2019-2020 Issue 1

ISSUE 1

Beauty

FREE

W

l et t er from t h e EDITOR

elcome to the first issue of this year’s Chariot magazine! We are exuberant to bring you one of the many magazines that will be published in the 20192020 school year. With a new school year and a new decade comes an advancement of highly sophisticated and fervid articles written by the very talented students of Johns Creek High School. This year, as a student-run newspaper, we want to accentuate the students, teachers and events within the school that deserve to be communicated with others. One way we are materializing this is by recapping the summer of Johns Creek students, done by Drew Peljovich and Annabelle Buchanan, as well as including a spread on Friday Night Lights by junior staff writer, Claire Federico.The editors and staff writers have been working assiduously to assemble this issue, which will set the expectations for the year ahead. We hope to bring a creative and independent outlook on matters around Johns Creek and across the globe.

Sadly, we were forced to say goodbye to our former advisor, Mr. Hedden, who was a prominent figure in the development and success of the Chariot. After so many years with him by our side, it was difficult to see Mr. Hedden pass the torch along, but we are grateful to be advised by another adept and helpful teacher, Ms. Alred. We give a special thanks to Ms. Alred for taking on this role and be-

ing cooperative from the very beginning.

The cover piece is centered around unrealistic beauty expectations and the pernicious effects it has on today’s society. Editor-in-Chief, Dani Blank and Design Editor, Emily Miller, created a masterful testimony on this current generation of teenagers, who grew up in the digital age, thus encountering a multitude of problems regarding body image and self-confidence. Many of people’s insecurities emanate from their constant comparisons of themselves to others on social media, despite the falsity of these platforms which incorporate many edits and modifications of the original.

The cover story features commentary and input from students across the school population and encompasses the beauty standards which many high schoolers feel obliged to meet.

Sophmore staff writer, Gracie Kwon, elaborates on beauty standards of today’s generation, specifically emphasizing the multitudinous aspects of body modifications and the frequency of them. Shifting away from that matter, Copy Editor, Ethan Mingoia, highlights the ubiquitious issue of the income gap in kids’ sports which plagues athletes all across the nation.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our first magazine released this year and are excited to make this the start of a great year!

BROOKE HALAK

Edit or-in-Chief

2 | ADAM KLAFTER

Table of Contents 04.news 4. SUMMER RECAP 6. ECONOMIC RECESSION 7. THE MANIPULATION OF YOUTUBE 8. SCHOOL UPDATES

Editor-in-chief Brooke Halak explores the controversy and copious viewpoints in the participation of transgender athletes in sport. Page 10

09. sport s 9. BLOCKOUTS & CBA 10. TRANSGENDER ATHLETES 11. AFFORDING YOUTH SPORTS

12. feature s 12. COVER STORY: UNREALISTIC BEAUTY STANDARDS 18. BODY MODIFICATIONS 19. RISE OF MINECRAFT 20. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS 22. TIK TOK 23. VSCO GIRL 24. MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT

26. opinions 26. FACEOFF: COMPANIES USING EDITING SOFTWARE FOR THEIR ADVERTISING 28. VIDEOGAMES AND GUNS 29. SHOULD WEALTHY PEOPLE DONATE TO CHARITY? 30. EQUAL PLAY, EQUAL PAY

Opinion editor Alec Grosswald writes about government regulation in video games, which have become increasingly violent over the years. Page 28 THE CHARIOT | 3

Summer Recap

DREW PELJOVICH, staff writer & ANNABELLE BUCHANAN, staff writer

Where did everyone travel to this summer?

Spain

Juniors Charles and Claire Federico had an unbelievable time experiencing the Iberian Peninsula. “We chartered a boat for 9 days off the coast of Spain. We sailed to all the different islands and saw the beautiful sites around the Balearic Sea.”

California

Senior Deborah Yoon vacationed on the West Coast. “I took a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco, stopping in Big Sur along the way.

Driving through the landscape was surreal, I loved rolling the windows down and just driving through.”

Colombia

Freshman and senior Isabella & Sofia Coppola visited their families in Cali, Colombia. “We stayed in Cali for 3 weeks with our family. On weekends, we used to go down to the farm to climb trees, ride horses, and cut sugarcane.”

4|

A

s a famous TV show once said, “There’s 104 days of summer vacation, and school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it?” So how did the Johns Creek High School students spend it? Most people went out of town over the summer, while 31% went to summer camp and 26% just stayed at home.

Plain and simple, 2019 was a huge blockbuster summer: Spider-Man Far From Home ranked in at $1.1 billion worldwide, the fourth installment of the Toy Story Franchise made a similar $1.0 billion worldwide and the Men in Black reboot cameg in much lower at only $252.6 million worldwide This summer has seen its fair share of box office hits. Disney’s The Lion King made $192 million in its opening weekend alone, proving that the corporation can keep making remakes and people will watch. It’s clear: Audiences trying to escape the boiling heat under this summers’ sun, instead, flocked to theatres to watch their favorite new movies.

Around the Creek: While the summer sun beat down on Johns Creek, the student athletes were hard at work getting ready for the fall sports. The football team went through summer conditioning while cross country runners practiced for the long season ahead. Inside the school, new desks and chairs replaced many of the old wooden ones that we’ve used for so long. Outside the school, the Johns Creek community spent their summer in a variety of ways. From a fourth of July fireworks party in Newtown park, to the Jonas Brothers concert and tubing down the Chattahoochee, students around the creek had a blast.

Israel

Junior Katie Hurwitz got the chance to explore Israel. “I went to Israel through HSI, high school in Israel, where I took a Jewish History class. I went hiking at Masada, went floating in the Dead Sea, and toured the ancient sites at Jerusalem.”

South Korea and Taiwan

Junior Patrick Cho traveled across the Pacific for over a month and a half. “We did a lot of eating, shopping, and hanging out with relatives.

My favorite part of the trip was being with my grandpa, who I do not get to see often."

Tanzania

Freshmen Brock Palmer and Jake Gilmore traveled to Tanzania on a mission trip. They said they really enjoyed working with the children through teaching vacation bible school at the local church, but they were most disappointed they did not see any elephants.

THE CHARIOT | 5

T

THE WARNING SIGNALS ECONOMIC RECESSION

he JEFFERY SHEN, news editor conflict over an upcoming recession plagues the minds of Americans everywhere. The U.S. bond market - in combination with the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China- recently sent a glaring indicator of an upcoming recession this August with no solution in sight. A slowing global economy is pressuring banks and businesses to act fast. Due to lowered borrowing rates and the “tit-for-tat” tariff war between Washington and Beijing business sentiment id being weighed down.

The bond market is the largest indicator of an upcoming recession. The U.S.s 10-year Treasury note inverted in August to be lower than the two-year yield.

Put into simpler terms, investors have greater confidence in the economic performance of the U.S. in the next two years rather than the next 10 years. The bond market is such a certain indicator of recession that it has predicted the last seven recessions, were on average 22 months after an inversion.“I think it’s yet another recession signal ... and I don’t know which one is the scariest … It’s complicated by the ratcheting up in trade tensions, but right now it seems that the current stance of monetary policy is insufficiently accommodative,” said John Hill, rate strategist at the Bank of Montreal..

The 10-year yield was at 1.688 percent while the two-year yield rested at 1.672 percent.

Corporate profits have tanked in line with the yield inversion. Analysts estimated S&P 500 earnings growth for 2019 to be around 7.6 percent last December, one of the largest trading stock markets that signal for growth. That number is now around 2.3 percent, a substantial decline. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, both some of the largest banking groups, have both reduced 2019 and 2020 earning estimates, citing a sluggish economy.

Although many recession indicators are now flashing red, a period of sluggish growth may be more likely than an outright recession. It is very plausible that the economy could only experience a rough patch of economic growth without reaching the tipping point of recession.

While there are plenty of recession indicators, other indicators such as consumer spending all show healthy amounts of growth.

No indicators conclusively show the U.S. is surely heading towards recession, but the coming months will be key to watch U.S. economic opportunities.

6|

The Manipulation of Youtube CARLY BLANK, features editor

F

rom “Me at the Zoo,’’ the first video posted on YouTube in April of 2005, to today, roughly 300 hours of footage are posted every minute. Youtube has undergone many changes in the last 14 years, resulting in the creation of new career: the Youtuber.

While it is a risky occupation due to easily swayed public interests, if a YouTuber succeeds, the profits are enormous.

For most YouTubers, the path towards millions of subscribers - and millions of dollars - lies in creating and manipulating a dedicated viewership. This desire for fame leads to the cultivation of parasocial relationships, wherein regular people associate affections to celebrities.

“A person invests emotional energy and attachment in a media figure, and they develop a sense of kinship and intimacy that make them feel as though they know the celebrity even though the celebrity has no idea they exist,” explains Arienne Ferchaud of the Florida State University School of Communication.

The Youtuber benefits from a strong relationship with their fans. Obviously, they make money through posting - on average three to five dollars per 1,000 views, but

influencers can generate a profit in other ways. By partnering with brands, they can advertise products within their videos. Furthermore, many YouTubers create their own merchandise to sell to fans that are usually very overpriced. All of this, however, requires a lot of fans that are willing to invest in the creator.

Even if a YouTuber is not advertising a specific product, they are promoting a lifestyle to their viewers. By using casual wording and catchphrases, influencers create a sense of familial closeness with their fans. The way YouTube is structured helps facilitate the creator-fan relationship in a new way. Viewers can like and dislike videos and leave comments to easily transmit their thoughts to the YouTuber.

YouTube is the number one platform among teens, and creators can find it easy to manipulate their naivety. Often in these parasocial relationships, fans forget how one-sided it is. It is important to remember in a time where media is increasingly social, that a YouTubers don’t care how the viewers feel, as their main goal is to just profit off its viewers.

THE CHARIOT | 7

Updates Around the Creek BY: JUSTIN VEXLER, staff writer

T

he school year is in full swing and Johns Creek High School has made some new and exciting improvements for this year. From the fields to the classrooms, The Creek has been upgraded for a better school experience.

One significant change is the upgrade from Home Access Center to Infinite Campus for an enhanced grading and scheduling experience for both students and teachers.

This shift allows for an augmented way for students to check their grades and keep up with their assignments in an easily operated app.

Outside the building, Johns Creek has also revamped the football field with new turf. This upgraded turf is more environmentally friendly than a grass field because of the decrease in maintenance, all the while, saving the school money. In addition, recent improvements in artificial turf have resulted in an injury rate

8 | ADAM KLAFTER

that is significantly lower than with a natural grass field.

Another important change at JCHS is the addition of a flex period in-between second and third period. This period is designed to give students time for extra help or enrichment opportunities. Now, students will have more control in how they’re using their time. Student choice results in more enthusiastic learners. Flex period creates great opportunities for students; however, it reduces the amount of class time for the other periods as well. As a result of core classes being reduced, teachers had to adjust their lesson in order to fit their material in the shortened class periods.

Johns Creek High School has made some innovative and exceptional changes to make the school its best. Whether it is with the athletic programs or in class, Johns Creek continues to move forward in trying to create the most enjoyable school experience for both students and staff.

CBA AND HOLDOUTS

T

he year 1968 was historic for the National Football League (NFL). The league saw the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) defeat the Baltimore Colts to put an end to the NFL’s dominance, and Marlin Briscoe of the Denver Broncos became the first African American quarterback to start in the “modern NFL”. Among these momentous events, members of the NFL Player’s Association (NFLPA) voted to go on strike in hopes of raising salaries, pensions, and benefits. After team owners locked out these players for eleven days, the first Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in pro sports was born.

Two years later in 1970, the players would again go on strike, but this only lasted a mere four days. Medical and pension programs would be altered, and this was seen as the first bode of confidence for the NFLPA. For the next two decades, the NFL saw a trend of two major events each decade: a strike and an agreement. In the 80’s, negotiators signed an agreement granting a new severance pay benefit while introducing a new nine game regular season. Five years later, players would vote to go on strike during the actual season forcing coaches to essentially find players off the street to compete in the NFL. An agreement would be reached in October, at the dismay of league owners, that the new CBA would implement an unlimited free agency system. Players and owners would peacefully coexist until 2010 when the 1993 CBA had finally expired. New commissioner Roger Goodell demanded pay cuts under the dreaded cap system, and the players inevitably were locked out again after myriad court cases and filed grievances. This was the longest work stoppage to date, lasting four months. The CBA we now know today included a multitude of health and safety benefits, but also what fans perceived as the end

X

of the bruising gladiator sport played throughout the 20th century.

Evidently players holding out for a cause they believe in is nothing new, but in the modern era, players seemingly have created a culture of it. Several key players year in and year out skip training camp over contract holdouts, but Le’Veon Bell’s infamous 2018 season long protest was something never seen before.

This season, fans are still left in the unknown about the availability of Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliot.

The similarity between these holdouts are that they are all running backs, who are known to play a more demanding and physical style of football, and with this, want more guaranteed money in their contracts if and when injuries occur. Teams can maneuver their way around this with the fifth year option for first round draft picks and the franchise tag after that, and players rightfully feel stuck in this system.

Thirteen year NFL defensive tackle Jason Ferguson had this to say regarding the holdouts: “I understand his (Le’Veon’s) want for a more security...but if I was a fellow teammate I would say no I don’t think he should have held out this long. In the end, he is being fined for not attending practices.”

There are several issues players are begging the NFL to fix in the next CBA, and Ferguson hopes for “lifetime insurance after they are vested.” “They should receive mental and health insurance for life. They should receive mandatory brain scans and MRIs and receive disability benefits where needed” said Ferguson.

With the CBA expiration on the rise in 2020 and players such as Richard Sherman all but confirming a strike, fans are left to wait and see on the status of the new agreement and enjoy football while they can.

MATT PRESS, sports editor (Signature)

THE CHARIOT | 9

Transgender Athletes

M

ost people’s childhoods are comprised of playing tag, capture the flag and numerous other games with their friends. Yet with age, people discovered that in sports, boys should compete against boys and girls should compete against girls. Why is that?

The answer essentially lies in the disparity of the hormones and body composition between males and females. The anatomical observation of this issue seems straightforward, but not when someone is born a sex different to what they truly identify as.

In 2003, the participation of athletes who had undergone sex reassignment was permitted in the Olympics, however, these guidelines were modified to restrict testosterone levels in late 2015. Trans women would now, in order to compete, comply with the guidelines.

In other sports however, transgenders- specifically trans women- have received significant hate over their participation in sports, such as sprint cyclist Rachel McKinnon who won her category in track cycling.

This backlash is common for transgender athletes who cannot completely conform to society’s expectations in sports. Many professional athletes call for a complete ban of transgender women in women’s sports, asserting that a man could decide to take women’s hormones and identify as a women, only to convert back to a male after winning in their sport. Others argue that in sports such as powerlifting, transgender women

10 | ADAM KLAFTER

BROOKE HALAK, editor-in-chief

are at an advantage because of their naturally larger bone structure, higher bone density, stronger connective tissue, and higher muscle density than women.

Conversely, this means transgenders are excluded from the norm, unable to compete in their sport despite their hard work and training because of their unfortunate assigned sex at birth. Many argue that this denies them from their rights all because of the theory that someone could use this hormone treatment to commit fraud.

Others corroborate that the actual gender dysphoria diagnosis lasts 6-12 months before someone can transition to another gender and includes various treatments assessing if it is an honest attempt to transition genders.

No matter your perspective on this issue, it is important to identify the copious perspecztives and reasonings in this dispute. After all, this is no childhood game, and it affects the lives of every professional athlete, whether they were born to their identified gender or not.

Affording Youth Sports

a $3,000 check to get their kids on super teams from two counties, or two states away,” said Tom Farrey, the executive director of Aspen’s Sports & Society program.

These expensive costs to play in travel leagues siphon off talented young athletes from well-off families, leaving behind desiccated local leagues with fewer players, fewer involved parents, and fewer resources. This construct is disproportionately based on whether you come from a family with money.

The result is a classist system of the travel-team “talents” and the local “leftovers.”

In short, the American system of youth sports has become a pay-toplay machine that is serving the talented, and often rich, individual at the expense of the collective.

ETHAN MINGOIA , copy editor

F

rom Little League to the omnipresent suburban soccer field, youth sports in the U.S. have long been considered important to the childhood for the typical American. However, the rising cost of playing sports in this age of meritocracy, coupled with rising economic inequality, is increasingly leading poor and even middle-class families to hang up their cleats.

The share of children ages six to twelve who play a team sport on a regular basis declined from 41.5 percent in 2011 to 37 percent in 2017, according to a recent report from the Aspen Institute. Going back to 2008, participation is lower across categories including basketball, flag football, and soccer, and in extreme cases like baseball, participation is down about 20 percent.This decline of youth sports participation is a story about American inequality; not about American childhood expectancies.

According to CBS News, “The typical family with kids who play sports spends about $700 a year on fees, equipment and more, but some spend up to $35,000.” “Kids’ sports has seen an explosion of travel-team culture, where rich parents are writing

THE CHARIOT | 11

COVER STORY

BEAUTY

12 | DANI B & EMILY M

DANI BLANK, editor in chief and EMILY MILLER, design editor

A

young girl stares herself up and down in the mirror. Dejected with what she sees, she coats layers of thick mascara onto her lashes to mimic the long luscious ones of the girls she envies. She clamps a straightener along her disheveled mane — embarrassed to even be seen sporting her natural curls. She tries on seven outfits, each one highlighting a flaw that she is determined to hide. After finally settling on an ensemble that shrinks her waist and elongates her legs, her newfound confidence plummets the second she walks into school. She can’t help but notice girls with silkier hair, longer legs, clearer skin, or brighter smiles. She opens her phone to see social media filled with perfect girls advertising bathing suits that wouldn’t look the same on her, and gorgeous models showing off teeth whiteners that would never be enough to hide her crooked smile. Ashamed to be seen, she sulks through the hallways feeling anything but beautiful.

In reality, the insecure girl possesses a beauty that the entire school resents.

Her “disheveled mane” cascades down her back in thick curly locks. Yet, she can only manage to notice its flaws.

Teenagers today struggle to feel beautiful because of the constant opportunity for comparison to unrealistic individuals online and on social media.

Beauty is simply defined as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic

senses,” but the single word is so powerful that it has shaped society into a jumble of unattainable standards.

On social media, the phrase or image of a “model body” triggers an array of emotions that circulate an insecure mind. These words paint a picture of a tiny waisted, long legged, smooth skinned, tall bodied, stunning girl.

This unachievable image has been created and encouraged by not just modelling companies, but any company that wishes to have models display their product. Because of this expected and set ideal image of perfection, companies are nearly forced to stick to their“beauty laws” and represent their brand in accordance with its portrayal of “perfection.” In effect, advertising companies have created a beauty ideal that is physically impossible to achieve. Thus, the beauty industry has caused impressionable young women to feel the need to look like the people they see on posters, billboards and runways. It is almost impossible to have the towering height, flat stomach, cellulite-free thighs, blonde hair and bright blue eyes that are seen so frequently in magazines and on social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. From the amount of likes people receive on a post, to the amount of comments or followers someone has, the constant desire to be like someone else is an unfortunate truth that surrounds younger generations.

THE CHARIOT | 13

From the moment we wake up, the first thing most people do is instinctively reach for their phones and submerge themselves in an alternate reality. This alternate reality, more commonly known as social media, is an outlet for thousands of celebrities and role-models to document their workout routines, eating habits, and other aspects of their lifestyle that contribute to the way they flawlessly appear online. While one is seemingly mindlessly scrolling through irrelevant content, his or her natural subconscious is actually soaking in all of the perfectly formed bodies and faces and accepting the standard that he or she will compare everything else to. Ironically, the people that are supposed to be positively influencing today’s generations are the ones setting impractical standards for teenagers to measure themselves up against. There is no doubt that the stigma surrounding social media is one of insecurity, as it forces teenagers to think they must fulfill an unrealistic beauty standard set by influencers around them.

Not only do teenagers compare themselves to unrealistically edited influencers online, but they

also compare themselves to their classmates around them. Scrolling through instagram only to stumble upon your peers with their hips cocked at the perfect angle to make their legs look half the size that they look in person

14 |DANI B & EMILY M

affects girls’ impressions of their own body. They walk through the halls envying other girls’ features as they look down with a distorted view of their own. To prove how hard the topic hits home, we surveyed students around Johns Creek and found that an overwhelming 78 percent of students admit to comparing their looks to others’ at school. Teenagers subconsciously examine the outfits or hairstyles of those around them and question their own. Are her shoes cooler than mine? Are mine out of style? How did she get her hair so straight and smooth? Are those jeans more flattering than mine?

These self-deprecating questions are avoided at many schools with the requirement of a school uniform.

Some argue that this suppresses creativity and self expression, but in doing so, it allows students to feel confident and go about their days without feeling judged.

However, this only eliminates the insecurity that teenagers experience from comparing their belongings to their peers, not the comparison of their bodies or features to their peers. Over 50 percent of Johns Creek students admitted to working out because they are unhappy with the way their body looks. This group of students is not only insecure with their body but they also have gone as far as to take measures to adjust the way their

body looks. This group of students is not only insecure with their body but they also have gone as far as to take measures to adjust the way their body looks. Obviously exercise is a healthy way of going about this, but it can quickly lead to body dysmorphia, eating disorders, or other unhealthy ways of attempting to alter your body, directly because of students’ desire to look like people they see around them or online. Body image issues are relatively universal — girls and boys can both feel unhappy with the way their body is shaped when they look in the mirror. But there are certain insecurities that pertain more to girls than to boys: hair and makeup.

Makeup: an absolute must in most girls daily routines.

Girls around the world religiously layer on mascara to make their eyelashes look thick and dark, bronze their cheekbones and jawline to give a natural contour and sharp facial features, fill in their eyebrows

in an attempt to give them the perfect shape and color, brush various eyeshadow colors onto their eyelids to make them pop out and look bigger, and

wear concealer to cover any acne and natural freckles. Whether you are using makeup to cover your insecurities and imperfections or as an attempt to make yourself more beautiful, you are at fault for letting society’s image of beauty consume your identity.

Twenty-five percent of girls at Johns Creek specifically feel uncomfortable without makeup on at school, mostly because of common insecurities like acne, scars, skin discoloration, short eyelashes, and thin eyebrows. Even though the other 75 percent of girls claim to feel comfortable in public or at school without makeup, a large majority of them still prefer to and have the urge to wear it in order to cover flaws or feel more beautiful and confident.

“ 78% of Johns Creek students admit to comparing their looks to others’ at school ”

THE CHARIOT | 15

Similar to the way that girls use makeup to “fix” their face, girls often use heat on their hair to change the way it looks in hopes of feeling more beautiful. An overwhelming 78 percent of girls surveyed at Johns Creek use heat on their hair at least once a week, about half of which use it 3 or more times a week. These results demonstrate the monumental effect that societal expectations have on young teenage girls. Girls with straight hair desire the thick wavy hair that they can’t achieve, while girls with curly hair long for other girls’ thin straight

16 | DANI B & EMILY M

strands; thus they wake up each day with time to run a flat iron along their unruly hair.

Between itching for prettier hair, hiding flaws with makeup, and working out to achieve the ideal figure, the desire to feel beautiful has a drastic effect on lives, especially in the generation of current teenagers.

Social media and advertisements evidently play a substantial role in the accessibility of images to compare oneself to, but regardless of where the insecurities are derived from, they are increasingly harsh and degrading.

Young girls shouldn’t feel ashamed of their body. Teenage boys shouldn’t feel uncomfortable with natural acne. No one should subconsciously feel obligated to meet and live up to the unrealistic standards society displays around them. Unrealistic beauty standards have a harmful effect on society and, unfortunately, can cause young teenagers to have distorted views of their natural beauty. Today there are new companies, clubs and groups created with the goal of empowering young women in mind. Commercials have recently showed new diversity in an attempt to destroy the harsh standards that society sets for young women. From having a curvier

model flaunt their jeans to showcasing a pale freckled girl on a makeup billboard, companies have recently attempted to undo the harmful effects of their past mistakes. It is crucial that teenagers empower each other and embrace their inner and outer beauty to overcome the setbacks that society has challenged them with.

THE CHARIOT | 17

Body Modification GRACIE KWON, staff writer an attempt to achieve so-called “perfection” but cosmetic surgery is also very costly. The expenses for a single cosmetic procedure can range anywhere from 137 to 5,992 dollars which are typically paid out-of-pocket by the patient.

Other than cosmetic surgery, there are much cheaper forms of body modification such as tattoos. 70 percent of those who have tattoos have more than one and 20 percent have more than five tattoos.

In the United States, “38 percent of young people ages 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo,” Pew Research Center study said, and “...of the young people with tattoos, roughly 72 percent [of all tattoos] were covered and not visible.”

In today’s society, the opinion on tattoos is greatly divided. Those who agree with tattoos view them as a statement with emotional and personal value to them. Even if the symbol, image or saying may not have great importance, it is another form of self-expression. The opposing view is that tattoos tend to limit one’s abilities in society. For example, there are many jobs and careers where visible tattoos are not allowed.

Although tattoos could be removed, the permeance of a tattoo tends to make people question if it is really worth it. In addition to that, getting a tattoo in the first place can be quite ody modification is defined as an al- dangerous. With a needle injecting ink into the teration or addition to one’s physical dermis — tissue just underneath the outer layappearance. In recent years, forms er of the skin — tattoos could possibly lead to of body modification such as tattoos, pierc- several blood viruses such as hepatitis B or C ings and cosmetic surgery have become more and HIV if the needle was not cleaned properly. widespread and even considered trendy. Perhaps the mildest form of body modification “Since 1997, there has been a 279 percent is piercings. The most common type of piercing increase in the total number of cosmetic is the high-ear cartilage followed by the navel procedures,” the American Society for Aes- and tongue. Not only are they a form of fashion thetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reported. and self-expression, but piercings can easily be “In the last decade, the total number of removed. Along with the high cost, however, plastic surgeries has increased by 98 per- there is a risk of infection after getting pierced. A cent, a tremendous increase…,” Dr. Jenni- piercing costs on average 20 to 55 dollars for earfer Whitlock from VeryWell Health said. lobes, ear cartilage or cheek while it costs around With the high demands in our society to look a 30 to 65 dollars for the eyebrow, nose or navel. certain way, it is easy for people to find them- No matter the impact, tattoos, piercings and selves self-conscious when they do not quite fit cosmetic surgery are all forms of body modifithose standards, and therefore, turn to plastic cation that have become drastically more comsurgery. Knowing that there is a way to become mon in recent years. Although there are high the “perfect” version of one’s own self visual- costs and risks, they are all ways of expressly, however, can lead to an addiction. Not only ing one’s self and embracing one’s own beauty. is it harmful to constantly be under a blade in

B

18 | EMILY M & DANI B

Rise in Minecraft AARON BASHUK, staff writer Minecraft has undergone a massive change in 2019; it upgraded from a “cringy” kids game to the most popular video game of the year, surpassing even Fortnite.

Minecraft started to gain traction early in 2019 with popular Twitch streamers like Greekgodx and xQc playing it. Although there was criticism at first, viewers began to realize the immense possibilities or content that Minecraft provided.

And as the demand for Minecraft content rapidly increased, many more creators started playing it.

Keemstar, a YouTuber with over 5,000,000 subscribers, even went as far as to create an immensely popular tournament for Minecraft that is still running today called “Minecraft Monday.” This tournament is massively popular pulling in over 1,000,000 viewers from over 30 different channels. Minecraft became so popular that the largest individual on YouTube, Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg, created a Minecraft series that has caused a massive boost in the popularity of his YouTube channel, which propelled him to be the first individual to hit 100,000,000 subscribers. He uploaded a video titled “Addressing the Rumors,” which was basically an update vlog.

“Minecraft has completely taken over, and I have to say, I absolutely love it. It’s been so much fun.

There’s been so much positivity with channel and all the content.

Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock

People want more videos and feeling like that was such a good episode, I really enjoyed that. For me it has been so fun to follow, and hear from you guys how much you guys enjoy it” PewDiePie stated.

He goes on to explain that Minecraft has caused his channel to be the biggest and most supported it has ever been, as well as this being one of the most happy and fun times to make videos in the entirety of his YouTube career.

Almost everyone that grew up playing Minecraft has grown out of it and moved on to something new. The reason people played it in the first place was that it is a game in which you create your own story; you are the one that decides what to do, and it is a fantastic way for kids to be creative. But when all those kids had become teenagers, and Minecraft became childish, all the fans stopped playing in an effort to seem more mature. However, with its new revival, many people are starting to remember why Minecraft was such a great game in the first place.

FRIDAY NIGHT At Johns Creek, Friday nights are reserved for faces full of glitter, drum lines and most importantly, cheering on everybody’s favorite football team.

Friday Night Lights, a term originating from the 1990s novel Friday Night Lights, is now the phrase that is used to describe high school football games.

Although students are separated by classes and demanding schedules on the weekdays, FNL brings everyone together in a cluster of school energy.

Believe it or not, fashion is an important factor of the team spirit at football games. Whether the theme is blackout, neon, or even Hawaiian, students put forth their best effort towards dressing to impress on game nights.

Girls practically drench themselves in glitter and risk scrubbing it off their scalps and skin for days to follow. Mardi Gras beads of assorted colors pile up

20 | ADAM KLAFTER & DEBORAH YOON

on the students’ necks. And, of course, no student can be left without body paint from head to toe. Even if all you’re sporting is a plain t-shirt to match the theme, it can be agreed that the student section isn’t fully accomplished unless it resembles a wave of one united color.

Over the years, memories at Johns Creek football games have turned into traditions that boost the essence of spirit among students. The marching band is notorious for getting the student section hyped up during the drawn-out last quarters of the game.

The drumline makes their debut in front of the student section usually during the third or fourth quarter and revives the energy of the crowd. and the bleachers swell with fans, it becomes obvious that there truly is nothing like high school football.

T LIGHTS: FNL

CLAIRE FEDERICO, staff writer

Another unshakable tradition that has been established among students is the gathering for a post-game meal. Some prefer walking to the nearby Waffle House for a plate of hash browns and chocolate chip waffles, while others flock to Cook Out to enjoy a tray of burgers, nuggets and milkshakes. Nothing beats unwinding alongside best friends and unraveling the night’s events over a much needed fast food dinner.

For freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, Friday Night Lights is the ideal source of entertainment to end a stressful school week. Friday football games give Johns Creek a chance to congregate in an atmosphere of community pride.

Students, parents and teachers support the athletes and coaches that pour their hearts into the game. There is a genuine connection that exists between the players on the field and those in the stands, and

this unique connection cannot exist anywhere else. Once the Friday Night Lights illuminate and the bleachers swell with fans, it becomes obvious that there truly is nothing like high school football.

Johns Creek’s Favorite FNL Themes:

THE CHARIOT | 21

I

drag open my heavy eyelids enough to see that I am 10% behind on my online class, failing two APs, and rapidly losing time to apply for NHS, yet instead of taking action, I lay drowning my sorrows in the one thing that is keeping me going during these times of despair: TikTok. Like me, other teens this summer spent notable time doing their summer homework, hanging out with friends, and playing sports, but overall there was something bigger on their mind: Becoming TikTok famous. Formerly known as “Musical.ly,” TikTok was launched in China by app developer “ByteDance” in 2016.

Since its launch, TikTok has garnered more than 100 million downloads in the United States alone, and over 800 million worldwide.

Whether it’s spending hours mastering the perfect loop, racking their brains day and night for the newest original idea, or learning an intricate dance routine, the things kids do in hopes of getting famous on tik tok overrule any activity that is actually worth their time. Instead of actually doing summer homework, ACT prep, or college apps, students are simply ranting about them in TikToks.

Despite its appeal to comedy and creativity, TikTok’s time consuming effects may outweigh its positive side. The increased screen time that teenagers are experiencing due to an addiction to not just their phones but specifically to TikTok is taking a toll on their ability to dedicate appropriate time to school. If students don’t put effort into limiting their time on the app, their grades and schoolwork are bound to suffer.

However, tiktok will likely continue to play an influential role in the lives of teenagers.

In fact, there are a few famous TikTok stars among our Johns Creek student body. Junior Monte Barnett (@hmumonte) has over 22.6K followers and over 280K likes on his page.

“After that first DM from one of my fans, my life was changed forever. TikTok has been one of the greatest things to happen to me” he stated.

Another star, Tori Mckool has over a million likes on the app. She is even recognized by fans in class and COLN RAAD, staff writer around Johns Creek.

How long the app will continue to flourish is unknown, but in the meantime, TikTok will remain as one of the most popular and entertaining apps for teenagers in our generation.

TIKTOK

22 | Courtesy of Shutterstock

M

y alarm rings at 6:30 a.m. on the dot and I wake up ready for another great day at The Creek. I jump out of bed to appreciate the especially colorful tapestry pinned on my wall and initiate my wakeup playlist filled with Post Malone, Bazzi and Billie Elish.

While I scream the lyrics to “Thank You, Next” by Ariana Grande, I carefully apply my mascara. I slip on my oversized tee and Lululemon shorts, place my color-coordinated scrunchies on my wrist and head downstairs. I grab my Vera Bradley lunchbox, my Fjallraven Kanken backpack, my extra back-up scrunchies and hop in my Jeep around 8 am just so I can grab a quick drink at Starbucks before I head to school.

As I sip on my Kombucha, a tragedy comes across my mind: and I oop- I left my hydro flask at home. I speed down State Bridge, grab my beloved hydro flask and continue on my trek to school.

I arrive at school about twenty minutes late, but who cares about school when you are Tik Tok famous. After a few boring classes, I finally arrive at my favorite period: lunch.

My friends are all so happy for me when I pull out my newly designed hydro flask, flaunting all my new trendy stickers. Lunch was going well until Becca, who I thought was my friend, drinks out of a plastic cup with a plastic straw. Quickly, my friends and I move tables from Becca and continue to drink our water with metal straws. Ugh, Becca is such a disgrace; she doesn’t even care about saving the turtles! We then shift our focus to Tik Tok by comparing all of our “for you” page appearances, and, of course, I have the most.

After a tiring day of school, I kick off my white Air Forces and pull off my seashell choker. I decided to take a little bit of alone time by listening to the new Taylor Swift album and of course, making more Tik Toks.

Ultimately, I gained eight new followers today on Tik Tok, so today was another good day in the life of a typical VSCO girl.

“VSCO GIRL” KOLIN BRANDEIS, staff writer

THE CHARIOT | 23

MUSI C BACK TO LIFE

As the school year comes back into full swing, so does studying, football,stress, and everything else that comes along with the seemingly endless daily routine of high school. Back to Life puts you back in your groove with music that is pleasing to the ear and the mind.

1 . L O V E R I S A D A Y - C U C O 2 . T H E S E D A Y S - W A L L O W S 3 . L O S E R B E C K 4 . D I S C I P L E S - T A M E I M P A L A 5 . B E T T E D A V I S E Y E S - K I M C A R N E S 6 . K A R M A C H A M E L E O N - C U L T U R E C L U B 7 . P R U N E , Y O U T A L K F U N N Y - G U S D A P P E R T O N 8 . T O M O R R O W - K A L I U C H I S 9 . H A T E C D - S T E V E L A C Y 10. S H E W A N T S M Y M O N E Y - D O M I N I C F I K E 11. H A B I T - S T I L L W O O Z Y 12. F R O Y O - H A N S .

13. S U G A R - B R O C K H A M P T O N 14. S U M M E R - K E S H I 15. R E D R O S E S - L A U N D R Y D A Y 16. P A I N K I L L E R S - R A I N B O W K I T T E N S U R P R I S E 17. D R A E M G I R L - N O V A C A T I O N 18. R E T R O G R A D E - M A G G I E R O G E R S 19. V I E N N A - B I L L Y J O E L 20. E V E R Y T H I N G W I L L B E A L R I G \ H T

images courtesy of spotify

YOUR AUTUMN TOUR SCHEDULE

SEPTEMBER 09/20 09/22 09/28 09/30 24 |

Charli XCX Meek Mill/Future Yungblud/Missio Cuco

OCTOBER

10/3 Tyler, the Creator 10/9 Steve Lacy 10/18 Post Malone 10/31 Clairo

NOVEMBER

11/1 Elton John 11/12 Kim Petras 11/20 Brockhampton 11/23 Highly Suspect

why the cinematic universe (almost) never works

I

BY: EMMA BUONI, staff writer n 2008, a small production company called Marvel Studios created a movie that would either change how we view series forever or would lose millions of dollars at the box office. The studio was known for making superhero movies and wanted to start something which now rings familiar: a cinematic universe.

The rest of the story is history. Iron Man earned over 585.2 million dollars in worldwide box office gross, spawning a massive and iconic cinematic universe, recently having wrapped up the Infinity Saga.

Universal tried to do the same thing with their 2017 remake of The Mummy, excited to kick off Universal’s Dark Universe, a cinematic universe containing all of the Universal classic monsters, including the Wolfman, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and of course the Mummy. The only problem? The Mummy sucked.

The remake got negative reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, losing over 90 million dollars, and the next movie in their series (The Bride of Frankenstein) has been pushed back to an unknown date.

So what happened? For starters, the definition of a cinematic universe is a little hazy, but using Marvel as a standard, one can carefully pick apart a universe from a movie series. Two odd, but good examples of the two are the Star Wars series and the Eastrail #177 cinematic universe.

Star Wars is a series. Not a cinematic universe. While the film creates a universe, this is different from a cinematic one in a key way: they follow the same character. Cinematic universes can have direct sequels, but they have to spread around and explore other aspects of the world they have created. Star Wars has set trilogies, following a specific character, although the movies Rogue One and Solo are an indicator that Star Wars is trying to create a cinematic universe.

Eastrail #177 includes only three movies but is still a cinematic universe because of the scope it covers.

The first movie Unbreakable follows a sort of reluctant superhero, and the next movie, Split, isn’t even revealed to be connected to Unbreakable until David Dunn from the said movie appears and makes the connection. This is different from Star Wars in a key way; while the movie connects, they don’t explicitly cause each other’s events to happen. Tony Stark

didn’t cause aliens to invade New York. David Dunn didn’t cause the kidnapping of Casey. Luke, however, caused the relationship between Han and Leia to blossom. Cinematic universes need to be spread out and shouldn’t have to rely on the main character.

Cinematic universes look very attractive for movie studios today, and it’s easy to see why. It guarantees several movies for the future, and the studios save time and resources trying to come up with new ideas, and in general, the idea of the cinematic universe is pretty cool. So why has everyone else failed?

A big problem with cinematic universes is the pressure of the universe itself. If the first movie bombs, the entire universe could be doomed. Marvel has had a near-perfect track record, but if we’re being honest, a few of their movies shouldn’t have done very well. The cinematic universe is most famous for drawing in an audience who wants to know what happens next because to understand Captain America: The Winter Soldier, you need to see at least three other movies, thus creating revenue for the studio where there should be none.

In short terms; maybe you hated Dr. Strange but you knew one way or another, you had to see it if you wanted an idea of what was happening in Thor: Ragnarok.

But that’s the key with cinematic universes; the audience has to care. The thing that many cinematic universe failures have in common is they aren’t focused on a character; they’re focused on a concept.

Take Universal’s aforementioned failure. The stars of the show aren’t the protagonists, it’s the antagonist. We don’t want the monsters to succeed; we want Tom Cruise to succeed. There’s no string of heroes coming together like in Marvel. It’s just a bunch of well-known monsters that will eventually meet and probably fight. Cool, but there’s no lead.

It seems as though Marvel struck a gold mine that now everyone and their mother is trying to use. With Avengers: Endgame being over, it feels like a new era has come to the filmmaking industry, and maybe it has. Marvel ushered in a new era of movie-making, and it remains to be seen if anyone else can crack the code, or if Marvel was simply a lucky fluke.

THE CHARIOT | 25

face-off Should companies be allowed to airbrush and photoshop in ads?

26 |

yes

SAM BEAGLE, managing editor

W

ith the ever-evolving view of beauty, it is hard to draw a line between realistic and artificial beauty standards. Americans have grappled with this idea for hundreds of years, but 1987 marked a revolutionary year in body-image history: the invention of photoshop. A generally disliked tool in advertising and the beauty market, photoshop is simply misunderstood.

To realize the reason for employing photoshop requires looking through the eyes of those responsible for it.

From fashion photographers to graphic designers, many professions simply require more the ability to alter photos. A common misconception of these professionals is that their sole intention is to raise the societal bar of beauty to an unreachable level, a destination they don’t even attempt to land on. Their true endeavor in photo-ed-

no

B

iting is to shift the focus of the image to what truly matters, the product.

Without Facetune or Airbrush, many think the advertising world would be an honest, audience-friendly world; yet, since when has this realm accommodated for the average child? From old Coca-Cola commercials to the age of the Marlboro Girls, sex-appeal has been a top priority in marketing since the early 1900s. Most photographers and photo-editors are not striving to focus on the portrayal of beauty - they are solely trying to focus on the product.

In real life, one is bound to be less critical or even alert of the flaws of their peers or loved ones. However, virtual interaction allows for release humans do not receive in an everyday workplace.

Sitting in front of a screen dulls the mind, inadvertently authorizing harsh criticism of almost everything one sees through a screen. This problem is an en-

tire other beast, but the issue of deception and online denunciation has been around for years. By this logic, it only makes sense if editors use photoshop. It is a highly effective strategy - by providing consumers a perfect presentation medium, advertisers can force consumers to hone in on only the product..

Opponents frequently make the case that it is still morally wrong to be editing images, as it provides an impressionable influence on innocent young adults. The statistics behind this claim are unfounded, as a study by Penn State University revealed that over 80% of young women aged 18-24 know billboard ads do not predict real life. This stat raises a fundamental question in this debate: Are these ads actually impressionable, or do viewers honestly believe the false depictions in them?

“One study found that one in four people [are] depressed about their body, another found that almost a third of women say they would sacrifice a year of life to achieve the ideal body weight and shape, and almost half of girls in a recent survey think the pressure to look good is the worst part of being female” writes Swinson.

It’s apparent that edited pictures are causing women everywhere to be unsatisfied with their body and causing them to spend a majority of their lives critiquing their outlook.

Due to the impossible standards set by the beauty industry, people have had to stop healthy weight-control methods and go to the only other option available.

Nobody wants to walk around in public feeling weighed down by thoughts of hideousness. So, they turn to the last option: dieting to the extreme. A staff writer for Healthy Place, an online

Mental Health organization, explains the idea of eating disorders emerging from the hovering pressure of beauty.

“Some researchers suggest depicting thin models may lead girls into unhealthy weight-control habits, because the ideal they seek to emulate is unattainable for many and unhealthy for most” claims the writer.

Clearly, the goal of a slim and perfect shape leads people into unhealthy habits that not only inflict physical harm but also mental harm. Although photoshopped advertisements may look appealing to the common consumer, they certainly leave a bad taste for people suffering at the hands of unrealistic standards. It’s crucial to keep in mind that no one’s body is meant to look identical; every curve in one’s body is beautiful and individualizes them from a crowd.

HANNAH ROSE FRAZER, staff writer

eauty standards today aren’t as easily attainable as they’re portrayed to be. Not everyone can have a body like Beyonce and thick lips like Kylie Jenner. In order to be considered “attractive,” everyone must become a Ken and Barbie - and beauty products are supposedly the answer to achieving this goal. When marketing beauty merchandise, companies utilize multiple photoshop features to enhance a model’s appearance, creating an unrealistic barbie doll with perfect features.

Society, especially teenage girls, have become obsessed with morphing into the flawless characters seen in advertisements. People often become depressed when they attempt to conform to these unattainable beauty standards. Jo Swinson, a writer for CNN, comments about a body image study and the affects skinny models have on the human perception.

THE CHARIOT | 27

The War on Games ALEC GROSSWALD, opinion editor ver since the creation of the Atari, worrisome parents and concerned citizens have contributed to a stigma around violent video games.

Speculators assume this violence begins a disease in the brains of youth leading to gun use and homicide later on in life.

Due to the recent spike in mass shootings, many politicians and corporations are now lobbying for stricter regulations for selling video games. The most recent and controversial example is Walmart, who took down video games displaying gun violence after a tragic shooting in one of their stores. Despite the obvious presence of violence, there is no evidence linking video games to real-life gun violence, however, legislators use it as a scapegoat for larger issues.

Despite what is reflected in the media, video games represent a culture among high school students, as a medium for stressed individuals to unwind after a long day of schoolwork. According to the American Psychological Association, more than 90 percent of teens play some form of an online game. Several news outlets solely speak about violent video games and their ties to aggression, however, there is actually no proof of a correlation between playing online games and the increase of aggression. In fact, many studies show that a healthy amount of video games serves as a stress-reliever to teens and actually improves mental health. According to a study conducted encompassing children across America, many “have reported ‘letting off steam’ in response to problems with friends or parents with feelings of anger, guilt, or frustration dissipating after time spent in gameplay resulting in players feeling much happier” (Jones, National Center for Biotechnology Information).

E

28|ADAM KLAFTER

These games also serve as a social tool, through chat rooms and messaging, for kids who lack the confidence to socialize with others in person. Therefore, video games have the opposite effect of how they are portrayed in the media, disproving the claims about their negative association with gun violence.

To further denote these claims, people in different countries play just as many video games, yet there are fewer mass shootings per year. When it comes to video game usage, 199 million users in North America pale in comparison to about 1.234 billion users in the Asia Pacific Region (Gough).

Despite this, America still has the second-highest amount of shootings in the world (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation). Additionally, the supreme court has already struck down violence allegations in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, 564 U.S. 786 (2011), in which California tried to ban violent video games from stores. The Supreme Court overturned this ban, deciding that video games fell under the full protection of free speech. The facts prove that people simply want to avoid talking about gun control. Politicians would rather make empty, short-lived claims than have serious discussions about effective legislation that needs to be passed.

Evidently, politicians make claims about games and their relation to gun violence with little to no evidence, as seen by statistics relating the US to the rest of the world when it comes to video game use, and games actually have a beneficial effect on teens.

People make these claims just to avoid talking about more controversial topics and to acquire more media attention.

Equal Play, Equal Pay

O

HARRISON BLANK AND BEN GONZELEZ, staff writers

ver the summer, The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) won the Women’s World Cup in France, reopening the debate over player salary. The players of the women’s national team collectively sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) in March over gender discrimination related to their salaries compared to the men’s national team. The USSF has rebutted the idea of unequal pay, stating that pay is based on revenue, and the women’s team generates a significantly lower amount of revenue each year. The complicating factor in this argument, however, is the differing collective bargaining agreements that the two teams have with the USSF. The USWNT collective bargaining agreement includes financial support of the NWSL, the National Women’s Soccer League, and mandatory base salary rather than pay per game. The USMNT by contrast is a purely performance-based team, players make $5,000 to $12,000 per gamewith a performance bonus for every game that the team wins.

The USWNT’s lawsuit claims that the USSF intentionally underpaid and under marketed the women’s national team when compared to the men’s team. The USSF contends that the USWNT agreed to the employment terms when they negotiated the previous CBA. As this issue became more prominent in the news, public support behind the USWNT grew and the women’s team began to make progress.

The USWNT negotiated at new CBA

in 2017, which pledged to offer the women’s team greater compensation and better wages. The lawsuit between the women’s soccer team and the USSF is making its way through the courts and both sides wait for a decision.

The issue of unequal pay also extends to other professional sports, for example, the pay difference between the NBA and WNBA. Many think that the women are grossly underpaid, with the average WNBA player making 72,000 dollars a year compared to 6.8 million dollars for an NBA player.

With this gross inequality in pay, many would cite sexism, but the true source of this distinction in salary is the difference in revenue of the two leagues.

Experts estimate the revenue of the WNBA at around 60 million dollars when the NBA brings in almost 8 billion dollars. It is difficult to pay players more money when the revenue is drastically limited, so the salary of WNBA players depends on how much money they produce for their teams and the league. On the other hand, WNBA players have been fighting for a better distribution of profits to the players, which would greatly increase the pay of the players. The salary of professional athletes depends on the revenue of their team and league, so when women are paid less than men it is popularity not sexism. While some professional leagues provide equal pay for men and women, there are still places for changes to be made in order to establish equality across sports.

THE CHARIOT | 29

A New Gospel of Wealth

W

BY MAREN STEPHENS, editor-in-chief

ealth is, just as anything else, only a third of Bezos’s current net worth. Imaggood until a certain point. As a ine how little he would pay, proportionally, person amasses millions and bil- if the 1% on the whole solved the problem. lions of dollars, they swell, sick with greed The principle of this goes back as far as monand a capitalistic desire for nothing but more. ey itself, but can be easily summed up: if you Men like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos throw have too much of something and someone away their money, sometimes even shooting else has none of it, you should give them it into space. People throw out their money some. The fact of the matter is that the wealth daily, wasting it on private jets, gas guzzling gap has grown to a point of insanity. There is custom cars and thousand dollar t-shirts. All no logic in a person, no matter how intelliof this spending, even gent, successful, or innova“Extreme luxury tional, having amassed such if it gives taxes to the government or pro- wastes resourc- a level of wealth as $100 bilvides jobs, is wasteful. lion. At Amazon, low levExtreme luxury wastes es and fuels the el employees are paid less resources and fuels twenty dollars an hour social divide be- than the social divide beand, although the wages are tween the upper and tween the upper above those of an average relower classes. When tail worker, the CEO makes and lower classes.”

Jeff Bezos purchased nearly $9 million an hour, his $65 million priwhich is about 200 times vate jet, it may have the yearly salary of one of provided jobs, but it also fueled one of his employees. Of course, Bezos makes some the most wasteful and pollutive practices. of his money from a large number of shares The top of the top has an opportunity unlike in the company, which directly correlates his ever before. Right now, the top 1% of people own wealth to the success of his company, but have amassed more wealth than the other even that doesn’t justify the disproportion.

99% combined, creating a wealth imbalance Now, I don’t ask that Jeff Bezos or Bill of ridiculous proportions. However, if even Gates or Elon Musk pour all of their money a small percentage of that money went back out and transfer it to the lower classes, but into the hands of the rest of the world, so some redistribution would be nice. It isn’t many problems would at least be bettered, if fair that the rich waste their money on toys not solved entirely. In fact, it has been calcu- and new houses and throwaway projects, furlated that it would cost $30 billion per year thering pollution and bad practices, while to end world hunger, an amount less than at the same time people are left to starve.

THE CHARIOT | 31

30 |

MASTHEAD

masthead PUBLICATION The Chariot is a student-run publication for and distributed to the Johns Creek community. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Johns Creek High School, its students, faculty, staff, or administration. Content is edited and controlled by staff editors, in collaboration with the staff adviser and the administration. The staff will publish only legally protected speech, adhering to the legal definitions of libel, obscenity, and the invasion of privacy.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Dani Blank Brooke Halak Maren Stephens MANAGING EDITOR Sam Beagle COPY EDITOR Ethan Mingoia DESIGN EDITOR Emily Miller NEWS EDITOR Jeffrey Shen OPINION EDITOR Alec Grosswald SPORTS EDITOR Matt Press FEATURES EDITOR Carly Blank PHOTO EDITORS Adam Klafter Dani Blank Deborah Yoon Emily Miller

BUSINESS MANAGER Drew Peljovich STAFF WRITERS Aaron Bashuk Annabelle Buchanan Ben Gonzalez Coln Raad Emma Buoni Gracie Kwon Hannah Rose Frazer Harrison Blank Justin Vexler Kolin Brandeis Claire Federico DESIGNERS Adam Klafter Brooke Halak Dani Blank Emily Miller Maren Stephens ADVISER Gillian Alred

ADVERTISING The Chariot publishes ads with signed contracts provided that they are deemed appropriate by the staff for the intended audience. For more information about advertising with The Chariot, please contact the staff e-mail.

CONTACT US phone number email 5575 State Bridge Road Johns Creek, GA 30022

Visit the Legendary

COVER DESIGN Dani Blank Emily Miller

www.FEARWORLD.com @netherworldhauntedhouse

L T P Y V V H M S N K G W K M J I D M T

X G N R J D D F S Y C B E S E R O M U R T L E Y O N E R H Q C C K C W P G D M T J O A X M V L N I L Y V T U Y R N K T K I Z U K O H P G N V W M I U O B P H V Y T Z R Y S T O O B P A I A K C J F V S U O L E A V E S K T L C I M D H C O Y P O R T U Y C I L H I A O X D C C W H P A P P L E N U D A M B B F L R N Y K Y L G Q K D R G I N S L A E U V L T X L U N I T A N F S K N E H V U L A V I G P S E K J K L O S K - U I B O N F I R E S E K V S I R G Z K R T O U M Z Y Z U P F A L L G D I W N X C K T U T Q R Y E T B J F J E V I I C E K S T R V S L I J X J N A R I E T X F G O U Q Y X K T A Z I A R N N H V S F L X A Y Q S K V P F N T M Q G X W L A Q J S P G N I K C I P M F Z Z E K Z G J K K P H X L V U G Y Y C D T S A T N

PUMPKIN SPICE CABLE-KNIT FOOTBALL CHLOROPHYLL BONFIRES HAUNTED COSTUMES

32 |

APPLE PICKING TAILGATES AUTUMNAL SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER TURTLE

NECK BOOTS SMORES FALL LEAVES EQUINOX THANKSGIVING RAKE

S E T A G L I A T X X Q V O N F E J D D