October 2016 by Sage Hill School

October 2016 lightningboltonline.com

20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 www.issuu.com/shsbolt @theboltonline

A Farce to be Reckoned With Two Casts Take on Classic British Comedy By Julia Dupuis 17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com

Starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, Sage Hill will be putting on the first show of The Liar. Featuring a double cast, the show will alternate actors each night around a total of six performances. Directed by theater teacher Tannis Hanson, The Liar, written by Pierre Corneille and adapted by David Ives, is a comedy that follows the story of Dorante, a pathological liar who unwittingly courts and falls for the wrong girl. In a plot filled with witty banter, puns, elaborate tales, misunderstandings and a tangled web of lies—The Liar presents a comedic jaunt through 17th century Paris. In addition to being the first Sage Hill play with a double cast, the set is designed in thrust, a type of seating in which the audience surrounds the stage on three sides. “The classical style allows us to play towards the audience, but still have the chance to design a fitting backdrop,” Hanson said. “A thrust requires our actors to have broader awareness and it gives them more ways that they can play.” Hanson chose the play for its blend of classical and contemporary elements, as well as the freedom it gives her to explore a more comedic realm. “I read [the play] a few years ago and fell in love with the language—classical text but with the contemporary adaptation,” Hanson said. “I loved the idea of the mixing of the two worlds. Everything I’ve done so far at

Sage Hill has been dramatic, so I wanted to do something fun like a satire or a comedy of manners.” Junior Ryan Spataro, playing the lead role of Dorante, embraces the challenge that comes with the complexity of the language. “I’m a good embellisher and a good storyteller, but Dorante just paints a picture with every word in his monologues,” Spataro said. “I’ve really enjoyed going deeper into the text and finding the emphasis that will paint a picture of the scene and bring the extravagant lies to life.” Hanson looks forward to watching this energy and spirit carry through for each of the actors during upcoming rehearsals, especially with her decision to double cast. “We had so many strong actors come out to audition that I knew double-casting was going to be my best option,” Hanson said. “That way, more students would have the opportunity to be on stage and I would get the fun challenge of working with two casts. I’m excited to see them get to live in the world of the play as we add in our period costumes, wigs and whimsical scenic design in our upcoming tech rehearsals.” For the actual performances, Hanson’s main objective is to follow in the spirit of the farce and ensure that everyone has a good time, including those on and off stage. “With the quippy rhyming language, the mistaken identities and the over the top physicality, I hope to accomplish a night of laughter and fun for all involved—the actors, the crew and the audience,” she said.

Volume 17, Issue 3 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool

En Garde. Leads Daniel Levy and Dylan Dickerson stage a fight during a rehearsal. Stage Fright. Senior Lauren Abbott stays in character as she hides behind a fan. Get On Your Mark. Senior leads Julia Blatz and Kate Kelly prepare a scene together. Practice Makes Perfect. Daniel Levy and Kate Kelly rehearse a shared scene. Levy looks on as Kelly reads from a prop. All these photos were taken at one rehearsal with one of the two casts.

Photos By Jenny King

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

EDITORIAL

Views on News

We Don’t Make The News; We Report On It With the upcoming election racing towards us at an alarming rate, and all this discussion about the media, it’s only fitting that we talk about the media in our community. On any level of journalism, journalists don’t make the news; we just report on it. When something happens, it’s our duty to write about it and inform the community. Often, in Pubs, we hear “how could you write about that?” or “I can’t believe you wrote about that person. What if they don’t like what you wrote?” While we’d never write something to offend anyone, journalists on Publications Staff take their role as journalists seriously. If we feel a story is pertinent to the Sage community, we write about it. We don’t create the stories we write about; we just report on them. If we filtered our newspaper based on what would appease the administration or what everyone on campus

would agree with, we wouldn’t be doing our job. We write for the students, not for the administration, and if we think

based on the stories we thought everyone would be happy with, we wouldn’t be true journalists. We aren’t concerned

Lynn Fong

students will care about a story, then we’ll write about it. If we were to selectively choose articles

with creating a false image of Sage; we’re concerned with writing about what really happens on campus.

the

he Bolt, published seven times a year, is a student newspaper and serves the public forum at Sage Hill School. Its content - news, editorial, opinion and feature - is protected by Education Code 48907, the state student rights law and the California Constitution which guarantees all citizens the right of freedom of speech and of the press. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editor from members of the Sage Hill Community which may be posted as comments to our website, lightningboltonlilne.com, or addressed to editor-in-chief Vale Lewis and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they wil be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief

Vale Lewis, Stephanie Min, Claire Lin and Tommy Lee Associate Editors

We don’t push agendas and we aren’t propagandists. As a senior, everytime I visit a college campus,

Christina Acevedo, Niva Razin and Catharine Malzahn

I pick up the student newspaper from the admissions office. This isn’t just because I’m a journalist, it’s because I trust

the newspaper to be the student voice. Real student life isn’t reflected in the carefully worded pamphlets the administration passes out to applicants. The newspapers show the good, the bad and the ugly, and that’s really what I want to know when I’m considering applying to any school. I don’t want the perfect image of the school; I want to see the real stories told by students for students. You should hold The Bolt to the same standard and be able to trust us with this same task. The Bolt isn’t just a place for my voice or a Pubs journalist’s voice, it’s also a place for yours. If you have an opinion about something, or want to cover a story you think is important to our community, we always take submissions from you as a contributor to to be a part of The Bolt or lightningboltonline.com. Send any submissions to 17lewisv.publications@gmail.com.

Bolt Halah Biviji Jamie Dailey Julia Dupuis Sahar Emtiaz Jo Farkas Daniel Fishman Lauren Fishman Lynn Fong Jerry Fu Krystal Gallegos Genesis Gonzalez Madison Harris-Weiner Lauren Hausman Richard Horn

Michelle Hung Sarah Kim Jennifer King Olivia Lowe Abby McGuire Monis Mohiuddin Isabella Mora Donia Olia Emma Ruck Ryan Simpson Brett Super Amani Tarsadia Peyton Webb Hannah Woodworth

CLUBS

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

Go Ocean Club

Robotics Club

“We promote health, fitness, and life enhancing qualities to all young people through aquatic and community service activities.” GoOcean is a fitness and service club whose members volunteer at various events including The Newport Harbor Halloween Cruise, a charity event that benefits kids with autism, and The OC Games, which gives kids in Orange County a chance to compete in several sports. GoOcean members also had the opportunity to take part in The OC Games by playing basketball or challenging themselves in swim races. However, the activities members do or participate in are not always aquatic-based, as GoOcean members have spent a day at Knott’s Berry Farm mentoring autistic kids, gone on several hikes and participated in the Color Run. GoOcean has partnered with ETN Medical Infusion and Together As One, a non-profit organization that benefits autistic kids. The club plans to help other charities and organizations including Urban Surf 4 Kids this year. President Amanda Duong started this club because it combines both her passion for health and fitness and giving back to the community. She works closely with members and gives them the opportunity to lead and organize events. “My favorite part about the club is how we combine service with passion,” Dylan Strode, leader of human resources, said. “There is not one distinct cause we help, rather we do service in all facets of life,” “It teaches you about other communities which are close by that you usually wouldn’t get to interact with,” junior Chloe Hoch added. GoOcean meetings happen usually twice a month. If you are interested and want more information or would like to be part of the club, contact president Amanda Duong (18DuongA@ sagehillschool.org) or vice presidents Juliana Brandt (18BrandtJ@ sagehillschool.org) and Nico Collins (18CollinsN@sagehillschool. org).

You have probably seen them before on campus, in Physics Lab 2, or maybe you saw them at town meeting lugging out a heavy robot. Barely four years old, Lighting Robotics has grown considerably since its formation in 2012, going from an itty bitty team, to being on a winning FRC alliance. The robotics club at Sage participates in two different competitions run by the organization , First. The two competitions are FRC (First Robotics Challenge) and FTC (First Tech Challenge. The differences between these two competitions is size and complexity. To put this into perspective, FTC is like college football, and FRC is like professional football. In both competitions the challenge that the robot must be able to complete changes each year. This is why teams must remake their robot every year. The average size for an FTC team is around 20 people, where a FRC team can be closer to 40. While it is rare to see custom made parts in FTC it is common practice to be fabricate parts for FRC. FTC beginner teams can always buy kits of parts to make their robot out of, and every FRC team, is given a base set of parts for the year. While designing a high performing robot is important, FIRST also recognizes and rewards teams for things besides winning. Awards also include most well decorated, sportsmanship and community service, in addition there are also a couple of individual awards people can apply for. This year the robotics teams plans on going to Worlds for both FTC and FRC. Worlds is the highest level of competition in each of the respective games. If you are interested in joining the club you can contact senior Theo Evers at 17everst@ sagehillschool.org.

Illumination Club The Illumination Foundation Club is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness in Orange County through community service projects. Led by junior Carissa Long, along with the organizational skills of freshman Dylan Long and junior Amanda Duong, the club has already donated school supplies and made Christmas ornaments for families in need. “[The Illumination Foundation] was one of the organizations that my National Charity League supported, and I really liked volunteering for them so I decided to start the club at Sage,” Long said. To get involved, email 18longc@sagehillschool.org and also follow the club’s Instagram account @sagehillifclub.

Poetry Club

Founded four years ago, the Poetry Club aims to bring spoken word to the community With members meeting two to four times a month during lunch when they hone their writing and performance skills. The club has performed at venues like Eco Fair and Sage’s Got Talent, although its main focus is training for OC Regional Youth Slam Event, or OC RYSE a poetry competition for high schoolers held in March. Team captain Taylor Garcia says that in terms of the 2017 competition, the club plans to improve upon their prior performance and also allow new members an opportunity to experience competitive poetry. “We teach people how to write, perform and compete,” Garcia said. “This club is a learning experience for everyone, and we all try to become better through our interaction with other members.” For more information, contact the team captains: Taylor Garcia 18garciat@sagehillschool.org, Capri Campeau 18campeauc@sagehillschool. org, Miles Wilson 18wilsonm@ sagehillschool.org

Hiking Club Mini Hoop Club New to Campus With new clubs popping up left and right just in time for Clubs Fair, Hiking Club is one you don’t want to miss. Led by seniors Julia Blatz and Sarah Lowey, Hiking Club is primarily about getting outside, leaving stress behind, connecting with nature and hiking. “I personally wanted to do it so I would be more likely to go hiking. I love hiking but sometimes life gets in the way,” noted Blatz. Both founders have moderate hiking experience. Blatz has been hiking and backpacking at camp for seven years. This past summer she endeavored on an eight night backpacking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail. “I loved my backpacking trip so much that I wanted to share some of my experience with the Sage Hill community,” said Blatz. Throughout the year, Blatz and Lowey plan to keep organizing hikes every two or three weekends. They have organized two hikes so far to the San Juan Loop in the Cleveland National Forest and The Red Rock Canyon Trail. In addition to these weekend adventures, they hope to plan a camping trip in the Spring, possibly as an end to the first successful year of the new club. If you are interested in joining Hiking Club, please contact Julia Blatz at 17blatzj@sagehillschool.org or Sarah Lowey at 17loweys@sagehillschool.org.

Seniors Dominic Sadeghi and Alexander Toubia are leading the SoCal Mini Hoop League. A club founded off of a love for the game of basketball and the competitive yet laid back spirit surrounding pickup games. The club meets Friday after school at Sadeghi’s house with about three or four teams who battle it out in his backyard. Sadeghi and Toubia are both excited to get active in a unique way that ties people together. When asked about the most important rule Toubia said it has to be, “Ohano oake waikiki; Don’t jump young-blood.” It is a direct reference to aiming too high and finding yourself in a position of helplessness instead of success. If this level of competition and glory sounds appealing to you, contact Alex Toubia 17toubiaa@sagehillschool.org or Dominic Sadeghi 17sadeghid@ sagehillschool.org.

Food, Film, Culture, Conversation Club The Food, Film, Culture and Conversation, or FFCC, Club meets every couple of months to watch subtitled foreign films and eat during lunch. Through such movie viewings, discussions and food samplings, the club explores different cultures in a fun and interesting way. The club meetings offer students a chance to potentially practice the languages they are learning and compare and contrast cultures as well as meet friends with similar interests. The club is also currently seeking students for leadership positions within the club. For more information, contact: Niva Razin 18razinn@sagehillschool.org, Genesis Gonzalez 18gonzalezg@sagehillchool.org

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

POLITICS ON

The Peop By Hannah Woodworth

19woodworthh.publications@gmail.com

In the midst of a presidential election, it is easy to create strong opinions concerning different issues that affect people everyday, especially those topics discussed in the presidential debates. As a controversial election, the community has a wide range of opinions regarding every topic. Throughout all of the political commotion around these debates, it is important to remind students of the core values of the community. Mindy Aguirre, assistant director for Inclusion and Outreach, talks about how interaction is pivotal to being accepting of everyone’s particular opinions on these discussions. She furthers to state how interaction with people whom are different will enrich people’s own lives. “No matter how much knowledge or skill you have to contribute to the world around you, you can’t do anything without interaction.” Stressing the idea that “you will interact with people in your life that have different views or opinions than you,” is something that people truly need to live by in order to succeed in their future endeavors, and the community should prepare students for these interactions. Additionally, it is important to emphasize that students all have different upbringings that impact their political opinions, and due to the diverse community, there are a variety of different views on the issues discussed in the presidential debates. Danae Howe, Sage Center director, describes the value of having students with different opinions in the community. “We know that diverse groups solve problems better,” and she furthers to say, “We have to have skills to make the most of the interactions with people.” These skills she is referring to will be highlighted in the work of the Sage Center. The Sage Center, which will open in January, will educate the community on the importance of diversity and inclusivity. Unfortunately, not opening in time for the 2016 debates and election, it is difficult to communicate to the community

N CAMPUS

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

ple Have Spoken Lynn Fong

how to handle this political phenomenon in a way this is respectful to all- whether it is a student or even a member of the administration. Recently, Patricia Merz, Head of School, sent out an email to the entire community discussing how to properly manage the opinions on the Presidential Election. Below is an excerpt from her email: “It is the belief that as educators it is not the job to persuade or prescribe; Sage Hill’s administration is focused on creating opportunities for the faculty and staff to discuss the evolving political environment and upcoming presidential election in a manner that is respectful of multiple perspectives.” Merz additionally includes an excerpt in her email from a message that she received from Matt Bolassi, dean of faculty. “As we settle into the academic year we find themselves in the midst of an election season that has been unlike any other in modern American history. With the ever-present political messages disseminated by a myriad of voices on T.V., in the newspapers, and online through social media, the students are undoubtedly impacted – as are we. Sage Hill is a learning organization, and it is imperative that we (individually and collectively) remain focused on the potential to learn from this election and educate with the thoughts, words, and actions. Under the guidance of the Sage Hill Mission Statement, the approach during the next few months should utilize the collective love of knowledge in a creative, compassionate, and courageous manner.” “During the next month in particular,” the email continued, “please keep all community members in mind as we hear conversations, guide debates, foster dialogues, and respect the differences. Within the classrooms and throughout the campus each of us should foster an environment where all students, staff and faculty feel safe to express themselves without judgment or consequence. During this challenging time please join us in upholding the values of academia, a culture of inclusivity, and the personal respect of each individual in the community.”

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

STUDENT LIFE

Campus Voters Elect Clinton Polls open last week for next generation of voters who tackle two propositions, one local issue By Sahar Rohani

17rohanis.publications@gmail.com

Hosting a mock election in honor of the real election Nov. 8, AP Government students partnered with MyBallot Orange County, an organization that promotes youth voting by holding “election-like” events to give students a taste of real voting. The mock election proved a success, as it attracted a 60 percent turnout. The ballot contained presidential candidates from all parties, several state propositions and one proposition that applied to Sage Hill. Dem. Hillary Clinton gained 53 percent of the vote, and Rep. Donald Trump followed with 30 percent of the vote. Proposition 62 (repeal death penalty) passed with 57 percent of the vote. Proposition 64 (legalization of marijuana) was also passed with 63 percent of the vote. Sage Hill’s proposition (changing the school schedule to three Wednesdays a week) was defeated with 95 percent of the vote. From 8 a.m. in the morning to 12:30 p.m., the upper library lobby was a bustling area of students, faculty and poll workers voting on digital screen ballots with turn dials and, coincidentally, Sage-themed green screen protectors. So, why did Sage host a mock election? Nicolle Bradshaw, Sage’s AP Government and Psychology teacher, believes in the importance of exposing students to elections. “Elections like 2000 are a good reminder that it can come down to the vote of 537 citizens,” she said. Bradshaw is right. The election that year was so close between George W. Bush and Al Gore that it was taken to the House of Representatives. “This is an important election,” Bradshaw reminded us, “but no more important than other elections,” she explained. “It’s important to keep in mind there’s always hype and it’s a matter of perception, a majority of elections claim the ‘stakes have never been higher’.” Nowadays, a lot of people have seemed to pick up the term, “a vote for a third party is a vote for Trump.” As a long-time voter, Bradshaw shuts that down. “Absolutely not,” she argued. “In fact, I don’t like that saying, but you know who does? The two party system. That logic of ‘if you are not with us, you are against us,’ is dangerous.” Bradshaw is also a strong advocate of exercising your right to vote, your way. “The candidates need to earn your vote, and if they don’t, cast your vote as you wish, not what the Party is telling you to do.” The mock election gave Sage

Jessica Yang

students who are interested in this election cycle, yet are unable to vote, a chance to partake in a democracy. Junior Capri Campeau believes it was important to have a school-wide vote. “The students at Sage are very politically active. We are the next generation of voters. I think a lot of people didn’t understand that there were other things to vote on other than the president.” Although Campeau is not an eligible voter, she explained her first time voting: “It took me a lot longer deciding what I wanted to vote for and wanted to pass. I thought it was interesting to be introduced to that before the real thing.” When asked if she was going to partake in the 2020 election cycle, Campeau said she is “absolutely going to vote in the next election.” Senior Caden Sheetz also shared his thoughts on the importance of hosting a mock election. “It embraces political conversation. At this point it is good to start formulating some sort of political foundation,” Sheetz said. “We [youth] don’t have a very high voter turnout rate, so if we can increase that, it would make a more democratic and better functioning society.” As an eligible voter, Sheetz said he will vote on Nov. 8. Although this election is close to going off the rails, to those born post-November 1998, don’t give up. In a few short years, your generation’s vote will be crucial. And to those who are eligible to vote on Nov. 8, get out and exercise your right to vote. Your vote does make a difference, and with an election as exciting as this, how could you resist?

Library Lobby Polling Place. History teacher Frank Gonzales and seniors Spencer Bahrenburg and Catharine Malzahn cast their votes. Sage Votes. Clinton wins the mock election with 53.4% of the votes.Trump came in second with 30.3%. Election Day Excitement. Freshman Kate Mlouk proudly displays her participation in the election.

Jessica Yang

SPORTS

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

BRETT’S BOX

What Makes the Lightning Strike?

Conquering Academy League. Junior Mary Shin wins the Academy League Individual Championship by recording two sub-par rounds of 72 and 71 recently. Shin birdied the final hole enroute to a one under par round at Bella Collina Towne and Golf Club on Tuesday, Oct. 18 in San Clemente. This score matched Shin’s one under par round of 72, which she recorded on Friday, Oct. 14 at San Clemente Municipal Golf Course. Second place went to freshman Ashley Park. Both Shin and Park qualified for the CIF-SS Southern Individual Section at Dad Miller Municipal Golf Course on Tuesday.

A Hole in Won

Dave Siegmund

Junior Mary Shin putts in the effort to qualify for Academy League Final SPORTS RECAP Cross country: 12 points (girls’ Academy League record), 6 points (boys’ Academy League record) Football: 4-3 (overall record) Girls’ golf: 9-1 (Academy League record) Girls’ tennis: 8-0 (Academy League record) Girls’ volleyball: 11-0 (Academy League record) Water polo: 7-9 (overall record) The fall sports teams have had incredible successes in their seasons. Cross country, girls’ golf, girls’ tennis and girls’ volleyball are all headed to the first rounds of CIF next week. It is not yet determined if football and water polo will qualify for CIF.

By Yuna Baek

20baeky.publications@gmail.com

Mary Shin, a junior on the girls’ varsity golf team, has been an outstanding player for Sage Hill. Shin has been playing golf ever since the age of 8 and found her inspiration from her parents who occasionally play golf with her grandparents. This year, Shin qualified for the Academy League Final, which was held at Bella Collina Towne on Oct. 18. “Golf is unique and probably the only sport where the situations in practice and actual competition are very different,” Shin said. “The feeling of overcoming various adversities has always appealed to me.” For Shin, it’s important to play with the same level of confidence from practice to major golf events such as tournaments. “When it comes to golf events, I just play my shots and try not to stress out too much,” she said. “I think it’s important to put a bit of pressure on myself, but not so much that I feel anxious. Whenever I play, I try to have as much fun as possible out there and not get caught up in the moment.”

Shin is also part of the Transamerica Scholastic Junior AllAmerica Team, which consists of 12 young men and 12 young women who have demonstrated the ability to excel not only on the golf course but also in the classroom and in the community. Along with being named to this team, Shin gets an exemption into the 2016 Polo Golf Junior Classic which is considered to be one of the most prestigious events in junior golf. “To be one of the 12 young women selected to be a part of this national team is truly an honor, and I am so thankful to my parents for pushing me to do my best on the golf course and also in school,” she said. “I could not have made it without my family or the help of Sage Hill, and I look forward to playing in the Polo in Florida this November!” Shin is also grateful she gets the chance to play with her fellow Sage teammates. “Playing for Sage’s team is rewarding because I have the opportunity to turn an individual game into a collaborative one. I am grateful that I can make memories with my favorite people while doing an activity that I love,” Shin said.

For this issue of Brett’s Box I took to Wilkins Town Square to ask people one simple question: Why do you play sports? Over the past few years Sage athletics have taken a major step forward in terms of competing with other schools in the area. Still, however, Sage remains a place where people can play a sport just to try it out. This creates the rare mix of dedicated competitors who have played their whole lives and people who are trying a sport for the first time. “I like having a team?” said Adrian Boulos a senior who has played soccer since freshman year and volleyball starting in junior year. “It was a good way to meet people, and for the general love of the game. Also, Brett, I played because I needed to—not because I wanted to,” said Dan Levy, a senior. He played football, basketball and volleyball his freshman year. By junior year Dan stopped playing sports so that he could focus more on theater. “To get into college,” said senior Connor Jones. On a similar theme, senior Jack Pelc reported, “College, but like I also love baseball. I play for the fans.” Another aspect of sports and teams that was brought up by senior Abby McGuire is the friendships. “I play sports for fun and to meet some cool kids.” McGuire is a senior on the J.V. tennis team, but she said she loves just having fun on the court. Senior Becca Roque, when asked, responded: “It pushes you physically and mentally. It allows me to escape for a moment.”

The Bolt Sage Hill School October 2016

BACKPAGE

RAPE CULTURE By Ava Kahn Contributor

HomoPHOBIA? Lynn Fong

By Julia Dupuis

17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com

Whether out and proud or still in the closet, being LGBT in America comes at a steep price. From high rates of poverty, the threat of violence, discrimination in the workplace and bullying in schools, it’s clear that having the right to marry isn’t the end of queer oppression in the United States. Heightened awareness in recent years has led to a better understanding of the social structures that marginalize the LGBT community and impact our everyday lives, as well as movements fighting against homophobia. Putting a name to the oppression is essential to marginalized groups. Having the language to describe the experiences and needs of the LGBT community allows us to identify the issues that need to be addressed. But the words we’ve chosen to describe these issues aren’t just problematic—they mirror the very same oppression that we seek to identify. At first, the etymology of homophobia seems to get at the heart of the violent hatred and discrimination that the LGBT

community has faced over the years. Consider how much of the anti-gay sentiment stems from fear: the gays are corrupting our children, the gays will derail heterosexual marriage, the gays are spreading disease, the gays will multiply and end all human reproduction as we know it. The misconceptions create fear, which then create the implication that hatred of gay people is inherent, reasonable and uncontrollable. “It happens in church too,” says junior Taylor Garcia. “It’s a place where I’m supposed to feel loved, but some people feel like it’s okay to say awful things about LGBT individuals because of religious fear.” By relating gay discrimination to a phobia— something that is natural and can’t be helped—we diminish the severity of the oppression and soften the reality of the danger the LGBT community faces every day. Other forms of oppression are often described with an -ism. An “-ism” is a distinctive practice or ideology. It implies something that is institutionalized and systematized, passed down from generation to generation. Capitalism, communism, racism, sexism, colorism,

and imperialism have shaped nations and oppressed millions. Compared to “-isms,” a phobia doesn’t exert anywhere near the same force, socially or linguistically. The term homophobia presents all the societal restrictions and legal agendas of an -ism in a softened way. It reflects a time when fear of gay people was considered a legitimate concern, when homosexuality was still considered a pathological disorder and a threat to social order. “The suffix ‘phobia’ gives the word a negative connotation,” says senior Jafeth Orozco. “It villainizes people who are homosexual and implies that they should be feared.” In a new era of acceptance for the LGBT community, homophobia no longer sufficiently describes the societal, cultural and legislative forces working against LGBT rights. What may have defensibly been called a rational fear years ago has now been crystallized into a coherent, purposeful ideology that undermines the legitimacy of LGBT oppression just by its name. It’s time to expose the “fear” of gay people for what it really is: the persecution of a marginalized group.

“Did you lead him on? Did you even say ‘no’? What is your sexual history?” These are just a few of the accusatory questions that college sophomore Delaney Robinson was asked by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill’s Department of Public Safety investigators in February of this year, and they are no different from the ones asked to Brock Turner’s victim in the recent Stanford University case. Our rape culture is riddled with examples where the perpetrator sits back and the court puts the victim on trial. The legal system blames the victim for improper behavior, inappropriate dress or not making his or her intentions clear, even when he or she is in shock. Lawyers attempt to prove that he or she was “asking for it.” They make the claim that her dress was too short or movements were seductive. Some blame the action on intoxication. Rape is rape. The victim's state of mind or choice of clothing does not matter. Whether or not he or she agreed at first and suddenly had a change of heart is irrelevant. No means no, and not a single person has the right to violate, impregnate or dehumanize another individual in that way, not to mention the possibility of obtaining a sexually transmitted disease. Society has promoted and even glamorized rape culture through media, advertising, and humor. Rape is not inevitable. In an effort to reduce the prevalence, our society teaches individuals how not to get raped, rather than imploring society that rape is wrong.

Young adults are constantly reminded that they cannot let a stranger pour them a drink or they must dress modestly, only to turn on the television or go to the movies and see sexual violence widely promoted and eagerly publicized. What kind of lessons are we teaching today’s generation? Am I asking for it if my dress is above my knees or I am acting feminine? Teaching a child to respect a person’s boundaries and to never rape is just as important as teaching a child to protect themselves from rape. Rape needs to be taken more seriously. Although it is common knowledge that the probability of rape is high, more people need to understand that one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their life, while one in his or her girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old. There is no excuse or justification for this violent behavior and we need to start by changing our laws, reducing the media's onslaught of improper sexual behaviors, and stopping rapists from believing the consequences are negligible. Some rapists know that there is less than a ten percent chance that they will be convicted. When they are, the time served is often nominal. Letting rapists like Brock Turner walk away is wrong. He only served a three-month sentence. In his case the consequence for rape was merely a slap on the wrist. This sentence does not send the right message. If society does not start to condemn rape with full force, the chances of someone being raped will only increase.