Thursday, February 1, 2018

Class of 2018 outraged over Graduation Gowns

Sydney Garvin, Sabrina Bilotta, and Sam Kolen
Staff Writers

There has been debate over a recent decision to change the tradition of wearing white and blue gowns to all blue gowns at graduation this June for the Senior Class of 2018, specifically amongst girls.
  This recent news has made many students upset, has caused the Class of 2018 officers and advisors to write a letter explaining the decisions made. The letter clearly states that the reasoning for the change in gown color is to show class unity being that this will be the last time they would all be together. Secondly, white is not necessarily one of our school colors. Even though most sports teams have a white jersey, official school colors have always been blue and gold. The graduating class should represent the school by wearing blue and gold. In addition, advisors and officers wish to continue the trend that has begun in most of Bucks County. With increasing awareness of gender equality, this trend is aimed at creating one unified student body regardless of gender identity. Lastly, wearing all blue gowns will return to New Hope tradition. The advisors claim “with many new changes in our high school this is one thing that we can hold onto.” This brought up controversy among the Class of 2018.
  Though this letter presented many valid points, the main part at which the students focused on was the closing paragraph where officers and advisors exclaimed “If [students] have any further opinions that [they] would like to express, [advisors] would love to hear them. [They] are more than willing to put them into consideration”. Students of the senior class definitely took advantage of their offer.
  Some students even went as far as getting together and creating a letter to the administration explaining their reasoning and expressing their disappointment. Although only two known people did this, other students who were passionate about this color switch were voicing their opinions through social media, like Instagram and Snapchat. This tactic was not knowingly seen by any administration, but it circulated through the grade quickly.
  In a similar fashion to the letter that officers and advisors had created, this student letter gave explicit points for why they feel the recent tradition, for at least a decade, should remain the same. The letter stated that during graduation pictures taken in the summer, girls were dressed in white gowns. Students have already paid for these pictures and sent them out to relatives. Secondly, some students have an older sibling’s gown that they had been planning on using and now have to spend money to get a new one. In addition, the students explained that gowns are not gender specific so that students are allowed to choose whichever color they feel appropriate. While traditionally boys have not chosen to wear white, they still have the option to. Lastly, many girls have expressed their concerns decorating a blue cap. Blue clashes with many college colors, and white would allow for a blank canvas.
  In conclusion to this letter, the senior class was granted a class vote on the issue. They finally were able to do so on Canvas on Jan. 17. Results from this vote were revealed on Jan. 24. After the Class of 2018 waited anxiously to determine what color they will wear on June 14, it was announced that students will have the option to dress in white or blue caps and gowns.

Inspiration for Rosie the Riveter Dies at 96

Caroline Donado
Staff Writer

The woman responsible for empowering women nationwide with her factory worker’s jumpsuit and polka-dot bandana, passed away Saturday, Jan. 20.
  Naomi Parker-Fraley, while attending a women war workers reunion, saw the photograph on display that inspired the famous Rosie the Riveter poster and immediately recognized the depicted woman as herself. “I couldn’t believe it. I knew it was actually me in the photo,” Fraley told the Oakland Tribune. However, the journey to prove that Fraley was actually the woman in the picture was a struggle. It wasn’t until 2015 that she was recognized as the inspiration for Rosie the Riveter. Dedicated scholar, James J. Kimble, spent six years in search of the real Rosie, finally coming across the original picture in a 1942 newspaper on eBay, containing the caption: “Pretty Naomi Parker looks like she might catch her nose in the turret lathe she is operating.” She was overjoyed at the confirmation and when asked for her sentiments by the World Herald, Fraley exclaimed: “Victory!”
  The Rosie the Riveter poster displays a woman in the typical garb of women factory workers, her hair tied up in a polka dot bandana to avoid getting it caught in machinery. The poster proclaimed “We can do it!” to the women who worked in the Westinghouse Electric Corp. factories during World War II. While it is often thought that the image was a national symbol at the time, it was, in fact, only displayed in that factory and for a short time in 1943. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the poster resurfaced and became a widespread symbol of girl power. Kimble explains to the Omaha World-Herald, “It turns out that almost everything we think about Rosie the Riveter is wrong.”
  Today, the poster serves to honor the hard-working women of World War II and inspire feminists across the country. Fraley is proud of this fact and told People magazine, “The women of this country these days need some icons. If they think I’m one, I’m happy.”


Terror strikes Kentucky

Matthew Bracco & Charles Bray
Staff Writers

Benton, Kentucky, a normal high school morning, kids roaming the halls and talking with friends, waiting for the starting bell to ring. At approximately 8:00 AM that morning, the fun was shattered as students began to hear gunshots ring throughout Marshall County High School. To some it sounded like a balloon popping, to others, footsteps, little did they know of the reality of the noise.
  There was a moment of silence after the first shot, said senior Matt Ray. Then another shot, and people started to realize what was happening. An unnamed student had brought a handgun into school, opening fire, injuring 16 people, two of which killed.
  The 15-year-old shooter faces charges of murder and first-degree assault and is expected to be tried as an adult. As the gunshots continued, students scurried around the school looking for any sort of cover or escape from the sudden terror. Students escaped the building, some running down the street to a dentist office or a McDonald's, others hopping into strangers’ cars and asking them to drive away. "I could see, adjacent to the high school, the parking lot, and all the chaos there as everyone was running," Ray said, "and some people were trying to escape by trying to drive away really quickly."
  The shooter was apprehended by Marshall County Deputies at 8:06 AM. Sophomore Bailey Nicole Holt, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Marshall County coroner. Preston Ryan Cope, 15, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, according to Kentucky State Police spokesman Jody Cash.
  In times of terror, communities seem to come together to aid each other in whatever way they can. Seeing the commission of an act like this made the people of Marshall County ponder as to what the shooter's motive was, while also bringing them together like never before, but we all hope to never witness an act of such cruelty in years to come.