Devil's Advocate (Volume 38, Number 2, December 2021)

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE STANTON COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

DECEMBER 2021

Outside Stanton, the community is rich in history and culture.

BEYOND W. 13TH STREET

FEATURED lN

photos by SPURTHl NRUSlMHADEVARA story by ZOEY LARSON

T H E P HOTO G RA P H Y l SS UE

STUDENT LIFE

It starts with a simple sip.

“We have to do this for our land, our oceans, and future generations.” ~Jason Momoa

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Adviser: Larry Knight Editor-in-Chief: Charlotte Rogers Managing Editor: Jessica Malosh Managing Editor: Elise Gideon Photography Editor: Piper Jones Digital Media Editor: Gavin Grady Public Relations Manager: Cameron Kight Assoc. Photography Editor: Denise Soriano Videographer: Ella Jansson Section Editor (Arts & Ent.): Sarah Hiott Section Editor (Features): Ty’Hana Aldridge Section Editor (Opinions): Tatum Register Section Editor (Sports): Jillian Williams Mahima Kedlaya, Zoey Larson, Samyuktha Sridhar Anusha Anna, Sarah Bernardo, Matthew Henderson, Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Contributing Advocates The Devil’s Advocate is searching for contributing writers, photographers, artists, and Rogers at charlotterogers113@gmail.com, Opinions Editor Tatum Register at tatiereg627@ gmail.com, or Digital Media Editor Gavin Grady at ggrady1733@gmail.com.

Ads and Sponsorships The Devil’s Advocate is dependent on our advertisers and our sponsors. When you purchase an ad with us, it reaches a diverse student population that can help your business.

We can also design your ads. Our prices are: $45 (1/4 page), $70 (1/2 page), $75 (insert), $135 (full page), $150 (back page). For an additional $5 fee, we can advertise your business on our website. Contact Business Manager Jessica Malosh at jessicamalosh@ gmail.com or our adviser, Mr. Larry Knight, at knightl1@duvalschools.org.

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photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Outside of Stanton’s bubble, the community is rich in history and culture.

Arts and Entertainment

Student Life

Sports

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BAND TOGETHER

A REVOLUTION IN THRIFTING

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CAPTAIN

Thrifting has recently become a popular practice with teenagers.

Girls’ Soccer senior captain Victoria Quintero is responsible for leading her

After overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, Stanton’s marching band the football season strong.

6 Jacksonville’s First Wednesday Art Walk and their art.

Features

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DECEMBER 2021

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STREET

THE BEAUTY OF BASIC

Stanton is located in a community with a rich culture, but students lack knowledge of its history.

The Editorial Board explores the nature of the word “basic” and why it should not have a negative connotation.

cover photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

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Twitter: @scpnewspaper Instagram: @scpnewspaper YouTube: Devil’s Advocate Newspaper Facebook: Stanton Devil’s Advocate Snapchat: @scpnewspaper Spotify: @scpnewspaper TikTok: @devilsadvocatenewspaper

Printed at Florida Sun Printing Please recycle this magazine.

Opinions

Artists create and sell their art at Jacksonville’s First Wednesday Art Walk.

photo by Denise Soriano

17 OPINIONS Featuring columns titled “Why Care?”, “Cry Baby,” and “Dangerous Nostalgia.”

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE | 3

STUDENT LIFEENTERTAINMENT ARTS AND

photo by Sarah Bernardo

Drum major Juliana Thint leading the band to the band room to hang up their hats after the last game of the season.

Band Leif Bassett, shown in the center of the photo below, loves “hanging out with people and being able to learn, playing and performing with the instrument.” photo by Sarah Bernardo

photo by Sarah Bernardo

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VOL XXXVIII, VOL. XXXVII, NO. 12

Loud and Proud Digital Media Editor

exposes you to new kinds of music that you may not have heard before.”

Together

Ylliana Miagao (left) believes the best part about being in marching band is the people and experience that comes with it.

DECEMBER SEPTEMBER2021 2020

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ARTS AND STUDENT LIFEENTERTAINMENT

Jacksonville’s First Wednesday Art Walk

Associate Photography Editor

Zephra Williams’ inspiration comes from the natural beauty of nature, using shells and crystals as her mediums.

Olivia Gonzalez is inspired by happiness and love, painting joyful blooms and vibrant colors onto canvas and paper.

An atypical art form, this vendor’s balloons left every customer with a smile.

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Abdul Ibrahimi believes art is an emotion, an idea manifesting through colors that he wants to see on his canvas.

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STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT LIFE

A

Revolution

in

Thrifting

By MAHIMA KEDLAYA,

STUDENT LIFE

Sophomores Phoebe Su (left) and Sammy Valencia (right) use thrifted pieces to create unique

A

Revolution

in

Thrifting

STUDENT LIFE

By MAHIMA KEDLAYA,

Sophomores Phoebe Su (left) and Sammy Valencia (right) use thrifted pieces to create unique

A

Revolution

in photo by Piper Jones

Senior Sanjana Imandi (above) says thrifting clothes has made her “style much more unique” and given her “a much broader range“ of styles to wear.

Thrifting

By MAHIMA KEDLAYA, photo by Piper Jones

Sophomores Phoebe Su (left) 8 | devilsadvocatepaper.com and Sammy Valencia (right) use

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Senior Lainey Rose (left), wears unique and vintage jewelry she’s thrifted.

Senior Khalid Naser (far right) sports thrifted shoes.

photo by Piper Jones

photo by Piper Jones

photo by Piper Jones

photo by Piper Jones

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BEYOND

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Old Stanton High School still stands at 521 W. Ashley St. iiiiii

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James P. Smalls Memorial Stadium is one of many

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DURKEEVILLE & Co.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

j.p. smalls MEMORIAL STADIUM

The Jackso

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

James P. Smalls Memorial Stadium

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

The James P. Smalls Memorial Stadium is used regularly for baseball activities.

nearby

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadeva photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Historical markers are scattered through the James P. Smalls Memorial Stadium Museum.

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photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

A statue memorializing James P. Smalls’ career stands in the park.

Harvest Ministries Family Worship Center is located near

old stanton

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Durkeeville & Co. serves as a deli and historical site to the nearby community.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

The historical marker is found at the Old Stanton site.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

This 1957 Stanton yearbook is one of many artifacts documenting the school’s history.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

he Ritz Theatre & Museum contains much of sonville’s African American history near Lavilla. photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

churches y

evara

ar

The Old Stanton building has been abandoned since its closure in 1953.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church is near the mudlot where Stanton students park.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Harvest Ministries Family Worship Center is a Phillipian Community Church.

Mount Ararat Missionary Baptist Church was one site of civil rights activism in Jacksonville.

photo by Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Harvest Ministries Family Worship Center was built in 1956.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE | 13

SPORTS

photo by Matthew Henderson

Senior captain Victoria Quintero directing them during games.

photo by Matthew Henderson

One of the roles of captains on the soccer team is to meet with the referees at the beginning of games for decide which side each team will defend.

photo by Gavin Grady

14 | devilsadvocatepaper.com SEPTEMBER 2021

photo by Matthew Henderson

iiiiiSenior Victoria Quintero is one of the captains of the varsity girls soccer team this year. Winning multiple games by over six goals experienced success in soccer. iiiii“I was on a team with really good players has played soccer since her sophomore year.

“They were good role models and helped me iiiii Advanced Studies. The Blue Devils continued

iiiii has been pushing through and overcoming

the team. iiiii iiiiiThis mentality could help secure the team’s has set a goal of advancing to regionals and help players learn how to play soccer on a higher level. iiiii responsibility of teaching the freshman how said Quintero. iiiiiQuintero has a responsibility to lead and teach her team will help lead them to a successful season. Expectations are high this continue the team’s winning reputation.

photo by Matthew Henderson

Senior captain Victoria Quintero practices soccer daily to be able to be able to better lead her teammates alongside senior captain Reagan Grant.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE | 15

OPINIONS

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

Piper Jones iiiiiThe Devil’s Advocate

iiiiiThe Devil’s Advocate

The Beauty of Basic iiiii

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iiiiiThe Devil’s Advocate iiiii

Letter from the Editor

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photo by Piper Jones

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Devil’s Advocate has

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Beyond W.

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of the Devil’s Advocate

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VOL XXXVIIl, NO. 2

Why Care?

Sports Editor iiiiiiThe role of activism in the lives of students at Stanton College Preparatory School is clear, as they advocate for change on issues from racial inequality to dress code. Despite being informed on certain issues, a deeper conversation reveals a startling level of ignorance when it comes to local legislation.

Unfortunately, upon asking students why they don’t learn more about their local government, photo by Piper Jones

iiiii informed is important for students and the school board is always open to public opinion. The school board is a body of seven representatives, who appoint the superintendent, establish policies for the school district, and oversee their implementation. One issue currently being discussed by the board is protocol for schools’ response to the pandemic. Policy 5.64, “Control of Communicable Diseases During an Epidemic or Pandemic,” was recently revised on Oct. 26, addressing the superintendent’s responsibility for

developing and enforcing safety regulations in future pandemic situations. This policy is important to students because it addresses an issue with which they may be concerned and the punishments

example of how keeping updated on current school protesting the dress code. If a greater number of students had an awareness of school board procedures, this issue could have been resolved

Another policy currently being constructed is Policy iiiiiSome argue that students, being too young

INFOGRAPHIC

in government. However, students can still be

month at 6 p.m. The schedule for other meetings can be found on the DCPS website and students agendas of those meetings. Students can talk to

infographic by Tatum Register

5.25, “Student Code of General Appearance,” which will address student grievances towards dress code policies. This issue has been of particular interest to Stanton students and the school board is considering student input in the formation of this new policy. This is a prime

iiiiiAs students, we will be the voters and leaders of the future; in fact, many seniors are now eligible to vote. As a result, it is vital for us to educate ourselves about the functionings of not only know our local leaders and their actions, and be more active in forums within our community so that we can work for the change we seek.

Crybaby

By ANASOFIA GIRARDOT, iiiiiIn a culture where outdated etiquette structures society’s standards for individuals, emotions are often considered a liability rather than a natural occurrence.

However, they are quite the opposite; emotions are a bittersweet memory’s sting or the beaming spark of happiness, the importance of emotional expression in everybody’s lives remains unchallenged. If emotions are an integral aspect within our lives, then why is expressing them seen so negatively?

“ vast and vivid kaleidoscope of feelings that accompanies our existence.” iiiiiFrom monikers like “overly sensitive” and “crybaby,” along with the misconception that vulnerability is a sign of weakness, American culture constantly deems emotional expression Rather than repressing the inescapable existence of emotions, our society should embrace not only their necessary presence, but the various ways they transform the lives of every person.

DECEMBER 2021

iiiiiiAlthough modern American society is more accepting of emotional expression than previous decades, Stanton students and other Americans remain pressured to suppress or discreetly convey their feelings in public. Although such behavior has been deemed appropriate by a strict society as the most tolerable way to deal with their personal issues, minor or serious, it only invalidates the emotions and experiences of individuals. iiiii

their emotions, due to archaic ideas about their fragility, men, are expected to hide their emotions only does this contribute to sexist stereotypes that uphold oppressive ideals about women,

INFOGRAPHIC

not only can ignoring your emotions cause health, but also your physical well-being. iiiii out of your emotions’ often result in increased rumination and perseveration,” wrote Cullen for

including anxiety, depression, stress-related illness, all the way to substance abuse and suicide.” iiiiiAs a person who is more comfortable with conveying my feelings, I have commonly endured backlash not only from environments like school, but also from my loved ones. In moments of profound emotional upset where a supportive listener was crucial, I would often receive remarks diminishing my struggles and leaving me more isolated in my personal battles. iiiiiEven with these serious consequences, some as gender, background, or career, determine how one is supposed to express their emotions.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE infographic by Tatum Register

iiiiiEven with certain exceptions, healthy emotional expression continues to be limited by Optasimin eaquia ditiorum expeles ciligen imolut misconstrued expectations and causes more quisquam, pre than volestis as sunt “incorrect” alibusam damage to con society supposedly quibus. behaviors. People may discourage so-called Icationet poruptum facepudit, imperfections as we surpassvella our dendem physical reius and cusdae sae si vid eum et eliquas ulles aut fugitib mental limits, but nevertheless it is important to uscient lab iducia quas repudae molorestem remember that it is not costly prestige or renowned aut everro mo conest in nimustiis res alignis non

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OPINIONS

Dangerous Nostalgia

By SAMYUKTHA SRIDHAR, iiiiThe charm of old Hollywood and the retro aesthetic has found itself swirling in the minds of Generation Z, who fantasize about dressing up in vintage Dior and cruising in antique Cadillacs. People dream of living this oldfashioned lifestyle, with some even claiming they were born in the wrong generation, wondering why photo by Piper Jones

1950s and 1960s. However, the glitz and glamour so many associate with this time period is a strong misinterpretation of what life in the 1950s and

in her videos are merely semblances of what many wish they could experience living in the 1960s. The is catalyzed by artists and the rise of trends using aesthetics from the past to create content. By overusing such aesthetics, the past is perceived in a more glamourized manner, further blurring the current generations from the realities of the past. iiiiiOn top of artists’ advocacy of false understandings about the past, many trends featuring users replicating styles and enacting their perception of 1960s life have been introduced on social media seem harmless, many blend multiple eras together when creating content, erasing the unique identities of the various periods. As an

iiiiiThe truth is, only a small percentage of the American population were able to experience the true essence of what people now coin as a “Golden Age.” The struggles faced by the average American during the time period blinding the current generation from the realities of the past. The circulation of social injustice and worry over radical political views plagued the era, catalyzing a number iiiiiAs the misinterpretation of the past prevails, a number of reasons can be brought up in order to explain the roots of such perceptions. People treat older periods as an escape from the present, where they can build their own lives in their minds based on the constructed aesthetic of a certain time period.

The romanticized portrayal of the past helps people escape this day and age, and allows them to live

of living in such eras that much more captivating. iiiiiThe reason why the past seems considerably more appealing than the present is because people focus on the wealthy class. According to the United States Census, in the 1950s and 1960s, roughly 2.5% luxuries. A great number of citizens during the 1950s

instability. Yet, when considering this era, people iiiii interpretations by exposing consumers to biased information. Many artists today integrate 1950s an unreachable destination for their audience.

Following the trends, the incorporated aesthetics

past decades together, historical accuracy is

infographic by Tatum Register

even more important for future generations to end this cycle of historial misconcpetion.

iiiii settings of the past are attractive and deserve to be admired by future generations, the overgeneralization of certain aesthetics caused by the popularity of vintage aesthetics can be the celebrated idea of male dominance during the 1950s and 1960s prevented a great number of women from reaching their full potential. By romanticizing the attractive exterior of the era, people were forced to endure during the time period. iiiiiPeople who glamorize the past arguably come from an uninformed position that allows them to enjoy the decades from a privileged perspective. Today, many sources of education fail to cover negative aspects of history that they view as harmful to their established narrative. Due to these blemishes, people perceive past decades in a way they desire, contributing to further historical inaccuracy. iiiiiAccurately understanding the past is imperative because history holds the explanations to current events. For example, the social justice protests of 2020 were a continuation of unresolved historical

one would struggle to identify the context behind the protests, simultaneously obfuscating a solution to eradicate such intolerable acts. iiiiiThe importance of possessing a clear understanding of historical periods stems from its heavy impact on the past, present, and future.

STUDENT REFLECTIONS “I view the 1950s as very elegant and classy; the style, the music, and the artistic expression were all very sophisticated .”

— HAZEL JOSEPH, 11th

“I think those who glamorize the past come from a point of privilege and would rather overlook what has gone wrong in the past to try to make up for what we do wrong now.”

— VINEET KHANOLKAR, 10th

“In order to improve our society’s false perceptions, we should show more of the bad things that happened in the 1950s rather than romanticizing the culture.”

— NOAH LUNBERRY, 11th

“I don’t think the 1950s should a diner or something when my grandparents probably couldn’t even walk in.”

— ELIZABETH OWENS, 9th

“I say that those who glamorize it shoud look past the aesthetic of it and start of the generalized picture.”

— JANNELLE STROUGHTER, 10th

visually or audibly. Singer Lana Del Rey, for example, past based on false portrayals from the media, true events and identities of certain eras are forgotten.

18 | devilsadvocatepaper.com SEPTEMBER 2020

infographic by Tatum Register

DEVIL’S |2 5 VOLADVOCATE XXXVlll, NO.

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