Archer’s yearbook staff solely listens to Taylor Swift during their work periods. Many students’ lockers are adorned by Taylor Swift’s face. During First Fridays, at least one Taylor Swift song plays from student council’s speakers. Students have even created a club dedicated to sharing their love for her. It is no secret that Taylor Swift and her music are woven into Archer’s culture.

Taylor Swift is a pop star who has quickly acclaimed multiple awards including 10 Grammys, 29 American Music Awards and 23 Billboard Music Awards. Swift has released 10 albums throughout her career, and this month, she flooded the top 10 on the Billboard charts with songs from her latest release “Midnights.”

The Oracle sent a survey to the student body to learn about the ways Taylor Swift has impacted the community, and out of 502 students, 110 responded. One  questions asked if students believed Taylor Swift had an impact on current teenagers, and 84.5% of students either agreed or strongly agreed. Juniors Amelia Hines and Tess Hubbard said they weren’t shocked about these statistics, and the impact Swift has at Archer was one of the reasons why they decided to create a Taylor Swift Club.

“Our favorite thing to do is talk about Taylor Swift. We also knew there was a ton of other Archer girls who love Taylor — it’s like a little community,” Hubbard said. “Archer itself is a Swiftie, so we thought it would be super fun if we could talk and form connections through her. It really is fun and meant to be a joyful space because that’s what she is to so many of us.”

Hines said one of her favorite things about Swift is her wide range of discography, and she has seen how the club has been able to offer a low stakes environment for Archer students to dissect Swift’s lyrics and career.

“Everyone can say they like one song, at least, from Taylor, and that’s really beautiful to us and says a lot about her career,” Hines said. “Music is such a great way to find connection, but also be reaffirmed in the world and see yourself mirrored and validated. She really is the music industry right now — it’s all very empowering.”

For eighth grader Charlotte Burnap, Swift’s music has supported her through difficult experiences. She also said she appreciates that Swift speaks about issues like feminism, which has allowed her to also fight for issues she believes in.

“She has made me feel less alone. I [have] gone through experiences [in] which I thought were so individual and random, yet Taylor Swift would still have a song which I could connect to,” Burnap wrote in the survey. “Her ability to connect with people has influenced me to want to connect with those around me. Her increase in fighting for what she believes in has encouraged me to become an ever-changing, self-bettering person in the hopes that I can leave the world better than I [found] it.”

However, not everyone is a fan. Junior Piper Porter said she believes the reason Swift has become so successful is the privilege she has as a wealthy, white musician.

“I think Taylor is so popular because the media loves to put mediocre white women on a pedestal,” Porter said. “We live in a world in which someone can use their privilege and femininity to garner sympathy and stay relevant, even if there are plenty of artists in their niche genre that will never have the opportunities that she has.”

Additionally, Porter said Swift’s fanbase sometimes behaves badly. For example, in 2021, Swift’s name was brought up in a negative context in a joke on Netflix’s show “Ginny and Georgia.” Porter felt that the response from her fans was too extreme.

“Her whole fanbase completely attacked the young Black star of the show — who wasn’t even the writer of the joke — so, for her to not say anything to her fanbase, especially when these fans were sending death threats is weird to me,” Porter said. “Sometimes, it feels like she picks and chooses when to be a feminist and who she is one to.”

An anonymous responder on the survey also mentioned Swift’s fanbase, noting the strong impact it has had on her career. She wrote that extreme fan reactions are bound to happen when anyone rises to fame like Swift.

“I believe her presence in mainstream media is so large because of her fanbase,” a responder wrote. “With a large fanbase, a celebrity is bound to become more well-known, gain supporters and hates and thus have more people to bring them into conversations.”

Senior Maya Kakani said it’s important to recognize the vulnerability and self-discovery Swift’s songwriting skills can evoke, but also acknowledge the harm of labeling Swift as a “feminist icon.”

“As a lyricist, she has helped me reflect on myself, and her lyrics have helped me cope and recognize my emotions — I love her,” Kakani said. “As a musician, she does put messages and themes of sexism…but I think as a whole, her activism lacks intersectionality. She has done good. I do think she does do more than the bare minimum, but it’s important to not put her on such a high pedestal.”

Many Archer students grew up listening to Swift as she launched her career in 2006. Junior Lila Paschall said she has found comfort in her music because of the nostalgia and life lessons they bring.

“When I was younger, my mom always played ‘1989′, which makes Taylor Swift’s music a nostalgic experience for me. In addition to reminding me of my younger childhood, I really like the new album she just released,” Paschall said. “The song called ‘You’re on Your Own Kid’ influenced the way I think about my life because what I got from it was a lesson about growing up and learning how you can only fully rely on yourself. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy fun things with friends or be afraid to face challenges.”

Hines said that Swift represents the execution of all she has learned at Archer. For her, Swift’s message of empowerment is what sets her apart from many other artists.

“I think everything that Archer stands for and the fact we are a school for girls really aligns with her message of empowerment and resiliency in her music,” Hines said. “She makes us go, ‘Yeah, we are at a disadvantage, but here is how we are going to overcome it.'”