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$igns on the Dollar Bill

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By Brennan Nick, Resident Historian and Illuminatus

Top: Obverse. Bottom: Reverse

Our One-Dollar Bill seems to be shrouded in mystery. Why does it have Latin phrases like “Annuit Coeptis” or “Novus Ordo Seclorum” written on it? Why does it have a pyramid and the same eye symbol that belongs to the fabled Illuminati? Why did the founders of the United States engrave the dollar bill with these symbols? Well, to begin with, they didn’t. At least not all of it. In fact, the dollar bill that we all know and love today wasn’t put into circulation until 1929. It didn’t even reach its general design until 1935, and even after that its most recent change was in 1963 when they changed the border design of the obverse side of the bill to what we see today with the leaves and the designs around the number one in each of the corners. However, perhaps a more notable change was in 1957 when they added the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the reverse side of the bill above the large “ONE.”

Nevertheless, what do the rest of these symbols mean? Well, on the reverse side of the bill there are two circles. Together, they form the Great Seal of the United States. This was made by a group of men–which included Benjamin Franklin. He and others designed the pyramid and the eagle. The circle on the right depicts the bald eagle holding an olive branch and some arrows. The bald eagle itself is only found in North America and is our national animal. It represents victory and courage. Floating in front of the eagle is a shield, which signifies that Americans should rely on their own virtue as the shield does (statesymbolsusa.org). It is also a symbol of how the United States can now stand on its own. On the shield, there is a horizontal bar at the top which symbolizes the federal government and both below it and supporting it are the thirteen vertical stripes which symbolize the states (13 at the time this was made). In the eagle’s mouth is a banner with the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” which is Latin for “Out of many, one.” Then the eagle’s right talon holds an olive branch, signifying peace while his left holds arrows, signifying war. Not only does the eagle hold the olive branch in the dominant talon, but the eagle’s gaze is also towards the olive branch, away from the arrows. What is being communicated here is that this country wants peace, but is not afraid to fight if need be. Finally, above the eagle are 13 stars symbolizing what we know as the original 13 colonies.

Now, on the left circle of the seal is the pyramid. First thing to take note of is that the face of the pyramid is lighted while the side is darkened, symbolizing how we were entering into the light and leaving the darkness. The cap of the pyramid is then broken off with the all-seeing eye imposed onto it. When the seal was first being designed, they wanted a symbol of divine providence. The all-seeing eye was put there for this as it is an ancient symbol of divinity dating back to Egyptian times. The letters at the base of the pyramid, “MDCCLXXVI” are the Roman numerals for 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence. Above the pyramid is “ANNUIT COEPTIS,” which is Latin for “God has favored our undertaking,” also hitting the theme of divine providence. Below the pyramid, on a banner, are the Latin words “NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM,” which mean “a new order of the ages.” Now, does this part sound like some sort of a secret society? A little, unless you know what it symbolizes, which is more or less the beginning of the new American Era on this new continent with a new style of government without a king.

Final note, watch the prevalence of the number 13 on our dollar bill. Remember, it corresponds to the original 13 states/colonies.

  • There are 13 letters in the Latin ANNUIT CŒPTIS (the “Œ” is a two-letter ligature of “OE”).
  • There are 13 letters in the Latin E PLURIBUS UNUM.
  • There are 13 stars above the Eagle.
  • There are 13 plumes of feathers on each span of the Eagle’s wing.
  • There are 13 bars on the shield, representing the original colonies united in defense.
  • There are 13 leaves on the olive branch, representing the original colonies’ desire for peace.
  • There are 13 fruits, representing the prosperity of the  original colonies.
  • And, finally, there are 13 arrows (if you look closely) representing the united colonies’ preparedness to fight for the common defense.

This 1780 New Hampshire bank note appeared in circulation four years after the beginning of The Revolutionary War.

 

 

 

 

*statesymbolsusa.org referenced.

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

Ignify

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By Renée

 

lately the world seems to be on its head.

in fact, that is how it has always seemed. we always have our

visors pulled over our

eyes. there we try to hide

 

from all our progress, which we deny, but we must realize that we

occupy a great time to be alive.

right now is all that we will ever

 

have.

apparently it is becoming harder and harder to see that.

perspective is what we need to solve the

problems that our beautiful world has. we need to be

involved. we, all of us,

need to care. it is

essential to stop being

squeamish about the problems that we have all allowed. we need to

stop, care and act.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Shows to Binge Over

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By Blogger Reviewer Claire Jenkins

Quarter 4 will be over before we know it. Summer will be here, and there will be many hours in a day to kill. Why use your precious time to do something productive and be a part of the society around you when you can sit at home on the comfort of your couch and binge some Netflix shows! Below is a list of my personal favorite binge-worthy shows on Netflix.

Jane the Virgin 

The title sounds a little off putting, and that might be why it took me so long to watch it, but it’s honestly one of my favorite shows. It has twists, turns, murders, love, and very diverse characters. It’s about a woman named Jane and her family showing how they handle everything life throws at them. It never gets tiring, and there’s something for everyone. I would 12/10 recommend.

New Girl

This show is stupid, but I love it. A girl moves in with three roommates and has a blast. There’s quick one liners and love triangles for hours. It’s an excellent time waster.

Friends

Yes, this show is overplayed on Nick at Night, but there is nothing more satisfying than sprinting through 10 seasons in one week. There’s about 85 hours worth of pure gold, and if you plant yourself on the couch with the proper snacks and only stop for bathroom breaks, you’ll have it done in no time! You can do it if you try (seriously, someone please try; I honestly want to know how it goes).

Wynonna Earp

Wyatt Earp’s great granddaughter kills demons in Purgatory. WATCH IT! DON’T QUESTION ME, JUST WATCH IT!

One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time is a revamp of the old sitcom with the same name. It’s about a Cuban family in America, with an abundance of strong female characters. The show is basically a liberal free-for-all. This has Rita Moreno in it (from West Side Story and everything). Watch it. It’s not your parents’ One Day at a Time.

Editor: Bella Bier

The Story of Me at the BNP

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By Brennan Nick

In March’s BNP Paribas Open, the top tennis players from around the world all compete, with the goal of winning the tennis tournament and the prize money that comes with it.

I, along with many others, was given the unique opportunity to be a ball kid for this Indian Wells international tennis tournament, a tournament attended by people such as Serena Williams and Roger Federer. As ball kids, we get unique opportunities to see the behind-the-scenes occurrences of the tournament. We go through the tunnels that the players go through; we are the ones who give the player the balls to be autographed and hit into the stands; and we’re the ones who are sent to get a player’s racket to be re-strung. This gives us ample opportunity to see the top players of the world up close. It is like being the water-boy for the NFL or NBA. Even when we’re on one of our one-hour breaks, we get to experience the atmosphere of the tournament, talk with friends there, and we even get $18 worth of free food per shift. A normal shift for us consists of going to the ball kid tent, completely fitted with water, some food, and a ping-pong table. We’re then told which court we’ll be on. We’re on court duty typically for one to one-and-a-half hours, and then we have roughly  45-minute breaks until we go on again. This pattern is repeated for six hours until the end of our shift, when we return to the tent to be checked out before we leave.

The results of the tournament–the winner of the Men’s Singles was Juan Martin del Potro after a dramatic battle with Roger Federer in the finals. The winner of Women’s Singles was Naomi Osaka from Japan who handily defeated Daria Kasatkina. The winners of Women’s Doubles were Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, while the winners of Men’s Doubles were John Isner and Jack Sock.

 Editor: Shelby Armor

Pete’s Declassified School Survival Guide: The Essay

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By Peter Kadel, Senior Survival Scout

Essays, the go-to assignment of choice for English teachers everywhere. Ranging from 1 page to 100 pages, throughout your high-school career you will write so many essays and papers that it is likely that one of them will resemble the works of Shakespeare. But, what if all of them could be as good as the great William Shakespeare? Today, here at Pete’s Declassified, we are going to teach you how to write essays that are so good they will make your teacher question the very fabric of the universe and move to Thailand to discover inner peace. So fasten your seatbelts everyone! It’s time to learn.

  1. First, you need to consider your deadline. The best concepts can be ruined by spending too much time worrying about staying on topic and making sense. The best time to write a wonderful essay are the first 48 hours after the essay has been assigned; if you wait any longer your ideas will be lost forever. So, as soon as an essay is assigned, check yourself out of school, and go home. Once you are home, lock all of the doors and retreat to your lair to begin writing.
  2. During your 48-hour writing marathon, you are going to need to fuel your mind and body so you have enough energy to write a wonderful essay. While coffee may sound like the right choice, it’s not. Your best bet is to embrace your inner mad scientist and concoct a caffeinated sugar monstrosity so potent that it will give you a caffeine buzz just from looking at it. My personal favorite is brewing my coffee in Red Bull instead of water and instead of using creamer I buy an iced mocha and use that as my creamer to maximize caffeine intake. Once you’ve got a gallon or two of that in your system, you’ll be all fired up to write an amazing essay.
  3. Now that you are ready to begin writing your essay, you need to think about the content of the essay. While the subject will vary, all essays can follow the same template: hook, line, and sinker. The hook should be eye-catching and astonishing, so even if it doesn’t relate to the rest of your essay, use the flashiest paragraph you can muster to hook your audience. Next, comes the line; all you need to do for this portion of the essay is write as many lines/pages as you need to fulfill the essay’s requirements. Use as many quotes as you can; there is no need to reinvent the wheel here. The human race has been writing stuff down for thousands of years; it would be wasteful not to use what previous generations have written. My favorite resources to quote are the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta, the White-Gold Concordat, and business records from Mesopotamia. Once your line is of adequate length, it’s time to move on to the sinker. All you need to know for the sinker is that it should essentially sink your essay in reality. Bring it down. Crush it like reality crushes all high-school students.

If you follow all of these steps, your essays will bring a tear to your teacher’s eye and an “A” to your report card. You’re welcome.

Editor: Makena Behnke

Excisus

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By Tahra Dactyl

 

Some interruptions are okay.

Like when you’re talking at a restaurant

and your waitress brings your food,

or when you’re bored and alone,

and you get a call from your favorite person,

or when you are at a doctor’s office,

and your name gets called.

But it is certainly not okay

When you interrupt my life

with your sweet words,

and the way that your smile reaches your eyes,

and how you know exactly what to do to make me feel better,

and the way you talk with your hands,

and when you sometimes mix up your words,

and all of the lies,

and deceit,

and the way that you pretended to care,

and your “I have to work late tonight”s,

and the yelling,

and the way that you ended everything we had.

The “it’s not you it’s me.”

That

Is not okay.

Editor: Shelby Armor

All The Way–A Review

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By Brennan Nick

All The Way, written by Robert Schenkkan, is the historical drama of Lyndon Baines Johnson’s turbulent and fierce first year in office as President of the United States. It was first written as a stage play; then it was performed on Broadway in 2014 and finally was adapted to the screen as an HBO television drama film in 2016. In all adaptations, the story begins after John F. Kennedy’s assassination at the beginning of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. Faced with rhetoric of being an “accidental president,” he has to prove his legitimacy as a president in his own right, and he sees his way of doing so through passing the first major civil rights bill–something he’s wanted for years when working in the Senate.

After landing in DC, he was sworn in and made his very first speech about this goal. As expected he immediately encounters resistance from Democrats and Republicans alike. His main opponents are the Southern Democrats who are staunch segregationists and would do anything to maintain their Southern way of life–this was a time when Conservative Democrats had a lock on The South which lasted from the Civil War until only 40 years ago. What LBJ had to do first was gain the trust and support of the Northern Democrats for his Civil Rights Bill, and after that he had to convince and coerce Republicans into supporting him by telling them “You can vote with the segregationists and the country goes up in flames.”

Surprise, surprise, the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 gets passed, and after this it goes into Johnson’s presidential campaign against fellow Democrats in the primaries and against Barry Goldwater in the election of 1964. It is here that Schenkkan goes deep into analyzing LBJ’s personality, inner conflict, and even his paranoia that no one around him really supports him and as soon as he loses power no one would be there for him. This escalates to a moment where he’s lying in his bed considering dropping out of the election from the pressure.

Once again, surprise, surprise, Johnson wins the election of 1964 in a landslide, but he loses the South to Goldwater. The play and movie end on an ominous note at Johnson’s election celebration party where Johnson has an internal monologue where he explains how he dragged this election “kicking and screaming into the light” and claims to know that although these people are all laughing and smiling now, afterwards the knives will come out and he will have to defend his place on top.

Although I couldn’t watch the play on broadway myself, I have read the play and watched the movie on HBO. The acting, especially on behalf of Bryan Cranston, LBJ, was outstanding and made Cranston very different from his character on Breaking Bad (Walter White) or his previous goofy dad role in Malcolm in the Middle (Hal). LBG was a great change in character from what Cranston usually plays and really displays his versatility.

Editor: Peter Kadel

LGBT+ Superheroes

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By Comic Lover and Blogger Peter Kadel

America Chavez–Marvels first LGBT latina superhero

In the past two decades, there has been a major shift in pop culture and modern entertainment. Comic books and comic book movies have gained an incredibly high popularity as comic books have become a legitimate form of art, and their film adaptations have grossed  billions.

Recently, I was talking with Mr. Griffin after a GSA meeting. The subject of comic books and comic-book movies came up after Mr. Griffin complimented me on my knowledge of Marvel comic books. As the conversation continued, we eventually got to the subject of minority representation in comic-book superhero movies. It was at this point that Mr. Griffin asked, “When is there going to be an LGBT Superhero on the big screen?” And, while I could not answer the question off the top of my head, I decided that I needed to find the answer. At first glance, it seems like there are no LGBT+ heroes and that there aren’t likely to be any in the near future. But upon a closer look, the opposite is true. In terms of current representation, many existing LGBT+ characters have hit the big screen, and there are even more LGBT+ characters that exist in the comics that have not yet been adapted to the big screen. Harley Quinn who appeared in the DC Extended Universe’s movie, Suicide Squad, is bisexual in the comics, having had romantic encounters with Poison Ivy. However, the movie adaptation, where Harley Quinn is played by Margot Robbie, did not explore that side of the character’s sexuality. On the Marvel side of comic-book movies, the character Deadpool, who received his first stand-alone movie in 2016, identifies as pansexual. And, while he has not yet had an on-screen romance with a man, many people involved with the franchise, including Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds, have voiced interest in pursuing this side of the character’s sexuality. 

Representation within the DC comic-book universe–Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

But there are even more LGBT+ characters in comic books that have not yet made their way onto the big screen. The best example is Marvel character America Chavez (aka Miss America). She is a lesbian latina superhero who was raised by lesbian parents. She is likely our best bet in terms of an LGBT+ hero with a stand-alone movie. The character is currently set to appear in an animated film titled Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors. While that is not the great big live action event that the character deserves, it’s a start. Miss America is an empowered young woman who always stands by her ideals and does not put up with bigotry and injustice. She is the perfect role model for younger generations, not only because of her ideals, but because she is more than her sexuality and relationships. This is how representation should be. People are more than their sexuality, or race, and this is shown in the way Miss America is handled as a character. America Chavez is a step towards representation that will ensure the relevance of Marvel Comics. Comic books are very popular among young people, so it only makes sense that they appropriately represent the young people of America. 

Marvel comic books especially have a long history of representing the under-represented and making us fall in love with those we thought were unlovable. Stan Lee (the major creative force behind the most popular Marvel characters) has a penchant for taking society’s outcasts and making them heroes. The core of the best marvel heroes are not their looks or social standing but the content of their character. The importance of representation in comic books is not the race or sexuality of the character, but the fact that they are shown as being worthy of being heroes.

Editor: Shelby Armor

Conflict and Competition

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by Anonymous

 

The world is strange–

full of constant conflict, be it subtle or forthright.

Why?

I would have it more “boring” and more peaceful, more joyous.

Conflict should be a principle of drama, not of life,

but I’ve come to the conclusion that will

never happen.

We’re not collaborative; we’re competitive.

I just wish I knew why.

We’re hairless apes, but even apes deserve better.

Nonetheless, conflict and competition,

be they cancers or creators,

are ever-present.

They’re part of human nature.

 

But I wish they weren’t.

O God, I wish they weren’t.

 

Editor: Makena Behnke

Stories About Snakes–Fairy Tale Re-Telling

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Graphic by Harlow Berny

Retold By Harlow Berny

Storyteller Berny unearths Grimm’s tales about children and snakes. As we move from one to another, Berny reminds us, “None of these stories are related other than the fact that they contain children and snakes.” Enjoy the combination.

I.

Centuries ago, in a long forgotten kingdom, there was a little girl whose mother would give her a small bowl of milk and bread. Every day the child would eat in the yard on a small stump. When she would eat, a snake would creep out a crack in the wall, dip its head in the dish, and eat along with her. The child took joy in having a friend to eat with, and so, when the snake did not come out one day, she softly spoke,

“Snake, oh snake, quickly

come forth, you tiny critter,

you shall eat your bread crumbs,

you shall drink your milk.”

When the snake heard these words, it rushed forth to enjoy its meal. To show its gratitude to the child, the snake gave her some of its hidden treasures, such as shining gems, captivating pearls, and glistening golden jewelry. Following this event, however, the snake only drank the milk, never touching the breadcrumbs. After a few days of this, the little girl tapped the snake on its head with her spoon, saying, “Eat the bread crumbs as well, tiny critter.” The mother, who was in the kitchen, heard the child speaking, looked out the window, and was horrified to see a snake right next to her daughter. She ran out with the knife she was using to cut vegetables, and she killed the peaceful snake.

From that day forth, the little girl changed. When the snake ate with her, she grew tall, strong, and beautiful, but now she withered–her cheeks went pale, and her hair fell out. It was not long before the doves cried and the robins collected little branches for a funeral wreath as the child lay in her coffin.

 

II.

A young orphan girl was sitting under a tree when she suddenly spotted a snake slithering out of a hole in the ground. She quickly laid her blue silk handkerchief beside her, as she was always told that snakes loved blue handkerchiefs so much they’d ignore nearby humans, even resting on the handkerchief as humans walked by. This snake, however, went straight back into the hole in the ground upon seeing it, only to return with a small golden crown. The snake placed the crown on the handkerchief before rushing to the hole once more. The girl, amazed with what she was seeing, picked up the glittering crown and her handkerchief, placed the crown atop her head and the handkerchief in her pocket. She skipped her way to the orphanage to show all her friends what she had found. The snake came out again, and, upon seeing that the crown and handkerchief both were missing, bashed its head into the wall over and over again, only stopping when its body went limp and bloody, never to move again. If the girl had left the crown and waited a while longer, surely the snake would have brought more treasures out of the hole.

 

III.

A snake laughed, “Hehehe.”

A child heard the snake and went to question it, “Little snake, have you seen my little sister? She wears little stockings upon her legs.”

“No, I have not,” answered the snake. “Have you seen little red stockings? Hehe, hehe, hehe.”

The child never said the sister’s stockings were red.

 

Editor: Renée Vazquez

A Re-Telling of Grimm’s