May 2016 (65, 1)

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Volu m e 6 5 , Issu e 1

May 5 , 2 0 1 6

A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School

MUGGED BY REALITY Matt Trevithick advocates for improved U.S.-Middle Eastern relations

By Mack Perry Panel Staff “Right now, the Middle East could not be more present in our lives,” opened Matt Trevithick, a writer, researcher, and author specializing in the region. “It’s certainly been an odd place to call home.” “I’ve spent time in places that ten years ago went from quiet and sleepy to completely destroyed,” he detailed to the school. Just three months ago, Mr. Trevithick was one of five Americans released from an Iranian prison. A Hingham native and 2008 graduate of Boston University with a degree in International Relations (and the recipient of BU’s 2014 Young Alumni Award), he has worked at the American University of Iraq and the American University of Afghanistan, speaking fluent Farsi and Dari along with conversational Russian and Arabic. Mr. Trevithick, a former rower at BU and silver medalist at the Head Of The Charles, launched and coached the first Iraqi and Afghanistan national crew teams, proof of his commitment to fostering strong relations with Middle Eastern countries. He traveled to Tehran in September for four months of intensive Farsi study. Due to strained nuclear relations between Iran and

Look Inside

the U.S., he realized that foreign students were in danger and was detained on his way to buy a plane ticket home. Mr. Trevithick spent 41 days in Iran’s most notorious prison, including 29 of those in

three ideas to how America can invest in a meaningful relationship with the countries it is working alongside. “The road we’ve been on since 2001 is littered with the debris of the mistakes we’ve

the Middle East has been inefficient. Mr. Trevithick criticized the flimsy policies designed in the US; they break down almost immediately, as they do not translate to the field of engagement.

solitary confinement, and was recently released in a prisoner swap between the two countries. Now, he has returned to the states to speak about the Middle East and U.S. relations. “I’ve learned most about the United States and us, and how we work to influence the course of events in countries we’ve attacked or supported.” Mr. Trevithick presented

made,” he stated. He believes that the US has an insufficient understanding of the places it works in. “There’s a common notion that if we all understood each other, there would be no war,” he said. “Sadly, I don’t believe that’s true.” Despite the fact that more than 40 countries have sent troops or military advisors to Afghanistan since 2001, the foreign help in

His second point noted that the US has an interest in arriving as a “clean slate,” where scholars and diplomats do not research the region prior to arriving in order to enter with an unbiased opinion. This is a huge mistake, according to Mr. Trevithick. He noted that a friend followed this costly advice and said that it was like “getting mugged by reality” once he ar-

Ben Bramley ‘18 Shows Diving Talent By Duncan Grant Panel Staff

News p2 Opinions p3&4

Arts p5

Sports p6&7

Back Page p8

Ben Bramley ‘18 earned the title of Athlete of the Issue with his outstanding performance in San Antonio, Texas, at the 2016 USA Diving Synchronized National Championships. At the meet, Bramley and Max Flory, his diving partner out of Fairfax, Virginia, took gold in the ten meter competition for boys 14-18, and the two are now focused on the upcoming Olympic trials in June. For Bramley, this victory has been a long time coming. Bramley first started diving six years ago, when he joined Charles River Diving under coach Agnes Miller. In 2014, Bramley and Miller attended the 2014 USA Diving Junior National Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he took fourth in the three-meter springboard for boys 14-15. Not only did he finish well, but his combined scores qualified him to compete at the 2014 FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Penza,

Russia, representing the US. Before travelling to Penza, Ben told Wicked Local that he “was extremely excited because I did not expect to make the meet at all.” After a successful trip to Russia, Bramley returned ready to work even harder. This fall,

Bramley left Charles River Diving for the Beede Center out of Concord Carlisle High School, a much easier commute from Belmont Hill. As well as individual diving from heights of one, three, and ten meters, Bramley started working with Flory for synchronized diving. Because Flory lives in Virginia and there are no ten meter platforms in New England, Bramley has had to make several trips to practice with him. Virginia also offers ten meter diving platforms, something not found in any New England diving facilities. Leading up to this year’s Synchronized National Championships, Bramley practiced seventeen hours a week. When the time came for Flory and Bramley to compete in San Antonio, they blew the field away with a combined score of 618.27. The Olympic trials in June present the duo with a new challenge, meaning more diving trips and extra hours at Concord Carlisle. In the face of this daunting task, Bramley is all smiles, saying, “it’s just nice to see all my hard work pay off.” ☐

rived. Trevithick advised that it was important to break the language barrier and learn the local dialect, sharing a story of a Russian embassy worker he met who fluently spoke four languages, which allowed him to easily manage the diverse array of people. By contrast, no one at the US embassy in Afghanistan spoke “more than two words of the local language”. Lastly, Mr. Trevithick advocated for longer stays of diplomats and advisors, noting the incredibly short tours of Americans in foreign embassies. “We haven’t been fighting one fifteen-year war in Afghanistan,” he stated. “We’ve been fighting fifteen oneyear wars.” The one-year tours of Americans and other advisors are ineffective, and that we should invest more time into creating meaningful relationships instead of rotating on a one-year schedule. To close, Mr. Trevithick offered three pieces of advice for students to maximize their impact as global citizens. First, learn a language: “pick one and own it.” Second, read Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, as “it’s one of the best books on how to start an adventure,” he said with a laugh. Finally, he recommended that we go there and advocated to break out of one’s comfort zone and experience another culture. “Get out there, because the world is waiting for you.” ☐

The Trump Effect By Robbie Warming Panel Staff Donald Trump has already wreaked havoc on the GOP. Whether Trump wins or loses, the destruction of the Republican party is imminent and will come to full fruition in the elections next November. If the unlikely occurs and Trump walks away from this year’s convention victorious, the damage to the party would be significant. Despite the Donald’s declaration that he is “the last person Hillary wants to run against,” the exact opposite is true. A Trump nomination would nearly guarantee a Clinton presidency. According to a Real Clear Politics poll of polls, Clinton beats Trump by nearly ten points in the general. Trump even beats out the seemingly hated Hillary in unfavorability ratings, with his 64.5% to her 54.2%. If Trump were to be nominated, not only would he lose the general election, but he’d be a terrible face for the Republican party. (continued on page 4)


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May 2016 (65, 1) by Belmont Hill School - Issuu