Viking Voice September 2020 The VIKing voice

Staff LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Lily Sweeney - Editor in Chief Patrick Knapp - Advisor Aiden Strojny - Marketing Coordinator This month, the staff and I tried a few new things to boost creativity and time efficiency. One of these tac- Levi Unkefer - Photographer tics was the introduction of columns. Columns are noth- Jacob Anschutz - Layout and Design ing new to the Viking Voice, but the concept is relatively Makena Murre - Editor new to this year’s staff since we decided to keep it simple to start during quarantine. Some of these columns are Adela Tesnow - Editor articles we’ve always done and recently assigned a col- Betsy Lecy - Editor umnist and some are entirely new. Our latest addition is the History Column in the News section, written by Theo Goode - Editor Columnist Makenize Koehler and edited by News Editor Helen McCormack - Featured Columnist Betsy Lecy. I personally have always found history to Makenize Koehler - Featured Columnist be one of the more fruitful subjects to study and it ap- pealed to the staff and I to include brief history lessons Colleen Carlisle - Featured Columnist in each of our issues, dependent on the events occuring Hayden Reetz - Staff Writer at the time of publication. This month, Mackenize cov- ered a history of Thanksgiving celebrations in the United Olivia Finck - Staff Writer States as well as similar traditions across the globe. This Todd Tesnow - Staff Writer column has given us the opportunity as writers to ac- Cora Carriere - Staff Writer knowledge our historical faults and encourage our read- ers to act with us to prevent them from recurring. This Thanksgiving, I personally recommend staying home and reading A People’s History of the United States. MISSION STATEMENT What better way to express gratitude than to express a desire to self-educate? To provide a news source, forum, and voice for the students of Gibral- Safe celebrating, Lily Sweeney tar and the community. Viking Voice September 2020 NEWS Looking Back: A History of Giving Thanks Around the World BY MAKENIZE KOEHLER

he United States celebrates coming together to be with others. the coast of Ghana. When they ar- God gave the Jewish people when Thanksgiving by giving thanks In addition, it includes giving gifts to rived, they realized that there was no they left Egypt for Israel. In addition, Tfor blessings from the past family or friends, such as fruit, items food, rich soil, and it hadn't rained every meal is eaten and time is spent year. Americans often associate for the coming year, or Spam, which for many days. So, when it finally did in sukkahs, which are open-ceiling, Thanksgiving with the feast between is the most common gift. Similar to rain, there was a huge harvest. They wooden booths that relate to how the the newly traveled settlers from En- Thanksgiving in America, there are celebrated with food and noise. This Jewish people lived while traveling to gland and the native tribe of Wampa- also traditional foods such as song- correlates with the name “Homowo” Israel. Throughout the seven days of noag. When the settlers first arrived pyeon, which is a type of rice cake. which means hooting at hunger. To- Sukkot, people recite prayers, spend at Plymouth, many people died from The songpyeons are made by families day, Ghana’s capital Accra enforces time with family and recognize what the harsh winter. However, in the the night before Chuseok, which a ban on any noise and fishing for they’re thankful for. spring the settlers met a Massasoit symbolizes the importance of family a month to remember the people man named Squanto. He graciously in Korean culture. The dough of the who died and the low supply of food. Malaysia translated conversations between the songpyeons are created from finely The celebration is complemented by The Kaamatan harvest festival is settlers and the Native Americans ground rice and are filled with many traditional dishes including kpokpoi, observed in Sabah, Malaysia by the and taught the settlers how to plant things including chestnuts, sesame which is made from cornmeal and Kadazan-Dusuns people in May. corn and hunt fish and beaver. There seeds and red beans. Then they form served with palm nut soup. The Kadazandusun communities see in Plymouth, the year 1621, the set- them into small balls. rice as a crucial part of the celebra- tlers and the Wampanoag tribe feast- Israel tion, as it is the main ingredient for ed on wild game, fruits and vegeta- Liberia Sukkot or the Feast of the Taberna- many dishes and is created into rice bles such as blueberries, cranberries, The first Thursday in November cles is Israel’s Thanksgiving that cel- wine for people to drink. During corn and carrots and much seafood. marks Thanksgiving in Liberia. Now, ebrates food and life. On the fifteenth the month-long festival, many The camaraderie between the Massa- one might wonder how an American day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, rituals are performed. The liveliest soit tribe and the European settlers holiday came to an African country. the seven-day celebration begins. is the final ceremony, which is the was unsettling for most other Native Liberia’s history began in 1822 for This version of America’s Thanksgiv- Humabot ceremony. It is filled with American tribes, but it is the reason freed slaves who wanted the freedom ing is certainly the most religious; it many traditional games, songs, and Thanksgiving is often misperceived and equality that they hoped the is associated with the protection that dances. as a “peaceful” holiday. In spite of United States could give. Presi- the gruesome colonization history, dent James Monroe supported the Thanksgiving has been somewhat creation of Liberia. To honor him, redefined simply as a time to be some of the freed slaves decided to grateful and acknowledge historical celebrate some of America’s tradi- faults. Many Americans don’t realize tions including Thanksgiving. Libe- that even though Thanksgiving is a ria’s version of Thanksgiving adds national holiday for North America, families gathered to eat chicken, many other cultures have similar green bean casserole and a mashed holidays to give thanks. potato-like food called mashed cassa- vas. In addition, Liberia’s culture gives each dish multiple seasonings South Korea and spices. In South Korea there is a holiday called Chuseok or Hangwi. This Ghana is held on the fifteenth day of the In order to remember the Ga tribe’s eighth month of the lunar calen- famine long ago, Ghanaians celebrate dar. Chuseok is about celebrating the Homowo festival. The legend the full moon during harvest and begins with the Ga tribe arriving on Experimental COVID-19 Vaccines OP-ED: Should Colleges Found to be Effective Require Standardized Tests BY COLLEEN CARLISLE During/After COVID-19? n Nov. 9 the Pfizer and BioNTech it were available right now. On the other BY THEO GOODE companies issued a press release hand, the other 49% said they would defi- Oannouncing the success of an nitely not get vaccinated at this time. ith all of the problems that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, one experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Days of the overlooked but very important ones is student performance. later, the company Moderna did the There are many concerns about the Virtual learning is designed to keep students and teachers safe but has same. The Pfizer vaccine is estimated to vaccine development process. 78% of Whad nationwide effects on test scores and grades. Colleges including be 90% effective. Moderna places their Americans are concerned that the vaccine Harvard and Cornell are waiving their standardized test requirements for 2021 success rate at 94.5%. Both vaccines use approval process is moving too quickly applicants, but it could be said that those tests are needed now more than ever. mRNA, which is an anomaly in the world without establishing safety. The other Teachers are dealing with students who are unmotivated and isolated, which of vaccines. While most vaccines contain 22% think that the process of developing is leading to more missing work and poor grade reports. There are also schools mild doses of the virus, mRNA vaccines and producing the vaccine is moving too with students that have little or no access to technology. These schools can’t be inject mRNA which develop to recreate slowly. expected to fail students simply because they can’t attend virtual classes. On the the virus’s proteins in the body. other hand, students that do have good internet and technology access have un- With regards to the development of a vac- limited resources and can cheat with untrackable ease. Standardized tests provide As the treacherous year of 2020 comes cine, these are developing quite quickly as a way around this issue by creating a measure of what students really know, and to an end, the discovery of the vaccines compared to past pandemics. Typically, colleges can run off of those scores instead of faulty grades. have offered a ray of hope concerning the a vaccine takes years to develop because One of the reasons standardized tests are important is because the scores create a Coronavirus. Since March, the deadly of all the testing and research that goes baseline for colleges to compare students across the country. Even though the stu- virus has circled the United States, killing into it. The first COVID-19 vaccine was dents may have taken the same classes, the lesson plan and curriculum might be hundreds of thousands of people. Scien- developed in seven months and is in the just different enough to make the contents of a test needed for comparison. And tists have devoted hours every day this approval process as of November. Con- with COVID-19 creating troubles for grading, these tests are even more important past year to eventually find a vaccine and sidering how fast this virus took over the for establishing a standard. However, standardized tests are not the perfect way to antibodies. As of November, two of these world, a vaccine being developed so early measure academic achievement and potential because they don’t work in every- vaccines await approval by the FDA. on is cause for a sigh of relief. The first one’s favor. Some students might have very good grades but are poor test takers doses of the new vaccine are expected to and that could affect their chances of getting into certain colleges. On the other The public has shown mixed opinions be taken before the end of 2020. With hand, a student might not be the best in classes and needs the standardized test to towards a possible vaccine. Many Amer- medical professionals working together show their potential and what they know. icans expressed doubts about how safe with the US government to distribute the Whether or not colleges should waive standardized test scores during and effective a vaccine would be. In a poll vaccine, there is finally a light at the end COVID-19 should be up to the colleges and universities, but with national strug- done by the Pew Research Center 51% of of this long, dark and virus-filled tunnel. gles with virtual learning these tests might be the only opportunity for colleges American adults said they would definite- to fairly compare students. Standardized testing might not be the most effective ly get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 if way of determining student ability, but in the midst of a pandemic that is skewing grades and academic performance, they might be needed more than ever. Viking Voice September 2020 NEWS Door County Students on the Campaign TraiL BY LILY SWEENEY n the lead-up to the 2020 election a group of Door and Kewaunee County area stu- tion will implement a secure and effective COVID-19 plan as soon as they are in office. dents banded together to host phone banking sessions. This was done in collaboration with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in an effort to encourage potential voters to VV: How big of an impact does the voice of local teens have in a presidential election? I do their part. A few members of the Viking Voice staff had the pleasure of working with this group on the campaign trail. The Viking Voice reached out to two essential vol- MG: As years go by, younger and younger generations of American teenagers join expo- unteers to get their perspectives: Miranda Gregory (Campus Captain Sturgeon Bay High nentially into politics. It all comes down to a simple answer: your impact is directly cor- School) and Lizzie Meier (Campus Captain Kewaunee County High School). related to the amount of energy and effort you put into it. Even though many members of Generation Z can not vote, we can still make a difference through the power of our voice. VV: How did you hear about the DPW youth phone banks? LM: I think that local teens can have a huge voice in presidential elections, especially by MG: I had a friend who was involved in the local Democratic Party scene - her name is helping their friends and classmates who are eligible to vote register and emphasizing that Georgia Feldman. I was invited to a virtual call regarding information about grassroot lev- every vote counts. el politics when Alexander Teodorescu (DPW Deputy Youth Organizing Director) popped in and the rest is history. VV: Would you encourage more young people to be involved in future elections?

LM: I first heard about the phone banks through a friend who was the captain of another MG: Is this a trick question? Of course! These are our futures we are fighting for. It is school in the area. only right to take action that molds it into the best reality we can manage. These decisions made today will affect us all tomorrow. VV: What motivated you to volunteer? LM: Yes! It’s actually quite fun and it’s rewarding to see how much of an impact you can MG: I posed myself the following question: “once the election is over and the results are make. not to my liking, will I regret not volunteering?” The answer was absolutely yes. At least if I volunteered, I would know I’ve done everything I could.

LM: I was motivated to volunteer because I knew how important Wisconsin would be in the election and I wanted to be a part of the action in making a difference.

VV: What made this election important to you?

MG: This election was incredibly important to me for many reasons, but the main reason by far was to protect the fundamental Democratic principles and processes that the Trump Administration was sure to destroy if reelected.

LM: The federal government needs to initiate a national plan for handling COVID-19 and it was clear that the Trump Administration had no such intentions. It is so important that we have competent leadership in times such as these. I hope that the Biden Administra- EntErtainment 2020 Car Ride Playlist BY COLLEEN CARLISLE “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bie- ber

This song just recently came out and is already a hit. The lyrics are about the pressure of being put on a pedestal by the world. “Never Be Like You” by Flume feat. Kai (ex- Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes are very popular artists with a plicit) lot of public pressure put on them and this song shows a snip- This is the perfect song to listen to while driving through the city pet of the emotions they feel. The song is also relatable to teens at night. The lyrics are about a relationship between two people. because of the pressure from the world and the need to look and Even though it may not be relatable to every listener, it is a very act perfect all of the time. This is a good song to listen to in the interesting song to listen to because of the way the vocals and car because it is mellow and freeing when related personally. bass are utilized. For me, this song brings back a lot of memo- ries from when I was younger because I would listen to it all the “Sofia” by Clairo time. I associate it with a happy feeling, which makes the song even better. This song is a really good one to blast in the car with friends at night because it is so hopeful and calming. This song is meant to “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake be empowering because it is about Clairo’s sexuality and the idea “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake was released in 2013 and quick- that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It is supposed ly became a worldwide hit. Recently, this song has blown up all to give the listeners a happy feeling and reassurance that it is over Tik Tok which is a social media platform that allows users okay to be whoever you want. to create 60-second videos of any topic. Short clips of kids sing- ing and blasting this song in a car with all of the windows down “Made to Fall in Love” by Daniel Caesar have become popular because of the alleged burst of serotonin Thanksgiving is approaching very quickly, so in favor of the kids are getting when they sing this song out loud. This song season, this song gives off very strong autumn vibes. This song would be a good car ride song because it reminds kids of good is Caribbean- inspired with staccato guitar chords and a sinking memories and assures them even better ones are to come. baseline that also gives it a reggae vibe. It is very calming and chill which makes it such a good song to listen to while dozing off on a long car ride. Daniel Caesar has an incredibly unique voice. Most of his songs are very soothing to listen to so quite frankly any one of his songs would be a great option for a car ride. Viking Voice September 2020 SPORTS _AND _LIFESTYLE UW Study Finds Highschool Sports Don’t Lead to Corona Increase BY BETSY LECY

new study from the University of ed the virus, only one was correlated consin. The body’s Board of Control trated and depressed with the lack of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that with the participation in sports. decided to allow fall sports to continue competition. Verona High School girls the state’s high school sports have in August but established an alternative basketball coach Angie Murphy told Anot caused an increase in COVID-19 All of the surveyed schools developed spring season for districts that were the Wisconsin State Journal that she cases among student athletes. The UW a set plan to reduce the spread of the still uncomfortable to play in the fall. doesn’t appreciate why some schools School of Medicine and Public Health virus, including observing for any pos- As a result, 70% of the state’s football proceed to compete while others disclosed the study on Oct. 23. Re- sible symptoms, checking temperatures programs decided to play in the fall. cannot. “That part is hard to swallow,” searchers led by Dr. Andrew Watson at home and at school, masks for staff The Badger Conference and the Big she said. “People underestimate the observed 207 schools that reopened and athletes, social distancing, stag- Eight over the last month have decided importance of athletics for those who fall sports in September, accounting gered arrival and departure times and to cancel all winter sport competitions, are really involved in sports… Academ- for more than 30,000 athletes, 16,000 an increased facility cleaning. Athletic but have allowed teams to pursue non ics are really important, but athletics practices and 4,000 games. The survey directors were said to have credited conference opponents. The Madison are up there to me, especially for girls. uncovered that 271 athletes developed their success entirely to the student Metropolitan School District declared These kids don’t have the outlet they the virus overall in comparison to 2,318 athletes. “I think the safety protocols that it will not allow any winter athlet- normally have.” children in Wisconsin from the ages that were put in place and followed by ics programming to be held through of 14 to 17 in September. None of the kids and coaches really really helped,” at least Jan. 24th. Additionally, Dane Although there’s mixed reactions to sports were found to have a higher inci- said Stevens Point athletic director County officials have banned competi- the state’s mandates, the new study dence rate of the virus and none of the Michael Blair. tions for medium and high risk sports. seems promising to many. The results cases among the athletes resulted in are inspiring, but there are still many hospitalization or death. Amid the 209 The WIAA cancelled spring sports As a result of the outlawed athletics, challenges to overcome and work to do athletes who knew where they contract- statewide as the virus raged in Wis- coaches and athletes alike are frus- as winter sports begin.

Monthly Motivation with Abbey Fitzgerald BY HELEN MCCORMACK

bbey Fitzgerald is a senior student athlete who How to Stay Motivated has accomplished a lot on the sports teams she “Obviously working out was initially motivation but has been a part of as well as staying active outside now I honestly don't rely on motivation, because my Aof the sports seasons. The Viking Voice sought out mood is so unpredictable I don't like it controlling ev- her wisdom and tips for anyone who finds themselves erything. I've just made working out a habit so I can unmotivated to work out. count on myself to do it no matter how I'm feeling.” What to do When there Isn’t Motivation Favorite Workout “When I don't want to go work out I just try not to “My favorite type of workout is strength training, or think about it and focus on how good it will feel once any workout involving weights. It's fun because you I'm done.” can really see your improvement and continue to go up in weight so it never gets boring.” How to Improve Motivation “I would recommend trying a bunch of different Workout Routine kinds of workouts so you can find what is best for “For a typical workout I usually start with abs or any you. It is also nice having a friend to workout with exercises that don't require weights. Next I do some and to help you stay motivated - shout out Molly sort of weight circuit or a certain amount of sets of McCormack.” one exercise. Some days I don't use weights and I will just run.”

OP-ED: Should the Voting Age be Lowered? BY BETSY LECY he numbers of young people who have come forward to fight for a between the ages of 18 and 24 have the lowest voter turnout rate in the better world are growing exponentially. After the mass shooting at United States, permitting people to vote at an earlier age at which they a high school in Parkland, Florida, students gathered to campaign are more likely to vote could increase turnouts in future elections for all Tfor changes to US gun laws. These students challenged the stereotype of ages. American adolescents as languid narcissists who can’t seem to put down their smartphones. Instead, they set a meaningful example of peaceful, Furthermore, research proves that 16 and 17 year-olds have the nec- expressive protest. Sadly, when it comes to electing officials whose de- essary civics knowledge and education to vote in a sensible manner. A cisions determine the US gun laws and other issues, these students are study compared the qualities correlated with voting (including civics feeling useless. This needs to change to ensure that their protests have knowledge, political skills and interest) among citizens 18 or older and a greater impact. The federal voting age in the United States should be citizens below 18. No significant differences were found between the lowered from 18 to 16. two age groups. Additionally, determining how to vote relies on “cold cognition” which is the process used to describe information processing Consider the multiple countries like Argentina, Austria, Brazil and Scot- that does not have a direct impact on emotional responses. Research land who all allow people to vote at the age of 16. In these countries, the states that cold cognition matures by the age of 16 and does not advance voter turnout rate among 16 and 17 year-olds is notably higher than it is as one gets older. among older young adults. Similarly, this is also relevant in parts of the United States. In Takoma The proposition to lower the federal voting age to 16 is influenced in Park, Maryland, residents as young as 16 are permitted to cast ballots in part by society’s outrage that those who are most vulnerable to school municipal elections. As a result, the age group of 16 and 17 year-olds is shootings have no say in how such cruelties are prevented. America twice as likely to vote than 18 year-olds.A should provide these students with more power than just their freedom of voice. A higher voter turnout is essential in 16 and 17 year-olds. Studies state that those who don’t vote the first time they’re eligible are less likely to vote repeatedly in the future. Taking into consideration that people Viking Voice September 2020 SPORTS _AND _LIFESTYLE Why Sports TV Ratings are Down in the US BY HAYDEN REETZ

mong the many American tradi- could be that the combination of emp- or increased their viewership. beginning to “unplug” and step out- tions and hobbies that have been ty stands, strange timing and shorter side of the walls that have supported cancelled or reformed in 2020, seasons was just another reminder of A more likely factor is that many the growth of sports for decades. An Athe pastime that stands out the most the craziness of 2020. sports leagues, rather than having en- “unplug” trend has also arisen in in news is sports. Millions of fans tire seasons to themselves, now faced correlation with our current situation. across the world who have watched It seems that never before have the reality of sharing fall. In previous More people are simply watching less their favorite teams compete were re- politics been such a prominent part years, the NBA and NHL had spring television and are refraining from luctantly forced to find another way to of American lives. It is not unlikely all to themselves while the MLB had screens in general. Total viewership pass time as the Coronavirus claimed that the drop in viewership in sports summer and the NFL had fall. Now, across television has dropped by about yet another small piece of domestic is correlated with the sudden sever- each league has to face the new reality 10% this past year, a very significant livelihood. With the craving for sports ity of politics. As the election came of not only competing within them- number in an age where technology combined with the number of fans around the corner, more people found selves but also competing with com- has exploded and viewing television who would not be viewing the games themselves resorting to news channels pletely different sports for air time. has never been so easy. from their usual spot in the stadium, rather than sports. A dip in sports Games routinely overlapped, greatly surely the return of sports this fall viewership during a time of height- diminishing viewership for all sports. Undoubtedly the strange awkwardness would bring a mass caravan of fans ened politics or an election is not a The NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL of this sports season has been another back to their TVs. new phenomena. During the course of at one time all had games overlapping reminder of the insanity exhibited in the 2016 election, some news net- on the same day. Shorter seasons 2020. Sports can definitely be add- This clearly turned out to not be the works experienced a 30% increase in were a big cause of this. Each league ed to the list of treasured pastimes, case, despite the numerous predic- viewership. attempted to play as many games as hobbies and general livelihood that tions that fall sports would instantly possible despite the large decrease in have been scattered throughout bring the masses back to their televi- The pandemic has been steadily games. Timing also played a role in the pandemic’s reign of terror. The sions. The ratings for the N.B.A finals attracting more and more media as it the lack of viewership from fans. Many mostly likely explanation for the large sank to 49% below previous years, the refuses to become a thing of the past. games were played at odd and incon- absence of viewership is it reminds Stanley Cup Finals dropped an unbe- Many sports teams and leagues have venient times. For instance, the MLS people of how strange everyday life lievable 61% and the NFL previously also taken part in current social issues. attempted many games at 9:00 in the has become. The absence of fans at considered untouchable managed to For instance, both the NBA and MLB morning. Many fans were used to the games and the lost feel of a roaring drop 13%. Several theories have arisen have openly supported the Black Lives routine of watching football in the fall, crowd makes the events feel unreal in an effort to reason the unforeseen Matter movement. The League Com- baseball in the summer and basketball and fake - at the very least different drop in popularity. Politics could have missioner of the NBA Adam Silver has in the spring. The odd timing of every from years past. However, the fact been a major factor as many people advised fans not to expect Back Lives league playing in the fall could have remains that sports will undoubtedly were more interested in the election Matter or other social justice mes- greatly contributed to the decrease of recover; factors such as overlapping than sports. More likely is the theory sages on basketball courts or jerseys. viewership. games, awkward times and political that different sports are now compet- However, other polls conducted have popularity are all temporary factors. ing with each other as the NFL, NBA, found that for as many people who What may still be concerning for MLB and NHL were all active during swore off certain sports due to politics, sports is the fact that a small but the same months. Another possibility just as many people started watching growing percentage of people are Does City-Streaking Exist in Major Sports? OP-ED: How Schools can Learn to Accept BY THEO GOODE their LGBTQ+ Students BY COLLEEN CARLISLE ith the 4-2 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series this year, the Los he LGBTQ+ community is growing in gender identity. Oftentimes young people of the Angeles Dodgers made the year quite excit- numbers and allies every single day. LGBTQ+ community are not comfortable going Wing for LA sports fans after the Lakers had won the Methods for schools and school staff to to school because of the lack of policies and NBA title. This kind of run where sports teams from Tsupport members of the community have support for who they are. By bringing in activ- one city or area win in the same year across leagues been a priority recently more than ever. Al- ists to speak at school, kids can gain knowledge is called city streaking, and it may have an impact on though thousands of people come together from on how to be respectful to their peers no matter how well teams perform. around the nation to advocate for LGBTQ+ the situation. This could be a step in the right rights there are even more ways to bring aware- direction to make school a more accepting place No city has ever won all four major American sports ness to this topic. for everyone. in one year (NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL) but they have come close. In 1935, the city of Detroit won the NHL, A very simple example of this could be schools With the help of staff, faculty and students, MLB and NFL which is the closest any city has ever could put more posters and signs up through- schools can soon be a safe environment for gotten. It would have been impossible to win the NBA out the halls. Hundreds of kids walk through people of all genders and sexual orientations. title seeing as the league hadn’t been created yet. The the school halls several times a day and hav- These are just a few ways to spread awareness second closest a city has ever come was Philadelphia ing multiple signs up could be a simple way and support the LGBTQ+ community. It is the in 1980, when all four major major teams went to the to put the topic of discussion into their heads. responsibility of a school to put in the time and championship series for their sport, but didn’t win. Putting signs up could be an activity for a club effort to make all students feel welcome rather Of course, the more teams a city has, the higher its that is easy but extremely effective in spread- than criminalized for their identity. The world chances of city streaking are. New York City has the ing awareness. Schools throughout the world has so much hate that the only way to stifle it is most teams of any American city, and has the most struggle to support LGBTQ+ students but some to encourage love and acceptance of all. championships with 62 major sport titles. New York are trying to create a safe space for everyone. also has seven years in which teams from two differ- Bullying is a serious recurring problem every- ent leagues won their title. where, but bullying LGBTQ students is espe- cially mishandled by staff. By displaying visible All of this brings up the question of whether one symbols of support or disciplining students for team’s win or loss has an impact on the other teams using homophobic language, school environ- in the area. The answer is both yes and no. It could be ments can be that much more comfortable and said that seeing a team from another league in your accepting. city win a title is a good motivator for teams in other leagues, but it is more likely to be just a statistical Another way to raise awareness and accep- anomaly that happens more than it should. Since the tance of the LGBTQ+ community is by bring- creation of the first major American league over 150 ing in local activists or representatives from years ago (MLB), a city winning more than one major LGBTQ+ organizations such as GLSEN to speak championship in a year has only happened 17 times. at school. This is another small thing that can The winningest cities in America were New York, be done that can change the energy on campus Boston and Los Angeles. Even though the LA Rams drastically. Away from home, schools are a have a winning record, there is little chance that the primary place for socializing so it is import- victories of the Dodgers and the Lakers will send ant to make the environment comfortable for them to the Super Bowl. everyone no matter their sexual orientation or Viking Voice September 2020 Student_life How do Students Feel About Returning to Gibraltar? BY HELEN MCCORMACK uring the Gibraltar School do whatever seems to be the safest break times during classes. I find year has been the best year for me Board meeting that took option which may be staying home that there are already not enough academically and while sitting in place on Monday, Nov. 16, a for an even longer period of time. I break times during our online a chair at home for two to three D decision was made that high know there are many other people classes, and that it will be easy for hours can be mentally draining, I school students would be given eager to get back right away, but I teachers to teach for long periods can’t imagine myself doing that for the chance to return to in person feel like everything should happen of time without giving students two periods every day at school. learning starting on Jan. 11, 2021. in due time and we may want to a break when we are in school At least at home you can get up at This was decided after weeks of try to be safer now, so that maybe learning.” almost any time to use the bath- meetings, the signing of a petition we will all get to go back someday room, grab a snack, or vent to a by concerned parents and records with less restrictions.” Leo Frisoni: “There are no family member. While I’m sure for Covid-19 cases within the state. benefits that outweigh the risks of teachers are required to build in The Viking Voice asked students Italia De La Torre: “Well, as coming back in person. Even if you a break or two, it’s not like you what their views were on returning much as I want to go back to think that you are not in danger could do much else than use the to school. school because I’m tired of being because you are healthy, 20% of bathroom.” at home, people still need to stay people develop long term issues Adelle Carlisle: “I feel like it is safe. I have a nephew that goes to besides death. Also, going back to Nida Zukauskaite: “I want to go all dependent on the number of Gibraltar that I don’t want getting school is selfish because we don’t back, but at the same time I don’t. cases we will have when the time sick because people aren’t taking need to go back and if we did we The reason for this is because I comes. Of course I would love the right precautions. It would be would be endangering everyone, hate waking up early, but I also to be back in school after being nice to go back to school so that even people we don’t know.” want to dress up for school.” online for so long and it would be students could start interacting nice to enjoy at least one semester with each other face-to-face. I am Sawyer Wisniewski: “In all of my last year with my classmates, a little worried that if we go back honesty, I’m not looking forward but I understand that we should to school, there would be less to going back to in-person. This Interview: What’s the Best Thanksgiving Food? OP-ED: The Importance of Campus BY CORA CARRIERE Protest BY LILY SWEENEY ashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, pie... the list of delectable Thanks- giving foods goes on. But which one out of all of has proven within their own educational environ- M them is the best? That very question prompted The itself thus far ments. Regardless of the effort put into Viking Voice to ask 7 students and staff what their favorite to be the year these movements, campus protests still 2020 of student receive a disrespectful amount of criti- Thanksgiving food is. protest. Generation Z and the younger cism. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food and portion of millennials have grown up in a world clouded by threats to their While many argue that campus protests why? future such as climate change, a lack of disrupt daily education, it remains that civil rights, and an absence of global di- protest is an opportunity for educa- Ms. Stringer: Oh man… favorite Thanksgiving food? plomacy. Young people are seeing record tion in and of itself. Although protests All of it? Well… turkey isn't really my jam, but the sides! numbers in mental illness and stress aren’t comparable to a math class or Sprouts, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes with gravy levels over the past few years. With the an English class, they offer insight into and cauliflower cheese. That's where it's at… the sides. burden of a dim future weighing on the “real world” students don’t often Desserts are okay too, but my hot take/unpopular opinion these young generations, a motivation experience in the classroom. When stu- is that pie crust is the NASTIEST thing ever… just give me to change the course of events follows dents are exposed to protest within their the pie filling, please and thanks. close. academic life, they learn to apply their real-world education to the education Abbey Nelson: My favorite Thanksgiving dish is definite- Campus protest has been popularized within their academic lives. ly turkey, you just can't go wrong with turkey. by these new generations as a method of making young voices heard by their The years a student spends on campus Mr. Eckhardt: I grew up with the traditional turkey for communities. This has been seen in at their highschool or university can Thanksgiving. When I got married my wife's family had a the form of sit ins, marches, strikes or shape that student’s future. While it may tradition of duck. I am good with either, but my favorite other solidarity statements. The teen- sound appealing to protective parents food on Thanksgiving has always been pumpkin pie. Of age climate activist Greta Thunberg has and home-bodies to have an uneventful course, you need a little ice cream or whipped cream to go been traveling the world and hosting a textbook educational experience, that is with it. movement called Skolstrejk för Klimatet not the way the world works. Life is not (School Strike for Climate) since Aug. uneventful or textbook by any defini- Aiden Strojny: My favorite Thanksgiving food would 2018. The Black Lives Matter movement tion. The truth remains that unplanned have to be mashed potatoes - simple, elegant, beautiful. has also inspired college and high school situations can and will arise around Mashed potatoes are the blank canvas of side dishes, and students across the world (predominant- every corner. If schools truly intend to endless pasture of possibilities waiting to be explored. ly in the US) to take action against racial prepare their students for what comes Anyone who disagrees is wrong. I rest my case. prejudice within their academic environ- next, protest should be encouraged, not ments. GLSEN (formerly known as the silenced. Mrs. Meinke: I am terrible at choosing favorites as I Gay, Lesbian & Straight truly LOVE food and Thanksgiving! So, therefore I am Education Network) hosts answering with a Thanksgiving Sandwich: begin with an an annual Day of Silence amazing slice of fresh bread with a thin layer of cranber- for LGBTQ+ students and ry, followed by a layer of stuffing, layer of turkey, layer allies across the world to of mashed potatoes and a thin layer of gravy on the other express solidarity with slice of bread. Then pie all night long… the LGBTQ+ community. These organizations are Anthony Casanas: I would say my favorite Thanksgiving prime examples of the food would be the pumpkin pie and the squash. Obviously power young people have not the greatest combo when together, but two very good foods for Thanksgiving. They are my favorite because I get to help prepare Thanksgiving with my family. I find them fun to prepare with my cousins and to eat as well.

Mr. Dahlie: The correct answer is apple pie or pumpkin pie. No explanation is necessary, it’s pie.

Photo by Lily Sweeney Viking Voice September 2020 Art_and _Entertainment Is Modern Art Pretentious? BY MAKENA MURRE

he world of fine art in today’s world often The cat and mouse game between photography and The most important thing to remember about art is seems like an exclusive club that only the all other forms of visual art is still in play to this day. that it is subjective, and the time that some critics T uber-eccentric have access to. In many ways, In order to maintain relevance those pushing the spend running around in circles drawing conclu- this tone is set on purpose. Art curators need to push boundaries in the fine art community must achieve sions will never matter as much as they think it does, boundaries to remain relevant, to keep things moving what a digital medium cannot. Now, in a day and age because at the end of the day one person did spend along and to encourage progress. However as this where almost anything can be done with a computer, $120,000 on the duct taped banana. progression continues the less intelligible the art be- artists that find themselves in the limelight have more comes to someone who had not been paying attention to convey than what is on their canvas. the entire time. Despite the logical evolution that art movements have To understand this phenomenon one must look to the made, they are not all liberated from critique. In fact past and the direct correlation between the devel- in many cases the opposite is true. One can under- opment of cameras and the beginning of the era of stand why someone duct taped a banana to a wall, modern art. Instead of posing for a painted portrait, sold it for $120,000, and became renowned because consumers could get their photographs taken, ren- of it, and still roll their eyes. This is where the concept dering the hassle of sitting for a painting arbitrary. of pretension comes in. To overcome what could have been detrimental to visual art, artists began to depict in their work When the entirety of a piece of art’s value revolves embellishments of what could be seen with only the around its subjectivity not everyone is bound to like eye. Impressionism featured visible brush strokes to it. This is why it can be frustrating when an ill-inten- represent movement, or changes of time and light - a tioned hipster blows their cigarette smoke in an on- feat that a camera could not achieve at that time. looker’s face for not appreciating the canvas painted one solid color, or perhaps some scribbles on a page that resemble the work of an ambitious toddler. Art by Maurizio Cattelan Gibraltar Artistry From Home BY OLIVIA FINCK

tudents have faced many I’m sure students miss that personal VV: How much time does it take ES: The arts now, more than ever, unique challenges this school instruction as well. to prepare classes as opposed to in are essential to humanity and the S year with remote learning. person? mental health of our students (and Students, teachers, parents and VV: What difficulties do you have adults!). everyone involved is dealing with when getting materials to students? ES: For art, it’s not a lot different. I these challenges the best they can have the same units and plans, just They provide solace and allow us to be in order to help kids pursue quali- ES: So far, the back pack system improvised. I’ve always used Google in the moment with our thoughts ty education during these difficult has been working really well. As Classroom in the past to present and feelings. The arts awaken curi- times. The art program at Gibral- long as students return their back- and share lessons and resources, osity and open our eyes and spirits tar High School has gone through packs, I am able to get the supplies so that is the same. Grading is the to beauty during times of struggle. many changes in order to adjust to they need to them rather quickly! most time consuming as each indi- remote learning. It is not easy to I haven’t gotten to our painting or vidual student is turning in multiple VV: How will remote learning affect teach hands-on classes when the clay units yet--that should be inter- assignments a week. It’s challenging future classes? only mediums available are screens, esting! keeping everyone on the same page connected through the internet with as everyone works at different paces ES: I imagine there will be a lot questionable quality. When faced VV: Has remote learning affected and levels. Keeping up with all of of reviewing during specific units. with such challenges, flexibility and your budget for the class? the emails is exhausting! Some units we may not get to this creativity are required in order to year at all, depending on the materi- run a fun and engaging class that als needed. For example, I can’t ship everyone is excited to attend. High x-acto knives or carving tools out to school art teacher Mrs. Salm has students, so we probably won’t be faced and overcome these challeng- able to explore printmaking, etching es involving remote art classes. and paper cutting until school is open. Nevertheless, I have been VV: How do your classes run on an incredibly impressed with Gibraltar everyday basis? art students “showing up” and doing their very best under these difficult ES: Studio art classes begin with a and unusual circumstances. The art greeting, introduction to a unit, les- I am seeing is phenomenal! I am so son, or weekly sketchbook prompt proud of our students for all of their in Google Meet. I share video links, efforts and hard work! student and teacher samples, teach- er demos and inspiring links to art Although it is certainly not easy to history, contemporary art, and cul- run an art class online, Mrs. Salm tural and socially relevant art. Stu- is doing the best she can to contin- dents are given class time to work ue providing excellent instruction alongside me (and each other) for to her students. Despite all the instruction and are also given time challenges with online classes, art off screen to create. We break into is essential for self expression and individual meeting rooms weekly, mental health; it is more than worth so I can check on each student with Art by Audrey Viste, Grade 12 the effort put in to continue remote- one-on-one instruction and conver- ly. This situation is only temporary sation. and will hopefully improve in the ES: I’ve had to purchase a lot of VV: Some schools only allow core near future. Returning to in person VV: What are the challenges of re- extra drawing pencils, erasers, subjects this year. We are lucky school will be like opening a previ- mote learning for both you and your Sharpies, and blending stumps for since that is not the case for Gibral- ously closed door to new opportuni- students? students to draw with. While in tar. What are your thoughts on this? ties with more hands-on experienc- school, we typically would share es in art classes. ES: Not being able to work along- these supplies. With remote learn- ES: I am extremely grateful the side my students is really challeng- ing, I‘ve had to provide for 98 stu- arts are supported, encouraged ing. Helping them shade, fix angles, dents at once. and available remotely to Gibraltar know where to add value and con- students. trast, etc. I miss being able to watch them light up with ideas, and watch VV: What makes art so important them make connections visually. right now?