George Orwell’s dystopian novel “1984,” published in 1949 in the earliest days of the Cold War, has stuck in the public consciousness for a reason.
The novel centers around narrator Winston Smith, a member of the Ingsoc Party (“newspeak” for English Socialism, though it isn’t representative of any real political party or economic system) and his realization of the issues with society. Over the course of the novel he goes from a questioning but obedient follower of Party doctrines to becoming involved in a group of dissenters, then through brainwashing and torture, back to a faithful member.
“The whole idea of ‘1984’ with government surveillance had to do with the growth of technology… and that advancement of technology has just made it even easier to track what people are doing,” OH social studies teacher Brenda Shay said.
The core issue that sets up the premise and haunts the characters through the entirety of the novel boils down to technological advancements making it feasible for the government to track and listen in on any and all of its citizens that it deems as a threat. The characters are constantly evading — or at least attempting to — cameras and microphones hidden throughout their city and homes. It is unclear in the book just how that information is being sorted through to identify threats or dissenters, but with modern technology, systems like that hardly require manpower.
As students head into finals today, your resident 42Fifty cartoonist wondered what happens after the school year ends. As it turns out, no one really knows. Everyone goes home, the halls still, the lights turn off, and an eerie quiet fills Oswego High School. But... is the building really empty?
For all we know, there may be someone who specifically roams the building at all hours to keep an eye on everything - like our beloved mascot, Pick the Panther. What happens to him?
When I first expressed interest in joining this publication, my mother was skeptical, and honestly, I don’t blame her for thinking that.
During middle school, I was a shy kid who always tried to find a way to get out of group work, and she rightfully had concerns about whether this class would be a good fit for me. However, I pressed on, requesting to take Digital Journalism 1, and she relented.
Now, I’m writing and editing my last articles as a Features Editor and am forever thankful for the time I got to spend here.
When I was a little girl, I struggled to get up in the morning for school. It was always something with me, whether I pretended to throw up or I miraculously gained a headache within 30 minutes of waking up. I was the queen of excuses... and then COVID hit.
Being stuck in my room was the least of my worries; it only brought the love to stay in my room to be at an all-time high, as the world was fearing for what was to come of this virus. Eighth grade was my first full year back, and I used my mother’s fear of the virus as another way to gain sympathy for why I should stay home. So I did.
I've heard that cartoonists are a rarer breed in the journalism world. I sincerely hope that, in the next year, someone else can come to take this spot and carry on entertaining our audience with their art.