SEPTEMBER 2023 It's time to fall into the start of the semester Delta events CAMPUS LIFE Page 7 Teen mental health crisis . . . HEALTH & SCIENCE Page 8 Artists versus A.I. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Page 10 NEWS Page 2 Surprise mascot reveal . . . NEWS Page 3
LOCAL Page 4
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UNIVERSITY CENTER – Te Pioneer Gym was a sea of green as staf dressed in their Delta swag, from Pioneer gear to diferent school programs on Aug. 22, 2023. Te faculty were delighted to see one another, excitedly embracing and laughing over breakfast at the All College Day of Fall Learning Days 2023.
Learning Days is a three-day kick-of event for the fall and winter semesters. All Delta College employees attend and have time to learn about upcoming information, processes that have been changed, and professional development.
It is a time for the educators to be educated, while mingling together. Every seat in the room was flled, as well as most of the standing room.
Staf were given cards at the door to play an ice breaker game, also known as a get to know you game. Te cards each had a random question on them and instructions to fnd someone with a diferent card, answer the questions, and then exchange cards. Wash, rinse, and repeat three times and then the faculty member can be entered in a drawing. Tose who played laughed with one another at their answers and found out random facts they might not have known prior.
After some food and chatting, it was time for the President's Fall Address. President Gavin spoke about many things he was proud of that Delta students could beneft from. He also shared the statistics for graduates and his desire to see students stay and graduate at Delta.
A new partnership is in the works with Te Rock C4YD in Midland to help with childcare for students. According to Gavin, this childcare will be more student driven and not employee to start out with. Te hope is to ofer students a safe place for their children while they are on campus. Currently the plan is for this to start in the spring or summer semesters in 2024.
Te student food pantry and Delta’s closet will be moving to a combined location so it can act as a one stop shop for students. Look out for an announcement about the move. Te food pantry can help with free food for home or on campus, including a meal voucher for Red Brix Café. Delta’s closet ofers a wide variety of gently used professional clothing for free to students.
New programs and initiatives to beneft students such as free medical ser-
vices from MyMichigan Health, free counseling services, transportation options, and free loaner laptops. A group is being formed to analyze how AI technology is being used.
When the time for questions arrived only a few people spoke up. One suggestion made was that Delta should create a form of communication for students right on the Pioneer Connect website. Tis would be similar to a discussion board or chat room. Where students could reach out to each other about housing and roommates, childcare, rides, selling or buying things.
Another concern brought up during the Q&A portion was afordable stu-
dent housing needs. Te possibility of a student dorm was suggested but Gavin shared that they had looked into it and decided against that. Political science professor Lisa Lawrason also shared the need for a student resource where they can connect to fnd afordable housing.
History Professor Christina De Clerck-Szilagy brought up a valid point about the free medical services. She questioned how Delta would support students if they used the service and found out they had a serious medical condition. How would Delta help that student with their follow up medical needs? To this question, Gavin had no answer. He was unsure and said that
possibly MyMichigan Health could answer this.
Gavin had a surprise for faculty as he revealed the new Delta mascot as the duck! Using a cute, animated video the new mascot was announced. Yet to come is seeing what it actually looks like. No more information was shared about the new mascot.
Reva Curry and Betheen Glady-Teschendorf presented the 2023 Endowed Chair Recipients. Curry is the Vice President of Instruction/Learning Services, and Glady-Teschendorf is an English professor.
Te awards are as follows,
• Lisa O’Laughlin, winner of the Donald and Betty Carlyon Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $ 5,000.
• Danielle Petersen, Natasha Rivet, Laura Schmidt, and Joshua Zierof, winners of the Donald and Betty Carlyon Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $ 5,000.
• Pam Ross McClain, winner of the Robert R. Zimmerman Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount $10,000 to be spread over two years.
• Tricia O’Connor and Ray Lacina, winners of the Karen MacArthur Endowed Teaching Chair in the amount of $5,000.
Te narrative and stigma that comes along with attending community college was brought up by Gavin. Tat the curriculum isn’t at the same level as a four-year university.
“I’d like to reframe our conversations around the hallways,” said Gavin. “Delta is a vehicle for social change, right, we are the solution to that issue. Te jobs that we have are signifcantly important as a result of that.”
He shared a story, where someone said to him that once someone graduates from Delta, they should have to take exams for all their classes again. To prove that they stand up to a four-year university curriculum. Gavin’s response was simple, that he would tell that student to go to another university. Where they would not be questioned on the validity of their degree and courses.
“It’s easy to forget that when you’re in the classroom,” Gavin continued. “When you're advising a student, when you're running from hallway to hallway, that the job you have signifcantly every student who is possibly here as the frst person in the family coming to college.”
Courtney Elisech
UNIVERSITY CENTER – On Aug. 22, 2023, faculty of Delta College were welcomed to the upcoming semesters by President Gavin, who had a surprise mascot reveal up his sleeve. With more to come on the physical mascot and what it will look like, the new mascot of Delta College is the Delta Ducks! But have no fear, Delta Pioneers are also here to stay.
To clarify, the Delta community will still be known as Pioneers but now with an actual duck mascot and image for reference. The name, origin story, and actual look of the new mascot has not yet been shared.
“Faculty and students wanted to have a mascot,” Gavin explained. “To engage the community and at games.”
At the All College Day of the Fall Learning Days 2023, he shared that this process was driven by students and faculty, and that the administration did not set it in motion. Requests for an actual mascot to represent Delta at sporting events or on clothing poured in. Gavin also mentioned the desire to join the Community College Day at the capitol in April, when all the mascots come to-
gether from around the state.
“The personality traits of a pioneer, perseverance, curiosity, and leadership, have and will always define Delta College.” This quote came from the animated video used to reveal the surprise. “We will always be explorers following the path to a brighter future.”
The reveal video also shared that in all the time of the Delta Pioneers, there had been no good rendering of what a pioneer should look like, sharing different drawings and costumes used throughout Delta’s history. This was what sparked the need for a physical mascot to be added, that could be easily
Experts have predicted that an El Niño will set in later this year, but what is making this happen and why should we care?
El Niño refers to the abnormal climate patterns that bring record high temperatures and abnormal, dangerous natural disasters. If an El Niño is bad enough, it can bring floods, famine, wildfires, droughts, and other damaging disasters. All of this is in addition to what we are experiencing as a result of the rising global temperature spurred on by climate change.
To spare you all the sciencey jargon, think of El Niño as a diversion from normal climate patterns. Trade winds in the Pacific travel around the globe moving warm water from South America to Asia. This movement generates a healthy environment for marine life and humans alike.
An El Niño is like a wrench being thrown into the cogs of a well-oiled machine. Trade winds weaken causing warm water to idle instead of traveling toward Asia. This triggers a domino-effect that leads to warm zones.
At best, these warm zones lead to moderate irregular weather. At worst, they lead to the kind of catastrophic
natural disasters that make history. So, how does this affect us?
Here in Michigan, we will be experiencing warmer, drier weather. Luckily, we generally do not have to deal with the more extreme weather conditions attributed to El Niño. Even so, Michigan has been recording record-high temperatures this year without El Niño.
As El Niño approaches, prepare for these abnormal weather conditions to worsen. High-risk individuals with auto-immune diseases should be especially cautious as these weather conditions are linked with the spread of viruses and disease.
It is important that we are aware of how different places around the world are affected by changing climate patterns.
While we might only deal with a warmer-than-usual season, people around the world will potentially face deadly weather conditions that can domino into catastrophic events. Let this approaching El Niño serve as a reminder of the Earth’s rising temperature and the influence we have on our environment.
pictured. As well as at games hyping the crowd up.
According to Gavin the most passionate response from the community regarding the change was to keep the tradition of the Pioneers, but also a desire to have a mascot they could engage with as students. So as a win-win, they listened to the desires of everyone.
“The loudest voices we heard were about the Pioneer,” Gavin recognized that many people in the area have grown up with Delta Pioneers and familiarity and didn’t want to take it away. “This was a solution to that issue. The most passion I heard was about keeping the Pioneers, we saw a lot of responses for the other one. So, we thought, let’s not obliterate passion, that’s good.”
Delta Collegiate has been attempting to keep the community updated on the mascot change but has been unsuccessful in obtaining the information via a FOIA request at this time. It is still in process, so more to come on that. Gavin did confirm that the marketing department has budgeted for this change.
BAY CITY – A new Starbucks joining other Downtown Bay City businesses is sparking debate.
You may have noticed the new Starbucks location that has recently been constructed on the corner of Mckinley Avenue and Saginaw Street in Downtown Bay City. The beating heart of Downtown Bay City is the collection of local businesses that support and interact with their community. Now that a fast-food coffee chain has rooted itself less than a mile from five local cafes, how are people reacting?
This new store functions as a Starbucks “community store.” These community stores are meant to aid
disadvantaged communities, in part, by utilizing local suppliers and partnering with local non-profit organizations. Of course, this is a good change of pace for the mega coffee corporation, but it is a model made in the image of small business coffee shops. Is the Downtown community embracing this new addition to the area?
Andrew Heppner, owner of the local cafe Populace Coffee, turned to Facebook on Jan. 9 to answer those concerned about how Populace Coffee might be affected. “To be clear, we have never been and won't ever be ‘afraid’ of Starbucks.” Heppner wrote. He goes on to explain that, despite the inconvenience, Populace Coffee continues to thrive with support from the community. Heppner speaks directly to customers’ concerns, “So as long as Bay City continues to be Bay City. Our business and operations will be just fine.”
In a photo posted to @populacecoffee on Aug. 24, Heppner poses in front of the new Starbucks holding a sign that reads “LOCAL COFFEE IS BETTER.” The post’s caption mirrors the same sentiment of small businesses being crucial to the Downtown Bay City community.
Comments on both social media posts voiced overwhelming support for Heppner’s words and
business. Many were quick to point out the difference between fast-food coffee and local cafes. Nicole Luczak, a former Starbucks fan commented, “Even with all those extra steps, it just doesn’t compare.”
Other enthusiastic local-cafe-goers made their own posts to garner support for the local cafes.
“The opening of Starbucks in Bay City is a good time to remember the fantastic LOCAL coffee shops we have in the downtown area.” Peter Hardy wrote in a Facebook post posted on Aug. 25. The adjoining picture lists four cafes: Populace Coffee, Harless + Hugh Coffee, Live Oak Coffeehouse, and Beatles and Beans. So if you have a couple minutes to spare, consider stopping by one of the local cafes in Downtown Bay City.
“To be clear, we have never been and won't ever be 'afraid' of Starbucks.”
-Andrew Heppner
Onnie Stone
BAY CITY - A city bridge flourished in beautiful lightning was once bustling with traffic crossing over from the east side of Bay City to the west side or vice-versa. Now, this bridge that once carried families traveling across town, nightlife partygoers, and the overall community is essentially empty and unused. – abandoned in the middle of a living city between three other bridges.
In 2018, United Bridge Partners announced intentions to close the Bay City Liberty Bridge for remodeling and re-open as a toll bridge, charging drivers that pass over the bridge by taking a photo of their license plate and then sending them the bill to their home address. Although you could avoid a delivered bill if you signed up with the Bay City Bridge Partners Bridge Transponder program, where you set up an account with a $15 a month charge, they’ll send you free passes to put on your car as you pass over the bridge, excluding you from the $8 billing per crossing.
On Aug. 15, The Bay City Bridge Partners, a United Bridge Partners infrastructure company subsidiary, held an open meeting attended by those in the community with questions and concerns. The Bridge Partners advertised their meeting as “Bridging Connections” to assure townsfolk that the toll bridge will benefit everyone in the community in the long run.
“We’ve heard you, and this is one of the reasons why we’re coming into the community to present these community connections,” they said.
Many local business owners have reached out at this public forum for discounted billing for company vehicles that must drive over the tolled Liberty Bridge multiple times a day.
For others, even the $15 a month transponder pass is now an unwanted extra billing on their daily lives. Emma Gawne, a cake decorator at Baskin Robbins,
says it was a hassle to commute to work before she moved. “It’s either I spend money every day going over a bridge, pay a monthly bill I’ll forget about, or just drive an extra five minutes to another bridge. Looks like everyone else and me would rather drive to another bridge.”
Some other locals have taken the abandonment of the bridge to their advantage, like Raphael Gonzales, whose electric scooter vehicle is not warranted under being charged for a bridge bill. “It’s great for scooters because they only charge motorcycles and cars. Scooters, bicycles, anything like that, man, they won't bill you for,” says the longtime employee of the YMCA. “I have family all over both sides of Bay City, and even in Saginaw. That bridge just happened to be the most convenient for me. Now that it’s a toll, I could play a full game of street hockey on it.”
Many locals in the community are still very skeptical of the toll bridge situation, despite the Bay City Bridge Partners putting out their best efforts to maintain a healthy relationship with the people. Time can only tell if these bridge tolls will help maintain the bridges' infrastructure in Bay City or go the way of the Miami pedestrian bridge that the United Bridge Partners helped fund, killing six.
Sept 14-17
Location: Heritage Park, 601 Weiss St.
Hours: Thursday: 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Official keg-tapping ceremony takes place at 7:00 p.m.
Friday: noon - midnight.
Saturday: noon - midnight.
Sunday:: noon - 4 p.m.
Admission is $10.00 per person per day. Children under 15 are free. Entry is free all day on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.
Scan the QR code for more info
Midland Antique Festival
Midland County Fairgrounds, 6905 Eastman Ave.
Festival Hours:
Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m
Sunday 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Early bird buyers: Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission: $10 per person
Children under 11 free
Scan the QR code for more info
Hell’s Half Mile
Sept. 21-24
Location: Downtown Bay City Hell’s Half Mile is a celebration of independent movies, music, and entertainment. The festival is held across Downtown Bay City. See hhmfest.com for a list of events and times.
Saginaw Japan Festival
Sept. 17
Location: Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House
527 Ezra Rust Drive 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Scan the QR code for more info
Scan the QR code for more info
Misty Barron
“Looks like everyone else and me would rather drive to another bridge.”
-Emma Gawne
What is the stigma?
College is a place for students to personalize and continue their academic journey. Post-secondary education is a path that connects career opportunities, knowledge, and relationships. Yet, one of the biggest decisions to make when it comes to college is where to go.
With a wide range of options, students are free to put their skills, experience, and intelligence to the test. Tis can give students the opportunity to pick and choose the right place for them. However, college decisions can come with a stigma: community college.
A harsh line is evident in the separation of universities and community colleges. Aside from lower costs, a lack of housing, and a small geographical sense, the issue of community college stigma boils down to an inferior representation.
In an interview from Best Colleges with Bradley Grifth, ftness director at John A. Logan College in Illinois, he stated that community colleges sufer with an aura of disapproval.
“‘A lot of students believe they are too good for community college, or they could never attend there because their parents expect better or their peers will make fun of them. As community college leaders face enrollment problems, they need to realize that stigma is a real reason why they miss out on a lot of students.” Grifth said.
Community colleges take a hit and put themselves in the way of criticism. It’s certainly an issue in today’s college scene and local areas, like the tri-counties of Delta College.
It’s important to understand the stigma surrounding community college and see why and how it creates internal and external issues.
What do others say?
Allen Croutch, 25, was asked a few questions regarding the stigma around community college, and why it is typically looked down upon vs. universities.
“Statistically speaking, people with more money attend universities, and people who require more fnancial aid go to community colleges, especially people who tend to have a lower income,” says Croutch.
Croutch went on to explain how there was no way it would have been possible for him to go to a university
given the fnancial state he was in, and that it was much more feasible for him to attend community college to pursue a degree.
“Community colleges ofer everything that a university ofers, but it is easier to gain access to things than it would be at a university. It is slower-paced, and there is no oversaturation of people who need help; therefore, it is easier for a student to get one on one time with counselors, professors, and tutors,” states Croutch.
Croutch mentions that community colleges ofer more of a personal experience than universities due to the lesser amount of people and the available resources.
“I do not believe that universities are better than community colleges just because they cost more. Depending on the degree, I can still earn the same one and pay less rather than paying an abundance of student loans to gain the same degree at a university,” says Croutch.
Katrina Behm, 20, is a student who transferred from Ferris State University to Delta Community College, to SVSU. She gave some feedback about her experience at both the university and community college.
“I think that there is a bad stigma towards community college because it is rooted in classism. Community colleges are generally cheaper and built around smaller communities, and people view it as ‘missing out on the college experience,’ especially when a lot of these people are in late adolescence,” says Behm. “During this time of life, kids feel like the next step is going to drastically alter every aspect of their lives, which we all eventually learn to not be the case.”
Behm continues to state that the stigma comes from the assumption that greater price means greater quality, but just like any product sold, it takes weighing out the pros and cons to determine the true value.
leges have a stronger connection with the local community, so students are more likely to attend their classes at the scheduled time and then return home to carry on with their daily lives.
“After leaving Ferris, I transferred to Delta where my state/federal grants covered my fnances with the school while I worked to aford my apartment and was able to save on top of that. Delta ofered all sorts of resources, both within the school and outside of it, which really made a diference for me,” states Behm. “So, from my own experience, the university was my best option when I needed to make more steps towards adulthood and provided an environment that nurtured that, but community college was best suited for my lifestyle.”
What can you do?
It’s crucial that we work to reframe the stigma around community colleges because of the plethora of benefts community college ofers and because no one should be shamed for the education they choose to pursue.
Luckily, people are already working towards ending the stigma. A social media campaign called #EndCCStigma has been created to help end the stigma around community colleges.
“In my opinion, the only diference between going to a university rather than a community college is that it may look better on job applications, and I could possibly gain a better experience,” Croutch states.
Croutch continues to mention that with community colleges, people can stay at home and live their normal everyday lives, whereas, with a university, you would typically have to travel a farther distance or move away from home, fnd a job closer to the area, and basically start over.
Whether an individual chooses to attend a university or community college, it does not make them less or more of a person. But when people are shamed or looked down upon for attending community college just because it does not cost as much money as a university does, it can cause people to feel insecure about wanting to pursue a higher level of education for themselves.
“I don’t think one option is better than the other, but I do think that each is suited for very diferent people. Typically, universities are communities built around themselves which can create an environment that’s easily adaptable. I was 17 when I went to Ferris, and at the time I did not have a driver’s license so getting to the grocery store, class, and home could be done with ease,” says Behm. “On the other hand, this luxury came at a $4,000 price for one semester, which far outweighed the positive side.”
Behm went on to say that it had felt like she only connected with the college students, and not any of her professors, or counselors.
“I feel like part of the point of going to a university is to meet people and to gain an unforgettable experience, which is great for people looking for that type of atmosphere, but I found that it just wasn’t for me,” stated Behm.
According to Behm, community col-
Steve Robinson, president of Owens Community College in Ohio and creator of #EndCCStigma, says the hashtag aims to “brand media stories that provide positive and accurate portrayals of community colleges.”
Te main purpose of the hashtag is to rewrite the narrative on community colleges by showcasing positive and true depictions of community colleges.
Robinson also works on End Community College Stigma Podcast – a podcast that popularized the voices of students, graduates, faculty, and advocates of community colleges. In Series One, 40 individuals spoke up to help create a more positive outlook on community colleges.
Ending a stigma takes time, patience, and lots of unifed efort. With the dedication and passion behind our work, we can create a positive, uplifting stigma around community colleges.
A BI-WEEKLY NEWS SEGMENT REPORTING BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS. CREATED BY STUDENTS FOR STUDENTS!
Herbert Henry Dow High School student
Ava Kroll strolls down the halls toward her next class while looking at her phone. Browsing the wide array of social media apps she owns, she opens Snapchat, “snaps” a few friends, then begins scrolling through her Instagram. As she talks with friends in her class, they all pull out their phones and begin sending each other selfies and other random pictures on Snapchat. Ava continues to browse social media applications at home and sinks countless hours into them. Not one thought crosses her mind about how her constant social media use could be affecting her mentally.
Social media has proven to be a major part of almost every teenager’s life. A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that 95% of teens use YouTube, while another 67% of teens reported using TikTok. Another Pew Research Center study in 2018 found that 54% of teens stated that it would be difficult to give up social media. As social media sites prove to be increasingly popular among teenagers, it is important to understand how social media use negatively impacts teens’ mental health.
that investigated 6,500 young adolescents aged 12–15 years old found that those who spent more than three hours per day on social media had an increased risk for mental health problems. A study from 2016 researching 450 teenagers found that using social media at night, increased social media use, and having a great mental investment in social media platforms made teenagers have a higher likelihood of anxiety and depression.
Social media can also lead to adolescents' body imagery and self-esteem issues. Internal reporting from Facebook found that 32% of teenage girls reported feeling worse about their bodies because of Instagram. A transatlantic study also found that about 25% of teenage Instagram users reported their feelings of not being good enough began on Instagram.
Social media can even negatively affect teenagers who simply browse the platforms. A 2013 study on teenagers found that older adolescents who solely used social media to browse other people’s photos reported a decrease in their life satisfaction. Even if a teen is solely browsing a social media platform, they may still have experiences that negatively impact their mental health and outlook on life.
The large body of information on social media and its effects on teenagers’ mental health illustrates the harm that social media use can bring. Ava explains her understanding of how her social media use negatively affects herself and others mentally.
Healthy snacks and surprising TV statistics
Mandarin Slices
Dipped in chocolate with a hint of salt, or swap for bananas, and/or strawberries
Baked Parmesan Carrot Fries
You'll need carrots, parsley, an egg, parmesan, pepper, water, & salt. Baking at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Mix mayo & sirahca for dipping
Compared to people who rarely watch TV, binge watchers have a 70% higher risk of developing a blood clot. The global streaming industry was valued at $60.1 billion in 2021
Clinical social worker Jessica Holzbauer, who works at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute in Utah, states that social media and smartphones are addictive by design to keep users online. “We get a dopamine release in our brain when we pick up our phone or log into social media,” Holzbauer states. Teens are finding themselves addicted to social media and their mobile devices because this dopamine release makes users feel rewarded for using social media.
Holzbauer argues that social media negatively impacts teen mental health by making an abundance of information available instantly. “The younger generation grew up with social media and the ability to see anything, anytime, anywhere. Our ability to tolerate the distress of waiting has eroded because we can Google the answer to almost any question.”
Scientific research on adolescent social media use and mental health has also led to findings about the greater likelihood of mental health problems from its use. A study in 2019
“Personally, I find that I sometimes feel like I am missing out when I don’t use social media. It can feel like I am missing out on plans if I miss what people say in group chats that I am in. I don’t want to miss any plans that my friends make.” Ava also explains how she believes social media leads to bad societal beauty standards. “A lot of the time when I look on Instagram, I see lots of girls wearing a ton of makeup and photoshopping themselves to make them look prettier. I think this creates beauty standards that are unachievable. While I don’t really feel affected by these Instagram beauty standards, I can see how others may feel badly about themselves because of it.”
While Ava is fortunate enough to not feel affected by these beauty standards, she highlights the importance of recognizing the negative effects that social media can have on teenagers’ mental health. Social media can cause major mental health issues for adolescents, displaying the importance of understanding how to use social media healthily.
The Masters golf tournament reached 16.3 million viewers on CBS for its third and final rounds on Sunday. SuperBowl 57 was TV show's third most-watched show in history with 113 million viewers.
85% of households have at least 1 streaming service. Ranking in at spot #1 Netflix has 222 million subscribers.
90 Day Finance a reality series about an American falling in love with someone from another country has the most spin offs of a show coming in at 22 spinoffs between TLC and Discovery+
For TV show reccomendations check out: www.thebingeables.com
Jack Kroll
“We get a dopamine release in our brain when we pick up our phone or log into social media.”
-Jessica HolzbauerCrystal Huggins
Misty Barron
Privacy and safety: It’s important to explain to your teens which types of content are acceptable to share, and which are not. Give specific examples of actions that can compromise their privacy. Try asking questions like, “Have you ever told someone you only know online what school you go to?” Explain to them the dangers of sharing information like their full name, address, and passwords with strangers.
Monitor online behavior: Monitor your teen's online behavior to ensure they are not engaging in risky or inappropriate activities. Check their social media accounts and keep an eye on their online friends. By doing so, you can identify any red flags early on and take steps to address them before they become more serious issues.
Social media is an integral part of our daily lives, especially for teenagers. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok provide a way for young people to connect with friends, express themselves creatively, and explore new interests. However, excessive social media use can have negative effects on a teenager's mental health, academic performance, and even their safety. Therefore, it is important for parents to monitor their teenager's social media use and guide them on responsible usage.
As a mom, I understand how impossible the task of keeping your kids safe online might feel. There are many great sites with tons of advice and it’s hard to sort through them all. Here are some of the most common ways you can manage teenage social media use:
Age appropriate: The Cleveland Clinic reported that half of children 10-12 years old use social media. To ensure the safety of their children and minimize the negative impacts of social media, parents should consider prohibiting their use of social media until they reach the age of 13. After that, they can gradually introduce them to different platforms, making it easier to monitor their activities.
Open communication: Once your teenager starts using social media, it becomes your responsibility to initiate an open conversation. Encourage your teenager to maintain a positive online presence by being respectful and appropriate in their posts.
Home computers: Limiting your child's access to social media through computers is an effective method to monitor their online activity. Smartphones can provide more access to social media accounts like Snapchat, making it difficult to keep track of what your child is doing online. Restricting social media usage to computers gives you control over which accounts your child is using and you can monitor their activity more easily on a family computer.
Lead by example: You can also lead by example by demonstrating responsible social media use yourself. Avoid excessive use of social media, don’t engage in negative behavior such as cyberbullying, and show respect for others online. By modeling responsible behavior, you can teach your teen the importance of using social media correctly.
Be a presence: Create social media accounts and remain connected with your teenagers online. Follow some of the same accounts and groups as your child to gain insight into the type of content they are regularly exposed to.
Teach digital literacy: Discussing online safety and the potential risks of social media can help your teen develop the skills they need to navigate the online world responsibly. This can include teaching them about privacy settings, how to recognize and report cyberbullying, and how to verify the accuracy of online information.
It’s important to note that excessive monitoring can lead to a breakdown in trust between parents and teenagers. Your teen may feel like their privacy is being invaded, which fosters resentment and rebellion. It’s important you find a line between monitoring and giving them space to grow and learn. By having the right balance between tracking and trust, you can empower your child to use social media in a healthy and positive way.
being featured on the site's main page. ArtStation is a place for visual artists to market themselves, their work, and even their tools that they’ve put countless hours of effort into. At the time Dan Eder, a character artist on ArtStation tweeted “Seeing AI art being featured on the main page of ArtStation saddens me. I love playing with MJ [MidJourney] as much as anyone else, but putting something that was generated using a prompt alongside artwork that took hundreds of hours and years of experience to make is beyond disrespectful.”
technically legal, but ethically wrong.
When AI generated art first hit the scene its creations were downright uncanny and bizarre, and depending on the generator you’ll still find eyes, limbs, and hands where they shouldn’t be. Many found it silly and fun to mess with, including artists. However as time goes on, and further training of the technology continues, its generated images are becoming more sophisticated and prolific.
Back in Dec. 2023 the professional art portfolio website ArtStation was flooded with images protesting against AI generated artwork in response to AI images
The training of this technology to output images has sparked new debate on copyright, fair use, and transformative work. Image generators like MidJourney are trained on massive datasets stuffed with billions of images regardless of whether they were copyrighted or fair use and without the consent of the creators of those images. Even more frustrating that generators like MidJourney are charging a subscription fee, and profiting off artists whose work was scraped to train their AI models. When it comes to the copyright aspect of everything much of it boils down to
In today’s social media foundation, trends come and go with explosive applause in the form of memes, videos, and posts shared around on Facebook and X’s (Elon Musk is still dumb for this change by the way) news feeds but also usually die out with a whimper. Media trends like the hype behind "Avengers: Endgame" drawing pro-wrestling-like crowd reactions in cinemas to "Minions 2: The Rise of Gru" attracting young men and teenagers in well-dressed tuxedo attire attending the screenings. When Warner Bros announced that their 2023 blockbuster film, "Barbie", would be releasing the same day as Universal Pictures' historical drama,"Oppenheimer", the internet took the atom ball and ran to the end zone delivering memes, articles, and videos within days and continued for weeks preparing for the dual release day of what cinema-goers would call Barbenheimer.
I found myself dressed casually in a pink Star Wars T-shirt I just so happened to be wearing as I sat down for my early morning showing of the Mattel toy-based film "Barbie". I hugged the large concession popcorn with my right arm, a nice pink-colored alcohol-based drink in my left hand, and my ticket for "Oppenheimer"
As a result some artists are filing class action lawsuits against the companies of these AI image generators. Upon discovering their art and names being used in generator prompts American artists Kelly Mckernan, Sarah Anderson, and Karla Oriz filed a class action lawsuit against three AI image generator companies: Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DreamUP. It's uncertain how successful these lawsuits will be as artistic style technically cannot be copyrighted and AI content could be counted as transformative work, which is a type of fair use that transforms copyrighted work into something new.
While I don’t see artists ever being truly replaced their jobs are being threatened and not just in the way that AI steals potential work. There’s also now a tension of clients having to consider whether the art they’ve commissioned utilize AI or not and how that affects the value. However, as of now AI generated images are not viable for copyright protection so that in itself is helping to make some think twice about using it for commercial purposes.
There’s also been a lot of backlash from customers of AI generators against artists who don’t want their work included in training datasets. Which was the case for artist Sam Yang who wanted his name and art removed from generators, and in retaliation people went and made generator models that replicated his art specifically. There was also an instance of an image generator holding a contest to see who could generate the best image in Sam Yang’s style.
AI is here and there is no magic undo button to make it permanently disappear, its presence will affect numerous careers creative and not. In a statement on AI image generation the Graphic Artists Guild said “AI image generative technology would not be where it is today without having leveraged the labor of artists. They should be recognized, compensated, and protected.” Hopefully as this gets more attention there will be positive changes and restrictions at least put in place to help better value and protect creatives and not just further line the pockets of tech corporations.
securely placed in my pocket. I was ready to go, especially after consuming some special gummy bears that mix oh so well with popcorn. My theater experience was about to be unforgettable.
The all-star hit, "Barbie", led by Margot Robbie turned out to be a thought-provoking take on masculinity, femininity, letting go of childhood nativity, and embracing all of the wonders of human emotion. The film even left me crying at points, reflecting on my morality and every second I spend in my life. I went out to my car for a brief downtime until the next movie for a smoke and returned inside for a refill of popcorn and HI-C Orange. "Oppenheimer" was about to begin.
The three-hour Christopher Nolan biography film is about Julis Oppenheimer, who helped innovate and design the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end Japan’s involvement in World War II. I found myself left in horror, with a grim reminder of what humanity can be capable of just by learning how to split the tinies of atoms in the air. I drove home from the theater with thoughts of death on my mind and how selfish we can be as people who live on the same planet as us, our neighbors.
"You can’t watch 'Barbie' first then 'Oppenheimer?' That’s like dessert before your dinner,” Ray Johnson, a friend, insisted. His opinion was backed up by other friends in the vicinity and many others online. The verdict was almost unanimous online: flock for the bomb first and enjoy the dolls after to get the horror out of your system.
“If you watch 'Oppenheimer' first, you will be staring with a thousand miles if you measure it,” says Aiden McKendree, a business major student at Delta who preferred his own double premiere viewing order, Barbie to enjoy first then the reality historical drama about annihilating humanity, "Oppenheimer".
I wholeheartedly agree with my friends though, that my theater experience may have been much different if I changed my viewing order up. Everybody perceives media like film, television, books, and video games differently. What one person sees can be interpreted as something else to another individual. Maybe a deep dive into what the subconscious of the human mind wants disguised as a pink party would have brightened up my day a lot more than Oppie testing out his Big Boy in the desert with Josh from Drake and Josh.
The Delta Collegiate would like to introduce a new recurring column exploring the many fandoms people immerse themselves in. Fandoms provide a place for fans to obsess about the same thing with like-minded people spread across the globe.
What is a fandom you ask? According to Mark Duffet with Bloomsbury Publishing, it is a community of fans who share a connection based on a common interest and feelings toward a subject. Fandoms are often formed around pop music icons, romance novels, comics, sports, films, and television shows. All things that one may hold near and dear but that are dismissed from the dominant value system.
A fandom gives fans a place to express themselves and show their love for the subject, it provides a safe place for their imagination to roam. To debut the random fandom collections please turn your attention to Taylor Swift.
The Swiftie fandom is thriving as Taylor Swift dropped a trailer for the cinematic experience of her ongoing concert tour the morning of Aug. 31. Moments after the trailer was released visitors to the AMC movie theater website waited in a queue to purchase tickets. Seats were selling out faster than fans could get through the checkout process.
Prior to this announcement Swift spent the past year traveling the US and Mexico as part of her Era’s tour. Fans spent the better part of the year engaged in the great war with Ticketmaster to obtain tickets to the shows. Many spent hours and thousands of dollars just to see the star perform. Some even signed up to work the events as security and concessions when they couldn’t obtain tickets.
People drove for hours for the merch trucks at the concerts and waited outside hoping tickets would become available. Dedicated fans inside the concerts live streamed for viewers who couldn’t get tickets or just wanted to see another show. While the quality was not always great and you had to repeatedly find a new stream to use, millions watched together at the same
time while not actually being together. And they were thrilled to do it.
Most fans in fandoms are dedicated to supporting their cause and knowing what's going on all the time. The Swiftie community is no exception. Learning every little thing and finding all the easter eggs is a fun time for any Swiftie. People spend countless hours and money replicating an iconic Taylor Swift outfit. For the
Era’s tour fans took part in making and exchanging friendship bracelets with others in attendance.
Why is Swift so loved? What makes her so special? Many feel like they grew up listening to her music, growing and changing as she did. She can be real, sad, honest, and imperfect. It makes the fans love her more. Her mistakes are celebrated.
The Era’s tour has lovingly been dubbed the “Errors Tour” on social media as users compile videos of her word mix ups, wardrobe and equipment malfunctions, silly rants, and the weather fighting her. And it’s not to ridicule her. They have done it to show how amazing and real she is. To show that they love her more for being unapologetically herself.
Millions of people wait and thrive when she posts on social media, when she shares or reposts or comments. Her merchandise store crashes when new things are added, sells out in minutes. Albums are purchased by the thousands in advance and hit the top of the charts on day one. Her fans have supported her through every endeavor and hardship. When she went through the process of re-recording albums so she could own the master copies and rights, not only did the fans support her, they shot the re-released albums to number one.
Swift supports and stands up for her fans, such as yelling out at a security guard mistreating a fan while still performing “Bad Blood” in Philadelphia. She puts on the show and the performance fans are expecting and wanting every time. The fans come up with chants for different songs and she embraces them, chanting and singing along with them while on stage.
It is easy to fall in love with Swift and become part of the fandom. Wanting to own all the merchandise and albums, attend each concert, and buy the costumes to match her perfectly. It is easy to justify spending thousands for one night of fun. How it was thrilling to wait three hours for a storm to pass and she still comes out and plays an epic show until 2 a.m. in the pouring rain.
On Aug. 3, "Heartstopper" season two premiered with a striking 6.1 million views, securing its number two spot on Netflix’s Top 10. The gays are hooked, and there is a good reason why.
There are countless young adult shows and movies that depict the awkward, romantic coming-of-age relationship that everyone experiences. These films are so popular because they serve as something teenagers connect with. It can help people form a better understanding of themselves. Teen romance stories are comforting, and they make the jumbled mess of hormones that is being a teenager relatable.
Unfortunately, these narratives often lack LGBTQ+ characters.
People are obsessed with having queer representation in movies and TV, and the reason is more obvious than some might expect.
For those who do not identify as being cisgender or heterosexual, the lack of representation can leave
them feeling alienated, isolated, or as though there is something wrong with them. Recently, there has been a growth in the number of LGBTQ+ characters on-screen. Even so, mainstream entertainment has consistently disappointed queer audiences with sad stories and under-developed characters.
Ok, so what makes "Heartstopper" different from other shows with queer characters?
"Heartstopper" is a show made by queer people, for queer people. This has made the show capable of tackling issues that are not often depicted in mainstream entertainment. Throughout the series, Nick struggles with complications that arise from his bisexuality. These issues can be a unique experience that creates feelings of alienation, especially for men.
The show also touches on what can happen when someone tries to hide or reject their sexuality. Ben, for instance, grapples with his attraction to Charlie. His distorted views of his own sexuality has caused much
of his antagonism throughout the series.
"Heartstopper" also draws people in with what it does not do. This is not the tragic, gay romance that queer audiences are all-too-familiar with.
Season two unfolds with Nick and Charlie, the main couple in the series, struggling with the fear of what might happen if people do not accept their relationship. As they face this challenge together, the two find happiness just in being with each other.
The show depicts the turmoils and the joys of being queer. It reminds audiences that there is so much love, support and happiness in spite of all the misconceptions and hate. Because being queer isn’t just “love is love” or “be yourself.” Because being queer isn’t just the conflict and pain that comes with realizing who you are and dealing with how people react to it. Because being queer is having a community that you will always belong to and who will always support you.
Onnie Stone
The Detroit Lions finished the 2022 regular season with a 9-8 record, and finished second place in their division for the first time since 2017. Now the 2022 Lions didn't just finish 9-8, they started the year 1-6 and won eight of their final ten games and not only beat, but swept the Aaron Rodgers led Packers in the process.
There were some very low times in the 2022 getting blown out a few times, but the Lions made significant improvement over the off season and believe it or not they are favored to win the NFC North this year if not the Vikings. After a rough start to the Dan Campbell era, things are finally looking up in the motor city. I can see their wins and losses happening in the opposite way as last season with them going on a hot streak to start the season, but inevitably falling apart around late October. My prediction for this season is a record of 9-8…..again.
The optimism for the Lions being great this 2023 season starts with their offense. Wide reciever Jameson Williams only played one game last season and is now suspended the first six games of the season this year for getting caught participating in sports gambling. Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had an outstanding season last year and is looking like the franchise wide receiver for the Lions for years to come replacing Calvin Johnson. Yes the team will miss Jamall Williams and the 17 touchdowns he ran for last season, but their new rookie running back Jahmir Gibbs and free agent pick up David Mountgomery, will do just fine behind the offense line which is ranked top five in the league. Second year tackle Penei Sewell anchors the
o-line at right tackle and is definitely making due for a pro bowl season. Their strong offensive line will only make the run game more efficient along with protecting their quarterback Jared Goff. Goff receives a lot of unnecessary hate from local fans and media which is understandable. From an eye test, he looks skinny and is not built like a football player, but Goff is in the top five of every major quarterback statistic. He can no doubt lead a team to a Superbowl for he has done it before with his previous team the Los Angeles Rams, but he seems to lack the “it” factor for this team even with his veteran presence.
This Lions team can score all day on offense. With an offense ranked seventh in the league according to Pro Football Focus, the only thing keeping the team back is their defense. The defense was ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every single statistical category last season. With additions this offseason such as rookie linebacker Jack Campbell and veteran DB Cam Sutton, they seem to be heading in the right direction, but the unit as a whole may still be compared to swiss cheese as they lack an identity and chemistry. Listen to this, if their defense would’ve just held their opponents to under 30 points four more times last season, they would’ve finished the season 13-4 and made the playoffs.
The only bright spot on their defense is second year defensive end and hometown hero Aiden Hutchison who only got better and better as last season went on and could very well be the best player on the whole team.
Why you should still root for the Lions this season but not get your hopes upAidan Hutchison on the bench during a home game, Detroit, Sept. 18, 2022, All Pro Reels
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Your portfolio is great, but we'd like a demonstration of your skills in person, just to be sure AI wasn't entirely involved.
QUALIFICATIONS:
• Organization & time managment
•Strong collaboration and communication skills
•Creative and enthusiastic
•6 Credit hour minimum
To apply and learn more about the position scan the QR code.
Courtney Elisech courtneyelisech@delta.edu
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Austin Gonzales austingonzales@delta.edu
Multimedia Journalist
Heather Kittle heatherkittle@delta.edu Head of Video Productions
Lindsey Welch lindseywelch@delta.edu Illustrator
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Vincent vincentkhan@delta.edu Multimedia JournalistGymnasium
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Illustrated by: Lindsey Welch
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