200V O
9
In-Depth
il recovery
therapist has been the best
way to do so, even though I
originally hated counselors.
You don't always know
what people are dealing
with. Many people mask
what they really feel, taking
it off at home, only to put it
back on the next morning to
go to school. So many people
walk through this world not
knowing that those they share
classes with (even those with
the biggest smile on their
faces) have been through or
are experiencing trauma.
People should be more
sensitive to those around
them—paying attention
to what they say and how
they treat others. I can't
tell you how many times I
have walked down the hall
and heard someone on the
sidelines laugh and say to
their friends, "Rape! Stop
raping me," when the only
"harm" their friend did was
give them a hug.
Speaking from personal
experience, the worst thing
someone can do is to keep
quiet and push their emotions
down inside.
The best thing you can
do is find a therapist or
counselor. The key is to find a
therapist who works for you,
not the one your parents like,
not the one that just sits there
and listens, not the one that
just lets vou play with toys,
but the
j to whom you can
talk
get feedback from;
the one that you can learn to
trust and open up to. The one
who helps you heal.
Ethnic diversity at West Linn— does it exist?
E ta S antoro
Staff Reporter
Ethnicity is a term used to
represent social groups with a
similar background, geography
or culture. Although having a
certain ethnicity can guide an
individual's values a certain
direction, it does not define a
person as a whole.
When it comes to race, West
Linn is not exactly a melting
pot with 91.8 percent of the
population identified as being
white. The majority of students
at WLHS are slightly more di
verse with 88.9 percent white.
However, students who are not
of Caucasian background do
not report being singled out
due to ethnicity.
Rachel Chan, freshman, is of
Asian background, one of the
minority groups represented
at WLHS. According to Chan,
she receives comments that
are stereotypes, but are not
malicious.
"In West Linn, you aren't re
ally affected badly," Chan said.
"There isn't a lot of racism."
When students analyze people
they haven't met, race may be
one of the things they consider.
Of Mexican descent, Carlos
Razo, junior, said that differ
ent races don't exclude each
other; everyone really meshes
together. He believes having
a diverse culture is important
because it gives students a
chance to have a different look
at society.
Traditions and culture are
often handed down according
to one’s ethnicity. Students re-
sponding to a poll on diversity
selor. "West Linn is very diligent
ethical dilemmas. The district
seem more interested in learning
about dealing with bullying prob
website states, "Students will
about others' backgrounds. Many
lems due to ethnicity. The school
consider the ethical dimen
are open to other cultures than
works hard to make everyone feel
sions, competing values, and
their own.
comfortable," he said.
the complexity of the human
"It's important for personal
The West Linn W ilsonville
enterprise".
history and finding out who
School District incorporates ideas
"In diversity, you can have uni
you are and where you came
through their Visions Themes,
ty," Swearingen said. "We like
from," Jesselle Hedman, senior,
including students to look at
to teach beyond the books. We
said. Hedman, who is of African
human relationships to answer
educate the whole person."
American background,
said that her ethnic
ity hasn't shaped her
views. She's lived in
"I think ethnicity affects what
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Oregon her whole life
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people think about others. They
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and feels everyone in
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West Linn is accepting
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make stereotypes."
of different races.
—Samuel Dawson, freshman
"A lot of family tradi
tions come from ethnic
ity," Bethany Daugh
"In West Linn you aren't really
ter^ junior, said. "I don't
e
affected badly. There isn't a lot of
think people choose
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racism. //
that to be a reason to be
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friends." According to
-Rachel Chan, freshman
Daughtery, who iden
tifies herself as Native
American, Irish, and
"Having a different ethnicity
German, these tradi
doesn't mean I'm a different hu
tions bring out diversity
C \ a,
man being."
in West Linn, where life
..S3
—Carlos Razo, junior
can seem like a bubble
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at times.
In Oregon, Caucasians
make up 80.5% of the 3.
"Ethnicity hasn't shaped my
Ô G G
cd
7 million population.
cd o
views. "
However, in the U.S.
—Jesselle Hedman, senior
with a population 304
million, about 66% are
white.
In general, the school
"I don 't think ethnicity is a rea
is sensitive to topics of
ethnicity. Teachers pro
son people choose to be friends."
ix
-v
c
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mote values of tolerance
—Bethany Daughtery, junior
in the school according
to Tom Swearingen,
junior and senior coun-
WLHS Ethnic Breakdown
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Unaccepted sexual orientation creates hard times for students
R iley S wanson
Staff Reporter
Gay, lesbian, bisexual
and transgender people are
discriminated against every
day—made fun of and
judged based on their
sexual orientation.
Once they come
out to their
families, many
are kicked out
of their homes,
mistreated or
blamed for their
family's problems according to
www.advocatesforyouth.org.
"In the GLBT community,
suicide is the leading cause
of death. GLBT people are
seven times more likely than
straight people to be victims
of a crime. Most GLBT people
struggle with substance abuse
issues, and about 40 percent of
homeless youth are from the
GLBT community," Jasmine
Lane, senior and president
of the Gay Straight Alliance,
said. "Now tell me: why would
anyone CHOOSE to be gay?"
In one year, 33 percent
of GLBT students reported
attempting suicide, compared
to the eight percent of
het ^ sex u al students that also
attempted suicide.
"I think teenagers will
always have a problem with
what they deem to be different.
I think they've done all we
can expect from a school, but
there definitely isn't acceptance
here—just tolerance," Lane
said.
Yet in a nationwide survey
more then 28 percent of GLBT
students drop out of school
because of harassment. Eighty-
four percent have reported
verbal harassment, and 55
percent have been physically
attacked according to www.
advocatesforyouth.org.
"A gay friend in Redmond
(Wash.) was stoned at a
football game. Literally. They
threw rocks at him," Lane said.
Some are not accepting
of GLBT people. There are
prejudices and stereotypes that
are common, but some think
they have no basis.
"For instance, gay boys are
effeminate—stupid stereotype.
If someone has a certain
'voice', they're gay—FALSE.
I know a lot of straight boys
with that 'typical gay voice',
and quite a few gay boys
that have a 'normal' voice," a
female freshman said.
All people are different.
Among the GLBT community,
some people are out and others
aren't so obvious.
"The people that overdo
being of a different sexual
orientation make it seem like
they are so different, but if they
just acted normally then we
wouldn't seem so alien," a male
junior, who identifies himself as
being gay, said.
Stereotypes don’t examine
the reason that GLBT people
have been harassed. What
people were raised to believe
might contribute to the
opinions they have about GLBT
groups.
"I think Christianity has a lot
to do with intolerance—when
I’ve talked with people who
don't support gay rights, often
religion is part of it," a female
freshman said.
Only 12 states in the U.S.
have laws against GLBT
discrimination. Oregon is one
of them. In Jan. 2008, a law
prohibiting discrimination
in employment, housing,
public accommodation, public
education and foster parenting
because of sexual orientation
and gender identity was
enacted in Oregon.
People of a different sexual
orientation are athletes,
musicians, scholars, or average
kids just like the ones found at
West Linn. Some students see
no difference between sexual
orientations, they just accept it
as a fact of life.
"Boys like boys. Girls like
girls. Boys like girls. It's all part
of life," Laura Davis, freshman,
said.
"GLBT people tend to be
more accepting of difference,
most likely because they
know how it is to be different
and have to come to terms
with their orientation. They
recognize what you have to go
through in the public eye," a
female freshman said.
The Gay/Straight Alliance
Club, supports the whole
GLBT community. The group
has a core group of 20 or more
people who have participated
in pro-GLBT events like Day
of Silence and Transaction Day.
They are trying to promote a
safe, tolerant and accepting
place for GLBT people.
"I thought people would
treat me differently once I
came out, but they've ended
up treating me better than
I expected. Most people are
accepting," a male junior said.
"However, there are the few
who don't exactly reach out."
The phrase 'that's so gay' is
used to describe clothes, events,
and people who are not even
gay, and it is taken as an insult
or a put down. How did a
word that means 'happy' and is
also a guy who likes other guys,
become a negative comment?
"It really disgusts me when
students throw around the
phrase 'you're so gay' or 'that's
so gay' because it's used as a
synonym for stupid or lame,"
Morgan Hubbard, English
teacher, said. "Think about how
it would feel if the word gay
was replaced with a term for a
group you belong to: that's so
Christian, or that's so white.
To use the word as an insult
disparages an entire group of
people, and I personally find
it extremely offensive and
immature."
GLBT people go through
all the drama that most
students do, but may face even
additional challenges. Groups
like GSA promote acceptance.
"I want to promote tolerance,
and I want to see more teachers
and students standing up to
sexual slurs that are constantly
used to degrade GLBT students.
The first step to creating change
is putting yourself out there
and making people realize that
there's a problem," Lane said.