If you read almost any dress code guideline, whether for school or for the workplace, an everlasting rule is that males must have short, groomed hair.
But why?
Obviously there are many double standards, both in the dress code and the real world. But many of these double standards apply to females, policing how much skin they can show or how much makeup they can wear, making sure they don’t “distract” others. These must be addressed, and they often are, even if no changes come from it.
But, many don’t address the fact that males aren’t allowed (whether in society, school, or work) to express themselves, and this goes much farther than just hair. It is considered outside of the societal norm for men to have long hair, earrings, wear “girly” clothing, or express themselves emotionally. If they present themselves in an effeminate way, they are considered inferior or mocked – called “girly” as though that’s an insult, or told that only females can only act certain ways and wear certain things, and vice versa. The reality is, both men and women have emotions and feelings, both want to express themselves, and they should be able to express and present themselves in any way they want. This something that society as a whole has to address and accept.
I have a roommate, and she tells me that I talk in my sleep. I sometimes speak in full sentences, such as “the Jacuzzi was good,” or I mumble. When I wake up I don’t remember what I talked about at all.
Photo Credit: frontiersin.org
I’ve heard that people dream in the language they are most comfortable speaking. My roommate says I speak in both English and in Japanese. I was speaking mostly Japanese until I was 16 years old, but I’ve been using more English these past three years. I thought I was more fluent in Japanese just by the number of years I’ve used it in comparison to English, but it seems like now I know English just as well.
I was trying my best not to speak in Japanese, not to read in Japanese and not to watch Japanese T.V. shows for the past three years in order to be more fluent in English. But I never thought I would be as fluent in English as Japanese. So I am very proud of myself for achieving my goal of being bilingual.
Erasmus had left her there to rot. After everything.
She was following what she believed to be best. He was the one who had taught her to do that.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Her eyes were closed but she knew, she knew that he was in her cell. Watching her. Waiting for something. Something that wouldn’t come. He wanted an explanation, but she didn’t have one.
She couldn’t explain to him that there was some deep tether in her gut that his plan would go wrong. He was too proud for her to say anything like that. She couldn’t explain to him that she threw away what he saw as his future on a “gut instinct.”
So he continued to stare and she continued pretending to sleep.
She could hear him shift, she could hear him breathing. It was making her nervous. She wanted to tell him but she couldn’t.
Over the weekend, my friend dragged me to a Ventura movie theater to watch the Power Rangers. Yes, Power Rangers. I remember walking into the movie theater wishing I could go get my nails done instead. I sat down and prepared myself to fall asleep.
Right when my eyes started to flutter, Billy Cranston, the soon-to-be blue ranger, admitted he had autism. Not in an embarrassed or comical way, just simply put. Jason Lee Scott, the red ranger, responded with sarcasm, which Billy said he didn’t understand.
While this scene may seem insignificant and random to most, it is just the kind of positive, informative representation that people with autism need. Billy’s autism isn’t made to be the punchline, the means of a joke. Billy is a valuable member of the team, just as strong as the others. He was even the first to morph, something the entire team struggled with.
Photo Credit: comingsoon.net
This moment is joining the many moments in media embracing autism. Sesame Street is introducing its first character with autism, Julia. She’s afraid to shake Big Bird’s hand when she first meets him, prompting Big Bird to get upset. However, Elmo explains to Big Bird that it is harder for her to come in contact with others. By the end of the episode, she is playing tag with the group and is jumping with excitement.
These moments are so momentous because they’re bringing awareness to a larger audience. They’re informing the public through interesting storylines and complex character developments. They’re also bringing much-needed representation. Now, little girls and boys with autism will believe that they can be superheroes. Preschoolers will learn about their best friend’s disorder, and these successes will pave the way for new stories to be made.
It has been announced that the world’s first head transplant surgery is scheduled for December of this year, a surgery that could be a turning point for modern medicine and people alike. The surgery is set to be preformed on Valery Spiridonov, who has Werdnig-Hoffmann disease which leaves him unable to stand or walk.
The surgery, that is estimated to be at least $10 million, will last for approximately 36 hours. The condensed plan of the surgery from A Person Who is Not Very Scientific is that the doctors, Sergio Canavero and Xiaoping Ren, will cool Spiridonov’s body to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and cut off the heads of Spiridonov and the donor at the exact same time. Then the doctors will somehow connect the spinal cord and nerves from Spiridonov’s head to the donor body.
Many transplants like this have been done with animals, but most have failed and many are skeptical of the upcoming risky procedure.
This question occurred to me last night as I leaned against my kitchen counter. I had a bent copy of The Great Gatsby held lazily in my left hand, an uncapped, drying, pink highlighter in my right, and a black pen tucked in my shorts pocket. There was a weather-beaten espresso percolator heating on the stove, I was wearing a second-hand cardigan and hand-knit socks. A Portuguese cover album of David Bowie, from a Wes Anderson film, was playing softly in the background.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
I am actually a tangible version Andrew McMahon’s Art School Girlfriend.
I wear oversized cardigans, I have a collection of vintage Classic books, I have a pocket copy of War and Peace, I have a cracked 5 versions late phone, I embroider, I knit, and I drink my coffee black.
How has this happened? Has my own psyche sabotaged me and turned me into a poster child?
Recently, an overwhelming amount of missing girls in the DC area have been reported, and these reports are circulating through social media. A staggering amount of these victims are girls of color, and many are quick to dismiss girls of color going missing as “runaways”.
Chanel Dickerson, the Washington Police Department’s commander, has started posting these reports on their Twitter page in hopes of bringing more attention to these cases. Since then, the reports have gone viral and hashtags like #bringbackourgirls and #missingdcgirls have appeared.
However, many believe that the amount of girls going missing are increasing, when, over the years, the numbers have actually decreased (though only by a small amount). The new social media attention to these cases have made it seem as though there’s an increase, as now everyone is aware of these numbers. But, the astonishing number of minors going missing in DC has been present for a few years, and now, finally, the reports in social media are bringing awareness to the victims.
These reports have also spurred others to report missing people via social media and post the dangers and things to watch out for, such as vague signs luring minors with the promises of travel or a job, and the new case of sex traffickers tying plastic bags onto cars windshield wipers in order to abduct the distracted victim while they untie the bag from their car. The use of social media for these horrific events is finally bringing these cases the public awareness they deserve.
These days I sleep a lot. I mean a lot. Like taking three naps a day. Everyday I sleep a total of at least two hours during the day, and I go to sleep at 10:00 and wake up at 7:00. That means I sleep for 11 hours a day on weekdays. That is almost half of my day.
When I’m awake, the only thing I think about is when I can sleep next. On weekends I sleep more. Last weekend I went to bed at 10:00pm and woke up at 1:00pm and slept again until 5:00pm. I was shocked at how much time I was spending sleeping.
This situation is very bad and made me think that I have some kind of problem. I was worried so I made an appointment to talk to the nurse. But, then I realized that if my only worry is getting too much sleep, I have a pretty happy life. I realized how blessed I am that I don’t have anything else to worry about.
I am glad I was able to see how blessed I am, and I hope my sleeping habit is not a serious problem.
While scrolling through Instagram, I came across a startling post. In the past 24 hours, 14 young black girls have been kidnapped in Washington DC. Even more astonishingly, it has taken an outcry on social media, not pure human concern, for media outlets to even report on this horrific incident.
When new Metropolitan Police Chief, Chanel Dickerson, was appointed two months ago, he pledged to find all the missing girls in DC. This statement comes at a dire time in our nation’s capital. Since Wednesday, 22 kids have gone missing, adding on to the hefty 501 case so far this year. Needless to say, these missing reports are nothing new.
What is almost more concerning than the sheer number of cases is the public’s lack of knowledge. When I asked my friends if they had heard about these cases, none of them knew. Whether it be lack of speaking out by major news outlets or seeing a headline and forgetting it, they had no idea that 14 girls our age have been taken from their families, friends, and homes. Even though media involvement can be dangerous in some cases, news about these girls needs to come out so that the public can keep a watchful eye and even protect these girls.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are appealing to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director James Comey to open a federal investigation. They call for help because of the fear of a deeper, scarier underlying agenda and the obvious racial stigmas present.
Photo Credit: bbc.com
“(W)hen children of color go missing, authorities often assume they are runaways rather than victims of abduction,” the lawmakers said. This statement has been backed up with looming facts and other reliable sources coming out to make statements as well.
DC City Councilmen Trayon White believes that there is an underlying theme of racial prejudice involved. “We had a 10-year-old girl missing the other day, but there was no amber alert,” White said. “We just feel like, you know, if this was a white person or from another neighborhood, there would be more alarm about it.”
Especially in cases involving minors, it’s critical to reach out to the public for help, as most child abduction victims are killed in the first 24 hours. White’s concern holds a lot of standing, because although some of the 14 new cases are adults, these people have been put in a terribly unsafe position.
In fact, many DC residents believe these kidnappings to be part of a human trafficking scheme. One would believe that this fact alone is enough to spark national outcry, but we still find ourselves missing 14 girls, with limited headlines and a lack of information on how to help them, before we hear their names in eulogies.
Four years have passed since the class of 2017 entered high school as freshmen. Four years later, it’s the last few weeks of our senior year, the last few weeks in high school. Graduation looms around the corner. Oh, the joy of finally finishing these four grueling years, yet what good memories are in those years.
We should all take some time to think about what we have accomplished in these four years and what we have learned from friends and teachers. These memories should send chills down our spines when we think about good memories with the great people we got to know during our time here at school.
It is hard to believe that it is all about to end. We’ll soon be waking up the day after graduation thinking: “Where did these years go?” So hug your friends harder, because this might be the last time you’ll see them – the reality of graduation is just a moment away. Hold your breath, because this is one of the biggest milestones of our lives. This is the one that defines us as adults, the one that marks our accomplishments as students. Prepare yourself, because graduation will catch you off guard.
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