Author: chloetreat

Tully and Treat’s high school survival tips

Q: With the varying social issues going on around the United States today, I find it difficult to educate myself objectively. I want to be active in my beliefs, while keeping an opinion without offending other people. What should I do?

Emily’s Answer:

I think it’s very important to be educated on what is going on around us today — in many ways — whether that be social, political, etc. The first step is to become fully aware and to see every side of a situation.

There is a lot of talk about “fake news” right now, which is a whole other topic in itself. But the point is, journalism from reliable sources is meant to give facts in an unbiased way. Though some sites are slightly biased, for example CNN in a liberal sense and Fox News in a conservative way, reading multiple outlets of the same story can get readers more of an understanding of events through both sets of views.

Afterwards, an opinion should be formed based on your moral values, and what you think is right — even if other people do not agree with it.

When it comes to not offending other people, I think the most effective thing to do is to actively listen to those affected by the situation.

For example, as a white person, I cannot decide what is offensive to people of color. But what I can do is listen, and try to sympathize with what they are saying and feeling about the current situations we are facing as a society. By doing so, I can learn how these situations are potentially harmful to those around me, even if I don’t see it or experience myself. You have to keep an open mind and realize that just because it’s not happening to you, doesn’t mean it’s not happening and that you shouldn’t care.

Personally, I think that remaining idle and silent is just as bad as perpetuating what you are idly watching.

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu

Chloe’s Answer:

When you’re younger, it seems like our beliefs come from our parents, or any other adult figure in our lives. Now that we’re in high school, we can finally believe in what we want, and form our own opinions.

Recently there’s been an increased amount of social injustices, and it’s time for you, as a high schooler, or even an adult, to stand up for what is right. An example would be Charlottesville, Va. In the past few weeks, there have been violent protests, and three people killed from the unrest.

White supremacy is at its prime in our country, and sitting by watching it happen is just as bad as supporting it. As teenagers, we are the future leaders of this country, and no matter what you think, you can make a difference.

Whether it’s attending peaceful protests, or even shutting down racism you hear or see, you are making a difference. Once your form your own opinion and beliefs, you’ll soon realize that just thinking what everyone else thinks, isn’t the way to go.

Despite what everyone is saying, racism matters. The pigment of your skin in today’s world determines everything, when it shouldn’t. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

For more about this question, visit www.thehyphennews.com

 

by chloetreat

Rape Culture Explained

“Y is for your sister. O is for oh-so-tight. U is for underage. N is for no consent. G is for grab that a–” (Freshman Week chant caught on social media at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada.)

“Grab ’em by the (female genital). You can do anything.” (United States of America’s president-elect Donald Trump).

In today’s world and society, things like this are said and done all too often.

According to the Women’s Center at Marshall University, rape culture is defined as an environment in which rape is prevalent, and in which sexual violence against women (or men) is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture.

Everyday in our world, millions of women and men are raped, sexually assaulted and violated.

To anyone who doesn’t think that the normalization and allowing of rape, or any other form of sexual violence happens, look at college campuses. Heck, you can even just turn on the news.

Take the Brock Turner case, for example.

Turner, a 20-year-old male attending Stanford University, assaulted an unconscious girl by a dumpster following a night of partying. To boast, there were even multiple witnesses. Based off of the evidence, one would assume his punishment would be a couple years in jail at least, right?

Well, if you guessed anything more than six months, you’re completely wrong.

Because Turner was a talented athlete (swimmer) at a prestigious school (Stanford), the ruling judge in the case didn’t think he was a threat to society. Instead, he got six months in jail, and served only three months due to good behavior.

Take a minute and imagine how furious you’d be if that was your mother, sister, or daughter. Isn’t it nice to know that in this country, you can get more time for the possession of drugs than taking away another human being’s dignity, intimacy, and right to privacy?

If that sickening example of rape culture in our world today isn’t enough for you, then look at Florida State University. The school and administrators covered up sexual assault allegations against Jameis Winston — not once, but twice. And why would any person with at least a twinge of decency, or moral, do such a thing?

Because Winston was the star athlete in a town focused around football, not the girls he violated. So according to authority at Florida State, and around Tallahassee, those girls don’t mean anything.

Even in pop culture today, things like this happen. In 2014, popular singer Ke$ha was forced by a judge to continue working with her producer, Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (Dr. Luke)  who also sexually abused her for an extensive amount of time.  

The culture of rape and sexual violence in this generation has gone too far.

The crimes don’t just happen against women, but they do happen more. One in five women in the United States will get raped at some point in their lifetime, while one in 71 men will face the same fate.

The most staggering number? Out of those crimes, more than 90-percent don’t report them. Yes, you could blame the victim for not reporting. But in this world, would you report the crime if it happened to you?

Whether it’s not being believed or being blamed, the victim has a lot of good reasons not to report.

And when it comes to college campus assaults, the numbers aren’t getting any better. Even prestigious colleges like Harvard and Notre Dame have been investigated by the U.S Department of Education for the failure to investigate sexual violence.

Rape culture isn’t only the act of rape or assault, but it is also the derogatory terms thrown at females. You can hear those explicit words hundreds of times in the hallway of a high school.

The double standards make it seems as if when a woman has multiple partners, she is one of these words. But when a man has more than one girl, he’s praised by his buddies for it.

You may not know it, but that is all rape culture too.

Let me preach this one thing to any man (or even woman) that has been angered over rejection: you are not, ever, entitled to another human being’s body. Ever.

I took the time to ask a victim of rape (a student at JHS) how she felt afterwards: “I didn’t know what I felt at first. Then I started feeling ashamed and embarrassed, like you don’t want anyone to know.”

For more information and awareness on sexual violence go to http://www.nsvrc.org/. For more information and awareness on college campus sexual violence, watch the documentary “The Hunting Ground” on Netflix.

The feeling of shame, and as if the assault was the victim’s fault, is common. As a society based on prejudice and mostly negativity, it is our responsibility to end this culture of sexual violence.

If not for you, then for your mothers, sisters, or even daughters.

by chloetreat

Tully and Treat’s High School Help

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

Chloe’s Answer

Q: How do I break up with someone without hurting them? What if I want us to stay friends in the future?

A: Breaking up with someone is never simple. It’ll probably go one of two ways: you’ll be on good terms with each other, or you’ll dislike each other for a while.

Whether you’re a boy or a girl, you’ll more than likely be affected by the breakup. I think what’s most important when breaking up with someone is remembering that they’re humans and have feelings too.

You should just pull them to the side, in private, and tell them exactly how you feel.  Don’t expect it to go smoothly — in fact, it probably won’t. But what’s important to remember is that we’re all in high school, so there’s plenty of time to find who you’re meant to be with.

In the end, most high school relationships don’t work out, so don’t dwell on anything too much.  

Emily’s Answer

Q: Do you have any advice for presenting in front of the class? I get really nervous and want to cry.

A: It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous when talking in front of a big group of people, but it’s important to remember that classroom presentations are not the end of the world.

Having dealt with social anxiety myself, I’ve had my fair share of fits of panic and fear over presentations — trust me. Over my high school years, I’ve started to realize that everyone is there for the same reason, which is to get their education and to get out.

Odds are, if everyone is presenting, they’re probably not even paying attention too closely, and won’t notice the little things that you do. Plus, you’re more than likely not the only one feeling that way.

Just find a friend or someone in the audience that you trust, and focus on them. After you give more and more presentations, it’ll get easier. Just take a few deep breaths and remember that you’ve got it!

by chloetreat

Jeff shows its PRIDE

Story by Alek Long

Jeffersonville High School alumni Evan Stoner and others worked day and night to mark a large historical milestone this summer.

On June 25, Jeffersonville officially hosted its first ever gay pride festival, which took place at the Big Four Station at the base of the Big Four Bridge. With parades and live performances, the Jeffersonville community came together to celebrate something all people, no matter sexuality, can relate to: being proud to love.

Although successful, like all events, this was not just an overnight job. Evan, and Jeffersonville Pride organizer Nicholas Moore, managed to get it started with larger than expected support of both queer and straight Jeffersonville locals. Approximately 2000 people showed up to the event.

The festival included the larger parade with individuals and non-profits in the morning. Approximately 40 different vendors and businesses, including food trucks, provided the refreshments, while live entertainment, like Jake Parker Band and a Cabaret LaCage Drag Show, took place that evening.

With the Pride celebration becoming an all-day affair, the entire area was secured by the Jeffersonville Police Department.

Even in light of some of the tragedies targeting LGBTQ this year, Jeffersonville, as a community, could still progress in the celebration of equality.

 

by chloetreat