The
Whittier Miscellany
December 2022 • Wilmington Friends School’s Community Newspaper • Wilmington, DE
Performative Activism or Priceless Destruction Sarah Levenson ‘24
Staff Writer Have you seen climate change activists throw food at multi-million dollar art? On TikTok or Instagram? Well if not, here’s the latest news on why these protests went viral. The majority of protests have taken place in museums across Europe. Other than throwing food at paintings, activists are gluing themselves to the pictures, refusing to stand down against hate. Hate is accumulating throughout the world because the more activists continue to fight, the more others
near a landmark or significant area, for example the London Eye where this protest took place. The climate change activists partaking in these protests are mainly in Gen Z.The younger generation feels the need to protest because they are expressing more anxiety about the future and how our planet will hold up with time. In the Time article, one activist shouted, “Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet?”. Such expression of one’s objection highlights the determination of young adults and their willingness to go
to fight for the protection of our earth. Above all, climate activists aim to draw attention to the climate crisis, but goals can differ for different places. For example, German climate activists protest to reduce the amount of car and public transportation usage. In Germany, the crisis of climate change has escalated quickly. Germany is a country that uses nuclear and coal-generated power, so as a
The Downfall of Ye
Continued at wfswhittier.net
Anya Agarwal ‘25 Staff Writer Kanye West has been portrayed in various different lights by the media over the course of his career, based on his public appearance and the lyrics of his music. West captured the attention of individuals and sparked conflict in the minds of many. It is clear that West has had a profound impact on the hip-hop industry and on popular culture as a whole. He has received numerous awards for his skills and has continued to create and release art for his audience. On the other hand, Kanye West has never steered away from controversy throughout his career. “I think he practically exists to cause controversy,” says Nife Shoyinka ‘25. In fact, he has a proclivity for stirring the pot. West is outspoken about his beliefs, whether he’s speaking his mind or criticizing another celebrity for something he disagrees with. Kanye Omari West developed an early love of the arts by drawing and writing poetry when he was just 5 years old. In the third grade, he started rapping, and by middle school, he had created his own music. According to The Strive, West’s rise to fame started with the release of his debut album, The College Dropout, in 2004. After releasing his debut album, West began designing and manufacturing his own line of sneakers and clothing. He released “Air Yeezy” in 2009, which grew to be highly popular. On December 3rd, 2013, the Adidas Yeezy Boosts were officially released. In addition to releasing several fashion lines, Continued on page 6
Gianna Cottone ‘26
Staff Writer On November 12, Wilmington Friends hosted their first Musical of the year! WFS selected the well-known musical, Into the Woods. The musical consists of famous actors like Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, and Johnny Depp. Like the movie and broadway musical, the WFS production of Into the woods was well received by both adults and students. The journey of creating this fairytale was stressful, time-consuming, and at some points, overwhelming. Every student and teacher involved with this school musical sacrificed many late nights to give the WFS community a great show! Mary Woodward
Mara Cipriano
Activists pour soup on Sunflower by Van Gogh
will continue to push them away. According to a Time magazine article titled: “Why Climate Protesters Are Throwing Food at Art”, a British group going by the name of “Just Stop Oil” protested by blocking roads around London. In addition, groups spray-painted famous stores and buildings. Their motive was to capture the attention of onlookers and engross them into the protest by doing it
result, Germany is now cutting down the production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses. Two members of the Just Stop Oil group glued themselves to art in Frankfurt. Gluing themselves to art is just another way to raise awareness to the pressing issue of climate change. The Just Stop Oil group members said, “People are starving. People are freezing. People are dying. We are in a climate catastrophe. And all you are afraid of is tomato soup or mashed potatoes on a painting. You know what I’m afraid of? I’m afraid because the science tells us that we won’t be able to feed our families in 2050”. The above quote is from the Smithsonian magazine titled, “Why Are Climate Activists Throwing Food at Million-Dollar Paintings?”. The activist’s words are extremely impactful because it gets the audience thinking of how they can help and encourages them to start taking action. Whether this is throwing food at art or publicly sharing ideas on social media, there are all types of ways to start something. To see a perspective on climate change from the WFS Science department, I interviewed Caitlin Norton (Biology teacher). First, I asked Mrs. Norton, Why do you think climate change activists may be protesting in museums with art? She responded, “I think that a big part of these protests is drawing media attention to their cause. They are attempting to destroy something beautiful that people care about because the same thing is happening to our earth”. This quote is valuable because it explains simply how the activists want to destroy something
WFS’s Into the Woods
Drizella, Anastasia, and Lady Tremaine
This musical would not have been the same without Piper Roskovensky ‘26. She played Little Red Riding Hood, being the only freshman with a lead role. In an interview, Piper explained how she felt nervous right before she went on stage. But Piper masked her nerves perfectly and performed outstandingly, impressing many in the audience. When asked about how prepared the cast was, Piper said, “Even though we had nerves, I felt that we were all very prepared. We spent so many hours and night rehearsals to prepare for the musical, and it definitely helped us to feel ready for the performance.” Piper’s musical experience was even better because she got to do her first upper school musical with her brother, Duncan ‘24. The sibling’s highlight was their duet, Hello, Little Girl. “I think it was fun to perform the scenes together! It was different because I never really worked with him a lot during school, but I think because of the scene, it was comedic for the audience.” (Roskovensky) Once Piper finished her final performance on Sunday, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Though she was filled with pride and elation for everything the cast accomplished, she still felt unhappy thinking over the memories the cast made together. She was sad because she knew she would never get to make the same memories with the same cast. Emma Slease ‘23, another lead in Continued on page 6