Author: elizamollyfox

The Sound of Scandal: Cultural Impact of Celebrity Controversy  

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by Eliza Fox
Bethseda Chevy Chase High School

Can we still appreciate a masterpiece if its creator has committed disgraceful actions? I think that you can separate the art from the artist, appreciating their work doesn’t mean endorsing their behaviors. By drawing the line of separation we show our love for the art itself, not the creators personal beliefs.  

Kanye West, a well known rapper and producer is well known for his groundbreaking music and his controversial statements. In 2013 he made an appearance on the Breakfast Club, a New York radio show. When being interviewed he made an inappropriate antisemitic remark. 

Artists are still receiving the money, so stopping listening to an artist’s music is stopping yourself from listening to music you like. I do not support buying merch or going to concerts but I don’t believe that listening to the music for your own pleasure is wrong.

“Black people don’t have the same level of connections as Jewish people. Black people don’t have the same connections as oil people,” West said. “You know we don’t know nobody that got a nice house. You know we don’t know nobody with paper like that, that we can go to when we’re down.” 

I am Jewish, and my culture is very important to me. There have always been terrible stereotypes of Jewish people. They portray them as greedy or controlling. The stereotypes are not only hurtful but are also extremely discriminatory and affect how comfortable people are expressing their culture without getting hate. 

Celebrities often have a strong influence on their fans, particularly uneducated individuals who admire them. Some West fans adopted his views. 

On October 29, 2022 after the Florida-Georgia game, an individual projected a statement on the screen expressing their agreement with Kanye West’s anti-Semitic remarks, sparking a troubling wave of hateful comments. 

The Rolling Stone explains the numerous comments that West has made. From 2016 to 2024 Kanye West has made many comments that are not okay. These instances show a pattern of hate speech. West has quite a record of absurd comments. Although he suffers from Bipolar disorder it does not excuse his actions. 

West is not the only artist who has said controversial things, famous country artist Morgan Wallen has been arrested twice for reckless endangerment and arrested on public intoxication/disorderly conduct. According to People magazine, Wallen used racial slurs and had to publicly acknowledge and take full responsibility for his words. 

Wallen’s removal from Saturday Night Live serves as a key example of the consequences regarding his actions. His use of a racial slur led to quick repercussions, as society stood up against him. This is a great example of the importance of holding famous figures accountable.

West and Wallen are just two out of many artists that have done something wrong. I picked them as I enjoy both of their music. Although I do not believe what so ever with their words or actions. While still enjoying their music, it is crucial to acknowledge and remember their wrongdoing. As fans, it is important to still hold them accountable for their actions, it ensures that our appreciation for their talent doesn’t overthrow our core principles.

In the spotlight

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by Eliza Fox
Bethesda Chevy Chase High School

You’re on the starting block, with thousands watching you in person and millions watching you on live TV. One millisecond. That’s what can separate you from the athlete next to you, from giving you a chance to fulfill your dream of competing in the Olympics. The pressure is intense. 

Photo by Bradly Steiner

How should you cope with this?

Treat it like any other race.

“The best thing you can do is to not make it a bigger deal than it is,” said Coach Blanken, Bethesda Chevy Chase, ASA and River Falls swim coach. “Because at the end of the day — whether it’s a 50 freestyle or 200 backstroke —, it’s the same [event] that you did, and you know, even if it was two years ago, it’s the same swim from the last time. It’s just a different pool under a different set of lights, but the actual activity is the same. So treat it that way.”

Ranked first in the class of 2026 in Maryland, 16 year-old Virginia Hinds, secured her place in this week’s Olympic trials with a time of 2:13.14 in the 200 backstroke. Hinds swims for the ASA (All Star Aquatics), Bethesda Chevy Chase’s Varsity team, as well as CCRA. 

The trials are a big event on the swimming schedule and attract big TV audiences. Despite her young age, Hinds seems to be heeding her coach’s advice and taking the pressure and attention in stride. 

“There’s a good amount of pressure sometimes but for me I just try to not think about the pressure and have fun,” Hinds said. “At the end of the day, as long as I’m having fun and happy with my races that’s all that matters to me.”

Hinds is following closely in the footsteps of Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky. Both are determined and hard working swimmers who hold many swimming records. Hinds spends the majority of her time in the water, and started swimming because of her older sister, Clara. 

“I’ve looked up to my sister mainly because she is the reason I started swimming and is always my biggest supporter,” Hinds said. 

Maryland Olympic swimmers Phoebe Bacon and Katie Ledecky swam at the same Stone Ridge Pool where Hinds currently trains. Bacon and Ledecky began their remarkable journeys to Olympic success at the Stone Ridge pool, a hot spot of Maryland talent. The state’s strong swimming community and facilities have provided an essential platform for swimmers to develop their skills and move to competing in the US Olympic trials.

Kristinia Lennox swam for Puerto Rico in the 2008 Olympics. Lennox coached GDS High School, NCAP Gold lll as well as the Somerset Dolphins, coaching many swimmers keeping Maryland swimming strong. She was 23 years old when she swam in the Olympics held in Beijing.

Photo by Bradly Steiner

“[Even though] the people are from different nations, the language is the same,” Lennox said. “We all knew how to get up on blocks, set up and go. That’s universal, but it’s just different and definitely very intimidating.”  

A former Spanish swimmer Dario Fuentes agreed the pressure around swimming is very intense. As there is a lot of tension within each swimmer. 

“We trained for four years to reach our goal that may be decided in less than a minute race,” Fuentes said.

Although Hinds just missed qualifying for the Olympics in 2024, Blanken is proud of his swimmer. “It’s just an unbelievable accomplishment,” he said of her 5th place finish. “And it’s one that she’ll have with her forever. She is in a very, very small group of people that can say that they got that far, it’s very difficult to make. So it’s really cool to see.”

Averi Caldwell

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, college campuses were empty and lonely.  This is the environment in which Averi Caldwell started her journey as a journalist, making it difficult as interactions with people were limited. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing her passion.

“Don’t be afraid of hearing no, whether it’s asking for an interview or applying for something,”  Caldwell said.“If they tell you no, at least you tried, that’s the worst that will happen. Sometimes I will even go back and ask again.”

Now Caldwell is a very accomplished journalist with many pieces published in The Red and Black as well as The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She grew up south of Athens in a small town called Griffin and graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023 receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in English and Spanish. Now she is working towards a master’s in journalism and mass communication also from the University of Georgia. In the future she hopes to become an author.  

Despite Caldwell being more of an introvert, that doesn’t stop her from going out to get the information she needs to write. The setback with the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult, but Caldwell said. The Grady College  of Journalism and Mass Communications helped her stay connected. Having a sense of community during a time of loneliness was very important. 

“I didn’t really leave my apartment much,” she said. “But looking back, I probably would have gone out a little more on and tried to break into the industry a little earlier.”

Caldwell followed in the footsteps of her favorite author Rainbow Rowell, a Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fiction writer. She loves to read and growing up always wanted to be a CIA agent. In eighth grade she read many mystery books. Her favorite was a book by Rowell, “Carry On.” After learning that Rowell graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism, Caldwell was intrigued to explore the journalism field. 

 With the tool of being bilingual, Caldwell  can translate for people who do not speak English. She worked for The Red and Black for eight months, serving as the Social Media Director during the 2022 election.. She was the only one in the office who spoke Spanish, and believed that it was very important that people were educated on what was happening in the election. Journalists often face criticism during elections, with partisanship being high during recent election cycles. Being social media director, Caldwell witnessed this firsthand, but it didn’t impact her view of humanity.

“It might be naive, but I don’t think people are bad,” Caldwell said. “I think all people are good and circumstances in life, push people to be a little mean, or make bad decisions.” 

Eliza Fox (Biography)

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Hello everyone! I am Eliza Fox. I was born in London and lived there for 7 years. I now live in Bethesda, Maryland and attend Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. I will be a junior in the fall. I am very excited to explore journalism more by writing on my school newspaper The Tattler. I have always loved to write and journalism is an area that I would love to explore more. Both of my parents work in media and journalism. I am hoping this class at UGA this summer will teach me the fundamentals to better help me write pieces in the paper. I enjoy reading blogs and articles, so I am hoping to write things that will engage readers. I was part of the yearbook cub in seventh and eighth grade and it was a very interesting experience. It taught me how to properly layout pages that are eye catching and easy to read.

I have been swimming since I was very young and now am on three teams. I swim for my High Schools varsity team, the Capitol Sea-Devils and my neighborhood team The Somerset Dolphins. I love swimming because it brings a sense of community and great team bonding. As well as playing sports, I also enjoy taking photos. In the spring of my freshman year of high school I took photos for the girls lacrosse team and helped out taking photos for The Dolphins. Photography and writing both are parts of my interest which is why media and journalism are paths I would love to continue to learn and explore.

I have attended a sleep away camp in Hartford, Maine since 2018 named Camp Wekeela. I learned many important traits there. I am a very independent person from camp, and it taught me to make and keep in touch with friends all over the globe. When I was young, I waited all year just to go back. Those 2 months in the place I called my second home was all I cared about. However I think one of the most important aspects was not having my phone or other electronics. In 2024 we are all attached to the hip with our phones and its important to remember how to be with people without then.

I am dyslexic, so things come to me a bit harder then some others. My education in London was struggle as kids are taught to read around 5 to 6 years old. It wasn’t until I moved to Maryland that my teacher caught my struggle. I attended a program to reteach me to read. Growing up I thought having dyslexia was the end of the world, but as I have grown up it has taught me to look at things differently. I challenge myself and take classes that other kids who also have learning challenges don’t usually take. I took AP government my freshman year. It was a great chance to see how AP classes are formatted and taught me what to and not to do for my future AP courses.

I love spending time with my friends and family, I am the oldest of 3. I have younger brother who is 13, a younger sister who is 10 and a dog named Archie. I love to travel and listen to music and I am very excited to get my license. I went to Stagecoach Music Festival in April in Palm Springs, California where Coachella is.That’s it from me!