The Yellow Jacket » Rants and Raves

L’eggo the Leggings

AnnaT — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:42:12 +0000

Recently, females across the nation have decided that leggings are an appropriate alternative to pants. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but they’re not. There are tons of anti-leggings-as-pants websites which support this ultimatum. Many are written by females but others are the product of men. Some even declare that studies prove leggings not to be pants (the Snarkist is my favorite: http://thesnarkist.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/new-study-confirms-leggings-are-not-pants/). No matter how it’s presented, they all agree that leggings are NOT pants.

I’m not the only one who finds leggings to be a disgusting substitute for pants. Senior Mack Yates says, “I think it’s kind of [promiscuously suggestive and resembling the ideals of a strumpet] when girls wear just leggings; it’s a little too revealing.” I completely agree. Girls who wear leggings fall into one of two categories: (a) they have the wrong body type (a.k.a. 99% of girls) or (b) they look hot but cause guys to lust after them. Either way, they are searching for attention. If your goal is to seduce a guy, then wear a short skirt or at least something that covers your backside. Some people say, “It’s freedom of expression, I should be able to wear what I want.” This is true—to a certain extent. If someone wanted to walk around in their birthday suit, would they still have freedom of expression? If you really love leggings that much, then just wear something over them. The leggings themselves are fine but you need to cover yourself. “They don’t even resemble pants and they don’t look good on anyone really,” rants senior Carolyna Ramirez. True statement.

Consider this as well. What if guys decided that they liked gallivanting about town in boxers or tight Under Armor? Would girls be completely fine with that? Unlikely. Even though we (most of us) are attracted to males, that doesn’t mean we want to see them without proper pants on. Just the same, guys do not want to see every girl they know wear leggings out in public.

Look at the anatomy of the legging. It’s form-fitting (like a tight), spandex (like a bathing suit), and shows every curve (like a unitard). Would you wear tights, a bathing suit, or a unitard freely around town? Junior Hannah Reese makes a valid point: “If they were meant to be worn as pants, they would have a zipper and pockets.” To be considered pants, bottoms must be either made of jean/khaki (or another material of similar thickness) or loose enough to breathe in.

Girls: The next time you consider wearing leggings out of the house— DON’T. They are NOT pants. And if you’re on the border about whether the bottoms you’re wearing are actually pants, just consult this easy-to-use diagram: https://s3.amazonaws.com/buzzfeed-media/Images/2011/05/AmIWearingPants_web.jpg. Help put an end to this horrible fashion trend.

The Best and Worst Ways to Wear Leggings

“Hi, I’m [a] Taylor [fanatic].”

Anna — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:28:57 +0000

If you looked in our rooms, you would see a stack of CD’s, a big purple bottle of perfume, and a series of posters featuring our blonde idol. Obsession? No, dedication. She’s a part of our lives, as our favorite artist and as a personal friend. Her music gives us a glimpse into her life and speaks truth of our own lives, allows us to call her a friend rather than a star. How do we feel about Taylor Swift? Well, we love her.

Taylor performing Love Story.

Question: Taylor is an international superstar and you’ve never met her. How do you feel such a personal connection to her?
Answer (Catie): Because of the loving air she has around her. She’s a genuinely happy and caring person. I feel connected with her because of the words she puts together that can completely capture emotions. You can hear it in her voice too. You can hear her heartbreak in Last Kiss. You can hear how grateful she is to her mom in The Best Day. You can hear her longing to be young again in Never Grow Up. She creates this sense of community. Millions of people are connected to her songs. Their stories are personal and different, but Taylor manages to capture it. I have experienced situations and feelings that go perfectly with her songs. She writes songs so that the world will make sense to her. And it doing that, she makes it a little more clear for the rest of us.

Q: What’s your favorite music video of Taylor’s?
A (Catie): Right now, it’s Ours. It has an “us against the world” feel to it. Taylor tends to create videos with a story. She came up with the idea for the video and went to the director with it. And her love interest in it is Zach Gilford. He starred on the show Friday Night Lights and he and Taylor look cute together. The scenes remind me of fall and togetherness. I understand how it feels to finally have a chance to be with somebody you care about and I’m so glad she captured that in a video.

Q: Taylor Swift’s World Tour was in Columbia on November 18. How was your experience at the concert?

Taylor's dramatic beginning of Haunted.

A (Catie): It was honestly one of the best nights of my entire life. My aunt got the tickets and I went with my cousin and two friends. The fans around me all loved Taylor. We were up really, really high and I’m terrified of heights, so I was glued to my seat during the opening acts. As soon as Taylor started singing Sparks Fly, I was out of my seat, bawling, and singing every word. She seemed so happy to be there. She laughed and sang and danced and made the concert really special. Every emotion was plain on her face.That’s one of the reasons I loved Dear John and Haunted so much. Her sadness and anger are so open on her face. I just love that.

Q: You were also at the concert. What was your favorite song she performed?
A (Anna): My favorite song performed was Ours. A soon as she began, my jaw dropped. I was like, “she never does this live!” The CMA’s was the first time she did and I watched it eight times that night. When she does perform it, she never sings it live like it is on the CD and I love it as a slow, acoustic song. Taylor’s voice is so peaceful; it sounds lovestruck. Even the way she delivers it, on a couch with nothing but her guitar, is so personal. It’s like she’s in her living room with some friends.

This ballerina lead into Taylor's song Enchanted.

Q: How do you feel about Wonderstruck?
A (Anna): It’s beautiful! I’m not allowed to wear mine until Christmas, but it is truly the loveliest aroma. A lot of perfumes have similar smells, some fruit here, some vanilla there. However, Wonderstruck incorporates all of the popular scents and blends them into something unlike anything else. This one perfume is fruity, flirty, sweet, and floral, but also sophisticated and bold with a hint of vanilla. I got a free sample in the mail before the perfume came out. The first time I sniffed was different than the second time, which was different than the third and so on. As Taylor planned, it really is a scent that can capture memories. I’ll never forget how I cried when I was being checked out. I didn’t think it would make me that emotional!

Q: Do you agree that Taylor is a role model? Why?
A (Anna): Without a doubt! She handles things so gracefully. Her dress blew up during a performance and she spent the rest of the song with a giggle in her voice. She has no problem laughing at herself. She knows how to carry herself in the public eye. It’s not like Taylor is arrogant. She sees it as her responsibility to know that she is a role model and that her fans look up to her. Countless young people have learned to play guitar because of Taylor and she knows that. She never says, “I don’t like that singer/artist.” In fact, Taylor is quite popular among artist from other genres. It’s her natural desire to be friendly and polite. She wouldn’t dare put a fellow artist or celebrity down. Taylor’s music is so honest. It’s obvious that she is comfortable with who she is and isn’t afraid to tell the entire world what’s going on. That’s a message to all of her fans to be comfortable with themselves and not to worry about mean people.

Taylor performing Ours.

Q: Do you feel more like Taylor’s fan or her friend?
A (Catie): Both. And I know it seems kind of silly to call somebody you’ve never met your friend. But she’s gotten me through a lot. She’s so open about her feelings and experiences. She embraces her silliness and she believes in fairy tales and romance. I’m not like that, but it’s comforting to see someone in the spotlight be able do that. She’s so classy and steady. We’ve seen celebrities go down the wrong road and make not so great choices. She hasn’t done anything like that. I admire that. She can make a song out of feelings I could never express for myself. That’s partly why I consider her a friend, but I’m still aware of the fact that I don’t know her personally. That’s where the fanatic part of it comes in.

Q: Taylor recently added a roommate to her penthouse apartment. What do you think of that?
A (Catie): I love Meredith! Who doesn’t love a good kitten? Scottish Folds are really adorable cats. The cat is named her Meredith Grey from Grey’s Anatomy, which is my favorite show. Taylor Swift, cats, and Grey’s Anatomy are my favorite things in the world.

Q: What do you think makes Taylor so relatable?
A (Anna): It’s really because she’s been through a lot of the same things that most teenagers have. Not only that, but she also shares what we’ve been through. Her songs straight up say what she went through. She doesn’t hide her experiences from the public. I always look for a song to describe my life. Whether I had the best day with my family or I had the greatest date or a terrible break-up, Taylor knows how to put it into words. She takes her own feelings and manipulates them slightly to appeal to a broader audience. You listen to one of her songs and you can say, “oh, i know that feeling. I’ve been there before.”

Taylor played the piano for Back to December.

Q: What’s an opinion you share with Taylor?
A (Anna): We both put an emphasis on love. Taylor has always said that we need music the most when we are gaining love or losing love. So, that’s what she typically writes her songs about. She believes in true love and fairy tales and that special someone for everyone. That’s exactly how I’ve always felt. I love romance; I’m fascinated by mankind’s ability to love and desire for love. Prince Charming is debatable, but I do feel like there is someone for everyone. People are never positive about what love feels like. It’s hard to explain and difficult to describe. Because of that, I, like Taylor, feel as though music is needed the most when I’m trying to find a way to describe the butterflies in my tummy or the empty hole in my stomach. Those are the instances when it’s hardest to explain yourself. A beautiful tune with beautiful lyrics often knows exactly how to explain what you can’t. It can be near impossible to get the right words out when you are talking to someone about love. I think that’s why it’s so fascinating and so important. Love is such a touchy subject. I’m admire Taylor for singing the words that encompasses exactly what is going through my heart during a certain situation. Sometimes love can be so powerful that the only thing we can do is sing a song over and over. It doesn’t matter how many love songs Taylor writes, I don’t think she will ever stop. To be honest, I’m glad she won’t.

Neither of us are ashamed to call Taylor Swift our friend. Her lyrics entice our hearts and our minds. Our personal connection with her is not delusional or ridiculous, regardless of how it sounds. She’s like the best friend that always knows what you’re thinking, and knows how to say it even when your stomach is in knots. We aren’t just enthralled by her lyrics, but also her enchanting voice. Taylor is so not mediocre talent (got it, Emerling?).

Taylor showed off her band during Long Live.

New Tardy Policy Sweeps North Augusta

Madelyn — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:31:32 +0000

Allow me to be cliched for a moment and then impress you with a metaphor. According to Webster, the verb “sweep” means to move or remove (dust, dirt, etc.) with or as if with a broom, brush, or the like. In North Augusta High School’s case, however, sweeping merely refers to a new addition to the tardy policy – one in which the administration are the brooms, the tardy students are the dirt, and room 303 is the dust pan (impressed?).

There are six minutes between classes, the end of which are marked by a tardy bell. After this bell, teachers are to immediately shut their doors and, if any students should try to get in, direct them to room 303 where they will be given a tardy slip.

If any students are found wandering the hallways after the bell, they will be “swept” to room 303 by the school’s “sweepers.” What about those poor, helpless freshmen wandering around aimlessly trying to find their classes on the first week of school? Swept. The senior with early dismissal who didn’t exit the building in a timely manner? Swept. I witnessed a boy getting scolded because he was late walking to lunch.

“By getting swept, it takes away from educational time in the classroom. Having to go to room 303 causes you to miss at least 10-15 minutes of class and then when you finally get to class it causes more disruptions,” says senior Katie Freitas.

Her statement does have some merit; tardy students have to wait in a line for a slip before returning to class, usually missing even more class time than they would have if they would have just been admitted and disciplined afterward.

If I can recall, the entire first week of school was chock full of announcements about tardies; all of which were during valuable instructional time. It seems that the administration may be placing their focus on discipline, rather than preserving valuable class time and fostering a positive, healthy learning environment.

Some even argue that the staff has turned to intimidation tactics to increase obedience.

Rebecca Rudisill shares her opinion on the new policy: “The administration is trying to scare us into behaving, but really they are just annoying and inconveniencing everyone in the building. I feel like I am being treated like a child, not a young adult.”

Although I’m sure that the practice of this new policy has caught its fair share of troublemakers, lingering loafers, and slacker students – there is still a large majority of students that follow the rules. Hopefully once everyone gets used to the policy the student will utilize their time better, and the administration will ease up on being so strict.

The Best God-Awful Lyrics

Rochell — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:25:24 +0000

Do you wake up and brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack? Ke$ha does, but junior Kelsie Blocker thinks it is ridiculous to include this in a song. Songs have lost their sense of meaning and have been replaced with a sense of bunkum. Song lyrics are supposed to connect to the soul, but now they are just making people shake their heads, feeling embarrassment for the artist, and the label that recorded the songs.

Everyone has heard of Rebecca Black’s Friday. Just a few of her lyrics are “Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal…” Rebecca Black even tells us the order of the days in the week. “Yesterday was Thursday. Today is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes afterwards…” Thanks, Rebecca Black, for helping me choose between the front seat and the back seat and for helping me memorize the day of the week.

Katy Perry wants to “see your peacock.” Sophomore Theresa Smith says, “When I first heard this song, I thought of a peacock pulling his feathers up to show Katy Perry. I mean, what is this about?”

Senior Jyssica Reed thinks of Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body when she thinks of awful lyrics. With lines such as, “’Cause they be all up in my business like a Wendy’s interview,” rest assured other people think these lyrics are a jumbled mess. “It’s a really cool video,” Jyssica says, “But some of the stuff she says makes no sense.”

In Justin Bieber’s Baby, Ludacris raps about his first love at school. “She woke me up daily, don’t need no Starbucks…” Junior Sadie Addie says, “This shouldn’t even be called music.” Truthfully, many people agree.

Listen to any song recently made. Many will have you shaking your head, and wondering what went on in the artists and producers heads. Song lyrics have simply lost their touch.

The Masters: Augusta’s Call to Fame

admin — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:53:50 +0000

Growing up across the river, South Carolinians are afforded a special opportunity each year during golf’s greatest spectacle. We get to stand by and watch as our relatively small city transforms into a metropolis of foreign golf nerds and rich/weird/old men. Not unlike the migration of the monarch butterfly, these golf addicts tend to travel in packs to their destination; they also manage to turn every restaurant (especially Hooters) in both Augusta and North Augusta into a jam-packed collage of high shorts and golf hats.

But, then again, it would be unfair to say that the Masters Tournament is totally bad. After all, anyone who has been to the historic course will never forget the experience. Some North Augusta residents go almost every year (when getting tickets is possible). Other families, like Junior Sara Pate’s, get to make an easy buck and take a vacation by simply renting their house out. Pate says, “Other than the cleaning, it’s almost free money.”

This year’s tournament is expected to play out nicely. Many golf fans were expecting a no- show from Tiger Woods. But, after some stroke perfection, the golf giant is ready to come back on top…of the golfing world, that is. Woods has won the event twice already and hopes to maintain his leadership as possibly golf’s greatest of all time.

The Augusta National, which most of us pass by without notice on our way to Carrabba’s, is perhaps the greatest golf course in the world. To us, it seems kind of strange because we never actually think of Augusta as being the golf capital of the world. We usually think of it as another location to cure the boredom of North Augusta. However, in less than a week, Bruce Banner will turn into the Hulk, and a huge increase in both population and Cadillac’s will overpower the residents within a thirty mile radius of the National. So, grab your spiked shoes and put on your plaids, it’s about to be MASTERS WEEK!

Got something to say?

adviser — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:54:36 +0000

Hate the new cellphone policies? Love the new agendas? Wish we could change something at school? Add your comment below and we’ll put it in our Rants and Raves. Obviously, all comments have to be appropriate for school and pass through a screening process, so they won’t immediately appear. Check back later to see if you made the cue.