The Black & White Vol. 62 Issue 1

Print Editor-in-Chief

Kate Rodriguez

the B&W

Issue 1 | June 2023

Print Managing Editor Grace Roddy

theblackandwhite.net

Online Editor-in-Chief

Harper Barnowski

Online Managing Editors

Jacob Cowan, Maddie Kaltman, Josefina Masjuan

Online Production Head

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Online Managing Assistants

Duy Bui, Eliza Raphael

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Flora Zhou

Print Production Managing Assistants

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Lead Section Editors

Ines Foscarini, Lucia Gutierrez, Grace O’Halloran, Louisa Ralston

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Business Managers

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Business Assistant

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Feature Editors

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News Editors

Darby Infeld, Marissa Rancilio

Opinion Editors

Ian Cooper, Natalie Easley

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Print Production Head Mary Rodriguez Molina

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The Black & White (B&W) is an open forum for student views from Walt Whitman High School, 7100 Whittier Blvd., Bethesda, MD, 20817. The Black & White’s website is www.theblackandwhite.net.

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cover photo by HEIDI THALMAN

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

The Black & White has been in print since 1963. Throughout the last six decades, our publication has preserved every newspaper and magazine we’ve produced. For this issue, the first of Volume 62, one of our writers dove into the print archives and returned with several fascinating and funny stories from our history. Together, the stories built a kaleidoscope image of our school culture over the past 60 years.

As different as life may have been for students in decades past, the academic drive, political awareness and artistic passion that define our student body have remained as powerful as ever.

From movies to music to books and beyond, our media landscape is key in shaping our worldviews as we move into adulthood,

and the popular culture that surrounds Whitman students has changed drastically over the years since The Black & White’s inception. The stories in this magazine highlight the way that we interact with pop culture today — by examining the media we consume, the media we produce and the consequences of allowing ourselves to fall too deep into these fictional worlds, our writers have assembled a snapshot of teenagers’ outlook on entertainment and art today.

As a student-staffed and student-led publication, The Black & White has a uniquely valuable ethos in the realm of pop culture. Through a lens that was sometimes critical, sometimes complimentary and always analytical, our writers approached topics ranging from the ethics of true crime to D.C.’s museum

scene to the unexpectedly tumultuous history of the Barbie doll.

This is not only Volume 62’s first magazine but the first magazine the three of us have ever worked on; we couldn’t have done it without our devoted adviser, Ryan Derenberger, and his tireless work on Volume 62. We’d also like to thank our hardworking writers for their open-mindedness and continued dedication as they dove into the very first stories of their tenure on the B&W.

Finally, we extend our thanks to you, our readers, for taking the time to support us. Welcome to Volume 62 — we hope you enjoy.

Best, Your Editors

photo by HEIDI THALMAN

Kate Rodriguez Editor-in-Chief

Grace Roddy Managing Editor

Dani Klein Managing Editor

CONTENTS

photo by HEIDI THALMAN

IN FULL BLOOM

Q&A WITH MARSHA COLEMAN-ADEBAYO

TRUE CRIME FANS: FOCUS ON FICTION

ARTECHOUSE

THE FUTURE IS WAITING

BARBIE

GOING DARK

LOGGING OFF

ON FILM FROM THE ARCHIVES

DROP EVERYTHING AND READ

TAKING A SEAT AT THE TABLE

SUMMER MOVIE SEASON PREVIEW ASK THE RUTABAGA

CROSSWORD

IN FULL BLOOM

NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL COMBATS ANTI-ASIAN HATE WITH FLORA

Every April, Washington, D.C. turns a mystical pink. The once somber, leafless trees sprinkled across the Tidal Basin regain their life as bright, blushing colors engulf their limbs — the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Visitors flock to D.C. to catch a glimpse of the flora, take to the city streets to celebrate with energetic Japanese music and dance, enjoy authentic Asian street foods and partake in traditional games such as fukuwarai — a Japanese rendition of pinning the tail on the donkey.

Parades block off the city’s busiest streets, and light shows illuminate the sky after nightfall. The celebration lasts for multiple weeks, finally coming to a close in midApril with the end of the blooming season.

The annual Cherry Blossom Festival takes place from March 20 to April 16 and is the most significant event celebrating Japanese culture in the United States. The nearly month-long festival hosts events exhibiting both traditional and modern Japanese arts for the D.C. population to appreciate, including the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival.

The presence of cherry blossom trees in D.C. is deeply rooted in American history. In 1910, First Lady Helen Taft grew fascinated with the delicate beauty of the trees. Upon hearing of her interest, the mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, offered to send cherry blossom trees to the U.S. as a diplomatic gift. By 1912, D.C. was home to over 3,000 cherry blossoms.

The Cherry Blossom Festival showcases several lesser-known aspects of regional Japanese subcultures, such as Ryukyu Taiko, a style of drumming originating in Okinawa, Japan. Sophomore Mateo Meier is a drummer for the Chin Daiko musical group, which has performed Ryukyu Taiko at the Cherry Blossom Festival since 2014.

“Okinawa often doesn’t get represented or discussed in Japanese communities,” Meier said. “Celebrating the variety within the Japanese culture is important.”

The Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival, one of the final events within the larger Cherry Blossom Festival, attracts a

wide array of musical performers, food vendors and participants. The President of the Japan-America Society of Washington D.C., Ryan Shaffer, organizes the business aspect of the festival, gathering over 500 volunteers and acquiring sponsorships for the event.

“It brings out tens of thousands of people to the street in Washington, D.C.,” Shaffer said. “It’s completely nonpartisan and largely non-controversial. We promote a good that everybody wants, something that is fairly rare.”

During the street festival, various international organizations present grassroots programs to build bonds between Japan and other nations. The Associate Director of Programs for the Maureen and Mansfield Foundation Nathan Finch has worked to develop the Mansfield Fellow Program, which offers ten American federal government employees an opportunity to travel to Japan for a year-long exchange to improve U.S.-Japan relations.

“Although we are focused on policy, we like to think we are about people,” Finch said. “We manage programs that bring different groups together.”

The first-ever Cherry Blossom Festival took place in 1935 as an anniversary celebration of Japan’s gift to the capital city of the U.S. With each year’s commemoration of the blooming season, the bond between the two nations grew stronger until 1941 when the bombing of Pearl Harbor shattered relations between the two countries.

On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to imprison 120,000 Japanese-Americans in internment camps. The government detained masses of innocent citizens and even incarcerated people with one-sixteenth of Japanese ancestry. In the camps, prisoners were deprived of basic needs such as food and water. Although the Supreme Court later found the internment of Japanese Americans unconstitutional, the damage was already done; anti-Asian discrimination grew even after internment ended. Landlords evicted Asian Americans without cause, proprietors shut down Asian-owned businesses and employers barred them from future work.

by CHARLIE MARTIN

Stereotypical portrayals and offensive imitations of Asian Americans plagued the media. Asian Americans became second-class citizens, no longer guaranteed the protections they once had.

This treatment still lingers in American society. In recent years, prejudice against Asian Americans has increased drastically. Some xenophobic groups blamed East Asian people for the COVID-19 pandemic, opening the floodgates to a new, violent wave of anti-Asian prejudice and hate. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism reported that anti-Asian hate crimes more than tripled from 2020 to 2021 following the start of the pandemic.

For many citizens, the Cherry Blossom Festival has become a beacon of hope in combating anti-Asian hate by opening up discussions about East Asian culture to a larger audience and promoting cultural celebration.

Artist Sara Sukenik displays and sells hand-restored used kimonos at the Sakura Matsuri-Street Festival, often interacting with customers who don’t know much about Japanese culture. Many Americans only view the kimono as an article of clothing, but Sukenik explains its significance in representing good fortune and longevity in Japan.

“I get people who aren’t very familiar with [Japanese culture] — people who like vintage but aren’t used to vintage kimonos, and by talking to them, I broaden their horizons,” Sukenik said. “It opens up a whole new world to them.”

Beyond celebrating Asian arts and culture, the festival fosters interaction between Asian Americans and the wider population, whether a conversation between a performer and their audience or a vendor sharing a story with curious customers. The cultural exchanges and joy experienced at the festival encourage empathy and combat biases stemming from a long history of prejudice against the East Asian community in the U.S.

“Seeing stands and performers engaging in Japanese culture has made me proud of my heritage,” Meier said. “I don’t often talk to others about my ethnicity, but seeing others celebrate it makes me feel represented.”

7

photo by HEIDI THALMAN

Q&A

WITH

MARSHA COLEMAN-ADEBAYO

PRESIDENT OF THE BETHESDA AFRICAN CEMETERY COALITION

by COLETTE YEHL

Inspired by great Civil Rights leaders, Marsha Coleman-Adebayo began her career in activism in 1967. She volunteered for the Black Panther Party’s complimentary breakfast program, participated in demonstrations and educated the public on the purpose and importance of the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1990, Coleman-Adebayo began working for the Environmental Protection Agency as a senior policy analyst.

In 1996, Coleman-Adebayo became a whistleblower, speaking out against an EPA program involved in South African mine workers developing vanadium poisoning. The backlash she received from her former EPA superiors, who wanted to serve U.S. business interests and preserve the agency’s success, took a toll on her life and family.

As a result of her experience, Coleman-Adebayo advocated for the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (No FEAR) Act of 2002 and was instrumental in passing the bill into law.

Coleman-Adebayo is currently the first lady of Macedonia Baptist Church. She continues to fight for underrepresented groups as president of the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition, a group that includes several Whitman students as part of the school’s internship program.

The organization addresses the unjust actions of urban developers desecrating the graves of formerly enslaved people and Black ancestors buried in Bethesda’s historical Moses African Cemetery. Coleman-Adebayo serves as the coalition’s public voice and provides strategic direction for demonstrations, fundraisers and policy actions.

Coleman-Adebayo and the BACC highlight the vastly unknown and overlooked issues that have impacted the history of Bethesda and ensure that the lives and actions of the dead are not forgotten.

photo courtesy MARSHA COLEMAN-ADEBAYO

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

How did you get inspired to begin a career in activism?

It was impossible not to become involved in some aspect of the Civil Rights Movement, whether that was reading books about it or participating in demonstrations or church groups. I was raised during the Civil Rights Movement, and it had a lasting impact on my life. I wanted to see society change and decided not to sit on the sidelines. So I went to college, and I studied economics and World Studies. And then, when I went to work on my Ph.D. at MIT, I took up political science because I wanted to understand how to change society. For a long time, I’ve been able to use both my academic background as well as the activism part of just growing up around the lessons and strategies of the Civil Rights Movement. I’ve been able to blend those two parts together; all of that has gone into the work that I carry out at the BACC.

What did it feel like to become a whistleblower for the EPA?

Terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I think it’s probably safe to say that I really do have a commitment to telling the truth, and I have a commitment to forcing institutions that think they’re immune from telling the truth to tell the truth. That has connected my whistleblower life to the current passion that I have for unearthing and exposing the crimes that have taken place in Bethesda on River Road. And I think everything that I’ve learned in terms of organizing thousands of federal workers to introduce and pass the first civil rights and whistleblower law of the 21st century called “No FEAR,” which is the Notification and Federal Employees Antidiscrimination Retaliation Act of 2000 — everything I learned in terms of being an organizer and helping people stand up to power has been useful in this struggle in Bethesda.

What unique experiences did you have while “blowing the whistle” on the EPA?

All whistleblowers have what I call that “midnight moment.” It’s when you’re awake at three o’clock in the morning and thinking, “What in the world am I doing? Why am I putting myself and my family at risk to tell the truth?”

I think that’s the moment that we all share, whoever you are, that moment when you de-

cide that if you take that next step, there will be no turning back. I decided to go forward, and it impacted my entire life and the lives of my children. So yes, there are a lot of scary moments, particularly when you’re blowing the whistle against the U.S. government.

a community of the most brilliant people in Bethesda. It’s a very diverse group of people. We’re intergenerational, intercultural. We’re composed of almost every ethnicity and age group that you can think of. Interests are very varied in BACC. We’ve written two books,

I was able to take my case to court, and we ended up winning, so the bill was introduced into Congress, and after two or three years, we were able to pass that piece of legislation. There were a lot of very scary moments, but we survived. For me, it was a difficult experience but a very rewarding experience.

What is it like being the president of the BACC? What does the job entail?

I think of my role as director on a lot of different fronts. One is providing strategic direction for the organization and working with a number of organizations to create a movement that will successfully stop the desecration of an ancient African burial ground. I’m also a political scientist by profession, so I’ve spent a large portion of my life working in the area of public policy and strategy. Also, I spend a great deal of time fundraising because fighting a multinational corporation is very expensive. Fighting a county council that has unlimited resources because they’re using our tax dollars against us is also very expensive. So, I spent a lot of time fundraising and ensuring we had enough money to carry out the work we needed to do. The third thing I do is act as a public voice for the voiceless, for those who are buried at Moses cemetery and can no longer speak for themselves. I see myself and other members of the coalition speaking on behalf of the little girls and little boys who are buried at Moses Cemetery.

What does the work of BACC look like?

Many of us are trained scholars with Ph.D.s and J.D.s and M.D.s — we’re accountants and school teachers, writers and singers and actors and dancers. So really, one of the beautiful parts of joining BACC is that you join

which I think will become standard books on this topic. We’ve organized a few American University exhibits that have received acclaim. We are also activists — we go to political events with our placards and signs, and we let politicians know how despicable we believe it is to rob graves, desecrate cemeteries and fundamentally participate in the oldest act of white supremacy. We’re not silent. We’re very vocal. We’re engaged, whether it’s in research, the arts or the underground. We’re protesting the injustice that’s going on, and we’re engaged in all aspects of this fight.

Why do you think it’s essential for young people, specifically high school students, to get involved in activism?

I think it’s important for young people to learn at a very early age that they can impact the political system in a meaningful way and that they can win in that process. Once you’ve had a taste of victory, once you understand how to impact a political system, whether it’s the political system in the United States, Canada or Jamaica, once you understand how to navigate the system, you begin to understand that you are much more powerful than you ever imagined and that your community can be brought together to have an impact on a situation. Communities are beginning to understand that they have the power to change their situation, that they don’t have to concede power to developers or the political class and that they can fight back. And more importantly, they can win. I learned that at a very early age, and it influenced the direction of my life. The act of fighting back always leads to you understanding the kind of power you can amass.

“Everything I learned in terms of being an organizer and helping people stand up to power has been useful in this struggle in Bethesda.”

TRUE CRIME FANS: FOCUS ON FICTION

by LOUISA RALSTON

Content warning: this story contains language that pertains to violence.

The world entered a frenzy when Netflix released the drama series “Dahmer” in Sept. 2022. True crime fans instantly binged the series, based on the true story of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s life. Audiences watched 300 million hours of the show in its first week of airing, and the total viewing time has since surpassed one billion hours.

As I scrolled through TikTok a few days after its release, I came across numerous fan edits of the show’s scenes. For days, my social media consisted of “thirst traps” — posts intended to sexually entice viewers — of lead actor Evan Peters playing Dahmer, spliced videos of victims’ final moments and “dark humor” about scenes in the show.

True crime had always rubbed me the wrong way, but this specific series and its reception made me extremely uncomfortable. It seemed as if people had forgotten that Dahmer’s murders impacted real victims and families.

Crime shows have desensitized our generalization to violence — we consume an unhealthy amount of violent media, so it no longer affects us to the extent it should. That desensitization has leaked into our perception of real-life violence, and our fixation on real tragedies is twisted. Our generation should stop clicking on true crime media

because the combination of reality and dramatization only accelerates apathy toward actual violence.

The creation of these true crime series is an exploitation of tragedy. Actors are reenacting the gruesome deaths of real people with entertaining writing and cinematography. Showrunners take liberties with the details and, in turn, harm victims’ families.

True crime series like “Dahmer” also fuel undeserved sympathy for killers. The comments under TikToks featuring tense scenes between Dahmer and his mother include statements like “He didn’t deserve this,” and “The pain in his voice…he just wanted someone to love him.” While it’s valid to recognize a person’s traumatic past, viewers cross a line when they excuse and pity killers like Dahmer because of how they are portrayed on TV in fictionalized retellings.

Despite the show’s depictions of Dahmer mutilating and cannibalizing several victims, audiences seem to forget that the characters in these dramatic stories are real and not Hollywood icons. Casting young heartthrobs like Dahmer actor Evan Peters as serial killers only fuels apathy toward victims. Since we tend to be more lenient towards those we find attractive — a phenomenon known as the “halo effect” — audiences sympathize with Dahmer, and some even root for him. The show’s creators humanize the killer and simultaneously dehumanize the victims as

byproducts of the violence.

Screens aren’t the only medium to deliver true crime content. Much of the genre’s consumption comes from podcasts dedicated to researching and retelling — sometimes in a comedic manner — various violent crimes. Even those podcast retellings deemed “respectful” of victims and their families are still inherently exploitative. “My Favorite Murder,” a popular true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, is praised by its fans — affectionately called “Murderinos” — for its “considerate” approach. The name of the podcast, along with the name of its fanbase, is in and of itself a problem; it makes light of the fact that real people in these stories have been gruesomely, mercilessly killed. Fans fuel their emotional detachment from violence while protected behind a community telling them there’s nothing wrong with the obsession.

There are still ways to catch a crime-related thrill without fixating on real murders. Crime fiction movies, books and TV shows portray similar cases and mysteries without the added element of reality and without harming those involved in the actual events. A half-century before true crime first found its footing in Truman Capote’s 1965 novel “In Cold Blood,” Agatha Christie was already publishing crime novels with intricate plots, complex characters and twists that are nearly impossible to untangle until each grand reveal. They were also grounded enough to follow and entertaining along the way; eerie undertones and danger aren’t unique to real stories.

True crime’s impacts have never been exclusively negative — the genre has consistently earned praise for its realistic examination of the systemic problems in law enforcement, the judicial system and mental health treatment. Still, fictional stories that parallel real events can achieve the same effect. Using fiction to mirror the injustices of the real world is a powerful and effective strategy to spark change, and crime-related content should be no different.

Obsessing over real tragedies fuels indifference towards brutal crimes and creates compassion towards killers. There’s nothing to gain from the genre that fans can’t find in creative fiction — it’s time to put true crime six feet under.

AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND TECHNOLOGY

by CHARLIE MARTIN photos by HEIDI THALMAN

Asimple white entry area leads directly into a long winding staircase, guiding visitors to an underground exhibit where spectacles of light and color begin to take form.

Soft green and yellow lights merge to shape a long grass meadow on the ceiling. The floor transforms into a sapphire blue river that flows beyond sight. The walls morph into a rushing waterfall, flooding the surrounding area with rippling currents in startling shades of blue. Red, orange and pink lights bloom into vibrant tulips that illuminate the room. The scenery is so dreamlike that it’s hard to believe the space was once a bare, four-walled room.

Just a few blocks from the National Mall, at the heart of Washington D.C., lies the digital art museum ARTECHOUSE, formed by innovators Sandro Kereselidze and Tatiana Pastukhova in 2015. The exhibits feature technology and programming to create imaginative visual landscapes.

In 2017, ARTECHOUSE opened its first formal museum in D.C., creating a space where visitors can physically interact with the illuminations around them. Locations in Miami and New York City soon followed. The museum’s curators change the exhibits they present throughout the year to display different artists and scenery, including the annual “PIXELBLOOM” exhibit in honor of D.C.’s cherry blossom season.

ARTECHOUSE’s fusion of light and color fascinated sophomore Isabel Byrd when she visited.

“It was just interesting to see how much you could do with such a limited space,” she said.

Sophomore Aurora McAfee attended the “Transient” exhibit in March 2022. When she walked into the showing, the piano keys were delicately pressed to create a melody circling the room, but there was no player to be seen. People collectively gathered around the piano in amazement, she said.

“Everyone was so silent,” McAfee said. “They were just observant, and everyone was listening. It felt like a bringing-together kind of moment.”

ARTECHOUSE is the only gallery in D.C. that focuses on immersive digital art. Visitor Experience Host Jessica Quinn guides guests into the exhibit and answers questions regarding the artwork. She views interactive

showcases as a way for people to evolve their thinking about art and technology, she said.

“We’re comfortable seeing physical artwork, paint, drawing, sculptures,” Quinn said. “I think that seeing digital artworks is a completely different side of it. You can really see everyone’s creativity evolving.”

ARTECHOUSE also presents art that reimagines traditional concepts of life and science. The studio housed the “Life of a Neuron” exhibit from Sept. 2021 to Jan. 2022. The exhibit illustrated the natural cycles of life through changing colors and sounds.

Vibrant hues and various shapes symbolized the spark and formation of neurons occurring in childhood. The flare of color winded down as the neurons entered adulthood; the array of pigments dwindled, and sounds of mundane keyboard clicking and telephone calls filled the rooms. Eventually, the sound died down, and the colors darkened, signaling the end of the neuron’s journey.

Sophomore Maya Cohen noted that the exhibit changed her perspective on how to live life to its fullest extent.

“Your brain is changing throughout your life,” Cohen said. “[I] think about how you can keep your brain healthy but also keep it learning.”

In collaboration with Vince Fraser, an Afro-Surrealist visual artist, the museum displayed the “Aṣẹ Afro Frequencies” exhibit from June 2022 to Nov. 2022. It centered around the West African Yoruba philosophy of “Aṣẹ,” which focuses on empowering people to harness their own power to produce change. The show explored ancient African heritage through a modern lens, using digital art designs inspired by traditional ceremonial masks and infusing them with imagery relating to the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement.

The ARTECHOUSE staff work hard to attract a diverse group of innovators to display their ideas. Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, Josh Feldman, is responsible for social outreach and attracting new artists to all three museum locations.

“A lot of what we do at ARTECHOUSE is elevating voices,” Feldman said. “[We] showcase to visitors an example of how we can enact change in the world around us and hopefully provide inspiration.”

Viewers observe the PIXELBLOOM exhibit.

The museum features the annual “PIXELBLOOM” exhibit between March 11 and June 5 in honor of the capital’s cherry blossom season. The show leads visitors into a spacious room engulfed in a velvet haze. Projected purple roses sprout from the floor and flood the surrounding surfaces as multicolored butterflies fly gracefully across the walls. To the left lies a long hallway leading to various interactive screens — on one, the user’s body becomes a flower, and they can raise their arms to “bloom” or move their limbs to let pollen rain down to the ground. After leaving the digital worlds created by the screens, visitors find themselves in a new environment: the once scarlet poppies and golden daisies around them have morphed into pink and white cherry blossoms.

The blending of technology and art to create artwork is not a new concept. In 1966, a group of New York artists and New Jersey Bell Laboratories engineers formed the Experiments in Art and Technology program to produce technological art shows. They carefully designed “9 Evenings,” an innovative digital art presentation with television projections, radio-controlled moving platforms and interactive exhibits. This new medium broadened the definition of art, creating lasting inspiration for future projects like ARTECHOUSE to continue pushing the boundaries.

The massive screens at ARTECHOUSE employ highresolution images to illustrate the natural world.

THE FUTURE IS WAITING

DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN NOSTALGIC ENTERTAINMENT

As the entertainment world makes strides in storytelling trends and media technology, there is no dream that can’t be realized on screen. Entertainment creators can tell any story imaginable, build any set, stage any battle and even de-age actors by decades.

Despite tremendous progress in media capabilities, studios continue to greenlight projects that return to the same stories, characters and tropes. While these projects are easier to produce, studios mainly prioritize them because of their staggering profitability; audiences consistently flock to see the latest franchise installment or high-profile remake, leaving independent, more original productions in the dust.

The appeal of seeing beloved stories retold and revived repeatedly lies in the power of nostalgia. The memories of the entertainment we’ve loved in the past hold an immense amount of influence over our minds. Getting lost in an old movie, a classic show or a book we once loved can

tent than ever. Production studios placed safe bets on classic stories and characters coming out of the pandemic, so our tendency toward the familiar is profitable for the media industry.

Art, at its best and most creative, will test what you already know and offer something new, fresh and exciting. This effect is harder to achieve when rewatching shows like “Friends” or “The Office” year after year or seeing the latest bland Marvel movies like “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” out of a sense of obligation to a more prominent brand. Nostalgia dictating entertainment consumption is no new concept, but it’s alarming to see just how much the tendency towards familiar entertainment has grown as a response to the progression of art and technology. Ever-increasing access to older content on streaming services also helps facilitate a focus on movies and shows that resonated with audiences in the past. Entertainment companies have both capitalized on and reinforced the desire to relive classic works by producing a never-ending supply of media that serves as a time machine.

by HENRY DUPREE

what you know is natural, and it can feel too complicated to figure out what new series or indie film is worth your time. A friend or family member might be able to steer you in the direction of a great new show or movie, and following blogs, podcasts or media critics who take the time to provide thoughtful recommendations can always help you find something new to watch.

Streaming services like “The Criterion Channel” or “Mubi” can help viewers discover incredible cinematic endeavors, and independent film festivals at local theaters like the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center are perfect resources for discovering something new and enriching. By seeking out more niche experiences that don’t revolve around appealing to every member of every crowd, you’re supporting artists who want to take risks and make something new and original.

For aspiring filmmaker Ayan Alwahti, breaking out of your film and TV comfort zone is the key to finding enjoyable and fulfilling new favorites.

“You might find your new comfort watch, a new favorite, a good soundtrack, an inspiration, and so many more things and possibilities when you go outside of your familiar territory,” said Alwhati.

trigger feelings and memories that are difficult to recapture in any other way.

While re-experiencing past entertainment is enjoyable and fulfilling, there’s more value in switching up your palate and supporting smaller, original art. Exclusively watching TV and movies from franchises you already know and love not only restricts your worldview but ultimately limits your ability to think critically about the world around you. Viewers should seek out original stories and media and curb the instinct to stick to what’s familiar.

The influence of nostalgia on popular culture has created an environment in which media creators are pandering to crowds and creating more disposable con-

We should care what the most creative minds in entertainment want to say in the present. Art that exists outside of the biggest names in entertainment possesses the freedom to do things that mainstream Hollywood would otherwise not permit. For example, the 2022 film “No Bears” by Iranian director Jafar Panahi blurs the lines between fiction and reality in fascinating ways, using creative filmmaking tactics to approach the unique circumstances of making a film in an oppressive regime. Independent, contemporary film and TV can comment on society in ways that major, profit-driven productions cannot.

In theory, it’s easy to expand your media diet, but in practice, diving into a show or movie that you don’t know will entertain you can be daunting. Sticking to

If society wants to progress into the future with meaning, our media needs to spend more time and attention on moving forward. If we confront the past through entertainment, it should be in a more complex and meaningful manner than just reminiscing. Art can do so much more than entertain and distract people from their daily lives if audiences take the time to explore and take risks.

Venturing out into new territory may not guarantee a great experience every time, but when you strike gold, the discovery can open a well of passion for a new story or genre that can change you as a person. The boundless joy and profound realizations that come through exploration of what we watch and consume are some of the greatest gifts one can receive from art, but only if we are willing to pursue them.

Art, at its best and most creative, will test what you already know and offer something new, fresh and exciting.

by ANNIE DELUCA

the imperfect history

Toy Fair in 1959, she became an instant bestseller — in Barbie’s first year on the shelves, Mattel sold 300,000 dolls.

Barbie debuted as a “teenage fashion model,” reflecting the glamorous style of ’50s stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth. With pale, ivory skin, long, blonde hair and a narrow waist and hips, she was the epitome of beauty for the time.

For Elizabeth McGlynn, the Montgomery County Director of the athletic and female empowerment program Girls on the Run, Barbie represented what society taught her a perfect girl would look like.

“When I was a girl, I thought Barbie was the dream,” McGlynn said. “She had everything, and you just thought that she was perfect and beautiful.”

The early ’60s brought the rise of the feminist movement and fierce scrutiny of Barbie’s roots in the suggestive Lilli doll. Barbie also introduced unattainable body proportions, leading many girls and women to feel inadequate about their bodies.

“The liberating thing was when Ken came along,” Leslie said. “We were expected to think that Barbie and Ken were semiequals, that we weren’t just playing with girl dolls — we could play with boys.”

However, Mattel faced controversy when they released the “Slumber Party Barbie” in 1965. This Barbie didn’t come with a purse or a hair brush — she came with a pink weight scale set to 110 pounds for every doll. Along with the scale, “Slumber Party Barbie” came with a diet book containing one simple instruction for young girls wanting to achieve Barbie’s body: “DON’T EAT!” The doll and her “dietary advice” book remained on the market until 1967.

She has hair blonde enough to blind you, porcelain skin clear of any imperfections and a perfectly tailored pink dress: she’s the doll every girl dreams of having. Barbie has been a simple, ever-present symbol of girlhood for generations, but her past is far more complex.

The idea for the Barbie doll was born in the late 1950s when Ruth Handler noticed that her daughter Barbara was using magazine cutouts to make paper dolls resembling adult women. Handler, who co-owned the toy company Mattel with her husband, recognized a distinct hole in the children’s toy market: there were no adult female dolls. Every doll available was modeled after children and babies.

When the Handler family vacationed in Switzerland in 1956, Barbara discovered the German “Lilli” doll. Lilli originated as a suggestive adult gift modeled after a prostitute comic strip character but later became popular among children. Intrigued by the doll’s depiction of an adult woman, Handler left Switzerland with three Lilli dolls in hand. Using the doll as inspiration and borrowing her daughter Barbara’s name, Handler created a prototype of the classic “Barbie.”

Barbie was controversial from the start: female nudity was considered inappropriate in all areas of public life when Handler introduced Barbie to the market, and a doll with breasts and removable clothing seemed ridiculous to Handler’s male colleagues.

Barbie’s immediate commercial success quickly put doubts about her profitability to rest. When she premiered at the New York

Despite the backlash, Barbie remained popular and continued to evolve. Barbie’s character took on a variety of unique jobs, from a fashion business manager in 1960 to a nurse in ’61 and a tennis player in ’62, leaving behind her fashion model days.

Next, Barbie became a “career girl” looking to climb the corporate ladder, a progressive statement in a time when only 60% of adult women held jobs and women made, on average, 59 cents for each dollar a man made. In 1965, Barbie became an astronaut and visited the moon — four years before Neil Armstrong did. She later became a surgeon in ’73 and an Olympic Skier in ’75.

Barbie had become a paradox: feminists criticized her for her sexual appeal, but she promoted many feminist values, inspiring young girls to follow their career goals despite stereotypes to the contrary.

Those years came with another major expansion of the brand. In 1961, Barbie appeared on shelves with her most iconic accessory to date: a man. Available in blonde or brunette, Barbie’s new boyfriend, Ken, wore a red bathing suit, strappy sandals and a yellow towel, standing at 12 inches tall.

Ken and Barbie’s relationship was groundbreaking in a world where women were subjected to a life of homemaking and waiting for their husbands to return from work. Ken was an add-on — Barbie didn’t need him to succeed.

Women’s Studies teacher Linda Leslie felt that the arrival of the Ken doll made a major difference in the gender roles children’s toys represented.

“There’s this poster in my pediatrician’s office about how unrealistic Barbie’s body type is,” said senior Mira Chenok. “When I was old enough to read and understand that, I started thinking about it and how unrealistic and strange it was. It definitely introduced a darker tone to the idea of just playing with them.”

Mattel’s next major move was a racial inclusion effort. In 1968, the company released Christie, the first Black Barbie. Introduced as Barbie’s new friend, Christie became known for her iconic catchphrase: “Let’s go shopping with Barbie!” Mattel released several more

of the perfect doll

Christie dolls in the decades following, and Christie’s launch in the ’60s was a significant step toward ensuring more children could see themselves reflected in their toys.

In 1993, a group of performance artists called the Barbie Liberation Organization pulled a nationwide stunt. On Christmas of that year, when children unwrapped their new G.I. Joe toys, they found that the BLO had switched the toys’ voice boxes with those of Barbie dolls. Instead of the military action figures growling, “Dead men tell no lies,” the toys yelled, “I love to shop with you!” Likewise, children across 43 states found that their Barbie dolls had been tampered with to repeat the G.I. Joe catchphrase. The operation sparked outrage.

Several months earlier, Barbie had released another speaking doll that said, “Math is hard!” The BLO lamented the doll’s stereotypically ditzy demeanor and organized the stunt in response, hoping to create enough media attention to introduce a national conversation about gender roles in children’s toys.

Mattel spoke out in Barbie’s defense following the event. The brand’s executives argued that Barbie represented female empowerment; they said she was ahead of her time, citing her exploration of unorthodox career paths in a time where women were neither expected nor encouraged to work.

Through the early 2000s, Barbie expanded her reach from toy stores to movie screens. For Generation Z, Barbie was not just a plastic doll — she was a dynamic character, coming alive in animated shows and movies on their own TV screens.

However, by the 2010s, Barbie’s popularity was on the decline — harmful beauty standards were out, and “girl power” was in. Barbie sales dropped 20% from 2012 to 2014 when the Hasbro “Elsa” doll based on Disney’s “Frozen” overtook Barbie as the most popular girls’ toy in the U.S. Elsa was a powerful and independent woman, making her a more modern role model for young girls. Barbie was no longer progressive in her career choices but outdated for her unattainable figure and lack of diversity.

Mattel recognized that they would need to adapt to the times. In 2016, they drastically diversified the Barbie collection: the new Barbie came in tall, petite and curvy body types and adopted new skin tones, eye colors and hairstyles. Mattel created a total of 33 new Barbies to, in their words, “offer girls choices that are better reflective of the world they see today.” The response was immediate: Barbie sales increased by 16% the following year.

Since then, Barbie has continued to

open her Dreamhouse doors to an increasingly diverse group. On April 25, 2023, in collaboration with the National Down Syndrome Society, Mattel introduced a Barbie doll with Down syndrome. Mattel also recently released dolls with prosthetic legs, wheelchairs, hearing aids and the skin condition vitiligo.

“There’s doctor Barbie and veterinarian Barbie, and there are all kinds of diverse looking Barbies and Barbies with different jobs and Barbies who look different than you and I do,” McGlynn said. “I think that Barbie has done an amazing job of evolving.”

Sixty-three years after the release of the first Barbie doll, award-winning actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling will star in the upcoming film “Barbie,” directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig. The film will premiere on July 21, 2023. Nostalgia invoked by the iconic doll has led to mass anticipation for the film and has revived conversations about Barbie’s ever-present role

For younger generations, the film reintroduces the fun, adventure-loving character. The soon-to-be blockbuster takes the iconic doll and turns it on its head, presenting a range of Barbies of all races, body types and careers. The film’s promotions are the picture of diversity, with various Barbies of different races and body types featured in the film’s supporting cast — a stark contrast to the white, thin, blonde Barbie that older generations may recall.

Despite Barbie’s evolution, the ideals she represents have stayed mostly consistent. Ultimately, she embodies societal standards for women — she acknowledges what’s expected of her and often pushes those limits in a continuous effort to open minds and empower young girls.

“She can put on a suit, and she’s a lawyer. She can put on a space helmet, and she’s an astronaut,” Margot Robbie told Vogue in an interview about her upcoming role in the Barbie film. “She can do all these things, and she was doing it back in a time when women couldn’t even have their own bank accounts.”

“Let ’ s go shopping with Barbie!”

THE REAL WORLD CAN GET DARK. KIDS’ SHOWS SHOULD TOO

by DEIRDRE PRYAL

When I was a little kid, my daily after-school agenda consisted of only one item: plopping down on my living room floor and watching whatever happened to be playing on Disney Channel. Six-year-old me wasn’t picky, but my favorite show was “Bear in the Big Blue House.” I adored the lively puppets that taught basic problem-solving and encouraged creativity while emphasizing the value of optimism.

Throughout my daily hours of binging, themes relating to death, grief and other dark concepts were nowhere to be found. Lighthearted tropes and loveable characters defined my childhood TV experience; more realistic, darker themes would have added a new dimension to these predictable shows.

Years after I had moved on from kid-oriented viewing, I asked my nine-yearold sister if she’d like to watch some TV with me. My sister jumped at the chance to watch one of her new favorites, “Over the Garden Wall,” an animated children’s show that follows two young boys, Greg and Wirt.

As the show began, I was surprised to see the two boys accidentally venture into the underworld as they explored the depths of a mysterious forest, a metaphor for the limbo between life and death. In Pottsfield, a town designed to represent a graveyard composed of unmarked headstones, Greg

and Wirt had to dig holes — implied to be their own graves — and interact with the town’s undead residents. At the end of the episode, when a group of Pottsfield residents asks the boys if they’d like to stay in town, it’s clear that the boys will eventually return regardless — upon their deaths.

The themes of death and mortality explored in “Over the Garden Wall” were utterly alien to me at my sister’s age, a universe away from the comforting narratives of the shows I knew. The first episode quickly introduced plot conflicts complex enough for adults, and I was amazed to see that my little sister was as engaged and intrigued by Greg and Wirt’s gloomy endeavors as I was. While entire seasons of other classic kids’ shows never delved into anything more profound than friendship drama and simple moral dilemmas, “Over the Garden Wall” dove deeper. Within the confines of fictional narratives, my sister could explore different coping strategies to deal with serious concepts and challenges.

I spent the summer of 2021 babysitting two young kids. Once toys and piggyback rides had run their course, a few episodes of a TV show were the best way to end each day. The kids always insisted that I put on “Bluey,” a show that followed the lives of four animated dancing dogs but had much

more to offer under the surface.

“Bluey,” an Australian kids’ show that has recently gained massive popularity in the U.S., is usually lighthearted and friendly, exploring topics such as friendship and manners. However, the show occasionally grapples with more mature themes that viewers of any age are rarely confronted with. For example, in an episode called “Grandpa,” the main characters, Bluey’s parents, struggle with the reversal of roles that can occur between an elderly parent and an adult child as the child steps into the caregiver position. These kinds of concepts are rarely even explored by adult-oriented entertainment, so to begin addressing these issues and their solutions in kids’ shows is a crucial path to preparing kids for the lessthan-happy aspects of life.

These shows are part of a larger movement toward bringing more serious and realistic content to children’s media, and these few shows are not alone in their attempts to convey important themes to young audiences. Being exposed to violence and conflict around the world and tragedy in one’s own life is an unavoidable aspect of growing up, and early exposure to serious or upsetting topics can help children develop healthy coping mechanisms.

By subtly introducing darker concepts and demonstrating constructive methods to discuss and respond to them through the plot of the show, darker topics become easier to digest and accept when kids inevitably encounter them in the real world. Tragedies occur spontaneously — young people are often forced to confront grief and conflict earlier than they should have to, and these shows may help teach them the best way to cope. TV has a tremendous amount of influence over the choices children make as they grow older, and it would be a mistake for kids’ shows not to harness that power to prepare kids for the darker parts of real life.

While it’s startling to see the stark contrast between the optimistic, upbeat shows of my childhood and the heavier themes addressed in similar-looking shows today, the value of early exposure to darker reality may be the key to raising more resilient future generations.

graphic by MARY RODRIGUEZ MOLINA

LOGGING OFF

I TRIED LIVING IN THE SIMS. IT DIDN’T WORK. by AYA CHAMI

Today was especially productive: I wrote a book, planted some flowers, painted a portrait and did 45 pushups on my kitchen floor. After a long, diligent day, the row of checks in my accomplishments tab left me feeling triumphant. When I finally turned off my computer, reality sunk in — my Sim did all of that, not me.

“The Sims” is a life simulation video game that allows players to design their own character, known as a “Sim,” and control the Sim’s life. Players guide their Sim through daily tasks and have free rein to handpick their Sim’s house, family, friends and lifestyle. Players can make the wildest of dreams come true, becoming doctors, politicians and business owners without experiencing the troubles of choosing such life paths for themselves.

After viewing countless YouTube and TikTok videos of players’ miniature worlds on “The Sims 4” during the pandemic, I was intrigued by the user’s ability to create as many characters as they want and customize their appearance completely. When I saw an ad for the app in Dec. of 2021, I purchased it without a second thought.

Opening the app for the first time, I was bombarded with choices. From face shape to nail polish to outfits for every occasion, before I knew it, I had spent four hours designing every detail of my character, Sophie. She was responsible, neat, school-oriented, popular and outgoing. With long, straight hair and a perfect figure, she was everything I wasn’t.

I hadn’t experienced the feeling of control in my own life for months, so having complete control over every detail of Sophie’s life was extremely fulfilling. Initially, I played the game at my own convenience for short periods. Within a few days, though, the leisurely gameplay turned into a multiple-hour commitment, filling entire afternoons I could’ve spent with my family and friends or doing school work.

After two months of obsessively playing at home, I brought my MacBook to school as an escape from class. Every day, my teachers would ask me to turn off the game, hoping to get me back on track in my academics, but I couldn’t let Sophie lose her job as a fashion consultant or fail her biology class, even though I was failing

mine. In my free time, I spent hours sitting in my room, creating dozens of other Sims for Sophie to interact with. I meticulously controlled their lives as the game began to dictate my own.

Living vicariously through games like The Sims may sound absurd, especially to those who’ve never played. Sophie didn’t have any of the obstacles I did — she never had to feel insecure about her appearance or worry that she wasn’t doing well in school. For someone like me, with no intention of working to fix my personal problems, The Sims rewarded me with the “life” I wanted without having to put in the work.

A few months into my obsession, my poor grades, missed deadlines and withdrawal from my previous life became impossible to ignore. I began to realize that the game was controlling every aspect of my life. My friends were hanging out without me, I was missing family events and I was neglecting more and more of my schoolwork. As much as I loved living Sophie’s life, it became increasingly clear that I was using her to avoid my everyday problems and insecurities.

I ultimately made the difficult decision to delete the app — with the click of a button, I removed the one tool enabling my addiction. Walking around the school for the next few days, I slowly started to re-

gain awareness of the people around me. I learned and discovered information about my friends that had just slipped past me while I was buried in my computer screen.

I often miss the feeling of escaping to a world where I could fast forward to a new day or pause and change my response in a conversation, but The Sims couldn’t be my reality. Avoiding real-world problems and hoping they go away is unsustainable. Being forced to deal with negative situations and handle your mental health teaches patience, open-mindedness and problem-solving skills, which a virtual game can’t.

Overcoming my addiction to virtual life allowed me to focus on my own life and find hobbies beyond just controlling a Sim. I’ve rekindled relationships with family members and friends that had become strained while the game took over my life, and I’ve built new connections with people who motivate me to live in the present.

Sometimes, I spend a few minutes on the app and remember that I can play the game without completely disconnecting from reality. However, I no longer feel the constant urge to escape my own messes by cleaning up my characters’. More importantly, I now have the time to write a book, plant some flowers, paint a portrait and do 45 push-ups on my kitchen floor — this time, in real life.

graphic by ELIZA RAPHAEL

ON FILM

BY MADDIE KALTMAN

THE MODERN VALUE IN A CLASSIC MEDIUM

Stepping into a darkroom for the first time is an experience like no other. The red-tinted safelights, clunky mechanical enlargers and pungent odors wafting from the trays of chemicals are enough to overwhelm one’s senses. Perhaps unexpectedly, this dim, foul-smelling room is the heart of the beautiful and challenging process of film photography.

Currently, Whitman is the only MCPS school to offer a year-long film photography program. At Whitman, students taking Photography 2 learn how to operate film cameras, develop film and enlarge developed images.

The darkroom photography journey begins with a roll of film snugly secured in the back of a heavy metal camera. After shooting, photographers pull the film from the camera in a pitch-black film loading room and put it into a canister for development. The process is extremely delicate, as any exposure to light can ruin the final photo. After developing the film and creating a contact sheet that lays out all the images, the photographer brings the film strips into the darkroom, where they can be enlarged. Once the light-sensitive film paper is exposed to a light that shines through the negatives, the photographer douses it in chemicals and dries out the print. Finally, after days of work, the final product is complete.

In a day and age when all of the photography tools we need can fit in a pocket, some view film photography as a waste of time and money. However, these criticisms have not diminished community members’ love for Whitman’s darkroom program.

“I feel like I’m keeping alive this cool, old art process,” said photo teacher Michael Seymour. “I’m just so tired of electronics and glass screens and apps. Everything with film is so mechanical and so artistic; I just love it.”

Seymour’s film program is both well-

known and well-loved at Whitman, and his Photo 2 classes fill up with students every year. For students, Photo 2 serves as a change of pace from modern life, said junior and former Photo 2 student Ella Gontkovic.

Generation Z has grown up in a time in which the destination holds a higher value than the journey; as technology has adapted to cut out the procedural aspects of photography, the value of a single photo has diminished. Due to the intricacy of the process, film photographers must slow down and take things one step at a time instead of rushing toward the finish line. Mistakes are common, and frustration is almost guaranteed, but this long, arduous journey sets film photography

you’re taking.”

Film photography builds character as well as artistic ability. There’s the ever-present risk of a small mistake ruining an image: whether the photographer sets the aperture of the camera too wide, mixes the chemicals in the wrong order or exposes the film to light, any alteration to the carefully-tuned process has the potential to damage the final image. While these setbacks may be irritating in the moment, working with film teaches photographers to solve problems and develop patience — two essential skills that film photographers can apply to all aspects of life.

apart from digital photography and elevates the art form to a whole new level.

“You get a good photo that you don’t see at all until a week or two later after you developed it, and it’s just a lot more rewarding,” said Gontkovic. “I just think it’s so beautiful.”

Unlike in digital photography, working with a mechanical camera and manually choosing the settings for an image allows photographers to improve their techniques and become more cognizant of small details. Working with a limited number of shots can also improve the quality and composition of one’s images over time.

“It certainly taught me to actually think about what exposure or aperture I’m using for photos,” said sophomore Photo 2 student Skyler Smith. “It makes you think a lot more about the photo

Despite the many benefits of film photography, it’s a dying art form. A dwindling number of stores in Montgomery County sell film supplies, and even fewer have a darkroom available to customers. The time and money required to pursue film photography often deter amateur photographers from exploring the medium. Having a darkroom available to all students in school makes it much easier for students to engage in film photography because everything they need is available in one place.

“I can’t imagine not having it at school,” Gontkovic said. “There’s not any resources out there, and for a school to provide that to the students would be so amazing.”

MCPS’ reluctance to implement more darkroom programs is likely because of the cost of stocking and maintaining the darkrooms. Film, photo paper and development chemicals are expensive, and attending a school that can afford to provide these materials alongside effective and knowledgeable teaching is a privilege. Regardless, whenever possible, schools should strive to find room in the budget for a film photography program — the lasting value of the artistic process makes it well worth the price tag.

Due to the intricacy of the process, film photographers must slow down and take things one step at a time instead of rushing toward the finish line.

THE BLACK & WHITE MAPS THE HISTORY OF WHITMAN TRENDS

FROM THE ARCHIVES

by SOFIA LAZARUS

In 1983, The Black &White published a Q&A with Nina S. Hyde, a fashion editor at The Washington Post, concerning student fashion at Whitman. Hyde spoke about teenagers’ turn toward jeans as an anti-establishment fashion choice and analyzed students’ interest in designer clothing as a way to conform with their peers.

photos by SALLY ESQUITH

In 1993, The Black & White released an article exploring a recent phenomenon of students hiring strippers to perform at their parties.

In 1983, The Black & White reviewed “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” when it was first released by Lucasfilm. The review spoke favorably of the film’s acting and special effects. To this day, The Black & White covers the newest releases from the Star Wars franchise as the galaxy far, far away continues to expand.

In 1993, Whitman administrators decided to alter the school mascot, adding a female Viking to the logo as a move toward gender equality and inclusion. The Black & White covered this change, interviewing students and teachers on their opinions.

At the end of 1982, The Black & White assembled a list of the year’s top albums. Their picks included records by Pete Townshend, Marshall Crenshaw, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Simon and Garfunkel, Men at Work and more.

graphic by NADEEN PERERA

graphic by NADEEN PERERA

DROP EVERYTHING AND READ

by ICHI BAI

HOW SCHOOLS CAN MAKE KIDS LOVE READING AGAIN

Most seventh-graders don’t look forward to English class. Sitting down after lunch to annotate a book and discuss the author’s tone for the fourth time that week is mundane. The only thing keeping those students engaged in their work is the promise of getting the assignment over with.

Resources like SparkNotes and, more recently, ChatGPT — which can summarize texts on demand and provide written commentary — give today’s students the option of going the majority of their lives without reading a book. The redundant assignments teachers must give to fulfill curriculum re-

actually have more to gain from reading than just the information in a book. Books offer what video content typically can’t — they have the capacity to both improve your writing and add complexity to your thinking. While YouTube and TikTok videos provide condensed and dumbed-down content designed to get your attention, books can provide a more complex experience to a reader. That value also means that English class should be treated differently from other subjects — students have no obligation to spend the rest of their lives doing linear algebra or chemistry, but reading will always benefit their intellectual growth.

other assignment to complete. Even worse, students learn that reading books is a waste of time and that they can finish reading-related work faster by using SparkNotes, online lecture summaries and AI.

The harsh reality that many readers under high school age will not be able to appreciate the value of the classics must also be a factor in choosing what content to implement in young students’ curricula. This isn’t to say that reading classics is fruitless nor that newer books are objectively better; classics are generally more difficult for young readers to fully grasp than recent fantasy fiction packed with thrill and easily interpretable themes.

When young kids are clearly drawn to action-packed fiction thrillers like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, forcing them to read and annotate books geared toward young readers from decades ago is challenging. Newer books provide part of the solution. Novelists write them precisely to keep up with what the current generation of young readers is interested in, but English class still keeps one foot in the past when it comes to reading.

quirements aren’t helping and are instead practically encouraging students to dislike reading. It’s the duty of educators, from policymakers down to individual teachers, to figure out how to make reading enjoyable and keep students reading for the rest of their lives.

Students often misunderstand that they

At Whitman, many students with remarkable GPAs and top test scores haven’t read a book outside of class since elementary school. According to a 2020 poll from the Pew Research Center, 42% of nine-yearolds read frequently for fun, but this number dwindled to 19% among 17-year-olds. The combination of tedious reading assignments and monotonous book selections can make reading feel like a chore to young students. The recent parent-led opposition towards any text with controversial themes, violence or mature content is also hindering schools from making reading curriculums more colorful.

As students get older and busier with school and extracurriculars, they become increasingly distanced from classroom books. Many forget that reading is anything but an-

If schools want students to feel passionate about and connect with literature, school districts need to turn their attention toward a different approach to reading. With countless tools to help them through reading assignments, it’s practically impossible to force students to read a book they don’t want to read. Instead, schools must convince them to choose reading on their own. Book reports, annotations and worksheets on books that younger students won’t find interesting don’t succeed in teaching students that reading is an entertaining way to become a more creative thinker. Group discussions and creative projects are much more conducive to student involvement than teacher lectures or rigid analyses. Students would rather share their own interpretations of a character than be shown a few select interpretations. Students would prefer to write their own stories, not write about someone else’s.

When English classes force 11-year-olds to read a book published in the 1900s about socioeconomic conflict during the Great Depression, it likely won’t spark passion or imagination the way an action-packed book series might. Add on the worksheets, essays and detestable sticky note annotations that are assigned in class, and the very thought of reading will evoke dread.

By making students read to observe key elements of writing, schools are killing students’ innate love for reading. Simply teaching students how to read isn’t enough in an era where students don’t actually have to read books to learn — to cultivate a generation of avid readers and complex thinkers, students need to learn how to love reading.

Students would prefer to write their own stories, not write about someone else’s.

TAKING A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Istare directly into the eyes of my final opponent and calmly recheck my cards.

I know I have an awful hand, but I also know that the person sitting across from me has no idea what I am capable of.

It’s my move. I take a deep breath and shove the remainder of my chips into the middle of the table: I’m all in. The boy sitting across from me looks taken aback at my confidence. I watch him think for a moment, then throw his cards into the fold pile, giving up. I scoop the tall stack of chips toward my seat and reveal my cards to the table, a smile creeping across my face. Frustration echoes around me as the table realizes they could’ve beaten me.

Poker is a game about taking risks, using logic to make decisions under pressure and knowing when to call people out. The game teaches when and how to step outside of your comfort zone, how to read social situations and the lesson that has been most meaningful to me: feeling comfortable taking a seat at any table.

In an interview with CNBC, poker player and billionaire entrepreneur Jenny Just cited an estimate that over 100 million people in the world play poker, but only 10% of those players are women. Poker has long been a male-dominated game, and it’s time to deal women in.

My life as a poker player began when my brother and his friends asked me to be a last-minute recruit to ensure their game had

enough players to run smoothly. As I sat at the poker table with seven boys, no one paid me any attention. I felt outnumbered, overlooked and out of place — all common emotions in my everyday life.

Whether sitting in my male-dominated economics class or at a poker table surrounded by boys, the same sensation used to overwhelm me: I don’t belong here. Forcing myself into these uncomfortable situations has helped banish that thought from my mind. The more time I spend surrounded by men in these spaces, the more I realize I have just as much, if not more, to offer.

Since I began playing poker more often, “Why would I not belong?” has become a more frequent thought than the former “I don’t belong.”

Every time I speak up in class or win a hand, my confidence grows, and the feeling of being an imposter shrinks a little smaller.

Society tells girls to avoid rocking the boat; lowered expectations for women’s capabilities have become an intrinsic part of our perception of women. As women are continuously discouraged from sharing their opinions and making choices that deviate from cultural norms, they become less inclined to take risks.

In stressful situations, women often

gravitate toward the safer route for fear of upsetting the status quo. A University of Southern California study testing the effects of stress on risk-taking found that stress amplifies the differences between men’s and women’s risk-taking tendencies. Researchers found that stressful situations make women more risk-avoidant, and men more risk-seeking.

Playing poker allows girls to practice usually discouraged risk-taking and decision-making tactics. As girls gain experience with poker, they become more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable. Taking risks can be difficult at first,

and playing poker provides women a safe space to take the first steps toward developing the invaluable skill.

By playing ambitiously and trusting my instincts, I’ve become secure enough in my abilities to make bets during the game to translate my skills into situations in my own life. Trying a new activity that I may be terrible at isn’t as frightening as going all in when I’m bluffing. Even feats as small as raising my hand in class are less intimidating because I know I’ve put my pride on the line for things more important than answering a question incorrectly.

From starting as a beginner learning the game terminology and hierarchy of possible hands to growing into an intermediate player able to analyze players’ patterns and calculate odds, my improvement in poker has parallelled my growth in my personal life. I feel powerful wielding knowledge that others wouldn’t expect me to have — that empowerment is something that every shy or intimidated girl should get to feel. In a game setting, knowing that you have the ability to outplay someone who would never expect it leaves you with a sense of overwhelming pride. Outside of the game, being able to present yourself more confidently is just as satisfying.

Even if there isn’t a chair at the table for you, drag one up. If there’s no space, make space. Take that chair to any table you want to sit at. Start playing — see where it can take you.

As girls gain experience with poker, they become more comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable.

POKER EMPOWERS WOMEN TO GO ALL IN by CHLOE WALKER

SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW

by RYLAN AMMERMAN

2023 has been a slow year for the film industry. However, several thrilling projects are on the horizon for the upcoming summer; it’s time for the world’s best directors and studios to shine. Here are The Black & White’s recommendations for the summer movie season.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE

July 14

After the $1.5 billion success of last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” Tom Cruise is sure to deliver once again. Every teaser advertisement for the penultimate episode of the 27-year-old franchise has promised prime entertainment, including Cruise’s legendary motorcycle BASE jump and a free-fall stunt in another action scene. Cruise is a physical actor, known for often performing his own stunts on set, a practice he appears to be continuing for the seventh “Mission: Impossible” film. Fans are excited to see actors such as Rebecca Ferguson, Ving

Rhames and Simon Pegg return as some of the franchise’s most iconic characters. However, the decision to divide the franchise’s final adventure into two separate movies has raised concerns for some fans. As action enthusiasts know, using a cliffhanger could make the film feel like an incomplete story, but it could also improve further anticipation for this film’s eventual sequel. However, there are no production red flags that can curb the excitement for this eagerly awaited movie, which is expected to be one of 2023’s most successful releases.

Harrison Ford’s final outing as the legendary Indiana Jones has some audiences excited and others skeptical. The movie trailers provide the traditional Indiana Jones feeling, but legendary studio Lucasfilm has recently lost viewers’ trust in managing the “Star Wars” franchise. Hoping to win back audiences and energize Indiana Jones fans, the film brings all-star director James Mangold — best known for Best Picture nominee “Ford v. Ferrari” — into the director’s chair.

Indiana Jones is a franchise grounded in practical stunts and effects, not CGI. And if the scope of the narrative expands, CGI effects will only be further leaned upon. Cinema fans want “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” to be a winner, but considering Harrison Ford is 81 years old and the plot doesn’t seem to bring anything new to the saga, the film has some obstacles to overcome before it can live up to the joy and acclaim of the beloved franchise.

July 30

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

Spider-Man has grown into one of modern Hollywood’s A-list characters. While many film fans have enjoyed decades of Spider-Man movies, no iteration of the character was completely loved by both audiences and critics until the 2018 animated hit “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” As the sequel swings into theaters, all eyes are on directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers to meet the sky-high expectations set by the first film five years ago.

Protagonist and returning Spider-Man Miles Morales confronts

thousands of Spider-People spanning the multiverse, both allies and enemies. The story is grounded in Miles’ relationships with his parents, legendary franchise love interest Gwen Stacy and the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker — all relationships fans love. With the memory of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” serving as a benchmark, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” has big shoes to fill.

June 2

Celebrated director and three-time Academy Award nominee Greta Gerwig has taken on bringing the iconic “Barbie” character to the big screen. The complex and fleshed-out characters that populate Gerwig’s Barbie universe, led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken respectively, line up nicely with the goal to deliver a fresh interpretation of the well-known universe. With the unique product design and colorful world that the movie’s marketing has emphasized, “Barbie” is sure to be a dynamic ride. Regardless of how rousing this movie may be, the intended audience remains unclear. The Barbie doll is a kid’s toy, but the film is certainly not a kid’s movie. While the doll may be nostalgic for some adults, familiarity

isn’t necessarily what the film appears to be playing at, either. The first teaser trailer was a niche reference to the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the second includes off-beat comedy and unexpected innuendo, creating the impression that the film may be out of touch with the Barbie brand. It seems as though the movie might be pandering to the film fans on social media with a movie that may not fully reach any real audience. There is no doubt that the public will show up for this film, but due to the purposefully ambiguous marketing, movie-goers can’t be sure exactly what they’re in for.

July 21

OPPENHEIMER

WhenChristopher Nolan releases a new film, practically the entire film community celebrates. Nolan’s filmography has aged like fine wine since his breakthrough film “Memento” in 2000 put him on the map for its shocking twists and unique story told backward. “Oppenheimer,” however, represents a new endeavor for this directing titan, as Nolan has yet to confront the unique challenges of a biopic. A three-hour epic about the man who created the atomic bomb might feel pedestrian compared to Nolan’s modern spectacles, but his usual techniques are still in play.

Time is a constant motif in all of Nolan’s narratives, highlighted by his

signature crescendoing plotlines and non-linear storytelling.

Nolan will likely capture his audience’s attention with these techniques, especially during the pivotal detonation countdown scene teased in the movie’s trailers.

Nolan is a visionary storyteller, capable of maneuvering actors, plotlines and practical effects to a high cinematic standard. With top-tier resources at his disposal, Nolan has the opportunity to brilliantly execute his vision of J. Robert Oppenheimer this summer.

July 21

SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

BARBIE

ASK THE RUTABAGA

Words of Advice from ANDRÉ TATE & GRETA STUNBERG

Reader: Hi Rutabaga, it’s almost college application season, and I just realized that I need to be securing my college recommendations. I just have one little problem – I hate all my teachers, and they all hate me! What should I do?

André Tate: I’ll tell you what — if you are spending your time worrying about securing college recommendations, you must be the softest snowflake out there. College is a complete waste of money and time that could be spent on NFTs and crypto trades — so why stress? College is just an extension of the liberal media anyway.

Greta Stunberg: Just don’t get a recommendation! Asking for a recommendation is a sign of respect for a teacher, and trust me, teachers do NOT deserve your respect! When someone becomes a teacher, they’re surrendering themselves to corruption — agreeing to indoctrinate the youth of the world with right-wing propaganda in exchange for a paycheck. The education system is riddled with racist math and whitewashed history, and asking for a teacher’s recommendation is essentially condoning every problematic principle that schools stand for.

Reader: Help me, Rutabaga — The end of the year is coming up fast, and I am currently 0.04% away from an A in one of my classes. I really need this A, or else I’ll lose my perfect GPA — how do I convince my teacher to bump up my grade?

AT: If you really want to get your grade bumped up, I’d say that there’s no better way to befriend your teachers than to flex your wealth. If you go to their room during lunch and show off your incredible portfolio of Dogecoin, they’ll be immediately convinced of your capabilities, and you’ll get your A with no problem.

GS: Stop conforming to society’s definition of success! Everyone knows that “A” stands for “American imperialism,” and “B” stands for “Beautiful environment.” Every minute you spend buying into this capitalist, oil-driven reward system is a minute you waste not working to protect Earth’s environment.

Reader: Rutabaga, I need your help! I don’t have a parking pass, but I need to take my siblings to school every morning. How am I supposed to drive my car to school if I can’t get a parking space?

AT: Are you telling me you are too scared of minuscule fines and towing charges to park your car in the parking lot? That sounds to me like a beta mentality. Looking beyond the fact you have to do the free labor of taking your siblings to school — if you don’t park your car in the lot, it makes you look poor, like you can’t afford to pay towing fees.

GS: Why are you even driving in the first place? Every car ride you take to school causes permanent damage to our atmosphere. The only method of transportation you should be using is your legs. The best thing you could do is destroy the car and use its parts to make signs for protests. Do better.

B&Wthe MULTIMEDIA NOW STREAMING

ACROSS

1. Traditional wooden footwear

5. Type of pepper grown in Java

10. What you might do on a “pull” door

14. Over run

15. Sydney’s main attraction

16. Island

17. Printed eulogy, abr.

18. Tool to grill a steak

19. Votes against

20. Increasing in volume, musically

23. Owner of a popular ice cream store to work at

24. GDP unit of measurement

28. Birds similar to herons and cranes

32. “You put,” in Mexico or Spain

33. One may get one when they turn 18, abr.

36. A measure of a camera’s strength in capturing converging light

39. An archaic exclamation of surprise

41. Outside of social norms

42. Opponent of Bush Jr.

43. To place value on possessions

46. You might get one at the beach

47. Also known as keys

48. To submit for competition

50. A step toward progress

52. Your sister’s daughter

56. Pitch Perfect’s all-male acapella group

61. Prefix to a “Midnights” song

64. Brownish-purple

65. Ongoing Taylor Swift tour

66. The capital of Ukraine

67. Made with a popular breakfast grain

68. To violently split or tear apart

69. Sign of puberty

70. To mix

71. Been there, done that

DOWN

1. Where you might put Jibbitz

2. September and October horoscope

3. A type of dogwood tree

4. Implies

5. Coast, as in “____ d’Ivoire”

6. The second word of every fairy tale

7. What Elle Woods would do before the snap

8. Therefore

9. VSCO girls in 2019

10. The national sport of China

11. Country between Mexico and Canada

12. A fox’s trait

13. “____ All That,” starring Tik Tok celeb Addison Rae

21. Remy’s occupation

22. The back of the neck

25. A Netherite one is the hardest to get in Minecraft

26. Di-, Tri-, ___-

27. The air after a wildfire

29. Indian flatbread

30. Organization for college sports

31. A horse’s home, minus the “t”

33. Speeds of music, pl.

34. Once more

35. A sauce used on fish, minus an “r”

37. Beef tender____

38. What the girls tennis team has never done

40. With the intent to name or label something

44. You’ll hear Katy Perry and lions do it

45. An acronym for the area surrounding the Red Sea, abbr.

49. Island prison off the coast of New York

51. To disband (troops)

53. Freakish and odd

54. Hanker

55. City in Western Germany

57. Old Testament demonic false idol

58. A mandolin-like instrument

59. Odd’s partner

60. To heal a broken heart

61. You may also recognize it as

62. The Big Apple

63. #50 on the periodic table

CROSSWORD

by MARIKO VARNER & MAYA RAPHAEL