Bizarre Haunted Flea Market

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Trachtenberg, Britney

Recently, I visited the Bizarre Haunted Flea Market in Old Bethpage, hosted by Twitch Twitch Productions. This event is near the Historical Sites in Old Bethpage. It only happens twice a year – once on Mother’s Day and once during winter holidays – and is held in a barn.

This is the Jezebelle doll.

I really liked this flea market. I bought a Jezebelle doll from a vendor called, Wing Dead Dolls. This doll was $60, and though expensive, was worth the money. I also bought a spider decoration from The Golden Web, which was $10 due to the body being made out of gemstones. This spider sits by my window at home now. I found something that was interesting – a beautiful pillow that pictured a girl with a type of bird; I bought this from the vendor, Killer Pillows. The ladies behind the table said that the money made from the pillows will be spent to help pay the chemo bills. This gave me more of an incentive to buy the pillow. The pillow was $40.

Here is a list of some of the vendors at the flea market.

Some cons? There were many different vendors, despite what was on the flyer. I feel like all the vendors should’ve been listed on the program to give the vendors credit for being there. Listing all the names on the flyer can also help generate more money for the small business as it lets the consumer know the vendor is there.

I also don’t like how disorganized the even was. It was hard to find certain tables, like the table with stuffed animals that have fake blood or the Wing Dead Dolls table. The tables were just around the barn in no sort of order or system. I feel that maybe the flea market would benefit if the vendors were arranged in alphabetical order or with a number system.

Some vendors were also unprofessional. The psychic hired didn’t want to read my mother’s fortune and told us to come back later. The psychic was already set up fifteen minutes before she was supposed to start providing services to customers, but wasn’t willing to read my mother’s fortune. This was an unprofessional attitude, and I do not feel like this behavior was appropriate- especially when people are willing to pay for a service!

Another thing I didn’t like was the food selection. There weren’t many options of food, or places to eat. There was little food truck outside the barn, and small snacks to eat inside. I think that next year there should be various food truck should and there should be a larger area to sit and eat.

However, despite these negatives, I did enjoy the items that were being sold. I bought a really pretty flower crown for $15 from a vendor whose name I forgot, and really like my Jezebelle doll. I also bought a jewelry box with moons on it and a necklace with a bird on it.

Here is one of the charts that I learned from. It’s called “Rainbow Chakra Centers”.

I enjoyed the booths that taught me about chakras and other types of psychic information. Learning about things like chakras is very interesting. I learned a little about the representation and meaning of gemstones. I really enjoyed the informational pamphlets there, such as a copy of the original punk zine, which was $3.

It was a small but cozy flea market and was very unique. I enjoyed it a lot, despite having some complaints. Though many improvements can be made, Twitch Twitch Productions did a great job and I definitely recommend this event.

Insomnia: From an Insomniac’s Point of View

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Kim, Julia

A fellow Villager staff member, Brit, recently wrote an article about insomnia. I decided to write a follow up because I suffer from chronic insomnia and both onset and maintenance insomnia. I usually get around 4-5 hours of sleep on average every night of the week. It takes me around anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours to fall asleep, and I wake up around 2 to 6 times a night. While you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking, “What? How do you function everyday?!” I mean, I tried those relaxing techniques and all that jazz, as Brit had mentioned in her piece, but those things just didnt’t work, to be honest. It might work for other people, but for me, the relaxation techniques didn’t. So, I turned to sleeping medications. First, it was Benadryl and melatonin tablets, both of which didn’t have a significant effect. I then went to my psychiatrist and told her what was going on and she immediately started me on antidepressants like Trazodone and Mirtazapine, which work essentially as sedatives in order to help me sleep.

Trazodone 100 mg tablet.

Trazodone is an antidepressant which allows the production of more serotonin. Taken at higher doses, it also works as a sedative, which allows for off- label use for conditions such as insomnia. Mirtazapine is another type of antidepressant which is also used as a sedative. Antidepressants aren’t the only medications I’ve tried. I’ve also tried Vistaril which is an antihistamine for which you have to have a prescription. In my experience, it isn’t true that doctors usually don’t prescribe medication for chronic insomnia. What they probably won’t prescribe is a controlled substance, such as any medication from the drug class “Benzodiazepines,” because those can lead to abuse and withdrawal.

But in many cases, medication is the right way to go when all else fails. Insomnia is a difficult condition to live with and makes life unbearable at times. Many people worldwide suffer from insomnia; it’s not all that uncommon. Insomnia is often misunderstood as a condition in which people stay awake for days at a time and sometimes it is, but often that’s not the case. Insomnia is something I struggle with along with millions of other people. It’s difficult, but there are treatments we can seek out for help.

Police Brutality and Racial Profiling

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Kim, Julia

Two men shown holding up a banner showing deaths by police force

The police are the people who protect us, the people we feel the safest with. Right? Well, it’s a yes and no, in my opinion. Over the years, the police have been abusing their power and instilling fear and terror in citizens rather than feelings of safety and relief. All of these things are parts of what is called police brutality. Police brutality is the unnecessary force used by police on civilians including assault, abuse of weapons, and even murder.

Though this unnecessary force can be used on anyone, police brutality is more commonly used against people of color. In 2015 alone, police killed around 104 unarmed black men, twice the number of white men. Out of the 104 cases, only 13 case offenders were tried and charged.

An example of police brutality is the brutalization of a pregnant black woman, Charlena Cooks in 2015. The woman was charged unlawfully, after Cooks was caught in an argument with a white parent while dropping her child off at school. When police asked Cooks to identify herself she denied, which is allowed in certain states. A little while after denying to identify herself, Cooks was wrestled to the ground even after alerting the authorities she was pregnant. ACLU police say that she was charged with “resisting arrest,” but the charge was later dropped. This is just one instance of police brutality and racial profiling.

There are other instances of police brutality against other genders and races. In 2014, a 13- year- old Latino boy, Andy Lopez, was shot while walking through a vacant lot. A sheriff’s deputy mistook Lopez’s air soft gun for an automatic weapon, and shot Lopez to death. The deputy claimed that he fired because he feared for his life, for his partners’ lives, and for the community. The officer was not charged.

Though these cases spurred protests and political debate, police brutality and racial profiling has not declined since.

Black lives matter activists being sprayed with tear gas in Phoenix

In 2017, the United States police force revealed 1,129 individuals have been killed in the span of just one year.

This just shows how violent someone in the police can be, and how they could over abuse their position. The fact that police brutality even has a name for it shows that there have been enough cases and enough events for it to be defined and classified as something. Police brutality shouldn’t be happening, it shouldn’t continue. In the black community, kids are taught at a very young age what they should do when a police officer approaches them. Certain races, even what sexuality one identifies with can make and individual more susceptible to encounters with the police thus opening the door for police brutality. Historically, police brutality occurs during protests and marches, not because the police officer is mad or upset, nor because he enjoys it, but instead as a tactic for safety or to control the crowds– pepper spray and tear gas are used to disperse groups that the police deem threatening, even when they may not be. To use force, or threaten force, during peaceful protests acts to “normalize” this sort of policing.

There should be changes happening, and a lot. For instance, policemen and women should be properly trained and taught alternative, positive intervention protocols. Most police brutality cases involve use of weapons including shooting their guns, tasers, and their plain fists, as first mode of intervention, rather than a last resort.

Additionally, all police brutality cases should be tried equally and perpetrators should be charged depending on the severity of the case and police officers should be tried as citizens, not as individuals above the law. In order to decrease police brutality and fix police departments across this nation, proper education on different scenarios, races, and ethnicities should be given. There should also be a wider diversity on a police force, rather than one race dominating the whole task force. Some have suggested that police officers who don’t have certain degrees, and pass certain tests both mental and physical, should be deemed unfit to fill their positions.

If these changes occurred, a lot of would change, less people would be going to prison, getting hurt, and even getting killed. Police brutality should be brought to an end, so should racial profiling. No one else should be getting hurt or murdered for silly reasons or bias.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/justice/california-fake-rifle-boy-killed/index.html

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/unarmed/

https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/28/us/barstow-california-police-video-pregnant-woman-arrest/index.html

My Hospital Experience

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Cahn, Ash

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about what goes on in a psychological hospital. But as someone who spent the last month in inpatient and partial programs at South Oaks Hospital in Amityville, I can say with certainty that most of those assertions aren’t true. I had a lot of great experiences, made many new friends, and learned a lot of new things that have been vital to my growth and happiness. Here are a few of those things:

The Hospital Doesn’t Have To Be A Horrible Place

Valentine Hall, the primary inpatient building at South Oaks

I had been sent to the emergency room a few times before this. I wound up not being admitted to the hospital in all those times though, as I was less of a danger to myself, and didn’t have a serious intention to do myself harm. I dreaded the hospital a lot. It seemed like this horrible place where I would be dropped into a pit filled with other dangerous people and be absolutely miserable the whole time. As it turns out, it’s almost the exact opposite. South Oaks was full of amazing kids with whom I made great friends, outstanding counselors and therapists, and the space, in general, is very nice and clean.

Group Therapy Helps

The programs at the hospital are primarily built around group therapy sessions, another thing I had avoided due to my poor social skills and feeling I really couldn’t talk in those types of settings. However, contrary to these beliefs, group therapy was probably the most helpful part of the program. I was able to talk about my past experiences and relate to other people when they talked about theirs. It helped me grow as a person, building upon the new DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) skills I learned in the group sessions, as well as helping my social skills so I feel more comfortable talking to other people, which will help me make new friends outside of the group setting.

Personal Barriers Can Be Broken

When I first came in, my parents and outside therapists weren’t expecting any results therapeutically; Rather, the hospital was just a safe place for me to stay in until I was no longer a danger to myself, and to stabilize medications in the quickest way possible. I shattered every expectation that everyone had for me in both programs. I participated in group therapy, I talked to new people, I made new friends, I learned DBT skills, I learned to stop hating myself, and I put myself out there for everyone to see. I went into the program as an extremely depressed, self-loathing, closed-minded, introverted person. I came out the exact opposite.

You Can Begin to See Yourself For Who You Really Are

As time went by in the programs, everyone began to love me. Eventually I became the most looked-up to patient in the program. This was very unexpected to me. I had never been seen as a role model before. For once, I felt like a really good and worthy person since others were looking up to me. They told me I was brave; they told me I was strong; they told me I was kind and sweet. Hearing all of this meant the world to me. I was finally able to truly hear what people who haven’t known me long thought about me, and it was really important in building my self-esteem.

After this experience, I can definitely say that I came out as a new person. I learned tons of new things and made a whole lot of new friends along the way. But I’m also happy to be back in school and to see my friends here. All in all, it was probably the most important month of my life.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Michalatos, Alexia

There was just so much hype for this movie, and in the end, all fans got was disappointment. Following the massive success of 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” which was directed by J.J Abrams, “The Last Jedi,” which was directed and written by Rian Johnson created a lot of hype for Star Wars fans. Many characters who returned in this sequel from the other movies were extremely out of character, such as classics like Luke Skywalker and even Leia Organa. It’s unfortunate, because this movie could have been so much, and instead delivered so little.

“Rose Tico” played by “Kelly Marie Tran” in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The movie’s plot is very muddled and it isn’t until almost an hour an half to actually get going (thanks to Rey’s unnecessarily long “Jedi training scenes.”) The First Order knocked out the Resistance’s hyperspace drive (which is what would have let them get away) which meant that all their ship could do is go forward and direct all the remaining energy of their main cruiser to the back shields. So far no problem– in fact, this sort of thing is not foreign to the Star Wars series at all. It all starts to go sour when the control room got blown up, causing Leia to get flung into space. And she survived by using the Force to get her back into the ship. Alright. Characters usually die within milliseconds the moment they’ve gotten into space without any air and heat support, and Leia was out there for at least a minute and twenty seconds. This is forgivable though– not a big deal, right? Well, this isn’t the only time that characters in this movie seem to accomplish some extremely miraculous feat that nobody in the entire Star Wars series has ever accomplished before up to that point.

Luke Skywalker seems to have the ability to ‘astral project’ by using the Force, meaning he can be on multiple planets at once. It is an extremely strong power, and to add it now within the movie franchise completely makes certain scenes from previous movies feel foolish in nature. And finally, there is the problem of Rose’s character. A lot of fans can agree on the fact that Rose’s character was dull and that she added almost nothing to the plot. Then there was the line where she says, “war is about saving those you care about.” On the contrary. That is not what war is about at all!

In so many ways, this movie failed to deliver. I’m hoping that with the next, a lot of these issues are remedied. Otherwise, the franchise will suffer a heavy blow.

Why You Shouldn’t Support Autism Speaks

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Gordon, Phoebe

Every April is Autism Acceptance month, and although it’s over, it’s always a good time to remind people not to support organizations that are harmful and discriminatory towards people with autism, namely Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is the world’s most well-known autism advocacy organization as well as one of the largest, but it is certainly not the most helpful. In fact, it has sparked several controversies among the autistic community over the years.

Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright after their son was diagnosed with autism. Its mission is to seek treatments and cures for autism spectrum disorders, and it spends lots of money on researching the causes of autism. On April 2, President Donald Trump made a statement supporting the organization and commemorating their annual event, Light It Up Blue, which is meant to spread autism awareness.

The logo for Autism Speaks.

The clear problem with this is that Autism Speaks spreads stigma and prejudice against autistic people. They see autism as a disease and have even compared it to AIDS and cancer. In reality, autism is simply a mental condition that makes certain people go through life differently than those who are considered “normal” by society. Autism Speaks also has no autistic members on its Board of Directors, so a group of people with flawed perceptions about autistic people are making huge decisions about their entire community without their consent or input. It caters more towards parents of children with autism, hoping to alleviate the so-called “struggles” of raising a child with a developmental disability. Very few of their funds actually go to helping autistic people, with most of their money spent on research and marketing. Most of their advertising spreads harmful stereotypes about autistic people. Furthermore, Autism Speaks has been working to advance prenatal testing so that if a fetus is autistic, its mother can choose to get it aborted. This is similar to the prenatal test for Down syndrome and, in a worst-case scenario, could end up eliminating autistic people for good.

While autism can definitely be hard to deal with, Autism Speaks’ motive is certainly not the solution. Most people with autism would prefer not to be cured, because although autism does not define them, it plays a large role in who they are as people. In addition, autistic people don’t want “awareness.” They want acceptance. Plenty of people know what autism is, but not as many go so far as to understand and help people with autism. We need people to be more understanding and supportive, especially since Autism Speaks sees autistic people as less than human.
If you’re looking for alternatives to Autism Speaks that actually support autistic people themselves, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is a great choice. Many of its members are autistic and their goal is to find ways to spread autism acceptance and to provide autistic people with better ways to cope in our discriminatory society. You can also donate to the Autism Women’s Network (AWN) and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), and be sure to educate yourself and others about autism so that you know what’s most helpful to the autistic community.

Predicting the Winners at the 89th Academy Awards

Posted on February 27, 2017 by Gordon, Phoebe

[Note: This was posted after the Oscars but was written beforehand.]

2016 has been a great year for movies. We’ve gotten another Star Wars movie; a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book; two new films added to the Disney animated canon; a bunch of great superhero movies; and a fantastic Harry Potter spinoff, to name a few. One would expect the 89th Academy Awards to be very exciting, considering the vast number of wonderful movies that came out this year. However, they have been almost entirely dominated by the colorful, jubilant movie musical, La La Land, which received fourteen nominations, tying the record set by All About Eve and Titanic. It is poised to win Best Picture, the Academy’s highest honor, as well as Best Director, Best Actress for Emma Stone, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and a number of others.

Nostalgia runs deep in La La Land, which is reminiscent of movie musicals from the ’50s and ’60s.

But is La La Land really the best movie of the year? Although it wowed critics and those in the movie industry, it also has its share of detractors. Many have criticized it for its lack of diversity, especially since it centers around a white man trying preserve traditional jazz, which was created by black people. Additionally, the screenplay is fairly weak; if you take away the happy tunes and bright colors, it’s just another straight white romance. At times, it feels a bit like it’s trying too hard to be a masterpiece. And Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, the film’s two leads, are just mediocre singers. Still, all this is unlikely to stop La La Land from winning several awards. It provides an escape from reality, something people especially long for during the current political climate. The music is catchy, and the film looks utterly beautiful. Plus, the Academy loves movies about Hollywood. If La La Land wins Best Picture, it would be quite unfortunate that the award would be so predictable and unexciting. It is highly unlikely that it won’t get the honor, but not entirely impossible.

Moonlight, which has eight nominations, is the only film likely to block La La Land’s path to victory. It is the transcendent coming-of-age story of Chiron, a gay black man growing up in poverty in Miami. When he is bullied by his peers and abused by his mother, he learns to shield his true self away from everyone for his own protection. It’s a reminder of the repercussions we face when we persecute others and when we refuse to open up to people. In a time when everyone tells you to love yourself and be yourself (statements that feel more empty the more we hear them), writer-director Barry Jenkins gave us a beautiful, poignant film showing what could happen if we don’t. Rarely has there ever been a movie more deserving of the Best Picture Oscar.

In one of the many awe-inspiring scenes of Moonlight, Juan teaches a young Chiron how to swim.

This year had countless movies with strong performances from leading actresses, so it’s a shame that Emma Stone will be the one to come out on top (and that Meryl Streep was nominated for the 20th time over the likes of Amy Adams, Annette Bening, and Taraji P. Henson). Sure, Stone was great in La La Land, so great that it’s almost easy to forget how underdeveloped her character is. However, it’s not hard to act as an aspiring actress when you were once an aspiring actress yourself. Natalie Portman, on the other hand, deals with much harder work in Jackie, playing Jacqueline Kennedy in the days following her husband’s assassination. Yet somehow, she does it perfectly. With the help of Mica Levi’s eerie score, Portman devastatingly illustrates the grief and sorrow that haunts Jackie each day while at the same time maintaining a smiling facade for the public.

Casey Affleck seemed like a shoo-in for Best Actor at first, after having won the Golden Globe and the Critic’s Choice awards, among many others, for his performance as a janitor haunted by his troubled past. But Denzel Washington’s surprise win at the SAG Awards shook things up, and Affleck’s sexual assault allegations from 2010 have also clouded his path. Affleck is still the frontrunner, but it is certainly possible that Washington could beat him and win his third Oscar. Both actors give astonishing performances. Affleck subtly and devastatingly shatters on the inside, while Washington explodes with fiery passion. Either one would be a worthy winner in the category, but if Washington wins, he would ignite far less controversy than Affleck would.

Viola Davis might as well already have her Oscar. She does amazing work in Fences, matching and even outshining the talent of Denzel Washington. It feels wrong to call it a performance, because it feels like she isn’t acting the part, but effortlessly being the part. That being said, fellow nominee Naomie Harris filmed her role in Moonlight in a total of three days with no rehearsals, and she stuns audiences with her harsh, heartbreaking portrayal of Chiron’s crack-addicted, abusive mother. Davis fully deserves her Oscar, but Harris’s work is brilliant as well and should not get overlooked.

After being nominated for Doubt, The Help, and Fences, Viola Davis is the first black actress to have three Academy Award nominations.

After being nominated for Doubt, The Help, and Fences, Viola Davis is the first black actress to earn three Academy Award nominations.

Supporting Actor frontrunner Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a warm-hearted drug dealer who becomes Chiron’s father figure in Moonlight. Many were moved by his character, who does not have much screen time but uses the time he has to bring inspiration, support, and encouragement to both Chiron and audiences. He will most likely and deservedly win the Oscar come Sunday.

The Best Animated Feature category should be a tighter race than it is. This year was a great year for animated movies, and all of the contenders are beautifully animated and highly original. Perhaps the most inventive of the five nominees is Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings. Set in Japan, it tells the story of a boy who can magically influence origami with a three-stringed guitar. Aided by a monkey and a beetle, he sets out on a quest to save his family from the evil Moon King and find out what happened to his samurai father. It’s unfair that Kubo will lose to Zootopia, which is a great movie but nowhere near as breathtaking as Kubo’s visuals, stop motion animation, and innovative, dark story.

The 89th Academy Awards take place on Sunday, February 26th and are hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

The HBC’s Plans For the Budget and Why It’s Harmful to the Future of America

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Harvey, Ryan

Congress recently released what they want the federal budget to be for the next 10 years. With the U.S. approaching nearly $20 trillion dollars in debt, Congress is doing everything it can to try to balance the budget and reduce this burden of debt as fast as possible. The budget deficit of Fiscal Year 2016 was $587 billion. This year it is set to be around $443 billion and be exactly the same for 2020 and not balance it until 2026. This plan would accumulate more debt than we have accumulated in the past 8 years. This is only if we follow the same tax plan as we have followed under Obama and Trump plans to cut taxes for everyone – so this will most likely be much, much worse. The three things the U.S. government spent the most on in 2016 are healthcare, Social Security and Unemployment Benefits, and the military which add up to 76% of the budget. You would think the HBC would want to start making cuts to these or try and find out how to carry out these programs in in cheaper, yet still efficient way. But no, they do not. $120 billion is added to military, no changes to Social Security are made to try and control the increased spending every year, and Medicaid spending is cut slightly while Medicare spending is still being allowed to expand every year with no changes to the program. Major cuts however are made to education (2% of the budget), public broadcasting (> 1% of the budget), and agriculture (3% of the budget).

The purple is where US troops are stationed.

There are countless ways to balance the budget in faster and more efficient ways. In 2016 the US spent more on military than the next seven countries behind us combined. The next country behind us, China spent $155.6 billion dollars on military last year, just a little more than 1/4th of our $585 billion dollars spent. Adding $120 billion to this will make us spend more than the next 10 countries combined. Some might say that this is necessary for defense against terrorism. They should see where our troops are stationed. The US has troops stationed in six out of seven continents on the globe and in 74 countries. We could put more troops in the Middle East and still fight terrorism more than we need to and still cut military spending almost in half. We even spend $5.9 billion dollars a year paying for the military of other countries.

The US also spends the most in the world on healthcare. This might come as a surprise to you, considering the US does not have universal healthcare like many other countries in the world. I’m sure the first thing that just popped into your head is, “Well our population is higher than those countries”. That is a natural thing to think and would be a good argument if it made a difference. The US federal healthcare spending is 17.7% of our overall GDP and 9% of the US is uninsured. The next country behind us, The Netherlands’ federal healthcare spending is 11.9% of their GDP and has universal healthcare. We spend the most in the world on healthcare by far and we have 9% uninsured. In countries like Canada and many European countries, healthcare is very cheap because of how cheap their medicine is. Opening up trade for medicine with these countries would bring the cost of our medicine down and ultimately making healthcare must cheaper. We do not need single-payer to have universal healthcare either. Many countries have achieved universal healthcare without single payer. Germany has achieved universal healthcare through a mix of public and private insurance. Their spending on healthcare is 11% of their GDP (7th highest in world) and their life expectancy for average citizens there is 81.0 years as opposed to our 78.7 years. The US can follow this system and save a lot of money while still having very high quality insurance. While making cuts to Social Security is not wanted by most people and is immoral, we can stop the growth of Social Security spending by raising the retirement age from 62 to 66 or higher. Critics of raising the retirement age would say its not right to give people a longer working life and take less time away from their retirement. If Social Security is going insolvent soon, then it is better for this generation to get less than for every generation 20 years from now to get none. We should also cap benefits so that the rich and others who do not need social security at all don’t receive it. This may also seem unfair and almost seem like discrimination if everyone is paying into it their whole lives, then everyone should get it back. Again, it is better for some to not get it than for every generation after 2035 to get none at all.

If the US were to do all outlined above and raise individual income taxes on the upper middle class and up, balancing the budget would be no problem. Cutting taxes when $19 trillion dollars in debt is plain irresponsible. This is not fiscally conservative. Cutting back on education spending is going to do little to nothing to reduce the deficit and will be harmful for America’s children. The HBC needs to cut back on what we actually spend excessively on and possibly reinstate PART (Program Rating Assessment Tool) in order to get rid of waste and balance the budget. While private citizens have no say in the budget we can vote in people who can vote on the budget. Our next chance is in 2018; vote safely and smartly.

How to Survive High School as a Hot Mess

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Galatro, Daniella

High school is hard enough as it for most students: Homework, stress, SAT, more stress, making friends, did I mention stress? And these examples are only a portion of the troubles students face. Now, take that student and add an expert level of procrastination, very believable excuses, a severe case of forgetfulness, little to no sleep, poor hand-eye coordination, overcompensation, the occasional mental breakdown, word vomit, a coffee addiction, a wardrobe that consists of 90% sweatpants/pajama pants, and a messy bun or hat to cover up the fact that they woke up 5 minutes before the bus.

If you are reading this and can relate to at least 4 of the 10 things listed, congratulations, you’re a hot mess. Now don’t freak out, while it may not be curable, it isn’t a death sentence. You can live your life and to make things easier for you, I’m going to give you a few pointers on how to survive high school as a hot mess.

Tip #1: Picking out your outfit.

Yes I know, the majority of your wardrobe is sweatpants, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t stressful to pick an outfit. You may be a mess and really lazy, but you aren’t a slob, so at least have an outfit that matches. That leads us to my first piece of advice: always wear a black shirt. Black matches with almost everything and it’s easy to throw on while you’re simultaneously brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, eating breakfast and running to catch your bus.

Tip #2: Sleeping Habits and Coffee Addictions.

If you’re like me, you spend more time on Netflix and YouTube than you spend sleeping. (Who needs sleep when you can binge watch Grey’s Anatomy?) Sleeping at night is for the weak. After all, that’s why we have coffee. Coffee is what gives a hot mess life; it makes it so we can function slightly more like a human instead of a zombie. If you’re reading this and coffee isn’t your best friend, I suggest you make a few adjustments to that friend group. On the other hand, if you’re reading this and you have a Starbucks gold card, I can bet you that I’ve spent more money there in the last month than you did in the last year.

Tip #3: Procrastination and Excuses.

*Disclaimer: I would’ve spent more time writing this tip, but I completely forgot. I had a really important thing (Netflix) to do last night, and I was running around all morning (woke up five minutes ago), and didn’t have time to do it. 😉

Tip #4: Forgetfulness.

Everyone forgets things every once in a while, hot messes are just more prone to catch a case of forgetfulness. Here is some stuff I do in the morning to remember what I need to do: 1) If you need to remember something put it on top of something you never leave the house without. That way, when you run around your house looking for it, you’ll also find your visual to- do list for the day. 2) Set as many alarms as possible. It’ll annoy you to the point that you want to throw your phone at the wall, but at least you’ll remember what you need. This may vary considering I still sleep through 10 of my 15 alarms in the morning but hey, it may work for you. 3) I forgot this step, but that means it probably wasn’t important.

Tip #5: Breakdowns.

As much as we don’t want to experience breakdowns, it’s bound to inevitably happen to you more than you might want to admit. Some of the time you can’t help them and other times they are preventable or not necessary. So calm down, yes it’s okay to have them every so often but if you’re going to freak out over small things it’s going to help no one. Distract yourself from the problem: Talk to someone, read a book, binge Netflix, go for a run, and if all else fails go home and stuff your face with chocolate because chocolate fixes everything.

Tip #6: Be yourself!

Last but not least, be yourself not what others want you to be! Don’t let labels define who you are, so what you’re a hot mess? In the end it’s just a word, you are who you want to be and should embrace it. If someone is going to judge you for the way you look and act, they don’t deserve your time or stress. Being a hot mess isn’t a bad thing, it’s just another thing that makes you who you are. So go ahead, rock those sweatpants, throw your hair up in that messy bun, binge on netflix, have that occasional meltdown, be voted most likely to have a child born addicted to starbuck in your yearbook (….okay that last one may only apply to me but still it’s possible for you too!), and most importantly be yourself!

If you follow these six tips, you’re all set to survive high school. Oh and one last thing, congratulations, you’re a hot mess!

I Will Not Stand

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Bares, James

I will not stand with a society that ridicules men for not being “manly”. I will not stand with you if you shut down others and degrade them for what they believe, what color their skin is, or for the country in which they live. A society that allows people to be discriminated against because of who they love, is something for which I will not stand.

We are the movement. We must change this society.

If a woman walks down the street and is constantly harassed and this is viewed as acceptable, will not stand with you. In a world filled with so much hate, I will not stand with those who add to it.

In a world where my ability to take a single test determines the rest of my life, where smart individuals are shunned for not testing well, I will not stand. We live in a world where a fish’s intelligence is judged by it’s ability to climb a tree, and for this I can not stand.

We live in a world where women are afraid to walk home alone at night and we don’t teach boys not to rape, but rather, teach girls not to wear certain clothes which might provoke attackers.

This society is so beyond the point of “I Will Not Stand” we have reached a point where people are leaving the country in order to escape the madness only to find out it is just as bad everywhere else.

I will not stand with those who think it is ok to massacre people based on their beliefs, where a Muslim man is stopped and strip searched at an airport, or a Mexican man is stopped at a checkpoint and needs to prove his right to be in this country.

I will not stand with a society in which a woman gets paid less just because she is a woman, where a man is judged by who he brings to bed with him at night, where a woman’s skin can’t be exposed without being called a whore or a slut or a skank and is sent home from school if her shoulder is exposed, or where those who lie and cheat are rewarded with powerful political positions.

I will not stand with the top 80 people of the world retaining 90% of the world’s wealth, while men, women, and children starve in the streets. Where the wealthiest among us live in mansions bigger than the White House and own cars worth more than a man’s life salary. With that I CAN NOT STAND.

I cannot stand with a society where the freedom of expression no longer exists because a man who wears feminine clothes is called a sissy and freak and a woman who wears masculine clothing is seen the same way, where what God you believe in determines how you will be treated by others.

Where collecting a professional team’s gear, screaming at a TV every Sunday night, and painting your body for the game is seen as socially acceptable, but if someone wears an ESports team jersey, he is called a nerd.

In this world there is no right or wrong, however it is made to be. We should be able to believe what we want, wear what we want, and be who we want. It is up to us to fix it: we must change how we think and accept people for who they are. That is a society for which I can stand.

The Villager

A Student-Generated News Blog

Category Archives: Editorial