Editorial
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Memories of Mississippi BY MAGGIE LOFTIN ‘17 Driving thirty minutes to the middle-ofnowhere, Mississippi doesn’t sum up the average Hutchison student’s daily life. For me, this is reality. For me, this is my world. Whether I arrive at my home or that of my grandparents, I am always struck by the pure southern aura of these places. Growing up in North Mississippi has come to mean a lot to me. After seventeen years of denying the fact that yes, I am a Mississippian, because, well, because of Mississippi in general, I’ve accepted that this is where I am from. Contrary to common beliefs, not all Mississippians are uneducated. Not all Mississippians live in a trailer and shoot animals out their windows. It helps defines who I am, and it has shaped me in more ways than I can imagine. I get a lot of, “Isn’t it horrible to drive so far every day?” and an occasional, “Wait – so you live in Mississippi but attend school in Tennessee?” The answers, respectively, are no and yes. I actually love my half-hour commute to school every day. I wouldn’t be me without the influences it has had on my life. North Mississippi is the epitome of southern life for me. Holly Springs is your typical sleepy southern town with its own art gallery and a plethora of southern women celebrating their southern heritage annually with the Holly Springs Pilgrimage home tours. Oxford screams Southern with its myriad of college students and fancy southern boutiques. But to me, none of these parts of North Mississippi seem as representative of the reality of this place as does an old,
dilapidated country store, a herd of cows, and one family. Mt. Pleasant, Mississippi is barely a town. Surrounding the town square, which possesses a gazebo, a swing, and two flag-posts, are three or four houses, a new restaurant, an antique store, a church parking lot, and a store without a name.
Mt. Pleasant doesn’t sound like much, and it certainly doesn’t look like much either. The nameless store really does have a name, but no one really knows it. The name is not important; however, the
new ways of life in this world, as well as it represents how everything from the past is being forgotten because of the prominence of today’s fast lifestyle. Stepping into the store is like stepping into a room in the past that possesses a window showing the present. Everything looks old – everything – but there’s a computer screen connected to cameras that monitor the outside and (relatively) new cars sitting outside. True, all of these “new” commodities, the microwave, the cameras, the computer, even the cash register, look outdated. Honestly, they are outdated, but they do show the changes that have been made in recent years. Photo by Maggie Loftin I have grown up around this odd mixture of the present and the past. I have seen it progress. After elections, I have seen a herd of family, friends, and politicians enter the store and talk. I have seen an old man with duct tape on his shoes eat a Hostess cake and talk nonsense just to annoy my grandfather. I have seen so much here. I would not trade it for the world. Saying that I spend a lot of time with my grandparents is an understatement. I spend just about every weekend there, and, for goodness sakes, I’m filming a documentary about my grandfather’s life and his side of the family. Mr. Simpson once told me that my face lights up when I talk about my family. Even though I don’t know the majority of my family very well, this is undeniably true. When I’m with my grandparents, life seems amazing. This amazing life has made me realize that
“...the store represents change and constancy and progression...the difference between the old and the new...” significance that a seemingly unimportant small town store can have on one person’s life is phenomenal and very important. To me, the store represents change and constancy and progression. It represents the difference between the old and the
Editorial there’s so much I don’t know, like how to open a gate. It’s harder than it sounds, especially when you realize that the latch
even the creek really has taught me a lot. I grew up walking up and down creeks with my grandfather. Occasionally I would
Photo by Maggie Loftin
is a piece of barbed wire wrapped around a fence post and that the best way to open it is to slam your shoulder against the fence post (avoiding getting stuck by the wire, of course) while trying to remove it from the barbed wire. There are also more important things I have learned, such as do not run when cows come up to you in a pasture. They
wear myself out, and my grandfather would have to carry me back to the truck. Through this, I learned that I can’t keep going without resting, which is something I’ve struggled with throughout my life. Besides the whole “don’t run from cows” thing, the creatures have presented tendencies that have actually taught me life lessons. Cows like to decide to break
Photo by Maggie Loftin
will chase you up a tree and across a field. Besides learning about cows’ violent tendencies, going with my grandad to the cow pasture or the soy bean field or
out of the pasture at the worst possible time. For me, that time would be a Sunday night when I am doing my homework. Despite my love-hate relationship with
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the creatures, I’ve come to respect them. I mean I kind of have to, considering they’ve actually taught me some things. First of all, I’ve learned that you can’t run from your responsibilities and not have them come back to bite you – just like you can’t run from cows and not expect them to chase you. They’ve also shown me that at some point, everything can and will go wrong, and sometimes, you just can’t do anything to change it. Whether the cows get out on a Sunday night or whether I crack my phone screen (again), it is better to just accept that bad stuff happens. If you can’t stop something from happening, it is better to not get upset and to simply deal with the consequences. I’ve also learned way more about agriculture than I thought I ever would. If you had asked me a year ago if I would have spent one of my nights standing on the back of a moving trailer holding a flashlight while watching soy beans being moved from one place to another at 9 o’clock at night, the answer would have been no. If you asked me if I would do that now, the answer would be yes. The time spent with my grandparents has also changed a lot of my opinions. I’ve grown up with a lifelong dislike of country music, and it still has a tendency to aggravate me when I hear it too much. Despite this, it relaxes me because it reminds me of nights at the barn with my aunt and uncle, riding in my grandad’s old Ford pickup to the field, and walking through the pasture looking for cows. Yes, I still definitely dislike the message, sound, and meanings found in modern country music, but sometimes I can look past it and think back on good memories. Most people think that life in North Mississippi would be terrible because of the ever-present stereotypes surrounding it. I definitely get weird looks when I say I enjoy living there, but beauty can be found in the life lived by my grandparents and the majority of my family. Wherever my future leads me, be it to England or to the east coast, my path will eventually take the road back to home, back to Mississippi. The next time someone asks me where I am from, I will look up, smile, and proudly answer, “I am from Mississippi.”
Science
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Frozen zoos: the end of extinction? BY ELLIE WEEKS ‘19
Frozen Zoos are very similar to a seed bank for plants; they will save the stem cells of animals for eternity by freezing them in nitrogen pools in order to ensure that no species will be lost. Previously, even when scientists and environmentalists can try to save endangered species, a species will eventually get to such low numbers that extinction can no longer be prevented. Often times this extinction is a result of natural causes, but a majority of the time human action has caused animal extinction. Since the Ice Age, humans have been the main cause of extinction through hunting, habitat destruction, and competition caused by non-native species being introduced to new areas. According to Mary Lee Wesberry, Hutchison’s Upper School Science Department Chair, the Dodo bird officially went extinct in 1681, and was lost forever as a result of action of man. This animal, along with many others, is one that we have caused to be lost forever due to our harmful actions which have been a part of the 5 major mass extinctions: habitat destruction, invasive species, pollution, human overpopulation, and over-harvesting. Though people and scientists have brought up many contradictory points, there are many reasons to think that Frozen Zoos will change and benefit life on earth.
Frozen Zoos will provide aid to keeping life present on earth today alive, and make up for the ways we destroyed life in the past. By at least documenting and saving the stem cells of animals in Frozen Zoos, scientists know that a species will not be completely out of reach and gone forever. Though Frozen Zoos have the ability to bring back all life that exists on earth, it does not necessarily mean they will bring back every species. It can be researched
will not help save endangered animals once their numbers get so low because it will only condense the pool of genes to a point where reproduction between the living ones is impossible. Frozen Zoos have already worked on reproducing endangered species, such as the giant panda and Chinese monal pheasant, and wish to continue this process to save more life on earth as cities increase and more animals die (Source: Washington Post). An idea that has helped encourage Frozen Zoos to partake in this action of saving species from extinction is the Environmental Movement. As Wesberry explained, part of what this movement states is that all life on earth has equal value. Because of this, environmentalists and scientists have increased their push to preserve animals that are going extinct. For this reason Frozen Zoos are a wonderful idea that should continue to grow with technology. If we do not do support the ideas of Frozen Zoos, we may be devaluing it only all the other life on Earth, and making ourselves the only concern. What many people do not realize is that many creatures on earth are vital to the environment, and without the potential help of Frozen Zoos the extinction of species will continue to increase, potentially by 10,000 times what it is today in the near future.
“...part of what this movement states is that all life on Earth has equal value” on whether or not an animal has been eliminated from the earth by course of nature or because of man, and this will provide the answer to whether or not it is okay to reproduce a species from the lab. It has been noted that many people find this prospect very immoral and against the course of nature. Though some might believe this to be true, scientists reassure us of the fact that what Frozen Zoos do to reproduce animals is not the same as cloning. What Frozen Zoos can reproduce from the frozen stem cells are not a genetically identical organism, and are more likely to live normally rather than dying after a short period of time. Cloning
SIGNPOST Senior Editors Maggie Loftin ‘17 Isabel Risch ‘16 Staff Writers Sarah Beth Bland ‘19 Avery Boals ‘19 Corrina Brown ‘18 Paige Champlin ‘19 Lucy Fiedler ‘17
Junior Editors Abigail Gray ‘17 Sam Tancredi ‘18
Photographic Editor Jasmine McGill ‘17
The Signpost staff strives to practice ethical journalism and to promote integrity in its work. The editors and staff reserve the right to publish only those articles which they consider accurate and not injurious. All articles must meet these criteria in their inception and execution. The opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, faculty, students, or administration.
Photo courtesy of Susannah Bland
Grace Galler ‘19 MacKiah Hoff ‘19 Whitney Jordan ‘19 Ally Krasin ‘18 Callie Lannin ‘19
Jianna Plescher ‘18 Jospehine Redd ‘19 Sky Stubbs ‘18 Ellie Weeks ‘18
Signpost wants to be inclusive of the entire Hutchison community, and we welcome submissions from faculty, students, and alums. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at hutchphotos1516@gmailcom. We do not guarantee that every article will be published. Every article sent is subject to be edited for content and size.
SIGNPOST IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS OF MOLLY MCCONNELL ‘59, WHO SUPPORT STUDENT JOURNALISM AT HUTCHISON IN HER MEMORY.
Science
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Frozen zoos: playing God? BY MACKIAH HOFF ‘19
Frozen Zoos give scientists and ultimately countless species… before we invest in all of humanity the ability to save Frozen Zoos to bring them back. endangered species from extinction, but Millions of dollars are spent on Frozen should we really ‘play God’ and decide Zoo research and facility upkeep, money which animals live and die? Although some that could be spent on cancer research or consider Frozen Zoos to be revolutionary other various studies benefitting people developments, humans need to take a step struggling worldwide. Besides reproducing back and truly decide whether or not we endangered species, the most well-known should be utilizing the advanced technology and advanced Frozen Zoo in San Diego Frozen Zoos present to us. is spending millions on managing a Paul Ehrlich from the Stanford Woods preservation facility that stores over ten Institute for the Environment Infographic by the authors argues that “messing around with science… might be fun and I would like to see it preserved and am all for biodiversity, but it’s so far down the list of things we should be doing first” (NBC 7 San Diego). In other words, we should be focusing on ending pollution, habitat destruction, hunting, or introducing nonnative species to new areas – all human-caused events that have led to animal extinction – before we spend time and money trying to save the animals whose deaths could have been prevented thousand samples from individual animals by ceasing these actions. According to (Source: CBS news). Mrs. Mary Lee Wesberry, Hutchison’s Yet another question Frozen Zoos have Upper School Science Department Chair, caused us to ask is – is it worth the money countless species, such as the dodo bird to preserve animals in the rare event of a and carrier pigeon, have been hunted into natural disaster and spend millions on liquid extinction. We could stop this problem nitrogen tanks filled with preserved cells without Frozen Zoos and the millions that may never be needed? Should millions of dollars that come with reproducing of dollars that could be used to research endangered animals and storing their stem world issues be spent in preparation for cells in tanks of liquid nitrogen. There’s a possible catastrophe? I believe that a simple solution to this issue – humans this money should instead be invested in need to minimize or altogether cease their solving current global issues, like cancer, destructive actions that have exterminated affecting millions of people daily.
It is impossible to save every endangered species, so scientists would have to decide which animals are given the gift of life first. Currently, scientists working at Frozen Zoos are the only people who get to make these crucial decisions. Only selected animals are able to successfully escape endangerment, and therefore, the lives of millions of creatures are solely dependent on the decision of a few scientists. Is this really fair? Along with this decision comes the question of whether carnivorous or potentially harmful animals should be saved. How would humans prioritize which animals are the most important and should be saved first? Is this really a decision a few scientists should be making, or should we let nature decide when animals die, and which ones? Furthermore, many species’ extinctions were due to completely natural causes, and bringing certain animals back would disturb the balance of nature. Say for instance a species has gone extinct due to habitat destruction; if these animals were to be saved, they would need a place to go. However, introduction to a new environment could cause overpopulation and disrupt the delicate balance of the food chain. Wesberry contends that “some things don’t adjust to changing environments, and they might go extinct just because they got outcompeted by another species.” Therefore, bringing back certain species could cause an even larger problem within their ecosystem, and it might be best to allow these animals to follow the course of nature and remain extinct in the first place.
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Bee strong
Science
BY PAIGE CHAMPLIN ‘19 AND JOSEPHINE REDD ‘19 We know bees as the cute little bugs who fly the past several years. This worldwide around, pollinate flowers, and every once in bee population decline has been caused a while sting us. Though they always seem by several factors, both natural and manto be around, the bee population is actually made. While Colony Collapse disorder, declining very quickly. Heightened stresses the Varroa mite, and climate change in bee populations have led to a reduction have caused massive changes to bees’ in hive populations, by up to 90% in some ecosystems, and their presence certainly locations. Parasites, diseases, and habitat doesn’t help these insects, humans and their loss are all factors in this decline. Bees actions aren’t doing bees any favors either. are an imperfect species; they buzz around You know the pesticides you might use in your head, sometimes they’ll sting, and your garden? They may contain chemicals they spread around pollen that makes you that are fatal to entire bee colonies. Many sniff and sneeze all summer. They are, of the chemicals within these pesticides however, a crucial part of our ecosystem, and they continue to Photo courtesy of NBC disappear. When you go outside and begin to sneeze due to the pollen, do you ever think about how important it is to our own lives? Yes, the pollen can be quite annoying sometimes, but the process and importance of pollination is something we need to keep in the back of our minds as the bee population is beginning to decline. Without bees, humans and other animals would not be able to sustain life on earth. Though the bee species tends to always be around us, there are less of them then there have ever been. One thing that is causing bee death is a parasitic species of insect called the Varroa mite. It attacks honeybee colonies and causes the bees to develop a disease called Varroosis, which is fatal to the hive. The UK lost 80% of their honeybee population when either kill bees outright or have major the Varroa mite arrived. Colony collapse effects on their locational and navigational disorder affects honeybee colonies when skills, preventing them from returning to a large portion of worker bees die outside the hive, and potentially initiating colony the hive because of external conditions, collapse disorder. causing the hive to lose its function and This is for the most part an unintentional sustainability. 1/3 of all Earth’s food relies harm, but oftentimes, even those who are on bee-based pollination. Without bees, supposed to be taking care of these insects humans and other animals will starve. end up harming them. Bees are often The loss of bees is a global concern; forced into harsh weather conditions by American beekeepers reported a total loss their beekeepers, which stops them from of 40% of their bees in 2013, and Europe functioning as they are naturally meant and Brazil have reported a loss of 20- to, and the unnatural pesticides in the 30% of their bee population annually for environment are poisoning bee hives from
the outside. While many bees naturally pollinate flowers, bees kept in man-made hives are often used in farming. These bees can be kept on farms that mainly produce very few types of plants, making the plant life suffer because of the lack of pollen production from different sources. The hives also suffer because of the lack of plant diversity, as the presence of only one plant means the blooming cycle of this plant is constant. If bees only have access to a plant that blooms for a few months out of the year, the rest of that year these bees will suffer and die off. This cycle of bee limitation continues because many large companies in charge of beekeepers make most of their money off these “pollination services,” whose main purpose is to pollinate for certain farms that produce these limited plant types. The few pollination options, combined with the systematic moving from farm to farm, leads bees to become stressed, which only adds to the already high death rate. These factors keep bees from being able to effectively pollinate the crops, and also keep the bee population low enough to keep it from reproducing at the necessary rate. The functionality of earth depends to a great extent upon the massive natural work force bees provide it with, and taking control of bees natural functioning systems tear them away from their original way of life. Luckily, while many humans have been unhelpful in the face of this already naturally-occurring problem, other groups have made attempts to help bees away from the path to extinction. Researchers at CRISO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, the Australian federal government agency for scientific research) have developed a “micro sensing technology” which
Science allows scientists to monitor bees’ systems digitally. These micro sensors have been attached to the backs of thousands of bees across the country. The chips monitor the bees’ vital systems, flight patterns, intracolony interactions, pollination habits, and can even track trends having to do with bee death, including recording the spread of the Varroa Mite and other harmful diseases. The information on these chips is uploaded to a supercomputer which can be accessed by scientists across the world, helping them to learn more about the preventable stresses of their environments. Even those outside of the science world have taken to lending a hand to bees. Many city buildings have begun to develop rooftop gardens to help bees struggling in urban environments. These gardens are usually very flat, open, and have tables with miniature gardens growing different types of plants. The Waldorf Astoria in
New York is home to over 360,000 bees which produce honey and help the plants atop the building grow. Photo by Maggie Loftin
You can help as well! The bee population decline is a serious problem, but it is not
Page 7 all that well publicized. Keeping in touch with the problem and telling your friends about the increasing rate of bee loss, and the trend’s dire consequences, can help to raise awareness. The more that people know about the dangers of bee loss, the faster the problem will come to an end. Additionally, for people with gardens, avoiding or limiting the uses of pesticides and insecticides can be a big help to existing bee populations; and even if pesticides are necessary for your specific situation, researching the right times and ways to use the products can be just as effective at keeping harming bees from unnecessary harm. Keeping bees safe is doing a favor to yourself; the food you love depends on them, and you depend on it, so why not complete the cycle and spread the word. Be kind to a bee in need!
Giving voice to the voiceless
BY SARAH BETH BLAND ‘19
As Lauren Oliver wrote in ‘Before I Fall’: “...and I guess that’s when it starts to hit me: the whole point is, you do what you can.” This is exactly how I felt when I saw the terrified faces on the screen in front of me. These people, both old and young, were bound by their ankles to trees and cement blocks, all because they could not stand up for themselves. As I sat there watching this heart-tugging video, I realized that I was feeling the weight of these people; the air felt very heavy, and I became dizzy. How could this actually be happening in our world? Why is nobody standing up for these people? Then, it hit me: all I had to do was give back. In Africa, especially in countries like Benin and Ghana, there is a rising and massive issue with the treatment of those suffering from mental illness. In Ghana, 4.75 million people have a mental illness, mild or major, which adds up to around 18% of the total population. In a country like Ghana where cities are still developing, mental illness can be a life-threatening disease if someone has an outburst and accidentally gets injured, proving that 18% is a serious problem. The issue with the illness is that there is almost no money put into treatment for these people. Benedict Carey wrote, “...most countries in Africa...
devote an average of less than 1 percent of their health spending to the problem…” (Source: “The Chains of Mental Illness in West Africa”). Aside from the fact that the population with mental illness is so huge, the largest and most striking issue is the treatment that these patients receive from others in their community. Their families have confronted their fears and have sent them
“...they fear the mentally ill’s ‘bewitched’ and ‘demon posessed’ behavior...” out to the streets because of their random and panicky outbursts and episodes that are an effect of their disease. Most victims seen in hospitals in Benin have schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that “...is characterized by abnormal social behavior. In severe cases, patients may see or hear things
that aren’t real” (Source: Mayo Clinic). Bipolar disorder “causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs.. and lows…” (Mayo Clinic). Clearly, both of these disorders affect the way people act. Now, imagine yourself in a scenario where you encounter someone with one of these diseases and envision how you would react. Would you feel bad for this person and want to help them, or would you turn and walk the other way? Most people in Africa are faced with this dilemma everyday, but for them, the answer is almost always the latter because they fear the mentally ill’s “bewitched” and “demon possessed” behavior. Truthfully, no mental illness can be caught from touching someone who already has it: mental disabilities are completely genetic. Earlier, I described the effect that a certain video had on me. The “Praying for a Cure” video found on the New York Times health page walks viewers through the life on someone with a mental illness in Africa. In this video, patients were seen signing into camps called ‘prayer centers’. Here, they are told that they will be given a cure through Christ, but they are actually given a very different treatment. I reacted in alarm when I saw what these prayer centers were doing to these innocent patients. These “patients”
Politics
Page 8 are chained to trees and cement blocks in what could be called a human forest, where they have about two feet of chain to move around. They are left there “...where they slept, urinated and defecated, and bathed” (Carey); however, “The Chains of Mental Illness in West Africa” states that “...none of the camps employed a qualified medical or psychiatric practitioner.” The video continued to introduce Saint Camille De Lellis, an organization that travels in mass groups to these prayer centers to shut them down, take in their inhabitants, and bring them back to an actual home. Here, they receive wholesome food, shelters, beds, an actual diagnosis from medical professionals, small doses of medication, and skills they can use to get
a job so that they are able to live in their communities peacefully. The founder of Saint Camille, Grégoire Ahongbonon, once suffered from mental illness himself, and he described people with mental disabilities as “the forgotten of the forgotten” (“Praying for a Cure”). I watched Grégoire give up his life to helping others, and I was motivated, despite my reaction to the problem, to donate to Saint Camille because of the wonderful work they were doing on such small donations. The effect that one short, eight minute video had on me made me realize that there are millions of people in the world that could use help from someone like me, a very privileged American. To gather further research on awareness of the issue, I sent
a survey to the ninth grade at Hutchison to determine how much they knew. I concluded from the respondents’ answers that most people know nothing to very little about the topic. This drove me towards finding a way to spread awareness for Saint Camille and to give voices to people with mental illness instead of mistreating them. One of my close friends and I created the hashtag #whosevoicewillyoube? to try to get the word out about how we can help people less fortunate than us by using our voices to give them their own. Now, I restate Lauren Oliver when I say, “when you hear something happening in the world and it sparks emotion within, do what you can, and you will get more out of it than you will ever give.”
Revisiting Kony 2012 BY WHITNEY JORDAN ‘19 “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” Ever since I stumbled upon Steve Jobs’s famous words, they have stuck with me. I have realized that we all have the power to do something great and should not back down to others, or the world, for that matter. We will be disagreed with, we will be ostracized, and we will be considered strange, but we truly possess the power needed to change the course of humanity and the way the world works. The thing is that if we have been given a power like this, we must use it. The problem is that, often, we don’t. There is a problem going on in the world right now that we can change, and this is the activity of the Lord’s Resistance Army.
When I first learned about this ongoing problem in Africa, I was horrified, shocked, angry, and sad, and though years have passed since that day, the problem of the LRA continues to fill me with rage and the urge to do something to solve it. The Lord’s Resistance Army is a cultlike group that started as an uprising in opposition to the the government of Uganda, whose atrocities were for the purpose of religious cleansing. The group was founded
children who have been kidnapped and coopted into service with the group. Human Rights Watch reports that children as young as eight years old have been kidnapped, tortured, raped, virtually enslaved, and even murdered by the LRA in the name of ‘the Holy Spirit.’ The group has attacked homes and schools in northern Uganda, targeting children for use as soldiers … Children who are captured are forced to take part in combat, carry heavy loads, act as personal servants to the rebels, and, in the case of girls, serve as ‘wives’ to rebel commanders. They undergo a brutal initiation into rebel life, being forced to participate in acts of extreme violence, often being compelled to help beat or hack to death fellow child captives who have attempted to escape. LRA leaders march their child captives to base camps in neighboring southern Sudan, marches that claim the lives of many of the children.” Nearly three years have passed since I clicked on a video titled “Kony 2012.” Little did I know that when I clicked on that YouTube link, something inside me would change. It was 7th grade, and I was trying to find a problem for Model UN in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that I
“In this alternate universe, I lay awake in Africa, terrified of the future, terrified of being abducted, terrified of Joseph Kony...” by the so-called Christian prophet, Joseph Kony, in 1987. He has abducted what is thought to have been more than 40,000 children and has killed over 65,000 people. After operating in Uganda, Kony was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005 and has since been operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. According to the academic Cindy Combs, “About 80% of the members of the LRA are
Politics could create a resolution for. Only a year had normal, as many people can’t sleep, passed since the launch of the Kony 2012 their sleepless nights are for completely documentary I was about to click on, and different reasons. In this alternate universe, while I had no idea about the organization I lay awake in Africa, terrified of the future, and problem it was going to address, terrified of being abducted, terrified of people around me did. They knew about the Joseph Kony and the power his rebel group problem because they had seen the Photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Brittanica social advocacy taking place in the world around them, but I had no clue. As I watched the animations, pictures, and video clips flash on the screen, something inside me sparked, and I was taken to another world. They always say that we don’t get to choose how we die, but we do get to choose how we live. In a way, this is wrong. Our choice possesses. I think about being able to live of living depends on to whom we are born. a life without fear, with hope for a future, I was lucky enough to be born in the in a country I am proud of, but I can’t, United States to a family that loves me and I don’t know if I will ever be able to. more than I could ever know, and this has I lay awake at night thinking about a girl, determined the way that I live. I know that somewhere, who knows of my struggle. attending a school as great as Hutchison While she may not understand the way that will send me great places in life and that I feel and lives a completely different life having a wonderful family has helped than me, she knows. She hears my voice, as me to build relationships with some of the best friends I will ever have. As I watched the documentary, I imagined a life that I easily could be living had it not been for whose child I was, the country in which I lived, and the time I was born. I learned about a rebel group called the LRA, which had been abducting children and forcing them to perform unspeakable acts. Joseph Kony, the leader of this rebel group, kidnaps the children and uses the boys quiet as it may be. She knows, she sees, and as soldiers and the girls as sex-slaves. she will do everything she can to help me. Kony became infamous after this video As the video continued before my eyes, was posted, and it changed me in ways I cried. I cried because I was that girl. that continue to haunt me to this day. I was given a voice to use. I knew that I I imagined myself sitting in the dark, had to help others in need who couldn’t unable to sleep. While this may seem help themselves and were counting on me
Page 9 to do something. That night, something inside me changed. I knew that I must give power to the powerless; I must give voices to those who cannot speak for themselves; I must try to change the world. I have realized that while I may not be able to change the course of history and the events that took place, together we can make a change. I truly hope that as a country, we can help those in need. We are powerful enough to take a stand, and we are powerful enough to make a change. Recently, sitting in front of the TV, watching the horrible attacks on France unfold before my eyes knowing there was nothing I could do to help, my heart broke. Joseph Kony and his rebel organization have been harming children for an unbearable amount of time, and it is time to make a change. It truly hurts thinking about just sitting here and doing nothing about the problem of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Africa. I feel like this goes for everyone: if it is not affecting us, then it is not our problem. We, as people, are selfish, and this is a reflection on our country and our world. Although it has gone on for so long, the Lord’s Resistance Army is a problem that we can stop and a problem that we should stop. We need to turn our world from one that is selfish into one that is selfless and save the lives of innocent, voiceless children in Africa and end Joseph Kony once and for all. To conclude, I would like to leave you with the words of JImi Hendrix: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
“...she knows. She hears my voice, as quiet as it may be. She knows, she sees, and she will do everything she can to help me.”
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Politics
What really happened in Benghazi? BY ABIGAIL GRAY ‘17 AND SAMANTHA TANCREDI ‘18 The Benghazi hearings reflect the history the whole affair was simply a reaction finger, can there be middle ground? The of an almost constant rift between two to a YouTube video. Later contradicting answer, apparently, is no. Benghazi indeed political parties. What has changed over herself, she admitted that what happened follows the trend of history, disallowing time is the parties themselves. This simple in Benghazi was indeed a terrorist attack. any middle ground to exist, only accepting list of “versus” demonstrates just that: The Though she claimed two different things at one explanation or the other without United States started off with the Federalists two different times, one statement stayed a compromise. Interestingly, as a result of vs. the Confederates. lack of connection Then the Federalists Infographic by the authors between the people vs. the Democraticand the government, Republican party. the press has not been From there, the able or willing to fully Democrats vs. the uncover the truth behind Republicans. While what occurred, so it some U.S. history was appears that citizens What do you know about the Benghazi trials? excluded from the will simply be kept in list, the main picture the dark. Because there "I hate Hilary "Whether I agree or remains apparent: we were two stories that Clinton...I think she not, it will not go is the reason those away as long as do not all get along came out, the video Hilary Clinton is four soldiers died, with each other very and the terrorist attack, running for and she could have easily. nobody really knew president." prevented those This division does deaths." what to believe. The "I don't understand not support a simple disconnect between why this is still "She brushed off the right or wrong, but the people and the happening. There is emails regarding nothing to persecute rather a difference of government surfaced. Benghazi." Hilary Clinton for." opinion. However, this Political infighting difference has grown became more important larger over the years, than American lives. and has gotten out of This change all by itself hand. We as a country should be enough to This infographic is from a poll on the student body of Hutchison School. have two different force answers. groups of people looking at the same picture constant: it is too late. She says that it is too Consider the following metaphor: If you and getting two very different things out of late to go back in time and fix everything, never looked outside on Monday morning, it. Can a country remain successful with so why should we care and focus on it? and John said it was raining while Haley this type of political leadership? However, is it not the right of the people to said it was sunny, who would you believe The Benghazi trials represent this recognize that what happened in Benghazi and why? Easy. You would not believe dichotomy of opinion. From the was never truly addressed? Is it ever correct either one. If you did, that belief would Democratic Party’s perspective, there are to conclude that whenever the facts of a be based on some biased or preferential two major subjects used as a support for situation are not immediately clear, nobody conclusion, not on fact. Would you their views. First, this is the party of the should bother to seek the truth? eventually believe either Haley or John as current President, Barack Obama. Why is On the other side of the coin, the Republican a result of who had the better argument, or this important? Certainly a sitting president view denounces Hillary Clinton as liable, get someone to investigate and report on does not want to represent his people poorly, and they have simple yet forceful claims. the real truth? Does this sound familiar? nor would he strive to endanger anyone. One main claim is the fact that the U.S. As far as the two sides are concerned, Yet, at Benghazi, there is no question that Government, not limited solely to Clinton, the black-and-white differences between something bad happened, no way to change did not protect Americans on foreign soil. parties can best be seen through quotes the past. Speaking to that fact, the second Members of the Republican Party know of the leaders of opposing sides. On main subject emerges: Hillary Clinton. that the Democrats in power will not admit Democratic side, President Obama called There will always be support and dissent to this statement because by doing so, they Benghazi a “bump in the road.” Supporting with any discussion of Clinton, even more would also be admitting to failure. Anyone him, Hillary Clinton said, “What difference so now because she is running for President in a political position knows that this does it make at this point?” Contrarily, Trey of the United States. At the time of the situation is the trickiest to deal with. Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican who ordeal she held the position of Secretary With one party claiming one thing and was put as lead investigator for the Benghazi of State. After the incident she claimed another party relentlessly pointing a hearings, spoke from the Republican
A Trying Time: Benghazi
"I don't even know what that is."
Visual Arts Party’s standpoint when saying: “I am not surprised that the President of the United States called this a phony scandal. I’m not surprised that Secretary Clinton asked, “What difference does it make?” I’m not even surprised that Jay Carney said that Benghazi happened ‘a long time ago.’ I’m just surprised how many people bought it.” Obviously the two parties share completely different opinions, and what each individual from the two sides has outwardly spoken only serves to reinforce these differences. The inescapable conclusion is that there is firm disunion within our government. When all is said and done, the two increasingly polarized parties continue to make up our government, and the decisions made by those in power have an immediate
impact on us as citizens. If taxes are raised, who deals with it? The people. From this point, we can begin to understand the relevance Benghazi has to today’s world. Primarily, it goes to show that even as the
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At the point people question her character and ability to lead. What is the scariest part of it all? That the American people acknowledge in poll after poll that Hillary Clinton is not trustworthy, yet she remains at the top of the polls for the presidential election. Congress has its lowest polling numbers in decades, yet representatives are still being re-elected. What does this say about all of us as voters? Do we really not care to learn the truth behind important stories? If the truth doesn’t matter to our political leadership, about Benghazi or anywhere else, then this experience is just the tip of the iceberg and our country is the Titanic.
“With one party claiming one thing and another party relentlessly pointing a finger, can there be a middle ground?”
Not seeing color BY AVERY BOALS ‘19
Imagine you are at a park on a summer’s day. You are sitting next to a playground, with tall trees and beautiful flowers surrounding you, and the sun is shining brightly. There are children playing on the swings close by, and everything is perfect. Today is one of the prettiest days of the season, but here’s the catch: you are colorblind. The flowers that should be red are a dull green to you, blending in with the dull grass. Everything that should be bright and pretty is dark and almost colorless.
leading economic country with prowess on multiple fronts, we are not completely safe as a nation. Success does not ensure protection. Success does not even ensure continued success. Additionally, Hillary Clinton is running for President in 2016, and the Benghazi trials heavily involve her.
Normally, human eyes have three functioning “cones”: blue, red, and green. These cones help us to perceive colors, so when one or more of the cones are not functioning correctly, the result would be colorblindness. Since there are three cones, colorblindness varies with what cone or cones are affected; the most common type, which affects 99% of all people that are colorblind, is called red-green color deficiency, or deuteranopia. This means that these people cannot differentiate between
the colors red and green. Colorblindness affects about 8% of men and 0.5% of women; it is dominantly in men, because this gene is carried in the X chromosome males receive them from their mothers. Although colorblindness alone affects a small portion of our population, it impacts people’s daily lives greatly. Hardships are ‘seen’ in business, medical, and creative aspects of people’s lives, not to mention food consumption. When you are colorblind, you have a hard time telling if
Images by the author
This is what a person with reguaår vision sees.
This is what a person with color blindness would see.
Page 12 meat is raw or rotten. Also, it exceedingly difficult to tell similar foods apart; for example, yellow, green, or red peppers are hard for these people to distinguish between. Colorblindness may also affect your workplace. Having to read charts and graphs in a typical workplace, it would be challenging to read or evaluate them. If you worked in the medical field, it might be problematic to identify medical conditions like rashes or inflammation. Stoplights may also become a challenge the colorblind to see if the light is red, yellow, or green. Lastly, it affects sports; if a ball were small like in cricket and soccer, it could blend in with the field it was on, or if two team uniforms were alike in color, it would be hard to tell them apart. So, how can we help fix this problem? EnChroma is a company that has been
Politics working on glasses that can help colorblind people see natural colors. In fact, the idea for these glasses was initially created by accident in a laboratory. The founders, Don McPherson and Andy Schmeder, continued researching and released the EnChroma colorblind glasses in 2012. These glasses would shield the part of the eye that blends two colors together, thus helping people separate colors. These glasses also help other colors to appear more vivid, and they can also be used by people who see colors normally. They are made specifically for each person, making these glasses quite affective; additionally, these glasses can also be incorporated into prescription glasses. Usually, it is also very emotional for colorblind people to see natural colors for the first time, like when seeing a sunset or family members’ eyes. I saw a video in
which 8 colorblind brothers were given these glasses to try. After putting them on, each brother was astounded by a world of color they had never seen before. Some of them were speechless. They were amazed by the colors of their family members, stating that they never wanted to take the glasses off because everything was so beautiful. With these glasses, colorblind people will not have to live with difficulties anymore. Overall, colorblindness is very problematic for the small percent of the population that has it, but with this relatively new technology, people with all different types of colorblindness will have an easier time doing normal tasks and seeing normal colors. Thanks to EnChroma, people can live a full, vibrant, and colorful life.
market mechanisms to achieve equitable distribution of resources, meaningful work, a healthy environment, sustainable growth, gender and racial equality, and non-oppressive relationships.
the Ferguson protests. They want to close the gender pay gap; they believe it still exists because it is perpetuated by people in power, who have a lot of money to gain from making women work the same jobs as men for lower salaries. Democratic Socialists also support paid maternal and paternal leave, and they encourage men and women to be equally involved in family life. Now let’s get into the more controversial issues—the “socialist” stuff. Democratic Socialists are socialists because they want
#Bernie2K16 BY ISABEL RISCH ‘16 In the American South, “socialism” might as well be a curse word. So when politicians like Bernie Sanders declare that they are “democratic socialists,” they tend to cause a stir. Socialism is when the government controls everything, right? (Spoiler alert: no.) Can socialism even be democratic? (Spoiler alert: absolutely.) But even so, is democratic socialism right for our country? Yes and no. Before we get into that, let’s start at the beginning. What is democratic socialism? According to NPR, democratic socialism is “the kind of socialism… in Scandinavia and other countries in Europe. Those governments support paid sick leave, universal health care and free higher education.” Sounds good so far, but it’s much more than just a bunch of free stuff. According to the Democratic Socialists of America:
Ohhhhkay. Let’s break this down a little. Basically, the DSA say that they are against environmental destruction, violence, inequality, and discrimination in all forms. Those are sentiments that almost everyone can agree with, but they don’t actually say anything about what the Democratic Socialists hope to do about Photo courtesy of The Washington Post those issues. They say that their social order will be built on “democratic planning and market mechanisms,” but that could mean anything. So let’s go past their mission statement, shall we? First and foremost, Democratic We are socialists because we reject an Socialists believe in equality. international economic order sustained They declare themselves “deeply by private profit, alienated labor, race feminist and anti-racist” and are and gender discrimination, environmental interested in creating a society destruction, and brutality and violence in that does not discriminate based defense of the status quo. on sexual orientation. They support the #BlackLivesMatter We are socialists because we share a vision movement; in August, they of a humane international social order issued a statement expressing based both on democratic planning and solidarity with those arrested in
Politics to increase the power of the people and the power of the government. In essence, they argue that the “private marketplace” cannot wield as much power as it currently does, because capitalism promotes inequality. The only way to ensure that the United States’ social programs don’t fall to the wayside is to increase the power of the government. Moreover, the only way to ensure the government doesn’t become corrupt is to ensure that our political system is extremely democratic and that all voices are heard and represented—hence, more power to the people. Democratic Socialists want to increase the political influence of the public and decrease the influence of big corporations, which they believe leads to corruption. Now, let’s just address the elephant in the room for a second: as Americans, we tend to be hypersensitive to anything that even remotely reminds us of Communism, so depending on your political views, that last paragraph may have been a little frightening. But Democratic Socialists are not Communists. Democratic Socialists do use phrases like “redistribution of wealth” and “empower ordinary people,” but they also believe in market economics— something that Communism denounces. The difference between capitalist market economics and socialist market economics is the fact that Democratic Socialists believe in regulated markets. They like the fact that market economics allow for “efficiency, consumer choice and labor mobility,” but they dislike the huge disparities of labor and income that form in free markets. Democratic Socialists suggest that the government maintains some control over markets to ensure that disparities are allowed but never get out of hand. Similarly, Democratic Socialists want to ensure that social disparities never get too out of hand. They are advocates of the poor, the jobless and the underpaid. They favor greater taxation of the rich; they want to cut corporate tax loopholes and raise taxes on corporations. The money from both these endeavors would go toward creating jobs, supporting social programs like Medicare, improving Social Security and providing free college education. They hope to reduce military spending by “ending useless wars, closing many foreign bases, and reducing unneeded
weapons procurement while providing better healthcare and rehabilitative services to military personnel and veterans.” They want to raise the minimum wage by about $3, citing the fact that if the minimum wage had kept up with inflation since the 1960s, it would now be around $10.52 per hour. They support public workers, whose jobs are being cut due to lack of government
“...as Americans, we tend to be hypersensitive to anything that even remotely reminds us of Communism...” funding. Overall, they want to redistribute the country’s wealth. So there’s the SparkNotes summation of what Democratic Socialism is. But what does this mean for our country? Would any of it actually work? Bernie Sanders thinks it would, obviously, and so do other Democratic Socialists. For proof, they point to the success of the oft-glorified “Scandinavian/Nordic Model,” which embodies many of the tenets of Democratic Socialism. These things worked beautifully in Norway! they say. Look how happy these people from Denmark are! That’s great for the Nordic countries, but unfortunately, comparing them to the United States is like comparing apples to oranges. First of all, Nordic countries are small, both physically and populationwise. They’re also more homogenous than the United States, meaning they tend to agree on more things than we do. They are generally hardworking populations that rank very low on the Corruption Perceptions Index (yes, that’s a thing) and have historically had high levels of trust and equality among citizens. Thus, Democratic Socialism works well for them because they were primed for success to begin with. Compare that to the United States, which in 2013 had a government shutdown because
Page 13 the Democratic and Republican parties couldn’t agree on Obamacare. Good grief. If that was our reaction to Obamacare, we’re going to have a pretty tough time getting Democratic Socialistic legislation to pass. Still, there are definitely some things we can learn from the Nordic model. First of all, even if the government doesn’t completely subsidize secondary education, we need to lower college tuition rates. According to CNBC, college tuition “has been rising almost six percent above the rate of inflation” and the total level of student debt is more than $1.2 trillion. That’s completely unacceptable and only ensures that college becomes less accessible for the poor who are trying to get out of a cycle of low-paying jobs. The minimum wage should be dealt with—right now, workers aren’t making enough to live on, while oftentimes their employers are making billions of dollars. This problem is at the heart of fast-food worker strikes and movements like Occupy Wall Street. If we don’t fix it, we are only going to see more protests, more violence, and more hatred and misunderstanding divide socioeconomic classes. Either workers’ wages should be raised to reflect their specific company’s profitability, or they should be allowed to participate in profit sharing. We should also strive for a country where the gender pay gap has closed, all races, religions, and sexual orientations are equal, and green energy is preferred over environmentally-damaging fossil fuels. But as for the rest, it may not work as well in America as it did in Scandinavia, just because we’re dealing with a large, heterogeneous population. The problem with increasing the power of the government in a country like ours is that the more control the government has, the more it needs to be representative of the entire population. That’s very difficult in a country as diverse as the US. Also, if we’re going to talk about increasing government control, we have to be certain that the government runs like a well-oiled machine. So far, our government has proved itself to be rather creaky and more than a little clunky. So what do you think? Are you voting #Bernie2K16?
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Memphis Music
Arts
BY LUCY FIEDLER ‘17 AND JASMINE MCGILL ‘17 Has Memphis music lead to a decrease music exploded out of Memphis. Today, great together, especially considering in racial barriers while also creating better the Memphis Music Hall of Fame honors their forming as a group was accidental. opportunities for all races to become many of the greatest musicians of all time, The group went on to receive a Grammy musicians from the Memphis community? who created this city’s musical legacy, Life Time Achievement Award, as well as As you think about that question, also think and who shook our planet to the core!” having the honor of being inducted into the about how prevalent Memphis has been in Memphis has also graciously earned its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. the music industry on a wider spectrum. title as “The Home of the Blues” or the Many modern musicians have also greatly Music has not only been a way for the “Birthplace of Rock N’ Roll.” Since before influenced Memphis music and the diversity Memphis community to set aside their the 1910s, Memphis music has always of our culture and society. Three 6 Mafia is differences racially, but it has also created been recognized as one of the greatest a hip hop and crunk group consisting of DJ a community that has a special sort of music industries of all time. But before Paul, Lord Infamous, and Juicy J, and they musical connection. Thanks to the influence the industry itself, there were many great also added three new members which are of many great musicians from the Memphis musicians who played a very important (Crunchy Black, Koopsta K., and Gangsta community, such as Boo). The group was Local band Star and Micey performing. Elvis Presley, Booker established in 1991, T and The MG’s, and they have been Justin Timberlake, very popular within and Three 6 Mafia, the hip-hop genre ever there has been a very since they signed their impactful shift in first record deal in the ways in which 1997. Three 6 Mafia Memphis has made has been impactful to its mark on the world. the Memphis culture One reason why we and society because decided to conduct they brought in a research on racial very diverse sound barriers specifically to the Memphis in the Memphis community. Another music community major musician from was based on the Memphis is Justin recent induction Timberlake. Justin of singer Justin Timberlake is an Timberlake into the American singer, Memphis Music songwriter, actor, and Photo courtesy of rslblog.com Hall of Fame. The record producer from Memphis Music Hall Memphis. His genre of Fame consists of a diverse group of role in the initial development of the of music is based around pop and R&B, inductees that has led us to research industry. One artist who was well-known which are what teens listen to frequently the racial barriers throughout Memphis not only in Memphis, but also worldwide in this generation. Justin Timberlake and how they have evolved over time. is Elvis Presley. Elvis not only transformed has really made a name for himself in As mentioned previously, Memphians the genre of rock and roll, but he was the music industry and was recently have had an important role in founding also instrumental in the advancement inducted into the Memphis Music Hall or establishing many important American of black music as well, in which he was of Fame. Because of these two musicians music genres that we appreciate today. even approbated by singer Al Green who and their long lasting impact on the These genres include Blues, Gospel, Rock stated that “Elvis had an influence on music industry, we are able to see how n’ Roll, and “sharecropper” country music. everybody with his musical approach. He they have significantly changed society. According to the Memphis Music Hall of broke the ice for all of us’. Another group So, has Memphis music lead to a decrease Fame, “More than a century ago, music of people who were influential in shaping in racial barriers while also creating better began pouring into Memphis, Tennessee. the sound of Southern soul and Memphis opportunities for all races to become Musicians of all races and backgrounds soul was R&B/Funk band, Booker T. musicians from the Memphis community? came together and, for the love of music, and the MG’s. Not only were they one The answer to that question is yes! The created a sound that changed the cultural of the first racially integrated bands of Memphis music industry has broken complexion of the world forever. America’s their time, but they also sounded really down racial barriers, and the industry
Arts has significantly paved the way for many local musicians regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background. We found that the Memphis music industry, as a whole, has definitely played an important role in how Rhythm & Blues, Gospel, Rock & Roll, and many other genres have grown over the years and also how they
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have come together to form the styles we know today. The Memphis music industry has also influenced musicians outside of Memphis as well; it has helped many of them to express their culture through their music while also finding their voice. Ultimately, the evolution of Memphis music has played a significant role in the
breaking down of the racial barriers. So for society to continue booming in the music industry, it is important for us to recognize and appreciate the different styles of music as they relate to the diversity of all musicians of the past and the modern times.
support a child that wishes to pursue ballet. However, there are ballet dancers and companies who are working towards expanding diversity in ballet. Misty Copeland is a prime example of one of these dancers. Copeland has recently been the first African American woman to become a principal ballet dancer; she was
certainly has come a long way since then. Misty Copeland has worked with Under Armour to create a campaign that created awareness for body-type diversity, and she worked with her ballet company, American Ballet Theatre, to develop Project Plié which partners with the Boys and Girls Club of America to expose underprivileged children to ballet as well as provide scholarships to kids who show potential in the art. Considering Misty was a part of her local Boys and Girls Club while she lived in a motel with her mother and siblings, she truly shows how one’s strength can help them endure hard times. Many dancers such as Michaela DePrince and Shannon Harkins had to encounter similar struggles to Misty regarding ethnicity and family origin, and dancer Carlos Acosta is one of few African American dancers who are willing to publicly speak about the lack of diversity in ballet. He says that this leads to directors not knowing how to properly cast dancers even though their race does not alter their talents. The city of Memphis has always prospered when it came to diversity, and this is particularly apparent in the Memphis ballet community. The two most popular ballet companies in Memphis are Ballet Memphis and New Ballet Ensemble (NBE), and both of these companies work hard to include all of the Memphis community in their schools and performances. Ballet Memphis works towards diversity with their popular name and status. They have worked with the Memphis community many times when putting on shows for the public, and anyone that attends the school or works with the company can tell you how welcoming the company is. Monica Fleck is a Hutchison girl in the tenth grade and has been a part of Ballet Memphis for eight years. She reassures that Ballet Memphis is
The end of the ‘perfect’ dancer BY ALLY KRASIN ‘18
Ballet is an art that has been around for centuries, and throughout time it has become an exclusive form of expression that created an unrealistic body ‘ideal’ resulting in a prominent lack of diversity. In an Italian court during the fifteenth century, ballet was created as a way to entertain the upper class with extravagant costumes and interesting storylines. However, when the nineteenth century arrived, the art of ballet severely became more bodyfocused. Costumes and choreography were fashioned to accentuate the dancer’s body and its movements. Of course, this focus led to dancers having to meet ridiculous expectations for their bodies. Tall, white, and skinny is what is expected for the ‘ideal’ dancer. This specific mold translated into modern society, and it adversely influenced dancers’ hunger for ‘perfection.’ Obviously, there is no perfect dancer, and there is no ideal dancer. However, this common misconception is the main cause for the lack of diversity in ballet. Ballet is and has been a white dominated art that has gained the reputation of being occupied by privileged, white girls. Parents don’t often expose ballet to their children if they weren’t ever introduced to it during their childhood. This is problematic because ballet is an activity that one needs to begin at a young age. Another large factor that plays a role in the lack of diversity in ballet is money. The reason that ballet was always associated with the wealthy is because it does cost a lot of money. Pointe shoes alone can cost around eighty or ninety dollars and principal dancers often go through about a hundred every season. On top of this, professional lessons and training also tend to be more expensive. Therefore, communities that are not as privileged or are in the minority often do not have the surplus money to
Photo by Maggie Loftin
promoted this last summer at her ballet company, the American Ballet Theatre. She quickly became a national figure for the expansion of diversity it ballet in regards to her five feet two inches and muscular bodytype as well as her ethnicity. However, she faced her fair share of adversities when she was younger. There was a point in her childhood where she, her mother, and her siblings were living in a motel while her mother struggled to support them. She only got involved with ballet at the age of thirteen which is considered ‘old’ in the ballet world; this resulted in her being rejected by a ballet academy. Although, she
Page 16 like her second home: everyone is accepting and kind to one another. Ballet Memphis provides scholarships to any child that may show potential, and Monica expresses “From personal experience, I can say that the teachers at Ballet Memphis work hard to improve the technique and dancing abilities of people of all body-types.” The overall air is very friendly and truly makes everyone feel included- no matter what you look like or where you are from. New Ballet Ensemble works tirelessly towards diversity through providing scholarships and having affordable classes open to the public. Thirty-seven percent of the students at New Ballet Ensemble are on a scholarship, and students that attend Dunbar Elementary are not required to pay tuition. NBE also provides affordable classes and courses that anyone can take; plus, their classes are not restricted to ballet. NBE takes multiple opportunities in trying to expand their world of dance. They initiated
Arts a project in 2009 called Multicultural Community Arts Incubator which allows the company to collaborate with dancers of different styles while allowing them to express themselves in the ways they wish. Brianna Brown, a principal dancer of NBE, even represented the company at the White House when Michelle Obama presented her with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award which recognized programs that benefit young people in the learning of life skills. NBE’s general goal is to include the entire Memphis community that wishes to express themselves in the form of dance, and like Ballet Memphis, they do not discriminate based on what a dancer looks like or where they are from. The ballet community is one that has been stuck with the same ‘ideals’ for many past centuries, and there are many companies and individual dancers in the U.S. today who are striving for the complete inclusion of all ethnicities and body-types into the
dance world. There are dancers such as Misty Copeland and Carlos Acosta who are using the media to spread awareness, and major ballet companies are starting to begin the search for young dancers that may not get the same opportunities as others. The companies and dancers within Memphis are benefiting the endeavor towards this goal with their massive amount of inclusion of everyone from the Memphis community. Both of these companies are attempting and succeeding in bringing the dancers of Memphis together regardless of the color of their skin, their origin, or their body type. Overall, the ballet world is in the process of growing past their original idea of the ‘perfect’ dancer as a way to work towards larger diversity within their community, and many companies and dancers across the U.S. continue to add to the growth through inclusion and expansion.
I was finally forced to look up the summary on the Indie Memphis website. Despite this, the confusion that Brinkley, Abigail, and I felt regarding the story imitates that of Sal as he makes his way through life. Sal travels to the Appalachian Mountains
eventually discovers an abandoned child following his neighbor’s death. After one more tragic event, Sal eventually leaves the mountains and returns to society. Isolation plays a key role in the film. If Sal had not struggled with isolation, there would be no story. At the center of all men, there is something driving them to make decisions. For Sal, that force is isolation. The film itself is also very beautiful. As the story takes place in the Appalachian Mountains, it makes sense that the scenery would depict mountainous forests and small, cabinlike dwellings. The natural lighting only contributes to the majesty of the setting. Not only does the lighting look realistic, but it also adds depth to many of the scenes. Through the emotion of isolation, the setting, and the lighting, “Some Beasts” depicts an entrancing, albeit somewhat confusing, and exciting picture of a man’s struggle. It captures the imaginations of the viewers and causes them to wonder, “what if?” as they watch Sal make decisions and deal with his personal issues all while struggling to make a life in his new environment.
Indie Memphis Film Festival BY MAGGIE LOFTIN ‘17
Brinkley and I are late, per usual, as we frantically drive around the parking lot at Malco Studio on the Square. Somehow, we manage to park, run inside, find Abigail, and make it to the correct theater before the documentary begins. The lights dim, and the audience’s nervous anticipation fills the room as images appear on the screen. The annual Indie Memphis Film Festival celebrates and supports indie filmmakers and fanatics. It features different films throughout the week in which it occurs. While Indie Memphis does have other events throughout the year, such as concerts, the non-profit organization is best known for the film festival. This year, the festival aired many fantastic films, such as “Raiders” and “Babysitter.” My friends and I were given the opportunity to watch Cameron Nelson’s film “Some Beasts”, which explores the life of Sal. Nelson has produced several short films screened in various film festivals. He has received recognition for his work in the past. The protagonist of the film, Sal, confuses me. He doesn’t speak that frequently, and I didn’t really understand what was happening until about half-way through the film when
to take care of other people’s farms. He becomes a recluse from society, and when dealing with a long-distance relationship and his work, begins to feel pressure from his isolation. He
Legally Blonde Review
Arts
Page 17
BY SAMANTHA TANCREDI ‘18 If you were one of the lucky 1,200 loves. The classic and beloved “bend-andpeople who attended Hutchison’s very snap” received a great response from the own Legally Blonde, you witnessed an crowd and loud applause. Laughs also incredible show. From the lights, to the followed the hilarious package delivery music, to the costumes, to the wigs, to the scene which included Hutchison’s Paulette, songs, to the appearance of Bruiser the played by Virginia Strother. By the work Bulldog, the musical had Photo courtesy of Nick Simpson a little bit of everything! Keevie Smith (15) as Elle Woods brightened the stage and led the cast magnificently through her strong voice and coordinated dance moves. Seniors Virginia Strother, Patsy Detroit, Ellie Greenburger, Amber Miller and Ilsa Saeed joined Keevie on stage and wowed the audience with their last goround. The many younger upper classman in the show, including Emma Nair (19) and Courtney Davis (19), had a great experience working with Hutchison’s upper classmen for the of the diligent cast, the storyline truly fall musical. Sweeping the stage, Hutchison came together. The moving message of students truly provided every attendee with the show was certainly understood by the a spirited and lively evening or afternoon. audience, and director Jay Rapp’s goal Elle’s best friends from her sorority to deliver an imaginative, loving and opened the show with the catchy tune “Oh relatable musical was well accomplished. My God,” which had people humming the Where can you find Elle’s pink outfits whole weekend. It was met with great plaudit or Warner’s classy suits? Ms. Anne Marie when Elle’s adorable Chihuahua came Caskey knows best! She led the clothing center stage in the arms of Olivia Wilkinson design and created stunning looks for each (17). Who doesn’t love a cute dog? It was able to follow directions as well as any professional! The treats may have helped. Cast members and scenes were both looked at with great awe, especially the rope jumping scene led by Patsy Detroit who played Brooke Windham. The skill and practice necessary was evident to all who watched, and each audience member realized he or she could never do the twisting and jumping demonstrated so easily by the cast. The difficulty of character. Before the play, director Jay coordinating these movements into a scene Rapp mentioned lots of pink costumes and of seven people performing in unison bright colors, and Ms. Caskey certainly only made the spectacle more impressive. delivered. She was able to form a unique Early in Act Two, the audience enjoyed perception of each character, specific to the the show’s most famous scene each person Hutchison production of Legally Blonde.
“...one of Hutchison’s best musicals to date.”
Though they wore black to disguise themselves from the lights, the people running the behind-the-scenes work brought the musical together. The show’s tech and lighting crews worked hard to assist the actors on stage, helping to add to the strong performance. Every note was heard, every outfit visible. Nathan Rivera assisted Hutchison’s Macy Kloville (15), Sally Crow (19), and several other students to move the sets around and accentuate the actors from the light booth. The audience only had to sit back and enjoy! Below the stage in the orchestra pit, two of Hutchison’s own music virtuosos, Quinn Farr and Monica Fleck, played their instruments alongside local professionals. Ms. Leiza Collins, music director at Hutchison, trained the girls to prepare them for their contribution. Monica even got some stage time, playing a violinist in a restaurant scene. Ms. Collins also guided the cast with her expertise in song and voice, training several (notably Keevie Smith and Virginia Strother) to hold out strong and lengthy notes. Each night of the showing, their powerful notes were interrupted by cheers and applause. Everyone who attended the show remarked on the incredible sound and voices that coincided with each scene and how it truly highlighted the talent shining on stage. In the end, the cast members received a standing ovation for their hard work and dedication to the arts. The seniors enjoyed their last, bittersweet moments together on stage, celebrating a successful musical together while the freshmen looked ahead to their next few years. As Elle Woods said, “We girls have to stick together.” The bond within the cast was reflected in the Hutchison Wiener Theater, and it led to the production of one of Hutchison’s best musicals to date.
Holidays
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Reindeer Feed
BY SAMANTHA TANCREDI ‘18
“What if Santa misses our house?” is a question my younger brother concerns himself with every single day after Thanksgiving. The turkeys and cornucopias are in the attic, and the trees, lights, and knitted sweaters are out. Now, when my mom asks us to go to the mall with her, we’ll hear “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and see young kids sitting on Santa’s lap. There is garland wrapped around light posts and bows tied tightly on mailboxes; wreaths hang on doors, and trees are visible through many windows. With all of the new commercials playing on the television decked with red and green and holiday tunes, the Christmas spirit floods throughout town. Of course, this brings more conversation about Santa Claus and what he could possibly bring. My mom is busy with her shopping for my brothers, my cousins and I, but she always has time to mail our lists to Santa. We know that Christmas is amongst us when my mom bakes our Christmas cookies and the hot gingerbread smell reaches our
noses. Dreaming of the day Santa stops by and takes a bite out of those cookies, my brothers and I wait for Christmas Eve as we have for the entire month of December. So
ingredients into one enticing sprinkle to put in the yard. We group the oats and such into three plastic bags, one for each of my brothers and me, and we go into the cold night to spread the feed all over the yard. On Christmas Eve, the dissemination begins. With visible clouds of air following each breath taken, my brothers and I make sure we do not forget an inch of the front lawn. We mix glitter in with the oats to ensure Santa and his crew cannot fly over our house without seeing us. Thus, any fear of not receiving gifts is allayed. Christmas morning rolls around and the three of us rush downstairs to see what Santa brought. After the tearing of gift wrapping dissipates, we look out at our Photo courtesy of beautyandbedlam.com yard, thankful the reindeer feed worked!
will Santa come? In our family, there is no reason to worry because the reindeer will not ever skip their favorite treat: reindeer feed. Every single year, my two brothers Andrew (9) and Daniel (18) and I spend time together combining various
Recipe for the perfect reindeer feed: • 2 cups of oatmeal • 1 cup of granola • 1 cup of gold glitter
The cookie bake-off BY ABIGAIL GRAY ‘17 The smell of sugar cookies fills the air and Tina baked Christmas themed cookies flour covers my clothes. The kitchen is hot together. When I old enough to stay the from the opening and closing of the stove night away from home, I joined in on this to bake our cookies. My younger brother annual family tradition, as did my younger is stationed at the kitchen island, elbow brother Nicholas three years later. Every deep in kneading homemade chocolate year, the three cousins on my Mom’s side chip cookie dough. I’m Photo courtesy of Abigail Gray rolling my cookie dough into balls, ready to put in the oven and bake. My aunt is monitoring my older cousin as he mixes ingredients with a blender. Did he bother to measure out the ingredients or read the recipe? Probably not, but that’s what makes the Cookie Bake Off so much fun. The “Cookie Bake Off” started as an annual tradition where my older cousin Aaron and my aunt
go to our Aunt Tina’s house and spend the day baking and decorating various types of cookies and other sweet treats. After a hard day’s work in the kitchen, we package all of our baked goods into Christmas themed containers and head out for the evening to deliver the treats to our other relatives, family friends, and neighbors. At the end of our day, we father around Aunt Tina’s Christmas tree and Aaron reads “Twas The Night Before Christmas.” When we were younger and my aunt wasn’t married, we would all squeeze into her bed and sleep together, but as we have gotten older and my aunt is married, all of us normally sleep on her game room couches. Growing up, I never really appreciated this little family
Holidays tradition as much as I should have. In my pre-teen years, I saw it as a hassle- a forced 24 hours I was to spend arguing with my older cousin and younger brother, all the while having to keep a positive attitude
whilst baking for my aunt’s sake. But as I have matured, I have come to view the 24 hours of baking and bonding as quality family time. No matter where our lives take us, or how busy we might get, I know that the
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Cookie Bake Off will always be our time to reconnect and make memorable moments in my aunt’s kitchen with each other.
My Kwanzaa tradition BY CORINNA BROWN ‘18 Kwanzaa is a holiday tradition that, in the middle of the table on top of some growing up, I never really understood. type of fabric where the seven candles All I can faintly remember about it was representing the Mishumaa Saba sit. Daily, the stories of receiving money, food, and we light the kinara, blow the light out each of course, the famous kinara with three night, and light it again in the morning. To red candles, three green candles, and the me, the seven days of Kwanzaa represents black candle in the middle. However, I’ve discovered that Kwanzaa is just Photo courtesy of officialkwanzaawesite.org as deserving of celebration as every other holiday that would normally be celebrated here in America. It’s an essential part of my heritage and culture that I have learned to accept and look forward to every year. Kwanza is an African-America holiday from December 26th to January 1st where we celebrate our cultural heritage with traditional celebrations. Aside from the cultural and traditional aspects of it, Kwanzaa is similar to a lot of holidays. Like Christmas, we receive gifts, mostly money, and celebrate with family, reminiscing about a theme of family and culture doing things our past and of course paying homage to related to your culture. It has evolved our ancestors. On Kwanza, the kinara sits differently over the years to where the
traditions vary for different families. On New Year’s Eve, my family hosts a dinner, or we attend church. Though some people insist particular food on Kwanzaa, I see it as an opportunity to enjoy any food with your family while reflecting on the past and discussing the future. I have found Kwanzaa to be a time to reflect upon my heritage. I realize that you don’t have to be of African American descent to embrace the culture either. Kwanzaa is something that all people who appreciate the culture of the African American society and culture can celebrate, no matter their race, religion, or heritage. It’s a great time to spend with your family, not only to celebrate the origin of your culture, but to reflect upon the past, present, and future of family. That’s why every year I look forward not only to celebrating Kwanzaa, but also spending it with family and friends.
The Christmas Gift BY MAGGIE LOFTIN ‘17 Nearly 8 years ago, one of the most magical Christmases I have ever had took place. For weeks, I had been anxiously waiting the arrival of my dog’s puppies. When Christmas Eve arrived, it was cold, blustery, and not worth leaving the house to go to the barn and check on the puppies when my dad could do it just as easily. It seemed to me that if the puppies hadn’t arrived yet, they wouldn’t be there today. While lying in bed, waiting for my dad’s return, my phone went off. I heard my dad’s voice saying, “Maggie, come down to the barn.” I jolted out of bed, nearly shaking with excitement, and ran down to the barn
in my pyjamas. To my amazement, there were six squirming puppies surrounding their mother, a dog named Fox. They were soon named Splasher, Blackie, Blunkie, Jasper, Rosie, and Runkie. I debated for the next few weeks which puppy I would keep, and eventually debated between Jasper and Splasher. Finally, when Splasher had a, shall we say, accident while I was holding him, I decided to keep Jasper, which is short for Jasmine. The puppy soon grew to be small bearsized. To say the least, the last five years with Jasper have been eye-opening. She is more connected to me than any other dog
I have had before; in fact, she seems like part of my soul. She is quirky, as she enjoys carrying around rocks in her mouth, she only follows my commands and no one else’s, and she growls when she is happy. Jasper is everything I could have ever asked for. Thank you, Jasper, for being my protector, my friend, and my fellow redhead. Thank you for being my sister in dog form. Thank you for making Christmas special every year since your birth. Jasper is pictured on page 3 in the article “Memories of Mississippi”