The Purple Gem Issue 1, Vol. 58

the Gem

Bowling Green High School • 1801 Rockingham Lane, Bowling Green, KY 42104 • Vol. 58, Issue 1 • September 22, 2017 • bgpurplegem.com

Coach’s firing causes uproar

New school, same spirit

Renovations planned to update aging Rockingham campus ◆ daniel dempsey

◆ peter guthrie

◆ amber madison

see Johnson on page 3

see School on page 3

Student charged in shooting plot

◆ hannah burt

see Threat on page 3

what’s inside Teacher tackles national issues

Bralette policy targets girls

social Golf swings for success

Caffey crowned Homecoming queen

@BGPurpleGem @BGPurpleGem The BGHS

Purple Gem

News

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Issue 1, Volume 58

Current events leading valuable discussion in Russell’s classroom ◆ maggie pollard 2017 has been a year filled with headlines. Current events have raised questions about racism, sexism, homophobia and hates that are very alive in today’s society.

Social media makes acquiring information and news easy. But it is too easy to read a tweet and simply accept it at face value.

Our way of obtaining information centered on instant gratification and getting updates from the internet can be useful, but understanding the events on a deeper level is a task that takes more thought.

Topically, it doesn’t seem that global issues like Charlottesville, Va. affect the student body here at BGHS, but they do. The steady rise of hate makes the atmosphere of the school tense; students and teachers are constantly worried about what is going to happen next.

Discussing these topics in a classroom setting allows for students to understand more than just a post on Instagram or Twitter, but instead a global issue that is also relevant in the community.

Freshman English teacher Philip Russell is one of the faculty at BGHS who covers current events in class. This year he has

analyzed Charlottesville and last year the Confederate flag and police brutality. “They are real systemic and historical issues that our country has dealt with and that we’ve seen here in Bowling Green,” Russell said.

Russell hopes that teaching these topics will make students think about what is going on in the world and in our community.

“We talk about it and discuss it in a solution-oriented way, thinking what can I do, what can we do as a collective, to move ourselves and thereby move our country away from that precedent,” Russell said.

He wants students to know they are the future.

They can make the world a better place and not repeat mistakes that history has made.

Students also enjoy Russell’s class and being able to have deep, thoughtful discussions in class.

Shelby Bearden, sophomore and former student of Russell, said, “It's relevant and important to our generation that we know what's going on in the world around us, so we aren’t sheltered by ignorance.”

Bearden believes exposure to different perspectives allows for students to formulate their own opinions. It lets students understand others views and learn how

to address people who they don’t agree with in a constructive way.

Teaching some of these current events can be controversial, but it is valuable for student’s futures to respond to these topics. “I'm going to be very aware of the issues going on around me and have empathy towards others,” said Bearden.

There will continue to be events that question what is right and wrong, and teaching them in class let students formulate their own unique opinions based on feedback.

“Bowling Green High School can facilitate beautiful discussions because we are an incredibly diverse school in so many different metrics whether that be socioeconomically, racially, ethnically or religiously. We have the people here to have those fruitful discussions, it just takes a tiny leap of faith for teachers to say, ‘Yes some people are gonna find this controversial but I can teach a skill and there is relevance here, so I'm gonna step onto nothing and step on something.”

◆ daniel dempsey Russell, pictured in his classroom, tries to integrate current events and popular culture unto his lesson plans

◆ daniel dempsey Along with his love of current events, Russell is also a know music fanatic.

Russell often encourages his students to explore literature through genres such as hip-hop.

Skillerns, Krisher settle at new schools

◆ ruthie kesri

This year, two of the most well known teachers at BGHS left the school—Ron Skillern, who won Kentucky Teacher of the Year in 2017, and Ada Skillern. Along with them, Leah Krisher, a counselor, also left BGHS. Their decision to leave has impacted the school in a multitude of ways.

“The Skillern family was such a huge part of the fabric of Bowling Green High School,” said Natalie Croney, head of the English department. “Ada Skillern in particular constantly reminded students and teachers of ways that we could be active in policy-making and praised those who worked diligently and effectively.

For years, Ada was the AP Language and Composition teacher as well as a sophomore English teacher.There is no replacement for a truly gifted educator. Besides making sure that BGHS students had the best teachers possible working with them this year, we haven't had to make many other drastic changes. The BGHS teachers have all stepped up to make this year run smoothly considering the sudden change in faculty.” said Croney.

Both the Skillerns and Krisher shared similar viewpoints on leav ing BGHS. “My decision to leave Bowling Green High School was very difficult. I loved my time at BGHS. I love the staff, administration, students and families I served,” said

Krisher.

“My two oldest daughters had graduated high school and my youngest daughter was going to be a freshman at Warren East so I decided to apply. I am very happy in my new position, although I miss so many friends at BG.” On another hand, Mrs. Skillern, who taught at BGHS for 21 years, left BGHS for new opportunities. “ I was offered a position teaching Humanities and English at Oldham County High School,” said Mrs. Skillern, “and I saw this as an opportunity to grow new skill sets and take advantage of additional professional opportunities. It seemed like the right time, personally and professionally, to set out on a new ‘adventure.’”

Rob Skillern left BGHS for similar reasons and is currently traveling around Kentucky on behalf of Kentucky education and attending national meetings.

“At the present time, I am fulfilling my role as the 2017 Kentucky Teacher of the Year. For example, I spoke yesterday to more than 600 teachers in Lexington who were attending the Tell Survey Winner's Circle. I plan to return to the classroom full-time next fall,” said Mr. Skillern.

Mrs. Skillern, along with her husband, look back on their time at BGHS with reverence.

“I continue to be in touch with numerous incredible colleagues at BGHS and feel incredibly fortunate to have invested so many years with the BGISD district,

which will always be dear to my heart,” said Mrs. Skillern.

For Krisher, one of the hardest parts about leaving BGHS was leaving behind the friends she had made.

“I loved working with the old and new administration at BGHS. Every leader at BGHS is very smart, student-focused, and they are a very strong leadership team,” said Krisher, “It actually saddens me that I did not get to work with the new and current administration team.”

In the end, both the Skillerns and Krisher agreed that while the decision to leave BGHS was difficult, it was the right decision for them to make.

“Change is scary, but it can also be rejuvenating.” said Krisher.

Vantrease and Tinius Compete For Distingished Young Woman ◆ maggie pollard On Saturday, Sept. 9, two seniors at BGHS participated in a competition, based not on beauty, but on self expression, fitness, talent, and scholastics. Emmi Vantrease and Chapel Tinius, put work and effort into the competition to become the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Warren County.

Ten other seniors in the Warren County district competed. In the end it came to a close call, but Tinius won the event, and is now the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Warren County. What did she do to make her stand out from the rest?

The event included 12 participants, all seniors from the Warren County district. There was no audition process, so any senior girl who wanted to participate could if they wanted to. Tinius and Vantrease participated, and their talent shined through.

The competition included three different performance sections: talent, self expression, and fitness. In the fitness portion, the two groups

had to perform a routine that shows off their fitness ability with exercises such as jogging and push-ups. With talent, the contestants chose to do 90 seconds of something they are skilled at.

Vantrease performed a piece called “Bourree” by J.S. Bach on the viola. Tinius played “Granuaile’s Dance” by Mairead Nesbitt on the fiddle while expressing her Irish heritage with choreography, winning the talent portion. In the self expression portion, the contestants were given a question two days before the competition and were told to write a response, memorize it, and respond to it in front of the audience. They were judged based on posture and tone while presenting.

Tinius was a winner in all three categories and became the overall winner, the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Warren County, officially moving up to a state level.

For women participating in the event next year, Tinius advises to start early, especially with the scholastic portion because it is so important.”

Left: Chapel Tinius, senior, played the fiddle to the tune of “ Granuaile’s Dance” by Mairead Nesbitt on Saterday, Sept. 9. Tinius later won the title of 2018 Distinguished Young Women. Competing aginst 12 other seniors, the pagent was not based on today’s social beauty standardsset for women but on self expression, fitness, talent, and scholastics.

◆ daniel dempsey

Right: Emmi Vantrease preformed a piece titled ”Bourree” by J.S. Bach on the viola. Both Tinius and Vantrease competed exceptionally at the pagent.

◆ daniel dempsey

News “Here’s to dear old Bowling Green High” The Purple Gem

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BGHS choirs kick off year with ice cream social ◆ amber madison As the BGHS choir sang the Alma Mater to wrap up their first concert of the year, the Ice Cream Social, choir alumni stood and joined the voices of the new and returning students in the choir on stage.

Students from all choir groups and all grades shared a nostalgic moment with the former choirs of different graduating years, especially the seniors who simultaneously hugged, swayed and stomped with smiles and laughs as they enjoyed their last first concert of high school.

On Tuesday, Aug. 29, choir students, parents, siblings, and

friends met in the BGHS Commons for an informational meeting that the BGHS choir hosts every year, mostly for new students to learn the choir schedules and how the choir operates each year. Patricia Beresford, the choir director, and Renee White, a choir parent, shared details about upcoming concerts, events, fundraisers, emails, etc. that would affect the choir and their families, such as Acapalooza and the Jackson’s Orchard concert.

BGHS choirs Choristers, Bellisima, A Capella, along with after school group, the AcaPurples Purple Reign performed songs such as “Warrior” and “Ring of Fire” at the Ice Cream Social.

In addition to the information and variety of singing from each of the choirs, ice cream, toppings, and refreshments were served in the back to everyone attending the event to add some fun to the meeting.

Junior Jillian Keown, a Bellisima member, said, “The Ice Cream Social is always a nice opportunity to get the new students and parents acquainted with the students and parents who already know all about what it means to be a part of the BGHS choir community. Oh, and the ice cream is definitely a plus.”

The Ice Cream Social provided freshmen and new choir students with their first concert of their

◆ amber madison New and returning BGHS choirs studemts share the stage as they sing the BGHS Alma Mater for their last song of their first concert of the year, the Ice Cream Social.

BGHS choir career; it also allowed for the seniors’ last first concert of

high school. Overall, there was a new experience for everyone.

New teachers find opportunities at BGHS ◆ daniela velazquez

◆ priscilla thong Cesia Heilneil joins the world language department, teaching Spanish I and Spanish II.

Jay Hollis joins the science department, teaching biology and integrated science. Photo by The Lane Report.

Cesia Heinlein is joining the BGHS world language department this year, teaching Spanish I and Spanish II. At the age of seven, Heinlein and her family came from El salvador in 2000. From there, she attended BGHS and was a Purple herself.

After high school, she achieved one of her greatest accomplishments:graduating from WKU. When asked to give advice to BGHS students and their academic journey, Heinlein said, “Don’t slack off; Seniors, get past Senioritis. It counts.”

Her first year teaching was in Christian County, and she found her way back to BGHS for her second year.

Heinlein’s inspiration to become an educator was her father, who taught language arts and social studies.

Other role models included her high school teachers like Anne Padilla, a former teacher here at BGHS. Jay Hollis teaches Pre-AP biology, biology, and integrated science to the freshman class, many of whom recognize him from

BGJHS, where he taught his first three years as a science teacher.

After graduating from WKU, Hollis worked at a private school in Missouri and realized what career he wanted to take on. “I've always enjoyed education; working at a private school is where I learned that teaching was my career path, it just took me a little while to get here.”

In those years of educating and learning along the way, Hollis says teaching provides those opportunities to see students struggle, overcome that barrier, and succeed.

“Make the most of every day is my advise whether it's in class, on some kind of athletic field , hobbies or activity, just make the most of everyday.”

Starting her 22nd year of teaching, Anita Burgess begins a new year at BGHS; teaching Human Geography to the Freshmen Academy.

Burgess graduated from the University of Alabama and began teaching Social Studies in alabama, winning awards such as Outstanding Educator of the Year Award in 2015 in her school district and Outstanding Educator of the Year Award from Athens State

University.

Burgess said, “It was important for me to see that students were actively engaged in learning about the world around them, not the traditional chalk and talk.”

From her years of teaching others, she has also learned lot about herself as well. “Embrace each day with courage and open-mindedness and be brave enough to make that difference.”

As a high school student himself, Jake Schwandt hated school and doing homework, but as he graduated and went to college at WKU, he became a CEPT student and even won a WKU Service and Literacy award.

From then on as a teacher, Schwandt’s goal was to “try to help kids take advantage of the opportunities they have at BGHS.” His initial plan was to go back to Louisville to teach; however, when he was offered a teaching job from William King, he decided to stay and become BGHS’s new world civilization teacher. Schwandt stated that if he was going to stay in Bowling Green, “it would be for this high school.”

◆ amber madison Anita Burgess joins the social studies department, teaching Human Geography in the LEAD Academy.

◆ amber madison Jake Schwandt joins the social studies department, teaching world civilization.

Check out more new teachers in our next issue

Junior ACT sets record ◆ gwen hatcher

In March 2017, the junior class put an incredible amount of effort into taking the ACT, and it showed. The average of last year’s ACT scores is an impressive 21.3, which is the highest average composite score BGHS has achieved since it first implemented the required ACT in 2008.

BGHS also surpassed Kentucky’s state average (16-21) in all of the other content areas. Eighteen juniors scored a 33 or 34.

Why have the scores improved so much? How can the scores impact a student’s future?

Jonathan Meredith, a senior at BGHS, scored a 34 on the ACT last year, just two points shy of a perfect score. “The only thing I can say about preparing is to just practice. Get a book, time yourself, and run through some tests,” said Meredith. He practiced at least once a day for two weeks prior to the ACT, and it paid off.

However, practice isn’t the only factor that has contributed to students’ success on the test. The high school has administered a mock ACT to freshmen and soph-

omores before they take the real test as juniors. Since this started, ACT scores have been improving every year. “Our mock ACT test that we’ve given our students for the last three years has definitely helped the ACT scores increase,” said Principal William King.

According to Director of Admissions Jace Lux, WKU has noticed a significant increase in ACT scores of student applicants from BGHS. “The average ACT score of a first year student from Bowling Green and Warren County was 22.9 in fall 2015. In fall of 2016, that average jumped to 23.7. There has definitely been a trend of improvement,” said Lux. Why are these ACT scores so vital to student success?

According to William King, “One, just trying to get into whichever educational institution a student wants, the ACT is important. Two, it opens up the potential for scholarship money. I don’t think there is any other test that you take in high school that equates in the money that the ACT does.”

BGHS’s improvement on the test is noteworthy, and it is increasing with every year.

The year has already begun with sophomores and juniors practicing with the mock ACT, so the school is definitely aiming for even higher scores in upcoming classes.

Johnson from page 1

minorities have learned to use the race card.... it's easy , and publications like this newspaper eat that up. This will go nowhere as the fired coach will likely go nowhere because of her weak character.”

After an open records request, Fields released the letter he sent to Johnson to explain the reasons for her firing. The letter cited three main complaints: that Johnson, through the use of profanity, had not “treated student players with dignity and respect;” that she recklessly disclosed the medical information of a player to at least one coach and two other players; and that her leadership discouraged students from joining the team, causing a scarcity of athletes for the three girls’ basketball teams.

Johnson, in a memo refuting Fields’ stated reasons for firing her, argues that profanity is not valid grounds for firing. She wrote, “During my tenure I have heard far worse from many other coaches. Have you discussed the use of inappropriate language with any other coach, or am I again being singled out?” The Gem contacted a football coach to discuss the use of profanity on the team, but he declined to comment.

Overnight, Johnson’s firing

thrusted BGHS into America’s fractured, divisive and hostile conversation on race. The firing, and the public’s reaction to it, became part of a much wider story comprising white nationalist rallies and “Build that Wall” chants.

Most importantly, they forced the school to look in the mirror and examine the tensions that often come with great diversity.

To understand the effect Johnson’s firing had on the relationship between the administration and students—or to understand the existing tensions that the firing exposed—one must take into account today’s rhetoric regarding race. With resurging sentiments of white nationalism popping up throughout the country, including in Bowling Green, students look to school for a unified, safe and diverse community. A critical element to that community is trust between the administration and students, especially students of color. The firing jeopardizes that.

School

Threat from page 1

at a person or persons or at a school does not need to identify a specific person or persons or school in order for a violation of this section to occur; (b) Makes false statements that he or she has placed a weapon of mass destruction at any location other than one specified.” according to 508.078 Kentucky Revised Statutes.”

One of Kentucky’s terroristic threatening defense lawyers, Dan Carman, said on his website, “While it has never been a good idea for a student to call in a bomb threat in order to get out of taking a math test, in post 9/11 America, what was once seen as a prank is now viewed as a crime – and it’s not taken lightly.” In school these days, students could just be making a joke but it could lead to something far more serious.

from page 1

astudying, friends, relationships, jokes, senior pranks, and sometimes even husbands and wives.

These memories will never be lost, and they will never be gone.

The renovation of BGHS is simply giving them a new home, giving children a new place to learn and create, and giving kids all kinds of different opportunities to achieve success.

Check out more coverage at bgpurplegem.com

◆ gabrielle bunton

“America was founded by white people. It was founded for white people. America was not founded to be a multiracial, multicultural society,” said Nathan Damigo, founder of Identity Evropa, a white supremacist group in the U.S. established in March 2016.

Charlottesville, Va. believed to be a city of great historical value, was harvesting wicked racial tensions. On Aug. 12, a white nationin held was rally alist Charlottesville. It took a violent turn when demonstrators were met head on by anti-racism protesters, leaving one counter protester dead and many injured.

From a black perspective, this was just a long time coming. Did nazis honestly think that they were going to walk the streets without being met by opposing opinions? They stormed the

streets with their hostile banters, flags and slogans. Minorities were seen as aggressive thugs.

But the only thugs that were in Charlottesville came to spread their wickedness and are known to incite violence, but somehow, some way, their criminal records get swept under the rug.

When will these racists get that this nation built itself on white brutality and racial oppression?

The Founding Fathers had slaves in their backyards while they were drafting documents securing their own freedoms. This country built itself off the slavery of not only black people, but also off the many immigrants that came to this country. The U.S. has created its own unjust systematic racism to keep people of different ethnicities at the bottom of the food chain. This country was not founded for white people. The founder wasn’t even white. He took this country that wasn't his

and built it off of racial oppression to bring them to the top of the food chain.

This country hosts so much hatred that people have made their own groups to spread hatred. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, America is home to 917 hate groups—people who hate others because of skin tone, religion, gender, and sexual preference.

Why do these groups exist in a country that prides itself in equal rights for all its citizens? Why must we hate one another for our differences? The country wouldn't be what it was if not for the different races and cultures coming together to make something unique and pure. I wonder if they know what it’s like. To have so many against you, wanting to hurt you, thinking you're dangerous, and thinking that you aren’t worth anything. What still shocks me is that people are still baffled by this.

No, white people are still baffled by this because of their privilege.

They don’t empathize because it’s never happened to them. America created a whole system to make white people more prosperous than any other race.

Politically and economically we can win. Systematically we can’t.

Every path to prosperity has been taken from us, so that white people can blossom. So no, Charlottesville doesn’t shock me or sadden me. It angers me. The fact that we have to protest and protect our rights and ourselves is hypocritical. Our country still fails to realize its own faults and won't accept them either.

Charlottesville is another reminder for us all that these schizoids live in this country, making it hard for everyone to unify peacefully with each other. This same mentality not only makes them look bad, but makes this country look worse than it is.

Dresscode once again displays sexism ◆ ann marcum hines The beginning of the school year interrupts a series of sweltering summer days, trading swimming pools for crowded hallways and tank tops and shorts for jeans and sweaters. Despite the lack of change to weather, students’ wardrobes, specifically women’s, must drastically transform in order to adapt to BGHS’s dress code—one that, this year, has banned bralettes.

Compared to schools around the nation, BGHS has a fairly lenient dress code. Each day, a multitude of students are allowed to walk the halls in leggings and wider strapped tanks, receiving nothing but a smile or nod from administrators rather than being told to change. The underlying issue, however, remains. Dress codes have repeatedly prioritized men’s educations over women's and proved to be policies focused on limiting freedom of expression.

This year, the new policies have generated a new battle for female students: bralettes.

Many teachers claim to not understand the concept of a bralette; unfortunately, this claim is just as valid as me saying I don't understand calculus and expecting to be excused from every quiz, test, or even thought of a limit or derivative.

A bralette is a form of bra, in theory, contemporarily worn as more of a fashion accessory than a support system. Lace or designcovered straps are paired with a solid t-shirt to add design to an outfit, yet, somehow, a lace strap around a student’s neck is too vulgar and suggestive for a school

On the left, junior Jillian Keown is wearing a plain shirt with a white bralette underneath, which is seen as unacceptable according to the BGHS dress code. On the right, Keown is wearing the same plain shirt without the bralette showing, which is seen as acceptable. setting—even though it adds more coverage. If it's viewed as necessary for a female to wear a bra, bra or bralette straps showing should be allowed, if not expected. Teaching young girls that it's acceptable for their class time to be curtailed in order for them to change into something less distracting to males promotes unhealthy stereotypes about gender and fails to equal any playing field. Very few boys have had to miss first period in order to make their outfit less suggestive to girls in their class.

Another very central argument against bralettes is the lack of professionalism. In the future, many argue, when current students are employed in businesses, law firms, or any other professional work environment, a bralette

would not be seen as business appropriate attire. A valid point, if the school dress code was designed around the idea of professionalism, an idea disproved by the embracing of t-shirts and sweatpants as a welcomed form of attire.

Seven hours a day, five days a week, students learn in an environment that fosters their development into adulthood and hopefully prepares them for the work and expectations of the real world.

However, fostering a work ethic and mature behavior is vastly different from stripping the school of all difference between a classroom and an office. If bralettes are banned due to issues of professionalism, t-shirts, basketball shorts, and tennis shoes

The Purple Gem Jack Eason & Peter Guthrie Editors-In-Chief Ann Marcum Hines News Editor Yash Singh Opinion Editor Jackson Stahl Sports Editor Gabrielle Bunton Features Editor Vol. 58

Amber Madison Features Photo Editor Amy Woodlief Sports Photo Edior Amrit Avula Marketing Manager

should be banned, too. The school wouldn’t simply ban t-shirts, though, because the dress code is not based on what would be acceptable to wear to a job in an office.

The halls of BGHS are full of a diverse student population with astounding potential. Taking students out of class for problems as menial as a piece of fabric that covers more skin diminishes the spirit found within the school.

The dress code should be in place to keep all students in basic appropriate attire, covering what needs to be covered without unfair and unnecessary rules based on a pick and choose selection of job appropriate wardrobe pieces inflicted significantly heavier on females.

Est. 1959

Hayley Bouldin, Daniel

Hayley Bouldin, Daniel

Dempsey, Daniel

Dempsey, Maggie Pollard,

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Guerrero, Gwen Hatcher,

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Tinsley Howard, Ruthie Kesri, Maggie Pollard, Cole Rubin, Priscilla

Kyle Rubin Advertising Manager

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Staff Reporters

Velazquez, Sam Vitale, Trent Wade

Brooke Carmichael, Emma Simpson Illustrators 1801 Rockingham Lane

Bowling Green, KY 42104 270-746-2300 ext. 2500 bgpurplegem.com Lindsey Houchin, Adviser

Issue 1, Volume 58

◆ Corner

Crosby’s

Opinion Charlottesville incident incites anger 4

Misconceptions about conservatism arise in the era of Trump ◆ hayden crosby In an era marked by heightened political discourse, it is important to recall the principles which made America great in the first place. America wasn’t made great by Protectionist trade policies or government intervention in the economy. It wasn’t adorned by decisions made for political convenience over general welfare.

Rather, what put America first was its dedication to limited government and individual liberty; conservatism is about preserving, not plundering, these two principles. This being said, a not-so-conservative president calling himself a principled man has the capacity to taint these values until they become unrecognizable and undesirable. The purpose of these pieces is to highlight the president’s departures from conservative principles, and to illustrate the ramifications of abandoning them. First, I will address Protectionism.

I’m all for America First policies. Protectionism is not an America First policy. Rather, it is a socialist doctrine predicated on the idea that bureaucrats ought to have the power to decide which industries succeed and which fail.

All of this, of course, comes at the expense of the American people.

Allow for an example (the numbers chosen in this hypothetical adapted from one by Frederic Bastiat are chosen for mathematical convenience): A Chinese steel company sells steel for $0.20 per pound. An American steel company sells steel for $0.25 per pound. The president, in all his genius, calls for Congress to levy a 35% tariff on the importation of Chinese steel, claiming that his policy will force people to buy the American steel (he is likely correct in this claim, but that is not the point).

The protectionist ignores the American car company that relied on cheap steel from China, and now must raise prices and lower wages to compensate for the increased cost of production. The real victim in this case, however, is the American consumer, who now must pay more money for a lower quality vehicle.

The president responds, “Why don’t we just tariff the cars themselves?” This is an important point that applies to both raw materials and manufactured goods.

When government does economic favors for one industry, it does economic damage of an equal proportion to all other industries. Because, as has been shown, a tariff on foreign cars would increase the cost of automobile purchases on consumers, the tariff becomes a tax not only on individuals, but on businesses not in the automobile industry. If a consumer is forced to spend $5000 more on a car, he/she has $5000 less to spend on, for example, technology.

Clearly, protectionism is not a policy of limited government, but of government intervention. It is not an example of individual liberty, but of economic planning. It is not a principle of conservatism, but of socialism.

Opinion

The Purple Gem

5

“Snap Map” chips away privacy “The Snap Map turns using geolocation for

◆ ann marcum hines

popular filters into a more serious and

BGHS is composed of students in Snapchat’s prime demographic.

As of June 30, a new feature known as the Snap Map was introduced to app users across the globe. The tracking is invasive, sacrificing what little privacy social media has left teens, completely erasing any boundary between the real and digital world. Snapchat defended its new feature in an annoyingly glossy way: “If you and a friend follow one another, you can share your locations with each other so you can see where they’re at and what’s going on around them!”

While the Snap Map is an optin feature and requires user consent, a blue “Allow” button immediately flashed onto millions of screens after the initial release of the updated geolocation feature, prompting many to click without consideration or even reading the small text explaining the update.

Phone users are consistently met with similar updated agreements that are repeatedly ignored and usually relatively unimportant, so logic follows that most in-

potentially more dangerous tool.”

◆ amber madison The new Snap Map displays the precise location of friends who opt in to the function using constant geotracking..

dividuals skip past Snapchat’s casual notification that they will be sending user’s location to other users. The danger wrapped in this notification was masked by treating it in too friendly way, when some implications are anything but friendly.

The Snap Map turns using geolocation for popular filters into a more serious and potentially dangerous tool. More often than not, the all too easily accessed locations will expose cheating partners or surprise parties.

However, they also have the capacity to let individuals know too much personal information about users. Snapchat has gone as far to define a user’s location to a precise pinpoint on a map initially visible to all of the user’s friends.

The address is updated each time an individual accesses the app.

With consistent app usage, any friend—a word used with a loose definition, as some people who are friends with each other on Snapchat haven't even met—can build a picture of someone’s typical day, where they spend their time and with whom they spend it, down to their exact house address.

Most users, while not naive to the fact that apps such as Snapchat have access to this location technology, are more hesitant about this information being so readily available to anyone with their Snapchat username. The idea in itself is alarming, almost threatening. Access to an individual's whereabouts should not be that simple. If someone needs to locate a classmate or family member, a text message is more appropriate than checking an app that is sending the same message to hundreds of their friends.

Although Snap Map can be helpful in the most dire of situations, such as locating a missing individual, safer and more efficient measures should be taken rather than simply displaying packs of animated figures clustered among popular locations and homes available to anyone on an endlessly long list of friends.

The consequences of the Snap Map will be vast. From a friend checking it and realizing many of their friends are together without them to intense circumstances of stalking, the limits of such easy location access are virtually nonexistent.

Idolization of celebrities hurts character ◆ yash singh

Why do we idolize certain people? Why do we tend to emulate the ways of our idols, whether those ways be direct or indirect?

Perhaps to feel better about ourselves, to find some source of inspiration or maybe even out of pure fascination.

Idols can seriously have an influence on our behavior and how we interact with others. Excess idolization of certain celebrities who convey negative traits is detrimental to young people’s self esteem. The way behavior is influenced is very delicate and can either be positive or negative.

So the question is, who are the positive role models and who are the negative role models? It all starts with action, and what the role model is doing that makes them so significant.

Also, the thing that people tend to overlook is what the particular role model represents; whether it be a positive value or cause, or a negative value or cause. Young people’s behavior can be affected by this, even if they are unaware

of it. Keeping this in mind, we could wonder why some popular culture icons are idolized and praised, not only out of admiration but from what is even border.

The self esteem of young people is very important to personal growth and confidence, so manipulation of this self esteem is easily done.

Celebrities these days are getting much more recognition and attention than they have in past decades, with every single decision or quote of theirs being broadcasted on television, posted on social media, or overreacted to in interviews.

Ultimately, the important thing to remember is that celebrities, though many are talented, are people just like the rest of us.

From a young age, in our individualistic society, we are taught to be the very best people we can be and to embrace our uniqueness.

The influence that celebrities have on people is counterproductive to the strive for uniqueness, as many young people change their behavior and even their moral values according to popular icons.

Essentially, everything we value—every book, movie, song, product or idea—ultimately stems from an individual person or group of people. Some of the people behind these entertainment outlets have a habit of making a faultless character out of a show or movie, but the actor does not reflect those said values.

There is a difference between idolization and admiration, and knowing the difference is important. The current generation of young people is one of the first generations to be introduced to our world’s growing commercial atmosphere, and if the people we idolize and emulate our behavior after exhibit questionable characteristics, then there may be a gradual decline of our collective value system.

Inspiration is undoubtedly one of the most powerful sources of motivation, giving people the drive and courage to do amazing things and discover things about themselves and the world. The definition of inspiration is to be motivated to do something in response to an experience, place,

◆ brooke carmichael thing or a person.

Although there are inspiring actions carried out by celebrities, young people must be cautious so that over-glorification does not become an influence on their self esteem or their character.

Before emulating certain trends that are set by celebrities or emulating the behavior of those we see as inspirational, an important

thing to do is ask ourselves, “Where will this behavior take me?”

One of the most important things that teenagers can do is to embrace their own personalities, despite uniqueness. Scientific studies show that people who don’t emulate behaviors of others are actually more comfortable with who they are.

ESPN favors gossip over substance ◆ trent wade LeBron James, Tom Brady and Floyd Mayweather are three household names that are probably too well known. But what about Russ Smith, the 26-yearold American nearing the end of his career and playing basketball overseas in the Chinese National Basketball League? He averages 61.4 points a game.

But instead of talking about that, ESPN would rather inform the viewers on the latest trash talk from Conor McGregor.

Not only does ESPN overlook notable stories, there have also been multiple false reports of James talking trash or wanting to fight Kyrie Irving; however

James has been nothing but supportive, saying “That’s the only way to be to the kid,” when people are kind to Irving. Following that statement, James said “Nothing but respect and what a ride it was our three years together.”

ESPN has also talked about irrelevant rumors, like saying the fight was only for a profit, leading up to the fight between Mayweather and McGregor this August, which both of them have denied.

The broadcasting company puts more useless lies on TV than they do useful truths.

ESPN seems to think that blowing things out of proportion is more interesting than what is actually going on. They have

published just one story, which was just a list, about who has protested the National Anthem during the preseason.

I have seen more reports about cleats that professional players are wearing, like Anthony Rendon, than I have heard about which athletes have made a real difference by donating to or helping Houston, like J.J. Watt, who has raised over $20 million for hurricane relief.

Many people have heard about the Cleveland Cavaliers wanting an additional asset to the trade they had with the Boston Celtics, but how many know about Jae Crowder, exCeltics and now-Cavs player, and how his mother passed away

when he was traded?

There have been too many neglected stories that are much more newsworthy than others, likely due to either writer laziness or audience incompetence.

As always, new and young athletes are on their way to being stars, but ESPN continues talking about how Brady is still the best quarterback in the league or how James might be past his prime.

Lavar Ball is still talking up his sons, comparing them to the greatest players of all time, saying they’re already better than the reigning two-time MVP, etc., while repeatedly getting headlines on the show. However, they still didn’t make it a big deal that the 92 points the youngest

brother, LaMelo Ball, scored in his high school game were actually to raise awareness for a young girl in need of a heart transplant.

It’s clear that ESPN has gradually transitioned from a worldwide sports information broadcast to a sensationalist tabloid.

People used to watch it to learn about what’s going on in the sports world, but now only learn what someone tweeted.

Whether it’s a meaningful tweet or an emoji or two, ESPN is sure to inform you about it, but don’t count on them to tell you about anything that actually matters.

Opinion

6

Issue 1, Volume 58

GOOGLE MEMO

point counterpoint James Damore’s Google memo showcases sexism Damore’s memo seeks to improve equality in tech is present in tech industry ◆ tinsley howard For someone claiming to have been silenced, James Damore’s now widespread memo has started quite the conversation.

Since its original upload on a company forum, Damore’s memo titled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber” has quickly gone viral. It asserts his own sexist views on the tech industry and provides “biological evidence” for female inferiority. He also makes firm arguments against the recent push towards diversity. His memo proves that sexism in the workforce is as real as it’s ever been.

He asserts that females inherently lean more towards the aesthetic and people-orientated side of the workforce, relative to men. He also argues that women are more prone to high anxiety and stress levels. He uses these biological factors to prove that discrimination in the tech industry is warranted.

It is no surprise that his comments were met with outrage from both the public and

industry, not divide genders Google. In fact, he was fired soon after. But did his dismissal really solve anything?

Firing one Google employee who sparked public outrage isn't going to fix the root of the problem. At the end of the day, whether Damore works there or not, there are plenty of others who share his ideology. It has no effect on the unequal distribution of jobs in the technology industry. It won't change that men make up 80 percent of engineering jobs, and it definitely won't close the wage gap. So what does it do?

It starts a conversation. Damore got a lot of things wrong in his memo, but he did get one thing right: Sexism still exists.

It is still a problem and needs to be addressed.

It is no longer as visible as it was when women were fighting for the right to vote in the 20s or when they were struggling to break into the workforce in the 70s and 80s. Over the years it has changed its face, but it never left, and it never became less important. We need to remember that.

◆ hayden crosby Yes, sexism still exists, but James Damore’s Google memo, riddled with biological facts about disparities in interest between men and women and helpful ways to use these to increase gender diversity in the workplace, is not evidence of it.

It is important to first note that Damore never actually claimed that women are inferior to men in regards to tech skills (anyone saying that he did should actually read the memo before gracing us with their hot takes).

Instead, Damore attempts to explain that differences in gender representation in the tech industry are due in large part to the fact that men and women, on average, have different interests (this psychological truth also explains why there are about ten female nurses for every one male nurse in the U.S.).

His pro-diversity memo even recommends such things as collaborative programming to attract more women, who typically exhibit greater interest in people

than in things, to tech jobs.

So how could an advocate of greater female representation in tech be construed as an anti-diversity sexist? It turns out that Leftists have an unfortunate tendency to resort to name calling when logic and reason fail them, and the same is true in this situation.

By projecting onto Damore’s memo what they thought a sexist might say, those who are uncomfortable with science skirted the responsibility of actually reading the memo and had their biases confirmed by misleading headlines and agenda-driven talking points.

Conversations about sexism and discrimination need to take place, but debate is silenced as long as accusations of bigotry are thrown around without evidence by those for whom biology is blasphemy.

In other words, read the memo and then we’ll talk.

Teacher retirement sustainability Letter from the Editors threatened by Bevin ◆ jack eason ◆ jack eason The fact that we have to pay our teachers isn’t crazy.

However, according to Gov. Matt Bevin, the pay that was promised to some teachers in a so-called “inviolable contract” may be in jeopardy. Our commonwealth cannot simply go back on its word with an extreme solution before considering other options.

If they continue down this reckless path, the state’s relationship with teachers—past, present, and future—will be in grave danger.

Whenever teachers sign on to teach, for a relatively low salary, they are promised a few benefits.

Some are obvious to us, like getting summers off. However, there are some benefits, such as a retirement pension, that many don’t think about. The teacher pension in Kentucky has been viewed as a beneficial recruiting tool for potential educators, despite

teacher’s low pay. While the tradeoff may not be exactly even, It kept teachers happy and, for the most part financially secure.

However, that’s become less of a given in the past five or 10 years as the state hasn’t upheld its end of the deal by underfunding the retirement system.

In a Facebook Live forum on Monday, Bevin indicated that serious cuts may be made, including a reduction of benefits for current retirees, an unprecedented proposal that could cause retired educators to lose health insurance as well as valuable income.

Bevin, to add insult to injury, questioned the commitment and loyalty of teachers who would retire early to secure their finances, saying, “I wouldn’t suggest being in a classroom is the best use of your time.”

Not only will retirees suddenly have to worry about money. If

Bevin’s proposals are implemented, young graduates will be less likely to go into teaching, and teachers may go ahead and retire while their retirement is still secure. In fact, this is such an issue that call volume at the teacher’s retirement office is up 400 percent from this time last year. These two things combined could lead to a teacher shortage on a catastrophic scale.

Superintendent Gary Fields quickly came to defense of teachers on his Twitter account, saying in part that “[the statement] offends me to my core.”

Fields is right; as the products of a world class public education, we should all be offended at this backhanded move to swindle our teachers out of their hard earned money.

Contact your legislator 502-564-8100 KY State Legislature

◆ peter guthrie This year, you’ve probably noticed quite a few changes within the pages of the Gem. We’ve updated fonts, by lines, and even our masthead. These changes, however, are more than just visual.

We’ve brought on a great new staff that's full of energy and ready to bring you, the readers, the best content possible.

That means this year we’ve put extra emphasis on quality. Quality of design, quality of writing, and quality of reporting. The staff is putting in tons of work behind the scenes making sure that we’re the best we can be.

Part of that work is a renewed focus on issue driven content.

Simply put, issue driven content is content that connects events happening locally to events that happen on the national or international stage. Those issues can be

things like the syrian refugee crises, nuclear disarmament, natural disasters, or a whole host of other issues. With this focus on issue driven content, we aim to bring our readers-students, faculty, staff, parents and community members-stories that are not only engaging, but informative.

This doesn’t mean that we’re turning our backs on our deepseated tradition as a high school newspaper. For 58 years and counting, our driving purpose has been to bring news and information to the students of BGHS, and that our purpose remains. Don’t expect a departure from our coverage of friday night football, choir concerts, or pep rallies. Just be sure to check out some of our new content right alongside the stories you know and love. Also be sure to check out our website bgpurplegem.com Thanks for your support, Jack Eason & Peter Guthrie

Sports Different start, same finish?

7

The Purple Gem

Purples football stumbles at beginning of season

◆ jackson stahl

Bowling Green High’s football program has been building a powerhouse in 5A over the last couple years. The Purples are looking to take experiences from last year’s team into this season, but with some new faces.

The team lost many seniors, including starters at almost every position. A big focus has been the transition from last year’s juniors to this year’s seniors. Losing multiple starters on both sides of the ball brings a tough challenge.

Senior wide receiver Nash Hightower quickly noticed a difference in the atmosphere at the beginning of the season.

“As a junior, you look to the seniors for leadership, so now I feel like the juniors are looking to-

wards me and other seniors for the same leadership.”

The team is also experiencing adversity, with a 3-2 start to the season. This marks the Purples first 2-2 start since the early 90’s.

The Purples started their season off with a blowout win over North Hardin in the annual Rafferty’s Bowl game, played at Western Kentucky University. The win was followed with a tough loss at Pleasure Ridge Park in Louisville with a final score of 35-21.

The second loss of the season came Sept. 2 in a rare day game against St. Xavier High School.

That game featured a second half comeback attempt falling short, ending with a final score of 30-19.

Following back to back losses, the Purples rebounded with a big win over Owensboro, ending in a 48-

21 victory. This past Friday night, the Purples defeated Warren Central 47-0 in Bowling Green’s homecoming game. As Purples head into their next few games, Head Coach Kevin Wallace knows that the team’s attitude following these losses will be important to their success.

“Confidence should always be a reflection of performance. Therefore, our team should be a bit less confident and somewhat desperate to improve,” said Wallace.

The Purples will face another district rival when they travel to Greenwood High School this Friday, as the 3-2 Purples play the 23 Gators. As the season goes on, the students, parents and community will be keeping close watch on the Purples.

Volleyball set for region

Just the Facts ◆ jackson stahl

The Tennessee Titans finished last season at 9-7, their first winning record since 2011. Led by third year quarterback Marcus Mariota, the Titans are looking to improve on their turnaround season and win the AFC South. Jon Robinson, the general manager of the franchise, has added another impressive offseason throughout free agency and the NFL Draft. By selecting Corey Davis with the No. 5 pick and Adoree Jackson with the No. 18 pick, the team got two young players to build around. Jackson and Davis join last year’s draft picks Jack Conklin and Derrick Henry, who are already making big impacts on the team. In addition to the two first round selections, the Titans drafted tight end Jonnu Smith and WKU standout receiver Taywan Taylor to bolster their offensive attack.

The Titans also added Super Bowl winning cornerback Logan Ryan to help their secondary. So far this season, the Titans have started 1-1 after a season opening loss to the Raiders 26-16, and a blowout road win over the Jaguars (37-16).

◆ cole rubin

The Purple’s volleyball team, currently 15-5, have started the season with an impressive record, only losing to Greenwood.

“Our team has a goal of representing our region at the state tournament,” said Amy Wininger, the head volleyball coach.

This season, the team will be playing rival schools such as South Warren.

To prepare for these rival games, the team first analyzes their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and learn how to correct their weaknesses.

“Similar to basketball we match up our hitters vs. their blockers,” explains Wininger. “We figure out which team member makes the most mistakes and try to capitalize on that.”

Grace Tweedy, sophomore player, says, “We do need to work with our communication and just being able to understand each other on the court. At practice, we do a number of drills to work on our communication and working out the kinks of our rotations.”

“We need to work on our blocking and coverage when we have a hitter swinging,” said Wininger.

According to Wininger, the team needs to “win with their minds” in order to get past district and compete in region.

“We need to stay healthy and excited about the game,” said Wininger. “we must find a balance between playing aggressively and playing clean.”

Since being on the team,

As the MLB season enters the final stretch, the division races are becoming of utmost importance. The best record in the league is controlled by the Los Angeles Dodgers, currently 96-53. After making a big trade at the deadline, the Dodgers now have one of the best pitching rotations in the league. They lead the NL West by 9.5 games. The defending World Series champions, the Chicago Cubs, are leading the NL Central by just 4 games over the Milwaukee Brewers, a tight enough contest that could change by the time postseason arrives. The Washington Nationals wrap up the NL division leaders by securing the NL East, holding on to a 21 game lead. The main story in the AL is the 22 game win streak that the Indians had until being defeated by the Royals this past week.

◆ marggie pollard Senior McKinley Bice (above) goes up for a spike against regional opponent Logan County. The game ended in the Purples winning the first three sets: (25, 19, 25-15, 25-16).

Tweedy has learned an array of skills from teamwork and communication to time management.

She knows she can always look up to the seniors on the team.

“We have a strong group of eight seniors who have played together since middle school,” said Wininger.

One senior in particular, Lauren Johnson, who is one of the captains, has had a big impact on Tweedy.

“She is strong mentally and encourages everyone on the team which makes her a strong player,” said Tweedy.

Wininger is confident the way the team has been playing.

“Thankfully, we are a balanced team,” said Wininger, “We aren't a big, powerful team, but we are athletic and have a fantastic vibe.”

The next three upcoming games are against teams imposing district opponents including South Warren, Greenwood and Warren East.

With the preparations and training the volleyball team has been doing this season, the future seems bright for Purple’s Volleyball.

Past Purple Profile I came up with the idea of a new feature under Just the Facts, in which I hope to highlight a former BGHS athlete that is making impacts at the next level. Who better to start it off than Devin Hayes, former quarterback for the Purples and current starting quarterback at Centre College. Hayes has been very grateful of both BGHS and his experiences so far at Centre.

“BGHS gave me the opportunity to challenge myself in the classroom while meeting the demands of playing on a competitive sports team,” Hayes mentioned.

Hayes is also very excited about what Centre has done for him and how it is preparing him for his senior year.

“I hope to lead the football team to an undefeated season along with a conference championship, then to compete in the playoffs.”

As he heads into his senior year, we can only expect more great things from Devin Hayes.

Boys and girls golf up to par

◆ daniel gazaryan

The golf season is nearing an end, and so far, it’s been a success.

As of Sept. 19, the team has won four matches. The golf team has been doing well together so far, and they are only getting better.

The team is predominantly young, with many junior varsity players. Although the team works good together, there is a lot of new players, meaning there is a lot of room for improvement with the help of the more experienced players, like sophomore Collier Curd.

“The junior varsity players look up to the varsity players because they know that will be them in a few years when they are playing varsity,” said Curd.

Having an inexperienced team often leads to the younger players getting upset or discouraged with

their play. The older players are always looking to keep their younger teammates mentally in check.

“We tell them to keep their heads up, because there won't always be perfect matches,” said Curd. According to Senior Giles Cunningham, “The team has been playing great together. We should definitely qualify for the State tournament.”

One of the major tournaments of the season was the VanMeter Cup, and round one was played on Aug. 14. The boys shot a 155 in round one, which gave the purples a 14 shot lead. Impressive play from Curd, who shot 37, and sophomore Clark Mcdougal, who shot 43, helped to lead the way.

Greenwood High School shot a 169, and South Warren High School finished with a 171. In the Scottie Invitational, the Purples

were led by Curd once again, shooting a 70 (-1), which was second individually. Junior Tristen Carter shot a 80, also playing well for the team. The overall team finished third place.

As regionals approaches quickly, the team looks to build on their recent success and secure a spot in the state tournament.

With the way they are playing right now, it’s looking good for the Purples.

The boys team isn’t the only golf team at BGHS. The girls golf team coached by Garrett Stone is improving as the season goes on.

This year’s team is much younger than past years. For example, this year’s team features two seventh graders, two eighth graders, and four freshman. Freshman Lindsey Mitchell looks forward to the future of the program.

“We put in a solid season this

◆ hayley bouldin Sophomore Collier Curd (above) aims for the green during his drive.

Curd and the Purples are just a week away from the regional tournament and their recent success gives them a good chance at making it to state. year, and I’m excited to see what the following season will bring.”

The team is also credited to having vast improvements across the board, especially the younger players.

“It’s rewarding to look back

and see where the team improved and what to work on next season to make the team successful.”

With regionals also approaching fo the girls, it will be worth the watch to see how the young team finishes.

Sports

8

Issue 1, Volume 58

Purples shoot at goal: postseason

◆ kyle rubin ◆ amrit avula

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◆ hayley bouldin Senior Brooks Goodwin struggles to maintain possession of the ball against Warren Central on Sept. 5. The Purples would end up losing the game 0-1, but it provided a building block to work with for the beginning of the season. The Purples will now finish their regular season against Warren Central, Central Hardin, and Henderson Co.

Girls’ soccer begins season hot ◆ amrit avula

◆ maggie pollard Senior Madison Carby crosses midfield with the ball while also evading Gator defenders. BG would beat Greewood 3-2 on Sept. 13 in the highly anticipated and attended game at home despite the subpar weather.

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Dingle commits to Georgia Tech

◆ trent wade

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Senior linebacker Justice Dingle, #27, pounces on the tackle against St. Xavier’s runningback on the option play. Dingle finished with a whopping 10 tackles in the 19-30 loss to the state rival on Sept. 2. Dingle recently commited to Georgia Tech football as a four-star recruit. Dingle has taken the lead for this year’s defense as a true leader and motivation on and off the field. He strives to perform at his maximum potential and make the best out of his senior year season.

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◆ @justicedingle21

Cross country races to success

◆ priscilla thong

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Arts & Entertainment

The Purple Gem

9

Panda, Panda, Panda Panda wins best panda themed restaurant in BG

◆ amrit avula

Ratings

◆ kyle rubin

Nestled in the corner of a shopping center near the Medical Center and Kroger on the U.S. 31-W Bypass lies Panda, a Chinese restaurant.

Easily mistaken for Panda Express, a worldwide chain restaurant known for their General Tso's chicken recipe, Panda matches the modernized cultural dishes, but with a more homestyle and unique twist.

The building’s space was quite limited; however, the owners made a great use of the space that they had. A drive-thru window was added near the cashier’s area in order to ensure speedy to-go service for families or college students on the run.

Walking through the front door, customers can instantly smell the authentic Asian cuisine right off the bat, whether it is some of their weekly specials like the vegetable delight or their classic dishes such as orange chicken. We personally enjoyed the vibe of the modest restaurant with booths and tables

Food

Service Atmosphere Cleanliness Panda, located next to Kroger on the U.S. 31-W Bypass, offers a friendly, hometown vibe along with an intimate dining experience. The decor, including many lucky cats, exudes a kitschy feel that puts diners at ease. lining the walls and cultural pieces such as numerous lucky cats placed throughout the restaurant ensuring the customers’ comfort to the fullest. Through the door, customers can witness their food being cooked with every ingredient fresh and made to order.

The food came in relatively

and

◆ maria guerrero What do we all do when we have no plans and we’re bored out of our mind? Maybe your answer would be eating, going outside, playing with your puppy or making plans so you aren’t bored. But we all know what our hearts are saying: stay in, don’t spend money, eat some snacks and watch Netflix.

Get comfortable; we’ll tell you what’s worth your time, and what's not.

What catches our teenage eyes and attention?

Drama, emotion, people we can relate to and a world we wish we could live in. Netflix Originals capture all these things.

In the past year Netflix has come out with great original shows. “Riverdale,” “Haters Back Off,” “13 Reasons Why,” “Stranger Things,” “Chasing Cameron” and more have got people ditching plans, spending time inside, and falling in love with the characters and show itself.

These shows are a great start if you want to find something you can watch for hours and hours on end. People live for the drama, the hurting, the happiness, the confusion and most importantly something they can relate to and connect with. That’s what we all look for. In these shows, we find

our way and have something to hold on to when we need something to make us calm or feel better. Netflix has made shows that us, teenagers, can watch and connect with.

“13 Reasons Why” had the teenage world going crazy last year and talking for weeks. Why? Because people love it, it gets our attention and it is something that people on the mainstream don’t talk about. It confronts social taboos, and it’s realistic; It gets us thinking.

You should watch these if you want to feel with the shows.

Really, anything that’s a Netflix Original should be on your list.

Now there are a lot of shows you shouldn’t really waste your time watching: “Fuller House,” “F is for Family,” “Sing,” “Cooked” and “Chelsea.” They don’t catch your eye and make you want to binge watch for hours, whether that be because they were poorly made or just don’t have the excitement everyone is looking for. In instances like Fuller House, they took what was a very popular and a very well made show (“Full House”) and turned it into something that people hate and wonder why they made it. With all these examples of what to watch and what not to watch, we hope you find something good and worth your interest.

soon after we both ordered. Kyle ordered their specialty General Tso’s chicken with white rice while Amrit ordered the doublecooked spicy pork dinner special.

Kyle enjoyed the chicken and complimented the infusion of the chicken sauce with the rice.

The food was very different

than the food served at mainstream places such as Panda Express due to the authenticity and spices Panda offered. Amrit appreciated the bold flavors of the pork and the yellow rice served with it. The vegetables made the dish a bit healthier too.

We were able to take our time

and enjoy the succulent, rich flavors that the cooks concocted. Additionally, all of the food was reasonably priced and was well worth the drive.

Overall, this restaurant can serve as an impetus for increased interest in rich East Asian cuisine in Bowling Green.

SKyPAC offers exciting season ◆ hannah burt The Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC) is one of the biggest forms of local entertainment Bowling Green has ever seen. SKyPAC has had a huge impact on our community, generating over 5 million dollars in revenue for our local economy, while providing access to high quality entertainment.

Since its inception, SKyPAC has grown and is embarking on its new 2017-18 season, which includes many family friendly shows. “We wanted to make sure the whole family could enjoy it,” said Executive Director Rick McCue. “We wanted to ensure that SkyPac’s shows could allow families to experience shows together, without it being to risque for younger audiences.” SKyPAC’s new season features many

“Broadway shows such as “Cinderella,” “Wizard of Oz,” “Sound of Music,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and the Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker.”

These family friendly shows, combined with shows geared toward older audiences, such as “Dirty “Rent,” “Purple Dancing,” Dreams” and “Shadowland” make for a diverse and exciting season lineup.

SKyPAC’s new season will also feature several celebrities, like Vicki Lawrence, Bret Michaels and Alton Brown. Brown is best known as the host on Food Network’s “Chopped” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” Brown stars in “Alton Brown Live: Eat Your Science,” where tickets range from $45 to $125 dollars. Fans of Brown can expect “bigger and better, potentially dangerous food demonstrations,” according to SKyPAC’s

online website. Howie Mandel, a judge from “America’s Got Talent,” will also be performing this season.

In addition to providing access to high quality arts entertainment, SKyPAC will continue its educational outreach program. SKyPAC hosts children for school day performances each year and sends arts educators into various schools to enhance the lives of children.

SKyPAC also selects several schools a year to perform at its venue. This offers students an amazing opportunity to perform in a top notch facility.

SKyPAC also operates the Capitol Arts Theatre, which hosts Lost River Sessions and a new film series, known as the SouthArts Film Series. The SouthArts Film Series will screen independent films free of cost throughout the year.

Local Theatre

Showtimes

BG Onstage:

Oct. 27-29

The Pillowman

27 & 2 @ 6:30, 29 @ 3:00

WKU:

Oct. 27-29

The Hundred Dresses

27 @ 4, 28 & 29 @ 3

WKU:

Oct. 13-15

The Yellow Boat

13 @ 4, 14 & 15 @ 3

Phoenix Theatre:

Oct. 13-15

Freud’s Last Session Fountain Square

Players:

Bell, Book, and Candle Fountain Square

Players:

An Evening with Poe

13 @ 4, 14 & 15 @ 3

Oct. 19-22 Check theatre for times

Oct. 28-29 Check theatre for times

$8 $5 $5 $10 $14 (Children & Seniors $12)

$14 (Children & Seniors $12)

Feature

10

Issue 1, Volume 58

Past and present Purples celebrate school history Football shuts out Warren Central in Homecoming game ◆ photos by amy woodlief BGHS celebrated Homecoming under the Friday night lights. A 47-0 shutout victory against Warren Central marked the Purples’ ninth consecutive win in the series on Sept. 15.

At halftime, senior Haley Caffey was crowned 2017 Homecoming Queen. In addition to the observance of the Homecoming Court tradition, several members of the Class of 1997 convened for their 20-year reunion.

Together, members of the football team, marching band, cheerleading, and Homecoming Court created a spirit of tradition.

Local Look: Caboni heads for the Hill

◆ jack eason

The theatre here at BGHS was filled with quiet anticipation as about 100 seniors waited for a “special guest” from WKU. It was no surprise who the guest would be, as former president Gary Ransdell had always spoken to

the area high schoolers. This year, however, was different.

Instead of the familiar President Ransdell, a bowtied, silverhaired man entered the room, congenially introducing himself to students as simply “Tim.” June 30 marked the end of Ransdell’s tenure, and on July 1

photo courtesy of Clinton Lewis, WKU

the president’s office officially belonged to Dr. Tim Caboni, whose reputation, and love of bowties, had preceded his arrival. Originally brought to WKU as a graduate student by Dr. Randall Capps, Caboni, a Louisiana native, said that coming back to WKU was like coming home.

“As wonderful as my time was in the great plains, it's good to be back in the south,” said Caboni, who had formerly served as vice chancellor for public affairs at thr University of Kansas. “The welcome has been warm and gracious.” Caboni also added, jokingly, that “it’s great to be back in a place where you can get fried food done right.”

Joking aside, Caboni is passionate about integrating the university more fully into the community. “It’s not just WKU,” said Caboni, “It’s the city and the county. The investment down-

town, the terrific development all across the city, plus the industries that have relocated here to have access to our workforce is a great success story.”

While Caboni was quick to highlight BG’s successes, he also realizes the need to spread that success. “There’s a terrible misconception of this state—from people who’ve never been here.

We have to help people understand that there’s a lot more interesting here.” Caboni praised Kentucky’s various manufacturing areas, saying that our state has an “untold story” that he wants to help become known.

Caboni was also quick to emphasize cooperation in determining a path forward for WKU. “It really doesn’t matter what my vision is,” said Caboni. “What matters is our shared vision for the institution.” Faculty, students, alumni, community members,

donors, and business owners will all be involved in the strategic planning process with the new president over the next nine months.

In his speech to our seniors, Caboni praised WKU as a great applied research university. However, Caboni realizes that that term needs explaining. “We want to really flesh out what that means,” he said.

While Caboni appreciates planning, he also says that he realizes the value of “strategic doing.”

“You can’t just plan for nine months,” he said. “You have to actually do something” In the theme of taking action, Caboni emphasized WKU’s recruiting efforts, saying, “That’s one of the reasons I’m here today.

I want every student who graduates from BGHS to apply and enroll at WKU next fall. It's a tremendous institution.”

Steen balances YouTube hobby with future goals ◆ tinsley howard Nowadays as long as you have a computer and some sort of recording device you can take advantage of the growing YouTube phenomenon, but gaining success in that area is quite a bit more difficult. However, this is exactly what BGHS junior Austin Steen has accomplished.

Steen, perhaps better known by his YouTube persona, AusTV, started his YouTube journey in June 2016, and he has slowly been gaining views since.

Steen said, “I created my channel out of pure boredom... then it became an addiction.” This is the exact attitude that led to his success. It's really hard to be good at something you don't care about, and it's even harder to stay motivated to create content if there is no passion behind it, especially considering the extensive time spent brainstorming, filming, and editing.

However in Steen’s case this passion isn't necessarily for YouTube itself, in fact in his words “the only reason it hasn't been

taken down yet is because of the meme it has become.” So while at first Steen may have been in it for the content, he is now doing YouTube for his own enjoyment.

He stopped creating content to become successful on a global scale and started making videos that were more personal. In fact, he said that if something angers him he makes a “memey video out of it.” This use of YouTube as an outlet for his everyday life is an interesting take on the platform.

In the beginning most YouTube content was created by amateurs like Steen, but as it grew into a marketing tool more super stars arose, making it harder and harder to burst onto the scene.

Some 60,000 videos are uploaded to YouTube daily, so the probability of the one video you upload blowing up is limited.

Steen has found a way around this. He found a niche market of viewers by focusing on those who share very similar experiences as him whether those are his friends or his classmates. He has found an audience that is unique to him.

This has helped grow his sub-

scribers to over 240 people. Steen is fun-loving, energetic, and humorous and his channel perfectly reflects that, but he also occasionally offers social commentary.

In his most recent video titled, “Insult to The Venus Flytrap” he mentions that he has to keep his channel PG because he’s “tryna go to college.” This raises an interesting point. Today’s teens have grown up in a much more public environment than their parents. Whether it be Instagram, Snapchat, or YouTube, it’s hard to find a single teenager without an online presence. So what does this mean for their futures? With such a large portion of their younger lives documented on the net where should the line be drawn? Should their youtube channels from when they were 16 affect their college applications when they’re 18? What about their first professional job when they’re 22?

However, Steen’s acknowledgement of this issue hasn’t changed his channel dramatically.

He is bold enough to be authentically him.

◆ amber madison Better known as AusTV, Austin Steen shies away from the “paparazzi.”On his YouTube channel, Steen contributes to the 60,000 videos uploaded to YouTube daily. His content is aimed at a niche market, and he has 240 subscribers.

Feature

The Purple Gem

11

Charlottesville serves as reminder of racial violence ◆ peter guthrie

were written by historians who relished only the most boring parts t takes a while before I find of history. Based on what the any mention of the Confed- plaques commemorate, you would eracy at the courthouse. Since white think the most interesting thing supremacists rioted and killed one to happen at the courthouse since counterprotester in Charlottesville, 1869 is that lawyers sometimes Va. on Aug. 12, our nation has be- snuck inside at midnight to play come enflamed in a debate about secret games of cards. the place of Confederate monuStill, I become angry at the Conments across the country. federate plaque. I become angry But at first glance, Bowling at the men who wrote the stupid Green, Ky. seems cozily removed plaque about the lawyers’ card from the fire—the statues in front games. of our county courthouse are of I don’t know if the men are igWorld War II veterans, not norant of our history or insidious Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. in their burial of it, but I’m angry Lee. If you truly believe we’re either way because of a man named fighting over statues, our court- Bob Harper. house is idyllic and unobjectionable On Dec. 8, 1892, under the if you truly believe everyone is columns of the Warren County merely fighting over statues.

Courthouse, 50 men armed with But they’re really fighting about rifles stormed a trial room. Another history. Specifically, who are the thousand men surrounded the victims of American history, and courthouse in a mob. They came what do we owe them? Are they to lynch Harper. Harper was a descendants of slaves, or white black man on trial for raping a people who feel their power being white woman named Kate Anderthreatened? Who son, who came “By distancing America from the gets to control the from a prominent ideology of white supremacy, by historical narrafamily in Bowling tive? If you see simply declaring it Green. Though our national dis- ‘un-American,’ Americans ignore Anderson herself course is about a centuries-long system of white wasn’t positive he history and not was her assailant, supremacy and absolve themmonuments, you in the eyes of the will also see that selves of any moral responsibil- mob, the allegaour courthouse is ity to disassemble it.” tion alone warevery bit as egreranted a public gious as the towering obelisk mon- hanging. The men burst into the ument of Jefferson Davis. courthouse during Harper’s trial, Tucked behind a tree on the dragged him a mile from the city, courthouse lawn I encounter an and hanged him. unimpressive bronze plaque that That day the Louisville Courisits atop a post. It dryly states that er-Journal wrote, “The men who two men were given Confederate composed the crowd...showed that Medals of Honor by Confederate they were merely meant to protect President Jefferson Davis. Any ac- the virtue of their homes and their knowledgement of the Confeder- families...There can be no question acy at the courthouse seems slightly as to Harper's guilt, and though odious, but this particular plaque his punishment was not brought doesn’t demand to be upheaved about according to the forms of like a statue of Robert E. Lee. I law, all will admit that it was a question if anyone else has read righteous one.” it, anyway.

The lawyers got a plaque. The The grounds of the courthouse weighty, grandiose columns on are flooded with similar bronze the facade got a plaque discussing plaques, which read like they the type and origin of their lime-

I

Bowling Green’s sole Confederate monument, beneath which more than 70 Confederate soldiers are buried, is in Fairview Cemetery. stone—oolitic, quarried locally. But for all of the pedantic historical preservation surrounding the courthouse, conspicuously missing is the name Bob Harper. And Caleb Gadly, Robert Morton, Thomas Reney, and Will Skaggs—the other black men who were lynched in Warren County. It's obvious who controls the narrative here. lmost 125 years after Harper’s lynching, on Aug. 13 a group of about 200 people met in Bowling Green in a vigil to mourn the victims of Charlottesville. They stood in the candlelit Fountain Square Park, just a block from the courthouse steps.

Equivalent condemnation of these white supremacists rose across the U.S., especially from those holding political power.

Speaker Paul Ryan tweeted, “This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also tweeted, “Repeat after me, @realDonaldTrump: white supremacy is an affront to American values.”

These tweets are the rhetorical equivalent of the courthouse plaques. By distancing America from the ideology of white supremacy, by simply declaring it “un-American,” Americans ignore a centuries-long system of white

A

supremacy and absolve themselves of any moral responsibility to disassemble it.

“America is a country in which racially motivated white-on-black violent crime forms a clear, unbroken pattern across every generation,” wrote James Foreman Jr. and Elizabeth Klein in The Atlantic.

From Emancipation to fairly recent history, they write, the de facto form of violence to reinforce white supremacy was lynching.

From 1882 to 1968, 3,446 black people were lynchedaccording to the NAACP. Our collective memory of lynchings, and, by extension, the system of white supremacy they enforced, is criminally inadequate. Elementary schoolers should learn the story of Harper’s lynching alongside heroism of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. They should learn of the Red Summer of 1919, in which hundreds of black World War I veterans were murdered by mobs of angry whites across America who feared a black Communist uprising. They should learn that in 1908, Marshall County, Ky. ethnically cleansed itself of all black residents and stole their property.

But these aren’t taught. Instead, Americans are taught a glossy narrative in which racial animus is

eradicated in a series of clean, fell swoops: Emancipation, Brown v.

Board, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As with the Warren County courthouse, it’s obvious who controls the narrative.

When Americans are fed this narrative, they become blind to all but the most blatant manifestations of white supremacy, like Charlottesville. But Charlottesville will ultimately have little effect on the power structure of American society—it should be vehemently condemned, of course, but to treat it as the worst threat to social justice is to overlook more insidious and impactful forms of white supremacy.

White parents who refuse to send their children to integrated schools—according to a 2014 UCLA study, schools are more segregated now than they were in 1968—and white homeowners who protest the construction of public housing in affluent areas contribute to the nasty racial hierarchy more than Charlottesville ever will. But without the historical knowledge to understand these phenomena, Americans won’t recognize white supremacy until it is shoved in their faces.

We could start with Bob Harper’s plaque at the courthouse.

NFL begins medical marijuana research ◆ sam vitale In late summer, the NFL issued a statement claiming they were researching and studying medical marijuana usage for pain management in players. This marks a drastic shift from previous league stances in which failed drug tests could lead to fines and suspensions, but the NFL is now recognizing there may be some merit to the drug after all, mimicking the growing trend of acceptance in the country.

As of March 2017, 26 states and the District of Columbia, with three more joining soon, have legalized marijuana in some form. Locally, some teachers and students support, at a minimum, research for the potential of medicinal usage, which has been limited by legislation that makes this research hard to do.

Junior baseball player Rob Lawless

supports research for medicinal use. He said, “If it helps the brain issues that are currently happening in football I think that it is only good for the league and the players.” This was echoed by medical arts teacher and medical professional Matthew Atkinson, who stated that such research could only be beneficial for athletics.

Many teams and players oppose the lack of research and anti-usage stance taken by many sports organizations.

Some players have openly admitted to use and made public claims in favor of it over the dangerous and addictive prescription painkillers and opiates commonly used in the sporting world.

The NFL’s recent statement breaks ground, opening the conversation whether the results are positive or negative.

Science department head Tara Coomes

stated that she was against legalization due to the “negative effects she and her anatomy classes have studied that pertain to marijuana.” Coomes continued, though, that she would support research about the positive and negative effects of the drug. She cited that conditions such as depression and anxiety were more prevalent in users of marijuana than in those who abstained, and while there may be potential health benefits of its use, both sides need to be compared after more research.

The “Pot Problem” is not a simple one.

Despite the growing trend of acceptance and usage in the U.S., more research is needed.

The NFL’s statement is a first step on this path and has set a precedent for sports leagues and scientific institutes to follow. Further research can lead to a better understanding of the “Pot Problem.”

◆ Taylor Wilson

U.S. unsure of next steps toward North Korea ◆ yash singh Tensions between the U.S. and North Korea have recently been at an all time high. The latest barrage of the subtle but dangerous North Korean threats have been the talk of the nation for a number of weeks.

With shocking footage showing the rogue nation’s military might, ballistic missiles, and the ever present enthusiasm of the nation’s

citizens surfacing on the internet, the U.S. has considered taking extreme action and precautions. The U.S. is put in a tough position as our nation has very limited options as to how to respond to this threat.

The option to be executed and implemented above all others is a negotiative process of resolution with North Korea, which is the method that entails no violence; whether or not this method will

work is determined by North Korea’s willingness to cooperate.

Video footage that was released in August shows the amount of firepower that exists within North Korea’s borders; two large missiles were displayed at a military rally.

Although the rogue nation’s missiles have not touched foreign soil yet, several tests have been conducted. Long range ballistic missiles, along with talk of nuclear

weapons, are being used as well.

Our president’s reaction to the possible threats and the dangers that may ensue included the consideration of violent means but a preference to a peaceful solution.

On Aug. 9 President Trump responded to the nuclear threats from Pyongyang, North Korea, saying Pyongyang will face a “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” Recently, Trump stated that he wishes to use peaceful negoti-

ations as long as the opposing country agrees to as well.

The U.N. continues to work towards the stabilization of the issue with North Korea, as U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley conferences with representatives from China to cut off the fuel supply of North Korea, therefore possibly reducing production of weapons.

The United Nations’ primary goal is to safely bypass this issue without issuing violent means.

Feature

12

Issue 1, Volume 58

The Event of the Century:

The Great American Eclipse

◆ ruthie kesri Even though the audience was speechless, their eyes reflected every emotion that they felt— awe, fascination and wonderment. As the moon eclipsed the sun, and totality began, the stadium was silent for a single moment. Every student’s eyes were hooked on the diamond ring around the abyss of darkness that we referred to as the moon.

“I can’t believe that this is happening,” said Ian Tweedy, a sophomore at BGHS. A girl across from him started to cry, a student threw a water bottle, and chaos emerged. A girl in pigtails screamed, another in a headband dramatically fell, and four with fading tans started to sing. It was wild and tempestuous, it was beautiful, it was madness.

On Aug. 21 the Great American

Eclipse traveled over North America; Bowling Green, Ky. was in the path of totality, the moment of total obscuration of the sun or moon during an eclipse. Unlike other schools throughout the county, BGHS decided to open its doors and continue the learning experience.

“I like how the high school remained open during the eclipse,” said Amanda Watt, a history teacher. Many teachers shared her opinion.

“It's definitely a good idea to stay in school during the eclipse, especially since many students can view it safely here. Also, it provides a unique educational experience for students,” said George Coker, physics teacher.

Coker was an integral part of the eclipse experience BGHS created; he provided play-by-play commentary throughout the foot-

ball stadium's speaker system throughout the duration of the eclipse.

Because viewing the eclipse without proper glasses could cause visual impairment, safety was a major concern. Teachers across the school were required to show their students a presentation on how to safely view the eclipse. Teachers who chose not to show their students the presentation still stressed the importance of staying safe during an eclipse.

For many students, the eclipse was special because it was the only time that they would ever see an eclipse in totality.

“The main reason I was excited about the eclipse was because it’s probably the only time I’m ever going to see one,” said Laila Robinson, sophomore.

On the other hand, some students plan to see more than just

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one eclipse in their lifetime.

“I hope I’ll be able to see even more eclipses in the future,” said Darby Tassel, a sophomore. Luckily, she doesn't have to wait too long for the next eclipse. On April 8, 2024, a partial eclipse will sweep across North America.

After the eclipse, when students had to return the class, there were mixed emotions. Some students felt that the administration could improve on a few things during the eclipse.

“I feel like it would have been better if we could just remain outside after the eclipse, but overall, BGHS did a great job handling preparations,” said Christian Butterfield, a sophomore at BGHS. Others, were starstruck and full of admiration.

“This was a once in a lifetime experience. This is the type of thing I can look back on in 50

years and still remember,” said Matti Davis, a freshman.

The atmosphere after the eclipse was mostly general enthusiasm. There was a noticeable spiritual-like bond between the students after.

It was easy to see how kids of all genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds were exchanging pleasantries after the event, something that they would not regularly do.

Kids who had never spoken before were hugging and exchanging social media. That’s why this event is so special. Not only is it rare, but it bonded students in a way rarely seen before at BGHS. “It was breathtaking. It was truly an experience I will treasure for years to come,” said Riley Marshall, junior.

Right: The transient moment of totality captivates students, faculty, and staff at E.L. Donaldson Stadium. On Aug. 21, BGHS took students outside to a view the once in a lifetime solar eclipse. Before students were taken outside, solar eclipse videos and pictures were shown to each class.

Middle: A devoted student wears Eclipse 2017 merchandise for the day’s once-in-a-lifetime event. All students were instructed by their teachers to keep their solar eclipse glasses on to protect their eyes.

Bottom: Teachers and students gather to gaze upon the natural wonder in the quickly changing sky. Viewing an event they may never witness again, the student body blurred its usual boundaries.

◆ photos by hayley bouldin

“I can’t believe that this is happening,” said Ian Tweedy, a sophomore at BGHS.

“This was a once in a lifetime experience. This is the type of thing I can look back on in 50 years and still remember,” said Matti Davis, freshman.