Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Harriett Tubman, George Washington Carver, W. E B. Debois. These are the names that come to mind when we think about Black historical figures. These are the people we hear about when discussing Black history. And they’re not enough. Don’t get me wrong, these people were all very important, but that’s only 6 names. I couldn’t count the number of white people I’ve heard about in history class. Why did we not hear about Marsha P. Johnson? Bell Hooks? Josh Gibson? 

There is a rich history of Black Americans in this country, from Phillis Wheatly to the brave Civil Rights leaders of the 60s to modern activists like Tarana Burke, the founder of the #metoo movement, and their legacies should be taught in schools. These stories are complex, meaningful, and full of important lessons. 

Even when the histories of some of these figures are discussed in class it is centralized around conversations surrounding their oppression and does not include conversations about the many Black people who made history outside of the Civil Rights movements of the past. Augusta Savage, Duke Ellington, and so many more are left out of conversations, why are they not recognized like their white peers?

When there is a lack of representation in the history being taught in schools, many students come to see whiteness as the default. This can reinforce racist sentiments, even unconsciously in white students, and leave Black students only understanding their reality in the context of slavery, segregation, and oppression. 

There has been a recent wave of legislation across this country that pushes to ban conversations about blackness and Black history from classrooms. Email your legislators, representatives, and congresspeople. Tell them how you feel. Explain the importance of education on Black history. Advocate for these discussions. 

And if these conversations aren’t going to happen in the classroom, you need to educate yourself. There are numerous resources out there that discuss Black people and events in history. There are so many resources that I can’t give a good recommendation without feeling like I’m leaving out other great options. Some of my favorite people to look into are Katherine Johnson, who was vital to NASA’s first mission to the moon, Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus nine months before Rosa Parks, N.W.A., the hip hop group who wrote albums like Straight Outta Compton, and Bayard Rustin, who was a Civil Rights leader in the same circles as Dr. King, but who gets so much less attention.  These are just a few examples, so make sure you don’t limit yourself and make sure to get your information from Black voices.

When most people think of a conspiracy theorist an image comes to mind of a crazy person who is incapable of seeing the truth of the world. This stereotype is the kind of person you cannot reason with, and it’s better to just ignore entirely, But is this really who they are? Are all or most conspiracy theorists irredeemably lost to reason? I don’t think so.

Lots of conspiracy theories exist in our media landscape, and it’s easy to see the conclusions people draw, peg them as crazy, and not look any further into their reasoning. But I think people who believe in these theories see genuine failings in our society but are unable to meaningfully confront the issue. People who believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories often realize that it's unfair for a small group of people to have most of the wealth and power in our society, but instead of understanding that it is a symptom of capitalism, they blame ‘the Jews’. 

Many extremist Trump supporters believe in some aspect of ‘Q-anon’ the conspiracy theory that there is a cabal of Jewish sex-trafficking elites, who run the government. Some versions of the conspiracy theory also include blood libel or lizard people, but the main conclusion is that Jewish people run the world, which is the reason for all of society's ills. So what leads people to this conclusion? Well, many people observe the class inequality in our world, seeing how a small group of people hold most of the wealth, and therefore power, in society. This leads them to question what is true and what isn't, but to confront it would be to question capitalism itself, so instead, they blame a group of already marginalized people. Their potentially poignant critique of the market and economy of this country turns into a bigoted and overall ridiculous conspiracy theory.

Many people who realize that they are being underpaid and mistreated by their bosses diagnose the problem as “Mexicans taking their jobs,” rather than confronting the realities of capitalism. Men who fall down the “nice guy/red pill/misogynist” rabbit hole often see real issues, like inequalities in family court, women fearing men, or the male suicide rate, and misidentify the issue as women rather than the true culprit: the patriarchy. 

This pattern extends to more mainstream conspiracy theories as well such as the various accusations of the coronavirus vaccine being a fluke or a plot. When looking at the history of our government, especially when it comes to public health spending, it is understandable for many to be suspicious of any medical care being free, much less encouraged for all people. This doubt has spread into more liberal communities as well. It has a strong hold on marginalized communities for whom the United States government’s involvement with public health has not only included incompetence but corruption. Many queer people immediately think of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Many black people think of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Yet when we hear people expressing doubt about the vaccine, we automatically assume they are crazy. People who believe that the vaccine is fake or harmful may be wrong, but they are definitely on the right track to understanding many of the issues that genuinely do harm our society.

  These people's fears should be taken as genuine, but not their conclusions. They saw a problem and it is always easier to blame a person or people than it is to blame a system, so that's what they did. It is important to not use this understanding to excuse the behavior of these extremists. These theories can’t come to prejudiced conclusions if those holding them did not already have underlying racism, homophobia, and misogyny. It is always more important to help victims than analyze the perpetrators, but understanding how people come to these conclusions can allow us to prevent others from going down these paths to begin with.

If you’ve been in the library, you’ve seen the guinea pigs; Dewey, Sushi, and Wasabi. Even if you haven’t seen them, its possible you’ve heard them wailing. Many students have voiced their concerns and opinions about the presence of the guinea pigs in the library. What do you think?

Amanda Klakamp, the librarian at Brown, said it was Tifaney Perry’s idea to get them, as she wanted a library pet. According to Amanda, "Magically, these guinea pigs kept showing up on my news feed needing homes, so we went for it," and they've been a library staple ever since. Whether it be their wails as you work or the giant pictures of them on the doors, you’ve had to have had at least one experience with these critters.

The praise for them comes from their size, therapeutic value, and overall cuteness. “Cute” isn't a completely common opinion, however. The fact they’re small makes it easy to pick them up, but also easy to mishandle them. While advertised as “therapy animals”, the guinea pigs are hard to handle and care for. You have to be very careful with them and hold them a certain way. There are plenty of students who have had guinea pigs who dislike the way they’re treated by other students and believe people should be educated before handling them.

An anonymous complaint I got was that their cages are too small and the cage for the twins, Sushi and Wasabi, isn’t even big enough for one guinea pig. This person also said they’re put into stressful situations like when the younger students surround and crowd them. Amanda said that she and Tifaney remind the children not to crowd them and to keep their voices down- but these reminders are often ineffective.

Others complain about their presence in the library because they’re allergic to them. Having them in a public place that the majority of high school students go to can put people at risk of having an allergic reaction. Students can’t go to the reference room to stay away from them because their classmates sometimes bring them in there as well. Amanda claims to tell students who are allergic not to hold them or go near them, but this doesn’t stop someone else from holding one around the people who are allergic. Their dander and hair can spread anyway, regardless of who is holding them.

The guinea pigs are taken home over the weekend to ensure they get enough socialization and food, which is great, especially for long weekends. You have to sign up to bring them home for the weekend, and many people would love to bring them home. However, the library staff have had issues finding someone to bring them home before.

Amanda said it would be wonderful if someone took initiative to make a sign or indicator to hang around the playpen or one of their cages, informing students of the proper way to handle a guinea pig. As of February 22nd, myself and another student have taken the initiative to design posters to paste around the library about proper guinea pig care and handling.

Whether you think they’re stinky and gross or cute and cuddly, there’s no doubt that these pets’ presence have changed the library forever. It is doubtful that they will be gone any time soon, and only time will tell.

Have you been having trouble finding something to watch nowadays? Well lucky for you, there will be an eSports tournament in March! The tournament will take place at Bellarmine university on March 17th. This tournament is an event to get excited about.

Attending this event is an amazing way to support our Brown School eSport players in a serious environment such as a tournament.  Students showing up along with the eSports team will convey that our team is more than just our players with others from the Brown community showing up makes it clear that we represent the population of Brown instead of just a minority of players.

Not only will you be showing up to support our players at Brown, but Smash is a very fun game to watch as a spectator in a competitive setting due to the fast paced nature of the game itself. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate is a platform fighter game about knocking your opponent off stage and ring them out. There is never a dull moment within the game, and split second decisions and inputs are made throughout, making it engaging to watch. It feels like the experience never slows down which makes it an enjoyable experience outside of our eSports team.

Lastly, the event takes place on an easy date to attend, March 17th - March 19th, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, an easy time to attend the event without much difficulty for those interested, though spectators will have to pay $7.00 for each day or $15.00 for an all day pass. Pizza will be provided for those who attend the event. Though if you do decide to go, then on Friday you will have to check in at 5 PM, for Saturday, you will need to come in at 9 AM for check ins. And if we make it to Sunday, check ins start at 1 PM

This event is one you should attend because it’s easy and fun to watch, but also because this could establish the eSports team as a serious community, as this is our first tournament of the year.

The recent developments in tensions between the US and China have been visibly strained by the China spy balloon "escapade". The issue at hand is: Why is our approach so cordial?

At first, some thought the balloon was some type of alien aircraft, as expected when dealing with an unidentifiable object in our airspace. Of course,now there have been even odder occurrences, especially with the octagon metal block that was shot down, further fueling rumors. But one thing is certain, this matter is nothing to sweep under the rug.

Let's refer back to the Lockheed Martin Blackhawk Jet. When the government flew it in test flights around the US, onlookers presumed that it was a UFO. It was not until it was unveiled that some realized that what they saw was incorrect, and still some today still believe the sightings were actual otherworldly objects.

Tensions have been high since China confirmed it will likely invade Taiwan, something the US is (for a lack of calming words) not too keen on. If China were to invade Taiwan, the US would undeniably get involved, but with the recent quarrels between Israel and Iran, Ukraine and Russia, and many more, our allies are all quarreling with China's allies. A worrying issue is some countries that are not on either side are angry with the US. Essentially, it has become a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” kind of deal.

In an interview with Brown School Civics teacher Stacy Pendleton, he had this to say about the dilemma:

Q: "Overall, do you believe that these balloons pose a threat to the country?"

A: "I mean, as of now, there's no way of being sure. We don't really know what these balloons or whatever can actually do."

Q: "As a Civics teacher, more so as someone who enjoys learning about the US in general, do you see this as an unorthodox occurrence, or does it resemble other events?"

A: "I'm sure many could say this is something that we've never seen before, but its not the first time there was an ominous threat to the US. I'd say this is one of the less direct ones, which is why people are so worked up about it."

Q: "The fear of the unknown, right?"

A: "Exactly."

The overall issue, of course, is that this isn't an empty threat. China is a global superpower as well, sometimes above us, so why would they be this bold if they weren't aware of something we aren't? As with Oppenheimer's studies, almost no one knew we had the ability to destroy an entire city until of course, we did it. 

As of today, there is an even larger amount of suspicion around it, as China claims we've done the same to them multiple times. Could this be a lie to shave off blame, or is there something going on that citizens are now aware of.

Overall, there is no question that this is a very unpredictable issue. One thing is for certain though, it is more than likely negative.