SETAREH JALALI - CLASS OF 2016 April 24th marked an incredible day for the transgender community when, after 65 years of struggling with gender dysphoria, Bruce Jenner officially came out to the world as a transgender woman in an exclusive interview with Diane Sawyer. Jenner, who is currently requesting the male pronouns of he/him, stated, “For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman.”
Comments
SETAREH JALALI - CLASS OF 2016 On February 10, 2015, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were killed in their home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The alleged shooter, their neighbor, Craig Stephen Hicks, has now been indicted on three counts of first-degree murder. Though news outlets have stated that the shooting was over a parking spot conflict, many, including the victims’ families, feel sure that this was a religion-based hate crime (the victims were Palestinian and Syrian Muslims). Most agree that claiming that it was simply a parking conflict is seen as disrespectful to the memories of these three incredibly talented young people. GINA PARDI - CLASS OF 2016 We have all heard it before. The much feared “F-Bomb.” Everyone has said it at least once in their lives, yet most are afraid to say the f-bomb in front of others. They fear if they say it, their friends and peers will view them negatively. They fear that people will judge them for saying it, and that any utterance of the word will result in them being scorned and ridiculed. What is this “f-bomb,” you ask? The word “feminism.” TANNER LESLIE & ISABEL WOLFE - CLASS OF 2015 So we get it, Fall Fest has been rough these last few years, and the minority matters in a public school system. As a result of these concerns, this year FHS students went through what you might call a roller coaster when it came to Fall Fest. At first, Fall Fest was confirmed for a date in October. Then came rumors of cancellation. Then rumors of the date moving to around Thanksgiving. Finally, the confirmation of the December 19th date was announced and it fell on half-deaf upperclassmen ears. Some pretty significant changes were put in place this year, seemingly as a compromise, and we know seniors and underclassmen alike are grateful for our student governments, who worked so diligently to keep this tradition going. However, reflecting on this year’s “Winter Fest,” we think most would agree - it was a failure, and this makes us sad. This is disappointing because opponents of this tradition come out with a win and ammunition. They might say, “See, students barely cared” or “The day was a waste; almost everyone left halfway through.” These statements are false. Organizational mistakes, in combination with a bitter student body, made Winter Fest a lackluster event. Because the administration did not sufficiently prepare in advance, here are some early pointers on what to do right next time, so Fall Fest can continue to be the spirited and fun event it always was. EMMA WALSH - CLASS OF 2016 Freedom of speech is a concept that has recently been discussed immensely worldwide. Every person on this earth has a right to their own thoughts, creations, and viewpoints. This notion was put into question on January 7th at 11:30 am, Central European time, in Paris, France when two masked gunmen violently made their way into the offices of a local satirical newspaper called “Charlie Hebdo.” During this forceful intrusion, 50 shots were fired as the phrase “Allahu Akbar” was shouted, Arabic for “God is Great.” This terror attack cost twelve people their lives, including the newspaper’s editor, Stéphane Charb. On January 9, two days after the initial attack, another situation occurred when Amedy Coulibaly, a 32-year-old man, started shooting in Hyper Casher, a kosher grocery market in Porte de Vincennes, France. During this event several hostages were held in the freezer of the market and four were killed. IZZY GOLDBERG - CLASS OF 2017 Hanukkah. Also spelled Chanukah. Whatever floats your boat. It’s very obvious that in America, Christmas is one of, if not the most, celebrated holidays of the year. This is mostly because 77% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Hanukkah is celebrated around the same time of year by the 1.8% of Americans who identify themselves as Jewish. Hanukkah doesn’t have any specials on television like Charlie Brown’s Christmas, but most people are familiar with the well-known Hanukkah Song by Adam Sandler in which we all learn about famous jews such as David Lee Roth, Kirk Douglas, all three stooges, and Harrison Ford (a quarter jewish). Not too shabby, as Sandler reminds us. Although Hanukkah can be one of the most fun Jewish holidays, the truth is, Hanukkah is not the most important holiday that Jews celebrate. THOMAS HISCOCK - CLASS OF 2018 Terror is ubiquitous in our world. Humans, predators, prey – fear is known to all of us. Some fears are built on myth and nonsense. For example, the dark is notorious for inspiring bad thoughts, but can the dark really hurt you? No. However, there is a growing modern threat that potentially can. That threat is the “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS), also referred to as the “Islamic State of Iraq and Levant,” (ISIL). Levant is another word for the Eastern Mediterranean. SARAH CALDWELL - CLASS OF 2015 Remember the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? How you couldn’t turn on the news without hearing about it, and how Facebook saw more action in one month than it had in the past year? And remember how it died off just as quickly as it started, controversy spiking over “droughts” in California and questions of where the money was really going? However you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge—awesome, annoying, or just a good way to cool off in the summer—the goal was accomplished: to make people remember ALS. EMMA WALSH - CLASS OF 2016 Well, the year has finally come. We have all hoped its arrival would never reach us, but it was inevitable. This year Falmouth High School’s freshmen class is the first to have many students born in the year of 2000. No longer can everyone in the high school be referred to as a "90s kid," even though we are all just on the cusp. ANNIE GOTT - CLASS OF 2016 Ebola is a very serious problem. The World Health Organization went as far as to say it is the "most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times”. If the outbreak is not controlled soon, 1.4 million could be infected by January. But does that mean it will be a massive pandemic for the United States? Not anytime soon, and there are a few key reasons why. JACEE COX - CLASS OF 2017 Listen up, Falmouth – changes are coming! Well, sort of. GINA PARDI - CLASS OF 2016 Over the summer, the Falmouth Schools system underwent numerous changes. Perhaps the biggest change of all was the new superintendent, Geoff Bruno. I recently sat down with Mr. Bruno to hear about his background, his transition to Falmouth, and his opinions and advice. |