Rumors: the cycle of words that are not true. Rumors are based off of something someone has read, heard or seen. They spread like wildfire and can have long lasting consequences.
FC is a small school with a student body of less than 200 people. Everyone knows everybody’s name and, a majority of the time, the students hear about whats going on in others’ lives.
Rumors and gossip are often tempting topics of discussion. They originate from the mouth and can reach over 20 ears in a matter of minutes. With a small school, a story could be told to a friend about what happened to a peer the other day and the next thing they know, the same story is twisted and taken out of context.
So why are rumors so desirable and constantly a topic of dialogue? They are easy, thoughtless and, ultimately, amusing. With a rumor, students could begin a conversation that could be as short or as long as needed as long as a fire is being fed.
A classic example of rumors and gossip is the 1982-’93 NBC television series Cheers. In this program based in Boston, Massachusetts, a group of locals met to relax, socialize and catch up on the latest gossip. In the series theme song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart, the lyrics sum up the idea of rumors: “You want to be where you can see, our troubles are all the same.” While the show was funny it definitely showed the pitfalls and risks of participating in unchecked hearsay.
As the song implies people fall easily into gossip because they enjoy talking about others who have the similar troubles. Viewing the struggles of others, related to their own, makes them feel as if they are not alone. However, the negative side to this, is that people are also entertained by discussing the struggles of others, so they can ignore or hide their own. They focus the attention on someone else with similar issues, in order to make themselves feel better or deflect the cause of the issue on someone else.
Take the song, “Rumor Has It” by Adele. “You’ve been telling people things you shouldn’t be, like when we creep out when she ain’t around, haven’t you heard the rumours?” This song sums up an untrue tale. The two characters portrayed in the song are sneaking out, people hear about it and start talking of the things that might have happened between them. Ultimately, starting false speculation.
The Feather staff encourages students not to add to unsubstantiated stories. As rumors spread please consider taking steps to encourage participants to avoid engaging in false accusations.
For decades rumors have ruined careers, broken relationships and have deteriorated the reputations of many.
According to PBS Kids, tall tales are desirable because they help you feel superior or to feel apart of a group; gossip garners attention, controls or empowers people.
While these are all valid reasons for rumors to start and become a fireball of gossip, if anything is ever heard that might sound interesting and there is an urge to tell others even if it might not be true, please do not. Igniting a rumor could be a wildfire that might not ever be contained.
For more opinions, read the Oct. 16 article, Student reflects summer experience, forms dream.
Jariah Harris • Aug 30, 2013 at 12:14 am
I Loved this idea! I think some of the sweaters are cute though!
Daniel Thao • Aug 30, 2013 at 12:14 am
Well ugly sweater day was fun to do. It’s just that my sweater was so uncomfortable. At least I’m in the picture!
Zoe House • Aug 30, 2013 at 12:14 am
I thought the ugly sweater theme was a good idea. I especially liked Mr. Lee’s sweater.