The Communicator, v. 52, ed. 4

THE COMMUNICATOR MAGAZINE VOL. 52, EDITION 4, APRIL 2025

We have power,

and so do you.

About the Cover

gender. Upon arriving for their session at The Mountain School (TMS) — a semester school located in Vershire, Vt. — Braunschneider elected to begin using they/them For the entirety of their life, Eli pronouns. While Braunschneider’s Braunschneider has experimented stint at TMS was empowering, with the ways in which they express the pronoun correcting that came themselves through the lens of with coming home was initially

exhausting.

The push and pull between femininity and masculinity in Braunschneider’s life extends to the clothes they wear. In this edition's cover story, we explore the significance of their attire in relation to their gender identity.

How do you express who you are?

SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS @communicatorchs

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Dear Readers, Choosing a theme for each of our magazine’s editions is just one way we as editors wield the power that comes with the position. In assigning a theme, we have the opportunity to guide what our journalists cover, and subsequently, what you all read. That’s just one component of our responsibilities as Editors-in-Chief, though.

Gradually, (for Lucia, Clara, Janaki and Piper) and suddenly (for Gabe), we’ve stepped up to the helm of the near 80-person staff that CHS’s Publication Hub is. That of course comes with a shift in workload, but it also comes with social complexities. Daily, we navigate how we can best produce impactful content. That doesn’t come without effective leadership, and effective leadership doesn’t come without authentic connection with the peers we work alongside.

We’re constantly finding the equilibrium between steering our magazine’s ship and making sure all of said ship’s passengers are secure. More often than not, the lines blur between our roles as classmates, mentors, fellow forumettes, teacher figures and best friends.

As usual, the creation of our fourth edition of the year transpired on what feels like a different plane than the three that came before it. Come late February and early March, September’s Communicator newcomers have gained their sea legs; their articles are longer and stronger and they ask us what we need help with instead of the other way around.

Consequently, the pace of spring journalism is blistering.

Despite a turnaround time of less than two weeks between brainstorming and polished drafts, we saw students of all experience levels generate high-quality pages. Throughout the evening of our final production, we broke into applause time and time again as staff rang an oversize cowbell to announce the completion of their pieces.

As we see our teammates grow and succeed, we relish the opportunity to carry on our predecessors’ legacies all the more. We were socially and journalistically impacted by the leaders who came before us; they literally and figuratively held our hands as we designed our first ever print pages; they were exemplars of what it meant to be all-in on Community High and its nationally renowned journalism program.

While all Communicator contributors are equals at the end of the day, we recognize that our positions as editors hold power and that that influence can be used to empower the people who surround (and maybe look up to) us. Through both our demeanors and the products we print, we hope to steer our classmates and readers a little closer to self-assuredness.

We have power, and so do you.

Your editors,

Clara Freeth

Piper Cooke

Lucia Page Sander

Gabe Deedler

Janaki Nallamothu

PRINT EICS PIPER COOKE GABE DEEDLER CLARA FREETH JANAKI NALLAMOTHU LUCIA PAGE SANDER WEB EICS LUCA HINESMAN VEDHA KAKARLA PAIGE PLAVNICK ANTHONY WANG SOCIAL MEDIA EICS JONATHAN CARTER LEILA DURRIE KATE GROVES COPY EDITORS CLAIRE LEWIS IVY MILLER MANAGING EDITOR LYDIA DEBORD ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR BEE WHALEN ADVISER TRACY ANDERSON SECTION EDITORS LEO CASTILHO KAYLEE GADEPALLI KYRIE GARWOOD FINA KUTCHER MALCOLM LONDON ISABELLA MALDONADO NINA TINNEY

JAKE WILLIAMS WILSON ZHENG PHOTO EDITORS DANIEL JACOB ESH SCHADEN IONIE STEUDLE STAFF SOPHIA ALCUMBRACK MCDANIEL LILIANA AMJADI KLASS NOAH ANDERSON DELLA BANK MAL BARNES NINA BEALS ANNA BIRCHOK JACQUELINE BOYNTON AMALIA BUCHER ARLO CAINES CAITLINN CHO SOFI DAS CAITLIN DICK-RUÍZ LUKAS DINKELMANN JACK DONOVAN EMILY DURHAM EVA EDWARDS ELEANOR FARRELL ELI FENG ISABEL FOSLER ELLIE FOX AUTUMN GEORGE EMMA GOBLIRSCH LEE GREENBERG ELI GRIFFITH AVA GRIFFITH JANE GROCOFF KATE GROVES VERONICA HERROLD MARK IONIDES

DANIEL JACOB SADIE JACOBSON AUGUSTUS KASCHUBE ELLORA KIRBAT ALDEN KOSCHMANN MAGGIE LAMB WALKER LEDBETTER JACK LEWIS LUCY LOWENSCHUSS ELIJAH MAKMANLEVINSON ELLE MCCREADIE ADDIE MCCREADIE THEO MCCREADY KENNEDY MCDONALD IVY MILLER EVA MILLWOOD KIRRA MOLEK TIFFINNY MOUTARDIER PAYTON SLY ISEUL PARK JACKSON POTTER WILLOW ROSENFELD JESS ROTHSTEIN MIA RUBENSTEIN MILLY SANDSTROM IZZY SANTIAGO ESH SCHADEN JESSE SHTEIN IONIE STEUDLE ANNA STRAKA ZANE SWERDLOW ISLA THARP MALLORY TOWERS ALICE VANDERVLIET JUNE YE MILO VARNUM EMILY WALKER

AWARDS National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Finalist in 2024, 2023, 2022. 2021, 2020, 2019, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 Pacemaker Winner in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2014 NSPA Best in Show 2024 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Finalist in 2023-2024, 2022-2023, 20212022, 2020-2021 Silver Crown Winner in 2023-2024, 2022-2023 Gold Crown Winner in 2021-2022, 2020-2021 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Spartan Award in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2006 POLICY The Communicator is a open forum for student expression created by Community High School students. The Communicator does not represent the views of Ann Arbor Public Schools. The Communicator staff seeks to recognize the individuals, events and ideas relevant to readers.

The Communicator is committed to fair reporting, providing a platform for student voices and equitable coverage. For our complete Guidelines & Policy, please go to www.chscommunicator.com

Table of Contents VOLUME 52, EDITION 4 | APRIL 2025

Cover Story

News

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OUR POWER, OUR IDENTITY An exploration into who we are, what we stand for and the ways power and privilege present themselves in our lives.

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FoCo’s Newest Leaders

Making a Splash on Main Street

Getting to know the next team of Forum Council leadership.

BY JANAKI NALLAMOTHU

CHS artists contributed to a creative window display for Youth Art Month.

BY NEILA SHEE

BY STAFF Photography by Mark Ionides and Daniel Jacob

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features

Opinion

Arts & Entertainment

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Allowed to Lose A deep dive into the figure skating community and the dynamics within it, between both teammates and coaches.

BY LYDIA DEBORD

Authenticity Over Perfection

Fashion

Nobody is perfect, but people need to be vulnerable to grow and be their true self.

Corporate chic effortlessly merges with unapologetic authority.

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

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Power to the People

Rule of the (F)law

Exploring the steps towards and implications of the city of Ann Arbor's potential transition to a public power system.

Examining the erosion of democracy under the 47th president.

BY ALDEN KOSCHMANN AND LUCIA PAGE SANDER

BY CLARA FREETH

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Mindfully Empowered

Seven Years Later

How teenagers can find self-compassion within our modern world.

A nod to the impact of the 2017 Women's March, and a call to recall what it represents today.

BY ELLORA KIRBAT, JESSICA ROTHSTEIN AND LUCY LOWENSCHUSS

BY LUCIA PAGE SANDER

BY FINA KUTCHER AND KAYLEE GADEPALLI

70 Artist Profile Allan Authier shares his journey through the world of guitar playing.

BY KENNEDY MCDONALD

86 Crave A vibrant rendition of the classic thumbprint cookie.

BY NINA TINNEY AND FINA KUTCHER

Counselor’s Corner Brian Williams’ decade-long experience has scored him a piece of advice for Community High as well as a peak into the School Improvement Team.

BY LEO CASTILHO

counseling office ► CHS’s has seen and experienced

drastic changes over the years.

Both of the school’s counselors, Brian Williams — who’s been here for a decade — and Missy Herskowitz, who has recently joined us, agree that students, and even themselves, are in need of a greater interconnectedness with each other.

Williams explains this as a trend or shift predating COVID-19. He believes that many people have become less social, and in the past decade, the world has changed quite a bit, whether because of a pandemic, erratic governments or the exponential increase of technology.

According to Williams, it’s almost a natural response to keep quiet and avoid anything that might seem scary. However, by being more social and putting yourself out there, you’re resisting that urge.

“Even here at school, I’m seeing a need for more connection in general, just to get back to or to learn that it’s OK to be socially connected with each other,” Williams said. “We need to get used to putting ourselves out there and connecting with the humans around us, in our community around us and even the environment around us. I think there’s a lot of hesitation out there because things seem uncertain.”

He also notes that social media is responsible for a large part of this growing culture of isolation. When Williams was growing up, his world was “so small.”

He was aware of his home, neighborhood and school. But now, with social media, everyone is aware of the whole world.

“It’s freaky, and you see a lot of 8

FoC o Column

Photography by Lukas Dinkelman Brian Williams sits at his desk in the counseling office. Williams is a part of the School Improvement Team and has recently been talking about forums and how to create a closer environment. “Maybe we need to re-evaluate some of the activities and purpose,” Williams said. “But in some cases there’s a yearly thing that a forum does and the next year we all copy them.”

all the bad stuff, you don’t see great stories coming through,” Williams said. “And I believe those happen — I know they happen — but we’re not exposed to that. So everything is huge.

It’s enormous, and it feels out of control.”

However, Williams notes that a great thing happening at CHS right now is the School Improvement Team (SIT) and how they are working to create a vision for CHS. SIT is currently tackling the question of what they want the school to look like in five years and how to re-identify Community High. All three of the big high schools in Ann Arbor have clear purposes and what

they’re pushing. For example, Huron implements the IB program, Skyline has the Magnet program and Pioneer is strong in sports, music and APs. Community has been doing its own thing for a while, but what does Community want to be? That’s where Williams and SIT begin to plan.

“I’m excited to start getting close to really solidifying a vision and a mission and re-establishing values,” Williams said.

“Hopefully, we can re-imagine ourselves as we try to get everyone excited about engaging, taking chances and being creative with their learning experiences here. Then, they’ll go do some pretty incredible things.”

This year’s second semester snuck up on us all. As a senior, it’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that these are my last months at CHS. Senioritis hits, and the days drag on, but the weeks fly by.

As Communications Officer, my job is to keep people informed on the happenings inside of FoCo. I didn’t know exactly what the year would be like, but I didn’t expect FoCo to influence me to the extent that it did. We’ve been doing a lot these past couple of months and just held leadership elections.

Next year’s team includes Mallory Towers and Piper Cooke as Co-Presidents and Ava Griffith as Vice. The council has also been preparing for Forum Competition week, which will be held the week after spring break. All forums will compete in a variety of activities, from the infamous duck hunt to a newfangled lip sync battle.

Another big task left on our docket is Commstock, which will be held on April 25. Commstock is one of CHS’ most iconic traditions; students perform, play games and celebrate the school together.

It’s easy to get caught up in each little detail when planning for these events, but as we work out the fine details, I’m trying to enjoy the process and soak up the final months of the year.

NEWS

FoCo’s Newest Leaders As the school year nears its end, so do our current leaders.

But, new FoCo leaders were recently announced.

BY JANAKI NALLAMOTHU

Photography by Daniel Jacob Mallory Towers (left), Ava Griffith (center) and Piper Cooke (right) are excited to lead the school as Forum Council leadership next year. “We’re committing to being strong advocates for student needs and interests as we cherish what makes our school special,” Cooke said.

Council represen- ing FoCo a welcoming place. hoping this will spread aware► Forum tatives flooded into Ryan They have loved planning ness of FoCo discussions and Silvester’s room, eager to hear the announcement of the new student government leadership for the 2025-26 school year. Silvester announced the results with a slideshow, presenting that Mallory Towers and Piper Cooke would be the new Forum Council Co-Presidents, with Ava Griffith serving as their vice president.

Towers and Cooke defined their campaign with the acronym “WAVE,” which stands for welcome, advocate, value and engage. The pair hopes to emphasize student voices and implement important change in our school community.

“Everyone’s voice matters,” Cooke said. “We’re committed to being strong advocates for student needs and interests as we cherish what makes our school special.”

They hope to continue mak-

events for the past years, including the Halloween Dance and Commstock. Clara Freeth, current FoCo Co-President, wants to remind the duo that the events they are planning are fun, meaning they should have fun planning them.

Towers and Cooke have a goal to connect Forum Council with the student body by taking feedback and having representatives take initiatives in forums and informing their peers on Forum Council decisions.

“I feel like right now, Forum Council is living in a bubble where we’re not fully representing people,” Towers said. “We can’t do too much to represent the school if we’re not communicating with everybody.”

Both Towers and Cooke want Forum Council representatives to share with their respective forums what FoCo is planning,

all the hard work our student government dedicates to the school.

“There needs to be more publicity about what we actually do,” said Lucia Page Sander, the current FoCo Vice President.

Griffith agrees, wanting Forum Council to be more known. She hopes to make Forum even more fun and introduce school-wide and grade competitions to increase the bond between students.

A recent push over the past few years between all past FoCo leadership was expanding and improving our middle school outreach. Towers and Cooke plan to continue this advance by preparing the student speakers to make their presentations more personal in order to reflect different aspects of CHS. “There’s so much within the school that I feel we aren’t

THE COMMUNICATOR

quite representing to the fullest extent that we could,” Towers said.

While campaigning, Tower, Cooke and Griffith all worked to talk to many different people across grades and to get their platform and themselves known.

“I think a big strategy of ours was to get our face out there and be known within the school and feel approachable,” Towers said. “We had stickers and posters where people could recognize us and put a face to our campaign. A lot of it isn’t meaningful if you can’t connect to people.”

Towers has continued to participate in Forum Council throughout her high school career because she feels like she’s making changes in the school.

She loves that Forum Council makes plans for an event or activity and follows through with them. Representatives can see their work firsthand, whether it’s seeing the posters and decorations for the Halloween Dance or hearing fellow students present at middle school outreach events with slides they made during Forum Council.

“It feels like we’re actually doing things,” Towers said. “We work hard and we’re seeing the results being reflected back into the school. It’s so satisfying to be able to see your work come to life.”

Cooke enjoys Forum Council because of the collaborative environment and the voices that are being heard throughout the student body.

“We’re students of the school connecting with students in the school and making changes that we all want to see,” Cooke said.

Towers, Cooke and Griffith plan to make CHS as productive and enjoyable as possible, hoping to bridge the gap between Forum Council members and the rest of the student body.

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Guilty or Not Guilty?

With just a week before competition, the Mock Trial state champions prepare to defend their title.

BY WILSON ZHENG

case has been called: The State of nothing set up.” ► The Michigan v. Hunter Hemingway, the With case materials thoroughly studied, defendant. Nervousness was in the air as the counsels entered the courthouse, both ready to present their evidence. In the end, only one team would win.

On March 3, just a week away from competition, the CHS Mock Trial team gathered in room 205, ready to depart to the federal building in Ann Arbor. For many members, it would be their first time going to a courthouse, let alone performing in front of a federal judge. The anticipation created a mix of excitement and anxiety throughout the team.

For first-year member Lena Bible, the formality of the federal courthouse heightened both the pressure and the experience.

“Standing in the courtroom with the judge felt a lot more real and formal, and I was scared of making a mistake,” Bible said.

“But, it also made it much easier to address the jury, the judge and everyone else than if you’re just in a classroom, where there is

the team arrived at the federal courthouse ready to put their preparation to the test.

Upon entering the courtroom, the team was welcomed by The Honorable Judge Judith E. Levy, a former Mock Trial parent, who was inducted by former President Barack Obama in 2014. She has served as a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan ever since, a position she considers a great honor.

Each year, Michigan Mock Trial hosts a different case, typically civil or criminal.

This year’s court case is a murder trial, introducing Hunter Hemingway who shot his co-author Hollie Wood on the night of a dress rehearsal. The prop pistol, which was supposed to be loaded with a paper wad, was loaded with a lead shot instead.

The team members had many thoughts on the case, both good and bad. Oliver Jacobson, co-captain and attorney of B team, expressed how he felt much happier about

Photography by Wilson Zheng Dylan Goldman watches his co-counsel, Annette Dobson, present her closing statement. Being at the end of the trial, closings are more often then not the last chances that counsel gets to talk directly to the jury.

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Photography by Wilson Zheng Andrea Skerlos sits at the prosecution counsel table as she watches for objections. As both lawyer for prosecution and a witness for the defense, Skerlos has a tough job of memorizing her character as well as knowing the entire case and the rules of evidence. “I read my witness statements over and over and over,” Skerlos said. “I need to fullly know my character and their actions.

this year’s case when compared to the last.

“Last year’s [case] was very short, a very messy and silly case,” Jacobson said. “This year, it’s still a bit short, but it’s definitely much clearer and direct on who, when and what, as well as being a more workable case overall.”

After introductions, B team worked with Judge Levy while A team was overseen by law student Adrian Rodriguez. The teams proceeded through the formal structure of a trial — opening statements establishing competing narratives, witness examinations drawing out testimony and closing arguments synthesizing their cases.

Following the trial, Judge Levy provided detailed feedback to each member, offering advice on approaching and responding to objections, tips on courtroom demeanor and guidance on specific wording choices.

Her closing thoughts addressed something many team members were feeling — nervousness.

NEWS

Photography by Wilson Zheng The CHS Mock Trial attorneys sit at their respective counsel tables. There are many new lawyers and witnesses on the B team, so for many of them, this was their first time experiencing a trial in a real federal courtroom. “I’ve never done mock trial before, so I had a lot of trouble approaching my direct and cross,” said Lena Bible, a new team member. “But the most rewarding part was when everything finally came together.”

“After many, many years of being nervous, I’m still nervous all the time, but I use it as my friend and my ally,” Judge Levy said. “It just kind of keeps me a little bit sharp. So welcome being nervous and say, ‘This is my hidden superpower, it’s being nervous.’”

Many members thought the practice was immensely helpful, and some even considered it to be the best performance yet. The atmosphere of the courtroom — high ceilings, wooden benches and the imposing judge’s bench — set the stage for a truly immersive experience. However, Bible notes that there is still work that can be done.

“I have criticism of my own on parts, like developing a lawyer persona that makes it more professional and unscripted,” Bible said. “I don’t think I’m going to feel prepared till it’s over.”

While the run through allowed for moments of confidence, it also highlighted

areas for growth. Several team members acknowledged that they were still working to perfect their timing and delivery, with an emphasis on the fluidity of their arguments. Samuel Austin, co-captain of the A team and attorney, specifically explained how being a good attorney is difficult.

“We come across as confident,” Austin said. “We come across as very natural, but we also need to come across as funny, engaging and knowledgeable.”

Austin thinks that both teams are in a really strong state — much more than last year — and thanks to the hundreds of hours the team has put in, all that’s left is to polish things up before competition. He emphasizes little details such as staying in character, not talking at counsel tables during court and writing notes, among other things.

Since the team won states last year, there is definitely pressure to perform well. But THE COMMUNICATOR

to Austin, this is something he has been looking forward to since the start of the year. He explains that getting into a courtroom is a whole different experience and serves as motivation for him.

“You know, it’s funny this year because the regional that we are going to have the last three state champions all attending, even though there are six or seven regions in the state,” Austin said. “So it’s crazy, there’s like a super big concentration of very good Mock Trial teams, and whoever wins regionals will probably win states, but we’re excited.”

The case has been called. After months of preparation, the team faces their toughest challenge yet — the regional competition.

As they prepare to step into the courtroom once again — this time for real — they carry not just their trial binders but the weight of last year’s state championship as well. The verdict awaits.

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An Honorable Induction Ceremony 73 CHS inductees walked across the Forsythe Middle School stage to receive their NHS certificate.

BY ELLORA KIRBAT AND ELI FENG

theater in Forsythe Middle School “It was a lot about the responsibilities ► The was dark aside from the yellow glow of of a leader, how a leader not only revolved a single spotlight. Parents scattered around, fighting for the best angle to capture their child’s big moment. Students shuffled in their suits and skirts, planning each step they would take on the stage. It was time for the ceremony to begin.

The National Honors Society (NHS) is a co-curricular organization that recognizes students’ achievements in four main pillars: scholarship, service, character and leadership. The institution strives to promote excellence in these categories and pushes for its members to explore and grow in each area.

The induction ceremony was held for the 2025-26 session, and the selected students lined up in alphabetical order. As their names were announced, the students crossed the stage to receive their NHS certificates.

Before the students received their certificates, Dean Marci Tuzinsky gave a heartfelt speech about the importance of NHS and the opportunity it gives students. Her message included a read-aloud of a children’s book by Amanda Gorman, which Tuzinsky shared with the audience as a reminder to stay curious and nurture one’s inner child. The speech was followed by the first batch of students receiving their certificates and posing for a picture with Tuzinsky and school counselor Brian Williams.

Tuzinsky’s speech was followed by a short introduction from four current members of the NHS: Luca Hinesman, Mia Fletcher, Alex Smith and Nina Beals. Each student gave an overview of one of the main pillars of the NHS. Hinesman focused on scholarship and the critical point of membership to NHS’s dependency on a 3.5 or above GPA. Fletcher dived into the world of service and benefiting one’s community and school. Smith talked about leadership and its qualities including initiative and positive attitude. Finally, Beals spoke on character, specifically the traits of cooperation, respect and honesty.

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around themself but also the people that they lead,” Smith said. “I feel like I really want to replicate that in my own life.”

After the initial round of inductees, Sue Nishi, from the breakfast program at Saint Andrew’s Church, which is located in front of CHS, came up to speak to the crowd. In her speech, she detailed the history of her work at Saint Andrews’, including how the breakfast program has been running for over 50 years and how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her work. Nishi discussed how the program fed to a community of people in need around Ann Arbor, especially since the weather has become worse as temperatures have dropped. She told the crowd about the services they offer and how to get involved. Nishi concluded with the idea of service being one of the most fulfilling aspects of life, especially when you begin to feel gratitude for your own experiences.

Rosie Matish, CHS sophomore, was in the second round of inductees who were given their certificates after Nishi’s speech.

Matish was incredibly excited to attend the ceremony and was grateful for the acknowledgment to her efforts in school and beyond.

“I’m really excited to be in the National Honors Society,” Matish said. “It’s really nice to see the work that I put into school being celebrated, and it is a big honor for me.”

With the final certificates being awarded, the students made their way out of the auditorium to meet their families and celebrate with one another. The inductees were served cake decorated specially for the event while the CHS jazz band played joyous tunes.

The ceremony concluded with hugs and congratulations as the inductees headed across the parking lot with a general air of inspiration to carry the values of the four pillars of NHS into today, tomorrow and the year ahead.

Toula Greenawalt takes a picture with her NHS certificate standing next to Dean Marcy Tuzinsky.

Greenawalt was nervous but excited to be at the ceremony. “It makes it feel more official for the students and motivates them to be a part of the group,” Greenawalt said. “[Tuzinsky's] presence is really comforting and warming.”

Brain Williams addresses the crowd at the NHS induction ceremony at Forsythe Middle School.

Williams has been overseeing the induction ceremony for around five years but has been attending the ceremony for the past ten. “I think it’s important for our kids to do great things here,” Williams said. “They’re really bright and smart.”

NEWS

Photography by Mark Ionides A pair of observers stand together listening to a speech. Around their shoulders, they wear complementary Ukrainian and American flags.

Vigil for Ukraine on the Diag Three years into the war in Ukraine, Ann Arbor remembers the cost.

BY MARK IONIDES

Feb. 24, 2022, the Rus- ter in the central square of the cert before the assembly dis- their suffering as the only way ► On sian army began an inva- Diag downtown. They wielded solved for the night. to prevent the ultimate defeat: sion of Ukraine. The assault was meant to last three days — and on Feb 24, 2025, it entered its third year. The war has become a grim fact of life for millions of Ukrainians, and there remains no end in sight. With a death toll in the hundreds of thousands and rockets falling daily on Ukrainian cities, the war’s continuation is a bitter victory for Ukraine: the country remains free, but every day of fighting takes a tragic toll.

To mark this milestone, the Ann Arbor chapter of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) staged a vigil featuring Ukrainian songs and speeches that brought solidarity to the community in this bleak time.

By 5:40 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2025, a group of people had already begun to congregate and chat-

homemade signs with patriotic slogans and waved flags, both Ukrainian and American.

Some wore banners wrapped around their shoulders. People continued to arrive as Christopher Taylor, the mayor of Ann Arbor, mingled with the crowd until proceedings officially began at 6 p.m..

The opening speech was given by Eugene Bondarenko, the master of ceremonies for the assembly. Instantly, the mood sobered, and the speeches that followed were grim and fiery.

Following a singing of the Ukrainian national anthem, a series of speakers took the podium to talk of the bravery and tragedy of the Ukrainian resistance. After half an hour of speaking, the congregation marched to Burton Tower on Ingalls Mall for a carillon con-

Vigils like this serve as a focal point for the Ukrainian community, allowing people of all walks of life to bond; they act as a platform for people to share their perspectives and personal stories of the war. In the face of prolonged suffering, they offer renewed faith, vigor and strength to carry on.

In his position as conductor for the event, Bondarenko had the opportunity to choose the message to send and guide the gathering accordingly.

A Ukrainian native and Russian language teacher, the struggle in Ukraine had been central to Bondarenko’s life for decades. In his view, it was crucial that the vigil expressed all sides of the war and allowed the people to speak of their own experiences however they wished. He sees uniting the community in

THE COMMUNICATOR

giving up.

“Three years into a war, there’s fatigue,” Bondarenko said. “Just because people are showing up and just because people are there doesn’t mean that they’re not exhausted. Russia’s ultimate goals hinge on the fact that people will simply get tired of fighting. Events like this serve as a demonstration that they’re wrong.”

The vigil was not a merry occasion. The music was slow and somber. The terrible realities of war loomed large over the event. However, Bondarenko still views the vigil as a success.

The goal was not to comfort the community with uplifting lies but to unite the group through shared acceptance of the truth: the war is not going anywhere, but we’re going to get through it together.

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Michigan Youth Ensembles' 75th Year CHS Students reflect on their experience in the ensembles.

BY LILIANA AMJADI KLASS

of black-shoed the famous Donald Sinta and is ► Hundreds feet stomped on the stage now the tenor saxophone player of Hill Auditorium as Dr. Courtney Snyder walked onto the podium — a band’s applause for their conductor. It was the season’s final concert, and Snyder had requested laser-focused attention from her ensemble.

The Michigan Youth Ensembles celebrated their 75th anniversary the week of March 2-8, 2025, with performances from their Symphonic Band, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra and many other musical groups. On March 2, both the Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras performed their final concert of the school year.

While the Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Band performed at the acoustically-perfect Hill Auditorium in downtown Ann Arbor, the Jazz Orchestra performed at Zal Gaz Grotto Jazz Club and in the Earl V. Moore building.

Freshman Genevieve Nuxoll is a bassist in the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra — or as students call it, MYSO — and has made many memories this past year. Nuxoll enjoyed getting to know musicians she wouldn’t have otherwise played with and learning a bigger repertoire of music.

“I was newer at the whole orchestra thing than everyone else,” Nuxoll said. “But I think it was a really good experience to have as a freshman.”

This week, two of the ensembles had two once-in-a-lifetime experiences, with the Orchestra putting on a world premiere of a piece and the Band playing a concerto with renowned saxophone player Joe Girard.

Girard is a MYE alum as well as a University of Michigan (U of M) alum. He studied under

in the Sinta Quartet.

A professor emeritus of saxophone at U of M, Donald Sinta is highly renowned for his virtuosic technical abilities as well as his teaching skills. He taught for 40 years at U of M and was succeeded by one of his students, Timothy McAllister, who is also a virtuoso.

Other students of note were Branford Marsalis, the brother of Winton Marsalis, and Matthew Levy, a founding member and co-artistic director of the PRISM Quartet (saxophones).

During the soundcheck on March 3, 2025, with the band, Girard spoke about his experience in the band during the mid-2000s. He has made lifelong friends as a result of participating in the ensembles.

Girard said to the band, “When in doubt, try out.”

Nine of the 19 members of the Michigan Youth Jazz Orchestra are or have participated in CHS’s jazz program. Lorenz has really enjoyed his experience as a member of MYJO while also playing in two other jazz groups.

“D.W., He’s the teacher from U of M that runs [MYJO],”said Desmond Lorenz, CHS senior.

“He’s really fun because his catchphrase is ‘Say yes.’ When he knows he’s right, he’ll tell you, ‘I want you to solo. Say yes.’”

Now these young musicians are looking to the future, some with thoughts of college dorms and music majors, others with nervousness and excitement for the upcoming auditions. Come April, they will decide whether or not these students will get the chance to perform with the selective ensembles for one more year.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ESH SCHADEN

NEWS

Trauma and Society Bringing trauma awareness and education into the classroom.

BY JESSE SHTEIN

the Trauma and Society course often lead to trauma. Having a curriculum course workbook and turning it into a les► When book was dropped off in the CHS that is more focused on the education of son plan that can be used in class. main office, it was originally proposed as a social studies course. But when looking at it, Becky Brent had a different idea: she noticed that it fit into the standards and benchmarks needed for a health and wellness class. As a health teacher, Brent is aware of the impact trauma has on people, particularly in high school aged students. She believes that it is not brought up enough in the basic health and wellness curriculum, despite its impact in society.

The Trauma and Society course is designed to inform and educate on what different types of trauma are and how they affect people. It expands upon the health curriculum, focusing on an important and under-represented part of mental health.

According to a 2019 Michigan Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 63% of Michigan high school students have reported one or more adverse childhood experiences, which can

trauma can help people better understand why they can have certain reactions to situations and why others may have different reactions.

Having this class can help build empathy skills at an age where students are still developing emotionally. It provides a space where people can learn to manage past and future traumas.

“If we’ve been through something big and we’re struggling to understand why our brain and body are processing it the way it is, having the information can be really helpful in understanding ourselves,” Brent said.

Brent has been working on getting the curriculum approved with the AAPS Curriculum Senate. She has already completed one book study CR and is currently creating and teaching a lesson plan CR. She has also been busy with taking the original ART BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

“As any seasoned teacher knows, it takes about a good four years of a program to really be in place, to create lesson plans that are tight and profound,” Brent said. “So the lesson plan improvement is going to continue for the next four years.”

Brent’s goal is to get the Trauma and Society class taught at every AAPS high school.

“We’re going to pilot it as an actual class for the first semester next fall [at CHS],” Brent said. “We’re also going to work in conjunction with the University of Michigan in collecting data on how well it goes.

Then, we’re going to take that data and present it to the AAPS Curriculum Senate.”

With next fall’s course, Brent hopes to see the course not only thrive but also grow and evolve, allowing more students to understand trauma and apply that knowledge in meaningful ways in their lives.

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Making a Splash on Main Street CHS Art Club students are tasked with creating whimsical fish sculptures during Youth Art Month for Conor O’Neill's.

BY NEILA SHEE

CHS Art Club re- display on Connor O’Neill’s ► The turned once again to most popular dish — their the annual Youth Art Month (YAM) event, hosted on Main St. Ann Arbor during the month of March. CHS Art Club has a tradition of decorating the storefront window with a display that connects to the business inside. YAM wasn’t just created to highlight young artists’ creativity in Ann Arbor; it also brings students and businesses together as one collaborating community.

“I think that art is just one of those things that really shows off the humanity and is something that brings people together,” said Bee Whalen, a leading member of the Art Club. “It’s a great way to give back to the community.”

Every year, CHS designs an exhibit in the storefront of Conor O’Neill’s, a traditional Irish pub that’s offered authentic Irish meals to Ann Arbor for the past 25 years. Last year, they chose to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Ann Arbor’s founding. For their display, the club made plaster hands finger-spelling bicentennial in ASL to represent the inclusivity Ann Arbor brings to the table.

This year, Beth Portincasa, leader of the Art Club, was inspired to center CHS’s YAM

ale-battered Atlantic cod served with fries, crunchy coleslaw and a spicy malt vinegar sauce.

This theme was chosen so students would be able to express their creativity through personalized colorful fish and giant hand-painted fry coral.

“It’s a really good design item because it has a lot of fun ways you can interpret it to make it more interesting,” said Cassidy McKenna, leading member of Art Club. “We wanted to give more of an artistic color palette and not necessarily do realistic fish but branch off the idea of whimsy to create an underwater surrealist environment.”

Some students took a more creative route and crafted more unique creatures, using a variety of mediums, such as ceramics, collage and other scrap materials. Other students choose to follow a step-by-step cardboard and masking tape guide for the body of the fish and

ART BY CHS STUDENTS

customize the outside to make it their own.

Jameson Grice and Mira Authier, two ninth-grade members of the club, collaborated to make a cardboard blue fish inspired by the fish in Grice’s fish tank at home. Working on a cohesive display for YAM was something that neither had ever done before and trying this new thing together gave them a chance to connect.

Whalen and McKenna, as well as three additional seniors, Seasson Rosenfeld, Cat Barney and Abby Kerfoot, were some of the students who made the French fries of the display. They used a hot wire to shape the fries and acrylic pain to achieve that golden yellow color. All off them have been in art club for a while, and big projects like this makes them feel united.

The exhibit was initially proposed to the club in January, but due to CHS’s irregular

scheduling, the project wasn’t started until early February. For the whole month leading up to the event, rt club would meet every Thursday afternoon to design and assemble the pieces. The week before the exhibit was displayed, the whole club got to climb into the glass storefront to install their project as a group. Once they crawled out from behind the glass, they could finally take a step back and admire the product of their labor.

“It’s really chaotic,” Portincasa said. “But it’s rewarding to see what we accomplish once it was finished.”

Portincasa isn’t the only one looking forward to the art that students are creating for the event: Caroline, owner of Connor O’Neill’s, can’t wait to see the creativity YAM has to offer.

She views YAM as a way to connect with her community. Business owners such as herself get to meet students and teachers when they come to install their art and pedestrians will stop in front of the storefront just to look and interpret the art pieces.

“It’s always so cool to see the level of expertise from high school students,” Caroline said.

“The world is full of academics and numbers, but art makes people think and feel.”

YAM is made for artists and art lovers across the Ann Arbor area, and as long as it continues to exist, there will always be a place for a creative community to thrive.

Photo courtesy of Anna Chomistek

The Power Play

How two CHS hockey players have found power, confidence and belonging in their sports.

BY KYRIE GARWOOD AND AVA GRIFFITH

ANNA CHOMISTEK Chomistek grips her ► Anna stick, her eyes locked on

the ball. With a quick swing, she sends it flying up into the air, launching it mid-field to one of her teammates. In this moment, she feels powerful.

Like many athletes, Chomistek’s field hockey journey started with a simple introduction through her friends.

“So many people I knew did it, and it looked really fun,” Chomistek said.

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With gymnastics no longer an option due to the indoor limitations of COVID-19, she threw herself into her new sport. She started by joining Fer De Lance (FDL), a club field hockey team, before joining the Slauson Middle School team.

Chomistek plays year-round, even in the winter. The turf field is replaced by a basketball court and some rules change during the indoor season, such as no out-of-bounds — instead of crossing painted lines, the ball just hits wooden boards.

Despite her experience playing in different conditions, stepping onto a high school team

was an entirely new challenge.

Coming from middle school field hockey and then transitioning to a huge high school team, her nerves were high.

“Pioneer has been state champs for a while, and that’s super nerve-wracking being a freshman and joining such a good team,” Chomistek said.

After a few bumps in the road — including a concussion during tryouts — Chomistek ultimately made the team and felt welcomed by her new field hockey family.

“I wasn’t sure how tryouts were gonna go, but it ended up going really well,” Chomistek

said. “The team was so supportive and super fun.”

That sense of belonging fuels her both on and off the field. Chomistek draws strength from being surrounded by her friends and fully immersed in her sport — both physically and emotionally. She thrives on the positivity and support within her team, the inclusivity of all skill levels and the guidance of coaches who push her to be the best athlete she can be.

“I can really be myself on the field, and I feel really powerful when I play,” she said. “I mean, it’s holding a stick and whacking a ball.”

SPORTS

Photo courtesy of Willow Rosenfeld

For Chomistek, field hockey is more than just a game — it’s an outlet. Most importantly, it’s a way to quiet the noise of everyday stress. The sport has helped her manage anxiety and given her a space to feel strong and in control. But beyond the field, she also finds power in the people around her — at CHS, with friends and in spaces where she’s encouraged to be her most authentic self.

WILLOW ROSENFELD Rosenfeld’s jour► Willow ney to playing high school

hockey differs greatly from most of her peers. Unlike many of her teammates and competitors who started from a young age, Rosenfeld only began her

career in eighth grade. While she doesn’t remember the specifics of the decision, its outcome has come to define her high school experience. “[Playing ice hockey is] probably one of the best decisions I ever made,” Rosenfeld said.

“It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve learned so much and met my favorite people.”

Growing up, Rosenfeld often enjoyed skating recreationally at local rinks but originally learned to skate on figure skates. Transitioning to different blades and a completely new skating style was a challenge but one that she embraced by joining her first hockey team, the Biggby Cougars. Rosenfeld joined the team relatively blind, with no previous experience or friends to play with; however, her self-driven determination allowed her to find her role in

the sport.

You can now find her on any given Wednesday speeding down the ice as a winger for Pioneer High School. In her position, she has many responsibilities on both sides of the puck.

On defense, she can be counted on to block shots and steal passes, while her job on offense is all about the attack, doing anything and everything to get a goal or an assist for her team.

Hockey is a unique sport in many ways, but it was the game’s fast-paced nature and innate collaboration that had Rosenfeld hooked from the beginning.

“I think it’s weird that there’s a sport that is on skates, but I’m glad, because it’s really great,” Rosenfeld said. “I love the fast pace and the collaboration, you really have to work as a unit.”

However, hockey is not with-

THE COMMUNICATOR

out its challenges. Aside from the physical demands, the sport’s mental aspect is often the hardest part for Rosenfeld.

Coming off of a rough season, the level of perseverance and determination the game requires can sometimes be a tall order. Yet Rosenfeld, like many successful hockey players, has found ways to look past her struggles and push on, an invaluable skill on and off the ice.

“It’s hard when things aren’t going your way,” Rosenfeld said. “It’s a really hard sport, so keeping your head up and trying over and over again can be a challenge.”

As this year’s season came to a close, Rosenfeld noted the hard work her team has put in but described it as “a rebuilding year” with the graduation of eight veteran seniors last year.

Despite the difficulties, Rosenfeld remains optimistic about next year.

“Everyone’s been playing hard, and I think next year is looking really promising,” Rosenfeld said.

Next year, Rosenfeld will step into a new role on the team as an upperclassman and she has one goal in mind: to improve their record. While she acknowledges that win-loss statistics don’t always reflect a team’s effort, she wants their hard work to be more evident in their results.

Beyond her aspirations for herself and her team, Rosenfeld hopes other young girls follow in her footsteps and try hockey. Through the sport, she has learned valuable lessons, developed new skills and become an important part of her team. To those considering the sport, she suggests they give it a try, arguing that “everyone should play a sport.”

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ELI

BRAUN--_-

SCHNEIDER

BY AMELIA SANDSTROM AND CLARA FREETH

Eli Braunschneider’s journey through discovering their gender identity and the ways in which they express it.

With 49 pairs of unfamiliar eyes on them, Eli Braunschneider let out a breath — one they’d been holding in for years. More than 700 miles from home, they had just stepped into a new world.

This was the first time they introduced themselves to a group using they/them pronouns. This group, their new classmates, would spend the next few months farming, learning and exploring together.

For Braunschneider, The Mountain School (TMS), located in Vershire, Vermont, was where they dug into the ways in which they express their gender through clothing choices. Prior to this semester-long experience that took place the fall of their junior year, they had only ever been known by she/her pronouns.

“The summer before junior year, I was becoming more and more aware of the fact that I felt deeply uncomfortable with the public perceiving me as a girl,” Braunschneider said.

When Braunschneider’s mom proposed using they/them pronouns at The Mountain School, Braunschneider decided to take advantage of the opportunity — to be immediately recognized as a non-binary person.

Braunschneider’s parents have always been supportive. From a young age, they experimented with different modes of expression using clothing.

However, there was always a sort of looming pressure of “female norms.”

They never felt pressured into “being girly,” and found it odd when others expected them to conform to the spe-

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I never really thought of myself as a girl.

ELI BRAUNSCHNEIDER

cifics of gender norms.

“I never really thought of myself as a girl,” Braunschneider said. “So in some ways [changing my pronouns] was really easy. Once I did that I was like, oh now I can just be myself.”

Braunschneider was able to discuss with peers who could relate to their experiences like these through Queer Affinity, a club at TMS. They formed connections with people who understood them on a unique level. During their four months there, Braunschneider explored their identity to its absolute depths and found that using they/them pronouns and identifying as non-binary was empowering.

“In some ways, it barely felt like a change to me,” Braunschneider said.

“It just felt so natural.”

But when they returned back for Thanksgiving break, they encountered the same challenge as before in a new light: People who Braunschneider knew from home knew them exclusively as a girl. Often, well-intending people who cared about Braunschneider used the wrong pronouns or assumed they were a girl. Back in Ann Arbor, Braunschneider had to redefine their identity in a new context.

Coming from a place where everyone knew them as who they really are, that was challenging.

“To have gotten so used to [my gender identity] then to come back and have everyday people using she/her for me, that was hard,” Braunschneider said. “I was being really misunderstood a lot of the time.”

While they understand that people simply didn’t know, the frequency at which Braunschneider was correcting the people around them was becoming incredibly exhausting; they just wanted someone else to stick up for them.

Over time, most people in Braunschneider’s life knew and respected their identity, but sometimes there were slip-ups. This doesn’t bother Braunschneider much anymore though, because they know who they are. If, in someone else’s mind, Braunschneider fits into one category or another, they are fine with that.

In finding their identity, Braunschneider discovered that what truly matters to them is not needing to categorize themself. They can just be who they are and not worry about how other people see that.

Another puzzle piece of under-

standing their identity was finding how clothing played into their expression. Many gendered expectations are folded into patterns, materials and silhouettes, but experimenting with the ways in which they dress themself to find a balance between feminine and masculine presenting clothing lets Braunschneider explore their identity and fluidity.The months that followed Braunschneider’s return to Ann Arbor were marked by several key shifts in the way they dressed and presented themselves in their activities, like orchestra and dance. Braunschneider immediately traded in their orchestra uniform from a dress to a tuxedo, and after that, they felt that they no longer had to constantly worry about how they looked and lived in a space of discomfort.

An even bigger shift was the one that took place in Braunschneider’s dance studio, with people they’d known for years. At first, Braunschneider continued to perform the feminine dances, but that feeling of discomfort was all too present as they started preparing for their annual spring recital. The male and female parts were distinctly different, and one day, the disconnect was too much. They decided to talk to their instructor about how they were feeling, and, in tears, Braunschneider explained the effect the extremely gendered female part was having on them. It was decided that Braunschneider would dance the male part, wearing the traditional masculine ballet uniform. To do this, they trained with the other person dancing the male part, including additional pushups and arm exercises to assist with lifts.

“To have [my instructor] so completely just take me on as, ‘This is the part you are dancing, so you are going to do the things that the boy is doing,’ was so gratifying,” Braunschneider said.

Often, they opt for masculine-presenting attire, as they feel that they have had to run away from femininity to be seen as non-binary. But Braunschneider also likes to add the occasional floral skirt to mix.

“I think it’s ridiculous that there’s this [idea of] how a non-binary person has to dress,” Braunschneider said.

“The whole point is that there’s not, and I’ve found comfort in [knowing that] I do not have to categorize myself anymore.”

MARCY

MCCORMICK

BY JANAKI NALLAMOTHU

Being a mother is a large par t of Marcy McCormick’s life and has greatly informed how she moves through the world.

The ability to create life is powerful.

As a parent to twin boys, Marcy McCormick knows a thing or two about what it means to have young lives depend on her. She remembers times when her boys were younger, when they depended on her for everything. She provided constant care, support and guidance.

“I think there’s this incredible beauty in the power of having a person depend on you,” McCormick said.

As her children grow older, recently turning 10, she has realized that as much as they depend on her, she depends on them. She learns new things from them every day, whether it’s a quirky fact learned in school, the excitement of making new friends or the joy of living in the moment.

Her twins, Teo and Toben, have vividly different personalities. McCormick sees Teo as being empathetic in his daily life, showing a deep level of interpreting feelings.

Even when he was a little boy in preschool, McCormick witnessed his social skills thriving, never wavering to share his building blocks or give a quick hug to a friend in need.

“He connects with people emotionally,” McCormick said. “He has this emotional intelligence that just blows me away.”

McCormick describes Toben, on the other hand, as a creative personality. Toben loves to express his creativity by letting his imagination run while writing his own stories.

McCormick acknowledges that these prominent traits present in her boys weren’t ones she possessed when she was younger. She wasn’t as compassionate as she sees Teo being and didn’t have such an imagination as Toben.

“A lot of being a parent is seeing yourself in your children, but also seeing these unique individuals who have their own gifts and talents that I’ve never had,” McCormick said.

She believes their personalities shine through stronger as they grow up and has loved watching them explore their passions. Watching her children grow up has been an adventure for McCormick. She’s seen them experience their highs and lows, ever since they were tiny humans until now, as they’re a decade old.

“Who they were as babies is still who they were as toddlers and now young adults,” McCormick said.

“It’s cool to see that growth and to see them celebrating their uniqueness.”

She remembers reading a variety of parenting books as she tried to prepare the best she could. But through the years, McCormick has learned that there is no right way to raise a child; the way that works for a friend might not be the best for her.

“Once you become a parent, you just have to live it and experience it,” McCormick said. “So much of parenting is figuring it out on the fly and not being confident.”

Lacking confidence during the process of parenting can be stressful when this bold act of trial and error has left McCormick feeling overwhelmed multiple times. McCormick remembers the doubts she had every day regarding the health of her children. However, raising Teo and Toben in the same household and the same environment has quieted some of those negative thoughts.

“If I had a first child and they were delayed walking, I might’ve been really concerned,” McCormick said.

“Knowing that they had the exact same environmental influences and developed milestones differently took a lot of pressure off us as parents, understanding that it’s not necessarily what we’re doing, it’s just that they’re different people.”

Joining a community of parents has also helped to calm some of McCormick’s nerves, especially at the beginning of her parenting journey.

These spaces provided a support group where other parents could connect and share stories. McCormick joined this group, hoping it would ease her stress and reassure her throughout her first months of parenting, and after spending time in it, she’s recognized the value it brings.

Even though Teo had started walking a month earlier than Toben, McCormick and her partner knew that there was nothing they had done wrong as parents, it just so happened that Teo walked first.

While McCormick has had times when she felt a lack of confidence regarding being a mother, she hopes to empower her children to be confident. She always encourages her chil-

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I think there’s this incredible beauty in the power of having a person depend on you.

MARCY MCCORMICK

dren to ask questions and share their thoughts. She wants them to be curious and ask about the “why.” Ever since the twins could start forming words and sentences, McCormick made it a point to ask for their opinions.

“I give them their own voice,” McCormick said. “I don’t assume that their opinion is my opinion.”

Whenever having discussions as a family, McCormick and her partner like to tell their view and then proceed to ask their boys if they have an opinion. McCormick believes that allowing children to form liberated thoughts makes them more of an independent person. As Teo and Toben get older, McCormick notices that they are becoming more individualistic.

McCormick understands that she does influence her children’s choices, but she doesn’t want to limit them their from being their own, free-spirited people.

Becoming a mother has taught McCormick many lessons, the most important one is to let her children take their own route, even if it results in mistakes or self-reproach.

She wants to instill values of confidence and perseverance into Teo and Toben, hoping they learn to reflect on their experiences and continue to explore new adventures “They have their own personalities, their own interests,” McCormick said. “We absolutely influence them as parents, but they are their own person, and I want them to value that. It’s not me shaping who they are, it’s them telling me who they are and me loving them completely for that.”

AJANAE

Raised in a world that often made her feel out of place, Ajanae Bullard has found strength, identity and belonging through the power of community.

BULLARD

BY PIPER COOKE

Ajanae Bullard has spent her whole life feeling different. From unwanted hands in her hair to blatantly hateful comments from even her own family, Bullard is no stranger to adversity.

“I’ve grown up surrounded almost entirely by white people,” Bullard said. “Spending so much time with those who don’t look like me, especially the white side of my family, has always left me feeling out of place.”

Bullard’s hair holds deep significance for her. Her defined ombré curls are not only one of her favorite features but also a powerful symbol of her racial identity, reflecting the richness and complexity of her heritage. Yet, her experiences with her hair are as layered as the identity it represents. Her hair texture has made her a target of discrimination, becoming a focal point for those who either don’t understand or refuse to accept what it symbolizes.

“As a biracial woman, my hair is pretty unique,” Bullard said. “It’s tighter than my mom’s straight hair but looser than my dad’s coils. I think my hair holds the story of my lineage and the different sides of my identity.”

The complexities of Bullard’s identity were evident from a young age, shaped by experiences that left a lasting impact. Bullard remembers a particular moment in elementary school that still lingers with her today.

“It was fourth grade picture day, and I remember being really excited to get my photo taken,” Bullard said. “Out of nowhere, an adult who I did not even know was touching my hair. She had completely messed it up. I got really anxious about how my picture would turn out now that it had been ruined. In that moment, my power was taken away from me.”

There’s a term for moments like these, and it’s racial discrimination.

It encapsulates the unfair treatment people face based on their racial identity. It’s when bias, misunderstandings about identity and unchecked privilege create the illusion that it is okay to give others express hate in harmful and dehumanizing ways. For Bullard, as for countless others, racial discrimination has been an overarching theme in their

lives. A theme that has defined many of her personal experiences as well as the broader narrative of society.

With life guidance primarily coming from Bullard’s white mother, she often felt disconnected from the Black side of her identity. For much of her life, those pieces felt buried and suppressed beneath the weight of the white influence she has been raised with. But something extraordinary helped bring them to the surface, revealing the beautiful, complex and powerful parts of who she truly is — Bullard found connection within the Black community.

This connection started in third grade when her teacher, Ms. King, went out of her way to educate, uplift and support Bullard. Through Ms. King, Bullard was introduced to Black culture in a way she had never experienced before, which laid the foundation for her to embrace and explore her identity with confidence.

That foundation only grew stronger when Bullard met another powerful Black influence, a woman named Ms. Marie, her eighth grade teaching assistant. Ms. Marie played a prominent role in uplifting Bullard’s identity and furthering her understanding of social justice topics.

This support aided Bullard in navigating and embracing her identity.

In high school, Bullard connected with CHS’s former counseling office professional Remi Harrington, who became one of the most significant Black influences in her life. Harrington not only introduced Bullard to the depths of Black identity in a modern context but also guided her through the complexities of race and identity in ways that Bullard had never experienced before.

Harrington’s perspective as an independent Black woman revealed hard truths about the world but also offered Bullard the understanding that, though the world may not be in her favor, community and solidarity could provide strength.

“Harrington offered me guidance from the standpoint of an independent Black woman,” Bullard said.

“She really showed me that the world isn’t in our favor and that my identity puts me at a disadvantage. But she also taught me that we can stand together and support each other. She

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My power was taken away from me.

AJANAE BULLARD

showed me what it means to be united.”

Harrington’s guiding words led Bullard to the CHS Black Student Union (BSU), where she has found a deep sense of belonging and reassurance. Participating in the BSU community has been a significant part of Bullard’s journey, solidifying her connection to her heritage.

These experiences have profoundly shaped Bullard’s understanding of both Black culture and community, revealing the richness that can come from the shared struggle surrounding racial discrimination as well as other challenges. She has come to realize the true power and profound impact of commonality.

She has come to understand that the power of community lies not only in shared identities but in the collective strength built by adversity and the unwavering support of those who truly understand.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the experience of racism is traumatic,” Bullard said. “It’s traumatic to be constantly othered, have your identity questioned and treated as lesser than, especially in a racial context because racism is so deeply rooted in our society.”

Bullard’s connection to the Black community hasn’t erased racism or shielded her from traumatic encounters with discrimination. But through that connection, she has found a sense of belonging and support that sustains her in ways nothing else can. It is within the solidarity of her community that she continues to find the resilience to face adversity and the courage to keep moving forward.

ALLOWED TO

LOSE

FEATURE

Figure Skating, the community around it, and the different ways CHS students thrive within it.

BY LYDIA DEBORD

Sylvia Stoermer was media trained when she was 12 years old. The Kiss and Cry — a pinnacle of their sport, live recording the reactions of the competitors to their results — required a skilled poker face.

Her most recent competition on Feb. 12 was no different as she sat in the Kiss and Cry. They had woken up early — at 5 a.m.. Each hair piece and makeup carefully intact as she worked to hide any negative emotion with a tight smile.

“It’s the feeling of the Jeopardy music,” Stoermer said.

Ranging anywhere to five minutes, the skaters wait in an awkward purgatory as the judges calculate their scores. In this specific competition, The Midwestern Regionals, that score would determine if Stoermer and her team were heading to Nationals to represent Ann Arbor.

Although the team was hoping for good results, Stoermer secretly was not surprised when they didn’t come. As the team stepped out of the booth, Stoermer knew something: it was her last competition with her team after six years of dedication and hard work.

The Hockettes were founded in 1956 in Ann Arbor as the very first synchronized skating team. Synchronized skating, not in the Olympics, is not as well known as other forms, such as freestyle or pairs, so Stoermer often finds themselves explaining it to people.

“It’s kind of like synchronized swimming,” Stoermer said. “We have a team of girls, and we all have the same costume, same hair, same makeup, and we all work together

throughout the year to pull together a program that we put on the ice and we compete.”

This past season, Stoermer competed with Hockettes’ Novice team, the second highest in the organization. The team is composed of a two minutes and 30 second long that brings them to nationals if performed in the highest sector of their respective regions of America. They sit right beneath the Hockettes Junior team, which Mahala Nguyen, CHS senior, skates on.

Hockettes’ Junior skates for Team USA, meaning they nationally represent their country, and are listed as international competitors. Nguyen joined the team freshman year and will give her final bow in Budapest, competing at The World Championships with her team.

“There’s definitely an element of pressure in that,” Nguyen said. “But it’s helpful to know that my entire team is doing it together.”

With the added pressure of representing America, mirages of practice and responsibilities are added onto weekly life, but Nguyen sees it as worthwhile.

“There are so many more opportunities,” Nguyen said.

On top of her trip to Budapest, Hockettes has also allowed her to perform in Colorado and California, this year alone.

As a leader in the Hockettes community, Nguyen also recognizes her impact on younger skaters. She remembers being younger and seeing the older skaters, wanting to be like them one day.

“It feels good to pay that forward,” Nguyen said.

As she heads off to college, her continuation with skating is uncertain, but she still appreciates all the opportunities it has given her.

Although they aren’t part of the youngest demographic, Stoermer has always admired Nguyen’s team.

“I look at those girls, and I see some of the strongest people,” StoTHE COMMUNICATOR

ermer said. “Genuinely, I have cried over their programs before.”

This deep love for synchro was ironically what made Stoermer decide to stop participating next season. In the past year, in part due to skating, Stoermer’s physical health has been quickly deteriorating. She has been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, a fainting disorder affecting her blood flow.

Stoermer started fainting frequently in eighth grade. They recall exhaustion, slow recovery times, constant migraines, all infused in building chronic pain. These aches were often excused as “growing pains.”

“Turns out those weren’t growing pains,” Stoermer said. “After a certain age, you kind of stop having those growing pains. They were chronic pain because of how my joints were not properly supported by my body.”

Because synchro is a team sport, Stoermer’s pain affects more than just herself, which was ultimately what made her decide to not return.

“I’d rather be healthy and away from my team than be damaged and affect my team,” Stoermer said.

Though her current coaches, both individually and in synchro, are very supportive of Stoermer and her health, not every coach has been. In fact, a past coach of Stoermer’s is, in their opinion, partially to blame for this deterioration.

In addition to the chronic illness, Stoermer also suffers from an overuse knee injury. This was, allegedly, due to her old coach, Steven Pottenger, who, allegedly, would consistently push them beyond their limits.

“He continued to force me to do jumps after I was failing them,” Stoermer said, “I kept on just falling and falling and falling and falling.”

Allegedly, Pottenger’s methods in coaching Stoermer largely centered on this overwork, as well as not listening when she said she was in pain.

Stoermer’s grandmother, Bobbie 27

It was always i was wrong for being in pain like it was my fault.

- SYLVIA STOERMER

Stoermer, a big name in the judging world, was, allegedly, something Pottenger would use against them.

“It would constantly be, ‘You’re a Stoermer, everybody knows you can do this, I don’t know why you’re complaining about this,’” Stoermer said. “It was always I was wrong, for being in pain, like it was my fault.”

Until one day at practice with Pottenger, she, allegedly, couldn’t physically get up from all the exhaust in their body. They had one thought: she couldn’t do this anymore.

After confirming with both her mother and grandmother, that was their last lesson with Pottenger. To Stoermer’s relief and sadness, her alleged experience with Pottenger is far from the only one.

“He allegedly had a student that had to go into surgery because of the amount of injuries she had, which was a result of a lesser, overuse injury that I had.” Stoermer said.

On top of this, on July 18 2024, Pottenger was suspended from the US Figure Skating Association and charged with two counts of sexual

misconduct with an anonymous girl between the ages of 13 and 16 years old. As of Jan. 22, 2025, until further notice, he is not to be involved in competitive figure skating again.

Since working with Pottenger, Stoermer has found strength in self advocacy. Her coaching team is now one chosen with trust and support in mind. These coaches work with Stoermer and focus on helping them thrive both despite and around their pain. If Stoermer cannot physically do something, alternatives are found, and they are not in trouble.

This flexibility and kindness defines why she loves the sport. This is part of why she is okay with not continuing on with Hockettes, even if a part of them is disappointed to not skate junior. They understand that their individual health and safety is more important than skating on a team.

However, Stoermer is still expected to finish the season strong with Hockettes. Stoermer’s mom has only one rule in regard to stopping skating with Hockettes: no leaving her team high and dry. When she came

to her mom during the season, she was met with the same reaction.

“She was in full support,” Stoermer said. “She said, ‘Okay, but no quitting in the middle of a season,’ and that’s what we agreed on.”

Though her synchro journey may be over, Stoermer has no plans in slowing down — be it, individually. Their new focus in skating is ice dance — a sport that also allows participants to qualify for Team USA if they compete at a high enough level.

Ice dance is composed of memorizing a pattern dance and a free dance, each distinction riddled with subsets, Stoermer’s favorite being the Ten-Fox dance.

Stoermer is happier than ever with her relationship with skating. As she heads into her next season, her limits and control are at an all time high. Their secret to happier skating isn’t groundbreaking: it’s balance.

“It’s just the belief that I can do better,” Stoermer said. “I can push myself a little further, but also knowing when to stop.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE ANN ARBOR ICE CUBE

FEATURE

THE COMMUNICATOR

If You Could Be Super...

The superpowers that connected with students to make their lives and others' lives better.

BY EDDIE MOBILIO BRECK, PAYTON SLY AND SARIE ANDES

For personal use or to spend time with others, Kyra Kahana’s superpower would be teleportation. She would want to travel in an instant.

The expense of plane tickets and train rides as well as the time it takes to go from point A to point B, Kahana would use the power of teleportation to zip across seas and see the sides of the world she’s never seen before.

“When it’s really cold in the winter here, I can just snap my fingers and go to the Bahamas,” Kahana said.

“That’d be awesome.”

Kahana’s everyday life would also have a dramatic shift. The drives to school and fears about finding a good parking spot in the morning would be eliminated as she could close her eyes and immediately find herself at the doors of CHS. Even though Kahana’s dream with her newfound power would be to travel the world and make simple transportation easier, she would want to take the stance of a friend to stand by and even a hand to hold. Kahana would use her teleportation to bring her friends along the journeys she takes.

“They’d hold my hand and when I snap my fingers, we’re there together,” Kahana said.

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Meghan Pillote would hone the superpower of becoming famous whenever she wants.

“Sometimes if I want to pop out of my house and feel cool, I’ll turn on A-list celebrity mode and everyone’s like, ‘Meghan! Meghan! Meghan!’ And the paparazzi is coming at me,” Pillote said. “But then I can also just switch it off one day, and I can pull out the chiller version.”

However, being a celebrity every day seems exhausting to Pillote — the aspects of being followed all the time and having the pressure of appeasing the public. Getting the best of both worlds is the most convenient for Pillote.

“Instead of the grass being greener on the other side, I got all of the grass,” Pillote said.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL JACOB

FEATURE

Iris Lunning wants to explore the world, so she chose the power of teleportation to help make the dream a reality.

The first place Lunning would visit would be Norway, to visit her family and enjoy their company in a much more accessible way.

As well as traveling the world, Lunning would use her power for more everyday activities to make her life more convenient, like avoiding traffic. It would also allow Lunning to have more time in her day to day life using the power whenever she needed to free up her time.

“Being able to teleport would be amazing,” Lunning said. “Just to be able to get out of traffic and you can visit the world really easily.”

Some good Lunning could do with the power would be helping people by teleporting them to the hospital so they could receive life saving medical attention. As well, Lunning could teleport people’s medicine to them at a much faster rate.

Teleportation would improve Lunning's life in a multitude of ways, both in the mundane tasks of life as well as having fun traveling the world.

The power of mind-reading can have many uses, some for good and some for evil. Jaz Jennings would take full advantage of the power, whether it be by learning people’s true feelings towards her or to gain a better understanding of the people she cares for.

“I would use it for things like, if my friend is feeling upset, then I know why they’re upset,” Jennings said.

“Or someone’s mad at me, and it’s like, why? I think it can be used for a better understanding.”

Jennings also recognizes the good mind reading can provide; for example, if Jennings were to go into healthcare, she could use her powers of mind reading to help her patients explain their condition. She can also use her powers to deepen her connections and to empathize more with friends.

Jennings would not enjoy the power of mind reading if she wasn’t able to control it. She would want it to be something she could switch on and off.

“If you weren’t able to control it, and you hear it all the time, I would not want that,” Jennings said.

THE COMMUNICATOR

31

Power to the People Private versus public: could our energy provider be in flux?

BY ALDEN KOSCHMANN AND LUCIA PAGE SANDER

●

Every morning in Ann Arbor, some 100,000 people turn on their lights, check their phones and set their thermostat, all without a second thought.

We are assuredly in an age of energy, which is a reality that most are content to live in. But our power doesn’t just show up, we have to plug in first: The question practically begs to be asked, where does electricity actually come from? The answer varies quite a bit from city to city, but a majority of areas in Southeast Michigan — including Ann Arbor — rely on a company called DTE Energy to keep the lights on. However, some people, such as Christopher Taylor, Mayor of Ann Arbor, think that the city could do a lot better without DTE. “Currently, electric rates go to pay salaries, not the public good,” Taylor said. “If we were starting society over today, I would like our power to be publicly owned, like our water system.”

Another group that believes that we could do better by running our own power is Ann Arbor for Public Power, often referred to as A2P2, a volunteer-run organization that is

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leading the charge on moving away from DTE. “We want to completely replace DTE with a city-owned utility,” said Gus Teschke, Field Co-Chair of A2P2. “It’ll be more reliable, it’ll be more affordable and we can make it 100% renewable.” Teschke, who has been an avid campaigner since 2020, got involved with the project because of the indisputable and ongoing climate emergency at hand. Another factor that motivates Teschke is that the project feels like it could conceivably be completed.

“We can get renewable power … we can build solar arrays, we can build wind farms, we can build storage systems and we can do it affordably with municipal bonds,” Teschke said. “It’s like buying a house. You get a mortgage and you live in the house while you pay it off.”

And according to Teschke, A2P2 will need to continue to garner voter support to pass a couple of ballot initiatives. Then, the city will hire experts to design and build a public power system and subsequently can hire employees to run it. Teschke also feels motivated by what Ann Ar-

bor leaving DTE could mean outside of the city’s power.

“It’s not only that we can have reliable clean power, but we would be an example to the rest of the state, saying, ‘Look, you too can leave the DTE monopoly,’” Teschke said. “‘You can build your own utility and it’ll be reliable, clean and cheaper. We can do it. You can do it too.’”

Prior to the A2P2 initiative, Teschke volunteered as a canvasser with Voters Not Politicians, a Michigan-based group that played a large role in working to end gerrymandering in the state. Now, his work for A2P2 sees him spending a lot of time out in the community talking to Ann Arbor voters.

“Voter support is critical,” Teschke said. “Without it, we don’t win. We also need a good phase two feasibility study, so voters can see how much it [public power] will cost.”

The A2P2 initiative has been operating since late 2020, working to replace DTE with a public electric utility. But why is there such a push for a switch, especially if it’s taking so much effort? According to Teschke, the situation can be boiled down to

“

CURRENTLY, ELECTRIC RATES GO TO PAY SALARIES, NOT THE PUBLIC GOOD. IF WE WERE STARTING SOCIETY OVER TODAY, I WOULD LIKE OUR POWER TO BE PUBLICLY OWNED LIKE OUR WATER SYSTEM.

“

three main failures on DTE’s part, all of which would be corrected if Ann Arbor’s power was literally — and figuratively — in its people’s hands.

“They want to skimp on maintenance so they can have more profits for their stockholders and bonuses for their executives and to pay for that army of lobbyists they have in Lansing that controls state politics on electricity,” Teschke said. “They also pay for all those ads you see and we pay for all those ads with our bills.”

Another one of the most important parts of the situation that Teschke noted is DTE’s position in the Michigan power market. According to Teschke, DTE is a monopoly; largely controlling not just the economy, but also the political situation surrounding electricity in Michigan. As a result of this control, their profit margins are significant: Ann Arbor represents about 3% of the company’s total customers, and DTE takes $24 million of Ann Arbor’s $164 million in annual bill payments as profit. In a public power system, those dollars would either go to system improvements, or simply lower rates, Teschke noted.

He pointed out that the city’s utility would spend that money on power line and pole maintenance, as well as

future investment in our infrastructure to increase reliability.

It might seem that with all of this work and thought going into replacing DTE, the company would be out the window by now, but there are various logistics that need to be addressed before that can happen.

“While I share the conclusion that our society would be better off in the long term with our power being publicly owned, I am also cautious about the cost,” Taylor said.

“There are lots of things that would be good, but I just don’t know how much they would cost, mainly. I do concur, however, that in the long term, a public utility would be a benefit.”

Taylor has identified a few main “cost buckets” that would have to be filled before a public utility can be implemented. First the city would need to buy all of DTE’s existing distribution assets. That includes each power line along the roads you drive on, every conduit beneath them and every power grid behind fences around town. Then there are costs to improve the infrastructure and to upgrade the assets that the city already has.

Another expense on Taylor’s mind is the cost of operating the utility.

“We would need to support the ‘soft costs’ of staffing and managTHE COMMUNICATOR

ing this utility,” Taylor said. “All the aspects of running a business, we would need to start all those things up, and have them working better than DTE on day one.”

One recent development in the A2P2 story was a city council meeting, in which there was a vote on the introduction of a Phase 2 Feasibility Study, which would help to ascertain whether or not a public utility in Ann Arbor would be optimal for the city and its citizens. The study would also clarify some of the costs involved. Teschke believes the study will play a large role in gaining voter support.

“Most people are either supportive, or they want to know more,” Teschke said. “They want to see that phase two study. How much is it going to cost? How long will it take?

What will we do” On Monday, March 3, the Ann Arbor City Council voted against the proposition to fund the study. What this means for the project is that the timeline has likely been moved back quite a while, and A2P2 is now working on ballot initiatives that will likely begin to take shape in time for the November 2026 election.

If you would like to support the Ann Arbor for Public Power project, you can do so at their website, https://annarborpublicpower.org 33

Going Green

The city of Ann Arbor is working harder than ever to meet its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

BY SOFI DAS, WILLOW ROSENFELD AND ISLA THARP

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As the fight for climate action continues across the world, Ann Arbor is working on doing its part, too. In 2019, city council members set the goal of making the city carbon-neutral by 2030. To meet this ambitious goal, a switch to renewable energy will be necessary. Five years out from the deadline, city officials and volunteers are working harder than ever to make that happen.

Currently, Ann Arbor’s power is supplied by DTE, which uses only about 10% clean energy. However, the actual percentage of clean energy usage may be higher than that statistic suggests, Nicholas Finn, a spokesperson for Ann Arbor for Public Power, explained.

“That [percentage] is hard to calculate because some green energy is purchased from outside sources, and personal green initiatives like rooftop solar could affect that,” Finn said.

Getting to 100% by 2030 will require hard work and advocacy.

Much of that advocacy comes from volunteers like Finn, who describes his volunteering as a “labor of love.”

So how is the city making this switch happen? There are a multitude of different plans in action, including working on state-level policy to support the transition to renewable energy on the electric grid; setting up a new, supplemental, opt-in, renew-

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able energy utility called The Sustainable Energy Utility, (SEU) and installing solar and energy storage at city facilities. Ann Arbor also recently won a U.S. Department of Energy grant to institute Michigan’s first shared geothermal network, which will support 100 homes with a sustainable heating and cooling system.

Additionally, the city has been collaborating with Ann Arbor Public Schools and the University of Michigan to facilitate a clean energy transition that could generate more opportunities to implement green energy.

Missy Stults, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Innovations in Ann Arbor, explained that another part of the city’s transition to green energy involves encouraging citizens to make changes in their own homes or routines. The city encourages residents to take part in installing solar panels on their houses through programs such as Solarize, which makes solar panel installation more feasible.

“We also run a slew of programs focused on helping people lower the amount of energy they use through efficiency programs,” Stults said.

“Those programs require residents to do things like install insulation or air sealing in their homes or make the transition from a fossil gas cooktop to an induction one. We offer technical support and funding assistance to make these kinds of transi-

tions easier.”

However, Stults emphasized that while all these programs are helpful, they’re optional. Powering Ann Arbor with 100% green energy won’t affect how residents use power in their own homes.

“Changing how the electrons that power our homes are processed — moving them from a fossil generated electron to a renewable energy generated electron — does not necessitate that people change much, if anything,” Stults said.

There are still many obstacles to overcome and challenges to face in order for the transition to take place.

Finn highlights the struggle they are facing against DTE as well as getting the City Council to approve of the potential changes.

“The biggest hurdle in the overall project will be fighting DTE in court for a fair price for the electric infrastructure,” Finn said. “That process could take a couple years to litigate in the courts and will be the final step before the city purchases the infrastructure from DTE.” Stults pointed out several other challenges, such as a changing federal landscape, limited amount of domestic manufacturing, time and misinformation. Another has been getting people to use certain green technologies in their homes, like induction stoves rather than gas-powered ones. But this hesitation usually

comes from a lack of understanding rather than opposition to the idea of carbon neutrality.

“When you start talking to people about transitioning from a fossil gas cooktop to an induction stove, you may have a bit more hesitation as people have been sold a very convincing and false narrative that gas is better for cooking,” Stults said.

“In these cases, getting people to try cooking on induction is key. Once they experience it for themselves, most folks are extremely open to make the transition.”

While transitioning to induction stoves and installing solar panels in their homes are helpful and important actions that Ann Arbor citizens can take, the most important effort is advocating for the 2030 goal. In order to prevent energy companies from using oil and coal to generate energy, policies and regulations must be enacted. By speaking about clean energy initiatives across the state, at all government levels, to anyone possible, progress can be made.

Finn emphasizes that personal energy-conscious decisions are good in their own way, but the real change will happen when energy companies are forced away from burning coal and oil. Using electricity that isn’t produced in a green way is no better than using coal.

“Working with a group like Ann Arbor for Public Power or others to change policy at a city and state level is the best way your time and energy can be spent to push towards clean, green energy,” Finn said.

So how can all of these changes be beneficial to the people and businesses in Ann Arbor? The city of Ann Arbor has made great strides in implementing clean energy and collaborating with other organizations to speed up the process. SEU is being launched and will help more citizens gain access to the benefits of renewable energy as well as increase

resilience and reduce outages. This will be a result of on-site generation and storage of electricity through SEU solar and storage programs, meaning distribution won’t complicate the process.

“As I often say, distribution is not the goal, generating clean electrons is,” Stults said. “That’s why we are moving forward with the SEU and supporting on-site renewable energy installations paired with storage to ensure that residents have more resilient, reliable and clean energy powering their lives.”

Public power can also help with energy equity within the city, allowing many to experience the benefits of green energy. Affording personal generators or rooftop solar panels wouldn’t be necessary, as an integrated clean energy grid would ensure that power could be sustainable and affordable for everyone in Ann Arbor. Having solar panels on certain houses could benefit others within the area, not just those who are able to afford it.

In addition to equity, public power could also enhance green energy by directly funding the improvement of the electric grid. Rather than seeking profit, the city’s municipality would use electric utility bills to improve the functionality of the grid as a whole. This would be a direct improvement from DTE, as the profit they are currently keeping could instead go to burying lines, expanding solar panels throughout the city or making the city more resilient to things like winter blizzards or summer thunderstorms, so that outages could be shorter and less frequent.

The prospect of a more sustainable future is exciting, but it’s important to remember that the work will still continue after 2030. Stults describes most of the work going on now as “foundational and transformational.” Besides sustaining the programs THE COMMUNICATOR

they have already put in motion, after 2030, the city will have to keep working on direct emissions reductions. That includes helping people switch from single occupancy vehicles and combustion engine cars to public transit and electric vehicles, supporting appliance replacements and efficiency work.

“In fact, in many ways, [2030 is] just the first marker we’ve set for ourselves,” Stults said. “Put simply, the work will never be done.”

“

THINGS MAY LOOK BLEAK AND THE FORCES MAY SEEM OVERWHELMING BUT NO MATTER WHAT, IT IS NEVER TOO LATE.

“

Every day, people like Finn and Stults are fighting for sustainable energy and working towards their goal, but they need help from the community if they ever want to achieve it.

“The 2030 goal is only achievable if everyone works together to push for green alternatives in all aspects of society and having that goal so close forces a harder push for a green energy future quickly,” Finn said.

“Things may look bleak, and the forces may seem overwhelming, but no matter what, it is never too late.

We must continue pushing for a better future no matter the current state of government or environmental issues. There’s always a better future to be had if we don’t give up fighting for it.”

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Mindfully Empowered The phrase “confidence is key” is common, but how does one go about gaining the confidence we all chase? How does one empower themselves to live their life happily?

BY ELLORA KIRBAT, JESSICA ROTHSTEIN AND LUCY LOWENSCHUSS

The teenager sitting across from Tara Saunders has watched Grey’s Anatomy at least 50 times. The familiarity of the characters and the jokes bring a sense of restoration. For the teen, the comfort of the show removes stress one scene at a time.

Saunders, a psychotherapist whose career revolves around helping people learn how to support themselves mentally, discusses empowerment in teens and the easy access solutions.

According to the American Psychological Association, the average stress level among teens is around 5.8 on a 10-point scale, which exceeds the ideal level of 3.9. Additionally, 31% of teens often feel overwhelmed. This reflects a trend of increased levels of stress and unhappiness in teenagers.

To Saunders, self compassion is the first important component of building an empowered mindset. Since people tend to be their own worst critics, leaving room for imperfections in oneself can translate to a more positive lifestyle. In sessions, Saunders often hears people blaming themselves for the ways they respond to a situation. She often hears them ask questions like, “Why did I react that way?” or “Why did I think that?”

“Letting your36

self off the hook and not being hard on yourself about things is super important,” Saunders said. “Give yourself a little bit of grace. I think when you can feel good about who you are and what you’re doing in the world and feel positive, that makes all the difference.”

Finding self-compassion can be difficult and may seem like a broad topic. However, there are several tools to help in granting oneself empathy, for example, avoiding negative self-talk. Over-analyzing conversations and thinking negatively about how one lives their day can translate to feeling overwhelmed and unhappy. In times like these, Saunders likes to remind people that they are always harder on themselves and their perspective is only one of many in a situation. She also finds it helpful to ask her patients if they would ever talk to anyone else the way they speak to themselves.

“I don’t like the word failure,” Saunders said. “I tell people never to ever use it. It’s the other F word.”

Self compassion doesn’t end with speaking nicely to oneself, extends to the idea of measuring one’s worth against others’ lives and experiences.

“I think the number one killer for people psychologically is comparisons to others,” Saunders said.

“No one compares and feels better, [instead] they feel like less. ‘I’m not as good, I’m not having this good of a life, I’m not as smart, I’m not as this, I’m not as that.’”

The struggle to find compassion and love for oneself can be especially challenging with the added pressure of social media. Seeing pictures of others who always seem happy, traveling to exciting places or hav-

ART BY WILLOW ROSENFELD

ing constant plans with friends, can make users feel as if they are missing out on aspects of life everyone else seems to have.

Saunders believes the key to not letting social media hurt self esteem is knowing that what people post on social media is not a realistic picture of their life, nor is it always accurate. She thinks it’s important to keep that perspective in mind while scrolling, so it becomes less of a doom scroll and more of a fun way to unwind.

Not only is social media a contributor to constant comparison, it can also lead to added social pressure and anxiety.

“The internet is both the best invention of the whole world and the worst,” Saunders said. “Everyone has a camera on them at all times, and they can film what you’re doing. If you trip and fall and are laying on the ground, they can look at you and laugh. It can be anxiety provoking for people.”

Saunders has noticed limiting time on the apps can be incredibly beneficial to mental health, but this isn’t to say that social media should be cut from one’s life entirely. She has found that comparing oneself to fitness influencers and content creators with vastly different lifestyles can suck all the self-confidence and empowerment out of a person’s mindset. Instead of spending hours scrolling with the mantra of “one more reel,” Saunders suggests watching some funny videos and calling it a day.

Saunders believes that daily habits like that are a key contributor to an empowered mindset, and a strong set of healthy routines or goals can posi-

FEATURE

The Little Things tively impact a person’s attitude and outlook on life.

Students at Community High have found that simple things can help them feel healthier, whether its drinking water regularly or fitting physical exercise into their schedule.

For Neil Carlin, a freshman, keeping a planner to track all of his assignments and commitments is a routine that keeps him organized and calm. He experiences a feeling of empowerment in the routine of crossing out what he’s finished.

“I organize it by class and due date, and it just makes me happy when I get to check off assignments because that just means less stuff for me to have to do in the future,” Carlin said.

Comfort movies or music are an additional strategy to bring more joy into one’s life. Saunders believes in the concept of a “Theme Song,” essentially a song that makes you feel empowered or comforted. For Saunders, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor is the perfect example: the song provokes an empowered feeling in Saunders’ mind.

Fond memories of this song bring back the 1990s, when Saunders worked at a group home with people who had been in psychiatric hospitals for years before.

“We’d go for a drive on Saturday nights, and, at that time on the radio station, it would be disco night,” Saunders said. “They would all remember being in the 70s before they were ever hospitalized. They would all sing along to music and be in a good mood. You can’t be in a bad mood listening to disco. They would all just be thinking about a better time in their lives.”

Besides music and movies, nostalgic food is also extremely helpful for struggling patients of Saunders. Patients with depression and a loss of appetite often still eat the foods they deem as consoling, even through their hardships. The taste is often a link to the patient’s childhood.

Small actions, like eating a favorite meal, can also help teenagers get through long days at school. For CHS freshman Soren Anderson, getting a coffee at lunch can bring him the empowerment he needs in the middle of a school day. Along with his midday treat, Anderson also values his time at school. His favorite subjects are math and science, as those are the ones he finds especially interesting and is strongest in.

CHS FOS teacher Andrea Adams, works to empower her students in the classroom. One of the ways she navigates this is by regularly checking in on her students to see how they are doing on both a personal and academic level. She finds this simple act makes her classroom feel welcoming which leads students to feel visible and encourages growth.

There are several ways she incorporates daily check-ins. One is a slip of paper called “question of the day.”

Adams provides a small question such as “How was your weekend?” or “Do you understand the material?” and allows students to write their responses on the piece of paper.

“It’s so that everybody gets to answer,” Adams said. “I think a lot of times, if you just put a question to the class, some people don’t feel comfortable speaking up or just don’t feel like that’s their role. So, I like to do it that way so I can make sure that everybody’s doing okay.”

To Saunders, Adams and these students, strategies of self compassion, positive daily habits and finding support in simple objects such as music or coffee can lead to an empowered mindset. They believe empowerment is something that can be translated anywhere, from school settings to social gatherings, and that it is a tool to make someone feel as powerful as possible. As Saunders reminds her clients, external empowerment only goes so far; working from the inside out is the true ticket to empowerment.

THE COMMUNICATOR

“It just makes me happy when I get to check off assignments [in my planner] because that just means less stuff for me to have to do in the future.”

- Neil Carlin

“I like it when I’m driving and then, boom, green light. I feel empowered like I’m controlling the road. I’m slowing down, and then it’s green and I can just take off.”

- Avery Mayer

“I haven’t had as much freedom previously at other schools, so it’s really nice to be able to go get coffee almost whenever I want.

It’s pretty liberating.”

- Soren Anderson

“I write down everything that happens in my day on my Notes app. It’s my little place to keep a record and it’s kind of calming.”

- Maggie Williams

“I definitely feel more comfortable when I have my water bottle. I get nervous sometimes and I get really thirsty all of a sudden.”

- Stella Whalen

“I really like science class. I find it interesting in general and I’m passionate about it. I feel smart when I know all of it.”

- Mira Authier

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The Power of Music Students and staff at CHS share about their experiences with music and how it has shaped their interests and daily life.

BY AMALIA BUCHER, ANNA BIRCHOK AND JACKSON POTTER

Music has the power to bring people together. Whether it’s through playing an instrument, singing or just listening to music on the bus ride to school, music can move us in ways nothing else can.

Beatrix Uhle is a sophomore in CHS jazz program and a cellist in Pioneer High School’s Symphony Orchestra. Uhle is always playing and listening to music. She recalls eighth grade when she played at AllState, a competitive music program.

Although it was intense and the rehearsals were long, Uhle felt at home in a way she hadn’t felt before.

“It was my first time playing in a truly good orchestra,” Uhle said. “It felt artful.”

Uhle finds that music brings her happiness no matter the genre. It doesn’t matter if she’s playing a classical or jazz piece or listening to pop 38

music in her headphones. This happiness is partially why music is so important to her.

Similar to Uhle, Mary Cate Baker, a CHS sophomore, also discovered a passion for music. She has attended numerous concerts, including Gracie Abrams, Beyoncé and Harry Styles. She finds that sharing her love of music with friends by going to concerts makes them all the more exciting. Baker’s first concert, Harry Styles, was a fundamental moment for discovering her passion for music, something that is now an integral part of her life.

Freshman Sadie Palay is split-enrolled at Pioneer for band. Last summer, she went to band camp at Interlochen and bonded with her fellow bandmates through music. Spending a week solely to play music not only improved Palay’s flute skills but also

created a shared experience between students that she’ll never forget. Palay also enjoys playing in the pit orchestra for musicals such as “Newsies,” a show Pioneer Theater Guild put on earlier this year.

“At the end, everyone gets super close together,” Palay said. “It’s not being directly on stage, but you’re still a big part of the community.”

Playing the flute, Palay she's grown to appreciate expressing herself through music.

Helio Fong, a junior at CHS, has been playing piano for five years. He first joined jazz when he came to CHS to fulfill his art credit. However, because the environment was so supportive, he soon found himself putting much more time into music than he had originally planned.

Fong believes the first two years were the hardest, as he was still be-

Photography by Daniel Jacob Sadie Palay plays her flute, an art that feels natural to her.

She has played for over four years, and has noticed gradual growth and progress over time. “Music is a huge part of my life,” Palay said. “It is a way to express yourself creativity.”

FEATURE

Helio Fong practices in the jazz room. He has found that over time, he has grown with the class. “I develop an understanding of what’s behind what I’m listening to,” Fong said. “I just think that’s a really cool process.”

ginning to learn the structure, and everything felt new and confusing.

By sticking with the class, he has learned and grown as a musician.

“It’s not just a collection of random noises,” Fong said. “It’s got thought and it’s got emotion and it’s got heart. Music can make you feel emotions. Emotions that maybe you never knew you could feel or have.”

Fong has made so many opportunities from jazz, including recently visiting Western Michigan University with other students for an invitational competition.

He finds all forms of music to be powerful, especially works by Wayne Shorter, a jazz saxophonist. Shorter is one of Fong’s favorite composers because of his special and unique construction of songs. He describes the first time he heard a piece of Shorter’s as one of the most power-

Helio Fong presses the keys on the jazz room piano. He has found that listening to music can be very impactful.

“While listening to music, I feel like such a big part of people's lives,” Fong said.

ful, impactful moments of music in his life. Jack Wagner, the CHS Jazz teacher has been surrounded by music his whole life.

“I can’t imagine life without it [music],” said Wagner. “It connects all kinds of feelings and emotions in my life and everyone else’s. But it also has a way of conjuring up feelings that nothing else can. I can’t imagine even one day without it.

Even if I was on a desert island, I’d be singing and whistling and tapping away. To me, it’s central to life.”

Wagner finds that live performances tend to hit the hardest. He remembers watching orchestras, jazz shows and even rock concerts when he was younger.

“That stuff meant an awful lot to me,” Wagner said. “Those are the highlights that when I think back, really hit home.”

THE COMMUNICATOR

Wagner has been leading the jazz program at CHS since 2008. He teaches music by first learning the techniques of how certain emotions and feelings come out when playing. He then is able to share it with others and help lead them along on their musical journeys.

“It’s this way of hitting home that no other art form seems to be able to do in that specific way,” Wagner said. “Music has brought countless different emotions to the table, and I love that.”

Seeing artists in concert, especially with people who enjoy them together, can be so impactful and maybe even life-changing. The community some find through music can support and uplift them. It gives people a way to express themselves in an environment where the love and dedication to music is shared.

39

With great power With great power With great power With great power With great power With great

OPINION

comes great responsibility.

STAFF EDITORIAL

There is a direct convergence between identity, privilege and power. Living in Ann Arbor, many of us find ourselves surrounded by people with a distinct concentration of advantaged identities.

This cultural bubble tells the story of gentrification.

Kerrytown, the neighborhood in which CHS is located, is a historically Black neighborhood. Though starting around the 1990s, wealthy to people began to populate the area, inflating the cost of living and gradually displacing members of the pre-established communities that had inhabited the area for decades.

Today, many of the city’s backbones and community-building spaces aren’t operative; places like the Colored Welfare League, the Dunbar Community Center, Bethel AME Church and Delong’s Bar-B-Q Pit no longer exist — at least not in their original forms.

While the region has retained portions of its culture, much of its racial and financial diversity has faded. For example, Teriyaki Time, a beloved neighborhood Japanese restaurant, was demolished in early 2023, to be replaced by 15 luxury condominiums. Prior to being Teriyaki Time, the building once housed Delong’s BarB-Q Pit, a longstanding and extremely successful Blackowned barbecue restaurant.

Moreover, the building that housed Jones School now hosts Community High.

Over 75% of the student body at Jones School was Black. Contrastingly, CHS is currently one of the least racially diverse schools in the entire district. Despite our use of a completely blind lottery admissions system, enrollment has always been disproportionately white.

As a result, our student body’s limited range of perspective has the potential to negatively impact its ability to learn to its fullest capacity; no one progresses to their maximum potential by residing in an echo chamber. When we lack understanding of the experiences of

others, when we lack significant knowledge surrounding social justice topics and when we lack genuine empathy, our environments are unable to foster positive change.

This is especially true in a professional or educational environment.

That’s not to say that CHS and its people don’t make appreciable efforts to be conscientious regarding topics surrounding race, class, gender and religion. Nonetheless, just like the Kerrytown neighborhood, there is a noticeable paucity of racial and financial multiplicity in our school — it’s our Achilles heel.

Unfortunately, a defining characteristic of the Ann Arbor bubble is a limited range of perspective. In this setting, the privileges many of us hold are often taken for granted; our parking lot is littered with shiny new cars that were received as 16th birthday gifts; it’s not uncommon for our classmates to shell out upwards of $15 a day on No Thai! or Sweetwaters orders; and unfortunately the front page of our very own website is sometimes devoid of a single person of color.

But these realities clearly aren’t reflective of everyone’s lives. Individuality is more than welcome at CHS, but certain types tend not to be as exalted as others.

If we continue business as usual, our disparities will only continue to deepen and solidify.

Thus, it’s our responsibility to be fully conscious of the privilege we hold, what exactly it means to be privileged, to educate ourselves, and to consistently and generously offer empathy and understanding to everyone, but especially to those we do not directly relate to. We never fully know someone’s story.

Ann Arbor, Kerrytown and CHS are undoubtedly special places, all of which are exceptionally fortunate to possess a concentration of knowledge and opportunity. But the age-old saying holds true: With great power comes great responsibility.

THE COMMUNICATOR

41

Power of the President

BY PAYTON SLY

As the leader of a nation, the President wields power to mold American society, change previously established policies and control global diplomacy.

They can also appoint cabinet members, advisors and nominate individuals for head of a department.

Upon being inaugurated, President Trump immediately put Elon Musk in the position of senior advisor and nominated him for Head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Although Musk now holds these high positions in government, he has had zero government involvement or experience prior to the last few months. This reflects the extent of the President’s ability to shift the progression of government and steer it in a way that reflects what they desire for the future of America.

President Trump and Musk have both expressed their dislike of immigrants through policies and words. Yet, Musk is an immigrant himself. Musk is a South-African born Canadian-American citizen. He only gained citizenship in 2002, immigrating into the U.S from Canada.

Democracy has always been the main focus of the United States, reflecting the freedom from British rule and cutting ties of colonialism. It is the President’s job to maintain democracy and follow the rules of it. In the last few days of his term, Former President Biden gave his farewell address, in which he warned about the 42

rise of potential oligarchy. This speaks volumes to the trouble that neglected democracy comes with.

During President Trump’s inauguration, the three richest people in the world sat directly behind him, in front of the President’s own hand picked cabinet. These ultra wealthy men were Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. All three are tech elites in control of institutes developing technology, shaping America’s future. It is fair to question why President Trump is prioritizing a wealthy and powerful seating chart over the greater good.

One of President Trump’s main campaign strategies was the promise of lower grocery prices. “When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One,” President Trump said during a press conference in August of last year. However, “Day One” has long passed—and eggs are currently at an all time high. They are averaging a price of up to ten dollars, depending on the region you live in, according to the USDA. In addition, Trump has enforced harsh deportation policies, renamed the Gulf of Mexico, shut down the Department of Education and more. The United States is more exposed to the dangers of climate change and greenhouse gas emission than ever, and Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement removes mutual benefits regarding prevention of climate

change for all members. Almost every country is a part of this agreement, including every single first world country, except the United States.

Global diplomacy, or maintaining relationships with foreign nations, is important to the success and progression of the U.S. Over the past few years, the U.S has been giving military aid to Ukraine and supplying the country with recovery funds. This has recently been paused, under the action of President Trump after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, visited the Oval House. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss an agreement which would grant the U.S access to Ukraine’s mineral resources, but soon unraveled into a disrespectful quarrel, with both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance accusing President Zelenskyy of bringing disrespect into the Oval Office.

Insults were also thrown based on their belief that Ukraine is disregarding “all America has done for Ukraine” and the gratitude and overwhelming thanks they deserve.

Over the course of American history, the flow of government and role of the president has evolved, changed and improved. Systems have been set in place to maintain public welfare and promote equity.

The government was designed to have a relatively limited role in the lives of American citizens, using a checks and balances system. This prevents one branch of government from

ART BY GARE DEEDLER

holding too much power over another, guaranteeing that almost all citizens feel represented and secure in their country.

This separation of powers is important to ensure a democracy and stay out of dictatorship and oligarchy.

But from the first time President Trump stepped foot into the Oval Office, traditional customs that the president followed began to shift: He used his pardon power to pardon himself, he used power in choosing judges that gave the judiciary system more bias.

President Trump has also undone healthcare policies, abortion and gender affirming procedure protection, along with disregarding the voices of many professionals about pressing issues such as climate change and COVID-19.

The basis of checks and balances is to work as an ecosystem, taking many opinions into consideration, but this disregard of previously established foreign relations, issues that affect everyone in the United States, using power to benefit himself, threatens the historical system of checks and balances.

The future of the United States, or at least the next four years, lies heavily in the hands of President Trump through proposed policies, treatment of foreign nations and addressing the needs of the people.

The question remains: Will the greater good ever be on President Trump’s priority list, or will his leadership continue to cater to a select few?

♂♂♂♂♂ ♂♂♂♂♂ ♂♂ ♂♂ ♂♂♀♂♂ ♂♂♂♂♂ ♂♂♂♂♂ UNAPOLOGETICALLY POWERFUL

BY ELLIE FOX, MIA RUBENSTEIN AND LILIANA AMJADI KLASS

♂ ♂ ♂ ♂ ♂ ♂

OPINION

Students share how they have felt powerful and powerless as women in high school.

At 15, Lily Eggleston started her first job in the kitchen of a local restaurant, surrounded by middle-aged men who didn’t take her seriously. She stayed quiet at first, unsure of how to make herself heard.

“I feel sometimes women need to work a lot harder to make their voices heard in a lot of communities,” Eggleston said.

Now, as the only woman and vice president of the statistics club during her senior year at CHS, she has learned to use her voice to encourage young women not to be afraid of trying something new.

“As the only woman in stats club, I find it extra important to try to make an attempt to diversify the club,” Eggleston said. “I think a lot of young women in high school feel a little off-put by an all-male club, especially one in a STEM field.”

Maia Genisio, a senior at CHS, has taken classes at the University of Michigan surrounding gender.

They have noticed that in our society, women are taught to be quieter with their opinions than their male colleagues.

“I think that women are taught more to offer explanations and offer help,” Genisio said. “There is more of a level of taught insecurity for women to second guess themselves.”

Genisio corroborates second-guessing and feelings of powerlessness, as one’s opinion can become stifled by these other boisterous beliefs.

Most of Genisio’s experience surrounding the feeling of powerlessness has mainly been in the male-dominated game of Magic: The Gathering. There aren’t many female players, and Genisio says that a woman will often try to play a card only to be told to re-think their play by a male player in the round. Overall, she believes that society is the reason that boys and men feel they can act this way.

Senior Klava Alicea has found that confidence comes with being a powerful woman. She has noticed that her confidence has stemmed from doing things that make her happy. Alicea finds many women feel the need to act more masculine to feel powerful; however, she believes that doesn’t have to be the case.

“I think embracing our femininity is power in itself,” Alicea said. “You would expect a woman to take away her femininity and embrace a more masculine role, but I think it can be the opposite. I think you can be feminine and still be powerful.”

A way Alicea becomes more confident is by seeking support through female friends. One of her favorite holidays is Valentine’s Day, and she recently had her first-ever Galentine’s celebration with a group of girls.

“I think the term ‘girl’s girl’ has really come up a lot in the recent years,” Alicea said. “There’s a new form of

unity for women. I think people are starting to believe women more, and that has unified women overall.”

Alicea is interested in studying marketing in college and has always been drawn to business by creating her own products and business ideas.

“Business is a male-dominated major,” Alicea said. “I have seen a shift in female-owned businesses, but there’s still a lot that needs to be done. I do think a man is more respected in the business field, and that can be kind of discouraging, but hopefully that will change.”

A woman who has inspired Alicea is Marilyn Monroe — one of the first women to embrace her sexuality and femininity.

“She would wear sparkly dresses, and that was kind of unheard of,” Alicea said. “She was the pioneer for doing all of that, so I think Marilyn Monroe is the epitome of a powerful woman.”

However, being a powerful woman doesn’t come easy for all. For Elise Nolan*, feeling powerless is not foreign. She recalls her first interaction with the feeling in elementary school with a family friend six years older than her. He decided to take advantage of her — in a hot tub — when they were alone. Being young and trivial, she had no clue what was happening. After talking the situation over years later, she realized she had been sexually assaulted.

“I didn’t have any power in that situation because I was so young and I was a women, and he was six years older and a man,” Nolan said.

In high school, Nolan realized this feeling had not gone away. Being in class with many boys, she has often been talked over. Nolan has realized that they often refuse to listen, even when they know they’re wrong.

“Men aren’t taught how to deal with power,” Nolan said. “Obviously, I don’t think men shouldn’t have any power in the world, I just think that everyone needs to be taught how to handle having power and not abuse it.

Nolan has found that the people who are supposed to help women can still choose to hurt them. For the majority of her life, she had a male doctor, even when she started to struggle with an eating disorder. Nolan’s doctor tried to put her on Ozempic and would not listen when she expressed that the struggle was not solely with her body.

“He knew that I had an eating disorder, and he told me that the only issue was my weight,” Nolan said.

Nolan decided to change her primary care physician after that visit and chose not to visit male doctors with issues surrounding female anatomy.

Eggleston, Genisio, Alicea and Nolan envision a future where young women have the confidence and power to do the things that make them happy and not be afraid to speak their opinions.

THE COMMUNICATOR

*This student source for this article has been attributed to a pseudonym to protect their identity.

If you need help, see Missy, Brian or your forum leader to connect you to resources.

45

ART BEE WHALENBY ELI FENG PHOTOGRAPHY ART BYBY BEE WHALEN

Social Media Manipulation A review of the unchecked power of social media and how it is fueling deception and shaping distorted perceptions.

BY ELI FENG AND AUGUSTUS KASCHUBE

Growing up as adolescences who use social media daily, we experience the influence social media has on our generation. At the dinner table, I, Augustus Kaschube, was occasionally caught repeating false information I got from social media, leaving me ashamed. Moreover, many young people are especially subject to manipulation because they have yet to fully develop critical thinking skills, as claimed by the Reboot Foundation in their article, “Developing Critical Thinking In Teens.” Upon long reflection, critical thinking or the ability to question something is a requisite for being perceived as a competent individual.

I often find it difficult to tell apart truths from lies when it comes to social media, not to mention tell the differences between deepfakes and real videos. I’ve seen famous cities burn and politicians making provoking statements only to find out that I had been trolled after a quick Google search. It’s becoming a greater challenge for me every day.

According to an article listed on Smart Insights, a company that specializes in digital marketing, social media is used more than two hours per day by 64% of the world’s population. While the United States only ranks third in consumption of its invention and is numerically surpassed by China and India, according to the World Population Review, the U.S. surpasses both countries percentage-wise, making it the most social media-consuming country in the world per capita. If other people are as susceptible to social media as I am, social media could play a vital role in today’s society.

Throughout the 2024 U.S. Presidential campaigning process, I witnessed plenty of propaganda on social media. I saw debates containing false information, such as the infamous “eating the dogs” snippet, where President Donald Trump falsely pushed the claim that immigrants were “eating the dogs… eating the cats,” during the presidential debate hosted on Sept. 11, 2024 by ABC. The rumor, which originated from a social media post, began in a Facebook group that claimed that immigrants from Haiti had killed a cat in the town of Springfield, Ohio.

In that same debate, Trump later claimed to have seen people on television state that their dog had been taken and “used for food” to back up his false claim.

A day before the debate, Vice President JD Vance stated on X that “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”

Vance’s post has 11.5 million views. This post could have swayed the opinion of 11.5 million people.

With graphic and vulgar content surging through social media platforms, I wonder to what extent social media is filtered. Is it being used as a tool for desensitization and manipulation? The normalization of gore — like an elephant brutally crushing a person and wrenching their limbs or people getting outright executed via arms — should not be easily accessible to minors on platforms such as Instagram.

There also was a claim, made by Instagram and X users, that the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza had been destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.

The statement, made six days into the war between Israel and Hamas, was confirmed to be false by the church’s official Facebook account, according to AP News. While there is evidence that the church was damaged later in the war, I think that social media posts blatantly taken for truth can disorient one’s perception leading to misinformed opinions.

And research supports this. According to a Pew Research Center study from 2022, 84% of people surveyed state that they think social media has made people easy to manipulate with false information.

There were also two videos posted on Oct. 9 that appeared to show Russian President Vladimir Putin telling the U.S. to “stay away” from the unfolding conflict between Israel and Hamas. One was from the celebration commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad, the other was Putin talking to a journalist about Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons. Both clips were falsely dubbed over in English to make them appear to be about the Israel Hamas war and Russia’s stance in the conflict.

“Probably more than half of the people I know [get news from social media] because it’s just so intertwined in our daily lives,” said Leo Castilho, a student at CHS. “Without you even knowing it, [social media] influences your way of thinking and how you perceive the world.”

While social media may be a great source of entertainment, it can confuse truths and lies to a dangerous level.

In the U.S., 45% of adults between the ages of 30 and 44 are exposed daily to misinformation online, as are 37% of people 18 through 29 years old, according to a Statista article. After being exposed to misinformation on various platforms and getting caught restating false facts, I still combat filtering out fake news to this day. Although freedom of speech plays a major role in our society, we need some sort of system that protects that same society from lies. Otherwise, our society might come to a point where no fact can be relied on — that leads to pure chaos.

47

Authenticity Over Perfection

Nothing is safe from the comedic stylings of the parallel reality we call “the internet.” From pop stars to politics, everything and everyone is made fun of.

People are simultaneously applauded and ridiculed for... existing. Why do we create an environment so hostile to being genuine? Is this how it is supposed to be?

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

“HI, GUYS — WELCOME BACK TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.” This is a phrase I use to kill the quiet in moments of awkward silence.

It’s something I’ve done for a very long time, and it always gets a laugh.

Language is something that connects us all, and I’ve found that tapping into this collective colloquialism allows for gaps to be bridged. I am like you, and you are like me. I fit in. I’m part of the crowd. I’m one of you. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

I want to make one thing very clear: I love visual media. Movies, television and even YouTube videos have helped me pass time, learn about myself and learn about the world. Lately, however, it seems that in a time when everything is a joke, nobody wants to be vulnerable. Nobody wants to stand out. Nobody wants to be themselves.

Hi, guys — welcome back to my YouTube channel. Let’s talk about authenticity.

First of all, what is authenticity? Most agree that being authentic means being genuine — real — and true to who you are without others’ perceptions influencing your behavior. It’s about truth, not about being good. No one is perfect, no one is “good enough.” We just are.

The language of life is art, and 48

art in and of itself is authenticity. lives on Instagram, assuming picTake acting as an art form. Acting is tures to be a thousand true words. one of the most elevated industries We have apps to track and share evin our society. We elevate actors to erything from photos to hobbies a status of idolatry, seeing them as (Goodreads, anyone?) to even musomething above the average per- sic. You can tell a lot about someson — confident, successful, self-as- one from the reels they like, the sured, effortless. That’s the way it’s emojis they send and even the fonts supposed to be, right? No! Who told they use. The internet is its own lanyou that? Acting is awkward and ter- guage, and we are all fluent. That’s rible, and that is what makes it good. the way it’s supposed to be. Isn’t it?

Rehearsed lines, practiced actions To people who grew up without and the willingness to look foolish the internet, there’s only one life, are what lead to some of the most and it exists in the real world. For poignant scenes. us, the World Wide Web is our real In scripted and unscripted visual world. It’s how we do everything. media, we are always giving some- We see more faces on screens than thing away. Our clothes, our words we could in a lifetime. What used to and the way we talk, move and look be eat, sleep, speak, homework, hang all speak to who we are. This is part out, listen, watch, read has become of why social media is such a huge hours of screen time. Eat while space for authentic and inauthen- scrolling TikTok. Sleep with phone tic presences. Even the fakest You alarms ready to wake you up. SubTubers are coming from a very real mit your assignments on Schoology. place. Even the most unoriginal Read electronic books. Put on Spotitrends reveal things about the cre- fy instead of CDs or records. ators. If they do not create for others Never look away for a single secor themselves, but rather for clout ond, or you’ll miss it. Miss or fame, this still tells us about their what? We are missing our core values and motivations. There is lives. This isn’t how it’s supauthenticity where there is inauthen- posed to be. ticity. If you hide yourself away or There is a reason why peopackage your true self into a certain ple romanticize the bad CGI of mold, this still says something about childhood movies and the campiyou. ness of cult classics. So many movSomething I’ve noticed in my gen- ies are being made to be made, not eration is that we are more likely to because they have something to say. view our online personas as the most People find comfort and beauty in authentic versions of ourselves and the honesty of art for art’s sake. others. We watch people post their “Theater kid” musicians like ChapART BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

OPINION

"WITHOUT AUTHENTICITY, THERE IS NOTHING REAL." pell Roan and Kendrick Lamar are dominating the industry right now because they are not afraid to try.

They are not afraid to put themselves out there, and they have a message to deliver, a voice that drives the storytelling in their songs. People have gotten sick and tired of pretending not to care. If you care about art, you’ll make good art. Why wouldn’t you care? Why wouldn’t you be authentic?

Without authenticity, there is nothing real. Happiness and authenticity are synonymous. Both are a freeing of the soul, and our happiest moments are our most authentic ones. Kindness and authenticity are synonymous. It is better to be honest and mean what you say. “Better terrible truths than kind lies.”

Kindness without authenticity means nothing and will only hurt more in the long run. We make things harder for ourselves by pretending to be what we are not. You

will never be as good at being someone else as you are at being yourself.

Authenticity is life.

The fact of the matter is that people are afraid of being vulnerable.

Social acceptance is one of the greatest obstacles to happiness. People crave authenticity, but they fear it in themselves. They hide behind a persona because it is easier. If they are hated, they are hated as someone else. But for someone to truly see who you are and to hate you anyways? There is no way to recover from that. There is nowhere to hide.

It’s scary to put yourself out there, knowing that there is a chance of failure. If you never try, you always have potential. You could do great things! You just choose not to. The idea that you don’t have the capacity for greatness is terrifying. No one wants to face the reality being that they are simply not good enough, so they refuse to try. Comfort zones are shrinking, and authenticity is disap-

pearing. How do we take back the power? How do we relearn the language of authenticity?

Here’s the answer: we just do.

We have to. It’s a choice we make, every moment of our lives. Who do we want to be in that moment?

Forget about being true to some inflated version of yourself. Be true to the you that exists in each moment. There are no sides of you.

There are no other versions of you.

There is only you, now, in this moment. Whatever you do is the right choice. Whatever you do is authentic to who you are, because you are the one choosing to do it. Authenticity is making choices, and that is power. Give yourself permission to not be what you think you have to be.

That’s how it’s supposed to be — not perfect, just real.

Thanks for listening, and don’t forget to like and subscribe! Hit that notification bell, and have an authentic day.

THE COMMUNICATOR

49

AGREE TO When everything seems to be falling apart, having power is more important than ever.

BY WILSON ZHENG

Power is often viewed with suspicion. Some see it as a force that corrupts, something that leads to control, greed or even destruction.

Others just see it as a goal, something that makes them happy. But power itself isn’t the problem — it’s how we are using it.

People often perceive power synonymous with control or dominance, and history provides us with ample examples of this: Napoleon used power to bolster his image in France; authoritarian regimes during World War II thrived on the concentration of power; there are even ongoing debates about abuses of power in our U.S. Government today.

But power is more than just control. At its core, power simply means ‘the ability to do or act.’ It’s not inherently about domination — i­t’s about having the capacity to express ideas and create change. Power is not just an excuse for success and happiness; Power is about people being able to stand up for what they believe in and making their mark on the world.

And in modern society, we see leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela who have used power to challenge unjust systems. It was with power that they were able 50

to spread their word and influence to others. So power isn’t the problem. We just need to use it correctly.

Well, some might say, does making a difference require holding a position of power? Can influence exist without authority?

Well, the answer is obvious: you don’t “need" power, but we live in an era where voices compete for attention across countless platforms and channels. Without some degree of power — whether that’s through position, platform or persuasion — even the most important messages risk being drowned out.

This is why seeking influence and attention isn’t inherently problematic — purpose is what matters.

The question isn’t whether to seek power, but rather what you’ll do with the power that you gain. Will you use it to lift others? Will you protect the vulnerable? Or will you use it merely for fame, as a way to get validation?

Even in our lives today, we don’t have to look far to see how power is wielded.

Right now, under President Donald Trump’s administration, executive orders are being churned out; in the first 22 days alone, he signed 63 executive orders, surpassing the pace ART BY GABE DEEDLER

of any modern president.

In addition, the Trump Administration has cut billions from the National Institutes of Health, causing irreparable damage to ongoing research on cure and treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s diseases and many other health related fields. He has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, threatening to deepen the climate crisis we are in.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the policies or not, this proves how concentrated authority can so quickly shape our collective lives.

Consider how many brilliant solutions to pressing problems remain unimplemented because their creators couldn’t access the decision-making spaces where change happens. Consider the voices silenced not by direct censorship but by the simple inability to be heard above the noise.

But we have power, and we have the ability to get more power; but power only manifests when we speak up, when we organize, when we vote, create and inspire others to join us.

So the power to shape each of our collective futures already exists within every single one of us. The only question left is: How will you use yours?

DISAGREE Power is not the key that unlocks the door to a better life.

BY ELIJAH MAKMAN-LEVINSON

Many people assume that power is the key that will unlock the door to influence, happiness and validation.

Lots of people feel like tiny fish in a big sea; they’re so small and insignificant that they don’t have the ability to make a difference. Many of these people think the only way they’ll be able to make change in society is by becoming the ruler of the sea; achieving power is the only way to positively leave a mark on society.

But anyone can make an impact in the world no matter how little power they wield through taking action.

Take runaway slave Harriet Tubman for example. Despite coming from no place of authority, Tubman would go on to change history, saving hundreds of lives; between 1850 and 1860, Tubman took over 15 trips to the South and escorted countless slaves to freedom by leading them on the Underground Railroad. Through her efforts, Tubman brought national attention to the horrors of slavery, and she became one of the most influential figures in the abolitionist movement.

Tubman serves as a model for those among us who lack societal power but who want to have an impact. Everybody has the power to follow Tubman’s path, to take an active

role in shaping history. The line that divides those of us who can make a difference and those of us who can’t is thus not power; it’s how willing we are to take action.

Power is also often seen as the key that unlocks the door to validation and happiness; carrying a title that gives you authority over others is bound to make other people respect and admire you. However, anyone can receive this appreciation no matter how much power they hold.

If someone in a position of power makes a positive change on the world, like Abraham Lincoln or FDR, people will respect and celebrate them; however, if someone in power abuses their authority and brings negative consequences to the world, people will hold them in contempt. The same goes with people who are not in a position of power: ordinary people who have a positive effect on the world through their actions will be admired, while those whose actions have a negative impact on the world earn disapproval.

It can thus be seen that the amount of power and authority you carry doesn’t have a correlation with how much you’re validated and respected; people will admire you through your actions, not because of a title THE COMMUNICATOR

you hold.

In January 2023, New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Arden resigned from office because she felt she no longer had “enough in the tank” to lead the country. What she meant was that the power she had as a leader had taken a physical and emotional toll on her.

This isn’t uncommon; people who hold power frequently suffer from stress brought on by the weight of their duties. The immense responsibility people in power wield often puts pressure on them to always be ready and able to handle any kinds of issues that may arise. This can make people in power feel like they always have to make the right decision, and any wrong decision they make can easily make them vulnerable to criticism and hate. It’s therefore clear that being in a position of power can have extreme drawbacks, such as stress, anxiety, burnout and exhaustion You shouldn’t chase after power.

The door of happiness, influence and validation isn’t opened through your ability to control others. By taking action to leave a positive mark on society regardless of how much authority you have, you can conjure the key to this door.

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As the Trump administration challenges court orders and constitutional boundaries, America faces a dangerous erosion of democracy.

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OPINION

TO WILLFULLY DEFY THE LAW FEELS VERY DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING WE’VE SEEN BEFORE.

Only one president in the history of our country is a convicted felon.

This fact alone should give us pause. But what’s truly alarming is not just the conviction itself — it’s his administration’s persistent disregard for the very foundation of our democracy: the rule of the law.

Our Constitution states that nobody is above the law, not even the president. This isn’t just a legal technicality; it’s the cornerstone of our democracy, the barrier that separates us from both autocracy and tyranny. Yet, in recent weeks, we’ve stood and watched as the law is prodded, deliberately weakened by those entrusted to uphold it.

“He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” said President Donald Trump on Feb. 15, on the platform X, formally known as Twitter.

This statement suggests that he believes himself to be above the law.

It came as his administration refused to comply with federal court orders to stop his attempts (via executive orders) to create federal spending freezes. This isn’t merely a policy disagreement; it’s a direct challenge to the separation of power, the very system that protects us from dictatorship and tyranny.

“When students come to law school, they think that the rule of law means that we all have to obey the law even if we don’t like the law,” said Barbara McQuade, a professor from practice at the University of Michigan’s law school and former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “There

BARBARA MCQUADE

are ways to change it, but until it’s changed, you have to follow it … but to willfully defy the law feels very different from anything we’ve seen before.”

This administration is going to push the boundaries of what they can and can’t do, and when told to stop, they’ll keep going. This can be seen in actions reminiscent of what happened on Feb. 9, when Vice President J.D. Vance said on X, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”

Additionally, Trump’s misuse of executive orders is blatantly alarming. Executive orders are intended as directives for federal employees on how to implement laws, particularly in times of crisis. However, he is using them as an attempt to bypass the rest of the government: to single-handedly enforce his will.

For example, his Jan. 20 executive order calls for a partial deletion of the 14th Amendment. Currently, there are at least 10 active lawsuits against Trump.

“You can’t just take birthright citizenship away through an executive order,” McQuade said.

This is not the first time our nation has faced challenges to its constitutional framework. Historically, presidents have tested their powers, but ultimately yielded to judicial authority. When the Supreme Court ruled against President Harry Truman’s seizure of steel mills during the Korean War in 1952, he complied — despite his vehement disapproval. Further, when the Court ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over the Watergate THE COMMUNICATOR

tapes in 1974, he reluctantly did so, knowing that defiance would undermine the very system of government he had sworn to protect.

Even Andrew Jackson, who allegedly dismissed a Supreme Court ruling, never explicitly defied a direct court order.

What we’re witnessing today is far more dangerous: a president who openly questions whether court orders apply to him at all.

The people who created our Constitution deliberately created a system of government that would prevent the rise of a monarch or dictator. Having just fought a revolution against King George III, they were acutely aware of the dangers of concentrated power. The Founding Fathers created a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch could dominate the others.

History warns us of what happens when these safeguards erode.

Democracies rarely collapse overnight. More often, they decay gradually. As executive powers expand, courts are undermined and the public becomes desensitized to democratic violations.

“It seems that what President Trump is trying to do now is to elevate the presidency over those other two branches of government,” McQuade said.

What makes this especially dangerous is not just the actions of the administration, but the lack of action from the American public. In comparison, the legislative branch has been slow to respond, even as the “flood the zone” strategy is in 53

full effect. In conversations with classmates and neighbors, I’ve noticed a concerning trend: many have entirely stopped following the news, citing exhaustion.

This fatigue is exactly what authoritarians count on: a public too overwhelmed to act. This strategy is called “flooding the zone,” which creates enough chaos and controversy that people simply choose to tune it out, allowing for unchecked power to thrive.

The erosion of democratic norms isn’t uniquely American — it’s a global pattern. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s government has methodically weakened judicial independence and press freedom while maintaining the outward appearance of democratic processes. In Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gradually consolidated executive power through constitutional amendments and selective enforcement of laws against political opponents. In both cases, courts were first delegitimized, then captured and finally, weaponized.

When Trump questions whether court rulings apply to him, he’s not merely challenging a legal decision — he’s following a well-documented global path toward democratic erosion. When administrative officials push the boundaries of their power, waiting until someone tells them to stop — and then questioning whether they must obey — our crisis is no longer political; it’s constitutional.

I see it happening across communities I am a part of. Even in my journalism class, my peers have admitted that they’ve stopped following the news.

The silence surrounding these constitutional breaches is deafen54

ing. The divide between those who disengage out of self-preservation and those who remain vigilant may determine whether this constitutional crisis descends into a constitutional collapse.

Turning away from our reality doesn’t make it any less real. The Constitution doesn’t defend itself — we must defend it.

The 14th Amendment, separation of powers and judicial review aren’t abstract concepts. They’re the safeguards that ensure our freedom. When a president suggests he can circumvent these protections for the greater good of “saving the country,” we must ask: what country will be left to save once those protections are gone?

The administration’s response — suggesting that their compliance with legal standards is optional — sets a dangerous precedent. If accepted, this logic would effectively place the president’s personal judgment above constitutional constraints.

What’s particularly troubling is the domino effect this could create.

If the president can ignore court rulings on spending authority, what prevents ignoring rulings about free speech, due process or equal protection? The boundaries between governmental branches aren’t arbitrary bureaucratic divisions — they’re essential safeguards against tyranny.

We’ve already seen restrictions on First Amendment rights. On Feb. 25, it was announced that Trump will be hand-picking journalists covering his administration. This means he will control which reporters get to ask questions, breaking decades of precedent across both Republican and Democratic admin-

istrations.

A spokesman for The New York Times said on Feb. 25, “The White House’s move to handpick favored reporters to observe the president — and exclude anyone whose coverage the administration may not like — is an effort to undermine the public’s access to independent, trustworthy information about the most powerful person in America.”

Democracy doesn’t die in one big dramatic moment — it erodes slowly, through apathy, fatigue and our collective willingness to look the other way.

Yes, courts move slowly. Yes, the media can feel overwhelming, but we cannot afford to disengage. The rule of the law protects us most when those in power seek to exploit it for personal or ideological gain.

We must remember: in a democracy, the power flows from the governed to the government — not the other way around.

Staying engaged doesn’t require consuming every headline or understanding every legal nuance. Democracy thrives when citizens take sustained, focused action: find reliable news sources, focus on local engagement, engage in constructive dialogue and vote in every election — not just presidential ones. Judicial elections, school board races and primaries often have low turnout, meaning that your vote carries even more weight.

These actions may seem small compared to the magnitude of the threats we face, but democracy has always been sustained by millions of citizens taking these seemingly small steps together. It depends on not just the Constitution, but our collective effort to uphold it.

Democracy doesn’t die in one big dramatic moment — it erodes slowly, through apathy, fatigue and our collective willingness to look the other way.

THE COMMUNICATOR

55

Seven Years Later

Holding on to hope in the face of modern pessimism.

BY LUCIA PAGE SANDER

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I looked on in disappointment as my mom printed “Voter 2024” in pristine lettering on the poster board that was supposed to be all mine. The other side of the sign was bright orange, and on it I’d scrawled “CHEETO FACE” with a bold red X through the words. I much preferred its simplicity; my side of the poster board felt bold and brash and had no mention of my future, let alone our country’s.

Nonetheless, I clutched that sign proudly as my family and I floated through a sea of hundreds of thousands of other protesters at the Women’s March in Washington D.C..

But of course, the future came.

As an 18-year-old voter in 2024, “CHEETO FACE” (Donald Trump, of course) glared up at me as an option on the first ever ballot I filled

ART BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

out. And as election day’s afternoon progressed and the results of the 2024 presidential election rolled in, nausea surfaced in my stomach. On the drive home from soccer practice, I thought of the mass deportation that was likely on the way. I conceptualized the impending and far-reaching bans on basic healthcare as I packed for The Communicator’s trip to Philadelphia. And as I brushed my teeth before bed, I mourned the career I’d planned for myself as a USDA agroecologist.

But before the sun rose and before I’d gotten even two hours of quality sleep in, I found my tear-stained self in the back of the car on the way to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

As Tracy briefed us on travel itineraries and potential dinner plans, I moped behind my fellow Communica-

OPINION

TO GROW UP IN AN ERA THAT’S ALMOST BEEN DEEMED TOO ALIEN TO MANAGE IS A RECIPE FOR CATASTROPHIZATION AND CATASTROPHIZATION IS A RECIPE FOR MASS INACTION tor journalists.

That afternoon, I broke down again as we sat in the audience watching a one-man show at the National Constitution Center. Alone in the spotlight, a single actor preached about our nation’s ideals of equality and democracy; he spoke about the fortitude of the United States’ unconquerable laws of the land, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that these supposedly indestructible truths were now in peril.

In the days and months that followed Nov. 5, I saw more dejection and fear than I’d seen eight years earlier, but something big felt absent.

That something was the will to fight.

In the space that had once been occupied by solidarity and resistance, despondency ballooned.

Off the heels of Kamala Harris’ campaign that stood on the foundations of joy and progress, such a decisive loss was a slap in the face. Adding to salt to the wound, the Trump administration hit the ground running hard, overwhelming the media with threats — regardless of their feasibility.

Another catalyst behind today’s

discouragement is the fact that we’re living in an age of hyper-publicization. For the past five years, the word “unprecedented” has permeated the news and subsequently our vernacular to the point of becoming platitude. To grow up in an era that’s almost been deemed too alien to manage is a recipe for catastrophization, and catastrophization is a recipe for mass inaction.

Yet, as I and the people who surround me experience this all, I try and bring myself back to the Washington D.C. metrorail. I clutched a handrail like my life depended on it, but there was no need to; fellow marchers loomed above my fourthgrade-self, crowded so tightly around me that there was no chance I could fall. As we sped toward the center of our nation’s capitol, the train erupted intermittently with thundering cheers. Any intended message was unintelligible, but what mattered was the energy and passion being displayed even before the march had officially begun.

And sure, there was an inauguration-time demonstration this year in D.C., but it lacked significant parTHE COMMUNICATOR

ticipation and meaningful coverage. Just 25,000 protesters attended the People’s March on Jan. 18, 2025, compared to the 500,000 that took part in the Women’s March in the District of Columbia alone. That’s not to mention the 4.6 million nationwide and 400,000 more worldwide who marched on Jan. 21, 2017 too.

Contributing factors to those statistics abound, but it’s difficult not to be scared of what they might mean. For the American people to stand down from defending human and civil rights would be catastrophic for so many.

Thus, it’s essential that we don’t let complacency get the best of us.

A loss of an election is not synonymous with a loss of individual power. Strength lies in numbers and within ourselves.

While it’s true that not everyone knows what it feels like to stand amongst a half a million people belting that “this land was made for you and me,” it’s essential we don’t forget the unity that was exhibited seven years ago and lives on somewhere — albeit somewhat buried — today.

57

POWER FEAR THE

OF

Throughout history, leaders have used fear to control people, and now, Donald Trump’s use of fear is clear by his power over American people.

BY AMELIA SANDSTROM

As I watched my family walk toward the edge of a cliff, I panicked. I scooted along on my multicolored skis with my brother at almost 13,000 feet above sea level and felt the snow under me, as thin as my confidence.

I thought about what would happen if I fell. My fear took control: I wasn’t doing this run. Despite the 10 years of skiing under my belt and my brother’s whining of wanting to do the run, I couldn’t.

I hate being scared. But more than anything, I hate my response to being scared. Fear is healthy when it is protecting us from something dangerous, when it’s a survival instinct.

In the case of the run, though, everyone who did it was fine, and I ended up missing out.

I don’t need to jump off cliffs to be fearless, but I do want to be brave and know that I can fight the power of fear. But that’s really hard.

I feel like every day I come home to my dad fighting a battle with fear, telling me about another value being targeted by the American government. He tells me about the takeover President Donald Trump is planning in the Middle East and the ongoing deportation of thousands of immigrants. It feels like just another reason on the stack of ones to 58

fear the power of this man: it’s taller than the towers that display his name across them.

But what may be even more unnerving is that fear is what got Trump to this position of power and feeds his influence on the American people on all sides of a divided country. Through his exploitative yet common use of a natural human instinct, he has become the protector of the evils that he has intensified.

Donald Trump, in addition to his 34 felony counts, is guilty of a psychological crime. He is using fear to short-circuit the minds of Americans left, right and center.

Only a few months ago, Americans couldn’t get through even a YouTube video without hearing claims of unconstitutional behavior of political candidates set to dramatic music. In many cases, these accusations specifically targeted the fears of viewers. Every time I turned on the TV, I was welcomed by an aggressive male voice telling me that Ellissa Slotkin would hurt Michigan’s economy or that Mike Rogers wouldn’t protect my reproductive rights. These commercials, like so many others, were an attack, an army sent to the brain, meant to deART BY NINA BEALS

activate critical thinking.

That’s what fear does.

If I am told that funding is being taken away from schools, my first thought isn’t about what kind of fundraising can be done; it’s just worst-case scenario thinking.

I would think that I wouldn’t have the resources I need, scared for the teachers I love. This is helpful when fear is acting as a survival instinct so that one isn’t thinking too critically if being chased by a predator, but it is dangerous when used as a weapon against one’s own kind.

When Trump reinforces negativity and terrible consequences on issues like immigration to rally-goers, their minds go to this place that exists without critical thinking. He capitalizes on this vulnerability by presenting himself as the savior.

On the night of Oct. 28, 2024, I spoke with a scared man from Dearborn, Michigan, at a Kamala Harris rally. I knew TikTok had fed him information that could shroud him in a dark, untrusting, fearful view of the world. What I did not know was just how much power that fear had over him.

Instead of answering the questions I asked, he redirected back to what he wanted to talk about. He moved

OPINION

If we start to give up our rights preemptively, then we’ve already lost.

his hands in and out when he talked about abortions and immigration, reminding me of the man who had inspired much of what he felt.

Donald Trump holds power over almost everyone, not just those who trust him.

In the case of American people who oppose Trump, values being jeopardized can push and push until they are trapped in a space not too different from that of his supporters.

Sometimes, I find my loved ones in this space.

Sometimes, I find myself in this space — and often, it comes from a combination of fear and frustration.

It’s a space of worst case scenarios.

Trump has a position to hold as much psychological power over the people of the U.S. as legal power, but this physiological power doesn’t mean anything. That is, until it motivates action, and it so often does.

CHS history teacher Chloe Root sees one of the most dangerous effects of fear in her students and in her loved ones: self-policing.

Root teaches her U.S. History class through the lens of race, class and gender, an offense that could get her fired if she lived just 60 miles south.

Ohio is one of the many states that have put restrictions on teaching di-

versity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Concerned and scared students have asked Root if she will continue to teach classes that deal with DEI, but Root knows her rights. For now, Michigan is a place where Root can teach these topics, and she will not let fear control her. She will not give up the rights she has.

“If we start to give up our rights preemptively, then we’ve already lost,” Root said. “I think the really scary thing about fear is that it makes people obey the directives of someone who doesn’t actually have authority to do what they’re doing.”

This self-policing that Root sees is a result of the emotional response that fear initiates — that bypass of critical thinking or a lack of a full assessment of the situation. Recently, Root’s partner expressed his own fears about her safety due to the bumper stickers on her car.

“I’m not going to live in a world where I can’t have my bumper stickers,” Root said. “I’m not going to then change the way I do the things that are important to me.”

The bumper stickers aren’t just stickers. What’s important to Root is that she can express her opinions and stand by her values. Some of the words on the back of her car may be THE COMMUNICATOR

at odds with the Trump administration, but Root has the right to stand up for what she believes in, and that is powerful. Root gets scared, too; but she has to remember not to let this fear take over.

“People are afraid of being targets, they start to be like, ‘Oh, wait, maybe I need to be more careful, too,’” Root said. “I’ve had those thoughts, but then I’m like, ‘Whoa. You need to stop yourself, you need to keep doing the things that you do that matter because otherwise, you’re just letting them win.’”

Root sets an example for resistance: she isn’t going to stop doing the things that are important to her. Even the little things, like the bumper stickers on her Honda Fit. I am unified with many others on the stance that it sucks to live in a world where you can’t rely on the validity of the news you hear, but that just means we as Americans have to question what we hear and see. We have to use our critical thinking. In the U.S., people have the right to speak out, and as long as that’s true, Root will be taking advantage of her rights. So will I, and I hope that the rest of our country can, too, by questioning that fear, taking that power and jumping off that cliff.

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LOVE TRUMPS

P

O

W

E

R

My experience with religion, in both its beauty and cruelty.

BY LYDIA DEBORD

“Omnipotent” was my least favorite vocabulary word. It was an unsettling highlight in my religion textbook, one implying biblically accurate angels were spying on each of my slip-ups, sliding into cracks of hallways. Omnipotent — or all-powerful — was how I was taught to identify a contradicting God: one loving, yet cruel; accepting, yet limiting.

The earliest reflection is a chapel.

I remember glimpses of glittering stained glass, larger-than-life crucifixes and songs blending into a mix of sitting, standing and kneeling.

It was a mundane blur of Sunday School, homilies and post-service chats, but it was something consistently warm, good and safe.

The thing I think most non-Christians don’t understand about Christianity is it’s actually about 50 subsets of one belief system. My family is Episcopalian or Anglican, the first Protestants, though our American traditions lean more towards Catholicism. A teacher once described it to 60

me as “a big tree of Christianity,” with bushes and branches attached to it. I belonged to the wood more on the left, letting women preach, focusing on Jesus’ message of love above all. As I understood it back then, Catholicism wasn’t far left on the branch scale — the rules were stricter and more important — but the general signaling was the same.

Which is why I fell in love with Catholic school.

Before my short career as an atheist, I had an eight-year-long one of quasi-Catholic. Although, like the story of Adam and Eve, I had forbidden fruit — communion wafers and full forgiveness from God — I still was a part of the community. I read and sang in Mass services, an eager volunteer in anything the priests around me needed.

The Catholic Church to me was always more than just the beliefs and scriptures. It was ancient. A collection of the community before me, each paint drop on a mural and

shard of cathedral proved that. The crucifixion, the annunciation, all familiar stories. Along with “Berenstein Bears,” my school library was patterned with classic Roman paintings on book pages.

Through my love of these paintings and stories, I found my people.

Spatters of flowers across our tree of Christianity, even if their branch stood separate from mine. Though some of the tree was littered with thorns to the right, they were just that: thorns. They had no effect on the church of the tree. I didn’t pay much mind to these intrusions, as to me they meant nothing, just a silent rotting that the power of love could overcome.

Like every modern coming of age, everything changed in 2020. As my congregation stayed open, so many of the beautiful flowers fell from the tree, leaving thorns to invade.

I watched so many good people walk away from the parish as they stayed silent on social justice issues

OPINION

that were impossible to ignore, as they blissfully disregarded the mask mandate. That summer, I had never been more confused about what I believed.

“Hate the sin, love the sinner.” I slowly watched a place I loved crash and descend into this mindset, and I had to wonder — what defined a “sinner?” Weren’t we all? And is there room for hate in a religion defined by the radical love of thy neighbor?

I didn’t think so, but it seemed that the preachings around me were caving into the mantra.

As I departed summer, I declared my separation from the church, but I still attended Catholic school.

Words revolved around awe of flaming fear becoming buzzing, words like “omnipotent.” The idea of an angry, vengeful God reigned over a soft and kind Jesus. Preachings weren’t inspiring anymore, just dripping warnings of damnation born from a skipped Church Sunday; the very things I used to love, were now my ticket to Hell.

Moreover, my separation was obvious as the thorns invaded the branch. My status of being never touched by Catholic baptism water was a defect, something that made the ladies volunteering at communion give me scrunched looks.

I had to question God: in His supposed omnipotence, how could he let his supposed devotees be so exclusive?

By that point, I had given up, heading to high school with no prospects of God or religion.

Until I heard Him mocked and the church used as a punchline.

Even though it wasn’t anymore, the subjects of people’s “Sky Daddy” jokes had been my lifeline for a long time and continued to define the lives of people I loved. I found myself defending a religion and lifestyle I swore I would have nothing to do with.

In doing so, I began to question the concept of Omnipotence, because how could an angry, all-powerful God allow my questioning or THE COMMUNICATOR

others’ hate and mockery? Wouldn’t that contradict his power of complete control? From there, I found my belief that maybe free will, given to us according to the Bible, cancels out omnipotence. Maybe fear and hate are thrust onto God to further power trips and agendas.

Three years later, I think God and I have found our stepping. I have embraced my branch of Episcopalianism and found that their perception matches mine more than the Catholic view. This summer, I am working at Church camp, which is a large factor in my devotion. Each night the last person I talk to is Him. Furthermore, our relationship is our own, not to be defined or judged by people who do not know me. The pinnacle of Christianity is God existing for everybody, with or without the power of blind following. Doubt is natural and good, and love should exist outside of conversion.

At the end of the day, love trumps power — no matter where it stems from.

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Short personal narratives centered around our staff's experiences with power.

62

CLAIRE LEWIS My mom, Monica Lewis, taught me how to structure the life in which I live. She taught me how to use a can opener to pry into diced tomatoes, how to listen to my own body before the advice of others and how to plant herbs on the back porch. Power comes from the kids at Monica’s house, from the long hair that clogged the drain, the orderly chaos of the Tupperware stored under the island and the scattered pencils that line the dining room table. We worship the little things that might not look too pretty but define the home.

My mom often tells me, “Remember where you come from.”

When I leave the house to go for a drive she says, “Remember where you come from.” When I’m going to hangout with a friend, I hear, “Remember where you come from.” On cranky early mornings before school, “Remember where you come from.”

For a while, I thought this was a phrase that went un-

der the eyebrow raise category to remind me to stay out of trouble. I’ve come to a deeper understanding of what she means. Even though these words are often said in passing, the idea that they represent is everlasting.

My mom has never told me to shy away from my emotions — she supports me through the highest highs and lowest lows. She wants me to remember that I come from a family who supports, from people who listen and talk, from people who make messes and help clean them up. Power comes from remembering the little things; like tapping your little brother’s head as you walk out the door, hanging up your coat when you get home and remembering to wish your mom “sweet dreams” every night. It’s finding the people who will teach you lessons rather than telling you to do something right.

As senior year becomes a countdown to the rest of my life, “Remember where you come from,” echoes through my mind as I take one step out of the door.

KYRIE GARWOOD

Scanning both directions, I hold my arms out wide, mimicking the way we were taught at the beginning of the year. Sunlight seeps through the tree branches, illuminating my neon sash. The cars cross, and I relinquish my post, watching as the younger kids skip across the street.

The most powerful I’ve ever felt was in fifth grade. In fifth grade, you are on top of the world. At no other level of school do you have as much power over your peers or your school than you do when you’re 10.

This is the first time you are awarded the power of true responsibility.

You become the role models, the ones younger kids look up to in the hallways and on the playground. We were the ones with the honor of singing “Grand Old

Flag” on the first day of school, the ones tasked with maintaining the compost pit. You have officially been crowned a “Big Kid.” There is a unique kind of power in being 10 years old — not the kind that comes from strength or authority but from confidence. It’s the power of knowing you are top dog, of feeling important in a way you never have before.

Teachers remind you daily of the responsibilities resting on your shoulders — you are the leaders of the school.

You stand taller, speak louder and assume the duties that once seemed reserved for the older kids.

And then, just as quickly as it arrives, the power fades.

Middle school humbles you. Fast. You start over at the bottom, longing for the days when neon sashes and compost buckets made you feel invincible.

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ANNA STRAKA Every year during the Fourth of July, there’s a parade in my neighborhood. It’s a cheerful, lively neighborhood event where people come together to connect. Every year, there is a contest where people decorate their bikes. It’s every kid's goal to win this event.

I was never the popular kid.

Whenever the popular kids put their minds to it, they won. Not me. I didn’t have a thousand friends or was known by everyone. I had to really try if I wanted to win something. So, that year, I decided to try.

I didn’t think my chances were high, but it was better than giving up or not participating at all.

When I was decorating my bike the day before, I went all out.: bows all over the handlebars, streamers in the wheel spokes and

balloons everywhere. When it was done, I stared at the bike, feeling accomplished.

The day of the parade came. My sister and I were sitting on the grass and drinking cold Icees. The people organizing the parade stood in front of everyone else, about to announce the winners. Having seen other's bikes, I didn’t think I had a chance.

But, they looked down at the card and said my name: Anna Straka.

I was in so much shock as I stood up and stepped over the barricade to grab my prize. I didn’t quite know what to expect for the prize, but it ended up simply being a small bouquet of fake flowers with tons of lollipops stuffed inside.

Despite the small prize, I felt very proud to have won the contest. I may not have been one of the popular kids, but I was enough.

FINA KUTCHER The fabric came to a knot in the center that landed about an inch above my belly button. The fitted red tank top I had carefully selected from my older sister’s closet draped from my shoulders in a way a top never had before. A testament to my changing body, I had been pleasantly intrigued by the way it fit around my new curves. A sense of defiance rushed over me as I nervously hobbled past the lunch monitors, my dress code-breaking look shrouded under a blue athletic zip-up hoodie.

I approached my friends amongst the cafeteria tables, anxiously awaiting the approval of my older peers; I then slipped off the hoodie once out of sight from the administrators. Amongst the chatter, a friend eventually noted my wardrobe change.

“Oh my gosh, you look like such a whore,” she joked.

I had only really heard that word in passing: a tense moment between characters in a show, a dig at a celebri-

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ty or an insult to a stranger on the internet. Never had I fathomed that I could be anything of that sort, lumped into a group I had only known to be made up by adults.

It granted me an odd sense of empowerment; I realized that at just 12 years old, I could be regarded as an adult.

Now at 17, the empowerment has utterly and completely faded. Though still a child, I now despise how that word feels on my skin; seeping into my veins, it hastily robs me of my self-dignity. It clouds my perception, telling me that all I am worth is my body — except only now do I realize that I’ve felt that way ever since that word was first used against me.

It was monumental to realize how much power five letters can hold; it stuns me with how comfortable others can be with such a dehumanizing word. As I continue to grow into the world surrounding me, I prosper in the revelation that I am not defined by just five letters.

AVA GRIFFITH As I walked into the kitchen, a trio of boys immediately yelled “Ava!” and I was greeted with three sweaty hugs.

Orion, Atticus and Michael have known me for three years as their babysitter, but to me, they mean so much more. About one Saturday a month, I get to spend a night hanging out with them. We play games, jam out to Adele and eat pizza bagels. We have snowball fights, go on bike rides and pick apples. When I’m around them, I feel powerful. Not because I’m the babysitter, but because it gives me a chance to positively impact them as they grow up. Together, we can get lost in their worlds.

Babysitting is an escape from reality — it’s playtime.

There is so much power in our childhoods and being around kids: our innocent minds, carefree attitudes and confidence. The more I grow up, the more I want to go back to being a kid. Being around kids gives me a lot of purpose when our world can sometimes seem repetitive.

I often think back to the magic of our childhoods.

Strolling through my grandma’s garage, opening the door and being immersed in the familiar scents of fresh laundry and rose candles after Christmas Eve mass was one of my favorite memories. I waited for this moment every year — the night before Santa came when the whole house was decorated with lights and the sweet smell of chocolate chip cookies. Everything about it was so lively. As I’ve gotten older, the holiday season feels different. Not a bad different, but a new different. The magic isn’t as strong, the excitement isn’t as high. I wake up on Christmas like every other day. A lot of magic seems lost, but it’s not gone. It’s just rooted in different things now.

I care more about the time I get with my family rather than the number of gifts.

The more we grow, the more we learn. Perspectives change. Constantly knowing the power we have for younger generations is a privilege and something I don’t want to forget. Being around those boys grounds me.

They bring out the kid in me and remind me about the simple pleasures in life. It’s so special being around them because I turn 18 next year, and I’ll never be a kid again.

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CONSTANT

Taylor

GOODWIN

W

Marcel Proust’s questionnaire, created in 1890, featuring Taylor Goodwin.

BY LUCA HINESMAN

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Being surrounded by people that I love. What is your greatest fear? Going into a profession that I don’t like. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I hate when I’m hypocritical. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Dishonesty. Which living person do you most admire? Timothée Chalamet. What is your greatest extravagance? My sweet treats. What is your current state of mind? Chill. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Probably intelligence.

On what occasion do you lie?

When it’s not a big deal. Like a white lie. What do you most dislike about your appearance? Probably my face shape.

Which living person do you most despise? Trump. What is the quality you most like in a man? Probably none. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Honesty. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Brain rot phrases. What or who is the greatest love of your life? Horses. When and where were you happiest? At the barn. Which talent would you most like to have? I want

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to do a backflip. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Less impulsivity. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My work ethic. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A frog. Where would you most like to live? Mackinac Island. What is your most treasured possession? My baby blanket. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Hatred. What is your favorite occupation? Working retail at a thrift store. What is your most marked characteristic? Outgoing. What do you most value in your friends? Honesty. Who are your favorite writers? Luca Hinesman. Who is your hero of fiction? Harry Potter. Which historical figure do you most identify with? Alexander Hamilton. Who are your heroes in real life? Timothée Chalamet. What are your favorite names? Luna, Ivy and Ally. What is it that you most dislike? Evil people. What is your greatest regret? Being plain. How would you like to die? Rock climbing or skydiving. What is your motto? “Live fast, die young.”

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00000

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

BY FINA KUTCHER AND KAYLEE GADEPALLI

FASHION IS A PRIVILEGE THAT GRANTS US THE POWER OF SELF-EXPRESSION. SHOWCASING OUR INTERNAL SELVES, STYLE IS A ONE-WAY STREET TO MATERIALIZE THE POWER OF EMOTION. AS A TESTAMENT TO OUR STRENGTH, WE EXPRESS THIS THROUGH MAKING BOLD MOVES, CREATING SPACE FOR OURSELVES AND DRESSING UNAPOLOGETICALLY. 68

LINA BAILEY

“THE WAY I DRESS IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF SELFEXPRESSION. WEARING FEMININE CLOTHES DOESN’T JUST MAKE ME FEEL CONFIDENT — IT MAKES ME FEEL POWERFUL.”

CASSIDY MCKENNA “FASHION IS A WAY FOR ME TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT I MIGHT NOT SAY — THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO OPEN THEIR EYES, STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS AND THINK DEEPLY.”

BROOK FAGAN

0000 “A GOOD OUTFIT CAN REALLY GIVE YOU THE CONFIDENCE TO DO THINGS YOU WOULDN’T FEEL LIKE DOING BEFORE. WEARING A GOOD OUTFIT CAN HELP YOU STEP INTO YOUR OWN SKIN AND GIVE YOU MORE CONFIDENCE TO MOVE THROUGH THE DAY.”

ARTIST PROFILE

A

L L AUT A N HIER

A spotlight on a CHS student's musical progression.

BY KENNEDY MCDONALD

During his childhood Allen Authier found himself trying various instruments, yet none of them seemed to spark his interest. In the midst of the pandemic Authier found his passion for music in an acoustic guitar. The instrument was gifted to him by a family friend and was Authier's first introduction to his love for playing the guitar.

Though he had received his first guitar, Authier didn’t immediately jump into playing right away, he first described it as “messing around.” He then took a brief break after not knowing much about how to play, but found himself picking it back up again shortly later. “At that point I actually started getting serious about playing,” Authier said.

Over a year after getting his first guitar Authier was gifted an electric guitar for Christmas, and began taking lessons with the teacher currently goes to. Around that time he began playing with one of his friends, who would later become the drum72

mer in his band.

In the middle of his freshman year Authier received a text from his friend asking him if he was willing to play guitar for a band in a band his friend was starting. “Staircase Joke” was formed, with a unique name stemming from a Germanic idiom. Authier describes the early phase of the band being one big creative process, coming up with the name and figuring out the basics were hurdles they had to overcome to get the band started up. Between late 2021 and early 2022 the band wrote their first song, which kick started rehearsals and eventually gigs for the band.

The band doesn’t have a specific style label, which has induced debate between band members; the band’s music implements breakdowns into their musics giving it undertones of heavy metal rock. Authier considers them somewhere in the realm of Midwest Emo and Indie Rock, but his other bandmates take the stand

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIEL JACOB

that they are more of an Indie Pop band.

Authier believes that being a band full of teens where rehearsing is something that is not always easy to schedule between busy people. The band rehearses in a basement — some of their rehearsals being more productive than others, which Authier finds admirable about the band.

“We take our time with things, I think that’s one of the best things about us,” Authier said. “We notice things that can be fixed or made better.”

The band made their debut performance at a local teen non-profit organization event at The Neutral Zone during an open mic event.

Since then they have performed at the Chelsea Library and Community's annual talent showcase “Commstock." As of now the band is currently preparing for a performance at the Blind Pig on March 8 and have plans to release an EP on various streaming platforms.

OPINION

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M

CONSTANT

A I M A GENISIO

ARTIST PROFILE

A CHS artist reveals the shared experiences within our shared anatomy.

BY MIGUEL LARIOS

From the moment Maia Genisio drew her first human form in seventh grade, she knew she was destined to be an anthropologist. For Genisio, art has become a tool to explore the nature of humanity and question what it actually means to be human.

“When I want my art to tell a story, I look at human culture,” Genisio said. “I ask why we do the things we do.”

Genisio often starts with a question: “What universal experiences connect us?” “How did we develop into the society we see today?” These questions drive her beyond simple character illustrations, pushing her to capture shared different human experiences.

“I have a brain that tends to zoom out a lot,” Genisio said. “I like to take a step back and think, ‘Isn’t it weird that we do this thing?’”

While her introduction to art and character drawing stemmed from Genisio’s then-favorite video game Splatoon, the artist has since honed her skill to portray more complex compositions, using form and figure to convey her themes.

“I like finding those recurring universal phenomena and trying to capture them,” Genisio said. “Whether that be waking up, giving birth or making clothing.”

Genisio’s ability to tell stories

and reveal shared human experiences without words is remarkable, but capturing authentic human forms isn’t always easy. As humans, our brains are specially designed to detect any small flaw in human-like forms — an ability that once helped our ancestors distinguish friend from foe. For Genisio, this means she has to pay extra close attention to her figures, ensuring they remain accurate and life-like.

“Trying to make people look like they’re not just standing in a little box is something I’ve always strug-

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gled with,” Genisio admitted.

For Genisio, the breakthrough moment for any piece usually comes during rendering, when details like shading and texture turn her ideas into tangible forms.

“When I start rendering the faces or skin, I think, ‘Oh, now it finally looks like something,’” she said.

While she still draws fantasy characters for fun, her most meaningful work examines bodies through an anthropological lens — studying not just what makes us unique, but what makes us fundamentally human.

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Courtesy: Searchlight Pictures

The Favourite

BY LUCA HINESMAN

“The Favourite” immediately pulls you into its distinct storytelling style, leaving you questioning who truly holds the power and what drives their actions. Set in early 18th-century England, the film features Emma Stone as Abigail, Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne. All three delivered acclaimed performances, with each earning an Academy Award nomination and Colman securing the win for Best Actress in 2019. The film ended its award season with a total of 10 nominations — a testament to the movie’s significance.

During the press tour for “The Favourite,” director Yorgos Lanthimos told The Hollywood Reporter at the New York Film Festival premiere that “some of the things in the film are accurate and a lot aren’t.” I love how Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s screenplay blends factual events with fictional twists that leave you guessing. One of Lanthimos’ most prominent talents is his ability to blend realistic worlds with bizarre undertones, as portrayed in his other films like “Poor Things” and “Kinds 76

of Kindness.”

This mix of truth and fiction is an important aspect of the screenplay.

Davis and McNamara’s screenplay highlights the unique dynamic between two women competing for the affection of Queen Anne. Lady Sarah and Queen Anne share a complex bond, but Lady Sarah always seems to be in control of their relationship. Their secretive and passionate relationship is suddenly disrupted when Abigail arrives at the palace, setting off a fierce battle for the queen’s favor. Abigail makes a memorable entrance — face-planting from a carriage into the mud. She begins pleading to her cousin, Lady Sarah, for a job at the palace and ends up becoming a servant.

Abigail, unsatisfied with her position, works to win over Queen Anne by using her wit, seduction and manipulation. She eventually gains the queen’s attention and becomes more desirable to the queen than Lady Sarah. Abigail’s sudden attention from the queen creates an intense rivalry between the two for the love and affection of Queen Anne; the story un-

folds from there.

The key components to the experience are the snappy dialogue, wickedly entertaining performances and cinematography. This is exemplified when Weisz’s character dramatically admits to Colman, “You look like a badger,” or when the film employs fish-eye camera shots.

All these components help create something timeless. I remember feeling so impressed and wondering what I will think many years in the future. I feel as though it will age well and that it has the potential to become a classic, witty period piece.

The film’s feeling is similar to that of “Marie Antoinette” and “The Great,” considering they both take place around the 18th century in palaces and use witty humor to drive the plot.

Lanthimos and Stone are dominating as unique collaborators in Hollywood; each project they work on is fascinating and distinct. I love Lanthimos’ signature cinematic category and hope to see “The Favourite” cement its legacy as an extraordinary dark comedy.

REVIEWS

Courtesy: NEON

I, Tonya

BY MAGGIE LAMB AND NINA BEALS

Known for her stubborn attitude and impulsive nature, “I, Tonya” follows the life of American figure skater Tonya Harding. Starring Margot Robbie as Tonya, the film captures the complex relationships, strenuous career and illegal charges Harding faced throughout her life.

Allison Janney’s spectacular performance as LaVona Golden, Tonya’s mother, won her “Best Supporting Actress” at the 2018 Academy Awards. Despite the short filming period, Janney played the unforgettable role as Tonya’s mother, an abusive, chain-smoking woman, who does whatever she needs to do to in order to make her daughter successful, even if it is at the expense of their relationship.

LaVona paved the path of Tonya’s future from an early age, putting her in skating classes when she was just three years old. Acting as Tonya’s own personal trainer, LaVona pushed her daughter past what any mother should. Her mother’s influence pollutes Tonya’s future relationships in her life. Tonya starts a relationship with Jeff Gilooly when

she is only 15 years old and he is 18.

They marry, but Jeff soon becomes physically and verbally abusive to Tonya. Despite the abuse, Tonya doesn't leave Jeff. Her inexperience with healthy relationships leads her to believe that these kinds of abusive relationships are the norm. For the sake of Tonya's career, LaVona inevitably doesn’t support her decision to marry Jeff, but resenting her mother isn’t a foreign concept for Tonya.

Tonya quickly rises in the figure skating ranks but suffers critique from judges due to her presumptuous attitude. She fights her way up the food chain of skaters, winning a world championship silver medal in 1991. Later that year, Harding becomes the first American woman to land a triple axel — a three and a half rotation jump in the air — marking the peak of her career.

But the film takes an unexpected turn when Tonya’s life quickly goes downhill. Jeff attempts to secure Tonya’s place in the 1994 championships by hiring two hitmen to assault Tonya's biggest rival, Nancy Kerrigan, slashing her knees and THE COMMUNICATOR

ending the career of the skilled figure skater.

Tonya qualifies for the Olympic team in 1994, but soon realizes that she will be found guilty of the assault by association to Jeff. She goes to the FBI to report her side, but later Jeff implies that Tonya knew beforehand about the attack. While Jeff is charged, Tonya’s hearing is postponed until after the Olympics, where she finishes eighth. Tonya gets caught by the police and pleads guilty for involvement in the assault.

The United States Figure Skating Association bans Tonya from skating for the rest of her life. Without a proper education, due to her mother’s abuse, Tonya’s only source of income is lost along with her entire life's work.

This part of the movie is heartbreaking. While Tonya isn’t exactly your flawless protagonist, seeing her life crumble before your eyes is painful. Having to watch Tonya beg the judge to not take away the one thing in her life that she knows how to do, she's good at and that she loves, is gut wrenching. Robbie perfectly demonstrates the agonizing distress of losing the one constant in her life, the one thing she truly loved.

The final minutes of the movie use text on the screen to conclude Tonya’s story and update the viewers on her life now. We learn that Tonya and her mother no longer speak, that Jeff got remarried and that Tonya now lives happily with her third husband and their seven-year-old son. The film ends with the words on the screen reading, “Tonya wants people to know that she is a good mother.”

“I, Tonya” is a powerful movie about mother-daughter connections, poverty, abusive relationships and determination. Tonya’s passion and commitment for her sport is remarkable, especially regarding the way that her training began at a young age — especially with her mother’s abuse. Tonya embodies a powerful character. Despite her obvious flaws and morals, her ability to push through the challenges she faced in her life and rise above them is truly astonishing. Tonya’s talent and story should never be forgotten and this film did a great job of representing her life.

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Dead Boy Detectives: Dead but not Forgotten

Courtesy: Netflix

“Dead Boy Detectives” is a show like no other. Described by showrunners Steve Yockey and Beth Schwartz as “the Hardy Boys on acid,” this eight-episode masterpiece will keep fans of fantasy and mystery on the edge of their seats.

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

It’s been about a year since the Netflix TV show “Dead Boy Detectives” came out. Despite its cancellation in August, the series has retained a loyal audience, with some fans even rallying to create a movement dedicated to getting it renewed (#SaveDeadBoyDetectives). Based on the DC comic book created by Neil Gaimon and Matt Wagner, the canon of this series exists within the “Sandman’’ universe (a show about the cosmic being who controls all dreams), and it focuses on two teenage ghosts that run a supernatural detective agency in London.

When these dead boy detectives take on a living amnesiac psychic as a client, they find themselves trapped in a small town brimming with supernatural problems to tackle. As they solve cases and encounter new enemies, more about each character’s personal history and emo78

tional journey is revealed, with all their arcs coming together in an addictive, creative and bittersweet season finale. The experience is thrilling, leaving you hungry for more.

Fans of “The Umbrella Academy,” “Lockwood and Co,” “Stranger Things” and similar fantasy adventure shows won’t be able to resist binging the whole series in a day. I would know — I originally watched the first fifty minutes of the show at breakfast, and by dinnertime that same day, I had finished the series. It was impossible to pause; each episode left me eagerly anticipating the next, and I was desperate to see where the story was heading.

Every minute offered more insight into the characters and their pasts, which kept the audience (me) invested in the story unfolding. The ending was a perfect culmina-

REVIEWS

tion of all the events that had happened up to that point in the show, giving it a completely unforgettable and refreshing finish.

Part of what made this show so compelling for me was its use of contrast. The rules about how ghosts operate are laid out from the beginning, and that internal logic is never strayed from. However, personality is another matter. Everybody plays by their own set of rules, giving the actors a lot of freedom when it comes to the interpretation and playing off character dynamics.

There is a rigorous balance between light and dark, in everything from tone to costuming, setting to comedy.

For every heartfelt confession, there is a creature from your worst nightmare; and for every pain experienced, there is a joy to make up for it. The lighthearted moments emphasize the friendships formed between people who are total opposites, presenting a psychedelic and comforting tone. The dark moments highlight the inherent tragedy of the formation of the ghostly detective agency, having stemmed from the deaths of the two main characters. All of this is undercut by a theme of love: learning what love is, wanting to love, wanting to be loved. This creates an extraordinary story to explore and a deeply touching journey to experience, meant for not only the characters but the audience as well.

They kept the characters diverse and distinctive without making them seem one-sided and archetypical. A majority of the leads are people of color, and several characters are canonically LGBTQIA+, which is an incredible thing to see in a genre dominated by straight white protagonists.

From those who appear once to the familiar faces of the show, every actor brings their A-game. Each character is approached with specificity and intention, as well as incredible physicality and expression. If you are looking for a show you can see yourself in, look no further, because regardless of anything external, you will be able to relate to the internal struggles of anyone from the oneoff agency clients to the villains. This show is not afraid to push the borders of typical Hollywood, and it delivers scenes that are painfully sincere, poignant and always hitting the mark.

The series also does a strong job representing the confusion and awkwardness that comes with being a teenager — from developing relationships to figuring out who you are. This is reflected in how everyone’s backstory is revealed as the show progresses, showing that everyone is much more than they appear on the surface, in more ways than one.

Additionally, the supernatural aspect of the show is incorporated flawlessly. It is separated enough from our world to establish and honor a fantasy-horror tone that captures the essence of the original comics, but it is connected enough that you don’t feel like you have to adjust to a whole new universe and worldview to understand and enjoy the series.

Furthermore, the magic doesn’t take away from personal problems; rather, it emphasizes humanity at its core. Each monster that the protagonists fight feels like a metaphor for problems that ordinary humans encounter

elevated to their most extreme. For example, your toxic ex keeps stalking you (but in this show, he’s literally a demon). You feel like you’re stuck in a cycle of abuse (because you are actually trapped in a time loop of your own trauma, and your friends need to break a magic artifact to stop it). You see yourself in someone else and hate them because you hate yourself (and then you accidentally ritually sacrifice them, only to run into them decades later while you live out your punishment in Hell, and they forgive you, which lets you forgive yourself and find some closure).

This show does something very unique: it gives its characters magical ways to deal with their ordinary problems — something we likely all wish we could have, especially in situations where we feel powerless and weak — but it doesn’t let them off the hook. It equips them with the means to succeed, but the characters must also face the consequences of relying on the supernatural. They are held accountable for their actions in both personal and fantastical regard, which bridges the missing link between the unattainability of magic and the mundanity of non-magical life. Watching this show is a healing, empowering experience.

“Dead Boy Detectives” presents itself as a beautiful mix of different things. At a first glance, you wouldn’t expect it to work, but the care and effort put in by everyone involved shines through. The series mixes time periods, from the ghosts that hail from different eras to the touches of the past through clothing, architecture, language and technology. It combines detective work with the supernatural, never missing a beat when it comes time to flip the emotional switch from funny to vulnerable. Every single character is lonely, but the way this manifests in their behavior shows the difference between the heroes and the villains. This show is not afraid to be honest or real, and that is what makes its story so powerful. It is a work of art that everyone should watch.

Courtesy: Ed Araquel/Netflix

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One of Them Days

BY CAITLINN CHO

before 6 p.m., this leads to many attempts to scourge money around the neighborhood in nine hours, which is hilarious and fun to watch.

Throughout the movie, Dreux and Alyssa go through a series of road blocks on their path that sometimes challenge their friendship, though they always seem to make it work in the end. Despite the light-hearted nature of the film on the surface, it also highlights struggles that may be familiar to some who live in a small community where the residents make a lower income and where job opportunities are scarce.

The story calls attention to typical arguments that best friends might experience. Such as calling each other names and jokingly insulting each other. But in the end, if you truly are best friends, you’ll find you always come back together in the aftermath of whatever conflict there

was. This is exactly what Dreux and Alyssa pulled through, and it was enlightening to watch them have each other’s backs and come to peace after the adventure they had.

Courtesy: One of Them Days

“One of Them Days” is a beautifully written story with multiple laughs plotted in, produced by Issa Rae and directed by Lawrence Lamont.

The movie shows the charismatic friendship between Alyssa and Dreux, two young women who share an apartment in Los Angeles. The characters are played by famous pop star SZA and American singer and actress Keke Palmer, respectively.

Dreux is a waitress, preparing for an interview as a franchise manager, while Alyssa is an artist with multiple paintings lying around her apartment with no use for them yet.

Though it takes a while for the comedy elements to make their appearance really known, the real narrative of the movie starts when Alyssa’s boyfriend uses their rent money behind the two friends’ backs. With the pressure from their landlord to pay him $1,500 back

Heart Eyes

BY ZOLA SAIGAL AND SOPHIA ALCUMBRACK MCDANIEL

“Heart Eyes,” directed by Josh Ruben, blends romantic-comedy and horror, taking the genres to new heights. The movie follows strangers Ally McCabe, played by Olivia Holt, and Jay Simmons, played by Mason Gooding, as they team up to take down the “Heart Eyes Killer” (HEK), a murderer who targets couples every Valentine’s Day. The movie opens with a dramatic scene at a winery, where HEK makes his first kill: a couple carrying out a proposal as well as their photographer. The news spreads that the HEK is terrorizing locals, sending the town into panic.

Set in Seattle, Ally is a cynical designer at a high-end jewelry company, while Jay is her heartthrob co-worker. The plot begins with Ally mistaking Jay’s order for her own at a coffee shop, leading to a brief but awkward interaction. Later, Ally is shocked to find Jay was assigned to help resolve a work issue, sparking tension between them. Jay in80

vites Ally to a work dinner, but the night takes a turn after an argument.

Moments later, the HEK witnesses a kiss shared between the two. Now, they’re marked as his next target.

The duo goes on to face several deadly confrontations with HEK before taking him down at a drivein movie theater. To their surprise, they later discover that he was one of three killers.

Heightened by the usage of intimate and disorienting angles, the tension in these scenes allows for the chemistry between Ally and Jay to build. Shortly after the duo’s victory, Ally realizes she is in love with Jay. As she heads off to search for him, she receives a phone call from an unknown number, prompting her to retrieve Jay from a church. Throughout this division of the film, the actors’ performances skillfully navigate the contrast between the thrill of victory and the unsettling realization that their fight is far from over.

At the church, Ally finds not one,

but two killers. These killers, driven by a twisted obsession with hunting couples, challenge Ally’s loyalty to Jay, forcing her to choose between killing him or herself.

Parts of the movie left viewers in suspense, curious of what was going to happen next as the movie was left on a cliffhanger.

“Heart Eyes” is an exceptional film that thematically explores the intersection of romance and fear. It examines how external relationships influence personal connections, with its focus on Ally and Jay’s developing relationship despite impending danger.

The movie proposes thoughtful insight into the unpredictability of romance, making it easy for viewers to connect with the characters.

Along with this, the chemistry between Holt and Gooding brings a style of comedy into the film, evolving the plot to a meaningful story of fear, love and connection through a sense of humor.

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81

Out Loud.

Three albums to hear now.

BY JAKE WILLIAMS

“Balloonerism” by Mac Miller In an age of deceased artists’ estates milking their likeness for all they’re worth (*cough* Juice WRLD *cough*) it’s incredibly refreshing to see an artist like Mac Miller get nothing but the best treatment. From fully completed posthumous releases to all his old mixtapes getting added to streaming, it’s still exciting to see a new Mac Miller album being released knowing it’ll always be high-quality and respectful to the artist. “Balloonerism” is no different.

“5 Dollar Pony Rides” is one of the brighter songs on the album with its jazzy, keyboard-centric beat, constant tambourine and playful percussion. Lyrically, Miller reflects on a complex relationship dynamics and his attempts to keep it together.

The majority of “Balloonerism” was made in 2014 before Miller lost interest and began to work on his 2014 mixtape “Faces.” To think that Miller was sitting on tracks like “Funny Papers” for years with no planned release is absolutely mind blowing, as “Funny Papers” is one of the best songs Miller has ever made. Throughout the song, he raps about things he’s read in the newspaper and how they’ve personally affected him over one of his prettier beats, consisting of somber piano chords and thick drums.

“Rick’s Piano” is somewhat hard to listen to with the added context of Miller’s career. The two refrains on the song are “The best is yet to come,” and “What does death feel like? Oh my, my god.” During the making of “Balloonerism” and “Faces,” Miller was struggling with depression and substance abuse. On “Faces,” he reflects on his addictions and accepts that they will be the thing that kills him, probably sooner rather than later. Hearing him seem both optimistic of the future and terrified yet accepting of his imminent death on “Ricks Piano” is unbelievably upsetting.

“Balloonerism” might be the last “new” album we get from Miller. Mac Miller’s unfinished career ending with the release of an album that he himself never completely finished seems almost too poetic.

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CONSTANT

“EUSEXUA” by FKA twigs

“Rarely Do I Dream” by Youth Lagoon

FKA twigs has been teasing “Eusexua” for almost two years now, first using the song “Striptease” in a Calvin Klein advertisement back in March of 2023. Now that it’s here, it proves it was worth the wait. With its heavy EDM and club influences, “Eusexua” has some of the most mind blowing pop-production in recent years.

“Drums of Death” is one of the best songs that will come out this year. Glitched out, in-your-face percussion that transitions smoothly into an absurdly catchy synthpop banger laced with auto-tune makes for an insane track. It’s the single most addicting track, not just on the album, but within this entire Out Loud. I have not been able to stop listening to it since I first heard it.

The following track, “Room Of Fools,” features some truly head-spinning production with its constant, pulsing bass and catchy synth melodies. In the song’s back half, it slows down and layers in some playful percussion that sounds like someone hitting a mason jar with a drumstick.

“Striptease” is another absolute banger. Plucky synths combined with borderline abusive amounts of bass and FKA twigs’ smooth vocals draw you in before the song hits you with a series of well-constructed hi-hats and a metallic snare. Eventually, the song crescendos into a breakbeat-influenced ending with FKA twigs hitting some of her most beautiful vocal runs on the album.

Learning that Dylan Brady of 100 Gecs has production credits on this song was one of the least surprising things about this album as this has that glitched yet smooth feel of a typical Gecs song.

“Eusexua” is absolutely electric from front to back with exceedingly inventive production and phenomenal vocals that put most other artists to shame. For almost any other album, it’d be much too early to call it, but “Eusexua” is so bold that I feel confident saying that at the end of 2025, this will still be looked on as one of the better albums of the year.

After an eight year hiatus starting in the mid-2010s, Trevor Powers, professionally known as Youth Lagoon, is back with his second album in three years. “Rarely Do I Dream” sees the Idaho based musician going in a rougher, fuzzier direction than his past releases while still retaining his style of indie music.

“Society has a terrible habit of only recognizing achievement while glossing over the greatness in the shadows,” is what Powers had to say about his song “Football,” the third track on the album. Powers tackles this idea through the lens of sports as someone who wasn’t particularly good at football. The instrumentation on this song is very subdued, working hand in hand with Powers’ vocals. Twinkling piano keys, light strings and simple drums make up the backdrop of Powers’ “celebration of failure.”

The seventh track, “Perfect World,” is one of my favorite songs on the album with its exciting, intricate production. Constant synth arpeggios combined with distorted guitar sections and passive drums make this track something I can’t stop going back to.

One of the final tracks on the album, “Parking Lot,” is one of the sweetest sounding songs on the album. Bright piano keys, quiet strings and punchy drums make a great backdrop for Powers’ story of a drug addict who essentially lives inside a parking lot. Lyrically, it’s not a happy song, but the contrast it has with the instrumental leads to you believe there may be something more uplifting at play; that the protagonist of the song will overcome his vices.

“Rarely Do I Dream” is just about as sweet as indie albums get these days. Simple yet smart production with some of Powers best writing to date and a different style of singing than he’s showcased in the past make me think Youth Lagoon is here to stay, and I am ecstatic about that. Youth Lagoon is one of the best indie projects there is, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

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Miss Worldwide

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI AND FINA KUTCHER

ACROSS 4 The first AfricanAmerican First Lady of the United States 5 What Zendaya does in “Challengers” on and off the tennis court 7 “High Priestess of Soul” associated with the Civil Rights Movement 9 What Dolly Parton does from nine to five 13 Where Cleopatra ruled 14 Subtract 50 and 49 from the atomic number of Marie Curie’s element; the periodic symbols for Palladium and Silver 15 The double-helix structure that Rosalind Franklin studied 16 “Ain’t I a Woman?” Sojourner Truth advocated for this cause 18 The world’s first computer programmer 20 She knows why the caged bird sings 21 How to say “hello” in Evita’s language 23 First Latina to serve on the United States Supreme Court 24 The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean 25 “I dissent.” The second female Supreme Court Justice 26 Nickname for the most awarded artist in Grammy history 28 Youngest recipient of Time’s Person of the Year 84

DOWN 1 Aretha Franklin, _____ of Soul 2 Featured in the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show; the only tennis player to have ever won a Golden Slam in both singles and doubles 3 Greta Gerwig’s award-winning directorial debut 6 Three words, to hide your true feelings; what Lady Gaga does in her most successful single 8 Simone Biles owns 11 Olympian ones 10 The first Black woman to join the billionaire list 11 “______ IS Brat” 12 A child with two X chromosomes; “I am Malala,” chapter one: “A ________ is Born” 15 The People’s Princess; the beloved British royal who was monumental in raising HIV/AIDS awareness

17 Jane Austen completed six of these during her life 19 2025 Grammy Award winner for Best Rap Album 22 The Patron Saint of France, Joan of ___ 27 Asian-American actress awarded for her role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

BONUS SCRAMBLE Who creates life: an icon

ANSWER KEY

Power Dynamics In the latest edition of “The Adventures of Zeeb & Elby” our protagonists talk about people in power.

BY KAYLEE GADEPALLI

HUMANS OF COMMUNITY

“What are you hopeful for?”

BY LEE GREENBERG AND ELLORA KIRBAT

Maggie Williams Junior

“

Lila Sarnecki Sophomore

“

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This year, I decided to sign up for the peer education program at Planned Parenthood. I’ve always been a super huge fan of the Planned Parenthood Corporation. I think the people that I work with really make me feel empowered because we all try to empower each other, and we’re all passionate about the same things so we can have really good discussions. We all support each other no matter what, which is really nice because if I’m wanting to sign up for something, they’ll really make me feel encouraged and proud. If they’re doing the same thing, I really try to make them feel encouraged and proud of themselves, because they should be.

Students really make me feel empowered because they really listen to me and they really respect me and they make me feel like I’m doing something good in the world. They make me feel like I’m doing something in the world that’s really making a difference and matters and will help these people learn how to be safe and how to be supportive in their future lives. It makes me want to continue doing the work that I’m doing.”

One specific moment I can think of is the first time we started rehearsing the song “Show People” in [CET’s] current play. In this song, our ensemble characters are, at first, very reluctant to put on the show because they’re not getting paid a whole lot for it, and it seems like the show is not going to go on. So all the ensemble characters are like, 'We can go back home, let’s just not do it,' and then the lead characters have to rally the ensemble characters and say, 'Come on, let’s go, we do this for a reason.' The reason is because it’s just a wonderful feeling to be on stage and that’s something I’ve felt my whole life. I feel like sometimes I kind of lose that feeling because I have to practice the steps, lyrics and notes over and over again. It’s a lot of work that goes into theater, but it’s rewarding. In the end, it’s just an exhilarating feeling, standing there on stage. It feels good to be part of something, and even though you don’t enjoy all of what you do, it feels good to have an end product to be proud of.”

CONSTANT

Felix Brown Sophomore

“

One of my most powerful moments was starting the Jewish Student Union at Community. I thought that it would be really awesome if we had a JSU here to have a safe space for Jewish students. We were able to get the whole thing together in a really quick amount of time, and it was kind of surprising to me because it was just an idea I had, and then all of a sudden it had happened. It made me feel very empowered because I knew that I was creating something that really mattered to people. I knew that if someone else had started a JSU, I would feel extremely happy, and I felt empowered that I could be that person for the Jewish students at Community. Over a year, [JSU] definitely just helped me learn a lot about myself. I’m always learning about different aspects of being Jewish from the people who come to JSU that I didn’t know before. I feel like I’m constantly learning and like becoming a better leader. It’s just given me a really unique opportunity.”

Lola Yribar Sophomore

“

I felt very empowered during Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Even though she didn’t win, I think it just kind of gives me hope that other people were inspired by her. It makes me feel very empowered as a woman, just how she’s advocating for women’s rights and bodily autonomy. It really made me hopeful for the country’s future. A lot of people just focus on the negative things, but I kind of like to focus on the positive and just see there is hope. Obviously, other women have run — like Hillary Clinton ran for president — but I was really young when that happened, so I didn’t really understand her running as much as I do now. For the last few years, I’ve been watching presidential debates, but now it’s just been more inspiring to me when I can actually understand the politics, fully understand their policies and grasp what they’re saying and who they’re fighting for. I’ve really bonded with my grandma over this. [Harris’] policies really do affect everyone, not just specific groups of women. She’s not just focusing on certain people, she’s trying to focus on everyone and make a better world.”

THE COMMUNICATOR

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Colorful Jam Thumbprints

BY FINA KUTCHER AND NINA TINNEY

T

o us, these cookies represent new beginnings.

At the start of our friendship they were one of the first things we baked together. The two of us stood side by side in the kitchen rolling dough balls into granulated sugar and getting to know one another better. Together we enjoyed this classic and iconic treat -— but these aren’t your average jam thumbprint cookies. With a variety of freeze dried fruit in both the dough and coating the outside they are the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Their fruity flavors and vibrant colors make them a great treat for springtime. Additionally, you can customize them to your taste, choosing whatever fruit and filling you’d like. So whether you are celebrating a new season or a new friendship, we believe that these are just the treat for you. - Love, Fina & Nina TIPS We used a variety of freeze-dried fruits and jams to get the colorful assortment of cookies pictured above. Feel free so get creative with different color and flavor combinations. We also recommend using a scale to measure your ingredients rather than measuring cups. This helps you to not over-add certain ingredients and to get a more accurate final result. Lastly, for the best experience try baking these with a friend or loved one!

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INGREDIENTS 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1 Tbsp. lemon zest 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 2 tsp. salt 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 1 package of freeze-dried fruit ½ cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup jam, jelly or curd DIRECTIONS 1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt in a stand mixer on medium

high speed until light and fluffy.

3) Add the egg yolks and beat until the mixture pales in color. Set aside.

4) Using a food processor, pulverize the freeze-dried fruit to a powder.

5) Add two thirds of the freeze-dried fruit and flour to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms or just until combined. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

6) While the dough is chilling, combine the remaining third of the freezedried fruit with the granulated sugar to make “fruit sugar.”

7) Roll the chilled dough into pingpong sized balls and coat in the fruit sugar. Place balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For best results, aim for 12 cookies per sheet.

8) Using a teaspoon or similar tool, indent tough balls to create the “thumbprints.” Fill with desired jam or jelly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden and crispy, rotating the pan halfway through.

The Communicator www.chscommunicator.com

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CONSTANT

Our Turn Staff members talk about power.

BY SADIE JACOBSON AND WILLOW ROSENFELD

Ellie Fox

“I’m a dancer and when I get something right, when it looks really good, I feel super powerful. Or when I prove someone wrong. I’m a person who’s based around getting things just right. It’s always been something that bugs me since I’ve been a kid. So if someone’s like, ‘Oh, it’s like this,’ I’m like, ‘No, it’s like this,’ and I’m like, ‘Boom, here’s the evidence.’ Also, I feel super powerful when I’m proud of myself for knowing things, especially with history. Being able to know all this cool stuff, especially if it ties together with other subjects, I’m like, ‘Wow, I cooked here.’ That feels really powerful, because history is really powerful when you can use it correctly.”

Eleanor Farrell “I feel power most from societal pressures, like the power that’s asserted to people who are the ‘Standard of Beauty.’ When they push out that message to others about trying to beat or exceed that same standard, it gives more power to those people and more power to the idea of what ‘beauty’ is. And that is what created diet culture, and all these things like that, because it gives so much power to people like Victoria’s Secret models or Sydney Sweeney from Euphoria. It gives so much power to trying to strive to look like that. So that affects my day-to-day and just how I view myself.

Because we as a society give so much power to unrealistic beauty standards. So I think about power like that a lot.”

Eli Feng “People who have more power than me tell me what to do and then I do it. I’m a teenager, so I don’t really have a whole lot of my own power, because I don’t tell a whole lot of people what to do. Power is more like authority than anything. It’s not a good thing or a bad thing. If nobody had any power, then there would be chaos. Who would say that a judge had any more authority to sentence you for murdering than I use my power to murder someone? So striking that balance is necessary.

If you’re the President, you have authority and command of the entire country. If you’re a teacher, you, at least theoretically, have authority and command over your students, theoretically being the operating word there. A good teacher will probably be lenient with their authority but still have it.”

THE COMMUNICATOR

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WHAT HOLDS POWER? WHAT HOLDS POWER? WHAT HOLDS POWER? WHAT HOLDS POWER?

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