The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

Main Content

Recent Posts

Review: Lunar Chronicles excels at representing women

by Leave a Comment

“Her whole body was wound up tight. She was ready to storm the palace herself – an army of one.”

The thrilling conclusion to the series The Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer wins hands down as one of the best sci-fi fantasy novels of 2015 that has just about everything you could hope for in a book. Action, romance, suspense, a diverse set of characters, a chilling villian, and more.

Picking up from the last installment Cress, the characters Cinder, Cress, Scarlet, Wolf, Thorne, Iko, and Kai, are aboard the Rampion a space pod ship. They are getting ready to hatch a new plan in order to take down the ruthless Queen Levana of Luna once and for all, so Cinder can rightfully claim her throne. Throughout the novel Cinder also receives help from Winter, a princess of Luna (a moon colony), and Jacin, a royal guard.

In Winter, the readers are introduced to the characters, Winter and Jacin, hence the title. Winter is a character undergoing a disease called “Lunar Sickness” where she experiences hallucinations, as her mental state is deteriorating. 

“…the walls have been bleeding for years, and no one else sees it.” 

Very rarely in the Young Adult Novel world are characters written with this dynamic. 

Including a character who is at the mercy of a disease, with no cure, adds a touch of realism to the book. Including a character who isn’t doing well mentally, adds representation to a large group of people, something that was needed in 2015 and still needed in 2019.

The representation doesn’t stop there. Winter is a manifestation of the tale Snow White, but instead of Winter being caucasian she is described with skin as “black as ebony wood”, and the characters Cinder and Kai, are both from China. 

What has made this series unique is its a series based off of classic fairytales, but the women are strong,  “I was always much more drawn to those strong, empowered female characters — both as a reader and as a writer,” Meyer said in an interview in the Bustle. 

Winter is the final installment in the series, where Cinder, who ever since book one, has been set with the ambition of taking down the queen, and throughout the series we see her grow with new friends along the way. The dynamic between the women in the series is what makes this book so refreshing in the Young Adult genre. These women have stuck together, and do not immediately hate each other, which is what makes them realistic portrayals of women, and therefore this series accurately establishes women empowerment. 

“When they arrived, they arrived in force- a dozen military ships surrounding the safe house, guns drawn.”

Not only does Meyer portray women relationships in an accurate manner, but she also makes them strong. Meyer makes her characters have the will to use weapons and fight, to overthrow a queen. It’s important that women read about characters who are strong, that way they believe they too can fight, and no longer be silenced. 

Even though there were many characters in the novel, 830 pages were enough to pace the story properly, which shows how well done the writing is. Each character was given a solid amount of time, for the reader to get to know, and be able to enhance the plot, leading up to the big showdown between Cinder and the queen.

Opinion: In order to solve climate change, we need to take on wealthy corporations

by Leave a Comment

It’s the middle of summer, and the temperature has been reaching almost 100 degrees. But as carbon emissions continue to rise, the planet is only going to keep getting hotter. With many attempts to prevent climate disaster being blocked or repealed, it seems what needs to be changed is not just how we treat individual corporations, but the way the economy and the system as a whole function.

 

A New York Times analysis of the policy changes under the current Trump Administration reveals that 83 different regulations have been rolled back or are in the process of being rolled back, with 22 of them being related to air pollution. This is during a time when levels of carbon dioxide in the air are at “unprecedented levels” according to a study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. According to Erika Spanger-Siegfried, a lead climate analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, temperatures by 2050 could reach levels that “[make] it difficult for human bodies to cool themselves and could be deadly.”

 

To pin this problem solely on the Trump administration, however, would be false. An article by researchers from both the U.S. and China published in Nature reveals that more than half of future carbon emissions are expected to come from China, the U.S, and the European Union, the three highest predicted sources of emissions. Although China is the highest by a large margin, expected to emit 41% of the carbon, the US and EU are expected to make up 9% and 7% respectively, which is still a large amount. Climate change is a global problem, but the ones responsible are a few wealthy industrial nations.

 

Yet despite some of the wealthiest countries being the main causes of climate change, the ones that are being hit hardest by it are those that are less fortunate. According to a study by researchers at Stanford University in California, the wealth gap between the richest and poorest countries is 25% higher than it would be without climate change. Not only are the choices that the U.S, Europe, and China are making going to cause disaster for their citizens in a few decades, those choices are also disastrous for the most vulnerable countries right now.

 

So why is climate change still an issue? Why do we have a government that is reversing policies that would prevent climate change? The answer to these questions, it seems, is money. Think Tanks such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute, which spends a large number of its resources on promoting climate change denial, receive funding from a variety of wealthy corporations.

 

The CEI is funded not only by the Charles Koch Institute and the American Fuel and Petrochemicals Manufacturers, which are known for lobbying against the regulation of fossil fuels, but also by larger companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, according to the New York Times. This is because the CEI, as an Amazon spokeswoman said, “will help advance policy objectives aligned with [Amazon’s] interests.”

 

The reason these corporations fund the same organizations as fossil fuel lobbyists is that despite how much Amazon or Google may claim to oppose the fossil fuel industry, they both have the same top priority: promoting a pro-corporation, anti-regulation agenda. In the case of the CEI, their beliefs, aside from man-made climate change not being an issue, include opposing a $15 minimum wage and wanting to repeal antitrust laws, both of which are in the interests of large companies that probably would become trusts if they were legally allowed to. They may sign a declaration in support of global climate agreements, but they will still be naturally allied with the AFPM, as will nearly every for-profit corporation.

 

The fossil fuel companies themselves also have far too much influence. In Oklahoma, a state agency funded mainly by oil companies creates classroom materials and teacher training, according to the Washington Post. The goal of these classroom materials is, to downplay climate change and promote the usage of oil.

 

We cannot trust corporations to solve climate change for us. A permanent end to rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels requires a permanent end to, or at least a drastic reduction of, the fossil fuel industry and our usage of fossil fuels. If we are acknowledging and tackling the threat that the fossil fuel industry poses, then we also need to acknowledge that in this struggle, corporations are an obstacle.

 

A system that promotes corporate interests and enables companies to be as powerful as Microsoft or Google, and that enables oil companies to have power even in our classrooms is not a system that will let us solve climate change. It is a system that promotes and perpetuates climate change, causing the summers to get hotter, the poorer countries to get poorer, and the time we have left before our planet becomes unlivable shorter.

The Rise of Lo-Fi Hip-Hop

by Leave a Comment

 

Degraded audio signals, tape hisses, misplayed notes, and environmental interference are the key elements of lo-fi hip-hop, a chillwave music genre — and people are loving it.

Lo-fi hip-hop consists of phonographic imperfections that create a chill atmosphere that brings nostalgia you may have never felt before. It’s perfect to listen to while doing your daily tasks such as homework or even if you want to go to sleep. I for one find myself being more productive while listening lo-fi hip-hop, even though it gives lazy vibes. The irony of this music-genre is why I grew so interested in it. 

I first discovered this music genre while surfing the web on my living room couch in August heat and found myself at a YouTube channel that streams lo-fi hip-hop. “AnimeVibe” was the name of the YouTube channel, and I was in complete awe while listening to the songs they play. AnimeVibe first started its channel on October 31, 2014 and has been collaborating with aspiring artists since then. While listening to these songs, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for rainy days with a mellow atmosphere while looking outside my window. 

The first song I heard on their AnimeVibe playlist was “rearview” by samsa. After listening to his songs, I couldn’t help but look for more songs by samsa. I became more and more interested in this type of music. And thus, I discovered lo-fi hip-hop. And it seems to be that more people are discovering lo-fi hip-hop as well. 

While this music naturally has a slow, mellow, and low-fidelity quality, it is surprisingly and subtly making its way into mainstream music. Late south Florida rapper XXXTentacion debuted with a mellow, solemn, and low quality soundtrack while rapping. Unlike the typical kind of rapper, X was following a different kind of path, changing the stereotypes of rappers in today’s society — and people loved it. When X released his debut album “17,” with track “Jocelyn Flores,” he showed affinity for lo-fi production, and people grew interested in what they were hearing. 

While lo-fi hip-hop can also be giddy and blissful, X does not portray that as his song, “Jocelyn Flores,” was about a friend of his who took her life, which makes the song very solemn and depressing. Later on in his music career, he creates more upbeat rowdy music while experimenting with the nature of lo-fi hip-hop.  

“Now you’ll find chillhop/chillwave/chillout mixes on almost every music streaming service… This could help explain why lo-fi music has seen a modern day resurgence,” says John Greenfield, who frequently writes about internet and pop culture in his article, “[Music Discovery] An Exploration of the Lo-Fi Aesthetic.” It’s clear lo-fi hip-hop has become such a phenomenon — especially on YouTube since that is where the lo-fi hip-hop community is mainly based. 

I’m glad to see lo-fi hip-hop is helping artists accomplish their goal of hitting the charts on music streaming platforms such as Spotify. The number of listeners of Spotify’s playlist “Lo-fi Beats” has risen tremendously and continues to be an inspiration for aspiring artists. 

Whenever you have the time, check out Spotify’s playlist, “Lo-fi Beats” or any YouTube channel that live streams lo-fi hip-hop such as “ChilledCow” or “Bootleg Boy,” especially when you have work to do.

Surely, you’ll find an artist with a lo-fi hip-hop to add to your playlist.

WNYC’s Brigid Bergin

by Leave a Comment

Brigid Bergin went from working in a bank, to being part of the political beat at WNYC. 

She confessed to Baruch College Now students at a spacious conference room in the offices of NYC Public Radio yesterday with the goal of helping aspiring journalists. When the last question came up, everyone listened carefully to Bergin’s response about her professional career. 

“I didn’t know I really wanted to be a journalist,” is something the high school students didn’t expect to hear from the WNYC City Hall and politician reporter. 

Bergin worked 8 and a half years in a bank and described her work space there as “a little cubical.” She wanted to go out and explore what was happening around her neighborhood and her city. She realized that journalism would fulfill her desires of being involved in various communities. 

She went to journalism school and that’s when she transitioned from her work at the bank to being a full-time journalist. 

“I fell in love with radio and WNYC,” she says when talking about being an intern at the NYC Public Radio. 

 She began as a general assignment journalist for a year, like many others. Later on, she was assigned to specific topics. 

If she wasn’t in the politics area, she would lean towards the cultural aspect of finding different communities around each borough.

Killing Creativity

by Leave a Comment

“He who marches out of step hears his own drum.” 

-Ken Kesey

Ken Kesey and his merry band of Pranksters boarded a bus called Further in 1964 to spread their message of nonconformity, preaching individuality and creativity. Drugs ruined this message, so it was not able to break through to mainstream society. That does not mean that what Kesey was saying was bad, it just got lost in translation. 

It is our job to finish what Kesey started and make sure this message breaks through. We need to save individuality to progress as a society. Schools are partly responsible for the conformist society we live in today.

Conformity can be as mundane as lining up for lunch, sitting in rows, and being told when to talk and when to stay quiet or it can be as grand as grading every student on the same rubric. 

A rubric’s main job is to assess students and their work by giving a clear set of criteria for them to follow. This sounds good in theory, but nowadays, schools have rubrics for everything: group work, peer discussion, Socratic seminars, papers, essays, projects, and participation. Thus, rubrics in all of their glorious uses are partly responsible for society holding blind conformity as gospel by grading every aspect of life inside the classroom and only rewarding perfection or anything close to it. That’s not to say that we should just throw away every rubric. It is important to set some standards but schools have taken it too far.

Firstly, rubrics raise the issue of whether or not kids sitting in AP and honors classes are actually smart or if they are good at memorizing criteria. There is a difference between students who can memorize standards and students who are smart and creative. Innovation cannot be measured with a checklist, so it is rarely rewarded in our school system. To do well in school, you have to conform.

Secondly, these rubrics are extended to teacher performance so much so that lecture classes are frowned upon. I understand the school’s desire for us as a student body to collaborate, but this does not allow teachers to do their jobs: teach. According to etale.org, “[Rubrics] risk turning the role of the teacher into that of a grader, leaving less room for the teacher to be an authentic ‘reader’ of student work.” This is perpetuating a reward system that values teamwork and meeting requirements more than understanding the content and deep thought, thus creating busy work that does not allow students to form their own opinions.  

Furthermore, rubrics teach students the value of perfection which is unrealistic in the real world. Matt Suarez from Penn State commented on this saying that a student who gets two questions wrong on a 10 question quiz would receive a C; which for a lot of students is not ideal. “Nobody is perfect, so to expect that from people who are going through potentially the most stressful times of their lives is not the best way to go,” Suarez says. Rubrics put young people on a scale that punishes imperfection which is ridiculous. 

Finally, rubrics discourage creativity. According to Conformity and Learning from BBN Times, “Conformity – by its very nature – relies on reapplying solutions from the past, but with more careful control and greater intensity. What we really need is the unleashing of the creative genius that makes us human. Not the direction we have been taking as we have succeeded in quashing it, almost to extinction.” Society can not move towards innovation without creativity. Rubrics are flawed because they look for a cookie cutter work and that’s what they reward.

It does not make sense for schools to accustom young minds to follow a checklist. That is not say that structure is bad, it is to say that you can not find innovation in the walls of a rubric. Grading students this way sets them up to be followers, not leaders or innovators. 

Not everyone will be the next big tech genius or artist but everyone should have the opportunity to step out of march to hear how their drum beats.

Do you hear your own drum?

This is a test

by Leave a Comment

This image requires alt text, but the alt text is currently blank. Either add alt text or mark the image as decorative. Matt Gonzales, Director, The School Diversity Project, New York Appleseed speaking at an event titled, The Harm of Segregation: Why where we live and learn matters. The October 23rd evening event took place at St. Ann & Holy Trinity Church located on Montague Street in Brooklyn.

“The curriculum taught me that white people captured me and took away my freedom. Why would I want to learn this?”

That goes through the minds of many black students as they sit in social studies class, says Jamaal Bowman, principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action in Co-op City.

Cornerstone takes a different approach. While many schools begin their study of black history with American slavery, Cornerstone reaches back to Ancient Egypt’s African roots. His students, Bowman told a town hall on education in the Bronx last month, learn that they “are descendants of kings and queens, not descendants of slaves. That’s a big difference.”

Parents, students and educators at the town hall are part of a larger conversation about how to make schools welcoming and relevant for all children—not just the white, middle-class ones. Equalizing resources and even integrating schools is not enough, says Matt Gonzales, NY Appleseed’s Diversity Project director. We, also, he says, “have to do deep work so all kids who enter the classroom are uplifted.”

Nelson Luna of the Bronx, now a first-year student at Columbia University, agrees that’s not currently the case. “When you don’t see yourself, you don’t feel connected and you don’t feel passionate. You feel out of place,” says Luna, a co-founder of Teens Take Charge, which organizes students to speak out about integration and other issues.

Why Choosing The Right College Is Important

by Leave a Comment

By Nathaly Angamarca August 12 at 10:08 am

 

Every year at the start of school, high school seniors begin the challenging and stressful process of college picking. Attending college is the next big step after graduating high school, but can picking the right college affect your career job possibilities in the future?

“You might think that junior year is hard, but let me tell you this, senior year is even more,”James said as he was shuffling his last year’s college acceptance letters.

When some student do their college search they focus on the four major things; location, population, price and there career major while others focus on the name and the history of the school.

Ivy league schools are some of the oldest schools located on the east coast of the United States. All eight have gained a good reputation over the centuries and also a prominent status. Although these schools are very pricey, their background history and famous alumni like President John F. Kennedy and Michelle Obama builds up the schools status.

 

If a Harvard graduate and a BMCC[ Borough of Manhattan Community College] graduate student applies to the same job position there is a bigger possibility that the student who attended a prestige school would get the job. Not just that according the the website nerdwallet.com salary statistics shows that a graduate student who attended a private school gains 10,000 dollars a year more than of a student who attended a public university.

Only 50 percent of the students who graduated from a public university were able to find an employment right after college and 24 percent continued their studies in a graduate school. If a student graduates from a private school 59 percent of the graduating class were able to find a job and 36 percent attended graduate school.

Getting into private school or a prestigious school can be even more harder than getting into a community college. Acceptance rate run from 3 percent to 24 percent. The University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate has lowered these past years, making it not impossible but harder to get in.

 

Joshua Anderson, a former student from York college said “I remember once I graduated from York college it probably took me like 4-5 months to find a job on the major I studied in college, while one of my friend’s brother who attended Cornell University was able to find a job in less than a month.”

Doing well in high school is very important. This means that maintaining a high GPA and being involved in after school activities or outside of school can help you stand out out of the other applicants. When the time comes to choosing colleges go for the colleges you know you will get in, But always keep in mind the school’s history and its value, it may or may not help you now but it could definitely impact you in the future.

 

 

Sexism and Physical Attraction in Gen Z

by 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.

Why Robocalls Keep Ringing

by Leave a Comment

“Hello?”

 

All it takes is an eerie silence at the other end of the call to make you speak, but you quickly realize you’ve been robbed of time when a robotic voice says you owe money to the government.

 

Picking up the phone has become a gamble— people don’t know if they will be speaking to a real person or an automated message.

 

Robocalls have been plaguing the devices we rely on, and the number of victims has only been increasing in recent months. According to YouMail, the developer of a robocall blocking software, “4.1 billion robocalls were placed nationwide in June 2018, equaling roughly 12.7 calls per person affected.”

 

Robokiller, another service that claims to block these unwanted calls, can separate robocalls from other scam or telemarketing calls because they are “auto-dialed from a computer and deliver a pre-recorded message.” The app’s website reports that political robocalls are legal, but “most robocalls are either illegal, fraudulent, or both.”

 

During the election season, political robocalls aim to sway voters or seek donations. They were approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has been working to find the origins of robocallers. The FCC has considered creating an authentication system to distinguish real phone calls from fraudulent ones. The system focuses on harmful robocalls that evade call-blocking systems by hiding their original phone numbers behind fake caller IDs, which makes them harder to trace.

 

However, defining problematic calls threaten some businesses. They argued that without the convenience of automated messages, they risk losing communication with their customers. In April, the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) submitted a letter to a Senate committee explaining that consumers benefit from calls and texts “ranging from low balance notifications to repayment counseling, among other important notices and alerts,” according to the CBA website.

 

The recent flood of scam calls has swallowed important messages reminding users of their medical appointments or notifying them of canceled flights. People are hesitant to answer their phones as fraudulent calls distract them from vital information or daily life. Though some robocalls are important, the everyday cell phone user would be much more at ease if auto-dialed calls were filtered out altogether.

 

The New York Times reported that New Jersey doctor Gary Pess gets so many calls that “mimic his area code and the first three digits of his phone number” that he stopped answering them, which led him to ignore a call from an emergency room doctor about a patient who needed his attention.

 

He had grown to expect unwanted calls, and so missed one that was real and legitimate. Many more people could fall into the same habit and risk missing important calls.

 

A recent outbreak of robocalls targeted at Chinese immigrants has spread to users regardless of their national origin. According to National Public Radio (NPR), these robocall messages claim to come from the Chinese consulate and warn immigrants of a document that may affect their status in the United States. To discuss how these documents must be picked up, the call connects people to live scammers. These scammers present themselves as police officers, telling the victim the case will be resolved if money is sent to a Hong Kong bank account.

 

Queens resident Jane Rivkin was pestered by around seven of these calls. She claimed her spouse had also been disrupted by the many calls from their local area code.

 

Though Rivkin and her spouse quickly hung up because they could not understand the calls, Mandarin speakers have fallen victim to the telephone scams. NPR reported an estimated “$3 million has been stolen from [New York City’s] residents.” The NYPD, along with security experts “say they think the calls are originating in mainland China.”

 

Since robocall scammers have found ways to slip by filters and appear convincing enough to swamp legal messages, businesses would be more productive if they cut down on auto-dialer services completely. Recipients may be more inclined to receive notices or reminders through text message. Businesses would lift the worry of distinguishing good robocalls from bad ones if they limited their use. OneReach, a telecommunications service provider that offers companies custom voice and text solutions, claimed “77% of consumers aged 18-34 and 64% of all consumers are likely to have a positive perception of any company that offers texting.”

 

NPR suggested putting phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry in order to “cut down on unwanted calls.” Robocall blocking services are also available, but scammers quickly learn to evade them.

 

With 4.1 billion reported robocalls, how many moments have been robbed from us?

James Gunn Firing

by Leave a Comment

 

The recent firing of Guardians of the Galaxy movie director James Gunn had fans, the actors for the movies themselves and Hollywood in a shock. James Gunn had a history of film making in the past with him producing the live action movie for Scooby Doo in 2004, and the reboot for Dawn of the Dead in 2007.

Then a few years later he joined Disney working with Marvel in his upcoming two movies for Guardians of the Galaxy, which became a huge hit for the fans of marvel and another entry in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) that would mix with the timeline before their encounter with a former member of the Avengers in Avengers: Infinity War.

But with a good life as a director on one of the biggest production companies ever to be seen, heard and talked about lies many consequences. James Gunn had his Twitter account timeline filled with jokes, yes jokes, about pedophilia and rape in the year 2007 and 2008. This was found by Right-Wing conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich who found them and sent them to Disney as soon as possible. Cernovich also had his timeline filled with “jokes” of pedophilia and rape in his account which stated, “Have you guys ever tried ‘raping’ a girl without using force? Try it. It’s basically impossible.”

Gunn apologized for his mistake and even called his past self a “provocateur.” “Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies,” Gunn stated as an apology.

The main actors for Guardians of the Galaxy that includes Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (Rocket Raccoon) and Vin Diesel (Groot) were in sadness as their long known director and friend has parted ways with them. Recent tweets from the actors break the silence upon his firing: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters. Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger,” Chris Pratt stated.

Zoe Saldana stated, “It’s been a challenging weekend I’m not gonna lie. I’m pausing myself to take everything in before I speak out of term. I just want everyone to know I love ALL members of my GOTG (Guardians of the Galaxy) family. Always will.”

“I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this..@JamesGunn is one of the most loving, caring, good natured people I have ever met. He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes. We all have. I’m NOT ok with what’s happening to him,” Dave Bautista said.

Fans also took it upon themselves to encourage Disney to “bring him back” with a petition in which 300,000 fans already signed and are prepared to send out to Disney. The real downside is that the petition won’t do anything to change their minds over it, although it was a really good effort for everyone that supports Gunn. It was his role that made the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy a real treat to watch. I agree to that effort since I do enjoy a good movie and watching those movies made me laugh, cry, and just have a good time in general.