A Collection of New: An Exploration of Culture and Society

A Collection of New: An Exploration of Culture and Society NCTC English – British Literature 2018

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, The challenge was: create art that represents the values of a new society, one that you are responsible for. The answer is in the pages that follow. As an instructor, I can only hope that the people I learn alongside struggle well and make art that is personal, powerful and authentic. I could not be more proud of this publication.

I watched while they created Agario, their made up city where their society would grow. I watched while they argued (well and not so well) about the core values that would guide the people. I watched while they worked and spoke and challenged one another’s beliefs, ideals, and morals. I watched as they rallied. I watched with pride as the submissions poured in. They succeeded because they created.

There lies within the following pages essays and poetry and art and photography and advertisements and some more undefinable pieces. All of them represent the creator well and reflect a sliver of who they are. There is tentative truth that follows.

While you’re experiencing their magazine, think about the values that you hold in high regard. What is it that defines our culture and society? What beliefs bind us together? Or are we adding to the cultural imperative as individuals?

Through the art, may you find an answer to a question that’s been rattling around in your mind. Thank you for being here. Thank you for existing well.

- Jacob Arnold Fall Semester 2018

OPINION

Should School’s be allowed to Tamper with Someone Else’s Work?

by Sarah Alam

High School. A terrifying jungle that’s filled with hormonal rage and BO. For many students, the arts are an escape from the terrifying four years that they must endure.

One of the most notable outlets for students is theater. There’s nothing quite like High School theater. We teenagers spend so much of our time wishing we were somewhere else, and for those brave enough the stage is an escape. Stepping into another person’s soul, and becoming the character you were chosen to play can be one of the most freeing things for a stressed-out student. But with those freedoms comes restriction.

Obviously, there are certain topics you cannot address within a High School context.

Things like explicit content, drug or alcohol abuse, and other easily ‘controversial’ topics (homosexuality, religion, etc.) are things I have seen a lot of high schools avoid or edit out of a play. Now, I understand wanting to avoid those topics when you are performing plays or musicals with high schoolers acting out the scenes; but in cutting specific scenes or lines out of a play, you’re taking away a crucial part of the art.

There are many high school friendly scripts of very popular musicals that directors can use, but if your students want to place themselves inside of that art and discover the true meaning, why would you take that right away from them? It would be like making your students read a watered-down version of The Hunger Games where

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no one could die because “murder isn’t good”. It completely takes away the purpose of the novel and what is was supposed to teach the reader.

Now some may argue that changing a couple lines of a musical here and there isn’t bad. That changing the line “Mucho masturbation” in Rent’s “La Vie Boehme” to “Mucho stimulation" isn’t all that important. I understand that argument, and I agree that it isn’t that much of a change, but the author of the work wanted that line to be there. For whatever reason, that line was supposed to be in the song. It could’ve been due to simple rhythmic needs, or maybe it had a deeper meaning somehow, but either way it’s doing the original author an injustice by removing it.

I understand that there are certain things a school just simply CANNOT address; you can’t make a group of teenagers perform an explicit (or most of the time implicit) sex scene on a stage. In that case, you should just avoid the play. Some may argue that if the scene isn’t that important to the show, you can take it out (like “Contact” also in Rent), but as I stated before its doing an injustice to the person who wrote that scene. If the students want to do the show that bad, they will find an outside source in which they can do the play, but in no way should schools be allowed to simply change the artwork as it was intended to be written.

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OVERVIEW

by Emily Armstrong

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ESSAY & PHOTOGRAPHY

“Let’s Make a New World” Project

by Brayden Arnold

Art in our society is a hard one to describe. We work towards creating better education, political systems and equality but the art just follows behind. Art can be anything and it can be everywhere. Art isn’t always intentional and doesn’t have to have a meaning. Art is whatever we want it to be and that makes it so great.

Personally, I find art in the things that have been put in front of me. I’d like to believe that I am just an observer capturing my own perspective and sharing it, instead of being the creative artist who made the piece itself. I do this most in photography.

This allows us to see the world around us as a masterpiece and we are simply capturing it.

Art itself is a fundamental part of society. It drives humans to feel emotions when they otherwise wouldn’t. It can also inspire us to achieve or advance or create. Art is a form of a call to action, whether that action is to enjoy and let our brain receptors experience the moment, or if that means literal action. Without art in a society it would be very barren. In fact, societies cannot exist without art. I would argue that a society in and of itself is a form of art as it calls its members to action by asking them to work and live within it. Art is necessary for us to be human. With that said, enjoy some of the included art that I felt inspired to make as a way to relax while figuring out how to complete this project.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

by Spencer Baland

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CROSSWORD

by Bergan Conner

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Across 1. involuntary and habitual grinding of the teeth 4. the fourth stomach of a ruminant, such as a cow or a sheep 6. Scottish a coin of low value 8. Argo is also the name of the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed in search of the Golden Fleece 9. W. Indian a confused or noisy situation 11. S. African informal a teachers' strike 14. like leather 15. the study or investigation of crop circles 16. a minor or incompetent critic 18. One of the Greek Muses 20. a person who buys and sells books, especially rare ones 22. Shakespeare is the reason we all know about it 25. a military attack carried out at night 29. a lichen used in Scotland to make a brownish dye for wool 30. a full-length, sleeveless outer garment worn by Arabs 31. an early clock using the flow of water into or out of a container 33. the casting off of a limb or other part of the body by an animal under threat, such as a lizard 34. a person who believes that it is possible, through meditation, to reach a level of consciousness where one can exist on air alone 36. copious but meaningless talk or writing 38. an urge to do something inadvisable 40. the practice of registering well-known names as Internet domain names, in the hope of reselling them at a profit 41. to the sea 42. a drink of rum, sugar, water, and nutmeg 43. a mythical serpent with a head at each end 47. resembling an eel 48. vigilant, referring to Argos, a Greek mythological watchman with a hundred eyes 50. Scottish (of a person) warm and friendly; (of a place) cosy and comfortable 51. A Sound 18

53. deep sky blue 59. (or conniption fit) N. Amer. informal a fit of rage or hysterics 62. a purple or violet powder used for dyeing, made from lichen 66. blue; azure 68. Indian ten million 69. to gather together in a cluster or group 70. a person who peddles books, newspapers, or other writings, especially bibles and religious tracts 71. pig N. Amer. informal a place where alcoholic drinks are sold illegally 75. A place in both London and New York 76. Rulers of Austrailia 77. edge the very forefront of technological development 78. a powerful jinn or demon in Arabian and Muslim mythology 79. A sore commonly occurring on the eyelid 81. Medicine the posture of someone who is lying down or lying in bed 85. winding or circuitous 86. of or like copper 87. a rooster in a fairy tale 89. a sticky preparation used for setting hair 90. N. Amer. a tramp

Down 1. a great deal of fuss or trouble 2. an association between two organisms in which one benefits from the relationship and the other derives neither harm nor benefit 3. a small hard, solid mass which may form in the stomachs of animals such as goats or sheep 5. N. Amer. informal a joke that gets a loud or hearty laugh 7. industrious or effective 8. the death of cells which occurs as a normal part of an organism's growth or development 9. the search for and study of animals whose existence is unproven, such as the Loch Ness monster and the yeti 10. salt refined, incisive wit 19

11. the involuntary repetitive use of obscene language 12. an eroded remnant of a large, ancient crater made by the impact of a meteorite or comet 13. The side of a ship that’s sheltered from the wind 16. having shapely buttocks 17. illusory or imaginary and therefore disappointing 19. frise a breed of toy dog with a fine, curly white coat 21. burner N. Amer. a very exciting or dramatic event, especially a sports contest; first used of an exceptionally good hand at bridge.

23. to chant or intone a passage of religious text 24. a kind of volcanic lava that forms htjagged masses with a light frothy texture 26. Indian a hooligan 27. foretelling the future by means of a mirror 28. Austral. informal a collision 32. a phrase or sentence that is grammatically ambiguous 35. clockwise or in the direction of the sun's course 37. a gazelle found in the Middle East and North Africa 38. Brit. dialect sticky or able to form sticky lumps 39. change N. Amer. informal a small or insignificant sum of money 42. a moustache in combination with whiskers on the cheeks but no beard on the chin 44. shrewd 45. to leave somewhere abruptly 46. the flora and fauna on the bottom of a sea or lake 49. A Duck 52. melodious or resonant 54. a Spanish palace or fortress 55. US informal an ignorant or unsophisticated person 56. a rumbling or gurgling noise in the intestines 57. additional 58. gigantic, from Brobdingnag, a country in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels 60. an implement used for sprinkling holy water in religious ceremonies 61. Austral. informal a surprise result in a sporting event 63. threatening, punitive, or vengeful 64. a person who talks at great length without making much sense 20

65. W. Indian a large party or dance 67. like a discordant band or a noisy parade 70. an ancient Roman liquid measure equal in modern terms to about 6 imperial pints 72. a type of crevasse 73. a group of museums and other cultural institutions in South Kensington in London, named after Prince Albert 74. humorous excessive admiration of Shakespeare (‘the Bard of Avon’) 80. convulsive or involuntary movements made by delirious patients, such as plucking at the bedclothes 81. a small round metal mould used in French cooking for an individual sweet or savoury dish 82. a thousand things or a thousand years 83. an iron bar with sliding shackles, used to fasten prisoners' ankles 84. elegance or neatness of literary or artistic style 87. a groove at the end of a cask or barrel in which the head is fixed 88. a piece of waste paper produced by punching a hole

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POETRY

The Politics of the New World

by Cadence Dea

As the sun rises and sets every day there’s more and more taxes I have to pay.

I was promised a lifetime of protection and health but there’s only been an incline of government stealth.

Paying bills with nonexistent money and throwing away our future as if it were a joke but this joke isn’t funny.

I don’t know if it’s my time to change the world or not and I’m trying to not get all caught up in the whirlwind of chaos and doubt.

But that’s pretty hard to do unless I fully commit and pull myself out of this mess that we call Politics.

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ADVERTISEMENTS

by Alison Heath

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PERSONAL ESSAY

A Deserved Explanation

by Jacob Hootman

Introduction Some closure is needed for this epoch of our school’s history. The class of 2019 is without a doubt the consummation of all that Dr. Ellis desired for us and built over the last 9 years. Perhaps it is right, then, to put some thoughts down (rambling thoughts if necessary) regarding why this era has ended.

I will start off by making perfectly clear my bias – I am, for lack of a better term, a “nationalist” for this school. It is not merely a tenet of doctrine, or pious opinion, but dogma, that Steele is the best school in the universe. I also am a proponent of the idea of “student rights”. I believe the culture of Steele reflects (generally) the idea that students have some ownership of their education and their campus. This brief preface ought to clear up at least some of the propositions I make throughout this text.

Farm-grown culture Sustainable and long-term culture cannot develop synthetically. Take, for example, the project this essay belongs to. While we all attempted to manipulate the parameters of our “new society” in order to build the culture we had in mind, our attempts failed. We cannot decide interactions as if this was the Sims. It is why fictional literature necessitates plot holes, convoluted explanations, and expansive amounts of lore that build an entire universe from scratch.

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Steele itself attempted this model. During the earliest days of this school, the powers that be decided that Steele ought to be a campus for students who wanted to join the workforce immediately out of high school – an accelerated high school, to quote our very name. While this intent was carried out by staff with the utmost concern for seeing it become reality, it immediately changed when students began attending.

Very quickly, it became an outcast campus for outcast students – kids who simply wouldn’t do well in a traditional high school environment. Two academies were quickly added, including our anchor Cosmetology Academy.

Under the direction of Dr. Robin Ellis, our first and only Principal, a unique culture and canon of tradition was developed that can be easily termed the Ellis System – it relied on her personality, leadership style, and experience. Arguably the most important element of this system (for Steele culture) was the absolute right of students to speak up. I use the word “right” intentionally. This was not a privilege nor was it a mere theoretical concept. If there was change that needed to be made, it was spearheaded by students – Dr. Ellis would always hear it out, regardless of the validity, realistic-ness, or even appropriate-ness of the idea. The other major pillar would be the relationship between students and staff. Students would (generally) behave, respect staff, and act in the interest of the whole so long as they too were respected by staff. Staff upheld their half of the deal, treating students with a certain care and relevance that might not have been found at a different school.

When policy changed, students either were given a choice or were thoroughly explained the new policy.

This worked. For eight years, this system grew Steele amid opposition from central administration and from the local community. It was not without problems – namely, ego. The entire Ellis System was built on the crux of a single individual, and its ramparts were built by big personalities (students and staff alike).

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Auctoritas I am a senior at Steele. During my junior year, I served as President of the Student Government. Currently, I serve on the Student Advisory Committee, a group dedicated to protecting our culture. I do not write this as an egotistical piece, but rather, as a way to perhaps shatter that ego.

One of Steele’s many traditions is best described as an ancient Roman concept – auctoritas. Certain students hold a level of prestige or clout that, while not legally authoritative, is generally followed by other students. It is not merely gained by age or popularity, but solely by experience and the actions that one undertakes. Certain offices, such as the President of the Student Government, or of the Honor Society, grant this dignity. I am blessed to carry at least some of it among the younger students.

When I first started going to Steele, I knew even less than I know now about the world. I had made a small name for myself after going to a Board of Trustees meeting and haranguing them for stopping a student fundraiser while I was in middle school. I was determined to take control, and I regularly caused trouble. Following another tradition at Steele, I attempted a rebellion my freshman year against the established system. Thankfully, Dr. Ellis granted me mercy when I got called into the office for it.

When I was a sophomore, I was Vice President of the Student Government. My mentor, a senior named Colby, was firmly an establishment man – he did not question the order of things as much as I did, and did many things which I disagreed with. I was (as I still am in many ways) tempestuous. During a fundraiser whose principles I disagreed with, I attempted a boycott, and was threatened with my position and any future position I could hold. When one of our staff advisors lied 32

during a general meeting, I raised my voice and called them out on it. It is solely by the grace of the powers-that-be that I did not get suspended for my actions. I was a bad student, and I was terrible at upholding that relationship between staff and students. I was not respectful. I did not adhere to the Ellis System, and was known as a firebrand and populist at best. I was (and still am) seen with some derision by students and staff alike. I built a constitution for the student government that was built on this concept of rebellion and populism, and it was very nearly rejected by staff.

As a junior, I was elected as President. I did my job, and nothing more. I decided not to run for re-election.

The Troubles Dr. Ellis departed our school at the end of last year. Rather than appoint a new (fulltime and paid) principal, central administration in their wisdom appointed a Director, who also serves as the Director for College and Career Readiness for the district.

This piece is not a commentary on his leadership or policy, but rather a reflection on the events of and leading up to November 2018.

I resolved to depart the Student Government in order to allow my successor to take full authority and to give myself a break. But one of our most cherished and relied upon members though, the great servant of state Ryan Karr, departed for Burleson High School. It was necessary for another person to serve as the unofficial sixth officer, and I stepped back up to the plate. The beginning of the year started off smoothly, until an assembly during the first week of school.

Steele students are quite proud of their school, and insulting that pride (intentionally or not) creates anger among many students, myself included. The new 33

administration of our school decided to strike a blow to this pride by abolishing a former motto of our school, “Best school in the universe”. Staff began to tell students they weren’t allowed to say it anymore, though this was purportedly a miscommunication from on high – something that never happened under Ellis.

This was the beginning shot of a conflict that ended with an uneasy truce on 16 November. The Director had to wear multiple hats, and so was not always present at Steele. A lack of communication and a lack of a relationship between administration and students began to develop. Rumors swelled. New systems for advisory, bells, and many other areas of student life that had not been touched in some time were changed without explanation. Generalized philosophical claims were made by administration to justify these.

Central administration has never been kind to Steele. We are too small and fail to make enough money to be anyone’s favorite, let alone better than anyone’s least favorite. This presented itself in the hidden drama of Steele’s survival at the end of last year. They desired to close us down, and many efforts were made on the part of our Director to keep us alive, but at what cost, and in whose image? A new push for Career and Technical Education within the district finally reached Steele at this point, and things reached a climax.

A running joke among many student opposition members was that one day, the proverbial “they” would paint the school blue and turn us into a little Byron. Much to our surprise, they actually did. We arrived on a Monday morning to see swatches of blue near the front of the school with no fore-warning or explanation.

At this point, I had established myself as the leader of the opposition – someone without anything to lose who could say what needed to be said. In a series of emails 34

and conversations with members of administration, I made my thoughts perfectly clear. I went to war with the Director for what I perceived as the death of Steele’s culture. Our customs began to disappear, our canon was shattered, and that relationship between staff and students was gone.

A Student Government meeting was scheduled for that Wednesday. The meeting was dismissed by the Assistant Director who told us that we need to give time to staff to eat at our meeting-location. No staff ate there, either that day, or ever. We held our meeting on the cafeteria floor.

A staff meeting was held that Friday, 16 November. Staff meetings are not held on Friday. When it was over, news of my bitter rantings and my battle with administration was known by all the staff. Students who were nearby recall hearing such phrases as “keep an eye on them”. I was prepared to face suspension for my comments, and most students thought I would get it. My reputation among staff was shattered. I had been sub-tweeted (a practice where someone is insulted or criticized on Twitter without actually mentioning their name) by administration. My friend group blamed me for the current issues. A student-staff synod was held at lunch, and a truce was reached. We acknowledged the Director’s authority, and he has not made any more drastic changes. He revealed that he was unsure whether or not we ought to stay alive as a school, because of the severe opposition he faced.

Culpability This epoch is over, and I killed it. When our culture was alive, I was a rebel against it, and as it was in trouble, I paradoxically stabbed it in order to save it. The Director acts in the place of Dr. Ellis in the old System, and I assaulted that crux directly in the defense of the margins. I do not dispute that I am regarded by many students

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as a hero, a defender, or other vain titles. I am none of these. My ego and my personality have ended this chapter.

This is a CTE campus now, led by students who will be far wiser than I in their exercise of auctoritas; students who are not afflicted by the huge egos and personalities of my class. Some students recall that Dr. Ellis left when she did because she trusted our class to keep our culture alive. We would have, but I pulled the trigger. I am culpable.

Perhaps this next chapter will create a new culture, just as beautiful and strong as the last. I will not be remembered beyond perhaps 3 or 4 years at Steele, unlike some of the students who graduated nearly 8 years ago, whose faces still grace our walls. Perhaps it is a good thing that the wars and conflicts of my class are forgotten.

Perhaps rebellion is too bloody and vile for this school, perhaps. However, I am sure that one day this school will be as well-regarded by its students as it once was.

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OPINION

In Defense of Clutter

by Colette LaPack

1 - Straight from the Ikea catalog.

In recent years, the shift towards minimalism has been overwhelming. Pick up an Ikea catalog and you’ll see the familiar scene. Bleach white walls with a pop of color in the form of a single framed blue square. Birch flooring accentuated with a black and white rug, which is nestled under a glass coffee table with a small potted plant perched in the center. And while pleasing to look at, this ultra-clean lifestyle isn’t achievable, or even reasonable, for most.

If you are in a space in your home, observe what surrounds you. Recall the emotional attachment you have to each object. Was it a gift? A piece of memorabilia? One of the first things you bought for yourself?

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I’ll try it out. Across from me is a plastic cat skeleton from a grocery store. My mom bought it for me after my wisdom teeth were removed, knowing it would cheer me up. His name is Garfield. On my bedside table sits a small, surprisingly realistic, turtle toy. My friend got it from a Kinder egg and gave it to me because she knows I love reptiles. A small sticker on my nametag, stuck there on my first day by a seven-year-old girl named who wanted me to feel welcome.

The things that others may see as cheap or as trash are all objects that hold a sentimental weight. Each one carries a memory, a moment.

This is not to say we should value ourselves based on what we own- in fact, far from it. The things you own do not have to be expensive. The only qualifier for an object you should keep versus an object you recycle (note: the use of ‘recycle’ here is intentional) is love. If an object reminds you that you are loved, whether by yourself or others, it is an object worth saving.

One of the arguments for minimalism is that is frees the mind and soul, allowing us to truly see our reality. That when you take away the clutter of furniture, one can appreciate what they have. However, it is hard for me to believe that when we replace the things that bring love into our lives with personality-free décor we are truly living unburdened. If we eliminate all sense of soul from our spaces, how is our own home any different from a hotel room?

Minimalism may transform some people’s lives for the better, and I respect that. If you have the energy to release your mortal belongings and live with three sets of clothes, keep on trucking. But personally? I am going to keep lining my shelves with things that I just think are neat. And I am all the happier because of it.

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SATIRE

A Healthy Environment & A Healthy You: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Live Well!

by Gracen Long

(Image Credit: “Community Health Education Day.” SUNY Corning Community College, 1 Jan. 1970, www.corning-cc.edu/events/community-healtheducation-day.)

A Call for Change!

We live in a world of materialism, sensationalization, and over-saturation. Respect for the environment has fallen to the bottom rung of most people’s priorities, convenience and cost factors have demolished mindful nutrition practices, and a “grind-until-you-die” mindset has driven personal health and fitness into the ground.

But it is never too late to make a change!

The Answer!

In Agario, you will find a tight-knit community of individuals who care deeply for personal health and environmental sustainability. Renewable resources power our world, and local produce provides for a reduced footprint and a more healthconscious diet!

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We are proud to practice minimal waste production methods, and recycle and reduce for maximum efficiency. In addition to this our groundwater is automatically filtered, meaning minimal water waste.

We boast the healthiest community per capita of any nation in the world, and our practices are not only environmentally sustainable, but also economically viable. This is due to our intricately balanced economy which prioritizes domestic spending over military or other black holes of debt and misappropriation.

So make The Change, and be The Change! Come to Agario and contribute to the world's greatest society - a shining city on a hill!

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TECHNOLOGY

by Connor McKee

Getting accurate information is really important for the people in Argio and the Internet is a great place to get it thought there are large issues of misinformation.

This will act as a short guide on what to look out for when it comes to misinformation.

The number one thing to look out for is to not trust Social Media posts. One example I have seen is a post about a man killing a giraffe in Africa. The post talked about how trophy hunting is wrong and killing for no reason is bad. This was a simple claim that seemed easy to just look at and get mad at the man for what he did. The problem comes when the reason he killed the giraffe was found out. It turns out he killed the Giraffe since it was an old male killing other young male giraffes hurting the overall giraffe population. Whether or not that justifies the killing of the older giraffe is up to the reader though it is an important detail left out of the original post.

That shows that while information might seem simple it is very likely it is missing information on social media.

Sources are a very important part of real articles. Though sometimes articles can misconstrue a sources points. The only way to spot this is to read the sources. Blogs are the biggest offender for this since they do not have editors looking for accuracy a lot of the time. This means it is important to look through and read sources for important articles to make sure they are accurately showing the information.

The easiest way to get mostly accurate information is to stick to trusted news sites and not stray from that. Though that does not always work for some niche topics.

The best way to do it is to use blogs and articles as starting points for personal research through primary sources. Conspiracy theories are a good example of misinformation on the internet. Flat earth theory can be disproven with mid-level 41

trigonometry and with flight plans, though the people who believe it are able to present information in such a way to convince others that the earth is flat. This shows how people can manipulate information to prove almost any cause. If anything on the internet says it is science based but has no peer review papers with it is most likely false. If it does have papers it is a good idea to read it to make sure that it is not being facetious about the information in the paper. Being skeptical is key to making sure that the information found on the internet is correct.

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SOCIETY

Speaking Out for the Individual

by Gabrielle McLean

In this age of minimalism and structured equality, this country has forgotten about the individual. Individual expression through makeup and decor and clothing helps each person to feel comfortable in their own skin. As the government controls money distribution evenly and uniforms have become mandatory, young adults are becoming progressively more confused about defining a personal identity. When mainstream culture is the only acceptable culture, pursuit of happiness diminishes.

Life is just a set of rules without purpose. Rise up and be unique. “Shoot for the Stars� is the name of this look - even if trying brings blood.

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HEALTH

Are You Aware?

by Grecia Portillo

At one point of a teen’s life, one quarter of them will suffer through anxiety. If that isn’t something to be concerned about then you should know that those numbers are increasing. Anxiety is a “feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome”. Anxiety can lead into more dangerous outcomes such as panic attacks or compulsive behavior.

Through this generation, teens have more pressure and stress through their academics and/or their social life; which can cause them to feel anxiety. Since we live in a world where technology is thriving, kids are expected to learn everything there is to know within technology. At school, competiveness is increasing as well as the stress that comes with it. As a student, we are told what “right” classes we should take in order to increase our chances to get into the “right” college. We are pressured into getting high grades and being in the top ten percent in our ranking which is very stressful for a student. All this stress coming from teachers and parents can lead to us feeling anxiety. Having anxiety can lead to panic attacks, sleep deprivation, a mix of migraines, or destructive behavior.

At such a young age, teens shouldn’t struggle through anxiety and if they do they shouldn’t be doing it alone. At school we should create a safe zone, an area where students should be able to take a break from the pressures that are given by courses or by parents. An area where they can relax and take big breaths allowing them to clear their mind. At school and even parents, should talk about anxiety so people can have an understanding of what they might be feeling. They could also talk about 44

some ways to cope with the anxiety that they may be experiencing. Teens that are struggling through anxiety shouldn’t feel alone bringing awareness can decrease the chances of teens feeling it or make them feel more open to talk about it. Anxiety is something serious and we need to bring more attention to that subject.

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ART

by Kay-Lynn Rogers

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POETRY & ART

Gun Violence

by Katelynn Steinhauser

Mrs. Paddock often thought about a gun.

A thing with a dark, sleek shell.

She imagined that the surface would be cold to the touch.

Icy, perhaps.

Like everyone else, Mrs. Paddock became extremely invested in what the world was like when they all stopped working.

Many argued their identities had been robbed.

Guns are symbolic, they said.

They’re exceptional.

Mrs. Paddock didn’t think so.

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Guns were no more exceptional than the garden rake she used to check for snakes in the backyard.

With enough physical strength, she supposed, you could kill someone with one of those, too.

But there weren’t any laws regulating the sale of rakes.

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ART

by Kinsey Tyson

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OPINION

Defense, not The Fence

by Dante Villarreal

Before I begin, I must say that I am thankful for the previous nation that I lived in. It was everything people wanted. It was so good, in fact, that people from all over the world would move there, to the United States of America. One of the reasons people immigrated there is because of the security and safety of the U.S, but there’s a reason the U.S was so safe and that’s because of the enormous defense budget.

However, to achieve that sense of peace and safety, we do not have to spend that enormous proportion of our budget on Agario’s military. The military of the U.S approached situations differently than will the nation of Agario. The U.S did not try to reach an understanding with the opponent, and sometimes, the U.S would even pursue war with a country to such an extent that they would purposefully put their broken ships in the opponents’ part of the sea so the enemy would destroy the dud, thus giving the U.S a reason to ultimately kill their people.

I am thankful for the sense of peace that the military has given me when I lived in the U.S, but at what point does war turn to peace? And, how many lives do we have to end in order for our people to feel safe. See, the way we previously looked at safety was that it was at the expense of other people’s sense of safety. This is not how Agario will be.

Agario’s defense will consist of people who want to make a change to the world, not end it. Instead of focusing on the destruction of our enemies, we will focus on building our relationship with them. In order for a relationship with an enemy to be 54

fixed you must first understand their point of view and understand why they would believe those certain ideals. Yes, it will be very difficult to become friends with your enemy, but through struggle, your greatest enemy can become your friend. We will struggle at first, yes, but we will not stop until we have established great relations with every surrounding group of people in the Ohio River Valley.

Empathy will lead our new nation to victory, not apathy.

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