Volume 80 Issue 4

DART THE

ST. TERESA’S ACADEMY KANSAS CITY MO VOLUME 80 ISSUE 4

DE-GENDERING

CLOTHING Harry Styles wore a dress for the cover of Vogue, which has brought up debate about the role gender should play in clothes. Women and men have long been socially, and even legally, constricted about the clothes appropriate for each gender. pg. 8

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DECEMBER 22, 2020

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

DEAR READER, After 12 long, eventful months, we have finally reached the end of 2020. As you can probably tell, we were not able to deliver our holiday issue in person, but we still wanted to have it in a “print” format that you can flip through virtually. This is a shorter issue than usual, but there is also lots more content on DartNewsOnline.

One of these stories on the DNO is a “Year in Review” centerspread package by Josie Fox and Grace Ashley, who summarize 2020’s biggest events and provide student opinions on them. Also online is a winter fashion gallery by Lily Sage and a podcast by Ellie Buttell on travelling for the holidays.

We hope you caught Claire Smith’s Hanukkah takeover via Dart’s Snapchat, but if not, we have much more content hitting our social media this month. Look out for two videos on our Instagram: holiday cookies with Lucy Doerflinger and decoration inspiration with Caroline Hinkebein.

We also are posting meet the staff videos daily this

month, so go get to know the amazing members of this publication!

As for print, Katie Massman interviewed English teacher Stephen Himes on his job history and what led him to STA for Star Spotlight on page 6. To read about the state of gender roles in modern fashion, check out Sydney Waldron’s feature on page 8. ‘Tis the season for giving, and Sophia Rall can help you find the perfect gift — locally! Check out our Last Look via print for a comprehensive gift guide with some amazing Kansas City products.

With winter break in full swing, it’s the perfect time to check out — or revisit — your favorite shows and movies. Kyra Fieger reviewed holiday movies you should watch on DNO, and Lauren Brackney will tell you all about the new season of “The Crown.”

With the year coming to a close, take some time this season to reflect on the positives 2020 offered.

It may be harder for some than others, but looking for blessings in dark times is a skill that will benefit

you for a lifetime. Take time to write, take photos, make videos, draw, be creative! Dive into yourself this break and recognize how far you’ve come. See you in 2021!

Love,

DESIGNED BY JOSIE FOX

04 06 08

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Hospitals Reach Capacity Star Spotlight: Dr. Stephen Himes Rewriting Gender Stereotypes in Clothing

04

Political Divides in Families Summer Camp is the Best TikTok is Toxic

08

Local Gift Guide

10 12 13 14

14 COVER BY CLAIRE SMITH

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DECEMBER 22, 2020

NEWS FEATURE

Kansas City hospitals brace for winter as COVID-19 case numbers rise The colder months are usually a busy time for hospitals because of this year is expected to be worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story and photo by Rachel Robinson | Editor-in-Chief

I

CU Nurse Jennifer Boxx starts her day at 5 a.m. She then drives 25 minutes to Truman Medical Center and begins a 12 hour shift treating patients for COVID-19. Boxx has been working almost exclusively with COVID-19 patients since March, and she enjoys it because she finds the virus interesting.

“Just watching the progress of it, even since we started this back in March, the way our treatments have evolved, and how we’ve gotten better and better at properly caring for people, and, you know, we figured out what to do and what not to do, it’s been kind of fascinating for me,” Boxx said.

When working with some of the most serious and life threatening cases of COVID-19, Boxx sometimes worries about the things she sees in the hospital happening to her or her loved ones, but she doesn’t let it interfere with her job.

“It was scary, but you know, you just get in there and you do your job, and you don’t dwell on it,” Boxx said. “So I say I probably thought about it more on my days off than I did, while I was at work, because we were all just taking those precautions and doing what we’re trained to do.”

Boxx poses by a sign thanking essential workers made by her neighbors. As an ICU nurse, Boxx is considered an essential worker. photo courtesy of Lauren Boxx

The University of Kansas Health System is the biggest hospital increased sickness and in the Kansas City area and it is currently caring for the most COVID-19 patients in the city as of Dec. 16. The hospital is located at 39th St. and State Line Road.

Boxx is now more worried about her hospital being overwhelmed by an increase in COVID-19 cases this winter. The colder months are often a busy time for her and other healthcare workers because of increased sickness, but this year is expected to be much worse.

“I’m very much worried about the winter,” Boxx said. “We have hired a lot more staff. So hopefully, staffing isn’t an issue. But you know, hospitals only have so many beds, and I hope it doesn’t become a situation when people are out in hallways or something. But hopefully, that shouldn’t happen. We’ve made lots of preparations. And so we’re just hoping for the best.”

In order to prevent the kind of hospital overflow Boxx is worried about, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment Lee Norman suggested cautious conduct when celebrating winter holidays.

“Holidays are coming and we saw an uptick [in COVID-19 cases] after the Thanksgiving holiday,” Norman said in a media briefing through the University of Kansas Health System Dec. 15.

“I hope that in December holidays, people show

some restraint, wear masks, socially distance and the like.”

According to Dr. Dana Hawkinson of the University of Kansas Medical Center, COVID-19 case numbers are trending slightly down as of Dec. 15 with 165 total patients being treated at the University of Kansas Health System. However, they are still high in comparison to the numbers this summer with 27 patients being treated Aug. 21 according to the Medical News Network.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly also weighed in on this media briefing, giving advice to Kansans and Kansas City residents for keeping themselves and others safe this winter.

“Keep your mask on and keep your distance,” Kelly said. “Please don’t mass gather for the holidays as hard as that will be, but stick with it because help is on the way. We can do this, we can beat this virus if we stick together so just hang in there for a few more months and we’ll be on the other side of all of this.”

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COVID-19 in Kansas City DESIGNED BY LAUREN BRACKNEY

Created and compiled by Lauren Brackney | Social Media Team

Total Number of cases in Kansas City Feb.

No cases There is one positive case within the Kansas City area.

March

151 cases

April

611 cases

May

11 March

Mayor Quinton Lucas advises persons over the age of 60 to avoid being in groups of 50 or more.

14 March 15 March

The State of Emergency proclamation bans gatherings of 15 persons or more.

1,339 cases

June

2,729 cases

July

6,094 cases

Aug.

9,105 cases

sept.

11,779 cases

OCT.

15,726 cases

NOV.

23,491 cases

DEC.

24,720 cases*

Schools are ordered to close in-person learning.

18 March 16 April

Masks and face coverings are required indoors.

*information as of Dec. 5 compiled from data.kcmo.org

Stay at home order is extended to May 15.

26 June 19 AUG.

St. Teresa’s Academy resumes in-person learning.

4 Nov.

St. Teresa’s Academy switches to hybrid learning plan for remainder of fall semester.

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STAR SPOTLIGHT

DATE DECEMBER 22

DR. STEPHEN

HIMES Story and Photo by Katie Massman | Sports Editor

Dr. Stephen Himes worked a multitude of jobs before landing his role as the sophomore honors world literature teacher 12 years ago, where he feels a sense of freedom to teach however he likes.

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H

ow long have you been a teacher?

I’ve been a teacher for about 18 years.

Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher because when I was in high school I applied for a teacher scholarship that paid me the final $5,000 a year that I needed in order to go to the school that I wanted to. So I just sort of said, I guess I’m going to be a teacher for five years, because otherwise that scholarship turned into a loan that I had to pay back. So that was kind of how I decided.

Favorite part about teaching at sta?

When I started teaching at STA I was immediately attracted to the mission of the sisters. What I found was, I thought that it was going to be something completely different than what it was—that the social justice mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph was actually very freeing in the classroom to be the kind of teacher that I wanted to be. Because you don’t have to tiptoe around those issues as much as you do on a public institution, if that is the explicit mission of the school.

How has COVID-19 affected your teaching style?

I think it has opened creative possibilities for what is possible in the classroom. The technology and doing what we’re doing now has never scared, never bothered me. And when we went to virtual teaching in March, the feedback that I got was that my class didn’t really change that much. But it has opened my imagination to a lot of possibilities. For instance tomorrow on student engagement day, I asked an actor that I know In London to do a one man show of “A Christmas Carol.” And I think, why not? If we have this technology, and you can make the time work across the ocean, then why can’t you just use you know, use the technology and the contacts that you had to bring that world to you.

Is there a reason you only teach sophomores?

I have enough tenure where I think I could probably teach the upper level classes, but I just like sophomore year because I think that sophomore year is the first year of your adult professional life; it’s the year that you get your driver’s license, it’s the year that the ACT and your test score start to count, it’s the first year that there’s no more freshmen team for you to be on. I like the responsibility of introducing you into this new professional world. And I take that responsibility pretty seriously, and I don’t want to do anything else.

Why did you decide to pursue law over teaching?

I remember there was a George Clooney movie called Michael Clayton that went out at the same time. And I was sitting there in the theater watching this movie. Michael Clayton is this fixer, a lawyer at this big firm where the clients are doing really crappy things and the lawyer cleans up the mess. And there’s this one guy that ran off the road and drunk and killed somebody or something like that. And George Clooney said, I’m not a miracle worker on a janitor. And I was like, “You know what, that’s what I feel like, like, what I’m doing is I’m cleaning up messes, you know?” And I just, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I just couldn’t do it.

So I went into teaching. I was just like, you know what, I’m going to go back. I’m going to go back into teaching, I’m going to get my doctorate degree and just kind of see where my career goes from there. Immediately when I came to St. Teresa’s, the teacher that taught World Literature before me taught Charles Dickens’ “ A Tale of Two Cities,” and that was where my interest in Dickens came from because like I never really seriously read Victorian literature before then. I just kind of knew of it but this kind of really spoke to me on some profound level because I understood.

I really understood like what he was saying about the way that the system works, you know what I mean?

Because of that, I went out and I wasn’t just teaching it. I actually did it. And I think that really profoundly affected the way that I go about the classroom now.

What is your favorite book to teach?

To teach, I know that a lot of people will say I like to teach “Heart of Darkness” and I don’t really know. I just think it’s something that people should learn. I don’t know that I really like it. I like teaching “A Tale of Two Cities,” even though I know that people often don’t really enjoy reading it because Dickens is hard to read. So I think that I’m going to go with a combination of “Hamlet” and “A Doll’s House” because I think that like people by the end of the year, you know, students at STA really connect with Nora.

What about Britain fascinates you most?

The diversity of it. And it’s kind of a dark diversity, right? Because the reason why London has all of these different ghetto neighborhoods to it is because of the British Empire. And we should never forget that the British Empire was largely an evil on this earth.

You know, it’s like post colonial studies.

And yet, London really does feel I think, like the center of the universe. I think that London has a history, you know, has a depth of history to it, that you can really feel when you’re there. Dickens kind of writes about the spirits and “A Christmas Carol,” as if the spirits of the past haunt London because it feels like they’re always with you. And I just loved the feel of that, because we don’t really have any place in America that’s quite like that.

But not to say that America doesn’t have an old history, but white colonialization erased the civilizations that came before, right. So that’s why you know, that’s why I really, really like a place like London, it feels like it has some depth and some texture to it.

Whats your favorite book?

I’ll give you an unusual answer. It is called “A Season on The Brink.” It’s about the basketball coach Bobby Knight, who’s one of the greatest evil villain basketball coaches of all time. But the book was basically about him teaching basketball, and one thing he says is “I give players rules set and we practice the rules over and over and over again. So you don’t have to think about the rules. And the rules are there to free you.” Because if you just practice and you drill and you drill and you drill the rules. The passer can do two things. If you receive, you can do two things. And at that point, it frees you to becoming a creative, instinctual player because you’re no longer thinking you’re reacting in the moment.

And that always that is always stuck with me.

And that’s actually the way that I conceptualize teaching writing. When you get freshmen and you get sophomores, we especially when you’re in at nine through 12 school, and it’s not K through eight. We kind of have to take two years in order to mold you into how to write a paper.

And we have to do that to give you like, specific structure and rules so that you stop worrying about structure, and you start worrying about substance, political thought and creativity, because that’s where your energy should go. Not in organization and structure. B

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS INTERVIEW ON DARTNEWSONLINE

8 FEATURE

DECEMBER 22, 2020

degendering Clothes: More than a Fad

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DESIGNED BY SYDNEY WALDRON

to be more comfortable, and also I identify with it a lot more.”

Freshman Megan Turley also wants to define gender norms in her future by pursuing a career in a male-dominated field of STEM. She takes inspiration from women who defy stereotypes and break the glass ceiling.

“I’m really impressed with women in STEM for just being there,” Turley said.

“Especially when the odds are stacked against them.”

Turley also thinks that gender norms limited men and women not just in their career path, but also the way they are allowed to express themselves and act.

“I think a lot of boys have trouble expressing their emotions because of stereotypes of manly men,” Turley said.

“It’s hard for girls to really speak up and be

bold because they are supposed to be really feminine, gentle and quiet.”

Senior Georgia Winfield agrees with Turley and believes that in order to stop limiting people to gender stereotypes society should throw out the old concepts.

“I don’t think that masculinity and femininity inherently have a gender, “Winfield said. “They are just two kind of concepts that people can play into, but I don’t think that they should be associated with any specific gender.”

Winfield believes that pressuring anyone into being something they are not shouldn’t be the goal of any society.

“I think that pressuring people to be something that they are not is toxic. If you want to fulfill gender norms that’s good for you, but if you don’t that’s ok too,” Winfield said “It’s toxic when we expect

people and tell them what they have to be.”

Winfield believes that people like Owens who criticize those who reach outside typical gender norms do so because of insecurity and as a way to define themselves and others by.

“I think people are just thinking about their own insecurities. Like wow I could never have the confidence to do this or be that bold and take that risk,” Winfield said. “Other reasons are that they just want people to stay in a box that they have created, and just kind of exist there, and they just don’t really appreciate individuality.”

Defying Gender Norms Throughout the Years A timeline of people who famously defyied gender norms and lead people to question the role gendeplays in clothing and our everyday life.

Harry Styles wore a dress for the cover of Vogue which has brought up debate about the role gender should play in clothes.

Women and men have long been socially and even legally constriced about the clothes appropirate for each gender.

Story and Graphics By Sydney Waldron | Design Editor

T

his November, Vogue made history with Harry Styles being the first solo male to be on the cover. On the cover, Styles was featured wearing a light blue dress with pink frills. Some criticized Styles for compromising his manhood, while others thought it was great to see their favorite celebrity challenging gender norms.

The history of gender norms of western society is one that is forever changing and evolving. Throughout Europe’s history men and women wore similar clothes, but people of certain classes wore different types of clothing. People of lower class typically wore short robes that would not interfere with their jobs that usually included manual labor. While people of the upper class would wear long robes to show their status.

It wasn’t until around the 16th century men started to wear pants, while women typically wore some type of dress or skirt.

Joanne B. Eicher, regents professor emerita at the University of Minnesota and editor of the 10-volume “Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion” believes that it’s culture

and society who decides what men and women should and shouldn’t wear.

Styles wearing a dress went against culture gender norms of the west because typically women wear skirts while men wear suits and pants.

American author and political commentator Candace Owens feels that by men dressing feminine, it not only takes away from their manhood, but also poses a larger threat to our society.

“There is no society that can survive without strong men,” Owens tweeted on Nov. 14. “The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men.”

While Styles is not the first one to challenge gender norms with clothing, and Owens is not the first person to critique it, they both bring up a long going debate about how gender defines a society.

Senior Grace Patenaude disagrees with Owens and believes that by Styles wearing a dress he helps to improve the society we live

in rather than harm it.

“I think that he is fixing society and opening society up to the world as it should be,” said Patenaude. “Society is the one that is wrong.”

Patenaude believes that the gender norms that have defined our culture and society are more harmful than they are helpful.

“This whole constant of what clothes each gender should wear is based on the fact that women are weaker than men, and that women should dress this way,” Patenaude said. “The binary code is just a mess.”

Patenaude believes that in an ideal society or world all clothes would be unisex.

“Honestly I think that every article of clothing should be unisex, boys can wear dresses and girls can wear suits,” Patenaude said. “Clothing should not be defined by gender.”

Patenaude takes this idea and applies it to her everyday life and wardrobe choices.

“I pretty much stopped shopping in the women’s section since I was 15 or 16,” said Patenaude. “I personally find men’s clothing

1968: Fashion designer Pierre Cardin released his “Space Age” collection.

2017: Actor Jaden Smith is seen wearing a dress at a the Cannes Flim Festival

1990s: Musician Kurt Cobain wore dresses to many of his performances.

2016: Julia Roberts didn’t wear shoes to the Cannes festivals to protest the rule that women most wear heels.

2019: Actor Billy Porter wears a suit dress combo to the Oscars.

DECEMBER 22, 2020

DEBATES?

OR

?

S E D I V I D

CIVIL

10 FEATURE

POLITICAL

STA students and alumn describe their experiences with political discussions during the holidays.

Story by Ali Madden | Social Media Team Graphics by Claire Smith | Editor-in-Chief

has many of the same goals, each person has different ways of reaching those goals.

However, these differences don’t divide the family. In fact, these differences have caused some realizations on O’Flahertys end.

“I don’t think he’s a bad person for

“

I don’t think he’s a bad person for having that belief, and I don’t think he thinks of me any less for disagreeing with him JEANNIE O’FLAHERTY

“

A

s the holidays bring families together, political divides in families may be the stronger force that keeps them apart. While some adolescents have been able to “agree to disagree” with their family members on certain topics, others may find themselves distancing themselves from their families. STA alumn Jeannie O’Flaherty has expressed their political stances not aligning with their families.

“I guess you could say I’m a liberal/ Democrat… I honestly think that everyone,at least in my nuclear family, shares different political stances,” O’Flaherty said.

O’Flaherty expresses, however, that there are some issues they cannot get behind.

“For example, my brother-in-law is very much in favor of a capitalist economy, while I am not,” O’Flaherty said.

They explain that while their family

having that belief, and I don’t think he thinks of me any less for disagreeing with him,” O’Flaherty said.

With the recent election, O’Flaherty goes into detail about how they felt about the outcome versus their family. O’Flaherty discusses her situation that occurred in her home. Currently O’Flaherty lives with their sister and her wife, so discussion is a must in the household, or else miscommunication and misinformation could spread around their home. O’Flaherty believes holding open and civil discourse seems to be what keeps them close.

“This past election my sister and her wife were so excited that Biden had been elected — perhaps more excited that Trump had been voted out,” O’Flaherty said. “To them this victory meant their rights as a queer couple wouldn’t be as threatened as they have been during the previous

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DESIGNED BY CLAIRE SMITH

administration… To me, Biden’s victory was just a shift of power from one agent to another within a system of oppression and violence.”

O’Flaherty explains that while these conversations can be uncomfortable, they are important for creating a bond within their family. Additionally, they try to instigate these conversations and be an attentive and compassionate listener.

“We were together on the election night and able to have uncomfortable conversations about what this election meant, and I think we all learned from each other’s experiences,” O’Flaherty said.

Senior Adelle Quick on occasion argues with her older brother about political issues. Quick believes their issues stem from affiliating with different political ideologies.

“I don’t have an exact label to put on my political stance… but if we’re talking about the two-party system the Democrat, but more specifically Socialistesque,” Quick said. “My older brother is a proud Libertarian.”

Quick doesn’t necessarily affiliate with one political party, but she’s quick to point out her brother’s political stance. While Quick is able to not identify with one side or the other, she’s able to recognize where her values lie versus her brother’s. Both her and her brother, however, are very vocal about their political beliefs. Oftentimes, their differences cause some disruption.

“I think he hates to be challenged, and he often does or says things just to get on my nerves or to start a debate,” Quick said.“I think politics drives a wedge in my

brother and I’s relationship. I think a lot of our political issues are also some moral and ethical differences.”

For the most part, these political differences haven’t done much to damage the family dynamic. However for Quick, it disrupts the time spent as a family.

“My brother is a political outsider of our family, and when he starts to bring up something incorrect or my parents know it will start a fight, they will usually shut

it down before anything escalates,” Quick said. “So I don’t think it has greatly altered our family dynamic but just escalates the fight-sibling dynamic. I would say I have challenged other family member’s views, but my brother is very headstrong and if anyone would be able to change his mind it would not be me.”

Senior Tess Jones identifies as a part of the Democratic party, as does the rest of her family. However, while they may

share the same political party, they don’t necessarily see eye to eye as far as morals go. Jones explains that her immediate family is Democrat. However, Jones and her sisters still disagree with her parents as she explains that she and her sisters have more “radical” views.

Jones recognizes that the difference between her beliefs and her parents is mostly a generational issue. These discussions may have caused arguments, but while Jones’ parents may not understand her and her sisters’ stances on certain issues — they still hold value to it.

“They respect it, I know [they] don’t agree with them but they understand why I view things that way… multiple times my sisters and I have left meals after disagreements with our parents. It usually ends with my sisters and I yelling at our parents for being a part of the issue because they believe that being a Democrat is enough to save the country… I understand that we are just from different generations and even though we see things differently we still all want the same thing,” Jones said.

Political divides in families doesn’t just go as far as different political parties. Political debates in families can ensue even when families share that same political affiliation. But a common theme that should be upheld is respect.

“My siblings and I are at a place where we respect each other and try to show up to every discussion as compassionate listeners,” O’Flaherty said. B

12 PERSPECTIVES

DECEMBER 22, 2020

Summer camp has been one of the best experiences of my life I have gone to summer camp for nine years and to say it has impacted my life would be an understatement. My experience at summer camp has been amazing and I can’t wait to share it.

By Ellie Buttell | Writer

N

othing will ever exceed the excitement of walking into the gates of Camp Marymount. I start by hauling my trunk through the big white gates that surround a summer camp I have attended for nine years. I started going to camp because my mom was a camper and a counselor. Growing up, she would always talk about how the best times of her life were spent at camp. The 23 weeks of my life that I have spent there have not disappointed the expectations she set.

Camp Marymount is a Catholic, all girls summer camp located near Nashville, Tennessee. Not only has it provided me with friendships throughout the United States, but it has also helped me to grow as a person.

Camp Marymount is an outdoororientated camp which pushes you to connect deeper with God and nature during your time there. The only time you will experience the luxuries of air conditioning is in the dining hall for every meal. At camp, you don’t have a phone for three weeks; it is incredibly relieving and helps me strengthen my friendships with my cabinmates. Phones can often serve as a distraction when hanging out with my friends, so eliminating that factor makes the connections much deeper.

Activities consist of: archery, riflery,

Columns on the DNO

horseback riding and canoeing. My favorite activity has always been canoeing because we get to spend extra time on the lake.

After walking many miles during the day, we finish most nights with a prayer service and a nightly activity. Night activities are usually my favorite part of the day because you usually are split off by cabin and play competitive games between junior and senior camp. Three nights of the session we have campfire which continually grows as the session goes on. Each campfire has a specific purpose and gets larger every time.

I’ve gone to camp for three weeks every summer since around middle school; while as a little kid, I went for two weeks.

However, next summer I will be going for five weeks since it is my last year as a camper. As a kid I was always terrified of the day I would go for five weeks. To be honest, I still am. Not seeing my friends and family for the entire month of June is going to be really difficult. Adjusting to a completely new life is strange and can sometimes make me homesick. Not only that, but camp is 10 hours away from my house, so it can feel lonely at times. Nonetheless, I am incredibly excited because it seems like my entire life has been building up to my last year as a camper.

I’m sure being a last year camper will be heartbreaking yet exciting. Saying goodbye

to my summer friends knowing I won’t see them for a year can be really sad. I am planning on working as a camp counselor for the years following. Being on staff has always been a dream of mine since my mom told me about her years on staff. She made her best friends still to this day at camp. I am so excited to provide future campers with the experiences I had growing up, which shaped me into who I am today.

Camp friendships can be a little bit strange. You only see them once a year, but when you do it’s nonstop for weeks.

The bond built throughout those weeks is incredibly strong and makes leaving so much harder; so much so that I’ve cried on the plane flying home from camp every year.

Adjusting back to normal life is incredibly difficult, and I usually don’t want to look at my phone for a couple days afterward.

After I adjust back to normal and get some sleep, I always look forward to seeing my friends back at home again. Even when I am at home, I constantly think about camp and look forward to going throughout the entire year. Looking back on photos and talking to my camp friends keeps camp in the back of my mind. B

check out the entire column on DartNewsOnline

Trials and tribulations of shifting to a different reality

Re-establishing the tradition of American Revolution

By Sydney Allen | Photo Editor

By Josie Fox | Opinion Editor

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DESIGNED BY RACHEL ROBINSON

TikTok’s toxicity While entertaining, the popular app is harmful to users because it promotes under-eating, doesn’t allow for peaceful political conversation and has a myriad of problematic videos and users.

By Sophia Rall | Features Editor

D

on’t get me wrong, I love TikTok, as evidenced by my ever-climbing screen time report. I am always entertained and have found TikTokers that promote good causes and good organizations, such as Victoria Garrick promoting mental health awareness, or users sharing resources to combat racism amidst the BLM movement.

However, TikTok is not a legitimate news source, even though some try to use it as such. Blatant misinformation runs rampant on the app and ranges from politics to COVID 19 to diets and current events.

TikTok, while entertaining, can harm mental health and warp perceptions of the real world.

Firstly, TikTok is a major hub for food videos. I personally love watching baking videos. However, there is also a lot of “diet,” “low calorie” and “healthy” recipes that circulate the app. While not inherently harmful, these videos often come with messages encouraging viewers to lose weight.

Even more harmful, in my opinion, are “What I Eat in a Day” TikToks. These videos are typically a minute long, and show everything the creator eats in a day along with the calorie count. Sometimes,

As trends come and go, self love shouldn’t

By Ali Madden | Social Media Team

these calorie counts are dangerously low and would only be considered enough for a three or four year old child. I am aware that I need more food than those videos show, but what about younger TikTok users?

TikTok perpetuates the growing epidemic of diet culture, in which thinness is equated with healthiness. These ideas can be easily impressed upon young viewers and can lead to body-image issues.

Furthermore, TikTok is also used by many people to voice their own political views. I think teenagers advocating for social issues and being politically involved is amazing because it forms more aware and involved citizens. However, TikTok typically does not have peaceful discourse.

For example, before the election, users would post videos stating their political views. The comments would then be flooded with “TRUMP 2020” or “BIDEN 2020.” Simply stating your candidate’s name in the comment section does not allow for any civil discourse. Rather, it stops the conversation before it even starts. Genuine conversations must have mutual respect and allow both sides to state their beliefs.

This rarely, if ever, occurs on TikTok. On the other hand, the algorithm of TikTok’s explore page only shows videos it

thinks you will be interested in. Sometimes, this creates political echo chambers — accounts or videos where everyone shares the same views so they only affirm each other’s ideas. There is nothing wrong with being around like-minded people, but I think it warps your perspective of the real world because you are only exposed to one political viewpoint.

You may be thinking, “Wow, I bet Sophia doesn’t use TikTok due to its problematic nature.” Well, I still am an avid TikTok user, but I have adjusted the way I use TikTok. I have followed body positive TikTokers, like Victoria Garrick and Sienna Mae. When I see TikToks promoting unhealthy eating habits, I click “not interested.” I avoid political discussions online and instead have genuine conversations with friends and family about important issues. I encourage you to curate your own TikTok and other social media feeds so you are more mindful of the media you are consuming.TikTok may be toxic, but it has some redeemable qualities as long as you are a conscientious user. B

The Go-Gos: A rock and roll hall of fame band

By Sydney Waldron | Design Editor

14 LAST LOOK

DECEMBER 22, 2020

LoKCal Shopping Guide

The Dart offers a comprehensive Christmas gift guide featuring local shops, including The Corner Candleshop, Made in KC and Brookside Toy and Science, with gift ideas for your mom, dad, brothers or sisters and friends.

Story by Sophia Rall | Features Editor

Gifts for Moms:

Photos by Lucy Doerflinger | Breaking News Editor

Gifts for Friends:

Gifts for Sisters:

Holiday Gift Box from The Corner Candleshop: $22 This gift box contains four holiday candles and a book of matches. This is perfect for anyone who loves Christmas scents!

Good Lookin’ Hoop Earrings from Sierra Winter Jewelry: $99 These earrings come in both gold and silver, and they are the perfect simple hoop earring. They are on the more expensive side, so they would be a great group gift.

Kansas City Plaza Lights Milk Chocolate Bulbs from Annedores: $2.95 each or $13.95 for a pack of 5 Annedore’s chocolates in the shape of light bulbs are perfect for anyone who loves the Plaza lights and chocolate.

Enamel pins, patches and stickers from Westside Storey: $3 Westside Storey has a variety of pins, patches and stickers that are perfect to stick on backpacks, computers, and water bottles. While you are there, check out Westside Storey’s vintage collections.

Stars Pearls Studs Earrings Set from The Kindred Shops: $9 These two sets of gold star shaped earrings and one set of pearl earrings is great for fellow STA stars, but they would still be a great gift for any other friends.

Floral Zippered Pouch from A Store Named Stuff: $7 These pouches come in a variety of floral patterns and colors and are great for holding pens and pencils.

Velvet Corduroy Scrunchies from COCO Brookside: $5 These scrunchies come in silver, pink and cream, and they would be a great gift for younger and older sisters alike.

Rainbow Fluffy Paint from Brookside Toy and Science: $19.99 This rainbow fluffy paint is perfect for a younger sibling who loves painting and being creative. Brookside Toy and Science also has several other painting and crafting kits.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins from Rainy Day Books: $27.99 This prequel to “The Hunger Games” is perfect for dystopian novel lovers and anyone who loves “The Hunger Games” books and movies.

The Corner Candle Store’s holiday box contains some of their four specialty holiday scents while out on display Dec. 13.

Each year they have a similar box set featuring their favorite holiday scents that season. photo by lucy doerflinger

Floral fabric bags are sold at A Store Called Stuff, located in Brookside, Dec. 14. The bags come in five different patterns and are moisture resistant, so they have many possible uses. photo courtesy of A Store Called Stuff

A set of three velvet scrunchies are for sale at the boutique Coco, located in Brookside Dec. 14. The scrunchies are made of corduroy velvet and come in three colors: blush, silver and off-white. photo courtesy of Coco Brookside

The complete gift guide can be found on DartNewsOnline

THE DART STAFF

15

2020-2021

ADVISOR Riley Cowing

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WEB

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SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Ali Madden, Lauren Brackney, Kyra Fieger

FEATURES EDITOR Sophia Rall

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