November - December 2017
A Student Production of Franklin Learning Center
theflashflc.org
SRC Votes to Dissolve Next Steps Still Unclear
Douglas Leach, teacher and graduate from Lincoln High School, holding up sign at the rally on November 16, 2017 · Staff photographer Hannah Woodruff.
BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW
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VACCINATION REDUCES RISK FOR ALL
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AMERICA’S GUN PROBLEM DEMANDS ACTION
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FOLLOW US! @THeFlashFLC
SPORTS Basketball Season Preview
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by DAMIR MURPHY & JULES GRIER
Winter is approaching, bringing with it the high school basketball season. Teams all over the city have been practicing and holding tryouts to determine the best of each school and who will win the state championship this year, including our very own FLC
Bobcats. During the entire month of November Coach Gardner has been having practices to see who can endure the harsh sport of basketball and who cannot. He recently held tryouts on November 17th and made the decision on who he wants on the team. Many of these players being some of your close classmates.
The first home game of the season is at Cunningham gym, on December 12th against Randolph Skills Center. Mr. Gardner, the Bobcat team, as well as all of the students are hoping for a very successful basketball season this year. Good Luck Bobcats!
When Will He Be Back?
by DAMIR MURPHY
With all of the excitement centered around the start of the NBA Season, many people were ecstatic to see how all of they would perform. Much of the excitement was centered around the first game of the Cleveland Cavaliers season, where they had to face the Boston Celtics. This was a very sought after game to watch because it would be the first time Kyrie Irving returned home to
Cleveland after being traded to the Boston Celtics over the summer. The game was going very well until the middle of the first quarter during a fast break. Kyrie’s teammate Gordon Hayward came across the baseline to catch an alley oop and came down on his ankle the wrong way. This lead to him having a broken tibia and a dislocated ankle, and having to be lead off of the court on a stretcher. Hayward underwent surgery on October 18th, and
it was successful, however, his injury will not heal fast enough for him to return during the 2017-18 season. During this difficult time in his career, he has gotten a lot of support from close NBA friends, such as, LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, and teammate Kyrie Irving. As well as the support of his millions of fans. Hayward will push through this long recovery and return next season as the true All-Star that he is.
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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Genesis Tejada-Peralta Associate Editor Syreeta Williams Ombudsman Alex Fernandez News Editor Donte Cheatham Opinions Editor Nickey Sawbo A&E Editor Janelis Duran Layout and Design Editor Sally Duong Social Media Editor Tyanh Hassan Director of Marketing Darnell Harris Editorial Editor Faridah Nguyen Faculty Advisor Colin Chrestay
OPINIONS
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The Vaccination Reduces Risk For All Making of an Expert by NICKEY SAWBO
It’s vaccination season again! All school students and parents know it is time to re-up on this year’s influenza shot and boosters of your vaccines. Now we all know how hard it is to get an appointment because of these vaccines, but the real problem lies in how many parents are ACTUALLY vaccinating their children. Articles after articles, experiments after experiments, people have found many excuses to not vaccinate their children. Yes, I mean excuses. Ten minutes of research on google can easily debunk all of these myths people use for not getting their children this year’s flu shot or their Hepatitis B vaccine. Now, let’s not be mistaken, there are many valid reasons for why some children are not vaccinated. Some diseases prevent children from getting vaccinated and some children are actually allergic to vaccines. Yet, many parents do not vaccinate their children because they believe that some vaccines give their children autism. This belief came from a false study that was done by a doctor (who actually is not a doctor anymore) who made this claim based on an
the Tabernacle church case. What some parents do not take into consideration is when you do not vaccinate your children, you are actually putting other kids at risk as well. Many schools reBy Flash Contributor Nickey Sawbo quire stuexperiment he did at a child’s birth- dents to be vaccinated or they cannot day party. He stated the MMR vac- attend and one unvaccinated child cine (measles, mumps, and rubel- puts a whole classroom at risk even if la) caused a spike in children born the other kids are vaccinated or not. with autism. Even after he admitted Parents do have the right to do that his information was false and whatever they please with their his medical license was revoked, children and if you strongly feel that people continued to correlate vac- vaccinations are not safe, then so be cinations with childhood diseases. it. Through many cases and studies, After doing hours of research in it is still expressed that one should Science Symposium and presenting vaccinate their children. If you are this research in front of doctors, a the lucky (or unlucky) child who has clear pattern was found in the re- to get ready for those shots, swalduction of vaccinations and the rise low and cough before the needle of measles in the US. This is the sec- goes in and cough once again right ond highest case of measles since when it’s put in. Thank me later. the outbreak in Philadelphia from
8 Ways To Earn Money For College by ESTEFANI DELAROSA
Seniors! Do you want to know how you can earn a lot of money for college ? I would advise you to follow the following steps. ■Know your major. There are universities and organizations that are looking for students who major in a specific area. The majors that a university offers are the core to what makes them unique. They’ll look for students who will best represent what their majors offer. Careers in the education, health, or STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields are the most common areas of study that scholarship programs are interested in. These careers are often the highest-paying and they pervade every aspect of our lives. ■If you’re an athlete, use it to your advantage. Athletic scholarships allow students to continue their sport in college. However, they are very competitive and are only awarded to athletes with high achievements. Fortunately there are scholarships available to athletes of all abilities. ■Enroll in a military service. There is money awarded to the people that serve our country. Many organizations want to give back by offering you scholarships.
■If you’re a minority, focus on scholarships that are aimed towards your needs. In the United States, there is a large percentage of minority students. Ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic minorities can qualify for scholarships. In certain scholarship organizations, LGBT students are qualified as minorities. These organizations are
some scholarship funds will ask applicants for an essay or answers to a variety of questions. What applicants write about or how they write can determine whether they earn the scholarship or not. They’ll need to write a stellar writing piece in order to stand out from all the hundreds or even thousands of applicants. There would be applicants with similar GPAs or SAT scores, so they’ll need to find something unique about themselves or something that they can offer that will attract these scholarship programs to them. ■Being an honor student. Some college scholarships are exclusively awarded to honor students. Universities want to recruit the brightest students with outstanding grades Staff Illustrator Isaish Fletcher and leadership dedicated to represent the often that will best disregarded minority populations. represent what ■Join a club or activity. Colleges they stand for. and universities are looking for ■Apply. You well-rounded students. They need miss 100% of the to know that their applicants are in- scholarships you volved with their community. Col- don’t apply for. leges and universities are interested in knowing how their students spend For more infortheir time and how their participa- mation visit: tion has helped them grow as people. https://jlvcollege■Improve your writing skills. counseling.com/ When applying for scholarships, scholarships/
by ANIAH GONZALEZ, TYRONE GRIFFIN, BLESS THOMPSON, and MICHELL CARTER
Photograph contributed by Syreeta Williams
“You need to practice,” says Gloria dePasquale, a cellist from the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1977. The expert musician visited FLC as part of a free show for students and staff in September. While she was here, she offered advice to some of FLC’s student musicians. First, she emphasized form: “If you don’t have your form right, you won’t play it right.” Like many FLC students, the cellist first got her start by playing in grade school. She got stuck playing the cello but fell in love with it over the summer. Free lessons at school worked for Ms. dePasquale at first, but she agrees that “you need to find the best instructions available if you want to advance yourself.” “Get an expert on whatever instrument you play... An expert on your instrument can help you get set up to get more detailed information on your instrument. If you live in Philadelphia, that’s great, because there’s so many experts here to assist you for any instrument.” Any music major who wants to make a career out of playing an instrument should take Gloria’s advice because she has been doing just that for 60 years. Photograph contributed by Kody Taylor
OPINION
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E D I T O R I A L
AMERICA’S GUN PROBLEM DEMANDS ACTION
by THe Flash Editorial Board Up to this point massacres and mass shootings have rarely led to any political change despite too many common occurrences. There have been proposals but no change. Americans own more than 300 million guns, twice as many guns per person than there were in 1968. As gun ownership increased post1968, so did gun-related deaths. In 2015, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof reported that “More Americans have died from guns in the United States since 1968 than on battlefields of all the wars in American history.” This direct correlation between guns and gun violence cannot be ignored. There have been 397 mass shootings in America from January 1 to November 24, 2017. That’s more than one mass shooting a day. If this frequency is surprising, it’s because not all of these events make it to the national news. The shootings reported on television news outlets and on the radio in the mornings are the “larger” mass shootings. Not larger in terms of how many more people are killed, but larger with regard to how big of an impact this mass shooting could have on people if it was publicized. The victims of these mass shootings are not generally concentrated in a certain demographic either. Men, women, and children of all ages, races, and religions have been targeted. The perpetrators, on the other hand, are almost always men. Time magazine estimates that men make up 98% of all mass shooters.
simply compare the levels of gore of each mass shooting. The one thing a person can compare, however, is the increased rate of mass shootings in America today. Over the span of 20 years the amount of mass shootings in America has risen drastically. The most recent mass shootings have some of the highest death tolls in mass shooting history. Take the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, for example, where a middle aged man decided to shoot up a public place, killing 59 people and leaving more than 500 injured. The 2016 Orlando shooter walked into a public place and killed 49 people. As rough as this may sound, those are just mere summaries of the events that actually took place. In response, some people ask “What is the Government doing in the midst of all of this?” The gun mandates have been on hold for years now, and no one seems to really care about fixing the problem. The process in which someone can access a rifle is not very challenging. With new networks of sale and transportation on the internet, an average person can purchase guns without the need to give any of their information at all, even with a mental illness background. Ebay is a very popular sales network that is used by millions of people. On eBay, a person can purchase a full gun, and also gun parts, with only needing to provide name for the purchase. This process is even easier in black market sale networks. In the black market, a person can
“More Americans have died from guns in the United States since 1968 than on battlefields of all the wars in American history.” -Nicholas Kristof The causes of American mass shootings vary. The more mainstream reasons being the very much outdated gun mandates, the loose process of background checks, and Americans’ divided opinions on gun control. The mass shootings seen today on television are no less bloody than the mass shootings of the past, but that’s expected. One does not
purchase multiple gun parts, guns, and ammunition, without needing to give even a single piece of information about themselves. That means a person who has a history of mental illness, disruptive activities in society, or distasteful intentions can purchase a gun and use it how they like without the need to submit to a background check beforehand. The ease of the process of buying
a gun, due to the not so strict gun laws, renders people of all situations and backgrounds able to carry a gun, even if they do not meet the requirements to carry. Questions are formed about who can actually be allowed to carry, but with the ele-
mentary style of background checks, it seems as though anybody can carry. However, in the current societal temperature and the growing hate for guns, there need to be more challenging and complex background checks and ultimately new gun
OPINION
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E D I T O R I A L
laws. People need to be questioned and tested for their intents and their background, or else gun violence and mass genocides with assault rifles will never come to an end. The United States has very loose gun laws varying from state to state, based on who should be owning guns and, if they even need a license to carry them. With all these irregularities between states and the federal government, it’s easy to get your hands on a gun whether it be legal or illegal. Legally, for every 88.8 guns there are 100 people, or about 270,000,000 guns, which is the highest total and to-
tal per capita in the world. 22% of Americans own one or more guns (35% of men and 12% of women). This is not including illegal transactions that many undergo to get their hands on the weapons. Now let’s cross the Ocean to Australia. Before it had 25+ guns for every 100 people. Even with this ratio Australia did enforce their gun laws until Port Arthur. Port Arthur was a mass shooting that killed 35 people in 1996. It was done by one man with an automatic gun. After this the Australian government banned all automatic and semi-automatic weapons and included a national
buyback scheme that was issued. If this law was violated in any way the violator would be charged with a $280,000 fine and up to 14 years in prison. The Australian government was driving fear into their citizens in order to get their guns and it worked. Australia concluded a three-month national gun amnesty where people turned over more than 26,000 unregistered, illegal or unwanted firearms to local authorities without facing a penalty or prosecution. Over the years the number of Australian mass shootings or people dying from gun violence dropped drastically with a 60% decline. Gun laws should not be made where there are no guns but instead there should be laws restricting what types of guns should be allowed and who should be allowed to buy them.
The answer to this country’s gun problem is not as easy as simply taking all of America’s firearms away. Instead, the process of accessing and possessing a rifle must be strengthened. The background checks done on people before getting their guns should be challenging, and should ultimately not give guns to those who are unfit to use them. There is evidence that strengthening gun laws can reduce the rates of mass shootings. Now it is time for Americans as a group to decide what is more valuable, their right to carry or their right to live without fear of gun violence. ◆
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NEWS
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The Potential Dangers of a Supervolcano by JESSICA MUNZ
Everyone knows about the dinosaurs and the ice age but there were four more events in Earth’s past that have wiped out all living things. Last year NASA announced that we are overdue for a world wide extinction and we are not prepared for it. There is a volcano that could erupt at any second and it could destroy the world as we know it. The earth is just like a giant ball of hot lava and it creates an immense amount of pressure that will eventually need to be released. This creates a volcano but what about a Supervolcano? Volcano vs Supervolcano, What’s the Difference? A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. In an eruption, gases and molten rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments.
Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash, and floods. A supervolcano erupts less frequently, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of years apart. Its eruptions, however, can eject around 240 cubic miles of volcanic material in the form of molten rock, hot gases, and ash. Yellowstone, the Eruption That Will Wipe Out Everything Yellowstone National Park is sitting atop a super volcano that has the capability to wipe out mankind. Scientists have been speaking about this issue but not many know about it. They even say that “nothing can be done to prevent an eruption.” “The temperatures, pressures, physical characteristics of partially molten rock, and immensity of the magma chamber are beyond human ability to impact--much less control.” The Yellowstone Caldera is a volcanic caldera and supervolcano that
erupts every 600,000 years and the last time it erupted was 640,000 years ago, meaning we are 40,000 years overdue. Many think that the eruption could trigger a global extinction. While that is a possibility, it may not be very likely. It’s more likely that the giant smoke ash cloud that forms afterwards will spread extremely wide, blocking the sun
causing global climate to drop and possibly trigger another ice age. Any second this supervolcano could erupt. We never know, though, so it could happen months or years from now. As of now scientists are continuing to complete more research about the Yellowstone National Park supervolcano.
is exactly what some plan to do. Puerto Rico has endured many geographical disasters and shortages, but none as intense as Hurricane Maria. The aftermath of the hurricane continues to affect the residents significantly. Eighty-five percent of the residents do not have electricity and forty percent are short of running water. Electrical systems need wholesome restoration, cellphone
towers have been knocked out, and water is scarce. Restoration may take months, if not years, and could cost Puerto Rico $45 to $90 billion. As a result, tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have decided to flee for the United States in hopes of escaping the tragedies back home. After Hurricane Maria devastated the island, Puerto Ricans are scheduled to head for the mainland
U.S. over the next several years. It is estimated that electricity will not be fully restored for the next six to eight months, thus limiting one of the most essential necessities of the island. Without power and cell service, evacuees plan to rebuild their lives in the U.S. and leave the island, perhaps forever.
Staff Illustrator Isaish Fletcher
Puerto Ricans Set to Leave After Hurricane Maria Limits Resources by HANNAH WOODRUFF
The future of Puerto Rico has been irrevocably altered due to the hurricane. With the exact figures on the extent of damages and the costs for repairs unknown, Puerto Ricans are in desperate need of resources. As U.S. citizens, residents of the island have the legal right to move anywhere in the mainland, which
Photos taken for the Flash by Daisy Toledo Mald, aunt of Mia Flores (‘19)
NEWS
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The Face Of SRC Votes to Dissolve, Next Steps Terrorism Still Unclear by AZIA ROSS
In our country today we believe what’s being shown in society. Things need to change in order for there to be peace. There needs to be compromise and adjustment. Everything can’t be skindeep or problems will continue to arise and worsen over time. Terrorism has been one of our country’s most significant problems. Foreigners from various places attack our homes. The infamous 9/11 attack, forever burned in our minds, has launched our perception of terrorism. A person suspected of terrorism is almost always a muslim or someone who looks muslim. Our country’s perception is biased and media-based. We are not killers or a part of any terror groups but for some reason we believe we can judge and tell you what’s going on in the mind of a terrorist. The man who was accused of being the mastermind behind the 9/11 attack was targeted because of his appearance. In video footage he was seen wearing a turban and was assumed to be Muslim. Little incidents like these go unnoticed in our country but they happen everyday, everywhere, and influence a lot of society today. We’ll automatically judge people for their outward appearance instead of logistics, needed to make a true statement about what’s being seen. The most recent attack has been the mass shooting that occurred at a Las Vegas country music festival, killing 58 people and leaving 546 injured. This isn’t anything new to our country. A mentally ill person taking innocent lives is something that has been seen around our world for decades, that’s not what is causing heads to turn. It’s the fact that this vicious attack isn’t being classified as Terrorism. The official definition of terrorism states that it is “the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims.’’ If this is what terrorism is and means then why isn’t this act of violence being labeled by what it is? No one is calling this a terror attack because the perpetrator does not fit society’s expectation of what a terrorist looks like. These are little subtleties that happen all the time but since this incident in Las Vegas is so known, people are starting to see it as it is. Terrorism should not have a face or a complexion.
by HANNAH WOODRUFF On November 16, the School Reform Commission formally voted to dissolve itself after nearly 17 years of state control. Established in December 2001, the SRC is the state-devised commission governing Franklin Learning Center and the rest of the School District of Philadelphia. The five members of the board, three appointed by the governor of Pennsylvania and two appointed by the mayor of Philadelphia, often attracted criticism for their decisions and actions. The panel’s reign is set to end in June 2018, but their replacements remain a mystery. The School District of Philadelphia lies in a state of turmoil as the future of Philadelphia’s education system remains unclear. The uncertainty of who will replace the SRC is so important that hundreds were willing to rally outside of the school district headquarters. Their drive is rooted in how much power the SRC possesses. Created in a time of academic and financial tumult, the SRC has the final say in a wide variety of school concerns, including both approving and closing schools, as well as overseeing the nearly $3 billion annual budget. Now that the end is in sight for the SRC, rally-goers have directed their attention to shaping the group that will replace the exiting panel. Diane Payne, a retired d teacher from Mayfair Elementary, wants to “make sure this elected, more democratic form transforms into a fully democratic form of governance that represents all of the people of Phil-
adelphia.” Rafael Schneider, an alumnus of the School District of Philadelphia, agrees, hoping for “representation from both parents and teachers…[and] either current or recently former students as opposed to former principals.” In early October, Mayor Kenney proposed a change to reverse the district from state control to a nine-member board appointed by him and approved by the Council. This announcement lured varying reactions from the people, many of which were positive. Jerry Jordan, President of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Rafael Schneider, SDP alum, passes out flyers during the November rally · Staff Photographer Bwe Ku doesn’t believe the SRC “should have ever replaced a undemocratic governance for the school board. We are not going to School District of Philadelphia and be able to measure the amount of promises to give control back to the damage.” Jordan approves of Ken- city. “This is only the beginning of ney’s proposal and thinks there another part of a journey,” claims are “many great candidates” for Payne, “because whatever happens the new school board, including next will have to represent the peosome of the SRC’s recent members. ple of Philadelphia.” Looking forAs Philadelphia moves one step ward, members of the succeeding closer to regaining control of its school board will not take powschool district, rally-goers have er until the current SRC dissolves high expectations for the new gov- on June 30, 2018, leaving plenty erning body. The historic vote to of time for citizens to participate dissolve the SRC ended 16 years of in the democracy they fought for.
Jerry Jordan, president of the PFT, addresses the rally outside of 440 · Staff photographer Hannah Woodruff.
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ENTERTAINMENT
The Handmaid’s Tale Recap
by JANELIS DURAN Hulu’s Emmy award winning The Handmaid’s Tale is an adaptation of the classic novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a dystopian future where fewer women are fertile, meaning they can’t give birth. The Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian and theocratic state has replaced the United States of America. Because of the infertile women, the commanders of Gilead are “forced” to take extreme measures and “take care” of the women who are unable to bear children. They do this by first overthrowing the government by holding secret meetings and off the books trade. Once they do this they take away all women’s rights; being a female in Gilead means you have no rights to anything, not even your own body. Then they abducted all of the women who are able to give birth and force them to become handmaids. Offred is the handmaid of Fred and Serena. Offred is not her given name, the “of ” means “I am of ” and depending on who your commander is it changes. In Offred’s case it is “I am of Fred,” even though her given name is June. June goes through many stages throughout the series. When we first meet her she is running away from the “eye” to Canada with her daughter and husband. Unfortunately she does not escape instead her husband is implied to be dead and her child is taken away from her. She is put into a camp where she is trained with the other handmaids to be obedient and to not go against what she is told. She and the other handmaids are shown how to
properly participate in the ceremony. While at the camp, June tries to escape with her friend Mori “From the before” to the north and once
is ready the women should be in place and then he begins the ceremony. The ceremony is suppose to be the only contact that Offred has
Illustration by Janelis Duran
again she doesn’t make it far as she is stopped by the eye when she is about to board the train. On the other, hand Mori escapes and they do not reunite with her until much later in the future. June is assigned her house and this is when her name changes. Her time at the house was unpleasant to say the least. She is to do the shopping and stay out of the way and nothing else until she is told otherwise. One of her duties being to participate in the ceremony. In the ceremony she is raped by the commander in hopes that a child would be born. The ceremony begins with reading the bible, then Offred being placed between Serena’s legs and Serena holding her hands down “this is in order for them to become one” this is being done as the commander “ready himself ” when he
with the commander--by law they aren’t allowed to interact if the lady of the house is not present--but like all good books or shows this does not happen. When the commander sent Nick, the driver and potential love interest of Offred, to meet him at his office at 9, Offered was conflicted. She was unsure of what to do, this is the second time we see a major change in her. Being unsure of what awaited her, she knocked on his doors at 9. She went in, they played scrabble. They would continue do this every night but one night Offred ask if he knew Latin. This was another major change because she started to wonder what happen to her predecessor and why she left that message behind in the bottom of the closet. This answered some of her questions on what happen to the
original Offred and got her some power over the commander even if she was oblivious to it. This power just grew stronger and stronger. She gains awareness of this power when they go to Jezebels and meets with her friend Mori. When they reunite Mori tells her the story of how she got there and how she lost her hope to escape. This encourages Offered to fight against the system. She later joins the residence she got access to by her fellow handmaid Ofglen, she would do small things like try to get information and tell Ofglen. But when Ofglen went missing she lost all hope. She had no regard for her safety and takes up Serena’s offer to have sexual relations with Nick in order to have a child. It wasn’t until much later in the series when the state had a meeting with the president of Mexico. They were trading the girls for goods and she saw this as a chance to tell them every to let the world know what was happening there. She did she told the president and her adviser everything from the rape to the torture. This did nothing because Mexico was going through the same problem. However, this did eventually get her to officially join the resistance because the adviser was part of it sending a message to Luke, Offered’s husband who she believed was dead. This was one of the biggest change in character, she became June again, she promised herself no matter what she would make it out.
Teen Wolf: The Good, The Bad, and The Gritty
by JANELIS DURAN & ALEX FERNANDEZ People love to watch tv shows, whether it’s sappy love shows, tv dramas, or heart stopping action series. What thoughts do these shows bring to our readers? How do these shows contribute to pop culture? Is there a greater contrast to the anatomy of human thought? In Teen Wolf, an MTV show that premiered in June of 2011, we follow the protagonist, Scott, and his run in with something of the paranormal. Scott begins to learn that that fatal night in the woods would change his life forever. Prior to his run in, Scott was considered ‘nerdy’ and ‘unpopular.’ These are basic stigmas in society
and can be very hard to overcome. Scott is a lacrosse player, however prior to him turning into a “wolf ” he was always benched. He uses his newly found power to win his first lacrosse game. Many people in Beacon Hills and especially the Argents (who are a family of expert hunters) don’t fancy paranormal beings as it is their job to kill them. They view them as dangerous and unstable. How could a little teenage boy who’s way over his head about his new ability be a ‘threat’ to anyone? His character is basically animalized by the Argents and their blood-thirsty wrath of destruction. Artwork by Janelis Duran