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!
0 Comments
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! |