WATCH Magazine - Fall 2022

Volume XIII, Issue I Fall 2022

watch PORTER-GAUD SCHOOL

The watch magazine would like to express its gratitude to the following members of the Porter-Gaud community for their help with this semester’s publication: Chloe Alderson, David Axon, Henry Black, Joey Carter, Elodie Cutler, Kathy Heinsohn, Ken Hyde, Brink Norton, Beverly Oswald, Brian Principe, Larry Salley, Anna Smith, Rucker Smith, Ashley Stock, Rowan Sullivan, Ann Thompson, Anderson Toole, Tom Westerman, and Amber Wilsondebriano.

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Table Of Contents 2

A Celebration of 50 Years of Women at PG In 1972, Porter-Gaud School changed forever.

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Confessions of a Former Murder Maven Is it a crime to love true crime?

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Cool It, America The “Forgotten President” we need to remember.

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The Feminine Mystique Misconceived The modern age of feminism isn’t real feminism.

Shea Smith

Ann Connolly Clair

Ethan S. Curb

Abby Comer

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Predator Protection Program?

You are the witness.

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Living Behind the Supreme Court A rollercoaster of high stakes.

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Our Mind’s Metropolis An oddly deep dive into the human brain.

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Fork in the Road The path of success or happiness?

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Sending it Home Why we choose to play sports.

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Secrets of the Slaughterhouse Exposing cruelty in the meat industry.

Lilly Kate Rowley

Anna Lehman

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Bitcoin is Still the Future People just don’t understand it—yet.

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Analyzing Our Intelligence Curated smarts or common sense?

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The Twisted Nature of “Family” Channels YouTube’s got some deep psychological issues.

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Acting or Activism?

Musicals are becoming politically motivated.

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot More Stressful How to fend off the holiday blues.

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It Ends With Colleen Hoover BookTok and the downfall of reading?

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Teacher Feature In this feature, we feature new teachers.

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Which Music Icon Are You?

George Walton

Benjamin Zielke

Avery Chambers

Mirabelle Cutler

Ella Murphy

Windland Jaimes

Gracie Keogh

Kevin Pham and Nina Ziff

Emily Benasutti

Turner Long

Hampton Brooker

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Fifty years ago, Porter-Gaud got groovy...

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The watch magazine staff is honored to celebrate 50 Years of Women at PG Shea Smith - Managing Editor Turner Long - Managing Editor Patton Galloway - Head Publisher Anna Caroline Symonds - Art Director Ethan Curb - Section Editor Anna Lehman - Section Editor Nina Ziff - Publisher Carlisle Smith - Publisher Kevin Pham - Publisher Emily Benasutti - Staff Writer Avery Chambers - Staff Writer Lilly Kate Rowley - Staff Writer George Walton - Staff Writer Ann Connolly Clair - Staff Writer Abby Comer - Staff Writer Windland Jaimes - Staff Writer Gracie Keogh - Staff Writer Ella Murphy - Staff Writer Benjamin Zielke - Staff Writer Hampton Brooker - Staff Writer Mirabelle Cutler - Staff Writer

Ms. Sarah Romano - Faculty Advisor Mr. Childs Smith - Faculty Advisor Ms. Abby Laskodi - Faculty Advisor

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50 Years of Women at Porter-Gaud: Past, Present, and Future How women at PG have shaped and will continue to shape our community

By Shea Smith

1867 was undoubtedly a turbulent year. Only two years after the chaos of the Civil War and in one of the primary years of the Reconstruction Era, America was left disordered and confused. However, consistent with the spirit of post-war attempts to reconstruct and improve the community, this year also welcomed the birth of our beloved school when Dr. Anthony Toomer Porter founded the Porter Military Academy, combining it with the Gaud School for Boys and the Watt School in 1964 to create the school we all know and love, Porter-Gaud.

loaded with female artists, actors, singers, and musicians.

Women are founders of school clubs and leaders in their classrooms; our heads of both the upper school and the lower school are women. How have we come this far?

In1972,thefirstfemalestudentsenteredPorter-Gaud whowereadmittedtofirstthroughthirdgrades—m turning point for the school. Three years later, girls entered the middle and upper schools as well, and in 1976, these same girls

In light of our celebration of 50 Years of Women here at Porter-Gaud, it’s important to pause and reflect on all the progress that has been made by our school community.

Although our school bore its current name in 1964, it was a completely different place. Yes, it still had stellar academics, a literary magazine, and an annual Polygon. It still had a fantastic arts program and a determined football team. Yet one crucial aspect of our school was missing: diversity. Until the late 1960s, every student admitted to Porter-Gaud was a white male.

1967, though, brought real progress when Porter-Gaud School becamethefirstoftheirgendertograduatefromPo welcomeditsfirstBlackstudents,andalthough Asthis these substantial momentchanges were being implemented, Dr. marked a substantial step in the right direction, the entirety of Kathy Heinsohn entered the eighth grade at Porter-Gaud as the student body continued to consist only of boys. oneofthefirstfemalestudentsinthemiddlescho look with envy now on the diversity of sports, academic, and community programs women can choose from at PG. We broke the ice,” Heinsohn says. She was extremely nervous about starting her academic journey at Porter-Gaud, but ultimately she felt accepted by a welcoming male community. What once would have been considered impractical or unachievable forafemalestudenthadfinallybecomearealityher a top-tier college-preparatory education now available to all genders, women had an opportunity to pursue their dreams, just like the men in their lives had always been able to. And like these men, Heinsohn was able to graduate from Porter-Gaud, in 1980, going on to obtain her Ph.D. with the help of her PG education. She is currently a successful technical entomologist in Maryland.

Fast forward to 2022: of the 1059 students at Porter-Gaud, 459 are female, 44% of our student body. 122 of our Porter-Gaud faculty members are women. Girls participate in 42 of the 63 sports teams here at Porter-Gaud (and 25 of those teams are strictly female). Porter-Gaud’s art and music programs are

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Heinsohn is just one of the many incredible women to have graced the PG community with their many gifts. Captain Anne G. Hammond, ‘82, graduated from Porter-Gaud and entered the Naval Academy as a member of only the 7th class of women permitted to attend the prestigious college. Over a 25-year career, sheaffirmedherselfasanaccomplishedsenior-level in the US Armed Forces. Sallie L. Krawcheck graduated from Porter-Gaud in 1983 and is now the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, an innovative digital investment platform for women, as wellasabest-sellingauthorofmultiplepersonalfi geared toward women. As one of Fast Company’s picks in their “1Most 0 CreativePeopleinBusiness”list,aswellaso Entrepreneur Magazine’s “EntrepreneurstoWatch,”Krawchec has been wildly successful.

In light of our celebration of 50 Years of Women here at PorterGaud,it’simportanttopauseandreflectonallthe that has been made by our school community. Nowadays, with all the incredible women on our campus and their amazing achievements, it’s easy to forget that once, things were different. Women at Porter-Gaud weren’t always taken seriously; they didn’t always have all the opportunities that our women have today.

In 1976, Beverly Oswald began her career at Porter-Gaud, enteringasoneoftheveryfirstfemalefacultymembe Working in such a male-centered environment was initially verydifficultforMs.Oswald.“Mostofthemaleteacher not very happy to have us there. And a lot of the students did notwantfemaleteachers,”saysMs.Oswald.“Onmyfirst day, I had one male student get up and say ‘No woman will teachmeanything.’Iremembergoinghomeaftermyfirst and telling my mom I didn’t want to go back.” Despite the prejudice, she persevered.

Though all of these women have bid a fond farewell to PG over Though Porter-Gaud gradually developed into a more the years, Porter-Gaud continues to harbor an incredible amount acceptingcultureandMs.Oswald’sexperienceimpro continuedhercareeratPorter-Gaudforover30more of talent, intellect, and excellence in the female students, theexperiencesofMs.Oswaldandmanyofthefirstwome faculty, and staff it fosters today. The women of our school can PG serve as a reminder that our place in PG’s community trulydoitall—onthecourt,onthestage,intheatclassroom; wasn’t justgiventousonasilverplatter—itwa You name it, they can do it. Middle school Chaplain Henrietta the hardworking, determined, intelligent women who came RiversrecentlybecamethefirstBlackwomanordainedintothe beforeus.Butthelegacyhasn’tstoppedwiththem Anglican Diocese of South Carolina’s priesthood. Senior Kate Kowalski obtained her pilot’s license this summer. The 50 Years carried forward by today’s women of Porter-Gaud. Despite this progress, women in our community continue to face of Women celebration serves as an extremely important year challenges in 2022, whether it’s trying to discover our voice in for our close-knit community, and PG intends to celebrate the women of the past, present, and future in all kinds of new ways. male-dominatedareasofstudyorfightingforequityf sports teams. The progress we’ve made at Porter-Gaud has been monumental—andeachdaythatweattendschoolan We were all able to experience the thrill of the CycloneTown

girls’ volleyball game, which highlighted women in athletics, especially the Porter-Gaud volleyball program, with a reunion of pastPGVBplayers.“PGVB,andsportsingeneral,havedoneso much for so many girls at Porter-Gaud,” says Chloe Alderson, aseniormemberofthevarsityvolleyballteam.“Notonlyisit super empowering to be playing for such an amazing team, but the bonds that you build are incredible. It’s like a family.”

Allyear,ourfineartsprogramwillbeselectingsongsand compositions by female musicians for choir performances.

Female guest speakers will be attending campus year-round to share their stories and inspire others. March is Women’s History Month, and PG hopes to create a safe and open space forreflectionallmonth.Wehopetowelcomesportsalumnae, female donors and philanthropists, female writers, and female medical professionals. The service program looks to place more emphasis on visiting organizations focused on supporting in our classes and sing in the choir and compete on the court women in need, such as the YWCA. Under the guidance of and participate in debate and create art and pray for others teachers, counselors, and guest speakers, lower school and andadvocateforissuesthatmattertous—eachd middle school students will begin to discuss gender dynamics cultivateourmindsandopenourhearts—weconti and the theme of women at Porter-Gaud, opening them up to an evolving legacy of excellence. some serious but necessary discourse.

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Confessions of a Former Murder Maven Is it a crime to love true crime?

By Ann Connolly Clair

This is the story of three high school girls. They fought, as teenage girls tend to do. One night, one of the girls snuck out of her house and was seen getting into a car. The next morning, she wasn’t in her bed. She wasn’t at work. She was nowhere to be found. Months later, a confession came from the other two girls.

“We killed her.”

The police officers were appalled. “Why did you do it?” they cried.

The girls’ response was simple: “We didn’t like her.”

Then they told them how. They drove her to the woods.

They snuck up behind her, and on the count of three, they…

And that is where the story goes way too far.

In the fall of 2020, I was scrolling through YouTube when thecatchytitle“WhenMeanGirlsBecomeMurder hooked me right away. Contrary to what I expected, the woman narrating the video spoke in a calming voice, which made the dark subject matter feel like I was listening to a meditation.

I have always been a big fan of the classic Hollywood murdermysterybecauseofthe“Whodunit?”factor.I was proud of myself whenever I could guess who the killer was before the ending (hint: it’s almost always the husband). But this particular video was different: the story was true. The villains were normal teenage girls (like me) upset with their friend (like I have been). They didn’t know how to tell her that they didn’t want her around, so they opted for the worst possible solution.

As I went farther down the rabbit hole, I saw that the YouTube channels I was watching had amassed millions of followers, all of whom loved the mystery and drama just as much as I did. There seemed to be a community of millions who were as fascinated by the dark workings of the human mind as I was.

But a year and a half later, I haven’t watched a true crime video since. Though it used to be a part of my daily routine, the content started to lose its appeal for me when I realized that I was not consuming it to feel empathy for the victims or cheer for justice served to the killer. I was watching it for pure entertainment.

Since the late 2010s, true crime stories havebeenontopoftheworld.Netflix constantly has true crime documentaries coming out, such as Abducted in Plain Sight, American Murder: The Family Next Door, or the very popular Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. True crime

Artwork by Amber Wilsondebriano 4

YouTubers were getting more sponsorships than ever. truthtotheaudience,right?Peoplehaveflaws,a But recently, people have begun to think about whether purposelyleavingoutqualitiestomakethems ornotthis“problemsolved”aspect—where we,the more marketable to the masses is frustrating. The killer viewers,playdetective—isworththeemotional distress is allowed to have the full spectrum of his personality examined to the point where it has become a common criticismtoaccusetruecrimecreatorsof“symp with the killer.” Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile focuses heavily on how romantic Ted Bundy was with his wife and the deep love he felt for his child.

Bundy’s victims, however, are made out to be average people—rarelygivenapersonalityatall.Truecr creators seem to assume that excluding a person’s negativequalitiesmayleadtoalackofempathy victim, and in most cases, this assumption is correct.

Victims who have engaged in a disparaged profession or possess traits that people dislike are not going to beNetflix’snewestventure;theydonothavethe “requirements”tobetheperfectvictim.

When a story is wildly popular, it is going to be exploited for all of its worth.

It’s not surprising to me that true crime has been a cultural phenomenon for decades. It appeals to a sense of justice and victory within us, capitalizing on the happiness we feel when the perpetrator is captured. It it causes the people directly involved in the case. The validatesourparents’wisdom—tellingusnott newNetflixseries Dahmer is a recent example of alone and never to talk to strangers. It is a reminder that this, and one of the more disturbing cases in history there are people who will commit heinous acts. And because it involves an origin story that begins with him with true crime documentaries, we get to see inside the as a young child who then grows into a man capable mind of someone who has committed such acts. The of committing terrible acts of violence. The series, human mind is fascinating, so it’s not abnormal to watch however, has become wildly popular, raking in millions true crime to discover more about how it works (or ofviewsonNetflix.Butitismadeattheexpense deviates from working), and it certainly doesn’t make of the families of the victims who have endured the a person morbid for liking it. But when did people stop painoflosingtheirrelativetoabrutalremembering murder.Netfl thatixthese true crime stories are real? cameunderfirerecentlywhenitwasrevealedthat the victims’ families had not been contacted, leading Humans are curious by nature, and it makes perfect tothequestionofwhetherornottheseries was made sense as to why we are invested in the evil villains of to expose a terrible person, or merely to shock and true crime. In some cases, we get to see a family that entertain its viewers. has overcome tragedy, an inspiration to people who aregoingthroughsomethinghorrific.However,mos When a story is wildly popular, it is going to be of the time, we watch true crime for the shock value. exploited for all of its worth. And when we see the They show the extremes of what humans are capable victims in this story, it is easier to see them as a number of,anditleavespeoplewondering“Whatif?”Whati instead of as people. They become a commodity for yourquietneighborissecretlyouttogetyou?Wh YouTubethumbnailsorNetflixdocumentaries. yourTheir boyfriend is a psychopath? Or, most frightening names represent a cautionary tale; their personalities of all, what if I snap one day? Pure entertainment is aremoldedtoonenote:“Shecouldlightupa room, ” not supposed to bring up these types of frightening “Healwayshadasmileonhisface,”or“Shewasquestions. such Thisiswheretruecrimebecomesmise a good person.” Sure, people don’t want to speak ill for both the victims and the viewers alike. We will ofthedead,whichisperfectlyfineandprobably thehavequestionsaboutourselves,buttr always most respectful approach, but it’s not always the truth. amplifiesthesequestions.Perhapsthenexttim Foragenrethatinsinuateshonesty trueinthe name— escape into true crime merely for entertainment you crime—itseemsabitimportanttoiterate the should askentire yourself, is it worth it?

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Cool it, America

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The political world is heating up. Here’s how we can keep it cool with Calvin Coolidge.

Price 1p

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Monday, March 4, 1929

By Ethan S. Curb

If someone were to ask who you thought the best president There is no better evidence of this than his handling of the was,whowouldyousay?PerhapsWashington,thefirst, national the debt. After the liberal spending practices of founder of our nation. Perhaps Lincoln, who led America Woodrow Wilson that saw a 21 billion dollar increase in the through the Civil War. Perhaps FDR, Reagan, Obama, or nationaldebt—a723%jumpfrompredecessorWilliam Trump. The point is that those whom we think of as being Taft—Coolidgesoughttoparedownrecklessspen the best, those whom we remember, are the ones who made try to balance the budget. The result? The national debt thehistorytextbooksforwhattheydidwhile decreased inoffice. byHow 5.3 billion dollars and retained massive theymoldedtheofficeofthepresidencytotheir surpluses will.Howeachyearhewasinoffice.Infact,Coolidge they instituted their agenda on the country. the last president to cause a contraction in debt, cutting it down to around 17 billion dollars. To put that into But what about those who led by restraint? Those who perspective, the national debt stands today at 30.8 trillion sculpted the presidency by not changing it, who understood dollars, about 1,800 times larger than it was at the end of that the president is nothing more than a mere man? It is Coolidge’s presidency, and none of our presidents of late these presidents who are so woefully overlooked by have shown any signs of reducing it. historians, and discounted by scholars, because they did not cause any major shifts in the country’s situation.

These are a lot of facts and numbers. But understanding what Coolidge did is vital to the success of our nation But by not doing much, these men did something very few today. Though he faced criticism in the moment for his CommandersinChiefhaveachieved:theysacrificed actions, their he almost always acted with the future in mind, own ego and power for the good of the country. They preferring to focus on the bigger picture. He didn’t understood the intended role of the presidency. recklessly spend money the nation didn’t have for short termbenefit,preferringtolookaheadatAmerica Our nation’s 30th president is the best example of this. and plan his decisions accordingly. With today’s politicians, Accuratelydubbed“theForgottenPresident, Republican ”Calvin and Democrat alike, throwing our country Coolidge oversaw America’s success during the Roaring deeper and deeper into debt, we need to look back to the 20s. As one of only eight vice presidents to step into the Coolidgepresidencytofindapathforward. role after the untimely death of his predecessor (in this case Warren G. Harding), Coolidge, characteristically, did not But, in light of our raw political climate today, I don’t want becomepresidentofhisownvolition.Ratherto the focus office on Silent wasCal’s politics as much as on how he led. cast upon Coolidge after the scandal-plagued Harding For we are in an era where politicians and celebrities are administration and in the aftermath of the First World War, more interchangeable than ever before, where politics is a leading the American people to look to him for leadership. competitiontobethemostflamboyantandtotalk “SilentCal,”ashewascalled,wasaboutasextreme biggest afoil game.Certainlynotall,butdefinitelyman to the Roaring 20s as any man could have been. There members of Congress and the Senate seem to desire to stay exists a famous story in which President Coolidge was inofficemorethantheyactuallywanttohelpthe approached at a party by a woman who had made a bet with constituents. Leaders on both sides viciously attack their her friend that she could get him to say more than two opponents, spending millions and millions to tear them words throughout the evening. He turned to her, replied down and keep themselves in power. (Term limits, “youlose,”andwalkedaway.Reserved,conservative, anyone?) and rational, he provided a stark contrast to the wild, carefree, party-filleddecade—andyet,itwasexactlythis Politicians contrast todaylambastopponentsfortheir that allowed America to prosper. campaigning on how terrible their policies and personal livesareandhowtheyare“unfittolead.”Theyruna Unlike so many of our leaders today, Coolidge saw the withdeep-voicedmonologuesandinflammatoryfoot presidency as not a power to be wielded to enforce his their opponents, not trying to rally support for themselves, agenda upon the people, but as an immense responsibility but against the stated enemy. Coolidge chose a different to keep the federal government out of the affairs of the tack. He made a point of never speaking an ill word about states while ensuring that the country remained stable. those against whom he ran, preferring to focus on himself

and how his achievements would best help the country. He would rather have people elect him than keep his opponent outofoffice.

notuseitasaslogan—beforehisowninterests for the good of the people. His lack of vanity is something that politicians today should aspire to emulate, putting their own careers second to their duty to the American people.

Compare this to the 2020 election. Joe Biden ran on a platformcenteredaroundthemanyflawsofTrump’s presidency, focusing on his unpopular response to the pandemic and generally crass personality. This is not a defenseofTrump—hemadealotofmistakesas president—butthepointisthatinsteadofcampaigningon what made him a good candidate (which was and still is admittedly lacking), Biden chose to campaign on a full offense. It won him the election but deepened the political divides already fracturing our country. Trump, in the same vein, made no attempts to be the bigger man, choosing to keep with his usual strategy of orienting every single aspect of his campaign around ad hominem attacks and running on a platform of hatred for his opponent. It’s evident, then, that this disease does not lie along party lines.

The country is now more polarized than ever before, helped along by the continued attacks on Trump and his followers by our current president, and the reciprocating assault by many on Biden and the Democrats. Political attacks may oftenbewarranted,buttheconsequencesofpreachingthe shortcomings of one’s adversaries will always produce a sick, divided country.

GeorgeWashingtonisoftenlaudedforhisselflessactsthat definedthepresidency.Offeredthetitleofking,afterbeing Photographed by Patton Galloway elected unanimously, Washington chose to step down after twotermsinoffice,settingaprecedentforall Calvin whowould Coolidge was by no means a perfect president. follow. He was presented with all the power anyone could There’s a strong argument that he went too far with his everwant,yetchosetorelinquishitforthelaissez-faire goodofthe economic policies, which was the catalyst for people. Coolidge, who became president in 1923, chose not the Great Depression. But that does not take away from the to run for reelection in 1928, despite winning the 1924 fact that there is much to be learned from our nation’s most election in a landslide. He would have been the longestfiscallyresponsiblepresidentandthewayinwhi serving president (ten years to everyone else’s eight) in chose to lead. His understanding that America should not American history at that point but chose to let the American spend money it didn’t have in pursuit of solutions unlikely people pick another leader, believing that one man in power to work is something we need more of today. Our recent for ten years was far too long without a change. and current presidents have increased the national debt by several trillion dollars each term, plunging us deeper into CoolidgewasinSouthDakota,fishingonafarmin debt the with China and other world powers. We need middle of nowhere when he shocked the world with his politicians and presidents who take note of Coolidge’s decision. The press had hunted him down, looking for a values and govern similarly, who strive to model and comment on his presidential endeavors. In response, exemplify his humility and conservatism (not to be Coolidgewentinsidethehouse,wroteoutthe confused words with “Ido conservative political beliefs). We need not choose to run for president in nineteen twenty-eight” on leaders who put the needs and wants of the people before a sheet of paper, copied it a couple dozen times, and had his their own, who understand that politics is not a game to be friend hand out the slips of paper to each member of the won, who step into the mantle of the presidency not press before locking the door and turning out the lights. because they want the power, but because they truly believe they can make a difference for the American people. We Thesignificanceofhisdecisionshouldnotbetaken need presidents lightly. who build this country up and recognize Coolidgeendedhisownpoliticalcareerforthe and respect benefit theirof supporters and adversaries alike. the nation by refusing to run again. He remembered that the dutyofthepresidentwastoputAmericafirst—and We needmean to remember it, the Forgotten President.

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THE FEMININE FEMININE MYSTI MYSTIQQUE UE MISCONCEIVED MISCONCEIVED THE How the modern age of feminism isn’t even real feminism.

By Abby Comer

Onehundredandfiftyyearsago,ifaperson“hated foughtfor—payequality,femaleeducation,andrig feminism,”theywouldhavehatedtheSuffrageMovement contraception—arewhatwenowthinkofasbasi andits“blasphemous”ideathatwomenshould rights. havethe righttovote.Fiftyyearsago,ifaperson“hatedfeminism,” theywouldhavehatedpayequality,reproductive Itmust rights, bekeptinmindthatfeminismhasneverb femalesexuality,anddomesticviolenceawareness. trend;it’s Thirty amovementthathastriedtocreat yearsago,ifaperson“hatedfeminism,”theywould and have empowerwomen.Buttoday,somefearthatmode hatedthecelebrationofdifferencesacross feminists race,class, are and losingsightofwhatthepurposeo sexualorientation. reallyis:genderequality;thismisconceptionc inanewformofradicalfeminismthathasemerged Butwhywouldsomeonehatefeminisminourcurrent thathas day?gonetoofarbybelievingthatwomenar Coulditbethechantsof“girlpower”that—to (rather some—have thanequal)tomen,areversesexismandt seemedexcessive?Or,coulditbethesensethat opposite some ofwhattheoriginalgoaloffeminismwa feministshaveovershotthemark(equality)hating andnowis seem notsynonymouswithfeminismnorisitt tofightinsteadforoutrightsuperiority? andthosewhodosoarenotonlymissingthemark feminismisbutarealsoincorrectlylabelingt Before,feminismwasanewidea,onethatopposed such. theviewsofasocietythathadbeendominatedbythe patriarchyforcenturies.Itwasamovementthat Theidea fought thatwomenareinferiortomenis,ofcour forchange,especiallyonetoliftfemaleempowerment. fromnew.AsearlyasthebeginningoftheNeolithi Themodernideaoffeminismisarguablymostsimilar menwereassignedtohuntorworkthefarmswhil totheSecondWaveoffeminism,purelybythefact wereassignedtosireandcareforchildren.Ones thatitisviewedbymanyasradicalorcallingexample fornew ofthepatriarchy’sinfluencethroughout ideas.However,the“radicalideas”theSecond is Wave rootedintheconceptthatGodismale.Howev

The First Wave (1848-1920): Though The First Wave, also known as the Women’s Suffrage Movement,isn’ttheoriginoffeminism,it’sstillth large-scale Western political movement with the purpose of achievingequalityforwomen.Thiswaveisthoughtto begun at the Seneca Falls convention of 1848, where nearly 200 women met at a church in New York to discuss the rights of women. At the end of the convention, they created a list of 12 grievances, one of which included the right to vote. In 1870, the 15th Amendment was passed, giving Black men therighttovote.Thisledtoaninfluxofwhitewomenj the Suffrage Movement, with many wondering why male formerly enslaved people were allowed to vote before women were. This movement ended in 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote but did not clear away obstacles that kept black women from voting. The First Wave is characterized by ideas that wereconsideredradicalintheirday,suchasfightin onlyfortherighttovote,butalsoforequalopport education and in the workplace, as well as the distribution of birth control, even after it was made illegal in 1873 when the Comstock Act deemed it obscene and illicit.

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not sensible to say that God has a gender at all. In most idea of equality, which has led to greater opportunity for monotheisticreligions,Godisseenasaninfinite womenbeing, and has the provided them with the freedom that comes creator of everything with no real bodily form. So, then, from empowerment. A great example of this is the #MeToo how can something so far beyond us have a gender? movement that was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke, which provided women with the support and momentum to speak The same principle applies to the implication that God is out about abuse that they had previously felt pressured to a woman, as many radical feminists have done through keep private. This new opportunity led to many women the years. Any idea that God has a gender is an entitled coming forward as victims of rape and then seeing their delusion; such a one-sided idea doesn’t support feminism efforts bring their assaulters to justice. and is merely an attack against the patriarchy at the surface level. To reiterate, feminism is a movement for the equality But, the MeToo movement provided an outlet for everyone of women and men, and insisting that God is one gender to talk openly about their experiences with sexual and or the other goes against this idea of equality as it relates domestic assault, not just women. That being said, until to religion. The best course of action for feminism is the recently, the media has still been focusing primarily on acceptance that God has no gender, rather than trading onefemale victims. This changed, of course, with the popularity form of sexism for another. Historically, men have been of the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case. Unless you’ve seen as superior to women because of the mindset that been living under a rock, you’ve heard of the defamation women are weaker and more emotional, seen very clearly case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, in which in the patriarchy that dominated the world for centuries. Heard accused Depp of domestic abuse in an op-ed, In such patriarchal societies, there was a need for female empowerment because there was clear inequality between men and women, and the best way to lessen that gap was Yet it feels as though there are through empowered women.

fewerthingstofightfor,sowe simplydecidedtofightforfemale The Fourth Wave of feminism is an example of this mindset being embodied by a large number of people. superiority and gender exploitation Yetitfeelsasthoughtherearefewerthingstofightfor, under sowesimplydecidedtofightforfemalesuperiority and the misused title of female gender exploitation under the misused title of female empowerment. empowerment.

Only recently have women been given equitable representation. This is the purest form of feminism, the The Second Wave (1963- 1980s): The Second Wave is thought to have begun with the publishing of The Feminine MystiquebyBettyFriedan,anonfictionworkthat discussessomethingthatbefore,manyhaddisregarded:“thesystemic sexism that taught women that their place was in the home and that if they were unhappy as housewives, it was only because they were broken and perverse.” Friedan stated that women had the right to be unhappy as they were being oppressed by the expectations of society.

Once again, these ideas were hardly new, but they were never before discussed at such scale as in The Feminine Mystique. Differing from the First Wave, the women involved in the Second Wave weren’t fightingforspecificrights,somuchastheywerepressingforsocial equalitytobefullyrealized.Thewomenwereabletogainmajor tractionwiththepassingoftheEqualPayAct,SupremeCourtrulings that gave women the right to birth control and federally protected abortions, and the inclusion of Title IX in the Education Amendments that made it easier for women to get an education, all of which happened between the 1960s and the 1970s. Additionally, this wave fought for women to have the ability to own credit cards under their own names and apply for mortgages on their own behalves, while also raising awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace as well as abuses within marriage. The main purpose of this wave was to change the societal perspective on women; however, women of color still tended to feel alienated from the movement.

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leadingtoDepplosingmultiplefilmrolesandfeminism damaging is his legacy. The salacious trial entranced the public, who equalitybetween largely believed that Depp was the victim. The jury clearly men and women; agreed in a unanimous decision in favor of Depp on June in a truly feminist 1st, 2022, awarding him 15 million dollars. world, men can be victims just Following the conclusion of the six-week-long trial, Heard like women. posted the following on Instagram: The exclusion “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was of men’s ability not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, to experience influence, and sway of my ex-husband. I’m even more their victimhood disappointed with what this verdict means for other is not the only women. It’s a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when form of exclusion a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly perpetrated shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence by modern against women is to be taken seriously.” “feminism”; there’s a clear This post strongly displays many of the discreditable traits example of an In-Group vs. Out-Group mindset in that have begun to characterize modern feminism. For which people outside certain standards are viewed as example: She starts by talking about how Depp’s celebrity unacceptable to those within them. Members of the Instatureovercamethe“mountainofevidence, Group ”despite feel the need the to justify the actions of their fellow fact that much of her evidence was alleged to have been memberswhilegatekeepingtheterm“feminist.”Ica forged. She also tried to appeal to a female audience by speak from personal experience on this topic, as there have saying that she was no match for the power of her exbeen multiple situations in which people I know have that husband (read: the patriarchy). She continued her message, they don’t believe that I’m an extreme enough feminist to statingthat“[she’s]evenmoredisappointed joinwith “thewhat group.”TellingmethatI“don’tsupportw this verdict means for other women,” even calling it a enough to be a feminist,” because I believe that though “setback,”attemptingtoreinforcetheidea there thatshould oneman bemorewomenintheSTEMfield,itshou winning a domestic violence case is a setback for feminism not be at the expense of men. Furthermore, it feels as in general. This, however, isn’t the case. The goal of though the modern age of radical feminists (which again

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The Third Wave (beginning around 1991): The so-called Third Wave of feminism is the least pronounced, but is thought to have begun with Anita Hill’s case in 1991, in which she claimed that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, had sexually harassed her at work. While Thomas still ended up being appointed to the Supreme Court, this case still emboldened a lot of women to make claims of sexual assault in the workplace. Additionally, Thomas’s ascent to the highest court led to many women coming out in opposition to the overrepresentation of men in the American government. Furthermore, Thomas’s ascent ledtoadirectirony—24womenwonseatsintheHouse of Representatives the following year. Kimberlé Crenshaw became a symbol of the Third Wave due to her idea of “intersectionality,”whichunderscoresherbelieft different forms of oppression are all set into one, which led totheThirdWave’sembraceofthefightfortransright wave was also deeply inspired by the rise of the band The RiotGrrrls,whichinspiredtheembracingoftheterm“ and many other feminine ideas that the Second Wave had ardently opposed. This was arguably in reaction to the belief that the rejection of girliness was in itself misogynistic and the fact that some Second Wave members supposedly punished womenwhohappenedtoenjoyfittingwithintradition beauty standards.

doesn’t embody the true mentality of feminism) are living In The Feminine Mystique (1963), Betty Friedan writes under the pretense that you’re not a real feminist if you do about the systemic oppression of women perpetuated by not believe in the same extremities as them. This, again, women themselves capitulating to societal expectations that goesagainsttheideasofequality—younowhave reach they to prefer not to work, vote, or have lives separate from acertain“level”offeminismtobedeemedtrue. their husbands’. Friedan claims that this lack of agency leaveswomenfeelingunsatisfied.Shewrotethatb A great example of this can be seen in how other In-Group housewives may be satisfying for some, she acknowledged, feministsregardEmmaWatson,oneofthemostinflbut uential certainly not for all. This idea of female dissatisfaction feminists of the modern age. In 2017 she exposed skin is where the modern feminist movement has found its on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine, which resulted in fight.However,Friedan’smessagehasbeenseverely controversialstatementsquestioningher feministstatus, misunderstood.

The mindset of modern feminism is no suchasCNN’squery:“Canyoubeafeministandpose inaset on gaining the rights we’ve been denied but longer nearly see-through top for Vanity Fair?” Furthermore, some rather on exploiting the rights we have gained. people believe that she’s not feminist enough because they believe she is only in her position as U.N. Women Goodwill Feminismissupposedtobeasocialmovementtofind Ambassador due to her privilege. Emma Watson is vocal in equalitybetweenwomenandmen.Previously,becaus her support of women yet she is kept from passing through the patriarchy, feminism stood for female empowerment the gate into the inner sanctum of modern feminism. withthegoalofequality.Inmoderntimes,feminist continued to push forfemale empowerment, even though Amajordistinctionbetweenmodernfeminism and its first the gap ofequality haslargelybeenclosedacknowl ( wavesisthedifferencebetweenafightforsuperiority that this is not the case in every corner of the globe). This versus one for human rights. Of course, this isn’t always push has led to a new form of sexism in which women the case; earlier this year, nationwide protests erupted believe themselves to be superior to men, defying the against The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs. entire notion of what feminism is supposed to be. Will Jackson Women’s Health Organization; participants fought this be how the Fourth Wave of feminism is going to be against their ruling to overturn a law that had established remembered? A radical, social media-based movement that abortion as as a constitutional right. Except for this sole simply promoted reverse sexism? This doesn’t need to be instanceoffightingforahuman’srighttohealthcare, thecase.Awarenessisthefirststeptowardsles manyother“feminist”protestsseemunwarranted.

Many gap between men and women. The next thing we can do is modern feminists are misconceiving what it means to be a tochangethenarrative—let’spromoteeveryon feministfightingforbasichumanrights. instead of anyone’s superiority.

The Fourth Wave...

The Fourth, or Modern, Wave of feminism is thought to have begun with the #MeToo movement, which is distinct in the fact that it’s primarily taking place online through planned activism.

This can also be seen in online hashtags such as #YesAllWomen and #StandWithWendy that advocated for abortion rights in Texas,inadditiontotheso-called“SlutWalks”thathavebeen planned online to prove that stopping male harassment wasn’t as easy as merely dressing more modestly. According to Vox News,TheFourthWaveisprimarily“queer,sex-positive,transinclusive, body-positive, and digitally driven.” This wave tends to target powerful men (as seen in accusations against Harvey Weinstein,theformermoviemogulwhowasfirstaccusedof sexual assault in October of 2017) and the systems that have allowed men to target women in the past with impunity. On Friday,June24th,20,Roev.Wade—passedduringthe SecondWave—wasoverturned,removingtheconstitutional right to abortion, giving states the right to say whether abortion is legal under individual state law. The result was mass protest from men and women alike, chanting the motto, “You’renotbanningabortion,you’rebanningsafeabortion.”

Furthermore, this decision has opened up the idea of removing the constitutional right to contraception, interracial marriage, andgaymarriage,ideasthatweresignificantduringthe20 midterm elections.

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Predator Protection Program You are the witness.

by Lilly Kate Rowley

Legally, she was. Thirty-one U.S. states have an age of Demi Lovato’s new album, HOLY F***, is selfconsent of sixteen reflective,therapeutic,andincrediblyrevealing.

The years old, which means that a thirty, forty—evenfifty-year-old—adultislegallyprote song that has garnered the most attention from the their sexual relations with a sixteen-year-old child. mediais“29,”inwhichsheindirectlydetailsinthe But how could the United States enact legislation narrative of her twelve-year age gap relationship with that completely contradicts modern psychology? The her ex, Wilmer Valderrama. Although the pair did not frontal lobe, which is responsible for decision-making, publicly date until Lovato turned eighteen, they met while Lovato was still seventeen years old. Throughout does not fully develop until around age 25. Due to this, adolescents naturally have increased levels of their six-year relationship, the former couple generally impulsivity—especiallyinromanticrelation received good publicity; the media portrayed their And unfortunately, “love”aspassionate,yetinnocent—everygirl’s fantasy.due to their inexperience, many adolescents cannot grasp the perverted nature of ageHowever exciting and eccentric the relationship gap relationships. These two conditions, when paired, appeared, though, there was an obvious power canmakeitextremelydifficult—ifnotimpossibl imbalance between the two. As a seventeen-year-old, Lovato was not only new to the music industry, but also the adolescent to abstain from these affairs. In many to romance; adolescent Demi would not have been able cases, the parents or guardians of the adolescent are not enoughtopreventtheserelationships—whet to recognize the possible manipulation and grooming be because they are uninformed, or simply unaware. tactics of an older, predatory individual. In the song, As a last resort, these victims should be able to rely on “29”,Lovatoexpressesthat—retrospectively—her theinnocent. legal system to relationshipwithValderramawas“farfrom ” not only grant them justice, but also to minimize the possibility of additional assaults. The Sheevenasksthequestion,“whatthef**’sconsent?” more these abusers go unpunished, the more likely they Thisisnotarhetoricalquestion,norahypothetical will remain unchanged. And how do we know this? situation; we must therefore ask ourselves: was Lovato able to consent to her relationship with the twenty-nine- Because this is not a new phenomenon. Celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Murphy, Steven Tyler, and year old Valderrama?

Jim Carrey have historically adhered to a strict age limit when considering potential girlfriends, which is roughly ten,fifteen,oreventwentyyearsyoungerthanth And while the current media coverage on these men has adopted a more scrutinizing tone, there have yet to be any serious repercussions.

However exciting and eccentric the relationship appeared, though, there was an obvious power imbalance between the two.

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In the United States, girls ages sixteen to nineteen are four times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape or sexual assault. Of course, there aremalevictimsaswell—eighteenpercentofj sexual assault victims are boys. This article is certainly not intended to invalidate those assaults, nor exempt them from their due judgment; the transgressions of theseassaultsareindisputablyequivalent female cases. However, there is a need to priorize the protection of adolescent females as they are the most targeted group of sexual assault in the United States.

The more these abusers go unpunished, the more likely they will remain unchanged.

Due to their age, these girls also happen to be arguably the most vulnerable to grooming, manipulation, and predatory coercion. Many victims like Lovato, although“legally”havingconsented to sexual relations with an adult, later feel that they were manipulated into these relations and taken advantage ofduetotheirnaivete.Thedefinition ofstatuatoryrape—thecrimeofsex with a minor when the sex is agreed tobybothparties,andnotforced— should be applicable to these age-gap relationships; the only difference is that these victims are denied any legal justice, as they are of or above the legal age of consent.

Whetherthevictimisfifteen,sixteen,orsevent is still developing physically, intellectually, and socially.

16-19 year old girls are the most targeted group of sexual assault, yet they are forgotten most often. And despite the recent pushback in the media against this predatorytrend—mainlyfromaffectedfemaleart actresses—therehasbeennoformal,juridical the abuse. We fought the war on alcohol in the 1920s, and the War on Drugs in the 1970s. More recently, we fought the war on tobacco products when we raised the federal minimum age of its sale from eighteen to twenty-one years old in 2019.

Wearecurrentlyfightingthewaron abortion, and arguably that of guns. When will we federally prioritize the war on pedophilia?

Artwork by Carlisle Smith

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Living Behind the Supreme Court, America’s Most Mercurial Building A five-month-long ride on an emotional rollercoaster, and how I learned to eventually unbuckle.

By Anna Lehman

it still remains a mystery to me. However, I certainly experienced my fair share of emotions because of whatever myneighbors—theninemostimposingjusticesin world—weredecidingbehindthosedoors.

Emotion: Terrified.

AweekintomyfirstweekatSEGL,therealityofthe Capitol Hill craziness began to set in. The Supreme Court remained gilded in my mind. It seemed untouchable. To me, nobody would ever dare to mess with its grandeur; I wasstillintimidatedlivingsoclosetothe“r happens” that I couldn’t imagine it ever being threatened.

Photo credit: Caroline Zhou

Emotion: Nervous.

Suddenly, a week into the program, while sitting inside the MMC (our living room), the Supreme Court served me my firsttasteoffear(andreality)inearlyFebruary.Am parked his Chevy Tahoe in front of the Court, attempting here to perform his Twittersphere threats live for the real worldtosee.Thiswasn’tevenhisfirsttimemakin bold claims, either. He was apparently a regular security nuisance, already having been arrested once for making the same threats in October. This was no too concerning for most, but I was shocked.

The night before I moved into The School for Ethics (SEGL) in Washington, DC, I immediately took to the steps of the Supreme Court with my father. Its majesty intimidated me. Little did I know, I had just boarded the biggest emotional rollercoaster of my life. On the steps, thefreezingwinterair—accompaniedbymyintense nerves—forcedmeintoafull-body,neurotictremble (which is understandable: I was a sixteen-year-old moving intoadormwith23strangersforfiveentiremonths).Ifelt unprepared, undeserving, and generally anxious about the ambiguity that was soon to become my everyday life. What was literally living behind the Supreme Court going to be like?

Looking back at the pictures of me at this hallowed site forthefirsttime,I’mimmediatelyremindedofmymoveindayanxieties.Iquestionedjustabouteverythingatthat time.WillIbesmartenoughtofitin?WillIhavenormal roommates? Will I make friends? Will my teachers like me?

Will everyone at home forget about me? (I could go on.)

I began to slowly grow accustomed to the general anger

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The last thing that was on my mind, though, was what was actually going on inside of the building. I was so intimidated by everything on the outside that I couldn’t even fathom what was to become of its interior, of its content. After my time at SEGL, I never did actually see what was behind the giant oak door and marble columns;

and tension surrounding the Court. Regularly, I’d be informedofyetanother“suspiciouspackage,”orge redirected to a new part of DC when returning home from a run because of yet another bomb threat. Soon enough, though,thisfrequencyrenderedtheseonceterr alerts into my background noise.

Emotion: Overjoyed.

Even amongst all of these threats, the Supreme Court rollercoaster still had incredible heights. Its good days were simplyunmatched.WhenKentajiBrownJackson,thefi Black female Justice ever to be appointed, was approved by the Senate, the Supreme Court steps practically bubbled over with joy. Hundreds of people gathered around, offering their cheers and their chalk, which decorated the cold marble with warm and welcoming messages for the new appointee. Music groups played for hours; dancing erupted on First Street. One-by-one, little girls bravely came up to the microphone, offering a song of praise during such a gleeful moment. Honestly, I tear up just remembering how happy the Supreme Court made me that day.

Photo credit: Paul Morigi, Slate Magazine. (Featuring SEGL students)

Why has this degree of violence and intensity become so normalized when affecting change?

I remember the day when I shrugged off a rumor about a firethreatnextdoor.Itwasn’tuntildinnerthatIrealized just how awful what had happened was; my friend returned home from her run, pale as a ghost. She had just witnessed anEarthDayprotestontheSupremeCourtsteps—a protest which turned into a fatal demonstration. In order to illustrateclimatechange’simpact,amansacrificedhimself to his cause and decided to self-immolate. My peers and I were truly shaken up. Why has this degree of violence and In the spring, I took prom pictures outside of the Supreme intensity become so normalized when affecting change?

Court.WhenIlookbackonthosephotos,Istillfind myself smiling every time. Despite all of the fear that often accompanied the Supreme Court, some of my sweetest memories with my best friends are tied to that building.

Emotion: Disappointed.

Despite this high, though, it remained curious to me that so much violence threatened a place that I once thought was so intimidating and untouchable. Living close by, I learned that the Supreme Court wasn’t nearly as safe as I had initially imagined it to be.

In my time in DC, I watched my neighbors craft— and drop— one of the largest judicial bombs our nation has ever seen: the overturning of the precedent set in Roe vs. Wade.

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Unfortunately, the threats against the Court’s exterior became I was disturbed by the nature of the protest I had a lens for viewing the interior vulnerabilities of America’s involved myself in. I, really, was rolling my eyes at justice system; it took me a long time to realize that, in a very how the people surrounding me treated the opposition real sense, the Court was issuing just as many threats as were and the topic at hand. In half an hour alone, I snapped being issued against it. While the Court was bombarded with 15 pictures of posters with unrelated, confusing, and threatsbythecitizenry,theylaunchedprojectiles occasionally right insensitive back— messaging. Abortion access just at the wrong people. became an afterthought as people flocked around the court, using the moment for an Instagram photo-op, not Photo credit: Caroline Zhou as a moment for serious protest. Signage hypothesized about Alito’s inability to sexually pleasure women, proclaimed love for the female orgasm, and generally avoided Roe vs. Wade itself. Pro-choice advocates spent the protest pointing arrows labele is stupid” directly in the face of the opposition. Instead of demanding a separation of church and state, young protesters sought attention by jumping to inflammatory, ad hominem attacks in the name of activism.

At what should’ve been the peak of my Supreme Court emotional rollercoaster experience, I instead found solace in rationality.

InmytimeinDC,Iwatchedmyneighborscraft—anddrop— Unrelated “woke” posters certainly make a s one of the largest judicial bombs our nation has ever seen: but they make no real change. For the first time, I the overturning of the precedent set in Roe vs. Wade. In the didn’t allow emotions to pull me towards unproductive new case, Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, activism. At that moment, reason began to take Alitoreleasedabriefdetailingthefuture—amonumental emotion’s place, and I realized the importance of decision to remove key protections for a woman’s right to protesting respectfully and with an intense dedication privacy. Politico released a leaked draft opinion by Justice to one topic of importance.

Samuel Alito, and I was stunned. The Supreme Court suddenly decided to threaten me, a regular neighbor, admirer, and woman. I felt like I, of all people, could empathize with all the violence and threats that it had endured, so why was I being attacked back? This, perhaps, was the lowest moment on the rollercoaster ride I could’ve ever imagined.

Emotion: Disgusted.

So, in my Ruth Bader Ginsburg shirt and proudly holding a “MyBody,MyRules”poster,Iventuredonceagaintothe steps and rolled my eyes. America’s feminists surrounded the blast site like rubble after an atomic explosion, and this shared anger began to radiate around the nation. Candidly, we felt like the wrinkled hands of a 72-year-old white male justice just groped every woman’s rights to privacy and bodily autonomy, and all that was left was the ability to protest.

Inanationthatpridesitselfsomuchon“equaljusticeunder law” and freedom of choice, Alito’s opinion shook my fellow Generation Z peers and me into immediate protest. My right to control my uterus was about to be virtually nonexistent. I was shell-shocked and disgusted.

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However, the majority of my disgust that the Supreme Court causedinmewasn’tbecauseofthissudden“pro-life”victory.

Upon my time circling the Supreme Court, I encountered in American political culture, young protesters seem to fantastically clever posters that put my 10-minute Crayola bedrawntooversimplifiedblack-and-whitenarra creationtoshame.Somemademelaugh,inquiring encouraged why by the media. Political discourse has twisted weweren’taddressingthe“elephantintheinto womb. a back-and-forth ”Some game between one extreme and the made me cry, informing me of horrifying statistics on child other, leaving little room for opinions that fall outside of molestation and pregnancy. Some made me rethink my extreme rhetoric. entire participation in the protest completely.

With incendiary bombast, politicians of all sides of the politicalspectrumexercisetheirinfluenceove At what should’ve been the peak of my Z,fizzlingproductivepoliticaldiscourseoutofs Supreme Court emotional rollercoaster asquicklyasthelatestretiredTikToktrend.Fi Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Josh Hawley, experience, I instead found solace in and Bernie Sanders have formulated a political scene rationality. replicating a reality show. My SEGL peers and I reload CNN and Fox News with the same feverish delight as many feel while trying to keep up with the Kardashians. Social media and the natural teenage tendency to seek reassurance in others have forced the expression of political leanings into a childishly linear string: the more shocking you are, the more air time you get, and therefore you make the most change. Needless to say, the current calculus for political impact is embarrassingly simple, and I’ve realized that it shouldn’tsufficeforateenhungryforrealchange No More Emotions: A Call to Action.

Buying into melodramatic, emotional rhetoric fueled by the Supreme Court’s actions decreases any movement’s efficacy.Throwingupunrelated,offensivepostersa middlefingersforInstagramlikesdivertsatten By then, I had unbuckled myself from the emotional ride, the core issues at hand, only pushing people further away and so had my friend, who, when attempting to listen and from joining protests. Real activism means listening to respond to the arguments of pro-lifers nearby, had icy the opposition and being especially skeptical of those who water splashed in his face by a pro-choice advocate who don’t. So, let’s approach protesting issues with a single hadmistakenlyprofiledhimasan“enemy”duetohismere focus in mind and stop shouting about it. Unbuckle yourself proximitytoaconflictingviewpoint. from the emotional rollercoaster along with me in realizing thatexplosiveeventsaren’talwaysremediedb Becomingasilentcriticofemotionalprotest—a explosive protests. definingcharacteristicofmyowngeneration—has been disillusioning. After a while, there’s only so much groupthink, lack of leadership, or general disregard for nuance that a sixteen-year-old girl can handle.

Yes, I support abortion. It’s healthcare, it’s moral, it’s constitutional. Yet, spending a protest ignoring the issue, attacking the opposition, and feeding into the emotionally charged atmosphere that the Supreme Court’s decisions havecreatedquicklybegantoseemcounterproductive.

Emotion: Inspired.

Rather than critically thinking or upholding a civil, productive conversation, young people forming convictions tend to push to the extremes. Picking a side isn’t inherently negative; only listening to others with your same viewpoint is. In a particularly polarizing age

Photo credit: Caroline Zhou

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Our Mind’s Metropolis An oddly deep dive into Venus flytraps, modern fit suits, and the crushing realization that our memory is imperfect.

by George Walton

Imagine looking over a city right at sunset. A purple all, but for now, here we are looking out at that everandorangelightfloodsthestreetsandeverything progressing else sunset. you can see. Take a moment to watch the people, the oneswithfacesyoucan’tquitemakeout;watch Backthem to our vantage point, above that city now. Wait. walk down the sidewalk on their way to wherever. The Wheredidthecitygo?Ohyeah—youwereborntoday. carswiththetaillightsthatreflectonto Instead shopfronts. ofacity, A youseeanemptyfield,withthesun niceoutfitrestsontheshoulderofamannequin. just peeking Isthat up from behind your shoulder. As time does aclassicormodernfit?Nowfocusonyourfavorite that annoying thing it does and goes on, buildings surge skyscraper. How many windows complement its smooth up out of the ground. Some houses, some skyscrapers. concrete exterior? How many people live, or work Some pedestrians, some animals, and even some of those within? How many are even real? weirdplantsgrowingincracksintheroadthate Every detail your brain recognizes now lives in this city.

Memory is weird, to say the least. Nostalgia and memory Rightaboutnow,youaretenorso.You’vehadyourfirs decay plague our brains. From the time we are born, we steps,thatgiantmonolithonFirstStreet.Your fall through our lives and, along the way, sometimes brand the side of that ‘scraper, about a block from the without explanation, our mind reaches out and grabs onethatholdsthememoryofyourfirststeps.Onth something. It could be something as big as a skyscraper same street, small houses in comparison: your second, or as small (although potentially just as important) as third,fourth,andfifthsteps.Smallthingsliketh asingularmannequin.Rememberthattimeyou destined spilled tobeobscuredbyyourfriends,yourfirstk water all over your pants and everyone kept calling you graduation,marriage,andthefirsttimeyou’refire … Why do you remember that?Scientificallyspeaking, a job (this embarrassment will eclipse the rest, trust me). perhaps your brain highlighted that memory because it For now, though, they are all that’s there to see from your was a lesson: Next time, be more careful unless you want little hill where you watch this city’s growth. The light what happened then to happen again. What about the from the sun makes every detail clear. Now that they memories that are completely random? Or even better, areunobscuredandproperlylit,youcanreadyour considertheone-secondimagethatflashesonce words or as iftwice you were speaking them again. a month. Who knows what the heck that fragment means, so why is it even there? Ironically, it hurts my brain Flashforwardtoyourthirties,andweseethesun to even think about it (Sidebar: isn’t it weird that the high and bright above your head. But craning your neck brain named itself, and then thought it was weird when to see it kind of hurts, so let’s check back in on— Oh it realized that?). Maybe one day science will reveal my Go–wow. Look at that memory. Ooh, that hurt.

Artwork by Anderson Toole

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Memory could be described as anything because, in a Wow, that’s kind of funny now that you see it from so far way, it is everything. Everything you know is everything away… A bustling metropolis grows up and up and up you.

There’s always more, of course, but for you to towardsthesun.Atingeofsadnessfindsitstoway into this moment of proud hindsight: your old favorite building is knowthat,itmustfirstmanifestitselfwithinyo and in your memory. nowhere to be found. Were those second steps on First orSecondStreet?Thosefirstwordswerewhat?You’ve We are all citizens of that city within the minds of others. traveled so far, so many new buildings popped up, Whetherornotweremaineternaledificescarved and at some point, like a hungry weed (...or the Venus skyscrapers, a small house in a neighborhood called flytrap),theyswallowedupthesmallerhouses, the “High School, peoplewalkingdownthesidestreets.Isthat your fifth-”orapersonwalkingdownSeventieth Street, we are all just stories and memories eventually. grade math teacher waving from behind that car? No, wait. Seventh grade. As you go further and further, those I don’t mean to be particularly morose, but maybe that’swhatthislifeis.“OurMind’sMetropolis,” buildings remain, but are overwritten by so many more dingy, sad shack, right next to a small little home in that beautiful memories. aforementionedneighborhoodof“HighSchool.”

As time does that annoying thing it does and goes on, buildings surge up out of the ground. Some houses, some skyscrapers. Some pedestrians, some animals, and even some of those weird plants growing in cracks in the road that eat flies.

Where’s the lesson in this article? Why have you bothered yourself with reading this depressing junk?

Because George Walton wants you to know that we all, more or less, make our own impacts. We decide how we manifest inside the metropolis of our fellow citizens’ minds.Wecancontrolwhatwesquintoureyesatfro this hill and what we remember to an extent, no matter how dark it is and no matter how far away it might seem.

So maybe this story about a city will get a few stories in your mind, or maybe it will be eclipsed by the newest fun fact about cheetahs, space, or even what’s for dinner next Tuesday.

Maybe it’s not wrong to be scared of being reduced to a memory. Maybe something deep under that city rumbles “Be someone. Do something. Live forever.” It’s beautiful. What sunset isn’t? At some point in our lives, You close your eyes for a second and now you’re we’veallstoppedandthought, Isn’t that a nice “ one...” seventy.Timeflieswhenyou’rehavingfun,andyou Sure, it’ll be night soon, it might be hard to see and knowwhattheysayaboutyourfifties,right?Best.

Years. stubbed toes might ensue. Yet, here we are, pausing for a Of. Your. Life. Or was that your twenties? Now the sun second, watching the sun go down, and trying our best to has begun to dip below the tallest of your memories. remember this moment forever.

Darkness sets in, and as the light fades, so do precious details.Andnowthemetaphorisfinished.

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Fork in the Road Do we travel down a path of success or happiness?

By Emily Benasutti Some of us are lucky enough to choose our futures.

Most of you reading this will. But what will you base your decision on? Will you strive for a life of happiness and fulfillment in your career? Or solely aim for those opportunities that come with financial and social success?

Industrial Revolution introduced a surplus of job opportunities throughout the United States in which men were being hired en masse to work in factories.

This new manufacturing era facilitated a societal standard where monetary pay from employers was equivalent to someone’s success. These ide financial gain seamlessly bled into the early 1900s, As a high school senior, I’ve been facing these as the “Roaring Twenties” was filled with buz questions more than ever over the past the few stock months. market and business tycoons—env Whether filling out an application on the Common as the epitome of success in America. A few decades App or answering an inquisitive relative, later,considering the 1950s introduced technological innovations my future has plagued my mind. Which college do often purchased by middle to upper-class families.

I want to attend? Which major do I wish to pursue?

Household appliances such as microwaves, vacuums, Which job opportunities will be available to me? and televisions signified financial stability.

While it’s true that I am lucky enough to choose, quite honestly, these questions do not Asexcite a result, to me this day, many people believe as much as they frighten me. It’s bizarre how I, a financial status to be synonymous with success. seventeen-year-old, have to make decisions now The more money you earn and the more material that will affect the entire trajectory of my future. I objects you buy, the more stable you are perceived constantly wonder if I’m going to make the wrong to be. In fact, if you Google search “most success choice, or if I’m going to feel a different way in ten people in America,” the first two names that appear years than I do now about what I want to do in life. are Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. But are these men Throughout this process, I’ve considered both the happy, fulfilled? Maybe, maybe not. But they are all financial and personal benefits of all of my different undoubtedly rich. The hard truth is, no matter how options, and frankly, it’s difficult to decipher which someone feels emotionally or mentally about their one outweighs the other. So, join me as I try to endeavors, they will not be perceived as traditionally pinpoint what defines a truly successful future. successful unless they are rich due to our societal expectations institutionalized throughout the years.

It’s bizarre how I, a seventeen-year-old, have to make decisions now that will affect the entire trajectory of my future.

However, many people who seem outwardly successful might indeed feel internally unfulfilled. A wealthy income might provide security for someone, but it surely doesn’t provide satisfaction. According to The Meadowglade, a recent study pointed out that once a certain annual income is reached (nearly $105,000 in the U.S.), we are more likely to have “worse life satisfaction” and “reduced well In fact, many wealthy Americans note that they have We first have to start by analyzing whatexperienced “success” the “treadmill effect. ” This phe means in modern society and how it has evolved consists of buying material items that we think over generations. In the late nineteenth century, the will make us happier. Once we’ve acquired the

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though, we wonder what we can buy next, and the cycle continues. This endless desire for items leaves people unfulfilled, while experiences and passions are what actually lead us to happiness.

A wealthy income might provide security for someone, but it surely doesn’t provide satisfaction.

to conversations about our future college lives.

Despite what I truly want to do with my life, there is a similar pressure to prove myself to my classmates. It’s natural for education environments to feel competitive, especially as a senior when GPAs and extracurriculars are a constant topic of discussion. Sure, pursuing a musical career might fulfill someone’s dreams, but their peers at school are likely to view them as unsuccessful if they aren’t ensured a competitive income.

Recognizing societal and relationship influences is crucial as you embark on your future endeavors, but the question still remains: Should you b decisions on a future of success or happiness?

Now we must acknowledge the various elements that impact the direction of our career paths. Some of our most important decisions are directly influenced Although there are several influential factors in by those with whom we surround ourselves. For determining my own future, I feel confident in my instance, parental pressure can have a colossal pursuit of financial stability. Now, I know what impact on how we live our future lives. Of course, you’re thinking: “She actually picked a side?” it’s natural for parents to want their child to have yes and no. Although my personal opinion might a secure income that can support his or her family. come across as shallow or controversial, I have And most of the time, parents have nothing short always been one to desire security in my future of genuine intentions. However, these intentions lifestyle. I want to be able to spoil myself and those typically shift into expectations, and adolescents around me and take vacations to places I’ve always often feel immense pressure to prove themselves to dreamed of traveling to. It’s not that I don’t value their parents through education and career status.

According to Forbes. com, “Agood income waspersonal the fulfillment; I just crave a comfortable and financially rewarding path in life. Though I biggest reason that parents (55%) said that they know that this direction is desirable for me, by no promoted a particular career.” These pressures means do I think that it is the only answer to the certainly apply to me; my parents want me to have a question. choices in life will remain com “successful” life, and I want to prove to them thatYour I subjective depending on who you are. What I can can exceed their expectations. But too much parental confidently tell you is this: You are the only deciding involvement in guiding one’s future might lead to factor in the choice that is your future. No matter severe regret when individuals seek their parents’ what societal, educational, or parental pressure is validation over their own. placed on you, your desires should remain the most important motivator. Whether that’s eating oversized Some of our most important corporate muffins while you edit the latest fiduciary report or painting still lifes of Paris at sunset, you decisions are directly should have the ultimate autonomy in your future.

infl uenced by those with whom we surround ourselves.

What I canconfidentlytellyou is this: You are the only deciding in the choice that is your future.

Furthermore, craving approval for our future factor decisions is not only inspired by our parents, but also by some of our closest friends. I sincerely wish the best for all of my peers, but quite selfishly, I often find myself becoming competitive when it comes

Artwork by David Axon

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Sending It HBme

Why we choose to play sports amongst everything else

By Turner Long Sportsisarguablythemostuniversal“club”inall of Porter-Gaud with nearly 80% of the Upper School student body participating. Whether we play or not, sportsseemtotouchtheentireschool—makingimpacts bothbigandsmall—onadailybasis.You’llalwayssee students leaving class for far-away games. You may also constantly struggle to form plans with your friends when they just can’t seem to shake off volleyball practice. Or maybeit’saconstantbattlebetweenfinishinghomework and actually showing up to practice.

And yet, it’s all too common to hear athletes complain as 3:20 approaches: the smiles that spread over people’s faces when dark, impending clouds begin to loom, the cheersthateruptwhenacoachsendsouta“practice canceled” email, and the afternoon is free. After all, it’s hard to get riled up after a taxing day of school.

Maybe you didn’t score well on a test, so it’s hard to put that heavy football uniform on and run drills in the blazingsunforhoursatatime.Maybeyouhadafight with a friend, but now you have to sit on the bus with them on the way to a tournament, the stress and tension Ann Thompson signs with Davidson College steaming in the air. Or maybe you have so much work to do you feel like you’re going to drown, and so it’s hard Why then, do we do it? We didn’t sign up for that to willingly jump into the deep end of the freezing cold AP class; the work would have been too much. We pool on a darkening autumn afternoon. didn’t sign up for that bioethics seminar; we were fascinated, but an extra hour before school would have taken too much time. And we certainly didn’t cram our schedules with every club offered, no matter how enticing they may have been; the pressure would have been overwhelming. But don’t sports consume all these things? Our time, energy, minds, and emotions? Why choose it over anything else? Why do it on top of everything else…

Rowan Sullivan signs with Vanderbilt University 22

This November, four exceptional student-athletes in the senior class signed on to play at to various colleges, with many more committees on the horizon. Rowan Sullivan signed with Vanderbilt, Lucas Acevado signed with Michigan State, and Campbell Skelly signed with Rollins College, all of whom will be playing golf. Ann Thompson signed with Davidson in hopes of continuing her already stellar swimming career. These are remarkable moments in their lives; after all, a secure future at

yourselfonthedaily,openingyourselfuptoaws fl andcritiques.Youpracticeunderwatchfuleye no matter how much you hate it sometimes, you do it over and over again, because it leaves you feeling good; it leaves you with a fuller version of yourself.

For Rowan, Lucas, Campbell, and Ann, I wish them all of the best luck on their next adventures on higher playingfields.Ittakesguts—notjusttalent what they do, and a true, reliable internal compass, one that points them in the right direction to do their best under extreme circumstances.

So, next time when you walk into that steamy locker room after an intense practice, smile with your friends—you’vealljustgonethroughhell,an has made you closer. When you’re running that last lap on the track and feel like you might hurl, keep in mind Campbell Skelly signs with Rollins College thatyouareworkingyourhardest—noteveryo show such grit and dedication as to drive themselves to a prestigious college doesn’t seem like a bad deal. But sickness.

When thepoolfeelstoocold,don’thesit whatisn’tseenexistsbehindthecurtain—whatgoes on you’re there for a reason. When we participate in sports, we in the minds of these athletes, and the ultimate reality find ourlimits…andthenbreakthem.Wefindourselv of the immense pressure they are under to consistently within ourselves.Wereflectinwardlyonwhatwetr perform. value—webecomestrongerinbothbodyandmind,an everyonearoundusbenefitsfromourgrowthaswel When asked what drove him to play sports, Sullivan all that pressure, commentedthat“Whatmotivatesmeistobethe best at all that weight, may very well be worth it considering what we gain in return. everything I do, not necessarily against my competitors, but to be the best competitor within myself. It sounds clichéd, but the most growth is done under pressure.”

Thompson seems to share a similar drive through self-motivation. When asked how she copes with the pressure,Thompsonsaidthat“Beingatsuchahigh level of both academics and athletics, it is hard not to be aperfectionist.Withthisinmind,thereisonequotethat I live by that prevents me from getting overwhelmed if I experience a ‘failure’: ‘You can never be perfect, but by striving for perfection, you can achieve excellence.’

It reminds me that as long as I put forth the best effort possible, everything will turn out okay in the end.”

Pressure. We hear it a lot, but these athletes’ words seem to highlight a truism within the reality of sports: that amongst turmoil, it allows us to experience the most growth through the interlocking ability to both please and perform for ourselves and for others. Sports teach us internal discipline, whether it be in time management, relationships and friendships, or the ability to compartmentalize stress, burdens, and emotional baggage.Theseskillssimplycannotbelearnedquiteas successfully anywhere else: it’s like speaking in public, but no one is forcing you to do it. Instead, you present Lucas Acevado signs with Michigan State University

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Secrets of the Slaughterhouse Exposing Cruelty in the Meat Industry

By Hampton Brooker Many people have a pet at least once in their lifetime, whether that’s for companionship, safety, or even just to make them happy. Most people have a pet cat or dog, maybe a hamster. I have a pet pig.

Pigs are considered intelligent animals, yet that is often overlooked because they are often only seen as food.

In fact, most animals are entirely underestimated, considering how smart they truly are. From my own experience of having a pet pig, I have learned the true complexity of the emotions these animals actually feel.

Whenever my pig is sad or hurt, he cries. If he is happy, he will smile and approach me, and whenever he is scared, he will go under his blanket. These are normal reactions that any cat or dog would have if they were feeling the same. Yet pigs are eaten and dogs are not.

“Were the walls of our meat industry to become transparent, literally or even figuratively, we would not long continue to raise, kill, and eat animals the way we do.”

-Michael Pollan If you are not one to sympathize with animals or worry for their safety, consider how their terrible conditions affect your health. Many animals are underfed and forced to live in tiny cells where they spend their whole miserable lives—lives that consist of sitting in a pile of their own waste. Most of these animals do not see the outside ever in their short existences. Studies have shown that sunlight and nature improve dopamine levels in humans. This is the same for animals. Happy animals who live in pastures while being raised for meat are proven to taste better. This is because the more Vitamin D found in the animal, the more flavorful it tastes.

Another repulsive detail about how meat is procured is the way animals are killed. There are many different methods of how we slaughter them. The most common process typically goes as follows: animals

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are electrocuted in order to render them unconscious, which makes it easier for them to be moved. Then they are hung upside down by their legs while they wait unawares until, finally, their major arteries are sliced, and they very slowly bleed to death. This process is horribly inhumane and painful for these animals, especially because most are forced to watch their fellow cell mates get killed one by one and are terrorized by their screams, wondering if they are next.

Although this is already a horrible process, let me explain the harm that this so-called “safely procured meat” does to your body as well. The Meat Inspection Act of 1906 was passed to protect people from unsanitary meat; however, they completely excluded the fact that these meats are procured with many unsafe chemicals. According to the FDA, meat contains a great deal of growth hormones, injected into the animals to make them prematurely grow into an adult size within weeks. Statistics have shown that pigs in the meat industry are typically killed around five to six-and-a-half months of age at a weight of 200-300 lbs.

This is an extremely fast and abnormal growth rate. For reference, when my pet pig was six months he weighed only 50 lbs; at around four years of age, he reached the weight of 300lbs, which is fully grown. So within this short period of six months, farmers manage to fit in around four years of growth.

A research study done by the University of California Agricultural Issues Center proved that meat consumption poses other dangers in the form of antibiotic residues in beef and dairy, as well as salmonella in poultry. Ingesting such elements can cause severe illnesses and even permanent damage to your body in drastic cases. Due to an article by the National Cancer Institute, we know that other risk factors include the chemicals heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in meat, both of which are known to increase one’s risk of cancer. It is impossible to really know what chemicals you are eating along with your meat; therefore, it is important to know the threat of what could happen.

A little known fact about cruelty in the meat industry pertains to a law passed in 1958 known as the Humane

Methods of Slaughter Act. This law includes all animals except chickens, which make up 90% of the meat industry. This act was put in place to increase humanity in the slaughter process and offer animals a less painful death. But sadly this law is hardly ever enforced and often overlooked, mostly because making sure all animals are properly shocked and cut before death is a very demanding role. It’s faster to do it improperly, which is why animals continue to be carelessly slaughtered as if their lives mean nothing.

The main reason for these acts of cruelty against animals is found in the increase in demand for their products. Roughly 80 billion animals are slaughtered yearly because of how many are needed for human consumption. Worse, masses of meat, at least at the consumer level, are not even eaten. Around 26% of all meat is thrown out, which is the equivalent of over 20 billion animals. The excess meat being thrown out goes straight to landfills, which contribute to the world’s large amount of carbon emissions.

Artwork by Anderson Toole

The meat industry is not only affecting our bodies, but also the Earth. As the need for meat increases, the industry expands, causing a need for more crops. These vast crops are specifically grown to feed the livestock.

To make space, forests must be cleared, leading to mass deforestation. Also, the runoff from the chemicals used on the crops often flows into swamps of manure from the factory. Every time there is rainfall or a storm, the swamp overflows, and toxic chemicals are released into the world.

Humans need to stop excessively consuming as much meat as we do now. It is extremely unnecessary and unethical for this many animals to be dying when only a fourth are eaten. It is our role as humans to protect the world we live in and the creatures that live among us unless we wish to go extinct. Some ways to help would be to only eat meat a few times a week, advocate for animal rights, or educate others. Doing small acts like this could help our health, the environment, and animals’ lives. If you continue to feel no sympathy towards our ecosystem, think about the effect that this overconsumption will have on you. Take the step to save our planet and its animals.

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Bitcoin is Still the Future. People Just Don’t Understand it Yet. Never before has there been a more valuable, secure, or revolutionary way to invest and hold currency.

By Benjamin Zielke In a world full of self-driving electric cars, social platforms connecting people on opposite sides of the globe, and promising prototypes of a digital Metaverse where we can escape to different realities, why do we still carry around green paper bills? The future is digital, and old federal notes that have been halfway across the country aren’t a part of it.

Consider that we’ve been living in a world where currency has divided us, limiting interactions between people just because they don’t use the same form of payment, where all of your hard work can be taken by the removal of a cowskin billfold in your pocket, and where governments decide how much your earnings are worth as they gear up their printers.

With

Bitcoin, you can pay anyone, anywhere, at any time and not be subjected to the limits of the Euro, the Yen, or the Dollar.

It is truly the currency of the world, giving us all the chance to be pioneers of the future and the biggest digital revolution to date. And it is only just a few clicks away.

as a joke. How else, they ask, could a project claiming to be the future of currency have just come out of nowhere?

Given the recent FTX news-making headlines, you may think that crypto and the various companies working with it are unusable and face a similar fate. This is not the case, however, but rather a singular instance of a man who deliberately committed fraud and malicious acts towards his customer base in order to gain wealth and spend moneythatwasnothis—acrime,notafacetorfeat cryptocurrency. Sam Bankman-Fried (the CEO of FTX) is not a Bitcoiner; he is against the very institution, as shown through his actions, and he will pay the price.

Meanwhile,asinflationhasrisenthisfall,theve of money continues to become one of abstraction; it’s no wonder, then, that Bitcoin came to the surface. It was time for the way we buy, sell, and store value to change; a new system has long been overdue.

The world needs a new form of money that has value, permanency, and global utility. Most importantly, the currency needs to be of the people, for the people, by the people. After all, there is no law stating that we must use the US dollar; we can use anything to buy something as long as it has some agreed-upon value. The lack of mass adoption, however, is what has prevented the shift to a new Thequestionmanyarecurioustoknowinthiscurrency. dayandage is: what is Bitcoin? Many insist on calling it a currency.

Some will say it’s digital gold. Some even say it’s an asset, Besides, the US dollar is familiar, safe, and widely like stock. Really, Bitcoin is all of these and more, which is used throughout the world, right? Why would you want the very reason there is so much confusion when it comes shillings in exchange when you can have the dollar used todefiningtheterm.Itcannoteasilybeidentified by everyone asone else? By adhering to the standard, we have single“thing.”Bitcoinhasalargenumberofpotential forgotten that the standard itself could be better. After uses, so calling it just currency or just digital gold would all, it hasn’t changed for 237 years. We the people are notreallydefinewhatitactuallyis.Itisbetter, the onesIthink, who useto currency each and every day so the call Bitcoin and its underlying foundation, the blockchain, government should conform to our desires. Why do we a digital platform that represents the future of money and still use a currency that is managed and manipulated by a prompts a limitless amount of projects and technologies. government?Considerthattheideaof“value”i the dollar; at one time it was backed by gold, making it a The Bitcoin revolution has been met with concerns due to “trust,”adollarrepresentedbyacertainamoun itsvolatility(suddenpriceactions)—thecoin But inhas 1933, plunged the dollar stopped being backed by gold; it has more than 52% in 2022, leading many to believe that the value simply because the government says it does. When crypto craze is over before it even began. Crypto, in these you disperse and shatter the smoke and mirrors, the dollar skeptics’ eyes, was destined to fail from the beginning. Its truly is just paper, after all (linen and cotton, actually); one early—andlarge—dropsinvalueseemedtoconfirm dollarthis bill costs 7.5 cents to make. belief. Many even speculate that cryptocurrency was never meant to be taken seriously anyway, and that it was created

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So, what gives Bitcoin value, then? Is it not just lines of code? How is that valuable, you may wonder?

But how does blockchain really work in practice?

Tounderstandthis,onefirstneedstounderstandthe nature of it and the core technology it utilizes, a system Let’s consider an analogy: called blockchain—atechnologyusedbyalmostall cryptocurrencies. Blockchain is a digital ledger that Imagineaman—we’llcall formally records transactions between people. Think of him Satoshi (an homage to the ancient times when the trading of goods was recorded on creatorofBitcoin,SatoshiNakamoto)— stone or papyrus. It’s the same today, but updated for a who wants to buy a Lamborghini Aventador digital age, in which anyone can see these transactions with (a really fancy car) with Bitcoin. Once he sends his justafewclicks.Blockchainverifiesandrecords Bitcoin every to the Lamborghini dealership, there commences a transactiononover70,computersbut—importantly— technological process: Bitcoin transactions are like messages, in an entirely decentralized manner. This means the ledger or emails, which are digitally signed using cryptography of transactions is spread out through a large network due (a method of protecting information and communications to the large number of computers involved; there is no one through the use of codes) and are then sent to the entire central location where each transaction is recorded. This Bitcoinblockchainnetworkforverification,or“min approach is more secure, as any threats to the system would So, Satoshi’s transaction would be signed, added to the requireall70,computerstobehacked.Additionally, Bitcoin blockchain, and sent to the entire Bitcoin network for the digital ledger stores a record of every detail of each verification.Onceprocessed,allthedetailswouldb transaction occurring on the blockchain, allowing every forever, by the creation of a block. transaction to be traced back to its origin, utilizing wallet addresses that represent people. As such, blockchain How does mining work? The type of miner used for Bitcoin createsconfidence,easeofuse,andaccessibility focuses through onsolving its complexmath,or“work,”toverify.T groundbreaking technology. is why it is called mining: the computer is searching until it finds“gold,”ortheverificationofatransaction.Le SobacktothequestionofBitcoin’svalue:upinto until these this types of miners more. point, there have been many different uses of blockchain technology that have gained massive popularity by taking the technology of blockchain and putting it to uselessness by using the technology for memes, or jokes that poke fun at the whole idea of crypto.

A popular example of this relates to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are digital artworks or images depicting numerous dog breeds, apes, popular art, and catchy memes, all of which are stored on the blockchain. Because of these “blockchain fads,” many think the technology itself is useless, having no real-world helpful application. But these characterizations do not hold true to what blockchain and cryptocurrencies really are. At their core, the provided examples are merely applications of the larger and more important capacity for blockchain technology. Despite Bitcoin being an intangible internet currency that seemingly has no value, it has a huge amount of worth due to the technology behind it; in fact, blockchain itself, particularly its infrastructure that can be used for payments, may be a digital goldmine.

Artwork by Carlisle Smith 27

“Proof of work” (often shortened to POW) utilizes Asalready mining noted,Bitcoincannotbeeasilydefine rigs to verify transactions on the blockchain by processing grouped as a singular thing– it is many things at once and verifying blocks of transactions. The miners solve existing as a platform that can continually be expanded. complicated math equations, creating competition This is also why for the the U.S. Congress has had to put highest payouts, based on who has the best hardware and cryptocurrencies in a class of their own to manage them, as can process the shares the fastest. These miners are paid in they are similar to nothing we have seen before. However, mining fees, or a transaction fee, the only fee in a crypto Bitcoin is simply an adaptation of blockchain technology. transaction. Additionally, 60% of Bitcoin mining utilizes Though this technology has been used to create and launch renewable energy, and, according to Cointelegraph, thousands of different coins and applications, at the top is Bitcoin uses significantly less energy than banks due Bitcoin. to Why? Quite simply, Bitcoin was the the efficiency and simplicity of functions. firsttoutilizethetechnology.

So back to our sweet car purchase.

But, what makes Bitcoin and blockchain so Saotshi’s transaction is submitted to the powerful? blockchain, which is submitted to Bitcoin’s network, which uses proof of work to verify 1.It’sfinite.Asanasset,noone transactions. A man named Elon, who is individual, government, or country in a gold mine, then searches for Satoshi’s can manipulate its value. There are transaction as he would for gold, except he’s and always will be only 21 million Bitcoins in the looking for this particular block. Once he finds world. it,Unlike he the USD or the Euro, the market of supply verifies the gold to make sure it is real. Elon and does demand this will determine its value, and it cannot be to make sure the transaction is verified and artificially recordedincreased as ordecreased. completed on the blockchain, and for his trouble, Elon gets a reward– a mining fee. However, if another miner 2. It’s secure. Bitcoin’s blockchain leverages a very found the transaction, or “gold,” before Elon,sophisticated they would security algorithm that cannot be hacked. The get the mining fee instead. This creates open competition primary reason it’s so complex and safe is that hacking it in proof of work for who can find and verify the most wouldrequirenotonlypenetrationofthealgor transactions, all dependent on the miner’s strength, or in every computer processing Bitcoin transactions. this case, computer power (called “hash rate,” by the way, in the mining space).

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“

The world needs a new form of money that has value, permanency, and global utility. Most importantly, the currency needs to be of the people, for the people, by the people.

3. It’s decentralized. Every blockchain-based Bitcoin transaction is processed by many individuals working to verify each and every transaction.

just be from one person to another. This means no banks, no waits, and no high fees. Crypto, in this sense, is ahead of its time.

Bitcoin offers users a new way to pay by allowing the user to truly own the currency itself and pay in whatever fashion they want to. Transactions can be made anywhere at any time, without a government creating more or controlling the currency. Bitcoin is already being adopted in some parts of the world, with countries like El Salvador adopting Bitcoin and establishing an economy from nothing. What is even more fascinating is that payments can be sent to El Salvador from anywhere or anyone in the world with a couple of clicks. Unlike paper notes, which rely on government trust, amounting to green paper with only perceived value, Bitcoin has technological value. When people invest in Bitcoin, they are investing in a new technology that holds real value.

So back to our Satoshi example: the dealership he is at accepts Bitcoin. Satoshi submits the transaction, it turns into a block, then is mined, and the payment goes directly to Lamborghini. This transaction is recorded on the blockchain, so there is proof that Satoshi did indeed pay for his Aventador. On the blockchain, you can see who mined the transaction, the wallet address from which the funds originated and were received, and the corresponding wallet addresses, allowing for full transparency. These events occurred in seconds thanks to Bitcoin’s technology, and so Satoshi is able to drive off in his new Lambo after just a few minutes. The dealership is happy, as they have been fully paid, and best of all, no banks were involved.

WiththebenefitsofBitcoin,howwillitbeadopte Inflationwouldbeanideaofthepastinapost-dollar It’s simple:world, by you and me. Bitcoin relies on this new as the existence of only 21 million Bitcoin means there can generation of people that rely on technology now more than be no change in the amount of coins, allowing for stability ever, meaning we are going to be the ones who usher in that we have never before witnessed in the world. this new tech. The old way of paying is an idea unchanged fordecadesandissimplynotfitforanewagefocuse Cryptocurrency wallets such as Coinbase, Kraken, technologies that have evolved to showcase technology, Binance, and BitPay allow consumers to buy and store energy, ease of use, accessibility, interaction, security, and cryptocurrencies as well as spend crypto in a world that still devaluation. Bitcoin solves all of these problems, yet many uses paper money made legal tender by a government, or disregard it. Those who realize this, trust it, and Hold On fiat money (the term used to describe government-issued for Dear Life (HODL), will be rewarded and recognized as currency). It is as simple as downloading an app, creating a revolutionaries. Those who sit on the sidelines, doubting wallet (also creating a secret password to recover the wallet the plausibility of such a proposal, will be grouped with at any time), connecting a bank account, and buying crypto, those who doubted the ideas behind the internet or the which can either be held as an asset or spent. The presence iPhone. The difference here, however, is the scale of offiatisstillverypresentinthisprocess,however.

Forwe have never witnessed before– we are Bitcoin is one example, if you were to buy something using crypto, you talking about changing the currencies of the world. Simply wouldfirsthavetoconvertfiatmoneyintocrypto.

Whenis a whole new technological space that will put, crypto purchasing an item, it can go two ways: if the merchant (the rock the earth. Crypto will empower, connect, and pave sellerofgoods)acceptscrypto,theprocesswill beafor quick, the way even greater ideas. It will become the people’s easy, and direct transfer with minimal fees on both ends; money. if the merchant does not accept crypto, then the crypto hastobeconvertedbackintofiatforthesellertoaccept, performed by services like Bitpay. Both of these processes areequallyasefficientandeasyastheother,butthesecond introduces an unnecessary middleman, similar to traditional banks which go through numerous communications with the merchant to verify a single transaction. In the future, with a world full of Bitcoin users, transactions would truly

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Analyzing Our Intelligence Curated smarts or common sense

By Avery Chambers Pick a side: book smart or street smart?

Based on society’s perception, you can either be academically or culturally acceptable. Not both. So, which are you?

I’ll provide you with a scenario: You walk into a room and there are two separate groups of people. One group is actively studying, discussing academic topics, notes scattered everywhere. Another group is casually talking with their peers about the latest trends or last night’s sports game.

Which group is more appealing and welcoming to you?

But what if you didn’t have to pick a side? Our intelligence capabilities don’t have to be confined to two simple categories.

Ultimately, the idea of these two types being irreconcilable is fundamentally dependent on stereotypes.

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While the modern conception of intelligence involves stereotypes, the original idea of academic intelligence versus excellence in interpersonal skills was actually used in Latin philosophy.

A priori and a posteriori are phrases used to distinguish different types of knowledge and determine whether that knowledge relies on empirical evidence or experience. A priori knowledge is obtained by analyzing concepts independent of experience, closely resembling the idea of book smart. A posteriori relates to when knowledge is obtained through worldly experience, closely resembling the idea of “street smarts”. When these terms originated, they did not include the same stereotypes that today’s society enforces.

Those who enjoy learning and excel in scholastic situations are deemed condescending terms such as “nerd.” Individuals who experience difficulty in school yet excel in social situations are viewed as “dumber” than others because they are not gifted academically. The original Latin terms have evolved over time to include the stereotypes that modern society has created.

When I researched examples of book smart individuals, a picture of Albert Einstein immediately appeared. Einstein is commonly used as an example because he was essentially a genius, widely known for his multitude of scientific breakthroughs. On the other hand, I believe a clear example of a street smart person–or in this case, a creature—is Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid. Sebastian possesses a knowledge that allows him to educate and protect Ariel in the new, human world. The crab serves as an example of people who understand the world around them and can help others move through life with minimal setbacks. However, society will often contrast the two and deem book smart individuals as superior. Society often views people as incompetent in grasping complex topics when they lack academic intelligence. But Sebastian’s skills are equally as valuable as Einstein’s high level of intelligence. Without Sebastian, Ariel would have been completely misguided. Even though book smarts and street smarts were inherently designed to establish two completely separate spheres of intelligence, I believe this categorization can be debunked.

Stereotypes are not accurate representations of intelligence. They are mere surface-level observations made by those around us. Society has made us feel like we have to be completely defined by one, and that nothing about ourselves can be changed. In reality, we accumulate qualities from both spheres of intelligence; they are not innate qualities. We weren’t born knowing how to use language or read or write. We weren’t born knowing how to read the people around us. These qualities are learned throughout our life experiences. If you identify with one type of intelligence, it does not entirely negate the existence of the other.

The clear-cut definition of “book smart” is entirely dependent on academic excellence, and the assumption is that when people excel in academics, they lose social skills. These people are dedicated to studying, the belief goes, and therefore do not

Artwork by Anna Caroline Symonds take the time to socialize. In the past, I would have typically defined myself as one of these people. I have spent hours studying, strategically writing out study plans to help myself excel. I often desire to please the perfectionist part of my personality, telling myself my grades need to be exceptionally high. My hard work often results in outcomes I am pleased with. Despite my academic strengths, I would not consider myself socially unacceptable; I spend time with my comforting and supportive friends every chance I get. Throughout high school, I’ve discovered that social skills do not necessarily come naturally to me. But I’ve also learned that I am not incapable of being social. I merely have to push myself out of my comfort zone, which I feel many others can relate to. The stereotypes surrounding the constant competition between these two types of individuals would align my social struggles with my success in academics. But I disagree with such thinking. I believe the division derives from shallow observations. It seems like since a person excels in one area, they would lack excellence in the other area. However, an individual getting good grades does not mean we can assume they are incapable of socializing or possessing cultural awareness. Maybe they choose to spend their time and energy elsewhere. We cannot let our divisive society, including our close friends, reduce us to those surface-level observations.

into an exceptional college, I wouldn’t be successful in life. But I’ve learned that there is a multitude of other things that make your life full, such as maintaining strong relationships with family and friends. Those skills derive from your knowledge of how to interact with others. These skills are also important for future success, as they bolster one’s ability to establish business connections or interact with patients as a physician. Or maybe you become an influencer who enforces popular trends. Your whole life isn’t dependent on one sector of “smart.”

So why does society try to box us into one category of “smart” and make us feel as if we can’t be intelligent in other ways?

Scientifically, the categorization of book smart versus street smart can be invalidated. A psychologist, Howard Gardner, has a theory called Multiple Intelligences which challenges previous beliefs about intelligence. Gardner observed many types of people before forming his theory, including normal children, gifted children, and even brain-damaged adults.

He aimed to encapsulate the full range of talents people can have, proving that our knowledge includes multiple facets, not just one or two. In summary, Gardner explains that human intelligence can be differentiated into eight modalities: linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. The traditional notion that we only have a general intelligence is disproven. People are knowledgeable in a multitude of different ways. Therefore, our intelligence is expansive, complex, and extremely difficult to condense into one category.

Currently, our lives revolve around academic achievement.

All we have ever known is school. Many of us might not yet understand what it means to “live in the real world.” Therefore, we tend to praise, or even envy, those with academic achievements—I have always felt that way. I used to think that the college I attend could determine my entire success in life.

I craved academic validation and believed that if I didn’t get

Maybe you identify more with the scientific geniuses of the world, or maybe with the social geniuses, but remember that many distinctive worlds of intelligence exist. In reality, there is no bold dividing line between Einstein and Sebastian, no physical barriers. Only mental barriers. We can learn to overcome the categorizations of society to fully embrace who we are.

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The DarK AnD TwisteD irony BEHIND “Relatable” family ChANnElS The deep psychological issues that stem from family social media accounts

By Mirabelle Cutler “She got diagnosed with cancer. ” The title of this video posted by the popular YouTubers The LaBrant family gained national attention, and with good reason. Thousands of their concerned fans reached out, expressing empathy; however, to the shock of many, the video was soon proven to be false. The family did follow up to share that it was merely a medical error, and that, no, their daughter did not actually have cancer.

Even if there truly was a mistake in a medical procedure or diagnosis, the parents’ posting seems to be an aggressive exploitation of their daughter’s identity (even privacy) merely for the purpose of more views.

In another one of their family videos, the same parents pulled a prank in which they told their nine-year-old daughter, Everleigh, that they were giving away the family dog. Obviously, she became distraught, and the family broadcast that emotional distress for more views and clicks, which was again troubling to many irate viewers.

The LaBrant Family

Online demonstrations of bad parenting seems to be trending. In another instance that occurred in 2017, a family YouTube channel that went by the name of DaddyOFive was involved in a huge controversy surrounding the abuse of the children who starred in the videos. The father, Mike, faced severe backlash after he uploaded a prank video in which he blamed his son for spilling ink on the carpet. In the video, his son, Cody, is shown crying and screaming that he didn’t do it. Yet, Cody continues to be verbally berated and screamed at by his father. This type of behavior is emotionally abusive and severely damaging, with a profound impact on those who suffer from it. To no one’s surprise, the father recently lost custody of his children, was placed on supervised probation, and had his channel deleted.

When scripting ideas for their new videos, these family accounts have a clear goal in mind: to increasingly dramatize their themes, regardless of the controversies that follow.

“This type of behavior is emotionally abusive and severely damaging, with a profound impact on those who suffer from it.”

Yet another problematic creator who has recently come under fire Jordan Cheyenne, a YouTuber who posts lifestyle and parenting videos and has over 530,000 subscribers.

She posted a video on YouTube in which she motivated her son to cry after he received news that their family puppy had been diagnosed with a potentially deadly illness.

She told her son Christian to “act like you’re crying, ” to which he responded that he was

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Jordan Cheyenne

crying. Clearly, her son was devastated, but instead of comforting him, Cheyenne only encouraged his tears and sought to increase the emotion he was showing in order to gain more views and interactions.

at the most. The responses that are coming from these controversial videos, regardless of the intent, are still boosting interactions, which, in turn, leads the channel to more success. These families seem to know that the more controversial they become, the more views they are going to get. Many are right to wonder why the parental figures of fa accounts on social media platforms want to issues regarding their children for the sole purpose of clickbait. These families may have always been dissimilar to others when it comes to their parenting methods, but their need to project their children as characters on social media seems to overlook certain dangers in the real world.

This is not meant to bash the entirety of family accounts and the material they produce; a majority of these accounts are relatively innocent, and much of their content, even that which can seem over-the-top, appears The ACE Family Channel, a hugely successful family simply to have been made to entertain others. Each channel currently facing backlash, has an enormous production uses heavy saturation as well as bold and following of 18 million subscribers on YouTube. bright fonts to draw young viewers in. These family Their videos have titles such as, “STEEL GOT HURT channels, however, can cover very serious topics that BAD ON CAMERA, ” and “EPIC CARACCIDENT younger minds are not likely able to fully comprehend.

PRANK!!,” each broadcasting emotional topics in Such content can be extremely damaging and confusing a lighthearted way that is distasteful to many. These for those who are still growing and changing, and these accounts continually show that they aretypes profitdriven packed videos can negatively alter of emotionally solely for the purpose of views, and the ways they them and their maturation. achieve this can be profoundly damaging and morally wrong. When these types of families see their children The repeated cycles of shaming children in these encountering such drama, they pull out cameras and channels has a hand in encouraging negative selfbegin to record to gain more notoriety—and thus more perception and low self-esteem in those who are viewing traction online—all the while disregarding the child’s these videos.

Children are heavily infl uenced embarrassment or emotional stress. they see, hear, and experience in the online world. For

children to grow up secure and healthy, there must be a place where they have their own privacy and a family environment unaffected by outside infl uences

“When these types of families see their children encountering such drama, they pull out cameras and begin to record to gain more notoriety—and thus more traction online—all the while disregarding the child’s embarrassment or emotional stress at the moment.”

The main purpose of these family channels would seem to be to create relatable and fun content, but for the price of fame, some families take drastic and invasive steps to earn more views in a way others perceive as unusual at the least and possibly very unhealthy

The Ace Family

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Artwork by Elodie Cutler

Another complaint many have with these specific is no camera in their face, many may draw a blank for accounts is that they feature children being punished how to perform socially in the real world. Like Disney on camera for making harmless mistakes, and, as a Channel child stars, who may have been initially forced result, they become extremely pressured and stressed into the job without any voice in the decision, they may to constantly perform for their online audience. These fade out of the media’s lens as they grow older and enter children are the main focus of the channel and thus relate into a world they aren’t ready for. directly to the channel’s success and revenue. Naturally, as a result of this, the parents shine a spotlight on the children for more success. The psychological effects of being recorded throughout your entire childhood can be profoundly detrimental in many aspects of your life.

One family content creator stated that when her teenage daughter asked her not to share her life online anymore, she felt as though she couldn’t stop because it had become a part of her own online identity, and she felt obligated to keep it up. Her daughter adamantly stated that she felt extremely uncomfortable having her pictures and information posted online to strangers without her consent.

“Like Disney Channel child stars, who may have been initially forced into the job without any voice in the decision, they may fade out of the media’s lens as they grow older and enter into a world they aren’t ready for.”

These young children grow up believing that they have to put on a facade for the camera and mask their true opinions and emotions on specific topics. Such behavior can translate into their adult lives, and their Even if a lot of people are not personally watching these online presence from the past may risk overshadowing videos and not interested in the content at all, know what they do in the present and future. Naturally, that there is a prominent younger generation that is, when young adults leave their parents, they hope to with easy access to a lot more content just like it. It is make an individual name for themselves. But in this crucial to tell these younger family members or friends context, such hopes can prove futile. The internet is to stop interacting with and watching these videos in forever , and someone’s online footprint can orderinfl touence foster a healthier environment for these children others’ opinions of them before they have even met to grow up in. Obviously, these family accounts stem the individual. The lack of privacy that these children from unstable family dynamics, but the promise of fame have had for all of their lives very likely changes their motivates them to continue. If viewers stop interacting views on the world. Additionally, this constant exposure and participating with these channels, then creators will changes how they express their emotions in the presence be forced to reassess the content and change their angle. of others. The children that have become “cash cows” for these channels are being forced to work longer hours than legally sanctioned (over eight hours a day) . “Child stars” step into society with a metaphorical “blindfold” that emotionally stunts them and leaves them unprepared to have an individual and healthy sense of self.

If they were always expected to perform in the past, but enter a present where there

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Acting or Activism?

Musicals are becoming political and social movements and shying away from their original purpose: to please the public.

By Ella Murphy

“the sun’ll

mor ro come ou to w t ”

On my gridlocked drive to the Winter Garden Theater rockbandonaplatformbeltingout“AllIReallyWan in New York City, I looked out my window, and, amid a actress’s face contorted into a grimace as she excoriated her hundredbrightsignsinTimesSquare,Isawonefor confined thenew situationwithWhy the are lyrics you so “petrified Jagged Little Pill musical lit up in bright blue. Excitement of silence? Here, can you handle this?... Did you think filledme;Iwasdyingtoseewhatitwasallabout.about Seeing your bills, your ex, your deadlines, or when you think the Broadway classic Annie the previous day had warmed you’re gonna die? Or did you long for the next distraction?” my heart in the midst of a bitter New York winter, giving a The aggressive energy radiated off of the stage and into the wholenewmeaningtothatfamousline“Thesun’ll audience come in a moment that remains engraved in my mind, out… tomorrow!” However, I had a feeling that this new even today. show was going to have a completely different vibe than Annie.

For the next two and a half hours, the actors whisked the audience through the lives of a seemingly normal family As I stepped into the warm theater, packed with people, I who was dealing with issues such as drug abuse, sexual had high hopes for this new musical, which had just opened assault, and academic pressures. Some of the actors with rave reviews. A couple of hours before portrayed these situations through strange yet compelling the show started, I Googled the play to interpretive dance, which kept my eyes glued to the stage. give myself a brief summary of what Darkhumorwasusedfrequentlytoconveytheseun was to come. The only context I had circumstances. I left the theater with tears in my eyes and a was knowing that the soundtrack newfound hunger to stand up for what is right. wasfromthe“queenofangst,” Alanis Morisette, the artist whom Anyplayormusicalneedsconflict;whetherthatcon Rolling Stone once described as is lighthearted or not depends on the scenario. Take Annie, “theonewhothrewonAdidas for example, in which a poor little orphan girl can’t seem low-tops and an oversized tofindherforeverhome.Whilethetopicofadoption T-shirt and thrashed her hipcertainly very real to many and possibly heartbreaking to length, un-straightened, some, its reality is diluted by giddy dance numbers and un-blonde hair around any thewildlyuniquestoryofanimpoverishedredhea stageshecouldfindwhile adopted by one of the richest men in America. But the lack singing a hook about how of realism in this far-fetched fantasy is what makes the her whole purpose in life is play wholesome and fun, attracting an audience of all ages. to never let some guy forget Another example of the gravity of a serious topic being whata[jerk]heis.”Atthe diminished by fun costumes and newfound treasures is The peak of her career, Morisette Wizard of Oz, which made its Broadway debut in 1903. It’s was known worldwide for a story most of us know well: a girl is taken to a faraway herabilitytoflipoffsociety land by a tornado where she goes on a fairy-tale adventure while simultaneously and before returning home, with help from some funny and unapologetically bringing entertaining characters such as the Cowardly Lion and the in a new wave of fans and brainless Scarecrow. In both Annie and The Wizard of Oz, alternative rock. therearetwolostgirlstryingtofindawayhome.Whi their situations are high-stakes, these dramas entirely lack While sitting with my family the gritty realism of today’s topical issues. in Row D, center stage, I was on the edge of my seat. I was We began to see a change in the Broadway world with the already a fan of Morisette’s music, emergence of Wicked in 2003, which shifted the focus from and I couldn’t wait to see it in the the hero to the villain. Although Wicked is not the only show. The lights dimmed and the Broadway show to feature the villain as the main character, velvety red curtain rose to reveal a it’s notable because of its sheer popularity. Along with

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The aggressive energy radiated off of the stage and into the audience in a moment that remains engraved in my mind even today.

As musical theater extends from the stage to your iPhone music library, the songs and their messages reverberate throughout your life. In Jagged Little Pill, each character undergoes a transformative journey and sings to the masses about political and social issues present in society today. In the past, musicals have lacked the complete gritty realism of Jagged Little Pill and modern musicals like it. Today, musical theater is used as a platform for showcasing political and social issues in the form of catchy songs. Some may perceive this as “woke” principles taking over the entertainment industry, while others see it as an outlet to express the demons in your head. Whatever the case may be, it is apparent that this “Activism Theater” is here to stay.

e, er

to rem

t fair no t’s yI ”

Artwork by Anna Caroline Symonds

a of the mess you left when you went aw

Gritty topics like these have never felt so raw in a Broadway play,reflectingsociety’srecentfocusontheseproblems.It’s understandable that viewers might be upset or even enraged bythesetopics—theyareheavyandcanbeuncomfortable towatch—especiallybecausemanyofusgotoBroadway to escape the trials of everyday life. It is possible that some could have viewed the interpretation of the Healy family as shallow, as if the writers were trying to make it seem like every family has something wrong with it. Despite this criticism,themusicalhasbeenlargelyconsideredpositive— summedupneatlyinonereview—“asagracefuljumble of raw pain, healing, and empowerment never before seen in the Broadway realm.” And while the content is blunt and upsetting, it is very real.

i

u yo

m I’

h

d n

Jagged Little Pill (2014) tells the story of the Healy family.

The musical aspect of it demonstrates a new way to convey heavy topics through satirical acting and rock music.

The storyline centers around each of the family members grapplingwithcertaindifficulties:themomdealswith opioid abuse; the dad works too much and is always absent from home life; the son cracks under social and academic pressure; and the daughter struggles with her identity as she triestobeanactivistforgenderequalityandrightsintheir haughty town. Throughout the play, each character unravels but ultimately makes a full-circle comeback.

n d

Almost twenty years after Wicked’s widely-admired narrative approach, shows became more centered around topical issues and as a platform for expressing social and political opinions. Unsurprisingly, this has upset some and inspired other viewers of Broadway’s current shows. That being said, modern-day audiences should keep in mind that the stage has always been used for expressing opinions and not just storytelling.

Art has always been a place of honest expression that has threatened the norm of comfort and traditional beauty.

In today’s world, art is progressive, raw, and fluid—a description which Jagged Little Pill fits perfectly.

However, it stirred up controversy as a harshly real musical that utilized dark humor. Some critics viewed it as something that had been twisted to fit a ste what many fail to see is that Jagged Little Pill created a fresh way to convey relevant controversial topics through satirical acting and grunge music. Reviewers from The Guardian felt that “it was a great way to introduc topics to young and old viewers alike” in order to let them form their own opinions without completely shoving the topics down their throats.

“A

the evolution of the topics of musicals, the age range of audiences has also changed. Since these new musicals have grabbed the attention of younger generations who were exposed to heavy topics through events such as 9/11 and the 2008 Great Recession, it’s no surprise that Wicked was the precursor to, and somewhat of a catalyst for, darker-toned musicals such as Jagged Little Pill.

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot More Stressful…

Think of ways to fend off the holiday blues.

By Windland Jaimes

The end of summer vacation still leaves us about a month or two to enjoy the leftover warm and humid weather as we adjust to the new school year. Time to see old friends in new classes and to be grateful for all the people in our lives, even as papers and projects start piling up. The start of October, though, is when everyone begins to get into the holiday spirit, pulling out the fall clothing bin that has hidden in the closet all year. Before you know it, it’s time for sweatshirts and pumpkin candles, Thanksgiving meal prep, and maybe even early Christmas shopping.

When you’re a kid, and with a string of big holidays ahead of you, there’s so much to look forward to. From here on out, your road ahead is littered with costumes, Snickers and Kit Kats, Thanksgiving dinners, family reunions, hot chocolate, colorful gifts, and, if you’re lucky, staying up till midnight on New Years to watch the ball drop.

It’s no surprise, then, that kids tend to view the holidays as nothing but sweets, presents, and endless fun, a time with few responsibilities and burdens. What’s not to love about holiday breaks, numerous gifts, treats, movies, and pumpkin spice lattes?

But waking up on December 1st with my brother and running around the house looking for our Elf was probably the most exciting time of the year. This hunt would go on for twenty-three more days, becoming a thrilling morning routine. Sometimes he was emerging from a vase, cleaning the dishes, or hanging above our bunk bed. When we finallyfoundhim,allwewantedtodowasgotobedso couldwakeupandfindhimalloveragain.Thatis,unt Christmas morning, when we’d wake up, give the absence ofourelfonelastquickthought,andthendasht cornucopia of presents under the tree.

The chaotic nature of the holidays aren’t meant to be perfect, yet people exhaust themselves trying to make them that way.

Butfive-year-oldme—eventen-year-oldme—never stopped to consider what made the holidays so great. Kids Halloween used to be my favorite. The long night would gettoenjoyendless“free”candy,food,andpresent end with sore feet, sweaty palms, and chocolate-covered really made everything so perfect and fun? My parents. fingers.Imaginethemostextravagantparty,ahaunted And not just them, but my entire family working so hard house, blow-up ghosts and ghouls, buckets and buckets to give us a great holiday season. Who decorated the house of candy, and every cookie and creepy candy imaginable. every year with turkeys, bells, and tinsel? Or bought us It was all there. Some years our neighbors would even pumpkins to carve? Who cooked that caramel cake and the dye their pool blood-red, and everytime, at the end of the delicious family turkey that we loved so much? None of night, I would always go home looking like a Stephen King these luxuries just appeared on the table. They were made novel. My brother and I would sneak upstairs away from with love, yes, but also with a lot of time and dedication. the adults and count our candy. We didn’t want our parents Who hides the elf? And puts out the presents? Our families to throw out a single piece, not even the Almond Joys. are the ones who work to make the holidays so enjoyable.

We’d stack up our bars and make our prized collection look pretty. We couldn’t let a single piece go to waste; this stash No longer should the holidays, then, be just about sorting had to last through the new year. your candy and running around the house not helping with meal prep. Now in our teen years, it’s time for us to Thanksgiving morning was also another great time. My contribute to making the holidays an enjoyable time for cousins and I would wake up to the house smelling like every everyone. It’s time to help bake the caramel cake, shop for foodwecouldimagine.We’dspendthewholeday“helping the right gifts to give, and wrap presents to place under the around”thekitchenfor ( approximatelyfiveminutes) tree, but ,which are all the reasons this magical time of the year eventually would get bored and go entertain ourselves. After canbestressful—evenoverwhelming. sitting down and saying a blessing and something we’re thankful for, we’d eat everything on the table, whether we Kids often completely overlook the fact that stress levels likeditornot,stuffingourfacesfulluntilwecouldn’t are at their breathe, highest during this time of the year, with so and then leave the dinner table without a care or responsibility much responsibility dumped onto people’s plates around intheworld—afterthecaramelcake,thatis. this season. Just as Halloween ends, the Christmas

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decorations go on sale, and people start planning presents for friends and family. All of these stressful events seem to happen at once. With constant pressure and overwhelming responsibility, the holidays can become an excessive and extensive commitment.

There’s endless pressure to be at your happiest (“Where’syourholidayspirit?!”).Feelingsof guilt can arise for not being grateful, joyful, or cheerful in your every waking moment.

This stress starts with Thanksgiving, followed by family reunions. Parents want to make a good impression on their own parents every year so that they can see what amazing grandchildren they have raised. It’s time to pull out“yessirs”and“yesma’ams” in conversations and talk about school life, politics, and current events for hours at the dinner table.

Even though it shouldn’t be, family reunions may seem very mentally demanding. Often, they don’t mean to, but families can come with a lotofbaggage.Thisconflictisnormal because this is just part of relationships within a family, but it can still be very stressful to deal with.

Parents’ stress levels tend to rise due to theirentirefamilyflyingintotown.They may drive us crazy (even if they don’t mean it) but they still care. Growing up means having more responsibility. It means being treated like an adult.

Having little siblings is something else to consider. Guess who has to remember to hide the elf for the younger kids?

Guess who needs to do the dirty work in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day? Kids don’t understand the stress and anxiety their parents are under because they only get the product of what parents work hard to produce. They are often blind to the real responsibility all parents take on.

Holidays for some can be a time of loneliness. There are people who don’t have friends and family to spend the season with, and this season can remind them of those they’ve lost. The presents and treats don’t matter if you don’t have people to share them with.

The holidays can still be really enjoyable, of course; it’s just a matter of how one can enjoy the occasions now that we have a lot more responsibility on their shoulders. As a kid, it’s easy. Most everything is handed to them in an orange jack o’lantern bucket or on a fancy white porcelain dinner plate. But, beginning in our teen years, being more mature means having more responsibilities and the maturity with which to handle it.

Many people feel the need to make the holidays perfect, when in reality, it doesn’t matter much.

The chaotic nature of the holidays aren’t meant to be perfect, yet people exhaust themselves trying to make them that way. People demand perfection, but because they are working so hard to make sure everyone else is having a good time, they end up losing a sense of security for themselves (and maybe a little bit of sanity). There’s no need for all of the extra work just to seem perfect, because it’s added stress that no one should have to deal with around this time. So don’t stress about overcooked pie and couch cushions. It’ll make everyone’s day easier.

This time should be something to look forward to, and not a season people should dread. There’s plenty to enjoy about the holidays, of course, and so much to be thankful for. And to recognize these good qualities, everyone should work decreasing the stress for themselves (no one else may do it for them). Plan ahead. Guide the conversation to avoid the controversial, tedious topics. Take some time to step away if the constant socializing is draining. Set boundaries instead of trying to meet other people’s expectations. A balanced schedule can be key, as is one’s careful managing of time. There will always be stressful parts of the holidays, but to avoid this, go through each holiday with an eye towards optimism. Once the weight of the stress, anxiety, and tension is eliminated, people can recapture the magic and vibrancy that the holidays are really about.

Artwork by Anderson Toole

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It Ends With Colleen Hoover BookTok Has Brought the Downfall of Original Writing

By Gracie Keogh

It Ends With Us. Those four words seem to have a grasp over many teenagers and young adults recently. This is a new adult (NA) novel written by Colleen Hoover, a breakout author who writes dark and gripping romance books – I say this sparingly, although many people agree. I, however, do not find her writing to be anything special.

It Ends With Us took publishing companies by storm, selling over 1,000,000 copies with help from BookTok (the book side of TikTok). BookTok has helped sell

“The hype had screwed me over once again.

The writing had been some of the worst I’d ever read.”

authors are now pressured to add “spicy” eleme make their story more marketable, taking away from the initial purpose of writing: telling a story. Now that I’ve hopefully hooked readers with my brazen statement, I just want to make one thing clear: a popular book or author does not mean it’s quality writ main suspect for recommending these sub-par books?

BookTok. My blood boils every time I see a book recommended in this way.. Many books seen on the app such as They Both Die at the End, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Lightlark, Truly Devious, Red, White, and Royal Blue, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and The Hating Game have set a trap to lure readers.

HOW TO LURE READERS INTO READING YOUR BOOK: 1. Have an aesthetic background.

2. Put a trending song on in the back (but slowed down for a more dramatic effect).

3. Put a quote in from the book which and recommend hundreds of books to the reader wants to find out what leads millions of users on TikTok, but this begs the question: How are these books chosenthat topoint. become the next sensation, and are they even any good?

4. And there you have it: you’ve got willing readers.

Short answer: no, they’re far from being good. Long answer: it’s more complicated than that. There is no way Romance to describe the downfall of writing by summarizing the Let’s start with the most popular romance book to date, effect on all genres. Each genre has its own reaction to this new age of technology and promotion, and although It Ends With Us. some genres such as thriller and mystery seem to stand Its focus on domestic abuse is seen from different the test of time, romance and dystopian have gotten viewpoints, one from a child–the product of an abusive sucked into the vacuum of foul writing. marriage–and one from the same person in an abusive and manipulative relationship.

Writing has become disingenuous and is no longer unique. By mass-promoting specific book plots and It Ends Withthan Usdoesafinejobofbalancingthesetwo tropes, authors seem to prioritize profit rather dynamics; this repetitiveness is one of the reasons I passion from their work, which leads to clumps of disdain Hoover’s oeuvre; however, it’s also the reason empty words rather than compelling stories. In addition,

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clichéd brain-rotting romances.

Each one involves a girl in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) with an urge to be a feminist who meets a boy who she thinks is arrogant, but he has secretly been in love with her for years. They’re forced to work on a project together, and then…Boom! She realizes she likes him! It’s the same derivative plot that’s aesthetically pleasing yet infertile.

Popular books can also become so many love it. Hoover’s books are consistently the popular television shows if beloved by enough same. Readers are only hooked because they’re waiting people.or Julia for the climax—for the couple to get together a Quinn and her eight-book long TV-show adaptation, secret to be revealed—reading 3 5 0 pages for a hit of Bridgerton, has become a major success thanks to Netflix and BookTok—though I woul dopamine. Readers come back to fulfill this craving it exceptional at all. At camp this summer, I got to read until they’ve consumed every book in the author’s all eight books. It was both the highlight and lowlight repertoire—an easy cash- grab.

Ugly Love? Very similar to Heartbones.

Heartbones loosely follows the same plot as Reminders of Him. Reminders of Him is a kin to Verity.

Interestingly, the only reason these books are bestsellers is their repetitiveness. Teenagers and young adults, who probably haven’t read anything since Percy Jackson in fifth grade, are now discovering this writing with its dark, mature themes to be the best thing since sliced bread. Don’t get me wrong, Colleen Hoover isn’t the only author that writes repetitive romance novels. There’s Ali Hazelwood, author of The Love Hypothesis, who writes the same

of my month in the mountains. The plot for each book is so similar that I forgot how they differ from one another.Another series that has blown up thanks to a media adaptation is The Summer I Turned Pretty written by Jenny Han, author of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. To sum it up, it’s about a teenage girl in love with a family friend. The two families spend the summer together at their beach house. The love triangle consists of Belly (15 years old), who is in love with Conrad (18 years old), whose brother Jeremiah (also 15 years old) is in love with Belly. Yikes! Confusing, right?. Each book in the trilogy represents another summer with more development in these tricky relationships.

Similar to almost every book in this article, I picked it up and was excited to read it because of the hype surrounding it, but I was greatly disappointed.

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The writing is some of the worst I’ve ever read. It This novel captured BookTok by storm, due to its describes a world without inviting the reader into it.

LGBTQ2IA+ and POC representation. This was a Words have the power to allure and welcome; this is cheap ploy to target a specific demographic, only to how literature has survived for thousands of years. underperform. I decided to see what all of the hype was It’s what makes an author stand out. If one were to about when a book club I was in chose to read it; when completely copy and paste whole stories and character I finished the story, I was so disappointed, I didn’t pick arcs, then the reality would be a lack of enjoyment up another book for two weeks. for readers. Yet, because of apps like TikTok and their ability to promote the “best” of each genre, Another readers YA dystopian series is a six-book-long unknowingly step into a trap that takes their money in adventure called The Program, in which depression exchange for a book they’ve essentially already read. becomes an epidemic in the United States. As a response, parents send their children away to facilities to “cure” them. In reality, it brainwashes the Dystopian sounds promising, but the writing is lackluster, and the book has little to no world-building. The character Fellow junior and WATCH writer Abby Comer felt depth is minimal; every two books the author switches that current the main characters. dystopian books Not only is the (the amazing 2014 reader offered little era) perfectly closure, but there is embody “good also no satisfying plot, bad writing.” link between The rise of YA characters. Reading dystopian fiction this series is more of began with The an obligation than Hunger Games and entertainment; there The Maze Runner, is no motivation showcasing because there is no plotlines that purpose. hadn’t been seen before. The fall?

One dystopian series Well, that’s the that almost broke Divergent series. out of the dumpster fire of this genre is However, a dystopian series that made waves after The Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Bracken. Following what people thought was the collapse of YA dystopian the found-family trope, characters fight against the was Neal Shusterman’s Scythe series, an iconic trilogy government with their powers after having survived a set in a futuristic world where humans cannot die. To fatal sickness. The first book is amazing, even getting combat this problem, the government trained turned into Reapers— a movie released in 2018. However, the humans who become immortal to kill in order to make second and third books are underwhelming, seeming to sure overpopulation didn’t create food shortages and copy the plot of The Hunger Games. severe loss of natural resources. The story follows two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, who are chosen as Fantasy Reapers. This book is amazingly written, exploring the difficulties these teenagers face preparing to live for Fantasy is most likely what we connect our childhood eternity while taking others’ lives. with. Popular series include Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Twilight, Shadow and Bone, Throne of Glass, A However, where there is good, there is bad. The Court of Thorns and Roses, and The Zodiac Academy. opposition to the gloriously written book Scythe is They Both Die at the End written by Adam Silvera. In The fantasy genre has gotten out of hand, however, the book, which shares an oddly similar plot to Scythe in the past couple of years. At the start of COVID, (except for the presence of Reapers), the victim gets the idea of reading a fantasy novel with a strong a phone call saying that they will die in 24 hours. female protagonist was all BookTok could talk about.

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“Enemies to lovers, ballrooms, flowing gowns, a TV daggers show), which gained international success with strapped to the thigh, adventures” pretty much summed its original and alluring plot. Agathe Christie wrote this genre up, revealing that modern fantasy clearly amazing murder mysteries in the 1920s, including And relies more on aesthetics than decent writing.

Then There Were None, which I read in fifth grade and set me on the mystery/thriller reading track. She The Zodiac Academy is the latest victim of following also wrote The Murder on the Orient Express, which this misleading trend. The story contains many fantasy eventually was turned into a movie. Her books are so elements, including its own world of magic, vampires, amazingly unique with twists and turns one w werewolves, dragon- shifters, kingdoms toexpect, conquer, keeping and the reader invested. an emphasis on zodiacs. It is a difficult task to appease the lovers of many subgenres of fantasy. Each subgenre In contrast, a book I was more than happy to put down seems to clash with another, creating a wall between was Truly Devious, set at a prestigious boarding school each fantasy. There’s sci-fi fantasy, elven/fae fantasy, in Vermont with unorthodox learning methods. A young and magic fantasy. However, these subgenres all seem girl Stevie must solve a murder mystery from 70 years to have heroines that make the dumbest choices one ago. It sounded so promising, new, and refreshing. I can, all while trying to not fall in love with their tall, was sure I was going to like it. In fact, I bought the dark, handsome, brooding enemies. One ENTIRE trilogy even before reading it.

However, I was so deeply disappointed that after I read the first book, I “To be able to find the decided to just skim the second; the writing is worse with every difference between chapter.

a sub-par book and your next five-star read, you’ll need to push yourself deep into your bookshelves until you find the writing style, genre, and tropes you do not enjoy.”

can spot who the protagonist is going to fall for from a mile away.

What Does This Mean?

To be able to find the difference between a sub-par book and your next five-star read, you’ll need to push yourself deep into your bookshelves until you find the writing style, genre, and tropes that you enjoy. I now know that my automatic skips are: books about miscommunication and love triangles.

Writing should be a gateway for people to escape. Books with love interests easy to root for, a “complex” plot, and raunchy scenes are th formulas to gaining views and reads. The double-edged sword of BookTok has struck authors deep in the heart; now they need to decide whether to perform emergency surgery or to let themselves bleed out.

Mystery/Thriller You’d think it would be hard to copy the plot of a mystery because everyone will know. A Silent Patient, which I read over the summer, is one of my top reads of the year. It’s exactly how a psychological thriller should be written. A.J. Finn wrote The Woman in The Window (which Netflix later turned into a movie and

43

Teacher Features

Learning just a little bit more about all the new faces at Porter-Gaud this year!

Mr. Jordan Click US Latin

Ms. Suzanne Anderson

Director of Human Resources

What have you been reading?

I love love love to read. I’m currently working my way through Edgar Allan Poe’s collection of detective stories. He is my favorite American poet, and he is also the creator of the detective genre!

We owe Edgar Allan Poe for the inspiration behind Sherlock Holmes!

What have you been watching?

Myfiancee,Laura,andIareabouttofinishwatch Lost. This is my second time watching the series, What have you been reading? myfirstbeingwhenitcameoutliveweek-to-we Parenting is Hard and Then You Die by David Ilovethemystery,sci-fi,andmythoscreatedby ClarkeTrying toprepareforourfirstchild.show, and I believe it still holds up twelve years later.

What have you been watching?

Currently rewatching Game of Thrones (hoping What do you listen to? thatImayfindsomethingthatredeemsthe Music is my life. I listen to music constantly, as many of my students can tell you, since I usually ending) in between watching House of Dragons have some playing as they walk in the door. I try to (redeeming Game Of Thrones so far), Rings of listen to as many genres as I can, as long as the songs Power, and City on a Hill. are produced well. Currently, the song that’s been onrepeatis“YUKON(INTERLUDE)”fromJoji’s What do you listen to? upcoming album SMITHEREENS. I love listening to yacht rock, country, Broadway showtunes, and Dead & Company. I also enjoy What do you like to write? listening to The Crime Junkie podcast.

I am currently compiling data for and writing a genealogy (family history) of my family that I want Who do you follow? to publish one day. This is a passion project of mine, I try not to spend a lot of time on social media, and it will aim to be more of a character study of so I do not follow people regularly. different families and individuals, whose stories have attimesflooredme,ratherthanjustacoll What have you been designing? names, dates, and locations. When it’s complete, it Baby Anderson’s room. Going with a safari will be able to trace back, with solid documentation, animal theme :) to at least 1617.

Favorite Color?

Dark Night

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Favorite Color?

Garden Spot

Ms. Alex Leblanc Assistant Director of College Counseling

Dr. Liz Good US History

What have you been reading?

What have you been reading?

Bad Girls Throughout History: 100 Remarkable I am currently reading Billy Porter’s Unprotected: A Women Who Changed the World by Ann Shen. This Memoir. I heard him speak at a conference recently, andIboughtthebookbeforeheevenfinishedone is good because it’s an easy pick up and put down. Quick little short stories before bedtime. Also speaking!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.Iwasgiventhefirst The book Hunger in What have you been watching?

Afterbinge-watchingeveryseasonofNetflix’s Games series by a student many years ago. I read them all. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was Formula 1: Driven To Survive docuseries over the a parting gift from one of my former students and I summer, I have been following the current F1 season have just now gotten around to starting it. closely. It has been really fun to learn about a new sport and cheer for Team Red Bull, even though my What have you been watching? husband works for Mercedes-Benz...

House of the Dragon. SEE. Anything in the genre of Historical Drama What do you listen to?

I LOVE a good podcast. My favorites include What do you listen to? the“MurdaughMurders”(yes,Ilistentoitevery Always something. Pandora is usually on in my Wednesday, on my way to school), Vanity Fair’s classroom in the early morning. The channels are “Dynasty,”“TheProsecutors:ATrueCrime Podcast,”“F1RTheGirls,”and“TellMewithEllenalways changing: Hip Hop BBQ, Hipster Cocktail Party, or Urban Cowboy? Depends on my mood.

Pompeo.”

What do you like to eat?

Since moving to Charleston this summer, I have enjoyed exploring the local restaurant scene with my family and friends. I recently went to Jackrabbit Filly with my sister and had a fantastic meal! After traveling to Asia multiple times, this was a fun twist on the classics. I’ve also really enjoyed Laura’s in Summerville and Page’s Okra Grill. Where should I go next?

What do you like to collect?

Stamps in my passport. I’ve got about 19. My next stopisPoland(fingerscrossed).

What do you like to cook?

Something Italian from scratch. I studied culinary arts while living in Italy for a short bit. I love making homemade gnocchi and have a knack for creating the best antipasti platters!

What do you dance to?

What do you like to design?

Disney songs in my kitchen as dinner time When we moved to Charleston over the summer, we formythree-andfive-yearold purchasedourfirsthomesotherehasbeenaentertainment lotof think “Mom’s” interpretive dancemovesar design work and decorating! Currently, I am focused funny. on laying down tile in my home pottery studio so that I can get back to throwing clay!

Favorite Color?

Privilege Green

Favorite Color?

Aloe 45

Dr. Yerko Sepúlveda Director of Community Engagement and Belonging

What have you been reading?

I like to read multiple books at the same time.

As of now, I am reading This Bridge Called My Back (Writings by Radical Women of Color) edited by Moraga and Anzaldua, and I am also reading The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel Pink.

What have you been watching?

My wife and I decided that it was time for us to watch Grey’s Anatomy, so we are bingewatching all eighteen seasons.

What do you listen to?

Not too long ago I discovered Alex Cuba, an Afro-Latino singer. He is my friend every morning and evening on my commute to school and then back home.

Who do you follow?

Way too many to mention, but I appreciate the LinkedIn posts by Adam Grant, Simon Sinek, Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, and I am following the Instagram account of a former student who is a best-selling author: @iamweatherspoon.

What do you like to collect?

People collect different souvenirs from their travels. Because we love art so much, a few years back we started collecting watercolor paintings from all of the places we have visited.

This summer we bought some in Mykonos, Greece, and Nice, France. Most importantly, as soon as we moved here, we bought some Charleston paintings. Now I can say I visited Charleston. WAIT A MINUTE, I actually live here now :-) Favorite Color?

Dress Blue 46

Dr. Bennett Adkinson US Physics

What have you been reading?

I don’t read real books as much as I should. I am currently pretending to read Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! and a history book about China.

What have you been watching?

My wife, Leah, and I are current with all of the shows that we regularly watch. Just waiting for new episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead, and the Star Trek franchise. (Yes, I know The Walking Dead has gone down the toilet, but I am committed.)

What do you listen to?

My new used car came with Sirius Radio, so I’ve been listening to the decades themed stations. And NPR. I have always and will always listen to NPR, daily. Gotta stay informed.

Who do you follow?

I don’t really do social media. I know my worth and don’t need to hear it from others. Though I technically have Facebook and Twitter, neither knowsanythingthatIhavedoneinthelast years. If you want to see what I am having for dinner, invite me over to eat your food.

What do you like to collect?

IamreallyintoLegos,specifically Star Wars Legos.

Ilovethezenofquietlyfollowingdirection building something structurally and aesthetically beautiful. I love troubleshooting and creative modification.Ihadtodismantleallofmyproj for our move around the world, so I have an exciting and trying task ahead of me.

What is a good fun fact?

Astarfishisneitherastarnorafish.

Favorite Color?

Scanda

Mr. Angel Cazorla

US Spanish

What have you been reading?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, the book that Blade Runner is based on.

What have you been watching?

Netflix: Money Heist and The Neighbor.

Amazon: Little Coincidences What do you listen to?

Pol Granch, Spaniards, and French pop singers.

Who do you follow?

Twitter DysphagiaKitchen and Speech Therapy Works.

What do like to eat?

I enjoy eating fried eggs with garlic and drinking natural orange juice for breakfast on Sundays.

Mr. Bernard Blaney US Biology

What have you been reading?

I am currently reading through hundreds of articles on gifted and talented education, emotional intelligence,andequityineducation.Iwill challenging my freshmen biology students to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

What have you been watching?

It’s football season...GO GAMECOCKS!!! GO RAIDERS! Just win, baby! Other than football on the weekend, which my wife and I enjoy together, there is not a lot of TV time for me. I did get to binge-watch some of the series Breaking Bad at the beginning of the school year, at the reques of the students. I had heard the show was popular, but hadn’t seen any of it. Eventually, I’ll get to check out the latest Star Wars series.

What do you listen to?

What do you like to cook?

Hip Hop, Reggae, and Jazz. I’m a big fan of classical I love cooking homemade pizza. I cook the dough, music and the LOFI hip hop/jazz stations on and the toppings I like the most are spinach, red YouTube when I’m studying and working. pepper, goat and blue cheeses, fresh tomatoes and eggs.Ialsocookdelicioustunafishempanadas.

What do you like to eat?

More than I’m supposed to! I love to eat! I’m a What do you like to collect? native Charlestonian, so I know my way around the I am fond of magic, especially card magic, and I kitchen as well! You can’t love to eat and not know collect all different kinds of card decks. I like Juan how to cook!

Tamariz, an international magician from Spain.

Which Broadway Show would you like to see?

When I have the opportunity I see a Broadway Musical Production. My three favorite musicals are Rent, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Les Miserables—thisoneIhaveseensix times in three different countries.

Favorite Color?

Capri

What have you been writing?

Dissertation on the underrepresentation of African American males in gifted and talented education.

This is why I’m reading so many articles!

Favorite Color?

Amalfi 47

Ms. Kate Gilliom

College Counseling Administrative Assistant

What have you been reading?

I recently read The Lying Lives of Adults by Elena Ferrante. Best book I have read in years and Netflixisfilmingaseriesbasedonthenovel.

What have you been watching?

Agatha Raisin on Acorn TV. The main character is a former PR executive who moves from London to the Cotswolds and becomes a private investigator. I love a good British mystery series and Agatha has an enviable wardrobe.

Who do you follow?

I follow a lot of wellness accounts on social media, especially skincare. Some favorite accounts include Reform Wellness, Barefaced, Kathleen Jennings Beauty, and Things I Bought and Liked.

Ms. Abby Laskodi US English

What have you been reading?

I am 100 pages into Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.

I fell in love with the show this past summer and couldkickmyselffornotreadingthebooks Ialsoenjoywritingyoungadultfiction,and “research”byreadingthelatestSarahDe equivalent.Iamreading Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi for my military book club, which covers an Afghan woman who escaped in the 70’s and became an American doctor. In addition to personal choices, I am re-reading texts that I will teach this year.

What have you been watching?

As alluded to above, I love gushy teen dramas. My latest binge of choice is Never Have I Ever. I also admit to watching the Bachelor/Bachelorette, which I am invested in for comedic purposes only, I swear.

I just started watching The House of Dragons, because I couldn’t get enough of the original femaleled drama and am now invested in the spin off. And any millennial will admit to sprinkling in Friends on a weekly, if not daily, basis as comfort food.

What do you listen to?

My guilty pleasure is Italian pop/rap music.

When I was teaching Italian, I had a Spotify What do you listen to? playlist each semester for my students with I am always on the hunt for a new band that current hits so that they could get more exposure resonates with me. I generally listen to Lord Huron, to the culture and the language. My current MumfordandSons,andanyindieequivalent favoritesongsare“Ladolcevita”byFedezandwell as an array of 90’s music. I also am an avid audiobook listener and am currently listening to The “Supermodel”byManeskïn.

House Across the Lake by Riley Sagar.

What are you designing?

What are you writing?

I’m currently designing my new bedroom. We I am working on a second novel. Some days I are adding an addition onto our house and I am relish in writing this story, and other days I wish I dreaming about my new space. I spend a lot of weren’t burdened by it, but it will haunt my mind until it is all out on paper. I try to write every day, time on Pinterest looking for new ideas and going whether it be journaling for therapeutic purposes or to furniture stores. I even braved The Final Cut— constructing long pieces as a creative outlet. the Anthropologie/Urban Outfitters/Free People outlet in Augusta and found some great bedding.

Favorite Color?

Amaryllis 48

Favorite Color?

Redbud

Ms. Cathi Hilpert Director of Strategic Communications

Ms. Kenton Youngblood Director of Alumni Relations

What have you been reading?

What have you been reading?

I am currently reading This Time Tomorrow by Inspired by the HBO Max series The Gilded Age, EmmaStraub.Onepassagesays,“Itwastheworst I’vebeenreadinglotsofhistoricalfiction fact of parenthood, that what you did mattered time period. so much more than anything you said.” So true!

Before that, I read The Mutual Friend by Carter What have you been watching?

Bays, which was a fascinating look at how screens I’m about to start my annual binge of Gilmore Girls and technology have become so intertwined with to herald the fall season. If you know, you know. how we live our lives. When not reading literary fiction,Igravitatetowardcookbooksormemoirs.

What do you listen to?

Imadean8-hourplaylistduringquarantinec What have you been watching?

Covid-90s that is all songs from the 90s, and I still Irecentlyfinishedthefirst Loot season on Apple of listen to it all the time.

TV. Maya Rudolph does a wonderful job playing MollyNovak,who’sfiguringouthowtobecome Who do you follow? a philanthropist after receiving an $87 billion Ilovefollowing@humansofnewyork—especial divorce settlement. As someone who spent the when they start a multi-post story that unfolds over pastfouryearsworkingforanonprofitdevoted to of a day or two. the course clean water, I found the episode where she drinks contaminated water on stage at a conference so What do you like to cook? incredibly gross and entertaining. It’s one I will I’m cooking my way through Mi Cocina: Recipes never forget! and Rapture from my Kitchen in Mexico by Rick Martinez. It’s a beautiful book divided into different What do you listen to? regions in Mexico. My favorite recipe, so far, has These days, I generally listen to anything that been shrimp tacos, and I’m becoming a pro at overlaps with what my oldest two children like. So, making homemade tortillas. for now, that means Olivia Rodrigo and Dua Lipa for my seventh grader and Taylor Swift for my What is one of your hobbies? fourthgrader.Ialsofindmyselfsingingalongto I am constantly picking up new cookbooks and “Relate”byForKing&Country,anytimeIhearit trying new recipes, and I chronicle it all on my foodon the radio. The lyrics really resonate with me. focusedInstagramaccount@kitchenriffin.Wh started as a little hobby has exposed me to a vast What do you like to cook? community of other passionate home cooks, and now My oldest daughter is a vegetarian, so I am always I have foodie friends all over the world. trying new recipes that work for her and can be adapted for the rest of the family. A favorite, right now,isbutternutsquashandblackbeanenchiladas.

Iamalsoonamissiontofindthemagicrecipethat will get my kids on board with tofu. It’s so versatile but needs better branding!

Favorite Color?

Plum Dandy

Favorite Color?

Searching Blue 49

Who’s Your Music Icon Soulmate?

Take the quiz to find out who you most identify with.

Be sure to keep track of how many times you choose the same letter!

1. What is your favorite color?

A) Navy blue B) Pink C) Orange D) Sage green

6. What is your favorite way to relax?

E) Getting a manicure F) Journaling/Writing G) Hanging out with friends H) Self-care

2. What is your favorite food?

E) Fruit F) Grey Poupon mustard G) Fried chicken H)Eggowaffles

7. On a bright sunny day, what would you do?

A) Go to the beach B) Hang out with friends downtown C) Go to the park D) Stay inside. I don’t like sun

3. If you had a million bucks, what would you buy?

A) Private jet B) Luxury Cars C) Private tropical island D) Designer clothes

8. What is your favorite way to spend your time?

E) Knitting or crocheting F) Playing games G) Listening to music H) Late-night conversations with friends

4. What is your go-to article of clothing?

E) Dress F) A white t-shirt G) Boots H) Sweats

9. What is your favorite season?

A) Summer B) Autumn C) Winter D) Spring

5. Where’s your dream vacation location?

A) Dubai beach escape B) English countryside C) Geneva boatride D) Grand Canyon

What 10. isyourfavoriteicecreamflavor?

E) Vanilla F) Mint chocolate chip G) Chocolate H) Cookies and cream

Created by Nina Ziff and Kevin Pham 50

Your Music Icon Count up all your answers to see which letter you selected the most and match it with the artist below.

A. Taylor Swift

E. Harry Styles

B. Nicki Minaj

F. Kendrick Lamar

C. Bad Bunny

G. Kenny Chesney

D. Tyler The Creator

H. Mac Miller

51

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300 Albemarle Road Charleston, SC 29407