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I was sitting in the office of a new school, but with a new guardian. She looked like my mom...she sounded like her, but her breast weren’t as big and she talked a lot more than my mom. Who was she? Why was she enrolling me into a new school? The new arrangements were only temporary…weren’t they? She should know that.

It started the night he came home, the one that left us for her best friend. The one that beat us....introduced terrible habits to her; my step dad was finally home but for how long? My brother and I were in the kitchen eating old, mushy ramen noodles for dinner because they forgot to feed us again. We were listening to the snoring baby in the other room, and bickering parents in the next. The noise got louder and louder. We never did finish our dinner that night.

That nightmare was a recurring dream I would have for nights on end. I’d wake up from it screaming and crying, soaked in sweat with my cousin holding me.

She would tell me, “It’s only a dream.” But if only she knew that it actually happened.

That night I saw something that no first grader should have ever seen: police barging into the house called by a crazy ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend. She told them that my step-dad robbed her. however, the only thing he stole was her heart, which he ended up stomping on in the end.

The police wore shiney badges and really bulky black vests. They all marched to the door that my parents were locked behind. I wanted to tell them it was locked but I was rushed into my room with my brother and was told to lock the door and not let anyone in-especially my step-dad. They made me promise to not let my step-dad in.

The last thing I saw was a man extending a gun towards the locked doors. He kick down the locked door to the room which my parents were in, then BAM, went my door, as it was slammed in my face.

Six years have past...six years of phone calls, letters, and supervised visits. I could see the light in her face again, and I believe it was because she was no longer with my step-dad. People says it’s because she went to rehab, but deep down we all knew that the reality of it was that she left Him behind in that old house in Atlantic City. Everyone believed that it was finally happening, it took the women six years to clean herself up for her kids.

But then what they say is true: once an addict, always an addicted.

She ended up with John again, I felt bad for her. My mother was a kind women, but one thing she wasn’t ever taught was how to love. She was young, she didn’t understand that you shouldn’t have to do things in order for someone to love you; that you shouldn’t have to change who you are.

My mom had a rough childhood, she lost her mom at a young age and her living situations after that weren’t perfect either. She was labeled damaged and stupid because she couldn’t learn like the other kids. What she went through made her feel different, and it caused her to rebel against her family. Who wouldn’t want to leave that situation; that life style?

Those things that people told her, built up in her head and she started to believe them, causing her to eventually believe that the love that she gets is what she deserved. Even if it means being physically and mentally abused.

The light dimmed from her face. Months would go by without an exchange of words. One day she called, I couldn’t sit still, I was running around to person to person saying, “See! I told you she’d call!”

When I finally picked up the phone she said, “I don’t think I’m suppose to be talking or contacting you.”

“But Mom,” I said, “Wh….” She hung up on me before I could finish, I was left crying for days. I was stuck in a bubble that no one could bust in or out of.

Months dragged by until we got another call, but I wasn’t the receiver of it my aunt was. My aunt was at work when she got it.  I tend to imagine that everything slowed down for her when she answered that phone. I believed that she stopped cleaning someone's ass, because she was a nurse's assistant at the time, and ran out the door.

While she was there frantically running around her work trying to put pieces together, I was out shopping with my brother and Uncle for a new Easter dress and as we got to the car, another call went through.

Ring.. Ring, his phone went, and it was my aunt. As soon as he answered the phone there was a sudden change in the atmosphere my brother and I could feel it.

My uncle turned to us and said, “Get in the car.” We obeyed.

In the car we watched my uncle pass back in forth at the front of the car. From time to time he would stop, say something, and rub his prickly beard, in what it seemed like, frustration. Time ticked by of the same pattern; walk, walk, turn, look at my brother and I, say something, rub his chin, walk, walk again. It was a continued cycle.

Eventually the silence in the car was broken without looking away from our uncle, my brother asked, “What do you think happened?”

I turned to look at him and said, “Either she got fired from her job or someone died.” Josh, my brother, looked at me. He didn’t say anything else but nodded and we both turned to look at our uncle again. By this time he had already put his phone back into his pocket and had walked to the side of the car. He opened the door, and got in. The ride home was uncomfortably silent, besides the engine that was roaring and the traffic around us. Before we pulled out of the parking lot, some words were said and questions were asked. All that was needed to know was that Josh and I would find out what happened when we got home.

At home, no one was home. The house felt so much smaller because of all the tension and anticipation. I didn’t favor the atmosphere so I hid in my room.

Down stairs the dog began to bark, the next thing I know I’m down stairs on the couch, with my head faced down in the cushion. I was crying, my aunt was crying, my brother was crying and my uncle was just there holding us.

Looking back, I realized I didn’t know why or who I was crying for. When my aunt came home that night she had called my brother and I downstairs to talk, which was a bad sign at the start. The first words were “I’m sorry.”

That night I found out my mom had overdosed on heroin. At the time I was 13, I was hitting about 4 years of living with my aunt. It was half as long as living with my mom. Looking back I realize it was a sad experience, but not because I lost my mom but rather because I didn’t know the severity of the situation.  I reacted the way people expected me to, with tears in my eyes longing to be left alone; It seemed appropriate.

At the funeral people cried and moaned and, yes, I was sad. Though, not to the point where I felt depressed; she was a shadow in my life. My mom was a blank screen. You couldn’t read her, she barely showed emotion. How was I supposed to mourn someone like that? She was and still remains my mother, nonetheless and she will always have that place in my heart.

If I am being completely honest, because I didn’t have complete contact or a viewing for her funeral, I still believe from time to time that she is still out there somewhere.

I always wanted a job for the same reason that most people want jobs, for money, but I never knew how much you would have to do for $7.25 an hour. From the countless numbers of wings needed to be sauced to the progress of cleaning the flyers know as filtering. I have done many summer projects, varying from taking classes to volunteering, but Wingstop was another beast. A hungry beast wanting my energy and time. Wingstop is a fast food franchise with its main food item being bone in and boneless chicken wings. I worked the one on Aramingo in Philadelphia and I dislike working there. I don’t say hate because I have been able to find light in the darkness such as having somewhat flexible hours. I dislike Wingstop as anyone who has worked in fast food before. The fast past and little pay of fast food is something I think few people would enjoy. Everyone I know says who worked in the fast food industry says they learn so much, but they don’t talk about the struggles of working. The countless hours on your feet or the lack of tips that people give. They are blocking those unpleasant memories of doing bone aching work and only remembering how you learn about to make unhealthy food in less than five minutes.  

The worst part of the job is dealing with rude customers. I can’t remember the countless times customers feel the need to argue about mistakes they have made like wanting to change sauces last minute or ordering the wrong thing, saying the cashier misunderstood them. Sometimes, they had young children or grandchildren ordering food and wonder why they don’t get boneless chicken instead of classic. However, I shouldn’t complain much because I got the job without doing much. I got the job on June 10, 2017.

“Hey, Thila wants to talk to you about the job. Meet me at the 25 bus station. So we can go together,” said Sabrina over the phone.

“Okay, thanks!” I answered. I was on my way home from school. It was a breezy Wednesday. My sister, Sabrina, has worked in Wingstop for about a year now and she went to high school with both the manager and assistant manager who are sisters. I have met the assistant manager, Alondra, one or twice, but we don’t talk much because my sister doesn’t like me talking to her friends.

I was nervous about meeting Thila, the manager because I never had a job before and I wasn’t sure what she would ask. I thought about all the typical questions that may be asked like “why do you want the job?” or “what is one of our weakness?” My sister told me that it was a sure thing, but I still had to put my best foot forward or at least show-up.

“Hey, this is my brother,” said my sister passing Thila to go into the kitchen to clock in.

“Hello, nice to meet you,” I answered with my shaking hands out to Thila.

“Nice to meet you,” answer Thila.

I sat down on the light brown seat in the front of the store. The store is small and in a weird location. It’s filled with Tv’s all turned to sports event channels: football, baseball, and tennis, but I don’t see soccer. I never understood how people could be entertained by the repetition of sports. The constant kicking or throwing of a ball into something seems so boring to watch. There were barely any customers in the store. Thila looked bored and facetiming with someone on the phone. The store is “aviation-themed” from the propeller on the side of the cash register to the photos of pilots covering the walls.The walls are covered in green and a dark off-white color. The green reminded me of the green from Ben 10. I don’t remember much from the “interview” because I wouldn’t call it an interview. Thila said something along the line that she was tired and just gave me the job as a cook. I started training the following Friday.

“Are you high?” asked Mark as he pulled the red lever in to stop the oil from moving.

“No, I’m not high! I just need more time to figure this out” I said.

I could feel all my nerves tremble in fear as I hold the metal hose pouring hot oil into the fire’s fryer with old rubber gloves. I could only think about the numerous times I have spilled soup, water, and other liquids on myself, but never oil. I fear how the hot oil could burn my skin and leave Wingstop mark on me for life. I also felt like I was performing an act that I don’t know to a nagging audience of one who surely doesn’t help me but those feelings to go away. Mark was mad because I don’t completely empty the fryer with oil before spilling it with oil. I know it may sound bad, but it was an easy mistake to fix. You would just have to pull the red lever down to stop the oil. My face turned red and I lose the need to try after that question. I wanted to shake the nerves and do a good job. However, I allow Mark to take away my confidence and cause an emptiness in my stomach like the feeling of going down a roller coaster. I felt embarrassed.

Many months have passed since I got hired, about seven months to be exact. I’m was earning $7.50 an hour and still dislike my job. The job was more mindless repetitive at this moment than a nervous adventure. The shifts seem like endless cycles with an unstopping amount of customers. The cycle was sauce chicken, clean, and repeat until the end of my shift. I have learned a lot of things in those seven months such as how to balance school work and a job, how to train other people, and how to deal with annoying customers. I now understand why many people say you learn so much from working in the fast food industry. The most important thing I learned is I’m ready for something new and better. So, I quit on January 5, 2018.

“I have to quit because I have to focus on school.”

“ I understand. When you are right to come back. Let me know,” answer Thila with a face of sadness.

We were in Thila’s office in the back of the store on a cold Friday night. It was a small room with white walls with papers all around. I had to quit because I needed to let go of the job to open myself to find another. I understood that I would not be able to find a new job while working at Wingstop because I would not have time or energy. However, I don’t tell her the real reason I quit because I thought it would be disrespectful to tell her that I am leaving to find a new job. I also wanted to keep my options open if I was unable to find a new job. A job in retail or anything not having to do with making food. I am grateful that I had worked at Wingstop, but it is time that I spread my wings and fly.

I’m Justin Stewart, a junior that attends Science Leadership Academy. During the first quarter of my junior year at SLA, my class and I would take vocab quizzes every other week.  It sounded easy to most people but was it really easy? For me, it was a struggle because of the anxiety that I have. Anxiety is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with someone's daily activities. My anxiety first started in fourth grade. We had to do group presentations about what we found while researching how light bulbs worked. It was my groups turn to go up and that’s when my anxiety kicked in for the first time. “Justin lets go” my friend said as I continued to stare at everyone in the classroom. At that moment, I came up with an Idea. I decided to pretend that I was sick and ask to go to the nurse. Surprisingly It worked and my teacher let me go to the nurse.

Before every vocab quiz, we had to write down the words that she posted on canvas in the back of our notebooks. Then we had to find the definition and write a sentence for the word.

On the very first vocab quiz, I was feeling confident because I spent that whole week studying. I thought that I was going to pass it by getting a 10 out of 10,but I was wrong. As my teacher, Ms. Pahomov, wrote the words on the board, I felt really nervous and was afraid to take the test. There were some words that weren’t coming back to me. “You may begin” Ms Pahomov said. I spent the first 20 minutes just staring at the paper. I couldn’t believe that I forgot the words so quickly and so easily. After about 20 minutes, I began to try my best. I started with the words that I remembered then tried to figure out the ones that I had forgotten. Before I had known, time was up. “Put your test in the middle of the table” Ms Pahomov said. As I put my test in the middle of the test, I realized I did it with fear in my eyes. I knew that I didn’t do too well on the test. We then were asked to grade our classmates papers as well, and as we started to grade each other’s quizzes,  I zoned out. I couldn’t focus on grading the test that I had. All I could focus on was who graded my test and what they would think of me.

The next day, I went on canvas to see if she graded the quizzes and she did. I got a 5 out of 10. I did better than I thought I was going to do, but it still brought my grade down. “How can I bring my grade up?” I thought to myself. I then thought about the 2fer essays that she assigns us every week, the weeks that we don’t have vocab quizzes. The 2fers could be about anything as long as they weren’t in first person. I took these essays as opportunities to bring my grade up. Completing  one of the 2fer essays, and I got an 18 out of 25. It wasn’t too bad, but I knew I could do better.

The week after the 2fer, we had another vocab quiz assigned and my anxiety immediately kicked in. But this time I wasn’t scared, I was just nervous. I wasn’t afraid to take this test because I knew some of the words already. So I was even more confident than before,ut I slacked the whole week and didn’t study a lot. When I walked into the room, all I could hope for was the words that I knew were on the quiz so I could at least get some credit on the quiz. When Ms. Pahomov wrote the words on the board, none of the words that I knew before the test were on there. At that moment, every last bit of nervousness crawled back into my body. My hands started to sweat and my heart started to beat really fast. “You may begin.” Ms. Pahomov.” It felt like deja vu all over again. I couldn’t believe that I was getting nervous again. While I was taking the test, the words were coming back to me, or I thought.

The next day I went on Canvas again to see what I got this time. This time I was even more nervous and scared to look at my grade than before. I haven’t seen my grade yet, but I already knew that I did worse than the first quiz. I got a 4 out of 10 and my grade dropped again but not as much as I thought it would. I then thought of the same method I used last time. I then started thinking about my next 2fer topic. I worked even harder than I did on my first 2fer and I did slightly better than I did last time. I got a 19 out of 25. It was better than last time, but once again, I knew I could do better. I had no anxiety when it came to writing the 2fers. I began relying on them to bring my grade up.

The week after our second 2fer was the week for our third vocab quiz. When Ms. Pahomov revealed the words in class, I felt even more confident than the first two vocab quizzes. I felt like the words were easier to remember.  I spent that whole week studying and this time I made flash cards to help me remember,ut they still didn’t help. By the time I got to the classroom, I forgot some of the words. Now my anxiety was even more intense than last time. “You may begin” Ms Pahomov said. As usual, I started out with the words I knew.  That brought my confidence up. But then the words I forgot took my confidence away. I felt like it was happening all over again. Me being somewhat confident in myself, only to get let down in the end. I was tired of it. By the end of class, I was so depressed that I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I went straight to advisory and sat down.

What I learned from this experience is that quizzes are not my strong point.  No matter how much I prepare for them, they will always be a struggle for me because of my anxiety. My anxiety has been going on since fourth grade and I still don’t know how to overcome it. It would prevent me from being comfortable with talking to some of my classmates and doing presentations in front of them. Over the years my anxiety settled down a lot. But it’s not fully gone. When I first started school in Kindergarten, I didn’t talk to anyone because I was afraid to. But now here I am in 11th grade and I am more comfortable when I am talking to people.

December 20th, 2016 was a great day. I remember being in my English class talking to my friends in the back of the classroom sitting on a red sofa. It was at 10:26 am, I went onto Snapchat and took a picture of one of my friend he was wearing blue Adidas pants with a grey hoodie while my other friend ended up being in the picture because she had her head on his lap playing games on her phone. She was wearing black leggings and a pink Adidas hoodie. I showed them the pictured and we all laughed. I continued my day like any other, going to lunch then going to three other classes then school was finished. After school, I would do the usual and walk with my boyfriend to 15th street City Hall.

We would part ways and I would meet up with my mom, we would ask each other how our days went as we walked to 13th and market to her car. That day my mom had asked me if she should go see mom-mom and my mom had been doing so much with the house and the bills and working, and on top of this still taking care of me and my dad making sure we had dinner every night. So I told her that we just saw her on Thursday and she was doing good and that the doctor had just called today and said she was ready to move out because she was improving a lot.  So me and my mom made some pizza and ate it on the couch while we watched tv. The night was normal, I went to bed a little early and was in a really deep sleep, a sleep I hadn't had in awhile.

Then in the middle of the night of December 21st, 2016 I was woken up by screeching cries and shouts of “No, this isn't real!” I sat up trying to get myself out of sleep mode and focus on what was happening. I then realized something bad- really bad had happened and I had the idea of what I thought it was. I went to my mom and dad's room as the screaming and crying was still happening and getting louder as I got closer. I saw my dad trying to hold my mom up from falling on the floor because she couldn't stand. She was the one crying and screaming because what she heard couldn't be true it didn't make any sense. We all immediately went to the hospital to see her. We walked in and told the nurse at the front desk who we were coming to see and everyone got so quiet then they took us back to the room. Pulled back the curtain and there she was. It looked like she was sleeping but she wasn't and even when seeing her I myself thought that this wasn't real. The days that followed I felt like I was in someone else's body just looking out their eyes.

The start of it all. She was supposed to go in to get stents put in her legs and it was supposed to be a day in day out surgery. Then there was something else that was wrong, and then very rapidly there were all of these problems popping up. The hospital became her life. I went to see her in the beginning but over the time it got harder and harder to see her like that and not being able to talk to anyone due to her having a tube. I tried to blur it out and not think about the pain she was going through and not trying to have that image stuck in my head. I knew that she would have never wanted that. It was December 15th, 2016 my mom told me that I should come with her to visit. So that's what I did I got dressed got her Christmas present in a bag and we headed out to the car. While we were in the car I was so nervous, and I was never nervous to go and see her. I was always excited and she was someone I could be myself around. But I was nervous that she would look at me differently because I hadn't come to see her, and I could understand why she would have felt that way. So we got there I sat there for about 5 minutes and then we finally entered the hospital. We got to the front desk and told them what our names were and who we were coming to see they gave us visitor stickers with our names on them so that the workers would know that we weren't just some random people.

My mom had known where her room was because she had been there to see her before and the times before when she went to see her she said that she hasn't really been doing that well, she would have her good and bad days. When she was going to see her she was telling my mom how she missed her daughter Julie and would talk about her granddaughter Alex and how she missed her.The problem wasn't that she was talking about her feelings and what had happened between all of these people. But my mom is Julie and that's what the problem was. So I thought that when we were going to enter the room that she wasn't going to know who I was. But as soon as we walked into the room she knew who we were and she was excited to see us. I went over gave her a hug and kiss and so did my mom. We started talking about what she would do in the hospital and she said she would watch tv and color in the coloring books my mom bought for her. Both me and my mom were standing up talking to her and she kept telling me “Oh sweetheart, sit down right here.” She was moving the sheets and her feet so that I could have a place to sit and that I would be comfortable. My mom said to her “Alex has a Christmas present she wants to give to you.” So I handed her the bag with her present in it. I took it out for her. It was a beanie baby snowman with big eyes and a Santa hat on its head. She said she loved it, but she didn't want to keep it there because she didn't want someone to take it or for it to get lost when she moved out of the place. So we spent a little more time there and then it was time to leave. I kissed her and hugged her. She kept saying she loved me and kept blowing me kisses and I said I loved her and did it back. Then my mom kissed her and hugged her and they said I love you to each other and me and my mom headed to the car to go home.

      Six days after we saw my mom-mom that's when it happened. December 21st,2016 at 2:18 am is when my mom-mom passed away. This was a day that I didn't even think about, that I didn't think would happen for a long time. I thought I had years and years left with her. So much time that she would be able to go to my wedding to be able to see my first child and so many years that I could travel with her and take her to places shed dreamt to go. These are things that I think about all of the time. I miss her so much. The pain in your heart and missing someone you were so close to doesn't ever go away. But you can try to distract your heart and mind with good memories and laughs you remember.

Moomintrolls or commonly known as Moomin is a Finnish-Swedish cartoon creation by Tove Jansson. Her first Moomin family book was published in 1945. After many books were create it became a comic strip in the British newspaper, then an animation series (Moomin.com). Moomintrolls became a popular overseas franchise. Moomintrolls live in Moominvalley, they are white troll like creatures with long snouts and tails. The Moomin animations follow around the Moomins and other characters in Moominvalley. The success of Moomintrolls is due to the fact that it serves as a connection builder between people of all ages.

Moomin’s name expanded over the years. Not only did they have an animation series, comics and books, they also had puppet plays, an opening at an art museum, an opera, cafés and a theme-park. Moomin doesn’t only have popularity in Finland and Sweden. They gained popularity in Britain, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea and many other countries. With a colorful pallet and endearing characters, Moomin became  Finland’s most famous family. With all of the talk and expansion more people can get into the Moomins. This can create a connection from citizens all over bonding due to Moomins. It creates different reasons to how everyone fell into the appeal of Moomins. Maybe they grew up with it, liked the hidden message or liked the cute appeal and colors.

According to Katariina Benedetti whom is the director of project SF100SG, a Moomin project in Singapore, “The Moomin characters are a vivid representation of the wide range of human emotions, but they are mostly kind and good natured and keen on helping and promoting a message of peace and forgiveness. This message perfectly fits the needs of today’s world.” (Moomin.com) Here she is saying that the message that the Moomin’s are giving and expressing are good for anyone of any age. The Moomins are about kindness and peace, which is something everyone needs more of. This world has a lot of negative emotions surrounding it, so positivity could help little by little. Though the Moomin’s were set for younger audiences, adults and teens can still enjoy Moomin regardless.

Moomin’s characters are all different yet similar in a way. All of them have very expressive emotions that humans have.  The main Moomin characters are Little My, Moomin, Moominmama, Moominpapa,  Snorkmaiden, Snufkin and Sniff. Other characters here and there will pop up during the shows and books. Snufkin and Moominmamma brings more of the peaceful and collected aspect of emotions due to their nature and actions. The tone of their voice is very calming to the ears. Sniff is timid and cowardly and Moominpappa is philosophical, he tends to think more. Little My is fiery and irritable yet honest and reliable. Sorkmaiden is more of a daydreamer who is similar to Moomin in lots of ways. Both of them are typically happy and energetic. Though since Moomin is the main character, therefore he has more of an emotional range than the others. In the Moomin animation, episode 13, titled ‘The Last Dragon on Earth’ Moomin in a sad tone says to Snufkin, “I think he likes you more then me.” Moomin had caught a tiny dragon in that episode but the dragons seems more calm around Snufkin. While the dragon was around Moomin it would behave rashly, thus causing Moomin to say that line. The Moomin’s different personality can help immerse people into the story, they feel more relatable that way. These characters bring more peace and positive emotions to children, while still bring in what is to be called negative emotions.

Moomin’s merchandise skyrocketed along with Moomin’s popularity. Sophia Jansson, Tove’s niece had said to the UK’s Daily Mail, “A lot of it goes over the heads of children. Those expensive mugs flying off the shelves are not being bought by or for children! There are themes Tove expresses that are eternal – family versus loneliness, adventure, how to handle a hard time – all set against storms and mountains. People find a sense of belonging in the Moomins. They allow them to pick up on feelings they maybe didn’t know they had – such as missing someone.” Not everyone is connected to all the emotions and feelings. Some might push away certain emotions or not think about it. Creating them to not know that one might feel it. While watching Moomin, people can try to place and pick up these missing emotions that are laid down throughout the animation.

Children aren’t the only ones in love with the Moomins. Adults purchase the merchandise with flying ease. More Moomin cafés and exhibits are popping up in Asia, Sweden and Finland. Allowing adults to be more excited about this adorable and loving franchise. Not only can adults get excited with merchandise and new Moomin themed areas, the show and the Moomins themselves create a connection to emotions that children may brush over. Children will feel all of the emotions, but not really understand them as an adult would. One emotion that may be brushed over by a child may not be brushed over to an adult. Children tend to be happy all the time which can get more difficult as they grow up. Stress and pride may brush over child as they don’t tend to do much with these emotions.

Sophia Jansson did lots of interviews about the Moomins and her aunt Tove. She likes to bring the realness and emotions that she shares with the Moomin’s story. “Tove never set out to document. She was a storyteller. The book is about the relationship between someone very old and someone very young – the mutual disregard but very great respect and friendship” (The Guardian)  An underlying story like this can appeal to all ages due to the fact that they can all relate to it in some way.  Adults find it enjoyable and can get attached the the lovable hippo-like trolls. The Moomin family became a Jansson family business that brought all ages together. It’s like Finland’s Disney.

Although people who aren’t Moomin fans, might think that the characters are just superficial and cute, its influence goes beyond the children’s cartoon to emotional connector and inspiration. Tove’s work on the Moomins were based on people and actual events in her life. She brought things she loves, such as her family, friends and her childhood into a creation that could inspire younger audiences.  

After decades of profit, the typical cookie-cutter Disney princess movies are no longer money makers. What do audiences want today? Moana is the first Disney princess without a love interest and people believe that this means Disney has finally realized what these princesses mean to girls. It is not about showing young girls beauty is everything, it is about showing them that they can achieve things that they might not have thought they were capable of. Disney’s Moana might have been the perfect mixture of culture and feminism people were looking for. In today's society women are looking to be independent and not ones who want to wait for a man to do everything, and Disney's Moana is the character that most represents that. The most successful Disney princesses are now the ones that show young girls they don’t need a love interest in order to be happy or achieve their goals.

When it debuted in 2016, Moana earned over $600 million worldwide in the box office. The movie tells the story of the adventurous daughter of a Polynesian tribal chief who decides to sail out and find an artifact that will be able to help her island. An article written by Vanity Fair, a magazine on pop culture, stated that “Co-directors John Musker and Ron Clements worked with a team of anthropologists, cultural practitioners, historians, linguists, and choreographers from islands including Samoa, Tahiti, Moorea, and Fiji.” They put effort into making sure that the geographic and ethnic information they were putting into the movie was true, even though some things would still be exaggerated. By contrast the 2009 movie The Princess and the Frog had a lot of disapprovals. Throughout that process, people took offense to the role that the main character Tiana was given and the ways the directors portrayed New Orleans. Not everyone is going to love the way directors portray their culture, but most responses were happy with the different details they incorporated. More research was needed in the creation of Moana in order to assure that they would not get the same angry responses.  

The plot of Moana also differs from the typical Disney princess movie. Although movies like Beauty and the Beast and Mulan are led by an independent female, they always include a love interest, with the girl settling down with the guy in the end. In an article by Kos Media LLC, an online blog, they said “Moana is not defined by a love story-in fact there isn’t one in the film, leading many to claim this is the latest in Disney’s move to embracing diversity and feminist heroines.” This movie shows actual struggles choosing between standing up for a thought or listening to others as well as doing what people expect or doing something bold. It is understandable that a young girl isn’t going to suddenly think about sailing across the ocean to save an island, but it encourages young boys or girls to dream bigger no matter the age and not worry about love. It also dives into a deeper issue as the end of the movie reveals that the main supposed villain, Te Kā, is the product of selfishness and neglect.  The topic of neglect is more likely to appear in the life of a child, whether it is through being treated poorly by others, or seeing it done to someone else. Rather than using this neglect to hurt others, reaching out to someone who is being affected by it and trying to make the situation better for them is the right thing to do. Moana realized that the “villain” was a product of neglect by the people, and helping them out brought benefits to her village.

The physical difference in this new princess also matter. As many have noticed, Moana also doesn’t have the the distinctive qualities of a Disney princess with the tall slim build. An article by The Huffington Post mentioned that it felt like companies were finally starting to realize the effect they have in shaping young minds. The article also compared it to Barbie and diversifying their dolls. Disney has been criticized for increasing body image issues among young girls which is why they were more conscious when creating Moana. In the creation of the movie, animators changed Moana’s body to look more like an athletic young girl rather than have a nearly impossible body shape that young girls can’t relate to.

When asked, Disney fans might say that they think Disney is caught up on having movies that involve many races, not having something be stereotypical to gender, or body shapes that different people can relate to. But on closer inspection, it took them 80 years to have a Disney princess movie that was solely about the main female character and not a relationship, as well as having a princess with a more realistic body shape. Moana is a step in the right direction for not just Disney but also other companies to look up to and see how they can have a better influence on younger kids.

Works Cited

Desta, Yohana. “The Year Disney Started to Take Diversity Seriously.” HWD, Vanity Fair, 23 Nov. 2016, www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/disney-films-inclusive.

Misick, Bobbi. “Controversy Over 'The Princess and the Frog.” Essence.com, www.essence.com/2009/11/30/critics-dispute-princess-and-the-frog.

“The importance of "Moana".” The Odyssey Online, 30 Aug. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/importance-moana.

Powell, Dylan. “Deep, rich 'Moana' transcends the Disney mold.” The Valley Vanguard, 5 Oct. 2017, www.valleyvanguardonline.com/deep-rich-moana-transcends-disney-mold/.

“'Moana' continues the evolution of the Disney princess.” Daily Kos, www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/28/1604706/--Moana-continues-the-evolution-of-the-Disney-princess.

Moss, Rachel. “Disney Has Finally Created A Heroine With A Realistic Body.” HuffPost UK, The Huffington Post, 26 Sept. 2016, www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/disney-moana-has-a-realistic-body-type_uk_57e8c8cfe4b0e81629aa0935.

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is a professional basketball league in the U.S. Throughout the years, the NBA has had superstar players who dominated the game for most of their career. From the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and even Larry Bird, fans have always been drawn to the biggest names and enjoyed comparing them. It is said that Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA today. However, LeBron James is actually the better player to admire and play with because of a combination of aspects on and off the court, such as statistics and trophy awards, and also career choices.

Kevin has more regular season scoring titles than LeBron, but failed to average more than LeBron in that season where both players have superstars on their team. LeBron, in the regular season (2016-2017), averaged more in three major statistics than Kevin. LeBron averaged 26.4 points per game, while Kevin averaged 25.1 points per game. In trophy awards, LeBron also has more MVPs and NBA championships than Kevin. Despite the fact that both players play the same position, Kevin Durant has a height of 7’1”, while LeBron James stands at 6’8”. This is a significant height advantage over LeBron and all other players at their position. An height advantage like that has to mean that Kevin should have less problems than LeBron when playing.

LeBron is also a better role model. He has been involved in much more global/national awareness messages in the last year. He has helped sent a positive example about what is going on in the U.S. with police brutality and other negative actions that has affected the country. For example, he spoke out at the opening of the 2016 ESPYs about the pointless killings of blacks by police. By contrast, Kevin has only made a positive move for his basketball career by joining one of the best teams in the NBA to win his first championship. Joining mostly made an negative impact on basketball fans in the country. Fans started to burn the jerseys and t-shirts of him that they had. They made negative comments towards him. They said he wasn’t a loyal person and that he let his former teammates and staff down. Many started calling him names such as a coward, snake, and the recent nickname of “Cupcake”. Someone who is supposed to be looked up to wouldn’t let create many problems for the people that love him.

After 7 years of his NBA career, LeBron James decided to leave his hometown team, to join another team and help make them worthy of winning a championship. This would be his first championship. As mentioned earlier, Kevin Durant also decided to leave a team to create championship winning team, but only after 9 years of his NBA career. Both decisions shocked the entire world, but Kevin’s decision was actually the worse. His decision created problems all other NBA teams. LeBron joined a team whose previous regular season record was 45-37. Kevin joined a team whose previous record was 73-9. That broke the record for having the best regular season record in NBA history. The record before that was 72-10, which was set by Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls in 1996.

When asked to consider their success on the court alone, NBA analysts and fans might say that LeBron James and Kevin Durant on equally the best basketball players. But on closer inspection, LeBron is actually the better basketball player on and off the court. He is certainly the “face” of the NBA and admired by many more fans.

Genero Accooe

10/15/17

English 3

Larissa Pahomov

Standing by the Knee or Standing by the Anthem

The national anthem is not only an important song that symbolizes the hardships and battles that freedom cost the United States, it is also an important part of American sports specifically the NFL. At the moment the media is hot and heavy on a trend that breaks tradition from the national anthem, some star players have started to kneel during the anthem. This has caused a lot of controversy as even President Trump has disapproved of this, with so much negative feedback there has to be an overarching cause. While many who disapprove believe that the kneelers are disrespecting the nation, Kneeling actually symbolizes the current oppression that African Americans are facing in this country, to kneel during the anthem is to accept these facts of our country.

Who was the first to kneel during the anthem? Where did it all start? The now famous NFL player, Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49er’s began the movement on August 14 of 2016 -- but he wasn’t kneeling but sitting down. Kaepernick went unnoticed the first two games of the season, he wasn’t in uniform those games so there was little for anyone to say on the matter. On his third day he kneeled and it wasn’t till after the game when a picture of the anthem was tweeted and the 49er’s had confirmation that Kaepernick had kneeled. Kaepernick's protest was peaceful and was even stronger due to his popularity as a player. After a while, another player joined the founder to initialize the movement. Kaepernick’s actions can help others gain insight on his thoughts previous to the movement. Due to the nature of an National Anthem, americans are expected to stand proud for the country that our anthem represents, but to stand proud means that they are content with the country and accept it for what it is. Take kneeling on the other hand, it can show a sign of respect but also a sign of accepted inferiority, Kaepernick thinks that kneeling would show everyone that people of his color are still seen as inferior to the majority of the country.

Fellow friend and teammate Eric Reid, is one of the many players who’ve decided to act alongside Kaepernick.  In an article for the New York TImes, Reid stated that they are speaking for the voiceless, “I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy”. Reid’s statement can be hard to understand but once it is break down , there is a lot of merit to the statement. A flag at half mast can symbolize many things such as respect, salutation and mourning. This  is meant to honor the lives of African americans who were shot and killed by police who went to drastic measures to subdue them.  Reid and Kaepernick’s movements had become a real organized protest that would lead to an  even greater gathering of players to support the cause. The fact that so many people have joined the cause proves that they acknowledge the oppression that many black americans are facing right now.

Many people were outraged at the players for their act and the NFL for allowing it to happen, even Donald Trump had something to say about it and took to Twitter, shaming Kaepernick for his so called lack of patriotism. Reid and Kaepernick were fairly frustrated by the portrayal many people had on the protest, saying that their act was disrespectful to their military and country. Reid explains that he feels that the knee is not meant to disrespect America's troops but still honors the freedom that the country's soldiers have fought for. The statement shows the drive Reid has to make people see the reality of the subject that the nation is in a state of inequality, using passive techniques that help convey a message in a positive format.

African Americans have been a victim of systematic oppression since their freedom back in the 1800’s and yet people must still fight to rid of that same oppression today. The act of kneeling has been used by many NFL players, to publicise their opinion on the subject.  This matters not only to sports fans, but to the whole nation because everyone is affected by the passing of people,  especially when these deaths heavily imply that the lives of African Americans are not as valuable as others in the eyes of police. The blue on black crimes that happen so frequently, should be important to everyone due to the fact that people’s lives are at stake. Players have received backlash but the important thing to note is that there has been a powerful impact. Many star players have begun to replicate the work of Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid hoping to spread their influences and ideology even further.

• Reid, Eric. “Eric Reid: Why Colin Kaepernick and I Decided to Take a Knee.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html.

• Sandritter, Mark. “All the Athletes Who Joined Kaepernick's National Anthem Protest.”SBNation.com, SBNation.com, 11 Sept. 2016, www.sbnation.com/2016/9/11/12869726/colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-protest-seahawks-brandon-marshall-nfl.

• Garber, Megan. “They Took a Knee.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 24 Sept. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/09/why-the-nfl-is-protesting/540927/.

Teens like role models,  either famous athletes or some type of celebrity, or even their parents. This is the person they aspire to be or want to be like due to the celebrity’s lifestyle. They keep up with their idol’s trends and their life. Everyone has that person no matter the age, but it is most commonly found in teenagers. So, it can be said that teenagers learn first and foremost of what they want to do in life from observing celebrities on social media.

Kylie Jenner, one of the media’s most powerful people, started a trend towards the end of 2014, going into 2015, when she got lip injections as a teenager. She revealed that she got lip injections, after many interviews of denying that she didn’t get them, on her very own show, Life With Kylie.  According to Emma Akbareian, from The Independent News, on May 7th of 2015, some clinics the revelation had led to a surge in enquiries from the public, wanting to copy her pouting lip look after getting her lips done. After Kylie Jenner confirmed to getting lip injections on her show, Life with Kylie, it sent out a word to many teenagers, telling them that it was okay to get lip injections, and this inspired young teens that look up to her, to follow her ways of getting their lips done. Dr. Leah Totton from Dr. Leah Clinics told The Independent her clinic has reported a staggering 70% rise in lip filler inquiries in the last 24 hours from when Kylie Jenner posted her first picture with her lips done on instagram, with the caption “1 2 many selfies”. Because of the power that the celebrity had on social media and in general, she got a hold of the mind’s of the teenagers following her, inspiring those who did, to get their lips done. They did something they might have not even know they wanted to do, but because after seeing it happen to someone famous, it pushed them to do so.

Kim Kardashian, a major part of the media today that many people follow, started a trend  with when it came to body shape. One of the main things Kim Kardashian is known for is her body. People consider her to be today’s idea of a perfect body, with the curves and the thickness. She revealed her way of getting a bigger butt, given from her trainer Gunnar Peterson, which is by doing squats and other things in reps, using weights that is perfect for each body, but eventually having to use heavier weights. Hearing about this news and getting influenced by the body she has to get a body like that of their own, her fans and regular citizens began following after her ways. According to Daily Mail, a teenager named Charlotte Webb of 18 years old revealed how weights with squats gave her the perfect Kim Kardashian bottom. Webb also revealed that she began following after fitness icons on instagram because she was very unhappy with her body. If Kim Kardashian had not shown the world the body she had, people would not get the idea of working themselves out for the body they think is ideal. Webb and many other people realized what they wanted their body to look like and did what they had to do after seeing what Kim Kardashian looked like and what she did to keep her figure.

In Korea, plastic surgery is very big and popular. People that live in Korea get plastic surgery daily and it is seen as a normal thing. Some might get it for their birthday and some might get it just for their own happiness, but most get it due to celebrities getting their face done. They see that as inspiration for them to get it for themselves. The article The K-Pop Plastic Surgery Obsession states that “Feminist criticisms of body objectification are barely heard, and the racial argument that this surgery is a form of "trying to look white" has faded -- due to the rise of Korean pop music culture. K-pop has created a completely new beauty aesthetic that nods to Caucasian features but doesn't replicate them.” K-pop, which is Korean pop music, or even K-dramas, have korean celebrities who have admitted to getting plastic surgery. There was a plastic surgery called the v-line surgery, and after seeing the famous korean icons like Hani, Luna, and Hyomin get this surgery, many fans and regular people in the United States and in Korea began following after them, changing their face into what they thought was better. These people appear all over media and any social website. They provide pictures of their face on instagram, showing what they look like after these surgeries. Also according to the article, a teen named Hailey Kim told the press that she did not like what she saw when she looked in the mirror. She wanted to change a lot of her face and after seeing celebrities do so, she decided it was what she wanted as well. People get influenced by the cultural perspectives all around them to get their face done, and because the celebrities are all over social media. Those who follow and keep up with these icons see that this is happening and think that is it okay. They get the idea of wanting to get plastic surgery as well. They see it as something they want to do in life after seeing it from their most idled person and follow after them.

If teenagers stopped to think about it, they would realize that observing others is not just about learning how to be more like the person they want to be, but realizing what person they could be for the better, and learning more about themselves while approaching life. Being someone unique and different instead of someone trying to be like media celebrities is what teenagers should learn from media.

“How Celebrities Inspire Fashion Of The Youth.” Uloop, uiowa.uloop.com/news/view.php/112012/How-Celebrities-Inspire-Fashion-Of-The-Youth-. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.

Akbareian, Emma. “Kylie Jenner lip filler confession leads to 70% increase in enquiries for the procedure.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 7 May 2015, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/kylie-jenner-lip-filler-confession-leads-to-70-rise-in-enquiries-for-the-procedure-10232716.html. Accessed 25 Sept. 2017.

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/the-k-pop-plastic-surgery-obsession/276215/

Spollen, Micki. “Fashion trends started by the Kardashians.” TheList.com, The List, 4 Apr. 2017, www.thelist.com/54591/fashion-trends-started-kardashians/.

Davis, Arianna, et al. “10 Ways Kim Kardashian Majorly Changed Pop Culture Forever.” Kim Kardashian West Social Influence Pop Culture Icon, www.refinery29.com/2016/10/126751/kim-kardashian-influencer-pop-culture.

Corrupt social systems have plagued the U.S. for decades, one of the most frequent and possibly overlooked types being the financial system. A major hub of all the action is Wall St., and their irresponsibility caused the wealth inequality to skyrocket, resulting in the hardship and suffering of the 99% and catering to the 1%. Even after all this, the government has yet to emplace the regulations necessary to fix the problem and stop it in its tracks. In order to begin mending the damage done by Wall St. merchant princes and financiers, the U.S. government must take the people who enabled it in the first place out of power.

  In 2007, Wall St. finance companies began to take part in subprime lending(companies were giving loans to people who were expected to have a great amount of trouble paying it off). These loans were plagued with high interest rates and poor quality collateral, meaning that it was close to impossible to keep up with and poorly insured, and the customers were struggling to pay off their loans. In the 2010 documentary Inside Job, Robert Gnaizda, former director of Greenlining Institute, one of the few companies the fought for public interest, stated:  “Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch were all in on this. Subprime lending alone had increased from 30 billion a year funding to over 600 billion a year in 10 years-they knew what was happening.” The companies were betting against loans they were selling people and then paid every time it failed. These companies-the same ones americans trusted to hold their money and receive sound financial advice from- were literally gambling their customers’ money for odds they created to be in their favor. What’s worse is that those in charge of overseeing these operations, to make sure underground scams like this don’t take place, opted for deregulations.

In December of 2000, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act (CFMA), written by financial lobbyists, was passed. This act banned the regulation of derivatives that allowed the companies to play into the hands of their own success. Any spark of hope that shone through to Congress was extinguished by the moguls who were benefiting from the corruption on Wall St., and anytime a company got close to being held responsible for this injustice they managed to be let off by some technicality left unchecked by the laws they created. Here lies the vicious cycles of corrupt institutions working together to get ahead as quickly and easily as possible, without the slightest regard to the country they are exploiting.

As Wall St. has corrupted the economy over the years, the government has remained stagnant and kept the same people in control of the departments that regulate Wall St. operations. They aren’t held accountable for their lack of morale and integrity and are even reappointed to hold these positions. John Thain, a successor of the previous CEO of Merrill Lynch, made $87,000,000 in 2007, and after the company was bailed out by U.S. tax dollars, the company then handed out millions in employee bonuses. Careless decisions like this resulted in the crash of the economy. These Companies had no cushion money to cover the costs of debt when everything fell apart. Though President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was built on the promise of change, he, too, failed to bring it about as he reappointed former culprits of Wall St. corruption who were perpetrators in America’s financial deficit. . A few of these people include Tim Geithner, who aided Goldman Sachs’s gambling habits, Mark Patterson, former Goldman Sachs lobbyist, and Gary Gensler, who helped ban regulations.

If the U.S. government stopped to think about it, they would realize that Wall St. corruption does not just involve deregulation, but the people in charge of overseeing and enforcing them as well. They are the common denominator. The country can not begin to move past this until we are free of those whose selfish ways keep us from moving toward a better future. It has become very clear that whatever these people are or aren’t doing isn’t working for the country and expecting progress to come about without some sort of change is the very definition of insanity, yet we’ve been doing exactly that all this time. We are due for new leadership- leadership that doesn’t have corrupt history and shows promise of allegiance and integrity by putting public interest above their own.

Works Cited

Cole, Juan . “Top 10 Ways the US is the Most Corrupt Country in the World.” Informed Comment, 3 Dec. 2013, www.juancole.com/2013/12/corrupt-country-world.html. Accessed 24 Sept. 2017.

“The White House.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2017.

“Sony Pictures Classics presents Inside Job.” Sony Pictures Classic, www.sonyclassics.com/insidejob/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2017.