For me, and many other young girls, I have grown up admiring the limelight of successful, smart women-- whether that be created... (See page 19)
Werewolf History
Where did these ghouls come from?
Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer
Werewolves have been seen just as much as vampires and witches in folklore. Just as the other two supernatural species, werewolves... (See page 3)
True colors of Autumn Fall under the spotlight!
Claire McPhillips, Staff Writer
We all adore the classic fall holidays: Halloween, Veteran’s Day, and Thanksgiving. However, there are many other holidays and months of awareness that the population often forgets about, either... (See page 4)
Plebian Football
How to master America’s favorite past time
Avery Hice and Macey Apel, Staff Writers
It’s Saturday. The air smells like buffalo chicken dip, beer, and male delusion. Someone’s yelling “DEFENSE!” at a TV in the corner, and you’re surrounded by people... (See page 18)
The Deception of Patieris
A look inside Parker Powell’s New Book
Kyle Ferrell, Staff Writer
A Cullman High School senior has recently published his own book. He has been working on it for 4 years and has gone through revision after revision, soldiering through hundreds of hours of editing and thousands of words typed.. (See page 8)
When I first came to high school, I was a scared little freshman who thought that no matter which door I went into, someone was going to be waiting to eat my organs and rip me apart. For some ungodly reason, I was extremely afraid of people; I am still not sure why. This fear was an ongoing thing until midway through my sophomore year, when my honors English class began the unit on identity, and when I had first met Ms. Calahan and wrote my first editorial. When my first opinionated text was published and I had random people in the hallway come up to me and tell me how much they related – or hated–what I had to say, I finally realized how powerful my voice was.
ing more and more apparent to me that there is always a way out of whatever hardship you are going through. I am not someone to give the credit to any God or even myself–matter of fact, I don’t think about where it came from too hard. Either way, it does not matter where it comes from; the only thing that matters is that it is there. “The light at the end of the tunnel”, the way out of your hardship, and your life outside of high school is always there. There is and will always be a path–maybe multiple. As a senior, I have no advice to give to you other than do not stink up the band bathroom, and make sure you find your voice while you have a safe space to do so.
Now that my high school time is coming to a conclusion, it is becom-
Acknowledgements
One of my earliest and best memories of my elementary education was the colorful art room of East Elementary, and most notably, the woman who nurtured artistic expression within our schools. Recently, the passing of Judith McBrayer has shocked students across the school system, and the Hilight staff would like to extend a personal statement and acknowledgement of this woman’s wonderful impact on all of our young lives. I remember recreating art with vibrant paint and stencils, struggling through origami birds, and crafting tin art. She honed young artists and childish creativity to create a brighter school day for each of her students. In the world we live in today, women like Ms. McBrayer are crucial for the creativity of young minds
I walked into my 5th period class with the knowledge that I had a substitute teacher, but I was not familiar with the name Mr. Manning. I took my seat and started working on editing the staff’s rough drafts. The substitute teacher stood and began to share his past in education, sharing he was an English teacher and middle school principal for a good number of years before retiring. Jokingly, I asked if he could help me edit all of the papers, and he took my red pen and began to read. As he began to read, he made comments of how well written some of the articles were, and even asked the question of if we used AI to write our works. We began to talk and I found out he was a former journalist and journalism teacher. For the next 30 minutes, we talked about writing on
in every community. Every student within Cullman has been impacted by this amazing woman’s kindness and crafty nature, we all have stories in her remembrance, we all have memories of her classroom, and we will continue to remember her for years to come. Thank you to Ms. McBrayer and art teachers everywhere for providing us the creative outlets all children deserve.
Warm regards, AubreyShaddrix andtheHilight staff
a paper as well as the challenges that come with running a paper, including financial requirements. I shared that the staff did not have enough financial resources to afford a new camera; the FOCUS Act made using phones not an option for our staff. A few weeks later, a card addressed to the Hilight staff and I as well as a box with a new camera and many accessories came to our room. I am so grateful for the wonderful gift of not only the camera, but the new journalist ally I have in Mr. Manning. Thank you so much for supporting the “movers and shakers” of the new world.
With gratitude, Elizabeth Smith and the Hilight Staff
Editor
Aubrey
Shaddrix
Junior Editor
Elizabeth Smith
Staff Writers
Cyrene Agustin
Macey Apel
Madison Carroll
Kyle Ferrell
Maggie Hope Hetrick
Avery Hice
Jacob Larker
Claire McPhillips
Blyss Murphree
Alex Rodriguez
Will Davis Simmons
Tessa Trucks Advisor
Lunsford
Only danish men can be werewolves. They are known as ham-
King Lyccaon in Ovid Metamoprphoses
History of WerewolvesHistoria Magazine
The Werewolf Lore - A Deep Dive
Werewolves - Si-Fi-O-Rama
Werewolf by Night Digital Comic
Werewolf by Heath & Adams: Catspaw Dynamics
FEATURES
The “Golden” Impact: Kindness
Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated
Elizabeth Smith, Staff Writer
An individual will see anywhere from 90,000 to 42.5 million faces in their lifetime, with this number being altered with amount traveling or other factors. In a single day, a human will see 1,000 faces and will never even acknowledge them. In self-reflection, a question can be asked of how many people we see, how many people are acknowledged for their existence and worth. For myself, I walk through my day and try my best to remember faces or interact with as many people as possible, but I truly fall short because I fail to emphasize a stranger’s worth in my mind simply because I do not know them on a personal level. Many individuals have this same mentality, either due to the human’s inherent nature of selfishness or simple disinterest in the lives of others, in which most lose the ability to express genuine kindness to people who offer no benefit to them or who are already in acquaintance with a particular person. Due to this gradual decline of selflessness, the act of human empathy and kindness is a dying art, and society has no passion or care to reverse or
slow this downward spiral.
Despite this decline on a global scale, it is still seen in the lives of millions how a single act of kindness can change a life. For some, that life-changing action might be a gift of a house that brings them out of homelessness or the opportunity to work for a million dollar company and earn a six-figure salary. For others, it might be a simple gift of a genuine smile or a random person walking down the street saying, “You look beautiful today” that will stick with a person for life. To the person receiving these blessings, they might think of it for days, months, or years after they occur, but a person who impacts the other will most likely not think about it often or at all. It is important to always be kind to others; they will remember more of how you treat them than you remember treating them. Other than the fact that an act of kindness can create a lasting memory, it is also proven to help your physical and mental health. Some physical benefits include, but are not limited to: lowered blood pressure; increased heart function; pain relief through
The True Colors of Autumn
Learn about Fall under the Spotlight!
Claire McPhillips, Staff Writer
We all adore the classic fall holidays: Halloween, Veteran’s Day, and Thanksgiving. However, there are many other holidays and months of awareness that the population often forgets about, either due to lack of knowledge, or lack of care. So, here are several examples of a few holidays to show just how much we miss during autumn.
September begins with Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 to October 15. This time of year has significance to the countless countries in the Americas and Europe that celebrate their independence, including several dates in September for Costa Rica, Honduras, Chile, Belize, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month gives time to those who cherish their Hispanic backgrounds, as well as for others to recognize the hard work they do in every aspect of life.
As for day-long holidays, September holds the International Day of Peace, a day established by the United Nations to commit to peace, no matter the diversity humanity holds. It also has the Pagan holiday Mabon, their autumn
equinox that symbolizes balance and equilibrium. Navratri, a Hindu holiday, begins on September 22. In honor of the goddess Durga, this festival includes countless methods of worship, and is also a major crop season during the nine days it spans across. October tak account the several minority groups in society, including the LGBTQ+ community and those with disabilities in the workforce.
LGBTQ+ History Month recogniz es the political activism that has occurred over the decades so they could feel accepted into society. National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrates the work done by those with disabilities and acknowledges the procedures and policies put into the workplace to make accommodations that can benefit all the
natural painkillers in endorphins; overall longevity (longer lifespan). Mental impacts include: happiness from increased production of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine; reduce stress from the release of oxytocin; create a sense of purpose in an individual’s life. All of these benefits can improve the quality of an individual’s life and make their journey more enjoyable as they go through their days.
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, the majority of significant, lifetime mental illnesses begin of the age of 14, the age most children begin high school, and continue through the late adolescence stage. With this knowledge, it is more crucial than ever to create a positive and empathetic atmosphere in our schools; the habits built will continue in the future generation’s society. Students at Cullman High School anonymously shared how a single act of kindness changed their life. Whether a person has never experienced the same situations shared to the left, or they have felt every heartfelt emotion, society can learn from their testimonies and even
employees. October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a period of time that spreads information about breast cancer and raises money for research. To show your support, you can wear pink during October hosts the World Mental Health Day— mobilizing efforts to support mental health—and Indigenous People’s Day, a time to recognize the indigenous who were heavily affected by colonization. There are the Hindu holidays Dussehra and Diwali. Dussehra is the last day celebrated in Navratri, and Diwali is nicknamed “festival of lights.” Both stress the importance of good vanquishing evil.
In November, National Native American Heritage Month and Transgender Awareness Week occur, both being periods to understand these groups. National Native American Heritage Month honors
have a new outlook on life.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always” -Robin Williams
Golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
A CHS student’s story:
the culture and stories of Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Native Americans, as well as other island communities in American territories. Transgender Awareness Week takes place in order to help people better understand and learn about those who are transgender. Other holidays, such as Día de Los Muertos and All Saint’s Day celebrate the dead in the afterlife during November. Samhain, celebrated in the Celtic religion, marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. It was believed that the gods’ world became visible to humans, and that the gods would play tricks on the humans. In fact, many believe that without Samhain, we wouldn’t have Halloween, a holiday people of all ages and backgrounds look forward to every year.
Though many of these holidays do not originate from the United States, that doesn’t minimize their significance to the millions of people around the world. It’s important to recognize that accepting people’s beliefs, even if you do not agree with them, helps us along the road to becoming a unified people.
Dane’s Music
CAMERON WINTER
Jacob Larker, Staff Writer
“I will keep breaking cups until my left hand looks wrong.” This one lyric sums up my appreciation for Cameron Winter, that despite however much he struggles creatively he will still attempt to create meaning in his art. And to me that one lyric captures the cycle of life, constantly attempting to create meaning in it till we die, and in that very hard and painful process, we leave behind meaning.
Cameron Winter is a very refreshing artist, a creative mind that accomplishes what humans were meant to do and still do to this day, and that is to just create art, even if that art isn’t in the traditional sense of the word. He does it in such a way that I envy him, he can talk senselessly and ramble on and I couldn’t care less. His lyrics are seemingly meaningless, as if arbitrarily blurting words from his brain, and turning the most mundane parts of life into bizarre and vivid images. I feel like a Medieval peasant witnessing a poet create one of the greatest pieces of literature. It is like a religious experience hearing his music, and it just makes me think if something like this can exist in this world, this is a world that I want to live in.
Cameron Winter’s music can only be described as a stream of consciousness, that his ideas flow so seamlessly onto his paper when writing lyrics or into his instruments when creating the music. I have great admiration for people like this who exist in the world, the ability to translate the human experience into a medium is such a gift. In every lifetime there will be people like this, and Cameron Winter is in a long line of people who have come before him to accomplish the same things. I can’t help but think of certain artists when I listen to his music. I can hear the mosaic of artists that he has listened to in his life and taken inspiration from, because that’s all music is. Even if we don’t directly take inspiration from them, it definitely echoes itself internally. I only hope that music I listen to will carry itself with me breaking cups along the way.
The Art of Perception
How the singer alters the meaning of the song
Avery Hice, Staff Writer
There are some songs that don’t just sing, but remain. Not in a memorable, song-like manner, but more like the feeling of a shadow that settles somewhere in the center of your chest and won’t leave. “The Other Woman” is one such song. Jessie Mae Robinson penned it back in the 1950s, and it’s a song about painful love, about playing parts people never did sign up for, about longing that never truly goes away. It’s been covered by voices that may hold that kind of sadness these past decades. Nina Simone in 1959, Jeff Buckley in the early ‘90s, and Lana Del Rey in 2014. They all warp it to their own sorrow, and somehow the song still stretches, holding all that sadness in one vessel. The story is simple, verging on cliché: a wife, a husband, the other woman, and an affair. But by way of these voices, it’s not so easy anymore. It’s loneliness, three-dimensional. Simone as the wife, Buckley as the man who can’t stay behind, and Del Rey as the mistress. And all together they make this old story something that feels alive, quiet, and sharp all at once.
Nina Simone: TheWifeWho Stays
Simone performed “The Other Woman” in 1959, and listen closely, you’ll hear she doesn’t shriek, she doesn’t complain, She bears the weight of her feelings elegantly. Every note calculated, each breath a heavy, intended thing. That same year, she married Andrew Stroud: her manager, her boyfriend, her abuser. He strayed, he dominated, he shadowed over her existence even as her career was beginning to soar.
But Simone sings low alone. You can find it in the creases of her voice above the words, the pauses between them. You can feel the nights he was not there, the sheets lightly spoiled with another’s perfume, the way love sometimes is merely holding your breath on. When she sings, “the other woman will always cry herself to sleep,” it is not triumph, it is exhaustion. It’s life going on even if it kills. There’s somehow something beautiful in that struggle, and there’s honor in living.
Jeff Buckley:The ManWho Cannot Stay
Flash-forward to the early ‘90s. Jeff Buckley takes the song to seedy New York clubs, and you sense it trembling in his voice, like it might shatter at any moment. He’s not the one who betrays, he’s the one who gets lost, the one whose love
empties others out behind him. He lived with emptiness, his dad Tim Buckley dying when he was too young to have understood him, and that emptiness followed him into all he did. Loving hard but never staying, leaving behind the remnants of what could have been. His version of “The Other Woman” is an otherworldly confession of Buckley’s woes. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and restless. You can sense it in your chest, the anguish of one who cannot belong. This is strangely familiar, isn’t it? That part of us that drifts, that cannot moor, that sometimes wounds the ones we love most without even knowing it. Buckley captures this restless guilt, this anguish of never quite being enough, even when we try our best.
Lana Del Rey:The MistressWho Waits
Then Lana Del Rey, in 2014. She does not need to fake it; she has lived it. She has been the secret, the one who waits while the world gets along without her. One of them lasted seven years. She called herself “that change of routine.” Never the home. Never the future. Always the shadow.
Her voice is movie-like, slow, drenched in strings. But isolated. She does not anticipate being chosen. She is aware she will disappear. There is a lovely emptiness to it, a hardness and a sorrow. But when you listen, it is so real that it is like a vodka. There is something almost brutal about knowing your part in someone else’s story, even though it is not the part you wanted to play. There is a nudity in such recognition, as if the song was giving you its confidence.
Three Lives, One Ache
Together, the song is a tutorial in sadness. Simone has understated strength, Buckley has restive confession, and Del Rey has empty longing. It’s no longer ry, it’s suffering recorded over the years, and it’s beautifully comforting in that. There’s something about being able to listen to your own feelings sounded
out by someone else’s voice, even if those feelings are heartache, betrayal, or solitude. Maybe that’s the reason that it lingers. Love is crucial. Betrayal scarifies crucially. Absence leaves gaps. Secrecy leaves phantoms, and there will always be individuals whose lives reflect that quiet desperation.
Every time you sing it, the song comes alive. It’s personal, it’s painful, it’s necessarily human. It’s something of a shadow that you can’t help but carry, and maybe even don’t want to. It reminds us that pain is beautiful, that strength can be whispers yet still speak loudly, and that sometimes the smallest, softest songs speak the heaviest truths.
FEATURES 6
True Crime Connection or Just Internet Speculations?
Allegations against D4vd through the eyes of social media
Cyrene Agustin and Macey Apel, Staff Writers
On September 16, 2025, 20 year old singer, David Anthony Burke, mainly known as D4vd, was allegedly accused of murdering 14 year old Celeste Rivas after her body was found in a Tesla at a Hollywood tow yard. Detectives and David’s fans all over the internet originally cleared him, as he was reportedly on tour when the body was discovered, many claiming that he was framed or the car itself had been stolen. But everything has changed since Celeste’s identity was revealed. People began to question why her body would be found in a car that belongs to a well-known figure that has eyes and cameras watching him on a daily basis. After further investigation, it was later identified that the body in the car was Celeste. This marked the start of the falldown of David with the end of his career approaching, starting with him cancel ling the rest of the shows on his world tour due to the backlash, rumors and accusation thrown at him. D4vd’s rise to fame started when he became a pop ular streamer in 2020, playing games like Fortnite and eventually in 2025 getting his own skin in the game. But his music journey started in 2021 when he wanted to avoid copyright laws with music in his streams, so he recorded his own music which blew up and led to his rise to fame. David seemed to be a very kind person, having a TikTok account dedicated to Bible verses and being very kind to his fans. However, his music always had a dark feeling with several mentions of mur der and crime surrounding his lyrics and music videos. An example is his alter ego. He named this character Itami, the Japanese word for pain. Itami appears as David, but with a white shirt stained with blood, and a headband covering his eyes. David explained that Itami’s name represents the pain that Itami faces, so his headband helps him hide what he has done. Itami is also explained as being an “agent of chaos.” Itami is most likely based on Japanese Mangas, a style that David has incorporated into his music and work through videos and even his
Fortnite skin. But how does this tie back into the murder of Celeste Rivas? As mentioned before, David had some very concerning music videos, most of them surrounding the ideas of murder, and Itami actually killing the girl in every music video. The “imaginary” girl in all of these videos resembled Celeste, with her dark curly hair and facial features. David also held a funeral for his alter ego in August with a casket that fans pointed out was too small. Fans that attended the concert could write letters to Itami, and white flowers were everywhere at the event. Itami appeared in a very disturbing manga-style video where the girl in the music video (also resembling Celeste) was killed and stabbed in the stomach. Some said this pointed to rumors of Celeste being pregnant. A girl very similar to her appeared in David’s livestream in glasses and a hoodie. He quickly ended the livestream when she made an inappropriate joke about David dating minors. As all of the evidence and rumors started to gain traction on TikTok and people started to shame David for all of the allegations, he cancelled his tour almost immediately.
Ever since the Rotten Mango podcast episode was released, Stephanie Soo and millions of users across multiple social-media platforms such as Tiktok, Reddit, and X have been voicing their thoughts about the un-
and mainly based on how social media users interpreted this. Some rumors were fans pointing out the matching “shh” tattoos allegedly between D4vd and Celeste, thinking there some connection with Hello Kitty, as D4vd had his profile picture as a version of him but Hello Kitty themed. Fans later on found out that Celeste used to have a huge obsession with Hello Kitty, and now think it is connected with David’s profile picture. Screenshots from previous chat members were also resurfacing that consist of Discord chats from D4vd’s server; these shows D4vd interact ing with “Celeste,” where they were convinced that Celeste was older than she truly was (unverified if it was actually Celeste Rivas or another person with the same name). Tons also paid attention to the lyrics of D4vd’s songs, which involve obsession and waiting. Fans now interpret it as D4vd waiting for Celeste, with the dates of the release of his music lining up to Celeste’s disappearance. There is also a viral theory going on about a “decoy Celeste,” which is an older woman who holds the same name. She now is seen as a cover up for the actual Celeste that D4vd allegedly has an affair with. All these are tied with just imagery and symbolic interpretations that fans believe are connected, though none of these are confirmed true by any official
and communities that Celeste was a part of are currently grieving and affected. Conversations still continue to spread where users share their own theories and interpretations of the situation, with now many viewing this situation just through the understanding of these fanmade theories. The Rotten podcast does come in handy as this episode reminds the users that the internet only provides little bits of information that have been released by official sources. Taking into consideration that there may be actual information being revealed by the internet which can shape one’s thoughts about the situation. Regardless of all these realistic allegations created by coincidences, these shouldn’t replace the actual verified facts.
With all these videos and information flooding the internet, comes false information such as edited screenshots, altered pictures, and unverified “evidence.” While TikTok users still continue to connect dots and form new theories, this also contributes to the spreading of misinformation about this case. As the case still remains unsolved, with only limited information that was actually released and confirmed to be facts, most people stand firm about the law “innocent until proven guilty.”
Millions of D4vd fans finds this situation hard to believe, with many convinced that he doesn’t seem like the type of person to even be involved in such a crime. Some who genuinely enjoyed his songs have expressed how heartbreaking this situation is, but are followed with confusion with the speculations going around. Others have expressed their frustration as people are too quick to judge especially when they’re using unverified facts against D4vd. The exhausting cycle of theories and rumors has made it difficult for the social media users to identify what’s true from the rumor. A lot of people are left wondering what truly happened, as all these rumors, coincidences, theories really don’t conceal the fact that the actual truth is still out there. For now, we should all wait for verified evidence and hope that the truth comes to light at some point.
CAMPUS NEWS
HOMECOMING WEEK
Take a look back at the memories made in HOCO 2025
Elizabeth Smith, Staff Writer
CAMPUS NEWS 8
TheGreatGatsby Party
one of the most looked forawrd event
Alexander Rodriguez & Tessa Trucks , Staff Writer
With so many traditions at CHS, we see many of them resurface during the fall months of the school year. Around Homecoming, especially, with all of the rituals like long pep rallies, bonfires, and lip sync, many things we do are forgotten in the routine. Yet one tradition, in particular, stands out through the repetitiveness: the Gatsby Party. The Gatsby Party has been a very anticipated event for AP Lang students of CHS for many years, and rightfully so, because the party is a very unique,fun, and interactive experience that revolves around one of the best books AP Lang students will read, TheGreatGatsby Scott Fitzgerald and is a novel set in the 1920’s where we learn the story of mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and his obsessive pursuit of love Daisy Buchanan. The story is told by Gatsby’s neighbor Nick Carraway. The story explores the themes of wealth, class, and the illusion of the Amer ican Dream. After students finish the book, the planning for the party be
gins, and students are given the option to bring food popular during the 1920s, decorate a table that represents a chapter from the book, or perform a scene from the book, or sing or play a song that correlates with the theme of The GreatGatsbyor the 1920s, but also make artwork or a model that has to do with TheGreatGatsby.This year, many students decided to be a part of the party because students like Logan Powell, Nason Green, Jake Murphree and Will Lin formed their band ‘The Bo’s’ in respect of the Gatsby Party, and performed a musical piece for all of those attending. The group con siders the party a good opportunity to interact with people from other class es. Other students that did a musical performance were Isaac Hienze, Ellie Gleaton,
performed a musical piece and was the technical backbone of the party by helping with music, slides, and the sound systems during some of the performances. Not only did some students perform musical pieces, some students did other types of entertainment. Gabby Koch, Jessica Hayes, Wyatt
Ben Stidham recited original poetry. Other students artwork created or models that had to with The Great Gatsby or the 1920s. These students included Callie Randall, Vanessa Zapien, Karli Ballenger, Claire McPhillips, Hattie Graham and Aubrey Murphy, Katie Richter, Zarybeth Flores and
TheDeceptionofPatieris
A
look inside Parker Powell’s new
Kyle Ferrell, Staff Writer
A Cullman High School senior has recently published his own book. He has been working on it for 4 years and has gone through revision after revision, soldiering through hundreds of hours of editing and thousands of words typed and deleted. This fivehundred-and-twenty-page book is a monument to his hard work and dedication, which he has always displayed throughout his life. The DeceptionofPatieris by Parker Powell is a book of chaos, manipulation, and excitement that keeps its readers on the edge of their seats from page one. The book follows a young boy named John and his twin brother, Mark, who live in the small town of Barbary Creek, Alabama. Their eleventh summer has arrived, and they plan to hit it off by ding-dong-ditching the old man’s house in their neighborhood. They end up
book
meeting the gentleman, and rather than being reprimanded for trespassing, he engages in conversation with them. This starts a unique and potentially sinister friendship that leads to shocking and terrifying events. Yet behind all of the chaos that ensues, there is only one entity responsible for it all… Patieris.
Ever since he was young, Parker Powell has been writing. Throughout elementary school, he wrote countless short stories, letting his imagination run wild. He would, however, lose interest in these stories before finishing them, leaving many lost. The origins of the book can be found around this time, specifically during the beginning of COVID-19. Young Powell started the book tied to the belief that lies are just metaphysical manifestations of demons. However, he didn’t get far, and when he picked it back up in 9th grade during one of his long BE days, he discovered a sixty-page rough draft that was poorly written. Parker Powell, nevertheless, still saw the potential in this crude rough draft. He decided to keep the same themes
and ideas that were there originally,
except his goal was to make a more polished version of the book that would be more down-to-earth and frightening. A book that transported the reader into the places of John and Mark with its eerie and grim imagery. A book that mixes realism with spiritualism to keep its themes tangible to the audience. He began to work on it in his free time. In every BE, at home, in the library, anywhere Parker was, he was working on this book. Writing this book enlightened him and gave him a new perspective. It helped him appreciate writing more. It improved his AP test scores and made him a more efficient reader and interpreter.
Parker Powell’s writing may remind
you of some other famous authors such as Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, or Dean Koontz. This is no coincidence because these authors were a major influence in Parker’s writing. Although he did not start reading these authors until after he started writing again, they still played a major role in developing the atmosphere and tones of the book. He also gained motivation from seeing people post about publishing their own books on social media. Even listening to synopses pushed him to write and edit even when he did not feel like it. Seeing people’s dreams and hard work come true gave him the hope and courage to continue writing his own work.
FALL ENTERTAINMENT
Fall Media
Check out our staff’s top media picks! Aubrey Shaddrix, Jacob Larker, & Claire McPhillips , Staff Editor and Writers
If you ever get a hunger for a complex fall watch, I would highly recommend Bones and All. Featuring screenplay legends Taylor Russel and Timothée Chalamet, this movie artfully explores abstract themes like youth and change.
FILM BOOKS
The plot follows two cannibalistic youths navigating the unsettling reality of their own macabre identities, but despite the movie’s unsettling nature, there’s a sort of comfort in the various artful connections of the film. Between the soft soundtrack, impactful acting, and strong symbolism, this movie is by far a requirement for the season. I would even go as far as to say this film would be a tasteful choice for any fall lover.
In this young adult fantasy novel, Scarlett Dragna is invited to the experience of a lifetime, a magical game called Caraval, something she has dreamed of attending all her life. Filled with puzzles, actors, and adventure, this game would change the lives of anyone participating.But she has other goals besides winning the games and using the wish rewarded to her: she has to rescue her sister from Caraval Master Legend, a man a twisted backstory and even twisted morals. And as she solve the puzzles given to
“There’s a little witch in every woman.” At least you’ll feel like it after watching Practical Magic. If you’re looking for a cozy film on sisterhood this season, I couldn’t think of any better
gland setting, Practical Magic follows two whimsical sisters through their adulthood, navigating generational curses, forbidden love, and consistently evil men (of course). With a hot soundtrack and even hotter stars like Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, this movie puts you in the perfect mood for a romantic, magical
Adeline LaRue mak take when she bargains with the Dark so she can live forever; little does she know, the gods can be deceiving, and everyone she meets forgets her as soon as she leaves their sight. This novel explores the life Addie both loves and hates at the same time, and leaves readers with a bit tersweet thought of the
ITAOTS by Neutral Milk Hotel Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
FALL ENTERTAINMENT 11
Fall: Cullman’s Checklist
A little bit of this & that to fill up your Autumn days
Maggie Hope, Staff Writer
With fun seasonal attractions like corn mazes and pumpkin patches, it’s the perfect spot for a spontaneous autumn weekend
Go for a hike around Ave Maria Grotto & St. Bernard Abbey, as well as spots like Hurricane Creek, Bankhead National Forest, and even various trails at Sportsmans lake to get your fill of some scenic fall views.
Highway Pickers Antique Mall & Flea Market -
Could be perfect for a chilly fall weekend; 3 floors stocked
full of unique antiques, beautiful light fixtures and art, as well as an extensive selection of handmade items.
Festivals or Carnivals -
Cullman is big on festivals, especially during the fall, so there’s rarely a shortage of fun local events to check out. From Oktoberfest and the County Fair to the charming Christkindlmarkt, there’s always something going on to get you into the fall spirit.
Pumpkin PatchesObviously a good ole’ pumpkin patch will do the job every year. Luck ily for us, we’re natives to quite the pumpkin bearing land. 4D Farms, the Great Pumpkin in Hayden, and Hidden Rivers Farm up in Hartselle should be able to meet your pumpkin picking needs.
The Hinsdale House
the house that haunts hinsdale Alexander Rodriguez, Staff Writer You’ve probably heard the many haunting tales of the Conjuring House, Winchester House, The Sallie House, and The Villisca Axe Murder House, which are all various famous haunted houses with interesting stories and history behind them. But you may not have heard of the house located in Hinsdale, New York, which is considered one of the most haunted houses in the state. In 1853, two brothers named David and Daniel Everett decided to build their home in the countryside of the small town of Hinsdale, but these two weren’t your average people looking for a calm and relaxed home in the countryside; these two brothers were murderers. The brothers lured,robbed, and murdered travelers who came through their land, burying their bodies on the property and in the basement of the house. The two brothers’ murders aren’t the only accounts of death that occur on the property. The house was said to be built on a Native American massacre site, rumoured to be cursed by the Natives as an act of revenge. The history of the house is the building block to why the Hinsdale house is considered haunted, but the most notable story that would make the house famous and catch the attention of headline news was that of the Dandy family. Till this day, people call the Hinsdale
Trick or Treating on the East SideGang up with your friends, grab your pillowcases, and start roaming the streets this fine October thir ty-first. But I’d recommend heading over to the East side of Town first… Bigger Candy, better decorations, and more loot.
Driving around & house
house “The Dandy House” because of -the extreme encounters the Dandy family experienced during their short time at the house. Almost immediately after moving into the house in the early 1970s, the family began experiencing extremely negative encounters, the idea that they have finally found their dream home in the country was replaced with
If you’re feeling a little hermit-like this Halloween but still want to enjoy everyone’s decorations - or if you’re just bored after school one afternoon - hop in the car and take a drive through town. It’s an easy way to get in the spooky spirit without having to leave your com-
these events were due to an overactive imagination, but it was hard to deny that something sinister and supernatural was at play. The incidents became increasingly intense such as full bodied apparitions could be seen both of a woman in white and bizarre animal human hybrids but one of the more frightening stories that the family
confusion and fear because within days they began to experience strange paranormal activity that continued to grow worse as time went on and often the phenomena would manifest in the form of mysterious phone calls, a variety of poltergeist activity and sometimes the family would hear chanting coming from the nearby woods. The Dandy family tried to make the excuse that
would tell that had to do with seeing these apparitions was of a night when they noticed a group of strange faces staring in their windows, however when Mr.Dandy ran outside to chase away the what he believed to be trespassers, the faces reversed and were then peering back at him from the inside of the house. It was at this point that the haunting began
to turn violent objects began levitating around the house and at one point a lamp from the living room threw itself at one of the Dandy daughters and this was the last straw, it was at this point an exorcist, a priest from St Bonaventure University, was called in to exercise the home while the family and a team of paranormal researchers were present and according to those present the paranormal activity became the strongest it had ever been. Lights in the house were turning on and off,unexplained banging and screaming came through the walls, and a terrible sense of an evil presence drifted through the home. Unfortunately, the exorcism did not work, and after a few days of calm in the house, the activity ramped up again, finally forcing the Dandy family to move 16 short months after moving in. The Dandy family’s story had a huge impact on why paranormal investigators visit the home and conduct their own investigations, and some of these groups are pretty well known, such as the Ghost Files,Sam and Colby, and the Project Fear Crew. The chilling story of the Dandy family’s time in the house continues to fuel fascination and fear, ensuring that the Hinsdale House remains one of the most actively investigated and notoriously haunted locations in all of New York.
CATWALKING
lily Abbott
1. Football season
2. Throwing a party with Aubrey!
3. I think it has only gotten more fun. I am busier and get more into the spirit now
4. Coach Calvert with hair
5. Cinnamon toast and cotton candyyyyy
Cailey Cammack
1. The cold weather
2. Partyyyyy
3. The costumes have advanced
4. Sparky
CATWALKING
Questions
1. What really defines the fall and halloween season for you?
2. What are your festive plans for Halloween night?
3. Do you feel Halloween has changed for you at all as you’ve got ten older? What’s different?
4. Who or what is the scariest thing on campus?
Brooks Loftin
1. Oktoberfest and college football
2. Trick-or-treating
3. Not really
4. Coach Boatright
5. CNS biscuits
Graham Wright
5. Pumpkin pie
5. Favorite fall drink or food?
Chili at my aunts house and trick-ortreating
Costumes with friends and family and trick-or-treating
It’s changed a lot getting older. I feel like the family bonding is not as good as it was when we were all younger
The alley between the auditorium and the lunch room closest to the parking lot I love trying Karma’s fall menu!
FALL ENTERTAINMENT
Murder Mystery
One last time.
Blyss Murphree, Staff Writer
Before you get bones deep into this story, here is your reading guide. Make sure to pay attention to * and take note of how many there are. The * tells you a POV change is coming. The number of * each correlates to a character. Here are your characters:
Noah
Aidan
Preston
Opal
Cristine
We were working on our project for Mrs.Burn’s class. She told us we needed to have everything welded by the next morning. We stayed in the shop until about 4 in the morning after it happened. Good news is, we got the shoes welded and painted but Preston didn’t finish the garnets we were going to put on the edges.
This is when he asked me what had transpired that night. The night I lost one of the most important colleges I had met through my 5 years being in this school system.
“Start from the very beginning,” he told me. So I did as he wished.
*****
We all got to the shop at relatively the same time. I went ahead and started working on the project while the rest of them trickled in over the course of about 10 minutes. Aidan was playing on his phone for a majority of the time until he disappeared into the tool closet and fell asleep on the desk chair in there. Preston noticed Aidan had fallen asleep around 10 and thought it would be funny to carve a pumpkin and put it on his head; so he did. Opal and Cristine were working on the paperwork presentation part of the project. After Preston got done messing with Aidan he came over and we both worked on our piece. We were all locked in until about 3am when we finished the project and couldn’t find Aidan. We all assumed he woke up and left.
***
I found it by the mailbox. I have no idea where he went or what happened that night; I left after I was done and I
Beautiful or Bloodcurdling?
How Halloween Costumes Have Taken a Turn
Tessa Trucks, Staff Writer
Halloween started out thousands of years ago, originally created through the ancient Celtic festi val of Samhain. Marking the end of summer and the beginning of cold winter, participants would dress up in attempts to ward off bad spirits.Over time, Chris tian influence and cultural shifts transformed the cele bration into what we know today- a night of trick-or-treating, parties, and elab orate costumes. Through the recent years, however, we’ve seen a new tran sition. Halloween costumes, once trademarked for their creativity and scare factor, have become some thing entirely differ ent. The standards for costumes- especially in regards to women- have changed drastically, leaning more towards overly simplistic or sexualized designs. A night once dedicated to creativity and individuality is now used as competition shaped by social construct and
commercial marketing. The evolution of costumes has not only been driven by social trends, but economic forces as well. The Halloween industry has built itself into a billion-dollar market, with rising prices for costumes and props that are beginning to lack quality and originality. The average person is now expected to spend sixty dollars, or more, on an outfit they’ll wear maybe once. This increase in price has caused people to swing for the minimum; it is not uncommon now to see a group of three in red, green and blue tee-shirts claiming they’re dressed as Alvin and
If the prices don’t get in the way, the issue of costume standards still remains- most noticeably, the steady incline towards overly sexualized designs. The increasing appearance of more revealing outfits in pop culture has led to the demand and design. Prominent fig-
took the pumpkin with me.
I watched him get up and walk outside around 2 but when i told everyone they acted like they didn’t hear me. I went outside to look for him but I never found him. I assumed it was just a little adventure he went on and he´d be back before we finished like usual; but we were done. I went out and yelled for him and I thought ´oh I guess he already left’ but his truck was still outside. I don´t know what happened but I hope he’s okay.
I left when everyone started a manhunt for him. I bet he comes back two hours after y’all are done asking us these questions. This isn’t unusual for him.
I don’t remember 3-4 but I did make it home at some point. Please tell me I didn’t do it again. I am so tired of -
Who was the victim?
What hour was the victim killed?
Was the body found?
Who’s POV was the victim killed under?
Match each character to their *.
Who is the killer?
Your final answer will be shown on the back page.
ures in today’s society, like Sabrina Carpenter and Kim Kardashian, have set the trends for less fabric and longer lashes. This high urgency, along with the influence of the media and its celebrities, has en couraged companies to make slim mer, more provocative versions of every character on theme. A simple witch costume is no longer long robes and matching pointed hat, but a black tee-shirt or lace corsets and miniskirts.
FALL ENTERTAINMENT 15
Fall Crossword
Bored in class?
Aubrey Shaddrix, Staff Writer
Word Bank
• Acorns
• Autumn
• Bonfire
• Coffee
• Decorations
• Ghost
• Harvest
• Holidays
Music
November
Pumpkin
Scarf
Squirrels
Sweater
Vampire
Cinnamon
Halloween Comic
Madison Caroll, Staff Writer
ADS 16 APELSTEEL
SENIOR NIGHT
See the seniors honored on the last home game of 2025 Elizabeth Smith, Staff Writer
SPORTS 18
Plebian College Football
A guide to America’s favorite past time
Avery Hice and Macey Apel, Staff Writers
It’s Saturday. The air smells like buffalo chicken dip, beer, and male delusion. Someone’s yelling “DEFENSE!” at a TV in the corner, and you’re surrounded by people who treat 19-year-olds running around in helmets like divine prophets. Welcome to the wonderful world of college football.
Calm down. You do not have to run around screaming about every zone coverage or memorize the head coach’s entire family. You just have to know the fundamentals of the NCAA well enough to watch and enjoy the game, impress your friends, and maybe even yell something intelligent.
The Fundamentals
Football is simple if you think of it as one huge, dramatic group project: The offense is trying to get the ball to the end zone. The defense is trying to stop them. Everyone else is pretty much running into each other and yelling. Both teams get four downs (that’s four attempts) to move the ball ten yards. If they do? They get four more. If not? They kick it away (punt) or fail epically in front of millions of people watching.
A touchdown = 6 points.
After that, they can kick the ball through the yellow posts for an extra point, or try another play for two points (the “we’re feeling risky” option). A field goal = 3 points. Usually happens when the team gets close but not close enough. Pro tip: When you hear “FOURTH AND ONE,” it’s dramatic. That’s when they’re one yard from keeping the ball, and the atmosphere shifts to “don’t breathe, it’s happening.”
Penalties
Every other play or so, a yellow flag flies onto the field, and suddenly everybody’s screaming at each other as if it’s a Supreme Court decision. Here’s what’s actually going on:
Pass Interference: When the defender makes contact with the receiver prior to the arrival of the ball. Cutting in line, but physically.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct: When one is celebrating excessively, taunting, or hurting someone unnecessarily. Basically: fun= penalty.
False Start: Somebody moved prior to the start of the play. Happens constantly.
Holding: When one grabs ahold
Ranking Football Traditions
What is the best college football tradition?
Macey Apel, Staff Writer
#5- Chief Oscola- Florida State University
Before every home game at Florida State University, a student playing Chief Oscola dons gear of the Seminole Tribe, and rides his horse Renegade across the field before stabbing a flaming javelin
#4- Country Roads- West Virginia University
At West Virginia University, before every home game, the band plays the song, “Country Road,” a tradition that began in 1972. In 2002,
and won’t let go. Happens constantly-er.
Facemask: Pulling another play er down by their facemask. Very painful to watch.
Pro tip: If you yell “THAT’S HOLDING!” at random moments, at least one guy will nod in agree ment.
Elite Ball Knowledge
If you want to sound like you’re in the know, here are a few safe bets: Alabama: Just yell, “Throw it to Ryan Williams.” People will cheer.
Georgia: Say, “That defense is unstoppable this year.” You’ll sound prophetic.
Texas: When the quarterback messes up, sigh and say, “Quinn Ewers just needs to relax.”
Auburn: “Cam Newton would’ve never let that happen.”
How to Talk Like You Watch Every Saturday
Frat football commentary is 10% accuracy, 90% confidence. You don’t necessarily need to know what “cover two” is: you just need to sound like you do. Try these out:
“That was blown coverage.”
“He’s gotta get rid of the ball faster.”
“We’re running too many screen passes.”
“Clock management is killing us.”
Bonus: If someone starts mansplaining, tilt your head and go, “Yeah, but their third-down conversion rate hasn’t improved since halftime.” Watch him malfunction.
a new tradition emerged. After a home victory, all of the fans link arms and sing along to thesong with the team, a reflection on their country roots. This earned #4 through the unity it brings to the fans, and reflecting on Virgi-
#3- Ralphie’s Run- University of Colorado
While most schools bring out a wagon, horse, or a small animal out for gameday, the University of Colorado is way ahead, choosing to bring out a 700 pound bull, named Ralphie. And Ralphie isn’t just for looks, as he sprints up the field in front of all of the fans both before the game and during halftime. While bringing an animal out isn’t the most original idea, Colorado decided to do it best, earning them the #3 spot
College football is a synthesis of chaos, loyalty, and barbecue sauce. You don’t need to know every play: just be certain, be loud, and have one opinion that sounds slightly too specific.Even if you don’t know what it means, everyone will agree. So slip on your jersey, grab yourself a Diet Coke, and pretend until you’ve been really emotionally invested since spring training. By halftime, you definitely will be.
At the end of the first quarter, the fans, coaches, and players at the University of Iowa game have a tradition of turning to wave at a children’s hospital that overlooks their stadium. Waving to children’s hospital deserves number one on this list because it creates the best unity with the fans and experiences. You can hate a team that you are playing, but when the entire stadium turns their focus to making sick children feel special, there are no rivalries or hatred. Iowa found a special way to help children in the hospital feel loved and appreciated by thousands of fans on opposing teams, a moment they will carry for the rest of their lives.
Toomers Corner ranks the number
#1- Iowa Hawkeye Wave- University of Iowa
Thank You Rory Gilmore
The importance of inspiring women in media
Aubrey Shaddrix, Editor
For me, and many other young girls, I have grown up admiring the limelight of successful, smart women-- whether that be created from fiction or reality. My innocent, juvenile admiration was sucked into a groundbreaking reality that helped me understand who I could become and how to take control. So, Rory Gilmore, I would like to thank you properly.
My older sister introduced me to Gilmore Girls middle school, and it didn’t take long for me to feel in spired by its chatty lead, Rory. In my eyes, she was perfect: smart, Ivy League-bound, and charmingly unique — every thing I thought a girl could want; but most impor tantly, what I wanted. It’s not exactly pushed into every little girl’s brain that you could be a greater mind than
the boy sitting next to you in class. So when one of my favorite preteen shows centered around such a smart female lead, a part of my brain switched on, telling me, “Hey, this could be you!”
The Great Divide
And when I saw Rory on screen writing for her school newspaper, I was in turn influenced to join The Hilight here at Cullman High School. So in the butterfly effect’s fashion, she’s partly the reason I’m Editor today and why I’ve discovered such a passion of mine. And even though I’m growing out of the box of adolescence, I still look for the same inspiration I did when I was much younger through other strong women like Rory
Through public figures like Kaitlan Collins, Malala Yousafzai, and Greta Thunberg, I found living examples of strong women with values in career, ed-
ucation, and activism. I would watch speeches of these female leaders, hoping to discover the same firmness in my own voice or the same spark in my own life. I think it’s so important that younger generations grow up with these inspiring female figures the way I did. I saw the world in such an inquisitive way because I felt it was possible for me to reach my own passions the way my female he roes could. But in ret rospect, I’m afraid that one day we’ll live in a world where mass media has no con cern for representing intelligent women anymore. I fear that young girls will become less interested in their brains and more in mar-
keting ploys of new green juices endorsed by their favorite influencers. Without inspirational women, we lose the spark of intelligent young girls everywhere. We lose a part of womanhood. I’m not embarrassed to say that my favorite TV show growing up heavily influenced the person I am now, because I’m not angry with that outcome. I love every part of my education, and the fact that I have dreams of an impactful career. If it weren’t for the ingenuity I surrounded myself with when I was young, I may not be in the place I’ve found myself at
The biggest issue in america, by far Jacob Larker, Staff Writer
There is an issue far greater than anything in the United States, which isn’t perpetrated by just one group, and is the root of all our issues in America. Division. It is not crazy to say there are issues in America; we all notice it, we see the hatred, the violence, the division, and the harmful rhetoric constantly spewed on both sides. But is one side really all to blame for this? There has been a significant shift in the past decade; politics used to be tame and respectful. What could have possibly been the reason for this? I will present two major reasons for this, one of them being the catalyst: Donald Trump, and the other being the left’s arrogance and spineless actions. A figure like Donald Trump had never been seen in politics before, someone who is such a skilled public speaker, rallying people behind his eccentric and unpredictable personality. Someone who can insult his opponents on live television in rather funny ways and have people cheer for him. Politics became an elementary playground, and Donald Trump was the king of it. So it is no surprise that people would elect this man; he was a character that was never seen before, in a time when people were tired of the same career politician with no soul. And for the next 4 years of his presidency, Donald Trump would nurture a di-
vide between the right and left, creating a culture of hatred towards democrats, treating them like the enemy rather than your neighbor. The lasting effects this would have on American politics would be devastating. This rhetoric would platform many violent offenders, and give others the confidence to go out and commit violent acts. America has become a fiery landscape, and Donald Trump has been the painter. While I have focused on Trump quite a bit, he is not entirely to blame for the reason politics has become so polarized.
The left, or liberals in particular, have done nothing to ease the wound of American politics; rather, they have torn it open. Democrats, having played the role of the morally superior party, are no different from the right. This has driven people out and shunned others from their party. They are centre-right shills that uphold the system that has put people like Trump in office; they do not care about you, they are not protecting your interests, but rather the interests of their beneficiaries and capitalist donors. So it makes sense that you will lose a left-leaning audience when your party goes further right each election, running on the same policies that they criticized Trump for in 2016. You can’t claim to uphold individual liberties and refuse to acknowledge
the tragedies in Palestine because it wouldn’t be in the interest of the United States. Not only have they pushed away your own supporters by doing this, but they couldn’t garner the support or bridge the gap between the right because they were so caught up in their disdain for the other.
The Democratic Party was not something that right-leaning people could get behind, because these people shun them and look down upon them. A common response I saw to the election by democrats was their appeal to education, referring to statistics about how red states are typically ranked lower in education or other factors of life. This always rubbed me the wrong way because these people who live in states aren’t dumb; they are ignorant. These red states are typically ranked lower in these statistics because they are poorer states on average. And blue states typically rank higher because they are so wealthy. This shows a relationship between capital and quality of life. These states have benefited from a capitalist system that has given people who are more financially well off access to more adequate education, and not to have bias, but this is why they vote blue. Southern states have been ravaged by capitalism and neglected by their government. These people could benefit
from some level of socialization, even if they so desperately hate socialism. They are people just like me and you who have differing world views because of the context in which they have grown up. They aren’t inherently hateful; they lack context and empathy towards the other. It takes generations to undo that sort of thinking. In the aftermath of COVID, a commonality on the right was blaming Joe Biden for the economy; this obviously wasn’t his fault, as we were recovering from COVID. All they heard from the left was how the economy was doing fine according to the GDP, but these are your average Joe working-class people; they don’t determine how well the economy is based on the GDP, they determine it based on their paycheck every month and the price of groceries. So when their paycheck decreases and prices go up, but they’re being told by the Harvard economist that the economy is actually fine while his 401 (k) is tripling, they can’t help but have disdain for the left. The left has put such an emphasis on higher education and “intellectualism” that, in the process, it has turned away the right because of their lack of it.
EDITORIALS 20
The Dumb Blonde Archetype
How society correlates intelligence to hair color
Avery Hice, Staff Writer
The stereotype of the “dumb blonde” is one of culture’s quietest cruelties—an illusion wrapped in laughter, repeated until it begins to sound like truth. Beneath the humor lies a long, deliberate act of diminishment. Blonde women have been written as symbols rather than souls—praised for their beauty, punished for it, desired yet dismissed. The blonde, as culture has drawn her, is not a person at all but an idea: glittering, shallow, endlessly consumable.
This stereotype was never born from reality. It was manufactured by a world uneasy with women’s power– a world that found it easier to control beauty than to respect it. In early Hollywood, Jean Harlow’s platinum hair and porcelain skin birthed the archetype of the “bombshell,” a woman celebrated for her allure yet stripped of agency. Marilyn Monroe inherited that role and turned it into performance, transforming fragility into art. Despite her intellect—rumored to surpass Einstein’s—she was remembered not for brilliance but for breathy charm. Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze explains this perfectly: women are not seen as the subjects of their own stories, but as images constructed for others to consume. And the blonde became the ultimate expression of that gaze—her worth measured in luminosity, her mind fading behind the light.
Fiction continues to carry this image forward, polishing it into new forms. Elle Woods in Legally Blonde must prove her intelligence in a world determined to mock it. Cher Horowitz in Clueless is underestimated precisely because she is kind. Daisy Buchanan of TheGreatGatsby exists as a vision rather than a person—beautiful, mysterious, and perpetually misunderstood. Each character glows under scrutiny but speaks into silence. Their beauty is their visibility; their voice, their invisibility. This portrayal persists
advertising exposes how femininity has long been packaged through simplification—through docility and decoration. The blonde woman, always smiling, always soft, sells not just products but fantasies. Her supposed emptiness is comforting; it makes her nonthreatening. Sandra Bartky’s concept of self-objectification reveals the cost of this conditioning: women internalize the gaze that watches them, performing the version of femininity that earns approval. The “dumb blonde” becomes both shield and shackle—a stereotype some manipulate, yet one that still confines.
To perform ignorance, even strategically, is to sacrifice something sacred. The act of pretending not to know leaves a quiet wound. Society still favors the blonde who smiles over the one who speaks. Even when she is intelligent, her intellect must arrive as revelation, not expectation. The assumption of emptiness follows her like a scent—familiar, faintly sweet, impossible to wash away.
Why, then, does culture continue to sexualize women precisely because they are presumed to be “dumb”? The answer lies in control. A woman reduced to surface is easier to desire. A woman denied depth is easier to dismiss. The stereotype becomes a script—one that keeps her beautiful but contained, admired but powerless.
Even now, the pattern renews itself. Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct twists the narrative into power, using the expectations of men as her weapon. Caroline Bingley in PrideandPrejudice shows that this caricature predates the screen: a woman refined and clever, yet bound to social performance. Across eras, blonde women linger between mockery and admiration—their intellect recast as anomaly, their beauty as burden.
Social media has merely digitized the same illusion. The “itgirl,” the “clean girl,” the influencer bathed in filtered
gaze Monroe once endured. Algorithms reward the image that glows, not the voice that questions. What was once sold in movie theaters is now consumed through screens: the fantasy of effortless perfection, beauty divorced from thought. Behind every immaculate post lies an echo of the same stereotype—beauty as performance, intelligence as background noise.
But women—blonde or otherwise—deserve more than the labels placed upon them. They are beautiful beings not because they match the image the world demands, but because they exist beyond it. Their beauty is not ornamental—it is intellectual, emotional, defiant. To be beautiful is not to be hollow; it is to hold contradictions, wisdom, and resilience all at once. The true tragedy of the “dumb blonde” stereotype is not that it mocks intelligence, but that it denies women the right to be whole.
This stereotype endures because it protects power. The blonde is exalted and erased in the same gesture—made radiant so her silence feels natural. Behind every golden halo lies a structure that feeds on underestimation. To be blonde, in the cultural imagination, is to live within a contradiction: to be everything and nothing, desired and doubted, all at once.
The “dumb blonde” stereotype was never truth—it was a design. A performance crafted to soothe a world uncomfortable with female intellect. Its persistence reveals not ignorance, but exploitation: a system that keeps women shining just bright enough to distract from their brilliance. And still, through every gaze and every stereotype, women continue to think, to create, to endure. The tragedy of the blonde is not stupidity—it is brilliance mistaken for beauty.
“Ditsy Dame” Hall of Fame
Marilyn Monroe
Elle Woods
Cher Horowitz
Natural Resources: How We Exert Our Earth
Over use, over take, and overwork.
Staff Writer
The concept of natural resources, or should I say the definition, means materials, substances, and other items that are not made by man, but are used and needed by living things on a consistent basis. Now while I am sure that everyone knows what this means, or is at least able to comprehend the general concept… I do not believe that we, human beings as a whole, truly are able to understand the complexity and magnitude that this has on not just us, but every single living thing on our planet. Supply and demand. Demand and supply. It’s no foreign concept. But do we really understand where our products come from? Do we truly grasp how many trees are cut down every year to produce an unfathomable and, in many cases, unnecessary amount of lumber? Do you know how many fossil fuels were burned in order to make your new Apple Watch, and just how much environmental devastation that one product may have caused?
Don’t get me wrong - I’m guilty of it too. In all honesty, I don’t think any human isn’t. But here’s the thing about natural resources - and perhaps the most important truth of all: they are not infinite. These resources are being depleted faster than they can replenish. And when that happens, the damage is often irreversible. It’s a reality we seem to forgetespecially when hunger for profit and the fog of greed begin to cloud our view.
Humans have long been known not just to take natural resources for granted, but to exploit and abuse them. And I’m not just talking about the past century. This pattern of destruction has been happening for far longerlong before Columbus sailed the ocean blue, or before America was colonized. The exploitation of the Earth began when humans first adopted the idea that they were entitled to everything the planet had to offer.
From the idea of the Manifest Destiny, to the decimation of the Bison population in the 19th Century to push Natives from their land. People have this idea that
Boo! Overconsumerism!
Rise of overconsumerism culture on halloween
Cyrene Agustin, Staff Writer
Recently, social media became a major factor when it comes to consumerism as the public turned it into a hobby or a source of entertainment. Multiple social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok are filled with influencers sharing their “must buy” items, starting from overpriced Labubu collectibles to the endless amount of Stanley and Owala bottles in every single color variant and model. The want of owning these trendy items has cre ated a mindset where you buy these to fit in, for the sense of belongingness. Though there’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel included, even when it comes to the latest craze that you may actually love, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) persuades people into purchasing every single trendy item without thinking twice about it. Trends all over social media have created that thinking, just like the trend “consumerism final boss” going on where a new item goes viral, millions of people will rush into
buying it without thinking of the item’s practicality. None of these things will improve your life, but influencers and trends simply convince our minds that owning these things can make us happy. In reality, it’s all just another cycle of overconsumerism where trends happen often, and what’s popular now becomes forgotten the next year. And as seasons change, the spending spikes more with events and gatherings occurring, Halbeing the perfect example. Once a holiday where people express their creativity and unite as a community, Halloween has now turned into another excuse for having a shopping spree. Stores filled with cheaply made costumes, plastic accessories, and house decorations that’ll barely last a night. Every year, million pounds of wastes are created from costumes, candy wrappers, and broken decor. All these plastic pumpkin buckets, fake fragile skeletons, and fake spiders are bought, used once, and thrown away all for the sake of a single event that’s going to be shown on social media. It may not seem a lot, but if you com-
they are entitled to whatever they can possibly get their hands on, and won’t stop until they get what they want - no matter what the price is. In this case, the effects are really and truly devastating - ranging from issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, soil & faster rock erosion, to health problems for local populations - this unsustainability depletes resources at such a rapid pace and devastates the environment from being able to revive itself for future generations. All of this dimishes many things having to do with our daily lives, inclduding the economy.
The extent of the horrors of pollution, habitat destruction, water scarcity, and issues regarding human health are overlooked on a day to day basis. With the EPA now entertaining what has been described as the “greatest dereg ulation our nation has ever seen,” and with a growing disregard for the essential directives that have long kept our environment in bal ance, the land we call home faces serious danger. When the govern ment begins rolling back policies that some may consider minor or
insignificant, the ripple effects can lead to disaster - not just locally, but globally.
It’s easy to think that someone else will fix it -that it’s not our problem, or that it can wait. But that kind of thinking is exactly why we’re in the position we’re in. Natural resources aren’t just going to keep showing up. The Earth isn’t going to keep bouncing back. We’re pushing her past her limits, and acting like there’s no consequence. But there is. And it’s not just going to affect some far-off place or future generation - it’s already happening, right now, all around us.
bine all of this waste along with waste from all over the world, it’ll impact the environment just as fast as how you purchased it. Halloween is an opportunity to create memo ries that’ll last a lifetime, not purchase one time use items that may affect the environ rest of our lifetime. It’s wise to purchase costumes and decorations that you can reuse, just like picking glass decorations over plastic as these last longer and are overall better. You can take this opportunity to support local businesses and small sellers who make high-quality and unique crafts rather than fast decorations that are mass-produced into low-quality products.
waste collectively affects our environment. So now is the right moment to understand that there’s no need to purchase non-reusable and useless items to be included in the
Most of the time, you just have to look around you and realize that actually stems from your friends and family, not the amount of skulls that you purchase or scented candles that you’ll never light up. Every holiday can be fun by living in the moment and can be cherished through the memories created and not the amount of products purchased that has its possibilities ending up in the landfill one day.
This Halloween is the perfect time to open our eyes and minds then realize that we should not fall into the traps of social media when it comes to its romanticized consumerism culture. With the amount of scary costumes and jumpscares in haunted houses that we may all encounter this Halloween, nothing can top how scary the way the
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like” - Will Rogers
EDITORIALS 22
The Concrete Barriers of America
How America’s Highways Were Built to Divide
Will Davis Simmons, Staff Writer
As you ride along I-65 and I-20 in Birmingham or I-40 in Nashville–maybe on your way to a doctor’s appointment, or perhaps a shopping trip–you may not know that you are driving on what has kept communities across America divided and segregated for decades. Here’s why.
The racial residential divide originates back to the late 1950s with the construction of the interstate highway system. U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower approved of the interstate project which held a hefty $114 billion price-tag. Soon after the passage of Eisenhower’s Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, construction began across many major U.S. cities. For example, the construction of Interstate 65 and Interstate 20 in Birmingham began in the mid 1950s–and was completed in 1958. While this may sound unmalicious, the harsh reality is that black and brown families were set up for displacement and further segregation. Birmingham city officials greenlighted the routes that we now know today as I-20 and I-65 to run through black and brown communities. The intentional planning and construction of these routes were chosen for a few reasons. For starters, city officials (who at the time were nearly unanimously white), wanted to maintain the racial boundaries set by the city’s 1926 zoning laws. These zoning laws ensured segregation and kept white residents in separate residential areas from black residents. Additionally, city officials chose this route to create a boundary between the predominantly white downtown of Birmingham and the neighboring black communities. Take for example in the 1950s, the Clarke Family. The Clarke family owned an 11th Avenue residence in Fountain Heights, which at the time was a predominantly black neighborhood in Birmingham. However, the Clarke Family, like many other families of color in the Fountain Heights neighborhood, was forcibly displaced and removed from their homes from the construction of I-65 and I-20.
You might be asking why does this matter today? Let me explain. During the construction of the Interstate System, countless Black families in Birmingham–as well as in many other major U.S. cities–not only lost their homes but also their livelihoods. In 1950s Birmingham, the predominantly white-operated downtown area which provided a flourishing market for businesses,
a large number of quality jobs, and access to a lot of services–was cut off from black residents entirely by the placement of the interstates.
Many Black-owned businesses, including those in the Fourth Avenue Historic Business District, were demolished to make way for highway construction. As a result, many families were denied the chance to maintain stable employment, build new homes and businesses, or maintain connected, prosperous neighborhoods. Even after the Interstate System’s construction, zoning decisions often placed industrial plants near Black communities, further depreciating property values, limiting development, and creating long-term health impacts. These choices made it harder for Black residents to build generational wealth–consequences that can still be seen in parts of Birmingham today.
Today, driving along Interstates 65 and 20 through downtown Birmingham, the lasting effects of the Interstate System’s construction and its role in enforcing racial segregation remain clear and loudly pronounced. On one side lies a historically Black community that was divided and displaced for decades, limiting opportunities to build generational wealth and sustain local commerce. In contrast, across the highway stands a predominantly white, more affluent downtown area marked by higher employment rates and income levels than neighboring communities such as Fountain Heights and Smithfield.
Birmingham’s story is unfortunately not unique and is all too familiar. The same pattern of displacement and division repeated itself across the country as highways cut through the hearts of Black neighborhoods in cities from Nashville to Los Angeles. Each city’s version of the story shared a common key thread: decisions made in the name of “urban progress” that often came at the expense of communities of color.
In Nashville’s case, the destruction of Interstate 40 in the mid to late 1960s ruined the city’s lively Jefferson Street district—once the hub of Black culture, commerce, and music. The highway cut through the neighborhood, removing hundreds of Black families and separating Tennessee State University, a Black college, from the community. In spite of loud objections from local citizens and civil rights leaders, city authorities redirected the interstate around white
residential areas and through the middle of the Black community. As a result, Jefferson Street’s musical halls, stores, and churches were destroyed. To this day, the neighborhood suffered slower development and lower property values than the rest of the city.
Once more, the story is shared on the West Coast with Los Angeles. The construction of interstates like the I-10 Santa Monica Freeway in the 1950s and 1960s wiped out parts of the Sugar Hill neighborhood—areas where many Black and families of color had built stable middle-class lives despite segregation. Yet, thousands of homes were demolished. Those communities never fully recovered. Even today, the roadways’ construction has divided neighborhoods and concentrated pollution, and poverty along the neighborhood’s edges.
From locally in Birmingham, to Nashville, and to Los Angeles, the story remains strikingly similar. Highways meant to unite the nation have instead–alternatively–
deepened its divides by physically separating communities and limiting opportunity for generations of Black Americans and Americans of Color. Today, many of these same cities are spending millions of dollars to reconnect what was torn apart through the construction of the Interstate System. Yet the challenge still remains: rebuilding trust and opportunity in neighborhoods across the nation that were once deliberately broken apart by hate, concrete, and policy. The same roads that, even today, many of us drive on without realizing that they have kept communities divided and segregated for decades.
*Map updated in 2023 using the most recent data from 2021.*
*Map Depicts Unemployment Rates* -White=High Unemployment Rate and Dark Grey= Low Rate
*Map Depicts Majority Race Key* (Bold White Lines=Interstates) -Dark Grey indicates majority Black population. -White indicates lean majority White population. -Light Grey indicates majority White population.
