By Charlotte Hathaway Would you do anything to achieve your dreams? Is there a certain place, or profession, or practice that beckons you? As the longer days, bluer skies, and greener foliage of springtime begin to show their faces again, high school students are thinking about their summer breaks and the new academic year that will follow. For many upperclassmen, this means an inevitable good, long, (and for most, terrifying) look into the near future—otherwise known as college. Collegiate athletics are a bright side for many students who also navigate the stressors of school. They can provide a sense of sportsmanship, community, and even (semi-)generous scholarships. But what if the institution behind college sports isn’t all it claims to be? Do the countless hours of free labor, apathy to injury, and violation of antitrust laws fly under the radar of the National Collegiate Athletics Association? Do they utter a word of equity to players who profit nothing where coaches and the NCAA itself make billions? Do they genuinely care about the athletic dreams and aspirations of their players? Get ready to inadvertently roll your eyes at yet another unethical practice—because despite what their website homepage might say, student-athletes are far, far away from “…the heart of NCAA’s mission." “To them nothing else matters,” writes former Division 1 athlete Cassidy Derda when describing the NCAA’s affinity with mass profits—and it’s true. In one year, the institution generates roughly 1 billion dollars from athletics, tickets, marketing deals, and more. Though one might think to call the NCAA stingy because of their attitude towards athletes, the corporation actually has no problem dividing profits when it comes to college coaches. Basketball and football coaches especially have been recorded making multimillion-dollar yearly incomes. The inequity is obvious, right? Players are constantly missing school for practice, games, and travel, which is a large part of the reason why their graduation rates are 20-30% lower than those of non-athletes. So, not only are the athletes working upwards of 40 hours a week, (rather similar to that of a paid corporate job), but they are compromising their educations to do so—with no salary to show for it. And perhaps the lack of salary isn’t even the most unethical part of this system, but rather the lack of compensation. Colleges directly profit off of the name, image, and likeness of many players, (referred to as NIL: Name, Image, Likeness). While enrolled at their school, athletes do not own their NIL, allowing the college to do with it as they please. This usually results in business deals and advertisements with big-name brands and TV networks. You might be telling yourself that athletes get a portion of this income because the college is using their own face and name, right? Unfortunately not. Though legislations arguing against this specific practice have recently been coming to light, there is yet to be an active solution. It’s hardly a revelation to recognize that America’s roots in racism, sexism, and exploitation run long and deep. They quietly, (or sometimes quite loudly), slip their way into many aspects of American life— athletics being no exception. In the realm of college sports, it is predominately women and people of color who are harmed most by the current system, making the disparity between athletes and the NCAA a civic fight, in addition to an economic one. Let us first take a look at Britney Griner, a college basketball sensation from Baylor University. After playing basketball for years with her school, Griner went on to become a professional athlete. Exciting as that must have been, her salary was still immensely dwarfed by that of male athletes playing the very same sport. Since the popularity of women’s athletics is far less than men’s, being a professional athlete, and making about 1% of what her male counterparts make, (yeah… I’m not kidding.), was the highest rank Griner could ascend to. Because of this lack of notoriety, compensation for her NIL in college may be the only chance a female athlete has to be fairly reimbursed for her time, dedication, sensation, and skill. Just to give a clearer image of that 1% statistic, it is important to note that a professional basketball player in the WNBA makes about $75,000 annually, while the same role in the NBA makes roughly $7.7 million in the same time frame. Though Title IX began the struggle towards paving a fair way for female athletes, there is still much work to be done. This need for correction extends to other aspects of the current system as well, most notably subsidized sports. The NCAA doesn’t make its mass profits from every single sport; in fact, the vast majority of that annual income is raked in by men’s football and basketball. These two sports, unlike many others, are played mostly by Black student-athletes. These players bring home large profits to the NCAA and their school, and other sports are then subsidized, or basically, paid for, because of it. These sports include golf, tennis, and other non-big-buck athletics that are played by predominately white athletes. To put it in simpler terms: Black athletes make all of the money needed for sports played mostly by white people, and they, themselves, receive hardly any of it. These injustices, thankfully, have not gone unnoticed. Though there have been many court cases involving the NCAA in the past, the most recent and most notable is Alston v. NCAA. Shawne Alston (running-back for West Virginia) argues for collegiate pay/compensation where the NCAA argues against it. The main supporters of the NCAA’s stance on this issue usually like to argue the point that a scholarship is enough payment for a student-athlete. They claim that college is a place of learning, not a job where students are paid. Personally, I couldn’t agree more—college is not a job. So really, colleges should not be profiting on the likes of their athletes in the first place if, after all, the whole point of college is education and education alone. Frankly, there is enough exploitation and abuse of power in this country, and the need for even more is slim to none. Currently, it seems the Supreme Court will take the side of student-athletes; many of the judges appear skeptical of the NCAA's claims. Interestingly enough, this issue has united both conservatives and liberals both in and outside of the courtroom. A final decision in the case is set to be decided by the end of June 2021. There are many issues in college athletics that deserve addressing, far more than I can include in one piece of writing. Though mental health, injury, sexual assault/harassment, blatant racism, predatorial, irresponsible, and overpaid coaches were not topics touched on today, it is important to remember that they are present, in addition to the problems that arise with them. I’d like to pose my beginning question for you again; would you do anything to achieve your dreams? What if those dreams crossed paths with issues of collegiate athletics? Would you be able to swallow the injustices that come alongside obtaining your goal? As you ponder your choices for the future, don’t forget that there is injustice in nearly everything, and sometimes compromises must be made. Maybe your love for your sport allows you to look past the deep problems with the association that governs it—and that’s okay. As you make decisions for your future, do not let fear of injustice stop you. After all, you have a voice, and I sure hope you aren’t afraid to use it. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
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By Cecilia Bahnson Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 1 ½ cups chopped mango 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes ¼ cup finely chopped red onion ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced 2 tbsp fresh lime juice ¼ tsp salt ½ tbsp olive oil 2-3 chicken breasts, cubed *use black beans and rice for a vegetarian dish* ½ tsp ground cumin A pinch of salt and pepper ½ head shredded cabbage Corn tortillas 1 sliced avocado Your favorite hot sauce! Directions:
If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Valerie Delos-Reyes What do I know? I know I’m drifting; I know I’m in that dreamlike state where I can’t tell if I’m awake, the place where ideas come to me. But I know I’m awake; I can tell by the cut on my finger, the way it hurts with real pain, and I know that’s good. I know that pain and being hurt are the only ways to tell if you’ve lived a real life. I know that if I go out and live and cut and bruise myself, it won’t matter, because the rewards of having taken that step and left the safety and monotony of my house — that will be enough, more than enough. I know I will heal. I know that if I fall too hard, there are people who love me that will make it feel better. I know that if I never experience pain, I’ll never be able to appreciate the beauty and wonder and joy when it comes. I know that nature is wild and untamed, and you can get hurt there, but it’s what came before us, where we were meant to be, so I will go out there and cut my hands digging in the ground and scrape my knees running and falling, and I will get dirt under my fingernails and between my toes, but that’s all right, because life is a thing that’s worth a little pain to live. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Althea Balisi “Music is the universal language.” - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Music has come a long way, and artists from different cultures and with unique experiences have created much more music over the years. Music has evolved. According to The Method Behind the Music, “the earliest forms of music drum-based, percussion instruments being the most readily available at the time. Between 4000 BCE and 3500 BCE, the Egyptians had created harps, flutes, lyres, and clarinets. By 700 BCE, there are records of songs that include vocals and instrumentals.” We could never deny the impact and importance of music in our daily lives. Many other research centers, scientists, and universities have done studies about how music can affect our brain. According to one Johns Hopkins specialist, “listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides a total brain workout.” Here is the timeline of the evolution of music:
1950s
Sources https://www.brainfacts.org/the-brain-facts-book https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ https://method-behind-the-music.com/history/history/ https://method-behind-the-music.com/history/history/ https://www.aimm.edu/blog/evolution-of-music-from-the-1950s-to-the-2000s Top 100 Songs of 1950’s-2010’s http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-1950s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-1960s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-1970s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-1980s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-1990s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-2000s/ http://www.discjockey.org/top-100-songs-of-the-2010s/ Top 100 Artists of 1950’s-2010’s https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-50s/ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-60s/ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-70s/ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-80s/ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-90s/ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-00s/ https://www.billboard.com/charts/decade-end/top-artists If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 3pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Cecilia Bahnson In the midst of a global pandemic, art has proven to be a beautiful form of expression for many students, as well as a great pastime and even a way to earn some extra cash. With more than a full year of relative isolation, there have been countless hours to fill with creative work. And while COVID-19 has been extremely hard on the artists and creators who rely on open showcase venues and small businesses, wild circumstances can often be an incredible source of inspiration. So much stunning art has come out of this pandemic and there should be an accessible way for student artists to share their work with the world, as well as view other artist’s work. Luckily, The Arts Center in Corvallis is preparing several exhibits that will be open either virtually or in person this spring and summer. Arts Center exhibits to look for! Around Oregon Annual Exhibition 2021: This exhibit will showcase selected artwork from artists all over the state of Oregon. It is an excellent opportunity to witness the diversity in Oregon’s contemporary art and get inspired! The exhibit will be up for viewing at The Arts Center from June 24 - August 7, 2021. Arts Alive! 2021: “Arts Alive is a community event focused on sharing the creative experience, including opportunities to share work and create work for both attendees and participating artists.” This is a virtual event featuring guest artists and video mentoring for all who participate. It will be held over ZOOM on August 13 & 14, 2021. What Will Nature Do?: This exhibit will be hosted in collaboration with senior climate change scientist Dr. Dominique Bachelet. Dr. Bachelet, along with several other scientists from around the country, will work with artists to create discussions and presentations around the realities and complexities of climate change. All artwork will be relevant to climate change science or one of the featured guest speaker’s presentations. Artwork will be exhibited from September 30 - November 13, 2021. Lectures and presentations from the featured scientists will be recorded and open to the public. More information about these exhibitions can be found at https://theartscenter.net/ Displaying your own art locally! Putting yourself and your art out there can be scary, but it’s also exciting! No matter how far “out there” you go, every step is an accomplishment. Luckily, Corvallis has an amazing community of artists who are willing to help each other out. The Arts Center is always a great resource for artists of all levels and ages, but there’s more! You have probably seen art displays at coffee shops such as New Morning Bakery and Imagine Coffee. Pretty much every gallery and small business in Corvallis, including coffee shops, is full of local art-- so if you have any interest in expanding your art’s publicity, consider local businesses and cafes! All you need to do is reach out. Coffee shops in particular are great places for budding artists because the space is often free or very cheap with lots of exposure. Cafe owners also benefit from this because the rotation of new art brings in more customers and fosters a creative and cozy environment. Another great way to get your artwork out into the community is through the Benton County Fair, which hosts competitions and exhibits of various categories. As of this spring, information for the 2021 fair is not available, but in the past this venue has been a popular way for high school students and artists of all ages to enter their art and win prizes. And, as always, the Crescent Crier is happy to publish any CVHS student artwork on our website for the rest of the staff and student body to admire! In addition to showcases and exhibitions, there are also art competitions held virtually through several different organizations. Many of these competitions offer scholarships, cash rewards, mentoring, and award nominations to winners and finalists. Receiving formal recognition through one of these contests can make a huge difference on college applications, regardless of what school students are applying to or what they plan to focus on in the future. Notable art competitions to explore in 2021! Celebrate the West Regional Art Competition: Celebrate the West is hosted by the Western Governors Association. High school students are invited to submit any amount of original two-dimensional artwork inspired by their home state. Finalists may receive up to $1,500 and will have the option to meet with the state governor and display their art at their state’s capitol building. This competition does not require an entry fee, and all framing and matting will be provided. The final deadline for submissions is April 30, 2021. Visit https://westgov.org/celebrate-the-west/competition/2021-competition for more info! The Artist Magazine Annual Art Competition: This is an international visual arts competition which invites student artists of 16 years or older to submit their work to one or more of the five offered categories. Categories include portraits and figures; still lifes and interiors; landscapes; abstract and experimental art; and wildlife. Prizes include cash, scholarships, and exposure through publications (winners will have their work published in The Artist Magazine). This competition requires an entry fee of $20 per piece. The final deadline for submissions is June 7, 2021. Visit https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/artists-magazine-annual/ for more info! Notable art competitions to explore in 2022 (deadlines for 2021 contests have passed)! The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: This competition is a great opportunity for students in grades 7 through 12. The contest will likely be open for entries around September and costs include a $7 fee per entry or a $25 fee per portfolio. Financial assistance is offered. Scholastic Art and Writing judges will be looking for "work that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision." Prizes will include scholarships worth up to $10,000, as well as exhibition and publication opportunities. Visit https://www.artandwriting.org/ for more info! National YoungArts Foundation Competition: The National YoungArts Foundation accepts 15-18 year old visual, literary, and performing artists and musicians. Entries will likely open during the summer, and a $35 application fee is required. Finalists in each category may receive “cash awards, mentorship by accomplished artists, a lifetime of creative and professional support, a peer network of distinguished artists, nomination for U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and national recognition.” Visit http://www.youngarts.org/ for more info! No matter your level of skill, any form of art is valuable and anyone can be an artist. The most important thing to do is to make sure that you are creating art for yourself and because you love it, not solely for the purpose of outside recognition or validation. That will come, but first you’ve got to create something expressive, just for yourself! And, as always, have fun with it. Image sources: Photo by Skylar Kang from Pexels; Photo by Miesha Maiden from Pexels Sources: Amiria GaleAmiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Coordinator for seven years. “31 Awesome Art Competitions for High School Students (2021).” STUDENT ART GUIDE, 3 Dec. 2020, www.studentartguide.com/resources/high-school-art-competitions-list “Artists Magazine 38th Annual Art Competition.” Artists Network, Golden Peak Media, 23 Feb. 2021, https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/artists-magazine-annual/ Kevin. “The Arts Center Corvallis - Local Arts, Crafts, Gifts, Changing Exhibits.” The Arts Center, 2021, https://theartscenter.net/ “National YoungArts Foundation.” Home, 2021, www.youngarts.org/ “Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.” Home | Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, 2020, www.artandwriting.org/ Sundquist, Kate. “Prestigious Visual Arts Competitions for High School Students.” CollegeVine, 4 Mar. 2020, https://blog.collegevine.com/prestigious-visual-arts-competitions-for-high-school-students/ Western Governors Association. “Celebrate The West.” 2021 Competition | WGA, 2021, https://westgov.org/celebrate-the-west/competition/2021-competition If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Vincent Bottaro With the release of all these new updating schedules during this pandemic, it may be time to wonder if we should consider other options for our school in general. Another option for our school to use would be to make the switch to a year round schedule as opposed to the current 3 month long summer schedule. There are many arguments for this, and it seems like an interesting idea. The agrarian schedule that involves a 3 month summer was originally introduced so that all the farmers in school could go home and help pick crops since summer is when most plants are ripe. This schedule worked very well when everyone was farmers, but nowadays most students, at least in the CV area, don’t work on their farm during the summer. Another thing to consider about this 3 month break is the knowledge displacement. Over half a million students reported an average of a 25% loss of what they learned last year. Multiple weeks are used at the beginning of the year to catch students up on what they forgot, and that is valuable teaching time during an already rushed class. But don’t worry about not getting a summer vacation. There are a couple different options for the schedules, with the most popular one being 60 days in school, and then 20 days off. So it's about 3 months on, and then 3 weeks off. The second most popular option is 45 days in school, and then 15 off. There are other options, but these are the most widely used. These days ultimately end up falling around winter break as well as spring break, so instead of one week off there will be three. And you will still have the same amount of time in school, because there will still be 180 days of instruction by teachers, which is the same as an agrarian schedule. While preparing to go back to in-person school, consider the possible idea of getting more constant breaks throughout the entire school year as opposed to one single long break that can be detrimental to retaining knowledge. Sources: https://www.brookings.edu/research/summer-learning-loss-what-is-it-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/ https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/yr/guide.asp#:~:text=Both%20traditional%20and%20some%20year,have%20180%20days%20of%20instruction.&text=The%20most%20typical%20instructional%2Fvacation,popular%20is%20the%2045%2F15. https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-year-round-school-621001 If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! Created by Althea Balisi If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Hope Humphreys April Fools’ Day is a day filled with pranks, trickery, and unsurprisingly, many hoaxes as to how it came to be. So, how did this mischief-filled holiday actually start? What historical events led to Taco Bell convincing gullible Americans that they bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it “The Taco Liberty Bell,” or to my fifth grade teacher persuading over half my class that we needed to save the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus? Even looking beyond hoaxes, the true origins of April Fools’ Day are unclear, but various historians have speculated on and debated connections to many different events throughout history. The earliest connected event, a celebration called Hilaria, began in ancient Rome. This festival took place at the end of March and honored the goddess Cybele. It included parades, games, disguises, and mocking other citizens, including nobility. April Fools’ Day has also been tied by some to various celebrations of the vernal equinox, which marks the beginning of spring. Another occurrence that historians have used to explain April Fools’ Day began in France in 1582 after they switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. This switch moved the start of the new year from around April 1st to January 1st. People who rejected the new date or were unaware of it were made fun of, being called “April fools” and pranked. One of these pranks was placing paper fish on their backs to symbolize that they were “poisson d’avril” (April fish), implying that they were gullible and “easily hooked.” One historical hoax was pulled off by Professor Joseph Boskin from Boston University in the 1980s. He managed to convince many, including the Associated Press, that April Fools’ Day originated from a group of court jesters and fools questioning Roman emperor Constantine’s rule. According to him, Constantine was amused and allowed a jester named Kugel to become “King Kugel” for a day, who declared it a day of absurdity. From then on, it became an annual tradition. There was only one problem with this story. Boskin completely made it up on the spot. The star of the story, Kugel, was named after a traditional Jewish noodle dish. In actual fact, by the 18th century celebration of April Fools’ Day had spread across Europe. A common prank was to send people on fake errands. In Scotland, April Fools’ Day was actually celebrated for two days, the first being “hunting the gowk” (fake errands) and the second being Tallie Day, in which people would attach things such as tails or kick me signs to the backs of others. One prank on April Fools’ Day in 1698 Britain was an invitation to “the Annual Ceremony of Washing The Lions” at the Tower of London. Unfortunate attendees of this made-up ceremony found no celebration, and were mocked in the newspaper for falling for it the next day. While all of these explanations are possibilities, it is unlikely the true origins will ever be known for sure. For all we know, historians may be having a good laugh at all of our expenses, or the record-keepers of the past had a good laugh at them. The concrete beginning of April Fools’ Day fittingly remains a mystery, a testament to the good-humored chaos and confusion associated with the day. To learn more about how you can help the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus: Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus For more information on the “King Kugel” hoax: How a BU Prof April-Fooled the Country | BU Today Sources: April Fools' Day: Origins, Meaning & Hoaxes - HISTORY April Fools' Day: Why Do We Celebrate It? infoplease: April Fools' Day: Origin and History How a BU Prof April-Fooled the Country | BU Today If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! Crossword created by Althea Balisi If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Kate Voltz High schoolers today have, since the earliest days of our exposure to the news, seen political polarization, school shootings, climate change, a global pandemic, and more. We watch with horror and fear as the safe world we thought we inherited is seemingly torn apart at the seams—and feel helpless to stop it. Some of us feel it’s still possible to reverse our fortunes. Others don’t. The question of civic engagement among youth has puzzled political scientists, campaign managers, and government teachers for decades, and isn’t easily answered. The question for us, though, as youth, is are we doing enough? Is our generation civically engaged enough? The mark of “enough” is hard to establish. When do we say we’re engaged “enough?” When we did our best? When we tried to change the government or get involved and succeeded or failed? When we are to some extent involved? It’s a hard thing to define. By some measurements, our generation is in fact incredibly engaged. Certainly engaged enough with civics, in some circles at least, to make a difference. Young people today have grown up with the internet at our fingertips and some extent of education on media literacy, something that no other generation has experienced. We can organize protests, connect with people across the country, contact representatives and research people easily, and inform ourselves well. We have also grown up with the greatest existential threat of any generation, climate change. This summer also brought a racial justice reckoning to America that has brought Gen Z into greater awareness at a younger age, and throughout our childhoods we have seen school shootings rock our collective consciousness as well. These factors have spurred many teens today not only to realize the stakes but also given them outlets and information at the ready to take action. To that end, in some ways, we are civically engaged enough, and have already made a difference in many areas, as news stories around the country have shown us. That said, in many ways, Gen Z may not be civically involved enough. What defines “enough”? If it means a widespread belief in the power of action and ability to take said action, then in reality, we are not. A recent survey of CV students, alums, and community members, ages 14-23, about their opinions and needs in terms of political involvement showed that 48.3% of respondents (which, if anything, are skewed toward greater civic engagement) cited the fact that, “adults don’t/won’t listen to young people” as one of their greatest barriers to getting involved in politics and government. Additionally, 31.5% of the people I surveyed (ages 14-23) said “maybe” or outright “no” to the statement, “Do you feel like getting involved in politics and voting makes a difference.” That’s almost a third. Our generation across the board feels cut off from the system, in part surely because we have grown up watching it fail over and over and over again until involvement feels futile. Because of this, many of us never take action at all. Beyond that, if we’re honest with ourselves, the school system does not prepare us well to become civically engaged, certainly not while we’re still in school, when our political consciousnesses are developing. While, of course, the school cannot take any political bent, it can start telling students from a young age how to get involved if they want to. And it doesn’t. Civics education doesn’t start until senior year, when the education system suddenly seems to feel the burn of procrastination as the voting age approaches students and shoves them into government classes to ensure they know what they’re doing. But, of course, it’s not only voters who need to be informed, and in fact, perhaps if civic education started younger, the voting age could be lowered. For example, Oregon Senate Bill 776 would lower the voting age for school district elections to 16, which would likely spur civics education starting earlier. Ultimately, though, this is a catch-22. Young people don’t know how to get involved or feel like it doesn’t matter, so they don’t, so no one makes more opportunities for them or listens to them because they’re not involved and engaged and pushing for that to happen. Teenagers today also have a ton of other pressures to deal with, largely the weight of their entire futures on their shoulders. College, school, jobs, sports, clubs, other extracurriculars, friends, family, and apparently sleep in there somewhere… how do you find the time to attend hearings or go to protests or all of these other things? We’re told constantly all the things we’re supposed to be doing simultaneously. How on Earth do we fit saving the Earth in there? Or saving voting rights? Or fighting systemic racism? Or all these other huge issues? It’s hard. It’s really hard. And there isn’t an easy solution. For all of these reasons—cynicism, lack of education and opportunity, and time pressures—many teenagers aren’t very involved. Some maybe don’t even want to be, and that’s okay—it’s not for everyone. But to return to the survey data, 42.3% of respondents (of which there were more than 100, ages 14-23) said “maybe,” “no,” or something along the lines of “don’t know enough to say/don’t know how” to the question, “Do you feel like you could get involved in politics if you wanted to?” That’s a very sizable percent of the population, and again, if anything, this is skewed more toward people who would agree with this. So, many youth feel like they won’t be listened to, civic education is failing students, teenagers’ schedules are insane, and many aren’t sure they could get involved if they wanted to. Is this enough civic involvement? No. No it’s not. So how do we fix this? That’s the real question, isn’t it? Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear-cut solution. We have to address the roots of the problem, and there are many. It’s going to involve people who are already involved advocating for greater possibilities and opportunities, especially for those who aren’t at the table already, and advocating for civic education reform. In the same sense that all other rights boil down to voting rights and democracy, all other possibilities and reforms stem from being educated and empowered enough to get involved in the first place. It also means starting small if you want to get involved: even a few hours once a month adds up and can help you see the path to getting more involved if you want to. Combating cynicism is the hardest step: it comes as a result of action on the other fronts, but ultimately it comes down to building hope and hearing the voices of those who are already involved. Hope is hard to find and fast eroding (with good reason) in this day and age. President Barack Obama’s remarks at the Democratic National Convention last year described it well, though, explaining that if those who fought for a better world in worse times than this did not lose hope, then neither should we. And to quote J. R. R. Tolkien in Lord of the Rings, “There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels
If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email [email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Cecilia Bahnson If you have ever walked through Crescent Valley’s ceramics room, then you've likely come across the eight foot tall reproduction of Studio Ghibli’s wise, whimsical, and well-adored Totoro, from the 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro. This film became one of Studio Ghibli’s most iconic works. It follows the story of two young girls exploring a new house and a mysterious, wooded backyard. As they explore, the two children come across all sorts of playful creatures and spirits. One of these creatures is Totoro, a massive and utterly delightful being. Now perhaps you're wondering how such an enormous rendition of this lovely creature came to be in the CV ceramics room, or the reason behind its life there. Well according to Mr. Moses (the current caretaker of Totoro), the rendition was created about six years ago by members of the CV Anime Club. Because of recent construction at the school, Totoro is currently resting in the cafeteria while his home in the F-Building is being remodeled. Studio Ghibli has been a source of inspiration for millions of people, including the Anime Club that built and painted our beloved Totoro. At the time of his creation, the plan was for Totoro to be joined by his pal, Catbus. These two characters “seemed like natural icons to create for the school”, says Mr. Moses. The creatures are both accepting and supportive of young people, and their size and physical features give off “a sense of awe, coupled with warmth and peace." Unfortunately, the Catbus was never finished, but perhaps that will change in 2021. So, next time you encounter the eight-by-four foot depiction of Crescent Valley High School’s renowned Totoro (post-pandemic and post-construction), perhaps you will be inspired to build him a friend. At the very least, you will know where he came from and what inspired his creation. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! Images above, from top left: Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Beyoncé, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd. Image source listed below. By Vincent Bottaro Now, if any of you are like me, you love to listen to music. Eventually you’ll find that song that is just so amazing that you listen to it on repeat. The next step of that plan is to look up when the Grammys are, and then promptly forget the day that it is. Evidently, it was March 14th, and you missed it, but maybe the song you loved won right? Except your song wasn’t even nominated and now you’re angry at the world. Here’s a quick breakdown of the awards ceremony, which was hosted by Trevor Noah outside of the Staples Center in LA last Sunday, March 14th. Some nominations were announced by famous people (as usual) as well as some small business owners who have venues for musicians who have been struggling during the pandemic. There were many different performances, all really well done (especially Taylor Swift) and it is definitely worth the watch on YouTube. The main awards of the night are as follows: Billie Eilish beat out everyone else to win Record of the Year with “Everything I Wanted.” Taylor Swift won Album of the Year with Folklore, beating Post Malone and Doja Cat. Song of the Year went to H.E.R. with “I Can’t Breathe” about the Black Lives Matter movement. Megan Thee Stallion received a Grammy for Best New Artist. Harry Styles took a Grammy home for “Watermelon Sugar” as the Best Pop Solo Performance. The last main award went to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande for their song “Rain On Me” which earned them the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Beyoncé took home 4 different Grammys last night with her new album Black Parade, which gave her a total of 28 including Best R&B Album, making her the woman with the most amount of Grammys in history. Another interesting fact about the Grammys is that they were boycotted by the Weeknd after he was snubbed for award this year, sparking a conversation about the bais in the award world. The majority of the winners have been predominantly White, and albums made by African Americans are typically placed as an R&B album rather than a “regular” album. The Weeknd’s songs were popular across many demographics this year, though, and he performed at the Super Bowl, yet still received 0 nominations. Other artists of color like Zayn and Nicki Minaj have also called out the racism of the selection process. The Grammy award board is anything but transparent and predominantly filled with white people, which makes it difficult for non-white artists to win due to racial discrimination, despite what the Recording Academy (the head organization of the Grammys) typically claims. The bottom line is, the Grammys are over. The majority of the artists likely went to bed with massive hangovers after partying hard, and are getting back to creating music in hopes of being nominated again next year. I personally can’t wait to listen to them all. If you would like to view all of the nominations, winners, and categories, here is a link to the website. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/grammy-winners-nominees-2021/ Other major information source: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/a35832331/2021-grammys-boycott-controversy/. All images are licensed under Creative Commons uses. The image sources are below, in order: Lady Gaga: SMP Entertainment, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Billie Eilish: https://www.flickr.com/photos/142899511@N03/48590443381/ H.E.R.: MTV International, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Beyoncé: Nat Ch Villa, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Harry Styles: itsloutual, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Taylor Swift: Eva Rinaldi, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Ariana Grande: https://www.flickr.com/photos/esheehanphotos/33269921075 The Weeknd: Pedro Mora, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Rain Scarborough I am dust drifting through fingertips that are not my own, I am the hollow sound of a pebble hitting a tin can that has sat in the sun so long it has become rusty and gritty and dented. I am a heart beating wildly against my cavernous chest, testing the tensile strength of my ribcage. If it shatters I’ll finally be rid of mountains I never asked for. I am a lioness and a lion, a grasshopper and a meal worm, the embodiment of sun and moon; my shadow substitutes my face. I am carpet worn thin by the tumbling of tiny thoughts and toy cars, loud voices and quiet words, the bully next door and the one inside my head. The edges fray — but still I stay -- till my hands feel possessed and hollow, till my mind is numb and I can barely think but to breath in one more gasp. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Rain Scarborough Sources: https://www.cnet.com/news/apples-imac-pro-to-be-discontinued/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-full-self-driving-elon-musk-demand/ If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Maya Schwartz Throughout our years as students, the janitors in the halls have been omnipresent, something we are accustomed to. These individuals have also been dramatically overlooked. However, as we return to hybrid learning next month, it is worth acknowledging that janitors and cleaning services are putting their safety on the line to clean areas with risk of COVID exposure; they are saving student lives from this dangerous virus. School janitors, building, and company custodians generally work extremely early and/or late shifts, are tasked with cleaning up trash and messes around the facility within the day time and maintaining the cleanliness of our schools and businesses during the nighttime. As we shift back into hybrid learning next month, it is vital that we recognize the janitorial tasks that have been amplified times one-hundred during the COVID-19 era. Provisional PPE (personal protective equipment) for the janitorial systems of many schools and facilities nationwide has gone overlooked, paired with issues of understaffing and overcrowding. According to long-time custodian of a Washington high school, Fasika Getahun is becoming increasingly anxious about her precarious situation and of putting her family of seven children at risk. As a single mother, she is caught in a Catch-22: relying on her custodial job to provide for her family, yet in the position of putting herself and her family at risk due to her thankless, dangerous occupation. She says, “I am worried. I have family, my children in my home. There's no masks or anything for us. How are we expected to clean?" Even as students nation-wide continue with virtual learning, the work never ceases for these devoted workers. In schools, they continue to disinfect Chromebooks and other supplies required for a comprehensive virtual learning experience, as well as tending to the upkeep of the educational facilities themselves, making them safe for occasional staff and students to enter. For this, the custodians here at Crescent Valley and in educational facilities and businesses across America deserve more praise and appreciation than they have been given. It is also imperative that workers in this field be supplied proper protective equipment, for these individuals are the soldiers on the frontline of this devastating pandemic. In this time, custodians are not simply doing their job; they are putting their lives on the line for the safety of our communities. We thank all of the custodial staff at Crescent Valley High School, and appreciate your dedication immensely. Bibliography: “Custodians Feeling the Stress of Working Without PPE.” Cleaning & Maintenance Management, 2 Apr. 2020, www.cmmonline.com/news/custodians-feeling-the-stress-of-working-without-ppe. McCausland, Phil. 'We Answered the Call': Custodial and Sanitation Workers Demand Support amid Outbreak. 1 Apr. 2020, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/we-answered-call-custodial-sanitation-workers-demand-support-amid-outbreak-n1173276. https://www.cmmonline.com/news/custodians-feeling-the-stress-of-working-without-ppe https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/we-answered-call-custodial-sanitation-workers-demand-support-amid-outbreak-n1173276 If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Sophia Fraser Athletics are a vital component of schools of all ages all around the world. They provide athletes with a safe space to learn technique, work as a team, and destress from the rest of life. Games provide students excitement and social opportunities. Anticipating a season, many athletes found creative ways to train at home and stay ready for their sport. Student athletes Ty Abernathy and Sami Emry spoke with the Crier about their opinions on this. Abernathy had a very optimistic view about online classes, pointing out that “it has allowed a lot more time to train and really prepare for the sport...the extra time to get ready for the season has really helped me." He added that with the in person season starting back up, “[he] feels super good finally being able to reconnect with some of [his] teammates and prepare for another season with them." Emry commented that because of COVID “we were not able to have [sports] for a year and it really takes a toll on your mental health when you realize that you are missing out on what is supposed to be one of the best years of your life." Even so, she offered a creative way of preparing as well, letting us know that “cheer has a meeting twice a week over Zoom with [the] team to get to know each other and to practice to the best of [their] ability." Although the possibility of a season was looking pretty slim when school started up, our state and school have worked hard to improvise some resemblance. But even now that they have started, the 2020-2021 sports seasons look drastically different this year as social distancing and COVID regulations are taken into effect. Fall sports started up mid February, and soccer and cross country have their first games/races this week. The seasons are a lot shorter than usual at 6 weeks, and practice times are limited in attempts to share the space and keep people separated. Games and meets are not allowed to have spectators, and are not very publicized for this reason. But there is still a way to support your athletes and friends! Some of the games will be broadcasted, although the details of this feature are still largely up in the air. Fall sport contests started March 1st, winter sports will begin April 12th, and spring sports will follow on May 17th. If you are interested in joining a high school sport still, it’s not too late to contact your respective coach. You can find this information on the CV website under athletics. Link to soccer broadcasts: https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/schools/crescent-valley-high-school-corvallis-or Image sources: https://www.pexels.com/photo/kigoa-football-on-green-grass-during-daytime-209956/, and Lukas Hartmann from Pexels If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Laura Jost The rise in political partisanship in the United States has been growing more evident over the past decade, coinciding with the formative years of Gen Z as well arguably both promoting and neglecting our generations’ coming issues. Radicalization on both ends of the spectrum has emerged as a result whether that has proved to be beneficial or not -- is yet to see. In order to be cognizant of the platforms many prominent far left figures have risen on, research into AOC and Bernie Sanders policies is necessary. AOC primarily runs on lines of promoting immigration policies, increasing access to ascend in social mobility and reducing income inequality. Similarly, Sanders considers himself a democratic socialist -- promoting access to free healthcare and a free college education. These policies in particular have resonated with millions of youth, however what exactly would these economic and social agendas entail? And what is the importance of them? Economically, AOC and Bernie’s funds will be insufficient to pay for all the welfare and spending programs they hope to implement: in fact there are roughly 16,000 households as of 2016, according to IRS data that have taxable income over the $10 million threshold they propose which amounts to roughly $245 billion. This plan would further the federal deficit and put strain on the system. Ultimately the apparent benefits would be outweighed by the consequences given that the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Tax Commission run on the “crowd-out” assumption meaning that government borrowing will “crowd out” funds that would otherwise have been lent to the businesses. With less money available to businesses, they invest less, and the workers are less productive. As a nation, it’s argued that the far left has indeed done the opposite of what they proclaim they stand for: inclusion and tolerance. Yet, the intolerance - from both political parties on the extreme ends - arguably, has only divided the country as a whole. The notion of “cancel culture” and overarching phrases such as “defunding the police” has only pushed moderate politicians and voters away leaving candidates such as Bernie versus other extremes such as Trump on the stage. On the other end, the rise of right wing populism has built up momentum as seen with Trump in the US, Modi in India, Widodo in Indonesia, Chavez in Venezuela, and Erdoğan in Turkey which can be linked to rises in authoritarian populism -- posing a global risk by dividing already divided countries and escalating nationalistic tendencies against other nations -- the exact opposite of what is needed in order to formulate solutions. It would be ignorant and inaccurate, however, to simply argue that Bernie and AOC are destroying the democratic party. An old friend of mine who worked with the House Democrats in DC recently gave some input that resonates with this article: that the emerging popularity and growth of candidates like AOC and Bernie “forces us to have conversations in the Democratic Party that otherwise maybe wouldn’t be considered. That it doesn’t always work, but that it’s critical in our democracy to have conflicting views, even within the party.” Indeed, the obligation of intraparty discussions and disputes are inherent in parties as diverse regionally and demographically as the Democratic Party. Julie Wronski from the University of Mississippi explained to the New York Times that “what works in local campaigns between urban, suburban and rural areas cannot be neatly packaged into a one-size-fits-all national message”. Aligning constituencies to work together is a difficult task indeed which is why this is necessary, but there also must need “a strong, passionate, determined base”: progressives. Indeed, the far left has also promoted the issues that this nation will have to face sooner or later: climate change, increases in immigration, the escalating prison populations, systemic racism and the rising cost of a college education combined with the fact that US student debt in the last decade has risen higher than both credit card and auto loan debt which directly impact young people’s futures. The voice of younger voters and activism has gained momentum in putting these matters at the forefront of the policy agenda as candidates must appeal to their constituents to continue holding office. In addition to this, demographics in young voters has also changed: racial and ethnic diversity within our generation is the highest ever. The staggering increase in social media use for Gen Z has also led to information exposure unprecedented in generations prior which arguably has led to the disintermediation of traditional sources of information has amplified the emotional reactions, stereotyping and belief distortions that are typically associated with political extremism , whether that be left or right leaning, the echo chamber effect has had its role. According to Pew Research Center, 70% of Gen Z believes that the government ought to have a larger role in solving problems -- making them more likely than any other generation to do this. Analyzing this polarization has left some thought provoking results. After conducting a casual poll of 276 of my peers through social media, roughly 85% reported that they generally supported AOC and Bernie Sanders policies, whereas a mere 15% disputed the far left leaning politicians ideology. (It is important to account for the demographics and political beliefs of my own followers specifically). Diving deeper and asking Crescent Valley students personally why these politicians resonated with them whether positive or negative, led to some compelling arguments and personal accounts. Most of those who supported AOC and Sanders platforms stated that “they very obviously care about people other than themselves” and that she“ is an amazing role model for young girls and women everywhere. Seeing the strength of her presence in politics is amazing”. Others responded that “young people in general resonate with Bernie’s/AOC’s message because they are championing policies that benefit a greater swath of America than what is being passed through Congress” and that “their vision would lead to greater wealth and prosperity for everyone”. One senior responded that “I’m drawn to Bernie and AOC because they care about our generation (the youth), especially things like college costs and climate change which are very immediate for us." On the other hand, others pointed out some of AOC’s anti-Semitic patterns that often go unnoticed. Still others argue that they believe in almost everything Bernie stands for “except some of his views on the Israeli Palestine conflict”. A recent letter sent by a dozen members of House Democrats including AOC and Sanders argued against Israeli annexation of Palestine claiming that this was a measure to protect the rights of Palestinians yet Palestine is predominantly controlled by the Palestinian Authority which is known for corruption, human rights abuses and even terrorism against Israelis. This issue is only worsened by potential soured ties in US-Israel relations if this letter were to be put into act. Another recent alum recounted in reference to Romanian and USSR policy that “my own family lived under socialist economic policy for multiple generations and my mom lived in poverty because the socialist economic system prevented my family from building wealth or rising up in the socioeconomic ladder." To be sure, establishing full blown socialism in the United States would prove to be a very difficult and divisive goal. Gathering input from friends and colleagues has allowed for discussions that may not have taken place if it wasn’t for writing this piece. Decidedly in the end, it will be up to our generation and future generations to make what we want of this country through difficult conversations and genuinely understanding the “other side”. Hopefully we will make the decision to push forward and create progress that will benefit the world to come -- whether it be through left or right wing politicians willing to take grassroots action while still keeping in mind the consequences of their actions. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Kate Voltz Book of the month: They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera Imagine a world where you would be informed when you only had one day left to live, starting then and there. How would you act? Would you try to experience what you could of the world? Make new friends? Throw caution to the wind? This book explores a world like that through the intertwining story of Mateo and Rufus, who met through an app for making friends on your last day on Earth. They have a lifetime to fit in one day, making for a great story that you don't want to miss. Often in the book you find yourself asking, is the title a misnomer? I won't spoil anything; you'll have to read to the very last page of the book to find out. They Both Die At the End is a truly incredible book with compelling characters that would appeal to a wide variety of readers, despite the grim title. Don't take my word for how great a book it is: it's been widely recommended and acclaimed, including by fellow Crier writer Vincent Bottaro. When asked about the book, he said, "What would you do if you knew you had only one day left to live? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that I would end up reading this book at least one more time." Jokes of the month: Why did the banana go to the doctor? It wasn't peeling well. What is a pizza maker's favorite song? Slice, slice, baby. Quotes of the month: "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs." - Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë “We can experience nothing but the present moment, live in no other second of time, and to understand this is as close as we can get to eternal life.” - The Children Of Men, P.D. James If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Althea Balisi “New year, new me.” But how new can we really get? How do we change the old us whilst keeping track of what we want to achieve? According to a PhD director at Columbia University, “Behavioral change is hard. Yet sustaining healthy behaviors is one of the most important things people can do to live long healthy lives.” But how can we identify if our behaviors are unhealthy? And most importantly, how do we change it? Oftentimes, people refer to this change as their new year’s resolution, but it’s not a simple, three-word phrase. It’s a process of change itself. Imagine you’re now who you want to be, what does that look like? What does it feel like? Strange? Fulfilling? Successful? Realize that what you envisioned was the change, but not the process. Because the process is hard, and it almost seems impossible because of how great the change looks like. In accordance with The US News and World Report, 80 percent of new year’s resolutions fail. Here’s the timeline: January is for the enthusiastic approach for the change we want, but by February (right about now), 80% of those resolutions are already discarded. Now the question is, how much do we really want this change? Why does it matter to us? That is what's missing - the why? According to Daniel Wallen from lifehack.org, one reason why resolutions fail is because “we know the what, but not the why.” The answer to the why is important because it is what drives our desire for this change, and it can be enough reason to endure the process for the change. It’s a requirement: the process. Because like what they say, “The process won’t be easy, but the outcome will be worth it.” Everybody might have heard of the term SMART Goals, and you might not have wanted to do it when your teacher told you to do so, but you did it anyway. Beyond the process and the change, there’s the planning. It might be the time when you realized you wanted something, so you tried to do it, but you never got there. Then you thought it wasn’t meant to be, but deep inside you, you still want it. So maybe SMART Goals can really help us, because through it, we can be aware of what we want and why we want it. We’ll be aware of the internal things that can help us endure the process, thus achieving the resolution. Specific - What, specifically, do you want? Why do you want it? Why does it matter to you? Measurable - Know when you have reached the goal, appreciate it no matter how small it is. Because it’s the beginning of having the attitude towards what you want next - and it will most likely be a big thing. Achievable - Ask yourself how are you going to achieve it. Who are the people that can help you? Realistic - Acknowledging how realistic the thing is, is what makes it more realistically achievable. Timely - It’s not a race, it’s a process. Sources https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-reasons-why-new-years-resolutions-fail.html https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/science-behind-behavior-change https://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/ https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/ https://cce.bard.edu/files/Setting-Goals.pdf If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! by Cecilia Bahnson Discrimination based on gender is nothing new. We have hundreds of historical movements and events to back up the fact that women have faced, and continue to face, many obstacles on the road to success. This is true in both career and societal settings, because, simply put, the world tells women that they should behave a certain way, look a certain way, and strive for certain things. This internalized misogyny influences many different aspects of our government and society, but the issue is strikingly evident in the journalism and news industry. Women make up a little over one third of the media industry (print, broadcast, internet, etc.), despite the fact that over two thirds of journalism graduates are women. In 2017, men received 63% of bylines in print, internet, and TV reporting. This imbalance could be attributed to the online media’s tendency to amplify male voices more often than female voices, or it could be a result of the huge lack of female leadership in the news: two thirds of newspaper supervisor positions in the US are held by men. Either way, this gender bias stems from deeply rooted sexism, and the issue has not been given enough public attention or awareness to spark any significant change. Why should we make changes to address gender discrimination in this field, anyway? What’s the problem and why does it matter? Mary Shedden (WUSF Public Media Director) and Alexis Jones (multimedia journalist and Women’s Health assistant editor) have shared a little bit about their experiences as women working in media. In an interview at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention, they talked about lagging female leadership, the strain that work puts on their work/life balance, the constant search for perfection, the struggle to prove themselves to their male coworkers and leaders, and the differences in the ways that men and women approach stories and sources. Both women found that even after working for an outlet for several months or even years, they still faced skepticism from their colleagues about their ability to get the job done. This feeling of constant doubt is one that haunts many women and leads them to question their capabilities, competence, and self worth. Shedden and Jones have both been frustrated by male coworkers and leaders who react with surprise when they realize the accomplishments and successes of the two women. Female journalists have found that they end up spending much more time and effort on articles and research than their male counterparts do in order to be taken seriously. Both Shedden and Jones have felt that perfectionism is needed in order to “prove their worth”. The need for perfection isn’t just in their own heads, though. Studies have shown that male editors and publishers are far more likely to hire men as journalists, ask for men as sources, and publish articles written by men. In addition, nearly 67% of the headshots in newspapers are of men. There’s even a difference in the way that the photos are taken: male faces are usually shot dramatically close up and large, and most group shots featured in newspapers are male dominated—despite the fact that nearly 51% of the population is female. Another example of how much the news industry favors men is in the percentage of news stories told and published about women. In 1995, only 17% of news stories worldwide were about women. Today, that number is still disappointingly low with around 24% of news stories told about women in 2020. This happens because, in general, editors and publishers are more likely to ask reporters to seek out male sources. There is no real reason or logic to excuse this modern gender bias, other than the deeply ingrained idea that men are stronger and more reliable than women. Women in the news are constantly fighting the battle for gender equality and equity and they often go out of their way to connect with other women, both colleagues and sources. What many of these reporters have found is that men and women tend to tell stories and ask for stories differently. The lack of female presence in published news leads to a lack of depth and variety that publishers don’t even know they are missing. It also reinforces some of the internally sexist ideas that influence the world outside the news industry. When young people watch the news, scroll through articles online, or listen to the radio, 76% of the stories they hear are about men. This causes generations of people to grow up with men dominating in the spotlight and with not enough attention directed towards the women who are working harder and more efficiently for less money and less recognition. It leads young people to believe that women are less deserving of attention than men, and they will grow up holding onto this misogynistic idea. Gender discrimination in this field also affects our country on a larger scale. Smothering the voices of strong, intelligent, and empathetic women undermines our democracy at its very core. The credibility of American journalism is tarnished by gender inequity, and that inequity contributes to the decreasing value and trust in the First Amendment. The First Amendment declares the freedom of press, and with that freedom comes the responsibility to discover and present true, unbiased information for the benefit of the public and the people of America. When media outlets fail to represent and give voice to all communities and people in an equitable way, they are failing our democracy. As the gender gap increases, democracy and our idea of self-governance weakens. When the news industry fails to express and represent true diversity, the trust put into the industry by the people is reduced and our modern democracy begins to crumble. Gender inequity in journalism is relevant even in our own communities of Corvallis and Albany. Of the twelve people listed on The Gazette Times’ newsroom staff, only three of them are women: Jane Stoltz, Nia Tariq, and Caitlyn M. May. What’s more, all three of these women write for several other papers including but not limited to The Oregonian and The Albany Democrat-Herald, along with their work for The Gazette Times. The Gazette Times and The Albany Democrat-Herald actually share a lot of staff, and, like the Gazette Times, Albany’s newsroom staff is made up of nine men and three women-- the same three women who represent the Gazette Times in Corvallis, in fact. The persistency of all of these issues only helps to strengthen misogynistic ideology in journalism. By refusing to address any problem we face, we encourage the idea that the problem is not serious enough to deserve our attention. But gender bias absolutely deserves our attention, especially when it affects everything from our local news outlets to the structure of our democracy. Luckily, some media outlets have begun to recognize gender imbalances and some have started to take action. A few large-scale projects have been launched, including The Financial Times’ newly developed bot, which detects gender imbalances in sources, as well as in readership. Several radio and television media outlets have begun initiatives to amplify female voices by increasing their number of female guests and leading experts. There have also been discussions written by columnists in The New York Times, which address gender bias in journalism and reveal some of the striking statistics related to the issue. Samara Klar, a political scientist and writer, even created a website known as “Women Also Know Stuff”, which allows nearly 2,000 female writers, scientists, and researchers to connect with each other and exchange insight on a wide variety of topics. But even with the use of these initiatives and projects, there is still a long way to go. News outlets must address this gender issue, not to mention the issues around racial bias, homophobia, and transphobia. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find a “perfect” way to address internal bias. But as our society changes and finally begins to recognize the people who have so long been deprived of the acceptance and validation they deserve, journalism must change with it. In fact, journalism should be a leading factor in this change. No matter how old you are, or how involved you are with the news, each and every person on this earth can contribute to the fight for gender equity in journalism. By holding each other accountable for the way we collect and distribute information, we can make change happen. Speaking out and recognizing gender bias within your community, whether that bias is intentional or not, is incredibly important. Amplifying quiet voices and uplifting marginalized ones are things you can do in your everyday life. Listen when you are talking with a group; notice who is being talked over and whose voice is being smothered by a louder one. Every voice deserves to be heard. Sources: https://www.fastcompany.com/90401548/theres-a-gender-crisis-in-media-and-its-threatening-our-democracy https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2017/women-dominate-journalism-schools-but-newsrooms-are-still-a-different-story/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/625775/gender-news-reporitng-us/ https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/women-and-leadership-news-media-2020-evidence-ten-markets https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/03/25/male-journalists-dominate-the-news https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/30/asne-two-thirds-of-u-s-newspapers-employ-women-in-top-editing-jobs/ https://www.reliableplant.com/Read/9307/study-women-say-y-need-to-work-harder-than-men http://orlando.journalismconvention.org/ If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Vincent Bottaro Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, and if you aren’t heading on down to the Love Shack this February 14th, you may be feeling like love is dead. Well, here in Corvallis, there are a couple other places where things are dead, but you might still be able to see them. This set of hauntings will take you across town and back again. Be warned, some of them may be closer than you think. The list will increase in creepiness as we progress. The veil between worlds becomes thinnest at night, so beware of going to these places alone… First up on our local locations is the Corvallis Courthouse. I remember going there on a field trip with my class in 5th grade, and one of the other students asked if it was haunted. And the tour guide replied with the best answer, which was yes. She said that he was a good ghost, and that his name was George. He would move around the courthouse at night, when there were less people around. One security guard said they saw him standing in the basement once, and then he vanished. Most people agree that he lives up in the clocktower, as there are sometimes unexpected noises coming from up there. Occasionally, George also likes to play with the knobs on the radiators, and twists them during the night. The true history of George is not truly known, since the courthouse itself has a long history, and the truth is that George may not exist entirely, but that doesn’t stop the employees from bidding George a goodnight before heading home for the night. Next up is Cheldelin Middle School. Supposedly, a janitor died of a heart attack in the upper gym while cleaning. Some people say, if you go up there alone, you can still hear the jingling of their keys as they make their way up and down the staircase. Personally, I went to Cheldelin Middle School and never experienced this, but perhaps the jangling of keys got lost in the sound of my PE class heading up stairs. Believe it or not, our own cross-town rivals have a ghost of their own in the theater. During one of CHS’s productions, they left the trapdoor on the floor of the main stage open since there was going to be an orchestra down in the pit underneath and the conductor needed to see what was going on up onstage. An unfortunate custodian was sweeping the stage and not looking when they fell down, where they broke their neck. Now, whenever you visit the Pit, the creaks and moans you hear may not be the settling of the stage or the movement above, but possibly the spirit of an unfortunate soul, trapped in a high school, forever. Night hiking in McDonald Forest can be dangerous for more reasons besides encountering cougars and Bigfoot. It's said that about 150 years back, around the time of the founding of Corvallis itself, two kids went missing around this area in the Willamette Valley. Maybe they did encounter said cougars, maybe they just got lost in the woods, but either way, no one saw them again. Well, saw them again alive. People have reported seeing two children run across the paths, laughing, and then fading from view. The laughter of kids can be heard from ahead in trails, but there is no one there. One person reported simply just seeing a kid pointing. While these two don’t cause harm necessarily, they are more of just a mystery as to what happened to them and why they are still here, potentially leading travelers astray. The next story in this list brings us back to our own school, Crescent Valley! The auditorium is typically a huge empty space, perfect for ghosts to roam around in. A similar story to Cheldelin and CHS, with another janitor dying whilst cleaning the theater. Evidently being a custodian is a dangerous job here in Corvallis. Stories range on how their death occurred, from heart attacks to breaking their neck. But people say that this is a less-than-happy spirit. While on the stage and in the costuming room, some people report a feeling of being watched, from an entity not known to be sitting in the audience. It has been described as a cold and unwelcoming presence, and delivers a sense of unease to people in productions. Maybe we should offer them a job in the talent show. Oregon State University has its fair share of ghosts and hauntings, and are grounded in facts. First up is Mrs. Ida Kidder, who haunts Waldo Hall. She worked at the university as a librarian for a very long time, up until her death in 1920. After her death, people have reported seeing an apparition that looked similar to her looking out of the windows in Waldo Hall. She has also been known to occasionally show up in photos taken by students outside of there, so be on the lookout for any ghostly photobombers near Waldo Hall. Next up on the collegial collection of crazy encounters is Benton Hall, where many ghosts exist. Loud sounds are very common occurrences to come from rooms above you; footsteps in a seemingly empty hall, and items not being in the same spot where you left them have become facts of life while living in Benton Hall. There is no real urban legend as to how or why there are so many ghosts in this one location, so this could be a whole family of ghosts or simply one really active one. Here’s a not-so-fun fact for today: Ted Bundy abducted one of his victims from Sackett Hall here in OSU. Ted Bundy testified in court to murdering here, but wouldn’t reveal where the body was located. This sparked the urban legend that her body is stashed somewhere in the catacombs beneath Sackett. The catacombs themselves have an eerie vibe to them, even without the knowledge of Ted Bundy possibly stashing a body down here. Maybe you could round a corner and come face to face with an apparition. The final entry in this list is the most gruesome urban legend based around Corvallis. It involves a gate on abandoned property, and the death of a family. The legend says that the farmhouse was inhabited by a farmer and his family. One night, he eventually killed them all, in a variety of manners that seem to change with every rendition of the story. Either way, he killed them and then died out near the gate to the edge of his property. His spirit is supposedly more malevolent than others due to the nature of his death, and Ouija board sessions held at the aptly named Hell’s Gate have spooked more than one participants. Pictures have also shown the face of a woman appearing behind, so the spirit of the wife could haunt this place as well. Either way, if you do visit here, know that you may be unprepared for whatever happens next. The truth of the matter is that facts get intermixed with fiction—who's to say that all of these stories weren’t made up a while back just to spook their friends? Either way, the stories still stand. The power of the stories comes from belief. The real question is, just how many of them do you believe in? Those might just be the ones that come back to haunt you... Major sources/further reading: This OSU Daily Barometer Article and this Corvallis Advocate Article. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/space-x-first-all-civilian-commercial-flight/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-testing-kits-vending-machines/ - Rain Scarborough If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! By Kate Voltz (editorial) Waves of headlines have come and gone about the boy bands of the day. First it was Beatlemania. Then it was the “hysterical crowds” at Backstreet Boys concerts. For Gen Z, it was “One Direction hysteria” and BTS causing hysterical crowds. Hysteria. We hear it a lot in reference to boy bands and their “manic,” “obsessed,” “vapid” and “shallow” teenage female fans. Hysteria. The word “hysteria” is not like other words for obsession or fanaticism, which are usually applied to crowds and fans across genres and demographics. In fact, the word does not originate from a root that means “madness” or anything of the sort. Hysteria is derived from the Greek root hysteros, which means uterus. It was thought that only women could suffer this affliction, making them emotional, irrational, and unsuited for public life. And now, we see it applied to fans of boy bands, who, yes, are often teenage girls, as a derision of their taste and even ability to have taste at all. Everyone is entitled to their musical taste, and not everyone is going to like boy bands. That’s expected - plenty of people won’t like other genres too. But the particular vitriol directed at boy bands and their fans isn’t merely about taste or talent. It’s true that boy bands often don’t play instruments - but that’s true of many solo artists of other genres, and it’s in fact not universally true of boy bands either. Boy bands “not writing their own music” is also not a universal truth, as any fans of BTS or One Direction these days will happily tell you, and certainly isn’t unique to boy bands whatsoever. I spent an hour or so talking with Mrs. Leah Tomlin, the choir teacher for CHS who also teaches an online music appreciation class, about this idea on January 8th of this year. We discussed that boy bands are successful for many reasons: they can work with some of the best writers in the world, they’re charismatic, and they have talent, in vocals and in many cases in dance or other musical skills. She also described that many times, assumptions about the fans of an artist color people’s willingness to accept that music, comparing boy bands to many of the assumptions made about artists like Shawn Mendes: “‘Oh, well, only girls like them…’ and for some reason that means that that music isn’t worthwhile?” We talked about how, since music marketing has changed to become even more targeted to specific demographics, “men are less interested in boy bands.” Headlines about boy bands love to portray them as insipid and silly and their fans as obsessed, hysterical, shallow teenage girls. In fact, the whole discussion about what is considered a “boy band” at all belies the distinction: a Billboard article describes the Beatles as being a traditional “boy band” in the beginning and later becoming somehow less of one in their later years. They were the same men, playing the same instruments, but making a different style of music that catered to different interests as they grew. Mrs. Tomlin discussed this with me as well, describing that they transitioned from a boy band to a rock band with a fan base more in counterculture. In reality, all major artists or groups in the music industry are marketed towards a specific demographic, but boy bands are dismissed because of the one they largely cater to: teenage girls, who are stereotypically boy-crazy, silly, and emotional, and thus derided as not possibly being able to have a taste in music beyond their celebrity crushes. I’m writing this from the point of view of someone who likes boy band music, namely one in particular - shout out to my fellow Directioners. The main reason I say this is to ask you to check what you just thought when I said I like One Direction. Did you immediately think, “she likes them because they’re cute and they sing love songs”? Did you think, “ah, well, she’s a 16-year-old girl, of course she likes boy bands”? And above all, why did you jump to that conclusion? Boy bands are undoubtedly catered toward teenage girls; there’s no denying that. In the same way that heavy metal isn’t for everyone and neither is musical theatre, the music industry hits target demographics the same way fashion and toys and every other segment of the economy does. This is part of the trend of segmentation and being smart about marketing in capitalism overall, not evidence of a market divided between “crazy teenage girls” and “everyone else with good taste” in the music industry. From counterculture to country, there are niches to be filled, and boy bands hit one of those. However, their fans are portrayed as somehow “falling” for something, like a gimmick for teenage girls’ combination of hysteria and lack of taste. Hysteria. Nolan Feeney of The Atlantic describes this, saying “morning news hosts [marveled] at the mania surrounding the band, throwing out phrases like ‘One Direction fever’ or ‘One Direction hysteria’ as if a spike in hormones or an illness is solely to blame for the band’s multi-platinum success—something that happens to young girls, instead of something they choose.” Teenage girls face dual daunting opposition to their opinions being considered valid. They’re women, and they’re young. This is the very source of the saying “I’m not like other girls”: being like “other girls” is considered an insult, something you don’t want to be. “If girls were into One Direction, dresses, and high heels, I was into books, jeans, and sneakers,” writes Miranda More. Besides the flaws in this false dichotomy, it also illustrates part of the derision of boy bands. They’re what many mainstream teenage girls like - the target demographic. And liking them lumps you in with the girls that society deems airheaded, shallow and tasteless. Mrs. Tomlin also talked about this, and how many of the things teen girls enjoy turn into the butt of jokes. I know someone who used to hate One Direction but changed their mind later as they grew up; they’re not a super-fan, by any means, but they like some of their songs. I, myself, have felt the sense that somehow liking their music makes me less intelligent and more, well, girly, at least in the eyes of others, and in our society, “girly” isn’t often a compliment. Femininity in general leads to your interests and work being less valued. This is illustrated in the fact that, as the New York Times reported, the pay for fields drops when they transition from male-dominated to having more women. This is why fashion and makeup are connected with frivolity, why “chick flicks” are so called, why women in fandoms overall often face uphill battles, and why boy bands are considered by some as somehow less legitimate music. But teenage girls being fans of boy bands isn’t just being a part of a cult of handsome stars, despite what many think. “Anyone who's survived adolescence, works in an office, has a family or interacts with other humans knows how important it is to feel like you're part of something. When Beatles fans, Beliebers and One Directioners scream, they're just asking for that,” described Kate Leaver for VICE News. Teenage girls can be passionate, committed, and excited - and what they’re excited about shouldn’t be illegitimate as a thing because it’s associated with them. Alexandra Pollard of The Guardian describes this thus: “It’s high time we recognized that it’s not only men with extensive vinyl collections who are the bearers of good taste.” The Beatles. The Temptations. The Beach Boys. The Jackson 5. New Kids On The Block. *NSYNC. Backstreet Boys. One Direction. BTS. Boy bands have been around for decades. You don’t have to like them, or be a massive fan, or love their music. But respect the people who do. Yes, the people, not the girls, because it’s also not only teenage girls who like boy bands. Respect the people who like boy bands. Dr. Heidi Samuelson in her Medium article put it well: “I don’t like that little scoff that people give you when you tell them you like Harry Styles.” Boy band “hysteria” is part of being in a fandom, like any other fandom. And teenage girls who are fans of anything aren’t hysterical: they’re having fun and enjoying something, no differently than anyone else. Boy bands aren’t any more or less legitimate than any other structure or genre of music; it’s all about taste and marketing, and deriding those bands because their fans are primarily teenage girls is not only simply rude, it’s sexist and prejudiced. Overall, people often make assumptions from demographics that are often based in negative stereotypes, from rap and country to alternative and, yes, boy bands. Mrs. Tomlin emphasized how music has become divisive, rather than a medium without judgement and a way to experience our emotions and express who we are. To quote her, “Why are we putting artists in a box?” And, to that end, why are we putting their fans in a box? She put it well when she added, “It’s not hurting you… to say, wow, I just don’t like that [music]; I’m glad you like it.” So yeah, I like One Direction. Scratch that. I love One Direction. And that doesn’t make me shallow or hysterical. It makes me happy. In closing: as Harry Styles would say, “treat people with kindness.” And as One Direction put it, “let’s have another toast to the girl almighty.” Works Cited: Block, Melissa, host. The History And Meaning Of Boy Bands. Commentary by Frannie Kelley and Jason King, NPR, 11 July 2014, www.npr.org/transcripts/330685429. Choi, Stephanie. "Why Are BTS Fans Always Dismissed As ‘Hysterical Teenage Girls’?" Hello Asia, 21 June 2019, www.helloasia.com.au/news/why-are-bts-fans-always-dismissed-as-hysterical-teenage-girls/. "Concert of K-Pop Band ‘BTS’ Causes Hysteria in São Paulo." The Rio Times, 25 May 2019, riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-entertainment/music/concert-of-k-pop-band-bts-causes-hysteria-in-sao-paulo/. Espach, Allison. "What It Really Means When You Call a Woman ‘Hysterical.’" Vogue, 10 Mar. 2017, www.vogue.com/article/trump-women-hysteria-and-history. Feeney, Nolan. "Crazy Talk: How One Direction’s Movie Defends Boy Bands' Female Fans." The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2013, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/08/crazy-talk-how-one-direction-s-movie-defends-boy-bands-female-fans/279163/. Guillaume, Jenna. "In a world that dismisses teenage girls, BTS takes their fans seriously." Metro, 17 Jan. 2020, metro.co.uk/2020/01/17/bts-art-takes-fans-seriously-12074347/. Haruch, Steve. "One Direction, Unadulterated Joy, and Girl Worship: An Interview With Maria Sherman, Author of Larger Than Life." Musing, Parnassus Books, 31 July 2020, parnassusmusing.net/2020/07/31/one-direction-unadulterated-joy-and-girl-worship-an-interview-with-maria-sherman-author-of-larger-than-life/. The hyper‐fragmented world of music: Marketing considerations and revenue maximisation. Nielsen, Mar. 2011, www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/04/Nielsen-Fragmented-World-of-Music.pdf. Lancaster, Brodie. "Pop Music, Teenage Girls and the Legitimacy of Fandom." Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2015, pitchfork.com/thepitch/881-pop-music-teenage-girls-and-the-legitimacy-of-fandom/. Leaver, Kate. "How Teen Girls' Hysteria for Boy Bands Became an Unstoppable Force." VICE, 7 Mar. 2016, www.vice.com/en/article/kb4dp9/how-teen-girls-hysteria-for-boy-bands-became-an-unstoppable-force. Miller, Claire Cain. "As Women Take Over a Male-Dominated Field, the Pay Drops." The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/03/20/upshot/as-women-take-over-a-male-dominated-field-the-pay-drops.html. More, Miranda. "The Problem With Saying You’re ‘Not Like Other Girls.’" Medium, 19 June 2020, medium.com/write-like-a-girl/the-problem-with-saying-youre-not-like-other-girls-8ce0bf94d768. Nunn, Gary. "The feminisation of madness is crazy." The Guardian, 8 Mar. 2012, www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2012/mar/08/mind-your-language-feminisation-madness. Pollard, Alexandra. "Bands who bemoan their 'teenage girl' fans are missing the point of music." The Guardian, 15 Apr. 2016, www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/apr/15/bands-who-bemoan-their-teenage-girl-fans-are-missing-the-point-of-music. Samuelson, Heidi. "The Social Implications of Dismissing ‘Boy Bands.’" Medium, 6 May 2018, medium.com/@heidisamiam/the-social-implications-of-dismissing-boy-bands-d7d3a098b87e. Sigler, Gabriel. "Backstreet Boys brought the DNA tour to a hysterical crowd at Bell Centre." Bad Feeling Magazine, 16 July 2019, badfeelingmag.com/2019/07/16/backstreet-boys-brought-the-dna-tour-to-a-hysterical-crowd-at-bell-centre-photos/. Song, Sandra. "In Defense of Fangirls." Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2015, pitchfork.com/thepitch/719-in-defense-of-fangirls/. Thomas, Stephen Rötzsch. "Demographic Segmentation Defined with 5 Marketing Examples." Yieldify, 31 July 2020, www.yieldify.com/blog/demographic-segmentation-ecommerce-marketing/. Tomlin, Leah. Interview. Conducted by Kate Voltz, 8 Jan. 2021. Unterberger, Andrew, and Joe Lynch. "Are They a Boy Band or Not? Two Billboard Staffers Debate The Beatles, Brockhampton, 5 Seconds of Summer & More." Billboard, 23 Apr. 2018, www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8371548/boy-band-or-not-beatles-5-seconds-of-summer-debate. Author's Note: I know this seems to many like a "first world problem." But, in defense of this, we have to recognize that while national/higher-level news outlets will cover the big issues, we can discuss trends that affect people around us. The dismissal of teenage girls' opinions deeply matters to many students and members of the CV community, and that includes how we treat other people's taste in music. Beyond boy bands, this extends to all genres and tastes, and I hope that by writing this article and by your reading it, we can take steps toward greater acceptance of other people and artists and a more accepting society overall. If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! During what WAS my mundane winter break, I received a phone call from my childhood friend, Sakurako. We’ve known each other for quite some time. Like, our first meetup was when she came out of the womb. Was that TMI? Well, anywho… She lives in Japan, and I am stuck in a less cool version of her idea about America. So, the day after Christmas, I got that phone call from Sakurako saying that her friend, Kanon, was hosting an ‘International Zoom Party’. I was instructed to bring food from my country, to which I chose a day old hamburger from McDonald’s. Classic American meal. This Zoom call ended up being a small group of 6 that ended up greatly changing my perspective about COVID and education. To give context, there was Sakura and Kanon, two female students from a private high school in Japan; Laura, a senior, who lives in San Francisco; Yoga (his full name is Pranayoga) a sophomore from Indonesia; and Jiabao, a female college student in China. Everybody spoke English as a first or second language, with the exception of Yoga since he also studied Japanese in hopes of going to college there one day. Kanon, who arranged this meeting, had a set array of questions for us and our experiences with COVID. Before our interview started, all of us shared a brief presentation of our lives with pictures of our hobbies, school life, friends, etc. First Question: What is your school like? Immediately, somebody asked if we go to gender-separated schools. All but Laura and I were split up, boys and girls. Jiabao, who was really curious about American life, asked how Laura and I got the opportunity to be in these ‘extra’ classes. These ‘extra’ classes she was referring to were electives. It was so fascinating to the group that American students got the opportunity to choose a ‘fun class’ (in Yoga’s words) to take. Jiabao shared her experience that in her providence of China, students were required to take this one test that would pretty much determine their life after high school. She said that successful students will continue pursuing their career of choice, while others would dwindle on what their life would like next, all because of one, singular test. Meanwhile, Sakura and Kanon expressed how school was somewhat relaxed, but what really took up all their time was a paid, after-school tutoring course. Mind you, they already pay a fortune just for the private school alone. I shared about how school is somewhat hard, but colleges are more interested in people’s extracurriculars + academics, rather than just solely test grades. Second Question: What is your life like during COVID? I was super fascinated by Jiabao and her experience in China because she was attending school as normal, and COVID was monitored in a high-tech way that made me sorta jealous. Aside from the tracking and facial recognition that Americans have a negative view on, most of what Jiabao said was kinda cool. Jiabao explained how COVID is almost 100% tracked through their phones, often through the app called WeChat. While it is highly controversial, it does serve a vital purpose of protecting people from potential COVID risks. I got kinda fussy about how some Americans were still gathering in large groups, and yes, still partying. Jiabao and Yoga both said something on the lines of “Isn’t that scary? Knowing that somebody could potentially have COVID but you still risk your entire life just to go out?” Mind you, this interview took place before January 6th… Also, I wanted to note that I just recently got a message from Kanon, Sakura, and Jiabao about what was going on in Capitol Hill. They were all very sweet by sending me reassuring messages of hope and safety within my family and friends. Last Question: What is or were your hopes for the future? This one kinda hit all of us hard. Yoga, as I mentioned earlier, has his heart set out on coming to Japan one day. He’s actually more fluent in Japanese than I thought, which he credits to countless hours of anime. Kanon is mostly set on graduating and in the meantime, planning to host more international Zoom parties. Laura says she is worried about not being able to take SATs and enjoying her last year in high school. But, Laura was still optimistic and said she is happy with the people in her life and appreciates her teachers more than anything. Jiabao said if it wasn’t for COVID, she would have traveled to America and sightsee places she saw on TV. For Sakura, well, ever since we were kids, she always said she wants to go to college in the US. She desires to come visit Crescent Valley and live at least a week’s worth of life as an American high-schooler. Sakura mentioned how she and I always aspired to one day recreate all the pictures our moms took when they were our age… That definitely hurt to hear, since our chances of seeing each other again in person seem slim. I think the most valuable lesson I learned was although COVID blocked all of our passions in life, it has opened a new wave of opportunities to connect with one another. Although this pandemic, let alone the past year has sucked, I would have never gotten to speak with some of these people, had we not all shared the commonality of being stuck at home. Now, I can officially say I had a pretty cool winter break experience like no other. - Maria Fuller If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! Book of the Month: Graceling by Kristin Cashore There’s a lot of young adult books centering around “a girl with powers.” Wow. How quirky and original, I can hear you saying. But Graceling is the example of why that structure works, an example of how self-discovery, trust, and commitment can change the course of the future and, along with its companion sequel Bitterblue, a powerful analogy of the danger in a leader who can lie and be believed. I highly recommend this book, especially if you liked the Hunger Games series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, or characters like Annabeth Chase or Reyna Ramírez-Arellano from the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series. Overall, though, the world building in this book and in its prequel/sequels (Fire and Bitterblue) are incredible. They have inspired me greatly in fiction writing and in life overall, and they’ll make you grin, laugh, possibly cry, and definitely want to keep reading. Jokes of the Month: What do you call a can opener that doesn’t work? A can’t opener. If you get cold, just go and stand in a corner. They’re usually 90 degrees. Knock knock. Who’s there? Nobel. Nobel who? Nobel. That’s why I knocked. Quotes of the Month: “It seemed funny to me that the sunset she saw from her patio and the one I saw from the back steps was the same one. Maybe the two different worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset.” ― S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” ― Neil Gaiman, Coraline - Kate Voltz If you want to write for the Crescent Crier, we would love to see you at one of our virtual meetings, which are every Wednesday at 1:30pm! To come to a meeting, fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TrQ5PqFcDqeE2yiB9, and we’ll send you a link ASAP. If you would like to submit a single article - or anything else like creative writing, an opinion, an art piece, photo or photo series, or something else entirely - then you can do that using this form: https://forms.gle/WAHSoWJuVwK3q5du6. If you want to contact us for any reason, you can email
[email protected]. Thanks for reading! |