel more supported, especially if they’re not supported at home. It could help reduce discrimation and increase the respect of gender non-conforming individuals.
Nowadays, people have been using them more than the “normal” pronouns. The news station Time says 26% of individuals identify as non-binary while 20% question if they are transgender.
Ryleigh Fort, a student at Citrus Valley, who uses she/they/he pronouns, states, “I think that newer pronouns, such as they/them and neopronouns should be taught in school because not everyone uses the ‘regular’ she/her, he/him pronouns. It’s also helpful for people to get accustomed to using them when they’re older. Not only that, it can help people who feel trapped in the wrong body feel more comfortable and not as dysphoric.”
Students who may not feel supported at home could feel a sense of security at school when people understand how to use their pronouns. The Trevor Project, a LGBTQ organization, says, “Affirming LGBTQ youth’s gender by using pronouns that align with their gender identity has shown to improve mental health outcomes.”
Pronoun pin that was obtained in the beginning of the school year. (MARSHAL SCOTT/ Ethic News photo)
When people intentionally misgender someone it can be very hurtful to a person’s mental health, especially if they’re already struggling. An act as simple as asking for someone’s pronouns and respecting their pronouns could potentially save someone’s life.
According to the Trevor Project’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, “TGNB (Transgender and Gender Non-Binary) youth who reported having their pronoun respected by all or most of the people in the lives attempted suicide at half the rate of those who did not have their pronouns respected.”
By having schools teaching students about newer pronouns, the rates of suicide, discrimation to one’s gender identiy and much more could be dropped immensely. Starting as young as first grade would be an appropriate age to teach kids about pronouns. Having just a lesson on the pronouns could be using, whether it being neopronouns, or the standard pronouns would help people who may not feel connected to their assigned sex at birth.
Pronouns such as they/them, it/its, xe/xem and many more should be a part of schools curriculums to ensure the students understand the importance. By doing so students would feel like they’re understood, and could potentially be excited to go to school without having to worry about not being accepted.
Correction: The last three paragraphs were inadvertently not included in the original publishing of this article at 2:45 pm on Nov. 9. The correction was made at 5:25 pm to include the full original article, with the intended last three paragraphs included.
“What do you think?” is a series of articles asking the opinion of others on different subjects, rather than having the writers share their opinion. Each “What do you think?” segment will share information on a different topic and provide an opportunity for readers to answer a related interactive poll question at the end of the article.
By NADIA CENICEROS
Guess it is “game over” for some gamers in China. The Chinese government has banned people under 18 from playing video games for more than three hours a week. According to the official China news agency, minors will only be allowed to play on weekends or public holidays for an hour. Minors will only be able to play for one hour between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. at night. This law was put into place on Sept. 1.
Video game consoles like Playstation are being used to a limited extent in China (NADIA CENICEROS/Ethic news)
Before this law was decided, in 2019, minors were only allowed to play for only 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends. China is blaming video games for children having nearsightedness, addiction and laziness. Parents were concerned about their children because they were “becoming too addicted to the game” and it is “affecting their mental and physical health.” Children can find their way around this ban so the Chinese government has asked all families to cooperate to prevent kids from playing longer. Officials say that this will help kids to get better grades and to be more focused. New laws will now be issued at local schools, putting specific requirements so students do not play video games.
Citrus Valley High School students Marquille Glenn (left) and Brooklyn Lane (right) answer a whiteboard question. The whiteboard question was “Is there such a thing as ‘playing video games too much?’” (JASMINE ROSALES/Ethic News Photo)
Tencent, a multinational conglomerate company and the largest video game company in China, have sent out a statement on the situation. The company said that they have been working on “various new technologies and functions for the protection of minors” since 2017. The company also said they will “continue as Tencent strictly abides by and actively implements the latest requirements from Chinese authorities.” The Chinese government has required minors to register for games with their real names.
Caleab Losee, a junior at Citrus Valley, answers a whiteboard question. (JASMINE ROSALES/Ethic News Photo)
The National Press and Publication Association, also known as the NPPA, is the regulator which approves video game titles. The NPPA have made all video games connect to an “anti-addiction” system that is operated by the association. Xi Jinping, the current Chinese president, had said three months earlier how gaming can make children unsuccessful in their academic classes and warned publicly about the endangerment of youth video game addiction. This statement caused the NPPA to consider the situation.
Citrus Valley students Ashlyn Gaines (left) and Madalyn Higham (right) answer a whiteboard question. (JASMINE ROSALES/Ethic News Photo)
Some of the citizens have very different opinions on this new rule. Some American citizens believe that China will become better in their education and more children in China will succeed more than Americans. According to The Edvocate, Chinese students “outperform American students.” The Edvocate explains that China focuses more on “fundamental understanding of calculations” while American education focuses on “creativity and how the student will use the knowledge in society.” This causes more students in China to do better in the education system than students in America.
Amelia Cox, a student at Citrus Valley, answers a whiteboard question. (JASMINE ROSALES/Ethic News Photo)
There is no log-in required to participate in the poll below. Once a person votes, they can see updated poll results.
Many teachers don’t get the recognition for their work to educate their students in class, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when it’s even more difficult to teach students. Many teachers provide time for students that need help before and after school outside of their scheduled hours. Teachers’ salaries are too low considering the time, dedication and effort taken to educate their students.
The Redlands Unified School District typically does not provide supplies except the bare necessities like pencils and computers. If teachers want to purchase other supplies, such as colored pencils, markers, whiteboard markers, erasers, notebooks and paper, they have to use their own money.
Outside of their scheduled hours, teachers grade work, volunteer for school-related activities and events without any additional pay and provide a flexible time for tutoring test make ups, before school, during lunch and after school.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an additional hurdle that has hindered teachers ability to teach. During distance learning, teachers tried as much as possible to communicate and interact with their students. Teachers provided time for students that did not understand the material being taught to give additional support before and after school, using video conferencing platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom.
According to the RUSD Management Team Salary Schedule, a staff member’s education, experience and position in the school affects their salary.
“Teachers aren’t paid nearly enough, and they feel less appreciated, more stressed, and less supported than they have in the past,” The National Education Association says.
Considering all the extra time, money and effort teachers give to their school and students, they all deserve an increased salary. A teacher’s pay is not enough for the many things they do for their students.
Dress codes were created and enforced to help “keep students safe,” but has it come to a point where it’s going past boundaries?
This has been a recurring topic and will continue unless there is a happy medium between both administrators and students. When it comes to dress codes, it’s made to keep both boys and girls responsible for their “learning environment,” but how does it affect someone’s learning? With school back on campus after a year of distance learning, this issue has arisen once again and students are more vocal than before.
From recent messages, students at REV hang posters to bring attention to the girls’ dress codes. This poster was located outside the girls restroom in the G wing.” (Photo courtesy of Mia Aranda)
Clothing is a very controversial topic, given the many arguments on it. Many pieces of clothing have been labeled as “provocative and inappropriate” to one person while it can be the complete opposite or not even an issue to others.
With dress codes, everything varies between the material and the person, nothing fits the same for every single person. For example, a shirt, for one person it may look oversized and a little baggy. But, if given to someone else, it may fit just right. Dress code rules are different for every school. Some are more unrestricted than others, and so on, but do dress codes really cater to everyone? The dress codes can be a little biased at times. Many students can go around, for example, with a tight shirt and if you have multiple girls wearing the same shirt with different body types, there is a clear difference in how the shirt may look.
Many girls worldwide feel targeted because of the set dress codes. Due to the controversy, there have been many protests made by students who have been dress coded and felt depicted by school administrators.
Marshall Scott, a freshman at Citrus Valley High School, states, “If a female needs to cover their bodies because it’s distracting the males in the female classes, then schools should work on teaching males not to sexual females.”
Girls are told they are showing off their bodies in an inappropriate manner in a learning environment or to go change because their body is a distraction. Though the school’s intentions are to dress code their clothing to make a safe learning environment and for their own safety, it has reached a point where it hurts the students’ self-esteem.
Yes, keeping a safe learning environment is the most important thing. But, is someone’s education really being tampered with due to a girl’s shoulder and collarbone?
Countless dress codes occur everyday, but the majority of them are towards girls. Many girls, especially recently, have claimed how much social media takes a toll on their confidence and fits the so-called beauty standard created by social media.
Daniela Mora, a sophomore at Redlands East Valley, says,“I feel like our bodies are being labeled as distractions and it actually makes me extremely uncomfortable. It’s sad to think that I can’t dress for the weather just because I’m a ‘distraction.’”
Going to school and getting dress-coded has been said to be demoralizing because of what is considered revealing. A student wearing a tank top being told her shoulders are considered a “distraction” can be both upsetting and demoralizing because the outfit worn to school could have been something the student felt confident in. From firsthand experience, getting pulled aside to be told an outfit is distracting or too “revealing” can make someone feel self conscious because what is considered “too revealing” to the human eye?
Found on the first floor of the H wing, more students from REV band together to bring more attention to girls’ dress codes. (Photo by AJ Corpus/Ethic News Photo)
Recently, students have had enough and are now taking this matter into their own hands and making a change for the future.
At local schools, students have made and posted posters around their campus and created petitions to minimize unnecessary rules in dress codes. Some students have even teamed up together and all wore something considered “out of dress code” such as tank tops, sleeveless shirts, cropped shirts that show midriff and so forth to protest that it was not a distraction.
At Citrus Valley High School, girls from all grades contributed on Friday, Aug. 27 and all wore clothes that are considered “out of dress code” to make a stand. Students at Redlands East Valley have painted posters and hung them around campus.
As multiple dress code petitions circulate and more stands are made against dress codes, students around the world will fight until students have the freedom to dress the way they want. So until then, stay tuned for future changes in dress codes for an end to this controversy.
As new and old movements are spreading all across America, it may seem hard to keep track. One helpful way to encourage and uplift these movements is by speaking about them and listening to their voices. Genuine support is not easy; it takes both time and effort. This also means not trading one movement for another when a newer movement starts “trending.”
In a time when racial division is on the rise, it is necessary that each person and group stands and lifts up the other. But be careful not to replace one movement with another; following only the latest movement is not the step forward you may think it is. The “Black Lives Matter” movement is still necessary and is not over despite the victory in the Derek Chauven case. And all the same, the “Protect Asian Lives” movement is still necessary despite the killer in the Atlanta shooting being caught. When we simply replace the names of movements with others instead of acknowledging and battling each issue simultaneously, it creates a cycle where we do not ever solve any problems. This makes serious and important issues into trends to follow and forget when the next “trend” or issue comes up.
Lives are being threatened and or made more difficult daily due to the fluctuation in hate crimes in the past year. According to an Anti-Asian Prejudice March 2021 Fact Sheet produced by the California State University of San Bernardino’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, in the year 2020, reported hate crimes against Asians have risen by 145%. This is simply the data collected of the reported cases and presumably, many hate crimes have been committed under the radar.
An example of people seeing these movements as a trend was the Black Lives Matter Movement. Many people chose to use tokens that showed their support for the movement, but did not truly help. People who use serious issues as aesthetics, trends, or accessories are almost as detrimental as the people who oppose those issues. It makes a mockery of them and brings them down to simply being a phase. An opinion piece, “The problem of performative activism,” for Aljazeera written by John Metta says, “Today, it is common to see businesses with Black Lives Matter signs in their windows, but so much of the current support coincides with public announcements that feel more like marketing than social action. It seems that every company is proclaiming how strong their involvement is, while so much of their action is limited to words.”
However, while it is helpful to raise awareness about the problems, one thing many people often mistake is their ways of supporting. For example, on the surface it might seem like a minor issue to interchange names between different organizations; like replacing “Protect Asian Lives” with “Asian Lives Matter”; however, many problems do arise from this. Each movement’s name has an important origin, and just filling in the blank with another group makes the movements seem interchangeable, when each is unique and important.
This is in no way, shape, or form attempting to sway people away from supporting Black Lives Matter or Protect Asian Lives, but to encourage those who wish to make a difference to do so in helpful and constructive ways that are ongoing. A great example of a positive way to help this movement is to visit blacklivesmatter.com and look at the resources they have listed there. To learn more about how to stop hate against the AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) community, there is information and resources on the following two websites; https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/https://stopasianhate.carrd.co/# .
Distance learning is a struggle for many parties involved. Whether it’s distracting surroundings, intense workloads, or technical difficulties, parents, students, and teachers all agree that it is not the optimal way to learn and develop interests and skills.
While the focus of struggles is often placed on student’s and their difficulties, teachers also have all of the aforementioned issues. Whether it is helping their children with their schooling, intense grading workloads, or technical difficulties, teachers have issues with distance learning, sometimes arguably even greater than students. However, with all of these responsibilities, there is one role that sometimes finds itself being the subject of teacher procrastination, grading.
Grading on time is a crucial portion to a successful teachers’ career and their students.
While teachers understand that things should be returned in a timely manner, what sometimes ends up happening is that, like students with their assignments, they get behind in grading; which in turn creates the action of not grading many, or in some extreme cases, any assignments until the end of the quarter or semester. What this does is cause stress in the student’s life and in certain cases, discourages them from even turning in work on time. This develops a habit of procrastination as opposed to a habit of proactivity in learning, which is one of the largest reasons students must attend schools.
When asked about his thoughts on distance learning in general, Sophomore Max Cannon says, “It is the best that we can do regarding the times we live in. Although class would be significantly more engaging if the focus was on the learning as opposed to the assignments.’’
Many times, the reason for a teacher’s late grading is completely justified. Some of these reasons include childcare, technical issues, or unfamiliarity with the new distance learning protocol and software. The job of teachers is to have their student’s best interest at heart, and will often work to help the students become the best version of themselves they can be. According to edsource.org, in the Los Angeles School District alone, D’s and F’s have increased by a metric of 8.7%. This shows, in the simplest of terms, that teachers are not adjusting to their new responsibilities appropriately.
As distance learning has progressed, teachers have gained a better grasp of the softwares used for our benefit, both through training programs and trial and error. Unfortunately, some teachers do not want to expend the extra effort required to have the students comprehend and retain information while using these new softwares.
Teacher’s are not perfect when it comes to grading, and some can even be resistant to new ways of teaching. However, it is still important to give all people a fair chance to improve on themselves. Distance learning is difficult at times, and everyone involved has their personal difficulties, but it is still the educator’s responsibility to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible, especially when it comes to grading.
Despite the Redlands Unified School Board’s decision to freeze grades as of April 19, as distance learning continues, one thing is on student’s and teacher’s minds alike: grading. With a widespread pandemic taking the world by storm, most outside of the educational system are shocked to hear this, but yes, grading is one of the most stressful topics for staff, students, and parents.
Unfortunately, as more and more work is assigned, both teachers and students often times fall behind. This brings even more stress into their daily lives on top of the chaos that is the early 2020’s. For teachers, grading has become a nightmare. With software not functioning properly, and having a certain curriculum they must follow, teachers are learning to adjust to the struggles of distance learning. As a result, students find themselves working day in and day out with little motivation. This is causing work to be rushed and inevitably pushed to the side, only adding to the workload. Grading and due dates during this period of distance learning is a huge trial for all involved.
“I wouldn’t say grading is more difficult necessarily, but rather more time-consuming,” said Danielle Persing Biology teacher at Redlands East Valley High School, “Significantly more time-consuming.”
“Instead of a stack of papers that I can easily shift through and organize, we have different tabs and links that we click through,” said Persing. “When you have 100+ assignments to grade, it takes time; and usually, the internet has other plans and takes a minute or so to even open a new tab or an assignment, making it take even longer.”
With distance learning continuing with no end in sight, many students find themselves in an endless sea of questions, “When will my work be graded?’’ ‘‘What will my grades be?’’, ‘‘Will my teacher be as understanding of my extenuating circumstances as they would in person?,” ‘‘ Will I be swarmed with homework on top of the extracurricular activities I already have going on?” “ How am I supposed to finish all of this by Friday?”
With all of these thoughts going through a student’s head, oftentimes there is a hidden variable that those involved tend to subconsciously ignore, the work done by teachers.
“I want my students to have timely and meaningful feedback, but it’s easier said than done,” said Persing, “There are some assignments I’m able to return to students within a day or so, but then I’m not leaving any feedback for them to improve. So, every now and then I set aside a couple of hours after school to do so, but just like most students, having to stare at a screen takes its toll on you.”
Their rules, beliefs, and expectations can tend to go far above what is achievable for students during this difficult time. Teachers have to grade all that they assign, and when they do not maintain consistency in their grading, it creates a tremendous amount of work they have to complete by the quarter’s end.
“I’m also constantly thinking of and planning ways to make DL more interesting and engaging to keep up student motivation,” said Persing, “so time must be set aside for that as well. It’s a balance that’s difficult to find.”
The question left wondering is, “Who’s responsible for all the stress and anxiety surrounding grading?” Teachers… right? Contrary to popular belief, I think that responsibility falls on students. Students often go to parents, friends, and even other staff members offering excuses as to why they have missing work and grades that stray from what they hoped to see on their report cards. Instead of simply being honest with themselves by taking responsibility for their forgetfulness or lack of motivation. With distance learning, parents, siblings, friends, and all of the other chaos that happens in a student’s life- school can sometimes be left out of the equation. However, students also often procrastinate, forget, and simply just get tired of all the work.
Yet this still leaves us with the question, “Who is to be held responsible for the stress of grading and school?” The impossible question can not be answered with a single person or people, but a simple truth. With the world on lockdown and going a million miles per hour, all need to try their best to be understanding of one another’s circumstances. Students are expected to turn in their assignments on time, and to the best of their ability. While teachers should be held accountable for grading the work they assign in a timely manner- the best they can. Distance learning can be extremely difficult for anyone, but everyone must work together to make things the best they can be.
Growing up in this generation is very different than it used to be. Most parents say they spent their time outside playing rather than being inside with a screen in their face. Many adults say that video games are bad for children for different reasons, but what do they really do? Do they have a positive or negative effect on the mental health of children?
Some may use their electronics to stay productive, while others use it as a distraction. They seem like the same thing, but, from a different perspective, they are two different things. Electronics can keep someone busy if they have free time, either as a distraction or a way to escape one’s reality.
Eva Valtierrez, a sophomore from Redlands East Valley, says, “Video games make me feel excited in a way, but also kind of destroys my procrastination because I am so focused on the game, but mentally puts me in a good state of mind.” Video games can provide an escape from reality for short periods of time when a person is stressed or overwhelmed.
If they are intended for entertainment, how do video games take a toll on someone’s mental health? There are different genres of gaming and ways to play, whether it’s alone or online. While playing online, players can work together with other people which can provide a form of social interaction. Playing a game stimulates the mind to focus on the goal and makes players aware of what’s happening on the screen.
Showing how video games can have a positive influence on players. Some positive influences that video games can hold are problem solving, social connections, and focus on a particular goal (Artwork by Mia Aranda)
Communicating with others can be rather difficult at times. In a tense situation, disagreements with other players can lead to arguments. This can take a toll on one’s emotions. Jenna Tampubolon, a freshman at Citrus Valley High School, says. “I feel like when people play video games, they worry less about their problems and then eventually isolate themselves from everyone which could lead to anger and or being depressed.”
Some players say they love the rush of tense situations because it makes them feel alive or captured into the game, but sometimes it can be a bit much. Comparing some of these emotions to how it affects mental health still leaves the question as to what exactly provokes it besides playing with others.
In 1958, William Higinbotham created the game Pong–the very first video game. This game brought a lot of joy to those who got to play it. Fast-forwarding 63 years, video games have come a long way, as graphics, fundamentals and mechanics have improved vastly. As video games became more popular, other creators pitched in and went through different routes to create different games in order to expand the video game community. Varying from adventure, puzzle, horror and roleplay, the genres are endless. Even so, they all collectively provide entertainment to people all around the world.
On the other hand, what do they do for us mentally? In a typical math class, the brains of students work to add up numbers to find the sum. It’s similar to video games, such as how in puzzle games, players have to think of possible scenarios as to which pieces would work and how to ultimately complete the task at hand.
Adventure games are made to help you build on strategic thinking and memory formation, while horror games help build awareness and focus. Many who have played a game multiple times have more than likely memorized patterns and strategies throughout the entirety of their playthrough. This particular fundamental is important because many adults still believe video games are not a productive activity. Nonetheless, they still work out the brain and also how well one can remember things.
Whether it’s making players smarter academically or makes them better people by learning from a character’s struggles in their own perspective, video games do have their benefits and positive impacts. However, the longer a person tends to use them as an escape, the more negative habits tend to emerge in the lifestyle of the person. Staying on a game for too long can severely damage a person’s mental health because that can be all that a player thinks about or looks forward to. Staying up all night while staring at the screen will not only tire the average person but will also make players seem out of touch with reality.
Many people have had to adapt to staying indoors and have naturally gravitated towards video games. Some parents have had to deal with their children being on video games too much since they have so much free time and causing a lot of emotion and stress on relationships. Many people have complained about video games causing their children to become upset and violent and withdrawn at home.
Maria Phumirat, a concerned mother, says, “When I was younger, I would play outside until the sun went down and nowadays kids just stare at a screen and don’t even do their homework when they get home because they go straight to the computer.”
Overall mental health is the most important thing to maintain. Being emotionally involved with video games can sometimes take a toll on a person’s life. It is best to call it a day and take a break from the game from time to time, as video games are ultimately meant to be enjoyed. As long as players have self-control and manage their time effectively, video games are a perfectly acceptable activity for anyone to indulge in.
The Redlands School Board voted on schedules for returning to in-person instruction for secondary schools on April 1. Middle school students will return to school on April 12 and high school students on April 19. Each student can choose whether they would like to opt for in-person instruction or continue with distance learning and may mark their decision on Aeries.
Toxic masculinity is a social dilemma, forcing stereotypes and emotional and physical oppression on men, which impacts everyone in the long run. In recent years, these stereotypes have started to be questioned and broken down, and this is the trend that needs to continue to help everyone, regardless of gender.
Toxic masculinity is the result of society’s attitudes, viewpoints, and stereotypes focusing on how men should behave and their roles in and outside the home. This term appeared around 1980-1990 and has been used by feminist activists and others against sexism, gender inequalities and stereotypes.
The expectations of toxic masculinity have been forced on men, altering the way they cope with trauma or conflicting situations. However, if we were to question and challenge this harmful thought process, then toxic masculinity could be eliminated, along with many of the stereotypes placed on both men and women.
Toxic masculinity and masculinity are two very different things. Masculinity is being “manly,” or having characteristics that are traditionally associated with men. Being masculine is fine for anyone, boys, girls, and everyone in between. Toxic masculinity is the mindset that every single person of the male gender must be masculine and do traditionally “masculine things.” This is not fine.
For example, someone with toxic masculinity might say that actions like wearing feminine clothing, painting nails, or crying no longer makes them a man because “real men” don’t do traditionally feminine things. This mindset is misleading, as nothing truly makes you a “real man.” If you identify as a man, then you are one.
These labels and stereotypes that make men feel like they are not “a real man can” can cause many unhealthy coping mechanisms and hurt young teens’ mental health. The pressure they feel to be a protector, show off their strength and be the provider can cause men to bottle up their feelings in order to avoid being seen as weak.
The expectation for men not to show emotion can only be maintained for so long since it isn’t being let out and handled in a healthy manner. When this emotion eventually does come out, it becomes an explosion and may be released through aggression. Eliminating toxic masculinity does not mean that men need to be emotional and feel like they have to overcompensate their feelings; it’s simply getting rid of the pressure they may have to hide these feelings since “they aren’t normal for a man.”
Toxic masculinity is a social construct that, as stated before, gives men the mindset that boys all have to be traditionally masculine. Some boys are masculine, which is great, but there are many that prefer to be more “feminine,” which doesn’t make them any less of a man. They are still completely valid and should be able to dress and act the way they want to without being told they are not a “real man” or that “they must be gay.” A lot of boys who would prefer to be more feminine, are too scared to because of the effects of toxic masculinity on society.
Though there is a huge stigma for men to be traditionally masculine, there are some examples of some amazing men who have started to break this social construct. In November 2020, Harry Styles posted pictures of him on the cover of Vogue wearing a dress (the magazine didn’t come out until December of 2020). Styles received a lot of backlash and hate from this, specifically from political commentator Candace Owens. Owens said that we need to “bring back manly men” and that society can not survive without “manly men.” This was implying that Styles is not a “manly man” because he was wearing a dress. One thing that stood out to a large number of people was her double standard. She was angered by a man wearing a dress, while she often wears a pants suit. Styles responded to Owens by posting another picture of him in a slightly feminine outfit, with the caption: “Bring back manly men.”
Many young men on social media are fighting toxic masculinity. On October 9, 2020, about 100 teenage boys in Canada wore skirts to school to protest against sexism, homophobia, and toxic masculinity. These boys attended College Nouvelles Frontieres in Gatineau, Quebec. Zachary Paulin, a 16 year old student, told a few people that he was going to wear a skirt to school that Friday, and, to his surprise, many of his peers joined him. When asked about the event Paulin said, “The double standard on the way society views out women and men is blatant. If a woman decides to wear a suit or pants, clothes associated with masculinity, it’s not a big deal, but the moment a man will do anything remotely feminine, whether it is to put nail polish, makeup or, in our case, a skirt, fingers are pointed and he gets insulted. People will say that he’s not a ‘real man’ and they will automatically assume his sexuality.”
Forcing men into traditionally masculine roles not only creates a toxic environment for those who feel like they need to fit this contract of masculinity, but those around them as well. This in turn has dangerous generational impacts of this cycle repeating. Eliminating these social constructs will allow men to feel free to express themselves and show emotions or sides of them they may bottle up or feel uncomfortable showing in fear of judgement. It will take time, but, if we make an effort to question and challenge these harmful stereotypes, toxic masculinity can become a thing of the past.
Featured photo: Digital collage created using images, phrases, and art to symbolize the stereotypes that are defined by toxic masculinity in modern society. From famous celebrities to school children, toxic masculinity scrutinizes and oppresses males when society feels they have strayed too far from gender norms. (Ethic Digital Art/Allison Stockham and Makayla Naime)
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