Justice for Ahmaud Arbery Are Seniors Prepared for

By MADISON JOLLEY ‘23 and MAHAWA BANGOURA ‘23 News Editor and Arts and Culture Editor

In the words of world-renowned civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ; “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.” For a year and a half, the U.S. and the whole world have been waiting for the trial of the murder of Ahamud Arbery. On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was murdered as he was running unarmed in his neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia. One year and ten months later, his family finally gets the justice they deserve as his killers were found guilty and convicted of murder on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Before Ahmaud Arbery set out to go jogging, he entered a building under construction, which was caught on a homesurveillance video. He then proceeded to go jogging two miles from his home. Unbeknownst to him, two armed men were waiting for him in a pick-up truck. Travis McMichael (35) and his father Greg McMichael (65) attacked Arbery as he was running past the truck before fighting for his life when three shots fired by Travis McMichael rang through the neighborhood. Arbery’s death was recorded on video by William “Roddie” Bryan (52), who was working with the killers. More than two months later, all three men were arrested and charged with the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. In trial, the McMichael’s claimed that they were making a citizen’s arrest and suspected Arbery of multiple break-ins in their neighborhood. The owner of the building under construction that Arbery previously entered confirmed that nothing was stolen from there nor was anything damaged. Arbery’s case was closely followed by the public after the video murder of another unarmed Black man, George Floyd, in April 2020 surfaced on social media. People watched Mr. Floyd beg for his life before dying at the knees of Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, for roughly nine minutes. The nation was trailblazing with civil rights undertones, protests sparking about the treatment of BIPOC (Black, Indegenious, and People of Color) at the hands of law enforcement, and people chanting the famous words, “Black Lives Matter.” This long-awaited trial took place on November 5th and started with opening statements and evidence. After nearly three weeks of testimonies and new evidence being presented,the jury made the final decision to convict all three men as guilty on all counts. The verdict, delivered by nine White women, two White men, and one Black man came after more than 11 hours of deliberation spanning two days. The following information lists the men convicted and each count they were convicted of: Travis McMichael, who fatally shot Arbery, is guilty on all charges: malice murder, four counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal attempt to commit a felony. Gregory McMichael, the father of Travis McMichael who rode armed in the bed of a pickup as his son pursued Arbery, is not guilty of malice murder but guilty of the other eight charges. William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., a neighbor of the McMichael’s who joined the pursuit and filmed the fatal shooting, is guilty of three counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, false imprisonment, and criminal at-

“Black kids’ lives do tempt to commit a felony. Bryan matter. All lives matter. was cleared on the charge of malWe do not want to see anyone go through this. ice murder, felony murder involving aggravated assault with a firearm, and the count of aggravated Let’s keep fighting and assault with a firearm. make this a better place The sentencing date has not been for all human beings.” set for the men, but prosecutors believe they will seek sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Reverend Al Sharpton and the Arbery family are content with the verdict and are finally at peace. The parents of Ahmaud, Wanda CooperJones and Marcus Arbery Sr, expressed words of gratitude to the press and others who listened. “I just want to say thank you guys,” Cooper-Jones said. “It’s been a long fight. It’s been a hard fight, but God is good… I never thought this day would come, but God is good, and I just want to tell everybody thank you, thank you for those who

Dobbs v. Jackson debate on abortion spurs division and nationwide chaos

By LAURA SILENZIO ‘23 Opinion Editor

Mississippi has historically been a conservative state, and that’s probably not a shocker for anyone reading. So when news broke around the country about the Supreme Court case against their only abortion clinic, many were disappointed but not surprised. The Supreme Court case ruling of Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide in 1973, almost 50 years ago. Since then, the ruling has been under mounting attacks, even more so as of recent due to the current political atmosphere. There is a possible Mississippi law circulating that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. This is the most consequential dispute to come before the court in probably an entire generation, seeing as its debating the line of viability, and its setting a precedent for the future of states’ right to change/adjust laws as they see fit. What’s behind the law is an important question about the stability of the court as an institution in the first place, as things are turned over constantly in the court. It’s not exactly the law itself but the message it’s sending, making the Supreme Court rulings feel more like political acts with a 6-3 conservative majority. The justices have dealt with the Roe V. Wade debate in numerous cases over the span of the 50 years it’s been in place. On Wednesday, December 1st, the court considered a federal appeals court decision that initially struck down the Mississippi law, seemingly supporting these limitations on abortions. The 5th US Court of Appeals, known to be one of the most conservative courts in the country, invalidated the Mississippi law, saying it was a direct contravention of Roe, which in and of itself shows the public the difference between a political opinion and a court ruling. “In an unbroken line dating to Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s abortion cases have established (and affirmed and re-affirmed) a women’s right to choose an abortion before viability,” the Court held. Upholding a precedent is important to the court as a whole because it shows citizens that laws are firm and not about any “political agenda.” Mississippi appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, and after the justices agreed to take up the dispute, the state Attorney General said “This court should overrule Roe,” taking it a step even further. However, pro-choice supporters were quick to respond with Julie Rikelman, a lawyer for Jackson Women’s health organization, making the point that if the Court were to suddenly overrule Roe, after some 50 years, the new court would be turning its back on its institutional legitimacy. Sure, it’s 15 weeks now, but what will it be next? This ruling not only affects the lives of Mississippi women and families but also puts in jeopardy the establishment of precedents and the legitimacy of the institution as a whole in cases all over the nation, affecting what is law and what is merely the preferences of the court’s current membership. Ahmaud Arbery (pictured above) was shot and killed on February 23, 2020; may he finally rest in peace. Photo from New York Times marched, those who prayed.” Arbery Sr. continued their statement of gratitude: “I want to give all glory to God because that’s who made all this possible… It’s not one side that did this. God put us all together to make this happen.” Rev. Sharpton ended this press conference with a word of prayer and these closing remarks: “Let it be clear that almost 10 years after Trayon (Martin), God used Wanda and Marcus’ son to prove that if we kept marching and kept fighting, we would make you hear us. We’ve got a lot more battles to fight, but this was an important battle today.”

The new Mississippi abortion law being considered in the Supreme Court has citizens questioning the stability of the court as an institution.

Photo by Dwain Currier Uplift is Eastern’s new mental health club

By SHREYA KOMAR ‘22 Staff Reporter

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unior Krisha Parikh has been a central figure in the new mental health club Uplift’s formation, and assists advisor Mrs. Goldthorp with club duties. “The club is going to focus on the importance of mental health,” she said. “We are looking to have monthly meditations along with painting days, discussions on mental health (such as anxiety, coping mechanisms, etc.), movie nights, and anything you can imagine! I really want this club to be a positive and welcoming environment that’s a calm break from the stressful environment of the school.” Mrs. Goldthorp expressed that after seeing students struggle during last year’s pandemic, she wanted to create a community and culture at Eastern where students can lift each other up. “Our goals are really to create support for people who need it and people who want to get involved, hoping that it spreads to others. We are hoping to invite guest speakers to come in to do some different events,” she said. She defines mental health as taking care of your mind, body, and soul. “It’s making sure that you take time for yourself, because so often we are caught up in the “daily grind” of our routine,” she says. Anyone can join Uplift. Mrs. Goldthorp expressed that the goal was to attract students who can truly benefit from it. “If we can help build up Eastern as a community of mindful people, I think that we can make it a better place,” she said. Uplift is not about padding your resume or forcing yourself through grueling practice sessions. It’s about you.