No Ring In The Spring
By Nikki Wertz, Layout Designer
Spring is the season of new
beginnings. The weather is warmer;
flowers are in bloom and couples are
getting engaged. Congratulations
to all those newly engaged people,
I suppose. You have much to think
about before you sign that marriage
certificate. However, if you’re one
of the millions who prefer to have
a ring be a symbol of your love, you
should be asking yourself where the
diamond in your ring is coming from,
because, more often than not, it’s a
conflict diamond, also known as a
blood diamond.
Conflict diamonds are
uncut diamonds mined in an area of
armed conflict and traded illicitly to
finance the conflict. These diamonds
are often mined by child workers
in developing parts of Asia and
Africa, particularly in India and
the Sub-Saharan region of Africa.
According to the International Labor
Organization, there over l68 million
children between the ages of 5 and 17
years that either need or are forced
to work. Thus far, there are two main
areas within the diamond industry
that profit off of the forced labor of
these children: diamond mines in
Africa and polishing factories in
India. Within both areas, children are
forced to perform strenuous tasks; for
example, carrying 50-60 kg of gravel
in chemically hazardous conditions
for more than 12 hours straight on
$30 dr less per month.
Unfortunately, these conflict
diamonds will continue to negatively
impact the lives of thousands beyond
extraction. Once they’re sorted
and valued, they’re sold, mixed in
with conflict-free diamonds and
smuggled into other countries. The
funds produced are immediately
given to the local rebel movements.
These conflict diamonds are then
transported to the polishing factories,
where laborers risk severe respiratory
illness from diamond particle dust.
The conflict diamonds are crafted
into jewelry by manufacturers and
retailers before finally ending up in
the display case of a jewelry store.
What does this have to do
with first-world consumers? Well, as
long as we continue to be buyers of
diamond jewelry, there will always
be suppliers. We as consumers need
to start questioning where, how and
by whom our goods are produced.
We have been unknowingly funding
rebel militia that thrive on child
The Bachelor(ette)
By Ell Shelp-Peck, Staff Writer
The probability that you
know someone who watches The
Bachelor is high, but is that good or
bad? The show is generally not the
best model for healthy relationships
for its young, impressionable
audience of young women. The
Bachelor began in 1999 when Mike
Fleiss had the idea to take a very rich
man and pair him with 50 women
who were willing to be his wife and
let him choose which he wanted to
marry. The show did not end well,
as the man and the woman he chose
divorced quite soon after. However
from this experience, Mr. Fleiss
developed The Bachelor and its
spin-offs. The show has been wildly
successful with millions of viewers
worldwide, but at what cost? In a
New York Times article, Suzannah
Showier, an academic, poet and an
avid member of the Bachelor Nation,
the name of the fan base for the show,
says “that [The Bachelor] has always
pretended to be about the production
of fantasy, but is really about how
people make do.. .under inadequate
conditions.” Showier explains how
reality shows place their contestants
into stressful situations that may even
target their fears or insecurities to
create drama.
Now when this is applied
to real life, it becomes incredibly
unrealistic, which is why a
connection can be drawn between
The Bachelor’and the speed at which
American teens are dating. When
asked about how she thinks the
show has affected America’s youth,
freshman Taylor Houser responded
with that “people might think the
extravagant dates are what is needed
to fall in love with someone. If this
was not a show people would think
it is absolutely crazy, but since it
is entertaining no one seems to
care what it is really showing and
teaching people.” These young
people are being influenced by a
soldiers and tactics like rape and
slavery for too long. Honestly, this
confirmed to me that a sparkling
engagement ring isn’t worth it. A ring
is supposed to symbolise love and
new beginnings, but love shouldn’t
be based on how much money can
be spent on a significant other. It
definitely shouldn’t involve snuffing
out another’s chances of a future
while building up your own.
I must put aside my iciness
towards everything romantic to
admit that there are conflict-free
alternatives to conflict diamonds.
Synthetic diamonds and diamonds
from antique rings and jewelry
are wonderful options. Synthetic
diamonds have an equally impressive
shine without the mining process
and human suffering. Diamonds
from vintage jewelry can easily be
reset into another piece of jewelry.
Conflict-free diamonds, which are
mined under strict standards, are
a possibility. According to Time
Magazine, you should consider
purchasing diamonds from countries,
like Canada, Botswana and Namibia.
The magazine also suggests jewelers,
like Hume Atelier and Brilliant Earth,
that are apparently dedicated to
culture that values speed over quality,
due to the fact that a majority of
Bacheior(ette) couples do not stay
together past all of the hoopla that
is the show and wedding. Many
teenagers are feeling the need to rush
relationships because that’s all that
the media shows them. This not only
harms their concept of dating and
relationships for the rest of their life,
but it also perpetuates the culture
that The Bachelor(ette) creates. The
show has become more accepting
throughout the 23 seasons it has been
on the air; however, it has always
had the stench of the patriarchy
selling diamonds that are ethically
mined. I’d still be wary of any
diamond, however, as there is no
way of knowing exactly where it
came from or whether labor and
environmental standards were
followed during the mining process.
If possible. Time Magazine suggests
buyers question the jeweler about
where it came from. The jeweler
should be able to describe in great
detail where the diamond was
sourced if it was ethically mined.
Keep in mind that what
I’ve written is not a reflection of the
cultures or the people that reside in
these areas. I am merely bringing
light to the issue of modern slave
labor as a call to action to my
fellow human beings. To quote Lily
Tomlin, “I always wondered why
somebody doesn’t do something
about that. Then, I realized I was
somebody.” I am not saying this is
an easy issue to solve, but I believe
we are all capable of making a
difference. There is no special look,
profession or personality trait that
makes one capable of impacting
lives. You just have to care enough
to act and encourage others to act
alongside you.
written all over it. By idealizing
the large romantic gestures and
disregarding homosexuality and the
small intimate details of a successful
relationship, the show continues to
oppress groups of individuals who
also show love. It continues to repress
the needs of a real relationship by
making relationships out of large
expensive gestures rather than the
connection between the people. So,
where do we draw the line between
entertainment and the health of
society’s relationships?
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STAFF
Sarah Kiser, Editor-In-Chief. Mimi Mays, Associate Editor.
Caroline Garrett, A&E Editor. Abby Ojeda, News Editor. Rebecca Dowdy, Opinion Editor. Olivia Slack, Features Editor.
Micah Clark, Cartoonist. Cro Owens, Social Media Coordinator. Nikki 'Wertz, Layout Designer.
Staff Writers: Ashleigh Murr, Ashley Ricks, Ell Shelp-Peck, Savi Swiggard, Kristen Viera.
Contributing Writers: Kathleen Daly, Haley Ivey, Yajaira Ramos-Ramirez.