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The Bolt !   The Edison Charger Newspaper March 2015

50 Shades of Misogyny Meghan Jacinto

Attractive, successful, and charming are just a few of the words people use to describe Christian Grey, the protagonist of the bestselling novel and blockbuster movie, 50 Shades of Grey. On the surface, he seems like the perfect man, but underneath he faces childhood scars, and darker sexual issues. Women swoon over him, men want to be him, but he only takes interest in one person, the shy, awkward Anastasia Steele. People who read the book or watch the newly released film may see it as the “perfect relationship”, @janellycarrasco tweeted: “I honestly really liked 50 shades of grey” and @nova100 on Twitter commented: “Am I the only person who actually didn’t hate 50 Shades of Grey? Ps Christian can do anything he wants to me!”

But the question arises: does this relationship glorify and normalize abuse, sexual violence, and misogyny? Christian demonstrates clear signs of emotional and physical (cont. on pg 4)

 The Politics of Fireworks Kimo Gandall “Bring back our fireworks!” declared Councilman O’Connel during his 2014 campaign speech. Others including Barbara Delgleize, Erik Peterson, and Mike Posey, all of whom now control positions on the new City Council, have also been speaking out in favor of “Safe and Sane” fireworks, the proposed brand of ‘safe’ fireworks offered in Huntington Beach. The quality of these fireworks vary greatly, however they are most noted by the fact they are not explosive; most include small, portable firecrackers.

Fireworks had a single trial year in 2012; during this time,

“The Parcel” by Margarita Georgiadis

More inside…

• “Chained” by Hannah

Rozenburg on page 3

• “Canada: Your Most-Asked

Questions, Answered!” by

Emi Yasuda on page 4

• “The Truth About My

Insanity” Part 5 by Davis E.

Lindsey on page 6

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(Gandall, pg 1) 50% increase in funds raised for local nonprofits, totaling perhaps $750,000 dollars.” This surge in capital would essentially give nonprofit organizations such as Edison’s booster clubs vital pools of money to streamline their programs. However, many citizens are voicing concerns regarding the dangers of fireworks, such as the fire hazard potential. While many of these claims are unsubstantiated, such as fireworks causing the “entire destruction of Huntington Beach,” the Fire chief and the Police chief have advised City Council against legalizing Safe and Sane fireworks. Other citizens contend that safety education for these programs to teach the vendors who sell the fireworks will likely be ineffective. Furthermore Mayor Hardy, at the recent City Council meeting, stated that “irresponsible kids” would be at risk, regardless of “how much their parents watch.” Councilman O’Connell responded saying “It’s an important responsibility for parents to monitor their own children.”  

Garden Grove High School football boosters, pictured above, raise 95% of their annual operating budget from fireworks alone. Photo Credits: Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register  

John Kelly, government representative of TNT Corporations, the company that manages Safe and Sane Fireworks, argued that “TNT Fireworks is committed to taking experience from the 2013 trial to help grow our efforts for safety.” He went on stating that “TNT will have a safety class for those vendors of nonprofits selling fireworks.” Regardless of ongoing debate, the issue of fireworks is now on the footsteps of City Hall, and it’s already passed the first trial. In November, Measure T, the legislation for a resolution to legalize fireworks, passed with 60.6% of Huntington Beach citizens voting in favor. On February 4th, Safe and Sane Fireworks passed 7-0 in City Council, with even Mayor Hardy, a former staunch objector to fireworks voting in favor of the resolution. During this time, Councilman O’Connel submitted the proposal to eliminate the fireworks  regulatory fee, which, in previous years, cost nonprofits 10% of their revenue from fireworks. In response to this,

Mayor Hardy voiced her concerns over the potential of the city to be at a “net loss,” and contended that “we need this fee to pay for 4th of July” citing the expenses accumulated by community activities and the committee’s lack of a definite source of income. The Mayor warned “removing the fee is easy… bringing it back in is much harder…” while arguing “[how] many groups would actually refuse to participate because of the fee… I’m guessing zero.” Regardless, the amendment passed 7-0 in the council chambers. What does this mean to you? Essentially, for anyone involved in extracurricular activities (a) the race for obtaining raffle tickets starts NOW, meaning if you want to have the ability to get a stand, you better contact city clerk, considering only 15 organizations will have the chance to run a firework (b) smaller organizations, ones not part of larger entities, can easily participate without paying hefty fees. However, don’t get your hopes; the lottery for firework stands goes only to 15 organizations, with high school groups only being eligible for 5 of these 15. The other 2 categories, “Youth Sports” and “Civic Organizations” belong to groups outside of the school, with “Youth Sports” including “little league, ‘AYSO’ soccer, youth football, basketball, tennis, and golf”, and “Civic Organizations” simply holding the intent “[of] civic betterment… charitable… or religious purposes”. While competition in these areas seems fierce, the real battles will be waged among the school organizations, whereas the city basically shoved two-thirds of the applicants into a single section, rather than giving equal opportunity.

This sums up to meaning many school organizations have to possibly size up to 500 others: and all in a random raffle, basically spelling out that the individual organization has a 0.2% chance. Of course, this assumes ALL school organizations sign up for the raffle, which is presumably unlikely. Regardless, the chances of your

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individual organizations making it through the cities raffle is slim at best.

There is, however, a solution that involves alignment; much like super PACS, organizations will have the chance to team up with each other to increase their odds. For instance, Football can team up with Soccer to double their odds at successfully winning a bid; of course, this implies the two organizations must split the profits, potentially making the entire appeal to standing around 4 days in a wood box selling explosives that much less attractive. The war for the right to sell fireworks is coming; will you be the organization, like others, to net nearly $26,000 (before taxes, of course)? Good luck; we’re all going to need it. ⧫  

(Right) Jill Hardy, Huntington Beach mayor, laying out her reasoning behind negating fireworks. Photo Credits: Kimo Gandall  

Chained

Hannah Rozenberg

My soul has been chained Because of this, people are pained

You may think I am strained Some joke about me to be entertained

The way I am does not pain me I am what God wants me to be

For some I'm hard to see But it's not hard to see me

Some think my brain may be broken

But what makes you think I am broken I am strong, I am unbroken

Hear my words, let my thoughts be spoken

Those who get me are few Those who don't get my crew

They have no clue That we're just like you ⧫

 

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(Jacinto, pg 1) abuse towards Ana. He is excessively controlling, manipulative, possessive, jealous, isolating, and victim-blaming. The big issue is he often ignores consent during intimate moments, to quote a the novel: ● “‘Christ, Ana!’ He bangs his fist on the table, making me jump, and stands so abruptly he almost knocks the

dining chair over. ‘You have one thing, one thing to remember. S***! I don’t f*cking believe it. How could you be so stupid?’” (Christian)

● “No, please. I can’t do this. Not now. I need sometime. Please.” “Oh Ana, don’t overthink this.” (Christian) ● “He’d probably like to beat seven shades of sh*t out of me. The thought is depressing.” (Ana)

In an interview with psychiatrist Dr. Miriam Grossman, she made this comment on the film: “Fifty Shades of Grey teaches your daughter that pain and humiliation are erotic, and your son, that girls want a guy who controls, intimidates and threatens.” Many people have responded in defense of the story, saying it is just a “book not to be taken seriously.” Well, that is hardly an argument, seeing that Mein Kampf and the Bible are simply books as well, but have made enormous impacts on history, and present day events. Why be concerned? It’s just a movie, right? Unfortunately, it is not “just” a movie since a third of women and a quarter of men in the United States experience intimate partner violence. Media acts as a medium that reflects and shapes our culture. By accepting abuse in media as normal and romantic, we condone it culture-wide. Words on paper or watching people on a large screen can have a bigger influence on individuals than we expect. ⧫  

Canada: Your Most-Asked Questions, Answered! Emi Yasuda Dear Bolt Readers, For those of you who don’t know me, I am a real-live Canadian, from the outskirts of Toronto, Ontario. I moved to Huntington Beach three days before the beginning of freshman year. All the time, I get asked some curious questions about Canada, which I am more than happy to answer! What follows are all ACTUAL questions that ACTUAL people ask me most frequently. Q: Is Canada communist? A: Quite the opposite! Canada’s current government is very conservative! However, there is a Canadian Communist Party that exists. Yes, it exists. But this existence is about as reflective of the society it’s in as is the fact that there is a Texas Communist Party. (Yes, there are real-live communists in Texas) Q: Is Canada socialist? A: No. However, Canada’s Official Opposition*, the New Democratic Party (NDP) is a social democratic party. Q: Is Canada a monarchy? A: No . . . well, not in the sense that most people think of when they think of a monarchy, with images of 18th century France, lavish palaces, and elaborate ball gowns. Canadians, in fact, don’t keep portraits of the Queen Elizabeth II in frames above the doorway, worship any monarchs, or indoctrinate their children with a pledge of allegiance to the Queen. Canada is a democratic constitutional monarchy. To the Sovereign, the Canadian constitution delegates “the executive government and authority of and over Canada.” At first, this will seem like a sweeping amount of power. However, while power is vested in the Crown, who is also formally the head of Canada’s parliament and commander-in-chief of the Canadian armed forces, the monarch entrusts her powers to the Canadian government to use on behalf of the people. Thus, while power is formally vested in the Queen, she has little to no involvement in political decisions. While she technically does have the power to reject laws the government passes, this has never been done, and would most definitely lead to national uproar. The Queen functions as little more than a figurehead in the grand scheme of Canadian politics, making periodic visits to Canada every three or four years as a symbolic visit.

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Q: Are you an illegal immigrant? (Phrased more politely as, “Umm, so are you like, uh . . . supposed to be here?”) A: I cannot tell you how many times people have asked me if I am an illegal immigrant. One time, I had eight people ask me if I’m an illegal immigrant in ONE WEEK. Eight people! So, yes I just snuck across the border to escape the icy claws of Canadian oppression. (Right) Canadian Prime Minister and cat-lover Stephen Harper. I hope I’ve helped to solve the mystery of your neighbor to the North! If you have any funny or serious questions about Canada, send them in to the Bolt website: ehsboltnewspaper.wordpress.com where you can troll us, do some reading, and have a nice look through the archives! *The Official Opposition is the party that gets the second most votes in the federal election. The part that gets the most votes is the party whose leader becomes the Prime Minister of Canada. ⧫  

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Q: Is there freedom in Canada? A: Freedom is a rather abstract concept, so whenever people ask me whether Canadians have freedom I’m a little perplexed, even though it’s a question I often get asked. So, um, if you would like to know if we have to walk around with electric shock collars, and live in some sort of police state, the answer is no. If you somehow were kidnapped and dropped off in the middle of Nunavut, you wouldn’t be able to tell any difference (except for the sub-zero temperatures, and lack of substantial population). Q: Is there McDonalds in Canada? A: At this point, I think the McDonalds craze ended 10 years ago with the release of “Super Size Me,” but even still, most people seem pretty concerned about whether or not Canadians can also enjoy the delicious taste of chemical fries that never decompose. To respond to your concerns, don’t worry, as far east, west, north, or south as you go, the golden arches of glistening oil will shine upon the horizon. If you ever want to find a land free of McDonalds, good luck. Q: Is there < Insert name of any restaurant here > in Canada? A: There are several major American food chains that are non-existent in Canada. These include, but are not limited to: Del Taco, IHop, Wienerschnitzel, In and Out, Chick-fil-A, White Castle, Jack in the Box, Five Guys, Sonic, and Carl’s Junior. But hey, who needs a hundred varieties of greasy burger venues? America lacks one quintessential Canadian chain, Tim Hortons! Tragically purchased by American corporate giant Burger King, imagine Tim Hortons as Starbucks, except cheaper and with an endless variety of donuts and food that isn’t stale. Canadians eat more donuts per capita than any other nation!  

   

   

The Truth About My Insanity Part 5 - The Piece Davis E. Lindsey . . . As Elijah looked over at Delilah, Thomas, and Patrick, his heart swelled. He knew that if he chose that life he could live in a world of adventure . . . he could be a hero in many eyes . . .

Yet, as Davis looked over at the citizens of Earth, his heart was punctured and deflated like a balloon. Who was he to just leave this horrible wreckage on such a great planet? The one that raised him and he had always hoped for . . .

Davis or Elijah? Here stood an empty shell, looking at two doorways, each with innumerable pros and cons. On the other side of the door stood a soul waiting for him, all he needed to do was turn the knob . . . and the choice would be made.

* * * Elijah laughed as he remembered that choice, the one that set him on this dreadful planet, in this corrupt solar

system. Delilah was still nowhere to be seen after returning to Geonosian, Thomas and Patrick were somewhere on this planet. All that was left was he and his sword of light. “Oh I turned that knob...And on the other side was this hell.” Elijah mumbled to himself. But, why mumble? What use is mumbling? At this thought Elijah yelled the first thing that came to his mind.

“DANIELLE” He shouted. “Oh, love!” At the thought of her, Elijah began to weep a stale cry. The tears counted three as they rolled down his dry face. The light taste of salt filled his mouth as he swallowed one of the tears.

“Danielle…” * * *

As the suits flaps began to close and sleep gas filled the chamber, Davis caught one last glance of what was going on. The station was in many pieces and debris was flying all over. A huge chunk of metal darted towards him, but he moved just in time to avoid its hard embrace. The moon stood in front of him, large and dark like a good man who wasn’t to get involved in the havoc. Lots of workers and innocent people aboard the station, flying about like peaceful birds with death painted on their faces and injected into their bloodstream. He could see all the stars everywhere, what a beautiful sight. Looking up Davis saw a bright unblinking one.

“Must be Jupiter.” Davis thought to himself and utters a small smile amidst all of this chaos, but the good feelings soon fade as Davis sees what floats by him.

In his last second of sight, with just one last image to stick to him for the next fifty years or so stuck in a dream, the soul mate, the second and only piece of the puzzle floats by with a grin stuck to her face. Her eyes closed . . . so peaceful . . .

As gas fills the helmet, Davis begins to feel heavy . . . time to sleep . . . “Danielle” found its way out of Davis’ mouth before the flap closed, and Danielle was no more.

* * * “I will ask again and no more,” I said. Now I was angry. “Who are you, sheriff?” The Sheriff just lay there. Motionless. His sword was turning from a bright purple to a dimmer, blackish color.

I could sense life still in him but not much left. Outside the office came the subtle talking of men outside. “What’s all that raucous?” One of them asked. His voice sounded raspy and harsh. “Never mind, ye!” Another voice snapped back. “Back to work with you!” “Yessum.” The sheriff slowly turned his head to face me. The sight of his helpless face disgusted me. “You will not live

either, Elijah. That wound is bad,” he said. I looked down at my side. It was bad, but mendable. “You speak falsely,” I said. “Maybe so. My vision is blurred.” “Tell me, you eel,” I hiss. The sheriff laughed at my remark. The sound was gross and weak. “Aye, well I guess it is to be so,” he said. I glare at him. “Zachary,” I say. At this the sheriff looks at smiles and me. This set a sudden rush of fear throughout my body.

“Zachary Ameril Tahn. The only remaining survivor of the Tahn group. A band of thieves and gangsters who were part of the Shoreside experiment,” I say.

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The sheriff only continues to smile. ‘Shoreside …” I whisper to myself. “The Shoreside Experiment! Now, what did that accomplish, may I ask?

My sword was now glowing a brighter blue...almost green… “What of Benjamin? Or Canor? Your ‘mates,’” I ask. “They dead?” The sheriff drops his smile. Sweat beads begin to form on his forehead and around his chin. “Do not speak ill

of Benjamin and Canor. They were like family.” The sheriff begins to cry at this. It seemed as though his tear ducts hadn’t been used in centuries because the tears dripped out an odd brownish color. I need to do this fast.

“Sheri-erm...Zachary, you know what I want.” I say “Your clothes are in the cupboard,” he responds. “The map is in my heart.” A wind blows and with it goes the soul of Zachary Tahn, The last known survivor of the Shoreside element,

and the least valued to Elijah until just now. I pick myself up and limp over to the desk in which the sheriff always sat. With a shaky hand I open the

drawer and pull out a rusty old tin case with a fainted blue syringe on it. Inside is a white pad, alcohol, a needle and thread, and loads of objects which reminded me of Band-Aids from Earth lay. I pull out the white pads and the alcohol and lay them on the table as I was de-summoning my light sword. Three large breaths fill my lungs and fly out my mouth, one after the other.

First, the alcohol. I pick up the bottle and instinctively swish it about. One fast movement and I dump the liquid on my wound. Almost instantly after this I grab one of the pads and stick it my mouth to muffle the painful screams. I begin to feel a horrible stinging sensation in my side a high pitch noise fly’s out of my mouth hole, but is much more silent as the pad catches the sound. I sit in the chair and wait for the pain to pass. After the stinging stopped and I felt as though it was clean, I began to undress to hold the pad to my body. I look over the floor filled with blood and horrible memories and find a long piece of cloth. I stick this around the pad covering my gash and tie it in a knot. After all of this pain and fear, I feel the strength begin to return to my body after raiding the food cabinet and eating whatever lie inside. I summon my sword and walk over to the sheriff’s carcass.

“Your clothes are in the cupboard, the map is in my heart.” I rip open his shirt and hover my blade over his chest, right in between his ribs. “Eghh…” I say as I bring the sword up a little higher and- “Hey dude, I found the map.” I shake at the sudden shout behind me. This was it, I was caught. But. . . that voice sounds familiar… I grin and turn to see Patrick behind me holding a dirty old piece of parchment in his hand. “Wait...what? Patrick? How did you-” I begin. Patrick shoots me a horrified glance as he sees the sword hovering over the sheriff’s chest. he looks at me,

then the sword, then back at me. “What the bloody hell are you doing?!” He asks. “The map…” I say as I de-summon my sword again. I rush over and take it from the now clammy hands of

Patrick. “How did you get that? His last words were that it was in his heart!” “Oh God...Elijah no! He didn't mean literally! He meant it as in his heart! You know, his locker?” Patrick

asks. A stupid feeling rushes over me as I look down at the map. On the parchment lays a map of Yolkenblaque

with lots of writing all over. And over where the Astrew Lake lays, a large red circle covers it. “Plain as day.” I say. “Let’s go.”

To be continued ⧫

 

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Song Picks of the Month

“Bloom” – ODESZA “Lampshades On Fire” – Modest

Mouse “Hero” – Family of the Year

“Australia” – The Shins  

Movie Pick of the Month

Whiplash (2014) Genre: Drama

Director: Damien Chazelle

Notable actors: J.K Simmons, Miles Teller A promising student jazz drummer seeks the

respect of an abusive teacher after enrolling in one of the top music conservatories. His dreams of greatness are measured by an instructor who

will stop at nothing to realize the student’s potential.

Book Pick of the Month

The Outsiders (1967) Author: S.E Hinton

Genre: Young-Adult Fiction

The book follows two rival groups, the Greasers and the Socs, who are divided by their

socioeconomic status. The protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis, struggles with right and wrong in a society

in which he believes that he is an outsider.  

 

 

 

The Bolt Executive Staff 2014-2015

Emi Yasuda: Editor-In-Chief Meghan Jacinto: Secretary

Leslie Young: Layout Manager Brett Austin: Financial Representative Joaquin Dorantes: Site Coordinator

Elizabeth Hong: Assistant Editor

Want to write about what interests you?

Join The Bolt! Meetings are Tuesdays in Room 129

 

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SOLUTIONS TO JAN/FEB ISSUE MARCH SUDOKU!