November Hawk Talks

November is the month of transgender awareness. On Nov. 20, people around the world will celebrate the transgender community and this “Day of Remembrance.” However, the entire week of Nov. 13 is Transgender Awareness Week.  It's for all the sisters, brothers and non-binary people who have fought their hardest to be who they are. 

According to History.com, the first Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was held in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, transgender activist, to honor Rita Hester, a black transgender woman who was murdered in 1998. Hester's life was brutally taken in her first floor apartment during a presumed hate crime. She was stabbed 20 times at the young age of 34. It is presumed that Hester possibly invited her killer over due to everything in her apartment not being damaged and the locks being intact.

     While this is the month for transgender people, it is important to note the lives that were taken for being seen as "different." No one deserves to be a victim of hate crimes for simply existing.  

      Her death sparked what we now call the Transgender Day of Remembrance. 22 years later and there are still no answers. Two decades after Hester's death, the U.S. is facing what advocates are calling an “epidemic” of anti-trans violence. The years from 2020 to 2024 have been the deadliest in regards to deaths targeting trans people. To this day, Hester's murderer has not been found. Many people are not aware of Hester's story or what happened to her. We should remember Hester and any other lives that have been taken because of their identity and who they were.

     To aid in this week of remembrance, organizations and individuals can host events to celebrate the trans community and educate the public. These events can include lectures, workshops, film screenings, art exhibitions, marches and parades. 

     Instead of being homophobic and transphobic, we should open our hearts and minds to supporting one another. As high schoolers, we should not treat people negatively because of their differences. Even though we have a small community here in Hiawatha and don't see as many diverse people, we should work on having open minds. We as a world know about the LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex) community. We know many people around the world who are members of this community including myself.

     My boyfriend Levi Fleagle, HHS graduate of 2024, is transgender and Asian. From the time he was eight he never felt right in his body. He was young, so he didn't understand what these feelings were. When he finally hit sixth grade he learned about being transgender and realized he could be himself. He soon would make the transition from female to male around this time. 

     “I have always known since I was a child . . . I stopped wearing dresses and I refused to play like the girls did. I only started my transition in sixth grade because I didn’t have a label to put on it,  I was too young to understand,” Fleagle said. 

Pre-teen years are stressful for everyone, and Fleagle had even more struggles because of his identity. Fleagle, being Asian, had a lot of cultural stress when he came out. Being different (especially transgender) is frowned upon deeply in Asian cultures. He had to face challenges that no other could, he had to defend his gender expression and his ethnic background. 

      “Being Korean and transgender is heavily frowned upon and it puts a large target on my back, but to me it means that I am ready to not only defend but teach those who misunderstand,” Fleagle said. 

      Most kids who realize they are “different” will always struggle coming out to their parents. Coming out to your parents is scary, more scary than anyone could ever imagine. Most kids will pack their bags and get ready to be kicked out. Sadly this happens to a lot of LGBTQI people. Parents who are part of older generations are more likely to have seen the negatives of people who were “different” many years ago.

 When Fleagle was in the seventh grade he finally thought he was ready for his father to know who he truly was. 

  “I sat down with my dad… and told him that I didn’t feel comfortable being a girl. I felt like I didn’t belong in the body that was given to me,” Fleagle said. “I explained in great detail the pain and body dysphoria I felt looking in the mirror each morning as I broke down crying in front of him. I finally looked up and he was smiling and telling me, ‘Kiddo, I don’t care what you are. You will always be my child and I will always love you and support you. No matter what.’”

     Fleagle’s coming out was accepted with a hug and he is still part of his family, but this is not always the case. Though his immediate family accepted him, some of his family still misgenders him. 

     A lot of his school friends were accepting of his new identity, though. At HHS, he was treated fairly by the school teachers and given the comfort to use separate bathrooms (teacher bathrooms). He could express his identity in this school, but the students weren’t the kindest to him.

     “Every single day there was a new story that was being spread around the school that was about me, maybe back then it hurt my feelings, but it truly doesn’t now,” Fleagle said. “Of course you can always blame it on ‘kids will be kids’ but some of the things these peers would say could be truly harmful. At times I was told to end my life, and others I was called derogatory names, all of these things and more were done simply because I was being who I truly am . . . you would figure in 2024 people would be more open to these things.”

     The main daily struggle of being transgender for Fleagle is the bathrooms. He doesn't feel comfortable going into either of the bathrooms as he doesn’t want to make women uncomfortable, but also doesn’t want to get assaulted in the men’s bathroom.

     “Another daily struggle is disrespectful behavior and ‘not passing.’ Being trans not only means you are being who you truly are, but also realizing that sometimes you do not look like society’s norm for a guy,” Fleagle said. “I would say I am a fairly masculine looking person but some people would beg to differ, so some if not most days I am misgendered, either on purpose or on accident.” 

    Most people who are transgender get talked about and feel like there's a spotlight on them as they struggle to be themselves. Most of the time they end up feeling poorly about themselves, which causes a lot of mental health problems, like depression, suicide, and more. 

     “I will without fail always be looked at funny or be talked to differently until I ‘align’ myself with society's norms . . . I am never going to do that though. I decide who I am . . .” Fleagle said. “If people who are transgender are living their lives and not bothering you or forcing you to do something, then I feel that you should just let me and these people live their lives as ‘normally’ as they can.”

     This month is for all the entire transgender community -- especially those who have been killed, mistreated, and assaulted. We should accept them, hold their hands and give them support. This is a month for Rita Hester and the war she had to fight, and people like Fleagle who continue to fight. This month, let's stand up tall for transgender awareness. 

    “Throughout my life I have only been seen as less, or not worth the effort at all,” Fleagle said. “... I still found comfort in this new and true person I have become and I love every second of it despite all of the backlash,” Fleagle said.

On Oct. 3. Hiawatha High School senior graduate, Hayden Brown, released an independent short film on Youtube.com titled “The Change,” starring Cailyn Kratzer.

Brown graduated in May 2024, now he attends the New York Film Academy. He was able to produce the feature, with the help of the director photographer Pablo Valbuena, assistant cameraman Mauricio Serrano and Kratzer the lead actor.

“It was a lot of fun, it was so great to finally start what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Brown, the director of “The Change.”

Brown said that during the Covid 19 pandemic was when he “truly started loving film” and that he had the idea of becoming a director at ages 15 and 16. Before deciding on becoming a director, Brown said that he first thought of being an actor or a critic.

“It was watching more films that were very experimental and creative, I realized I didn’t just want to act but I wanted to create art more,” Brown said.

The production of “The Change” was part of an assignment given by Brown’s professor. “The Change” is one of the three videos that Brown will upload onto his Youtube channel, “Hayden Reviews,” for this academic semester. Each student from Brown’s film class will be given up to four hours to record their movie, then once the recording is done, the editing will have to be done within a week.

The point of this project was to show a narrative between 30 or 90 seconds without using sound. Brown used that challenge to his advantage by having the “no noise” rule play into a deeper meaning for the short.

“My idea for the story came when I really considered the lack of sound. I thought that the character could become deaf, then I continued it by having the character lose all senses, showing how a person’s life can change in an instant,” Brown said.

Now being at New York Film Academy, Brown can persist with creating many more stories.

Students at Hiawatha High School, such as Bella Hedrick, feel very excited seeing Brown’s success.

“As someone who has seen his work, I think the lighting, setting and the casting was incredible. It’s amazing to see someone from our high school be able to film in New York,” Hedrick said.

     Almost everyone in the United States consumes coffee on a daily basis. Coffee has been proven to be the second most popular drink in the world, second only to water. Coffee is known for the high levels of caffeine; however, in modern times coffee is not used as an energy drink and now just for the appealing taste.  According to Resturantbusiness online.com, Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the second largest coffee industries in the world with over 11.9 billion sales a year -- and it has officially been brought closer to our town.                     

    Dunkin’ Donuts in Fairview, Kansas was opened on Oct. 27 and has been a popular destination since. Previously, the closest well known donut shop or popular coffee company was in St Joseph, Missouri. Dunkin' originated in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950. When Dunkin’ first started they were in business with Universal Food Systems; however, when all of the other businesses closed down, Dunkin’ was later its own business. After this Dunkin’ later bought other donut businesses causing a growth in their business. 

     The opening of the multi billion dollar business was very strategic as it is in Fairview, commonly a rest stop. Almost all surrounding towns must drive through Fairview in order to get to another neighboring town. It is hard not to stop and get freshly brewed coffee and freshly baked donut treats.

     “I personally love that we have a Dunkin’ so close, it makes it so much easier to go out and get a coffee or donut,” HHS student Bella Hedrick said.

       One of the advantages to this business being opened is the opportunity for more jobs. Since Hiawatha is located close to Fairview it allows students to be possible employees for this company. Companies such as Dunkin’ are popular in larger towns that have college campuses in them. This gives students the opportunity to get a look at the jobs they may work in their college life. 

     Another positive aspect of this business is that they have seasonal items. Most of the chains in Hiawatha do not possess as many seasonal flavors or products as Dunkin’ does. When restaurants or food companies have seasonal items they receive higher profits because it gets people excited for the season. Dunkin’ currently has pumpkin spice flavored everything. 

     “The pumpkin spiced munchkins are so good! They are my favorite,” HHS student Jake Gallagher said. 

      Dunkin’ being built was an overall good idea for our community and communities around us. Many people look forward to the new seasonal items to come and they enjoy getting sweat treats on the way to work. 

Many students feel pressure to be successful in life and to get good grades. Although this pressure can motivate students, it can also be detrimental. Students try so hard to achieve academic success that they completely ignore the other aspects of their lives. 

       Perfectionism may seem like being motivated or aspirational, but it can be dangerous. The need to be perfect tears down the way someone feels about themself. According to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, this can ultimately lead to self-doubt, severe self-criticism, and many mental health struggles. These mental health struggles cause higher chances of developing depression and suicidal thoughts. Perfectionism, directly and indirectly, has lasting effects on the mental health of young individuals. 

        This need to be perfect in one area of life—school, for example—can seep into other areas. In my own experience, what started as wanting all A’s and perfection in school led to my mental health deteriorating. I began to feel like I was not good enough because my grades were not exactly where I wanted them to be. I became critical of myself in every aspect of my life, not just academically.

        “Whenever my grades are bad,” Hiawatha High School student Emon Thompson said. “It makes me feel angry at myself because I feel like I need to try harder, even though I am trying as hard as I can.”

      As Thompson described, perfectionism can cause feelings of anger and self-loathing. This anger is often misdirected and causes someone to feel negatively toward themselves and their abilities.

“My heart sinks in my stomach, and I feel that I could have done better,” HHS student Bella Hedrick said. “I start overthinking my worth based on the grades I get and how people will perceive me.”

      High school students' experiences with the need for perfect grades prove how students are directly affected by perfectionistic tendencies. Students base their worth on one number or letter, and it dictates their perception of self. This is not a healthy way for developing children to perceive themself. 

      There are many good ways to help students who are feeling pressure about their grades. One thing is practicing self-care. Students should allow themselves time to relax and take care of themselves. Whether this be going outside, going for a walk, or even just watching a movie. Students need to take care of themselves and give themselves time to do more enjoyable things. Grades are important, but they are not indicative of one’s worthiness.

      On the other hand, some students do not care about their grades at all. This is also harmful because it makes students feel as if the work they do in school is pointless and teaches them nothing. 

     There is a middle ground that is most beneficial for students. Students should care about their grades and getting good grades, but it should not dictate their lives. They should do the best they can without being so hard on themselves that it affects their mental health. 

 By Kerragan Bachman, Opinion

Photo courtesy of Kerragan Bachman 

Throughout my life I have been asked all the questions you can think of about my ginger hair. I have received countless questions from strangers like, “Do you like your hair?” and “Is that hair color natural?” I lie as I express my love for the rare hair color I have, but nobody understands the emotional toll of being a ginger. 

“Mainly, people call me carrot-top and redhead. This is absolutely infuriating because my head is not red, nor do I have carrots on my head. It has caused me to give in to the name-calling and paint my head red and wear carrots. It is a sad lifestyle,” ginger Garrett Morey said. I know it can get confusing but his name is Garrett, not carrot.

When I was young, I began to grow vibrant red curls. Relatives tell me how cute of a baby I was because of my ginger curls, but it feels as if my hair became my only personality trait. People began to overlook my sense of humor, brains and charm as they were too invested in my ginger locks of hair.

The obsession wasn’t kind as I would get made fun of for being different. Who knew that something I was once praised for would someday become a curse?

Societal beauty standards are always changing but there is one trend that has not changed: blonde and brunette hair is more appealing to society’s eye. As a ginger, I wish red hair was viewed as attractive like blonde and brunette hair is. I used to beg my mother to let me dye my hair to be like the other girls, but she refused. Now, I stare at my ceiling every night hoping to wake up with a different color of hair just to wake up with the same old head of ginger hair. All I want is to fit in.

“Being a ginger is both a blessing and a curse because people either love us or hate us. One of the hardest things about being a ginger is suffering from all of the harsh stereotypes. At the end of the day, I would have ginger hair rather than a common hair color,” ginger Mariah Simmons said.

People assume the worst of me when they find out what my hair color is. Nobody wants to date a ginger. I yearn to be seen as more than the color of my hair. Gingers don’t get enough credit for all the discrimination they face. Nicknames such as “Wendy’s” and “carrot-top” aren’t as funny as they seem.

We gingers aren’t soul-less, we are real people. I ache for the day when people no longer fear me stealing pots of gold or look for me sliding down a rainbow. Next time you see a ginger, thank them for existing.

  Star P-Diddy (legally known as Sean Combs) was recently arrested on Sept. 16, for the following charges: racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. While these crimes were only charged now, this isn’t the first accusation against Diddy. His involvement in these schemes (regarding the sexual abuse and the exploitation of women) has been ongoing for years.

“I think it is essential to believe victims and deny what they say off the bat. People should believe them until they are proved not to be truthful,” Senior Maddie Keller said.

FBI agents arrested Diddy at a New York hotel on an indictment for evidence they had found. Diddy has been known for years for his music career, record label, and MTV show (Making the Band). If he is convicted, that can be a life sentence, but at this moment he has pleaded not guilty.

Before the raid of his home (as well as his arrest) he denied all the allegations of his heinous crimes. He and his employees were arrested and stripped, and police found black pouches filled with cocaine, marijuana, ketamine, ecstasy, and mushrooms.

“Shockingly, it had been going on for so long, and no one noticed. It is also insane how many celebrities have been theorized to be involved or attend parties,” Sophomore Emon Thompson said. Sadly, singer Cassie Combs also known as Diddy’s wife, suffered abuse by his hands.

In the civil lawsuit on November 16, she made the following claims against Diddy: sexual assault, rape, and physical and psychological abuse where he would have fits of rage and start to beat and curse her out. Not just that, he would force her to engage in sexual parties known as freak-offs and make her have sex with other or multiple men. After Cassie’s bravery, others harmed by Diddy started coming forward with the abuse and trauma story.

“We may never know how many victims he has but we need to rally behind them even if they don’t testify,” Senior Isabel Burnos.

There are so many layers and hidden stories in this Diddy case, and people speculate that there is no way he didn’t commit these crimes. people are also wondering if and who his accomplices were. It has been under speculation that two are Beyonce and Jay Z, as both of the icons are familiar with Diddy. It has been a joke to thank Queen B, Beyonce, as people who have not given her thanks for her music industry have mysteriously, “disappeared.” This is just a theory but it’s also believed she has been behind late stars Aaliyah and Left Eye’s deaths.

As for a conclusion on this case, there have been no real updates or justice for those he has hurt yet, For right now all we know for certain is Diddy isn’t going to get out anytime soon.

“P-Diddy has been caught with crimes and he will probably be fine. The sad thing is in Hollywood the famous people get away with it, and the victims are traumatized. I mean this has been going on forever and there was evidence before this all happened,” Isabel Burnos said.

By Pauly Rockey, Opinion

Photo courtesy of realsimple.com

Thanksgiving is coming up and although it's a holiday that should be about being thankful, it usually revolves around one thing: food. These main foods should definitely be on your family's table:

Turkey 

The turkey is the food that takes the most time and commitment to set the whole mood during the holiday. The turkey is the largest and main dish set in the middle of the table as the centerpiece. To the Pilgrims, it was the most important food during the feast and in modern times, it still is. Not only is the turkey meaningful, it has a powerful and luscious taste. This meat is juicy and slowly melts in your mouth with every bite. It's no wonder that Thanksgiving has a nickname of “Turkey Day” for countless reasons. 

Mashed Potatoes

If people don't make mashed potatoes and gravy for their Thanksgiving meal, do they even like themselves? Mashed potatoes and gravy go together like peanut butter and jelly. The dish is easy to eat and once again can be mixed around with other food on your plate. Eating mashed potatoes is like eating ice cream because it's so comforting. Except, it's warm and savory instead of cold and sweet. Why wouldn't people put this food on their plate? It's creamy and soothing to your mouth and leads to the stomach being happy with this choice. Mashed potatoes and gravy must be on your plate!

Cranberry Sauce 

The sweetness of this easy-to-eat sauce will have people begging for more. Cranberries were important to the Native Americans being an essential fruit during the long winter months. Back then, these were a symbol on their table, now we continue to put this sauce out for it to correspond with other food. Cranberry sauce smells like a summer filled with happiness. It's not rich and savory, it's sugary and tastes like melted candy. This dish must be present at Thanksgiving for the ratio of the sweet and salty.

Stuffing

Although I'm not a big fan of stuffing, this dish has millions of recipes and can change in many ways. It's easy to pair up with different appetizers on a plate, leaving numerous methods to enjoy. Stuffing isn't the prettiest dish, it's the dish people point at and have to ask, “what's in this.” Some families put stuffing in their turkey to either fatten it up or really just for the nice moisture it leaves making the dish more enjoyable. Stuffing dishes are modified to fit their family. This food may look unappealing but the flavorful surprise will change your way of wanting to try new things.

Mac N Cheese

This one is for the picky eaters, the most well known, easy meal. On the first Thanksgiving meal the Pilgrims did not have Macaroni and Cheese. Now, it has become one of America's traditional dishes, being easy to make, serve, and eat. Macaroni and Cheese adds consolation to the table. People may be over-whelmed with the variety of foods but when there is a bowl of this cheesy, rich pasta, they know where to start adding to their plate. Macaroni and Cheese didn't start as a tradition during this holiday but now is there for the stress-free celebration. 

Pumpkin Pie 

The whole point of the first Thanksgiving meal was to celebrate and be thankful for the successful harvest. What is a plant that was being harvested? Pumpkins. When people think of fall, I find it hard to believe that an image of the color orange and pumpkins don't come to their minds. This dessert is spiced and sweet at the same time. Every bite you take feels smooth and gooey. Eating Pumpkin pie after a large meal makes people feel like they have finally finished filling up their stomachs. Pumpkin pie is the dessert to be chosen at Thanksgiving. 

By Emon Thompson, News

Photo courtesy of gilchristschools.org

Red Ribbon Week is a week known and celebrated by many schools across the nation. It is celebrated on the week of Oct. 23 every year, and is known as the oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program. Red Ribbon Week was started after the death of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was brutally tortured and murdered by drug traffickers he was investigating in Mexico in 1985.

Hiawatha High School’s Kansas Association for Youth (KAY) club takes the initiative to make sure that HHS celebrates this tradition every year. The hard work starts weeks before, with planning spirit week themes, hallway decorations, buying ribbons and pamphlets, and much more.

“The preparation is worth the outcome because it deserves attention since drug use is a major struggle for many people and students in our community. Having spirit days for the week helps bring attention to the matter in more of a fun way than just watching videos about drugs.

KAY club is doing a great job spreading awareness for people struggling with substance addiction and encourages them to ask for help,” said senior and KAY board member Kerragan Bachman.

This year, the spirit week started on Wednesday, Oct. 23, and continued through the following Tuesday, Oct. 29. Wearing red ribbons or participating during the week shows that you represent the pledge to live drug free and honors the sacrifice of all who have lost their lives in the fight against drugs.

“Our main goal for red ribbon week is to promote drug and alcohol awareness. Even though we can’t prevent things that some have already done, we can still educate people of the dangers that come with addiction to harmful substances. So, even though it isn't the most popular thing we do, I would definitely say it is one of the most important," said KAY sponsor Vickie Schuetz.