The Highlander
A misperception of body art Bijan Kahili Tattoos, piercings, colorful hair. What we put on our bodies is merely a normal expression of one’s character, who they truly are. As a matter of fact, tattoos in America are a form of expression and are protected from criminal law by the constitution. “Tattoos are supposed to be something meaningful, to remind you of something important or a message that you want to go by. I think people are misinterpreting what tattoos and other forms of body art are all about,” said senior Cailan Cummings. There is no doubt that body art is growing in popularity and acceptance, especially with the millennial generation. According to a website called Should I Tattoo?, about one in five Americans have a tattoo. More and more individuals are expressing themselves throughnot only tattoos, but other body art such as body piercings. Tattoos that are now seen as an art form cannot escape the negative image painted of them from just a generation ago. According to a survey by Working World in an article of the Personal Branding Blog from the Millennial Branding, 60 percent of employers say that they are less likely to hire someone with tattoos or piercings. “Making a first impression is important to get a job, but the ultimately employers should hire people based on their own merit
not their appearance,” said senior Erin Alonso. However, this does not stop millennials from expressing themselves through the art that they put on their bodies knowing that it will only expand in support. “There is definitely discrimination of body art in the workforce as of right now however, I do believe as our generation gets older and obtain more jobs there will be more acceptance and opportunities,” said senior Cole Harper. In fact, studies found by Karen L. Hudson a tattoos and body piercing expert showed that companies that are body art friendly include big names such as Google, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Amazon. Although for some students, the bias of their parents might not affect their own interpretation of body art, for others, their parent’s views of body art might be substantially different than their child’s views. “When I first wanted to get my ears pierced my parents were hesitant to me getting them not knowing that for our generation the number of guys who get their ears pierced is growing immensely and it is just a normal thing,” said senior John Bran. It is just a matter of time until body art doesn’t have a derogatory label attached to it and it is seen as an art of expression. “As we get older and become parents, there will definitely be more and more people with tattoos and piercings since there will be a complete change of view of body art with Millennial parents,” said Harper.
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NEWS
May 2016
KELLY SONG
Carlmomt students enjoyed themselves by dancing with their friends at winter formal in January, many of which expexct Promto surpass their expextations, just as formal did.
Carlmont prepares for prom Jiselle Vigil
Prom - the time for putting on makeup, trying on dresses and tuxedos, and getting your nails done. It is the time where juniors and seniors get to spend great moments with all friends and classmates. It is the time to get asked by someone to the dance or ask someone with . However,some feel like going alone with some friends is okay. “I do not think you need a date but it is best if you get a date for prom,” said junior Alec Aokino. According to CNN, more girls than guys feel the need to have their prom to be just like the movies, because in the movies every prom is perfect for the girl.
“I think it is pretty equal, but girls show it a lot more than guys do. I think that guys keep it more to themselves because they do not want people to know that they care about prom. And I personally do not have fantasies of prom being perfect, I just want to have a fun time,” said junior Nisha Pandita. The media, movies, and peers are key factors to why people feel like they need a date to prom. People may think if they are standing off to side when a slow song comes on or they walk in with no date that others may judge them. “I do not think a date is necessary, but society makes it seem like we need one. I would have just as much fun, if not more, if I went with a group of friends,” said
junior Ryan Geronimo. According to an article in The SunSentinel, going alone to prom with a group of friends is not a bad idea. Going solo can give people the chance to dance with other people who are also there solo and gives those the chance to meet new people and make friends. “I agree with the fact that if you do end up going to prom alone or with a group of friends that you can meet new people who are also there with no date. Going alone is not as bad as people may think it is, this will be my first year attending prom but I can see that going alone isn’t really that bad. Having a date is fun, but getting to know others is fun too,” said junior Jacob Lloyd.
Women face cultural beauty standards
Lily Bakour
“I am not beautiful.” This is a thought that haunts women across the world. Regardless of background, women hold themselves to different beauty standards according to their culture and the society that surrounds them. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, beauty is “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.” Junior Snehal Pandey defines her beauty standards from a mixture of American and Indian styles. Pandey said, “It’s really interesting coming from such different places around the world, where they have such unique beauty standards. For example, most Americans dress to impress society, while Indian women dress to represent their family well.” In India, women mostly find lighter skin more attractive, while in America, a suntan is more desirable. Also, sarees and lenghas, traditional Indian dress attire, are worn much more often than the typical American “jeans and tshirt” combo. On the contrary, junior Ashley Wen defines beauty by her Chinese-American standards. Though it might not be explicitly advertised, the fact that most female stars have very slim and delicate bodies supports the unspoken beauty standards of China. According to Wen, most of the women in China are thin and petite to fit the standards in that region. The focus of beauty standards is directed towards size, rather than attire. Unlike America, Chinese standards favor a woman with small body features. Women in China prefer porcelain skin with delicate facial features to convey femininity. Even when Chinese
LILY BAKOUR
Carlmont stduents junior Millan Kanaya and sophomore Tyrese Lope celebrate their beauty. women wear makeup, extra steps are taken to ensure that their makeup looks natural. The irony is that women wear more makeup in order to achieve the natural, “no makeup” look. Comparatively, African tribal culture emphasizes physical strength and build as important attributes in women. It is seen as beautiful to be curvy. Historically, stronger women signified wealth due to their superior diet. As a continent still heavily influenced by tribal traditions, women from this part of the world covet scars and extended earlobes because they signify beauty, wealth, maturity, and growth. Though the different European cultures are interconnected, beauty expectations drastically vary between countries. All types of stereotypes put an immense amount of pressure on women to fall under specific categories, whether
they’re national or international perceptions. For instance, French women are mostly portrayed by the media as thin, constantly fashionable, and quiet; but, living under such rules causes many to be exhausted and angry at the media. This brings about conflicting thoughts of whether to live an artificial lifestyle and be recognized as beautiful, or be the odd one out and be yourself. Comparing different cultures exemplifies the flexible expectations that are constantly changing depending on the time period, geographical location, and artificial fashion trends. In each unique location, the media tends to focus on how a woman can fix herself in order to fit into that specific society’s beauty standards. In the United States, encouraging a woman to buy millions of different products to “fix herself ” is a big part of the capitalist economy. Marketers are hired solely for the purpose of targeting women and pressuring them into spending money on their flaws. Photo editors are hired solely for the purpose of making people look a certain way in magazines that is physically impossible to attain, magazines that we see and compare ourselves to on a daily basis. According to the NYC girls project, “by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body, and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 and 15.” Pandey said, “All women need to remember that the standards around the world are used to promote products, and we should just be comfortable with ourselves. It’s not a bad thing to want to look good and take care of yourself, but it’s important to know that each woman has so much more to offer than their beauty.”