Happy Saturday! The Golden Bear Gazette team hopes you have had a wonderful week so far and have a BEARY good weekend!
Here's this week's two biggest stories to keep you in the know:
Valentines Day Statistics
Black History Month Spotlight
People spend a lot of money on Valentine's day!
Valentine's day has come and gone yet again. Whether you were in a happy relationship with a partner and got to spend the day showered in love and affection or you spent the day by yourself cuddled in blankets while eating ice cream and watching endless hours of your favorite Netflix show.... Valentine's day remains one of the best days to show appreciation to loved ones. And as a result of that, people spend lots and lots of money!
Whether you love or loathe Valentine's day, the fact remains that it leaves a dent in some wallets. Americans as a whole spend over 23.9 billion EVERY YEAR on this holiday! ($175.41 per person partaking). Inside that total, two-thirds is spent by men and one-third by women. Americans spent approximately 6.2 billion on jewelry, 2.2 billion on candy and 2.3 billion on flowers. Considering 41% of Americans say that they would love a Valentine's Day gift, these stats are a bit more realistic!
Some other interesting Valentines Day statistics and facts (according to Wallethub) include:
41% of people shop online for V-day gifts, 29% at department stores, 28% at discount stores, 18% at local small businesses and 17% at florists
43 million Americans got an unwanted V-day gift in 2019 and 9.5 billion was spent on unwanted gifts
On average men spent $106 on gifts for their wives (1.6 times more than women spent on their husbands)
38% of women and 32% of men want to receive chocolates for Valentine's Day
While it could be argued that Valentine's Day is nothing more than a commercial holiday, the root of all the commercial appeal is getting to show appreciation to your loved ones. So whether received a gift or didn't this year, people all around the world are showering love on the people that are important to them and obviously a lot of money was spent!
Black History Month Spotlight: Sidney Poitier
With February being Black History month, it is important to raise awareness to the many inspiring people who broke barriers and set new standards for how people of color should be treated. Sidney Poitier made history as the first black man to win in the best actor category at the Oscars. He redefined racial stereotypes in the film industry during the Civil Rights Movement and portrayed characters that millions of people relate to.
The characters Poitier chose to display always responded to hatred with quiet determination. He played the roles of the peacekeepers who chose forgiveness over revenge while sending a reassuring message to mass audiences.
Poitier often found himself in roles that limited his acting talents despite his popularity. Regardless of the fact that Poitier was one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and ranked fifth among male actors in Box Office magazine, Hollywood refused to cast him as a romantic lead. Poitier explained in a past quote that people couldn't picture an African American man in romantic circumstances in the 1950s-60s and despite his looks and fame, there was nothing he could do about it. However limiting the roles Poitier played were, they still left a lasting and inspiring impact on the world.
"I felt very much as if I were representing 15, 18 million people with every move I made," Poitier once wrote.
His roles bore heavy racial significance and he was one of the best and only Hollywood actors who inspired so many people of color in his time. Eventually in 1964 Pointier won Best Actor for his role in "Lilies of the Field."
Sadly, Sidney Poitier passed away on January 6, 2022 at 94 years old. He was one of the most inspirational African American role models in film history and is legacy will be left on the world for many years to come.
In other news...
MJHS Band of Gold recently competed against other schools at Wilson Central. The Winter Winds, color-guard and drumline all received 1st in their division.
MJHS Vocal Ensemble and L.O.V.E choir recently competed at a choir festival. Both choirs received superiors which advanced them to state.
MJ JROTC v. Hendersonville Drill Meet will be tomorrow on campus.
Varsity Boys Basketball start of Region Tournament tomorrow at Station Camp High School.
Juniors will be taking the ACT on Tuesday, March 2nd. Sophomores will be taking the practice ACT. Seniors will not be at school.
Vocal Ensemble and L.O.V.E choir will be participating in Wilson County All-Sing on Tuesday, March 2.
Senior Superlative Photos will wrap up on Monday during first block with the yearbook staff.
Tuesday, March 1 is ACT day for juniors on campus. Seniors will be off-campus completing job-shadowing, while freshmen are taking the practice ACT and sophomores take the PARETO.
Quote of the week:
Dream with ambition.
-Vice President Kamala Harris
Have a fantastic Saturday MJ!
The Golden Bear Gazette is looking for new team members. If you're interested in becoming a writer or photographer, please fill out the interest form on goldenbeargazette.com.
Remember Spring Break is only a week away!
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