October 2019 Issue by The Piper

THE PIPER CAMPBELL HALL EPISCOPAL OCT..17, 2019 VOL. 21 ISSUE 1

Like or live? With technology and social media becoming a bigger influence on society, students and faculty alike struggle to connect.

Exploiting Trauma

Disordered Eating

Safety in Football

Students contemplate the effects of trauma porn and “shocking people into awareness.” The community feels more action should be taken.

Maggie Hutchins (20) opens up about her experience with bulimia. Despite misconceptions and stereotypes, bulimia is anything but a “pretty” disease.

Football team weighs the physical and mental drains of playing football while explaining all of the beneficial aspects of the sport.

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N N E W S

New Campbell Hall tradition: Alumni Courtyard By Jake Sher Over the summer the high school patio was renovated with the installation of the Alumni Courtyard. Aubrey Rakoski, Associate Director of Advancement, believes that this new installment has a purpose that reflects the school's history. “The initial purpose of the Alumni Courtyard began as a way to pay homage to our alumni who have shared the school’s history and helped to form the community and traditions that we enjoy to this day,” Rakoski said. Additionally, a new scholarship was created as a byproduct of the courtyard. “As the project came together so did the vision of creating an Alumni Legacy Scholarship,” Rakoski said. “This scholarship was established as a way for alumni families to pass down the exceptional education and experiences to their child.”

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The New Addiction: Vaping By Jake Freedman and Charlie Cohen

* Names changed to protect identity

ix confirmed deaths and over 805 cases of vaping related lung disease have been reported since August 23, 2019. Sarah Huss, Human Development Department Chair, feels that the school needs to begin its education on the effects of vaping as early as possible. “We have to start educating students earlier, like in elementary [school], so they are aware of the negative health effects before they are able to start vaping,” Huss said. Emma Jones (19)* agrees with Huss and believes that education about vaping should start as early as possible in order for students to be aware about the dangers of vaping early on. She believes that the only way to stop the vaping at Campbell Hall is to have teachers stationed around the campus, especially in the bathrooms, to keep students accountable. “Campbell Hall needs to step up and say that there is an epidemic,” Jones said. “Teachers need to need be in every single bathroom, middle school through elementary [because] I guarantee [that] there [are] kids [going] into the bathroom [to vape].” According to Michael Nedelman’s Nov. 2018 CNN article, vaping has increased 80 percent among high schoolers and 50 percent among middle schoolers since 2017. Huss has seen the first-hand attraction to vaping for teenagers and understands why teenagers would be drawn to vaping. “These devices come in cool designs and mimic all of the other electronics that teens have, as well as coming in appealing flavors,” Huss said. “The desire for teens to feel older and more mature has never gone away, and this is a way for teens to fulfill that craving." Huss and Baer both agree that teenagers are beginning to understand the full scope of the effects of vaping, and yet ignore said effects and continue vaping. “Many teenagers just completely ignore the health facts,” Huss said. “Vaping was originally

Vaping: The Numbers

Workshop on race literacy for faculty held over summer break By Jake Sher The week before school started, a workshop on race literacy for Campbell Hall teachers was held at school. Headmaster Julian Bull made this workshop a requirement for all faculty and staff to attend. Stephanie Carrillo, Director of Diversity and Inclusion understands that the significance of this requirement shows how Campbell Hall is taking steps forward in becoming a welcoming and supportive school. “The significance of the training is that it gives teachers and staff a baseline knowledge about diversity and inclusion issues but mostly about creating inclusive classroom spaces and environment," Carrillo said. "It's not just about teachers but also [for everyone] [to learn] how to be a welcoming and supportive school for all identities."

sold as a healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes, and teenagers took that as saying that vaping was healthy.” After Jones heard the news of the first death, she was startled and immediately thought about going to the doctor. “When the news of the first death came out, I was a little sick already, so I automatically thought I [would] have to go to the hospital," Jones said. “I was scared. My family was scared.” Like Jones, Smith was addicted to vaping and when the news of the first death came out, it scared him so much to the point that he stopped. “The news of the first death was very shocking to me.” Smith said. “It put the whole addiction into perspective and ultimately was [the reason] why I quit.” The FDA issued warnings and fines to more than 1300 retailers last summer for illegally selling vaping products to kids. However, vaping has become very accessible for teenagers, and the selling of them has been largely unregulated. “Vaping was unrecognized and unregulated for several years, so the authorities are just starting to catch up on it,” Huss said. “It is easy for teenagers to obtain these products, even without an ID.” Agreeing with Huss, Smith, knows how accessible vaping is and how that contributed to how easily teenagers could use it. “[Vaping] has become so prevalent because of accessibility and how easy it is to use,” Smith said. “I used to [use] [my vape pen] any time I was in the car, whenever I would go to the bathroom, and anytime I was alone or with friends.” Jones acknowledges how easily a vape device can be used and hidden, which increases e-cigarette usability. “You can easily hide [a vaping device] rather than smoking a cigarette because vaping is now [very] easy.” Jones said. “Teachers don't know you're doing it [and] parents don't know you're doing it. It's the perfect device [and] you'll never be caught.”

“The news of the first death was very shocking to me. It put the whole addiction into perspective and ultimately was [the reason] why I quit.” - JOHN SMITH*

Twelve people in 10 states have now died from vap1 ing-related lung injuries.

Two-thirds of victims are ages 18 to 34 and 16% are under age 18. 1

Five states implemented e-cigarette bans. San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to ban the sale of all nicotine E-cigarette products. 2

References: 1. CNBC 2. Time

VIKING VOICES

What can the school do to respond to the vaping issue?

Nathan Aszkenazy (20)

Olivia Cohen (21)

Ally Lappen (20)

Jadon Lee (22)

"The school needs to spread awareness about the harms of vaping, what it can do to your lungs and how doing it for just three years can lead to lung damage."

"Campbell Hall should do a chapel based on the short and long term effects of vaping on your brain, lungs and other organs."

"What we really need is professional counseling, past Dr. Macatee, to help students deal with addiction and withdrawal symptoms in a way that’s private."

"Getting teachers to enforce rules or having them check on the restrooms could help address the vaping issue."

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EXPLOITED

"Trauma porn" is used to "shock" people into awareness on social media platforms. Students see this as wrong.

By Taylor Huie and Kaylin Kim

Spreading sympathy: A video of 11-year-old girl Magdalena Gomez Gregorio crying after Mississippi ICE raid took her father went viral. Photo by Kaylin Kim Spreading like wildfire (left): The popular hashtag #prayforamazonia went viral on all social media platforms as people posted photos of the burning Amazon Rainforest. Photo with permission from Ria Sopala via PIxabay

exual harassment stories, videos of ICE agents detaining people, unfair convictions of marginalized groups, pictures of climate change. Barbara Villaseñor (19) understands why these posts go viral and shock people. However, Villaseñor is also conscious of the idea of “trauma porn,” which Blue Telusma defines in her Apr. 2019 article in The Grio as any type of media which exploits traumatic moments of adversity to generate social media attention.

Addressing Controversy (right): Photos of police brutality were also widely circulated on social media to provide insight on violence. Photo with permission from Berlin Refugee Strike via Wikimedia

#prayforamazonia

Exploitation vs exposure

eople who are not impacted by such traumatic experiences, according to Villaseñor, do not truly realize that these experiences are traumatic until they are personally affected by them. “We have become a culture that needs a shock factor to get people’s awareness, but I don’t think it shocks people into actually doing something about it,” Villaseñor said. “People are aware of the things that are happening, but they’re content with simply feeling bad or reposting it on their Instagram story. People like to feel bad about [traumatic posts] and convince themselves they’ve done enough to help, and then they forget about it.” Keely Chambers (22) agrees with Villaseñor, believing that simply acknowledging the dire state of an issue will never be enough. Instead, Chambers prefers to explore the issue with others to raise awareness, which will hopefully, in turn, inspire action. “I always try to bring [issues] up with my parents or my friends to have a discussion about what is happening, instead of texting each other ‘this is sad’ and calling it a day, that doesn’t do anything,” Chambers said. Villaseñor believes that trauma porn exploits people’s experiences especially when people posting about those experiences are using videos and photos to show others that they care when in reality, they are not taking the next step to help the traumatized. “The people we see in viral videos or photos are traumatized and

using their story to seem woke is unfair, especially considering that most people do nothing to truly help,” Villaseñor said. “Continuously posting about people’s traumatic moments and not doing anything to further help them is wrong.”

Remain conscientious

lly Lappen (20) wants people to be careful about what they portray in the media because these pictures are actual people whose lives are being affected. For Lappen, it is disheartening to see that people will not take action until they see videos or pictures that fall under the category of trauma porn. Reposting viral posts on social media platforms, according to Lappen, has become a way for people to prove that they are passionate or disturbed and is a practice of slacktivism. “There is something to be said about reposting because it makes someone more likely to click on the video but at the same time, there’s nothing more I’m going to do by seeing it the hundredth time [or] the fifth,” Lappen said. “Think about how many people who have seen [the] video [of Magdalena Gomez Gregorio crying] on their Instagram and [have] done [nothing] past

watch[ing] it or repost[ing] it. That video, in particular, is really upsetting and disturbing but so many people exploit it by using it as a way of getting more views or looking like they care.” Reposting blurs the line between exposure and exploitation, according to Lappen, because for many people reposting has become a way to prove that someone is passionate or disturbed rather than an action motivated by actual change. “Reposting culture is also negative in that it becomes more about the reposting than it does about the actual issue,” Lappen said. “Magdelena [Gomez Gregario] wasn’t crying to get attention or pity; she was crying because she lost her father. She didn’t choose to become a poster child for immigration policy. It’s a double-edged sword. The video really does garner a lot of emotional response but it’s at the expense of a little girl’s grieving and pain being publicized and subject to online bullying, harassment, and just an invasion of privacy in general.”

Get involved

illaseñor believes that taking the steps beyond reposting a post to fully acknowledge the importance of the video is the step that matters. “There’s a big difference between

feeling bad and genuinely caring,” Villaseñor said. “If people truly cared about these issues, they’d immediately try to find out what they can do to help. I have been guilty of posting without seeking ways to make real change, but everyone can get involved more by doing more research. I have been on a journey on how to better my activism and become more involved in my community. I’ve started attending more small protests and attending local neighborhood committees.” In order to find a middle ground between proper exposure and exploitation, Villaseñor recommends reading stories being told by the people that are affected. “If you’re seeking to know more about police brutality or about ICE separating families or how trans people are more likely to suffer economically, try to find resources from people who are directly impacted by these issues,” Villaseñor said. “It can be difficult because these aren’t usually the people who are given the most attention, but you will be supporting them with exposure and getting the first-person point of view. It’s hard to truly know if someone is exploiting those [who are] affected without seeking more knowledge. The safest bet is to boost the success of the people telling their own stories.”

“The people we see in viral videos or photos are traumatized and using their story to seem woke is unfair.”

- BARBARA VILLASEÑOR

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Understanding endowment

The school's endowment fund grew from nine million dollars of assets to over 22 million this year. Kurt Johnson, director of advancement, explains how it is used.

By Kayla Francais n 2012 the Campbell Hall administration knew it was time to embark on one of its most important fundraisers in the school's history: the Endowment Campaign. As explained by Kurt Johnson, Director of Advancement, the endowment fund provides long term financial stability and welfare for the students, faculty and programs within the Campbell Hall community. Developing a strong endowment, as well as investing the money donated, is key in ensuring that future generations benefit from all the opportunities that the school has to offer. “You want the endowment to grow over time so it can [continue to] support the community and that is why this money is invested,” Johnson said. “The goal for endowment has always been to be a long term financial safety net, all to make sure Campbell Hall is the best place it can be for our students and faculty.” Beginning with nine million dollar of assets, the fund has grown to be just under 22 million dollars as of June 2019. However, as the community continues to grow in size and need, Campbell Hall is setting out for higher goals, such as raising the fund to 25 million dollars. “In 2012, the board decided that [the

endowment] wasn't quite sufficient for a school as big [as] Campbell Hall,” Johnson said. “They began to start a 15 million dollar fundraising campaign called the Legacy for Good. This would provide the necessary financial support needed to support Campbell Hall’s vision for the future. Like any investment [we] expect it to grow over time [with the] hope that it can provide in the future.” Unlike other fundraising campaigns at the school, the donations given to the endowment are expected to provide for future generations and upcoming projects rather than tend to the more immediate needs of the community. “The endowment just provides a small sliver of the operating budget on campus,” Johnson said. “Tuition provides most of the operating budget and annual fund donations provide the next chunk of the operating budget. Endowments work differently

than annual fund donations. The Campbell Hall fund, for example, is donations that Campbell Hall can spend right away on the highest need of the institution. [However the] endowment is invested for the long haul. Anytime someone makes a donation to the endowment the school invests it.” While the endowment only gives a very small percentage of its funding to the urgent needs of the community, Johnson states that this does not take away from the importance of it, as it reaps benefits in the future such as through financial aid and scholarships. “One of the metrics the [administration] talks about is endowment purchasing power,” Johnson said. “As the endowment grows, so does its impact. More purchasing power means more funding available for financial aid, and larger budgets student programs at Campbell Hall, all while protecting these programs over the long run.”

“The goal for endowment has always been to be a long term financial safety net all to make sure Campbell Hall is the best place it can be for our students and faculty." - KURT JOHNSON

Follow the Money: Campbell Hall utilizes both the endowment and annual funds to support both present and future projects.

Electability or ideology How the current political climate influences votes By Noa Schwartz

P Government and Politics teacher Dr. Susie An sits with bated breath, waiting to watch the 2020 Democratic debates. After watching the television buzz to life, she is immediately greeted by the sound of politicians shouting. Ideas fly left and right about everything from health care to criminal justice reform as candidates passionately discuss the basic rights of American citizens, each putting more emotion into it than the last. An knows that they are doing this in an attempt to stand out amongst the other candidates. According to a June 2019 survey by The Avalanche, 38 percent of likely Democratic voters say they would prefer a Democratic candidate that is likely to win, even if they do not agree with them on most issues, compared to just seven percent of Republicans. This trend of simply voting for the candidate that stands out the most or is most likely to win is a subject fresh on the minds of Americans and Campbell Hall students. Matlock Grossman (22) believes that these voting ethics are more important than ever. “The political world is more polarized than it ever has been,” Grossman said. “It’s less and less based on what your platform is and what policies you would implement and more about electability.” An concludes that ignoring the other party is not only unproductive, but also overlooking a large population of more apathetic voters. “This polarization of voting tends to overlook the many bipartisan issues," An said. "When democrats are delineating the political ideology as a reaction to republicans, for example, it doesn’t serve anyone because many things can

be viewed as bipartisan.” Through her research, An believes there is an argument to be said about the voters and the candidates that affect polarization. “It’s a two way problem,” An said. “[Voters] need to stop voting with their emotions, but politics is always about personality. It’s up to them to be informed and read up on policies, but it’s up to leadership to represent their base.” Grossman seems to think that politicians' pasts are becoming more relevant. “Right now, a candidate's past is becoming a lot more important than what policies they would implement,” Grossman said. “I wish that would change and it would be more about their policies and if they’ve made mistakes, how they’ve changed those mistakes.”

Choosing the best: Polarization within the political sphere influences how people choose their candidates, according to Matlock Grosssman. "[Now] I think both political parties think that the main goal is to get the other party out," Grossman said. Illustration by Jaclyn Sweeney

Rather than choosing a candidate off of political strategy, Chris Song (20) believes that voters should be focused on individual candidates. Song expresses that having to pick between two extremes is not how elections should be. “You shouldn’t have to vote strategically, but I think that’s the situation we’ve placed ourselves in,” Song said. “You should pick the person that you want [to win]. You should never have to vote for someone because they’re more electable.” The ways people are being informed about politics and how they vote are now influenced by social media, according to An. Social media did not have an impact on the political climate around a decade or more ago. An feels that social media platforms can change politics. “We live in the age of fake news and we are also bombarded with social media all throughout our lives and we have the task of sifting through so much information,” An said. “Even ten to twenty years ago it was different. In an ideal world, everyone would have an equal voice but social media does [favor candidates] that have a bigger audience and a more popular platform. Social media is very skewed in some ways, but at the same time, we are provided with so much information that we should never have an excuse to not be informed voters.” Song agrees that it is the American people’s responsibility to contribute to our elections. “You have to support the process whether it benefits you or not,” Song said. “It’s part of my duty and everyone else’s duty to vote in this process because if no one does it then it’s not going to work.”

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Criminalizing homelessness While a new law aims to restrict the rights of those who experience homelessness, community members advocate for fair housing and attention to the issue.

Down the rabbit hole: Although trying to help the homelessnesss epidemic, many believe the new proposed law will further ignore the needs of those who suﬀer from homelessness. "This proposed law will push those experiencing homelessness further down the rabbit hole," Nick Gudis (22) said. llustration by Noa Schwartz

By Kaylin Kim and Sophia Goldberg

8,936 people experience homelessness in the Los Angeles County. This number, mentioned in Jill Cowan’s Jun. 2019 New York Times article, is one of the reasons incentivizing change. The Los Angeles City Council's Homelessness and Poverty Committee want to replace a code that makes it a criminal offense to sit, lie, or sleep on a public sidewalk. The proposed replacement law lays out conditions under which occupying a sidewalk would be banned, including within 500 feet of parks and schools and 10 feet of a driveway or building entrance. Nick Gudis (22) believes that this proposed law will push those experiencing homelessness further down the rabbit hole and criminalizes them. “That law criminalizes homelessness for people who [are experiencing homelessness] or who may just be getting back on their feet,” Gudis said. “Often times what these laws do is just increase the rate of the people who are incarcerated which does not solve the problem.” Similarly, Kathleen Calvert, Campbell Hall parent, believes that this proposed law is not in favor of those experiencing homelessness. “[The proposed law] is not geared for helping the homeless, it is geared towards helping the voters who elect the politicians

with the goal of increasing public safety at the expense of homeless rights,” Calvert said. Instead, high school chaplain Joseph Courtney recommends making Section 8 discrimination illegal in order for housing vouchers to be truly effective. “Right now landlords will [tell] someone with a Section 8 voucher “I won’t lease to you” because they see that person as an untrustworthy person and there’s a stigma around Section 8 vouchers,” Courntey said. “I have a friend who’s experiencing homelessness and he has a Section 8 voucher that will pay for his housing but he can’t find a landlord so he’s sleeping on the streets in Hollywood.” According to Matt Tinoco’s Aug. 2019 LAist article, there are more than 27,000 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles but only about 8,100 shelter beds. Although Los Angeles is trying to improve, Calvert brings light to issues that need to be answered first before making steps forward regarding shelter beds. “Los Angeles is trying to improve bed counts, but many folks, especially those addicted to opioids and other substances don’t necessarily want housing as it brings potential restrictions [and] will violate house rules and lose their temporary shelter,” Calvert said. “There is a larger endemic

F A CKTE N E W S

drug issue that need to be corrected to intersect the housing options that are being proposed," Courtey said. "The other issue we face in Los Angeles is the cost of living. Teachers, police officers, firemen [and] baristas cannot afford to live near where they work or rent in general.” Courtney believes that a housing first model is a possible solution to the rising homelessness epidemic because it has been proven to work. “The evidence-based research shows that homelessness can be prevented [through] housing,” Courtney said. “First, [we need] to have enough housing for people, and the best model to house chronically homeless populations is through Permanent Supportive Housing programs. When people are safely housed, they’re more likely to be able to receive the help they need.” As a community, Calvert wants people to focus not only on safety of schools, but to target solutions tailored to each community. “Not all communities are experiencing issues equally and have different needs and abilities to support homelessness,” Calvert said. “Start talking with those who are struggling outside the bubble of privilege. Help these folks get back on their feet [and] help them find opportunities. Reinforce [that] not everyone homeless is mentally ill or on drugs.”

"Start talking with those who are struggling outside the bubble of privilege. Help these folks get back on their feet [and] help them find opportunities. "

- KATHLEEN CALVERT

Technology can increase the availability of fake news, but it can also lead to more critical media consumption

By Iliana Kleiner and Lucy Kennel

ennifer Lawrence Blames 9/11 on President Trump Stealing the Election. In September 2018, a Facebook page called Capitalism, posted a picture which insinuated that Lawrence made this statement while talking to reporters on the red carpet. In reality, Lawrence was a victim of fake news. High School Librarian Ann Sciuto defines fake news as news created by someone who knows that it is wrong information, yet they are intentionally trying to spread their beliefs. “Fake news is an increasing problem because so much of our news is electronically produced or from non-professional sources that are not trusted to provide unbiased, professional news reporting,” Sciuto said. “We tend to filter [news], not only based on our interests, but on our pre-existing biases and prejudices and assumptions. To me, that is a huge problem because your world becomes smaller and more limited without you being aware of what you don't

Impact of Fake News

50% of people believe fake news is a key issue facing our country. 1

know and what you're not hearing.” Like Sciuto, Casey Grae (20) believes that fake news mostly comes with some sort of political bias. Grae recognizes that some people may spread news stories that are misleading in order to make consumers feel a specific way about a current event or politician. “Fake news regarding an event can lead to polarization which leads to a lot of [inaccurate] scapegoating,” Grae said. Aidan Rosenblum (22) feels that news channels may place misinformation into the media intentionally with the goal of leading that person to change their opinion. “[I] try to avoid channels that have more news against people with different [political] backgrounds, which is why I try to keep with a channel that’s non political,” Rosenblum said. “I feel like there’s no way to prevent fake news because people will always put their opinion on news.” According to a 2017 Gallup News poll, the percentage of people with high confidence in news from the Internet

68% of people feel fake news decreases their confidence in government. 1

dropped from 21 percent in 1999 to 16 percent in 2017. Sciuto is for the use of technology because it opens up the opportunity to hear a wider variety of voices and perspectives that may have been left out of the conversation when news was only spread through print. “I love that [through technology] more voices can be part of the conversation, which is both a plus and minus, because not all of those voices are at the same level," Sciuto said. "At the same time, because [technology] is 24/7, all of those devices, sources and diverse outlets can be completely overwhelming.” Sciuto understands the importance of learning how to differentiate fake news from seemingly credible sources by questioning what you read and fact-checking. “The most important thing is to ask questions and think about what you are not hearing, more specifically the bias and perspective of the person presenting the news,” Sciuto said.

More Americans view fake news as a bigger problem for the country (50%) than terrorism (34%). 1

Reference: 1. Pew Research Center

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Conservative voices in a liberal community

L I F E

Cultural critique Food - McConnell’s Ice Cream

Photo by Iliana Kleiner The moment you walk into McConnell’s ice cream shop, your mouth begins to water. You are immediately given the choice between a sundae, a shake, a sammie or a scoop and let me be clear: you cannot go wrong! Between the flavor choices, the rich history, and joyful feeling of the place, McConnell’s is definitely the place to go next time your sweet tooth becomes a problem.

Movie - Good Boys

Photo via Creative Commons From the minute the lights go down until the movie ends, Good Boys is a fantastic film that would warm the heart of almost any viewer. The movie is truly hilarious and will make you burst out in laughter mid film. If your looking for a fun, exciting, and relatable comedy, this is the movie to go see.

Food - Dave’s Hot Chicken

Photo by Ike Weissman If you’re ever looking for some chicken, you like it prepared hot and fried, and with a side of fries, Dave’s is the place to go. The chicken is perfectly seasoned and prepared to the spiciness of your choice. The wait can sometimes be a little long, but the fun atmosphere makes it totally worth the wait!

Left out: Students who have more conservative opinions and can be left out of political conservations. Illustration by Sachi Rettig By Charlie Cohen, Lola Carino, and Taylor Huie

midst discussion about the 2016 election in English class, Riley Friedenberg (20) was antagonized for expressing a more conservative view regarding a political policy. The reaction made him overly cautious, causing him to keep future conservative-leaning comments to himself. Surrounded by a predominantly liberal community at Campbell Hall, Friedenberg is fearful of how people will view him if he voices his opinions. This lack of diversity in thought negatively affects our community, according to David Eick (22). He believes that the school can sometimes feel like an echo chamber. “When you are sharing your ideas with somebody who shares the same ideas, it tends to lack any sort of intellectual discourse or scrutiny,” Eick said. Some conservatives, like Ava Rosson (21), withhold their opinions and refrain from making their political associations widely known because they fear their peers’ reactions. “I’m in the Young Republicans Club and up until last year, I didn’t feel comfortable going because I was afraid that people would judge me or say bad things about me,” Rosson said. Riley Eisenstein (22), who identifies as liberal sees the lack of diverse perspectives as potentially harmful to the entire school community. “Because Campbell Hall is such a closed off community, we’re in a bubble of predominantly liberal views and that can make other people believe that there is only one side to the world,” Eisenstein said. High school English teacher Jessica LeBlanc disagrees with Eisenstein and Rosson, believing that there are already a wide range of diverse political views on campus. Additionally, she feels that many people on campus tend to generalize people simply based on how they identify politically. “Putting someone in a box as ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’

makes us assume we know what people think about any given issue,” LeBlanc said. “These labels take all of the nuance out of something personal and complicated. I think that some people’s views and opinions flow toward conservative for some issues and liberal for others.” However, Leblanc points out that there are some forms of conservatism that don’t fit within our school community. “Conservatism in 2019 has been utterly subsumed by our current administration,” LeBlanc said. “Those [Trumpian] views, opinions and beliefs are in direct opposition to the mission of the school. I do not mourn that there is not a strong presence of this sort of voice and thinking here.” High school history teacher, Julia Thoma, sees faculty and staff as major roles in encouraging conservatives to speak out. She feels that if teachers don’t facilitate a safer environment, the lack of conservative perspectives will continue to be an issue. “Some teachers tend to criticize more political comments than others but then there are also teachers who are so extremely fair,” Thoma said. “To put it bluntly, some classes are safer than others for kids to voice their [political] opinions.” Friedenberg also feels that some responsibility falls on those who refrain from sharing their conservative opinions. “[Conservatives] should feel more comfortable speaking up because I am positive that there are more people than you think who have alternative beliefs,” Friedenberg said. “If they spoke their beliefs as much as they truly wanted to, then there would be a lot more alternative views and that would also strengthen other people.” One possible solution would be to have a more conservative speaker come talk in chapel once and awhile, according to Thoma. Eick agrees, but ultimately thinks that the Campbell Hall community needs to change its approach when dealing with political controversy. “If somebody brings up a conservative idea, don’t just shut it down but sort of walk through why they have that idea, compare it to yours [and] have a civil discussion about it,” Eick said. “Civil discourse is key to a functioning society.”

“Civil discourse is key to a functioning society.” - DAVID EICK

New teachers joining our community Cameron Coffman

Carlos Castellanos

Susie An

After previously teaching at an Episcopal school in Texas, Cameron Coffman obtained her master’s degree in fine arts from UCLA. Wanting to stay in Los Angeles, Coffman came to teach at Campbell Hall and is now teaching two advanced photography classes. She was attracted to Campbell Hall because of its art program. If Coffman was given the opportunity to travel anywhere else in the world, she would choose to visit Thailand, primarily for the food. Coffman enjoys cooking and also describes herself as a “human pigeon” due to her uncanny directional skills, as she can tell where north, south, east, or west is any given time during the day.

Carlos Castellanos has teaching experience both at high school and college levels. After hearing Stephanie Carrillo, the Director of Diversity and Inclusion, speak at the Diversity Recruitment Fair last year, Castellanos was attracted to Campbell Hall’s diversity, inclusion and curriculum. He teaches two English 9 classes and two English 11 classes. He is the proud son of immigrant parents and is the first person in his family to graduate from college. If he could give advice to any student, Castellanos would tell them, “to take each moment one at a time, realizing that all of these moments are learning experiences and that not one moment, positive or negative, completely defines who [they] are.”

After obtaining her doctorate degree at Yale University in May 2019, Susie An is now teaching AP Government and Politics and U.S. history classes at Campbell Hall. An was attracted to the school’s spirit, sense of community and the school’s mission statement. If she could give advice to any student, she would tell them, “Believe in yourself. No one is going to believe in you for you. You may have your parents but only for so long. In the end, you’re ultimately by yourself with yourself for yourself, so you have to believe in yourself and in what you do.” An also enjoys going to underground electronic events and watching The Office.

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Little Tokyo

Santa Monica Pier

Photo with permission fron Jae Choi via Flickr he 135-year old community of Little Tokyo resides in Downtown Los Angeles where is has retained its excitement. The community has survived world wars and a roller economy, but it has remained one of Southern California’s most eclectic and affordable areas. It has a charming and relaxed environment where you can walk around. Each year, more and more residents move into the area, and the number of visitors are increasing. Other than the food shops, Little Tokyo holds various sources of entertainment including the Japanese American National Museum Cultural and Community Center.

Photo by Iliana Kleiner

UNDER

Explore Los Angeles for under $30.

The Skirball Center

pened in 1909, the Santa Monica Pier is one of the most iconic places in Santa Monica. It has an indoor merry-go-round which opened as well as the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, run by the Heal the Bay foundation. The Pier is has no admission fee and it is open year-round. It contains a subsection with various rides and carnival games, including the brightly colored wheel, pictured above. Other than the rides, the Pier has eateries, a trapeze school and live entertainers. The Pier has easy access to the beach and is less than a fifteen minute walk away from Third Street Promenade.

The Guerin Courtyard at the Skirball Center. Photo with permission from the Skirball Center

ocated between Sherman Oaks and Bel Air, the Skirball Cultural Center is a welcoming place led by the Jewish community and their traditions. Tickets range between seven to 12 dollars, but teen events are free and open to all Los Angeles teenagers. It was first opened to the public in 1996 and inspired by American democratic ideals, including equality and freedom. Exhibits change monthly, but currently, the center features one of the world’s largest permanent collections, Judaica, which accounts “struggles and achievements” of Jews throughout the last 4,000 years. Other than Judaica, the Skirball Center has exhibitions including Noah’s Ark, pictured above, which is an 8,000-square-foot gallery where you can immerse yourself in the children’s flood tale. Since it’s opening, the Skirball Center has become one of the leading dynamic Jewish institutions in Los Angeles. Their different exhibits allow for connecting and learning about various cultures. In addition, the Skirball Center offers community service opportunities for teens in Los Angeles.

Fixing street corners

McKenzie Allyn (14) paints utility boxes in Toluca Lake to promote streeet art

Allyn’s Art: Alum McKenzie Allyn (14) with a utility box she painted in Toluca Lake. Photo with permission by McKenzie Allyn By: JJ Hoffman

oluca Lake, swans, maps and street names. McKenzie Allyn (14) used these as her inspiration for painting the utility boxes in her neighborhood. Allyn found a way to bring attention to these dull, green metal boxes that sit

on street corners. Once eyesores and now works of art, the utility boxes in Toluca Lake have transformed the community for the better. Allyn was a 13-year student at Campbell Hall, and is currently an artist, babysitter and an indpendent consultant for Arbonne. While at Campbell Hall, she was actively involved in school activities.

Persistent with keeping up in ballet through her senior year, she was also a cheerleader and enjoyed etching. Taking art classes in high school encouraged Allyn to continue to pursue the subject even after she graduated. “Taking printmaking and etching helped me later in life because I still keep up the skill,” Allyn said. “If I did not take printmaking, then I would have never known I enjoyed it.” Allyn’s inspiration for painting the utility boxes in Toluca Lake originated from it being the place where she grew up, using familiar symbols and the geography of Toluca Lake. She also incorporated elements that were extremely unique to the location. “I love the history behind Toluca Lake, which is why I decided to paint swans,” Allyn said. “Toluca Lake used to have swans in the lake and the swans represent Toluca Lake’s logo. For my second utility box, I decided to create a map of Toluca Lake so people could interact with my art. I love the street names and how one can only find them in Toluca Lake.” In her August 2018 article in Americans for the Arts, Patricia Walsh, the Public Art

and Civic Design Senior Program Manager, argued that public art holds a large amount of significance in communities. It helps improve the atmosphere, decreases anxiety and can show different perspectives and cultural values. Through creating this type of art, Allyn hopes the existing art in the neighborhood will be used as a source of motivation for others to help their community as well. “My advice to someone trying to transform his or her neighborhood would be to look at the art nearby,” Allyn said. “To get started, my advice would be to research art programs in their city. I would also look at the artist’s tag and reach out to the artist directly.” In the future, Allyn has plans to continue to transform overlooked appliances into vibrant art pieces. “I will continue doing art every day and find more opportunities to showcase my art all over the world,” Allyn said. “I have recently submitted a concept art piece to paint another utility box. I will continue to change simple things in my neighborhood because no one noticed the utility boxes, until an artist or myself brings color to them.”

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Q & A with college students Ella Pallenberg (17) and Caroline Hull (15)

Not a relationship: There are many misconceptions that friendships between people of the opposite sex are sexual. Photo by Iliana Kleiner

We’re

1. How has the transition from high school to college been?

JUST friends

By Ike Weissman and Jeremy Frank

hose who are skeptical of their partner with a best friend of the opposite sex are more likely to lash out. According to Eletra Gilchrest Petty’s 2019 study in The Atlantic, sexual attraction between friends of the opposite sex decreases the quality of the friendship. Although Demi Weitz (21) has not always been close with her current best friend, she has developed a strong relationship in just a couple of years. “We have been best friends since seventh grade,” Weitz said. “Our families are close so we have always been interconnected. We fight like siblings, like siblings [and] get annoyed with each other over little things.” On the other hand, Alex Herz (22) has been best friends with a girl in his grade for a long time. Herz believes that talking about and solving serious social problems is easier with girls because they are more emotionally connected. “I gain perspective on many issues that I would not know how to deal with just members of my sex,” Herz said. “For example, dealing with girls that I am romantically interested in or dealing with my emotions because boys can be rather emotionally disconnected.” Bailey Bellamy’s (21) friendship with her male best friend is often looked at as a romantic relationship. She believes many people think that there is a sexual aspect to men and women’s friendships. Even

though her relationship is not romantic, she treasures her friendship with him. “One of the most special things about our friendship is that even though everyone thought they knew everything about our relationship, our friendship was actually very private,” Bellamy said. “We have a lot of trust [in each other] and we told each other literally everything. I couldn’t tell you how many people thought that we were dating.” Herz feels it is easier to talk about his feelings with his girl best friend rather than any of his male friends. He believes it is good to have friends of the opposite gender without any sexual activity. “With my guy friends we don’t talk about our emotions or how we are feeling, but I feel like I can talk about that with my best friend who happens to be a girl,” Herz said. According to Dr. April BleskeRechek’s 2016 studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, men are more likely to become attracted to a female friend than women are to a male friend. For Weitz, her relationship with her best male friend is purely a friendship, despite misconceptions about their sexual relations. “People used to question if our relationship was anything romantic, and recently someone questioned me about it,” Weitz said. “We just laugh at that reaction because we are so far from that kind of relationship. We are each other’s wingman or wing woman. Jealousy isn’t a thing in our friendship. I have never been jealous of him being with someone else.”

“I gain perspective on many issues that I would not know how to deal with just members of my sex.” - ALEX HERZ

Faces from the crowd What are the dynamics of freindships between people of the opposite sexes? Desmond Reed (21) believes that a person’s gender shouldn’t impact the quality of their friendships but understands the possibility of a freindship becoming romantic. “I would not navigate it differently than I would with my other friends,” Reed said. “However, I know sometimes feelings can get in the way of friendships, and when this happens, it is important to communicate and be truthful with each other.” Photo by Jeremy Frank

As someone who is friends with a variety of people, Aria Brigman (22) believes that a person’s gender has no correlation when it comes to creating friendships with people. “There is not much of a divide, [between the different genders], at least in my class,” Brigman said. “It is pretty easy to be friends with everybody regardless of their sex. It just doesn’t really seem like it matters when it comes to making friends.” Photo by Ike Weissman

Ella Pallenberg: Honestly, my first year of college was tough. I was so used to knowing my teachers and classmates, but suddenly I was in 500 person lectures. It’s also weird having to make friends again. In high school, you get comfortable with your group and your grade, but when you go to college you have to do it all over again and re-make friends. Nobody from Campbell Hall went to Cal with me so I was going to a school with over 30,000 people, knowing almost nobody. It’s a crazy transition period. Some people adjust faster than others for sure. Caroline Hull: The transition from high school to college was pretty manageable. Academically, I felt prepared but that’s not to say that there weren’t some overwhelming moments my first year - it’s just different when you have three eight page papers due the same week as you have two away varsity basketball games and hundreds of pages of reading. Nonetheless, I felt as prepared as one could be, and I had the necessary tools to be successful.

2. What did you learn at Campbell Hall that has helped you be successful in college? What advice do you have for seniors and juniors getting ready to embark on the college process? Ella Pallenberg: AP Calc. Learning and passing AP Calc in high school allowed me never to have to take math again. Thanks, Walla and O. [On a more serious note,] I think the study skills and time management skills are what has helped me most. College is all about time management because you get to decide literally everything you do. Caroline Hull: Campbell Hall really taught me the value of relationships. In college, besides doing school work, most of your time is spent with others and even when you do school work, you’re probably hanging out with someone. Relationships and community made my Campbell Hall experience really special. Many of my best friends today, I met at Campbell Hall. In college, I knew how to find and cultivate meaningful relationships and how to embrace my Carleton community.

3. What are your biggest regrets from high school? Ella Pallenberg: My biggest regret is not taking advantage of all the incredible opportunities that Campbell Hall can give you. I wish I tried things out that I wasn’t super comfortable with like maybe doing the play or something that didn’t come super naturally to me. Caroline Hull: I don’t have many regrets from high school. I learned a lot and made amazing friends. The one thing I’d say is to not take things too seriously - work hard and things will work out!

4. What is one thing you wish you knew during your senior year / advice you want to give to the current senior class? Ella Pallenberg: Senior year is the best!! Get to know people you don’t know very well. Work hard on college apps but know that you can find your people and you will get a great education wherever you go. Campbell Hall prepared you well. Caroline Hull: The college process is stressful but it’ll be alright. Trust your instincts. Also, know that you can always change your mind.

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Rise in streaming services By JJ Hoffman

HAUNTED HOUSE

Ignoring the harm: Halloween enthusiasts often use mental institutions as a common subject to scare people in haunted houses. Photo via Creative Commons

Mental illness as a fear tactic By Iliana Kleiner and Kayla Francais

You would be crazy to tour this twisted asylum. Lost and tortured souls are all that remain, but you’ll see plenty that will make you question your sanity.” This statement was seen in an advertisement for Six Flags notorious fright fest, and according to Colby Itkowitz’s Oct. 2016 article in The Washington Post, that ad is just one of the many inaccurate representations of psychiatric hospitals made by theme parks each year. Director of the Human Development Department and avid mental health advocate Sarah Huss argues that the depiction of the mentally ill in the media helps to maintain the stigma that “disturbed and disordered” people are dangerous. “There is fear attached to [mental health] and a sense of otherness that makes people think it makes [one] weird,” Huss said. “Most of our media images, especially, historically, though they have evolved over time, have to do with scary images of mental illness.” However, the media is one of many sources that can portray those who experience mental health issues in a negative light. Examples of this discrimination can be found within one of America’s most spirited holidays, Halloween. Huss agrees that Halloween adds to the seclusion that mentally ill people may feel. “Mental illness and being afraid are paired together,” Huss said. “During Halloween, these images of the mentally ill are depicted in the most violent and brutal ways. Not only [are they misrepresented], but the mentally ill are told to be feared. It’s not just that mental illness is scary, but that those with mental illness are scary as well. Quintessentially, the Halloween portrayals of mental illness are extremely harmful.” High School math teacher Kevin Morgan agrees with Huss in that Halloween perpetuates the long-standing idea that the

Impact of mental illnesses as a fear tactic

During the Halloween season, those who struggle with mental disabilities are often portrayed in a negative light.

mentally ill can be frightening. “Mental illness is portrayed as something that is very negative and it seems like the characters that are mentally ill are always shunned or separated from civilization,” Morgan said. “Even though there are some cases in which medication would help them, they are still shunned because of the label that has been placed because they have bipolar disorder or some [other] illness.” Due to pressure from mental health advocates, there is an increasing desire for change. According to an Oct. 2016 article from Washington Post, in 2014, Six Flags Entertainment renamed several of their Halloween attractions, such as “Psychopath Haunted Asylum” and the “Massacre Medical Center,” due to their eagerness to be a part of the change. Huss agrees that this newfound activism is the beginning of a larger burgeoning movement that is working towards lifting the stigma of mental illness which has long been viewed in a negative light. “Whats going to make a difference is for society to adopt language that doesn’t reinforce scary and negative stereotypes about those who are mentally ill.” Similarly, Charlie Henriks (21) believes that while renaming and reworking different attractions is a strong start in overcoming these issues, the most impactful way would be to create new meaning about what it means to deal with mental health issues. “While the design of different attractions is a step in the right direction, the much bigger issue at hand is changing the general public’s perspective on what it means to feel different from the rest of society,” Henriks said. “Because of Halloween, [children from a] young age develop a skewed sense of what it means to struggle with mental incapacities. If we are able to redefine the tropes that surround complex physiological disorders at a young age, that is when the biggest changes will occur.”

"Halloween uses mental illness to scare people and make them turned off of a real disease." - AVERY GILLETTE

“During Halloween, these images of the mentally ill are depicted in the most violent and brutal ways." - DAVID EICK

“Mental illnesses are used as an excuse to scare people just for the sake of the holiday." - TANYA PARASHER

nly a couple people sit sparsely throughout the theater, and there are rows of empty seats. Trash, once picked up and thrown away now lies undisturbed on the ground. The previews start to play in a cold, desolate theater. While movie theaters start their slow recession, the enthusiasm for movies and media continues to grow. Toby Lim (22) believes that a huge drawback from going to the movies is prices, but it is great value because you are immersed in an animated audience. He enjoys seeing movies play in movie theaters, especially because the animated crowd creates an entertaining atmosphere, and listening to other moviegoers’ reactions. “I really do enjoy theater experiences, especially with like some movies, like hearing people cheer and hearing other people’s reactions are really fun and going out with your friends is really nice,” Lim said. Olivia Landa (20) enjoys the convenience of streaming services, but prefers movie theaters as a way to go out and have a social interaction. “[Going to the movies] is more [about] the experience,” Landa said. “You go with friends, and it’s more of a social experience, you’re sitting with a bunch of people, and you get to have the snacks that you want.” However, movie theaters may be going into a decline. According to Steven Zeitchik’s December 2018 article in The Washington Post, movie theaters hold an uncertain fate. This is partially because in 2017, Netflix subscribers increased 11 percent, surpassing the 50 million subscriber milestone. The main advantage that movie theaters have over streaming services and provides, Lim argues, is the power to create general excitement. “[Streaming services] still are missing that key factor of hype, because there is always that buildup to the movie, and its release,” Lim said. “That’s just the best part of [going to a movie].” According to Josh Dickey’s April 2017 article in Mashable, there will be a day when streaming services release movies around the same time as movie theaters, which could will deteriorate the theater industry. However, according to John Fithian’s February 2017 article in The Hollywood Reporter, from 2000 to 2016, domestic theater income rose from $7.5 billion to $11.37 billion, a 51 percent increase. Television production I and II and film making teacher, Kena Dorsey believes that being able to see movies on bigger screens can help maintain theaters’ stability. Dorsey also thinks that going out to the theaters helps with their chance of survival. “There is a real concern about that [movie theaters going out of business],” Dorsey said. “But, I feel like it will be a while before theaters die out because people still like to go out. So, I feel like we might be heading that way, but I don’t think movie theaters will become extinct.”

"Halloween is used to shame people with mental illness and compare them to monsters." - ZOE SCHIFF

T H E P IP E R • CE N TE R •

O C T . 1 7, 201 9

Time to

COME face to face

In the age of social media, students and adults alike struggle to find a balance between their obligations online and those in real life.

By Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti, Sophia Goldberg and Maggie Hutchins ocial media creeps into our Wick, EdD, founder of Mind-to-Mind social media plays into how teenage girls friendships and makes our judg- Parenting, the combination of the nat- perceive their body image. She believes ment messy when it comes to ural teenage desire for validation, ten- that posting selfies poses a conflict begauging our social worth and how dency for comparison, and intense vul- tween gaining and losing self-worth. our actual relationships are progressing. nerability creates what she describes “When I started teaching here I was According to Gen Glantz’s Nov. as “the perfect storm for self-doubt.” really shocked and frightened by how 2018 article in Bravo, our change in Like Susac, Viviana Rodriguez (22) ex- young women specifically post picjudgement is one of many ways so- perienced social media impact her self tures of themselves on social media to cial media affects our relationships. worth. Rodriguez was bullied through look older or sexy,” Kline said. “They Ella Kopelman (20) believes that the social media in middle school. She feels are showing off a lot of their bodies in way we are portrayed on social media that social media is an outlet for kids ways that [feel shocking to me]. But hurts our relationships in real life. She to bully people, without realizing that I do understand why it’s happening feels that people curate their identi- there are real, tangible consequences and I try and put myself in their shoes.” ties differently on social media in or- that can drastically effect student’s lives. Posting these pictures can also be a der to bring out the best, most seem“A girl used social media as a way to hurt way for young girls to gain confidence ingly appealing parts of themselves. me,” Rodriquez said. [The Instagram about themselves, especially about their “[Social media] elevates the feeling post consisted of] a picture of me and her physical features, according to Kline. of needing to compare yourself to oth- with all my friends, [making] a comment “It’s a beautiful way to gain confidence, er people,” Kopelman said. “At some directed towards me. My parents and I like you’re posting about yourself and point, [comparing yourpeople are commenting and these self] just becomes unaffirming ways,” Kline said. “And “Now, having been without social conscious and you are what these can do for someone’s doing it automatically.” self esteem I see that being very media, I can see how scared it made me As well as social media powerful. I think that by encouragto express myself fully.” creating false perceptions, ing young women to get value from - LILA SUSAC Emma Goss (22) finds that surface is a slippery slope. The her desire to capture and value of a person is not on the surshare moments has taken away from her had to talk to the principal [and] it was face and in a way we are just reinforcing ability to be present. She believes that the this whole big mess that I did not want that as a community. Especially [because obsession with taking photos and videos to get into because I was already so hurt. these girls] are in highschool and [their] takes away from her real-life experience. She did this because of social media. identity is so fragile, I worry a lot about it.” “A lot of times when I go on vacation, I feel It’s a free way to do anything you want.” Despite the implications that technololike I have to take a picture of something,” Even as an adult, Kathleen Law- gy has on mental health and the ways in Goss said. “I don’t even want to, but it’s ton-Trask, head of the English depart- which teenagers relate to one another, Sualmost like an obsession; I must capture ment, makes an intentional effort to sac has seen an improvement in the applithis moment so that others can see it.” protect herself from the emotional in- cation of social media in her personal reLila Susac (20) made the choice to de- tensity that social media poses. While lationships. She believes that the future of lete social media apps from her phone. she mostly uses social media to connect technology doesn’t have to be a scary one. Since then, she’s felt a dramatic decrease to her friends who knit across the world, “Honestly, I don’t know how things will in time spent on her phone and an in- she found that finding a balance be- end up for the future of phones, but from crease in self-confidence. Like Goss, Su- tween the connective and comparative what I’ve seen things are getting better,” sac felt the inherent sense of compari- nature of social media has been imper- Susac said. “In my friend group especialson that comes with many of these apps. ative in protecting her mental health. ly people are trying to be mindful of how “When I had social media, I wouldn’t “I stay in touch with my relatives over often they are on their phones and spendhave said that it impacted my self social media, so I see that there’s a lot that ing time away from social media. I think worth,” Susac said. “Now, having can be enhancing in [it],” Lawton-Trask because of all the studies that are coming been without it, I can see how scared said. “I also curate my social media very out about technology use and it’s long it made me to express myself fully.” strictly, so that I’m not getting a lot of term effects on our brains, people are Both Goss’ and Susac’s tendency to input that can be incredibly depressing.” hopefully realizing that it isn’t that great compare themselves to others is not unKatie Kline, head of the art depart- for you to be on your phone all the time. usual. Additionally, according to Donna ment, worries specifically about the way I’m certainly trying to remain hopeful.”

Feeling blue: Even when students interact in

How To Build

1OUR PHONES Going Outside 2 Putting Down

connecting with nature

PAGE 11

How does social media affect your relationships

offline?

Photos by Kayla Francais and Jake Freedman

“I have found a good bal ance between my interper sonal realtionships versus the ones I have online.” - Oliver Sanger (21)

“Social media makes it easy to hide behind a screen which makes saying things to your friends in person much harder.” -Sam Sher (21)

“It affects my friendships a lot. It becomes easy to hide behind a screen rather than saying it in person.” - Aidian Micheals (22)

“Its easy to have relation ships online but when you try to talk in person it can feel awkward or weird” - Ryan Flynn (21)

“You don’t get to interact with the person. It is different to say something over text, opposed to saying it to their face.” - Vicente Navarro (22)

n person, they are simultaneously distracted by their devices. Illustartion by Jaclyn Sweeney.

“Social media can strain a relationship because, sometimes, if you post something a lot of people can see what you post and it can lead to bad things.” - David Ju (23)

Connectivity

3People Meeting New

Photos with permission from Canva.

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The

"pretty"

disease

O P I N I O N

Overheard

The unseen: Maggie Hutchins (20) experienced bulimia during her teenage years. She opens up about her experience and breaks the stereotypes associated with eating disorders. "The control that I thought I'd find in my eating disorder actually lied in the freedom from it." Photo by Amanda Sedaka. By Maggie Hutchins

"If my parents did that to me I'd throw a kombucha at them." -STUDENT (20)

"I will literally smuggle my açai bowl in here." -STUDENT (21)

"The woman I'm gonna marry has to have a great sense of memes." -STUDENT (21)

"You are so deceptively soft." -STUDENT (22)

"Mr. Bonhiver should play coachella this year." -STUDENT (23)

"I don't do memes, period." -TEACHER

S u b m i t y o u r q u o t e s b y d i r e c t messaging @p ip er .c a mp be l l h a l l o n I n s tag ram .

The truth about paper straws

realized I had a problem on prom night. I had counted down the days until prom since elementary school, dying to know the secrets of high school dances. I imagined a Cinderella entrance with beach waves and a boutonnière. I imagined dancing through the night, powered by the moon and loud music. I imagined feeling like I had learned a secret code, experienced a secret ceremony. When the big night arrived, my friends twirled across the backyard, dizzy on highschool romance and in-n-out milkshakes. I stayed locked in the bathroom, my knees stuck to the floor and my fingers shoved down my throat. My experience with bulimia never quite mirrored the stereotypes that I affiliated with eating disorders. I grew up hearing jokes about girls from Los Angeles with dogs in their purses and spoons down their throats who saved their calories only for binge drinking. Images of high fashion models, Demi Lovato, and pretty small town girls from the Internet were all I knew regarding the disease. What I had believed about eating disorders and the make-believe girls who had them was that it all revolved around being skinny, and that while it was hard and sad to go though, it was a pretty disease. Bulimia for me, however, was never really about skinny. And it was most certainly not a pretty disease. The first time I purged it was mostly an accident. My school schedule was packed, my friends were being weird and I had a big lunch. Between the stress of life and my unbelievably full stomach, it felt like my body was going to explode. I eased the pressure by throwing it all up: my lunch, my friends, my schoolwork and my anxiety. Once I started, I purged every time I felt anything other than pure joy. I puked when I was nervous for tests or parties, when my family hurt my feelings, before I took any photos, when a room felt too crowded,

when I felt hopeless or afraid and eventually, whenever I could feel food in my body. It was just how I coped. I never slaved over a number on a scale or measured my waist; my eating disorder was a total mental game for me. Food represented the bad parts of who I was, and I just wanted to get it out. I thought that bulimia offered me a sense of control, as if it was a secret tool to help me face the world. What occurred to me on prom night, however, was that all bulimia did was shrink my world to a fraction of what it could be, and stripped the light and life out of my experience. I was so busy looking for bathrooms to sneak into that I couldn’t learn at school or enjoy beach vacations. I had to slip away from slumber parties and lie to my parents about extensive time “showering”. I couldn’t walk up the stairs without taking a break. I constantly got sick because my immune system was so weak. I couldn’t be present. I was so concerned about my own personal role in life and the way I would be perceived that I forgot how to live. I let my secret world become known. It was humiliating. I felt like a puppet of the society that I grew up in, and I feared that everyone I knew would know that I failed at my attempts of effortless beauty; I was just another California bulimic head-case. This precedent isn’t fair to me, and it definitely isn’t fair to everyone else struggling with eating disorders. The simultaneous glorification and stigma that accompany these diseases were deeply damaging the way I viewed my own experience. I felt like I had a sexy little secret that could stay pretty until the word got out, so I stayed silent until my disease became threatening. With time, tears and extensive work, I let go of my safe, protected world within my disorder. My world burst again with light and aliveness. I stayed for the entirety of concerts and ate sandwiches by the pool. I could stomach my own anger and assert my feelings with conviction. I could dance across rooms, sing loudly to songs I love and laugh with strangers. I could inquire, question and disagree. I could notice the way light bounces off mountains, highways and the sea. I could go to birthday parties without stopping to purge. I could have my cake and digest it too.

"Food represented the bad parts of who I was, and I just wanted to get it out."

Unpopular opinions: paper straws suck Someone had to say it By Amanda Sedaka

’m not a terrible person. I don’t cheat, I don’t lie, I try my best to recycle. But I absolutely hate paper straws. First of all: they’re yucky. I mean, they ruin everything. Your mouth, your drink, your soul. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe my mouth breaks down paper faster than yours. Maybe you like the taste of shredded paper hitting your tongue. But if you’re like me and dislike these devilish objects, that’s okay too. At some point, not too long ago, it was determined that if you like plastic straws you hate turtles. Liking plastic straws has somehow become taboo. I happen to think by using paper we’re barking up the wrong tree, and speaking of bark, aren’t we killing thousands of trees to make those paper straws? I’m all for saving turtles, but what about oxygen? Point being… there are a billion better options. There’s metal, no straw, and my own personal favorite, biodegradable straws. These straws are created using plant starches and oil and are biodegradable when put in a com-

Paper straws don't biodegradable most of the time because they're thrown in the landfill. 1.

Paper products usually require more energy and resources than plastic products. 1.

mercial composting facility. Not to mention, there’s so many greater causes we as a society could collectively come together on. If it’s as easy to socially ban something as it was to do with straws, why are guns still legal? Why is there still texting and driving? Why do we still accept people calling the student store “the stu”? I’m not belittling the cause, but surely there are many greater. I think we as a society take on these minute issues to feel better about ourselves. We all want to feel like we’re making a difference and making the world a better place. And let’s face it, not using straws when you go to Starbucks is pretty much the easiest way to get that sense of fulfillment. But in reality, there are so many more valid ways we can be useful. There’s so many more ways we as a society can make a difference, and if that difference does not involve paper straws, that’s okay. Your straw preference doesn’t define who you are as a person. Bottom line, just because someone likes plastic straws or hates paper ones doesn’t make them a horrible person, and I’m sure most sea turtles would totally agree.

Paper straws can, although not as much, still hurt sea animals if littered into the ocean. 1.

Most facilities will not recycle stuff with food on it, so many paper straws won't be recycled. 1. 1. Get-green-now.com

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Abortion pills for all

The truth about medical abortions

535

Kayla Francais (21) Criticizes the strict laws on abortion pills and explains why they should be utilized everywhere.

The net catching hope: As woman reach for abortion pills the government pulls away. Drawing by Jaclyn Sweeney. By Kayla Francais

only began to crave control over my body when senators threatened to take control of it for me. On a late afternoon in the middle of the spring of 2009, I received my first American Girl Doll. Sold out of a catalog, these 18 inch vinyl dolls resembled posh, charming young women. This coveted toy quickly became a necessity for every child’s ever-growing collection. Day after day, I brushed, braided and clothed my doll, Julie. Even at the young age of four, I began to grow a sense of what it meant to take care of something – something that was my own. However, as I grew out of my daisy sandals and into slightly larger shoes, my love for Julie faded. Rather than residing in my bright and flirty pink bedroom, Julie lived on the dusty old shelf in the downstairs closet. Although I knew Julie was a toy, during the time I did play with her, I thought I had grown a sense of what it was like to be a motherly figure. Nevertheless, as the years went on, I realized how fogged and delu-

sional my four-year-old self was to believe I knew anything about the responsibilities of motherhood. In turn, this is what I learned: real children are not the same as toys and motherhood is not something you can leave sitting on a shelf when you become bored with it. As congress awaits its chance to pass acts against abortion in the United States, women across the country sit uneasily at the edge of their seats, waiting for a final verdict. When journalist Farhood Manjoo published an article in the New York Times explaining the effectiveness of tiny white abortion pills, I swiftly began my research. These pills have proven to be some of the safest drugs known to modern medicine. Every year, millions of women choose to use these pills as a safe, private and effective at-home method to terminate early-term pregnancy. With such a reliable and clear track record, I couldn’t help but wonder why this information wasn’t being shared with women everywhere. As my research continued, the answers became quite clear. While other countries peel away at the laws that limit the use of this drug, America begins to push back at them. According to an article written for the New York Times by Farhod Manjoo on August 30

2019, “the Food and Drug Administration has imposed severe limits on Mifepristone’s distribution.” These new limitiations include only being given by certain doctors and only in abortion clinics. In stripping the distribution of this safe and effective product, we are taking away women’s fundamental rights to access affordable healthcare. A majority of women in the country have no gateway to sufficient funds, and or transportation to clinics nearby. This has to change. If these pills became introduced to qualified vendors Online, access for women everywhere would be easily achievable. However, the abolishment of laws that prevent access to Mifepristone aren’t the only steps that need to be taken. Educating young women in school and or at home on the options and resources they have if an abortion is necessary allows them to make the most informed decisions about their bodies. There’s an abundance of credible tools and sources that explain where to find, tested drugs and how to use them successfully. I hope that the future of abortion tells a different story. I fear that if steps towards the legalization Mifepristone do not advance, injustice will be served to the women of this country once more.

"These pills have proven to be some of the safest drugs known to modern medicine."

Dollars was the average cost of early medical abortions in 2014. 1.

95-99 percent effective and successful. 1.

Percent of women in 2017 who had an Abortion did it Medically. 1.

1/3

Nearly Of non-hospital Abortions in the United States in 2014 were through abortion Pills. 1.

1. Guttmacher.org

IKE’S LIKE'S AND DISLIKE'S: RATED R EDITION

Goodbye rated R: Ike Weissman (21) tears up the Rated R's of the world. Photo by Jeremy Frank.

By Ike Weissman

his past summer I turned 17 years old. Although most birthdays are significant, turning 17 felt a little lame to be honest. A year ago I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, a year from now I will turn 18 and be able to vote, but I couldn’t think of anything special about turning 17. Then, it hit me. I finally realized the significance of turning 17, a milestone that opened up a whole new world for me: I was finally able to see R-rated movies on my own. But then, it really hit me - this is the lamest right of all time. Are you kidding me? I turn 16 and I’m driving around with total freedom, then I turn 18 and I’m getting to choose who is going to be running our country, next thing you know I’m 21 and you better believe I’ll be in Vegas that morning. But at 17 I am finally given the right of getting into an R-rated movie? C’mon, I've been doing that since I was 10 years old. Of course, my friends and I had found ways to get into these R rated movies without an adult. We would buy tickets for other movies or find an adult stranger that was already seeing the movie to sneak us in. We even became friends with the security guard at The Grove movie theater who helped us out; his name was Ellerby. But now that I had turned 17 I didn’t have to worry about any of that. This definitely was a bigger deal for Ellerby than it was for me considering he had made it to my 17th birthday without getting fired.

As happy as I was to find out that I now had this new privilege, I started to realize how dumb it was that I had to wait this long. By law, a movie must be rated R if it uses the word f**k more than once. Do I really have to be 17 to be able to handle hearing the word f**k multiple times?. I mean, my mom has said f**k every time she stubs her toes since I was an infant. You could argue that most movies are rated R because of violence or sex, but in the world today, we see worse stuff on the news than anything we could possibly see in the theater. As ridiculous as it was that I had to sneak my way into these movies for so many years, I will honestly miss it. There was something exciting and exhilarating about it. Of course that excitement started to fade as my friends and I got older, but we still had to do it. You would think they would get less strict as we got older, but that’s where you’re wrong. Just three days before my 17th birthday I attempted to sneak into the R-rated comedy Good Boys with a couple friends and ended up getting escorted out of the theater. Although turning 17 was fun, being able to see R- rated movies without a parent or guardian is a perhaps the lamest right of all time. Ironically though, the first movie I saw after turning 17 was Good Boys with my mom and dad, since I had gotten kicked out of it a couple days beforehand. We all laughed but as the lights went up, I found myself thinking... Man, this would have been so much more fun if I had snuck in.

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PAGE14

Path unknown

Let's speed towards drivers ed

Lola Carino (20) doesn't have a concrete plan for her future, and that's okay.

By Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti

y sister is on the verge of getting her driver’s license, and to be quite honest, I’m terrified. It’s not because I think she’s a bad driver, it’s the fact that I don’t think she’s properly prepared. I’ve watched her fall asleep to the sound of an Online driving course spitting out facts and I’ve seen her struggle when there was no way for the screen to answer her questions. Although Online courses may help students pass a permit test, they lack the ability to produce safe and smart drivers. The issue is not how quickly or slowly you complete the course, it’s the fact that no one can truly verify that you learned the responsibility of driving: how a moment of distracted driving can become a tragedy. Campbell Hall needs a driver’s education course to prepare students for the permit test and to teach students the responsibility that comes with driving. This course would go well beyond reading road signs and allow students to have face-to-face interaction with their teachers to keep them fully engaged. In our generation specifically, we need a course that gets teens behind the wheel. More and more students don’t want to pay the expensive fees, lack free time to take Online courses, or claim that Uber is the new form of transportation. In fact, my neighbor sold all of her cars and swears by Uber. She would boast about all of the money she saved by simply calling an Uber and not worrying about the responsibility that comes with driving. That was up until the day she came pounding on our door begging for a ride to where her daughter had been in an accident. In that moment, Ubering would have simply taken too long. If the real reason that people choose Uber over driving is because of how expensive the Online program is, offering driver’s education at school would save teens an exponential amount of money. Students wouldn’t have to pay the fifty to sixty dollar fee that comes with Online courses, along with the three hundred to five hundred dollar fee of in-car training, as well as the thirty three dollar fee of actually taking the permit test. Not to mention–if you don’t pass, you pay again. Additionally, if driver’s education was offered at school, students could learn how to diagnose their own auto problems as well as how to change their own oil, belts, filters, battery, and windshield wipers, which could save them so much money. I understand that this would be an additional cost for the school, but offering this class would improve the safety of drivers and give them the confidence to drive.

A question mark amongst answers: It can feel like you're the only one who can't predict your future. Photo by Amanda Sedaka. By Lola Carino

’ve alw a y s b e e n envious of people who have their lives figured out. The artists who plan to go to art school, the athletes who plan to play in college and the musicians who plan to go to music school. The concept seems simple: do what you love. But I love a lot of things. I love to write. I love to help people. I love fashion. It worries me that not all of my passions intertwine. Maybe I

haven’t found my thing yet, or at least haven’t chosen. A lot of people think I have it all figured out. It’s probably because I’ve tried convincing myself that I do. Most of the decisions I make are logical, not spur of the moment. I act prepared when I am not. There’s only one question I can’t fake my way out of: what will I be doing in a year? My whole life has been geared towards having an answer, and it’s taken a long time, but I’m finally okay with not having one. I’m 17 years old. There is no reason for me to have my whole life figured out. My major doesn’t have to be my future job. I don’t need to know where I’ll be after

Colon-tastrophy By Amanda Sedaka

p until the spring of last year, I was a pediatrician’s dream. I had never been the sick kid. No allergies, no broken bones; I'd never even seen the inside of a hospital. But this past year, I was so busy with school and the musical that I chose to ignore everything that felt wrong. I didn’t have time to not be okay. I ignored the blinding pain in my stomach, I pretended it wasn’t hard to stand, I didn’t allow myself to stop working. I assumed I was being a hypochondriac, as I typically am. I naturally assume I have a brain tumor for each headache, Alzheimer's for each forgotten thought, a heart attack when I run a little too fast. But this was different. This was real. And for that reason, I chose to pretend it wasn’t. I kept going until I physically could not. The musical had its final call, spring break began, and I broke. My body shut down and I faced the fact. I was, indeed, not okay. I immediately had an emergency colonoscopy and endoscopy (would not recommend) where it was determined I have Ulcerative Colitis. Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that creates long lasting inflammation and ulcers in my colon. Long story short, my colon doesn’t really work correctly I spent that spring break in and out of hospitals. It was the most difficult time of my life. But the worst part was the loneliness. Sure, I had my mom, who I am forever grateful for (she’s a freaking superhero), and my doctors, but other than that, I was pretty much alone. The rest of my family was in Japan, a trip we had been anticipating for pretty much ever. And don’t get me wrong, I asked them to go. I didn’t want to feel guilty for ruining my siblings breaks as

college. It’s okay if I figure it out as I go. I used to think that by this point in my life I would know exactly what my plan is. Quite honestly, I felt more prepared for my future then than I do now. I had a whole list of things I wanted to do that I still haven’t done. But plans change. Life happens. No one should feel constricted to a single path in life. It’s great that some people are already on theirs, I just want everyone who isn’t to know that they are not alone. More importantly, I want them to know that there is nothing wrong with feeling lost. My advice isn’t to figure your life

out. It’s to be okay with the fact that you haven’t yet. Stop thinking about what you need to be doing and just live your life. Don’t always do things because “you should,” do things because you want to. Be a teenager for a second and give yourself a break. Pretending to be set on your future will only make you more confused. There are a million things that I enjoy doing and I have no clue which one I want to pursue. I don’t have a plan, but I’m okay with that. I don’t know what I will be doing in five years, but I’m okay with that. I’m a lost teenager and I’m okay with that. For now, I just need to keep doing me.

Amanda Sedaka's (21) health issues affected more than just her colon.

well, not to mention, I wanted some Japanese snacks. After my Colonoscopy, I was prescribed with an array of medication, including Prednisone. Prednisone is a pill that’s tiny but mighty, and although it drastically helped my colon, it totally messed with my mind. It causes horrible anxiety, depression, hunger and insomnia. It felt like the world was against me. I took my vitamins, worked hard in school and fulfilled all of my community service hours; I didn’t deserve this. I wasn’t only sad and in pain, I was angry. Angry I had to put my life on hold, angry my spring break was ruined, and angry at my stupid colon. I refused to listen to anyone's problems and always deemed mine as worse. I was the one with the messed up colon, I was the one on stupid Prednisone, I was the one who’s whole life exploded in their face. And to make matters worse, people who I thought were my best friends and people I trusted to be there for me when I needed them weren’t. Maybe I isolated myself. Maybe I made myself unbearable to be around and drove people away. But I didn’t care. I was bitter and annoyed when people talked about having too much homework, or having to come home from their glamorous vacations. I cut people off. I cut myself off. I lost perspective. Sure, I hurt. Yes, I was going through a really rough time. But that didn’t mean other people weren’t either. My world stopped and I seemed to forget other people’s were still spinning. I forgot other people were dealing with stuff too. It’s been five months now. I’m not cured, currently there isn’t even a cure, but I’ve learned how to cope. I eventually went back to school, got off Prednisone and everything eventually started to suck less and less. My life will never go back to how it was before I was diagnosed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still do everything I hoped for. I can still live a happy, wonderful life. I can still grow up and do everything I’ve always dreamed of. I can still be me.

"My world stopped and I seemed to forget other people's were still spinning."

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PAGE 15

Editorial: Vikings get it together

World Traveler Tanya Parasher (21) Has lived in India, Poland, Warsaw, London, and Los Angeles. For her, both fear and excitement comes with moving to a new country. By Tanya Parasher Special to The Piper

Speak up: Students need to speak up and Campbell hall needs have always identified myself as a to make time. Photo traveler. By the time I was 12 years by Amanda Sedaka. old, I had moved five times. I was ffering our thoughts and prayers born in India and abruptly moved to won’t stop school shootings. Poland at the age of three. I lived in A 35 minute speech in chapel Warsaw for four years and then relowon’t resolve our nation’s bulcated to London. After a year of living in the rainy city, I moved back to India lying crisis. Climate change won’t go away for another three years. Then, I lived in Singapore for two with one moment of silence. Issues cannot be resolved in one community forum. The years and lastly moved here in the summer of 2016. Each time, in the moment, hearing the news that I had to school needs to give students more opporleave my life behind to move to a completely new country tunities to speak their minds and incite was really heartbreaking. However, I have developed a sense change. Although the administration never fails of gratitude and love for each and every country I’ve lived in. Some people might see starting a new life as an amazing to recognize a current event or tragedy, they experience, but after living in five countries in the span of 12 rarely dedicate enough time for students to years, I gained a different perspective. When I was younger, continue processing. One chapel discussion, moving from country to country never seemed like a bur- moment of silence or prayer leaves students den. I was always so excited to be able to live in countries overwhelmed with unanswered questions like Poland and England. However, the first day at a new and unspoken thoughts. school has always made the process of moving a lot harder After racist comments were made in a chapfor me. I always dreaded having to introduce myself to ev- el service last year, our community was infueryone, sit with strangers at lunch, and not know where any riated. In response to the speech, the school of my classes were. As I developed friendships, every day hosted a community forum discussion on got easier. However, as soon as I adjusted to my new life, the matter. This community forum sparked I would get hit with the news that our family was starting intelligent conversation and enabled our community to make progress grappling the anew once again. The move from Singapore to LA was undoubtedly the matter. But why did the conversations end hardest. I remember at first being excited to see LA for the here? Following countless school shootings this first time. I wondered if the city would look like the movies I watched as a kid. I remember spending the summer past year, there was nothing but a moment sightseeing, which frankly met all my expectations. Howev- of silence. While praying for lost lives is cerer, I also remember not knowing anyone on the first day of tainly an important step for grieving, more school and being too shy to ask teachers where to find my needs to be done. The natural disasters, acts first class. It felt like a nightmare. But as the year went by of terrorism and domestic or political issues and I adjusted to eighth grade, that nightmare slowly di- that we see and read about deserve more discussion. These aren’t issues that can be minished. There are two major perspectives people might have about resolved in a matter of minutes, no matter the effects of moving during childhood: one is that it’s an how long we dedicate time in chapel for amazing experience for kids. The other is that it can impede them. There’s a responsibility on both sides of this their development. However, the experience isn't as black and white as everyone makes it seem. As bad as having to equation. The administration and student leave your school, pack up all your things, and say goodbye body are equally responsible. Change starts to your friends may seem, being able to experience living on a micro level. Teachers should start faciliin a new country is so incredible. Going through the pro- tate these conversations in their classrooms, cess numerous times has helped me learn the importance making students feel comfortable so when of being grateful for what I have. Over time, I’ve shed the they have the chance to speak in larger setidea that moving around as a kid was a burden, and given tings, they feel supported. The administration is already starting to it a new label: an opportunity. An opportunity to visit new places, experience different cultures, and make friends all do their part by implementing more faculty training, including bringing in a speaker to around the world.

The Piper Volume 1 October 14 2019 4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Studio City, CA 91607

talk about how to deal with racially sensitive moments in the classroom. This is one of the many parts of the Diversity Plan that outlines ways to navigate this issue. Chaplain Courtney has also implemented a community forum, which will give students a platform to discuss any issues they feel need to be brought up to the community. Students have a responsibility as well. We need to be open and willing to share our thoughts with the community, even when given only a few minutes. We need to take initiative and support the clubs that are fighting gun violence and climate change. We need to keep these conversations alive through our actions and extend these conversations outside of the gym and classroom settings. We need to be a participatory community, one that is full of determined students who aren’t afraid to raise their hands and speak their minds. We need to create a space where students of all political parties, races, and genders feel comfortable sharing their ideas. While progress is being made, there is still room for improvement. The community forum after last year's Yom Kippur chapel was a step in the right direction, but how could we find closure after one discussion? Obviously there are other traditions important to our community, which chapel has to cover. But we want compromise. Change up the schedule once in a while. If it’s absolutely necessary to keep the scheduled chapel, arrange community forums at lunch. Do something to show that we are genuinely ‘a community of inquiry.’ It’s okay to accept that we aren’t able to resolve complex issues in one chapel period. We are dealing with issues that extend far beyond our community and sometimes it feels as though the school tries to resolve an issue in one chapel period. Not only because of time, but because we are blindly optimistic in thinking that it’s possible. Accepting the fact that these issues clearly require more time is the first step to making progress.

Editor-In-Chief Lola Carino

News Editor Kaylin Kim

Sports Editor Jake Sher

Managing Editor Owen Pallenberg

Life Editor Iliana Kleiner

Content Editor Maggie Hutchins

Opinion Editor Amanda Sedaka

Assistant Editors Sadie Farley Jeremy Frank Jake Freedman Ike Weissman

(818) 505-5325

"Although students may be willing and ready to further these discussions, they aren't given the chance to say or learn more."

Staff Writers Charlie Cohen Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti Sophia Goldberg JJ Hoffman Taylor Huie Lucy Kennel Noa Schwartz

Center Editor Kayla Francais Illustrators Sachi Rettig Noa Schwartz Jaclyn Sweeney Advisor Christine Gaul

The mission of The Piper, the student newspaper of Campbell Hall, is to investigate and present the most relevant and pertinent topics and issues pertaining to the lives of our school community. Truth, objectivity and accuracy are the primary goals of all staff members. Journalists uphold the right to express unpopular opinions or to agree with the majority, and will never gather information in an inappropriate or unethical manner. Furthermore, The Piper is intended to serve as a forum for student voices. Advertisements follow the same scrutiny as all other material in the paper. Advertisements are free of statements, illustrations and implications that are offensive to good taste or public decency based upon the opinion of the staff. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the opinion of the editorial staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged and should be submitted to Amanda Sedaka sedakaa@campbellhall.org. Letters should be concise, and the writer may ask to be printed anonymously. Letters may not be printed if deemed inappropriate for print by The Piper editorial board.

The Piper distributes 1,000 copies, free of charge to the Campbell Hall community. The Piper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Pres Associate.

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Battling My MENTAL Bully By Lily Bernadout Special to The Piper

ver since I was in elementary school, I had issues with my friends and felt bullied and excluded. I had a hard time figuring out why others would treat me this way, and I always was a good person to others and would never get that treatment back. My mind was plagued with very negative thoughts about myself, from the way I looked to the way I spoke. I have hated myself ever since I was super young. I would have thought that would make me feel low and tear me down. Even though I was dealing with bullying from my “friends” and from my own mind, I acted like everything was okay and faked being a happy-go-lucky girl because I felt like I needed to and did not want to let anyone know I was hurting. These thoughts would consist of pointing out all my insecurities and would interfere with anything I attempted to do. These thoughts have stayed with me up to today. I fear people picking me up because I feel too “fat” or I pretend to “forget” swimsuits, or I say that I just “don’t want to swim right now” even though I actually want too, but my mind

Diving into a pool of insecurities: Lily Bernadout leaves her bathing suit behind while falling victim to her own thoughts. Photo by Iliana Kleiner.

will not let me without making me feel so bad about myself. I have never really figured out how to fight these thoughts, and I try not to believe them, but I have always given in and fallen victim to my own thoughts. I call my mind my biggest bully because I have never found the courage it takes to stand up to it. A 2017 study by Translational Psychiatry found that Depression and anxiety rates in teenage girls is three times higher than it is in boys. Rebecca Schartz-Mette, a Psychology assistant professor at the University of Maine, revealed that girls show more “risk factors” for depression and anxiety. Low self-esteem has been a massive issue with adolescents, with one of the top concerns being the proliferation of social media, and I can say that I am a victim of cyberbullying and FOMO. FOMO and addiction to our smart devices exponentially increase depression and anxiety for millions and millions of teenagers every single day. Every social media app has a built-in intrinsic level of addiction ensuring that the user continues to engage with others to the point of competing and therefore promoting profoundly unhealthy levels of usage. While treatment is, of course, voluntary, parents, educators and friends need to be both vigilant and aware, and they need to share in the responsibility to help those who show

warning signs or ask for help to begin getting treatment and setting foot on the road to recovery. Ellen McGrath states that one out of three teens are clinically affected with depression and need to seek treatment. Sadly, this statistic does not seem to be diminishing. Instead, it is expanding at a rapid rate with our societies adoption to changing technology that leads to a generation that is unable to focus due to being overstimulated. Since depression is an epidemic that does not seem to be in decline, it is one that I arduously need to understand how to cope with. At this point in my life, I still struggle with being oppressed by my own mind. Recently, I was able to come to a conclusion by getting evaluated and finding out that I have severe depression and anxiety. Hearing this shocked me because I always treated my personal issues like they meant nothing and tried to distract myself in various ways without really addressing the problem. My mind can make me think very dark thoughts, and sometimes cause me to feel suicidal, but I know that life is a gift and that it is worth living, even when at times it does not seem like it. Realizing that my oppressor was my mind was eye-opening and helped me understand more about myself. I am on the road to finding the self-love and happiness that I have been dreaming of, and I try to find the good in each and every day.

Value in breaking traditions By Joey Light Rake Special to The Piper

v e r since I was young, I knew that any special occasion meant steak was on the menu. My mom would be in the kitchen, and I would be right there by her side. It was a tradition, one of many in my family. This one I could easily wrap my head around. Unlike my mom’s steak recipe, some traditions took longer to understand. For my entire life, I have always had to stay home on Friday nights. My family sits at the dining room table and we eat Shabbat dinner together. When I was younger, it wasn’t a rare occurrence that we all ate together. In fact, we pretty much always ate dinner as a family every night of the week. I always dreaded the fact that I

couldn’t go out on Friday nights, missing out on dances, school events and decompressing with my friends. But as time went on, I began to understand the importance of a weekly Shabbat dinner. As my older siblings began high school, and eventually I began as well, the workload became more demanding and extracurriculars further meant we often weren’t home until well past the normal dinner hour. I spent multiple weeknights eating dinner alone in my room while I strenuously studied for countless tests. By this time, weeknight family dinners were almost nonexistent. That’s when I finally began to understand the significance of a weekly Shabbat dinner. My parents weren’t coming up with an excuse to take one of my weekend nights away. They weren’t refusing to let me hang out with my friends. Instead, they were making sure that our family had at least one night a week where we could sit down, eat, review the events of the week and

just all be together. Although it took me a while to understand it, I was finally able to appreciate how important this tradition truly was to my family and also to me and my life. As important as traditions are in my life, I have also nurtured the ability to recognize that new opportunities are equally as significant. My older sister, older brother and eventually younger sister all went to Oakwood High School. I, however, chose a different path. Everything I was worried about when it came to starting a new school would have been so much easier if I had just gone to Oakwood. I would have had my two older siblings there to introduce me to people and to help me make new friends. I could coast on the good reputation that my siblings forged before me. It was an easier route to take. The much safer choice. Yet, I went with Campbell Hall, a more formal environment that I thought better suited my learn-

ing style. Plus, I wanted to be a part of a community with lots of school spirit. I knew exactly what I wanted and what would be best for me, but stepping away from my family's traditions was not easy. Ultimately, I accepted the challenge and embraced the fear. I had started a tradition of my own, one that resulted in the most enjoyable high school experience for me. Part of my growth is learning what traditions I want to keep, what I want to leave behind, and what I want to adapt and make my own. The traditions in my life have given me a foundation which allows me to operate from a place where I am continually loved and supported. I understand that it is up to me to choose to either embrace tradition or to challenge it while forging my own path. Only then will I really become who I am meant to be in this world. No matter what it is, I really hope it involves steak.

"As important as traditions are in my life, I have also nurtured the ability to recognize that new opportunities are equally as significant."

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Athletes at risk

PAGE 17

S P O R T S

Interested in the unordinary By Noa Schwartz

antasy football has become one of the biggest industries in sports. Fans create their own rosters, waiting to see if their team will rise to the top. Many share this interest, discussing and bonding with others. No one questions their excited expressions when talking about the players. Yet, I have a very different experience with my interests. I'm not a sports fan. However, I can fully understand the appeal of fantasy football. A situation based on real-world events that people watch and discuss. Fantasy football is strikingly similar to the TV shows, movies and books I have come to love. Many of them are fantasy or sci-fi, but they are based on real events. These stories have shaped who I am today and the friends I have found. However, instead of being accepted by those without the same interests, I often get sideways glances at my enthusiasm. At times, I feel very judged. A certain stigma has been built around those who enjoy fantastical stories known as “geek culture.” While others “like” fantasy football or sports, I’m “obsessed” with whatever book, movie or show I like at that moment. A fan buying a jersey from their favorite team shows their spirit and tenacity. This begs the question: what qualifies as an obsession, and do people’s opinions depend on what your obsession is? I believe it does. Our society, particularly in America, has chosen sports as an acceptable form of entertainment. Anything related to this is therefore considered normal. In other words, it takes much more to be “obsessed” with fantasy football than it does with a fictional story. This has caused me to feel guilty about being even casually interested in an unpopular story. Because of this I afraid of what people might think. As accustomed as I am to being labeled a “geek”, I often wonder what it would be like if the tables had turned. What if, instead of the latest football game being played at a bar, the season finale of a sci-fi TV series was playing. Everyone has been talking about it and are incredibly excited to see the outcome of the episode. People are screaming and shouting through the whole thing, and by the end the air is still buzzing with the new developments. No one is being called a “geek,” for watching. No one is “obsessed” or “weird” for their passionate outbursts. For a time, they adopt the stigma of sports fans.

Bracing for impact. Webb School Quarterback prepares to take a hit as Campbell Hall's Josh Cuevas (21) and Jaden Williams (22) attack him in Campbell Hall's 49-8 win vs Webb School on Sept. 20. Photo by Suz Tepe

Football players continue to play in the sport that they love knowing risks come with it

By Owen Pallenberg ith new research at their fingertips, more and more parents in America are keeping their kids out of football. According to an NBC news poll last February, 48 percent of parents in the U.S. wouldn’t allow their children to play tackle football up from 40 percent on 2014. Several studies prove there’s a link between head trauma caused by hits in football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is also known as CTE The research is affecting the way the game is played as a whole. High school varsity football coach Dennis Keyes acknowledges the risks but believes that it is important to understand protocols the school takes to ensure athletes’ safety. Keyes believes the school has a variety of safety measures in place to protect athletes. “That ranges from a variety of things including equipment, the way we practice and how we teach the game as well as trying to limit contact during the summer and with each other,” Keyes said. Still, the measures aren’t always enough to keep students involved in the dangerous sport. Keyes is hopeful that people can learn to differentiate between the high school and professional levels when making their decision whether or not to play football. “We hear a lot from the guys that are playing other sports talk about how they don’t want to play football because they might get hurt,” Keyes said. “That, to me, isn’t a valid excuse because if it truly is an injury thing then they wouldn’t play any sports [at all]. It is a fear of CTE and concussions which has, unfortunately, been inflated in the news. Yes it has been scientifically proven that head injuries after head injuries could ultimately lead to CTE, but what a lot of families don’t understand is that, especially at the level we are playing at, simply playing [football] in high school is not going to lead to CTE.” Laurie Arent-Plotkin, mother of varsity foot-

ball player Zack Plotkin, worries about the risks her son faces while playing football, but has opted to support his passion anyway. She makes sure her son understands the dangers of the sport. “Both Zack's dad and myself are constantly talking to him about being aware of his body and using extreme caution when it comes to playing,” Arent-Plotkin said. “If Zack suffers even the slightest injury out on the field, he knows that he needs to step out and make sure he's okay before going back onto the field.” Based on a program created by the coaches of the NFL team the Seattle Seahawks, and demonstrated in the Australian Rules Rugby League, the Campbell Hall football team has been teaching a new and improved tackling technique. “We are teaching a head out, shoulder tackle where the head isn’t involved in any part of the tackle,” Keyes said. “This is the safest the game has ever been. When I came in, the [previous] team had six concussions and that is because they weren’t teaching what we are teaching. What we are teaching is how to play the game safe and, at the same time, still be a physical and successful team. We have fortunately been concussion-free in the six seasons that I have been here.” With the newly improved safety protocols in place, varsity football captain Landon Richardson (20) reaps all of the other benefits that the game has to offer. “Football has taught me way more life lessons than school ever has,” Richardson said. “Football can build [a] kid from [the] ground up and [it] teaches them life lessons that will shape them into a better person. The feeling of being on a team of guys that you trust creates a bond like nothing else. You can't really understand the feeling of that unless you have been on the field under those Friday night lights. So when people talk about how dangerous football is, I agree to some degree it is dangerous, but the life experiences from playing this sport are like nothing else.”

"We are teaching a head out, shoulder tackle where the head isn't involved in any part of the tackle. This is the safest the game has ever been."

- Dennis Keyes

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Fall Sports Briefs

Upcoming games Varsity Football Varsity Football Campbell Hall vs. Brentwood Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. CH football field Campbell Hall vs. MPHS Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. CH football field

NOTABLE

After three weeks the team has a record of two wins and one loss.

STATS

Stats 46-16 win vs Village Christian on Aug. 23 48-14 win vs North Hollywood on Aug. 29

QUOTABLE

Varsity Girls Volleyball Campbell Hall vs. Windward Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. Garver Gym

"We got a great group of guys this year. I feel that our chemistry is really good and everybody plays together very well. We've been working all this season to try and get to the playoffs." - Landon Richardson (20)

NOTABLE

Campbell Hall vs. Windward Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. Weddington Golf and Tennis

STATS

Campbell Hall vs. Brentwood Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. Brentwood School QUOTABLE

Varsity Cross Country Apache Invite Oct. 26 at 7:30 a.m. Mt. SAC Gold Coast League Meet #4 Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. Paraclete High School Gold Coast League #5 Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. Brentwood School

NOTABLE

The cross country team has not performed their best this year due to injury, but they are planning on getting back on track.

STATS

They have come in last in every meet so far this season.

QUOTABLE

Varsity Girls Volleyball Varsity Girls Tennis

Cross Country

With a league record of 3-1, the girls volleyball team is poised to get back to the top of the table.

"We've trained during the summer, we've introduced the freshman to what they need to do inside and outside of practice. We've gone over the necessary mentality to survive cross country." - Angel Santiago (21)

3-0 win against Paraclete on Oct. 3 and 3-2 win against Viewpoint on Sept. 17.

“Initially, I thought it was a rebuild, but Savannah Davis has stepped into that role as our labero [and] is really doing a fantastic job. The team has rallied around the idea of taking care of her and her self sacrifice for the team.” - Coach Robe

Varsity Girls Golf NOTABLE

Varsity Girls Tennis NOTABLE

STATS

QUOTABLE

Won their first three matches against San Marino, Corona del Mar, and Oaks Christian.

The girls golf team had a successful season. Danielle Landis stood out as a star on the team.

STATS

They went undefeated in their first three games of the season.

QUOTABLE

"I'm really proud of the team. We all tried our hardest and it payed off in the end. I'm excited for next year to see how much we improve and if we are any better than [we were] this year it will be a good season. - Danielle Landis (21)

They have dominated their last four games by sixteen or more. "Other schools competing against us are coming for blood since we are the defending champs. We have to bring our A-game and be ready for anything that comes against us.” - Devyn Hunter (21)

Girls tennis sets high standard for new players By Jake Freedman

fter the group of seven seniors that won two CIF championships graduated in 2019, the girls tennis team was at a crossroads. The group of seniors that graduated in the spring were not only responsible two CIF championships, but also for two trips to the California State Finals. Junior co-captain Devin Hunter (21) has had to step up and lead a team made up primarily of underclassmen. “Losing seven seniors is really hard,” Hunter said. “We’re basically starting from scratch and it’s a little bit of a challenge.” After losing such a large number of players, it is easy to label the season as a rebuild.

“[Rebuilding has] had both a positive and negative connotation,” Hunter said. “Losing almost half of the team and rebuilding it is very challenging. It’s also positive because I get to show my leadership skills and hopefully lead the team to another successful season.” Like her other co-captain, Devyn Marinos (21), knows that it is important to be close with your teammates. “It was pretty hard [losing seven seniors], mostly because it's not even really due to tennis,” Marinos said. “It's due to the fact that we created such strong bonds and those girls were just such fantastic people. We're creating those bonds again because [without] chemistry, you just have no

team. As we continue to get closer and continue to work hard, we're going to get where we need to be.” As the defending CIF champions, Hunter knows that there is still a target on their backs, even with the lack of last year’s star power. “Other schools competing against us are coming for blood since we are the defending champs,” Hunter said. “We have to bring our A-game and be ready for anything that comes against us.” Understanding that this year might not yield the same results as the past years, the team still expects to win championships. “Losses are all motivation for us [and we’re] all about making adjustments,” Hunter said.

Bring it and swing it. Devyn Hunter (21) focuses on the ball in win vs Oaks Christian on Sept. 11, 2019. Photo with permission from Devyn Hunter

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Athletics take toll on mental health By Jeremy Frank

ccording to data collected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the second and third leading causes of death for student-athletes are suicide and heart disease. Since the fifth grade, Danna Dekay (21) has found a strong passion for volleyball and continues to learn on and off the court. “I played club for five years on a junior Olympic team,0 but I stopped the summer going into my sophomore year,” Dekay said. “It was one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever made, but I don’t regret it. Club volleyball included some of the most life-changing and memorable years of my life. It showed me what it’s like to be a part of something bigger than myself. It taught me the importance of balance, a good mentality, hard work, teamwork and dealing with pressure. I carry those things with me in life wherever I go.” Similar to Dekay, Eric Beedon (21) has developed his passion for basketball over the past nine years. Basketball consumes much of Beedon’s life and over the past two years, he has learned how to manage athletics, schoolwork, and his social life. “Waking up at 6 A.M. can sometimes make me lethargic for the rest of the day,” Beedon said. “When I know I have to wake up early, I try to get as much homework done at school, so I can get to bed earlier when I get home. Sometimes [having] multiple practices a week can affect how I handle my homework load, and I know how much time I need to study to get the grades I want.” Although Dekay’s school team is much less demanding in terms of training, Dekay still feels as if she has built strong time management skills. “Playing club [volleyball] was really hard emotionally and physically because I had to put every part of myself into my team and the sport,” Dekay said. “I barely had any social life and it was really difficult to balance it with my school work. Since I knew I didn’t want to play volleyball in college, I decided it was time to try some new things and find new experiences. Now, I just play for the varsity [volleyball team] at school and I love it. It’s a nice escape from the chaos of being a teenager and I love the spirit and connection of my team. Although it isn’t as intense as club [volleyball], I still have to balance it with academics.” For some students, the training and work before and during the season might seem too difficult, but Beedon enjoys playing the game he loves. He understands that constantly having practices and games multiple times a week is both physically and mentally grueling, but rather than letting it affect him, he takes advantage of the experience. “Having practices every day and playing games often can be physically and mentally exhausting,” Beedon said. “You sometimes will find yourself sore every day from practice and stressed after it because you need to get homework done. Basketball does not [take] a large toll on me mentally or physically. To stay physically healthy, I like to go into a cryo chamber, because it helps me recover when I am sore. To stay mentally healthy, I like to sleep a lot during days off to help me relax and ease stress. Despite the soreness and stress, I really enjoy the basketball season because it is my favorite activity and it is fun to compete against great competition.”

Dancing like a boy. Adriel Perez stretches before dance rehearsal for The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker recital is on December 14th, 2019. Photo by Sophia Goldberg

Stereotypes in sports Many students are judged based off of their athletic activities By Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti and Lucy Kennel

oys can’t dance, girls can’t fight, boys don’t cry, girls can’t be strong. From knee push-ups becoming “Girl push-ups,” to the classic cliché “you throw like a girl,” language can reveal stereotypes about gender in sports. Adriel Perez (20) feels challenged as a male dancer in a primarily female-dominated sport. He feels discouraged when people make remarks such as, “Dancing is a girl’s sport,” or that it is feminine. “I have definitely faced opposition and prejudice,” Perez said. “Remarks that people have made about me in dance have seriously made me think, ‘Why do I keep doing this?’” Professional tap dancer and actor Dulé Hill began his dancing career at the age of three. Today, he advocates for male dancers. Despite the social stigma attached to male dancers, Hill believes that being able to express your emotions through dance is a very masculine thing. “There is something I think that people try to apply to boys or men dancing as if it’s not a masculine thing,” Hill said. “But it is a very masculine thing to know your body, to control your body [and] to be in touch with your body.” Soccer player, Luke Garrett (22) feels that male dancers aren’t the only ones affected by gender stereotypes. “I’m not a big dude,” Garret said. “My height is obviously a big aspect of what holds me back. These stereotypes almost take away from who you are and who you want to be. Off the field, not [being able] to cry is a thing with guys. It shows no masculinity.” Gender stereotypes lie within every sport. According to Emily Shire’s June 2015 article in The Daily Beast, we actively keep women from participating in baseball, instead encouraging young girls who like the sport to pursue softball. Anessa Powell (23) has faced harsh stereotypes as the only girl on the middle school baseball team at Campbell Hall last year. Powell has found that one of the hardest parts about being the only girl on the team is the moment before games when she would watch the players and coaches from the opposing team stare at her with strange looks on their faces.

“For sure people will judge you being the only girl,” Powell said. “They ask questions and have made comments while I was playing.” But, her ability to ignore these comments separates her. She is motivated to pursue baseball to show that girls can play a typically male sport. “If you just block [the comments] out while you’re playing, it doesn’t affect you,” Powell said. “Don’t let anything get to you. Just move forward and do what you do. I don’t let it phase me.” In Aug. 2019 Lara Spencer, ABC reporter, made an insensitive comment about Prince George dancing. Spencer said that dance would never last, causing reactions from male dancers everywhere. Hill believes that people should be more cautious when speaking because it could have a negative affect on others. “It’s one thing to make fun of a prince [who] has the royal kingdom behind him, but someone who is just passionate about it, who goes outside the norm and doesn’t play football, doesn’t play basketball, but dance, you being there making fun of them has a negative affect,” Hill said. “We have to be aware of the things that come out of our mouths, we have to be aware of the actions we take.” Elementary performing arts and movement teacher, Brandy Curry, is working on ways to change gender stereotypes. In the past, she has changed the father daughter dance in the school’s Nutcracker to the family waltz to give boys the opportunity to dance with his mom or dad. She also changed the uniforms of dancers to remove any stereotypes and allow dancers to choose whatever they would like to wear. With this, she is hoping to make a difference. “If a guy would like to wear a leotard and tights he can,” Curry said. “If a girl would like to wear a white v-neck and leggings she certainly can.” Hill also encourages young athletes to push boundaries and strive to change the way people perceive masculinity and femininity in sports. “Dare to dream,” Hill said. “There always has to be a first. It’s impossible until there’s a you."

"Dare to dream. There always has to be a first. It's impossible until there's a you. [For the] people who want to break gender stereotypes, just go for it."

- Dule Hill

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MVP: Nathan Aszkenazy

Thirteen year student Nathan Aszkenazy has played exceptionally well at both linebacker and running back this season for the varsity football team

Q: What positions do you play and how have you played this season individually? A: “I play running back and linebacker and every game that I’ve played in at running back I’ve scored. I have one two touchdown game and I’ve also rushed for over 100 yards each game. I also play linebacker on defense and I had a game-high thirteen tackles against Poly. I’ve been pretty consistent all around this season.” Q: How is the team doing this year? How much of the team’s success has been because of your MVP caliber play? A:“I definitely think the team is really good by themselves but a lot of what I bring to the team personally is a lot more discipline when I’m out there. A lot of guys want to do good and I feel like I’m able to get on some guys about things that they should be doing or that they’re not doing. I do think I definitely make a huge impact [each game] but I think the team is solid around me and that helps a lot.” Q: When did you start playing football and why did you keep playing? What do you love about the sport? A:“I started playing football in 7th grade and I joined mid-season because my mom wouldn’t let me play at first. What made me really want to keep playing is I was met with a lot of success as soon as I started playing. I had like 7 touchdowns in my first

4 games that year and after that I really just fell in love with football.” Q: Who do you have to thank for helping you get to this position in your career? A:“I’d say Coach Keyes has definitely helped me a lot. He was a guy who really helped me focus a lot on football and made me really love football. He gave me a lot of opportunities on the field right from the start and always encouraged me. He was the first person to tell me that I could be a Division I athlete.” Q: Who is the player in the NFL that you feel that you most resemble when you are on the field? Why? A: “I say I probably resemble [Ezekiel Elliot] the most just because my running style is pretty ground and pound but at the same time I can also breakout and outrun most people downfield. I can also roll over most people when necessary.”

A: “If you want to continue to make this team good there is no way to shortcut it, you really have to be willing to put in all of the time. All of [my success] didn’t come from nothing, I spent countless hours training, just working out and trying to improve my footwork. I spent a lot of time in the weight room this summer just trying to become as good as I can. I think all that I can really ask for from this young football team right now is just to give it their all and really take it seriously. If they do, good things will happen.”

Don't stand in his way. Nathan Aszkenazy (20) prepares to break tackles at the running back position at Campbell Hall's 49-8 win vs. Webb School on Sept. 20. Photo by Sophia Goldberg

Q: What advice do you have for the younger players on the team to continue your legacy at Campbell Hall?

RocNation agreement with NFL sparks controversy By Jake Sher

Wheeling and Dealing. RocNation CEO Sean "Jay-Z" Carter and Roger Goodell met in New York to discuss their new agreement. Photo with permission from pixabay via Creative Commons.

Opinions on the deal

n Aug. 13 2019 corporate powerhouse RocNation created a partnership with the National Football League to represent them in the sports-entertainment domain. Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, rapper and RocNation founder, has been publicly criticized for supporting the NFL by endorsing the deal. As a part of the new agreement, RocNation will oversee who the NFL selects to perform in notable events they put on, including the Super Bowl. Additionally, RocNation will promote the NFL’s Inspire Change Initiative, the NFL’s new social-justice reform program. Carter is known for his social activism and has stood with athletes who have protested against the NFL’s policies. For example, Carter supported former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick when Kaepernick decided to kneel during the National Anthem. Kaepernick did not stand for the anthem because he believed that by doing so he would be supporting a country where people of color are oppressed. The NFL did not support Kaepernick’s stance, and thus, many view that Carter is contradicting his own

"I think it's an effective deal because [RocNation] can get bigger naes for the half-time show." - Isaiah Sepand (23)

"I'm really excited about the new deal because of the half-time show. It's going to be really excting and really fun to watch." - Joe Baxley (24)

beliefs by partnering with the NFL. One of Carter’s critics is Kenny Stills, a wide receiver for the Houston Texans. Stills has been a very active member of the African-American community by continuing Kaepernick’s fight for social equity. Recently. he publicly showed his disapproval towards the owner of the Miami Dolphins, Stephen Ross, for supporting Trump’s reelection. Stills believes that Carter is a “sellout” for opposing Kaepernick’s views and the movement backing the protests of the National Anthem. Additionally, Carolina Panther's safety Eric Reid has shown his disdain for Carter’s support of the NFL. However, Carter believes that he is creating more awareness for the cause by reforming it from within and speaking with the NFL about it. “I believe real change is had through real conversation and real work," Carter said in an August 2019 ESPN article. Many hope this will continue to inspire change around the NFL and in general.

"I don't think that [Jay-Z] should've made the deal because I don't think he should have control of the half-time show."

- Georgia Brown (23)