2018-19 Magazine #1 Antlerette

THE

ANTLERETTE VOLUME 93 // ISSUE 1

the antlerette // fall 2018

TAB LE OF CO NT EN T S

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2 Society vs The Real You // Darian Toca

3 Unjust Justice // Joshua Omoruyi

5 Dude, Let’s talk about Patriarchy // Jordan Ritchie

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7 The Power of #Metoo // Esmee Teresi

9 Women’s Rights Impact // Vivian Scherrer

11 Columbus The Killer // Azariah Martinez

13 The Misconceptions of OCD // Daniel Thomas

15 Sorry Bambi // Hannah Villarreal

A BO U T T HE COVER LEANNE BERNALES // COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATOR This issue of The Antlerette was all about starting conversations— the ones we forget about, the ones we’re scared of, but the ones that ultimately serve as a spark for greater social awareness.

These conversations start in our classrooms and even during casual moments with our friends, people we hold a great influence over. Inspired by editorial illustrator Brian Stauffer, I wanted to communicate that simple but impactful power through a symbolic image. What came to mind was the Earth, ever big and vast, and two people—a boy, and a girl, not very small themselves, pushing it forward. In the background: images of people from the 60s to today that not only started a conversation but championed it.

Since our communities aren’t going to progress by themselves it’s our jobs to stay educated, stay true, and talk. You’re taking that first step by reading this magazine.

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LET TER F ROM THE EDI TO R EMILY KENNEDY // EDITOR IN CHIEF

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his issue was inspired by what we feel journalism is all about; it is the effort to shed light on difficult subjects and to increase awareness among the public regarding current issues. Our initial idea was to highlight social justice issues that are prevalent in modern society, but our writers ended up touching on topics that reach beyond this topic in both creativity and relevance. My expectations for this project have been exceeded thanks to the remarkable talents of our writers. This issue includes subject matter relating to a wide range of issues. Society’s skewed perception of Christopher Columbus is questioned, while the societal connotation of OCD is assessed and reconsidered.

The women’s rights movement is catalogued with a specific focus on the #metoo movement and how it relates to modern women. I feel that the handful of topics we have chosen to write about form an important representation of touchy subjects within American culture.

With the flood of new technology and forms of media that have gained prevalence in recent years, we face the concern that journalism is dying. I am proud to have been able to utilize this outlet to show just how incorrect this worry is. As young writers, we do have stances on social justice issues and we are not hesitant to showcase them. Through our writing, we are able to display our individual perspectives and our search for truth, therefore proving that journalistic integrity is, in fact, alive and well.

EDITORIAL ADVISOR // MICHELLE HAMILTON PHOTO ADVISOR // KENT PICKERING DESIGN ADVISOR // MARGARET SOULIERE GRAPHIC DESIGNERS // BROOKE GREER, BRANDON HERNANDEZ, MADDY PERRY, JACOB QUELL, ETHAN RAU, CODY ROSS, MALIA VILLEGAS

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // MARICELA HOM

SO CIET Y VS THE REAL YOU DARIAN TOCA // STAFF

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e all have something unique to offer, something nobody else might have. Perhaps these qualities can be similar, but not an exact copy. We each have our own personality traits, or a certain talent that makes us different from the rest. Knowing this, why is it that so many people are afraid to show their true colors? Even though each of us have something to offer to the world, why are we afraid to show the world who we truly are? There are many factors as to why this is the case. Society sets a standard for how we should act. Acceptance is something important to us as well. Our peers might expect us to act a certain way, but our skills and personality might offer something to ourselves or our peers. So why do we fear to show our true colors?

The pressure might be underestimated by many. In movies and stories, a common and perhaps cliche message to portray would be to “Be yourself,” but the pressures of doing so are far more challenging than many believe, especially in high school.

I have heard from an anonymous source, speaking of how it is hard to be herself, except for when she is in a certain place. In her case it was theatre. She feels at home in her theatre class, that she could be who she wants to be. “Theatre was a family…

It was a second home.” It is a place she feels comfortable to be herself, and habits are formed in a certain environment. Once we are out of that environment, it is hard to pursue the same activity.

Most of us are used to being ourselves when we are completely alone. Therefore, we create that habit of only doing so when

isolated from others. Another would be presenting your true self in front of strangers. But perhaps if we do in front of friends, and they accept, perhaps the habit of only being our true selves, alone, would finally break.

Maybe there is a future where we all can be ourselves in front of others. However, how exactly can we reach this comfort in all places, with all people? If we all know the cliche message “Be Yourself,” why do we continue to shut out our real selves?

There may be something more than breaking habits, but even those who know they are different, are no stranger to judgement.

No matter how odd one may be, they too can judge others like everyone else. The fear of judgement by anyone or everyone, which is an obvious reason as to why we conceal ourselves, will remain unless we remind ourselves not to judge others. However, judgement will never be lifted from our human nature. Sadly, judgement will always be among us, but another solution would be to not allow these words of judgement get to our heads. To be finally ourselves and perhaps hear what people have to say, good or bad, it should not be the end of who we are. Judgement

from others doesn’t mean we must hide or change ourselves. We are humans, and each one of us

has something to offer to the world. Judgement, does not mean “fact.” So would you show your true self to the world, adding on to the many colors of the human personality? The choice is yours to make.

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UNJUS T JU S T ICE JOSHUA OMORUYI // STAFF

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iscipline is necessary for growth. When a student misbehaves or does not follow the rules they undoubtedly will receive punishment accordingly.

In the modern school system this punishment is often either impractical or handled inconsistently.

One such area is tardiness and absences. Students who frequently miss school should have repercussions, such as detentions, calling home, Thursday night school and Saturday school. However, when the school suspends or expels a student for repeated tardiness or absences, the logic does not seem practical.

They should continue the use of Thursday and Saturday schools and have students make up work they missed so they don’t get left behind.

Since the students have missed so much school already, it is doesn’t make sense for them to miss anymore. Instead counselors can have a meeting with the student and address the cause of the absences or tardies to deal with them permanently. Yes, students should be disciplined for missing school frequently, but punishment should not mean limiting education.

Another area that needs some reviewing is the dress code. Most schools have their dress code stated in their handbook and it is usually gone over at the beginning of the year so the students know what is and is not allowed. Nonetheless, students often break these rules and

are disciplined. The way this is carried out is unequal among genders. Most schools regulate against revealing or offensive clothing, which is not unreasonable, but they are not thorough in their execution. They punish many female students for wearing “revealing” clothes while they let the males wear muscle shirts and tank tops.

They also don’t discipline the students breaking the code consistently. One day a student is punished while the next day she’s not. Schools might as well get rid of the code if they can’t enforce it correctly and fairly.

The last area is bullying. This one varies greatly from school to school, as some have better policies than others. We have come accustomed to hearing of students who have commited suicide or been badly injured due to bullying. Many times the teachers and counselors don’t pay enough attention to the problems students are facing. Some teachers hear of some bullying or harassment going on and then don’t take action. This leads to a lack of trust from students towards administrators. The students and staff need to build a relationship of trust and understanding. When this happens, students will be willing to take issues such as these to their teachers and counselors.

Students and district employees alike need to work to achieve justice. Punishment should be fair and consistent, so as not to cause more problems.

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“ Th is l eads to a l ac k of t r u s t

from stu den ts toward s admin istr ato r s .

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“ Sc hool s might as w e l l PHOTO ILLUSTRATION //PAIGE HIFNER

g et r i d of the co d e

if the y c an’t en force i t

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cor rectl y an d fair l y .

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DUDE, LET â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S TA L K A BOU T PAT RI ARC H Y JORDAN RITCHIE // BUSINESS MANAGER

Let us [men and women] take a step forward and keep patriarchy in the past and strive for equality now and in the future.

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ou’re a female. You’re having a conversation with a friend. Maybe you’re talking about about the latest movie you’ve seen or you’re simply discussing the weather. Your friend says: “Dude, it hasn’t rained in forever!”

It doesn’t matter if your friend is male or female. You’re female and your friend called you a word that means “man”.

Maybe the thought doesn’t dawn on you until much later, or you might even realize that at the time, you subliminally replied using the same word. Maybe you’re reading this and you’re not bothered by the scenario because it’s the 21st century–the term “dude” doesn’t just mean “man”, it’s gender-neutral. Calling a female “dude” doesn’t imply that she’s male and it’s not strange or offensive to do so. Now let’s switch things up.

You’re a male. You’re conversing with a friend about the drought and your friend says: “Girl, it is so hot!”

Once again, the gender of your friend is irrelevant. You’re male and you were just referred to as a girl. Reader, if you are male, then you’d probably raise an eyebrow at being called “girl”, or if not, probably find your friend’s word choice humorous. A man being called “girl” is different than a woman being called “dude” because “dude” is a gender-neutral term.

Yet “girl” and “chica” are reserved especially for females? Now, I am in no way at all attempting to eliminate the usage of “dude” or any other male-originated term for females. However, I am trying to get people to see how ridiculous and a teensy bit chauvinistic it is for males to find it strange to be referred to as a female term, yet find it perfectly acceptable to refer to females as a term originally meant for males. In fact, as a girl, I frequently use words like “dude” and “bruh” and gear them towards my female friends. As these words have become a part of my day-today vernacular, it’s hard to avoid. I suppose that’s the problem, though, isn’t it? We females have gotten used to and accepted these aspects of our lives, concerning the imbalances between men and women; and so have the young men of today, which is why we may not have realized the problem. Therefore, both men and women are at fault. This issue, though subtle, sneaks it’s way into today’s modern world, although it’s one that dates back 12,000 years ago. It’s name is Patriarchy.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // CAMERON JACOBS

DISCLAIMER: In this article, I am not blaming nor pointing fingers at any man alive today or any man who was alive during and after the last...millenium.

The dictionary definition of patriarchy is a society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it. I will be providing definitions for various terms throughout this article because I want to make sure my message is explicit. I’ve found some other definitions of patriarchy found on Urban Dictionary. They all paraphrase the same definition: ‘what feminists blame for all of their problems’. I am well aware of the many radical feminists who do, indeed, blame patriarchy for their problems. I admit, I too blame the creation of patriarchy for many issues in today’s world, but I am not living under the illusion that we are living in a patriarchal society, because we are not. I admit, these radical feminists are in the wrong for saying so; women who lived in patriarchal societies suffered much worse experiences than women today, and we all should be grateful that those aren’t challenges we have to face. As I said before, I do not blame the men of today’s world...but I do hold resentment to the men who established patriarchy. Patriarchy began roughly 12,000 years ago during the Neolithic Era among agricultural and pastoral societies who realized a male’s role in a paternity, or fatherhood, through domesticating animals. From this logic, they decided that in order to assure that their property would be inherited by their biological children, decided that women should be virgins before marriage and not commit adultery after to reassure the man that the children who’ll inherit his property will actually be his. Women received protection from men in exchange for these patriarchal practices. Thus, with men now taking control over women’s lives, patriarchy began.

Thankfully, as time progressed, things have changed and improved for women.

Today, patriarchy is dead. However, there are still some aspects of today’s society that still reflect that of those past societies. One of them was popularized in 12th century Europe: Chivalry. Chivalry is a moral code of conduct used by medieval knights, and it is the qualities they should possess. Most of the code is simply guidelines on how to be a good knight like “protect the weak” and “live by honour”, but most people associate chivalry with

how it applies to women, stating that men should be courteous and gallant to them.

You’ve probably heard a familiar saying using this medieval code. Well, I have good news and bad news. Chivalry isn’t dead... but it is corrupted. Most would popularly associate modern chivalry with a man opening a door for a women, but this is not chivalrous. A man opening a door for a woman for the sake of chivalry seems more obligatory than kind. Now, I’m aware that many males do not think this way. From my experience, when a male opens a door for me, I am very grateful and appreciative of the gesture. After all, ladies first…but why? Is there a special reason why in terms of showing courtesy, women are placed first? Would it be so strange for me to open a door for a male and stay put, even when he insists, “ladies first”? Writer, Crystal Jackson, discusses a similar scenario concerning patriarchy, chivalry, and door-opening in her article, “Just Open the Damn Door, A Feminist’s Perspective of Chivalry”. I’m not insinuating we conduct an all-out role-reversal in which women hold all the doors, insisting “men first”; only that we stop making the idea of chivalry exclusive to women, that we simply open a door because we are kind and courteous human beings who always insist, “you first”. We should all treat each other as equals. In ancient patriarchal societies, it was a man’s duty to take care of “his” women. A woman “needed” a man’s protection. It’s a new time we’re living in. Things are different. It is not a man’s duty to be chivalrous, nor is it a woman’s obligation to believe it to be so.

After reading this, you may not think that calling a girl “dude” or letting a guy open a door for a lady is the slightest bit patriarchal. Perhaps it’s not and I’m just paranoid and determined to defend the true meaning of feminism: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Or as Meghan Markle recently stated, “Feminism is about fairness.”

Though, if things were somehow reversed and it was men who were enraged about the creation of matriarchy and constantly protesting masculism, I’d like to think that someone would be speaking up about the matter, as well. Let us [men and women] take a step forward and keep patriarchy in the past and strive for equality now and in the future. Let us leave behind our chauvinist, sexist, immoral ways. ‘Cause dude, patriarchy is so 10,000 BC.

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THE POWER O F # M E TO O ...the important thing

ESMEE TERESI // STAFF

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n October of 2017, we learned that the film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of several sexual assault and rape allegations and from then on countless numbers of women have come forth to share their own experiences. Hollywood and show business in general have always had an underlying deceitful side to them, in which women claimed to be harassed, except nothing was ever done. However, in the past year, women have gained courage and strength by confiding in one another to stand up and say “Me too”. The entire movement has caused a whirlwind of feminism and addressing inequalities between the genders with famous actresses to everyday women standing up to remind other women they are not alone. The movement has brought into question the credibility of tons of men in powerful positions and is here to change the way women are treated in every aspect of life and bring the amount of women raped from 20% to none.

The movement has put a large focus on the men that are put on pedestals; whether that be a CEO of a successful business or the President, the movement sees absolutely no issue in calling someone out for wrong behavior. But that isn’t being done to shame and scare anyone. It’s being done to show that no matter a person’s status, something will be done to stop personal wrong doing. As mentioned earlier, Harvey Weinstein being accused on several occasions of sexual assault sort of became the flame that lit the fuse which brought the #MeToo movement to mainstream media. The first among the women to come forward about Weinstein were Rose McGowan and actress, Ashley Judd. Soon afterwards, iconic pop culture figures such as Meryl Streep, Dame Judi Dench, George Clooney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Barack Obama, and Leonardo Dicaprio were just a few to speak out against Weinstein. Since then, people such as Bill Cosby have been put behind bars and women continue to come forward with crimes President Trump may have committed.

However, the important thing here is not that these malicious men are being taken down and having their careers ruined, it’s that women are being able to stand up and put a stop to it.

It’s the fact that more women need to be in power and be able to pursue their dreams and make a life for themselves without a man trying to use them or get in the way. Women deserve to pursue a career and not have to “give favors” to go where they need to go. The importance of this movement is to emulate feminism in its purest form, not to attack men. Women across the globe will continue to protest and confess their most personal demons, but those who step forward today will help the girls of tomorrow.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS // CHRISTINE DUBURG

here is not that these malicious men are being taken down and having their careers ruined, it’s that women are being able to stand up and put a stop to it.

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...The importance of this movement is to emulate feminism in its purest form, not to attack men.

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WOMEN ’S RI G H T S I M PACT VIVIAN SCHERRER // STAFF

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ver the past 100 years, women’s rights have increased tremendously. There is a lot of interest with the midterm elections approaching and with the fact

that more women are running for elected office than ever before.

Women in America have not always had the rights they do today.

There was a time when women were not even allowed to vote.

Women’s suffrage has only been in effect since 1920 with the

passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women in America the right to vote. This was the first big step towards women’s rights. Overall, women’s advancements have primarly been in politics and voting. Although no woman has ever been president yet, we still have a lot of women that work for Congress and other branches of the government. They also gained the right to be able to join the military. Loretta Walsh was the first woman to enlist in the military in 1917 and was the first woman allowed to serve in the navy. The right to serve was made permanent in the year 1948.

Three years later, an amendment passed on women being

able to vote: the 19th Amendment. At this time, only American women were able to vote, and achieving this was a difficult struggle with protests and agitation.

Women’s rights and the 19th Amendment had an impact on

multiple laws. Women’s rights today include women being able to vote, buy property, earn a fair or equal wage and much more. It may seem like awhile ago, but women have only started getting most of our rights in the last 100-200 years. We have earned these rights by protesting and making people realize that we deserve the right to vote. If women never realized that we deserve better, we never would have revolutionized and achieved what we have today.

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...we have EARNED these rights...

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“

...we DESERVE the right to vote...

”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // GRACE FREEMAN

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AZARIAH MARTINEZ // STAFF

CO LUMB U S T H E KILLER

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // RILEY BLOODWORTH

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s children, we were taught that Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas and he has been celebrated ever since and is seen as a hero. In reality Christopher Columbus wasn’t actually the first person to discover the Americas. In fact, Leif Erikson was the first person to discover the Americas and peacefully land here. On the other hand, Columbus took some Natives as slaves and recorded in his journal that the Natives “would make good servants.” As a result of his actions and words describing them as savages, Columbus set the precedent that it was okay for the Europeans to force the Natives into giving up their land and being used as servants.

When I was a child my dad told me that Christopher Columbus Day shouldn’t be a holiday, but I never understood why. However, when I entered 8th grade I learned about the idea of Manifest Destiny and how it could be drawn back to the Aztec Conquest and even Columbus landing in the Bahamas. Historians have uncovered a massive amount of evidence that points toward Columbus and his crew causing destruction to villages. Columbus set

the precedent that would later on lead to Europeans and Americans justifying their murder and forced migration of the Natives by saying that they were savages that needed saving.

The “discovery” of the Americas by Columbus furthermore led to an age in the New World that would exploit the Natives for resources and foods.

Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated for “discovering the New World” because all of his words and actions led to the genocide of the Native American people. The people and the cultures were wiped out never to come back. Historians now try to study the remaining ruins and covered up unjust actions towards the Natives, but they aren’t able to see what actually happened. Countless acts of rape and murder were bestowed upon the indigenous tribes that once inhabited the land we live in now. Why is it that we celebrate this man? It’s as if he stuck an AIDS infected needle into the Western Hemisphere and plagued the people that were living there without any thought process or consciousness to say that what they were doing was wrong.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // ROMERO AGCAOILI

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T HE MISCO N C EP T I O N S OF O CD DANIEL THOMAS // STAFF

Has to sanitize everything, make sure nothing is out of place, checks maybe once, twice, twelve times?

Will her house burndown because she didnt check if the stove was off enough times?...

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That’s OCD

et’s say there’s this girl named Jenny who has a little bit of an obsession with keeping her bedroom clean. She hates it when anything is just lying on the ground and has a certain place for every piece of clothing and item on her desk.

Now let’s compare her to another girl named Marina. She is very similar to Jenny in the way she keeps everything in her room clean, but goes a little bit too far. She has to sanitize everything, make sure nothing is out of place, and notices every dust particle on her desk and has to clean it immediately. While cleaning she realizes she is late to her job. However, there are too many things that are off in her house. Marina wants to leave it all alone so she can move on with her life, but she keeps obsessing over it. It has to get done. While leaving the house, Marina makes sure everything in the house is turned off and checks maybe once, twice, twelve times? She also has to make sure she doesn’t step on any cracks in the cement on her way to the car or she will have to restart. On her way to her job, Marina thinks about every outcome that might happen while out of the house; will she get fired? Will the boss excuse her for the 7th time? Will she contract some sort of disease? Will her house burn down because she didn’t check if the stove was off enough times? That’s OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental disorder where people have repeating and constant thoughts, obsessing over situations, and have repetitive behavior and urges to do the same thing over and over again to drive away those obsessive thoughts. This disorder is not taken as seriously as it should be. There’s a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the disorder. Many associate it with the strong desire to be clean or to put things in a certain order. While that’s not entirely false, there’s a lot more information and issues that are involved.

One of the two key words in the full name is “obsessive.” Shown in the example of Marina, a common issue people with OCD have to deal with is repetitive and obsessive thoughts over minor things that the majority of the population wouldn’t bat an eye at. Those with this disorder often obsess to the point of having a panic attack, which, if strong enough, can make the person feel like they are dying. People with OCD have brains that aren’t wired to feel normal like everyone else. In order for them to feel normal, they have to feed into these desires, which leads to the other keyword.

The other keyword is “compulsive”, which is in reference to the behavior and actions that are displayed by these people to stop the obsessive and intrusive thoughts they have to deal with. These behaviors can range from something seemingly innocent as putting books in alphabetical order on a shelf, to biting your nails to the point of bleeding. Addiction is common when referring to compulsions, because when someone is addicted to smoking or drinking, their brain is wired to make you feel like the only way to feel happy or “normal” is to give in to your needs. In a way, OCD is like being a permanent alcoholic.

Right now there is no cure for OCD, but there is treatment. You can go see a therapist and they will give you options on what you can do about it, treating the behaviors with therapeutic options or even medication. It is very easy to make fun of your co-worker or classmate for getting worried and upset about minor things like touching a doorknob and saying they have OCD, but there is a huge difference between normal human behavior and this mental disorder. While I’m not trying to police anyone’s language, it’s important to stay informed about it.

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S O RRY BA M B I HANNAH VILLARREAL // EDITOR

This past September in Namibia, the Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner, Blake Fischer, killed an oryx, a giraffe, a waterbuck, a leopard, and a family of 4 baboons: two parents and two children. All of them were killed for the fun of it.

F

ischer even bragged about murdering all these inno-

immensely- but we aren’t doing anything to protect the other

cent creatures to more than 100 people, sharing 12

100 million wild animals that are killed each year by the Unit-

images of him and his wife standing over the dead

ed States, alone.

wild animals. People are horrified by his actions and have

The value for animal life has immensely decreased in our

been vocal about their opinions, many officials stating his ac-

society throughout the centuries. Hunting was a necessary

tions were a use of ‘poor judgement’. The amount of negative

ritual for our survival 200 years ago. We respected the ani-

outcry resulted in Fischer’s decision to resign, presumably

mals sacrifice of life, but now we disregard its value and see

to keep the Idaho Fish and Game Commission’s reputation

them as our entertainment. Trophy hunting needs to be rec-

somewhat intact. Now, considering he responded to an

ognized as an act of violence towards animals, just as much

Idaho Statesman with ‘I didn’t do anything illegal, immoral, or

as we need to recognize that animals are not our property or

unethical’, it is utterly clear to people, even after the negative

entertainment. These are wild creatures who want to live.

feedback and time given to reflect on his actions, Blake Fischer has little respect for an animal’s life. How could he not see this act of killing a wild animal for sport in their own habitat as immoral and unethical.

Now, this questioning of morals is not solely related to Blake Fischer. Why have we, in our modern society, looked past the appalling reality of hunting animals for fun? We have completely normalized and turned away from these endless acts of violence towards wild animals. This is one living creature killing another. Yet people in our modern society find this fun, amusing, and have a sense of pride after killing an innocent creature. We look at an estimated report of 2.7 million dogs and cats killed in shelters each year and practically break down -and yes, every single one of those lives matter

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“The value for animal life

has immensely decreased in our society throughout the centuries” .

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION // JULIANA EMPERADOR