The Willow Project

Do our voices really matter?

Jasmine Noone Copy Editor

ConocoPhillips is an energy company that has explored and drilled for oil in Alaska over the past few decades. ConocoPhillips proposed the Willow Project, a huge, decadeslong oil drilling plan, that was originally approved by the Trump administration in 2020. On March 13th, 2023, the Willow Project was approved by the Biden administration, causing controversy. The drilling would be on Alaska’s North Slope in the national Petroleum Reserve, which holds an estimated 600 million barrels of oil. However, it would take years for the oil to reach the market because the project has not yet been constructed, leaving us only with detrimental consequences in the meantime.

The Willow Project would provide access to a significant amount of oil that would prolong and intensify the reliance on fossil fuels, which could escalate the climate crisis. Furthermore, if com- pleted, the Willow Project would release 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere annually. The negative impacts of the project, including harm to local animal populations, degradation of the region’s air quality, spills, and leaks, have brought major concerns to many locals and environmentalists, and people are not staying quiet.

Over one million letters were written to the White House to protest the project, and several petitions were started, including the change.org petition, which gained more than five million signatures. On social media platforms, especially TikTok, there have been thousands of posts spreading awareness about the detrimental effects the project would have, while encouraging people to fight back.

The pushback did not just take place on the internet. Environmentalists fought against the Willow Project in court, requesting to halt immediate construction related to the project, as they worried that noise from blasting and road construction could affect wild- marks. Furthermore, the chemistry between the two main actors makes their dynamic in the movie feel real and authentic. Their conversations are sincere, and full of warmth, love, humor, and compassion from their very first interaction. It covers themes of love, dedication, and sacrifice all while maintaining successful comedy. Due to Lucy’s condition, her father is overprotective of her and finds it daunting to accept the fact his daughter could find love, since she suffers from such a serious condition. The film demonstrates his gradual acceptance of Henry and their relationship, as he learns to prioritize his daughter’s feelings over his fears. The movie also has great supporting actors in addition to the main romance. These individuals provide the film with richness and humor, such as Rob Schneider’s portrayal of Ula, a Hawaiian native who offers Henry guidance on his journey of love. Not to forget the fun soundtrack used by the movie which includes several of my favorite songs, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys, “Another Day” by Paul Mcartney, “Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips, and many more. “50 First Dates” is Adam Sandler’s best rom-com because of its original idea, chemistry of its actors, emotional depth, stunning setting, catchy music, fantastic supporting actors, and critical and box office success. Whenever you get the chance, definitely give this movie a watch, or a re-watch, or a re-re-watch, or a…you get the point! life. However, they lost the fight on April 3rd, 2023, when the U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected this idea, declaring that ConocoPhillips Alaska could go ahead with construction work. Gleason said that the ConocoPhillips’ construction work is less harmful than the Willow Project as a whole, and she was not shown the irreparable damage the construction would cause.

Although many people are protesting the project, it is hard to make change when there are many leaders on the opposing side. ConocoPhillips Alaska sees this project as an opportunity because it could create up to 2500 jobs during construction, and 300 long-term jobs overall. Additionally, there would be billions of dollars of revenue generated for federal, state, and local governments in Alaska. Supporters also say new oil will ensure the U.S. has a reliable and domestic supply of energy, which will limit the country’s dependence on oil suppliers run under authoritarian regimes.

With Biden’s approval of the project, one can see that the decisions on this project and many other climate decisions are beyond the control of the general public. If this is the case, how can we make our voices heard in protests trying to protect the earth? Despite many fights against major corporations, there seems to rarely be any successful intervention. This has been especially felt with regards to the Willow Project. Millions of people signed petitions against the project, and yet the outcome was still the same. It seems as though any efforts made, whether online or in court, have been entirely ineffective. Everyone is aware of the negative effects this project will have on the earth, but what can we do to save our planet if all our efforts are ignored? Major corporations, courts, and leaders need to see that the potential profit is not worth the consequences. The futures of today’s youth have to be more important than money made from the destruction of the earth. We speak out on social media because it is familiar, it is what we know, but how can we get people to listen?

Reflecting on my experiences with English class.

Rowen Uy Head Copy Editor

When I was four years old, I read my first novel. It was a simple story, easy to read and easy to learn; your classic beginner novel. But I was four, I wasn’t expected to be reading about complicated moral dilemmas and conflicts. It was my first introduction to the art of English.

When I was six, I wrote my first paragraph. I learned to express my emotions through the art of writing, instead of merely crying and yelling. I learned to pour my soul onto the page, to hold my pen with my heart and let the words pour out. It was writing that was my first coping mechanism, the first way I could truly express myself and escape from the world I was living in.

I used to love reading. When I wasn’t at school, you would find me trapped within the pages of a book, my mind off in a distant land, laid out in front of me by the words on the page. When I was a child, my imagination was wild. My room was lined with bookshelves, lined to the brim with stories of discovery and adventure, or tales of destruction and freedom. I would stay up past my bedtime, hiding underneath my bedsheets with my flashlight in my hand as I read into the wee hours of the morning. These stories built my life. They became my last resort, my comfort place. I grew to love the characters and the fantastical worlds that they lived in; places where I could escape and be free from judgment.

I used to love writing. I used to dream of one day writing my own fantastical world into existence. I dreamt of open fields, of mountains that touched the sky, and of waves crashing into riverbanks. It was my greatest dream, to one day create my own world, that I could escape to when I needed a break. To make my own happy place.

In seventh grade, I was given the chance to write my own short story. I was ecstatic. I would finally have the chance to let my imagination run free. This was my first real chance to let my imagination run wild and free.

I haven’t felt that way in years.

English class killed my imagination. It tied down my wings and chained me to the ground. It roped in my dreams and took the pen out of my heart and into my hand.

My grade seven short story assignment taught me to follow the guidelines, not my heart. It taught me to follow the expecta- tions, not my imagination. And this is what English class does. It takes away the creativity of the writer in favour of creating a machine that endlessly pumps out textbook pieces of writing.

Art is a means of speaking through the soul. A creative outlet for artists to express themselves through a means that words cannot describe. You wouldn’t ask a painter to stick to colour by number sheets. You wouldn’t ask a musician to only play scales in certain key signatures.

These are artists, creators, and dreamers who think and live outside of the box. Who stretch the limits of what is possible by breaking the norm. Why then, do we learn to stay within the confinements of restricting parameters when learning to write?

In seventh grade, I ignored the limits placed on me and wrote with my heart. I got a 70. The feedback; “You didn’t write the story the way I wanted you to write it.” And it goes beyond writing.

I haven’t read a book for fun in five years. I went from a curious child who would read whenever I could, to a melancholy teenager who sees reading as a chore. You may blame this change on technology, on the piece of glass I carry in my pocket. You may blame me for not making an effort to enrich my mind. Not me. I blame English class.

I used to read to explore. English class taught me to read critically. To analyze everything. Every word choice, every sentence structure, and every use of punctuation seemed to have a meaning. We’d spend hours upon hours analyzing a single paragraph, trying to understand the meaning of a single paragraph when the answer was right there in the first sentence.

I understand that we must learn the English language in order to be able to effectively communicate ideas and maintain a conversation. I understand that being literate is crucial for the progression of our society. But criticizing imagination is taking this a step too far. Putting a limit on creativity teaches our society that there is no greater skill than being able to follow orders. It teaches that there is no greater accomplishment than to be able to churn out a five-paragraph essay that is exactly the same as everyone else’s. What happened to praising those who challenge the limits of what is possible?

English class is teaching us to follow the standards of what has been done before. It is telling us that exploring our imagination through creative writing is wrong, and that challenging the limits results in punishment.

Art, unlike something like math or science, is not something that can be quantified. One cannot place a numerical value on a piece of artwork, and one should not be placing similar expectations on English writing, which at its core, is another form of artwork. We need to stop teaching students how to write a simple five-paragraph essay that mimics the works of all who have come before them and start praising the adventure and creativity that is inherent inside each of us. I might never read a book again. English class has locked down my imagination, sealed the cage in which it is contained, and thrown away the key. Maybe one day, another child like me will come along and not be confined by their seventh-grade English teacher and will learn to spread their wings and write with their heart. I wish that was me, but alas, I can only imagine.