Senior Send Off - Class of ‘22

Suhani Muhajan, Dhruv Singh, Caleb Smith, Grace Yang

Members of Northview's 2022 graduating class reflect on their experience in high school and their plans going forward. Point of View's seniors, Caleb, Dhruv, and Suhani, discuss their time in the class. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Sahit: My name is Sahit and I'm a senior at Northview High School.

Sasha: Hi, my name is Sasha.

Soham: Yeah, hello, my name is Soham. I'm a senior here at Northview I'm the captain of the varsity soccer team.

Elizabeth: Hello, my name is Elizabeth Ziabchenko. And I'm a student at Northview High School.

Alana: Yes, hello, I'm Alana McLaughlin, and I'm a senior.

Sivan: Hi, I'm Sivan. I'm a senior at Northview High School, and I'll be graduating this year.

Caleb: And this was high school for Northview's class of 2022. We've learned we've grown, we've made countless memories that we'll keep forever.

Sahit: Most of my favorite memories are actually oriented with my friends and things we do together, we went to the Chattahoochee River, the plan was to just you know, look at a river and just play around in the park and so forth. But we he and I actually ended up going into the river. And we were not, we were not smart about it because the current was extremely strong, and we had no idea what to do. And we realized this halfway in, and like we barely made it out alive and kind of thing and like we were both shivering and hypothermic, it was just really crazy and scary. But now that I look back on it, it feels more like like a storybook adventure. And those memories that I'm really happy about.

Sasha: I got to step in for the role of Carrie for one day, and learn it in like two seconds. So that's definitely going to be a core memory for me. It was a lot of fun.

Sivan: Um, my favorite memory was actually pretty recent, it was during the Stone Mountain trip. So after the mountain, we everyone went to the barbecue and everyone ate and things like that. And everyone decided to go play volleyball. And for some reason, everyone decided to go play volleyball at this one singular net. And what I thought was so memorable about that experience was that like, kids from so many different like cliques or groups, kids from like different backgrounds, because who had different interests all came together and support each other while we played volleyball. And you could see like the excitement and joy in everyone's eyes when they went to when they hit the ball over the net. And people are high-fiving and people who never even spoke to each other before we're on the same team. And they were like just enjoying each other's company.

Elizabeth: Some of my favorite memories is like performing at an international night, particularly my senior year when I was in 2x. And the cullmination of my high school tennis, which was winning regions this year.

Alana: One of my favorite memories was probably I think it was the homecoming football game where it was blackout of this year. It was just great because all the different friend groups and our grade were there. And it was really like a sense of community and everybody was together. And I don't think you get that every football game. And it was just nice. And we missed so many things because of COVID. It was really nice to just be together and like kind of experience that.

Soham: I would say my favorite memory from the last four years is probably this past this past season with my team with the Northview our soccer team, we exceeded expectations tremendously. We were runner ups in our region, and we made it to the Round 16 second round of playoffs. And just that the whole season these past few months have been some of like the best ones in my life. This is a tremendous success we had in like the amount of fun I had to with with all my with all my teammates. And so it was just it was it was amazing was a great experience. Suhani: Whether we were online or in person, we've pushed ourselves to our limits, bonding over shared procrastination and late night studying.

Sivan: What I think I'll miss the most about my high school experience is the suffering everyone went through together. So in my eyes, while the classes were very hard and they took a lot of work, the nights that you spend with your friends on like FaceTime or discord like grinding out assignments or study guides and things like that. While they were hard. I think it was kind of enjoyable at the same time because um, it was like a group collectively suffering together.

Alana: I have loved yearbook. It's a lot of work but nothing beats like that community in that class and the ability we have to have so much fun together, but it's also something that's my passion.

Elizabeth: My favorite classes, were definitely my lit classes my ninth grade with Coronavirus, Yashi 11th grade with Miss Pope and 12th grade with AP Lit and Rawlins class. Honorable mention to honors Chem surprisingly because I definitely think that the shared torture of honors Chem brings people together. And I made some of my best friends are in my honors chem class where we did a bunch of labs and just talk through our assignments together. And cram studied for classes during lunch.

Sahit: AP Lang for sure by Mrs. Pope, even though it was online, which wasn't the best aspect of it. It was extremely entertaining and educational. It kind of helped me realize the importance of language which is something I didn't realize the first two years and it helped me really hone in on my voice. Identify with what I truly believe in and find a way to express that and justify it and like, you know, persuade people and like, take my stance. So it gave me a lot of confidence.

Sasha: Okay this is a class that I took freshman year. But it's definitely one of my favorites. It was 10th honors lit. And I had Ms Pope. We had this one unit where we were reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. And my friend Aayush and I, we liked the book so much that we started making a Broadway musical out of it. And we like wrote songs and cast people and everything. So I loved that class so much, I had so much fun.

Dhruv: Outside the classroom, we grew as people tried new things, we planted the seeds of future hobbies we take with us now.

Sivan: Growing up, I was like very, very unathletic. And something about wrestling and like something about like watching yourself grow, was like very fun for me. Because it was like, knowing that you didn't come from like a background where you were just knew you were gonna do sports, and doing wrestling and like winning matches and succeeding. Something about that was just very fun for me.

Sasha: I think I'm proud of how involved I got in everything that I did, I got some leadership positions. And I feel like that really helped me this year, like really get more involved with what I was doing and get that experience. Be president of a club. Just be in the club in the first place. I've been part of improv clubs since freshman year. So all four years, being involved in chorus being really involved in theater. I just this year gotten involved with the Northview bolt, which was like so much fun. Just getting involved with as much as I could, I feel like I'm proud of that.

Sahit: Especially with Psi Alpha, which is the psychology Art Society. And whether it's through guest speaker events, or like the various fundraisers, awareness campaigns, anything we've done, the ability to impact the greater Northview community and make a significant impact on it. And also leave a legacy of the club behind as a graduate, something I'm really excited and proud about.

Suhani: And despite everything that made high school seem impossible, at moments, we persevered, though, maybe that's easier to say, in hindsight.

Sivan: I was on the wrestling team. And I would say the wrestling teams practices were the hardest of any sport I've ever done. And being in that room, and like sweating, and like suffering and constantly like pushing each other, in that hot, sweaty room for like, hours and hours every week, kind of brought me closer together with the people I was in there with. And because of that it just made it so enjoyable and memorable.

Sasha: Taking charge and making decisions for myself and talking to people in that way. I was always more of a follower than a leader. But this year, I think I've definitely learned to become more of a leader and make decisions and be in charge of some things. And I feel like that's been really useful. And it's really going to help me going forward. So I'd say that's the main thing. Yeah.

Sivan: Looking back, because I was so sporadic, and so like spontaneous about a lot of my decisions. It kind of hindered a lot of my growth and development in certain areas. And I feel like looking back, if I just stuck to certain things and tried new things, I would have probably been a very different person than I am now.

Sahit: Because freshman, sophomore year, I think like most students, I spent a great deal of time to studying and working. And I wish I did have more balanced, which means enjoying myself more, going out with my friends more doing hobbies, and just an overall sense of like fulfillment, which I feel like I lack that I found now.

Alana: Like embrace who you are and don't apologize for being who you are. I think that obviously when you're a freshman, you're so worried that the upperclassmen are going to judge you and other people are going to judge you and I just wish that I had embraced myself sooner I think I would have been a lot happier.

Soham: Enjoy enjoy these years. I kind of sounds cliche, but like, and like you know, when I heard obviously when we all heard it back, back when we were freshmen too, like, oh, yeah, don't worry, we have so much time. It's true. It's for real man, it goes by so fast. Take it take it one year at a time. We can time you know, just enjoy, enjoy high school man, prepare yourself, gain those qualities that you need to be successful in life moving forward. This is the time where you where you learn everything, learn your skills, learn what you want to do and stuff. So going forward, I think I'll remember all the experiences that I've had these past few years whether it be in soccer, you know, how to take a tough loss or how to how to you know, when to whens the right time to like celebrate wins around women to push hard to work hard and stuff.

Elizabeth: The threat of college isn't so much of a threat as just a next step that is going to happen regardless of whatever grades or things that happen along my high school journey. So I would say work hard. But take take time when you need it. And sometimes an assignment isn't as important as something else that's going on in your life.

Sasha: I don't know advice I would give freshmen me is just don't worry as much cuz you are, because like, things will work out. It won't just all like, be that, like, you'll have bad moments, but like, it'll all work itself out, I won't stay like that.

Sivan: So I'll probably take like the regrets, I guess that I have from high school and move into college with them such as like, trying new things and staying consistent with certain things. But at the same time, I think high school has taught me that I can like kind of push myself farther than I really thought I could initially. And so I'll probably carry that throughout the rest of my life.

Soham: I knew like even before like I decided where to go to college, I was like, I want to come back as much as possible back to Johns Creek. To just you know, hang out with my friends.

Sasha: Well, first of all, I want to get this out of the way. Sujana asked me to say see Sujana. So the number one thing that I will miss about high school is to Sujana Vangala. Which is true, like, I think the answer is that I'm just going to miss all my friends, like so much I'm going to try like really, really hard to keep in touch with everyone.

Dhruv: I think for me over the past four years, something I'm really going to like keep is like the ability to learn like not necessarily even the things I have learned, but like, you know, floundering, like figure things out, like sharing it with other people. Like I think I really value that.

Suhani: I think personally, I really value the relationships I've formed. You know, these past four years, and especially in this class, because we all came into this kind of not knowing each other. But we've gotten so close together and getting to see how we've improved from our first episode to now. And realizing that we did that together as a group. It's really fulfilling, and I'm so happy that we got to do it together.

Caleb: I think for me, regardless of how much work we put into each podcast, putting our heart and our soul into it, I think we also remain to have fun, like when we made them, and growing these relationships within the class and kind of creating a family. I think there's something special in that. And I think these are some of the relationships that I'll carry with me and not always remember, in my future and in college.

Dhruv: I think that like for me no matter what, even if I'm leaving physically, I'm like, I'm not going to be here anymore. Like all this stuff from high school like the cringe the mistakes like the good times, like the friendships, I'm going to keep those with me like in my heart always know what I mean, as corny as that sounds.

Suhani: No same. I'm really grateful for all the experiences, whether they be good or bad. And I mean, I'm so grateful to all the people who supported me these past four years, like my bus driver, all my teachers, all my friends, those people that you know, you pass on the hallways and just wave at you know, and thank you to everyone who's listening because, you know, podcasts was so important to me this year.

Caleb: For me, one thing I will say is that throughout high school, there's so many lessons that I've learned, but especially this year, it's just stretched me a bunch with whether it's like in education or whether it's socially. There's so much that I've learned in my growth has been, you know, exponential, and I'm grateful that high school has provided me with the lessons that I needed to take with me into the future. And I'm forever grateful for it.

Sahit: Outings, we've had my friends like we went through waterfalls, you know, hiking, rock climbing, these are all things I never imagined I'd ever do. Just because it seems so out of left field like if like, I didn't see myself as the kind of person to go out with my friends, like stay overnight or go to parties or anything. But it was only in senior semester that we went far beyond our comfort zone and the normal. Just go home and study and sleep kind of thing to do lots of crazy things and lots of really fun things risky but fun.

Suhani: This concludes our senior year send off episode. Now signing off. This was Suhani.

Dhruv: This was Dhruv.

Caleb: And this was Caleb. Thank you for tuning in this year to listen to Point of View.

Grace: For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website nhsmessenger.org And follow us on Instagram Twitter or Facebook @nhspointofview for updates or new episodes. I'm Grace, one of the editors-in-chief for Point of View next year and this has been Point of View.

Across the Table - Our First Year

Jordan Anderson, Rachel Everett, Delisa Troupe, Suhani Mahajan, Sofia Mang, Dhruv Singh, Caleb Smith, Orelia Thottam, Grace Yang

In this episode, hosts Delisa, Grace, Sofia, Rachel, Orelia, Jordan, Caleb, Suhani, and Dhruv discuss their favorite memories, biggest accomplishments, and hopes for next year as the first official year of Point of View comes to a bittersweet end. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Delisa Troupe: Hello and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I’m your host Delisa Troupe, and today I’m sitting with Grace, Sofia, Rachel, Orelia, Jordan, Caleb, Suhani, and Dhruv, some of the hosts of podcasts as this class comes to a bittersweet end. So the first question that we’re touching on today is how, what was your first impression of each other and the class like, think back to like your first day of school. What did you think of it?

Sofia Mang: It was a little bit awkward, because it was such a small class and some like not many of us knew each other. But I do think that it was kind of nice getting to know each other on the beginning because it was like, those icebreakers were kind of funny, and especially like the thing with Dhruv. Or used to call him like Drew with a v. I don’t know.

Delisa: So I kind of like started the class because Sofia told me about it. I had no idea even existed. And she was like, can you please come? I don’t know, and she was like, begging me. And at the time, I was an intro to art. But I decided to drop that because the class was like mostly freshmen. And I decided to join this instead, and I’m really glad that I did.

Rachel Everett: I remember for like, oh, was it like first week or two maybe three, Caleb our like head editor just was not in this class. He was not here for like, the longest time. And it was, so we got past that. Um, but I certainly remember like how seeing it was, it was an interest group. And we were all like, you know. Like sometimes in a class, you can all see people that like, oh that makes sense they’re in this class. Or like they fit like a stereotype. We all come from like, different backgrounds. And I kind of like that.

Suhani Mahajan: I just want to say y’all terrified me, because I didn’t know anyone but Dhruv, and Rachel.

Caleb: And me.

Suhani: No because I just did not know you until this year.

Caleb: You knew of my name right?

Suhani: You know, that’s a question mark. But Rachel was like a comfort like, life saver thing. And Dhruv was like, oh that’s that kid from freshman year. And then the rest of y’all were like, og my god, they’re so close. And I had no idea if I’d be able to like mesh with everyone in the class, especially since most of y’all are juniors, and I’m a senior.

Grace: I don’t know, I did not think we were that close. Like on the first day, because I didn’t know anybody because Marcus came later. He was the only person I knew, and even like Marcus came later and he only talked to me a few times he’s like clingy. And so I don’t know, my first day I saw like, I think it was Rachel, Suhani, who were in here. And I was like, looking around the classroom. And I was like, is this journalism? And they’re like yeah, and I was like oh I thought it was a different room or like a different title. Because I thought, I signed up for messenger, like the writing portion. But then I like got assigned to this class. And I was like, did I sign up for this? I’m like, I don’t think I did. But Mrs. Evans was talking about how like, we could like edit audio and maybe do videos. And I was like, okay, I guess I’ll stay. And like, because there’s too much of a hassle to go to my counselor, but like I’m glad I did. Because I agree with Rachel that like, it brings in a lot of people who are like in different social circles, and like in different grades as well. So it’s like really interesting to see how everyone’s doing and like, because everyone brings a different opinion. I feel like which is really interesting to see.

Delisa: Poor Jonah, the only freshman.

Sofia: I kind of like to call it, I told Delisa this the other day and I was we’re kinda like Breakfast Club. Yeah, have you guys never seen that movie?

Rachel: No.

Sofia: I’ve seen it. Jordan, how do you feel being like the only sophomore in this class?

Jordan: At first I was terrified. Because I didn’t know anyone. And I do really, I’m like really bad in situations where I don’t know anybody. So like, I’m quiet, I still am. But like outside this class, I’m like a hot mess but, we’re not gonna talk about that. Like I was like, really scared at first because I was like, “Oh i’m probably gonna do terrible. Everyone’s probably gonna yell at e if I mess something up.” But like eventually, I was like okay nice. This is like my favorite class. Whenever I’m stressed about chemistry I’m so happy, this is my next class because I can just like relax and think about happy things.

Delisa: No, this is kind of off topic, but you know Mekayle Upton. So I’m wither her in messenger,and she’s always talking about how you’re always talking about podcast.

Jordan: I love this class. This is the only reason why I come to school. Because if I didn’t have this class, I wouldn’t be in school 90% of the time.

Sofia: I’m kind of curious, because Orelia you’re also new to the school this year. How did you hear about this class and like find out.

Orelia Thottam: So, I was supposed to go to messenger too, and I was here Sophomore year. So that’s the class that I signed up for. And I was supposed to be a photographer for messenger. But then my fourth period was clashing with German, so they put me in this class. So my counselor was like, oh so you have to choose between journalism and German. And I was like, no I want both classes, I’m not choosing between either though. And she’s saying we’ll see about it later. And the next day she emailed me saying it’s only messenger so journalism four is fine. Okay, so I thought it was another messenger class. But I didn’t remember that over the summer, I did sign up for this class. So it was going to be the same class with Messenger, like it’s going to be the same thing. And then when I come on here, there’s like 11 people in this class. I know there’s quite a lot of people in messenger. Okay. And then they told us this is broadcast, I was thinking there’s no point in changing so they just said it’s okay. It’s not like a knew people in messenger anyways so it was okay.

Suhani: It’s all a learning process.

Orelia: Sure and it wasn’t like I knew anyone in messenger that was like, if i change, I’d be like, with my friends. I didn’t know anyone in this class nor that one. So I was like, I’ll have to meet new people. So I'll just in this class.

Delisa: And we kind of already touched upon this. But the second question is, why id you decide to join? And I wanted to ask Caleb, this because you technically did not have a choice. So how did you feel getting assigned senior editor podcast?

Caleb: I had worked on it the previous year, my junior year with Noelle. She had given me, her and Mrs. Evans and like Jennifer, the messenger editor, at the time gave me a chance to kind of work on some podcasts, kind of see what that was kind of like and then ended up loving it. And I also applied at the end of the year to be either like opinions editor for messenger, or like the multimedia, that sort of thing like the podcast editor. And I was kind of scared because it'd be our first year as a class. And I didn't know what to expect. But that kind of like the media and the audio aspect, I was really intrigued about it. Because I mean, I kind of started doing that sort of thing. During like 2020, and like COVID time, so I kind of was interested in that. And then I ended up loving it and kind of saw potential as a class.

Rachel: I’m very similar to Caleb in the sense that I was chosen as one of the junior podcasts editors alongside Sofia. So I wasn't, I was technically given a choice. But it was less of a choice and more of like, come on to the class. And I'm very glad I did. Because I ended up I thought I had wanted to go into like writing journalism. And I realized that my writing is probably not as strong as I thought it was. And now I like want, I'm looking at colleges, specifically for broadcast journalism, because of how much fun I've had in this class. And like, how much I just really found a passion for it.

Sofia: Yeah, just like Rachel. Obviously, I was also assigned as Junior podcast editor. And it was unfamiliar to me, but not as unfamiliar as it could be for Caleb and Rachel, because in my freshman year, I wasn't in Messenger or anything like that I was in it was like this, like one year class. It was really random. It was like a sports class. And we basically made videos and like interviewed athletes, and it was kind of like, a thing. So I was like, familiar with like, editing and like video and stuff like that. But I didn't enjoy like writing in the messenger. But then after I joined this class, I really liked the dynamic that came with this class. And yeah, I'm really glad that I stayed.

Dhruv Singh: I don't even know like the reason I ended up in podcasts, or broadcast journalism in the first place like I was never even tangentially related to like journalism kids. Like I was never in Messenger or talked to Miss Evans before this year. But I think that at the end of my junior year, because I was doing so much like video stuff with bolt and like the end of the AV program and stuff that is Pope recommended me to Mrs Evans. So then I was, I think it was like sneak peek or somewhere like the last day of school junior year, I came into like, say hi to teachers. And Mrs Evans emailed me even though I never talked to her before. She was like, “Hi, I have a class next year called like, broadcast journalism. I think that you'd like it. Do you happen to be at school today?” I wasn't even supposed to be at school, but I was like “Sure. Okay, I'll come by.” and then three months later, I ended up in here and I'm really glad I did because I got to learn like so much because like I I think that like I helped a lot with like the technical aspect for like the audio and recording editing and all that. But like, you know, I I really didn't have that much experience with the audio editing performance. Like I like you guys seem to think that I'm like, experiencing this I was kind of making it up as I went. No, and I'm so glad I did.

Rachel: Towards the beginning of the year we were all just calling out Dhruv's name like “Dhruv!” so he could come help us.

Dhruv: Dude that happened like ten minutes ago.

Suhani: Now it’s become Dhruv Singh and now it’s a command.

Grace: I remember one time I was editing something, I asked you for help to do something wasn't working right. He just pulled up Google and I could have just done this myself.

Dhruv: Listen, half the skill is figuring out how to figure out stuff when you don't know it. Okay, so that's what I say.

Delisa: And touching on that, other than Dhruv, who clearly taught us all the technical aspects of everything. What skills have you guys learned from this class?

Grace: Not to tute my own horn anything. Like I also did audio video to like, but like, I really only edited like sort of video. And I guess using platforms like Adobe Audition, sort of like to edit audio was something we learned like like cutting audio and like using fades and stuff like that. Like, I think one of my favorite days was when Rachel had the, like the Photoshop and Illustrator lesson because I, I think making graphic design is so cool. And like, and like it was, it was really fun, even though it was like frustrating at times. Because we were cutting out like Melissa and Megan or something like sometimes you'd cut out like their arm or something. Like it was I think it was really fun, like playing around with Photoshop and Illustrator and like, being able to make graphics and stuff like that is something I really like, like learning. And besides that, because I was completely new to like this whole journalism thing. So I didn't know how to like write interviews, like features or anything. So I think that gaining that like writing skill was also something really important. I feel like I learned.

Suhani: Like as a messenger kid, I love how different storytelling can be in broadcast journalism and how you have more choice with like, stylistic, like, stylistically how you get to tell that story, because it's not just like, interview, transition, interview transition, kind of how we do in Messenger. And I think that's been my favorite part. Because I feel like I've grown as a storyteller, how do you feel Delisa?

Delisa: I kind of like how we all grew together, like, especially in the beginning, some of us knew how to do things, but for the most part, we were all like pretty new to everything. I feel like the skills we learned in here, like using audition using Photoshop, and like everything else is like so helpful, like in the real world. And I feel like this class gave me like so much like technical skills that I like, never would have, like, known about before. And like, even though like if you can like search things up on Google, and you can like go on YouTube, it's not really helpful unless you actually have like a project you're working on. So the fact that I was like, able to not only learn those skills, but experiment with them was really helpful.

Dhruv: I think I learned like how to learn and teach from other people a little bit better, you know, like, because, like, I feel like I couldn't learn those skills. On my own. Like, I was curious, I could Google it. But I think that like applying it in the group setting is what made it really made me like feel like I was actually able to do this things like use them like. Well, like I don't think I would ever say like, oh yeah, I can use audition if I just was using it on my own at home. But you know, after like running an interview with you guys and being like, oh yeah, this is how you do this are like, figuring out new stuff with grace. Like when we're at like trying editing the homecoming episode stuff. Like, I feel like I'm competent. Now. Like, I feel like I know it.

Delisa: I really liked how we got to like, we had like ideas that we learned from other podcasts that we listened to on Spotify, and were able to like, oh, this will be so cool. Like, how can we add this into like our next episodes like using video or like the Hoco Titans things like you said, or like book bands was like completely new with like, using music throughout the entire episode. And I really liked like, how the more podcasts we put out, like the better they got pretty much.

Orelia: For me when I came in, I didn't know anything. So as I knew, every time I came into class, I was always worried that we're gonna do something today, and I don't know how to do it, and it's just gonna be so bad for them. I think by now by the end of it. Almost anything like the graphic, the editing interview, like how to set up a script, how to reach out to people in a way that it's not like you're not pushing them to do the interview with you like you're actually asking them,they all those things, I just, I've just learned a ton. And it's crazy to think about it because it's just been one whole year. And by the end for I feel like I'm more ready and prepared for the next year. So I'm happy about that.

Jordan: I have to say, my, this is weird, but my favorite thing that I've learned was on Adobe Audition, how to make like the waveform thing until multitrack would have learned how to do that. I was like, wow, this is for real. But like, I had no clue with any like how to edit anything. But I want to do because my little sister was like, Oh, I want to become an editor when I'm older. And I was like what type of editor, she was like editing like audio stuff because she watches this YouTuber that does it. And I was like, this sounds pretty fun. So when I like came to this class, when I was really excited to like learn how to do all this stuff, especially the multitrack my favorite thing.

Rachel: I would definitely say that um, I've definitely learned skills that have helped me outside of this class. I had never touched like audition or anything other than like InDesign and possibly illustrator from Messenger. So you being able to use audition, I figured out how to record something and like I worked with drew on how to remove like, some noise stuff for our Carrie curtain speech.

Dhruv: I pulled up google for that one.

Rachel: Okay. Um, so these skills that we've like, learned will definitely, like, they're not just things that we can use in this class, there's like applications outside.

Delisa: So now that we're ending the year, how do you guys think you've improved from the very beginning to now?

Sofia: Um, personally, for me, I think the main way that I improved, like the way that I'm most proud of is definitely on graphics. I remember at the beginning of the year, Grace, like helped us with our first graphic. And then from there on, I would really like I always went to her and I was like, Grace, please help me with this. And I'm like, I would like to, like follow her format. And then the most recent graphic that I made with the like international night, that was like, mainly from my own like, ideas in my brain. And I was so proud of how it came out, because it was like exactly how it looks in my head. And it wasn't really following a certain format, it just follow like, what the episode kind of like aura was, and I was so proud of that, I was able to learn how to like, I was showing everyone to class, I learned how to make shades on the curtain, nobody cared. But um, yeah, definitely just learning how to use Illustrator more and kind of use my own creative. Like way with that, and then also definitely audition. Same with international episode after I learned how to like, incorporate stuff because I feel like podcast is a lot more immersive and storytelling with the sounds able to do and stuff like that. And when I found out how to incorporate that without making it sound like awkward or weird, I was so proud of it.

Grace: To clear things up of it. The grace that Sophia is talking about is Grace Peng our EIC for messenger. So I was not a graphic Master, but yeah, I can really see how Sofia improved, like, her international night graphic was actually so amazing. And like, I feel like the whole thing was like having more creative freedom and like, not just following like a sort of like framework. I think we I think as like a whole group, we grew out of like just following a framework and like, started like doing our own sort of like how we want to do our graphics, like how we want to do your episodes, and not just doing like a like the exact same thing we always did like for me one way I feel like I improved is I think sort of like Delisa touched on it with like our book bans episode how like, we started sort of working into incorporating like different sounds and like cutting in more clips instead of just having like, blocks of just audio.

Delisa: Yeah, because the book bans no one, previously before that, we would just like have a complete like interview. But for the book bans ones is the first time that we had like different interviews that we had to incorporate into one episode. And so that was like a lot of editing a lot of like sounds that we had to include. And so that was like probably my biggest accomplishment or like the thing I'm the most proud of. And also, I was in both messenger and podcast this year for the first time. And I really learned how to like talk to people and like, introduce myself and like, especially when it comes to interviewing people. And I really like how I like learn to work together with other people, and just like, know how to do small talk.

Caleb: I think the thing I'm most improved on was my boldness. It's weird, me being the editor of this class, and I still get like stage fright and you know, being scared to talk in front of people because I'm scared of like the comments I might get back, and that sort of thing. But I think as we went on through this year, interviewing people doing more episodes, I gained more experience, and kind of got more comfortable with the mic, and that sort of thing. But also kind of being trying to grow as a leader, as my first time ever being like in a leadership position. Really, so growing like with the class, but then also kind of keeping us on track kind of, you know, just being a better leader, I think that's the main thing I've moved on.

Orelia: I feel as a class as well, like just the kind of content or the kind of episodes we used to make initially was what we make now I feel like they're just more serious and they have more of a reason behind it in some way or the other. Like the first few episodes like they just had so much room for editing and the way we frame the whole thing. And then the reason why it's like the homecoming one or the book bands, all those just was they just seem so much more detail oriented and professional in some way or the other.

Dhruv: I think that it just in general like the way we record episodes to like even the like less flashy ones. Like the first ever episode we did was the Downey interview, like Caleb, Suhani and I went that we were sent out and like originally wanted Mrs. Evans to come with us to we were it wasn't possible we were like really nervous. I remember that. We like walked to his office we go in and like it took us like 10 minutes to setup. I was like and then like Suhani would have like a whiteboard and she like flashed at Caleb when he needed him to say something and it didn't help like either because like in the episode you could tell Caleb would look like anyway. And like all sorts of things and like it took us like 40 minutes and I was okay like you know, Caleb's great at talking and so it's Downey and stuff, but then we did it again. Just Caleb and I We did the same thing we walked down the same hallway like when no one else it's like we were in like we were set up like instantly we got like more info in like half the time it was just so much better it was like all the bad habits that we had are like going away and like just our process is so much more robust and so like really interesting thing but I'm really glad we did like the same episode twice.

Caleb: Yeah, I agree. Dt: What are some of your favorite memories and then biggest accomplishments in this class? Som: I think I could say this for mostly everyone this class but my favorite memory was definitely Mrs. Evans birthday because I remember we made this like Slack channel and then it was like we all like it was so nice being able to talk everyone in like a non academic setting because these are the only use Slack that like you know, like podcasts kind of related stuff. But for this we were all talking about like what's her favorite color guys what gets you to get her something like links everyone told me the stuffed animal I thought was really ugly but everyone was being so mean but then like I went out to go get the cake and then everyone's favorite color purple, I’m pretty sure it’s purple. And then um after that when we actually came in and we had that huge card we were like running around to get signatures from teachers and then we're like trying to fill it up and then like to Delisa showed me the messenger was like that was so full compared to ours signatures from teachers and stuff like that. And then when the actual day came we were like talking about like ways that we could surprise her I was like I shouldn't pretend like someone slapped me and then scream Dhruv’s name.

Caleb: No we were gonna put it on Jonah that he like passed out.

Dhruv: Sofia said that and I wasn’t gonna get top so I said like, what if we pretend Jonah died.

Sofia: A freshman. Yeah, and then like, during the actual in the actual celebration, I just felt like so much like we were a family which I do feel like we are a family um, after all this time. And then messenger had like a whole like party with like.

Rachel: People in a budget, we gotta love it.

Sofia: It was really nice. And I loved how Mrs. Evans treasured it and it was a heartwarming moment for all of us.

Suhani: Told to go to the back room.

Caleb: You guys kept whispering and I was like what are y’all doing.

Sofia: No one told me that we were going to forget that, we weren’t going to forget that it was her birthday. So I didn’t wish her happy birthday because I was like, so we’re all forgetting that it’s her birthday right.

Delisa: Yeah, I literally remember planning like us all standing up at the exact same time going to the back of the back, like robots and her being like completely weird out like what.

Suhani: We said, let’s start our work and she’s never seen us so motivated.

Rachel: Um, I would say my favorite memory goes along with the birthday party. But I, Mrs. Evans texted me one day and was like, can you make a graphic with like, episode seven point twenty-two. And I was like okay, with no possible idea in my head, what seven point twenty-two could mean. I was like okay. Later come to find out, It's a picture of her ultrasound. She that I made. And I was like, oh, and then, um, the next thing goes along with it. But it was. It was witnessed. It was I think was at a birthday party. And I think Mrs Evans had just found out the gender of her baby. And she's like, do you guys want to know and we all placed bets. And then we found out and then we just got so hyped.

Delisa: I like how like every girl voted girl and then it was a girl and we all liked cheered and it was very wholesome.

Caleb: Yeah, I’m still mad.

Grace: I think that shows like one of my favorite aspects of this class that like, we're all really close to each other and also really close to Mrs. Evans. I remember that one time when Dhruv got a speeding ticket and he he was so stressed and he kept talking to Mrs. Evans about it and she like calmed him down and she was like-

Dhruv: She actually calmed me down so much. I was like, well, Mrs. Evans I'm really stressed about this, but like, you know, it's fine. Like I felt better after talking to her. She didn't say much.

Delisa: I remember your court date too.

Grace: As for like a competition, and I remember we submitted a few episodes for like what was it? GSPA, Georgia Scholar Press Association. Yes. And we did win an award for that. And I'm also, personally, I'm proud of like, being able to have a vision and like, carry it out. Because I remember the first time I was assigned to, like, I had the idea, or somebody had the idea for like, Homecoming Titans that we cover that. And like, I was like, I really want to be in that group. Because I really want to record that moment where he announces the titans, and there's like, a bunch of cheering. And like, I was able to, like execute my vision in that episode. And it made me like, really, really proud and really, really happy, or ever.

Dhruv: I remember it was so cool. Like, Grace asked me to, like, come to the back for a second. And I like went back there. And she started doing it. And then she like, I just kind of sat back and she did the whole thing on her own. And it sounds like so good. And I was like, I'm telling you, like, you guys do not need my help.

Delisa: Yeah, to wrap it all up isn't specifically a favorite memory for me. But I feel like because book bans are split into like two groups, and like most of us are like on either one group or the other. I feel like after that, we all somehow managed to like, even if we were in different groups, we would all like help each other out. And I feel like it made us like so much closer. So that was like one of my favorite aspects of this class. But what are your guys's like favorite things that you hope for next year, or like what you're looking forward to?

Orelia: I personally am kind of excited to meet all the new people who are going to be joining the class, and seeing how, like from whatever we learn this year, how it's just going to help what we do next year and change everything that we do next year. So that's one thing and just kind of being able to spend another year with all of you.

Sofia: Yeah, I agree. Because like, it's gonna be definitely more structured and different from this year, because we know so much more now. And it's going to be not as like, not easy to teach the other staffers but it'll be like better for us because I feel like we'll have more of a foundation and it'll just be more exciting to like, actually execute the stuff that you want to do. Because you had that idea. You didn't know if you could execute it, but you did. And now we know that we can execute like anything you want to. But yeah.

Delisa: i’m excited for Caleb’s grad party.

Caleb: Invitation to see if it comes to your inbox. But even though me, Dhruv and Suhani will be gone next year. My biggest hope is that you guys continue to make really good content for Northview to hear. I'll still be tuning in, but I'm just like, take whatever we've learned this year into them and keep growing. And I think I'm really proud of you guys. Oh Mrs.Evans don’t do it.

Dhruv: I think even if like I won't even lie, I don't think I listened to a single episode after they came out. Listen, like I would like help editing each one. I'd heard each one like I always heard it was like, yeah, the release, like I just like worry about the next thing. But even if like I'm not gonna be here, and I didn't listen to one, I just want you guys to like keep growing on you guys. Like keep trying new things and stuff I want to like, tune in and be like, Dude, I don't know how we never even thought of that. Like, I want to be impressed. I want to like and I'm gonna I'm gonna keep tuning in. I want to see where you guys do next.

Grace: A lot of pressure making me in this we have a Google document to sort of write down all our ideas. And my main idea was to fill the gaping hole left in Dhruv Singh’s place. Dhruv honestly did like a lot of stuff. So I'm hoping that we can like yeah, because you're leaving the morning will be mean after we finish recording. Yeah, I think that next year, I really am excited to like teach new people other things and hear their ideas as well. And I also want to like fix some stuff with like our mics and like sort of standardize everything because I know this year, you're a bit disorganized, because like renew class.

Sofia: And I hope I just hope that I can carry on Caleb's confidence and Suhani’s kindness just got like a whole spotlight.

Grace: Caleb is trying so hard right now.

Orelia: Actually.

Delisa: Is he actually.

Caleb: No.

Delisa: So to all the people who are planning on joining podcasts next year, or who hoped to join podcasts in the future, what would you guys say to them?

Sofia: I would say

Rachel: Do it.

Caleb: Just do it.

Sofia: Don't be afraid of anything that you think might if it's different from what you usually do, if you don't know if you'd like, if you don't know you'll be good at it, because you never know, obviously, I didn't know what was coming from me when I came into this class. But I love this community so much. I love the atmosphere. I love creating episodes. And it's turned into what my biggest passion, so that could be you too.

Delisa: Yeah, I remember my freshman year, I only wanted to be in classes if my friends were in it. Or if I knew the people there, just so I was because I was too afraid, obviously, to join things that were out of my comfort zone. Not only classes, but also clubs. And for all like the incoming freshmen and sophomores, whatever grade you're in, don't be afraid to join. Even if it seems like we're all close. Like, it didn't really start that way. And I feel like if you go out of your comfort zone, you take that leap to join something that you find interesting could be a much better experience than you would have ever imagined.

Rachel: You, you may not think that you're interested in something, but just joining a class and realizing that, oh, wow, I really enjoyed this, and I want to do it in the future is a really big step. And don't be afraid to come join us we have a lot of fun. It may seem like it's a lot of work putting out a podcast, but you have fun doing so.

Caleb: Although like I want us to I want you guys to create really good content. But I would say don't get too caught up in the work that you forget to have the fun that we have in this class, like the just the bonds that we make. And like the just all the laughs that we had, I think those are a lot more meaningful. And although we can just even implement those into our podcasts and like the bond between us in the connection that we have is from those experiences in the fun that we've had.

Suhani: Speaking of bonds, I would just like to give a shout out to someone who isn't here. New members when you come into the class and for the first time that lump in the back of the classroom is Marcus.

Dhruv: Keep an eye out for Jonah.

Grace: Yeah, just try it because I think that one thing that brings a lot of people together is like, like listening to stuff, whether it's like music, or like the radio or something. And also, I would say don't be afraid if that people will like already be in their friend groups or anything like at the beginning of the year. We like barely even knew each other. But like, this class really brings you closer to other people.

Orelia: Also, one thing that I noticed and I would advise is that if someone tells you that something about your work can be changed in a certain way. Like don't be afraid of criticism. And like don't be afraid if someone tells you to change something, don't feel offended by like just actually try to implement it and see why they told you to do that rather than being scared about it.

Mrs. Evans: So this concludes our episode. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org And follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook @nhspointofview for updates. I'm your host Mrs. Evans and this has been Point of View.

Point of You - End of Year Interview with Principal Downey

Caleb Smith, Dhruv Singh, Suhani Mahajan

In this episode, we interviewed Principal Downey, reflecting on the past school year and touching on hopes he has for the future. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Caleb Smith: Hello, and welcome to point of view, where we give, students are placed to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host, Caleb Smith. And today we are with our principal Mr. Downey, as we wrap up the year.

Mr. Downey: Hey, Caleb, happy to be back with you guys.

Caleb Smith: We're so lucky to have you. We just got a couple questions for you. We can start off here, how as your year been since last year? And how do you feel about these differences that we've had?

Mr. Downey: Wow, this certainly has been a unique year for all the obvious reasons, you know, the, the first semester, I will say was probably one of the most difficult semesters that I've had as a principal, this is my eighth year in this role. Coming into this year, I think we all had some expectations about what the year was going to be like. And it was a lot harder than I think we all thought it was going to be. I think the students, the staff, the parents, certainly myself, we were all fired up for, to kind of quote unquote, get back to normal, but I think we all forgot how hard the normal can be.

Caleb Smith: Absolutely.

Mr. Downey: And there were some situations in the fall semester that as a principal, you know, I pride myself on problem solving and making things better for the kids in our community. And there were just a couple of situations that I wasn't able to resolve and make the situation better. So that was hard and frustrating. But on a positive sense. You know, as difficult as this, this, the fall semester was, I think the spring semester has been so much better. Yeah, I think we all kind of got back into the routine of doing school again. And in the spring, that's kind of when we start celebrating our seniors, and start doing a lot more quote unquote, fun things. So, it was great to have those things back on the calendar and great to see our kids enjoying school again.

Caleb Smith: Absolutely, I definitely agree with that. It feels good to be back after, you know, 2020 and then a little bit into 2021. I was kind of scared that we weren't going to come back. But I'm glad we got to go this full year absolutely got to live. Absolutely. I know, I feel so bad for the past couple of seniors that didn't get to experience you know, the graduation and prom and that sort of thing. But I'm very grateful that we've gotten this far. So I'm just, that's just where I'm at right now. But for our next question, what are some accomplishments, accomplishments from this year that you're proud of?

Mr. Downey: You know, the, it's almost too early to look at reflect back on that, because we're several weeks away of kind of getting to that milestone of graduation. But I'm going to predict that we're looking back on this year that especially in the second semester, that we were able to provide some experiences to our kids outside the classroom. Yeah, as well as inside the classroom. You know, and that's what was missing over the last two, two plus years. For all of our students. You know, high school is not just the academic experience. It's just it's not just what happens in between the bells. That's certainly a big part of it. But really, it's the whole experience that our kids have been missing out on that the spring semester, we were able to bring back bring back. Our seniors got to do some fun experiences and get out of the building. I'm fired up for prom, at Mercedes Benz. Yeah, you know that. That should be a great night. And we were able to do Titan fest again, right before spring break. Just to kind of, you know, get our kids to, you know, not just experienced the stressors of school, but to experience the fun parts. So that's probably what I look back on and feel the best about is that we're able to bring some joy back into the building.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, it feels good to have all these events back. It's been a minute, we only got to as seniors, we only got to experience Titan Fest one time. So, it's been it's good to have it back. It was awesome. What was your favorite event of this year?

Mr. Downey: That's a great question. You know, the favorite event, you know, it's international night, every year is always going to be a highlight. So that was a fun night getting to see the kids showcase their talents on the stage.

Caleb Smith: Were you at A show or B show?

Mr. Downey: You always go to the B show. That's a no brainer. But the joy for me is that as principal I don't need a ticket. I can just kind of walk in and walk right in. I always try to make the B show because that's the one that has the high energy definitely and the crowds into it. So that's always a highlight because again, that that kind of what I said to earlier, there's so much more about the high school experience than just the classroom stuff. So, getting to showcase our kids and celebrating our kids. That's always a highlight. You know, and we haven't hit prom yet. But I suspect prom is going to be another highlight. You know, we really haven't had a full prom experience in several years, as you spoke to earlier, especially our senior class. You know, the junior class, they always have next year, senior class, this is it, and they haven't had one. And we're having it at Mercedes Benz. So, I think that's just going to be a neat and different experience. So, I think that's going to be a highlight. And then of course, every year, a highlight is the graduation ceremony. Because that's just the culmination of 12 years, and of education of our kids and certainly our four years together. That's always a cool, cool event.

Caleb Smith: Absolutely. Well, we were talking about Titan Fest, what was Titan Fest for you this year? What was it like for you?

Mr. Downey: It was you know, what I did a lot of just sitting back and watching kids. I mean, you really that that, to me was kind of that earmark moment of just fun. Right? School is hard. You know, most of our kids take a challenging course load. So, it's hard. It's hard being a student. For our seniors getting at that time a year spring break, kind of the college application process is pretty much done. And most of the kids have a good idea of what they're doing next year. Our underclassmen haven't experienced much of anything. You know, you said the senior class was the only class that ever had a Titan Fest. So, the 9th 10th and 11th graders never even knew what it was. So just seeing the kids play. And having fun goofing off being silly. So, I just sat back kind of watched it, you know. So that was reward in and of itself. Just seeing the kids have fun.

Caleb Smith: Awesome. Did you end up watching Carrie this year?

Mr. Downey: I did!

Caleb Smith: What was your favorite part?

Mr. Downey: So, I went to the Sunday matinee show. So, a couple of things that struck me, first of all, the talent level of our kids performing was really just, I shouldn't be surprised. But I'm always surprised about how talented our kids are. So that was great to see. I was not fully prepared for the script. So, kind of some of the language was like, Oh, wow. But it was, you're applauding it and you're cheering it makes sense that the kids are doing such a great job. But you know, the most surprising thing to me was that I got so caught up in the story, that seeing the character of Carrie go through what she went through in terms of the harassment, bullying, kind of picking on her, like my heart was in the character. Yeah, so in that climactic prom scene where like, all hell breaks loose, you know, and then at the very end, when her mom ends up stabbing her like, I was tear, I was teared up. I got it. I was emotionally invested in Carrie. I knew the story. I knew how it was gonna go. But the kids did such a great job in the performance that I got emotionally invested in her. So, it was a little gut wrenching to go through that ending. So that's what caught me off guard. I didn't expect to have that emotional response. But that's the beauty of the art. Is that it? It brings out that emotion in you. And that's why we experience it.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, I didn't get the pleasure of getting to see Carrie, but I actually really regret it. Because by what you just said and what other people have said it's been an amazing performance. So, I wish I could have made it. For our next question. How was your time at international night this year, specifically back to when we were talking about our events?

Mr. Downey: You know, again, as I said with the Titan Fest, just seeing people smile. You know, we- having lived through the last two, half, three, two plus years now whatever it's been- it's just, it has been hard on everybody. So, there hasn't been a lot of joy. Yeah. And then on top of it, everyone has been wearing masks. Yeah. So, you miss you don't you didn't we didn't realize going through it. But certainly, I appreciate now just seeing people's facial expressions. And in this case of joy and fun and laughter. You know, you know the two years leading up to this, have just been hard. So, there hasn't been a lot of smiling. So international night again, just kind of like Titan fest. It was a chance to see our kids in this case also our community our parents just being joyful. Yeah. and celebrating each other.

Caleb Smith: Celebrate all the cultures and the diversity.

Mr. Downey: Yes, absolutely. And there's no doubt eating that food is a highlight. That's a big treat. And then again, kind of like Carrie, you see seeing our kids perform on stage and showcasing their talents. You're always like, wow, I didn't know that kid could do that.

Caleb Smith: That's surprised me. You know, that’s a great event. What homecoming or prom theme would you like to see this year that we haven't done before?

Mr. Downey: A prom or homecoming theme? Yeah. Geez? That's a tough question.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, cuz we've had I know, we've had like, I think it was Marvel couple years ago, and then Star Wars for prom. So that sort of thing. Like any like, special. You know.

Mr. Downey: I don't think I have one. Because it's not about what I want. All right. Part of my job is to try and provide experiences that the kids want. Yeah. So, you know, that's my safe defer to that question is, you know what, because what's fun to me might not be fun to a teenager now. You know, I graduated high school 30 some odd years ago. So, it's, you know, I'm turning 50 this year, so I can't deny that. I don't know if applause is necessary or just getting old. But I say that in a fun way. And, you know, I'm starting to feel a little bit of that disconnect with what kids like today versus, you know, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, when I was a little more closer to it. So, you know, I'm gonna run and celebrate whatever the kids want to do.

Caleb Smith: Absolutely. I love that response. Well, what kind of music have you been listening to? Or any new artists? Have you been listening to?

Mr. Downey: You know, the, I just had this conversation with my wife. Because I have, I'm always a Dave Matthews fan. I always have been, but I've sort of rediscovered some other jam bands. And I had been hooked on OAR right now. And I'm gonna be buying tickets too. They have a show at the Roxy in July in downtown Atlanta that I'm gonna go to. So, it's, you know, fish. Dave Matthews. I've kind of just gotten back into these jam bands that I've rediscovered, and it's not new music necessarily. But I've kind of fallen in love with it again.

Caleb Smith: So, you see, listen to it in the past, and then now.

Mr. Downey: Yeah, exactly!

Caleb Smith: Gotcha. Gotcha. What is your favorite Taylor Swift song?

Mr. Downey: I guess the standard answer. Can you go wrong for any of them? But then I'm supposed to be able to name some Taylor Swift songs that I might get stuck with. My daughter's 12. You know, she'll be able to rattle off the Taylor Swift songs. Much better than me. You know, as much as I joked about some of the bands. I like to listen to kids at home. Yeah. And they insist on Dad changing the music. Whenever I'm playing my songs, it usually ends up with like, Imagine Dragons or Taylor Swift or something.

Caleb Smith: Because I remember in like our first interview, we were talking, I think about music. And you said you were a Swiftie. And then that kind of threw everybody off. So, you had to bring it back. See? Yeah, so no favorites right now. No favorites right now with the songs?

Mr. Downey: No, I can’t name any right now. I've been stuck on my jam band music.

Caleb Smith: I got you. I got you. No, no worries about that one. If you're a student and Northview, which classes would you wish to take?

Mr. Downey: Wow. That's another great question. You know usually what I have found through my experience, it's less about the content and more about the person leading the class. Yeah, I guess so. There's, you know, my backgrounds in biology. So, I'm sure that if I was a student in at Northview, I'd probably gravitate to Mr. Morgan's health science classes. That pathway. Yeah. I'm also a huge soccer fan. So no, I would love to be a student in his class and talk soccer and talk.

Caleb Smith: You played when you were younger?

Mr. Downey: I did.

Caleb Smith: I remember that.

Mr. Downey: Yeah. I grew up playing soccer. And then I coached the high school team for 16 years. Wow. So, I miss being involved with that. And I'm now coaching my son's U-10 team. So, it's got me connected. Yeah. So certainly, Mr. Morgan's class would probably intrigue me. You know, Mr. Rollins? 12th grade lit class, you know, the that's a hard class, but coming out of that class The kids really grow. So that would probably, you know, writing and communicating is always an essential skill to be successful no matter what you do. So that class would intrigue me. You know, I’d probably suffer through that class like every other senior who takes that I would probably not take Bombards calculus class. And that's not a comment on Coach Bombard. Calculus, I struggled with calculus, I probably would avoid that class. What else is out there? Let's think, you know, rattle off some and I'll tell you if I would have dove into them.

Caleb Smith: Like science wise, or forensics, maybe biology or you said biology right.

Mr. Downey: Yeah. So yeah, I would definitely be taking those you know, I'd be intrigued by Mr. Kemp's physics class. Yeah, Physics I kind of struggled with physics, a little bit in college. But I think he's just a great teacher. So, I think his class I probably could have benefited from.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, definitely.

Mr. Downey: You know, so certainly, in the sciences, I'd probably eat up just about every science class we have out there.

Caleb Smith: Gotcha. I think we got a general sense of what kind of classes are little bit hard and a little bit too easy in there. What aspect of Northview as a whole, would you say is your favorite?

Mr. Downey: No doubt the kids know, the, you know, the working with kids is a joy. Working with adults, is a little bit harder. Yeah. But our student body, I put our I put our student body up against any other high school in the country, you know, we Northview gets some really high national accolades and state level accolades for our, for our achievement. And it's certainly in no small part to our teaching staff. But really, at the end of the day, it's our students that come into this building every day that embrace being students, and everything that comes with it, you know, the vast majority of our kids, you know, they want to be successful. So, they're here every day to be successful. And then they're here to be involved. The fact that you guys are even sitting here doing this podcast reflects our students in general. Like, they kind of take that extra step, to do one more thing to make their own experience in school, a good one. So, when I get to share in that time, and have moments like this, where we can have a conversation, and interact with our kids on any level, I mean, that's, that just brings joy to my day. It's certainly my job, you know, and I've said this 1000 times, I got one of the best educational jobs in the country, I get paid to come to Northview every day and hang out with these kids every day. Yeah, it's pretty good gig.

Caleb Smith: Well, we love you as our principal. Thank you. What are your hopes for next year? Are there any changes in the upcoming year?

Mr. Downey: You know, next year, you know, I'm certainly hoping that unlike this fall, when we had to make that transition back into school full time that, you know, our kids already have this full year under the belt, you know, that we're back into that routine with deadlines. Yeah, and that's been our struggle this year with our students, I think, has been kind of that idea of staying on top of our deadline, because we've through COVID, we've given everyone that grace. And, you know, we've not been tight on handing things in on time. So, like, right now, we sweat out the end of the year, because some kids are, are on paper failing classes, when really, it's just because they have a zero and they haven't turned something in that they just need to get done and turn in. So, like, we're anxious as administrators, and we're chasing kids, when they just, if we had turned this in on time, we wouldn't be sweating this time a year. So, I'm hoping that that gets behind us. And then, you know, we have every year at this time, we, you know, we we're hiring some new teachers. So, we always want to make sure we get that right. And we're not going to be right 100% of the time, but we certainly want to be right as close to 100% of the time so that our kids have great teachers in front of them. Yeah. And then we, you know, we plan next year to have all those great events for our kids to enjoy. What I didn't get to this year, which I want to get back to. It’s up on my whiteboard right now. Even though you might not be able to read my shorthand, but I had SAC, which is a student advisory council, you know, to create a committee of kids that represent the school that we meet with on a regular basis, that kind of keep me in touch with what's working and what what's not working? Yeah, you know, I want our kids to have a voice and you know, if something's not going right, that they have an avenue and a voice to make things better.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, I'd like to kind of the connection between like, like, how there's a gap between you and the students and to kind of bridge the gap.

Mr. Downey: Yeah, yeah. So, you know, it's not, you know, you know, through the journalism class, I'm in that class a lot. And that's an opportunity to have a little bit of a dialogue. But, you know, trying to find ways to have or processes to have more of those dialogues with kids.

Caleb Smith: Gotcha. For a final question, what are your plans for this summer?

Mr. Downey: Well, it's interesting this summer, professionally, we're getting kicked out of our building here, we have all this construction going on. Right. So, one of the summer projects that's going to happen is that they are upgrading our fire safety system, which means that once they turn that off, we're not allowed to occupy the building. So professionally for the summer, I'm going to be hanging out at Chattahoochee High School.

Caleb Smith: Really?

Mr. Downey: Yep, I got to set up offices over there for the summer. And really, the summer is really about just planning for next year. So, in the month of June, the administrative team will still be working full-time. So, it's all about planning for next year. And then July is the first two weeks of July usually pretty quiet. And that's usually when I'll take a little vacation time via that July 4 Week is a real quiet week, because obviously everyone's on vacation. So usually, I tried to get away then as well. What's interesting this summer on a personal note is that both of my kids will be at overnight camp for four weeks. Oh, wow. So it'd be the first time that my wife and I will be kind of staring at each other that we don't got kids to chase around and shuffle around and drive around. Yeah. So, you know, we're gonna plan some, some fun things for us. So really, it's just taking a couple weeks off to kind of recharge and get ready to tackle the tackle the new year.

Caleb Smith: That’s awesome. Yeah, well, we're excited. I mean, we won't be here that kind of experience it but that's alright.

Mr. Downey: We'll be off to bigger and better things. Yeah, all of our seniors, you know, you guys where you know, your lives are just beginning at this point. You know, you'll just be stepping out of that literally and figuratively, figuratively stepping out of the house, stepping out from mom and dad, and kind of on your own. And, like, the fun parts of life are just beginning to start for you guys.

Caleb Smith: Yeah, we're thankful for the uh you know, the lessons that we've learned here. You know, we'll take it with us into wherever we go after this. But you know, that's all the time we have for today. We thank you so much for your time and support this year. This concludes our episode. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, NHS messenger.org. And follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook @nhspointofview for more updates and new episodes. I'm your host Caleb Smith and this has been:

Mr. Downey: Brian Downey, it's a joy to join you guys.

Caleb Smith: And this has been Point of View.

Across The Table - Music Taste, do our personalities affect what we listen to?

Rachel Everett, Marcus Kim, Dhruv Singh, Suhani Mahajan

Staffers Dhruv, Marcus, Rachel, and Suhani examine a study linking personality to music taste, discussing the validity of the study and their own experiences with music. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Marcus Kim: HeIlo, and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I'm Marcus,

Dhruv Singh: I’m Dhruv,

Suhani Mahajan: I'm Suhani,

Rachel Everett: and I’m Rachel.

Marcus Kim: And today we'll be discussing the psychological similarities between our emotions, personality and the music that we like. So there is a study by Heriot-Watt University that tries and draws a connection or correlation between our personalities and the type of music we like to listen to. So for example, if you really like pop, rap, country, or dance music, you could be described as like conventional, extroverted or even hard working. On the other side of the spectrum, if you prefer to listen to indie, rock, jazz, or classical, you could be described as creative or introverted. I personally really like pop music. I like the more chill side of pop music. And sometimes when I'm at the gym, or playing like Valent, I like hard rock music. I'm kind of extroverted, so I could definitely see how pop being extroverted makes sense.

Rachel Everett: Do you think that you fit in with that box of pop music, with the whole hard working and high self-esteem?

Marcus Kim: I'm definitely not hard working, but I would consider myself pretty extroverted. I do like some indie songs, and sometimes when I am feeling a little bit introverted. There are flaws in the study, obviously, but I can kind of see how there is some sort of connection.

Dhruv Singh: I feel like, for me, personally, I listen to all kinds of music. I listen to at least a little bit of each one of these genres. But when I'm looking at it, I kind of feel like, it's like a false correlation, or it could be construed as that. Because when you look at the distinctive characteristics when they're mentioning the genres, they kind of just reflect the culture and the perception of that genre at the time. I'm sure if this study was done in the 80s, or 70s, when rock was the predominant form of music and like the pop genre and stuff, that would be listed as like the outgoing, hardworking one, right? But now, culturally, we've shifted over to like, electronic and like hip hop and stuff be more on the pop music. Now that's gonna be more like the extroverted, outgoing, self esteem heavy genre, or at least the personalities that people say that genre has.

Marcus Kim: Going off of that, when you think of heavy rock, and metal and stuff, when you think about it, you would think about someone at a concert like banging their head in a mosh pit or something. It says that people who like heavy rock and metal tend to be introverted and might have low self-esteem. So, I can see how there is an idea, like a heuristic idea of what someone might be if they listened to heavy rock or metal, but actually it might be the opposite.

Dhruv Singh: I feel like the music comes first not the opposite. Like I tie these caricatures and ideas of these people to the music because I know people who listen to music who are like that, you know what I mean? This study kinda like insinuates the idea that if you fill these like personality boxes, then you will end up like this afterwards maybe if you listen to more of this music, which I feel is kind of flawed, because I feel like that's not the right way to read it or at least that isn't like an accurate way to read it.

Suhani Mahajan: I feel like that's a way to generalize, you're right. But also, just based on your mood and whatnot, if you reach for different music, I think your feelings in that moment when you reach for a different genre of music might actually be similar to these descriptions. So also, the whole people who listen to rock being creative, but also like often introverted, I think that's plausible enough. I don't know how the study was conducted, but I don't know if it's right for us to suggest that the study is incorrect either. It's very possible if we look at a bunch of people and their music tastes there might be a correlation.

Dhruv Singh: So, I guess you're right. There definitely will always be a correlation between someone who listens to music and the music you listen to since music has moods and emotion in it. So obviously, like you're gonna share that mood or like that kind of personality. I don't know if any of you guys like listen to a genre that you particularly connect with.

Rachel Everett: I feel like I do at least a little bit country music. I always get hated on for liking country music. I don't know why it's good music. I listen to more country pop. The study says country music fans are typically hardworking, conventional and outgoing. I like to think that I'm hardworking. I also like to think I'm outgoing. I definitely get stuff done, and I'm always out and about with people. I kind of disagree with the conventional like, I think maybe you have that like stigma of like, oh, country music is for, like, conservatives, or like Republicans or something. And it says, conventional, I don't like to think that I'm, like, maybe traditional. I like to think I'm open minded, in a sense.

Dhruv Singh: Well, that brings up another criticism I have of the study, just to dunk on it a little bit more. Because some of that definitely, because you gotta consider that genre comes from a very specific culture at the time, that's where you get the new name. Funk was a thing and then it diversifies a bit more, then you end up with stuff like hip hop and based off of that, it ceding off. So country stems from the rock and pop of the 60s and 70s, right. But then as it becomes more rural, and it becomes like foci, and then it splits off more. And then you end up with the genre of country coming from other roots. So they took what they liked about folk, which is the storytelling nature of it, and the values and stuff, and then they like, split it off even more. And they made it like, okay, now we're going to talk about this specific value that like country music has, which is the stereotype. In my head, it's like the stereotype of like, a cold beer. It's something like that. That's not the case, obviously. But like, that's what I've been like. So obviously, when you look at how music genres split off, there's always gonna be that connection that you could find. This study is just bringing it to focus.

Rachel Everett: So, you're saying that even though the study categorizes these things differently, there's always going to be a connection within them.

Dhruv Singh: I'm saying that naturally with media and music at all, you can always tie it back to where the genre comes from, and you can just say that like 'Okay, if you listen to this, you probably follow those roots a little bit.'

Suhani Mahajan: I think it's also based on like, what you're talking about roots and everything, how you are introduced, or how you experience the music, like, how did you get introduced the country? If you don't mind me asking?

Rachel Everett: I don't remember, I think it was always on the radio. We only listen to one radio station. It was always on in the car; we would always change the radio stations if it wasn't. So, it's always been like that kind of comfort place for me. So that's how I got introduced.

Suhani Mahajan: Actually, yeah, I have to say, if I think about the radio, like early childhood, like 2000s pop is what we listen to. And pop music, according to this study, talks about how I'm supposed to be hardworking, and have high self-esteem. And I think, I mean, I’d like to think that's true. But I also associate pop music with family and that warmth because those are the memories I have associated with that genre of music. So, I think the whole roots thing that Dhruv was talking about, I mean, it's not exactly what he was talking about, but-

Dhruv Singh: I think that the fun thing about music and art is that everyone has their own way of finding it. So, like Rachel grows up with the station, right? And then you end up liking that music more as you get older, and like you were kind of getting something like that too Suhani. You said you like K-pop right? You kind of found that. So, at one point it's not like you were with that as you grew up in some of that. For me, I had this thing where I really hated music up until late middle school. I was kind of that loser who only listened to video game soundtracks. If anything with lyrics played, I'd get really annoying about it. I'd be like, no, I don't want to hear it.

Suhani Mahajan: I'm also the type of kid who just didn't want to wear words, like shirts with words on them.

Dhruv Singh: I did not have an opinion about that.

Marcus Kim: I definitely see myself in that. In late middle school, I would always be that one kid where they would be like, 'What music do you listen to?' and I would be like, 'I actually don't listen to a lot.' I really didn't enjoy music because I didn't really have a reason to listen to music. I didn't feel like buying Spotify and I didn't really like ads and I hadn't really found an artist that I liked. So, I definitely really didn't listen to much music. I kind of generalized all music as the same, which actually going back to what you were saying Dhruv, let's say for example, even within rock, right? If you look at Elvis Presley, both of them are technically wrong, but the emotions that they show and the emotions that are in it, and the reasons you would listen to it, or the type of people that would listen to it, there might be some overlap, but generally they're on opposite sides of the spectrum of raw, right? You were saying how music genres branch off, even within these genres, people will still go to different artists for different things. So that could also be a flaw within the study because it doesn't really account like what is a genre.

Dhruv Singh: I think that genre as a concept is kind of flawed too. So when you take these big, sweeping things and say anyone who listens to this genre is like this, you're inherently gonna miss a like a lot by simplifying it like that, because it's nuanced.

Suhani Mahajan: Are you talking about the way that you're describing how genres are created, and there's so many branches of them, so you can't really generalize?

Dhruv Singh: I think that genre is a really helpful way to group things, right? But when you're grouping anything like that, anything that's kind of nuanced, you're missing a lot, right? So genre. I don't know how it actually forms. But when it happens, it misses a lot, like so. For instance, it's also tied to the cultural norms of the time. So genre mainly has been in the past been dictated by white people if that makes sense. You can trace back anything. Black music wasn't given like a serious genre, it was more just considered in that group. So jazz and stuff like that would have been electric guitar elements and stuff. But then when it becomes more popular in the mainstream, like white group started using electric guitar, it becomes like, rock and roll, if that makes sense. You could trace that line through history. So in general you're going to be missing a lot whenever you refer to genre as like a de facto identifier if that makes sense.

Marcus Kim: So I think going past the idea of genre a little bit like what you get out of the music, right? So for example, um, I think it wouldn't be very controversial to say that indie or like chill music is more of an invoker of emotion, where listening to something like classic or jazz is more complex music, right?

Suhani Mahajan: You can still experience emotions with any kind of music.

Marcus Kim: Of course, but no, again, Heriot Watt also did a study that know those more structurally complex musical genres like classical jazz and world music, people who like that typically go into like, you know, stem or like mathematical, very like binary, like binary career paths. On the opposite side of the spectrum, people who tend to like more music that invokes more emotion typically go into like more like creative or humanitarian paths. So I can actually definitely see that. I upvote that. I upvote that. I resonate with that a lot.

Dhruv Singh: So you're saying that, if you tend to gravitate towards a certain type of music, you can kind of see that you might be interested in other things as well. If you like, complex musical, you'll like complex fields, and like medical fields.

Suhani Mahajan: How your brain interprets music is just like a clue to how your brain interprets other things, or what it prefers.

Dhruv Singh: I can kind of see that, I think, but then I think it also just comes down to the fact that people will always consume music and media differently. I know that I personally don't gravitate to one kind of thing. I don't really like just classical music. We could tie that back to the fact that everyone kind of enjoys music for different reasons.

Suhani Mahajan: So then let's talk about that. Marcus, let's start with you. What draws you to the music you listen to? Why do you listen to it?

Marcus Kim: So typically, okay, so let's just go down the list. So when I'm listening to like pop music or just for fun, like you know, when I'm just like, chilling, that's probably for I don't know, like just to entertain myself right? Over when I'm like, working out or like playing Fowler and I'm listening to like heavy metal or like that, that'd be more for like, I don't know, more of like a, like a strong sensation of sorts. And this actually ties to a theory of like, why we listen to music. So there is a theory, seven main reasons why we listen to music for entertainment, a sense of revival, to feel a strong sensation for mental work to find a sense of solace, diversion or a release of emotion. And thinking about my playlist, right? And depending on my mood, or why I'm listening to music, the songs I'll choose change, so I could definitely see that.

Dhruv Singh I can definitely see that. I'm kind of curious. What does mental work mean?

Marcus Kim: So how, when I looked into mental work is you're listening to music, just for the sake of listening to music you're not having in the background, you are 100% focused on the music, like you sit downs, like you go to an orchestra, or you go to an opera and you're focusing strictly on the music itself. I think that could be considering working.

Suhani Mahajan: As a K-pop fan, I'm gonna say, I mean, what you described was going to a concert or something to experience the music and as someone who's gone to K-pop concerts, yes, I'm going to experience the music, but I think that's also a different environment. Just because the experience is different. So.

Dhruv Singh: I think that hits like a dip that hits like a different thing with like strong sensation and entertainment. Right? I think he's referring more to like a concert hall for like orchestral pieces. Like when you go to see like an orchestra performance. You're not clapping and like singing. You're like, yes, that is a very interesting key. Like, different. But yeah, I kind of like I this part of the study, I kind of agree with more, I feel like there's still probably like, I couldn't think of anything off the top my head, but they're probably still missing some reasons why people like MIT might listen to music. But I feel like this is a lot less general in that, like, I think that everyone can at least relate to some of these reasons.

Marcus Kim: I know we're talking about like, why he was in music. I just kind of think about this, but it has like no one thought of like location. And like how that might affect how you listen to music. Because I know I drive. So my car playlists are like 10 times different from like, my, like, quote, unquote, school playlists, like the place I played school. Like my car music. My car music is basically like, pretty busy. Because I just it's like the base just feels my car. So all of a sudden the like, like old school rock, like so many armies are really good, like black. But like when I'm at school I kind of listened to were like, not necessarily mellow, but more just low, calmer, more upbeat.

Dhruv Singh: Sometimes I used to wish that like, I had a superpower where I could just hear it was in people's headphones. It was like, everyone listens to such different stuff.

Rachel Everett: You got to be the guy on Tik Tok.

Dhruv Singh: That kind of thing is really interesting to watch, because everyone just uses music because as a different way when they're just walking around school or driving. I like something with a little rhythm when I'm like walking around during school just because I'm walking, I'm going places.

Rachel Everett: Do you ever try and walk to the beat?

Dhruv Singh: Oh, well, I don't try.

Suhani Mahajan: He's gonna start skipping.

Dhruv Singh: But I think it probably happens anyway. But like, when I'm driving, listen, like more stuff that just helps me focus, because driving is a passive activity and that like I'm thinking, but I'm thinking like as actively. So like, I wasn't like we were lyrical stuff and stuff like that. Like, it just depends on the person.

Suhani Mahajan: It’s really interesting. If you drive with Dhruv he will sing the lyrics as what he's saying.

Dhruv Singh: Maybe.

Marcus Kim: I mean, but then there is a reason why we listen to music. And then, but there was also like, I don't know, some agreement disagreement with, you know, if it's predetermined. So then I guess the general overarching question is, is music taste and your enjoyment in music, something as esoteric is that, are you able to put a study behind it?

Dhruv Singh: I don't think so. I don't think it's ever going to be that accurate. But that's how I feel about this.

Suhani Mahajan: Yeah, I don't think if we don't even understand our emotions and feelings, like, the way the brain kind of comes up with these, I don't think we can understand the correlation between feelings and preferences and music.

Marcus Kim: I mean, I guess to take a counterargument. You know, neurons either fire or not, right. And that's how our brain is made up. So if our brains and emotions are technically all stemming from like, yes or no, one or zero responses, could eventually if we map out our brains and the technology is good enough, could we then create like a perfect playlist for someone?

Dhruv Singh: That's a really interesting concept. I wonder if that's actually that's the future.

Marcus Kim: I mean like in this future.

Dhruv Singh: If this study is correct then yeah, I guess so.

Suhani Mahajan: Says Dhruv after bashing this study.

Dhruv Singh: I don't think. I don't know if he can, but like, yeah, that's what this study kind of asserts.

Marcus Kim: Does anyone? Okay, so does anyone know their 16 personalities type their like, four letter personality type? Yes? So I found on Spotify playlists, for I know, it's so cheesy, there's gonna be like, these, you know, I, it's really interesting, because seeing the diff like, I thought I was one four letter combination. But instead, I'm actually another. And so I overloaded like, my first one. And then I was like, Oh, I'm at this other one. So listening to the different music that the Creator put into the playlist was actually really interesting. Because it turns out I like both. So like, it's not necessarily that your personality type is going to determine what you like, but it's, it seems more fine-tuned to you in a way.

Suhani Mahajan: Did you like when you found out that you were actually a different, like, personality type? Did you find like that the other playlists suited you more?

Marcus Kim: Let me check. So I just found, so I'm an ISFP. And looking at the songs, I definitely feel like I vibe with it a lot more than the original one I had. They're all kind of very light airy music in. I don't think that's a good way to describe it. But they're all good ones with a good beat. Not necessarily too heavy. When, with the other one, the INFP that I thought I was, is kind of more like deep, more like, not necessarily darker, but like deeper songs. Maybe if you can consider them heavy. So seeing how the music swats changed depending on the personality type. I definitely think I resonate with my current one more, which is kind of interesting, because it didn't think I would be any different.

Marcus Kim: Regardless, music kind of resonates with us. I mean, whether it's based off of your emotion, or just how you're raised or the culture growing up in. Music is just kind of always prevalent. I think, with how popular music streaming apps like Spotify are, I think music will just continue to be a part of our lives and the upcoming generations because music is just more accessible, right? And no, we're still trying to figure a lot about our brains and trying to decide what we like. And I just think on the closing note, music will just always be here. And I think maybe we should just chill and enjoy it rather than try and find out why we like it.

Rachel Everett: And check out the Spotify playlist that's linked in the description. We've added some music from all of our different tastes, so yeah.

Marcus Kim: Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host Marcus,

Dhruv Singh: I'm Dhruv,

Suhani Mahajan: Suhani,

Rachel Everett: and Rachel, and this has been Point of View.

Books, Beads, and Bouquets - Students with Small Businesses

Sofia Mang, Delisa Troupe

In this episode, host Sofia Mang sits down with Northview students who own small businesses, Sara Hsu (@shopsukico) and Sarah Chow and Vicky Kang (@flowersby.kc), as they explore what they've learned from the experience. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Sofia Mang: Hello, and welcome to Point of View, where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host Sofia Mang, and on today's episode of Beads, Books, and Bouquets, we will be discussing small businesses that students at Northview run themselves, and how they balance school life and being a business owner. So guys, please introduce yourself, your name, your grade, and the name of your small business along with the products that you sell.

Sara Hsu: Hi, my name is Sara. I'm a junior and my business is called Shop Suki. We're a jewelry business that creates handmade jewelry pieces, like necklaces and bracelets based off of designs that are either trending or things that we create ourselves.

Vicky Kang: I’m Victoria and-

Sarah Chow: I'm Sarah and we're both seniors. And we run the business of @flowersby.kc

Vicky Kang: And we basically sell corsages, boutonnieres, or any kind of flower arrangement that people need for school events such as Prom. And recently, we just did Sadie's. And yeah.

Sofia: So both of your businesses have products that kind of are marketed towards the teen market, obviously. So what was the inspiration behind creating the business?

Sara Hsu: I think for Shop Suki, we created it in like the midst of the pandemic, so I think it just sparked out of boredom. I think everyone can agree that we just fell into this routine of like waking up, online school, like back asleep and repeat. And so Shop Suki was just something new and exciting that we could try. And at first it like, wasn't necessarily to make money or to gain all this traction. It was just like a side hobby that was fun and exciting.

Vicky Kang: So basically, Sarah first told me like, if we were to have another way to make money, because we do both work, like part time jobs, why not sell and make corsages and boutonnieres? Because in the past, we did, like make our own boutonnieres for our dates for other school dances. And it was like, not that bad. And yeah, and then we started planning, like, very recently, like beginning of February.

Sofia: So obviously, you guys run the business together. You're both here. But do you guys have any other friends or family that helped you? Like how do you guys kind of split the rules of what you do at the business?

Sarah Chow: Um, we don't have any other friends or family that supports us. But we split the role by like, I would be driving everywhere to gather the supplies, and like we'll be making the corsages and boutonnieres at my house. So she would just come over and sleep over while making the corsages and boutonnieres the night before.

Sofia: What about you Sara?

Sara Hsu: Like in the beginning, my mom kind of helped out financially and like getting stuff, like structured. But then my sister would help in the creation process, like what designs we could do and actually making the necklaces. But since my sister's in college right now and I feel like Shop Suki is substantial, I’ve kind of been doing it on my own right now. So I take on a bigger responsibility of writing down the orders, making the necklaces and sending it out.

Sofia: And both of you guys have different methods of getting orders and basically getting them out. So why did you choose your specific method to sell your product and get orders through?

Sara Hsu: I think Etsy is just like catered for small businesses and so it's a lot more organized. So when somebody orders a product then Etsy, like, puts it on like an Excel or something and they send you like the statistics. But for Instagram, like we were thinking about selling on Instagram too, but we also wanted to reach a larger audience other than just Johns Creek since like jewelry, you can send it to different states and like flowers, it's kind of hard to. And so yeah, that's why we chose Etsy because it's a lot more structured.

Sofia: And for you guys?

Vicky Kang: Yeah for us, I mean, it's flowers, and we can only do so much with it. And we're actually planning to do it for other schools, but because maybe the distance is too long, or they don't have availability to kind of like, take care of the flowers even after we make it. So we thought that it'd be best if we did use Instagram as a social platform. One, because it's a good place for us to show our pictures and show our products and also at the same time they can easily message us. And we also use Google Forms for orders online because I think that's the fastest and most direct way we can get.

Sofia: So talking about, obviously, you guys have different materials that you use. So what is the process of buying materials and making sure that you gain profit and don't lose anything.

Vicky Kang: So this is our first time, like doing anything business related. And also because we are the ones making it, and we are the ones buying the materials, I think, we spent quite a bit, trying to plan, trying to make things affordable, and trying to make things work. So we practice a lot, we use different materials, we went out to different locations, like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, to find as much variety as we could to satisfy both the customers and us. Because financially, our income is just a part time job. So we also have to, like manage that in between.

Sara Hsu: Yeah, that's kind of the same for me, this was my first time, like starting a small business. And at first, like I said, we weren't really looking to make a profit, it was just like a side hobby for us. But then, when we decided, like people actually enjoy these necklaces, and maybe we can make some extra spending cash, we wanted to, like prioritize, I guess, quality over quantity. So we bought a lot of our beads from other small businesses on Etsy. And some of those beads could be pretty like, on the more expensive side, since people are like handcrafting it too. It's not just from like a big seller. So I think like the first time we broke even was like a surprise to us because we weren't like being calculated and we weren't really having this organized structure of “If we buy this amount of beads, then we have to sell this amount to gain that profit”. So it just kind of came naturally.

Sofia: Yeah, and this kind of stuff is hard to learn as a student in high school, but since this episode mainly revolves around you guys being business owners while also being in high school. How would you describe the balance between your business along with school, extracurriculars, and other things?

Sara Hsu: I think Shop Suki is very slow paced right now. Like we only get like maybe a couple orders a month. So balancing school and Shop Suki is doable. And I think it also helps that it doesn't feel like it's a chore. Making necklaces is really fun because you get to use your own creativity and it's like a really unique way of creative expression. So it never feels like a chore even when we have more orders than usual.

Sarah Chow: So when we're planning it was kind of hard to like, have our time not overlap because we have so many extracurricular activities like Vicky and I, but because like school dances are typically on Saturdays. So for Sadie's, for example, we'll meet up on Friday night, and just make everything that night, or like Saturday morning. So we can ensure the freshness of the flower. So it wasn't like that big of a hassle to balance with school since it's like a one day kind of thing.

Vicky Kang: But I do think like planning ahead of time, and spending our time to kind of calculate all these little details was also a big, big hunk of time that took a lot, you know.

Sofia: So based on this, what would you say was the biggest obstacle that you've had to overcome throughout the production of your business?

Sara Hsu: I think just being consistent. Like on TikTok, I always see people and like other businesses just blow up overnight because of one like trending video. And so I kind of thought like, Oh, if I post this TikTok, maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and like, we'll have so many followers and have so much traction, but I think it's really about like posting on your social media platforms, and having a specific time to post and I think I'm still like struggling with that because it gets a little bit tiring when you put in so much effort, but you don't necessarily see like direct outcomes of how much effort you put in. So yeah, I think just staying consistent is just a challenge for my business.

Vicky Kang: And with that consistency comes with forcing yourself to come out of our comfort zones. We’re very both introverted, like even texting is hard with friends, but like going out to reach out to people that I've never talked to in my life, and like kind of being like the fear of being like maybe judged by other peers, or kind of, just like the having, like other people's thoughts in mind is also kind of hard to like overcome. But I think it helped us a lot because we were able to reach out to a lot of people that we never thought we would have been able to.

Sofia: Do you feel like there are any advantages to being a high school business owner, like being able to sell to your friends, classmates, or maybe even teachers?

Sara Hsu: I think like what Vicky said, it's a bit intimidating when like, your whole community knows that you do a small business because you're like, Oh, what if they judge me? What if they think like, what I'm doing is stupid. But I think the biggest support that Shop Suki got was from Northview, like at the beginning, a lot of my friends, like most of our orders were from Northview students, and like combining my sister's friends and my friends, that's like a pretty large amount of orders, like just right from the beginning. So I think that support from your own community is really helpful.

Sofia: So what are the main things that you have learned about business, marketing, promotions, pricing, etc, as a high school student who owns a small business?

Vicky Kang: I don't know. It's like, we just recently started so like the title of like, owning a small business, it's very burdening, I guess, because we just started this as like, “Oh, I mean, we're seniors now like, high school is almost over, why not take advantage of like all these school dances”. So I think, through trial and error and a lot of money, we were able to kind of understand how, like such businesses work, because, like, for me, I am majoring in business. So I think this is a very good step for me into like, going through that path.

Sara Hsu: I think for me, like just taking on the responsibility of packaging, shipping, ordering and like having that inventory of what we need to have to create Shop Suki, it was a bit of a challenge. But it also taught me different aspects of business that I never even thought about. Because for me, I knew nothing about it. And I'm not planning on going into business. So I think Shop Suki was a really exciting step into discovering something new that I would have probably never have gone into.

Sofia: And like you guys are kind of saying about how it's like a side hobby and stuff like that. All of you guys are upperclassmen and so the future after high school is coming soon. Do you guys have any goals or plans for your business in the future? Are you going to grow it after high school or just keep it as a small business or just stop completely after you get out of high school.

Sara: I want to definitely keep Shop Suki as a side hobby, just like for extra spending cash. And also, like I said earlier, it's really helpful and like having a new way of expressing yourself in a different creative way. So definitely as a side hobby, and I don't want it to just like disappear after high school. So I'm probably going to continue in college.

Sofia: And I do know that obviously, you guys do little corsages. Because you guys ever be open to making bouquets or anything like opening a little floral shop? Maybe?

Vicky Kang: I think, because we don't have a license or certificate. We're not professionals. I think that's something for a later chapter in life, maybe where I can or Sarah can take like, floral classes, maybe that will be helpful. And if, if we are still eager to like, kind of prepare and assemble these like arrangements, then I think so. Yeah.

Sofia: Would you guys recommend other high school students to make businesses of their own? And do you guys have any tips for them if they want to start?

Sarah Chow: I would definitely recommend them but only if they have time, because it's really time consuming. It took out like a lot of like, our extra time that we can just use as our alone or like downtime to hang out with friends.

Vicky Kang: And it is also a commitment. It's like you need to prioritize this business so that other people can enjoy it as much as you do. But if there's something that you're really passionate about and something that you want to show other people what you're good at and give them like a taste of the passion that you have, then I recommend it as well. Because it is fun. It's fun.

Sara Hsu: I agree with you. I think if you're like wanting to start a small business, do it on something that you're actually passionate about and that you enjoy doing. I think a lot of people, they focus on the money part at first, and at the end, I think that's why a lot of businesses end up failing, but if it's something that you actually enjoy doing then the rest of your small business journey just comes naturally.

Sofia: Okay, thank you guys all for coming. Yeah, it was great talking to all of you guys. This concludes this episode of Point of View. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host Sofia and this has been Point of View.

International Night - Backstage

Sofia Mang, Dhruv Singh, Caleb Smith, Grace Yang

In this episode, Host Grace Yang discusses the preparations behind International Night with the teachers, performers, and club leaders involved, honing in on their busy schedules, connections to the cultures represented and their hopes for the show. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Grace Yang: International Night. An evening celebrating the different cultures at Northview with awe-inspiring performances, tickets that sell out every year, a packed auditorium, and delicious dishes from around the world. This is one of the most exciting nights at Northview, but many students are unaware of the time and effort that performers, sponsors, guests, and Kaleidoscope members put into making sure the event runs smoothly. Hello and welcome to Point of View, where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I'm Grace, and today I’ll be discussing preparations for International Night and what goes on behind the scenes.

Grace: Some of the principal contributors to International Night's success are the sponsors of the event, Mrs. Rogers and Dr. Hart.

Mrs. Rogers: Good morning. I'm Mrs. Rogers. I am the sponsor of Kaleidoscope club and Kaleidoscope club puts on International Night.

Grace: Kaleidoscope has put on the show almost since Northview’s founding.

Mrs. Rogers: I believe that International Night…it was going on when I first started at this school, I believe back in around 2006-2007, it may have started. I took over the club the 2013-2014 school year, and have been doing International Night since then and Dr. Sekman has been my right hand lady helping me with International Night.

Grace: They have supported the event every year and pour so much of their personal time into managing logistics and rehearsals.

Mrs. Rogers: Well preparing for it, I guess my favorite part is maybe auditions and then just working with the club officers to pull off the event and organize it. Perhaps the most difficult is just you know, being organized and then remembering all the little things that have to be done. And also just getting volunteers to do some of the things that are not as much fun like, you know, selling tickets, you know, working a table at the taste of cultures, that sort of thing.

Grace: The hard work pays off with a great performance that is put on every year.

Mrs. Rogers: I just hope it will provide a fun, fun evening that will be memorable and that will inspire them to be creative themselves and to appreciate the diversity that we have here at Northview and in our Johns Creek community and admire the talent of their peers.

Grace: Kaleidoscope is the club that runs international night.

Tvisha Pendyala: Hi, I'm Tvisha Pendyala, and I'm a senior.

Shruthi Balachander: Hi, my name is Shruthi Balachander and I'm a junior here at Northview and I'm the president of the Kaleidoscope Club.

Grace: Members are there for every rehearsal and they contribute to committees that organize different parts of the show so everything falls into place.

Tvisha: Well, we have committees so each person in leadership usually takes up a role for each committee and I've been an usher for every year that I was like in the club except last year, obviously because we were remote. And for ushering, since I'm the one that knows it the best, that's why I got the position really. Other than that, we don't just solely focus on the committee that we're assigned to or like the role we take, we are a really good team together. We will always help each other whenever we need it and if we have any general things that need to be discussed, we're down for it.

Shruthi: So my role includes overseeing everything from the committees that go into International Night, but also with the performers, rehearsals, and the night itself. So we have, especially leading up to the month of March and international night coming forward so soon, we've had a lot of monthly meetings with committees. My job is to split a lot of the members into committees and make sure that one is working on the paintings and the posters for International Night, the others are working on International Night Week activities, and the others are ushers and backstage committees for International Night itself so everything runs smoothly on the night of.

Grace: Kaleidoscope leaders and members have a lot of work and there are a lot of obstacles, but the process and end result are very rewarding.

Tvisha: Since it's like a really big group, right? Because you have your club members and you have the performers as well, so you have to manage both of them. Sometimes you forget that you have to meet with leadership on your own too. So it's just like constantly being aware of having to do different stuff to get to the end result. So it's just like, you forget stuff so it's kind of hard for that.

Shruthi: I think it's not easy because there's members who don't show up all the time, right? And there's not a continuation of everything and there's so many performers and groups and there’s so many logistics. Like, booking the auditorium itself is a big deal, booking the cafeteria and that is also such a big deal. But the tickets might actually be the hardest part because we at Northview are known to sell out of tickets super fast and it's really hard to get good show tickets. So that's why we were potentially considering a C show. And we're not sure if we will definitely or indefinitely have one because it's still up to how many tickets we buy and what all goes into it. But definitely, I think the performance itself and getting that all cohesively together, whether that was International Night auditions or whether it's right now, with getting all the groups to work with each other, that would definitely be the hardest part.

Grace: Each committee has different responsibilities. Each part of the show must be accounted for with people ushering, managing ticket sales, and everything else. And in the week before international night, everyone involved in the show has a packed schedule.

Shruthi: International Night rehearsals are known to go on forever. Like we practice until 10, 11 and it's just figuring out all the lighting, music, and how each group should transition. And as we know, the seniors always put on that great performance, because it's their year and there's a lot of members into that. So rehearsals are tiring, they're long, but it pays off because both the shows at the end run super smoothly. But we also have general meetings for the performers, figuring out what they're supposed to do when they're backstage and so yeah, it's long and tiring, but it pays off in the end.

Grace: Kaleidoscope is the backbone of international preparations and the members strive to put on a great show and share other cultures.

Tvisha: Since it's a cultural thing, I hope people can connect with their cultures there and have fun showcasing it. And it kind of inspires other people to showcase their cultures that aren't shown as much because like, obviously, Indians and Kpop, those two groups take up a lot of the time, right, which is great, because, obviously, I'm Indian, so I will enjoy it. But it's nice seeing the minority groups, even if it's Russian, like the Russian performances, like they're really nice to see. So I just hope more performers come out and the audience enjoys it, because it's really fun.

Shruthi: Um, so it's been two years since we've had International Night fully and really what I hope this year is that people feel a sense of enjoyment and appreciation for being able to be back in the auditorium, one, and being able to experience such a big night with so much diversity and culture, especially after everything that we've been through over the past few years. With, when we were a quarantine, I know a lot of movements came up and a lot of social issues came up. And I think this is a time we should be taking to really celebrate the positivity and culture and diversity and overlook our differences, then unity that brings us together. And I really hope that people not only see the effort that goes into this night, but they also see how much the value of culture is here at Johns Creek and Northview because it's such a big part of our identities and our societies.

Grace: Performers are the core of international night.

Jensi Perng: I'm Jensi Perng, and I'm the president of the Taiwanese Yo-Yo club.

Vedu Arya: I'm Vedu Arya. I'm a senior at Northview. And I'm performing with BBB or Big Bhangra Brand.

Sunny Park: Hi, my name is Sunny Park. I'm a senior at Northview. And I'm going to be in Dream High.

Grace: They share customs that are important to their backgrounds through instruments, dance, singing, and other arts and expose Northview students to cultures that many of their peers identify with.

Jensi: We're representing Taiwanese culture and our music choice is from Attack on Titan, so kind of Japanese culture as well. So I'm Taiwanese American, and I've been doing Taiwanese Yo-Yo for almost nine years now so it's been pretty long. And it's like, really fun and a great way to get to know people.

Vedu: So we generalize and say we represent Indian culture, right. But within Indian culture, there are multiple styles of dance. So this year, we actually went above and beyond and we’re performing new styles of dance. So we have Bhangra of course, we have Garba, we have Bollywood, we have Tollywood and we of course have Hip Hop as well.

Sunny: We're representing South Korea. I'm the president of KPOP Dance Club at our school so I do a lot of KPOP Dance and like, you know those kinds of performances as well.

Grace: Some of these clubs have a tradition of performing at International Night. For example, Taiwanese Yo-Yo usually performs as well as Dream High.

Jensi: So our club, I think, has been around for around six years and was started by another student. So I think with the exception of last year, this will be our fifth time at international night.

Vedu: So our group has performed before, we performed our sophomore year, so two years back. But the thing is, BBB isn't an official club or anything. It's just a friend group wanting to show off our culture. However, there is usually one Indian dance group every single year, that goes last at International Night and just, you know, performs and represents our culture.

Sunny: It was originally Korean seniors every year. But I guess this year, we're kind of changing it up. But yeah, every year.

Grace: Performers have to manage their schedules, spend hours practicing, and make decisions on the lighting and equipment they use.

Jensi: So our club meets every Wednesday, sometimes we meet over the weekends, as well. For the routine it usually takes me about two day but we tweak it when we meet up.

Vedu: So we have to perform at Beta Con as well, right and so we started practice, I think it was around December, or even November. Typically, we'll just go to one of our friend's house, he will host in their basement, or she'll host in their basement. And we'll just, you know, we'll just dance. Practices are usually pretty long, like just last Sunday, we were practicing and I was up till 3am at one of my friend's house. but yeah.

Sunny: I think it depends on the group. But I think for this one, because most of us are just doing the group is mainly just for, you know, seniors and just to have fun, we usually take up a little bit longer, I'm thinking maybe like four months. But that's only because we meet up maybe once a week, or maybe once every two weeks.

Grace: In the end, they're doing this to share a culture they're proud of and want the audience to enjoy.

Jensi: Well, we've worked really hard. So I guess like, as usual, we don't want any of the Yo-Yo’s to drop, and everything will go smoothly. There's this really cool part at the end, where we take a long pair of sticks, and we do some pretty cool tosses, so I want people to look forward to that.

Vedu: I guess one thing is that, since a lot of the underclassmen didn't get to experience International Night last year, is that it's okay to scream and shout and in fact, we encourage it. You know, we want the entire audience to get really hype while we're performing just so we know that you guys are having fun while we're also having fun performing.

Sunny: I hope you can see how much we've prepared for it. Obviously, not all of us are going to you know, be Kpop stars or, you know, going to be like these spectacular dancers. But yeah, I hope you guys can see how much fun we can have and like, you know, there's a taboo of Kpop and Kpop songs being very cringy. But I hope you guys can see past that and, you know, just see how Kpop can be fun and, you know, really enjoyable for lots of you know, diverse kinds of people.

Grace: The other side to international night is the Taste of Culture event. This is held in the cafeteria, where guests set up booths with food from the cultures they represent. This is made possible with the management of Ms. Hsu and Ms. Kim, two of Northview’s bilingual community liaisons. Parents, teachers, and other guests take time out of their busy schedules to prepare food from their home countries and give students a taste of authentic ethnic dishes. We usually have a few parents manning a Korean booth, showcasing food from the country that many of our students trace their lineages back to. Our very own Ms. Godbole and Mr. Hunter are in charge of a French booth, and the Nigerian Association always sets up a stand for Nigeria. Another crucial part to the success of International Night is the logistics behind everything. In order to control the stage lighting, make sure that the music and sound is done correctly, and that the entire show runs smoothly, Kaleidoscope teams up with the Northview drama department.

Mrs. Rogers: Oh well, we rely heavily on the drama department and they have wonderful experienced tech crews. So I contact Ms. Pieri and she recommends people for Stage Manager and lighting and sound.

Grace: All these factors come together to make international night unforgettable. Aside from showcasing culture around the world, the event gives Northview students and other people of the community something to remember and look forward to each year.

Shruthi: Recently actually I've also been seeing the promotion of Johns Creek High schools International Night and I was wondering the same thing about how much of a scope it has outside of the school. I think it really does have a lot because Northview’s international Night is known to schools around us like Lambert and Forsyth, because when I was in middle school, I remember coming and I wasn't even in high school.

Vedu: We want the audience to react how we reacted when we were the audience basically. When we were in middle school, and we were freshmen, we would run to the front of the audience, and we’d just, you know, start screaming and get really hype. And that's basically just what we want from the audience.

Grace: So this year, knowing all the hard work and time the performers, guests, Kaleidoscope, and teachers have put in. Let’s enjoy the show and let their efforts be known.

Shruthi: Definitely come watch international night! We have so much in store, the performances are gonna be great. But also join Kaleidoscope. I mean, it's a fun club. We do a lot of activities that relate to food and celebrating culture but we also talk about a lot of social issues and differences that arise because of culture and race and such. And so yeah, but come to International Night!

Grace: This concludes this episode of Point of View. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at NHS Point of View for updates and new episodes. I'm your host, and this has been Point of View.

Techno Titans

Jonah Chadwin, Delisa Troupe

In this episode, host Delisa Troupe follows the journey of Techno Titans as they develop as a team and express their hopes for the upcoming competitions. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Delisa Troupe: Hello, and welcome to Point of View, where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host, Delisa Troupe, and today we're going to follow the journey of Techno Titans, Northview's robotics team, from when it was first created to becoming one of the biggest clubs at Northview today.

Theresa Dixon: So it started in 2005. I think it had been around for two or three years, and then a teacher by the name of Jason Weinberger had taken it over, and that is who Howard had been working with, was Jason. And then I came in at that point. And then they were basically a school club for about 10 years. In 2015, I was involved then. In 2015, we decided to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and by doing that, it allowed us to be financially free from the school.

Delisa Troupe: Techno Titans was founded in 2005 around the time that Northview opened. However, it's not just a school club. In 2015, they became a 501(c)(3) organization. Coach Theresa Dixon joined years later to help her current husband with the team.

Theresa Dixon: It really was a matter of, my boyfriend at the time was actually one of the mentors with the team. And I never saw him from January to May because that's when he was up here working with the kids. So after a while I have no technical experience whatsoever, but I found that the team also needed people who could order a pizza, who could make their hotel reservations, who could take care of the books. So I volunteered to do that so that I could be with my friend as well as help the kids out. Howard, he actually is now my husband as of two weeks ago. He was approached by the school. He works at Nordson and Nordson is one of the leading industries here in Johns Creek. When the team was formed in 2005, they approached the industry leaders and said, do you have any technical mentors who can help with the robotics program? He volunteered. So now he's here and he's the lead mentor on the team. And then, like I said, I help out too.

Delisa Troupe: To ensure that they can get the materials and supplies they need on time, the robotics team reaches out to sponsors that help them with their financial needs.

Theresa Dixon: So for example, we're building a robot and we say, oh my gosh, we need these parts right now. We need this. A typical situation if you were still with the school club would be, you'd have to put in a requisition to get funds. It could take a week before all the paperwork and everything is done. By being the 501(c)(3), we were able to then we can do our own finances. So if we need a part, we can order it right now, get it tomorrow. So, and that allowed us us to, by having these big sponsors and the foundation, we can operate more freely. We can afford to have the workspace. If you have something you need to do, you pretty much have to finish up by eight o'clock at night when they lock the building. We can be at the workspace as long as the parents will allow their children to be there.

Theresa Dixon: So it's just, it's a nice thing, and honestly, we cannot do it without our sponsors. And we have some very, very generous sponsors. Well, Nordson is our biggest sponsor and that's where Howard works. They were one of the founding sponsors of the team. This year actually, they upped, they granted us $20,000. So we just put words out. A lot of it comes from sponsors, parents of the students, wherever they're working, we say, Hey, can you just give us a name? That's all we ask. We'll do the work. Just give us a name of somebody to contact and see what we can do.

Delisa Troupe: Just this year, Techno Titans had over 200 people show interest in the club with 92 standing members as of today. After they recruit people through orientation and Club Fair, they spend the first two weeks explaining what the club is about and allow people to decide whether or not it's for them. For the rest of the semester, they divide into sub teams and do boot camps where they hone their skills for the FRC competitions in the spring.

Theresa Dixon: We have several subteams. So you can choose if you wanna be on the team on fabrication that actually builds the robot, if you wanna be on the electrical team that does the wiring, or if you have no desire to even touch a robot, but wanna do our social media, you can be on the business team. So during first semester we have that whole time where you can learn about your sub-team and what your responsibilities will be then. And then another thing we do during the first semester is we mentor younger kids in a program called FLL, First Lego League. So they're using the Lego Mindstorms and we help them learn how to program it as well as they do a project.

Delisa Troupe: During the second semester on the first Saturday in January is the big kickoff. FIRST, a robotics competition for high school students, releases a theme or "game" for that year. In the 2021 to 2022 season, the theme is transportation. On their website they explain further, "From the shipment of packages in rural and urban areas to disaster relief delivery and high tech air transit, teams will reimagine faster, more reliable, inclusive, and sustainable transportation innovations that better connect and grow communities and economies around the world." They are given six weeks to build a robot, which is around 120 pounds. After those six weeks, they start their competition cycle. This past weekend, they went to their first competition in Dalton, Georgia, and at the end of the month, they'll be going to Albany.

Coco Lu: I'm honestly really, really proud of our team making so much progress this season so far. All of our practices have been going pretty well. If we will win, I hope so, but then again, robots have a mind of their own pretty much. Yes, we control them, but sometimes things do go beyond our control and something might break or something might, you know, malfunction. So it's hard to tell if we will win or not. We don't know what other team's robots are like yet, but knowing the competition in the Peachtree district, it will probably be pretty tough. But since it is one of the first competitions, I expect other teams to pretty much be on the same level, maybe. But I do think that our robot is pretty solid. We can climb, we can shoot, we can track. So I have confidence in our team's abilities. Yeah.

Delisa Troupe: Junior Coco Lu is the business head of Techno Titans. She oversees the outreach and communications and marketing and media sub teams. Although she originally wanted to join the fabrication team, after a certain incident with the saw, her hopes were diminished. Thankfully, she believes she fits in much more with business.

Coco Lu: Tell them basically what the tasks are for the week, and then we all work together to get the rest of the business team, to go with our activities. So usually we oversee like our team social medias, we apply for awards. We also maintain relationships with our sponsors through the forms of email blasts and thank you cards, stuff like that. And we overall just do pretty much everything that's not on the technical side of engineering.

Delisa Troupe: Other prominent members include Kenneth Shen, Vice President and Siya Deshpande, Engineering Head of Techno Titans. Kenneth, Siya, and Advay Pampattiwar are the main designers of the robot. With their many years on the team, they've also had a lot of memorable moments.

Siya Deshpande: My freshman year I drove into the table and I was like, it was kind of like my thing. It was like, whenever we see that table, now it was a brand new table. It was the first time anyone made a dent in it. And so whenever we like see that table, we're like, oh, that's my table. It's my mark. So it's like, but I've heard that like, it's actually really been useful to connect things together.

Kenneth Shen: This is, I guess one of my biggest memories from robotics and kind of the point that I feel like really sense that I really wanna do this was back in my freshman year, I was really bad at box. Every time I was like, oh, this is off. This is wrong. Oh, it's not within like this thing. It's not gonna work. You know? And then we kind of iterating and iterating, iterating. And at that time I wasn't really that good at computer and design either. So I was like making a lot of mistakes too, with computer design and modeling. I guess my most memorable moment is when we actually built it. I felt so satisfying. To finally see it like done and like completed. We still have it, still use it today. So it's like, not like kind like a legacy. It's like, oh yes, that is gonna be with our team for hopefully a long time after I go.

Coco Lu: The first thing that comes to mind is definitely competitions. I feel like the energy at competitions is just immeasurable compared to everything else. Usually during the season, things can get stressful or things can be very, very time consuming, but once we get to competitions, we just let go of all of our fear and worries. We try to live in the moment and just enjoy the competition.

Delisa Troupe: Competitions are fun experiences for members of the team to earn awards, meet new people, and have fun competing against others in a safe environment. Many of the members also engage in fun events like dance offs. Although robotics is competitive, the FRC, First Robotics Competition, encourages high quality work, emphasizing the value in others, and being professional and respectful to competitors and the community at all times.

Coco Lu: The thing about robotics is that there's a sense of gracious professionalism. Basically that means when you go to competitions and stuff, you are basically representing your team and your fellow teammates, and it's looked down upon if you say anything negative about other teams, judges, the first program, which is what we fall under. So we basically just try to stay professional at all times, and competitions are just really a way for all of us to just enjoy the competition, enjoy the robots, make friends, stuff like that. And our team is really, really good with like team spirit. We do cheers, dances, stuff like that. And yeah, it's overall really fun, and it's just the energy of everyone in the venue or the area. It's great.

Delisa Troupe: The club has grown exponentially throughout the years, not only in number, but also in female representation.

Coco Lu: In 2017, we had like seven girls. Now we have around 20 that's like a 186% increase. So I'm really happy about that. And also I'm really proud of us girls too. Like we have like our own girls channel in our Slack and we plan like girls hangouts sometimes, and we just do a lot of things together. I'm really, really close with the girls on the team now just because we have been able to hang out and talk so much.

Delisa Troupe: However, there have been times where the girls on the team have felt isolated due to their gender.

Siya Deshpande: Especially being like the only girl in the room at times, it felt like everybody else knew things that I just didn't know. People will be like, oh yeah, I know programming and then be like, oh. I feel like a lot of times boys will say they know things even if they don't and girls, at least me, I'm like, I won't say I know something unless I completely know it. So I always, I always felt like I was like, oh, everybody else is smarter than me. I was like, oh, how am I ever gonna learn? You know, how am I ever gonna learn this stuff? But I feel like you spend more time and the more you learn, the more confident you become.

Delisa Troupe: With 92 members on the team, Techno Titans is open to anyone hoping to learn more about business, robotics engineering and more. However, the club was not always this welcoming. In previous years, they had a cut system where they evaluated members on their performance and decided who should be removed from the team. During the summer, they focused on improving their robots to prepare for GRITS. GRITS, or the Georgia Robotics Invitational Tournament and Showcase, is during the off season and takes place around October or the first semester of school.

Coco Lu: And we used to have a cut system. So basically the October season, basically first semester, we call that the GRITS season because at the end of October or early November, usually somewhere around on that time, there's a competition that's called GRITS, so we call that the GRITS season. In previous years, we allowed anybody to be on the GRITS team. Basically, if you paid your dues and then if you were engaged, we would let you go, and we would let you be on the team. But then for FRC, which is like the second semester season, we used to have a cut system. So we evaluated people's behaviors, and if they acted like they didn't wanna be on the team or they weren't focused at meetings, they would be pretty much warned or booted. This year, it's gotten a lot better. It might have been due to COVID, but we started being a more open team. So we open up our team. It's no longer a cut system, basically, if you're interested and you are committed and you're engaged at meetings and you step up to lead side projects and you do your part, we let anyone join the team now. So that's why our team has been able to grow so much in size.

Kenneth Shen: It was 15 people who applied and only like three got in. So it was like 20% who really got it. It was kinda the same for like all across all sub teams, and we had to cut a lot of people and now we're like more like open we're like okay we accept everyone right. My personal opinion on this and we still have disagreements on the team on this or at least previous leadership definitely didn't believe this was a good method. They thought a more seclusive team was a lot better. I think that people on the team who disagree with me as well, but this is my opinion on this. I feel like having a more open and letting everyone who wants to join, join. I think that's a better system than having a cut system.

Delisa Troupe: Members of the robotics team have expressed positive feelings for the team and leadership. Shriya Mahakala, the safety captain and a programmer for the team, believes that this year, especially with the new workspace, everything is very organized.

Shriya Mahakala: It's been a little hectic, but I think we've been managing it well. Especially this year, I feel like our leadership is super organized. We have schedules every week with designated people at designated places, like some people would be at the workspace and some people would be at the media center for set intervals of time. So it's definitely really organized this year, but then there's always just some stuff like the robot breaking. I think it was like Monday, we were supposed to test on the robot, but then the robot broke. So then that kind of like delayed it. But there's always unexpected circumstances, but I think our leadership this year has been doing really well with managing everything.

Delisa Troupe: With rising hopes and challenges for the upcoming competitions. It is easy to forget that for some members, this may be their last. Kenneth Shen, senior and Vice President of Techno Titans, hopes that people will continue doing the club because they genuinely enjoy it. For him, it was never about leaving a legacy, making a huge impact or looking good for college. Rather, robotics became his passion.

Kenneth Shen: I really hope generally to inspire people to continue doing what they want and what they find meaningful. So I feel like robotics, if you do robotics for college, I feel like you're kind of an idiot in my opinion, because you spend so much time on it, you spend so much effort, and it's just like one thing on your resume. Do things because you want to, because you find them meaningful again, and keep on inspiring others, keep on mentoring others and helping others. You know, helping the community. Our team is very community centric. You know, we go to STEM nights, we do outreach and everything.

Delisa Troupe: For those interested in engineering, robotics, or even business, Techno Titans could be the perfect hobby throughout high school. Although it comes with hard work and a competitive environment, it's a way to make new friendships and explore something you never believed you would've enjoyed before. Their hard work will pay off as they compete in different competitions around Georgia and possibly the world competition in Houston, Texas.

Siya Deshpande: So first time I saw the Techno Titans was at orientation. I saw a really cool robot and it looked really complicated to me and I was like, wow, there's no way that I'm gonna figure out how to do this. I don't know anything about robotics. I had no background in engineering or anything like that. So I was hesitant about joining, but after some encouragement with friends who were on the team and then my family, they encouraged me to join. So I joined and I was really impressed with how inclusive the team was. It didn't matter that I didn't know anything, they were willing to teach me and that's all that mattered. So, that's why I joined and it's a lot of fun in competitions and just the culture of learning is something that I really appreciate within the team.

Delisa Troupe: This concludes our episode with Techno Titans. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host, Delisa Troupe, and this has been Point of View.

Across the Table - Changing Childhoods, an evaluation of the accelerated maturation of children

Jordan Anderson, Marcus Kim, Suhani Mahajan, Orelia Thottam, Delisa Troupe

Hosts Jordan Anderson, Orelia Thottam, Marcus Kim, and Suhani Mahajan discuss the shift from their childhood experiences to the ones they observe around themselves today. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Suhani: Hello, and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. We're your hosts Suhani,

Marcus: Marcus,

Jordan: Jordan,

Orelia: Orelia.

Suhani: And lately, we've been thinking about how we see kids and mind you, these are like middle school aged kids, that we realize they seem a lot more mature or appear a lot more mature, then we remember being at that age, and we wanted to talk about them more and actually share our observations.

Marcus: So if we're going to go off observations, in my neighborhood, there are a couple of middle school kids, right. And mind you, I was kind of a nerdier kid back in middle school. So of course, I wasn't as social in middle school as maybe some of the middle schoolers I'm looking at now. However, you know, sometimes on Friday nights, when I'm hanging out with my friends, and we get home at around, I don't know, 10:30, I see these middle schoolers out with their skateboards and their phones. And I could definitely see them passing as kids my age, I'm not sure. It's just how they carry themselves, what they do, the way they interact with their peers, and just some of the things that they say and do just make me question, “Oh, my gosh, these guys are like four years younger than me.”

Suhani: You kind of forget that too, because this weekend, I hung out with my sister's friends and when I was talking to them, it didn't feel like I was talking to you know, significantly younger children until I reminded myself, “Wait, some of these topics aren't really things that they should be or that I remember talking about when I was their age”. Like they're talking about really intimate relationships and they're, you know, bad mouthing some kids or you know, just like gossip, but this kind of gossip, at least I wasn't exposed to until like high school, and not until the later years.

Jordan: Whenever I see middle schoolers, I always compare how they're acting from when I was in middle school. When I was in middle school, I was weird. I was really weird and closed off. I was like a gremlin. But then when I see other kids that age, and they're acting like how I act now, I always find it interesting how we were the same age. Like they're 12, their 12-year-old lives compared to mine. I was like, more kid-ish. But now they act like I act as a 16-year-old. And I'm just like, “Okay, what are you doing differently that I didn't do? Or what did I do that you didn't do?” You know?

Orelia: It's also like, when I was in middle school I was in India. But when I was in middle school, the way we used to have fun, the way we used to hang out with our friends, and the way our school life was. When I see kids over here, when I see middle school kids, I’m friends with a few middle schoolers and I speak to them, and the way they tend to hang out or the way they spend their time, as in leisure time, it's just different. Like, it's similar to what I do with my friends now. Like, if it's going out at night, hanging out in the mall at night, and then coming back home or something like that. They're doing that stuff now, when I didn't have permission to do any of that stuff back then.

Marcus: I mean, of course, and this is all from the perspective of a semi-affluent suburban life, right? Like, of course, it would be different if we were to look at maybe like, you know, a richer area city or even like a more poor area of accounting or such, but seeing these kids grow up in similar environments as us, it just makes you start to question like, why is this generation suddenly more socially mature than I was? Right? And I think, to kind of, you know, point a finger, I would kind of say, I think it's because of the amount of exposure that they have to social media, right and just technology. Because, you know, with technology, information can be diffused, right. Like, with social media and technology, you know, like gossip and information, or maybe more adulterated content that, you know, some kids shouldn't be exposed to at such young ages happen to kind of come across their radar. And I don't think it's exactly a bad thing that younger generations are, you know, getting iPhones and iPads at earlier ages, but it's just something that us as a generation, like our older generation have to kind of look back and say, “Okay, well, how is this different from us? What can we learn? How can we guide them in a way?” I'm not really sure, but it's definitely the technology and social media that, I would say, is propelling younger kids forward a bit more.

Jordan: Like I can see kids having a phone for maybe security purposes and like when they go out so that they have contact with their family. But then I see 10-year-olds and 11-year-olds having Instagram, Snapchat, and I didn't get social media until seventh grade and even when I did, I was only following my family and only my family could see. And I didn't really show any other people because my family was like, “Oh no, that's your personal thing.” But now my sister's friends try to follow me on Instagram and it's weird because they're little babies in my mind. Even though we're not that big of an age difference, only four years, but they would do things and post certain things and I'm really questioning their thought process and why they're saying those types of things or like, why they're looking at that type of stuff, or acting like it.

Marcus: Like bro, you're like 12, chill. What do you have to do on Instagram? Like go and play hopscotch man. What are you doing on Instagram and Snapchat? Like, actually, what are you doing on Instagram and Snapchat? It's very easy to look at it very pessimistically like “Oh, this younger generation is being ruined by technology”, which is kind of hypocritical because we, you know, the older kids by half a decade or so, we also grew up with technology. But it's very easy to slip into that mindset of “Oh, wow, these younger kids are being ruined by technology.” So it's definitely a slippery slope.

Suhani: Well, I'm not trying to blame but I think what you were talking about, the exposure through social media being the propellant of this, you know, expediting maturity, is that the same things that we are seeing at our age, the clothing trends, the ideas, like, you know, how we hang out, if that's being posted on social media, and younger kids are also exposed to that, they get those same ideas without realizing, you know, there's a good five, four year gap between who they're seeing doing these things and who they themselves are. But now that they're copying, which, obviously, if you're exposed to something, and you like the idea, you're gonna adopt it as your own, there's less of that gap.

Jordan: And trying to fit in because they see it and they're like, “Oh, since they're doing it, that means I have to do it.” So even if what they're doing is not the right thing to do, they feel like they need to do it in order to fit in with everyone else around them and stuff like that.

Orelia: It's also like, when we had that kind of exposure to that kind of social media, we had parents filtering what we were seeing and how much time we were spending on it. But now with kids doing it, many times the parents are not even aware of the fact that they have those social media accounts, or they're lying to their parents about it and not telling them about it. So there's no filter to what they're watching or what they're getting exposed to.

Suhani: And the tricky part about social media is how much you can filter it. When we got social media at the beginning, I mean, five years does make a difference about how recent or how much information is already out there. So regardless of how many filters we were exposed to, there's only a certain amount of media that we can see. Whereas now there's like 20 times that, if not more. So there's such a huge variety of things that children can see and some of it's good, like Marcus said, and some of it's bad.

Orelia: And that’s the extent to which things are changing. Like they're getting exposed to more violent or explicit things than we were exposed to. If we were exposed to, on a scale from one to ten, if we were exposed to the 0.3 stuff, they get exposed to stuff that's equal to nine or ten.

Marcus: Yeah, I mean, I think to kind of take these ideas and form it into a thesis, I would definitely say that the growth of technology and how many, you know, connections there are exponentially increase as time goes on, right? So I think even though it has been, you know, five years, like, four, five, six years in between how we are behaving and how we're looking back. You know, you would say five years, and that's not a lot of time, but in terms of technology and the advancements and the amount of changes in internet culture that have happened. It's definitely not a reach to say that the landscape and technology and social media that we grew up with is completely different from how these younger kids are growing up. And you can be critical and say, “Oh, well, you're exaggerating it’s really only been four years.” But in four years, so much can change. Like, comparing internet culture now versus when I was in middle school, it's like night and day. Like, even just looking at stuff like the memes, right? Like memes back when I was in middle school were just slapstick jokes, and then now I'm looking at some of the memes and jokes that are being thrown around today and I don't even think I should be describing those jokes. But it's definitely, gosh, it's a completely different world from four years ago. It's four years. That's not a lot of time, but it's just so much has changed.

Suhani: So then other than social media, what other reasons could there be for, you know, some of these younger kids to be more mature than at least we remember being at that age, or, you know, knowing about these more mature topics.

Orelia: The environment that they're in, or like, what they're surrounded by, it's that as well. Stuff that goes on in their house or stuff that goes on in their friend's house and their friends tend to talk about it. Because at the end of the day, they are like 11, 12 year olds that are having to experience things that are not normal for them, or are hard to digest for them and they need to speak about it to other people. And when they do, your friends also get exposed to it and you don't know how many of them actually go home and tell their parents about it, to ask for help for them, even for their friends. So they're getting exposed to such kind of topics that they feel like, “Okay, all of this is going on with my friend, I need to help them out.” And they try to wrap their heads around it, and they read about it and understand from other people and then they just have a better idea about those kinds of topics.

Jordan: If we're talking about the environment, we also have to think about sometimes kids, they have to grow up faster. Like when it comes to taking care of your younger siblings or something, you need to be the more mature example for them. For instance, let's use an example. Let's say, parents, they work day and night, and they're not really home all the time. You're maybe like 13, and you have little siblings that are five or whatever. You have to be the so-called parent for them. Since their parents are working, you have to mature. Now they’re looking at you and they're gonna follow what you do, like follow in your footsteps. So you have to be the more mature example for them, which leads to the 13-year-old having to grow up a little faster than a normal 13-year-old should or would be.

Marcus: Speaking of 13-year-olds, someone brought this up a couple weeks ago, but looking back at the recent Olympics that happened. Some of those kids that were competing, like in the Olympics, like they're, like 12-13 years old, and they're on an Olympic stage. And that is commendable, right? Like you've achieved so much out there teen but is it really objectively better to have, you know, these kids being thrown into the world of adults at such a young age? Like is it objectively better to skip those couple of years where, you know, you would play outside and just have goofy, fun, ignorant, enjoyment with other peers your age. Some could maybe say that it's tragic, almost, that they've been kind of gypped of their childhood. But I guess it's all about how you see it. Because from one angle, well you're competing in the Olympics at the age of 13.

Suhani: I have to say, the thing about playing outside, I think that's how we remember our own childhoods. But if I think about my cousins who are like eight ish, right? And like elementary school, they're glued to their screens. So I think the whole childhood experience itself has been redefined. I don't know if my cousins go outside nearly as much as I did. I remember you know, going outside, actually, like picking up sticks and whatnot, you know, just like, like actually, you know, really doing random stuff because I had nothing else to do, you would see all the neighborhood kids out together because there was nothing to do at home. But now everyone has their own screen.

Jordan: Like the Ipad children.

Marcus: Like you see them out in public, and they have like, a leash backpack on them and they're like, on their crusty iPads with like, the big rubber case and they're watching Coco-Melon or something. But honestly, I think I can maybe pinpoint exactly when that transition happened, right? Because I don't want to sound like a conspiracy theorist but Fortnite. I sincerely think it's Fortnite that was the genesis of this, you know, difference in growing up right? Because I remember like, like you said, Suhani, I remember playing with sticks right? I remember some of my fondest memories in childhood were just walking out introducing myself to a random neighborhood kid and like throwing a stick at them. Or like climbing up a set of stairs, in my mind it was a really high set of stairs, but it was maybe like a foot up, and just jumping and then climbing back up and jumping off of it and pretending I could fly, right? And then Fortnite came around, right? And then we made that transition from, you know, playing outside with our neighborhood friends, to getting off the bus and saying, “Hey, do you wanna play Fortnite after school? Right? And then you could see the change in YouTube content, right? It went from more niche stuff to more, you know, daily “Let’s Play” content that you could definitely see a kid enjoying more, right? So I would say we, as you know, ‘04, ‘05, ‘03, you know, that kind of early 2000s timeframe, we were able to definitely get the benefit of, you know, the playing outside childhood and also growing up with technology, like almost a perfect balance. And now since technology is rapidly growing, these younger kids are growing up having less of that playing outside, and more of growing up in complete technology.

Jordan: Weird fun fact, when I was eight and my sister was four, we had a garage at this time, and my mom would take us outside to, you know, ride our bikes. We used to literally look for bugs on the ground, take our bubble gun and trap the bug in a bubble. Don't ask me why we did that. But we thought we were the most amazing, we thought we were part of John Wick or something, trapping bugs with bubbles. But now my sister stays in her room playing Roblox and I join her sometimes, but like, it's crazy to think that we used to go outside all the time. But I don't leave my house. Neither does she. She never leaves the house. And when she does leave the house, it’s to go to her friend's house. But then they end up playing like Minecraft, which they could have done if she wouldn’t have left. But they just changed.

Marcus: Let me just ask, is this a bad thing?

Suhani: Well, I don't know because my sister is, talking from experience obviously, is, you know, not this conventional younger kid that we're describing. She cannot sit still at home, like refuses to. In the summer, I remember when we first moved to Georgia, she actually rang a bunch of our neighbors doorbells and was like,”Hi, are there any kids here? Can I play with your kids?” because she just really wanted to make friends. And though we just moved, I think there's like 20 kids in my neighborhood, like, age ranging from my age to five year olds who know Ruhani. I am Ruhani’s sister, and they, you know, now come outside and play and they'll ring our doorbell and ask if she's available. So I think you know, it depends on who you are inherently.

Orelia: I was just thinking, how does this affect them? They weren't exposed to a portion of childhood that we were exposed to, like without technology. So how does that change, that when they grow up, when they are of our age or even older than us, when they go to that age, how is that going to affect the next generation? Just think that they've been exposed to more advancement in their childhood that they don't know this portion of childhood that we were a part of.

Marcus: Yeah, I mean, of course, when we say generations, we're talking about micro generations, right? Like, there is definitely a big generational gap between let's say, like millennials and Gen Z, and then even within Gen Z, they're micro generations like, early 2000s. and then late 2000s, or, like, early 2010s, right? There's a big difference in culture, right? So again, we are kind of young ourselves so we can't really say but I'm pretty sure if I were to, you know, throw a blind dart, I would definitely say that, with these next coming generations, rather than having a negative outlook like, you know, they haven't really experienced childhood, they've grown up fast. I think that with these younger kids that are coming along, right, you know, maybe we're when we're in college, when we're in college, looking back at upcoming middle schoolers, right? I don't know what will happen, right? But I definitely think that, at that point, technology will be advanced to such a point, you know, where maybe instead of playing outside with sticks, they'll be playing in virtual reality with sticks, right? So I think maybe that what we're looking at these middle schoolers now, it's kind of like the awkward phase where you know, it's right in between playing outside and right in between complete technological immersion, right?

Suhani: So it’s really transitionary.

Marcus: Oh, of course, that's what I think. Of course, I can't even tell you what will happen tomorrow, let alone in a couple years. I don't even know what will happen next period, right? So I don't know what's going to happen within these next couple of years.

Suhani: I mean, on top of that, you have to realize that we’re high schoolers. To some extent, we're also still kids talking about, you know, like a half generation difference of, you know, kids who are younger than us by five years. And we're evaluating their behavior and comparing it to us, though, you know, our parents consider us kids, probably people in their mid 20s honestly consider us kids. And sometimes I look around the school and also consider myself a kid.

Marcus: It’s really easy to take, like a critic's view and say, “Aren't we technically growing up too fast by taking these, you know, deep conversations about, you know, our own critiques on younger generations, like, is that not a form of growing up too fast?”

Orelia: Not really in my opinion, because we're just comparing something that we went through, and kids that see now, you know, they're not going through it, or they're going through it very differently. And because it's so induced by things that they're aware of, and most of us at our age we weren't, and in some ways, it's actually good, like, they're more aware of things, when they grow up, they most probably will have a better outlook and a more positive outlook towards things. But at the same time, they're getting more toned down and stressed out at this time, because of what they're exposed to.

Suhani: I think each generation will have its own, you know, different experiences and whatnot. I think it's just how you react to that, right? So these kids when they grow up, maybe they'll be talking about, “Yes, my childhood didn't really have a lot of going outside, but now I am, because I realized that that's something I want to do.” Maybe because they've only had one side of the spectrum, they’ll choose and they'll have that conscious decision making of, “No, I want something else.” We don't really know, right?

Marcus: But like, what is the spectrum, right? Of course, the definition of the two sides of the spectrum will constantly shift. Like what we think is, you know, again, like playing with sticks versus playing Roblox or Minecraft online. That's our spectrum, right? And in a couple years the spectrum might be, you know, oh, you're just playing Minecraft with your friends versus, you know, talking with them in VR chat or something. I'm not sure if you guys know what I’m talking about. It might be crazy to think that in five years, these middle schoolers that we're talking about might be sitting down and having the same conversation like, “Wow, these middle schoolers, they’re growing up way too fast”, right? Like, what if, five years ago, the high schoolers of then were looking at us as middle schoolers and saying, “Wow, these middle schoolers are growing up way too fast.” We're young, like you said, so I don't want to get ahead of myself. This conversation could be happening, you know, every couple years or so, right? Like maybe it's not just these younger kids. Maybe it was the same thing for us. Like maybe it was the same thing for the current college kids, right? Like I could definitely see us as maybe being a bit too reactionary in the way like, maybe this isn't the worst thing.

Suhani: Okay, but I mean, regardless, the people older than us, you know, kind of turned out okay. I'm sure we’ll turn out okay, in our own way. So regardless of what happens, I think everyone will find a way to cope or to fill in whatever gaps they recognize.

Jordan: I feel like it’s repetitive because even my older sister, she's in her 20s and She looks at me and tells me, “Oh, I didn't do that when I was 16. Oh, my friends didn't do that when we were 15.” Like each new generation is going to be, “Oh, we didn't do that. We didn't do that. We didn't do that”, like as time moves on- oh this sounds like a movie quote- as society grows and stuff like that.

Suhani: I think on that note, before we get too cynical, we should conclude the episode, so this concludes our Across the Table. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. We're your hosts Suhani, Marcus, Jordan, Orelia and this has been Point of View.

Book Bans - Into Darkness

Jordan Anderson, Jonah Chadwin, Rachel Everett, Caleb Smith, Orelia Thottam, Delisa Troupe

In the second episode of our two-part series, host Caleb Smith explores how book bans affect students and the authors who hoped to spread representation, connection, and understanding with the characters and experiences in their books. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Ashley Perez: Out of Darkness was published in 2015. It received a Prince honor it won the Tomasi better Book Award. It won the America's Book Award. It was a School Library Journal and a Kirkus review Best Book of the Year. It was named by Booklist, one of 50 best YA books of all time, like, you know what I mean? It's been around, and so I think it was like, a bit startling because I think when I first wrote this book, I wondered, how will it be received? You know, will people be ready for it? And initially for the first six years, it was well received, you know, overwhelmingly in positive ways and only in 2021 did it start being banned.

Caleb Smith: Hello and welcome to point of view, where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host, Caleb Smith, and today we are back with part two of our series on book bans, where we will dive into the implications behind the recent surge of book bands in America. Specifically, how it affects our youth and the authors who are working to help our students learn and grow through their books. Please note that this episode references sensitive topics, including sexual violence and racism, and may not be suitable for some listeners. This is author Ashley Hope Perez.

Ashley Perez: Out of Darkness is set in 1936. And it's a love story. It's about a Latina named Naomi who moves to this community in East Texas, from San Antonio with her two half siblings, so she has younger siblings, and she falls in love with a boy named Wash or Washington. One who’s black.

Caleb Smith: Wash walked the girl out of the yard and down the road away from the house. She could hear their laughter and wondered if he was telling this girl the same jokes he told her down by the river. Once they were gone, Naomi tore down the path into the woods trying to outrun the sob that was Connor’s throat. without remembering the steps in between, or the light in the woods, or the sound of the river. Naomi found herself in the back steps of Henry's house.

Ashley Perez: And this is a sort of the kind of relationship that has no place in this time and in this community.

Caleb Smith: Wash tried keeping his voice calm. But he felt his fear creeping in the stories he'd heard from his father's growing up days in the country. All the ways a black man could die.

Ashley Perez: And so they really kind of create a little family out in the woods, and it's a space of joy and possibility for her and for her siblings. But there are a lot of things set against them.

Caleb: Naomi didn't need to be told she felt safest in the room with the sleeping twins. She did not want to see her mother's empty face, her strange, swollen body drained of color. She did not want to be out in the part of the house where Henry walks.

Ashley Perez: Naomi has an abusive stepfather. And then the book leads up to a real event. The New London School explosion which killed 300 students and teachers, and that event triggers like a downward spiral for these characters.

Caleb Smith: On March 18 1937. A gas leak led to an explosion that destroyed the London School in East Texas. The school had cost a million dollars to build. It was located in one of the wealthiest school districts in the country. And yet a leak had allowed natural gas to accumulate in the basement, killing almost 300 students and teachers. This tragedy known as The New London School explosion is the deadliest school disaster in American history to this day. The content of Perez’s books mirror reality in modern day and in historical texts. The novel tackles racism, classism, and segregation during the 1930s. At the center there's a love story between Naomi and Wash. He reveals the challenges they face from sexual assault to overt racism and fear, real things that real people face. In fact, she writes most of her books with her previous students in mind. She writes about their experiences and their struggles in the same setting where she used to teach.

Ashley Perez: I was a teacher in Houston starting in 2004. And this book What Can't Wait is my first novel which is set in our school. It's about you know, it's about places that all my students recognize. And it was really focused on my students experiences, specifically, their feelings about how complicated it was to figure out how to help their families meet the needs that were coming up every single day, while also finding a way to navigate towards their own future. So college or work or whatever, out of darkness is the historical novel I wrote, for my students, the one I felt what will make them want to keep turning the page, what would make this matter to them. And it matters both because you start, you really come to care about the characters, but also because it shows aspects of our history, like a lot of people know about school segregation, as it affected black Americans. So having, you know, quote, unquote, colored schools, but a lot of people don't know that in places like Texas, there were three ways of segregating students, there was the well, the better funded white school, there was the quote, unquote, colored school. And then there was the Mexican School, which was not for people who were actually from Mexico, but for Latinos, or anybody brown, but not black, not white. And in places like San Antonio, by the time kids were in sixth grade, they were basically pushed out of school. So they were, they had, you know, huge classes, and they didn't have the resources that they needed to learn. And the whole goal was, basically to get kids to drop out. There weren't Mexican high schools there. So you have to be wide enough to go to the white school, or find another way, if you're going to continue in education in many cases.

Caleb Smith: Parent associations or school boards advocate for banning books, they take away real experiences that students may have faced, or will face, they take away literature that is meant to educate in a safe space for open conversation. They take away students’ rights to learn about the different circumstances that people live through, and these students deserve to read literature that they can relate to.

Ashley Perez: To think about all the times that I walked into our high school library with my classes and worked with them to find books, and how excited my students back in 2004 would have been to find these books. It really makes me…, what do I say? I'm not very good at being angry. I don't do anger. It makes me really sad. It does, but it also makes me feel indignant, because we've worked so hard to bring more representation, a wider range of experiences, more of the untold stories into high school libraries, and these actions are all about pushing back on that progress. I know as a teacher, and as a parent that students are the ones that are harmed.

Caleb Smith: Out of darkness a novel by Ashley hope Perez, a Latina author. Was one of the novels targeted or removed in Georgia, Utah, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Texas. It had challenges in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Kansas as well. The book was first banned in Texas schools when Kara Bell interrupted a school board meeting to voice her opinion on the now controversial book. She read a passage from the book pertaining to sexual content and explained how it was unsuitable for kids to be reading. She finished her argument by stating that the school board should focus on education and not public health.

Ashley Perez: And the passage that gets read over and over from my book, as proof that it shouldn't be in schools is about a Latina, arriving to an all-white school on her first day. And it's what the characters that the kids in the class are thinking about her. I'm not endorsing that perspective; I'm showing that it happened that young people had to endure those circumstances and somehow find a way to maintain their dignity at the same time.

Caleb Smith: Miss Perez is not the only one who has fought back against the book bans in the most diverse high school in the state of Missouri, North Kansas City. 10 students condemned their districts and the Northland parent associations attempts to ban books, many of these associations author Perez is familiar with.

Ashley Perez: So there's a bunch of right wing groups like No Left Turn in Education, Moms for liberty, there are some that are specific to Texas, and then there are tons of these some of them private Facebook groups and online groups were basically you know, spreadsheets where folks who are looking to signal I'd say their objections to certain identities, queer identities, non-white identities. They target the books as a way of sending a signal historically, book banning has been focused in banning in schools has often focused on you know, one or two texts, and they were very local challenges like a parent finds a book in their kids backpack and is shocked because books like that weren't in school when they were kids or whatever. You know, this is how like… There were times when authors like Judy Blume were being banned for talking about having your period. So, you know, there's been fights over what kids should read for a long time, but these are really different because it's actually not about the books.

Caleb Smith: The Northland parent association is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to, quote, make a positive impact by protecting our children's educational experiences and fighting for American freedom in the classroom. For the students at North Kansas City High School, this meant banning books from their school, including All Boys aren't Blue, a coming of age novel by George M. Johnson's life growing up queer and black, as well as Fun Home a graphic novel about the author, Alison Bechdel’s childhood and complex relationship with their father.

Aurora Nicol: The NPA which is the Northland parent association, they came to speak at my school district's board meeting and they read some and the president of it Jay Richmond read excerpts from four different books. Well, he read excerpt from three, but then when it came to the fourth book, he just said he was refusing to read an excerpt from it because it was from a gay black man. And apparently that means he didn't have to read the whole thing.

Caleb Smith: Jay Richmond, the head of MPA, along with other supporters of the book bans believe in the right of parents to decide what is best for their kids. They advocate against topics like mask mandates, and teaching critical race theory, emphasizing the importance of choice.

Kate: The book banning was initiated by the Northland parent association. I had been following the Northland parent association for a while. They started gaining popularity last school year at the end, and then this summer, they held a conference that was basically just a bunch of these angry, far right wing parents like rallying together, and they were all upset about masking and critical race theory and, you know, exclusive topics in schools.

Caleb Smith: This is why it's so strange that the supporters of MPAA, the parents may not even have children in the school district they are rallying against.

Phedre: Because it's a giant parent association, the speakers that go and speak up at districts may not necessarily be parents of any children that are in the school district, Miss Kraft, went and spoke at my school district board meeting, but her kids are currently enrolled in a Liberty school. So they're just one giant association, and they go and speak about books and masks, because they want, they claim that they want to take care of their children and make sure that they're the ones that are seeing their children, because they you know, seeing what their children learn about and all that because they're the ones that have the right to take care of their children, and that is true, but the thing is, is that their actions don't match their words, because if they cared for their children particular, they would not overreach the rights of other parents, because that's one thing, one parent may not want their kid to read these books in particular, and that's fine for you to want that for your own child, but when you go into school board meetings, and you're like, No child should read all Boys Aren't Blue, because it's got, you know, it's got gay people in it, and it's like, okay, but other parents may actually want their kids to read that other parents may be indifferent towards that. And it is kind of hypocritical of them to go parents’ rights matter and then completely forget that other parents exist and may actually want their kids to read these things.

Caleb Smith: The NPA made a list of over 25 books, they want to be removed from the district. That same week, the North Kansas City School Board banned four of those books from their school libraries.

Aurora Nicol: I was so surprised to see those on a list like Perks of Being a Wallflower was on there, and I was just like, what nothing happens in these books except for sex or racism, like characters experiencing racism, and by that mark, there are quite literally like thousands of books that need to be removed.

Caleb Smith: In response students Aurora Nicole and Holland Duggan started a petition against the book bans which received over 1100 signatures, but Aurora and Holland are the only students to speak up against the banned books. During the North Kansas City School District Board meeting in November of 2021. 10 students from the North Kansas City High School expressed their opinions on the issue. These students included presidents of the woman's empowerment club, the Asian student, union, and more.

Aurora Nicol: I made eight copies so each board member could get one, and I gave each one of them one, and so I and it literally just said, like every person who signed it their name and then if they made a comment, and I'm guessing those board members probably threw them out, but I really hope some of them kept them.

Caleb Smith: North Kansas City High School is the most diverse high school in the state of Missouri. And yet, it's still easy for students to feel like they don't belong. When books such as all Boys aren’t Blue were banned. It excluded people who would have been able to identify with the author and remove the representation they deserve.

Lynh: A lot of times it was just like, I was identified just on my race and I wish I could have been more than just an Asian, like, girl at the school.

Caleb Smith When right-wing conservative groups such as the Northland parent association, or Mom's for Liberty advocated for removing these books on the basis that they include pornographic or sexual content. They're not acknowledging the true meaning or themes behind these books.

Ashley Perez: It also is clear that these are folks who aren't reading, even if they're not reading these books, they're not reading a lot of other things to, you know, they're not paying attention to the fact that it's not just authors with marginalized identities are writing about marginalized characters who we’re writing about, you know, frankly, about sexual experience or violence are those themes have been in literature since Shakespeare since Chaucer, way before that, the Bible which I've taught as literature at the university level, and I grew up in a Bible Church. So, I know the Bible really well. The Bible is full of graphic depictions of sex, right? Male genitals, incest, like really harmful sexual encounters, murder, like vivid, you know, not, we're not just talking about a mention that it happens. So, these things things exist even in books that we go to as a source of wisdom, the politicians and the political organizations that are pushing the talking points that provide a handbook on here's what you should say, I mean, they're all over online, you can find all the passages that some people think mean Out of Darkness as a terrible book for young people, and you can find the talking points, you never even have to read the book, to be able to make a challenge.

Caleb Smith: Rather than the actual content of the books. Several of the students from North Kansas City High School believe that the MPs decision to censor these books wasn't due to the content, but the refusal to center a white male perspective.

Lynh: If you can change the way that children learn, if you can change what they learn as well, then you have created a new generation of people who think just like you, they use the word pornographic as just the reasoning, but books such as like fences, the only mention of like pornography really in there is just the main character cheating on his wife, which I find it very interesting, because most of these book came from people of color. So I think it's just a facade to their real intentions of banning books that provide a different perspective on marginalized groups.

Caleb Smith: Due to stress from these books, the North Kansas City school district passed over the formal process of removing these books from libraries exacerbating the issue.

Lynh: They're getting really frustrated, because they're supposed to get notified that books are being you know, taken off the shelves, and they didn't get any notification. So it was really frustrating at the time, because it definitely showed that our district was susceptible to that kind of rhetoric that says, you know, oh, these books need to be banned, because this and this, but I am so proud of our district's ability to bounce back from that and to go, No, we're going to keep these books.

Caleb Smith: The books ended up being back on the shelves within the same month, the morning the North Kansas City High School students spoke up at the board meeting.

Aurora: They took away those books for a month in my library. But during that month period, when I you know, the petition was going, my friend Holland reached out to the to the ACLU. And the ACLU also threatened our district that they were going to sue them for removing the books. So they put the books back in the library, kind of the same day that my classmates and I went to speak to our school board.

Caleb Smith: Although the issue was resolved in that school district book banning is still a nationwide problem. For students without easy access to a free public library. Taking these books off the shelves could restrict them entirely.

Ashley Perez: And in fact, the students who most rely on school libraries for access like my students in Houston, some of whom did not have the time or resources outside of school to go to the public library and check out something if it had been removed from our library. So, it was really important that they could find things in the school library.

Caleb Smith: Of course, parents have the right to oversee what their kids read in order to protect them. However, district-wide book bans are not necessary for individual parents to protect their own children. They're already methods in place for parents to accomplish this.

Lynh: I have met some parents, I talked to some parents who don't want their kids to read that. And I think that those parents should just abide to like the regular library rules are already set in place where if you don't want your, you know, kid to read the material, then you can go on to the school website, and, you know, block your kid from checking out those things. That's always been, you know, I thing you could have done but these parents are completely ignoring that and that just speaks to how discriminatory they are.

Caleb Smith: By letting a group of people decide for other parents with their children can read. It takes away the rights of many parents to decide what they want for their children to have access to, and even when books are put back on shelves, it can have lasting effects. This can include both soft, and self-censorship.

Ashley Perez: Self-censorship can be more like a principal making comments to the librarian to signal we don't really need more books like X, Y, or Z, even though those books may be important for young people in the library, and the librarian’s job is to fill that library with the books that you all need that meet your needs, and no book is going to be for everybody, right, but if someone needs that book, it needs to be in the library.

Caleb Smith: Perez is an established author and a professor, she does not have to rely on her bookselling to make a living, but for many newer authors, book bans could be their downfall.

Ashley Perez: In my case, I'm a university professor. So I have a job that helps me feed my two kids, even if none of my books sell or I never get asked to do another school visit, which would break my heart, but I haven't done a single school visit since all of this started, because schools don't want to create controversies. Um, but I will be okay financially. However, there are authors who depend on book sales for a living and there are new authors like this is my third book, I have two books that are under contract, so I don't have to worry that my next book is not going to get published because of this book ban stuff. People who are publishing their first book and having it banned, could be the end of a career.

Caleb Smith: As parents and schools implement these bands, they turn a blind eye to the meaning behind these books, and their impact on the students that read them. Books like Maus teach important historical themes relating to the Holocaust, resonating with a great number of Americans.

Aurora: Maus is a story written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman. It is the only graphic novel to ever win a Pulitzer Prize. And it follows the story because it was originally presented between the seventh 1970s and 1980s in a series of chapters, but it follows the story of Art Spiegelman's father and his father's life as it was in the Holocaust from like, just before the Holocaust to when the war is over, and they were able to come to America. And it's, it's this really just, like, heartbreaking tale. And it's, it definitely, it plays on the trope because during the Holocaust, Jewish people were primarily associated with vermin. So like as an there are, there's a direct quote from Hitler in mouse that equates Jewish people with vermin. So Art Spiegelman takes that and uses that and all of the Jewish people in the book are depicted as mice.

Caleb Smith: If sweeping book bands related to these events continue, then the new generation cannot learn from their mistakes that we have made in the past.

Lynh: I'll admit, I had no idea why Jewish people were stereotyped as being like money, hoarders like that whole stereotype until I read Maus, and then when I read Maus, I was like, Oh, dang, that's why because when they were in the Holocaust, they had to use their personal objects and items, like that's why they had to be, you know, smart about how they got their money, because they needed to be because if they didn't, they wouldn't survive, and I didn't know that. Had I not read Maus, or had I not, you know, actively gone out and go, I want to read Maus or I want to learn more about this. If I had not had that mindset of wanting to learn, I would never have gotten, I'd never had deepened my perspective, and it changed what I knew. It's a very excellent book, and I it definitely made me like helped me learn a lot and it helped just paint this bigger picture because when we learn about Holocaust in our history classes, it's often this nebulous idea of terror instead of something personal and the book definitely brings how horrible it was, it brings it personal and it brings it close.

Caleb Smith: Fences. A play by August Wilson is centered around the life of Troy Maxon, and his complex relationships with other characters. It explores his thwarted dream of playing in the major leagues for baseball, as a black man and his conflicted relationship with his wife and son. Troy is a tragic hero, someone who displays how the long standing division between black and white affects future generations of black Americans. explicit content happens everyday in the real world. These books are in elementary school libraries, and rarely are the they in middle school ones. These books are meant for high schoolers, who may be months away or years from becoming an adult. Even if readers are not able to relate with these characters. Reading gives them the opportunity to learn from them.

Aurora: All Boys aren't Blue like I am queer myself. So that has a personal connection to me and I know that queer stories are very graphic and dark and that we don't we shouldn't hide those aspects of queer stories or you know, any other types of stories because it is reality that people face this and people should learn about it. These kids who don't get that type of support at home and don't get that type of support other places. can't access them, and so you know, school is a safe place to talk about those types of topics. In all honesty, like those types of topics should be discussed that schools like in our IB literature class, we definitely talk about like rape in books, and we talk about molestation and all these like hard topics because it's an educational environment where we can explain you know, the depth of them and what they represent, and I think that's an important opportunity that all kids should get out of.

Caleb Smith: Out of darkness, All boys aren't blue, Fences, Maus are just several of the hundreds of books being banned nationwide. They are under attack being called filth, disgusting, inappropriate, or pornographic, but books like these have had positive effects on so many students. Books like these allow students to relate to the characters to learn from their actions to understand the world from a different perspective. Books like these are more than the cuss words, violent explanations, or explicit material of the content inside. Books like these should be judged based on the intention of the author, and the message they try to convey through their writing. By keeping these books, it allows us as a society that is more inclusive and welcoming towards the decisions children make about their sexuality, race, status, religion, and identity. It helps us break the trauma and challenges children face today. When parents Facebook groups, school districts refuse to have these books in schools, when they call these books, filth, disgusting, inappropriate, and pornographic, they exclude people who may have experienced those things, they exclude people who may relate with the characters, and they take away the opportunity for students to learn.

Ashley Perez: It is a tragedy too, because there's a there's a lot of harm and hurt in this book. In spite of that, I hear from readers that they end the book both like heartbroken and hopeful because they see what that the family that Wash and Naomi and the kids make, should be given room in the world. Right, and maybe in this day and age, there's not the same level of negative response to interracial relationships that there was at the time, but there are other forms of love, that don't have space to thrive, and I think that it's really powerful to fallen in love ourselves with characters, and then want them to have space to grow and care for each other, and when they don't get to have that space. I think it makes readers and certainly makes me want to build a better world. I want a world where that love is possible. I want a world where young people get to matter and feel safe in their schools. And that's not the world that Washington, Naomi live in, and it's not the world that we live in either, and there's a lot of work to do.

Caleb Smith: As books are still being banned in several states and more soon to come. We hope the truth comes to light on what banning these books can truly do to society. Thank you for listening to our final episode on book bans. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at @nhspointofview for more updates and new episodes. I'm your host Caleb Smith, and this has been Point of View.

Books Bans- A World of Grey

Marcus Kim, Suhani Mahajan, Sofia Mang, Dhruv Singh, Caleb Smith, Grace Yang

In the first episode of our two-part series, host Caleb Smith discusses the wave of book bans sweeping over America and the effects of categorizing books. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music! 

Caleb Smith: “Love who you want to, and do it unapologetically, including that face you see every day in the mirror.”

“Many of us connect with each other through trauma and pain: broken people finding other broken people in the hopes of fixing one another.”

These quotes from All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Matthew Johnson advise us to practice self-love and healing from trauma, practices that almost every single person would promote as healthy and beneficial. What happens when we condemn texts that encourage youth, the future leaders of the world, to love themselves and heal from their pasts? Is the restriction of books a necessary action to help avoid explicit material to our youth? What becomes of our society when we restrict literature to black-and-white categories of either “acceptable” or “unacceptable”? Who determines this? Is this new wave of book bans driven by political agendas?

Hello and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I’m your host, Caleb. Join us on episode one of our two-part series on Book Bans as we dive into these questions and the implications behind the recent surge of book bans in America.

Please note that this episode references sensitive topics including suicide, violence against minorities, mental illnesses, and sexual violence, and may not be suitable for some listeners.

On January 10, the McMinn County School Board in Tennessee voted to remove Pulitzer prize-winning graphic novel Maus from its curriculum, effectively prohibiting teachers from teaching the book. The board’s reasoning for this ban, as stated on its website, was due to the book’s “use of profanity and nudity and… its depiction of violence and suicide.” The book tells about the horrors of the Holocaust from the authors’ parents’ point of view as Jewish people, themselves. Art Spegielman, the author, stated he believes the real reason the school board removed the book was because of its focus on the Holocaust, but the school board did release a statement that it values “teaching our children the historical and moral lessons and realities of the Holocaust.”

Additionally in Texas, multiple books are being pulled from school library shelves due to complaints from parents and school districts’ reviews of the books. Several of these reviews and complaints were spurred by an inquiry from Republican representative Matt Krause back on October 21, 2021. Krause compiled a list of 850 books and asked Texas school districts for information on their whereabouts and costs, then asked schools to review books that deal with topics ranging from human sexuality to people of certain races or sexes being inherently oppressive. An associate editor at Book Riot found that around 60% of the books on this list include LGBTQ+ themes. The North East Independent School District started reviewing the books on the list and removed more than 400 books dealing with race, sexuality, and gender. The district received backlash with an online petition of people who believed this review was hurting colored and LGBTQ+ students.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has also contributed to the banning of books by sending a letter to the Texas Education Agency to “investigate any criminal activity in our public schools involving the availability of pornography.” In response to this statement, many parents have challenged books with the claim that they are pornographic. Authors rebut these claims, saying they come from reading isolated passages, and that the book as a whole encourages teens to act on their desires safely. Other complaints have been filed about books that deal with race; parents claim they make kids feel guilty for being white.

More recently, Forsyth county in Georgia removed eight books from its media centers shelves after a parent complaint of sexually explicit material. Of these eight pieces, four of them feature POC main characters. Four other titles were moved to only be available in high schools. These books include Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

This censorship of literature impacts students the most, so we sat down with a few high schoolers and a teacher to discuss their thoughts on these book bans.

Ashley Ulrich: Hi, I'm Ashley Ulrich. I am a teacher at Northview High School. I'm one of the co-chairs for the English department. And I've been teaching here, this is my 15th year, and I primarily teach 10th graders and juniors.

Book banning is not a new concept. It has been a political controversy for forever, it feels like. I have definitely taught books that have in times and places been challenged or banned by groups at different times.

Smith: Book bans have been around for centuries, with America’s first book ban taking place in 1637 on Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan, which critiqued Puritan practices. Since then, our country has grown much more accepting, welcoming people of all religions, races, and sexualities. Some of this societal progress can be attributed to books that push people to be uncomfortable and face reality. For example, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852, exposed the cruel nature of slavery to the public, strengthening the abolitionist movement.

Literature pushes the boundaries and tells about all facets of society.

Ryan Li: So like if you only approve certain texts, you only learn what those texts are teaching you. You don’t have the vast variety of, you know, different points of view, which is what makes literature so special.

Smith: It is a unique form of communication as it defuses ideas from all kinds of people. Anybody’s ideals may be challenged with literature, be they democrat, republican, or anything in between. No book is objectively correct or incorrect.

Ulrich: I think most sources are not that black and white. So it becomes tricky without picking out the most outliers of examples to, I think, pin down on a spectrum of, you are terrible, and you are great. There is a lot of gray in the space between objectively promoting good and objectively promoting bad.

Smith: For example, the “Handmaid’s Tale” offers Christians a critique on the possibility of the overbearing power of religion. It is written through a female point of view that shows the flaws of a male dominated society that is often seen in religious texts. Stripping away the political ideas associated with a story like this, we reveal a genuine warning about how individual rights may crumble under an overpowering government. Beneath the political veil that society has given “The Handmaid’s Tale”, lies a genuinely amazing piece of literature that critiques our status quo regarding religion and power structures. Putting “The Handmaid’s Tale” into a strict black or white box of either being pro-conservative or pro-liberal takes away from the story and the message it is trying to send. By reducing this work to a binary, the heart of this book is lost.

This pattern of exposing the worst parts of humanity in hopes of achieving reform or simply to make people think, can be seen in many popular books, whether they are taught in schools or not.

Li: It’s not really sort of something I can put my finger on exactly, it’s just sort of a feeling you get after you read a book. It sort of expands your worldview on things, like a subliminal message, things that slowly change the way you view the world through reading different texts, through reading things that concern these controversial topics that sort of, you know, expand your knowledge on them.

Smith: For example, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a book in the curriculum of many school districts across the nation, discusses uncomfortable topics such as mental illness and the terrible treatment that mentally ill people have received historically. The content makes readers think about the conditions in the medical system as well as about the bigger questions, such as things that are worse than death. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the setting is a mental asylum, where the patients are often rambunctious and punished for this behavior. The setting could lead readers to believe that there is something innately wrong with people who have mental illnesses. Rather than moving Cuckoo’s Nest to the ‘no good’ box immediately, an inspection of the book reveals how it uses the setting as a critique of the treatment of people with mental illness.

Ulrich: With a book, there is a writer, that writer is writing for an audience to communicate a message, and understanding the purpose of the message that they're trying to communicate and the audience that they're trying to reach. And what they hope to accomplish with that is important with any text, whether it's a speech, or whether it's a novel or any other form of communication.

Smith: Actually engaging and reading the book shows how the setting itself presents the mistreatment and horrors that happen in a systemic institution for people deemed ‘insane’. While Cuckoo’s Nest is a controversial book, it is not being targeted in this most recent wave of bans, along with many other hard reads. They are still being taught in schools across the country, and there is one defining factor about these books: they are from the so-called “normal” perspective, that being of a straight white man. Both the protagonist, Randle McMurphy, and the book’s author, Ken Kesey, come from this majority.

Vangala: Honestly, if you look at the publishing industry as a whole, even though there are so many people of color, so many LGBTQ people in America, it’s a largely white straight world. I think by banning these books and preventing people from accessing these kinds of stories, you’re showing them that only one kind of story is valid, and one kind of story is acceptable.

Smith: This doesn’t mean that Cuckoo’s Nest is any less important of a text, but it is a glaring pattern in these bans.

Ulrich: We're seeing right now, a lot of questioning of writers that are not from the majority population, people of color, people who are from the LGBTQ community, and a lot of superficial elements of texts are being used as the justification for why books can be banned outright for all people in this you know, whole school or home school district or whole state. And in doing so, there is an implied argument that people like that don't have a place that we shouldn't be listening to what they have to say that to me is problematic.

Smith: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is comparable in content, albeit a bit more serious, to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian was banned due to profanity and reference to sexual acts, but Cuckoo’s Nest is much more violent and contains more sexually explicit material, and has not been challenged in the newest wave of book bans. This raises the question of whether sexual content is being used to ban books or if the real intention is to prevent students from reading books showing a certain viewpoint.

Ulrich: I am more inclined to see the removal of whole groups of texts, because they're written by a certain type of person, or because they have, you know, content of this type or that type or this type or that type. I think that oftentimes, we can sometimes use those labels as a hide, for a real reason why sometimes a book might be banned, that we might say this content is what is objectionable, but really, it's a challenge to the status quo, or it's a challenge to the viewpoints and the feelings that people have. That is, at the heart the problem.

Smith: The striking difference between One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is that Sherman Alexie, the author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, is a Native American author showing the day-to-day life of a different culture, and Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a straight white man.

Vangala: I mean, it’s the same kind of idea where if you see the acceptable stories, and it’s The Great Gatsby, and it’s The Catcher in the Rye, it’s stories of white men. And then you look at the stories that are banned, and it’s about the Holocaust, and it’s about Melissa, a transgender girl, you’re seeing very obviously that one type of voice is seen as acceptable and some voices are seen as unacceptable, and when you identify with a voice that’s seen as unacceptable, it’s really damaging to your growth.

Smith: On Goodreads, a book review website, a parent reveals that she started reading parts of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian and crossing out sections she thought were inappropriate for her child. It is an honorable task to be a parent and every parent wants to be the best for their children.

Ulrich: If a parent is really concerned about content in a text, as a parent, they have the right to determine what is appropriate for their child, in the same way, they should have that right to determine what a child can watch on television or see in a movie or playing a video game or listen to in music.

Smith: But allowing opinionated parents, often acting on a political agenda, to pick what is “too harsh” and to restrict those texts for all students across the board can be dangerous. Media has an effect on people's worldview, and it makes sense that a parent would want some knowledge and control over what a child is exposed to in their formative years. However, there is a difference between this contained parenting and the sweeping actions of a larger administrative board.

Ulrich: Speaking as a teacher and as a person, I think there is an inherent difference, which is probably come across in some of my other comments between a parent making a choice for their child, and someone making a choice for entire groups of kids or entire groups of populations that they may not intimately know. Those two things to me are very different circumstances. I see the biggest issue when someone thinks that they know best for whole groups of people without having any direct connection to them. A teacher, a parent, even an administrator who's directly involved in the lives of that group of kids, to me, is in a better place to make a judgment call for what feels like a more founded reason than making sweeping judgments from a position that's very detached and removed.

Smith: The themes of racial prejudice, sexual desires, and domestic abuse in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian and other heavy topics addressing the LGBTQ+ community and sexual assault have become more relevant, but have also been more targeted in recent bans.

Li: I don’t think I’ve read many books concerning these themes outside of school, which is why I think implementing book bans is especially harmful, because sometimes school is the only place you’re exposed to these types of themes.

Smith: Banning these books across the board insinuates that the bigger ideas in these books are outright wrong, and can push them to be seen as part of political agendas.

Ulrich: When we take an entire group of texts, and give it a label, and then say that that is unacceptable, particularly if it is a flat ban, and across the board, instead of in an individual context for an individual kid, that to me can be very problematic, because it suggests that there is something inherently negative about the writer or the writers intentions. And that might be one person's view, or, you know, a group of persons’ views. But that's probably not a pan of a view for everyone. In fact, many books, unfortunately, find themselves, you know, for different reasons being challenged, because they might run contrary to the perspective that a group, you know, wants to advocate for and kind of make a political statement about.

Smith: The idea in modern American society that LGBTQ+ ideas are liberal and conservatives are anti-LGBTQ can be attributed to the current black and white, yes or no, of the American political climate. The world is not black or white, but a shade of gray. People cannot be labeled in a binary fashion, and to an even greater extent, the ideas that people share cannot and should not ever come close to a bilinear scale.

Ulrich: I try to include a variety of themes in the texts that we explore. I think questions about who we are as people, and what matters to us. And the way that we interact with other people are probably some of the most fundamental things that we can work with students about and have them think critically about, especially when we look at the world. On a bigger scale, once you're not in high school, I mean, interpersonal relationships and having a sense of who you are, and what matters to you. Those are fundamental things that shape every part of a person's life. So giving kids texts that are exploring identity, about sense of self, about how we relate to others, how we relate to people that are different than us, how we acknowledge that there are perspectives that are perhaps different than our own. To me, those are some of the most fundamental, important things that we can talk about. Because through that, we're addressing things that give kids the ability to make choices in the future about who they are, how they see themselves, the way they interact with others.

Smith: Katy Independent School District has banned the book and memoir “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M Johnson. In this memoir, Johnson explores the trials and triumphs of a black queer man growing up. Many could immediately label this as dangerous. It could expose our youth to sensitive topics such as sexual violence or uncensored sex.

Li: In terms of literature, most of the stuff that starts to, for required reading, that does deal with sexuality and things along those lines, happens in eighth grade. A lot of the reasoning behind these bans is that, you know, these people are too young to learn about these things but I feel like at that age, you’re already mentally mature enough to handle topics and themes of this nature.

Smith: The book could be labeled as liberal propaganda and be shoved in the ‘no good’ box and shipped away. However, as explained earlier, All Boys Aren't Blue explores topics of sexuality, masculinity, and consent, which aren’t topics that can be relegated to a political party. These themes include the discussion of the ‘republican father’, the idea of a strong breadwinning male figure, the explanation of consent and dangers of sexual assault, and even the talk of American childhood.

Vangala: When it comes to a book, you have to put, there’s so many people that work on a book. Even writing a book just takes years and years and so much thought that when it comes to a book, you know that there were a lot of eyes that went over it. When there’s sexually explicit conent in there, it’s for a purpose.

Smith: Forcing a label on a book antagonizes its contents. The stories that this work of literature can provide to society are lost through the attempts to section it off into a political party. There is something for everyone in books. Labeling them as black or white, red or blue, is a dangerous practice that prevents the dissemination of literature and stories within society.

Vangala: I believe that the people who are instating book bans are doing it with the belief that they are helping children, but by doing that they are actively hindering our education. They are, again, limiting our worldview and making us believe that only one type of person and one type of story is worthy of being heard.

Smith: We live in turbulent times that no one can predict. Literature and restrictions have been hand and hand for centuries. However, we have to critically analyze the reasons and how they are being restricted and ask the hard question of ‘is this okay to do’. The growth and development of our youth is at stake and prioritizing a political agenda can prevent them from learning the realities of the world and changing it for the better. Join us in our next episode to talk to the students, authors, and teachers these bans are affecting. Thank you for listening to the first episode on Book Bans. -For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I’m your host Caleb Smith and this has been Point of View.

Point of You - Black History Month

Jordan Anderson,

In this episode, host Jordan Anderson speaks with the president of Northview's black History Club about celebrating Black History Month and continuing the recognition and celebration of Black excellence throughout the year. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music!

Jordan: Black History Week was instituted by Carter Woodson in 1915. To address the lack of information on the accomplishments of black people, and reinforce that Black history is American history. A black history week later became Black History Month in 1926. held during the month of February to coincide with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Black History Month is an annual recognition and celebration of Black excellence. It is a time to reflect, honor and empower the achievements of the black community. At Northview, Black History Club celebrates and supports black empowerment, with various activities year round. Hello, welcome to Point Of View where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I’m your host, Jordan Anderson, and today I’m speaking with Aaliyah Guthrie, who is the president of Northview’s Black History Club.

Jordan: So you've been in the club all four years of high school now. And you're also the president. So tell me about the club. What are meetings usually like?

Aaliyah: So yeah, I've been Black History Club ever since I was a freshman. So it's mainly a discussion group, right? So we all get together, all the members of the club, and we just discuss various topics, whether it's current events, or just general topics that concern the black community, we just come together and talk about it.

Jordan: Okay, so how do you think since you were here from freshman year, and you're now senior? How do you think the evolution of the experience in the club has changed for you? Or maybe in general?

Aaliyah: I think we've definitely seen maturity and every single member that's been a part of the club, like you see that. You see that kind of? We've become more involved. We, we've just learned more, we've understood how to discuss and approach different situations.

Jordan: That's good. So coming back, would you say talking about like different discussions that you guys talked about, do you think that these discussions should be placed more in the classroom as a common type discussion, not only for this month?

Aaliyah: Oh, yeah, for sure. Because I mean, at the end of the day, it's all about bringing awareness, right?

Jordan: Yeah.

Aaliyah: We're just trying to let people know, like, Hey, this is what's happening. Like, if there's no awareness, there's no change, right? We can't expect people to change if they don't understand what's going on. Like, say, for instance, colorism, something that is literally black on black crime, like, it's a serious issue that needs to be discussed, because nobody talks about it. And then it just gets skirted over. And, you know, it's like, No, nobody's gonna change if they don't know what's going on. If they don't know it affects us. Same thing with microaggressions the little sly comments, oh, you're pretty for black girl. You know that. That's not, that's not okay. And, you know, like, just certain things that we just want to make people aware of, that's exactly what we try to focus on in the Black history club.

Jordan: So what type of discussions do you guys discuss about other than colorism?

Aaliyah: And okay, so, black, the Black Lives Matter movement was a huge thing over the summer, right. So we focus a lot of our comments on what happened in so the George Floyd incidents, the the Breanna Taylor, things like all these different events, we want to discuss them, like they're affecting us as a community because they make us uncomfortable. Now, we're going out in the world, and we don't know if the same thing is gonna happen to us just because of the color of our skin. So we just want to make sure that we focus on really heightening on those discussions, because, you know, it's just our the community that we've built, so that we feel comfortable discussing those things.

Jordan: Do you think that Northview, how do you feel about Northview demographic? Do you think it creates a more cohesive supportive community? Or it doesn't?

Aaliyah: I feel like I it does. I think that because North view is so diverse. People can almost relate, like, we have a lot of minority communities within this group, you know, Northview. So, you know, at the end of the day, it's like, we're all kind of experiencing similar if not the same things. So I feel like we can garner that support, because they can be like, hey, that kind of happens to me too. I mean, obviously, it's in a different way because they may not be black, but they kind of experienced similar things, stigmatism on, you know, the Asian community, they happen, stereotypes same thing. And we all go through similar instances. And that is the Black History Club show, which we perform every every year during Black History Month at the end of the month. And we put together this show, dependent on whatever the theme of is of the year Just to kind of make that, you know, we talk about these things, but it's more of like a visual thing. Can we show Northview? What goes on in our community, that's our way of showing it is producing a show. So I mean, it can, you know, we joke around and we, you know, we play about it, but it does get really intense. So the show is a good way and kind of showing what we do all year in Black History Club.

Jordan: So do you guys, so the theme, what's the theme for this year's show?

Aaliyah: The theme for this year, and Black History club is Civil Rights 2.0, we feel as if we're kind of piggybacking off of the sunrise movement that obviously happened back in the 60s. Just it's kind of our way of saying, hey, like they paved the way for us, we still have a lot more change to do. Right. So that's just kind of what we were focused on this year, is, especially with Black Lives Matter movements, that happened over the summer, it was really important to kind of emphasize the fact that we're not done with this movement is still a lot to learn a lot more to do a lot more change to happen.

Jordan: Building a foundation for us to make more changes.

Aaliyah: Right.

Jordan: Right. So why do you think that conversation specifically right now, since the past couple of years, have a lot of different riots and protests and stuff like that? Why do you think that's important, now.

Aaliyah: I think it's just important to mainly emphasize that current generations are electing change. So when we see all of the police brutality incidents, the accidental tastings, and you can't see me but quote accidental tastings. You know, like these things, you know, these things still occur. And it's important that we show people because awareness is key awareness is everything, every issue, every problem has, you know, that awareness because you need to let people know this is still happening. And this needs to change.

Jordan: People starting to open their eyes more.

Aaliyah: Right.

Jordan: See the real world. So what do you feel like North you can do to more actively participate in Black History Month?

Aaliyah: I honestly think that listening is really important. Just sitting and listening to what other people go through and trying to understand. I know it's difficult because you know, you're not necessarily in their shoes, but just sitting and listening. And it's like, you know, you're taking in and kind of absorbing that in, it'll, it'll really help because, you know, knowing that people are really understanding like, Hey, this is what they go through, you know, it may at least shed some.

Jordan: Understanding a little bit.

Aaliyah: Right.

Jordan: Because even though they might not really fully understand, right, they at least have some clue or sort of idea. Okay so, people, how do you think people should continue the conversation for Black History, black history in general, not just because it's February and it’s Black History Month. How do you think people should continue this conversation throughout, like the years and stuff like that.

Aaliyah: So Black History Month was actually intended initially, to teach people about the history and facts that they fail to learn in school. Right now. It's here to celebrate Black excellence. I think we should just continue that. So there's different black innovators, black inventors, black entertainers that we just don't know about that we don't celebrate, we don't acknowledge, I think that's just still happened. Black History Month is one of those months where you see, you know, hundreds of Instagram posts and quotes and everything by black educators black, you know, just black notable figures. And, you know, that that needs to continue happening, because it's so much we just don't know, because we're not taught this in school. We don't, we don't see it in mainstream media. So I feel like now, you know, with social media and everything that can be carried out.

Jordan: Especially since the other summer, I just learned what Juneteenth was. And I never knew like what that was until I heard on the news. I was listening to this one guy he was just talking about on Instagram because my mom sent it to me. And I was like, really? I'd never heard about that. In the 10 years. I've been in school.

Aaliyah: Right. Exactly. And that's the thing. It's Juneteenth has been a thing for hundreds of years. Nobody know about it. It just became a federal holiday this year. Its crazy.

Jordan: So definitely feel like we should incorporate that more into our history, especially the the more the younger generations, because we don't understand like, we never really experienced fully what they went through in the 60s and stuff like that.

Aaliyah: Right.

Jordan: And it's good for us just understand, like where we were and where we are now. Difference and stuff like that.

Aaliyah: Right.

Jordan: So essentially, your senior you'll be leaving high school soon. How do you think while you take any of these like different things that you do outside of the high school into the real world?

Aaliyah: Oh, yeah, for sure. Um, my biggest thing is that I mean, I've never been, you know, I've never had a lot of experiences where I've been traumatized, like a traumatizing black experiences, I feel like I've had a definitely a great life. My parents built that for me. I'm learning just as much as any other person would. But had I not, you know, I'm black, I've definitely experienced some things. But I'm learning so much about experiences that other black people face, we can learn from each other. So I'll definitely take that with me, because I learned so much I learned so much in this club being having been in this club. So yeah, I hope to take all of that knowledge.

Jordan: So last question. So when you're gone? And what do you hope the Northview continues to do with the club or Northview as a school in general.

Aaliyah: I just hope North United was actually put in place this year, just to create and diversify, create an open community for students to help diversify the community, help them become more aware, help just include other cultures, because we have so many. I hope that that soars and excels and we utilize that resource that is, you know. Northview United is a direct source to the administration here at Northview. We can use that to make change. I hope that black history continues to collaborate with them continues to make change just within our community, because making change within our community can go it can spread like wildfire. We if we make change here in Northview, we can start making change here in Johns Creek. Start making change here in Georgia start making change here in the US. So definitely like it's very important to just the small things they add up.

Jordan: Well, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk with me today. I can't wait to see the show.

Aaliyah: Of course! Thank you so much.

Jordan: As National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman said, "while we might feel small, separate and all alone, our people have never been more tightly tethered. The question isn't if we will weather this unknown, but how you weather the unknown together." This concludes today's episode of point of view. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at @nhspointofview. I'm your host Jordan Anderson and this has been Point Of View.

Point of You - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Delisa Troupe, Jordan Anderson

In this episode, host Delisa Troupe speaks with some of Northview's Environmental Club leaders, Vidhi Tiwary and Adiva Puttnam, about their efforts to lobby for a recycling and composting center in Johns Creek. They discuss the environmental club's accomplishments along with their pursuits to promote sustainability. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Delisa Troupe: Hello and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I'm your host, Delisa Troupe, and today we'll be talking to the leadership of Northview's Environmental Club, Vidhi Tiwary and Adiva Puttnam. Hi guys, how are you doing today? I'm good. And you?

Vidhi Tiwary: Good. How are you?

Adiva Puttnam: I'm doing well.

Delisa: Okay. So Vidhi, I want to start with you because you're the co founder and the co president, correct?

Vidhi: Yes.

Delisa: Okay, so what was your inspiration behind founding the environmental club at Northview?

Vidhi: I guess the inspiration is everything that goes on in our generation and our society. We're supposed to be the woke generation. We're supposed to be aware about what's going on in the environment, and we're supposed to implement changes. So Sofia and I both realized that in our school itself, in our community, there isn't any outlet for environmental outreaching. So we decided we should take that step forward. And we should start a club for that.

Delisa: And is this something you cared passionately about before you started the club?

Vidhi: Of course, even in gardening itself, tending to plants and fruits, like as a hobby, that was another thing. And then myself, I'm a vegetarian. I tend to use sustainable products, vegan cruelty free products. So of course, I've been aware about it, and I've spread information about it as well. In fact, two years ago, two summers ago, I was able to plant around 150 trees with my family in India to promote how trees are helping with agriculture and how we need to improve sustainability in third world countries.

Delisa: So is this something that your family cares about as well?

Vidhi: Yes, of course, I would say my family is deeply into the whole sustainability and being environmentally friendly trope. My parents are my inspiration basically.

Delisa: And Adiva, what about you? Why did you decide to join environmental club?

Adiva: I decided to partner with environmental club because I was working on my Gold Award for Girl Scouts. So I was looking through STEM opportunities, what can I do that's different, and can help the world change, and to help the world in general. I was just searching online, and my mom was helping me, and then we found out through the Georgia government website that there's this program called Adopt-A-Stream, and it's funded by the government. And basically, I looked through the opportunities they have, and I saw that they had chemical monitoring, which sounded very interesting to me, because you get to like play with chemicals, and you get to test the waters. Yeah, it just sounded interesting. So I looked into it. And it seemed very important because you need to use these chemicals to test on the water, and see what's in our water and see the pH and things like that, because you need to see if your water is clean and healthy, because we actually get all of our water from local waterways. Most of our water comes from the Chattahoochee River. So testing on these streams and bodies of water are really important. So I decided to use that as my Gold Award. And then I just started building upon there. And I saw that Vidhi already started an environmental club. So it would just be easier for me to partner with them to create a whole new club, where people have to attend both environmental and chemical monitoring.

Delisa: That's cool. So tell me about other events or things that you guys have accomplished over the past two years.

Vidhi: Okay. So over the past two years let's start with sophomore year. I'm just gonna pull up a thing because I don't have the best memory. But let's see. So of course, we started this last year in our sophomore year, and obviously, it was online. So we first started small and see what's the thing we can start off with, which will have a slight impact. So we started with spreading awareness about things that were going on in the environment currently. We'd urge our members to look at these petitions about what's happening in the Arctic. Look at that. We started small, obviously. So then, in, I believe, November of 2020, we had our first recycling talk, and we discussed the importance of recycling. And I was actually surprised as to how many people didn't know what exactly can and cannot get recycled. Because in Johns Creek itself, you cannot recycle glass in your recycling bins. You have to go to a separate facility to get that recycled. So we spread information about that. And then we brainstormed having a glass drive, like going by each neighborhood and collaborating with the HOA and seeing if glass can be collected from each house if they have it and you know, send it. And you know, obviously because it's COVID times it was quite difficult to do that. So we couldn't really work on that. But then second semester, our plans really came to fruition. So we did Trees Atlanta volunteering, which is a program that's based in Atlanta. And you can register for it as a club, as a community, as a group, or as an individual. So we signed up Northview for that, and we were able to get our members to do different programs on the weekends. And it's all across Atlanta. That was the beauty behind it. It wasn't just Johns Creek, it was like the entire region. You could go to Oakland or you could go to Suwanee, Alpharetta, all those regions. So you could help plant trees, and then all that. And then we had a compost talk and then an article on the messenger spreading information about that in the second semester of sophomore year. And then I think the biggest thing that we were able to do second semester was plant our first garden at Northview from our clubs. So, it was really cool collaborating with our members and just creating something. It was so refreshing to see. And just, it was amazing to be able to do it and make it hands on. And then this year, because school wasn't online, we were really able to do stuff that we had planned. So obviously, with the help of Adiva, and with collaboration, we were able to do monthly chemical monitoring with our members, which is a great opportunity I would think. Everything that Adiva mentioned about it, it really is a great program. And then along with chemical monitoring, we were able to do certification of members, myself included, and it was just a really cool opportunity and way to do all that to get certified. And then we were able to have, this was also with Adiva, to have online guest speakers from nature preserves, correct? If you want to elaborate on that.

Adiva: Yeah, it was through Adopt-A-Stream. She was actually the one who certified me, but I just reached out to her and she gave me a list of speakers. She was willing enough to come last second because no one was really responding. And she gave us a nice, she did a show and tell of the animals at her nature center. And she talked about it, so it was nice.

Vidhi: It was really nice. We got to see such cute turtles and everything. Yeah, and then also, our biggest thing that me and Sofia were trying to do this year is lobby for, I don't know if I'm able to say this, but recycling doesn't happen at Northview. Ms. Janess and her class, they collect recycling, but it ends up going in the same place as the trash does, because the school or the county doesn't have, I guess the money to do all that. So recycling doesn't happen at our school. So me and Sofia, last semester, we communicated with Downey and Mr. Hunter, and Ms. Janess on what we can do to help start that. And, you know, Mr. Hunter said it was a difficult thing to do, because of how much waste is produced and how much money it costs to collect it. And it really is a county thing, it isn't by school by school, so you'd really have to contact the superintendent. So once we heard an update on that, Sofia and I straightaway got planning for the second semester. So this semester we have tons of plans. Specifically, I'm allowed to go in depth about it, right?

Delisa: Mhm.

Vidhi: Specifically collaborating with city council members about starting recycling and even composting at Northview. So I'm not sure if you know her, but Councilman Erin Elwood, I've been in contact with her about starting it. She's the one who gave us the idea to first start it at Northview and talk with Mr. Downey and Mr. Hunter about it. And then recently, I was able to get in contact with Councilman Dilip Tunki, who elaborated on how he works on a nonprofit organization that focuses on composting. So we're in contact with them to start lobbying for recycling, and even composting to start at Johns Creek and at Northview, as well. So it's great working with pro-environmental politicians in our community. So that's what we've been doing for the second semester. And then we have our annual end of the year garden this year, as well. So we're really excited for that. Since we have more members this year, we're going to be doing more plots, and it's going to be much more collaborative. Delisa Troupe Yeah, it sounds really interesting. So it seems like this is something you guys are really passionate about. And as I've seen, even when you guys were online, you seem to do a lot of work. So how much effort and work do you guys put in every week to plan all of this? Vidhi Tiwari I would say a good, well, it does take some time to plan the events, especially in COVID times, there's a lot of restrictions. So you have to be mindful about that even more than usual. So I would say a decent amount of time planning events, and then we have to obviously ask our club sponsor Ms. Rogers, who's so sweet and so supportive of our ideas. And she's always offering us some new ideas as well, and then with Adiva's chemical monitoring. Adiva Puttnam Getting started last year, it actually took a lot of contacting, and a lot of planning ahead of time, and I had to get confirmation from three different parties. So it did take a while. But now that all of that is done and everything is set, all I have to do is really just plan the dates. And then we're set for the field trips, but it did take a while last semester. Vidhi Tiwari Yeah, even in the summer, Adiva was really proactive with this. She reached out about this chemical monitoring that she had in the summer itself. So we started planning in the summer, and she reached out to all them and I was there, CC'd in all the emails and seeing how much work and effort is put into it, and how much responding and communicating it takes. So definitely did take some effort to implement everything that we had, and then have planned. Delisa Troupe Did you guys feel like it's been successful? Do you feel proud of what you've done so far? Adiva Puttnam Yes, I definitely feel proud because we've gone so far, where now we're doing monthly field trips ever since I think August, the first month of the school year, and we even got seven people certified, and then I got certified, like recertified. So I think that was just wonderful. And I think I did really come far from just talking to people to actually doing it. Vidhi Tiwari Myself included. Our club last year, in our first virtual meeting, about eight people attended. And of course, it was online, I was like, okay, whatever. It's not a big deal. I don't really care. But obviously, you know, it hurt a little like, you start something you want people to join it. And then this year, I was able to see how much growth we had for even such simple club meetings people actually attended. They showed that they cared and they put their effort in as well. So of course, I'm proud of everything that we have planned and people outreaching us. The fact that we're even able to work with the local city government is just amazing to me, I'm really proud. Two years ago, we were just sitting on a team saying, 'Hey, we should make a post about, you know, being aware about the environment.' And now it's like, oh, we're actually doing something, I'm showing you how to be environmentally aware and showing you and communicating with people who can help make that happen. Delisa Troupe For your recycling and the composting center, like your plan to get that pushed forward, do you guys think that that will be successful? Or has it been difficult trying to reach people and stuff like that. Vidhi Tiwari It definitely has been difficult because I reached out to the council people during the summer itself. And they said, establishing a recycling center at Johns Creek will take a while. So it'll have to be through non profit organizations that do separate recycling or separate composting. And that's exactly what Dilip Tunki does, because he works with an organization like that. So it won't directly be through the city government. It'll be more like a collaborative effort of both. Like if it's implemented at school, it will have to be led by students. So yeah, it will take some effort to place. Delisa Troupe And you guys are both juniors right now, so obviously, is this something that you hope to accomplish before you graduate? Vidhi Tiwari Yes. Adiva Puttnam Yes, and I hope that the underclassmen carry on our legacy. You want to make it sustainable. Yeah. Keep it going. Vidhi Tiwari Yeah. Delisa Troupe Do you feel like you've started caring a lot more about the environment and stuff since you started the club or joined the club? Adiva Puttnam Yes, yeah. Vidhi Tiwari I've always been passionate about it, but being part of the club really made me more aware about things. Adiva Puttnam Yes, and it's a great opportunity to meet other people that feel the same way. And I'm very proud of our club members too, because they take the time and effort out of their day to sign up for events and show up. So it was really a blessing to have these people join these events and really promote these issues. Vidhi Tiwari It was raining one day and people still showed up. I was like, okay, okay. Adiva Puttnam They definitely superseded my expectations. I wasn't expecting so many people to sign up. I really passed my goal. Delisa Troupe That's good. Adiva Puttnam That felt really nice. Delisa Troupe Would you encourage people to join environmental club and what would you say to them if they could all hear you right now, all the new upcoming freshmen or sophomores? Vidhi Tiwari I would say, if you care or if you want to be more educated about the environment for sure, join this club. It has opportunities that will help you become more advanced and learn about sustainability and you will be on the action of helping spread awareness about sustainability. You will be playing out and you will participate, and it's just a great first hand experience. So definitely join. Adiva Puttnam Yeah, I agree with that statement, and I also think that many people don't think that when you're in high school and joining a club, you're not making that much of a difference. But that's not true, because when you're signing up for these events, and you're really taking action, you're helping out so many people. For example, in Adopt-A-Stream, they don't have as many volunteers, but with people joining chemical monitoring, and people getting certified, you're helping that organization, and it's directly connected to the government. So things that may seem that, 'Oh, I'm just one volunteer, what am I doing?' It’s also with other organizations too, not just that of course. It's very helpful. Vidhi Tiwari Not even organization, but your community itself. You're helping your community and what better volunteering task and more rewarding task is that, that you're helping others and your community? Adiva Puttnam Yeah, and for free too. It's not expensive. Vidhi Tiwari You don't gotta worry about those fees, $300 a semester. Don't worry about that. Delisa Troupe Okay, I think that's all the time we have today. Thank you guys so much for coming out. Adiva Puttnam Thank you so much for having us. Vidhi Tiwari Thank you Delisa. Join environmental club! Delisa Troupe So this concludes our interview with Vidhi and Adiva. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook at nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host Delisa Troupe, and this has been Point of View.

Point of You - Medical Mayhem

Sofia Mang, Marcus Kim

In this episode, staffer Sofia Mang discusses the effect of COVID on the medical community's work and personal lives. Listen as she sits down with Northview student Srihari Siruvella, and Dr. Jacqueline Kim to hear their personal experiences through the pandemic. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Sofia Mang: Hello and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host Sofia Mang, and in today's segment of Point of You, we will be talking about the impact of COVID on health workers, families and workplaces. We spoke with some health care professionals and relatives of frontline workers for their insight. Okay, so first, just introduce yourself.

Jacqueline Kim: My name is Jacqueline, I am a fourth year Doctor of Audiology, clinical audiology, student. Right now I am completing my year long externship at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. And what I'm doing is just getting all of the experience necessary to be a clinical doctor prior to graduation. Things that I do include diagnosing hearing loss and balance disorders, working with cochlear implant patients, I do hearing aid stuff and, and yeah.

Sofia: So you basically just explained what you do, what drew you to your occupation?

Jacqueline: So it's a very long and convoluted story, the best way to boil it down is, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. Organic chemistry told me "you don't want to be a doctor", and I agreed, because I hate chemistry with a burning passion. So I still wanted to stay within the medical field, I still wanted to be able to help people. I just decided I'd rather be like a diet doctor or a doctor lite or something, not an actual medical doctor. So I kind of combined my love for language and communication, because I was a English major in undergrad as well as a linguistics major. So I combined my passion for that communication aspect into the medical field as well. And thus I found audiology. I think it's great just because you're able to help people hear, which sounds important. But at the end of the day, it's all about communication and staying in contact with their community and knowing what's happening around them, a nd being able to share those little moments with family members or in public, being involved at the dinner table, being involved with family gatherings or even being able to understand what the grocery store cashier is saying. I think people forget a lot, how important being able to hear is.

Sofia: What kind of impact has COVID had on your workplace and what changes have you seen due to it?

Jacqueline: Alrighty. So COVID has had a very big impact not only on the workplace, but on my schooling. When it hit during my gosh, second year, I want to say. And because of that I wasn't able to get as much clinical experience as previous non COVID students. One thing that I did see is, there was a big change in how, well first off, PPE. So the wearing of masks, the wearing of face shields, all of that has had a huge impact because we are dealing mostly with patients with hearing loss. So you take away their ability to see facial cues, I'm sure you too have both experienced it as well. Even though you have normal hearing, I'm assuming the moment you cover someone's face, it's a lot more difficult to understand. So combine that with hearing loss, and suddenly I'm yelling at my patients. So that's that's one aspect, it's impacted my ability to communicate with my patients, it's also impacted time a little bit. Infection control is something that all of the clinics I've been to and I've seen have taken very seriously. So one thing that happens is, now between every patient, you've got to wipe down all surfaces, you've got to sterilize everything, which ideally when you think about it, maybe we should have done pre COVID as well. But, now we're having to take extra time to do that. I know at the Atlanta VA we're also, we've also changed the way that we circulate people through the clinic. We've seen people have or now we have people walking in only one direction, which kind of makes traffic a little bit weird and convoluted but that's okay. So it's just a little bit of impact on clinic time in the medical field. Every minute counts. The appointment times haven't changed, but the amount that we're expected to do has increased. I will say one of the best impacts COVID has had and this might sound kind of crazy, but COVID has had a positive impact on telehealth, so your ability to provide care remotely via video calls or telephone calls that's been expanded a lot which is great. So with hearing aids, one of the things that we can now do, which we weren't able to do before, is we can remotely program hearing aids, if we're on a video call with the patient, and the patient says, well, like, it sounds too tinny, or it's a little too high pitched, squeaky and it hurts my head. Ideally, yes, we'd have them in the clinic, and we'd run some measurements. But now we can say, okay, hop into that hearing aid app, connect to remote, you know, remote support. I'll hop online on my end, and let me know what you think about this quick change. That's given us the ability to help patients with small things, which has been nice, because a lot of our veterans travel from really, really far away, I have some veterans that will say, Oh, I drove five hours to be here today. So if they drive home, and they're not happy with something, it's not as huge of a deal. Another kind of great thing is, well, I don't know if great is actually the right word to describe it. But another positive aspect, I'd say, of COVID is accessibility for people with disabilities. It's one thing that COVID has done is it's kind of brought an additional realization to society, like, hey, not everyone can navigate things easily. Not everyone has, is physically able to access certain locations, what can we do to make it easier for them. One thing that we're now doing, which we didn't do before at the Atlanta VA is we are able to take measurements of the acoustics of your ear canal, and how sound travels through your ear canal to your eardrum, and we're able to remotely or rather simulate measurements using those acoustics of the recorded to make adjustments to hearing aids that way they're most ideally fit. And then we can mail those hearing aids to the veterans. So they don't need to come in in person, which is again, really great. A lot of our veterans are wheelchair bound. A lot of our veterans live in rural remote areas. So they come in for their hearing test, because you can't do that remotely. And then you say, all right, assuming we get all these measurements, chances are we can do everything on our end, ship it to you and you are good to go.

Sofia: Wow, okay, those are some positive changes instead of all the negative. Has your opinion about your occupation changed after all of these changes, negative or positive?

Jacqueline: So one thing that is frequently said about the audiology field is that it's a dying profession. However, that's typically said by people who are very stuck in their ways and what they're accustomed to, often say that the field of audiology is dying because it's changing rapidly. There's been legislation passed that allows for over the counter hearing aids, which a lot of people, a lot of audiologists are worried about, but I only see as a positive. My opinion has changed. In some ways for the positive I see how how all the field of audiology has adjusted and adapted and how dynamic it's become.

Sofia: Okay, and has your passion for helping people been dampened from the constant burnout felt in the medical field during this time? Jacqueline Kim Yes and no. So, I still love going into clinic. I still love helping veterans. I will say, we are years into this pandemic. And I am tired of all the measurements that needs to be taken to protect people who don't want to protect themselves or protect others. It's not necessarily burnout because of how demanding my job is. It's more burnout overall COVID burnout, it's, it's just tiring seeing all of these people who are COVID deniers. And I'm like, wow, like, yes, I'm gonna help you. But gee whiz, can't you help yourself a little bit. But that's more in, that's more in general. That's got more to do with my personal point of view than necessarily the medical field. If I'm being honest. Medical field wise, I'm still young, I'm fresh, I'm shiny, I'm not even fully graduated. I have not had time to get jaded regarding audiology quite yet. Sofia Mang Good. And because you deal with these older veterans and older people, how seriously do you think the older generation takes pandemic compared to people around your age or our age or millennials? Jacqueline Kim So because I deal with older veterans in the south east, a lot of the people I see, like I said previously, are rural, are white conservatives. So a lot of them are COVID deniers. Yay. That said, I also have a lot of great older veterans who walk in and they just radiate this liberal, like liberal energy. They're like, Yeah, I got my booster. I can't wait for my next booster. I think all these, I'm so happy that you all enforce masks. It's not necessarily so much an age thing as a politics thing, which absolutely sucks, because I don't think science should be political. Mm hmm. So I mean, age, in my opinion, is not an excuse. But age also does kind of factor in because there are generational differences. Yeah, so a little bit of both. I think some of it has to do with generation. But then a lot of it also has to do with education and access to I mean, multicultural and diverse areas, and all sorts of different things. Sofia Mang Yes, I also agree and the last question, so this recent surge of cases, obviously, with Omicron is affected a lot of people has that affected the holidays for you at all, or any plans that you had? Um, did you have to change them? And do you think it's similar to last year surge, worse, better? Did it affect your workplace more? Jacqueline Kim So, right before Omicron, and Delta, we were can, there was whispers through the grapevine, like, oh my gosh, maybe we won't have to wear visors as well as masks. Maybe we'll just get to wear masks because the visors are a little bit annoying, but I understand why we have to wear them because, safety. So I mean, as far as workplace goes, or the thought of relaxing PPE requirements has, well, been completely discarded. I've definitely seen it impact holiday plans I had plans to do a "everyone's boosted, let's get together and have a hangout" with friends, a lot of friends in the Pacific Northwest. And we had to cancel that because we were like, hey, if someone comes in from a hotspot and doesn't realize that they've brought something with them, what if we become a spreading event? And it's, I'd say it's different from last year surge. Well, partially because I'm seeing people who are impossibly careful still getting sick, even though they wear masks. And I feel like part of that could also be we have a little bit of I guess, I mean, there's a knowledge like hey, I'm vaxxed, I'm boostered. I feel okay going out. I know a lot of people have shifted how how much they are willing to quarantine based on their vaccination status, which makes sense. That said, with Omicron I'm also seeing a lot of the same people who were super big into quarantine, again, being like, hey, I'm locking down. I'm going to have my core groups of people. My plans have kind of shifted around a little bit because of Omicron. Like I said, I'm not doing big giant friend get-togethers. Some of my extracurriculars, I've stopped doing because I don't want to risk getting sick. Yeah, so like, I'm not going to the gym. I'm not going to do aerial classes. And, and yeah, just kind of going back into, back into a small version of lockdown. So that is it. Okay. Thank you so much. Srihari Siruvella Hi, my name is Srihari Siruvella. Sofia Mang So Srihari, what do your parents do? Like what kind of doctors are they? What is their field of work? Srihari Siruvella Well my mom is a family physician that mainly focuses on geriatrics, which is elderly people I guess, like between the ages of 50 and 90. My dad's not in medicine. Sofia Mang Are you also interested in the field of medicine? Srihari Siruvella Since I was, I guess, since me and my brother, since a young age my mom has kind of pushed us towards medicine as our future career. We've always gone to volunteering and like other, we always volunteered at hospitals and clinics in, in her, like, in her own clinic's area, because she has like connections with I guess the doctors in that area. And anytime we just like need volunteer hours she'd always say Oh, can you help out? Like my son, he wants to volunteer at your clinic, they'd say yes, then we go. Easy. Sofia Mang And has your parent's experience during the pandemic change how you feel about health professionals and kind of your future line of work if you want to be a doctor as well? Srihari Siruvella During quarantine itself, my mom, well, and other people in the area noticed that a lot of workers wouldn't, a lot of like nurses and technicians, wouldn't come, like, they'd quit their jobs because of the quarantine. And there was unemployment benefits that were coming out. So, I guess it showed us that work is kind of valuable, labor is kind of valuable. She upped the pay because no one would come. And then on top of that, me and my brother worked at, not work, but like, semi-worked, semi-shadowed at Piedmont Regional, which is a hospital near her clinic. And we did that for like, I think we both docked around 250 hours, just shadowing surgeons and all that. And we noticed during quarantine, they had a lot different, like we went before quarantine once and after quarantine. There was a very big difference in their like standards and their regulations, I guess. Well, doctors had to keep a more higher standard of like, sanitation, there was always temperature checks. And I one point they even had like rapid COVID tests for anyone with a temperature of like two degrees off, one and a half degrees off. It's kind of impacted all of medicine in the sense that all doctors know what it's like now to -- also my parents both acknowledge this, also other doctors do, doctors have a little bit of an ego. As in, they think that their workers, their like nurses and everyone else is not at the same level as them, which is somewhat okay, because they did go through eight years of education to get there. But I feel that this has like humbled them to the experience that they are also needed. Nurses are also needed, and other people are also needed for medicine to work. Sofia Mang Besides what you just told me, do you think there's any kind of other impact that COVID has had on the workplace like how much doctors have had to work because of this unemployment? Srihari Siruvella Doctors have to work overtime. They, like if a normal shift was eight to ten hours now it's 12 to 14, and not just in like the workspace itself. Also at home, you have to like chart things, like dictate everything. It's, I guess the workload has just gone up because more people are coming to clinics to get checked up any like small sign of anything. Do I have COVID? Do I have any symptoms of COVID? Everything leads to let me get a checkup. Sofia Mang And because of this recent surge of cases that was around in winter time, did that affect your winter breaks it all? Did your mom get more careful, did you not, were you not allowed to go to holiday parties and stuff like that? Srihari Siruvella Definitely, especially last year, 2021, no one was going out. This year, I did see a lot of people start going out, which was a bad idea because everyone got hit with Omicron. So I don't know if that was a good idea. But we personally didn't go out because we knew like cases were rising because she has like, like how we, like normal people I guess, hear about it, like a week after. My mom sees it as it happens, like cases rising in her like, I guess doctor community. Everyone's spreading around like, Oh, our cases rise, by like 30 people a day. Oh, there was 100 people yesterday, like that kind of thing. So we heard about it as soon as it happened. So we didn't go out during any breaks any holidays. Yeah. Sofia Mang Yeah. And how do you think your mom's habits or attitude has changed after COVID? Srihari Siruvella Humbled. That's one thing, and in previous years, she's not very good at, she wasn't very good at management, like office management, I guess, because um, my dad would actually take care of most of that. But this year, my dad also had like, a hard time with his job. So my mom, because all the people were like leaving. She I guess learned how to manage her business more effectively. Or like she learned how to treat patients like a nurse who treat patients, not a doctor, because there is a clear difference. If you ever notice in a clinic, the doctor just comes in, does their thing, leaves, while the nurse is the one that usually treats with more like, treats them as a human being, I guess they treat with more emotion, they treat like, they treat them like a human. And while the doctor will just come in and do what they got to do, they won't really talk. When they do talk, and you can tell it's a scripted speech. So, yeah, I guess my mom learned to be more human around patients. Sofia Mang Has this impacted family and daily life in any way? Srihari Siruvella For sure. Now, well, it's a plus for me because my mom would come home even later from home, later from work, but I guess that's a bad thing, because more work usually means that more stress, I guess. So the house is, house whenever like COVID cases rose, there is a very stressful environment at home. Sofia Mang And what extra precautions have you taken with your family? And because of this, do you feel like you've been better protected and well informed during this pandemic compared to your peers? Srihari Siruvella I think this goes without saying if you live in a medical family, you're definitely more protected than other families. Um, when the first vaccine came out, we got it. Like my mom, because she works with geriatrics. So she was like one of the doctors that were given the vaccines first, very first. So, my mom, my dad, got the vaccine very, like one of the first maybe like 1000 people that got the vaccine. Then we got like the first, I guess 16 plus vaccine. my brother got the first 17 plus. I think at the time it was 17. But then I got the first 16 plus. Other things would be that in our house, we have a higher like, we keep ourselves more clean, I guess, it's not like dirty. We always have medical supplies in our house, like, at times. I didn't even know. We have like surgery equipment in our house. I don't even know where this came from. We just have it in a cabinet. We have everything you need, honestly. We have most prescription drugs. I don't know why, my mom just keeps it there just like in case something happens. Yes, I feel that we, just because most medical families will, without saying, be more prepared for anything. Sofia Mang And do you think that your parents have become more strict or create more rules about going out and stuff like that? Because of the pandemic? Srihari Siruvella Yes and no. As in, yes, because when COVID cases hit, we, you know, quarantine. Like we keep ourselves inside, don't go out kind of thing. Not quarantine, but like pre-quarantine. But when, there was a period of time where we didn't like keep that standard very high. I don't remember when it was, but like sometime last year, where COVID cases were low. We had all both, like everyone in our house had been double vaccinated, like boosted. We went out to like the mall. Like we would go out to like, places with like, we'd go hiking with friends. One time that entire hiking group actually had COVID. One person had COVID, everyone got COVID, except us. Sofia Mang And did you know? Srihari Siruvella And we didn't know, but like them, they didn't have the second booster yet. We had the second booster. So we were like protected, they were not protected. So they all got COVID which is scary. Because one day they all said, Oh, we have a fever of 104. Boom. And on top of that most of those people in that group are older. So it was a very, very big shock. Sofia Mang And I take it you've never gotten COVID? Srihari Siruvella Funny story, I think, we all think at least, in the first like, February or March or April, we all got like 103 fevers. The very first April, because my mom works there, so she must have gotten it, then we must have gotten it. So that's what we think because we all got like 103 fevers we got like, lack of taste, fatigue, bones aching, all like the symptoms of COVID. So it was like, it's a very interesting experience to see that like, yeah, we got COVID at the very beginning of COVID. Sofia Mang Yeah, I mean, at least you didn't get it like during winter. I feel like everyone has gotten it at once during the winter. Srihari Siruvella Maybe? We don't know because like the symptoms we got over, everyone got like a thing over winter, but we got like, very, very subtle symptoms. Like it was like nothing. It was like a cough for a day. So my mom got that, my dad got like, what, he was just tired. That's it. Sofia Mang Okay, thank you for speaking with us today Srihari. Srihari Siruvella Thank you for letting me on Sofia Sofia Mang This concludes this episode of point of view. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org, and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at NHS Point of View for updates and new episodes. I'm your host, Sofia, and this has been Point of You.

Across the Table - Superheroes

Rachel Everett, Caleb Smith, Jonah Chadwin, Dhruv Singh

In this episode, staffers Dhruv, Caleb, Jonah, and Rachel discuss their opinions on Spiderman: No Way Home, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and superheroes as a whole. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Dhruv: Hello and welcome to point of view where we give students a place to listen and learn. We're your hosts, Dhruv,

Caleb: Caleb,

Jonah: Jonah,

Rachel: and Rachel.

Dhruv: And today we'll be talking about Spider Man, the recent movie, and superheroes as a whole. We won't be getting into spoilers until later in the episode, so I'll give you a warning when we start that. Okay, so recently, we're kind of been like, the biggest theme in Entertainment has been superheroes. Wouldn’t you guys agree?

All: Yeah.

Dhruv: So I like, at least for me, I feel like you can kind of see these like themes like, over history, like they're like cowboys in the 60s and like sci-fi mania stuff, like what you guys think like,

Caleb: Would you consider Indiana Jones like a super?

Dhruv: Yeah, There was like a point where like action movies and like, like, heist stuff was really popular, like Ocean's 11. Like,

Caleb: I never really got into Indiana Jones. But like, I've heard that that's been like a big thing, especially like, back in the day. I don't remember when that came out though. When did it come out?

Dhruv: Like the 80s.

Caleb: 80s. Okay, yeah.

Dhruv: So like, I think that if we're like, following those trends, we're kind of in like a big superhero. I guess renaissance right now, like superhero movies have been around a long time. But now they're kind of, they look a lot a lot different.

Caleb: They're very different from when they were before. But they're at like its peak right now. Especially with the animation and what they're including and kind of like their ideas of how they're forming these movies together is like, yeah, really crazy.

Rachel: It seems to be like they're interweaving each other. And it's not just like one film and then another one, it’s the entire story.

Dhruv: Yeah, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like that's the term is like, I think it might have been the first to do that, you know, where you take different series. And you like, tie them together? And like, build off each other, like, tease each other and stuff. I don't actually know if anything has done it in that like regard before?

Jonah: I don't know. I don't think the DC has done it nearly as well.

Dhruv: Yeah, no, for sure. If we're talking, It also has a lot of like copycats. Yeah. Like, yeah, DC tried it. And then like there was a point where I think was universal was trying it with like their like horror movie.

Caleb: Like, stories can have sequels and like a like a movie after that. But they're, they don't really like connect, as well as what the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing. Kind of like building off each other each, like each movie, and kind of getting better as they go.

Jonah: Yeah. And they have stuff planned out for the next I think six years. I think Kevin Feige said in an interview.

Caleb: Yeah, that's crazy.

Dhruv: I think it's, it's kind of like a TV show, right? Like, you get connected to these characters. Because you have so much time with them. Yeah. And like, you get to spend like several episodes with one character, you build them up, you like have like multiple conflicts and stuff. And like, a cinematic universe kind of does the same thing. It's just on a much larger scale, like bigger budgets. Yeah, like, I guess more fleshed-out stories and stuff. And like, I personally feel like there are some downsides to that. Like, I know, it's kind of controversial just to like, because I love Marvel movies and stuff, and I love superhero movies. They're some of the most fun like, they deliver themes and stuff while also being fun without like requiring too much thought and stuff. So I think they're like, really accessible by a wide audience. The thing is, though, that I kind of feel like when you have such a large amount of like entertainment right now being one thing. Like, I think Marvel is like 1/4 of the entertainment industry right now.

All: Yeah.

Dhruv: I feel like it can get like-

Caleb: Overwhelming?

Dhruv: Yeah.

Caleb: Um, I guess I could agree. But I think all the content that they're putting out is almost trying to build their fan base even more than what it already was. Yeah, Marvel has been popular for like, for what- decades? I don't know how long it's like been a thing. Like, even before, like, back in the comics, like they had a lot of fans and stuff. But I think that with all the content they're putting out, it could seem overwhelming, but I do love like enjoying seeing that. Because when movies come out they’re like two years apart, but if they're putting out the TV shows and the movies, like kinda like not back to back, but they're in close in proximity. I think that it kind of gets us closer to those characters in the story.

Jonah: Yeah, and in a few years, they'll have more than I think 40 projects and for new people that are just jumping on that's gonna be really hard for them to get into it.

Dhruv: It’s intimidating.

Jonah: But I feel like it's definitely worth it. There are a lot of stories that you can just like watch on your own and some series that you can watch on your own without needing to know the other things.

Dhruv: Yes.

Rachel: Do you also think that it's kind of getting oversaturated?

Dhruv: I think I think that like- I know I personally, before this most recent Spider Man movie, I was kind of feeling burnt out on it. Because I've been like a big superhero fan like I’ve loved Spider Man since I was like really young and stuff like all this. But you know, after like seeing Marvel so much over the last few years I saw those three shows they released like the Captain America and Loki and WandaVision stuff.

Jonah: Yeah.

Dhruv: And like after that I just kind of feeling burnt out. I wasn't that interested in like any new movies that they were gonna release. I won't lie, Spider Man kind of brought me back on though.

Caleb: Yeah, that was a crazy movie.

Dhruv: But I do think that like oversaturation and just like the sheer amount of content, like it kind of makes each one less special for me. At least, I can see like-

Caleb: I can see your point.

Jonah: I see your point. I just, I disagree, because I feel like it just, they all have their own thing about them. Yeah. And they are all so different. And I just, they don't get boring for me. I don't, I don't think they ever will for me.

Rachel: I think that like it's almost intimidating, but also at the same time, it's just so much and not enough time in a way. Like back in early 2021, WandaVision came out, then like a week later, Falcon and the Winter Soldier came out, and then Loki and then there was just so much other stuff. And it's like, you don't have enough time to catch up. Like, I haven't been able to watch all of Hawkeye yet. And I'm just like trying to find the time. It's just-

Caleb: But I think like with these, like TV shows, I think Marvel's aspect was that although movies take a lot longer to make, I think that with them putting these shows out, it's almost giving us this like leisure time where we can watch this at home, and then in that time, they're making movies that we can go see once those are finished. So that way we could like, I mean, not necessarily like kind of keep intact of what's going on in this universe. And like kind of how everything will connect once that next big movie comes out kind of like Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Jonah: Yeah. And I really liked even diving deeper into those characters that we haven't seen as often that might be overlooked like Hawkeye, Wandavision and Bucky and Falcon using them more, they've gotten more screentime than some of those other bigger characters because they've got their own series now.

Dhruv: I think like if we're talking about the characters specifically, like, we like zoom out a little bit to talk about superheroes. I think it's really interesting that they're like, they're having like, they're like seen in a different form now. And I think they're kind of like folktales if you think about it, yeah, they've been around for like, a long, long time, like since the 50s. Like somebody's like Spider Man's like the 60s and 70s and a ton of different iterations. But like, when you reduce it to its core, it is kind of like just like, it's something to like latch on to. It's like something to relate to. It's like a story that like a kid can like, really enjoy like learn lessons from. Dometimes there will also be like really goofy comic book like storylines and stuff, but the main like, essence is like- you guys have any thoughts on that?

Jonah: I feel like for all of us, there's a Marvel character out there that we can all relate to, probably a lot of them.

Caleb: Even like Kate Bishop. I think that kind of like storytelling, like if we were in Kate bishops position, like her looking at Hawkeye, I think well, this is kind of a spoiler if you guys haven’t watched the Hawkeye series yet, but just Kate Bishop looking up to Hawkeye and just seeing him on the side of the building. And like saving people, even when there's aliens, he had no powers like the rest of his, like the rest of the Avengers. She kind of took up that and was like, wow, okay, I'm gonna take this lesson. I'm gonna learn to fight people. And then she got really good at archery and knew how to find that sort of thing.

Dhruv: Yeah, I think that at their best, like superhero movies are just, they go deep on a character or they show you like a character that you can kind of relate to. And then there's just like fun action on top of that stuff. Like it's fun movies. I think that the core though, is that character, like, when they're my issue with them is that sometimes like, a movie will come out and that character is missing. It feels like it's just part of like the cinematic universe and stuff.

Caleb: What example would you give?

Dhruv: I'd say something like, like the first Dr. Strange, right? I love him. I think he's super cool. But that first movie, I feel like he's kind of bland. At least in that first one. But yeah, I think he's coming into his own. I'm really excited for this next one.

Jonah: Yeah, I feel like at the beginning they sort of had to experiment with that character and get to learn him better and as it goes throughout I feel like they're doing better. And with Multiverse of Madness, I feel like they're gonna do better and make it his movie.

Dhruv: Yeah, like that's what I'm saying. Like, I think that when they are just using like a character or like a movie as a piece of a larger thing to like, build up to something. I think that's when I feel like okay, maybe the cinematic universe is detracting from like these individual pieces. You know what I mean? Also, sometimes like, something interesting about the cinematic universe, right, is the concept of like a bunch of different artists or directors coming and like making their own movie, and like their own unique style and then like, fitting into this larger piece and like you get like this like tapestry of a bunch of different styles and stuff. But the thing is, is that I feel like that's a missed opportunity because like sometimes these Marvel movies end up like looking the same. There's like not much unique voice in each one. I don't know if you guys disagree.

Jonah: Yeah, I feel like recently I feel like they've gotten better. Eternals felt really different than the other movies, Shang-Chi felt really different. And with all the new stuff they're putting out, I feel like they're all diving deeper into different sections, like, the Agatha show that they announced will dive deeper into the magic, like, just Multiverse of Madness and into that reality kind of thing.

Dhruv: Like making each individual piece pop more. Yeah. Like, I'm glad to see they're doing that a little bit more.

Jonah: Yeah, in the earlier days, they all had that same sort of tone. Yeah.

Caleb: Would you say they did that with No Way Home?

Jonah: I would say yeah.

Dhruv: I did think that No Way Home had a little bit more of like an individual voice. I think that like, I'll just leave like one last note on like, something. There's like, what was it- Martin Scorsese said something about Marvel movies- which gets thrown around a lot like every interview with a Marvel actor- they're asked like, “What do you think of what Martin Scorsese said?”. He said like that Marvel movies aren't cinema. He said they aren't cinema because they're like, theme park rides.

Jonah: Yeah, I've heard that.

Dhruv: And the thing is, is that that's like, really, it's pretty pretentious. And it like comes off really self-like dramatic and stuff. But I kind of see what he's saying sometimes.

Jonah: I kind of see it.

Dhruv: Because here's the thing, right? Okay. Okay. I see you nodding.

Rachel: I think Caleb and I agree. Or don’t understand.

Dhruv: Let me explain myself. Let me explain myself, right, because I get what you mean, it is really pretentious. And I think the way he said it was kind of like “They aren't cinema.” like is really like up his snooty. But when you watch an individual movie, right, it's like, it's a whole story. There's like a lot of thought that goes into it like, let me think of a movie. If I'm watching, like, shoot, give me a second.

Caleb: Dune.

Dhruv: Uh, well, that's also like a part of a franchise and stuff.

Caleb: Oh, is it actually?

Dhruv: Yeah, well, there’s like going to be sequels like, but let me think like, this movie, like Blindspotting. It's just a random movie. It's like its own story. It like has some characters when you watch it at the beginning and like, by the time it comes to the end, you've seen what like the people who made it like intended, like, it's a full story, there’s characters, like all this stuff. With a Marvel movie, you're watching like a piece. It's like a cog, you know, it's not like its own, like full machine, or at least sometimes it might feel like that. Yeah, instead it comes out as like, one piece that's building up to something larger. And also, they're like, sometimes they can be like, very corporate, or it can feel like it or something. It might not feel like personal. And in that regard, I can kind of see what he means by like, they're not the same as like a full singular movie.

Jonah: Yeah.

Caleb: Is that what you consider cinema?

Dhruv: Well, okay, I disagree with what like, what he said, but I can kind of see like a point. I mean, I don't want to come off as like- I still love Marvel Movies I'm like a dude. I see Spider Man, I’m like Oh!

Caleb: Yeah, every Marvel movie I get hyped.

Dhruv: I love them to be clear. I just like I think that that it’s an interesting point. There might be something to be said there. You know what I mean? Yeah, like, I don't know if you guys still disagree.

Jonah: I mean, not many Marvel movies have like, they all have really good acting. But how many Marvel movies have really won Oscars? Like Black Panther was, I think the only one?

Dhruv: Or it was nominated.

Jonah: Or yeah, it might have been nominated. Did it win any?

Caleb: I don’t think so.

Dhruv: I don't think so. No, it was GreenBook, which I don’t know was as good, either. But like, you know, I just, I think there's an interesting idea there. But where some people take like a stance, like, oh, all Marvel movies, they aren't on the same level and stuff. I think that's… With some of these Marvel movies, there's a lot of love that goes into them. You know, you can really tell like, I'm not trying to take away from that at all. I just think, I feel like it's a little bit different. Yeah.

Caleb: It's definitely different than a lot of the movies that we see today. I think they're doing their own thing. And they're succeeding at it, too.

Jonah: Yeah. I don't think they really care if they like win Oscars.

Dhruv: For sure.

Jonah: I feel like they just care about making the fans happy, giving the fans what they want to say. I feel like they've done that pretty well.

Dhruv: I think when they're at their best, they're just making like, just putting love into like a fun movie that you will really enjoy.

Rachel: I kind of like that whole aspect of not trying to win Oscars. Because you definitely can see movies that are like trying really hard to.

Dhruv: For sure. they're always pretentious.

Rachel: Yes. They're like trying to be so like dramatic and so like insightful and then you just go to a Marvel movie and you're just like let's have a good time.

Caleb: It’s just good entertainment.

Dhruv: Yeah. Sometimes you forget that like sometimes you need something simple.

Caleb: Yeah, you need something with like a bunch of different aspects of the storyline. Have you guys ever seen Cherry?

Dhruv: Cherry?

Jonah: With Tom Holland? Yeah.

Caleb: That movie, I feel like was trying to win an Oscar. Yeah, it just had a lot going on, it was actually really crazy. Watch it, but it's a long movie. But the question I have for you guys is, what do you think your favorite Marvel movie is? Or superhero movie?

Dhruv: Favorite superhero movie?

Rachel: Don't start with me. I’ll have to think about it. You go first.

Jonah: No Way Home easily.

Caleb: Okay. Ah, I might have to agree with you on that one. That movie was really good.

Jonah: I like the big climatic ones like Infinity War and Endgame.

Caleb: I would say it's either No Way Home or Endgame.

Dhruv: I like those but, well this is me. Like I love those like, bombastic super big stories. But for me, like my favorite is definitely Spider-Verse. I love that movie.

Caleb: Yeah? I’ve never seen it. Never seen it.

Jonah: If that was live-action that would be everybody’s favorite. I feel like some people take away from that because it’s animated.

Dhruv: Dude, the fact that it’s animated makes it better though.

Caleb: Makes it better?

Dhruv: Yes, it makes it better! You’ve got to watch this movie.

Jonah: The style of the animation is so great.

Caleb: Okay, maybe I gotta watch it before I say anything. But like, real life? I don't know if it could ever compare to animation.

Rachel: I definitely think Caleb should watch the movie before he comments.

Caleb: Alright, I’ll watch it.

Dhruv: The reason I like it, right, is because it has the essence of this character that has like, it has a really good interpretation of Spider-Man in my opinion. And then it's like, the style is like, it's incredible. It's like unique, which is so much fun to see. It's like I was watching it and I just like couldn't believe what I was seeing. The music's incredible, like, the visuals. And the story is like, it feels like contained and I kind of like that sometimes I kind of like a personal.

Jonah: Yeah, it really feels like kind of like a comic book come to life because they have like, comic book catchphrases like BAM, WHAM like, in the art. It's so cool to see that.

Rachel: It definitely felt like it just flew off the page like left the pages.

Dhruv: Yeah, I recommend that movie if you're curious. If you haven't seen it.

Rachel: I cannot decide on a favorite Marvel movie more so because I follow characters rather than movies.

Dhruv: I see.

RacheI: I think Dhruv- just all of y'all- you have such an amazing eye for movies and like seeing them into depth. I just like characters and actors.

Dhruv: That's fine.

Caleb: What did you say your favorite character was?

Rachel: Either Bucky or Dr. Strange so I would say either.

Caleb: There's no way! You just said Captain America yesterday.

Rachel: No! My favorite movie is Captain America: The Winter Soldier or Doctor Strange.

Dhruv: I’m sorry for like trashing Doctor Strange.

Rachel: You're okay, I can kind of understand where you're coming from.

Dhruv: I like the visuals. I like the movie. The actual stuff is just the character.

Jonah: Yeah, that was the best part of Doctor Strange.

Rachel: The visuals are very, very impressive. But I like the magical element of Dr. Strange. I feel like seeing those possibilities is so… and seeing them delve into those possibilities in the magic. And even, actually, I can't say that. It's from Spider-Man so we will talk about that later.

Jonah: I like the side characters that steal the show in Marvel Movies. Like Karun the cameraman in Eternals. Morris from Shang-Chi, Yelena from Black Widow.

Rachel: Loki. The younger brother. Bucky.

Caleb: Yup.

Jonah: I love seeing those.

Dhruv: Okay, so two of us mentioned that No Way Home was our favorite and stuff and that's the one that just came out so let's talk about that one.

Rachel: But let's put a little spoiler warning.

Caleb: Yeah, let’s put a spoiler warning.

Rachel: If you have not watched the movie, do not listen. If you want to get it spoiled, then listen.

Dhruv: Go watch it and then run back and come listen.

Caleb: Let's just talk about our initial thoughts. You can go ahead Dhruv.

Dhruv: So, I love it. I think, you know if I'm looking at it like as a celebration of the character, like as a Spider-Man fan and just like a superhero movie. I think it's perfect. I think it hits all the notes like I would want it to and I had a ton of fun watching it.

Rachel: What notes did you want it to hit that it did hit or some examples?

Dhruv: Well like, I think it nailed the character. I think like- I watched it and I felt like there's like a story it wanted to tell, emotional beats it wanted to hit and it hit all those and I loved it. Like, it made me feel something and I think that's like the best thing a movie can do you know.

Caleb: I think that with this Spider-Man I think he's finally really become like Spider-Man, especially with the decisions that he made and then kind of the loss that he suffered. I feel like he's finally turning into the Spider-Man that is in the comics.

Jonah: Some people have criticized Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for being like IrOn BoY Jr but I feel like after this I feel like nobody can really say that.

Dhruv: You know all Spider-Man fans we love this. We do not want to see him winning we want to see him be at the worst point in his life.

Jonah: I feel like we saw that.

Rachel: For me, overall it was just like a lot. I'm one of those people that like gets really into movies and like experiences a lot of emotions. So I was like-

Caleb: Did you cry during this movie?

RacheI: I surprisingly did not. I came close to tears. I came close. There were tears in my eyes. I did not cry though.

Caleb: I cried.

Jonah: I bawled.

Rachel: Because I had stuff spoiled for me. So there wasn't like-

Caleb: See that's where it gets bad, like if you're spoiling a movie, then you like take away all of like the good feelings that come along when you see it for the first time. So that's why I had to see it like, the first day.

Dhruv: Okay, so we're in spoilers right now. So why don't we talk about the- let's talk about the overall concept. Like what happens in the movie and then we could talk about like, specific moments we liked. So, regarding the fact that they brought in- spoiler, spoiler- they brought in like, characters from other like, cinematic universe, like other series that were not part of it before. Like, I think that was a really cool idea.

Caleb: That was amazing, like, I had seen spoilers but like, like, um, I don't know what you want to call it, like people saying that they were going to be in the movie, but I didn't really like. I was having hope. But I didn't know if I truly believed it. And then when I finally saw it, I got so hype in the movie theater. Everybody in the back was screaming loud. That was the experience. Like I think I had the entire Northview senior class in that movie theater, like screaming loud, but no, I really loved that aspect that they added into it with adding Toby and Andrew.

Jonah: That was a really great movie experience. Just seeing everybody scream for your favorite characters. The Daredevil cameo coming. Yeah, Andrew saving MJ that was all.

Caleb: That made me cry like so hard. Yeah, something about it. Just like it hit super close to home. I don't even know why.

Dhruv: It’s a well written scene it’s great.It’s shot well. The movie also I know I said this earlier And actually, I feel like the director has like a more of a style on this one, you know? Yeah. Like the other ones feel kind of like flat I guess. Like yes, but like, it was a lot of fun to watch. Like, it was interesting. Like, there was like cool shots like the the CG is like great, obviously. Yeah. You like, it's just it there. Although there is one aspect of like, bringing in other characters like a celebratory thing that I'm worried about. I wonder if people are going to try and copy it.

Jonah: In the Flash movie. Weren't they gonna like bring back some characters like Michael Keaton’s Batman.

Dhruv: Okay, following the patterns in the DC universe right now. I feel like they're not going to be able to do it. That being said, this because of this recommendation, Aquaman is so bad. It's hilarious. It's so much fun. It's like the best DC movie I really recommend.

Caleb: It's not even that bad.

Dhruv: It's my favorite. But I think it's very silly. I think it's stupid. But I like that. Okay, I was like, happy with that.

Caleb: How’d we end up at Aquaman?

Rachel: In terms of like you saying, you wonder if there'll be any copycats.

Dhruv: Trying to do celebrations of like movies.

Caleb: That’s if they can even get that actor back.

Rachel: I was more so thinking about bringing other people into like the universe, but I also like, I know in like DC TV shows they have crossovers that are so confusing.

Caleb: But I think with the now they've actually confirmed that. Andrew, Andrew will be back and then Toby might be back for some more cameos in the future. So they actually like super fully back.

Dhruv: if they're like in it like

Caleb: It was cool. One time I don't know about Yeah, I don't know. I would love a third movie for Andrew Garfield. I don't know if it'd be the same.

Jonah: There was a reliable leak that said that there's gonna be a third movie with Gwen returning from like another universe as Spider-Gwen. In her universe Peter Parker dies. So that would be I think I'd love it.

Dhruv: So another thing like this movie kind of made me like, think about revisiting the old ones, right? Like the Tobey Maguire movies are great. Like that. They're like stylistic and there's so much fun. They're like they they know what they are. They're silly. Yeah, just like I will say I think the Andrew Garfield is like the best actor to portray Spider Man. I think he's very charismatic. I think he was my favorite to watch in the new one. I do feel like because of this movie, people are revisiting the Amazing Spider-Man movies and thinking like and saying they're better then they remember them being. I think those movies kind of suck.

Jonah: Those movies suck but I feel like Andrew being spider man wasn't the problem.

Caleb: I just rewatched them from Toby Maguire all the way down to the second movie for Andrew. And Toby's actually the quality and the entire like he's got to be the worst Spider Man. But he's still like I still love him like yeah, I have a love for him as a like a spider-man, but he didn't portray it well enough. And like the whole storyline was him and MJ like their whole like she didn't love she only loved spider-man she didn't love Peter Parker like I didn't really enjoy the Tobey Maguire I love the Amazing Spider Man. I think I thought those are for me.

Dhruv: I think personally, I feel like I agree with you that Toby Maguire like kind of like he's a good actor, but I think his portrayal is a little bit like it’s not as interesting. Yeah, and I think Andrew Garfield just really I love I think he's like my favorite pick but I just I just think his movies are really silly.

Jonah: His dynamic with Gwen was the best part of seeing them. That was great.

Dhruv: You think you want to talk about the villains in No Way Home bringing them back.

Rachel: Before we go to villains I do want to say I really enjoyed. Spoiler! I've we've already given a spoiler warning but when they were atop the Statue of Liberty it was really.

Dhruv: The banter.

Rachel: The back and forth with everyone was so nice.

Dhruv: I wanna see deleted scenes for this movie now because I'm sure there's a lot of those that they cut.

Caleb: Especially them interacting with each other like. When Ned yelled Peter and then all of them responded like that sort of thing. That was really good as like like they did really well with the movie that's all I can say like 10 out of 10 for Marvel.

Dhruv: Yeah, I think it's a great Spider Man movie I think it like wraps up the character well

Jonah: Well talking about the villains I feel like Green Goblin was just wow.

Caleb: I can't believe they got him back. I thought he was too old to come back.

Jonah: He was scary. He was a scary villain to see when like Peter was punching him as hard as he can, he’s just laughing.

Dhruv :I feel like Willem Dafoe is like the best actor.

Caleb: I didn’t realize that he was that strong I forgot that Green Goblin could do that.

Dhruv: I think they do some of the characters. I do think that Sandman and Lizard they weren't like given as much development which makes sense because they weren't as big they weren't as big of favorites also, I don't know if they're actors were actually there. I’m pretty sure the live action shots of them towards the end of movie are actually just reused shots.

Caleb: That like there was no like speaking like and then the same for Curtis Connor. I think thats his name Lizard. Yeah, he didn't do any like it looks like the same faces he was making in The Amazing Spider Man. I know that they were there but like, it's crazy.

Jonah: Yeah, I know that Sandman his shots like when you just actually saw him as a human were from the other movie.

Caleb: So that’s confirmed.

Jonah: Yeah. Okay. I'm not sure if those are though.

Dhruv: I think they redeem Electro. I think he’s really goofy in the Amazing Spider-Man movies.

Jonah: I love him.

Dhruv: I like this version of him quite a bit better.

Caleb: You like this one better?

Dhruv: I like this one better. I think he's more like entertaining to watch. He’s just kind of mustache twirling. He's pretty evil.

Jonah: He’s more comic accurate too with the yellow lightning.

Dhruv: Yeah, it's cool.

Jonah: I feel like they really took us on a big roller coaster ride because you have like Aunt May’s super sad death. And but then like, maybe five minutes later. Oh, Andrew and Toby are here. Yeah, they're like so happy that they're but oh, no Aunt May’s gone.

Dhruv: I think. Um, if I've one criticism for the movie, watching it again. I was so excited for the second half that the first half drag for me. Yeah, I think it works well on the first watch.

Jonah: I just like I feel like the first parts really good, but I feel like the second part just blows it out of the water.

Caleb: They brought in Doc Ok pretty early, though. Pretty early.

Dhruv: Yeah. Well, he was we knew about him beforehand and I think he was great. Yeah, really good job. The actor Alfred Molina. He's just great. He's like a super good actor and stuff. So it's fun to watch.

Rachel: Do we have any final thoughts before we end?

Dhruv: Yeah, overall, I just feel like this movie serves as like a great origin for this for the Marvel Universe as like Peter Parker, I think yeah, sums up the character. I think it's like, it's my personal favorite of the three Spider Man movies.

Jonah: This trilogy really like is a coming of age story. And those next that next trilogy is really gonna dive deep into him being on his own.

Caleb: I do wish that we got like more of an origin story for him. But I like where I went.

Jonah: Yeah, there's an animated series that they announced called freshman year that's going to be an animated and like thing that's going to be its origin story. Oh, that'll be cool. To see more of them.

Rachel: I'm for my final thoughts for superheroes in general. Or I guess the MCU in general. I'm looking forward to how this will set up future movies. Yeah, it definitely set up multiverse of madness.

Dhruv: Yeah, also Sam Raimi is directing that but yeah.

Caleb: I can't wait to see what Marvel as a whole is gonna do. Because the entire MCU is doing a really good job. I hope they don't end up falling off anytime soon. For about the next few years, who knows? Maybe Yeah, I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Dhruv: This concludes this episode of Across the Table. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. We've been your hosts Dhruv,

Caleb: Caleb

Jonah: Jonah

Rachel: and Rachel and this has been Point of View.

A Holiday Special - Different Traditions

Jordan Anderson, Caleb Smith

In this episode, staffer Caleb Smith sits down with a few students discussing the different traditions and meanings of the holidays they celebrate during the winter season. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Caleb: Hello and welcome to Point of View! Where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. I’m your host, Caleb Smith, and today we will be talking about some of the holidays students celebrate during the winter season. Our first holiday is Vietnamese Year, also known as Tet which means the first day of spring, is a holiday celebrated throughout Vietnam and considered one of the most important holidays. it is a celebration of three days but usually celebrated for the whole week which symbolizes new beginnings. The 1st day is to be with family and respect one's ancestors. The 2nd is to honor teachers and 3rd is for visiting friends. Senior Vinh Phung has celebrated Vietnamese New year all his life and loves the meaning behind it.

Vinh: It’s like a big celebration, right? You know, most people think you just get the red envelopes with money and stuff but basically it symbolizes good luck alright like good luck for the year.

Caleb: The second holiday is Hanukkah or Festival of lights celebrated by Jewish people. The word Hanukkah means “dedication” in Hebrew. Which refers to the rededication of the temple after the Maccabees victory. It is celebrated for 8 nights by lighting the menorah every night with the middle candle. It usually takes place in December, but the dates change every year as Jewish Holidays follow a lunar calendar and sometimes may overlap with thanksgiving. Hanukkah also has many different traditions and Sophomore Carly Woodman enjoys participating in them every year.

Carly: Personally it means like being with my family and obviously getting gifts, it’s a happy time I think for my most of my family because we all get to be together, we all have a party and then we all eat food and you know?

Caleb: Our last holiday is Christmas, which is arguably Americas favorite holiday. A celebration of exchanging gifts and spending time with family and friends. Christmas’ original meaning is the birth of Jesus Christ. It celebrated year on the 25th of December but it is unclear if this is the precise date of Jesus’ birth. Many people will celebrate it because of their faith, but some may have a secular view. Traditions for the Christmas can range from watching movies and drinking hot chocolate or taking a hike up Mt. Everest during its coldest season. Christmas can have many meanings, but in the end it’s whatever you want it to be. One of our staffers Jordan Anderson loves her family's fun way of celebrating Christmas.

Jordan: We do the same thing we watch movies sometimes my sister likes to bake these homemade sugar Christmas cookies where she will make them into trees, candy canes, and stuff like that, but really we just watch movies, listen to jingle bells over and over and over again and just eat a bunch of sugar cookies.

Caleb: With each of these holidays, they each hold a special meaning to people who celebrate them. No matter how different the dates may be or traditions that are done we all share one thing, a celebration. We may celebrate in different ways, but a celebration is a great way to have fun and create lasting memories with the people you love. Happy Holidays listeners, hope everyone of you has a great winter break! This concludes our Holiday Special. Thank you so much for listening-For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I’m your host Caleb Smith and this has been Point of View.

Point of You - High School Then and Now

Orelia Thottam, Marcus Kim

Point of View Host Marcus Kim speaks with teachers Mr. DeLong and Mrs. Pope about their high school experiences and how they compare to what they observe in their classrooms today. Listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Marcus Kim: Hello, and welcome to point of view where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host, Marcus Kim, and today we'll be interviewing Mrs. Pope and Mr. DeLong about their high school experiences. So Mrs. Pope and Mr. DeLong- how are you today?

Mrs. Pope: Great! Thank you. How are you, Marcus?

Marcus Kim: Not so great. It's a day in school.

Mrs. Pope: Right! Yeah.

Marcus Kim: Yeah. See, unlike you guys, I don't get paid to be here.

Mrs. Pope: I don't know if you can say I'm paid.

Marcus Kim: Oh, this is this is very true. All right. So, of course, a lot of students kind of forget that teachers were once High Schoolers too. So, if you guys could describe your past high school selves in one phrase, what would it be?

Mr. Delong: I think mine would be quiet and reserved.

Mrs. Pope: And I'd say mine would be nerdy, but nerdy and in love with learning. I wanted to be at school. I wanted to learn. That was-

Marcus Kim: So you would wake up every day excited to go to school?

Mrs. Pope: Yeah, I was that little nerd that enjoyed just the activity of being here at school in the learning process.

Marcus Kim: Would you say that- so for those of you that don't know, Mr. DeLong, was actually a student of Mrs. Pope. So, Mr. DeLong, was there ever a day that you didn't want to go to Mrs. Pope's class?

Mr. Delong: Not for Mrs. Pope's class because her class was always very fun to be in. But there were definitely times in other classes that I would just not want to try.

Marcus Kim: And Mrs. Pope, you said that you enjoyed going to school every day. So were there any classes you didn't like?

Mrs. Pope: Um, you know, I think a lot of you will identify with this, that the first time I remember ever needing to leave a class because I needed to cry was math.

Marcus Kim: Oh, I see. I think a lot of Northview students can relate.

Mrs. Pope: I think a lot would identify with that. So that moment, that math moment, when I realized that the A's I had been achieving in math were crashing, and so I sort of reached my limit in my math experience.

Marcus Kim: So you went to high school in South Africa, and was there as like a specific teacher in your high school experience that made you decide, "Yeah, I want to be a teacher."

Mrs. Pope: Um, you know, it, I really want to be honest, I don't think it was a teacher. Funny enough, there was an elementary school teacher, my seventh grade teacher, she was really inspiring. But high school, not particularly, it was more college. If I go actually towards the college experience, which you guys are still going to experience, it's often the college professor who maybe has more creative freedom to really inspire you in a direction. Also, my parents both came from teaching environments. And so I grew up in the world of having parents who had taught and have been teachers and in a family that were teachers. So I think that was part of what inspired me more than actually the teachers in school.

Mr. Delong: Yeah, I mean, similar to me, son of two teachers. I would say in terms of teachers that Northview when I had, he's not here anymore, but Mr. Pfeiffer was my ninth-grade math teacher. And he was very eccentric and he also stuttered like me as well. And I don't meet a lot of people that stutter or like so like, blatantly, as I do from time to time, and it was different, but refreshing to see someone who was in this profession who could overcome that and sort of own it to a certain degree.

Marcus Kim: Right. Do you have any students like yourself that have stutters?

Mr. Delong: Not to my knowledge? No, I mean, some students will stutter but that's just from being nervous, not from like, just an innate inability to say something because of genetics.

Marcus Kim: Are there ever times where like, you see some of your own students and relate your past high school self to those students?

Mr. Delong: Yeah, I mean, I was pretty awkward at times and a lot of these kids can be pretty awkward too. I think being able to communicate with adults is very effective. And that's definitely something that like, I've learned to get better at and obviously, being an adult now too. But there are students who are very difficult to communicate with because they either can't make eye contact, they can't articulate their ideas in a way that I can understand them the way that they want me to. So that's things that I tried to pick up on and I will go out of my way to try to help them.

Marcus Kim: And Mrs. Pope. Um, well, you've been on this earth a little bit longer. So you- no offense- you do so what do you say you remember your high school? Like your high school experience fairly well?

Mrs. Pope: Um, you know, I do, I think we've got to remember, I think sometimes when you get caught up in the high school experience, you think this is the be-all and end-all. And you're really at the start of the journey of your life, you know, graduating high school is one tiny step and the full extent of what your life becomes. But hey, I remember particular moments, you know, like, like a time I failed math and realized that come to the end of my math journey, or like, like, making the first team for my field hockey team. So those were kind of moments where, you know, those academic moments? Meh. You don't remember, near as half as actually those social moments and the interactions you had with people that sort of cement that memory for you and make the high school experience you remember.

Marcus Kim: Yeah, and I've actually experienced three different high schools. And Mr. DeLong, as alumni from Northview, would you say that, from the time you graduated, was the cutthroat super strict, academic kind of environment the same?

Mr. Delong: Yeah, I mean, I think Northview has always been really competitive. I think also, Northview is very cliquey. I mean, I think we're very diverse, but like students have very set sets of friends. And I know that’s the same for all high schools, but I feel like Northview has it pretty severenstill. So like, students are very set on who they want to communicate with, and share ideas with and whatnot. And a lot of my friends are also former students of Northview and almost all of mine, I actually never talked to when I was a student here, it was after high school, in college, or just outside that, like those barriers kind of broke. But I feel like at Northview, there are very high barriers to be able to communicate outside of like your friend group.

Mrs. Pope: Just to add to what Jason is saying, I think, you know, it's funny, we want to say, you know, Northview has a lot cliques- every high school does- I think it's the nature of high school, the nature of being teenagers and, and university was a different experience. I think you break those boundaries, and you find bigger connections and deeper connections with people than you do at the high school level. I don't know if it's a safety aspect at high school, you're still discovering yourself and your identity and who you are, that creates these cliques that we find comfort with. We're not, we're forced into whatever the situation is.

Marcus Kim: Right. So, both of you as teachers at Northview, of course, Mr. DeLong, in Math and Mrs. Pope in English, you've definitely seen some students that are super, super stressed and getting perfect grades is their absolute number one priority. Now that you guys are adults, do you have a different retrospect and kind of a different view on life?

Mrs. Pope: I think, when I look back with my larger experience, a few more years on this earth, this perspective, you know, looking back, I think it's so hard because you get caught up in the high school experience, and I don't blame you. I mean, that's your narrow worldview at the moment and what you're feeling. So I think the stress is, is worse than possibly what your parents had? And you know what I'm going to say? I'm going to say yes. And I think for you to recognize a real sense of stress and to feel an extra pressure, I'm going to say yes. I feel like every generation almost demands of the next generation, a closer move to this perfect student and this perfect place. And there’s that, you know, if you're going to be successful, what job are you pursuing? And what career are you getting to to the point that we've lost sight of just being human beings in the moment and enjoying things in the moment? There's a real pressure to try and meet this outside expectation. And I don't think it's got lighter. I think it's gotten harder.

Mr. Delong: Yeah. I mean-

Mrs. Pope: I think, you know, what I'm gonna say, the more global we become, it's almost more like how do we meet the global competition? We're not even talking about local competition because you know, if you think back to your parents, often it was, where they went to school was where they were going to work and get their jobs, maybe not your parents, but your grandparents. Now, your work can take you anywhere in the world. But then who are you competing against? What does that look like? And when we're up against a world of more and more educated people, it's closing in on us.

Mr. Delong: It's a vicious cycle. My opinion has ever evolved about this pursuit of perfection. I think that because it's a vicious cycle, you're almost forced to. Where, like a lot of these college professors today couldn't be professors if they were students now, because like the barrier for entry is so much higher now. And I think the best way to combat burnout would be to just find the profession, find the job that like that, that you want to do. And I think if you can't, if you can find that route, then burnouts going to be a huge problem.

Marcus Kim: Oh yeah, I've seen amongst my peers a lot of burnout. And I see it basically any class I go to, right. Like, it might seem mean to say, but sometimes I see some of my friends have gray hairs from all the stress they've been under.

Mrs. Pope: And maybe it's not necessarily the pursuit of a career or finding out what it is that you want to do. Because there’s so much out there that we don't know what we want to do, but maybe your passion, you know, like that you can follow your passions, so that you're not being forced into things that are not you. And we know so many students that are being told, you know, you're going to have to follow this technology route or this business route, because that's where you're gonna find success. And then you're like, wait, I want to draw pretty postcards and send those to my friends. Yeah.

Marcus Kim: Yeah definitely, because a lot of people or a lot of my peers are like, oh, yeah, I need to do so well, to prepare me to get into a good college, right, and to then get a good job. So then an interesting narrative comes up, where it's: are you truly preparing yourself for life after high school by studying immensely and always being so absorbed in academia?

Mrs. Pope: No! Um, and, you know, it depends on who you are, like, I think you've got to find that, that route of academia that inspires you and moves you, you know, I love reading great essays. And, you know, with AP lang experience, all of the grades, right? And the great writing that’s out there, I love that pursuit of academia, but I'm not going to sit and learn how to code. I think you've got to decide what it is that, that you like, the most, and, and to put yourself out in that direction.

Mr. Delong: It's, it's a balance, it's a balance thing. But I've definitely seen people that have changed their lives from purely moving to academics, where they didn't, they didn't have a direction in life. And they sat down and they taught and like, they taught themselves coding, or they, you know, they did the work. And, you know, I think, you know, there comes a time when being a college kid is fun, but then you got to start paying the bills. And it's like, yeah, I did an art major, but that's not gonna, you know, pay for my rent or pay for my water, so.

Marcus Kim: So it's all about the balance, right?

Mr. Delong: Yeah, the balance and I think the practicality of just, not anything you do will work. It has to be lucky or pick a business major. Yeah, they make a lot of money.

Marcus Kim: All right. Well, thank you so much for your time here. I'll let you guys get back to your classes so you can teach the future generation of America or other countries, who knows, but thank you so much for your time.

Mrs. Pope: Well, Marcus, anytime.

Marcus Kim: This concludes our talk with Mrs. Pope and Mr. DeLong thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode had to the NHS Point of View tab on our website nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host, Marcus Kim, and this has been Point of View.

Point of You - Tech Talk with Mr. Paul

Jonah Chadwin, Dhruv Singh

In this episode, staffer Dhruv Singh interviews Mr. Paul about his experience as a Media Center specialist, Assistant Director of the marching band, and Taylor Swift fan. Listen on Spotify here!

Dhruv Singh: Hello, and welcome to Point of View where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm your host, Dhruv Singh, and today we'll be interviewing Mr. Paul, the media specialist here at Northview. So Mr. Paul, a lot of people might have seen your face before, when you help with tech issues and stuff, but I'm not sure that everyone really knows what your role is. So do you mind going into that a little bit?

Mr. Paul: Okay. Which part of my role that's- I do a lot.

Dhruv: So like, what is the main job description for media specialists?

Mr. Paul: Okay. Well, job description-wise specific and official, Fulton County changed this to media and educational technology instructor a couple years ago. So that's a nice way to say that we're here to help with students and teachers' needs in media and technology. Media being books, internet, video, audio, pretty much anything, and then technology, the obvious things. We do everything from the personal devices. We have recording equipment, video, and audio, all that stuff that we check out and help people with. But in the media side of it, I get to curate the list of books that we buy, and I get to decide which books need to go, and which books need to stay. And by mean to go, I mean, old and not used- not 'this is controversial.' No, no, no we don't do that. So I get to do that. And that's really exciting. And I really like that.

Dhruv: So how did you end up in this position? Is it like you just liked media and just kind of naturally filled this role? Or was it something you actively sought out? Or?

Mr. Paul: It's, I kind of fell into it? My story is a long winding path.

Dhruv: If you want to go into that, we'd love to hear it.

Mr. Paul: Sure!

Dhruv: How did you end up?

Mr. Paul: Well, I graduated high school convinced I was going to be a doctor. And then Freshman chemistry happened and that was wrong. So no matter how easy and great you think chemistry is in high school, wait till college. Don't be afraid it's fine. So then I had already decided to major in history with pre med because pre med is not a major. A lot of people major in bio or genetics or biochem, something like that. But I loved history always did. So I majored in history. I ended up getting that history degree. And then the financial collapse of 2007 happened and there were literally no jobs for people with just history degrees. So I went back to school, my now wife, then girlfriend, and her parents convinced me to give teaching a shot. And you know, it sounds different. My parents have been telling me that since I was 14. And you know, you just got to hear it from somebody else. So they convinced me to give it a shot. And I got my social studies education degree. And I taught everything you can teach in social studies for two years. But by the end of that second year, I knew that in the classroom was not where I belonged. I love education. And I love to read, and I'm good at technology. And I like talking to people about books and technology. So I went for the media specialist role at a master's degree. And there it is.

Dhruv: So and then on top of the media specialist stuff, you're involved with a lot of extracurriculars. So do you mind going through some of those?

Mr. Paul: Yeah, absolutely. The one that I love the most and takes up the most of my time is marching band. I was involved in band from the time I was 10 years old until now. And I was lucky enough my second year here that I went and talked to Mrs. Dickerson, the band director, and asked if she needed any help, and she was like 'oh my god, please come help.' So I'm lucky enough toI'm one of the few folks that gets to be an assistant marching band director without a music degree, which is pretty rare. And it's an excellent situation. I'm very lucky to be here. And I love working with the marching band and doing that. So that takes up most of my time. And it's where my heart is outside of the library. But I also have sponsored a lot of clubs. I restarted Model UN here in 2014 and passed that on when I had a kid because it takes up so much time. And so do kids. Gosh, oh, I sponsored the book club here, which is natural for a librarian. We had one when I got here and I kept that going for a couple of years and it just kind of- interest waned. So just as you know, if students aren't interested in it, then it's not gonna be great. So I let it pass and then this year, a couple of students approached me and asked if I was starting another one, so I was very happy to do that. This year, we've also started a Makerspace club. Some students approached me that had obtained some 3D printers and other making equipment through a charity they were working with during the pandemic to make PPE. And they wanted to start a Makerspace club here where students can come and just make things with 3D printers, laser printers, CNC machines, all that kind of stuff. So we do that and we meet every Tuesday and just build things and cut things and burn things and it's great.

Dhruv: To go back to marching band, so assistant director, what exactly does it entail? During the season and stuff like that.

Mr. Paul: I do basically whatever Mrs. Dickerson needs me to do. We have instrument specialists for each instrument, so I don't need to help with that. But well, what we don't have are marching technique specialists. So we have Mike Rostin is a former student of Mrs. Dickerson, and so he is an alumnus of Northview High School and teaches music in Cherokee County, but he comes and helps us with visuals, but I do more with the one-on-one on the field, helping with marching technique and helping people do that. And then I do logistics, and just really anything that's needed.

Dhruv: Do you have any thoughts on the season as it has just wrapped up? How marching band did or any thoughts? The marching band or the football team? The marching band or we can stay away from that.

Mr. Paul: We had a really good year this year. We were actually very pleasantly surprised, because you know, after the pandemic, a lot of bands like Milton typically has 200 people in their band or more. They were down to 130 this year, and we usually march round 121, 140. So we were afraid that we'd be down around 80, 60. But we had 109 people come out. It was great. You could tell that everybody, directors, students, everybody was so happy to be there because everybody was so much more focused than we've ever been. And I think we had one of our best seasons we've had since I've been involved with it.

Dhruv: Yeah, you can really hear it come out when they are playing during games and stuff. It was a lot of fun.

Mr. Paul: Thanks!

Dhruv: And you said you have a background in playing music right? Did you play music during college?

Mr. Paul: Oh yeah, I marched in the marching band at UGA for five years, you know, super senior. Gotta get one more in. And I marched in high school and played in concert bands in elementary.

Dhruv: What instrument did you play?

Mr. Paul: Saxophone and French horn and bass drum.

Dhruv: Okay, woah, that's quite a few.

Mr. Paul: Yeah. I'm sure you could tell I have eclectic tastes, I could never pick what I wanted to do for a living because I couldn't decide what I liked the best and I couldn't pick which instrument I wanted to play because I couldn't decide which I liked the best.

Dhruv: Yeah, that's a big reason I thought interviewing you would have been fun for this because I've seen you around the school just doing whatever really you like helping out with devices and then one day you were like offering to help out with the Bolt and stuff like uploading to YouTube and then you were like doing 3D printing. And I was like, he probably has an interesting job. Is there a reason why you pick up so many clubs? Do you just like seeing students do this stuff? Or is it just some of your interests?

Mr. Paul: It's a good mix. I love the day to day of my media specialist position. But the thing I miss the most from being a classroom teacher is forming relationships with students. It's hard in a librarian role to meet and really get to know students because I see 1000 kids a day instead of 120 and maybe 150. Look at the other teachers in the room. So it's hard to get to know kids so that's one of the reasons I wanted to get involved in band and clubs and things. I enjoy the specific activities because I didn't seek out clubs that I would not enjoy participating with. That would be no fun at all. Why would I spend my extra time doing that? So I find the stuff that I like and kids that are interested in that too and it gives me- I really enjoy it. Yeah, it's a great way to connect.

Dhruv: And then some more like simple questions since you're a media specialist you'd probably have some opinions on this. Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?

Mr. Paul: Ugh, you ask the hardest ones. Oh gosh, favorite movie I mean can watch Star Wars over and over forever you know.

Dhruv: Classic.

Mr. Paul: I'm a librarian nerd for life.

Dhruv: And then a favorite band or musician? You have a background in music.

Mr. Paul: Favorite band- currently, man I love Jason Isbelle he's great. You know Jason Isbelle?

Dhruv: I don't know if I know on the top of my head.

Mr. Paul: Sure, you know he's more new age Southern rock kind of thing. A little country, little Rock that's great. Of course I listened to Taylor's version of the Red album cuz you know you have to.

Dhruv: It was great.

Mr. Paul: And it was really solid and Silk Sonic just dropped their album and that was really well done. And you know, I like a little bit of everything.

Dhruv: Yeah, exactly.

Mr. Paul: Outkast, love Outkast. Outkast might be my favorite group ever. They're timeless.

Dhruv: There's some good opinions here Mr. Paul.

Mr. Paul: I do my best.

Dhruv: And then do you have a favorite book as a librarian?

Mr. Paul: Favorite book? I don't know if it's a favorite. But I tend to read 6, 7, 8 books at a time.

Dhruv: Oh wow.

Mr. Paul: Just because when you're in a different place you want to read a different kind of book. I usually have two nonfiction, a couple of fiction, and maybe a biography or something going on. That's nonfiction but. Something I always have going when I need something to decompress and not think all that hard is the Harry Potter series. It's always going. I just finished seven for, I don't know, 100th time. Who knows? But I just read that because some of the stuff I read, you know, there's lots of heavy books out there that are very much worth reading, but they can drain you so you need something to lighten it up. So I guess that's probably my favorite because that's what I read the most.

Dhruv: Yeah, the fun Star Wars, Harry Potter the fun classic stuff.

Mr. Paul: Absolutely.

Dhruv: Always fun.

Mr. Paul: Oh, Harry Potter is classic. Oh my god. Might have made you feel a little bit. Oh, you came out when I was in middle school? Oh my lord.

Dhruv: Anything else you want to talk about? Any hobbies or interests that you dive into outside of school?

Mr. Paul: Really love to travel. Travel to hike a lot.

Dhruv: Oh, hiking.

Mr. Paul: Yeah, my wife and I love to hike. My wife, my brother in law, my mother in law, and I are on a quest to go to every major league baseball stadium. We've been to 22, getting there. Very close. San Francisco highly recommend their ballpark. Chicago and Boston are amazing too. And you know, Truist down the road's not bad either. But yeah, we're huge baseball fans, we do that. And 2017 was our big one. We did a two week road trip and hit five stadiums in the Midwest.

Dhruv: That's a cool hobby. It's a cool thing to talk about.

Mr. Pau: I recommend it. We do a lot of credit card points. We kind of game the system to travel on a teacher's budget. So I taught a course to my mother in law's friends one time on that. So I mean, once y'all graduate if you can be responsible with a credit card we can talk about how to game the system and travel. Travel is, I can't recommend anything more to anybody in their life. Make sure you see other things. Everything's different and it just enriches it.

Dhruv: You heard it here. Come to Mr. Paul, if you want tips for traveling on a budget.

Mr. Paul: Absolutely.

Dhruv: Okay, so this concludes our interview with Mr. Paul. Thank you so much for listening.

Mr. Paul: Thanks for having me.

Dhruv: For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host Dhruv Singh, and this has been Point of View.

Across the Table - Girls in Gaming

Rachel Everett, Sofia Mang, Grace Yang

In this episode, staffers Grace, Rachel, and Sofia discuss issues girls face in the gaming community and how they have overcome them. Listen here on Spotify!

Rachel: Hello, and welcome to Point of View, where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. We’re your hosts, Rachel,

Grace: Grace,

Sofia: And Sofia. And today we'll be discussing the gaming community's attitude towards females and how it has affected us personally. So a lot of people know that girls are generally not well received in gaming lobbies. I know for me specifically, there's been multiple times where a lot of guys have been really misogynistic towards me, especially if they found out that I'm a girl if I start talking, and it's not even just misogynistic, they're sometimes sexual towards me. And it just makes gaming overall, something that should be enjoyed turned into something that is just enjoyable, you know?

Grace: Yeah, I feel like, well to be fair, I don't really talk in team chat a lot. Because I've seen how people react to girls, so I'm like, I don't want to have that. So I just like, I don't communicate with my teammates, but sometimes that can be bad if you have call-outs and you can't really communicate with them. But sometimes it's scary because like, me personally, I'm just scared that when they hear my voice, they’ll jump on it, and say something, and I just, I don't do well receiving criticism, or getting bashed, so I just don't talk.

Rachel: I'm one of those people that tries to see the positive in everyone. So no matter what, I'll just always talk in lobbies. Like, I'm not like, I'm always kind of afraid of what might happen. But I don't really play longer games so I play quick, easy games like Spike Rushes. So I'm not too afraid of talking and doing call-outs. But I have experienced like, in those longer games, it's more of like, you feel you run into more of a chance of being insulted or being sexualized or misogynistic towards. So it's one of those things that's like, sometimes you want to talk and sometimes you don't.

Grace: I mean, a lot of times, I feel like it can be fun sometimes. Because if you get lucky enough to have a team that's either fun or doesn't really care that you're a girl, sometimes they don't say anything, or they'll go along with it. And they're like, I'll buy you skins or I'll buy you guns or something. And then like, sometimes they're more welcoming, which is still pretty nice. It's nice to see that people have sort of opened up more to girls playing these games with them and not really jumping to insult them.

Sofia: Usually, what I do is, whenever I'm playing a game, like Rachel was saying, in the longer games you're more afraid of getting that kind of backlash because it's more serious and it's taken more seriously, especially by the other players. So I really only talk if I'm doing well. And then sometimes, after I talk, then the whole team is very welcoming like you said, and it's a good experience. Because then you can actually have fun because it's way more fun when you can actually talk to your team and have fun with them. But then, sometimes if you talk, then you do get backlash. Like, one time I was playing this one game, and I was doing really well. We were winning. And all of a sudden I talked and for some reason, two of my teammates, they were guys, and they just did not like the fact that I was a girl and they completely left the game. So we ended up losing because they weren't playing anymore. And it's just like that kind of that hesitant moment where you have to decide if you want to speak, if you want to reveal that your girl and it's gonna change the whole outcome of the game. Why is that a thing? You know? Why does that have to happen?

Grace: Yea that’s so stupid that you have to be scared to talk. But I feel like a lot of the backlash is just for no reason. It's simply because of your gender. Or like, they'll make assumptions that like, “Oh, you're bad at this game because you're a girl”. I really hate that because it just sort of puts you down and it slowly chips away at your self esteem. Even if you're like, “Oh, they're just random, I don't care.” Like even some people in person, if they know I play games, they’ll assume that I'm bad just because I'm a girl or they'll make other assumptions.

Rachel: And Grace, you’re on the ESports team, aren't you?

Grace: Yes.

Rachel: See, that's more proving the fact that just because you're a girl doesn't mean you're bad. Like, we have Grace on the eSports team and that's really amazing and really awesome. But it is sad that it's almost expected that you're bad when you play as a girl. Like, when I reveal that I'm a girl sometimes, I get self conscious of every single move I make, like I beat myself up over every decision- if it's good or bad if I don't hit a shot, or if I just completely spray because I do that a lot. I just hold down the trigger button. But it’s just sad.

Sofia: Yea, there's so many stereotypes that just are enforced on “gamer girls” I guess. Like there's so many different agents in different games. Like obviously, in every different game there's different roles like DPS or damage and then support and for girls, they're always expected to play support, they're always expected to kind of be the person who doesn't really do much. They just have to do whatever people tell them to. And like for me, Sage in Valorant, she's like a healer. And in league, there's also healers. But everyone always expects you to play that healer, to be that person who just does whatever the male wants, I guess. And I don't really know why these stereotypes have come into gaming in the first place because gaming should be a unisex experience, it should be a universal kind of thing that everyone can do. And it sucks that gender was kind of roped into it.

Rachel: Going off of your Sage comment, when I was first learning how to play Valorant, I certainly played Sage a lot more, because she's kind of like, she's a good starter character. But I feel like a lot of girls do feed into the whole thing of Sage- and this is not to insult you Sofia. But just in general, it's like a lot of girls do kind of go into playing Sage more often and doing those support roles. And while there are of course, many people who go out of support roles, like I play Viper, and she's a controller. It's like maybe certain girls are scared to venture out of those support roles. And they really need to try and adventure into other roles and other categories.

Grace: I think the reason why a lot of girls pick the support role, I think it's just because we’re new to the game. Because like, when I was picking up League, I knew it was a really hard game and that there's a really steep learning curve. I picked the support role, because I knew you have another person with you in lane. So if you lose lane, it's not completely your fault. And also, I just knew it was less mechanically challenging. And because I didn't have any experience, like with a keyboard and mouse before, I just picked a role that I thought would help me get into the game easier. And I think that's true for a lot of girls because, like only recently have games been more marketed towards girls or have they been more open to girls. Because before, when we were all in like elementary school and middle school, games were only for guys which is why a lot of girls don't have experience. And I think that's why sometimes we'll choose more supporting roles. And I think even then the supporting roles, like just because everybody says “Oh they’re easy” and stuff. There's a lot of aspects of them that are important. Like for example in Valorant if you're like… what's it called? The guy who like runs in?

Sofia: Duelist?

Grace: Oh yeah is that like a duelist? I feel like a duelist you can just run in and get headshots like no brain anything. But if you're a controller or a Sage, you have to think about flanks and other stuff like that. It’s the same thing in league. Like, if you’re a support you have to think about more macro plays and other stuff that's going on in the game, not just mechanically, but what is going on IN your lane.

Sofia: Yeah, I like what you said about playing support characters when you're new, especially because you felt like if you did something or if your lane lost, it wouldn't be your fault. And I think that's something that also plays into Valorant and the reason why Valorant players also choose the support characters, because it's all about not getting blamed. Because especially being a girl, obviously if you're a bad player, in general, no matter your gender, you're gonna get blamed for losing the game. But for a girl, you don't really like to have that blame, especially if you're already not confident enough in the way that you play. Like sometimes I'm not confident enough in my own skills, no matter how long have played, no matter all the things I've done, I'm just not confident. And so I play these support characters because I don't want to be blamed for the game. If I did play a duelist like you said, and I didn't get those kills and I didn't win the game for my team, then I would be blamed and it would be even worse so because I'm a girl. I feel like the whole blame thing is just so scary for girls in the game. Rachel: I feel like, going off a very, very heavy stereotype, guys kind of go in running and gunning and they fit more of the duelist. Because like you said, duelists can just completely run and get headshots like nobody's business, but they're not focusing on strategy per se. But with sentinels and support characters like Sage, you do have to worry about flank and it's more strategical. And that's like, I feel like girls are like, how do I say this? Girls more so think about the strategies rather than the actual gunplay and aiming and shooting.

Grace: I mean, these stereotypes, I think it's gotten so bad that it affects every single girl because it's always just because of their gender. So like, even to the point where it sort of invalidates you and it's like, “Oh, you're not good at this game” or “You can't play real games”, because there's that idea that real games are FPS or stuff like that. And they think that girls can only play Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing and like I love those games, of course. But one, it invalidates the types of games that are more peaceful and sandbox, and two it invalidate girls who want to play games in general.

Sofia: Yeah, like these pro girl gamers or these pro streamers, there's a lot of streamers that are actually really good at the game. They're really good at Valorant. But just because they did gain popularity, because they were conventionally attractive, it invalidates it for all the men, they're just like, “Oh, you're not good at this game. You're just pretty. That's why you have followers. You're not good at this game.” Like Katsumi, she's on Cloud Nine White, which is the pro Valorant team for women and that team is actually really good. They're one of the best women's teams, I'm pretty sure but she's less validated just because she's very soft spoken, she's very, just cute, you know? And so it makes people think she doesn’t hold as much value as she does, because she's a very good player and people just completely forget about that. Because, “Oh, she's pretty. That's why she has a platform. That’s why she has etc.”

Rachel: Going off of the whole pro gaming thing, I feel like when you're playing as a woman, as a girl, I know that what I said earlier, I scrutinize every single play I make. And I kind of let those really bad comments get to me. And it's like, maybe I shouldn't really be playing these games, maybe I just don't have the right skill set. Because, I've always watched my older brothers play video games, and I've always wanted to do these things. But I've never seemed to pick up on it. Like I've never played Comp or like the one time that I played I was playing with Irons. Like, I'm not very good at the game but it's still really fun. And having those invalidating experiences of going, “Oh, you're really bad at this. Why are you playing this? Go back to the kitchen.” which is what I've been told, when I just want to have fun and play the game. I don't necessarily want to go play simple sandbox games, like Stardew like you said, I want something action packed and exciting. Sofia: Yeah, like, I remember, I first got into gaming around quarantine because obviously, we had nothing to do at home. And I remember I specifically bought a whole PC, a whole setup just so I could play with my friends. And it was really fun for me because I first started the game and they would just always play with me because it's fun to play with someone who's new, it's fun to teach them. But then all of a sudden, as soon as I started playing more and more, and I got more people to play with me, those same people that I bought the PC for, that I played games with originally, they were the ones calling me boosted, they're the ones saying “Why are you playing this game? This is not for you.” Those same people that inspired me to play started all of a sudden degrading me. And that was really tough on me because it felt like “Why did I even buy this, I don't even enjoy myself anymore because people who made me enjoy it are now making me feel like I shouldn't be doing this.” And I invalidate myself because I am a higher rank than average in Valorant. And it's because I did play with my friends who are like very, very high and they helped me get to that rank, but it wasn't about just getting to that rank, it was just to have fun with them. And the fact that people will always say a girl never deserves a rank, a girl doesn't really deserve it so the girl has to literally prove themselves to that person specifically that they can do what they have portrayed that they can do. It's just hard to deal with.

Grace: And so I think it's a lot more uplifting to play with other girls because if you find, I know in Valorant, but if you find another girl in lobby it's sort of a relief that like “Oh, I have a comrade! Thank you.”

Rachel: Literally, like I've always asked “Oh are there any girls here” or I've been asked that and the moment you find out you just have an instant connection with that kind of person and I'm just like “Let's go!”

Sofia: Yeah like you wouldn't even have to talk to them or know them. You could just be like, “Are you a girl?” “I'm a girl” “Oh my god we're best friends” “I love you” and stuff like that and that's kind of a way that girls have made it better for themselves. We've made it a community that's easier for us because instead of just sitting there and being like “Wow, I wish this was better”, we actually made it better. And now that a lot of girls are getting into these games, a lot of people are becoming similar in that way and it's so much easier to join a lobby because sometimes there most likely will be another girl and then that makes it so much easier on us to play the game and it makes it easier on everyone because we support each other.

Grace: Yeah, I think that reaching out in lobby is really nice because even though there's these stupid toxic stereotypes or whatever, you can sort of get through that by making friends. And you can sort of bond over that experience because you know that you've both been flamed just for being a girl so you're not gonna do anything like that to them of course.

Rachel: If y'all know the stereotypes of COD lobbies where it's like a bunch of guys and they're insulting each other and yelling at each other. But when you're in lobbies with girls, I feel like we moreso uplift each other, rather than like, “Oh, that was a really bad shot, what the heck?” You're just like, “Oh, let's go. That was amazing.”

Sofia: Yeah, and I really like, just what we've done as a community to make it easier on us. Even the stereotypes that have been put on us with the certain agents that we've played like, yes, I do main Sage, I play her a lot. But it's not just because of the fact that she's a support role or she's easy to play, cuz everyone just says, “Oh, you play Sage, because you're a girl, she's easy to play.” It's more like, I've been taking that and, there’s this whole thing about battle Sages where because Sage can heal herself as well as other people, so she can also take initiative and kind of control the game in her own way. And I've been able to do that too. And I like how everyone's been able to just take these stereotypes and just turn it into something that works for them and it just empowers us, instead of bringing us down.

Grace: I mean, to be fair to the guys, because I don't want to bash them too much. There are some of them who are kind of nice, or maybe it's just because they're simping for a girl. Because I know once I was in a league lobby, and I was trying a new role for the first time and so I was getting flamed by the enemy, right? And they're like, “Wow you suck at this.” And I was like, “Gosh, thank you.” But then, I think one of them asked if we had any girls on our team and I was not gonna say that I was a girl. Like, I'm not gonna put myself out there. But then one of my friends typed “Oh, yeah, this person is a girl.” And then they were like, “Oh, I see.” And they were like, “Oh, yeah, that character that you're playing is actually eally hard to get into. So you'll get there eventually. Don't worry about it.” They actually got nicer to me, after they found out I was a girl which was really, really unexpected, but kind of nice.

Sofia: Yeah, I feel like we should give the people some credit, because it's not like every single lobby is full of horrible people. Like sometimes I'll be in a lobby and it's always like 50/50. But the times that there are just a bunch of positive guys who don't really care that I'm a girl or they don’t care about the fact that I'm a girl will affect the way I play. It's just, they see how I play firsthand and that's how they judge me. And so it's just really nice because even through all these kind of bad experiences and situations, there's always good things can come out of it. There's always good experiences that we sometimes disregard by letting the negative ones overpower it. And so we just have to remember that in a way too.

Rachel: I've met a few people just through having these amazing experiences with them in spike crushes. And I'm like, “Do you want to keep playing later?” And we’ll play a bunch more rounds until late in the night. And it's just like, you've made these these friends just because you were nice to each other. Like, why can't everyone be nice to each other? There's always the positives outweigh the negatives. You know, as much as the negatives weigh on you, I always feel like there's more- personally, I always feel like there's more positives that are there to remember.

Sofia: Yeah. And who are you to let someone else dictate what you enjoy and how you play the game?

Rachel: So this concludes our episode of Across the Table. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at NHS point of view for updates and new episodes. We've been your hosts, Rachel,

Grace: Grace,

Sofia: And Sofia and this has been Point of View.

Culture Shock - Squid Game

Jonah Chadwin, Sofia Mang

In this episode, staffers Jonah Chadwin and Sofia Mang discuss the deeper meaning and themes in Netflix's most watched show, Squid Game. Listen on Spotify here!

Sofia: Hello, and welcome to point of view where we give students a place to listen, learn and lean in. I'm Sofia Mang

Jonah: And I'm Jonah Chadwin.

Sofia: And today we're dissecting Squid Game, the popular survival K-drama, we will be diving deep and unpacking the intricate themes and layers of the show.

Jonah: So, the series Squid Game revolves around a contest where 456 players are in deep financial debt, they put their lives at risk to play a series of children's games for the chance to win 45.6 billion won prize money.

Sofia: So, if we kind of just go into squid game and talk about the theme, I feel like something that's obvious is capitalism, right?

Jonah: Yeah.

Sofia: And so, everyone knows that capitalism is the idea that the poor stays poor and the rich only get richer. So, it's just money equals power. And it's an ongoing cycle that just never stops, right?

Jonah: Yeah.

Sofia: And I feel like in Squid Game, you know how they said that the whole point of the games was to keep everything fair.

Jonah: Yeah. They were focused on that a lot. Yeah.

Sofia: Yeah, but then like, in that, it just showed human nature because the people still created their own social hierarchy.

Jonah: Yeah, they all had their own little groups. Eventually, throughout, they were never just gonna be on their own, they had to form a society.

Sofia: They're always teamed up. And then when they were all killing each other that wasn't even part of the games, but it was in a sense, because it's just how humans are, and they always just find ways to be on top and cheat their way out of the system.

Jonah: Yeah, it's just human nature to have sort of like a human government, wherever you are, you can't all be equal. There's got to be someone above, and capitalism, it's shown a lot throughout, the poor stays poor, when Gi-Hun even after he won all that money, he'd never spent any of it. We see throughout the series that he doesn't spend it at all, and he's still poor a year later, when he meets the old man that the rich get richer. The old man never stops getting rich, he keeps making money eventually he gets bored with how rich he is and how much power he has throughout.

Sofia: Yeah, and I mean, I guess besides capitalism, what else did you notice throughout?

Jonah: I noticed how it talks about how childhood is easier than adulthood, and how the games are their childhood, and when they play the children's games it represents them as a kid and how it feels as a kid. While the real world is them in debt and for Gi-Hun it's impossible to overcome. There are hints at this when we see Gi-Hun play a children's claw game, but as an adult that fails, and ultimately a kid wins the claw game and the prize for Gi-Hun, we see Gi-Hun have a choice between going back into the games or staying in the real world, childhood or adulthood, and he picks childhood which is the games, which may seem gruesome and deadly, but it's still easier than adulthood for him.

Sofia: Yeah. And I kind of noticed, I was like, I think one of the biggest aspects of why it was so popular was because of these children's games turned dark, right?

Jonah: Yeah.

Sofia: Like seeing people die from tug of war was really interesting to me, but I feel like another theme that they touched on was luck. You know, and what I said earlier about how the people who are in charge of the games emphasize the fact that it was always fair, but then it just teaches a theme instead of a theme because all of these games, yes, they're technically fair, but in a sense, they're really not. It's just about luck. Like for the last game sport, the second to last game specifically, it was literally luck.

Jonah: Yeah, it was only luck. There was nothing more. Tug of war was a little bit of making sure, well that wasn't exactly luck, tug of war you had to be strong. And you could even pick who you were with too.

Sofia: Exactly. I guess it just has multiple themes for each character and their backstory, but I feel like, like I said earlier how it's been so popular. It is a Korean Asian media, but why do you think it has such a vast appeal?

Jonah: I think it has such a vast appeal, because adults will be able to relate to Gi-Hun’s struggle, because there are many adults out there that may not be in such financial areas as others like the old man in Gi-Hun's place and they can relate to his struggles, but while Korean kids and kids like us can relate to the children's games, but that dark twist turned on it.

Sofia: Yeah, and obviously, Korean debt is very, very bad thing compared to America, but it's still something that we can all relate to, but I feel like it also kind of draws back to America's obsession with Asian media. You know, like K-pop has become very, very popular recently. And anime has always been a big thing, but I feel like even recently, more teens have gotten to it instead of like shedding it away. And some people kind of just value Asian media more or just foreign media in general, like French movies they've seem, oh, it's so sophisticated compared to like, American movies, stuff like that. So, I feel like just the foreign media overall gives it even more of like an edge.

Jonah: Yeah, it's nice to see America evolve into liking other things than just their own and appreciating good media from anywhere.

Sofia: Yeah, I feel like because it's, another reason why it's so popular was because all ages just love it because of the different factors. There's the satisfying visuals like that place that they went through every time he went through a game watching them walk through that

Jonah: Yeah, those stairs.

Sofia: Yeah.

Jonah: That was yeah, that was visually appealing.

Sofia: The colors are so pretty and like the way that it's structured like I've never seen that before. And then like, once again, the children's games being able to, I have a few Korean friends who are talking about how they play these games when they were kids. So, watching in Squid Game was like kind of like a tongue twister for them. And also, just like even when they play these games as a kid, obviously they did it innocently. And then all of a sudden, they're watching these people play these games, and they're dying because they can't cut out a cookie, right?

Jonah: Yeah, another reason it's so popular is because it's dark enough that people who like horror movies people who are into that will like those gruesome moments, but it's not so dark, that it'll scare away the people that don't like those kinds of films. Combined with the emotional aspect and the mystery of who's behind it all. There's something for everyone. There's a different layer of the series that someone's gonna like the mystery, the gruesomeness, the adventure, the action, the romance, so many mysteries and questions at the end, that just leaves them wanting more. It didn't rush the characters with a show like Squid Game, it's very easy to just focus on the games and not the characters and not talk about the characters at all but it in episode two, it really went into their backstory, and you learned, and you grew a connection with those characters in such a short period of time.

Sofia: Yeah. And it's like, because of how our past society has always been kind of obsessed with the dystopian thing like Hunger Games.

Jonah: Yeah, that was big in the 2010s.

Sofia: Yeah, dystopian games, kind of like survival games, that's always been something that we like. And I remember, I really liked it as a kid. I agree. Like, I don't even like horror. I hate horror. And I hate blood, I hate gore, but I really love squid game. And it's just like, I mean, like, I close my eyes sometimes when they're like stabbing each other. I didn't like that, but I agree I also love the characters. I remember, just, I was always just rooting for the main character.

Jonah: Yeah.

Sofia: Even though he was introduced as a bad dad, a guy in debt, like all of this stuff, I was still rooting for him, because it was showing how even under all of these bad aspects that he is as a person, he's still a good person at heart.

Jonah: Yeah, you see how all of them like they may be in bad debt, but they all have like the good qualities about them. Even somebody like Sang Woo. Yeah.

Sofia: I mean, like, I don't know, some people, I guess he can be understood, because if you were in a life-or-death situation, what would you do?

Jonah: Yeah, we would all be partly saying we would there.

Sofia: Yeah, but so with this, I guess we could kind of infer the future media from Asia and how that's going to become more popular. Yeah. Like for me. I've already looked to other shows that have been similar to Squid Game. And have you heard of Alice in Borderland?

Jonah: Yes, I think I have.

Sofia: You have? Have you watched it?

Jonah: No, not yet.

Sofia: No, it's like, it's similar a lot to Squid Game, because they're, once again, its games, but they're Japanese. And it's a lot more complex in Squid Game, but it's just something that you see how they just draw inspiration from each other and how big everything is coming, because all of a sudden, after Squid Game came out. You saw Alice in Borderland being advertised more and more and more.

Jonah: Yeah, Squid Game sort of took us back to those days of the dystopian era. And it sets the bar for future media because it set a level of just being that good that not many shows are gonna top that.

Sofia: Exactly like even watching Alice in Borderlands. I was like, Okay, but how can I relate this back to Squid Game, you know, which is not something you should do when you're watching a show, but I was just like, the Squid Game was so good. I want more of it. You know? What's something that you think they could have done better in the show?

Jonah: I feel like because so many characters died in it, and we only had what one main character pretty much left? I feel like you could have kept at least one or two. I feel like you didn't have to kill every single one and give us something to look forward to. I mean, we're all looking forward to season two, but I feel like we'd all look forward to it more with some characters returning and they might there's been so many theories out there about characters still being alive and so many of those theories.

Sofia: Yeah, I mean, like, I feel like I didn't want anyone to die either. I really liked Sae-Byeok and I liked, actually I liked the old man before.

Jonah: Yeah same. He was sweet then. Yeah.

Sofia: But I feel like they couldn't progress the story more unless everyone died because obviously there has to be a winner. And I did like the character development that Sang-Woo showed at the end of the game when he did die. That was really interesting to see, but I don't really know what they could have done better because I didn't come out usually, I come out of a show thinking. Oh, I wish they did this. I wish I did that. I don't really think anything about Squid Game. I think it's the only thing was the first few episodes or the, like one of the episodes, one like portion of it. It was kind of slow for me. And I was binging it, but it was still like a little hard for me to get through that one part, but I feel like that's every show for me. Yeah, but I don't know it's just something to think about. And do you think that Squid Game would work as a movie instead of a TV show? Jonah: I do not. Because I feel like with a TV show, you have a lot more time than a movie. I feel like you needed that with Squid Game number one, to fit in all six games. And number two, to actually make us feel those characters and actually get a backstory to them.

Sofia: Yeah, like, because the show was already had like episodes that were like, 50 minutes long, almost an hour long, right? It shows that we needed all that context and all that information to be able to get such a detailed and interesting show with all the aspects that we liked.

Jonah: Yeah.

Sofia: So, I feel like if we had it as a movie, it would just feel extremely rushed.

Jonah: Yeah. It would either be that or it'd be very, very long.

Sofia: That's true. What a like eight-hour movie. I don't know I think it's just it's something that everyone can just relate to and watch, because I've never ever seen a show as big as this that everyone's watching. Like, everyone's been watching it even like my mom's watched it. My aunt's watched it. My little cousins watched it. It's just so big now.

Jonah: Yeah, I don't know many people who haven't watched it, I feel you have to there's so much peer pressure online and so much, god everyone's yeah everyone's talking about it.

Sofia: Yeah, exactly. Like didn't you watch it?

Jonah: I watched it because everyone was watching it.

Sofia: Exactly. And you just want something else to talk about.

Jonah: Yeah, I had to like, recognize and know what they were talking about.

Sofia: But at least it was a good show.

Jonah: It was a good show.

Sofia: This concludes our review. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the point of view tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org. And follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at @nhspointofview for updates and new episodes. I'm your host Sofia Mang.

Jonah: I'm your host Jonah Chadwin.

Sofia: And this has been

Jonah: Point of View.

Culture Shock - Hansel and Gretel

Jordan Anderson, Suhani Mahajan, Caleb Smith, Delisa Troupe

In this episode, staffers Caleb, Delisa, Jordan, and Suhani discuss their experience at a local new bakery, Hansel & Gretel. Listen on Spotify here!

Caleb: Hello, and welcome to Point of View, where we give students a place to listen, learn, and lean in. We’re your hosts,

Jordan: Jordan

Delisa: Delisa

Suhani: Suhani

Caleb: And I’m Caleb, and today we’re going to be discussing our experience at a local bakery, Hansel and Gretel.

Suhani: So, we went to Hansel and Gretel this weekend together. And I remember it was like our first fall day, it was chilly. And you walk inside, we went in the afternoon. And it was so warm and cozy inside the lighting was well warm, and it smells so sweet. And I loved the environment.

Delisa: I remember my first experience walking in- like I just love bakeries in general, it’s a very, like cozy feeling. And especially now that like, winter is starting to hit. It’s kind of a nice place to like to sit down and study and just relax like a break from school.

Jordan: One thing I definitely noticed about walking in, it was like the lighting gave me fall vibes. Like it was like a warm orangey like

Suhani: The vintage like.

Jordan: Yeah, vintage.

Caleb: The one thing that I liked is the different varieties of food and different little treats and pastries I liked that they added kind of to the whole aesthetic of the place. Everything was brought together by the lighting and everything, just like you guys said.

Delisa: Yeah, there are a lot of like different varieties and like desserts, which is like my favorite thing. And then not only that, but they had like hot chocolate and like coffee and like I’m pretty sure they had boba too. And they also had like shaved ice, which I thought was really, really cool.

Suhani: I also liked that since the store itself is really smart, it feels homey almost, because in the center, you have the dessert aisle and the counter, you have the patisserie section, and it really brings the whole store together. When you sit in that environment. You feel like you’re in the bakery itself.

Jordan: I like, it’s just it’s a really cozy vibe. Like, I feel like I can just go there whenever and do whatever and just relax. Like maybe family or like, with my friends or something. It’s just really, it’s like a relaxing place to go to, especially after school.

Suhani: Do you guys remember when we walked in, and we saw all the desserts how long it took us to like decide what to actually get?

Caleb: It was too much like I just couldn’t choose. There’s so many things that look super, super good. And I knew I wasn’t rich. So I wasn’t gonna buy everything. I know, we kind of shared what we had. And everything was pretty, pretty good so.

Suhani: Yeah, I remember because I, this wasn’t my first time but like every time is still a fun experience for me. So like my last time when I had the Grande Buttercream Loaf, and I thought it was really, really good. So I wanted to get it again. But obviously like there’s so many options that I like force myself to try something new. So I had the Honey Castella and maybe liked a little bit less than what I had before. But it was still nice, like, just tried things that I’ve never had before.

Caleb: I remember you giving me a piece and that was pretty, pretty dry thath that was drier than the Sahara Desert, I have to say so that was one of the least favorite things that we had that day. But I also got this, this donut covered in cake crumbles. And it was actually pretty, pretty good it nice and pillowy and soft. That was probably my second favorite thing after your little butter cream loaf that bread was really, really good.

Jordan: I got the, one of the things I got was the chocolate croissant, and I never had a chocolate croissant before. It was actually pretty good. But the funny thing about it, I don’t know why it was so funny to me. I didn’t know that the chocolate was like powder, it was like, I don’t know how to explain it but it was on the croissant. But it was also powdery and I put my whole hand on the chocolate thinking that it wasn’t gonna like leave, like a mark or anything. And I lifted my hand up and my whole hand was covered in chocolate. I don’t know why that happened. But like it was so good though. I’ll definitely get it again.

Delisa: I remember seeing you just wipe your hands on like ten napkins.

Caleb: The wipes were covered in just chocolate powder like they were completely, You got a little bit on your face too.

Suhani: I have to say I got the mango croissant and my experience was probably a little better than that. I didn’t anticipate fruit working that well in a croissant.

Caleb: Me either

Suhani: But I was pleasantly surprised.

Caleb: Me either.

Delisa: Yeah, I remember trying and it was so so good. Like usually I don’t like fruit in like desserts because like whenever I go to like an ice cream shop and I try like, like mango or like strawberry whatever inside or like on top of the ice cream. It’s usually like spoiled because it’s been out all day but like the mango croissant was really, really good. And it was like something I hadn’t expected to like.

Suhani: It was fresh and decadent.

Delisa: Decadent.

Caleb: Nice word choice. But I think my thing with bakeries is that I usually don’t go for the actual treats itself. I go for studying and just finding a nice peaceful place that feels great. And I feel kind of warm and just like a nice peaceful place for me to study and kind of do my work. Or just to find, just like an easy place for me to just kind of think and whatever. So I think that’s the best thing about Hansel and Gretel. I think one of the things is that I can go there to study in the future.

Delisa: For me, it was nice, like seeing everyone like, I remember sitting down, and like looking over the counter. And I saw like a couple of my friends who worked there. And then like, a couple of people that I knew had walked in and had eaten down on like a different table. And then best of all, was seeing like Mr. Pinto walk in with his friends and like, casual clothing. And it was like really funny to just see like him as a teacher, like, in a completely new environment.

Suhani: And for listeners who don’t know, Hansel and Gretel is right next to H Mart. So it’s so close to the school and it, it’s like a local treat that you get to bump into people from school there. And I think that adds to like, the fun ness of that environment.

Caleb: Yeah.

Delisa: I think there’s something like really, really special about like, all those like shops that’s near Northview. Because like, after an entire day of school where I’m like, just tired and I just want to relax, Hansel and Gretel is just like the perfect place to go. Like H Mart and like, all the shops nearby are really great. But like Hansel and Gretel is like a new cafe that just opened up. And it’s like a really fun place to just go and hang out with friends after school.

Jordan: Yeah, it’s like, go get your mind off of things. Just go after school with your friends, talk and not think about school for once, like after being in school all day. And normally, I don’t really go to bakeries that often, but I think I went to like one or two before this. But I like, I like my experience there It’s like, a calming sensation when you walk into a bakery. I don’t know, but like once I walked in, it was really calming and relaxing.

Caleb: Yeah, I love that I could go there. And taking a chance on a new bakery, because I usually go to kind of the same ones. I don’t like changing things. I’m kind of almost like not traditional. But I like going to the same places. I am kind of opposed to trying something new sometimes. But going there for this podcast and kind of going there and giving it a try. I had a good experience. And I’ll definitely go again, considering all the things that we have. We had such a good time there. And I was really happy to go there.

Suhani: I like that, we could go like as a group of four and it still felt intimate even though our group was pretty large.

Caleb: Yeah

Suhani: Because the cafe kind of like, as Jordan said, like, it was calm and it made us calm too. Even though you’ll see us in class, and we’re pretty lively bunch. It was nice to get together at such a location.

Caleb: Yeah, we had such a great time. And we definitely recommend this place that you go ahead and give it a try. But that go aheads, that goes to conclude our segment of Culture Shock. Thank you so much for listening. For a transcript of this episode, head to the Point of View tab on our website, nhsmessenger.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook at nhspointofview, for more updates and new episodes. I’m your host, Caleb Smith.

Delisa: Delisa Troupe

Suhani: Suhani

Jordan: And Jordan Anderson

Caleb: And this has been Point Of View.