Eagle Talon (December 2023)

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PAXON SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED STUDIES

EAGLE TALON DECEMBER 2023

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COVER STORY

Siblings Brinkley and Cameron Watson have broken many records and won medals galore for their accomplishments in competitive swimming.

Brinkley saw it as the best college fit for her.

“I am super happy with my decision,” Brinkley said. “The environment is exactly what I need to thrive, and is helping me become better as a student and an athlete.”

Cameron is competing in his senior year of high school for the Paxon swim team.

Cameron has held records in 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and he won a state title this year in the 100 butterfly at the 2A High School Swimming and Diving State Championships.

Following his older siblings, Drew Watson is in his sophomore year. This is his second year swimming for Paxon. He competed in regional and state competitions along with his brother and sister in 2022 and swam this year with Cameron by his side.

He did not swim for the school during his freshman year due to an injury.

“I had broken my left foot and had to have two surgeries over the course of nine months during my freshman year to fix it,” Cameron said.

Drew, Cameron, and Brinkley Watson

Cameron came back sophomore year, proving to everyone that his injury did not “One of my favorite memories of being delay his abilities by becoming a district on the team was sophomore year at and regional champion in October of 2021. states,” Cameron said.

The Watsons were all homeschooled and swam for a team year-round called ‘North Florida Swim’ while also competing for Paxon during high school swim seasons.

“Athleticism definitely runs through this family, and everyone is so excited to see how far they go in the future,” Coach Jason Dennis said. “Especially wishing the Cameron is currently still deciding what best of luck to Brinkley in college, Camerto do after high school. on in deciding his college future, and “I am still undecided, but I have been in Drew in the rest of his high school years, everyone is rooting for these siblings.” contact with coaches from both division one and division two schools,” Cameron said.

His older sister, Brinkley Watson holds records in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 100 fly, 100 breaststroke, and 200 IM. Brinkley is currently in her freshman year of college.

“I announced my commitment to a division two school in North Carolina; Catawba college in January of 2021,” Brinkley said.

Brinkley Watson

DECEMBER 2023

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NEWS

JROTC Leads the Veteran’s Day Parade Trinity Shelton Jones

This year, for the first time, Paxon’s Army clapping for us. They’d even repeat the JROTC program had the honor of leading cadences that were called.” the parade through the downtown area.

As the parade came to an end, cadets’ feet were hurting, and mouths were dry.

When the parade first started, all eyes were on the cadets, hands were sweaty, and Cadets proudly said that although they were exhausted, it was a wonderful feeling for nerves were high.

Paxon’s Army JROTC program to lead the “I was really nervous because it was my parade. first parade, but I knew it’d be over fast,” sophomore Niya Williams said.

Throughout the parade, bystanders clapped and cheered as cadets marched down the road.

Veteran’s Day for many is a day that honors the sacrifice of our nation's veterans so that we can live freely. Every year, a Veteran’s Day Parade is held in Jacksonville to commend our fallen soldiers and veterans for their years of service and dedication to our country.

“It was such a privilege to be able to lead the parade with my mighty Paxon Eagles,” Army Instructor Major DeVoe said.

The three-mile walk seemingly felt as if it was only a mile as the Battalion called cadences and everyone was on step.

“The atmosphere was a tad bit overwhelming,” sophomore Eesa Hoosain said.

“Everyone on the side was cheering and

OPINION Socializing in clubs goes beyond small talk. You can connect with people who share your passions, and instead of having to search through the school of large groups of teenagers, joining clubs narrows down and filters through the students to help you find those similar to you. ExtraClubs are a great place to meet people curriculars act like magnets in a diverse Drama Club of similar interests and socialize with school environment. them. This makes it a wonderful opporExtracurricular activities also look good “I think that clubs are a good way to tunity to make friends, especially if you are to colleges when applying. Joining these get active in the school community and to activities helps you stand out by reflecting a freshman, and struggling to make socialize as well as find people with similar your interests. Extracurricular activities friends. If you're into science, literature, math, environmental issues, games, sports, interests,” said senior Breanna Pettwaycan include community service, athletics, Mobley, a member of the National Honor and any other activities that students and more, there's likely a club tailored to Society and publicist in Science National your interests. participate in both inside and outside of Honor Society. school. Your involvement can demonstrate leadership and collaboration skills, which Joining extracurricular clubs allows stumight impress colleges. dents to build skills in areas that interest These clubs and extracurricular activithem or learn new skills, as well as build ties are all about exploring your interests, communication and social skills. You can actively contributing, and connecting with learn to work with others, boost your selflike-minded peers. This will make your esteem, and improve your mental health school experience more personalized and overall. meaningful.

National Honor Society

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FEATURES

President of her refugee outreach club. National Culpepper also acknowledges the challenges of Honor Society Member. Golden Eagle Ambassasenior year and hopes to encourage her seniors to dor. International Baccalaureate program candibecome more intentional about staying on top of date. All these roles fall into the hands of senior requirements. “I don’t want to not validate conPritha Patel, who, like her classmates, feels the cerns,” Culpepper affirms. “I’m always trying to pressure of mounting responsibilities on top of life embody that trait from the learner profile of being counselors on campus, Culpepper has access to the -altering decisions in this pivotal season in a high reflective and trying to see what can be done to resources students need to be successful and is schooler’s academic career. make changes, make things better.” often busy responding to parent and student inWith these responsibilities comes the familiar quiries, as well as ensuring that students are aware As for the future, Culpepper is confident that sensation of being overwhelmed by the requireand notified of graduation and college requirethis year’s senior class is more than capable of bements and commitments of students in this year’s ments. In an interview, Culpepper assured that the ing successful, urging seniors to keep pushing senior class. For Patel and her peers, the amount of counseling staff has more than adequate resources through the challenges. “I feel like the class of 2024 effort and stress seems to go unnoticed by teachers that are readily available to seniors during this cru- has been more proactive when it comes to trying and staff alike, with many seniors questioning if cial season in their lives, encouraging rising seniors to apply early, [which] means that you’re looking they’ve been properly equipped to handle the chal- to look over various requirements before even en- at the things that you need to complete your applilenges that they face entering a new chapter in tering senior year. cation earlier, and that has contributed positively,” their lives. she added. “I think that we’re on a good start to For the counselor, a major concern she identicontinue on a positive trajectory.”

This overwhelming sensation of stress is backed fies as a contributor to senior stress levels is stuby experts, as the CDC reports that between 2009- dent interaction with available resources.

There remains hope for active students such as 2019, “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessPatel and her peers, as she is confident that the “Procrastinating when it comes to completing ness” increased by approximately 40 percent in stress and responsibilities will benefit her in the what needs to be done, more so what other people high school students. This begs an important queslong run. Patel remains active in both her school need to do for the application,” Culpepper comtion: Are senior students given the proper reand community, taking joy in the process and remented. “Students apply to a variety of schools, sources to be successful as they transition out of fusing to focus on the negative. “It’s a lot of work, and so sometimes, especially if the deadlines are high school and into college and the workforce? managing all of these tasks and keeping up with varying, that could be something that contributes schoolwork, but it’s also very rewarding to help Paxon IB coordinator Krystal Culpepper was to stress. It helps to be proactive with asking ahead [the refugees] and be a positive presence in my more than prepared to answer. As one of the of time.” community.”

of the original six. Also, students only have to explain two documents instead of three. Lastly, they added more ways to obtain the complexity point. All these changes benefit students and may allow students to get their full seven-points, benefiting their overall exam score.

Since 2013 there has been a 4.2% increase in the pass rate of AP tests. What if there was a way College Board could increase this percentage? Well, they may have “I suspect this rubric change found a solution to this problem. should make it easier for students In early September, College Board to get their points, but I personalreleased a new DBQ rubric. ly think students should still go The DBQ is a document-based by the old rubric,” AP European essay that students must comHistory Juli Williams said. plete during some AP tests like “Students were struggling to get AP World History and AP Eurotheir complexity point and AP pean History. This seven-point readers want to be able to award essay can be the difference bestudents the point to them.” tween a student who passes the The College Board wants to exam and one who does not. Colallow students more opportunilege Board’s rubric change states ties to earn these points. Students that students now only have to will appreciate this change. support four documents instead

DECEMBER 2023

“Last year the DBQ was part of that class because they stressed the AP World History test I was me out so bad,” sophomore Julian more anxious about, and although Lawson said. “DBQs still aren't my my teacher had tried to fit in favorite but seem more manageapractice, I never felt truly confible.” dent in my essays,” sophomore The changed rubric is showing Lauren Sams said. “I had comimmediate positive results for stupletely given up on the complexi- dents. ty point, but with the new rubric “The AP DBQ was already a it seems more obtainable.” very hard test before the changThe new rubric is boosting students' confidence about future AP testing. If a student believes in themselves, they will believe they can do better on their AP tests.

es,” sophomore Jonah Derechin said. “Ready to go back on test day in May prepared and relaxed.”

“When a teacher told us we were doing a DBQ next class I would try my best to miss

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FEATURES

As laughter fills the atmosphere and a family is enjoying each other’s company, suddenly the police burst through the door and handcuffs are put on their father. The police are accusing him of stealing, that he is a criminal. Commotion and confusion occupy the then joyous time, and now questions are forming. “Is their father a thief?” It is eventually concluded that a horrible misunderstanding occurred.

This leaves the possibility that people deemed to be criminals are innocent, which creates another issue.

Approximately 4-6 percent of United States incarcerated people are innocent. Amongst the imprisoned population, up to 40 percent are African Americans. The history of American racial injustices, which emphasized the marginalization of people of color has unfolded “into the widespread presumption that people of color are suspicious, dangerous, and criminal—that young Black men are to be feared, monitored, and even hunted,” executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson said.

After a Michigan father was wrongly identified by facial recognition surveillance footage, to what extent should people rely on technology, especially when handling criminal cases? What Robert Williams are the potential risks? People tend to think that “For the most part, we can be confident that the technology is already extremely advanced and After this unfortunate incident occurred, darker your skin tone, the higher the error rate,” that mistakes rarely occur. However, how severe Williams testified before the California legislaLee added. does a mistake have to be for change to hapture to express how his case was flawed. pen?

Additionally, a 2019 federal government “In my case, Detroit police were supposed to study conducted by The National Institute of As a result of the Detroit Police Department’s treat face recognition matches as an investigaStandards and Technology discovered that mistake, Robert Williams was arrested in front tive lead, not as the only proof they need to Asian and African Americans were 100 times of his family and detained by the police for apmore likely to be misidentified than White peo- charge someone with a crime,” Williams wrote proximately 30 hours. With this concern, Wilin a letter to the California assembly’s public ple. liams claims that this experience will create lastsafety committee. ing trauma for his daughters. Notably, during “One of the mistakes they’ll make is a false “They should have collected corroborating his detainment, detectives showed him photos negative mistake, where it doesn’t associate you evidence such as an eyewitness identification, of the suspected shoplifter, who showed no sim- as you two photos of you. And it doesn’t, it ilarity with himself. Due to this, Williams’ doesn’t put them together,” National Institute of cell phone location data or a fingerprint,” Williams added. “They had none of that – just an charges were dropped because of the lack of evi- Standards and Technology scientist Patrick out-of-focus image of a large Black man in a dence.

Grother said. baseball cap that a faulty algorithm had deter“I held that piece of paper up to my face and Nevertheless, Grother sent the results of the mined was me.” said, ‘I hope you don’t think all Black people study directly to developers in hopes of refining This case exhibits how the United States will look alike’,” Williams said. the algorithms used to identify individuals. continue to have a history of racial injustices if Experts acknowledge that facial recognition “We continue to track the technology and no technological improvements are made when technology is not at all perfected, yet also imwhether it’s improving with respect to accuracy attempting to solve crimes. If additional replies how the system inadvertently targets peo- and with respect to these demographic effects,” search and effort is being put into systems such ple of color.

Grother added. as the facial recognition system and more relia“There are many unknowns, but we can be This case of facial recognition usage raises ble ways to properly identify criminals, democertain of one thing: Most, if not all facial recog- concerns about how imprecise technological graphic issues can potentially be eased to a cernition systems are less accurate for people of databases can be, especially regarding people of tain extent. Small changes are a step forward color and women,” United States Representative darker skin tones. William’s case was the first towards a better future.

Sheila Jackson Lee said. documented case of an individual being wrongfully detained as a result of facial recognition technology. If this is the first documented case, how many more occurred before this one?

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EAGLE TALON

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Since August 31, 2023, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” has taken the box office by storm. The film opened to $92.8 million in sales in North America and $30.7 million internationally, bringing its opening weekend sales to $123.5 million globally.

The film falls right behind Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” concert documentary which grossed $286.1 million in sales. With Beyonce soon joining the concert film craze, concert films might become the new best way to enjoy a concert, without spending your life savings.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film was the biggest concert film to hit cinemas since the release of

Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” concert documentary in 2009.

“I loved it,” Baldwin senior Megan Gossell said when expressing how she felt about the film. “It allowed me to experience the concert when I wasn't able to go see it in real life.”

In many reviews, this is what people said when referring to how the film affected them directly.

“This immediately goes on the list of great concert documentaries,” a top critic on Rotten Tomatoes said.

Even though the film falls slightly behind the “This Is It” concert documentary globally, The Eras Tour film is the highestgrossing concert film release of all time in

the U.S. Beyonce will soon be joining the list of artists by coming out with her concert film about her most recent Renaissance World Tour. Her film will hit theatres starting on December 1 in the U.S. The film earned around $6-7 million on the first day of presale and is expected to make around $80 million on opening weekend.

Will Movie Theatres Become the New Stadium?

Harleigh Grabill

SPORTS

outfielder Jaquez Jackson, and sophomore outfielder Robert Ward. All these players were standout players last year for the Golden Eagles.

said. “We already know we can hit the ball but, we need to have defense to help us win more.”

“I’m very excited,” Ward said about the upcoming season. “The team is better than last year’s team.”

The Golden Eagles will start the 2024 campaign off with two road games against Andrew Jackson and Englewood. Their first home game on February 27 will be against First Coast.

The Golden Eagles acquired five new freshAfter a few challenging seasons, the boys varThe team will match up with their school risity baseball team looks to improve and make a men and one transfer student this year. They long run for a state championship. The last state look to make another state playoff run after dis- vals, Stanton College Preparatory School three appointing losses in the playoffs in back-to-back times: one neutral, one away, and one home. playoff game in school history was in 2019. years. The Golden Eagles lost in the first round “Some of these teams on [the schedule] we The Golden Eagles will be led by their team of districts two years ago but made it to the seclost to last year and I know we are ready to get captains: senior shortstop Miles Franklin, junior ond-round last year. our revenge against them,” junior pitcher “We just need to relax and make the plays on Dominic Craig said. defense and control what we can control,” Franklin said of what is needed to win this year.

The Golden Eagles went 9-13 last season with three games losing by one run and games lost in extra innings. Defensive errors late in those games were the deciding factor.

“One of our main focuses this year will be defense,” senior outfielder Dameon Jones

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