Melissa Appenteng

Sexism and Physical Attraction in Gen Z

August 14, 2018 by Melissa Appenteng Leave a Comment

For those unaware, Gen Z is the most recent generation of human offspring. There have been continuous reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment over the years targeting this generation.

49 people between the ages of 14 and 18 were surveyed on their experiences, and how physical attraction as well as background plays a role in this.

36 out of 41 females surveyed have been catcalled by the opposite sex whereas 3 out of 7 males surveyed have been catcalled by the opposite sex. 0 out of those 36 females think it is a good feeling whereas 2 out of 3 of those males think it’s a good feeling. Despite how many people disagree, sexism targets more females than males. When females are catcalled they think it’s normal because of the way they’re physically built but they hate it nonetheless. 11 of the 36 surveyed females that have been catcalled described their feeling as uncomfortable. 2 of the 36 said they feel like “a piece of meat.” 2 of the 36 described catcalling as disrespectful. 1 female describes her feelings about catcalling as “Like I’m only worth as much as my body looks.” Another female says it “Makes me feel Downgraded like all they care about is what’s on the outside instead of what’s on the inside.” Another female surveyed said she felt like “a walking vagina.”

Those surveyed were asked about their type; their type as in the type of build they find attractive. 26 of the 41 females surveyed identify as heterosexual. Multiple said they look for a male who is African, Caribbean, Hispanic, or Black. 21 of those 26 females look for a long-term relationship when they are single. 13 of the 26 females say their past relationships have overall ended poorly. 10 of the 26 females often don’t interact with those they find attractive out of fear and shyness.

17 of the 41 females surveyed identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. 13 of the 17 females have no racial preference while the others typically prefer someone Hispanic or Black. 13 of the 17 females surveyed seek long-term relationships when single. 11 of the 17 females say their relationships have overall ended poorly. One even said, “They broke up with me because I wouldn’t get in the bed with them.” 6 of the 17 often avoid interaction with attractive specimens due to shyness and awkwardness.

4 of the 7 males surveyed identify as heterosexual. 1 out of the 4 prefers certain races such as Hispanic, Caribbean, African, or Black whereas others have no preference. All 4 males look for long-term relationships when single. 2 of the 4 males say their past relationships have ended on a bad note. 3 of the 4 males would approach an attractive female while the other would allow the female to spark conversation.

3 of the 7 males identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. 2 of the 3 males prefer someone either Caucasian or Black whereas the other has no preference. When single, all 3 males seek long-term relationships. 2 of the 3 males say their past relationships have ended due to a mutual decision. All 3 males would gladly engage with attractive specimens.

Out of the 49 people surveyed, 31 allow their parents to influence the types of people they find attractive. 26 of the 49 have allowed their peers to influence their views on attractiveness. 17 allow their siblings to influence them. 21 are influenced by relatives. Social media influences 29 of the 49. 24 consider the news an influence.

Overall, the people of Generation Z aren’t all as shallow as they’re made out to be. Some genuinely care about the person behind the mask. They don’t just care about what’s on the outside. Although many advertise that they seek casual hookups or short-term relationships, most of them don’t. Most of them seek long-term relationships. Regardless of where they live, they all have different perspectives on what is categorized as attractive. Also, no matter the gender or sexuality, there are outside influences when it comes to attraction. Those in Gen Z know that more than anyone else. They try to believe that they are their own person who makes their own decisions and couldn’t care less about what anyone says but deep down, they care more than they think they do. When faced with so many options, one is bound to have a preference.

Queens Church on Immigration

August 9, 2018 by Melissa Appenteng Leave a Comment

Immigration is a topic discussed among several platforms, such as art and scripture. It has been discussed throughout history but more so in today’s society.

The 14-16-year-old class of the Greater Allen Cathedral in Queens, NY is preparing a skit on immigration for Sunday School.

T.W., 15, identifies as an African-American female. When asked the reason for portraying the issue of immigration in America as a skit, she said, “an immigration skit shows people what immigration’s about.” In other words, the injustices people have to go through. She hopes the skit will open people’s eyes to the injustices immigrants have to go through in America. The term ‘illegal immigrant’ upsets her, she said. “They call immigrants illegal, it’s like not fair.”

T.S., 16, identifies as a Trinidadian-American male. He hopes the skit will change the way immigrants are treated when entering America. When asked about the effect of the term ‘illegal immigrant’ on him, he said, “It doesn’t really affect me but it affects others around me.”

K.C., 16, identifies as a Haitian-American female. She hopes the skit will help the government see what it is doing to families. She said she doesn’t mind if immigrants are ‘illegal,’ but finds it problematic if they are also criminals.

T.M., 15, identifies as a Jamaican-American male. He believes immigration is an important topic to discuss. He hopes the skit will help immigrants be accepted and start a new life in America. The term ‘illegal immigrant’ impacts him because it makes him “think about how we have so much and a lot of people do not and [they’re] getting taken away from their families.” He is very sympathetic toward the families ICE is separating. When asked about what he’s been told about ICE, he answered, “I feel like they’re doing an unfair thing, that people need to be able to come into this country and feel safe.”

T.J., 15, identifies as an African-American male. He hopes the skit will be meaningful to people. The term ‘illegal immigrant’ impacts him because “if I wasn’t from here, it would be hard to get here.”

Sister L.H, the teacher, identifies as an African-American female. She hopes the skit will “move others to action and because of the heightened awareness that a skit will bring, that they will understand that they have the power to do something.” When asked about what she’s been told about ICE, she answered, “ICE is an organization that basically patrols the border…they patrol the border in the sense that they’re the ones responsible for…I don’t want to just say apprehending people who come across the border because they should also be directing them to the proper authorities.”

The teacher as well as the students were asked, “If you were undocumented, would you flee or would you stay and fight for you and every other undocumented person?” T.W. and T.S. said they would flee. K.C., T.M., T.J., and Sis. L.H. said they’d fight to stay.

The students and the teacher said immigration is important to them individually. T.S. said, “On a [scale] from one to ten, probably like eight.” K.C. said, “It’s important because you know families are being separated from each other and that’s like really sad.” T.M. said, “It’s very important because if I was put in their shoes, I would want to be [treated] the same as everyone else.” T.J. believes diversity itself is important. Sis. L.H. said, “Immigration is very important to me because I understand that most of America was built on the contributions of immigrants from different countries.”

Immigration is a very controversial topic that can spark sensitivity within many living in America. Immigration in what it’s come to today has been made to be an upsetting topic for many. It has driven many families apart and broken many families that have been reunited. The Greater Allen Cathedral is being brave in discussing a topic so large that has many different opinions around it. They hope to make a difference in performing this skit and with that, spark greater discussion. Many live in fear of what could happen but forget that there is always now. The GAC shows the reality of it while also trying to spark hope in people. This shows determination for change and empathy for those affected.

Is ‘Thirteen Reasons Why’ Safe for Teens to Watch?

August 6, 2018 by Melissa Appenteng Leave a Comment

Thirteen Reasons Why is a Netflix original series in which a teenage girl, Hannah Baker, commits suicide and leaves behind 13 tapes for each person she deemed responsible.

The producer of the series, Selena Gomez, has battled with both depression and anxiety in her life.

On one hand, the series is very gruesome and has trigger warnings for almost all episodes. On the other, it is very eye opening and sparks discussion for taboo subjects that need to be discussed such as sexual assault, addiction, suicide, bullying, sexuality, gangs, criminals, the justice system, peer pressure, PTSD, anxiety, depression, mental disorders, relationships, friendships, grief, intervention, recovery, and racism. The show sheds light on these subjects by presenting them in a sort of in-your-face manner.

It is no secret that the episodes can be upsetting to some, but it is the viewer’s job to determine whether or not to keep watching as well as which episodes to skip (if any). The writers and producers of Thirteen Reasons Why have repeatedly advised both young and old viewers not to binge, but to take breaks between episodes.

Anyone below the age of 14, anyone with severe depression, victims of sexual assault experiencing PTSD, anyone who does not like serious topics discussed onscreen, anyone autistic, anyone homophobic, and/or anyone with severe anxiety, should not watch the show for their own safety.

Each season consists of 13 episodes and because there is a small amount of episodes and a large amount to discuss, many upsetting things, both verbal and visual, are packed into one episode. In the second episode of Beyond the Reasons, a piggyback series off Thirteen Reasons Why, the meanings behind the episodes and the purpose of scripting them the way the writers did was a major discussion. There were also professional psychologists on the writing team because the writers needed help to figure out what was okay to script and what was not.

Triggers were also discussed during Beyond the Reasons because copycat suicides are a risk. However, the creators were trying to open people’s eyes and get them to understand that there is absolutely “nothing glamorous about suicide” and it should never be seen as an option. Brian Yorkey, the series co-writer, said during an interview. He makes it known that Hannah’s death was portrayed as a painful experience and should not be repeated by anyone in any way.

The 13th episode of the 2nd season depicted a scene of an especially brutal sexual assault and a murder attempt. A character, Tyler Down was jumped then sexually assaulted in a school restroom with a mop by a group of guys on the baseball team. He then went home and gathered a few handheld weapons to put in a car before driving to the school with the intent of shooting up the dance. He’d never gotten a chance to because another character, Clay Jensen stood in front of Tyler’s gun and stopped him from entering the school. Tyler eventually surrendered after hearing Clay out.

A couple of obvious triggers in this episode are sexual assault and gun violence. Although these are concerning for viewers, there is a clear warning before the episode starts that states, “The following episode contains graphic depictions of sexual assault & drug abuse, which some viewers may find disturbing. It is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.”

Watching the show on Netflix will give viewers an opportunity to choose whether or not it’s in their best interests to continue watching. The show is safe for mature teens and adults that can handle the topics being depicted and discussed in the show, being that it is rated TV-MA.

However, it can be educational to watch but also worthwhile. In the first season, the story line is more of a mystery whereas the second season has more of a “law & order” story line. This eases the tension of the suicidal background and gives a more slightly entertaining side of the story to make it easier to watch while still taking in the information the way it should be.