6 opinions
THE MIHS ISLANDER SEPT. 2022
Masks Are Not Metaphors Kyle Gerstel
A&E Team
Although masks do not hinder communication from a logistical standpoint, our society has constructed the narrative that not wearing a mask is a sign of being ready to return to normalcy. Thus, a communication barrier does exist, but it is (primarily) psychological.
Going mask-commando is certainly beneficial for some activities (e.g. athletics), but many members of our society have convinced themselves that masks act as metaphors instead of seeing them for what they actually do: obstruct part of the face and protect the body. The pandemic is too often described in the past
tense. Yes, the mask mandate is over, but we have not defeated the villain; ignoring the continued presence of COVID-19 is like if the Jedi disbanded after destroying the Death Star while Darth Vader continued harming and occasionally destroying planets (particularly planets with autoimmune disorders). Sure, the state of our universe is improving and the rate at which Vader damages these planets has decreased, but the saga goes on nonetheless. However, I’m no longer wearing a mask at school, so why should you? Well, I’m not saying you should (or shouldn’t), but I wish I could go to a school and live in a society in which I did not feel obligated to make that choice in order to shift how others perceive me. Communal attitudes have always disproportionately affected teenagers, but the mask debate is unique since there are few tangible reasons to not wear a mask. I do not condone underage drug or alcohol use, but I understand that they can provide immediate gratification alongside their risks. Meanwhile, the benefits of not wearing a mask are merely symbolic, illustrating the effect of peer pressure in its purest form. I believe it is probably too late in our collective healing process to change the way we think about masks. Despite this, it is worth considering how our culture cultivated this mentality and what we can do to prevent something like it from spreading again.
What came first? The mask or the metaphor? Photo courtesy Ivan Radic
Scout’s Honor: Camp Culture Gone Wrong Jackson Chang
Journalism Club Vice President
In Brinnon, Wash., there lies a Boy Scout camp called Camp Parsons. The term “camp culture” there can mean many positive things, like long-established traditions and many old songs. Though recently the term has taken on a negative connotation within the staff community. Although the intention of “camp culture” is to create a positive environment for the scouts and staffers, many of the marginalized staff members have voiced their opinions saying otherwise. “Trying to be there for your community is the most important thing right? Last year I didn’t feel like people tried for me or for my friends,” staff member Izzy Wang said. The culture created at Camp Parsons should not only support the staff and scouts, but should also include marginalized members of the community. The fact that the culture at present does not support everyone is a serious problem. “There [are] a lot of direct bylaws against outright bullying and hazing [at camp] but because of the history of the [scouting] organization and
[the] history of the demographics at camp, it [is] really hard to make that transition, like an actual safe space for a lot of people especially marginalized communities,” Wang said. Along with the environment not being a safe space for everyone, the work and culture can be overbearing for newer staff members with little to no job experience. “There’s a tradition of being really unnecessarily rigorous and overburdensome on first-year staffers who need to learn, who need to be supported, who need to be mentored,” Wang said. Another problem that Wang
Camp staff members singing to leaving participants. Photo courtesy Camp Parsons points out is the roots and history of Camp Parsons. “I received a lot of rhetoric around: this is our history and it is beyond us really,” Wang said. “It’s owned by people who aren’t here, who don’t show their face, who don’t communicate with us, and that makes it really hard to audit it and hold it accountable.” While the Fort Duckabush Museum does display essential parts of the camp’s history, the acknowledgment of Native American history is not ideal. The council has gotten as far as a land acknowledgment to represent the Native American sacred ground the camp rests upon, however, there is more that needs to be done. “Land acknowledgments are not enough, they’re not enough to make up for Fort Duck, they’re not enough to make up for the songs, they’re not enough to make up for the lack of representation we have on our staff and I think there’s a lot more we can do,” Wang said. Many of the participants who attended Camp Parsons this past year viewed the staff as one big family that holds all the same values. However, this assumption is far from the truth. “[We’re] all the same as in historically we’ve all been straight cisgender white men, and now that the demographics are changing slightly I think those truly outdated parts of the culture are just becoming brighter red flags,” Wang said. Camp Parsons and its culture have the capability to change, as long as the administration and staff take these steps of recognition and accountability. The previously harmful culture can become enjoyable, and replaced with a more welcoming environment.
“Make sure you’re communicating with other staff, with adults, and with scouts that this is a priority of ours,” Wang said. “We [may not] know what we’re doing yet, but we’re willing to listen and we’re willing to change because we care about you.”