The Viewpoint February 2017

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Viewpoint

Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Road Stafford, VA 22556

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The Viewpoint FEBRUARY 2017 VOLUME XI ISSUE VI

EDITORIAL In the age of respecting every individual’s right as an American citizen, the debate over transgender bathroom use has cropped up all over America. A student at Hartwood Elementary School in Stafford, Virginia, identifies as male to female transgender. Her request to use the female restroom at school sparked a heated debate. You can read more about this case on page 11.

This debate is not black and white. Some believe people should use the bathroom associated with their biological sex, whereas others believe it is an individual’s right to use the bathroom of the gender they identify as. Others, while sympathizing with transgender people, believe passing a bill allowing the latter opens up the door for pedophiles or other ill-intended individuals to take advantage of the situation. This is a widespread concern, but an important point to add to the debate is that a person with such malicious intentions could still walk into any bathroom at any time,

Managing Editors

Hailey Bullis Morgan Ocetnik

regardless of whether or not the “bathroom bill” were passed. Additionally, Media Matter for America says states that have passed non-discrimination laws have noted that there is no correlation between sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior reported after the bills had been implemented in several school districts in states such as California and Massachusetts.

While there are numerous solutions being presented, offering separate bathroom arrangements for transgender people is reminiscent of the Jim Crow era of segregation. Increased privacy in completely separate cubicles could be the solution to this, but would cause a complete overhaul of the current system of bathrooms in America.

Despite the various passionate, and often loud, opinions surrounding this issue, we can only hope to reach a compromise that promotes individual happiness and garners widespread support no matter the outcome.

Social Media Editors

Lexi Strawder Abbey Whitehead Copy Editors

Leah Garza Reagan King

Photography Editor

Emilee Holmquist Extra Editor

Paige Doerfler Briefs Editor

Ruby Jackson Adviser

Trisha Strahl The Viewpoint is a cross-section of the news and opinions of the student body of Mountain View High School. It is a forum of expression published by aPrintis. Letters to the editorial board are welcome and should be submitted to rooms 303 or 311.

Feature Figure

Staff Writers

by Paige Doerfler

Kyle Olson

“Gymnastics is a very individual sport; when you’re out there competing, it’s all about you and how hard you have trained,” explains Junior Rachel Hunter, level seven gymnast.

Hunter has been doing competitive gymnastics since she was 6 years old. She currently competes for the Stafford Royals, where she has been working for her entire gymnastics career.

“When I was younger, I started out in dance, and then my mom decided I should try gymnastics. I instantly fell in love,” she said.

Hunter has consistently done phenomenally as a gymnast. She initially progressed quickly, outdoing most gymnasts her age, but finally plateaued once she hit level five gymnastics. Since then, Hunter has been a level six Floor State Champion and a Fourth Place finalist in All-Around at a Alamo Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

Slotted to compete in every event at meets, Hunter trains around 24 hours a week.

“My best event is probably floor. In Texas,

I got a 9.675 (my personal best) and placed 2nd, so that was pretty cool,” she said.

Texas was Hunter’s first long-distance travel meet. She felt that it was a true bonding experience for her and her team, and would love to participate in more in the future.

On top of competing, Hunter makes time to coach children from three to five years of age part-time.

Despite being on a team outside of school and having a part-time job, Hunter also manages to compete at the high school level.

“High school gymnastics really helped bring me back to the fun of the sport. I was able to try new skills that I didn’t get to do in my club practice, and I was working out with girls my own age,” she said.

Hunter is setting herself up for a successful senior year, hoping to go out with a bang.

“After this season comes to an end, I plan on working extremely hard over the summer. I have already signed up for camp in Tennessee, and hopefully [I will] move up and compete level eight next season.”

Jenny Bullers, Nicholas Chechak, Charlotte Hazard, Damien Veal, Austin Venable, Adam Skoloda, Sophie Perez Front Cover Morgan Ocetnik

2014-2016 Virginia High School League State Championship First Place Award Winner 2013, 2014, 2015 Free Lance-Star Best Over All Newspaper 2011 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist 2011, 2010 and 2009 Virginia High School League First Place Award Winner

Mountain View High School 2135 Mountain View Rd. Stafford, VA 22556

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February at mountain view Forensics Conference by Bella Roeske

Bella Roeke

Junior Rachel Janney won second place in the impromptu category in the Forensics Team conference held on Tuesday, February 7. Janney competed in two rounds of impromptu speaking in the duration of three hours. She was a key part of the team last year as well when she won third place in the same competition as a sophomore.

In the impromptu competition, Janney was given three random topics upon entering a room. She picked one and spent a few minutes writing on an index card before she presented her speech, all in under seven minutes.

“I’ve always thought I was at good speaking without preparation. It’s always just been a talent and skill that all my family members have. So when I heard about this club, I decided to go for it,” said Janney.

Also competing in the conference was Blake Barnhill in the extemporaneous category. Barnhill, a senior, was given three topics based on current news. Barnhill had one index card to write his speech ideas like Janney.

However, the extemporaneous category has a longer preparation time.

The two rounds went fairly quickly and the atmosphere was full of confidence and excitement. The rooms all down the hallways were full of high school students practicing their speeches, reading poetry, telling stories, and performing humorous duo skits. The joy of public speaking was evident.

MCJROTC by Jenny Bullers

Wikimedia Commons

Many students have expressed an interest in participating in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, but it has never been an option at Mountain View. Fortunately, students will have the opportunity next year to partake in Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (MCJROTC).

The construction and additions to the school will provide the necessary classrooms to teach the course, eliminating the hindrance that prevented the programs’ institution in years past. MCJROTC is a military science course. Its mission is to provide leadership education in order to develop informed citizens, strengthen character through discipline, and instill an understanding of the responsibilities of citizenship.

The program stresses ethical behavior and respect for authority and aims to better prepare the nation’s youth for making informed and intelligent decisions about today’s vital issues. It is important to know that the course is not only taught in a classroom; physical training (PT), drill work, and competitions are also critical portions of the curriculum.

“There are no prerequisites for the course; it is more of a willingness. It requires PT, the wearing of the uniform once a week to school, and it requires maintaining a certain haircut,” said Dr. James Stemple.

If you are interested in the ROTC collegiate program, MCJROTC serves as a great preparation course. “It gives you a much better opportunity to do the ROTC program in college if you do the high school course,” Stemple said. MCJROTC acts how an “honors” course would for any other class; it gives you a leg up on other people and makes you more prepared for the college program and career.

Signing Day by Hailey Bullis

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Hailey Bullis

On February 1, 16 student athletes gathered into the auditorium to officially commit to their chosen universities and colleges. From Christopher Newport University to Eastern Mennonite University to MIT, these student athletes donned apparel from the school of their choice and signed on to continue their sport at the collegiate level. Many of the players’ coaches spoke of their commitment to their respective sport in short speeches given to congratulate the players. Greg Margheim, athletic director, was one of the first speakers.

He said, “It was more emotional this year than it has been in the past because of my daughter being part of it and with my daughter being part of it I got to know a lot of those young men and women on that stage besides just here in school.”

Madison Hukka was one of the 16 student athletes to sign on February 1; “It felt pretty awesome and it was a moment that I realized that all of the hard work I put into and all that my family has helped me with and everything that has helped me get to this point was amazing. It was just a moment where I was very proud of myself and just kind of let myself breathe a little bit,” said Hukka.

Margheim concluded by saying, “I always end with a quote: ‘They’re going to have to work harder than they ever have. They’re coming in with ten or eleven other kids that are the best in their school too so the competition is tough.”

s n a C g n i l c y Rec

Examining the lack of originality in mainstream cinema

by Nicholas Chechak

Photo Credit: Sabine Schostag

Way back in the summer of 2015, screenwriter Max Landis ignited a minor Internet firestorm by embarking upon an extended Twitter monologue following the underwhelming performance of his film “American Ultra.” Noting that “American Ultra,” an original feature, had received more favorable critical reception than many of its summer blockbuster competitors, he repeatedly lamented the fact that it lost only to films adapted from other sources.

A series of lengthy Tweets questioning “American Ultra”’s lack of box office success ultimately culminated in the question, “Are original ideas over?” The resulting social media backlash--many derided him as a narcissist who simply couldn’t accept his own failure to make an appealing movie--forced him to clarify his statements in person; during an interview with The Schmoes Know Movie Show, he said that “there comes this point where studios and distributors who need a return on their investment are much less willing to take risks.”

One needs to look no further than their local chain movie theater for proof of Landis’s assertions.

Nearly all non-independent cinemas nowadays appear to be little more than vessels for the exploitation of existing ideas, awash with adaptations, biopics, sequels, reboots, sequel reboots, reboot sequels, and adapted sequel reboot biopics. A glance at a list of the films currently showing in Regal Cinemas reveals two sequels (“xXx: Return of Xander Cage”; “Underworld: Blood Wars”), a reboot (“Rings”), a remake (“Sleepless”), two spin-offs (“Rogue One”; “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”), three biographical films (“Hidden Figures”; “The Founder”; “20th Century Women”), two films otherwise based on true events (“Gold”; “Patriots Day”), and a film adapted from a book (“The Bye Bye Man”). As far as wide-release, high-budget mainstream films go, reboots, adaptations, and sequels have original ideas far outnumbered.

And it’s not just prevalence, either. Films based on IPs--existing intellectual properties--have the leg up in marketing and viewership. According to The-Numbers.com, a site operated by data analytics service Nash Information Services, only seven of the top 60 highest-grossing films of the 2010s have been original ideas--all others have been sequels, reboots, or adaptations. Despite constant pleas for more original scripts, audiences are turning out to see these films, and doing so in droves.

Such box office figures go a long way in explaining the lack of originality among Hollywood’s blockbusters. Simply put, sequels and similar adaptations of existing material effectively ensure profitability. Since fans of the previous film (or the non-film source material) are essentially guaranteed to purchase tickets, executives can invest huge sums of cash without fear of a flop; when they pour tens of millions of dollars into marketing budgets, they need only worry about courting new viewers to supplement existing fans of the franchise or source work. This is illustrated by data curated by Shane Snow, which demonstrates that while the chances of producing a hit original movie are small, sequels are nearly certain to earn more than the average. With a guaranteed audience, risk is reduced, and when risk is reduced, financial backers have no inhibitions about providing the funding necessary to break box office records. Hence, we witness a positive feedback loop: the successes of IP films justify higher budgets, creating bigger successes, further justifying larger budgets.

Which brings us right back to Mr. Landis. In a separate interview with Red Letter Media, Landis stated that at the core of his online rant was the observation that “if they’re not a perfect, virtuosic execution of an idea,” big-budget original movies simply don’t get made anymore. When executives are presented with an original script that requires significant funding, all they see is a risk. In an age in which movie theaters are forced to compete with television shows, online videos, exclusive shorts, and video games--in an age in which “Grand Theft Auto V” is the fastest-selling entertainment product of all time--executives simply cannot justify gambling millions of dollars on a fresh concept. In Landis’s view, the innovative movies that could potentially transform the industry may now get passed over completely because they pose too much of a liability.

Sure, one could make the argument that original movies abound within the independent sphere--when counting independent and foreign films, original ideas do outnumber IPs--but that’s missing the point. Chain cinemas don’t show these films, Netflix doesn’t pick up these films, and the vast majority of people don’t see these films. As a result, the writers and directors behind these films don’t gain the attention they deserve. This is what worries film fanatics like Max Landis the most: the creative, forward-thinking filmmakers necessary to revitalize the art form may never break through to the mainstream.

The only way to end this cycle? Vote with your ticket stub. Sure, you could spend your disposable income watching one of the thousand new Star Wars spin-offs and sequels that will inevitably dominate the coming millennium, or you could support the few intrepid Hollywood executives willing to bet their jobs on original ideas.

I highly recommend Option Two. opinion q february 2017 q the viewpoint q

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Desert Island

Students share what they would bring with them if they were stuck on a desert island, mimicking the well-known game. by Jenny Bullers

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“I would take Bear Grylls with me to cook my food, Guy Fieri to prepare my food, and Alicia Keys will be there for me to eat the food with,” said senior RJ Williams.

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William Schmitt, freshman

Karina Vasquez, junior

Lainey Breland, sophomore

“I would bring Zac Efron because he is nice and strong and could protect me from anything we’d run into. Plus, who wouldn’t want to be deserted with him,” said sophomore Lainey Breland.

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6 Oscar Alvarenga, junior

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“Buffalo Wild Wings is my favorite place to eat.

They have different flavors of wings and when you bite into them they are nice and juicy,” said junior Oscar Alvarenga.

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Alayna Meleason, senior

Katherine May, senior

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Joe Po, sophomore

“I would bring Ms. Davey because she is fun and she is also a very good problem-solver, which would help me on a desert island,” said sophomore Joe Po.

Matthew Halstead, senior

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All the way to the court

The Supreme Court has decided to take the case of the transgender student at Gloucester High School.

by Charlotte Hazard and Austin Venable

Some believe that people should use the bathroom of their biological sex; “I think that since it’s a new issue, there should be separate bathrooms because people aren’t as accepting about people identifying themselves as the opposite gender,” said senior Megan Fouch.

“I don’t want to get involved; it doesn’t include me. I’m not for or against it.

I think it should be up to the adults and teachers involved,” said sophomore Caleb Ricciardi.

With the recent shift of power in Washington DC, the question of whether or not transgender bathroom laws will be passed is still up in the air. President Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch to fill the empty seat left by former Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia passed away last year, and the process to fill this seat has been a high stakes political battle for both Democrats and Republicans. Gorsuch leans solidly conservative and, if his appointment is approved by the Senate, he will tip the balance of the Supreme Court towards conservative values, which could greatly impact future transgender legislation.

While both sides have valid concerns and thoughts, only one decision will be made that will determine the fate of myriad students in public schools across the country. Although some see this case as the final frontier of equality for transgender students, other see it as a moral assault. Whatever the outcome, these landmark cases this will set the tone for transgender policy for years to come.

Dominac Holden

Courtney Days

Dominic Holden

A white hot spotlight has been placed on transgender issues in recent years, with landmark cases originating in the local counties of Stafford and Gloucester.

On March 28, 2017, the Supreme Court will hear the Gloucester student’s case. It all started when 17-year-old Gavin Grimm, female to male transgender identifying, attempted to use the boys’ bathroom. When parents and local Gloucester residents discovered this, many of them voiced their concerns at a Gloucester County School Board meeting.. After discussing it, the school board came to a decision that Grimm would have to use either the girls’ restroom or the staff bathroom at Gloucester High School. Following a later school board decision requiring all transgender students to use a separate bathroom, Grimm sued the school board. This resulting court case will set the precedent for how all transgender issues will be handled in the future.

Some students are supportive of a transgender individual’s right to use their preferred bathroom; “I think that if they believe that they are the gender they claim to be, than I wouldn’t want them to feel out of place using a bathroom they don’t feel is right for them said sophomore Hynzaya Forte.

This isn’t the first transgender bathroom issue originating in Virginia. A similar situation occurred here in Stafford County when a Hartwood Elementary School student who identifies as male to female transgender made a request to use the girls restroom. Much like in Gloucester, many residents were upset and filed complaints at Stafford County school board meetings.

The school board decided that the student would use the staff bathroom, but those in opposition expressed their discontent with the decision.

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Mindfulness

The majority of society is increasingly stressed, but studies show that practicing mindfulness has been used in mainstream medicine to help significantly reduce stress levels

by Lexi Strawder

fights depression

fights PTSD

improves academic preformance

helps regulate emotions According to Health Guide, “By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem, and are better able to form deep connections with others.”

Today’s society is extremely high paced and stressful. According to the New York Daily News, “Americans are more stressed today than three decades ago, the first-ever historical analysis of stress over time has found. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University analyzed data from 1983, 2006 and 2009, and found people's self-reported stress levels have increased 10-30 percent in the last three decades.”

We are constantly surrounded by stress while on our phones, at school, at home, and even in our athletic performances. But how do we relieve the constant stress and anxiety of our everyday lives?

In an interview with Harvard Health Publications, Dr. Elizabeth Hoge, a psychiatrist at the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at the Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, says that mindfulness meditation makes perfect sense for treating anxiety.

“People with anxiety have a problem dealing with distracting thoughts that have too much power,” she explains; “They can’t distinguish between a problem-solving thought and a nagging worry that has no benefit.”

IB Language and Literature teacher Stacey Adams said, ”Mindfulness is taking time to be mindful of yourself by relaxing, breathing, and not stressing out... by doing things like yoga, or coloring and by simply taking time to do something for yourself.”

Being mindful allows the brain to be calm and logical, making it easier to be more accepting and open to new experiences, ideas, and to live more freely.

Robert Brumet, author and meditation leader, uses the “three R’s” as a basic foundation for mindfulness meditation. The first “R” used in mindfulness meditation stands for recognize.

“To be mindful is to recognize ‘thinking’ when a thought arises, to recognize ‘feeling’ when an emotion arises, and to recognize ‘sensing’ when a sensation occurs. Mindfulness means that I am aware, that I am aware that I

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fights memory loss

am aware, and that I recognize the object of my awareness,” Brumet says.

The second “R” that Bumet uses is for refrain; “This means to refrain from reacting automatically when strong feelings arise; it means to refrain from acting out habituated behavioral patterns that are based on fear or judgment.”

Typically, when people get stressed, the right side of our brain, the emotional side, tends to take over the left side of the brain that is used for logic and judgement and gets emotionally reactive without thinking. Burnet explains that “to refrain means to take a deep breath and drop into direct awareness rather than into unconscious reactivity.”

Any response made is a choice; that is why it is important to stop and refrain from saying something or doing something without thinking.

The third and last “R” stands for relax.

According to Burnet, “This means to relax the body, to open the heart, and to quiet the mind.”

You begin this step by relaxing the body as soon as you feel yourself becoming emotionally reactive or overwhelmed by bringing attention to your breathing. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths, four counts in through the nose and eight counts out through the mouth, pursing the lips as if you are blowing out a candle. You can repeat the breathing for as long as you would like until you feel relaxed. To relax does not mean to hold on to stress or anxiety but to accept all of the responsibilities you have to do and go with the flow of things. Instead of being over-reactive and getting upset about all the things you have to do, accept, breathe, relax, and go with the flow.

The Scientific American Blog says, “Mindfulness is being explored by schools, pro sports teams, and military units to enhance performance and is showing promise as a way of helping sufferers of chronic pain, addiction, and tinnitus, too.... It’s been accepted as a useful therapy for anxiety and depression for around a decade.”

Being stressed isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s in human nature to stress about things from time to time. However, too much stress can lead one down a dangerous path. That is why it is important to slow down and go with the flow of things when you feel emotionally reactive, instead of living life in stress or anxiety.

Talking vs. Dating A phrase known as “talking” has been introduced in recent years, categorized in teenagers’ relationships as the stage before “dating,” which had never existed in previous generations By Morgan Ocetnik

“People are scared of direct contact so they use phones to express their feelings towards each other and get to know them more, which enhances the “talking” stage.”

“Talking,” the stage before an actual relationship, is a concept in teenage interactions that has come about over the past decade. Many adults have trouble understanding this concept because it wasn’t present in their high school relationships.

“From my understanding it’s the same thing because supposedly when you’re talking to someone you aren’t allowed to be talking to anyone else, but doesn’t that mean you’re dating?” said Greg Margheim.

He explained that when he hears people are talking that doesn’t even mean they are actually talking in person, he says they are just texting. Margheim claimed when he was in high school, teens would talk to someone to see if they were both interested in each other besides the physical attraction. They talked face to face to see if they had something in common, then they would be considered dating. To him, he said the talking stage makes relationships confusing because he thinks nothing changes when one significant other asks the other to be their girlfriend or boyfriend.

Students have defined this stage as a time when you get to know a possible significant other. The two involved usually meet, start to hang out, and text each other often to see if it’s someone they could officially be with in the future. This stage lasts anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months. Loyalty is still a strong factor in this stage, at least for some people, because of the potential for a serious relationship in which loyalty would be a highly valued attribute.

Senior Eric Rosales believes this separation between talking and dating was created due to increasing technological development.

“People are scared of direct contact so they use phones to express their feelings towards each other and get to know them more, which enhances the ‘talking’ stage,” said Rosales.

Rosales explained that previously they didn’t try to build a foundation with the person they were attracted to; they just simply went up to them and started talking or asking them on dates. He said that this stage before dating makes asking someone out less of a risk because it’s not a random person you’re going to be with, it’s someone you have gotten to know really well and learned more about.

Dating is an age-old concept. In past generations, dating was something that usually occurred right away when two people liked each other. They would go on dates, hangout, and once they seemed to be going steady, it became an official relationship. Because of the new concept of talking, the definition of dating has changed. However, loyalty and fidelity continue to be important factors in developing a relationship, regardless of the stage.

Senior Cassidy Cutright said the biggest change when transitioning from “talking” to “dating” is usually the hangout setting.

“When you’re talking you seem to do more group hangouts, maybe with friends. When you’re dating it’s more one on one with the relationship,” said Cutright.

She explained that many people nowadays spend more time talking before they date or sometimes never even end up dating because they want more experiences and don’t want to relinquish their freedom.

Cutright considers this talking stage beneficial because through talking and getting to know someone, you can discover what you like and dislike about a person. In the talking stage, potential partners can ensure that their personalities would be compatible in a relationship, reducing the risk of a pointless or extremely brief relationship.

“From my understanding it’s the same thing because supposedly when you’re talking to someone you aren’t allowed to be talking to anyone else, but doesn’t that mean you’re dating?” feature q february 2017qthe viewpoint q13

FAST PITCH SOFTBALL

You must have been 16 or younger on January 1, 2017

shockwave.staffordsoftball.org shockwave-16U@staffordsoftball.org This is a Ba be Ruth Lea gue All Star Fas t Pi tch Softball team on a mission to return to the Babe Ruth League World Series again this yea r. If you a re a high s chool a thlete, or tra vel ball pla yer, we will work wi th your s chedule. You mus t be regis tered wi th SBL Softball for the Spring 2017 a nd pa rticipate in a t leas t 50% of the rec games . There is no additional fee to pla y on the All Sta r tea m.

INDOOR WINTER TRAINING NOW

Now registering 16U Girl’s Fast Pitch Softball Must be 16 or younger on January 1, 2017

$140 registration fee—12 games, post season playoffs, unlimited fun!

(Financial assistance may be available upon request.)

Whether you are a high school baseball or softball player, you didn’t make the team, you just haven’t played for awhile, or you have never played at all—We want you!

Now registering Babe Ruth League Baseball Leagues available for anyone ages 13 to 19

$160 registration fee—12 games, post season playoffs, unlimited fun!

(Financial assistance may be available upon request.)

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the viewpoint q february 2017 q advertisement

The Positives of Positive Thinking As stressed teens in highly stressful environments, it can be easy to view the world through a lens of negativity. However, thinking positively can greatly contribute to both your own happiness and the happiness of those around you.

by Leah Garza Given the constant pressures of the contemporary working world, staying positive is a daily personal struggle. Negative thoughts are more overwhelming and often more powerful than positive thoughts, which makes it hard to see the light in difficult situations. Although most of us know that we should stay positive, putting it into practice is an entirely different matter. I undoubtedly count myself among those who scoff at the people who preach “seeing the good in others” and “staying on the sunny side.” I roll my eyes every time my mom sings to me about “looking on the bright side of life,” but while these statements can be condescending and irritating, mother knows best.

Although many advise staying positive as the solution to every problem, no one ever tells us how to accomplish such a feat. Negative thoughts are too overpowering to simply target and extinguish. Everyone has tried at one time or another to force positive thoughts to drown out negative ones only to have the negative thoughts creep back into their minds. But the solution is not to replace negative thoughts, but to quiet your mind.

My wonderful flute instructor, Dr. Kazik, has taught me the incredibly useful skill of quieting my mind. As humans, we have massive amounts of information flooding our brains and affecting our thoughts. Our brains are often very cluttered, so quieting the chatter results in inner peace that offers complete contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of our busy minds.

Hushing these negative, harmful, anxiety-inducing thoughts can be done by simply repeating “quiet” over and over in your mind or by repeating a mantra like “I am not stressed.” This repetition calms our minds and offers a sense of comfort that can override the negative emotions brought on by a cluttered mind. It helps us to remove our focus from the source of our anxiety and take the importance and power away from pessimistic thoughts. It’s not until the inner noise dies down and you stop focusing on problems that you realize how loud and distracting your inner voices truly are.

Additionally, in a world full of superlatives and competition, it’s difficult not to be driven by the desire to “win” or prove ourselves to others. While accomplishments that impress those around us feed our especially delicate teenaged pride, they can leave us feeling empty, searching for the next greatest thing until we finally fail and it feels like the world comes crashing down. This is an unhealthy thought trap that many of us stumble into. I’ve fallen victim to this mindset far more than I care to admit because it’s hard to take pride in myself and my abilities when awards and achievements don’t match with what I believe I’m capable of, making me feel like I have to prove myself to those around me.

Instead of being externally motivated by awards and recognitions, I’ve begun striving to be motivated by setting goals that push me to do better than I did the last time and keep improving.

That way, I’m competing only with myself in a low stakes, low pressure environment. This new mindset has allowed me to live a calmer life, taking the good with the bad, giving me the ability to rejoice when I meet my goals and work harder when I fall short.

The stresses and pressures of high school can feel overwhelming, but by finding the right mindset and not placing exorbitant amounts of weight on small, or even large, bumps in the road, we can be more content with ourselves and our abilities. It may sound difficult, but quieting our discombobulated minds and using our own abilities as a measure of success will lead to happier and more fulfilling lives.

Photo provided by The ONdyssey Online

opinion q february 2017 q the viewpoint q 15

Black History Month Black History Month is a month dedicated to black achievement in gaining civil rights and basic freedoms that come with being an American by Adam Skoloda artwork by Madelyn Descutner

Black History Month is a month dedicated to blacks who toiled for equal rights for themselves and for future generations.

According to Stacy Swimp, Black History Month was initiated in 1926 by Dr. Carter Woodson. Woodson began Black History Week, later called Negro History Week, because he believed that black history is a significant part of American history, but it was not taught in school during this time period.

In 1976, Negro History Week turned into Black History Month and the whole month was dedicated to black history.

Black History Month is about the sacrifices that people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks made for black people. These activists gave up their security and personal lives to fight for inalienable rights that should be extended to all citizens of the United States.

Older adults understand the importance of black history because they grew up experiencing the mistreatment of blacks, especially in the 1960s.

However, many people don’t understand why it’s important to honor Black History Month.

Jonathan Day said, “I don’t think people realize it enough.” He also said that many people don’t understand what black rights and black suffrage means.

In the 1960s, blacks were denied the right to vote, with the most hindrances to voting established in the South. In the movie, “Selma,” Martin Luther King Jr. leads a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which is reflective of his lifelong fight for black suffrage. He intended to lead this march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama--the state capital. “Selma” is an important reenactment of black history as it showed everything blacks had to endure in order to secure their basic right to vote.

It’s important to understand the significance of Black History because it has meaning to all Americans. In the 1960s, white people, among other races, were born into lives in which the right to vote upon turning 18 was secured. On the other hand, blacks spent decades fighting for this, and other, basic rights.

Senior Jenson Margheim said, “It’s important to learn about black history, and raise awareness about it.”

Freshman Darius Crouch said, “All the people [Civil Rights Activists] that didn’t get recognized, they now get recognized for it.”

Black History Month’s purpose is to inform people about the past and to demonstrate what blacks had to endure to achieve what they have today. It takes people back to the past and shows them the ways Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, and many more fought for change and sought justice.

Most importantly, Black History Month serves as a reminder of the mistakes of the past and promotes the knowledge and wisdom to avoid committing similar mistakes in the future.

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the viewpoint q february 2017 q feature