OUR MISSION Published monthly, The Talon strives to be an innovative student magazine that is entertaining, intellectually provocative, and visually engaging. We are conscious of the responsibility of writing and publishing, and we seek to create a dynamic magazine that is worthy of its readers. We show respect for our readers by exposing them to a variety of perspectives. Ultimately, The Talon seeks to bring Graded to the world and the world to Graded.
TALON STAFF 2015-2016 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Michael Borger & Faria Nasruddin LAYOUT Editor: Rodrigo Ko COLUMNISTS: Catu Berretta, Marina Cortes, Chris Kim, Pedro Werebe NEWS: Anoushka Gandhi (Editor), Jack Conway, Matthew Kim, Henrique Souza, Izzy Yamaguchi FEATURES: Fe Sayao (Editor), Saniya Joshi, Julia Marangoni, Fernando Martins, Lucca Oliveira ENTERTAINMENT: Yoji Watanabe (Editor), Thomas Park, Bruna Piccin, Luana Tone, Lucas Valim BLOGGERS: Julie Cho, Jenny Lee IMAGE MASTER: Gabriel Civita PHOTOGRAPHER: YeJin On VIDEOGRAPHER: Luis Wolfrid ARTIST: Paula Somoza ▪ ▪ ▪ TEACHER ADVISORS: Kira Quesnell & James Sigafoos PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE CONSULTANT: Marcello Bulgarelli SPANISH LANGUAGE CONSULTANT: Guillermo Loyola Ruiz ▪ ▪ ▪ E-mail: talon@graded.br
SUBMISSIONS The Talon wants to hear from you! We encourage submissions and ideas for articles and themes from all members of the Graded community. We publish in English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and not necessarily of The Talon. For this reason, we do not accept anonymous submissions. Send submissions, ideas, and themes to talon@graded.br.
ABOUT THE COVER Given the theme ‘Generation Me,’ I wanted to design a cover that encapsulates our generation: a bunch of phoneobsessed teenagers. Our generation is so consumed by social media, most can’t imagine their lives without the internet. On the cover, students that should be socializing are instead on their phones. Selfies, texts, and web pages are the focus of the students–they are all on their phones out of boredom. Above each person, I “graffitied” what appears on their phones, a plethora of social media notifications. I had a lot of fun doing this cover and a lot of work went into it, I hope you like it! – Paula Somoza
IN DEFENSE OF PAPER Generation Me—the wall between us is, we believe, constructed of paper. Our youth was wrapped in paper. We passed notes in class, folded small to escape the eyes of our teachers. We dared on these slips, knowing our writing was distinct, knowing that words on paper couldn’t be deleted. As we folded these, we were all struck by how thick paper could be. Notebook paper folded 100 times is as thick as a deck of cards. Our longer notes, we learned, were invariably captured. Paper was both too thin and elusive and too tough and willful. An idea or feeling on a sheet of paper was only as permanent as our ability to preserve it from water, flame and disappearance. Homework really was lost in those days and love notes, too. Mercifully, they might have been thrown away, but more likely they had wandered the hands of our enemies or siblings. Many school lunches were spent either searching the ground and classes for paper or constructing elaborate heists to win these incriminating words back. To us, paper is danger and chance, risk and beauty. The students who have written in this print version of the Talon have committed themselves to paper, too. They have chosen to limit their audience to only those who can hold their words in their hands. They have forsaken forwards, likes and pixels for dimensionality and texture. Their work is harder to share but can be touched. Having committed their thoughts to paper they know that they have encased them in a substance that could be burned, ripped, stained and faded. Their mission in this issue is to collectively portray Generation Me, the digital generation whose pictures, words and thoughts will be more preserved than any previous generation. However, they do it in now in the most fragile of mediums, paper, to show that while Generation Me is the future, the now matters, too. We salute them. Please enjoy their work. – James Sigafoos and Kira Quesnell
A green magazine, seven years and counting! Since August 2007, The Talon has been printed on recycled paper.
editors-in-chief
The Shaming How the internet perpetrates rape culture and herd mentality Faria Nasruddin
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n a video that went viral a young boy is heard shouting “Hey ladies…” to a girl on a bicycle, followed by a prompt “F@#k you” as he throws a basketball in her face. Within two days of its posting, the video had gained more than eight million views and was shared over 180,000 times. I would’ve thought that the video would induce a discussion on the nature of cat-calling, yet the majority of responses were misogynistic towards the girl. Examples include: “Would have done the same thing. Hope the concrete washed her mouth“ and “Who wants to play a game called spot the feminist?” While this video may seem like an anomaly, within a few clicks, one could end up on the radical side of the internet. An internet void of cute videos of French bulldogs and babies and instead filled with meninists and woman-shaming. Recently, on this side of the internet, I noticed that when an image or video of a woman “goes viral,” it usually involves the harassment or mockery of her, whether it be a photo of a girl not wearing makeup and turned into a meme for being deceptive or even a hashtag about the sexual assault of another. Yet, it is hard to fathom an example when a man was turned into a meme for a similar instance, for sexual acts or crimes that put them in defense of their gender. They, as people, become the focus for the news headline, yet their gender never plays a role in the shame attached to their victimhood. While machista culture isn’t exclusive to social media, the internet does propel it to the forefront of the equality movement. Twitter feeds, such as the infamous @MeninistTweet brand and pride themselves on the shaming of women. Permanent images like these, which promote the violent treatment of women, are juxtaposed with the removal of breast feeding and #LoveYourCurves from Instagram. It is irresponsible that major social media companies cannot prevent the sharing of abusive and exploitative content. The main issue with this is the context that these media mongols operate in. They cannot review all content individuals publish on their sites, thus there is a glut of offensive comments that directly violate their seemingly objective policies. There needs to be a norm or objective criteria for what is considered offensive or violent. Why is it then that images of breastfeeding are removed in seconds, while a video of the violent harassment of young girl wasn’t? According to feminist writer Soraya Chemaly, “the fact these photos and videos of rape and graphic violence are allowed to stay on the site, while photos of breastfeeding and nipples are removed and considered ‘pornographic’ or ‘obscene’, shows that the process in which content is moderated
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is all very much gendered.” Many would bring up the issue of free speech, an open internet culture, and how the marginalization of women is a natural byproduct of it. The openness of internet culture has made it easier for rape culture, a setting that normalizes violence towards women (a remnant of patriarchy), to make it to the forefront. Within rape culture, there is the degradation of women based on gender, which is found in most of these viral videos. “Internet pile-ons,” according to Sarah Seltzer, reviewing So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, “begin with a kernel of absolute rightness. Someone writes or shares something inconsiderate and someone else points it out, saying, ‘Hey, that post sucked.’ What happens next is the shaming: a thousand other people jump in and say, ‘I agree, that post sucks and so does its writer!’—even when and if the subject has already apologized.” A great example of this occurred when the hacking group Anonymous threatened to release a sex tape of Iggy Azalea, in retaliation for appropriating black culture. While cultural appropriation is rampant in the music industry and an issue that should be dealt with, Anonymous contributed to a whole other problem by dealing with her offenses this way. The appropriation of black culture in rap has been seen before, with Macklemore and Eminem drawing from the culture, yet neither of these men received backlash this extreme. The internet only catalyzes rape culture by constructing a virtual small-town, where everyone knows each other, and it becomes easy to conform to mob mentality. The internet serves as the community bulletin board or town-meeting. It enables people to broadcast their opinions to the community, but in this case, that community happens to be the whole world. Combined with animosity and efficiency of search engines, the herd mentality increases tenfold. “What a savage,” proclaims the anonymous internet profile pictures that fail to analyze the aggressive behavior of both the girl who faceplants into the floor, and the boy who probably immediately regretted the free throw. The gendered culture of the internet disproportionately shames women, perpetrates double standards, and lacks the cognitive ability to leave the bandwagon. Online, the town’s population is infinite, yet all opinions filter into a single thread. An exodus from “rape culture” is needed in this little town. Source(s): buzzfeed.com, ‘Targeted and Trolled: The Reality of Being a Woman Online’ by Rossalyn Warren, flavorwire.com
editors-in-chief
Teaching a Lesson in Diversity Trigger Warning: for those dismissive of political correctness, look away Michael Borger
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ree speech and the desire for safe space are supposedly on opposite sides of the educational spectrum. Students can either learn through discussion and openness, or they can learn from predetermined axioms as deemed acceptable by students, faculty, and administrators. The latter, as psychologist Jonathan Haidt and his patient Greg Lukianoff explored in the Atlantic’s “the Coddling of the American Mind,” has morphed into an institutionalized contagion. Students are increasingly oversensitive to microaggressions, or “small actions or word choices that seem on face to have no malicious intent but that are thought of as a kind of violence nonetheless.” Then, students demand trigger warnings, or “alerts that professors are expected to issue if something in a course might cause a strong emotional response.” According to the article, these terms are rooted in incorrect psychology: “helping people with anxiety disorders avoid the things they fear is misguided.” Yet, the suggestion that microaggressions are innocuous is facile, considering people’s intentions must be examined contextually. The term “microaggressions” may have misled the authors to assert these “small actions or word choices” have little impact on the receivers. For trigger warnings, professors can provide verbal mentions or brief sentences on syllabi so that students are conscious of the material beforehand. If anything, trigger warnings serve not only those who may experience varying degrees of reactions to the content, but also those who would not otherwise know of the sensitivity needed when dealing it. They further awareness of complex issues by allowing previews into others’ lives. Being unaware that an issue may be controversial or personal is not the problem; ultimately, colleges are places of cultivating understanding. Being purposefully indifferent, though, to others is an obstacle higher learning must overcome. The authors overlook this concern and, as part of a larger movement, fight against the recent political correctness found at U.S. institutions. Lukianoff and Haidt wrote that political correctness surged in the 1980’s and 1990’s when social reformers advocated for eliminating discriminatory hate speech and including diversity in “literary, philosophical, and historical canon.” This movement differs from the current wave of political correctness, which centers around “emotional well-being” and champions an “extraordinary fragility of the collegiate psyche.” With this comes fear, as anything a person says may lead to “charges of insensitivity, aggression, or worse.” However, this slippery slope is not as steep as they purport. Political correctness arises not from a person’s inability to cope, but rather their frustration from years of dismissal. Extracted from the Yale Herald op-ed “Hurt at Home,” the line “I don’t want to debate. I want to talk about my pain” encapsulates a recurring theme in these protests: the necessity of acknowledgement. In the short timespan before the piece was retracted, some critics rebuked the writer for the writer’s academic naivéte, which ironically corrobo-
rated another point the writer broached: that intolerance is somehow allowed, yet intolerance towards intolerance becomes censorship. Political correctness, an alleged form of intolerance, springs from inclusivity, whereas intolerance of inherent differences originates from ignorance and disgust. Ignorance, expected of college students, can typically be corrected. Despite its negative connotation, it’s only an issue when left untreated and permitted to fester. Conversely, disgust, a more ingrained and instinctive response, cannot be easily fixed, particularly when solutions must pass through implicit rules governing how marginalized groups protest. Erika Christakis, a Yale lecturer, emailed her students about cultural appropriative Halloween costumes. A child development specialist, she wondered if there was “no room anymore for a child or young person to be a little bit obnoxious, a little bit inappropriate or provocative, or yes, offensive?” She reasons that “American universities were once a safe space not only for maturation but also for a certain regressive, or even transgressive experience.” The absurdity lies in defending offensive clothing by noting that traditionally, universities were regressive, or the antithesis of what they should represent. Coming after a fraternity hosted a party where a sign read “White Girls Only,” Christakis’s well-intentioned email was a watershed in Yale’s attitude towards campus-wide racism. Over 1,000 students and faculty members have united in protest. Zareena Grewal, a Yale associate said, “These students – my students – are making demands. But not because they’re pampered or looking for shelter from opposing points of view. It’s because the Yale they found isn’t the Yale they were looking for.” Their objective isn’t to “suppress the free expression of their classmates,” but rather “to press the university that recruited them (...) to provide an academic environment where they’re afforded respect.” For 300 years, Yale hasn’t accomplished this “It’s not a matter of free speech,” as Jonathan Holloway, Yale College Dean, noted. It’s about “being constantly marginalized, feeling that their speech and their existence simply doesn’t matter.” He says, “it’s a lot of this stuff coming together that the students are very frustrated by, and now that it’s getting conflated into a free speech issue, it’s galling to them.” The events at Yale are a fraction of the country’s campaign against the mitigation of black narratives. Albeit the fraternity sign is more blatantly racist, Christakis’s insinuation of oversensitivity belittles the words of students who have experiences different from hers. This microaggression is a reminder of the discrimination that society tolerates under the guise of free speech. If political correctness can improve the situation even slightly, then that is the route campuses should take. Sources: the Atlantic, Business Inside, Vox, Yale Herald, Washington Post
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Generation Who? Generation me belongs to the future Catalina Berretta
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y best friend has a Harvard banner hanging by her bedside. My other best friend can recite, by memory, Yale admittance statistics faster than a college counselor could. Most of the time, it feels like I’m hanging out with foreign versions of Rory Gilmore. For those who are at loss, Rory, whose one goal in life is to get into Harvard, is a character in the beloved show, Gilmore Girls. In any given episode, one is just as likely to see Lorelai with a cup of coffee as Rory with a stack of books, painstakingly writing out reports by hand. It pains me to think she was still a few good years away from the 1-to-1 program. But, back to my best friends. They’re what you would call “over-achievers.” This entitles leading more than three clubs, actually doing their math homework before its due date and never being satisfied with grades unless it’s above a 94. Most definitely not an overachiever, I feel conflicted about our friendship. On one hand, it has advantages. While navigating the seemingly straightforward labyrinth that is college applications, their expertise (stemming from long-term obsessive research that began in middle school) allowed me to cut my own research in half. Their hard-working, ambitious personalities are also infectious – I’ve somehow come to find myself leading clubs and aiming (for the most part) for 90+. I still can’t make any promises about the math homework though. On the other hand, it’s hard to fight back the feeling of wanting to murder them slowly when they complain about how “low” their GPAs are. Or how their 2000+ SAT score is unsatisfactory. Mostly because in my eyes, they are some of the smartest, most hardworking people I’ve met and their achievements are anything but unsatisfactory. Then there’s me. Without the element of self-pity at play, I can say that I am not an overachiever. Among the masses of high-class, expensively-educated privileged students, I am rather average. But to be frank, I don’t see this as a bad thing. I have areas where I excel and areas where I don’t. And that is fine by me. I am happy being just an achiever. What does this have to do with our generation? Well, both my friends and I are grouped in the same category: Generation Me. We are all lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow.
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We are all self-absorbed and stupid. We are all materialistic and entitled. Somehow, our generation has become the epitome of everything that is wrong with this world and the term Generation Me carries the weight of that. But the truth is, you can no longer condense modern generations, especially our generation, into a mere two words. Perhaps in the past, when global networking meant having to stop making phone calls in order to turn on the internet and send an email, one could generalize a group of people because the amount of the world that was in view was smaller. Yet now, we can see it all. The mainstream concept of Generation Me is western-centric, focused so narrowly on the experience of white teenagers and 20-something’s from suburban areas, it ignores the experiences of immigrants and refugees. What about all the teenagers living in Syria, in Saudi Arabia? Are they still part of Generation Me? The answer is yes. Generation Me includes people like my best friends, whose whole lives revolve around their collegebound trajectory. It includes people who’ll go on to take a Gabriel Civita gap year to party in Ibiza. It includes people who are apathetic and could not care less but also people who give their entire hearts into community service. It includes the kids who are fighting for their lives in war-ridden countries and it includes the kids who live in penthouses with three maids. This isn’t a battle cry for us to come together nor is it a piece defending the flawed aspects of our generation. It’s a PSA to all those columnists who keep insisting they can define us all in a couple words –as if that were possible. For the same amount of teenagers out there who couldn’t care less, there are twice as many who are fiercely passionate about social justice, twice as many who’ll pursue international relations in order to improve the world. The term Generation Me is a thing for the future, when the now becomes history and academics in tweed jackets scroll through Instagrams and Facebooks in the distance of at least fifty years allowing them to piece together the puzzle that is our generation.
punto de vista
Educación Transgressora La necesidad de llevar la discusión sobre género a los colegios Marina Cortes
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Cuál es la diferencia entre un travesti y un transexual? ¿Qué significa ser crossdresser? ¿Por qué el color rosa es asociado a las niñas y el color azul a los niños? Estas son algunas preguntas que pocas veces nos hacemos y que difícilmente sabemos responder. Recientemente, vi una película sublime llamada “Tomboy” que precisamente discutía sobre la cuestión de género y la identidad sexual en una niña de diez años que se presentaba como un chico, Michael, cuando se trasladaba a un nuevo barrio. La película mostraba el conflicto interno de la niña y la constante preocupación por la aceptación de su familia y de su grupo de amigos. Finalmente, cuando se descubre el “engaño”, su madre la obliga a confesar a todos sus amigos su sexo biológico, ya que supuestamente, no le sería posible mantener su identidad masculina cuando comenzasen las clases. Después de ver aquello, me empecé a plantear la necesidad de discutir más abiertamente en colegios y facultades sobre cuestiones de identidad de género y sexualidad para combatir la desagradable exposición de transfobia a la cual deben hacer frente muchos niños y adolescentes. Como activista en la causa LGBT, estas cuestiones siempre me han preocupado, y desgraciadamente, he podido apreciar que todavía existe mucha discriminación contra el colectivo trans dentro de la propia comunidad gay. Jef Oliveira, una estudiante de Brasília y activista de derechos humanos que no se reconoce dentro de los géneros binarios, ha accedido a responder algunas preguntas sobre su visión y posición como parte del colectivo T. Talon: Qué significa ser T? Jef: Ser T es, en primer lugar, ser resistencia. La sociedad en la que vivimos es cis normativa, o sea, determina o impone una norma hasta el punto de ser obligado a aceptarse dentro del género que consideran legítimo en relación al sexo biológico. Las personas no saben lo que es el género, el sentido común no concibe ni comprende lo que es el género, algo que llevo observando en mi militancia y espacios. Lo que ellos llaman de hombre o mujer corresponde al sexo, sin tener una noción real de los papeles de género. Talon: Cómo ves nuestra sociedad en relación al conocimiento de la cultura trans? Jef: La sociedad brasileña tiene un acceso muy limitado a la información sobre género, por lo que no poseen acceso al debate de personas trans. La poca información que llega, es manipulada por los medios de comunicación. Las travestis son el principal ejemplo, son demonizadas, aquello que no se debe ser. Son mostradas como personas abyectas de la sociedad, conocidas por sus estigmas y marcadas por tales,
prostitutas, drogadictas y criminales. No existe una visibilidad de los hombres trans; de hecho, hay muy pocos debates sobre la trans masculinidad; y, es por ejemplo, mi identidad no binaria, la que no tiene ningún tipo de representación. Talon: Crees que deberían existir grupos de discusión sobre cuestiones de género en los colegios y que estos deberían ser obligatorios dentro del currículo escolar? Jef: Desde luego, debe ser debatido con urgencia. El género es una cosa complicada que precisa de atención. La verdad, la concepción del género es una cosa compleja, ya que es una construcción social, algo que las personas llevan modificando a lo largo del tiempo. Es necesario que sea impartido dentro de alguna asignatura, como Derechos Humanos, ya que está relacionado con la dignidad humana. El estudio llevado a cabo por American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — UCLA Law School’s Williams Institute, en 2011, muestra que el 78% de los encuestados sufrieron violencia física o sexual en el colegio, y que por tanto, tenían un riesgo mucho mayor a cometer suicidio que el resto de la población. Reconocer este problema abiertamente e incorporar las discusiones de género dentro de la educación es un gran paso para luchar no sólo contra la transfobia, sino también contra el machismo y la desigualdad de género. De hecho, algunos países escandinavos, han comenzado a incluir centros preescolares dónde se usan pronombres de género neutro y no existe ningún tipo de estereotipo o regla sobre los papeles de género y los comportamientos sociales. Muchos argumentan que criar a sus hijos con género neutro favorece la adquisición de derechos iguales y ayuda a combatir el prejuicio contra ciertas actitudes masculinas o femeninas. Hasta qué punto es beneficial educar a un niño con género neutro, es algo controvertido, pero desde luego, llevar el debate a las escuelas y romper los papeles de género desde una edad temprana y dejar de imponer una serie de reglas sobre el comportamiento social relacionado al género es muy necesario. Es responsabilidad de todos promover una reforma en la educación, crear campañas de concienciación e impulsar modelos sociales más neutrales, o menos estrictos y opresores sobre los papeles de género. Aprender que estamos sujetos a unos patrones tradici nales de comportamiento e identidad dados por nuestro sexo, en vez de entender que el género es una construcción social, sólo contribuye a aumentar el prejuicio contra aquellos niños que prefieren el color rosa al azul o contra aquellas niñas que son reacias a jugar con muñecas.
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Next Generation, Best Generation Our “narcissism”may actually be a good thing Chris Kim
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pervasive social problems can be, more so than any era of the past. The scope of information that one could receive in the past was severely limited: if something went unreported on TV, newspapers or radio, then it might as well not have happened. Now, everything is documented, and the distribution of information has become decentralized. It no longer takes millions of dollars worth of equipment to reach a large audience; a few hundreds’ worth of electronics is pretty much all we need, at least materially. We’re painted as self-obsessed and narcissistic, but in reality we’re probably just showing more signs of healthy self-esteem, and that’s one of the most important things about living as a human being. In reality, behavioral traits associated with better self-esteem also have a risk of being interpreted as signs of narcissism. It’s easy to be dismissed as self-centered when one’s sense of self-worth comes from within, not from the outside. In general, we’re not particularly worse or better than We have the misfortune of any other generations, just differhaving to inherit a world in the mident. We’re operating with a different dle of an active ecological disaster, system of values from those used because of the exploitation of the by previous generations, and the earth’s resources that we weren’t generation that has an overwhelming part of. The development of commuDougal Waters/Getty Images (Fair Use) amount of power and control over nication technology has exposed us the media decided that those are not to more information than ever before. the values they want. They want their millennial generation We’ve been forced to confront the reality of ever decreasing to be subservient and easy to control, but that’s not happenunemployment in the face of economic crisis and increasing ing, so they’re afraid. They want society to vilify us for darautomation. The reality is that the world that we live in just ing to value ourselves and being different. Most importantly, isn’t the same as the one we could have lived in if we were they want to alienate us; make people think that we’re so born earlier. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just difcompletely incomprehensible and foreign that people need ferent. But we have to see that if the world changes, then of guides that tell them how to deal with millennials, as opcourse the people living in it are going to change too. Sure, posed to “normal” human beings that they can just interact we might be more tied to technology than any generation with. I, for one, won’t put up with this, and you shouldn’t, before us, but that in itself isn’t something to be vilified. either. Don’t let yourself be defined by what the establishWe now have the ability to be more well-informed than ever ment wants you to be; that responsibility falls on you and before, and I feel pretty confident in saying technology has you alone. Do your thing, not someone else’s; that’s your given us the ability to be the most socially conscious living freedom. And if someone, anyone, tries to take that freedom generation right now. People are now taking an active interaway, resist it. est in social justice issues, and are able to be better inhen the media talks about my generation, I can’t help but feel as if we’re a completely different sort of human than other generations. Every now and then, there’s an article titled “How to Deal with Millennials”, “Characteristics of Millennials in the Workplace,” or something along those lines. Apparently, we’ve been reduced to a bunch of self-obsessed, narcissistic, entitled children, who don’t know how to deal with living in the “real world,” and look at our phones way too much. There’s a modicum of truth to this sentiment: narcissistic behavioral traits are more common among our generation, at least according to some studies, and there are fewer young people who want to have jobs with greater responsibility. This is backed by research: according to psychologytoday. com, a study found that approximately 70 percent of students today score higher on narcissism and lower on empathy than did the average student thirty years ago. But to me, what society perceives as selfishness isn’t necessarily so horrible. After all, the generations before us were also selfish, just in different ways.
formed about the dynamic relations between different social groups. With our minds constantly bombarded with information, it has become easier to perceive just how endemic and
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Sources: www.psychologytoday.com
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Response to Paris Terror Attacks How to fight back Pedro Werebe
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he world is outraged over the Paris terrorist attacks. There the terrible actions of a few. Have you seen the faces of the is a growing concern about our world’s security from groups refugees in the many videos posted online? They are scared. such as ISIS. While many people have taken to social media Many of them had to leave their homes not only because they and other internet venues to provide support for the people of do not believe in what terrorist groups are doing, these terrorist France, others have taken the opportunity to point out other groups are also threatening them. We must remember that the terrorist attacks that have occurred and not been adequately Syrian refugees have the same enemy as we do. Ultimately, they covered by the media. Most notably, people are citing an ISIS are more powerless than we are because there is nothing that attack that occurred in Beirut one day prior where 43 people they can do to counter them. Their only hope is to escape to were killed and 239 wounded. Another commonly discussed a new land, just as many of our forefathers have, in order to story from April saw 147 students shot dead by a Somalia-based escape persecution. Al-Shabaab militant group. The debate over who is or is not ignorant on Facebook Individuals that post the latter two stories are outra- is a problem. It has become easier for people to repost inforged about the lack of attention that mation, claiming that it is their view these stories have received and tend or that they were one of the first to ridicule people on Facebook and people to have thought a certain Twitter for not having read about way, when this is not the case in them. However, it appears that the reality. Furthermore, there is not a people posting these stories are only significant enough discussion as to aware of them in light of the press what can be done to improve the issued concerning the Paris incident. current state of affairs. Overall, it is Thus, rather than calling for outrage important for each individual to take against media sources that selectia step back and think about what vely choose which news to report, they are doing or saying before they people online are attacking one post content online. Many comments Alain Jocard, AFP / Getty Images another, calling each other ignorant. have been offensive against entire It is important to consider groups of people and even the thoughts that are posted to dethat social media sources are major venues of discussion today. fend these groups are not without bias. Unfortunately, internet People learn about salient news stories from these sources posts will not solve problems. While they are a meaningful way and are often limited to a discussion of which news stories are for us to have a dialogue about current events, this can only trending. It is helpful for us to all remember that we unfor- occur if these comments are well-thought out and reflect factual tunately do not have a significant influence on these trends. knowledge and information to support a broadcasted opinion. Furthermore, since none of us were personally able to visit Although blaming others for being ignorant about Beirut and Kenya or Beirut to investigate these reports, we cannot be held Kenya has become a common problem online, it is unreasonable responsible for not being aware of what was occurring in these to blame one’s Facebook friends for being misinformed about countries. In times of war, it is necessary for us to know what every topic in existence. For social media to work as an effective is occurring in each country because this knowledge helps us news source, it is important to remove the aspect of blame from form opinions and create discourse that will help us determine sharing resources. It is valuable to share news stories that may resolutions to these problems. However, if we keep pointing have been missed by the mainstream media, but only if this blame at one another about being ignorant, we are not creating is done in a socially responsible manner. Attacking people for solutions. Instead, we are contributing to the problem. imagined ignorance contributes to the creation of unnecessary It is now important for us to consider how we will problems, when what we really need is a solution. It is important act in light of these recent terrorist attacks. Many are doing to keep having your voice heard, but think before you post. so by responding in fear to the Muslim population in general. However, we must remember not to be afraid of a religion for
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Addressing the Dress Code Is it worth it? Anoushka Gandhi
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n 1968, a group of adults and students in Des Moines, Iowa, wore black armbands in school to protest the hostilities occurring in Vietnam. At the time, this behavior opposed the school’s policies, so administrators suspended the students involved until they decided to remove the armbands. Their protest spurred a dispute, which was then decided upon the United States’ Supreme Court. Fortunately for the students, the Supreme Court ruled in their favour, stating that “in order for the state in the person of school officials to justify prohibition of a particular expression of opinion, a student must engage in a forbidden conduct that would ‘materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operations of the school.’” This was a landmark case in the debate over appropriate dress in the United States because it established one of the first dress codes in the country’s history. What constituted appropriate dress was hotly debated then, and still is today, but for widely different reasons. A quick Google of the words “the dress code” yields about 212 million results. If one clicks on the ‘news’ section, one can expect to see another 8.7 million results, half of which deal with how dress codes “shame girls and perpetuate rape culture,” and the other half that deal with how to ban “offensive” political ideologies without casting aside the notion of free speech. Scrolling down the myriad dress code articles until locating the comments section, one will find people who plead that humanity rise above its sexual instincts. Some will blame the victims of objectification, whereas others will underestimate the mental capacity of students in controlling their urges. The comments range from tirades on men to skeptical jabs at women in the workplace to almost scholarly paragraphs on social constructs. While researching this issue, my mind got so muddled by the whirlwind of opinions, I had to stop and ask myself a basic question: why do we need a dress code? More specifically, why do schools need a dress code? This may seem like an easy answer: different occasions call for different clothing, and we have to dress appropriately in order to respect societal norms. A dress code is just another social construct that we have created to help ourselves distinguish different social situations. But if “how you dress does not define you,” then why does a dress code matter? Theoretically, I could show up to school in pajamas or jeans, and it wouldn’t affect my performance, right? If women don’t have to be sexualised by men and vice versa, then dress codes are rendered useless, as what matters is our frame of mind, right?
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It then occurred to me that if we use logic that doesn’t take into account the complex varieties of human beings and the social contexts we create, then we will never find reason for a dress code. In dark times like these, we must turn to psychology to help us understand why a dress code is important. According to an article in the Atlantic, “Clothes [...] make the man perceive the world differently.” Research on how clothing affects the brain’s processing style is still in its early days, but it shows promise. An August study from this year suggests that formal attire can change the way we think. According to Abraham Rutchick, an author of this study, “Putting on formal clothes makes us feel powerful, and that changes the basic way we see the world.” Wearing formal clothes, in psychological jargon, “influences cognition broadly, impacting the processing style that changes how objects, people, and events are construed,” according to the study’s abstract. Our psychological schema, which categorises our current knowledge and uses these categories to create a framework, can work together with the clothing we wear in different situations to influence our processing style. Another study endeavoured to introduce a new term for the way in which our thinking changes when we wear different clothes: enclothed cognition. It is defined as “the systematic influence that clothes have on the wearer’s psychological processes,” according to the study’s abstract. The study found that people associate lab coats with “attentiveness and carefulness,” and that they were more likely to exhibit these characteristics. This was not the effect when people were told they were wearing a painter’s smock. Although this area of research is still a fledgling compared to other fields of psychological study, it holds a lot of potential. The power of these findings lies not only in their convincing evidence, but by the fact that educators and enforcers of the dress code in the workplace corroborate these findings. Therefore, schools like Graded do need a dress code so that students can wear what facilitates their learning best. On the other hand, the dress code should not become something so strict that it diverts students’ focus from the learning experience. At the end of the day, it is a dress code, not a mandate on our lifestyles. Sources: The Atlantic, SAGE Journals, Science Direct, ‘Psyctherapy’ glossary
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The Loudest Voices of Generation ME An overview of TIME’s 30 most influential teens
Jack Conway
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ike those before it, Generation Me is bound to achieve great ing, soccer, golf, and swimming. things as it comes of age. But while most of us will take a few Another field that deserves attention is activism. The more years to find our places in the world, some of our peers youngest teen activist on the list is 15 year old Jazz Jennings, are already making waves in their fields. Earlier this month, who was born a boy but transitioned to living as a girl at the TIME magazine shined its light on these teens when it released age of five. Her status as a prominent transgender rights activit’s list of the 30 Most Influential Teens of 2015. ist has landed her a television show on the American channel, TIME cites recognition in their fields, effective reach TLC. Other activists, like Joshua Wong and Kim Kataguiri, through social media, and effect on the news as the criteria gained fame from political activism. Wong, from Hong Kong, for the list. This means that some of the teens are traditional and Kataguiri, a Paulista, both led political protest movements. celebrities with a large base on social media, but others make Wong led protests against encroaching Chinese authoritarianthe list for their contributions to the fields of athletics, science, ism in Hong Kong, and Kataguiri led protests against, naturally, or politics. Consequently, the list is very diverse, with entries Dilma. The most prominent activist on the list is, of course, ranging from actors and musicians to chefs and activists. Malala Yousafzai, who is internationally famous for standing up The most common source of fame among the teens to the Taliban in her native Afghanistan. She is the youngest on the list is acting or music. Some Nobel Laureate, winning the Peace of the teens on this list, like Jaden Prize at 17 for her continued efforts Smith and Kylie Jenner, are as inin education activism. famous as they are famous. Jaden Some of the influential teens Smith, the son of actor Will Smith, is have gained fame for more unique known for co-starring in some of his reasons. Malia Obama gained fame as father’s movies. Recently, though, the daughter of US president Barack he has caught the media’s attention Obama. Olivia Hallisey, 17, won the with the somewhat, well, nonsensiGoogle science fair for her work in cal things he has said in interviews medicine. Flynn McGarry, 16, is well and on twitter. Some examples from known in the culinary world as a chef. his twitter account are: “Most Trees He even has his own restaurant! FiAre Blue,” “I Only Apply To The Sixth nally, Ahmed Mohamed, who became Amendment,” and “How Can Mirrors Southbank Centre via Wikipedia Commons famous after he was arrested for Be Real If Our Eyes Aren’t Real.” And bringing a homemade clock to school, Kylie Jenner recently made headlines for inspiring the “Kylie appears on the list. Jenner Challenge,” a viral phenomenon that involves stuffing While the diversity of the teens on the list is clear, one’s lips into a shot glass…. Thanks Kylie. one trait seems to unite them all: fame. If we look back at In contrast to the more infamous of the celebrities on the criteria on which TIME based this list: recognition in their the list, many of the teen actors and musicians are influencing fields, reach on social media, and effect on the news, it bethe world in other ways, using their fame to shed light on social comes clear every teen on this list is united by fame. Whether issues. 14 year old actress Rowan Blanchard, for example, is they gained this fame by chance or by excelling at what they an advocate for gender equality. 17 year old actress Amandla do, fame is what allows them to reach a wide audience and Stenberg, who played Rue in The Hunger Games, has criticized affect the news. Fame is what allows for the teens on the list the appropriation of African American culture. Finally, Zendaya, to be so influential. a 19 year old actress and singer, has been praised for taking a Overall, I think this list is a positive reflection of our stand against the negative effects of unrealistic beauty stan- generation. While some of the teens may embody the negative dards by insisting that a magazine replace retouched images stereotypes associated with our generation, it is wonderful to of her with original ones. see that many do not. Many have used their fame to advocate Many of the entrants in the list are very accomplished for social issues, showing that our generation is not as shallow athletes. The youngest, at 14, is Ashima Shiraishi, whose rose to as it is accused of being. Because our generation is so young and fame after completing one of the most difficult rock climbing its voice still weak, the fame of these individuals means that courses in the world. One of the more well known athletes is they are largely the face of our age group. Fortunately, their Martin Odegaard, a Norwegian soccer player who, at the age voices have convinced me that, as the voice of our generation of 16, became the youngest person to play for Real Madrid. In grows louder, we will have a lot of great things to say. all, five entrants on the list were athletes, representing the best our generation has to offer in rock climbing, snowboard- Sources: TIME Magazine, Celebuzz
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Gender Inequality in South Korea Discrimination against men and women Matthew Kim
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iscrimination against women seems like a long forgotten tale in the 21st century. Women all around the world have gained in the fight for equal rights, and the constitution guarantees that they will be treated as equally as men. Under this constitution, they possess freedoms of speech and independence as a human being. Of course, some tacit and less obvious discrimination still exists. For instance, in the Republic of Korea, many women have received unfair treatment in the workplace after getting married or pregnant; many of them are not guaranteed job security, and are fired. This was the kind discrimination widespread in 20th century Korea. Fortunately, the Korean government has attempted to eliminate it and to legislate equality by passing progressive legislation. Recently, in order to enforce equality in the workplace, the government passed a law that South Korean employers are no longer allowed to ask female employees whether they will continue their jobs after they are married. Of this legislation, a ministry official said, “Compared to the past, the number of cases is decreasing where recruitment notices directly demand specific gender or specific physical conditions or ask about marital status, but there still are many cases where interviewers ask applicants about their marriage plans or select only applicants with specific physical conditions for short-term or part-time positions.” The problem is that some gender equality is highly ambiguous. According to 2012 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report, South Korea was ranked 108th in gender equality among 135 countries. Former Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Cho Yun-seon, said, “In my next life, I would like to be male even if I am born as an insect,” further illustrating the fact that South Korea is one of the most unequal countries in the world. For some people, it is highly absurd and bizarre that an official survey shows this country is unequal. For instance, in India, ranked 105th, sexual violences against women and honor killings are still committed and reported. Uganda, Tanzania, and Senegal, ranked 28th, 46th, and 90th respectively, are countries where female circumcision is practiced. According to this report, Korean women are treated worse than those in these countries. Paradoxically, according to the UN Develop-
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ment Program survey in 2013, South Korea was ranked 15th in gender equality, the same as Hong Kong. Also, among OECD countries, sex trade is completely illegal only in South Korea and Slovenia. Some people might ask if men can ever be victims of gender inequality. Historically, men have dominated family, society, countries, and the world while women had been forced to be silent. However, Jennifer Ludden, an NPR reporter, suggests that the answer is “yes.” She suggests that when it comes to marriage, men are usually disadvantaged. For instance, “after divorce men can face burdensome alimony payments even in situations where their ex-wives are capable of working and earning a substantial income.” This does not mitigate the sexism faced by Korean women.. The majority of reported sexism cases are those against women. An example of this is the Korean military. In 2014, the Korea Air Force Academy exceptionally granted its highest academic award for graduating seniors to the salutatorian instead of the valedictorian, because “he had performed better than the valedictorian in nonacademic areas Keoni Cabral via Flickr like physical fitness and leadership, and in military studies.” However, most Koreans feel that the reason to this exception is that the valedictorian was female while the salutatorian was male. According to a National Human Rights Commission’s investigation released in November 2013, “close to 12 percent of women in the military experienced sexual harassment, and that 71 percent of female soldiers were aware that their superiors preferred male subordinates to female.” Many scholars argue that gender inequality is deeply rooted in the Korean culture and society. In 2013, presidential spokesman Yoon Chang-jung was accused of sexual harassment, but he claimed it was only a cultural misunderstanding. Whether he intended or not, Zeena Starbuck, a reporter of Exeposé, suggested, “South Korean sexism differs greatly from western culture; it is not driven by misogyny, but embedded in cultural values that have historically continued and solidified themselves into everyday life.” Source(s): KoreaBang, The Atlantic, International Business Times, NPR, United Nations Development Programme Human
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Uber’s Bigger Picture Can Uber withstand government pressures to support traditional taxis? Henrique Souza
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or the past five or six years, there have been rumours that alternative source for transportation using different metha company in San Francisco, California, would revolutionize ods. In Kalanick’s words: “ We’re a search database that the transportation industry, but not even the most optimistic links drivers with riders.” With that in mind, what is the true investor could have expected such a fast development in role of the government in the economy? Why is the governthe international industry. When Travis Kalanick and Garrett ment a valid source to point out who deserves to carry pasCamp founded their company in March 2009, they envisioned sengers as a way of profit? Fighting against Uber is absurd. a company that would completely change the way people saw The government has no role in intervening either in Uber or transportation within their communities. Six years later, it is Taxis, it’s just a matter of refusing this inherent notion that commonplace to say that Uber is a global phenomenon. It is the government should always assist individuals. The true important to look at the profound effects this innovation has motto of Uber, is to promote economic liberalism, meanaffected the global economy and politics. Although Uber might ing that individuals are capable of defining and dictating seem like a great idea, it has caused an uproar in cities like their own lives and ideas. That’s Uber’s impact, to spread New York and in Latin American countries. With all of that in the ideology that the government not intervening in the mind, one needs to ask: how has our generation dealt with Uber? economy will bring better technological advances. Additionally, it is important to highlight that Uber, is an application it also creates a secondary option based platform that uses the colfor Uber drivers; thus instead of laborative mobile services, for paying 20% of commission to the trip requests. The app relies on government and 20% commission to drivers that own their own cars to the taxi station or app, the driver maximize their profits and reduce can use their own car on their own potential costs on the driver’s beexpense, and gain financially. With half. The app has been successful less government intervention, and because users find the rides more more economic liberty, society pleasant, comfortable, and cheaper. would be filled with technological The user friendly platform is a huge Alexander Torrenegra via Wikipedia Commons advancements in all fields. On the bonus. Not to mention the Iphone other hand, some may question whether Uber is a monopoly. chargers, drinks, and the driver’s integrity on following the One would argue that Uber is quite new to this new market, precise route to where the user wants to go. Although the and therefore competition will take sometime to be built. app might seem unstoppable, it has led to several protests Clearly Uber will have a competitive advantage since it is and revolts, mostly led by taxi drivers and politicians. Taxi the pioneer in the business, but companies such as Lyft, are drivers believe that there is no longer fair competition future contenders to compete against this titan. In essence, between themselves and the drivers of Uber. They called for that is Uber’s war, the fight against excessive statism, for change regarding the legislation, asking that Uber drivers more freedom, competition and less monopoly. be taxed and pay for the same governmental license that As to this point, Uber has had some major losses taxi drivers pay for . Some radicals resorted to violence, within congressional battles. Yet, one believes that espethrowing rocks and eggs against Uber drivers. Attitudes that cially in Brazil, it has hurt the major taxi cartels, and that only demonstrate the same old conservatism and appeal to itself can be considered a win. Currently, Uber is operating violence, that the side which is losing the revolution always in 300 cities and 58 countries, offering solutions in transport appeals to. In one’s opinion, it shows how taxi organizations methods around the globe. Uber has done more to comare clearly modern day cartels. Since, they use their politibat monopolies, in a few years than protests have done in cal power to protect their decisions in political votings, and decades. Although authorities make an effort in putting Uber though corruption scandals. What most taxi drivers do not aside, it has come to stay. Moreover, in the bigger picture, realize is that the real enemy is not Uber, but governmental Uber is a martyr and it will keep fighting for more economic legislation. liberty. There is no reason for the government to intervene by selling a regulation plaque for drivers. Even though Uber competes with taxi drivers, Uber is not a taxi, since it’s an
Sources: Globo, Estadão, Uber.com
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news
Earth 2.0
An alternative of our home? Izzy Yamaguchi
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he fact that the Earth is a mere speck relative to the Universe has not intimidated astronomers from seeking the unknown in outer space. Several space programs from all over the world have entered the pursuit of celestial discoveries and have provided many astounding accomplishments in the field of astronomy. Recently in 2015, these teams of scientists have all brought new discoveries to the world, including 12 possible “habitable” planets and more than a thousand confirmed exoplanets. One of these has been nicknamed “Earth 2.0,” a planet that shares the most similar properties found to date with the planet we live in. When NASA’s Kepler Mission announced that it had encountered Earth’s “bigger, older cousin” on 23 July 2015, the members of the mission explained that the planet has “earth-like” properties, and according to the associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Dr. John Grunsfeld, it is “the closest twin to Earth, or the Earth 2.0 that we’ve found so far in the dataset.” The Kepler space telescope gave scientists the ability to gain several years worth of data for their research, and as a result, they were able to discover the planet which has been identified as Kepler452b. Kepler-452b has been recognized as an exoplanet, meaning that it orbits a star outside of the Solar System, and it is reportedly about 1,400 light years away from our planet Earth. It is located in the northern constellation Cygnus, which consists of 9 main stars and 2 Messier objects. The planet orbits around its parent star from a very similar distance as Earth orbits the Sun, and its orbital period is just 5% longer than our own. Despite these similarities, Kepler-452b is apparently about 1.5 billion years older than Earth, and has gravity that is possibly twice as strong as our own. Additionally, the star that this planet orbits fits into the same category of the Solar System’s Star, though the study indicates that it is about 4% larger and 10% brighter than the Sun. Scientists believe that by studying this planet, it is possible to deduce the future of the Earth. According to Dr.
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Doug Caldwell, a SETI Institute scientist working on the mission, “Kepler-452b could be experiencing now what the Earth will undergo more than a billion years from now, as the Sun ages and grows brighter.” He then explained that “if Kepler-452b is indeed a rocky planet, its location vis a vis its star could mean that it is just entering a runaway greenhouse phase of its climate history,” as “the increasing energy from its aging sun might be heating the surface and evaporating any oceans. The water vapor would be lost from the planet forever.” Moreover, this discovery emphasizes the possibility of encountering extraterrestrial life. Senior astronomer Seth Shostak, who is also director of the Center for SETI Research, explained that the answers reveal “the fraction of stars that have a world that could support life”. Scientists are interested in finding planets that are “cool enough to host liquid water on their surface,” for it may indicate that the planet is hospitable to life. SETI scientist Joseph Twicken reaffirmed that the discovery of Kepler 452b “[takes] us one Public Domain step closer to understanding how many habitable planets are out there.” After all, it helps “determine the planets that are the best candidates for hosting life,” informed scientist Jeff Coughlin from the SETI Institute. Ultimately, the importance of this discovery lies in “trying to answer really fundamental questions,” explained Dr. Grunsfeld. “Where are we going as human beings, and of course, the really grand question: are we alone in the universe?” As for the future of such missions, NASA plans to launch “a survey satellite that searches the nearest solar systems for exoplanets” in 2017 as the Kepler mission’s “successor.” This would then give scientists the opportunity of “[creating] the first primitive maps of an Earth-like planet,” including details like “whether they have oceans, clouds, perhaps even seasons.” Cambridge Physics Professor Didier Queloz, an expert on planets located beyond the Solar System, concluded that the mission team only has reasons to be optimistic about future discoveries, “this is just the beginning of a very long journey.” Sources: NASA, BBC News, the Guardian
features
Counting Friends, Posts, and Likes Are we becoming more narcissistic because of social media? Fe Sayão
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t appears that the proliferation of social networking sites has caused an epidemic of narcissism. Jean Twenge, who coined the name “Generation Me” for the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s, explains in her most recent work, The Narcissistic Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement that “in data from 37,000 college students, narcissistic personality traits rose just as fast as obesity from the 1980s to the present.” The question is: who is to blame for the increasingly narcissistic society we live in? Is it Mark Zuckerberg’s fault? Since the minimum membership age has been lowered to 13 years old, social networking sites have gained prominence among adolescents. Over the last couple years, studies have consistently shown a link between Facebook usage and narcissism. Narcissism is characterized by a positive, yet an inflated selfconcept. Narcissists are exhibitionistic, attention-seeking, and concerned with their physical appearance. Narcissists overestimate their attractiveness, though they do put in effort to look well-groomed and fashionable, as it helps them affirm their positive illusions of their own physical attractiveness. Two psychologists, Buffardi and Campbell, conducted a study in 2008 in which they proposed that social networking sites provide excellent platforms for narcissistic self-regulation, because users have almost full control over their presentation. As expected, narcissists were found to have more Facebook friends and wall posts, and their profile pictures were rated by others to be more physically attractive and more self-promoting than the profile pictures of non-narcissists. Although researchers do speculate that narcissists may have selected more attractive photos of themselves to affirm their inflated beliefs. With technology these days, refining quality and concealing flaws in photos has never been easier. Profile pictures seem to be the most important means for self-presentation, because it represents the individual, appearing in search results and alongside every turn of online interactions. Since adolescents are typically concerned with peer acceptance, physical appearances, and the impressions they convey, they are susceptible to spending more time on Facebook than any other age group. Social networking sites provide platforms on which to connect adolescents to their peers without adult surveillance and facilitate identity construction and experimentation within a social context. There are negative side effects of adolescents spending too much time on social media. For example, adolescents become more prone to vanity, aggressiveness, and antisocial behavior, which may lead to poor academic performance. Another issue with social networking sites is that it fuels social comparison.
Dilney Goncalves from the IE Business School in Madrid said, “The problem is that Facebook gives us a limited view of our friends’ lives, and that view tends to be unrealistically positive.” On the other hand, Jeffrey Hancock from Cornell University has found that Facebook can actually have a positive influence on the self-esteem of college students because Facebook shows a very positive version of ourselves. Psychologist Bruce McKinney from the University of North Carolina brings up a good point. It may be time to redefine the term “narcissism,” as it may have become the social norm for young people. This allows the possibility that Facebook users are not as narcissistic as once thought. It’s worth questioning whether the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to social networking sites. Here’s what some peers had to say: Isabella Farhat (9): Whenever someone posts a picture on Instagram or Facebook, they need to meet beauty standards. People become more narcissistic because they define their value through the number of likes they get, and compare it to that of their friends. There is no problem with being confident; however, social media sometimes brings that selfconfidence up to a level of being self-centered. Tuto Morandi (Grade 10): Most people are more concerned with looking good on social media rather than showing their true selves. Although this is a generalization, I feel people become more conscious about how others will perceive them on social media as compared to real life. The idea to be yourself is not generally included in Internet etiquette. Isa Bruder (Grade 11): Social media needs to be used in moderation. If not, then it has negative side effects on teenagers’ behavior, like being overly concerned with appearance. When used with restraint, it can be beneficial towards helping one’s confidence and self-esteem. Tamima Mourad (Grade 12): Although social media seems to make people grow more distant, it actually allows me to connect with friends, share memories, and learn new things. For me, the positive benefits of social media outweighs the temptations that some people have of becoming narcissistic.
Sources: immagic.com, psychologytoday.com
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features
Chivalry’s Final Night The rise of narcissism in today’s generation Lucca Oliveira
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Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according cases of rape and pillaging in a single campaign. As a result, to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea the popularization of chivalry grew as more men turned to and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over soldiering as a profession and the church’s pressure grew for all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on a more honorable form of conduit during combat and outside the earth’” (Genesis 1:27). According to the Bible, man was it. The aspects of chivalry are thought to have been popular created in the image of God to rule the Earth, to stand above between the 11th and 13th centuries with its first recorded those inferior to them as a king does to his subjects. When use in the epic poem “Song of Roland,” written somewhere faced with this principle, it is not surprising that, even to those between 1098 and 1100 AC. At that time, the term chivalry that do not share a similar faith, humans exhibit narcissistic was used to describe the honorable conduit of knights, with tendencies. More so, if the humans in question have been many of its points directed for the field of battle. Everything brought up in an environment centered around boosting self- from respecting and fearing God, to never turning your back esteem. Which leads us to Generation Me, the term used to an opponent. informally to describe people born between 1980 to 2000 who In contrast to this, our modern definition of chivalry would be anywhere between teen-aged to 30-something. Due comes only from the points referring to the protection of the to the ease of communication and the weak, defenceless and women. This resulting globalization, many aspects new chivalry has changed to have of the described generation are shared in its focus the proper treatment of worldwide amidst similar age groups. women almost becoming a synonym The rise in technological availability of gentlemanliness. Today, acts of has given this generation a degree of chivalry are celebrated as something power over the world. Individuals with outstanding. Yet should it be so? Should access to technology are now able to our society place these people on communicate with the efficiency of pedestals, veneering their acts? Would media corporations, produce content that not only increase the problematic in par with multinational organizations, narcissism of today, causing people to and exert a degree of political influence Nice McPhee via Wilipedia Commons act as such solely for the emotional like never before. Yet this power, high of outside praise? Society has seemingly liberating, comes with a cost: the aforementioned settled into a sorry state, where the lack of thought to peers narcissism. has become mundane and the rare act of kindness must be Generations come and go, yet none seem to be as self- paraded around in order to gain the slightest bit of notice. centered as ours. Despite George Orwell’s saying that, “every This generation, the conned “Generation Me”, lives in an generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one environment that promotes disrespectful behavior, to the point that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it,” that it has become part of their psyche. this generation statistically displays more signs of narcissism With the generation’s focus on self, they have lost than ever before. According to the National Institute of Health, sight of the bettering of their community, even through college students interviewed in 2009 more than doubled their seemingly unimportant acts. However, modern chivalry is not counterparts from 1982 on a narcissism scale. This leads to the dead, it is simply underground, performed by those who wish thought of self over the concern of others and, as a result, to to extend a hand to those in need with no strings attached, the disregard of peers as equals. Everything now becomes a to rise above the norm yet remaining humble. Despite being competition, from the nearly obsessive focus on one’s personal the demographic most nonchalantly disregarded, women are image, to the throat cutting obstacles in the path of success. not the focus of chivalry. Chivalry has no boundaries, just like This is where chivalry comes in. Long gone are the days respect has no gender. Kindness should be performed truthfully of lords and ladies, tourneys and honorable combat, yet the and indiscriminately, without the promise of a reward at its term lives on in our culture. Before its widespread acceptance, end, or else it would be simply a means to an end. soldiers were mostly conscripted peasants or mercenaries, drafted and hired when they were needed. The problem with Sources: youtube.com, time.com, heraldica.org, “Song of this however, was the fact that these temporary soldiers were Roland” undisciplined, resulting in the razing of villages and innumerous
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features How Our Generation Can Easily Change the World: The ways “Generation Me” has affected the life of others, both in our community and out of it Fernando Martins
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as anyone ever stopped for a moment, and imagined how “Generation Me,” a term used to describe people that were born between the mid 1990s and late 2000s, have changed the world? It’s important to take a minute to reflect on the positive contributions that this generation has made to to the lives of others. After all, we, the generation of the “Digital Revolution,” have the technology available for us in our favor. Furthermore, it’s also important to understand how we, members of the Graded community, can make a change in the world. After understanding how this is possible and analyzing set examples, it might just be the time to do so. For our generation, the winds blow in our favor. A grand example of this phenomenon is Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history. Malala is known for promoting education for women and children in different parts of the world. At a very young age, she was the first to sign the “Malala Petition,” urging the United Nations to adopt the Millennium Development Goal 2, which supported primary education for every child around the world. In addition, by the age of 11, she wrote a diary in which she discussed education under Taliban rule. The BBC published this diary as an article, inspiring the international community to fight for education. The article has, obviously, brought consequences to Malala, given the harsh regime in Taliban. Besides knowing this, Malala continued to write about the conditions in Pakistan. Her courage and ingenuity is something to admire. In addition, Malala has taught us how to forgive. After boarding a school bus in Pakistan, two armed men, who had come specifically for her, shot her three times. After living in critical conditions in a hospital for several days, and under extensive care, she mentioned, “I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me. I would not shoot him.” Another example of this phenomenon, this one much more closer to us, is “Escova+,” a social project created by five Graded students, Nick Regen, Luiza Mizrahi, Andrew Chiang, Rodrigo Ko and Leo Kim. This non-profit organization focuses on teaching oral hygiene to underprivileged children all over São Paulo. In a country where 18% of 12 year olds never attended a dentist appointment, this project strives to change the lives of others. Our generation using the tools available for us to make a change. Nick Regen, founding member, stated, “A healthy smile is a healthy lifestyle.” On the other hand, Arsh Dilbagi, a young roboticist from India, has designed an innovative Augmentative and Al-
ternative Communication (ACC) device for people who cannot communicate verbally. This device, named “TALK,” uses morse code to convert breaths into words, which are then spoken in different voices, dependent upon age and gender. Arsh believes that his device is much cheaper than any other ACC device on the market. Dilbagi, acting as a young entrepreneur, has caused social change. It’s like this that our generation can change the world. ]Rene Silva, a young Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro, has allotted his time to combating the stereotypical remarks that prowl his community, “Complexo do Alemão.” He created his own newspaper when he was 11 years old to divulge information from the complex. He is known for adopting a more hopeful perspective on favelas, mentioning that favelas aren’t entirely bad places, as there are people there doing good. Rene also published a book called A voz do alemão where he brought a voice to the once silenced Alemão citizens. These voices were once invisible to the world and, because of Rene’s newspaper, people living in the Alemão region were awarded with the opportunity to talk about their lives. Silva used the technology available to help his community create new perceptions of their society to the outside world. PZas via Flickr Because of all this, optimism is brought to the international community. We need to use the youth’s talent in order to turn the world into a better place. Right now, the question to be asked might be, how can we empower teenagers to create a better future for our community? Looking at all the service groups at Graded, we can notice how ambitious our community of learners are. Ranging from groups such as FALA (Friendship and Language Acquisition) to Harmony, where Graded students teach underprivileged children how to play instruments, Graded has provided us with the opportunity to use our talents to make a change. As Babatunde Osotimehin, under Secretary General of the United Nations, mentioned, “Over the next decade and beyond, if we are to solve the most pressing issues of our time, we need to tap into the dynamism of youth movements and young social entrepreneurs, for they have the potential to disrupt inertia and be the most creative forces for social change.” It’s time for all of us to reflect upon what we have in our favor and change other people’s lives. We have the winds blowing in our favor, it is up to us to set sail for change.
Sources: bbc.com, theguardian.com, wikipedia.com
the talon • 15
features
Changes Over the Years How language has changed throughout its years Julia Marangonu
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hroughout the years, sentences and words have changed a minimum and now we constantly text each other, thus, we’ve rapidly. From Shakespearean scripts, to modern writings, created an even more effortless method of communication, everything has modified itself. We’ve seen how old books are abbreviations. We’ve become to lazy to even type: I don’t written, and some even feel like a different language. While know. Our vocabulary has been adapted so many times that it at the same time we recognize our parents’ incapability of seems easier and standardized to simply type what we want to understanding our abbreviations and emoticons. In other say, instead of having a physical conversation. Sometimes we words, language has changed so fast not even our parents, just have to take a step back and realize how, yes, vocabulary who were born less than a half century ago, can comprehend. has evolved over the years, but has it evolved efficiently and Now, in the twenty-first century, language is changing so fast effectively? All these questions are constantly in my mind we can barely keep track. Everyday a new abbreviation is and I’m always trying to find an answer to them. However, made, every few months Apple launches a new update with sometimes things change so fast the answers to these questions more emojis and every day we’re incorporating these new are almost non-existent, until we one day experience it. vocabularies into our daily If we think back to lives. These different methods the cavemen we can recall of adjusting our vocabulary their form of communication may positively influence the as drawings. Through these next generations, but can also drawings, they were able to set them back. express their feelings and I mean if we think emotions, which is precisely about it for too long, we will what emojis do. The word come to realize how we’ve emoji comes from three changed. I bet some of you Japanese words combined have experienced your parents together. The word e means not understanding what you picture, mo means writing, texted them, or having to and ji means character. double-check your spelling Hence, emojis are pictures and grammar before sending replacing words. In this sense, them a message. We’ve all language is like a cycle, seen it and we’ve all been because we’re essentially part of it. For example, many regressing to how cavemen of us have read Shakespeare, Intel Free Press via Wikipedia Commons expressed themselves and and at times we simply don’t communicated. Just think of understand what he means or is saying. His language is not how much you use emojis instead of words to express your adapted to the 21st century, and it sometimes feels like a thoughts and feelings. For example, I send the laughing emoji foreign language. It’s funny to compare Shakespearean writing instead of texting “hahaha” and I use the heart emoji in place to text messages we send today. However, Shakespeare’s plays of “I love you.” Should emojis be considered a part of our were known as entertainment in the sixteenth and seventeenth modern language or can we say we’re repeating history? centuries. Thus, now our number one source of entertainment Language is a great part of our lives, we use it every is through our phones. We’re constantly bombarded with text day to communicate our thoughts and feelings. Over the years, messages from friends, comments on Instagram, and new we’ve learned how to simplify the language. It’s no secret Tweets from our favorite celebrities. We’ve outgrown the that the English vocabulary has changed. We no longer speak “basic” language of English and in a way we’re creating our Shakespeare; we’ve modified our language with emojis and own language, one day at a time. abbreviations, such as “omw” for “on my way,” and “brb” for We all know of abbreviations and have most probably “be right back,” not including the abbreviations in Portuguese used them at some point in our lives. From btw for “by the that we use as well. Throughout the centuries, language has way” to ily, for “I love you,” we’ve all been hypnotized evolved and modified itself. Now, the question we must all ask with this “easier” form of communication. Can we consider is: what other ways can we change language and should we abbreviations a form of adapted vocabulary? It’s a method of continue changing it? writing and communication, but will our generation forever be engraved with the generation that made everything easier? Sources: theguardian.com, bbc.com, newrepublic.com, We’ve cut and limited our amount of personal conversations to huffingtonpost.com, youtube.com
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features
Does Social Media Make Us Antisocial? Our generation has become antisocial in real life but social online Saniya Joshi
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ver the years, the way we communicate with each other has progressed from letters, to phone calls, to emails, and finally, to social media. Up until now, social media has been the most instantaneous way of reaching out to people. We live in a society where we are able to talk to people who live in other timezones with ease through video chat, texting, and even through pictures, using Snapchat! While social media allows us to do things that seemed impossible in the past, it can still make us antisocial in real life. What is appealing about online communication is that we are able to say things which we would normally not say to someone in person. Social media gives us the liberty to express ourselves however we wish to online but does not teach us the art of initiating conversation in real life. For example, most of us have probably been in situations with other people where we pull out our phones and text rather than talk to the ones surrounding us. We tend to do this because we feel more secure on social media than how we feel talking in person and making eye contact with people. Essentially, social media becomes our little portal to escape awkward social gatherings. This shows how even though we might be very active and social online, we become antisocial in real life. People can also get accustomed to always using social media to communicate with their friends, which causes them to miss out on real bonding time. Teenagers especially, get so addicted to social media that the ones who use it too often tend to go out less. While relationships can be built over social media, I do not think that they can be as strong as the ones that are built in person. Our antisocial real life behavior due to social media can also affect our family relationships. For instance, in my own family, I notice that each and everyone of us, including myself, is so occupied with browsing on Facebook, watching YouTube videos, and scrolling through Instagram, that we unconsciously lose the element of togetherness that should be family bonding. Sometimes, we feel more entertained thorough being social on social media than socializing with our family members and
relatives. This shows how most of our generation has evolved to find social media more amusing because of its instantaneous nature. It is also more convenient because we can ignore or respond to messages whenever we feel like it. Like most things in life, social media has its pros and cons. While it certainly has made our lives easier and faster in terms of online communication, it has also taken away from us the aspect of preferring and embracing face-to-face interaction. We can communicate with people who live in different continents, but we usually cannot find time to build our personal relationships with people who live near us. According to the Telegraph, the average person today has five social media accounts. This implies that sitting alone in a room and interacting on social media is the perfect example of antisocial, but still virtually social behavior. Interestingly enough, the antisocial effect of social media can have advantages too. It might actually be beneficial for shy and introverted people who have a hard time building relationships in person. For Karen via Flickr these people, social media provides a platform where they do not have to deal with social anxiety that might arise from face to face communication. Now, there are new ways in which introverted people can make more friends. For example, on an anonymous communication website called Omegle, random people on the internet are able to interact with each other through text or video chats. Through this website, people are able to express their feelings with strangers because they might feel more comfortable interacting with them online. All in all, social media has its pros and its cons. It is advantageous in some cases and disadvantageous in others. It can help us become social online, but it can also make us antisocial in real life. Still, there is no denying the fact that social media has certainly taken over Generation ME. We use social media for a range of activities that were not possible in the past. It is the most efficient way of communication that mankind has created, hence the antisocial effect that it creates in our real lives cannot be avoided.
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features
10 ways to be popular on social media Your Guide to Becoming Internet-famous Features Team
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e:
1. Always use photoshop to edit your photos. It would be a crime if you posted a photo without editing it before. If I were you, I would set aside some time to focus on developing your Photoshop skills. Trust me, it takes practice. Even if you think you’re a master at editing pictures, the truth is, you’re not. I’m sorry to break it down to you. There’s always space to refine your skills. In fact, take out your laptop right now and start working on a Photoshop project. I’m not kidding. What you might want to do is take a full body picture of Kim Kardashian and photoshop your face onto her body. Then, I dare you to post that picture onto social media using the hashtag #FernMadeMeDoIt. I’ll bake you cookies. 2. Buy followers and likes on Instagram, duh. It’s common sense. All that really matters on social media is how many followers you have on Instragram and how many likes your pictures receive. It’s important to note that there is no such thing as having too many followers or too many likes on Instagram. Until you reach one billion followers, then you can take a break. Don’t blame me, blame society. Society has a peculiar affinity with numbers, and as members of society, it’s our duty to conform to its dictates. If you want to be popular on social media, just make sure you have more followers than Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé combined. Download all apps that show up when you search for “instagram followers” and “instagram likes.” That should give you a good starting point. Fernando: 3. Create your own brand Worldwide youtubers and celebrities in the present are using basic marketing skills in order to project their names. By creating brands and online stores, they are able to divulge their name and increase their popularity. It’s sort of like a domino effect. Fans buy their products, which result on other people liking it, and buying the same thing. On the end, these people are able to grow more popular. One example is KSIOlajidebt, a video game commentator, gamer, comedian and rapper, who
18 • the talon
has created his own brand, called “Beast.” By accessing his online store, one can witness how successful his trend has been. Various products are sold out, boosting his fame amongst other people. Another example would be Kanye West and his joint Adidas brand, “Yeezy.” Yeezy products are wanted worldwide, boosting his popularity. If you want to increase your popularity in social media, you might want to create your own brand. Who knows if your marketing skills will work or not. 4. Create a Snapchat account where you divulge your personal life Celebrities are keeping up with the technology available for us and are creating Snapchat accounts to highlight what happens in their social lives. Lewis Hamilton, three times Formula 1 World Champion, has increased his popularity by using this social media platform. He adds video about his renown dog, Roscoe, his personal adventures to restaurants and even the surprise party that he created for his mother. This platform has, without a doubt, increased the sympathy of fans toward him. This is also evident in our community. After Graded Eagles created their own Snapchat account where they post videos about weekly games, they have spread awareness, becoming more popular in social media. Create your own snapchat account and recount your daily experiences on it. Others may find your life interesting. Julia: 5. Take the perfect selfie Asking people to take pictures of you has become very awkward. I mean, face to face communication is obsolete. So why bother? Turn that camera around and smile. However, in order to post that selfie a lot must be considered, make sure your lighting flaunts your perfect face. Don’t forget the make-up, basically follow all the Kardashians and their make-up tips because, let’s be honest, they’re perfect! In order to post the perfect selfie you need to take around 200 pictures. Don’t forget about your different sides, choose your best side and go from there. There’s no decent selfie without the duck face, that’s a given.
features Now that you’ve taken around 200 pictures, pick your favorites. Once your favorites have been picked, you obviously have to edit them. Don’t be scared to use multiple editing apps, use all of them if necessary. While you’re editing make sure your best qualities are reinforced and don’t forget about adding filters. Then after their edited ask your friends to help you pick the best one, post it and add an either funny or inspiring caption.
for the making of the song, you just need to get a really catchy phrase, and then repeat it just about 30 to 40 times in the chorus to make it a worldwide hit. Upload your song on social media and watch it become viral. Your song must be meaningless and repetitive, because that is the best way to become a popular singer! Seriously, you could be topping all the charts and winning all the Grammys.
6. Show off, it’s in style. Following the Kardashians perfect life style, being an amazing Instagrammer revolves around showing off your most prestigious items. You bought a new phone? Perfect, take a selfie flaunting that new IPhone and don’t forget your new brand purse, while taking that mirror selfie. Luckily, we’ve arrived at the beautiful time of year: vacation. That results in a lot of traveling. What’s an Instagram page without a daily reminder to your followers of the amazing trip you’re having? Take pictures in Paris, London, and Greece. Never stop posting, the idea of “over-posting” doesn’t exist. If people complain that just means they’re jealous. Don’t only take pictures of the view, but stand in front of that camera and feel like a model.
Lucca 9. Never spell anything correctly in text messages The most important thing in communication is efficiency. If you waste your typing the “yo” in you, heaps of your precious time will go down the drain. That newfound time now can be directed towards more constructive tasks like stalking people on the web, perfecting your selfie technique, and micromanaging your social media accounts. Disable the autocorrect feature implemented on your device and go nuts. You’re textz wil be teh swankiest in deh blok, an al ur friends r gon be supah jelly ov ur populerity.
Saniya 7. Become a Youtuber Did you know that the most popular Youtuber in the world, Pewdiepie, is a millionaire? He has more than 40 million subscribers, making him one of the most influential YouTube personalities in the world. He basically records himself while playing videogames and screams at them randomly. That right there is the way to become a famous millionaire, folks! Screaming at a videogame has got to be the best talent in the world. You could literally get millions of people to follow you by making the most irrelevant and nonsensical content ever, just for our generation’s entertainment, of course. Celebrities aren’t just Hollywood stars anymore, you can become a celebrity too if you decide to devote yourself to YouTube!
10. Become a god Metaphorical? Nah, that’s weak stuff, we gotta go for the literal. Also my source material might not know what literal is, but whatever. If he can do it, ascending to omnipotence mustn’t be too difficult. In order to become a god one must attain worldwide renown and popularity as the greatest musical sensation since the beginning of time. Start by singing about your tough life in “da hood”, then move on to how awesome your life is, and how much money you make. After a couple years of interrupting award shows, expressing your genius intellect, objectifying women, and a couple more albums regarding your ascension to godhood you should be well on your way into attaining that heavenly renown. After ascending to godhood, becoming popular on social media should be a piece of cake. Who wouldn’t follow a living God? Heck, I’d follow a God. I would send a friend request so fast that I would probably beat the pope to it.
8. Auto-Tune all your songs Auto-Tune all your songs and you could literally become the next biggest pop star on the planet! All you need is a voice, a recording device, and a software that enhances your voice. As
the talon • 19
entertainment
Being #internetfamous: A Day in the Life
A satire of literally, like, the hardest life imaginable: being #internetfamous. Yoji Watanabe
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h God, 8:07 a.m, I’m late. My eyes barely adjust to the sun before the little blue box prompts me, ‘What’s Happening?’ “Overslept 7 minutes #late #mornings” Set Location: my beddd. Tweet. It’s fine though, I got the last stamp on my Starbucks loyalty card. The fast payment will help me make up for lost time. There is so much to being #internetfamous. Honestly, it makes me feel unappreciated. People tell me I just get paid to look hot, but they just don’t know how much I work. It’s like, to get paid I need to be sponsored; to be sponsored I need to have followers; and to get followers, people need to want me. That makes a whole three steps to getting paid, like I was never good at math or anything, but I’m pretty sure that’s a lot. Plus, I need to be so good at photography, like that’s a skill you can’t really learn. I just have a natural talent. I take like, literally a thousand pictures before I get the right one. And it’s not like that’s even the last step. I had to pay a whole six dollars for all the VSCO cam presets, like, I care about my photography–filters are life. 8:15 a.m. Ugh, people are probably starting their commutes right now. I need to get my OOTD (outfit of the day) pic up before they go through their entire feed. Timing is everything. I check my calendar to see what I have planned to wear today. Looks like that online store Shop Jeen is paying me to wear their Smells Like Teen Spirit shirt in my OOTD pic. I don’t even like The Beatles, but whatever– the sacrifices I have to make for my fans. 8:17 a.m. Looks like I got 1,666 likes. It’s fine, I’ll keep it up a while longer. If I don’t hit 2,000 in the next minute, I’ll take it down. I bet it’s because of the Rolling Stones shirt, ugh. 9:15 a.m. Waiting for my gluten-free, cruelty-free, GMO-free, taste-free pumpkin spice skim soy latte. It’s been almost a minute, like why do they even serve it if it takes so long? JKs, I love you, Starbucks. You’re literally life. Also, I saw a corgi with a Juicy sweatshirt on the way over, and I died. I just had to take a photo with it. It was literally the cutest thing ever. Like, I can’t even. 9:16a.m. They finally get me my coffee. I start to pose, taking short sips from my coffee while taking selfies. 10:32 a.m. Finally, after a couple shots, I finally take a good picture–into VSCO it goes. The coffee got kind of cold half an hour into the shoot, but whatevs, I look hot. 10:40 a.m. Only 2,102 likes on my coffee pic. Screw this Pink Floyd shirt. 1:30 p.m. Back from Starbucks and getting ready to hit the gym. I got hungry on the walk home so I swung
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by a Jamba Juice for an Energy Bowl. I took a few pictures, maybe I’ll post them later. 2:00 p.m. I arrive at the gym. The full body mirrors make me look literally hot. I pick up a dumbbell and start to take some pictures. After all, don’t you only burn calories if you have pictures to show for it? 2:15 p.m. Done taking pictures. I think I’ll head back home. I posted a couple to my Snapstory. You know, it’s definitely not good enough for Facebook or Instagram, but it’s perf for Snapchat. Too bad my followers can’t “like” it though. But they totes would if they could. 2:40 p.m. I’m back home and have nothing to do, so I decide to watch TV and Oh My God, The Real Housewives is on and Britney is having none of Tamara’s sass. I can’t help but notice how perf Tamara’s hair is as Britney tries to tear it from her scalp. Like it’s literally gold. 8:44 p.m. I turn off the TV, The Real Housewives is over. It’s like, if they’re only going to play it for six hours they may as well not broadcast it at all. 8:45 p.m. While crying because The Real Housewives isn’t on again until, like, tomorrow, I remembered I forgot to post my afternoon plans to my Insta. My followers are going to be furious. Like, I hope they’ll forgive me, I know how much they care. I go into my room to change into a panda onesie so it looks like I’m super spontaneous. 9:54 p.m. I finally took that picture for my followers. The onesie was pretty itchy. It’s like whatever Bangladeshi kid made it doesn’t even know how to sew. Speaking of Bangladeshi kids, maybe I could tell my followers to go follow a charity? Where can I find a charity? Can I make one? Oh My God, I’ll be on the cover of Cosmopolitan. Yaaas, Cosmo, yaaasss. But whatever, I took the picture. I can take it off now. 10:15 p.m. Time to do some reading. Like I’m a huge nerd, I love reading. My favorite book is probably like, Of Mice and Men. It’s just a simple, plain-old story about two besties–no useless metaphors or underlying themes. Plus, I’m super into animals, and the rats George likes are basically animals. I’m reading Fifty Shades of Gray right now, though. It’s a pretty tough read. I pretty much have to keep my phone in my hands to google words while reading it. 10:17 p.m. I’ve probably been reading for like, hours. I’m heading to bed. 1:06 a.m. Ugh, I got distracted by Buzzfeed. Okay, now I’m really going to sleep, at least right after this in-bed selfie. Deuces, my internet fans.
entertainment
Down with Movie Reviews
Don’t let Rotten Tomatoes sway your ability to watch a film Thomas Park
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homas has a procedure. Thomas picks up the phone. Thomas opens Google. Thomas types in the name of the film he’s about to watch. Thomas finds the film’s Rotten Tomatoes rating. If it’s not above an eighty percent, Thomas won’t quite enjoy the film without the hesitance and skepticism he has after seeing a “low” score. Foolish Thomas. I am bewildered by today’s generation. Everyone has a smartphone in their pocket with access to anything conceivable to their feeble minds. Yet to bash today’s generation for their careless use of such powerful devices would be hypocritical, arrogant even. I wrote most of this article on my iPhone 6, which I hold onto like a vital organ–it’s this ease of access that strikes me the most. The reliance on smart devices has come to a point where facts have become near useless to memorize. For example, why would someone spend time memorizing trigonometric identities when they could easily find the answer within seconds of opening their personal device? However, I don’t agree with this idea per se, when you hear as many ‘I’ll Google it’ as ‘good mornings’ it’s tough to deny the smartphones’ influence on today’s generation. Film ratings: they are decorations that, regardless of the film’s success, will likely disappoint. Ironically, the amount of films I have restrained myself from watching due to low ratings stretches into the hundreds. Yet, it’s even worse when a film has a near-perfect rating, the review creates a normative conformity that interferes with the enjoyment of watching films. If a movie had anything over a nine on IMDb (Internet Movie Database), I used to walk into the movie theater thinking, “If this film is even short of being the masterpiece the reviews claim it to be, it’s not the films fault, it’ll be mine.” The possibility of naturally discovering a film or filmmaker with a reputation of excellence is near impossible. Ulcers burned through my stomach upon my first viewing of The Godfather. Managing expectations always serves me trouble. If the film
meets my expectations precisely, I won’t feel ecstatic, I will feel a certain boredom due to the movie doing exactly as I supposed it would. In reality, overlooking a films expectations is impossible. Walking into a film cold, with absolutely no preconceptions as to where the movie will take you, is the dream. However, with such ease of access to smartphones and connected devices, it’s nearly unavoidable not to be influenced. I must admit, I cannot say that I’ve been completely immune of film ratings or general gossip. Restraining yourself from reading ratings and avoiding trailers can amplify an experience. One of my schoolmates has miraculously avoided all spoilers for the upcoming Star Wars film. I’m almost certain that they will absorb the movie with a more objective mind than those who analyze trailers frame by frame. Going into the movie without preconceptions allows one to experience the movie as an extension of reality, rather than an analyzed work of fiction. Hence, too much information weighs too much. Ratings in themselves are a ridiculous concept. Much like how a grade doesn’t reflect a student’s intellectual merit, an IMDb score is close to devoid of meaning. Films are subjective, there isn’t a correct method to savor them nor an accurate way to rate them. According to Microsoft researchers, the average human attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds. In 2013, the attention span decreased to a mere 8 seconds. With these few seconds of attention, it’s more likely that people today will base their judgements of a movie on the number next to a tomato rather than an article that tries to dissect the film. Even so, a full 1000 word review can’t encompass hour long features, so how could a number with such low merit define a film’s artistic value and quality? From now on, my iPhone will be off long before I walk into a movie theater. It’s unfortunate and shameful that today’s generation can’t truly appreciate movies without the bias of IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. If it wasn’t for those smartphones, maybe, just maybe...
the talon • 21
entertainment
Student Vampirism The walking dead roam the hallways Bruna Piccin
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racula, Alucard, Louis de Point du Lac, and Barnabas Collins. These are a few names that come to mind when someone says ‘vampire’. People watch these bloodsuckers on the silver screen, dress up like them on Halloween, and sometimes even aspire to be like them–despite vampirism being labeled as a curse. However, we are not far from these cold-blooded monsters with the recent discovery of Student Vampirism. Classic vampires feed on blood and the life essence of humans. Student vampires, on the other hand, gain their energy by ingesting large amounts of coffee. This black liquid gives them the energy to perform daily tasks, and their need for it is insatiable. Beware, Starbucks and snack bars, they are coming for you. Student vampires won’t turn into dust upon contact with sunlight, but will definitely avoid it by remaining in poorly lit rooms in front of their computer screens. An example of their aversion to bright light is seen by the low brightness of their screens and their panic when a teacher announces they are turning the lights back on. In addition, student vampires share their bloodsucking counterparts’ sleeping habits. They stay up throughout the night, allegedly completing assignments, and sleep through the day (or at least try to). A dead giveaway of a student vampire who maintains this habit are dark bags under their eyes that never really go away. Moreover, student vampires, like any other vampire, are prone to mood swings. It is not unusual to see one going from grumpy to grouchy to annoyed in a matter of seconds. Even simple phrases can have a great effect on their mood. The words, “summative,” “in-class,” and “essay,” at least when combined, causes widespread panic in a class with student vampires. On the other end of the spectrum, “snackbar” and “break”, will have an opposite effect. Fittingly, a good way to calm down an angry vampire is to feed them, preferably pizza and pão de queijos.
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However, like any curse, student vampirism comes with many positive powers. Student vampires have the amazing ability to finish assignments that should have been done over the span of weeks in a single night (although the quality is dubious). Their sense of smell is heightened, leading to the ability to smell food entire classrooms away. They also have a creative edge against their human counterparts, giving them the ability to create excuses when missing assignments. This surprising bargaining skill is also often used to argue that a summative should be delayed for another week. This skill is also used to convince themselves that they can definitely finish their homework if they watch just one more episode of their favorite Netflix show. Additionally, student vampires boast a fast metabolism, allowing them to bingeeat their favorite treats. Despite the high caloric intake, many will disagree with anybody claiming the ability to eat exorbitant amounts of cookies is, in fact, not a superpower. Student vampirism is especially common. This is due to the fact that, unlike regular vampirism, one does not have to be bitten by another to be cursed. A simple enrollment in a high school is all it takes; and the further into high school, the more likely it is for one to contract this kind of vampirism. Thankfully, there is a treatment: vacation. Throughout this glorious period of time, the vampirism leaves the student’s body despite threatening its return with the new semester.
entertainment
The Secret to a Miniongful Life Despicable Me seems to have a few things to teach us Luana Tone
M
inions: if you don’t know what they are, you’re probably older than me. Or you are at a point in your life where you’re saying, “I’m too old for a ‘children’s movie. I’m a teenager, mom.” Regardless of your perceived age, Despicable Me teaches adult themes of affection and self-acceptance. Minions have even become a staple of pop culture. They are cute, funny, caring and, last but not least, very stylish. However, during one of my multiple screenings of Minions, I noticed they have a surprising number of similarities with today’s generation despite their shrill voices and fruit-like figure. Even if you’re not amused with Minions’ childish ways, it’s impossible not to laugh at them. Some of them, like Kevin, don’t really have a sense of humor. He simply gives another Minion a reprimanding look when they make a joke that isn’t funny. This makes us, the audience, laugh because, ego aside, we’ve all been there. Perhaps we laugh at the Minions not for their comedic value, but their likeness to society. The jokes they make are childish, but somehow, they get laughs out of the toughest adults. Could this be a reflection of our sense of humor? Like many of us, Minions have a love for food, an undeniable passion that exists in our society. Take a look at Instagram and count how many of the photos on your feed are of delicacies. We love food just as much as Minions do (or do Minions like food just as much as we do? At this point, it’s hard to tell). They adore bananas, which incidentally seems to be the only word they can enunciate. Their passion for this yellowy delight even rendered a song dedicated to the fruit. A banana symphony may just be the Minion way of sharing a filter-addled love for food. Perhaps one of the best qualities Minions have is a willingness to serve. They are passionate about their job regardless of whether it includes a giant space laser or pools of shark-infested water. Minions are masters of teamwork
and seek to provide quality work to their beloved employer. Perhaps this is a veiled portrayal of our society. Today, it has become possible to make money doing close to anything. Some people get paid for simply providing social media with content. No longer does one need technical skills or a “real job” to make money. All one needs is a little bit of background knowledge and a whole lot of passion–the job one envisions can become theirs. Perhaps this is what the talking yellow fruits are trying to teach us. However, the most important virtue these funny little creatures possess is their sense of self. Are they selfless? Are they selfobsessed? Maybe both? After all, self-obsession and selfishness are not mutually exclusive. Minions seem to hold both of these characteristics. As selfless creatures, they attempt to do what is best for the majority, even if it involves tackling dangerous or deadly problems. On the other hand, they are just as self-obsessed. This can be seen most clearly through their vanity. What characterizes Minions is, perhaps, their tootrue reflection of society. Minions have proved themselves to be a wonderfully comical mixture of all the personalities our society employs. Perhaps the amount of minions plastered on toys and posted on Facebook are simply due to the fact they say and do what is already on our minds. Regardless, Minions have taken over popular culture, and it seems they are here to stay.
the talon • 23
entertainment
A Cruel Virtual Joke Gaming Jounalism and the travesty it has become Lucas Valim
W
e are now in a quiet auditorium jammed with people. The room is dark. There is a stage with large crimson curtains, a faint glow emanating from its fringes. The crowd is quiet now. Suddenly, the curtains are pulled back to reveal two words, composed of bright flashing neon lights: gaming journalism. The crowd goes wild with laughter, barely containing themselves as they double over. Scandalous tears rush down their faces. While my little illustration may be a little too scanty, the message is still conveyed: gaming journalism is a joke. It’s petty and laughable, yet people seem to keep writing it. You might be a bit confused, thinking: Lucas, what are you even talking about? Why do you care so much? Why should I, the reader, care at all? Frankly, video games have always been one of my hobbies. I enjoy them, the culture that surrounds them and the discussions that revolve around their fantasy worlds. What I do not like is the approach that the majority of gaming media outlets have taken in the past. If you are, to use that dreaded term, a “gamer,” then the state of gaming journalism should be pretty important to you. The gaming media should act as a buffer and represent its audience, as is common from the most reputable journalism outlets. However, it has failed to conduct itself appropriately. It holds its audience in a position of absolute contempt. Most of my grievances toward gaming journalism are embodied in a single occurrence. On November 19, an article was published on Kotaku, a sizeable games media website, boldly entitled “A Price of Games Journalism.” Written by the site’s editor-in-chief, Stephen Totilo, the article talks about how the site has been “blacklisted” by the PR departments of major game publishers, namely Ubisoft and Bethesda. The supposed cause of this “blackout” is Kotaku’s past leaks in his site’s articles over the years, mostly of products that had been under development. Totilo states that “publishers cling to an irrational expectation of secrecy” and that this was all done to “serve our readers.” Comments on the article laud the apparent bravery that Kotaku displayed in the site’s consistent stand against authority. As one reader puts it, “If you’re not pissing someone off, you’re not doing your job right.” As the November 19 article represents, this comment is plainly untrue. Kotaku is asking for pity from its audience, which is ironic after it so boldly claimed that gamers, its primary target audience, were “dead.” The site’s petty leaks of information, which was entirely within the rights of the publishers to keep private, don’t deserve to be defended. Kotaku wasn’t exposing corruption within a publisher, but rather leaking game scripts and concept art. Though incredibly unethical, this incident does open a particular branch dialogue regarding the feeling of
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entitlement and necessity that games media outlets have felt towards content. The problem with gaming journalism isn’t only with games media. It’s with publishers, too.Hubris is probably the most important elements in both works. Both Oedipus and Walter White are smart, but they’re blinded by their conceit, which ultimately causes their downfalls. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a big chunk of what passes for an article in gaming media is nothing more than a hype piece, usually functioning as an extension for a game’s marketing complaint. Many gaming media outlets serve as extensions of a publisher’s PR department, which is not necessarily their fault. They do this to stay in the publisher’s good graces in hopes of being granted access to review copies of games and exclusive interviews that they need to keep their outlet afloat. However, sometimes this over-positive coverage is due to an under-the-counter brokered deal between a particular publisher and a games media outlet. The system of games reporting is what causes game media to be so unprofessional and full of corporate hype. However, no one is forcing them to stay in that system. They can threaten to leave at anytime, which might cause them to have to deal with some ramifications from publishers and work with more limited resources. Many games journalists and media outlets aren’t afraid of being blacklisted because they stand up for the consumer, whereas those that don’t are showing clear contempt towards their audience. Instead of being critical, journalists contribute to whatever the publisher wants. If Kotaku, a primary example, really cared about its consumers, it would have dealt with its “blacklisting” with some dignity instead of balling on the floor because it couldn’t get what it wanted. Ultimately, games journalism is a joke because it rarely even tries to emulate journalism. It is often content with simply playing to publishers’ demands to ensure that special treatment will be received. Games journalism has to change in the interest of basic ethics and of protecting and preserving its audience. Before gaming journalists can claim some form of heroic sacrifice in the name of gamers, they must actually sacrifice something. If that sacrifice is the comfort found at the bottom of some publishing executive’s pocket, then that’s even better.
entertainment
Category Is: Doors “Man, that’s so old” Entertainment Team
Y
oji: Transformation I stand in the corner of the room because nobody wants me. People push me around all day because they say I am in their way. I am a mere object to them. Everyday I do my best to help other people and I move out of their way if I can, yet nobody seems to notice me. That was until I saw her. She walked towards me like she knew exactly what she wanted. But, upon reaching me, she just turned to the side and leaned on me. Her black curls sat neatly on her shoulders, her plum lips twitching every so often, but she didn’t say a word. Every few seconds she’d reach out and touch me with her soft hands like she wanted me to do something. I don’t know what that something was and I couldn’t concentrate with her standing there touching me. I was frozen. I felt myself unable to move or speak or even lift a limb. I thought to myself if this is what they call love. This paralyzing emotion that despite my want to just hold her I just can’t move. But alas, I am a door. Thomas: The Doors I do not like The Doors. There, I’ve said it. Most of my preferred artists have peaked artistically during the late 60’s. These include bands such as The Velvet Underground, Cream, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Despite being from the same era, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to listen to L.A. Woman without triggering my gag reflex. Like, why is there no bass player? Every rock band needs a bass player! And why do people bother with Jim Morrison’s mysterious persona? He was just a simple drunken recluse–there is no mystique. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but, regardless, I do not like the Doors. Bruna: Army For centuries people thought that doors were nothing more than inanimate objects, but recent events have proved otherwise. After being slammed shut and forcibly opened for decades, doors have declared war on the human race. Being led by self-proclaimed lead door Doora Cederfur, which happened to be the door to the Oval Office, merciless pieces of wood have taken upon themselves to exterminate mankind by refusing to open when prompted. It has been speculated that windows are working alongside doors in this forced extinction. When pressed on the issue human Army General Terry Mite stated, “due to all the casualties endured by us humans, we need to fight back to show them
who is the true dominant species.” In addition, General Mite recommended all citizens to remain outdoors. Luana: Globan Ban Since July, countries around the world have been passing acts against doors. When beloved reality TV star Lil’ Johnson bruised his head by running into his school’s clear glass door, people realized how dangerous these common household objects could be. Governments are now acknowledging that the use of doors has gone too far. Many claim that not only are doors unsafe, but they are also inconvenient. Why would one have to turn down a handle AND push? Mark Hinge is a researcher with a PhD on Doorknobology (the study of doors and door knobs) and an outspoken opposition of the newly instated ban. In a recent interview, Hinge claimed, “doors are used for many reasons, including ventilation, so it is dangerous to live without them―especially in hot or cold climates. More so, they have been used for centuries in order to keep certain people out, or is it in? I’m not sure. But anyways, we need them.” In a form of protest, the International Olympic Committee added “door slamming”―a risky activity practiced by activists fighting against the cause―to the list of sports that will be make up the 2016 Olympics. When asked about the controversial decision, Olympic Commissioner Lock simply said, “actions speak louder than words.” Lucas: DOOM Door opening is serious business. Despite it being regarded by most as the simple act of turning a handle and pushing, there is much more to the art of door opening. Professional door openers undergo rigorous training and are aided with various high-tech simulators in order to prepare them for any door-opening situation. One such simulation is the classic Door Opening and Operation Manual—colloquially know as DOOM. John Doormero and John Carhatch, both regarded as door-opening legends, produced the now-popular game in 1993 in conjunction with Integral Door Software. The game aimed to simulate one of the most critical door opening scenarios: the act of closing the gates of hell in order to stop its denizens from escaping. While DOOM was immensely popular, many door scholars found it was misused by consumers who used tools such as chain guns to fight the hellspawn instead of closing doors.
the talon • 25
entertainment
Talon Toon
A message from a former classmate
Joachim dos Santos
Monthly Update The ups and downs of Semester One Michael Borger
Seniors have lost their lawn after it was hijacked by the Snack
Maggie’s back!
Most students are now assessed on a scale from 1 to 7
Bar and middle
with trend-based grading. In other news, teachers are
schoolers. Kids,
receiving more bribes than ever.
remember, you have already paid for the cafeteria food – enjoy it.
26 • the talon
viva voce
The Ultimate Icebreaker PGC Retreat Reflections
Thomas Menezes
T
he start of PGC was quite frustrating. Dealing with people– seniors– you don’t normally talk to can be intimidating. I have science class in the senior hallway and I always make sure I arrive one minute before the beginning of class to avoid any sort of eye contact with them. To be honest, many of my friends also do this. Now, imagine us, sitting around a circle with these seniors, as well as peers you don’t usually sit with or even talk to during lunch. Now add a pair (or trio) of Seniors ready to share some personal experiences and participate in activities. Take into consideration that this does not apply for this weekend only, but also for the rest of year. No pressure, right? I can tell you that’s how the vast majority, if not all of the Freshmen, felt at the start of what was to be a remarkable PGC retreat. Looking back to the retreat, there were various things that bring a smile to my face. One of them was definitely sitting at the lunch table. Always being reminded by my leaders to sit boy-girl is pretty annoying, but it did become an unnoticeable routine. From a few looks around, I can say that applied to the other groups as well. Yes, we did consistently sit next to the same people, but the discussions were funny, actually random, and everyone participated. It varied from sports to the retreat itself. These little chats keep popping up even until this day: what we like to do during the weekends, what our hobbies are, and so on. As we talked, we were able to pick out things we had in common and elaborate on those small details. Regarding the areas that we had little in common, agreeing to disagree was the best policy (out of respect), so we would simply share laughs about our unique qualities and habits. An example that stood out in my group was disliking cakes, but loving cupcakes. Yes. That’s a thing. One thing I cannot forget to talk about was sharing a cabin with our fellow seniors. I can say that if I was not cracking up with another one of Daniel Felberg’s jokes, I was doing my
best to hold in a giggle as a teacher walked in telling us to settle down and go to sleep because we had a long day ahead of us. The reason was very evident: there were no seniors to control us. The 12th Graders had meetings together that lasted from the Freshmen’s curfew to about 12 at night. As you can imagine, 90% of the people in our cabin (and very likely on all cabins) completely disregarded the curfew and just talked and fooled around when there weren’t any “authority figures” there. In the room I was in, these jokes were dominated by John Cena’s theme song, making irrelevant and nonsense connections to people being certain fruits, and other mindless yet hilarious comments. My acknowledgements to those who came in to discipline us because, without you, we would’ve been complete zombies the next day. Clearly, our expectations were nothing compared to the final outcome. The chemistry within each circle had significantly risen and many new friendships were made. The freshman become much more comfortable around the vast majority, if not all of the Senior PGC leaders. I can definitely say I did. I now go casually to the senior hallway with my friends right after class is over so we can say hello to some of the seniors and chat a bit with them. I still walk into class a minute before it starts, but now I walk in with a smile on my face, but not a sheepish one. The smile was probably smacked on my face because of some joke someone made. I’m sure the ones who went on the retreat will, undoubtedly, miss it a ton. And also the food: if you were a part of that outstanding weekend, the snacks and meals will simply not be forgotten. Now, I would like to ask you, Freshmen, a question: how about an end of the year PGC retreat?
the talon • 27
viva voice
Generation Corporation? A thought on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Luis Wolfrid
A
t the heart of a crowded playground, a sandbox delighted Richard. He was the first person there that day. After some bullies asked him to leave, he did and explored the other attractions, despite the slides and seesaws already being occupied. Having a tough time integrating himself with the others, he headed back towards the sandpit, where another young individual, Darrel, was enjoying himself. Elizabeth, a friend, felt sympathy for Richard and forcefully suggested that the two share. At first, Darrel allowed Richard to join him, aware of the challenges faced surviving in the park. Yet, he began to feel threatened after Richard showed interest in fully claiming what was once his. With a loud slap from Darrel (or maybe it was Richard, but no one could really tell) that drew attention from all the corners of the playground, Richard now had an excuse to react in the same way. As the children argued over who properly deserved the area, another toddler, Nick, showed up and supported Richard as he dug up some sand with his shovel, placing it in his own bucket. Nick then saw an opportunity and grabbed some sticks and stones, which he traded with each of the boys in exchange for the sand. Ultimately, he traded with Richard more. Darrel and Richard spend an eternity flinging the stones at each other, and setting the sticks down to determine borders, all while Nick walked away with a grin on his face, having fueled a profitable conflict. Transnational corporations treat the Palestinian-Israeli war as their own sandbox, and the victims of the chaos, as dispensable. They supply arms of all types and exploit the tragic losses of homes with construction and realty companies. They enslave the media through ownership, and use it to take the blame off of them, which results in the pointing of fingers at either of the two populaces involved in the conflict. We are the generation that has grown up with the constant presence of brands that have no fear of exploring humanity’s weaknesses
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for much desired profit. This is Generation Corporation. The media is probably key to start off with. Through hiring consulting experts and using repetitive and confusing language, the media forces us to question less. Through constant emphasis on terrorism from both sides, the media beckons to decide between good and bad. Although in reality, it doesn’t matter at all to the companies who just need a distraught public. They use language to civilize us. They funnel our minds until we become robotic. We become better and more consistent consumers. This is the process of substituting our raw experiences with the biased records of information to cognitively form our brains to a certain, questionless fashion. With fake interests, superficial entertainment and a persistent focus on human rights, the multinationals group us together to sell to, incorporating stereotypes, reporting facile Wikipedia Commons a r g u m e n t s a n d thrusting their products upon us. NBCUniversal, owned by General Electric profits from the conflict through selling propulsion technology used in several of Israel’s fighter jets and helicopters. MSNBC, part of NBCUniversal, recently pulled its only Palestine correspondent after she complained about the constant pressure on her to be biased, and how other news sources, like CNN, always interview “17 Israeli public officials versus one Palestinian.” Furthermore, Business Insider reported that six corporations control 90% of the media in the United States. If all these corporations saw an outcome that would bring in money for any component of each of these giant parent companies, they would definitely change the entire country’s perspective on whichever subject would do so. It’s also fascinating to look into the perspectives being foisted onto both sides and how the perpetuate the war. Often
viva voice data is omitted or shaped to form arguments. For example, a young girl named Sharouq is a hero to Palestinians. She was praying at a mosque when men tore at her veil and cloak. Apparently, Jewish men were harassing her. On the Israeli side, the story was of a girl who cut class, messaged her mom that she wanted to be a martyr, and stalked Jewish prey with a sharp blade. Another story starts with a dead teenager on the floor. The Israeli police took a photo of a knife at his side, while a witness asserted there was no such weapon during the entire conflict. Palestinians who approached the scene claimed he was shot between 20 and 40 times, and was running from a fight with his father. President Abbas of the Palestinian authority was questioned for saying that Israeli forces had executed a thirteen-year-old boy, when he was actually in the hospital, and Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, claimed it was a Palestinian cleric that came up with the massacre. As if that weren’t enough, textbooks are a huge source of concern for this hatred. An American study conducted about two years ago proved that between 49% and 73% of Israeli textbooks were shown to portray Palestinians negatively, depending on the orthodoxy of the school, while 84% of Palestinian texts portrayed Israelis similarly. According to Bruce Wexler, a Yale professor who supervised the report, “Israeli school maps feed into the Palestinian narrative that Israel wants to grab more and more land, and Palestinian school maps feed an Israeli narrative that Palestinians want to throw them into the sea.” Resolution seems far too improbable. Perhaps the only step towards the world better understanding the conflict was with the Snapchat stories of the West Bank and Tel Aviv, but even those were censored. Dalit Baum, an Israeli with a Ph.D from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, believes that multinationals capitalize immensely on Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Back in 2005, she questioned which companies fuel the settlement industry. She was interested in the Israelis’ tear gas incident. She became convinced that companies were attracted to the
illegal settlements by cheap labor, inexpensive land, tax incentives, poor law enforcement, and labor laws. In a recent study looking into heavy construction companies, she cited Bobcat, Caterpillar, Volvo, Hitachi, Hyundai, JCB, and five more multinationals. There is huge demand for these engineering tools for two reasons: Israel’s military, and the demolition and construction in the occupied territories, according to her data. These territories are being heavily exploited by industry in every sector, and it’s interesting to note that this includes both mining and water collection. If the multinational argument as the reason for the conflict remaining unresolved happened to be valid, we could imagine a future where transnationals would go from just having control over our governments to actually becoming them. Technology has already collected more than enough information on each of us, and a dystopian society does not seem that unlikely considering all of the possibilities. Would an escape be plausible? From a young age, just as the Palestinians and Israelis, we have textbooks that force views upon us. We are afflicted by views imposed on us by “civilization,” and even when we try to separate ourselves from them, we cannot. They are deeply rooted in our brain’s Andrew Burton / Getty Imges growth throughout our lives. A solution seems more distant than the Palestinian and Israelis reaching a compromise. Throughout this article, “they” is always mentioned when referring to the corporations that we are most likely enslaved to. However, to what extent is “they” just “us”? Have we brought this upon ourselves? Is there any way to go back, or must we learn to cope with this path of the ends justifying the means? Of course, this is just a thought on the conflict, and the author’s intent is not to reflect whatsoever that this is the truth. Just something to consider . . . Sources: NYTimes, Al Jazeera, Economist, Mondoweiss, Global Research, CNN, NBC
the talon • 29
viva voice
The Gear That Runs History Thoughts on the nature of time Alexandre Jabor
T
his creative nonfiction piece was inspired by essayists such as Lia Purpura, Phillip Lopate, and Michael Martone, among others. For example, the word “Count” in the second paragraph refers to Lia Purpura’s essay September and her use of the phrase “Waiting for” in this essay. The physical stylizing of the essay is also based off of the works of Lia Purpura. The crafting of the narration and the general development were inspired by the elements discussed in the introduction of Phillip Lopate’s The Art of the Personal Essay: An Anthology from the Classical Era to the Present. Ti c k - t o c k . T h e hallway is a rushing river of students moving and jostling each other to reach their intended destinations; backpacks swing out chest-high, phones are whipped out and wrists are turned as people eye their watches. It is 15:15 – a dismissal time. I wait and the river of people becomes a stream, then a ripple of water pushing a puddle towards the exit. It is my turn to move out. With my backpack on one shoulder and tennis racket on the other, I briskly head off in the direction of the parking lot to arrive at a friendly tennis match with just enough time to warm up. That’s when I see it. The winter sun casts its outstretched embrace on the mirror-like metal surface. Precise and methodically placed ridges press into my skin as I inspect the gear against the light. What could it be a part of? Perhaps the object is a part of a third grader’s class project? Or maybe even a part of the school’s 3D printer? I shrug and flip the gear in the air like a coin. Catching the object, I stare ahead and continue moving forward. Two people approach at the end of the hallway. Shocked, I realize they are my classmates. I stare at my watch, panicking, pretending to be engulfed in the passing of the second in order to avoid exchanging unpleasant pleasantries with them. Count. That’s when it hits me. I eagerly unclench my hand and the gleaming metal
30 • the talon
emerges in the shape of a clock. I stare at it in amazement. This tiny gear, perhaps two centimeters in diameter, is the backbone of humanity: time. I carefully count the crevices outside the circle as the thought assembles itself in my head. Humanity is controlled the invention of time. Events are measured in time: “Why is this ceremony taking so long?” We value success in terms of how long it took to accomplish: “I spent over 20 hours in the film editing lab finalizing that new movie!” Even our quotidian lives are run by a clock’s methodical tick-tock: “I can’t come over on Friday because the rushhour traffic is horrendous.” Perhaps the most surprising thing about humanity’s endless predicament is the fact that we continually believe we can control it. We go through all the trouble of carefully sculpting our agendas, which makes us feel that we can manipulate time. Yet, we disregard the notion that if we truly controlled time, we would not have to carefully plan anything. Our lives are not needs credit controlled by the “thuds” of our heartbeats, but by the tick-tock of our clocks counting the seconds in our lives. What do economists use to compare the rise and fall of a same stock price during the day? Time. What do governments use to track the devaluation of their currency? Time charts. How do runners measure their distance? Over time. Father Time is a demanding, possessive guardian tapping his foot in disappointment and counting the number of seconds you are late through the incessant repetition of sounds. But he can sometimes be forgiving, if treated with enough care and respect. There will come a day when our hearts will stop thudding and our clocks will stop ticking. Until that day comes, we will continue to try to please him. I can already hear my impatient coach tapping his foot. With that sound echoing in my mind, I glance at my watch and hurry towards the gate. It is 15:45 – I am late for the tennis match.
viva voice
ME-rror ME-rror On the Wall
Self-absorption is something else that Disney wants to teach us about
W
hat is narcissism? It is the excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one’s appearance. Narcissistic people are usually self-centered, have extreme selfishness and crave admiration. According to Time Magazine, there is data that this narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the older generation. Not only that, but 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than in 1982 according to the National Institute of Health. Disney characters, especially villains, have shown some narcissistic characteristics portrayed in the movies and some prominent examples include: Gaston, The Evil Queen, Cinderella’s step sister, Ursula, and Gothel. Gaston: He shows an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and has a lack of empathy for the feelings over others. He’s basically everywhere singing songs about himself. In the story Beauty and the Beast, he strongly believes that Belle should marry him since she is the most beautiful girl in town. He says, “She’s the one, the lucky girl that I’m going to marry. Here in town there’s only she, who is beautiful as me, so I’m making the plans to woo and marry Belle.” In this quote, you can clearly tell that he sees himself as a “special” guy and so Belle, the lucky girl should be thankful. The Evil Queen: The Evil Queen also known as the Wicked Queen is the main antagonist in Snow White. She is an evil stepmother of Snow White, and is obsessed with being the fairest in the land. “When Snow White was seven years old she was as beautiful as the light of day, even more beautiful than the queen herself.” Because the princess’s beauty makes her jealous, she makes several plans to kill her. She has a magic mirror who she speaks to every single day and asks, “Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” The mirror is basically forced to say that she is the fairest to avoid consequences.
Cinderella’s Step Sisters: Cinderella’s step sisters Anastasia Tramaine and Drizella are both portrayed as selfish, spoiled, and foolish. They both find themselves attractive but are still jealous about Cinderella’s physical appearance because the prince chose her. Because of this, they always need to make sure that they look prettier, have a better life, and are superior to Cinderella. As a consequence, Cinderella grows up feeling guilty about her talents, beauty, and personality traits. Ursula: She is a dramatic, selfish and jealous mermaid witch who uses Ariel’s voice to lure Prince Eric into liking her in the movie, The Little Mermaid. In addition, she only sees things that will benefit herself and uses others such as Ariel, which shows her arrogant, and manipulative personality. Gothel: In the movie Tangled, Gothel tries to maintain her looks by keeping her daughter away from everything. She selfishly uses Rapunzel and her magic golden hair to prolong her own life and needs credit to stay pretty. Her goal is to keep Rapunzel in a hidden tower to take advantage of the healing powers within the lost princess’s hair. Her justification for keeping her in there is because the outside world is, “dark, selfish, and cruel” and continues to insult Rapunzel to lower her self-esteem and so she continues to insult and avoid familial contact with Rapunzel. Like other generations, ours has likely watched a fair number of Disney movies: Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella and, more recently, Tangled. Hopefully, the lesson learned is that narcissism ultimately leads us down a bad road. Sources: storify.com
the talon • 31
clawsure
Quiz: What Generation Are You Part Of? Find out when you were born, even if you already know! Michael Borger and Faria Nasruddin Directions: For every answer a, award yourself 4 points. For every answer b, 3 points. For every answer c, 2 points. For every answer d, 1 point. For every answer e, 0 points. What are your favorite television shows? a) The Lawrence Welk Show, Jack Benny Program, b) Dragnet, M*A*S*H, Leave it to Beaver c) Three’s Company, The X-Files, The Brady Bunch d) Friends, Saved by the Bell, Full House e) Game of Thrones, Modern Family, Breaking Bad What are your favorite songs? a) “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong b) “She Loves You” by the Beatles, “Get Together” by the Youngbloods c) “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, “Like a Prayer” by Madonna d) “...Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears, “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC e) “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele What type of pants do you usually wear to school? a) Polyester Trousers b) Bell Bottoms c) Ripped Jeans d) Skinny Jeans e) Sweatpants & Leggings What is your favorite mode of communication? a) Telegram b) Landline c) Email d) Texting e) Emojis What is your favorite hairstyle? a) Crewcut b) Shag c) Mullet d) Frosted Tips, the Jennifer Aniston e) Weaves, Manbuns What are your favorite movies? a) Gone with the Wind, Casablanca b) American Graffiti, Easy Rider c) Silence of the Lambs, Sixteen Candles d) American Pie, Mean Girls e) Frozen, the Avengers What are your favorite book series? a) Dick & Jane, Little House on the Prairie b) Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew c) Fudge, Encyclopedia Brown d) Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings
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e) The Hunger Games, Divergent What is your dream job? a) Being a War Soldier b) Being a Doctor c) Being a Lawyer d) Being an Actor e) Being a Youtuber Results: 26–32 points: You are a member of the Greatest Generation. You went to go fight in World War II, returned home, and married that lucky spouse of yours. Afterwards, you had a quaint life residing on a rural farm in the outskirts of Mississippi. You drove to work at the factory at the crack of dawn and would only leave at the start of dusk. The good ‘ole days of death and disease. 20–25 points: You are a Baby-Boomer. There were way too many of you in the wild, which likely had something to do with the prevalent Hippie subculture that you and your friends enjoyed. Tie-dye was all the rage, and who cares that the government was testing out LSD on your loved ones? You certainly didn’t – you were too busy hoping that your country would get to the moon first. 14–19 points: You are part of Generation X. You watched the reports on Vietnam while waiting patiently as the Cold War intensified. But, you rarely concerned with anything except for the recently created MTV. Grunge bands and growling lead singers trumped any worries you had. Your angsty teenager phase never ended and likely never will, despite your mid-life crisis. 8–13 points: You are a Millennial. You rage against the corporate machine, except when you’re getting a non-fat Starbuck frappuccino with extra whip. You never stop texting on your new smartphone, even while driving, and you think that Thursday afternoon yoga will really help with your karma. You dish out all the advice you saw on Mean Girls, are terribly indecisive, and can not get enough of the Backstreet Boys. You may have reigned at your high school, but you’re now second-class to the younger kids. 0-6 points: You are part of Generation Me. You are current, yet eager to stay on your couch and browse Netflix. Shonda Rhimes is the best, but not as good as bands seemingly comprised of prepubescent boys. You fangirl too hard, and you think that you’re awkwardly cute when you’re just basic. You argue that the school should replace its yearbook photos with your best candid selfies and that you identify strongly with feminism. The latest social movements are all meticulously documented on your instagram and snapchat accounts. Even with your increased awareness of social issues, you sometimes just can’t even . . . communicate properly in your native language. Bye, Felicia!