Holiday Edition: Society

How Sigma Males are Associated with Toxic Gender Stereotypes

By: Sydney B.

Patrick Bateman from the 2000 horror film “American Psycho”

The original term “sigma male” was used to describe a highly masculine individual that is successful, yet self-reliant, and goes outside the social hierarchy, serving as the “lone wolf” of society. This term is typically used as a joke amongst others to poke fun at misguided twelve year olds who sincerely identify themselves as being a “sigma male” and “different from everyone else.” Most of the time, people who call themselves “sigma males” support misogyny and preach false information and unhealthy gender stereotypes, whilst acting like everything they say is correct, despite having no proof or research whatsoever.

It really doesn’t take too long to scroll through TikTok and find a “sigma male” commenting “women ☕” on a woman’s video. The “Women ☕” meme refers to a clip from “Infomercial: The Pill” by Tipsy Duck where two men say “Hmph, women,” while sipping coffee after a woman passes by them on the street. The purpose of this meme is to show disapproval and hatred towards women, especially associated with the stereotypical woman. They also disapprove of any male who dresses or acts feminine because it is against the “traditional male culture.” Another example of misogyny on the TikTok platform includes some sort of clip of a man rejecting or hurting a woman, following a clip of Patrick Bateman, Walter White, and others nodding their heads in approval, which (in the context of the video) signifies that misogyny is acceptable and should be approved of.

A YouTuber that goes by the name “Anthony Spade” created a video about a year ago called “Why Sigma Males Are More Attractive Than Alpha Males.” He talks about (as you can clearly see from the title) how sigma males have a better lifestyle than alpha males because they are lonely, have no friends, and are completely dependent on

themselves. I believe that this pushes terrible advice in terms of mental health and “traditional male” stereotypes.

This entire “sigma male grindset” mentality makes people believe that by being lonely and completely self reliant means that they are truly mascline and brave. According to Anthony Spade, “...you have strong individuals, which are sigma males. Sigma males gain their power off of loneliness.” However, I feel like being insecure and lonely should not be described with words like “power” or “strong,” because this encourages people that these kinds of feelings come from their inner demon, quirk, and characterization of being “too good for society.” In other words, this makes people think that it is a good thing to be lonely and insecure, which can lead to having mental health problems and being in denial that these are even problems to begin with.

Now I’m sure some people have heard of Andrew Tate, who lives in Romania and is a misogynist that was banned from all social media platforms. He believes that women should only work in the kitchen and that they are of a man’s property. He also believes that rape victims must “bear responsibility” for what happens to them and talks about abusing and hitting women – as well as trashing their things and prohibiting them from going out. “It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face and grip her by the neck,” he said in a video. While Andrew Tate was banned from the Internet, people to this day still worship and praise him, such as Sneako and many others. I believe that it really takes a high level of bias and stereotypes to commentate and judge people of a certain gender, both male and female.

Other things Andrew Tate or his “successors” might preach is to suck up your emotions and toughen up like a man, which I think is an unhealthy mindset. Studies have shown that suppressing your emotions actually damages and affects you and your intimate female partner greatly, such as depression, anxiety, and drug abuse. According to an inspiring quote by Sigmund Freud, “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.”

Overall, the concept of “sigma males” and what they preach is extremely harmful and misleading, which is why many young and impressionable individuals around the internet follow these beliefs and get misinformed about the reality of mental health and gender stereotypes, as well as other problems such as ableism and queerphobia. This misinformation is especially spread around by people like Andrew Tate and Anthony Spade who have inaccurate – and sometimes no sources. So next time if you want to spread information about a certain problem or group of people, do your research, and ask those people about their own experiences instead of assuming and basing your knowledge off of harmful stereotypes. It just doesn’t look good on you – or anyone else.

Cryptocurrencies: The Future of Banking or Unsustainable Speculative Scheme?

By: Katya M.

We’ve all heard of huge cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Tether - how they’re the “future of banking”, safely secured with Blockchain technology, a great way for us to transition to using sustainable energy sources. In reality, all of that is just “blah blah blah” - none of it can be backed up by a lot of reliable evidence.

First of all, many economists argue that crypto can’t even be considered “money”, let alone the “future of banking”. Cryptocurrencies do not fulfill the traditional functions of money - they aren’t mediums of exchange, because they aren’t usually used to buy or sell goods and services, they aren’t a store of value, since their values can fluctuate wildly over time, and they are not a unit of account, since very few goods and services are denominated in them.

Secondly, we have heard how secure this “Blockchain technology” is, but is it worth it for the colossal energy usage it consumes and the e-waste it produces? Blockchain technology is upheld by crypto-mining using the proof-of-work verification process, where a computer enters the cryptocurrency’s network to approve and verify transactions by solving complex mathematical problems. In exchange for verifying transactions correctly, they receive a certain amount of coins from that cryptocurrency. However, for major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, personal and home computers aren’t powerful enough to do crypto-mining, so huge mining facilities have to be built specifically for mining, consuming amounts of electricity capable of powering countries. This is a huge problem, because, unlike other large electricity users, cryptocurrency mining operations have a short time horizon, and most have shown little interest in investing in new clean energy. Proof-of-work crypto-mining encourages miners to use as much power as quickly as possible, irrespective of the source of energy.

Crypto supporters argue that this is going to change - The Crypto Climate Accords have already garnered 250 signatures from individuals and companies. These signatories are committing themselves to reducing their carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 and eventually decarbonizing the entire cryptocurrency industry by 2040.

Due to this, proof-of-work crypto-mining strains energy grids, raises retail electricity rates, and increases total carbon emissions and coal air pollution. Between mid-2021 and 2022, the crypto industry was responsible for an excess 27.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In the US alone, Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency that is the oldest and has the highest market capitalization, alone creates an estimated 40 billion pounds of carbon emissions, and so far Bitcoin has consumed a shocking 0.5% of the world’s electricity.

However, it is unclear how the crypto industry will reduce its colossal carbon emissions in such a short time frame. Some have suggested that it can be done by moving mining operations from places such as the US and Kazakhstan to countries with more ways to generate green energy to find a sustainable way of sustaining the amount of electricity proof-of-work miners need. However, the only green country with many proof-of-work mining operations is Germany, which has set a target of reaching 80% renewable power by 2030, and in January 2022 only 3.06% of mining operations occur there. Others have suggested that big cryptocurrencies should change their verification processes to more sustainable ones, such as proof-of-stake, in which miners use the cryptocurrency they already own to gain access to mining rights proportional to the coins they already own. They lock their coins away to

create a validator node, which can verify a transaction. When a block of new information needs to be approved, the blockchain randomly chooses a validator node. If the validator verifies the block, they can add it to the blockchain. If they try to add a block of inaccurate information, they lose some of the coins they put at stake. Ethereum, the second most traded cryptocurrency in the world, has pledged to change its proof-of-work verification process to proof-of-stake in the future.

Although it would be great if Ethereum will uphold its pledge, other big cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are unlikely to change their policies as one of the things people most love about Bitcoin is how it barely changes its policies at all and remains the same. Therefore, other actions must be taken, such as raising awareness about sustainable cryptocurrencies that have already changed their verification processes which people can invest in. Bitcoin is the most widely-known cryptocurrency, so most people who first start investing in crypto don’t realize there are other options. Solana (20.39 billion market capitalization, uses proof-of-stake), Slimcoin (uses proof-of-burn, in which validators have to remove their coins from circulation to gain mining rigs), Burst, Chia, and Storj (use proof-of-capacity, uses storage capacity on a mining device’s hard drive for validation) are all cryptocurrencies that can be invested in that use barely any electricity.

Therefore, cryptocurrencies aren’t “the future of banking” yet, nor will they be any time soon. Whether they catch on or replace the banking systems in the future, and whether the crypto industry will reduce all carbon emissions by 2040 is yet to be determined, and a lot of action should be taken to ensure it stops consuming so much unrenewable energy.

Editorial: Schools should regulate the numbers of assessments

By Ariya N.

Math Assessment, Chinese Assessment, English Assessment, Social Studies and Science. All of these exams pile up on my calendar as I click on this week's schedule. I proceed to write these dates in all red onto my planner while anxiety builds up on my finger tips. The stress of assessments keeps me and other students up at night, studying so that we can see the fantasy of a 7 on our paper.

Schools say that assessments are supposed to be an analysis of your learning and feedback so that you can improve in class. What happens when it creates more pressure in your life?

According to TargetStudy, assessments can give you confidence if you succeed, but with the opposite, it can lead to a low self-esteem, a decrease in confidence and more stress. These pent-up emotions, feelings and stress often lead to worse mental health and even health problems such as nausea and headaches.

Of course this unwanted exam stress may also be due to factors such as not getting enough sleep, not planning your time effectively and poor nutrition. These can not only be a detriment to your exam stress but your overall mental health. However take into account the hours students must study and complete work that may seep into nighttime.

It's also been seen that stress from assessments not only affects students but also teachers. During special time crunches like Semester two (only 6 weeks long), teachers at ISM are required to create 2 graded assessments, large or small per each course. Therefore around 16 assessments crammed into 6 weeks. Of course this creates a large amount of stress for everyone and can create a stressful environment for everyone because of the limited time.

According to the London Metropolitan University, 94% of secondary school teachers agree that during the exam season, students are being driven by stress.

So now think back to assessment week, how many assessments did you have?

“I’ve had three assessments today,” replied 8th grade student Amelia Frias.

Another student, Bexie Morrison replied, “I want to say like, 4?”

“5.” said another 8th grade student, Rafael Abello.

When many teachers attempt to cram in as many assessments to try to grade them in time before break, it leads to the mindset of “teaching for the test” and memorizing the material which stifles imagination and creativity in class .

If we are able to recognize the key point of assessments; analyzing and giving feedback to students, then it would be sensible to reduce the amount of them and instead focus on nurturing student and teachers best interests and talents.

President Biden signs into law historic same-sex marriage bill

By Rafael A.

Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act on the South Lawn of the White House on December 13, 2022. Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images

On December 13, President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, which mandates federal recognition for same-sex and interracial marriages, capping his own personal and a national evolution toward accepting gay rights throughout the course of a four-decade political career.

The President signed the bill in front of thousands of guests in an elaborate ceremony on the South Lawn including musical performances from Grammy winners Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith. Biden told the large crowd that the new law symbolizes a rare moment of bipartisanship when Democrats and Republicans came together.

“Marriage is a simple proposition. Who do you love? And will you be loyal to that person you love?” The President asked this from the South Lawn. “It’s not more complicated than that.”

Biden explained that the law that he was going to sign acknowledged that “everyone should have the right to answer those questions for themselves without government interference,” and assured the federal “protections that come with marriage.”

“For most of our nation’s history, we denied interracial couples and same sex couples from these protections,” Biden added. “It failed to treat them with equal dignity and respect. And now, this law requires an interracial marriage and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state in the nation.”

The newly signed law effectively invalidates the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as only between men and women.

Cyndi Lauper performs at White House as Biden signs the Marriage Equality Act.

How to evolve every special new Pokémon in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

By Raui S.

‘Tis the season to buy a new Pokémon game! Falalalala, catch ‘em all! In all seriousness, the winter holidays are upon us. (As wintery as it can be in Southeast Asian Philippines.) As usual, you can see big swarms of shoppers lining the counters of Toys ‘R’ Us and traffic galore for the Christmas season. And of course, there are the Christmas staples, and this year is no different.

Now, everyone give an ancient and high-tech welcome to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the games heading Pokémon’s Generation IX. Despite the extreme hilarity of all these glitches and bugs, the games are definitely a step forwards. And of course, we got a huge batch of new Pokémon to catch, battle, and play with. But with every casual gamer, shiny hunter, or competitive battler, there’s always that player who just wants to catch ‘em all, and that’s why we’re here today. Can’t catch ‘em all without evolving some can’t you?

Tandemaus -> Maushold

Tandemaus, the Couple Pokémon, evolves into the three/four and only, Maushold, the Family Pokémon. In doing so, you have to meet specific requirements. You have to reach LVL 25+ from leveling up in battle, as in an actual battle, as auto battles from the “Let’s Go!” feature do not evolve your Pokémon if they level up. (Trust me, I had to wait for LVL 17 for my Fuecoco to evolve.) Once done, your Tandemaus should evolve into Maushold after the battle. You can find Tandemaus in East Province(Area Two), Artazon, Levincia, Porto Marinada, Medali, Zapapico, and The Pokémon League.

Finizen -> Palafin

Finizen, the Dolphin Pokémon, evolves into Palafin, also the Dolphin Pokémon. This Pokémon should evolve when leveling up to LVL 38+ when using the Union Circle with another player. The Union Circle is a feature that is located at the Pokémon Center or using the Poké Portal feature in the menu. It allows for multiplayer with other players, sharing a world. And so now you have a Palafin, but it looks nearly identical to a Finizen except for a heart emblem on its torso. That’s because of its Zero to Hero ability, which when in battle, lays dormant. But when you switch Palafin out and switch it in later, you see Zero to Hero awaken, transforming Palafin into its Hero Form, changing drastically and gaining stats higher than some legendaries. Finizen can be found in nearly every sea in Paldea, but it most commonly spawns near the beach just south of Levincia, however it spawns at around LVL 23, so make sure you are prepared for it.

Bisharp -> Kingambit

This one is a doozy. To evolve Bisharp into Kingambit, you have to send your “leader” Bisharp into battle against 3 “leader” Bisharp and win. It’s kind of complicated. “Leader” Bisharp are just Bisharp who are holding the “Leader’s Crest” item. The Leader’s Crest is only found on wild Bisharp that lead a pack of wild Pawniard, image here:

Bisharp that lead a pack of Pawniard like this are guaranteed to hold Leader’s Crests, and you can gain said Leader’s Crests by either using a move that steals the Crest like Thief or Switcheroo, or just catching the Bisharp holding the Crest. Then, once you have your Crest-wielding Bisharp, all you have to do is defeat 3 wild other Crest-wielding Bisharp, which is found in the bamboo area of North Province (Area Two) then level it up and bada-bing-bada-boom, you have yourself a Kingambit. Pawniard can be found in North Province (Area Two) and South Province (Area Three), and so can Bisharp for the latter.

Armarouge <- Charcadet -> Ceruledge

Charcadet is the Fire Child Pokémon, and depending on the version of the game, can evolve into either Armarouge, the Fire Warrior Pokémon or the Fire Blades Pokémon, known as Ceruledge. To get the Armors needed to evolve Charcadet, you have to head towards a small town known as Zapapico, and you should be able to find it on your map. Once there you should find a man/woman waiting in front of a fountain, and on speaking to them, they will say they are in possession of an auspicious curio/a curio with a dark past.

To get said curio, you have to give them 10 Bronzor Fragments/Sinistea Chips to trade for their curio.To get the Bronzor Fragments, you have to defeat Bronzor, which can be found near ruins, and to get the Sinistea Chips, you can find Sinistea near Zapapico, where you have to defeat them. It is revealed that the curio is actually the Auspicious/Malicious Armor. Using the Armor on Charcadet will allow it to evolve into Armarouge, exclusive to Scarlet, or Ceruledge, exclusive to Violet, gaining the Psychic/Ghost type on top of its Fire type. Charcadet can be found in a variety of places, but I found some at the West Province and they seem to be common in Tera Raids.

Is Stranger things overrated?

By Monica O.

You must know the popular tv show, Stranger Things, That reached popularity in 2016. Stranger Things is a popular tv show that is set in the 1980s in a fictional town called Hawkins, Indiana. It centers on the number of weird events around their town. That stars young actresses Millie Bobbie Brown. But is Stranger Things as perfect as fans expect?

Stranger Things had over 60 million monthly viewers and has reached many fans across the world. But people have been stating that Stranger Things was a waste of 8 hours of their time.

Kaylee White states, "Stranger Things has the same plot as any other story or show out there. There is a fictional character that appears in the parallel universe and the kids have to fight them with their superpowers. If you want to show t that conveys friendship, bravery, and courage, I can proudly point out that Harry Potter portrays the same thing.”

While watching Stranger Things it has the same pattern as you go along. If a problem occurs, they save the day, then everything goes normal for now. It starts to be more boring and people tend to quit watching it. Season 3 is very boring, for example in the middle and end of episode 7, there is no connection between Steve, Dustin, and Robin's situation, and Eleven, Nancy, Jonathan, Max, Mike, Will, and Lucas's situation about the new host. You only find out how it connects later in the season, and It is generally very confusing and not interesting for the viewer.

Other parents that reviewed the show in Common Sense Media agree that “the later seasons involve much more violence compared to season 2.”

Another notable comment by a teacher states that “there is too much of everything bad. For example, it has some sex, profanity, and a gore theme which makes it inappropriate for young viewers.” Agreeing with this comment a lot of young viewers can be influenced by the theme. Especially while filming sessions 1 and 2 The main actors/Actresses are aged 12 and 13. Which made young viewers have a certain connection to the actors/actresses. It also exposes young kids to sexual love from their peers, as shown in some of the episodes. Not only this but as I mentioned briefly before the show has a very gory theme for example 3-4 such as blood.

A parent proclaims “Season 4 is straight horror It's a good show but lots of torture, grizzly death, and a child losing their anger and hitting another child with a rollerblade.” This only shows that not all people have an interest in watching the show despite how good the ratting are and how interesting it is.

While leaving on that note the show is a huge trend in the media among young viewers on social media. That also exposes young viewers to profanity, sex, and gore. Remember these viewers are still not old enough to not be able to discern which is appropriate for them or not. Yet again young viewers can get influenced by this really quickly as it's still hard for them to identify, reality is made up.

I get it, most viewers can get obsessed with the show as it is very interesting but young viewers can't really discern what is good and bad, and that would affect their future choices and behavior.

In conclusion, I highly recommend viewers before picking up this show in the upcoming holidays make a really stern judgment on this if it's appropriate or not. This show is truly a remarkable high ratted show with amazing actors and heart-thumping scenes. But is it really that worth it?

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