by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief Entertainment drives our everyday lives: whether it is binge watching Netflix, or going to a basketball game. No matter what we are doing, there is typically some sort of entertainment value included. But what we never take into consideration is our casting aside of anything that remotely takes away from this level of entertainment. This can be seen in the way that we treat teachers and intellectual ideas.
When listening to myself interact with friends, I can’t help but wonder why gossip and amusement is the center of conversation. I believe our inherent desire to partake in this isn’t because we have lower intelligence, or because we have nothing else to talk about; rather, it’s because it is always the focus of our society. Entertainment is so ubiquitous in this world, so it is fitting that those who provide us with entertainment (i.e. basketball players, actors, directors) are paid the most money. But what isn’t so fitting, is the reasoning behind their actions. A standard professional basketball player is paid, on average, hundreds of thousands of dollars to have people watch them do what they love. On the other hand, we have teachers who are paid under a hundred thousand dollars to provide the basis of every piece of knowledge that we have. Now, I think some may argue that teachers get paid less because their reward comes in the form of being influential and realizing how much they impact the future. While this statement is true, the amount of influence that entertainers hold is on the rise. We are able to see this in the superficial choices that people make after watching the Kardashians or the depth in choices people make after watching hundreds of NFL players kneel during the National Anthem. These entertainers’ influence can make people want to change any and everything about themselves, yet there is so little regulation on what these entertainers can say or do. There is no rule book to say this is how a celebrity/entertainer must act or what they can or can’t say. But teachers, who are presumably the ones with the most influence on upcoming generations, are so heavily restricted and so underpaid. They are restricted in that they can never truly express certain facets of life, such as religion, culture, or personal things because “The content taught by a teacher must be relevant to and consistent with the teacher's responsibilities, and a teacher cannot promote a personal or political agenda in the classroom” (Reuters 2017) However, there are so many facts in life (like our personal and political beliefs) that are experiential-based and can’t be learned from textbooks. Yet, we still continue to force teachers into a stringent way of teaching and we force them into a low grade of pay under the guise of reaping a reward of influence. In my experience, teachers aren’t allowed to voice their opinions on everything (which could facilitate great open discussions), so people turn their attention to entertainment. Some forms of entertainment are learning-based like art and music. Forms like mindless cartoons or athletic based activities only appeal to the primal part of who we are. Those who participate in these types of entertainment will forever be paid more and will forever have the most influence on us, because we are drawn to their world. “[We] are facing the first major teacher shortage since the 1990s” (Heim 2016). This decline in teachers is on the rise: most likely because they are paid too little and are demanded to follow such specific guidelines. Whereas, the increase in entertainers will always be trending because who doesn’t want to be famous and have influence on society? But when we finally start to realize that we are losing the ones who are building up and teaching our society, maybe we will start to make a change for the better. References: Heim, Joe (2016, September 14). “America has a teacher shortage, and a new study says it’s getting worse.” The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 18, 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/america-has-a-teacher-shortage-and-a-new-study-says-its-getting-worse/2016/09/14/d5de1cee-79e8-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html?utm_term=.89c609ed3cbb Reuters, Thomson (2017). “Teachers’ Rights: Overview.” FindLaw. Retrieved October 18, 2017, from http://education.findlaw.com/teachers-rights/teachers-different-freedoms-and-rights.html
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by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief “You talk white.” “You act black.” “She only hangs out with white people, so you know she isn’t really black.” Do any of these phrases sound familiar? If they do, then you know that it delineates how often we describe people as a color.
Now a color can be adjective, but in our current society it is ubiquitous to use these words to highlight someone’s characteristics. But the problem that arises is how can a person possibly act like a color? The source of the problem stems from our constant need to judge others coupled with the racial tensions evident in the United States. What falls under the constraints of acting or speaking black? Is it the stereotypical loud, confrontational, and “ratchet” voice? Or is it the quiet, elusive, and intelligent person in the front of the classroom? Why do we place people in these subjective boxes with little space to break free? What about speaking or behaving white? Why is it stereotypical that you are white if you speak more proper than your classmates or if you dress a certain way? If you really sit down to think about the things that you say on a daily basis, you will probably realize that you have said that someone acts/talks like a color. When this occurs, why don’t we realize how ignorant it sounds to label someone a specific race because of negative or positive qualities they possess. More often than not when we label people as colors, we label those with “favorable characteristics” (like speaking proper) as white and those with “unfavorable characteristics” (like being loud or rude) as black. The system of labelling just perpetuates the divide between blacks and whites because we are lifting up one and demeaning another. Additionally, the problem forces people to feel like they don’t fit in with their race, because they don’t fit into those particular characteristics. So what are we left with? A broken society. A group of judgemental people. A divide that is only continued because of our reliance on labels. The sad truth of it all is that we will probably never change because we tend to not dwell or acknowledge our mistakes. The only way that a change can be made is when we realize that just because you are a certain race, doesn’t mean you are a certain characteristic. Your race is the backbone from which you should grow and be your own person. Your culture is something that will always be with you, but your characteristics are always shifting. So don’t allow your “color” to unjustly label you. by Simone E., Editor-in-Chief I've been asked a few times, by white students, about the excitement that black students have expressed over having a black homecoming king and queen. More specifically I've been asked, “What's the big deal?”
It’s just Homecoming, right? It's just a crown, or a sash. I wish it were just that. It's often very hard to explain what's it's like for a minority student to attend a PWI. I usually don't even try to explain it: I just leave it at “it's just...different.” And it is. We don't feel understood, and we often don't feel listened to. I don't always want to have to explain what I'm doing or why you can't say that word or why I'm upset about something that's happening in the news. I began to accept where I was. I knew that within my community, I would find peace and that I would just have to accept the fact that I wouldn't be completely comfortable anywhere else. Now, I'm not saying that this is the experience of all black students. However, I do know for a fact that I'm not alone in these sentiments. When Homecoming came around my freshman year, I was appalled. I had no idea why I would want to have fish thrown at my face, and I realized that since I wasn't a part of a white sorority, I wouldn't even have the fun that some of my white counterparts were having. UTC, however, is constantly improving. After a few round table/open forums, Homecoming events are becoming more inclusive; however, something that none of us gifted with a little extra melanin would've expected, was the amount of diversity on Homecoming Court. I can't speak for the years before I came to school, but when I saw that Brittany Watlington was running for Homecoming Queen, I was immediately pessimistic. Not because of her per say, but because she was black. I thought, “We go to a PWI. There's no way she’ll win.” I was inspired, however, that a black girl had made it onto the Court and that she was competing. I was doubly inspired when there were two black men on the Court as well. In America, black women are coveted. Our bodies are over-sexualized, our fashion is stolen, and we’re recognized as beautiful, but as a “lesser than.” Black men, on the other hand, are often seen as monsters for no other reason than for being alive. With this in mind, when I saw two black men on the Court, I was more than inspired, I was excited. I then remember thinking, again, that neither of them would win. But Solomon Puryear and Brittany Watlington won. I was puzzled. Black people were celebrating the fact that it was the first time we had a black Homecoming Queen and Top Moc at the same time. The joyous atmosphere reminded me of my family when President Barack Obama won. Anything seemed possible. I really did see hope for my life as a black person at UTC. I had always thought, and still do, that my white counterparts thought of me as unequal to them, or as below them. Were they beginning to see that we could all be on the same level? A year went by and suddenly there were two black men, two black women, and one Asian woman running, and the diversity was striking. I honestly thought it was too much diversity. Would people have to choose which diverse candidate to vote for and would that make having a diverse winner more difficult? The uncertainty among my friends of who would win was almost tangible. We were excited about the diversity, but nervous that it would play against us. However, for the second time in a row, there was a black Queen and Top Moc. At this point, I don't know what to think. I am glad that we have administrators who, at the very least, are attempting to listen to us when we are wanting to make the campus more diverse, and for that, I'm glad. I'm also glad that, for the second year in a row, there's someone representing the campus that looks like me and that could serve as a voice of the more diverse part of campus. Even though there's not an overwhelming majority of racially diverse students, I do feel like the campus shouldn't necessarily reflect the wants and needs of one group of people simply because they're the majority. While we’re still working on that, I'm glad that UTC seems to be moving towards more inclusivity. It feels good to see someone with melanin wear a crown. While I shouldn’t have to explain why this is so important to me or explain why it matters, just know that’s it’s great to see someone who looks like me and who can represent me to the fullest. |
Author's NoteWelcome to The Torch: Reborn, your multicultural newspaper. Archives
December 2018
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