The Homecoming Game
Blinded by the bright lights, carefully placing each step to avoid falling on his face in front of the whole town, Evan never imagined he would be standing on the football field during the homecoming game. In fact, if you had told him this last year, he would have laughed in your face because why would he be involved in the Homecoming Queen award? But this year is different. This year, everyone has a chance to shine. Chelsea High School, where Evan is a senior, replaced the Homecoming Queen award with the Excellence Award. Katie, a junior, is pissed. Katie’s sister was Homecoming Queen her junior and senior years, as was her mom and her sisters, and her grandma and her sisters. This year was supposed to be Katie’s turn to be Homecoming Queen, but because of the new “Excellence Award,” Katie’s dreams were ripped away. Responsible for the change, and proud of it, Corynne, a senior, stands off on the track watching their handiwork come to fruition. Though they would never be elected to the homecoming court themselves, because it is still a popularity contest after all, Corynne is proud to have been part of the change to move away from rewarding women for being “pretty and popular.” Two Weeks Before The announcement came not as a shock, but definitely as a surprise. Leading up to Homecoming, the theme was announced, dresses had been bought, and plans were being made. Students whispered about the future of the homecoming award as they knew changes were in process but had yet to be finalized. Corynne had been waiting for this day for what seemed like forever. Knowing something that no one else did, there was power in that. But what’s better, is other people knowing that you know something that they don’t. Their stomach was doing somersaults or housing butterflies, maybe somersaulting butterflies, they were nervous for ten million different reasons. What if the whole school turns against them? What if the would-have-been Homecoming Queens make their life a living hell? Yet pushing against these questions citing doubt, what if everyone agrees with getting rid of the archaic tradition? The announcement was made Friday morning, as voting was set to open, students learned the new criteria for nominations. “As the voice of Chelsea High School students,” the loud speakers boomed, and for once, students across the school paused to hear what was being said. “The Student Council’s mission is to build upon the great traditions of the school while ensuring that our programs and events are inclusive and beneficial to everyone.” Katie peered around, heart pounding in her ears, worried that she knew exactly where this was going. “With that in mind, we have reviewed the Homecoming Queen award and concluded that it is outdated and not representative of what we want students to strive to be here at CHS.” More so focused on the reactions of his peers, Evan watched the girls around him panic and wondered if he saw tears welling in Katie’s eyes. “Therefore, we are reinventing the Homecoming Queen award and introducing the Chelsea Excellence Award.” Letting out a sigh of relief, Corynne was happy that it was done. Everyone knows now. “The Chelsea Excellence Award will be able to be won by anyone who embodies characteristics emphasized in the CHS Graduate Learner Profile, including creativity, character, kindness, service, scholarship, and leadership. When nominating, students will now have the opportunity to include statements on why their nominee deserves the award, and those responses will be read aloud as the nominees are announced at the pep rally and football game.” The announcement droned on with more information and the pledge of allegiance. The classroom erupted into conversation. “Finally!” some students exclaimed. “Oh, that makes sense,” others, who had never really thought about the qualities of a Homecoming Queen before, said. “Fucking liberals,” a few students muttered to each other, eyeing those sitting for the pledge as the destroyers of the homecoming tradition. Standing back up after the pledge, Corynne gauged the reaction of their classmates. While difficult to decipher the buzz in the air from normal Friday rowdiness, people seemed generally satisfied by the change and ready to leave the school day behind. Pulling up to her house in tears, Katie rushed inside to tell her mother the terrible news. “They’ve ruined it, they’ve ruined our legacy! They’ve taken away Homecoming Queen” Katie exclaimed, distraught. Her mother’s eyes widened, reflecting an equal sense of severity to the situation. “Oh honey,” Katie’s mom said soothingly. “Don’t you worry, we will figure this out,” Katie’s mom had already compiled the list of emails she would send and phone calls that she would make. Complaints that would go unanswered. The News Headlines News had spread of Chelsea’s new approach to homecoming. Local, state, and national news heard the story and praised the progressive choice, or made it out to be the next example of “wokeness” dividing the country. “This high school axed homecoming queen title because of bullying,” read one headline. Another said, “Chelsea High School won't be crowning homecoming queens anymore” “High School Sparks Debate By Replacing Homecoming Queen With Excellence Award,” followed by comment sections full of parents horrified that kids won’t be participating in the traditions that they once knew. Local headlines were more conscious of their young audience, and accepting of the new reality and encouraging students, and their families to do the same. The Nominees Voting was open to students for a week and the top four students from each grade were approached to confirm their participation. Lunch table talks were centered around who would be nominated, what stories would be shared, and how the crowds would respond that fateful Friday night. Each group nominated their own favorite friend, writing in messages of success and smiles shared in the classroom. Evan, president and founder of CHS Quiz Bowl, Senior Class President, and Economics Team champion, was an obvious choice for students. Katie, loved by many and feared by more, was nominated by stories of “being a great teammate on the field,” and “having the singing voice of an angel.” Corynne watched it all happen. Removing the unnecessary gender construct from the award was a huge step in the right direction. Hopefully hardworking students, of any gender, will be able to be recognized for their achievements for years to come. Although, a little voice in the back of their head worried about adding stress to a student body that has suffered from bullying, mental health issues, and suicides for years. This, of course, was taken into consideration when designing the award, but they still worried about negative consequences. The Excellence Award rooted out joke nominations as administration was able to tell the genuine and fake reasons for nomination apart. Some girls who might have been Homecoming Queen were nominated, but a lot were not. They were not the people who came to mind when students were asked to think about their “excellent” peers. Which was the point. Students are being forced to face the stereotypes they were once choosing to uphold, however, they now must ask themselves whether or not they are simply replacing one stereotype for another. An Analysis Looking at the phenomenon of Homecoming Queen through a structuralist lens, we can understand the desire to choose a certain type of person to represent an idealized image. The girls who fit these constraints are assumed to be cisgender, straight, and dating the quarterback. Yes, this award is harmful to those being excluded or nominated as a joke, but it is just as harmful to those who are striving to fit into a Homecoming Queen box. It is only human nature to want to group people together, especially in highschool, but the first step to ending this practice is recognizing the problem. Changing the connotations of an award, from pretty and popular to smart and kind is objectively a good thing, but it simply highlights and excludes a new group of students. Students should always be recognized for being kind humans. But, in following the same structure and tradition of the Homecoming Queen award, the Excellence Award is not a long-term solution. Or is it? Others would argue that getting rid of Homecoming Queen, and even the Excellence Award, is similar to “giving everyone a participation trophy.” What is wrong with recognizing a few outstanding students for their accomplishments? To this I reply, a popularity contest is a popularity contest. Whether you call it Homecoming Queen, Excellence Award, or something else, a recognition of a student, nominated by their peers, is a popularity contest. The lessons students should be taking away from grade school and bringing into the world once they graduate are ones of inclusion, celebration, and thoughtfulness. While replacing one gendered rite of passage with a slightly more inclusive one seems like a fix for now, students, teachers and parents alike should think about the lasting impact they want to have on society and frame their celebration of student achievements in another way. I do not know what that other way is. Maybe there isn’t a right answer. The only way to find out is to try. Chelsea High School tried something new, and for better or for worse, at least something can be learned from it.
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Gilbert Baker (in vest) and colleagues raising one of the first rainbow flags at United Nations Plaza in San Francisco June 25, 1978. (Photograph by James McNamara, Courtesy of Mick Hicks, National Archives) What has become a divisive topic in The United States in every venue, from Thanksgiving dinners to the Supreme Court, a rainbow is something that has always held a symbolic role in society. Children's stories have revolved around rainbows for years, creating mystical plots involving unicorns and pots of gold, promoting ideas of friendship and hope. While what it stands for has changed over the decades, the rainbow has always been a prevalent sign of solidarity and creativity. A symbol of identity today, the rainbow is a queer emblem all people need to be aware of.
Before its time waving from flag poles, rainbows could only be seen in nature. In Greek mythology, Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, was known to connect the people to the gods. This theme of creating a connection between the gods and Earth is repeated in many other cultures. In ancient Japanese civilizations, a rainbow was considered a bad omen as it stood for a snake, as well as a dragon at various times. Japanese stories also describe a rainbow as a slit in the sky that has been restored by goddess Nüwa. A rainbow seen predicted incoming weather conditions, from light rains to torrential downpours, according to the philosopher Seneca and allegedly agreed on by Plato. Christianity and Judaism regard the rainbow as a sign from God that He will not destroy the Earth again with a flood. Whether a culture has a negative or positive view of the rainbow, they must rationalize the existence of such a large, natural phenomenon. In more recent times, the rainbow has stood for the idea of acceptance. The natural beauty of Earth is an inspiration for many great works of art. First created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, a Vietnam war veteran, and drag queen, the rainbow flag was the result of Baker and his friends being tasked with creating a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Celebration. Baker described his inspiration for the flag design as queer people's "rainbow of humanity" throughout their lives. His original flag consisted of eight stripes with each color illustrating a piece of the community's identity. Due to dye demand and design theory, the flag evolved into the six-striped piece we see today. More recently, Daniel Quasar created a new adaptation called the progress pride flag. In 2018, Quasar worked to create a symbol that more fully and inclusively encompassed the identities of the queer community. Brown and black stripes were added in the shape of an arrow to honor and remember the queer People of Color who fought for the rights of LBGTQ+ people; queer minorities were also drastically more affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and these stripes urge their remembrance. Inside the brown and black stripes are white, blue, and pink stripes as a symbol of the transgender community, a group often disconnected from the queer community as the definition does not directly relate to one’s sexuality. Within the queer community work still needs to be done to encourage the acceptance of any and all identities. This rebranding of the flag is a step towards exactly that. Without being united internally, we cannot successfully create awareness and advocate for our rights. The cisgendered, heterosexual majority are often unaware and uneducated on issues that uniquely affect queer people, oftentimes at no fault of their own. Everyone has a unique perspective that affects how they see the rainbow flag. Through conversations with friends, I have realized that many young adults outside of the queer community view the rainbow flag as simply a flag first, and a rainbow second. They see an object, then the symbolism it carries. While they can recognize the meaning of safety that it represents for some people, the consensus appears to be that they are no more, nor less, likely to enter a business with a rainbow flag on display. The six colors stacked on one another are nothing more than that, six stacked colors. Because the safety of their identity is not represented by a small pile of colors, of course, their attention is not pulled to the subtle sticker at the edge of a window. Some things are not thought about by people of other identities out of a lack of necessity. We must consider that the world could be a better place if an effort was made by everyone, within the community or outside of it, to note things that make others feel welcome and safe. For young people today who are growing up in towns where pride flags are stolen from lawns and transgender students are dead named by religious school administrators, knowing who is and who is not an ally is essential. Finding a place where queer people are welcomed and affirmed, whether it be by businesses, therapists, or family, becomes infinitely easier and safer when there is a tangible item as a symbol for a safe space for queerness. Any glance at something remotely rainbow should spark thoughts of queer icons, history, and a safe future for all. Although it has represented a range of ideas throughout history, today it should be known as a queer symbol, above all. Gene Wilder is God. More specifically, Gene Wilder’s character, Willy Wonka, from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, represents a version of God as described in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov: Rebellion. Willy Wonka exemplifies children suffering under a high power, parents causing children to pay for their sins, and questioning if revenge can be justified. I will analyze how Wonka’s actions align with Ivan’s points about God through the comparison of Willy Wonka and his allowance of children suffering in his chocolate factory to God allowing children to suffer in the world as described in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov: Rebellion.
Directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic book. In this film, five children are invited to enter Wonka’s chocolate factory by finding a golden ticket where each child represents a different deadly sin created at the fault of their parents. The children and their respective sins are as follows: Charlie: lust, Augustus: gluttony, Violet: pride, Veronica: greed, Mike: sloth. Grandpa Joe would represent envy and Wonka wrath, but we are going to focus on two of the children: Charlie and Augustus.. We see the parents, those who the children suffer because of, indulge their children and allow, and in some cases encourage, their sinful behavior. Wonka is viewed as a god by the small, poor town the movie is placed in. Provider of jobs and candy, Wonka and his factory are full of mystery, and people try their hardest to get close to this power. In a seemingly meticulous manner, Wonka allows the children who enter his factory to be plucked off one by one. Tempting each of them in their own personal room, Wonka, like God, invents a test of faith to the children. All of the children fail their tests and endure suffering, and possibly death, because of it. This is a reflection of the Rebellion chapter as the abuses are listed, one after another. The stories told in Rebellion, the chapter we are focusing on from Brothers Karamazov, describe different types of child abuse. Ivan is speaking to Alyosha about his confusion over the phrase of “love thy neighbor.” The thought of having unloveable neighbors, and loving them just for the sake of it without a sense of duty, pokes holes into this idea. Ivan decides to begin his argument that the god which people subscribe to cannot be as good as they say because he allows suffering. A picture of young, naive, innocent children is painted as the object of this suffering. These idealized children “are not yet guilty of anything” and everyone has the capacity to love them, even cruel people love children. So, Ivan asks, how can God allow these children to pay for the sins of their father? The first incident of suffering in Wonka’s factory is when Augustus Gloop falls into the chocolate river after scooping chocolate into his mouth. Wonka, and the other children and parents for that matter, make no effort to save him. Augustus is swallowed into a chocolate tube and sent to the fudge room. His mother is sent after him, hoping she gets there before he is boiled. The Oompa Loompas sing a song about greed getting you into trouble. Augustus very obviously represents the sin of gluttony and a flowing river of chocolate is the ideal test of faith for him. His gluttonous behavior is a direct result of the way he was raised. We see his mother pander to her son throughout the movie and Augustus is ultimately punished because of it. At the end of the film, Charlie and his Grandpa Joe drink the fizzy lifting drink after being instructed not to by Wonka. Flying around a bubble filled room is all fun and games until they float too high and cannot stop from flying into the room’s large fan. They discover that burping will bring them back down to the ground, right in the nick of time. Charlie is the final child left in the factory but for breaking Wonka’s rules, is sent away from the factory without his lifetime supply of chocolate. In the final moments inside the factory, Charlie redeems himself by returning the everlasting gobstopper that he was tempted to sell to Mr. Slugworth, to Wonka. This show of good faith to both Wonka and the factory leads to Charlie being given control of the factory. The stories of abuse in Rebellion range from the Turkish shooting a baby in its face, a child forced to steal to survive being beaten and sentenced to death, and a little girl who is flogged by her father– who is found not guilty by a jury. His final story is about an eight-year-old who injures a rich man's dog’s paw. His punishment is being chased down and killed by a pack of dogs. Alyosha’s response is to shoot him, proving Ivan’s point of human’s complex relationship with suffering. Why is the revenge, death, and suffering of one justified? The point of all of this is simple. Humans have a complicated relationship with suffering, especially that of innocents like children. Those claiming to worship an all-knowing and all-loving God really think, as Alyoshka did, that revenge can be justified. Each of the assaults described by Ivan and committed by Wonka have something in common. These are children, at the fault of those expected to be older and wiser, who are put in situations in which they make wrong decisions. In Rebellion this is shown in the situations children are put in by adults to commit their crimes, or are wrongfully subjected to violence for no apparent reason. In Willy Wonka, the idea of a lack of trust in adults is portrayed through the frightening nature of Wonka and the ongoings of his factory, as well as Grandpa Joe who pushed Charlie to drink the fizzy lifting drink for his own enjoyment. Children are inherently innocent and follow the lead of their elders; this does not mean that they should be physically abused or killed. But, we are shown that there is a limit to the wrong decisions that different ages can make, as one could justify seeking revenge on an adult who murdered a child. As discussed in Rebellion, the relationship humans have with suffering is dependent on many factors. Our ability and will to empathize with those we see deserving of it is limited to the young and seemingly innocent. The children in Willy Wonka toe this line as their characteristics make us less inclined to give our unwavering support. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a visual representation of the points made by Ivan in Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov: Rebellion. In the movie, Wonka portrays a god who provides tests of faith to his people, consents to the suffering of the children who act against him at the fault of their parents, and asks the audience to consider their position on suffering as a form of punishment or revenge. |
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