Jesuit Chronicle April 2019

The Jesuit Chronicle

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIl

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF SHEEHAN AHMED, ’19

Invisible pollution: the microfiber epidemic

E

BY ERIN FOLEY, ’19

very year the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing, sending massive amounts of textiles to landfills and contributing to the emission of hazardous greenhouse gases that could speed up climate change. Although you may have never have guessed it, the fashion industry is currently the world’s second largest culprit of pollution.

In fact, a study published

by Environmental Science & Technology found that microfibers accounted for 85% of human-made debris on shorelines around the world.

The crescendo of fast fashion and the ever-increasing rate at which consumers are discarding it has accelerated global warming and environmental issues surrounding the industry.

But why?

Fast fashion can gen erally be described as a form of marketing that emphasizes generating fashion trends cheaply and enhances the speed of distribution to consumers. Although some clothing is made from natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and

NEWS I

wool, the fashion industry heavily relies on an inexpensive, plastic based clothing alternative called synthetic microfibers.

Synthetic microfibers are a plastic pollutant found in most clothing and are gradually released through wash and wear.

These synthetic materials are far more inexpensive to produce than cotton, silk, and other natural fibers, so they are ideal for the high-volume demands of fast fashion. Although research about microplastics pollution is in early stages of emergence among scientists and the fashion industry, the shedding of microfibers from synthetic garments is already posing a real concern for environmentalists worldwide.

Jordan Nodarse, the director of denim and special projects at the brand Reformation acknowledges that the primary vehicle for microfiber pollution is “the touching water process.”

Anytime a fiber comes into contact with water, whether it’s during production by manufacturers or in a home washing machine, the microfibers shed.

“You have your favorite T-shirt over the course of 10

SENIOR PRIVILEGES: Read this article to find out whether next year’s seniors will have off-campus privileges. Are the safety concerns too much of a risk? pg. 2

FEATURES I

years,” Nodarse said. “You’re washing it, washing it, and washing it, and by 10 years later, after washing it all those years and wearing it, it feels lighter, it feels softer, and the reason is because it shedded a part of its fiber” (teenvogue.com).

The touching water process described by Nodarse properly dubs microfibers as the invisible polluter. Microfibers have earned this title because although its visible impacts on ocean inhabitants are vague, the lacking ability of household washing machines to filter out the shedding of microfibers allows their discharge to traverse through wastewater and into our oceans.

In 2016, Patagonia took substantial steps towards research of microfiber pollution and improving their own workplace to make an impact.

For example, Patagonia now provides every customer who purchases a synthetic item in store with clear, step-by-step information on how to care for that garment to limit the shedding of microfibers in the wash, and in turn how to keep what does shed out of the ocean. Additionally, Patago-

TRACKING PEOPLE: Read to learn more about how people being able to track each other on Find My Friends and other apps is impacting their relationships. pg. 4

SPORTS I

nia offers customers in the United States and Europe an inexpensive hand or machine washing bag that is able to act as a microfiber filter between synthetic garments and the drain. (patagonia.com)

Jesuit responds to our own challenge of alleviating microfiber pollution with events like the stop and swap clothing exchange.

By dropping off clothing items they have and want to get rid of, stop and swap offers a way for students to empty their closets out in an eco-friendly fashion instead of just throwing the clothes they no longer want in the trash.

Another event Green Team is working on this year is a Jesuit t-shirt exchange. The amount of Jesuit t-shirts handed out for various events or impulsively bought by freshman that end up being disregarded is vast.

By putting on this event, Green Team hopes to eliminate the amount of Jesuit attire going to waste as seniors move onto college instead of get thrown away.

Senior and member of Green Team Sebastian Acevedo stresses that big corporations don’t have to be the only catalysts in changing how microfibers im-

QUINN BRINK - STATE CHAMP: Senior Quinn Brink is the state champion in wrestling for his weight class. Check out this article to learn more about Brink’s success! pg. 8

PAGE EDITOR: Jane Ferguson

ARTS

pact our world.

“The biggest mistake is thinking that average high schoolers can’t do anything to reduce microfiber pollution,” Acevedo said. “The first step is developing an awareness of the pollution caused by synthetic fibers and doing little things with this knowledge. Buying clothing made from natural fibers such as wool, cotton, or silk, being mindful of the number of times you wash clothing, and purchasing less products overall add up to reduce microfiber pollution.”

Fellow Green Team member and sophomore Ziggy Berkoff also expresses how high schoolers can contribute to minimize shedding of microfibers in the laundering process.

“I personally believe that one of the first steps to cutting down personal microfiber pollution would be to not buy clothes that you know you are only going to wear when they are ‘in style,’” Berkoff said. “Instead buy clothes that match your wardrobe already so if you get bored of it, you can first try to mix up the way you wear it instead of immediately disregarding it.”

COLLEGE AUDITIONS: Check out this page to learn more about the additional processes artists undergo to get into college. Also, read to find out about the Scholastic Art Awards! pg. 10

NEWS I

2

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIl

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

Senior off-campus privileges terminated

T

BY JOHNNY MADDOCKS, ’19

he Jesuit administration decided to terminate senior off-campus privileges Friday, Mar. 8.

According to student activities director Dr. David Exley, the administration put careful thought into the decision, but ultimately ruled that off-campus privileges will be removed following this school year for the sake of safety purposes.

With multiple lockouts occurring this year alone and the worry of students speeding to get back to class, the administration had a hard time being able to justify off-campus privileges.

“It really came down to what’s safest for our students, and the administration

had to keep that in mind,” Exley said. “The meetings were quite tense and polarized, but practicality ruled in the end.

Unfortunately for the students, this means the end of senior privileges.”

This hit is a pretty big blow for student life during school hours, as senior-privileges are revered by underclassmen. However, as the news is coming well before the end of the current school year, the staff are hopeful that it will sink in long enough before next year. Currently, only a handful of seniors involved in the newspaper and student government know about the news.

“I was honestly pretty shocked by the news,” senior Sammie Petitt said. “I go off for lunch a lot. I’d be mad if I were a junior receiving the

news since I was so excited to receive privileges this year.”

However, as angry as some students might be considering that their sought-after privileges are gone, the administration’s decision will stand.

Even with considerable backlash and questioning from the students who have learned of the news so far, the Jesuit staff maintains that safety is the number one priority and that they intend to uphold that standard. Some teachers go off-campus for lunch during their prep periods, and their reports proved useful in determining the new lunch rule.

“I see a lot of students driving and eating off campus,” an anonymous teacher said. “It really concerns me when I see most of them driving recklessly by speeding and running lights

tions against him were found to be credible in the following months and he consequently was removed from the Catholic priesthood.

Ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s accusations came after the statute of limitations, so he cannot be prosecuted.

Because of his high stature within the Church, his removal caused global concern.

He is the first cardinal to be defrocked, or deprived of holy orders for sexual abuse.

Perhaps the even more concerning piece of McCarrick’s pastoral history is that he has been a known wrong-doer for decades.

This case, accumulated with many others, exposes an even darker side of the church: complacency. High ranking Church officials have been covering up abuse for years.

This fall, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops planned to hold a vote

concerning an investigation specifically targeted towards bishops who have covered up sexual abuse.

The abuse scandal first broke in January 2002. The vote was scheduled for 2018.

The 17-year delay was extended by another year when Pope Francis asked that the bishops call off the vote and wait for his February summit in Rome.

The 18-year wait has lead even devoted Catholics to question pastoral leadership.

“It’s hard to see the cover-ups and things that were held behind closed doors,” theology teacher Mr. Allen said.

“Seeing that [clergy] are not following the example of Jesus Christ and [being exposed to] the tragedies of people who are not following that model is discouraging,” senior Sacristan Sofia Deatherage said.

Because of both the delay and the situations in-

With seniors stuck on campus, the Cronin parking lot is still full at lunchtime.

just to make it back to class on time. I see the new rule as a smart, preventative measure in keeping students out of wrecks and speeding tickets.”

As of now, it looks as if senior privileges are off the table for next year with the ruling

set in stone. It’s a shame, too, because some of you actually believed all of this.

April Fools, my friends.

I wish all of you a “bon appétit” for your future meals at any of our fine dining options around Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway.

tense nature, many expected big changes to come from this meeting.

According to The Washington Post, “Pope Francis concluded the summit on clerical sexual abuse by calling for an ‘all-out battle’ against the scourge. But the unprecedented meeting ended Sunday with few concrete remedies, and it left the Catholic Church much where it started at the beginning of the week: asking for more time from an impatient faithful to draw up ways to reliably police itself.”

(Washington Post)

In his final address to high-ranking Catholics, Francis mentioned future “legislation,” but failed to give details surrounding both the implementation and timing of new rules.

He did not mention a zero-tolerance policy.

The Washington Post reports that the United States has the zero-tolerance policy in place already. However, forc-

ing priests found guilty of child abuse out of the church is not a world-wide mandate.

“After Francis’s speech, the Vatican said it would publish a guidebook for bishops that will help them understand their ‘duties and tasks’ on abuse” (Washington Post).

Questions about cardinal law covering up misconduct stay unanswered, even in the wake of McCarrick’s removal.

The Vatican promised answers soon.

The summit’s results are underwhelming, there are few details, few concrete actions and no zero-tolerance policy.

Survivors and their lay supporters have expressed frustration with the outcome.

There are promises for new regulations, but to some, that is not enough. Francis left the bishops with 21 reflection points concerning abuse, in hopes to prompt more reflection and policy.

Vatican meeting addresses clerical abuse

BY GEORGIA GRAY, ’19

L

ast month, more than 100 bishops convened in Rome for an unprecedented meeting on sexual abuse within the Church. The summit, viewed by many as overdue, comes as a response to numerous pastoral scandals.

At the meeting, the Catholic leaders spoke specifically about the abuse of minors.

Bishops were asked to meet with and hear the stories of survivors before they came to Rome, and while they were there, many other survivors spoke.

The purpose of the meeting was to refine the steps bishops must take when a priest is accused of sexual abuse and update the policy on bishops and other top-ranking clergy covering up issues of abuse.

This past summer, a cardinal, an advisor to the pope, was publicly accused of abusing both minors and adults who worked in parishes. Six accusa-

Oregon Secretary of State dies:

Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson (R) passed away Feb. 26 at age 69 due to brain cancer. Richardson was first elected in 2016, and was Oregon’s first Republican Secretary of State in decades. He spent his time in office leading an audit of the state’s Medicaid and foster care programs.

News Briefs

College admissions scandal:

Several celebrities and elite universities were implicated in an explosive college admissions scandal. Stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were charged for paying off professionals to fabricate test scores and secure spots in top universities for their children.

Michael Jackson documentary:

A new Michael Jackson documentary, Leaving Neverland, reveals new allegations of the former pop star’s sexual abuse of minors. The documentary features accusers Wade Robson, 36, and James Safechuck, 40, who accuse Jackson of sexually abusing them at ages 7 and 10, respectively.

Congress votes to overturn national emergency declaration:

The Senate voted 59-41 to overturn Trump’s national emergency declaration at the border, which allowed him to fund a border wall. While Trump vetoed the resolution, The Jesuit Conference of Justice and Ecology released a statement condemning Trump’s declaration.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STATESMAN JOURNAL, NEWSWEEK, LA TIMES, & NEW YORK POST

PAGE EDITOR: Shawna Muckle

NEWS II

3 APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIl

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

Summit unites Asian-Americans on west coast

BY KAYLEE JEONG, ’20

T

he 2019 Asian-American Summit brought together Asian students from Jesuit schools along the west coast to discuss their shared experiences as a community.

During the Summit, students had many opportunities to share their cultures and engage in serious dialogue regarding what it means to be an Asian-American in the United States.

“Often, because of our Asian heritage, we are not acknowledged as people of color and our movements for racial equality in the United States are overlooked,” sophomore Naviya Venkitesh

said. “[The Asian-American Summit] is a safe place to discuss [our] issues as Asians and be able to empathize with one another.”

The Summit also gave the opportunity for students to hear stories about diversity in society through guest speakers and panels.

“This year, we’re focusing on stories of immigrants, which is a timely topic,” Mr. Al Kato, Jesuit’s Diversity Associate, said.

“We have a guest speaker— Joe Kye, a musician who’s given TEDx talks about immigration—and we’re having a parent panel at the Summit to share those firsthand experiences.”

In addition to being

Formal Sader!

BY ANNIE LANGRAF, ’21

J

esuit will be changing this year’s Sader informal to a semi-formal dance.

The decision to make the change came from student government, who voiced their opinions to the student government teacher, Dr. Exley.

“How it started was somebody in our class had the idea to have the the winter dance be formal,” sophomore class president Lillian Holland said. “But since the winter dance was on a Friday this year, we decided to have the spring dance be formal instead.”

Junior Yosan Tewelde, a fellow member of student government claimed the new change was based on many factors.

“The thought process for us was that more people show up to formal dances,” Tewelde said. “Also underclassmen only get one formal dance, so we wanted to add a second one for them.”

Ultimately, after student government voted for the dance to be formal, Dr. Exley approved of the new change.

“The dance is going to have a live band, which will be exciting and new,” Dr. Exley said.

The band is called Hans & The Wanted and will be another new addition from

an educational experience, the summit also reminds students of the value of their heritage in creating a more colorful community.

“The fact that the focus is around ethnicity is so important,” senior Ellie Olivares said. “It constantly reminds us of how our different perspectives contribute to our society, and how our differences should be celebrated, because they make our community as rich as it is.”

Students also enjoyed the chance to simply be able to meet new people with similar stories to share.

“Because the Summit allowed me to meet new people outside of Jesuit, it helped me recognize the fact

that I’m not alone in my experiences as an Asian-Amer ican student—there are people out there who I can

relate to and understand what I’ve gone through,” Olivares said.

COURTESY OF AL KATO

Five members of Asian-American Club after running an important meeting.

COURTESY OF TCBC

previous dances in the past.

Hans & The Wanted covers everything from pop, rock, soul, country, hip-hop, and more.

Some students who

are not in student government have been apprehensive about the dance and what it will be like.

“I honestly like it being informal than formal because it is low key and less work and we already have homecoming,” senior Tim Galantine said. “It is more fun to just be in regular clothes and just hang out with people than get all dressed up. I feel like Sader hasn’t been a big deal in the past, but now I feel like it will because people will now have to buy a new dress and get dates.”

On the other hand, many students have been positive and excited for the spring dance and are looking forward to it being now formal.

“I’m super excited for it to be now a formal dance because I feel like more people will show up,” sophomore Aviann Castro said. “I think the dance will become a bigger deal if it is formal.”

The doors open at 8pm and will be held in the Knight gym on April 13.

The March Co-Ed Encounter was moved from St. Benny’s to Trout Creek Bible Camp because of snow destruction.

March Encounter moved

BY KARINA FRIEL, ’20

T

he harsh winter storms have brought devastation to St. Benedict’s Lodge, where the junior encounters are held every year.

During one of the winter storms, the lodge received several inches of snow that shut off their water, heat and power. A fallen COURTESY OF YOUTUBE tree also damaged the library and several other tree limbs destroyed part of the deck railing.

Due to the damage, juniors on the March Coed Encounter were unable to go to St. Benedict’s Lodge, and their Encounter was held at a separate location. Upon hearing this devastating news, many juniors awaiting to go on MCE were distraught, confused and saddened.

“I was pretty upThe band Hans and The Wanted will play at JHS for Sader 2019 set when I found out that

the date and location were changed, because we were all ready for the encounter,“ junior Sudeeksha Yadav said. “We had received our packing list so we were excited to go.”

St. Benedict’s has long been a place where Jesuit students come together, a place that many students hold close to home.

“[St. Benedict’s] is more than just a retreat center, it’s a place I can share with my classmates, alumni and future students. It is a very special place,” senior Amy Menendez said.

Those who did not experience St. Benedict’s are saddened they can’t share a similar connection with their classmates at Jesuit.

“Part of what makes the encounter so special is that it’s at St. Benny’s, and it connects you to the rest

PAGE EDITORS: Keshav Siddhartha and Tommy Kallgren

of your class because you all have an emotional experience at the same place,” Yadav said.

A crane will be re-

moving the fallen limbs in the upcoming days, so although MCE will not be held at St. Benedict’s, the lodge should be open for the last two April encounters.

“They will open back up with a scheduled group on the 15-17th of March,” Mr. Don Clarke said.

A couple of years ago, the February Men’s Encounter was moved to the beach due to similar issues at St. Benedict’s. This year’s encounter will be held at the Trout Creek Bible Camp.

Many students going on MCE are hopeful and curious of their encounter, knowing it will be a memorable experience despite not being at St. Benedict’s.

FEATURES l

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIl

4 LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

Women’s Leadership Summit finds success

BY KATE THOMPSON, ’19

O

n March 16, Jesuit hosted the first annual Women’s Leadership Summit, an event for the community to discuss women’s issues and hear from a diverse panel of presenters.

Over 300 people attended, including current Jesuit families, alumni, and community members. As Jesuit celebrates 25 years of co-education, this event highlighted women ranging from business, to creative fields,

to spiritual leaders.

“The Women’s Leadership Summit was an amazing event. I felt empowered after hearing multiple women speak about how they had to assert themselves in predominantly male workplaces in order to work their way up into higher positions,” senior Jayla Williams said. “The Summit made me feel like women can do anything.”

The event was divided into a keynote, given by Renee James, the chairman and CEO of Ampere Comput-

ing, and two breakout sessions. After these speakers, a diverse panel of four women answered questions about personal and work-life balance.

Jesuit teachers Malia Bernards and Mark Flamoe presented on the role of women in politics, covering both history and contemporary issues. Mrs. Bernards, a committee member for the WLS, aimed to inspire and inform attendees, especially women who are interested in politics.

“We ended with giving

a good resource list of how to get involved politically, which is hard to do because women are often really busy in our culture and in our lives,” Mrs. Bernards said. “We talked about how we can find causes we are passionate about and still support those causes.”

The Women’s Leadership Summit Committee hopes to continue engaging with gender issues following this historic event.

“I think it’s important that we continue to have

events like this. We broke ground [with the WLS] and now we want to keep the conversations going in areas like the confidence factor and career and life tips,” Ms. Erika Tuenge ’ 94 said. “We hope to hear from other women who have dealt with some of these issues and weave that into what we do at Jesuit. Maybe it looks like a summit every 2-3 years, but there should also be a strategic approach to how we create ongoing opportunities to engage on these types of topics.”

Constant location sharing also negates any need for parents to develop a sense of trust in their child, which can create a barrier in students’ relationships with their parents.

“Whenever [my parents] wonder where I am, they check my location,” freshman Chris Jeong said. “I’m usually not doing anything bad, but the fact that they check my location rather than just asking where I am makes me feel like they don’t necessarily trust me.”

Beyond creating difficult dynamics between parents and children, location apps also have the potential to strain relationships between students, as having a mutually shared location gives students an unprecedented ability to access their friends at all times.

“Some of my friends are creeped out when they realize that they share their location with me and they forgot that they had done that,” junior Danny Murphy said. “But it’s really

nice... [because] I know when my friends are home, so if I’m looking for people to hang out with, I can sadly scroll through Find My Friends and see who’s at home.”

Some location sharing services, particularly Snapchat maps, enable the user of the app to track all of their friends locations simultaneously, which may create additional social pressure and tension.

“If you see a bunch of people in the same place and you don’t know why they’re there, then you might think that there’s some party that you’re not invited to, whereas before [location sharing] you would have just not known about the party,” junior Dominic De Bettencourt said.

Though they often straddle the line between convenience and invasiveness, both on the social and family level, for many students, location sharing services are a natural progression in the increasing access that smartphones and other forms of social media offer into other peoples’ lives.

Tracking apps disrupt boundaries and trust

BY SHAWNA MUCKLE, ’20

L

ocation apps such as Find My Friends, Snapchat maps, and Find My iPhone have become increasingly popular among smartphone users, often utilized by parents to keep track of their child’s location or by groups of friends.

While location tracking is marketed as a safety precaution, many see location trackers as invasive and argue they can easily be exploited to control students’ lives by their parents and peers.

The ability of smartphones to track their users’ location at all times has always carried concerns about privacy. Previously, most concerns were strictly legal; until a 2018 Supreme Court ruling, law enforcement was able to access location data from a smartphone user’s wireless carrier without a warrant. However, as location tracking becomes commercialized and accessible to the general populace, social concerns also arise about how and when

voluntary location “sharing” between two parties is permissible.

For parents anxious about their child’s whereabouts, location sharing offers a convenient method of alleviating their concern and enforcing any rules about “off-limits” zones for their children.

On the other hand, for students who do have to share their location, they may feel limited in their freedom to travel, fearing punishment and judgment from their parents.

COURTESY OF PIKTOCHART

Ethics Bowl team advances to nationals

J

BY MADISON MCCLELLAN, ’19

esuit Ethics Bowl team found success for the second consecutive year at the Oregon High School Ethics Bowl Competition this past February.

Annually, high school teams convene to present and discuss arguments regarding 15 ethical cases. The cases, published prior to competition, address relevant social dilemmas.

Theology teacher Angela Steiert has led the Ethics Bowl Club for six years.

“In the competition [teams] are told the case, they are given two minutes to formulate their argument, and then they give a 6 minute argument on that ethical question,” Ms. Steiert said.

However, while opposing teams question and respond to the arguments of opponents, the competition promotes discussion

over argument.

“It’s less a debate-oriented competition and more about understanding your argument and the other side’s argument than about being right,” senior Jack Jensen said.

Junior Lauren Haines reinforces the prioritization of advancing conversation over winning.

“Ethics bowl really emphasizes the conversation aspect,” Haines said. “It’s more about understanding the other people’s viewpoint as well as your own.”

Members of the team credit their success in competition to their supplementary work extending beyond club meetings.

“From about the time that Ethics Bowl starts to the time that we compete in state, and then later regionals this year, we pretty much meet everyday for at least a half hour to an hour and a half and up to two once we got close state,”

freshman Jenny Duan said. “That probably is what distinguishes us from other teams because most other teams don’t have that kind of time commitment, and we’re just able to get further into our cases.”

With immense time dedicated to researching assigned cases, team members found themselves repositioning their opinions as they probed their instinctual reactions.

“We all have an initial reaction or stance that we take to the cases, but, as we spent more time on it, we really dove deep into a lot of the cases...and our stances completely change over the course of the year,” Jensen said.

Haines addresses how the discussional ideal of Ethics Bowl, with potential to change participant’s opinion, contrasts that of current society.

“Civil discourse is really important and it’s something that a lot of times is lacking in our curPAGE EDITOR: Erin Foley

rent society because there’s so much emotional charge behind a lot of controversies, and I think that dealing with Ethics Bowl has helped me to understand that your answer isn’t necessarily the right

one, and you have to consider other people’s [answers],” Haines said.

On April 5th, the team departs for nationals, held at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

COURTESY OF ANGELA STEIERT

Ethics Bowl Champions (from left): Shawna Muckle ‘20, Jack Jensen ‘19, Lauren Haines ‘20, Ria Debnath ‘20, and Jenny Duan ‘22.

FEATURES II

5

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXII

Significant changes in ASB election processes

BY GRACE HERSHEY, ’20

T

his year, the faculty and staff in charge of student government and elections have made significant changes in the ASB election process. These changes include removing the all-school assembly and substituting it with a campaign video from each candidate, pamphlets with information on the candidates, and a brown bag meet and greet with the candidates.

“The voting process is the same, the difference is we’re not going to have an all-school assembly,” student government teacher Dr. Exley said. “What we’re going to do instead is each one of the candidates are going to film a two to three minute video of themselves, which will become a campaign video and we will show that video at the end of your third period class [March 14].”

Due to these new changes in the election process, the ASB candidates have conflicted feel-

ings about their campaign speech being a video instead of a live performance.

“I think the video speech is worse than the regular assembly. I was really excited to get up in front of the whole school and deliver my speech, because I love public speaking,” junior ASB candidate Jonathan Ulrich said. “By taking away the live element of it, I’m afraid our speeches will be accepted by the student body as not genuine and as if we don’t care about what we’re saying.”

Eliminating the live audience aspect of the speeches causes the candidates to be less involved with the voters and can change the delivery of their speech. No longer can they insert jokes and pauses into their speech because they aren’t sure how the audience would react, and it could lead to awkward silence in the video.

“I prefer public speaking over speaking to a camera because public speaking involves audience partici-

pation, and that’s how you feed off the crowd.” junior ASB candidate Will DeKlotz said. “It’s more of an emotional thing,” Although the video aspect of the elections may seem like an awkward change to the process, the reasoning behind the change aims to benefit the student body.

“Part of the goal is to take down a little bit of the ‘whoever gets the loudest cheers’, which sways the freshman vote. I think what hopefully it does is it tries to emphasize the issues a little bit more,” Dr. Exley said.

ASB President Jack Goodman prepares to speak at an all-school assembly.

By eliminating the live audience aspect of the elec- ly freshman or others who standing of the candidates, tions, students will be more don’t really know the candi- who they are, and why they are running for ASB. focused on what the candi- dates,” DeKlotz said.

Another reason why there “We’re also going to credates are actually saying, is no assembly is because ate a pamphlet so there’s anand less about how their of the number of ASB canother opportunity for the kids friends react to the jokes. didates.

Due to the pauses to get to know the candidates “The pros are that the and claps between speeches, rather than just seeing them video takes away kind of the the assembly would be too once at an assembly [like last mob mentality where peolong. year],” Dr. Exley said. ple can sway other’s votes.

There will also be a brown Although the changes are Especially at an all school bag for students to meet the controversial, the reasoning assembly, if someone gets candidates. Introducing the behind the changes goes to more cheers then students pamphlets will also provide benefit the voters as well as will vote for them, especial- students with a better under- the candidates.

Seniors’ final downtown adventures

F

BY MADDI MCCAULEY, ’19

or the seniors, this time of year marks the beginning of a lot of endings. Most plan on moving out and attending college in places far away from home. Sadly, this means that they will soon be living without the blessing of downtown Portland. There are, however, a few months left, and in those months we should make the most of every spare second. This article should help you get an idea of the places you need to hit before leaving.

Senior Emily Pereles said “My favorite place downtown is Pioneer Square. It is the center of the shopping downtown. I love the little sweaters they put on the animal statues when it gets cold and the lights during December.”

“My ideal day would be starting to drive around near the waterfront on the bicycles. It is so fun and just a great

way to get around town,” senior Eliesse Jakotich said. “My second favorite thing is the Saturday market.”

“The Tea Chai Té on 23rd has the most incredible atmosphere,” senior Bre Zellmer said.

“My favorite place to go is the Portland Art Museum. The museum is full of beautiful and diverse works of art from all over the world and frequently holds exhibits featuring unique artists,” senior Sam Rude said.

“I eat at TILT all the time. It has a good vibe and the food is amazing,” senior Grace Williams said.

“My two favorite places in downtown are Powell’s Bookstore and Chipotle Grill. I like walking through the various aisles and finding new books and board puzzles to solve. Then I’ll walk down a couple blocks to Chipotle and order a togo burrito with guac and chips”, senior Robi Tesema said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Portland’s Saturday Market , an outdoor arts and crafts market, bustles with local shoppers.

People shop at Powell’s City of Books, the largest used and new bookstore in the world.

Cherry blossom trees bloom along the Tom McCall Waterfront Park by the Willamette River.

PAGE EDITOR: Kaylee Jeong

GREEN WEEK 2019 MEET YOUR JHS GREEN TEAM

SOPHIA GUITTEAU

ANNA DELLIT NOLAN ALYWARD

BY JANE FERGUSON

ZIGGY BERKOFF SEBASTIAN ACEVEDO

ALEX GUITTEAU

VIRGINIA LARNER

ELLEN HANEY

ZERO WASTE AT JESUIT

EVA RAVELO

Jesuit has began taking large strides in becoming a ‘zero waste’ school as it strives to become environmentally friendly. Earth Day, April 22, marks the beginning of Green Week, where Jesuit hosts activities each day to help students become more environmentally aware.

National Green Week can be observed from the first week of February and goes through the end of April. Schools all around the nation make plans to teach students about the importance of global stewardship. (National Green Week)

In an effort to become a zero-waste school, Jesuit has installed three extra bins specifically for

PAGE EDITORS: Erin Foley and Georgia Gray

odd plastics in both the Knight Lobby and the Commons. Jesuit tried to place these bins in the most highly trafficked areas on campus to ensure students would see and utilize this resource.

“Zero waste means you’re either buying products that can be recycled, or composted or used for another purpose,” physics teacher Mrs. Kuenz said.

“For example, nature is a zero waste cycle, because anything that is created in nature goes back to nature.”

One category of bins is specifically for disposable contact lenses and its cases, and another one is for dental care products like toothpaste tubes,

ELLA HOWE

ELLIE AMANN toothbrushes, and floss containers. Another category is for snack pouches, such as apple sauce packaging, and the final category is for markers and expo pens.

These odd plastics are then recycled through a program called TerraCycle. This program essentially recycles products that are not typically recycled, which averts millions of pounds of waste from incinerators and landfills monthly (TerraCycle).

The key to being more environmentally friendly is to really focus on everyday actions. The most difficult part about switching over to less waste products or changing the way one disposes

LINNEA ANDERSON garbage is the breaking of old habits.

“I feel that environmental issues are on the back burner for many people, and to have Green week where it is the focus can help others think more about it,” Green Team leader senior Alex Guitteau said.

To help more students learn about the ways in which to be environmentally aware, Green team will host a Brown Bag on April 24th.

“We all live on one planet, and it is important to recognize the actions we are doing to it and to see the simple steps we can take to clean it up and reduce our footprint on the planet,” senior Nolan Ayl-

ward said.

Although Jesuit has made progress in becoming a zero waste school, there are still steps that should be taken which will start by educating students on how to be environmen-

tally aware.

Green Week provides this special platform that will reach most students and will deepen their understanding of earthly preservation.

“It’s an opportunity for us to gather together and have an awareness around environmental issues,” Kuenz said. “We as Christians are called to be stewards of creation, so it’s a reminder of that stewardship.”

GREEN WEEK 2019 MEET YOUR JHS GREEN TEAM

SOPHIA GUITTEAU

ANNA DELLIT NOLAN ALYWARD

BY JANE FERGUSON

ZIGGY BERKOFF SEBASTIAN ACEVEDO

ALEX GUITTEAU

VIRGINIA LARNER

ELLEN HANEY

ZERO WASTE AT JESUIT

EVA RAVELO

Jesuit has began taking large strides in becoming a ‘zero waste’ school as it strives to become environmentally friendly. Earth Day, April 22, marks the beginning of Green Week, where Jesuit hosts activities each day to help students become more environmentally aware.

National Green Week can be observed from the first week of February and goes through the end of April. Schools all around the nation make plans to teach students about the importance of global stewardship. (National Green Week)

In an effort to become a zero-waste school, Jesuit has installed three extra bins specifically for

PAGE EDITORS: Erin Foley and Georgia Gray

odd plastics in both the Knight Lobby and the Commons. Jesuit tried to place these bins in the most highly trafficked areas on campus to ensure students would see and utilize this resource.

“Zero waste means you’re either buying products that can be recycled, or composted or used for another purpose,” physics teacher Mrs. Kuenz said.

“For example, nature is a zero waste cycle, because anything that is created in nature goes back to nature.”

One category of bins is specifically for disposable contact lenses and its cases, and another one is for dental care products like toothpaste tubes,

ELLA HOWE

ELLIE AMANN toothbrushes, and floss containers. Another category is for snack pouches, such as apple sauce packaging, and the final category is for markers and expo pens.

These odd plastics are then recycled through a program called TerraCycle. This program essentially recycles products that are not typically recycled, which averts millions of pounds of waste from incinerators and landfills monthly (TerraCycle).

The key to being more environmentally friendly is to really focus on everyday actions. The most difficult part about switching over to less waste products or changing the way one disposes

LINNEA ANDERSON garbage is the breaking of old habits.

“I feel that environmental issues are on the back burner for many people, and to have Green week where it is the focus can help others think more about it,” Green Team leader senior Alex Guitteau said.

To help more students learn about the ways in which to be environmentally aware, Green team will host a Brown Bag on April 24th.

“We all live on one planet, and it is important to recognize the actions we are doing to it and to see the simple steps we can take to clean it up and reduce our footprint on the planet,” senior Nolan Ayl-

ward said.

Although Jesuit has made progress in becoming a zero waste school, there are still steps that should be taken which will start by educating students on how to be environmen-

tally aware.

Green Week provides this special platform that will reach most students and will deepen their understanding of earthly preservation.

“It’s an opportunity for us to gather together and have an awareness around environmental issues,” Kuenz said. “We as Christians are called to be stewards of creation, so it’s a reminder of that stewardship.”

SPORTS I

8

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXII

Jesuit golf tees up for the spring 2019 season

BY JED LAMBINO, ’19 & TOMMY KALLGREN, ’19

J

esuit men’s golf is gearing up for the 2019 season after dominating last year’s state championship by a margin of 58 strokes.

Head coach Jay Minsker highlighted the team’s depth as one reason for the team’s success.

“To actually win the championships, you have to have four good scorers from two days in a row, and that’s where our depth really sines through,” Minsker said.

Most of last year’s talent remains for this next season.

“We only lost one senior last year, Samir Dutta, and I think that with the good freshmen that we have coming in this year, our team can keep up the same level of play as last year,” junior Austin Boyle said.

These accomplish-

ments were done amidst the absence of one of the top players in the state, senior Austin Carnese.

Carnese is back this year after not competing last season.

“This upcoming season our goals as a team are mostly internal. Our biggest competition is each other. Obviously we want to win Metro and state, but our goal is to compete with one another everyday in practice and keep that motivation throughout the season,” Carnese said.

However, the dominance of last season isn’t guaranteed again this year.

“Mountainside has a solid team this year and didn’t have anyone graduate, so they could only be better than they were last year when they took second,” Boyle said.

“Our guys just have to go out and prove to themselves that every day it doesn’t matter who we’re playing against,”

Coach Minsker said. “They’re playing against the golf course.”

The women’s golf team is also preparing for a competitive 2019 season, with the majority of the varsity team comprising of seniors.

Though they placed second in the Metro League last year, the women’s golf team ended up winning state and upsetting their rival, Westview.

Senior captain Tabetha Kang is optimistic about this season, hoping to improve upon last year’s success.

“Our goals this season are to capture the Metro title and consistently win all of our matches,” Kang said. “Eventually, the end goal is to win state.”

However, this will not come easily, with the rivalry from Westview bringing lots of difficulty to this upcoming season despite last year’s victory.

“For the past three years, Westview has been our

biggest competitor, and because they are a part of the Metro League as well, we face them every week at tournaments,” senior Clara Ganz said. “While it sometimes can be frustrating going up against such a strong team, I can firmly say that having such a fierce competitor has pushed each of our games to a new level and has made us the team we are today.”

With many of last year’s state team returning as seniors, Ganz anticipates that the team’s strong leadership will help them during their success throughout the season.

“While Tabetha is our unanimously elected captain, I believe our team is full of leaders,” Ganz said. “Of the six players who competed at State last year, we only had one senior who graduated. With nearly everyone returning, there isn’t any reason we shouldn’t be able to have as much success as we did last year.”

With the women’s golf coach, Katy Williams, retiring after this season, the team is going to miss her immense impact on their development.

“Our coach is not only a good coach, she’s like the mother of the team,” Kang said. “She isn’t only here for golf but also for when we need help with anything, whether it’s help in golf or in life. Since she’s been there for us, it’s helpful to have both an emotional and athletic support system.”

Hoping to end Coach Williams’s career on a high note, the golf team plans on making this an unforgettable season.

“Last year, the loss of the Metro title pushed us to always push forward and to not lose our momentum,” Kang said. “This year, the most important thing for us is consistency and keeping this momentum flowing until the season’s over.”

Three big wins as winter sports comes to a close MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S SWIMMING

MEN’S SKIING

Against the odds, the Crusaders managed to take home the state title this year.

The 4 seed beat no. 1 Lake Oswego in the semi-final before ultimately taking down no. 3 Jefferson in the final.

The men’s swim team had a great season this year, taking home the state title and picking up a few records along the way.

Down two of the best skiers in the state since last year, the younger men’s team took 5th in Metro and saw many Freshmen stepping into the varsity spotlight.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

WOMEN’S SKIING

With a squad of mostly seniors and a few standout underclassmen, women’s basketball had a strong season, making it to the quarter-final game of the OSAA state tournament.

Like their male counterparts, the women’s swim team had a fantastic season, taking home the state title again.

Even with strong seniors graduating last year, the women’s ski team took 2nd in Metro this season, which is not to be overlooked in the nation’s most competitive state for high school skiers.

Brink of greatness: senior scores second state title

BY HAYDEN MILLS, ’20

COURTESY OF QUINN BRINK, ’19

J

esuit’s Quinn Brink won his second state wrestling championship in the 152 pound weight class, for the Lakeridge Pacers on February 23.

OSAA rules allowed for Brink to wrestle for Lakeridge all four years in consideration that Jesuit does not have a wrestling team. For Brink, there was no better way to wrap up those four years than with a win.

“It felt great to end with a win because it was the icing on the cake, and

it was what I was expecting out of myself,” Brink said.

Though winning state may seem like high expectations that would come with even higher levels of pressure, Brink was unphased.

“It wasn’t as much about winning state as it was about dominating state, which put on a little pressure, but I was mostly trying to enjoy the moment, win or lose,” Brink said.

This relaxed mindset paid off as Brink was able to wrap up his perfect 32-0 season by beating the num-

ber one seed in the championship match.

Considering that Brink competes for a school other than Jesuit often means his accomplishments are not celebrated school wide. However, this lack of recognition has helped Brink stay focused on the real reasons he works hard to stay successful.

“I don’t really like the attention for winning because I’m doing it for myself and not for anyone else, so I don’t care if I get recognized,” Brink said.

While Brink is quick

PAGE EDITORS: Johnny Maddocks and Kedi Hickman

to turn down praise, his success is not overlooked. Multiple universities have already expressed an interest in his talents.

“I’ve talked to Navy and Brown about wrestling, but I haven’t made a final decision,” Brink said.

No matter his future, Brink’s hard work and dedication to his sport is something all athletes can look up to. The Jesuit and Pacer communities are both proud of Brink and his accomplishments and cannot wait to see what he does in the future.

SPORTS II

9

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIl

Gambling’s impact on professional sports

BY JACK KELLEY, ’20

S

“The trend, over the past few years, has been to make the screen cleaner,” Rovell said during an interview with CNN last February. “Betting’s going to change that… [Major casinos] are going to sponsor the broadcasts and they’re going to want to tell you, in that moment, how people are betting.”

Rovell also predicts that large technology and commerce companies will look to profit

off of sports gambling in future years.

“In 2022 and 2023, when the [betting] rights come up [for] the NBA [and] the NFL, this is the time when Apple, Hulu, Netflix…[and] Amazon will now be involved. Amazon is big in one-click [payments],” Rovell said. “You don’t think they will go after one click gambling? Apple’s big in micropayments. You don’t think micropayments are

going to come in? They are going to try to do it on one screen where you can watch the game and bet.”

Even though betting is still illegal for those under 18, some Jesuit students welcome the legalization of sports betting and think it could make games much more interesting.

“I think that [side-byside] sports gambling would certainly improve the viewing ex-

ports betting could further fuel the March fervor for the NCAA Championship basketball tournament. At Jesuit, this often comes in the form of casual March Madness Bracket Challenges among friends or in classes, but recent legislature regarding sports betting could forever change the way sports are consumed.

Last May, the Supreme COURTESTY OF “THE LINES” SPORTS WEBSITE Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, a law that outlawed all sports betting in 49 states with the exemption of Nevada.

Since its legalization, seven more states and Washington DC have passed laws allowing fullscale sports betting, and many more states are making strides to pass similar laws. In Oregon, full-scale sports betting remains illegal, although a bill was formally introduced to Oregon legislature in January.

Leading industry expert, Darren Rovell, believes that this legalization will significantly impact the way sports are viewed.

Exper t prediction on what spor ts broadcasting may look like, post spor ts gambling legalization.

perience and I would care a lot more about the outcome of the game,” junior Nolan Gregg said.

However, freshman Xavier Martin sees the possible danger in the involvement of the named corporations.

“If the big tech companies such as Apple and Amazon got involved, that could potentially be dangerous because not only is it a medium susceptible to data mining, it could also prolong compulsive gambling tendencies,” Martin said. “I support the legalization of betting on sports but I think it should be kept away from [big] technology.”

Junior Kaba Haou recognizes a different potential downside to widespread sports gambling.

“I think betting during live games could possibly add the factor of games being thrown away or directly tampered with for the gambling purposes, therefore worsening the viewing experience,” Haou said.

Want to place your own bets?

According to Jesuit High School’s student handbook, “gambling by students on campus is strictly forbidden.”

Baseball star Mick Abel prepares for season

BY RAHUL DUA, ’19

A

s most baseball pundits claim, solid production from the pitching mound is almost always a crucial ingredient towards winning games. Needless to say, Jesuit is expecting championship-caliber production this year from their entire squad, and in par ticular, from their star pitcher, junior Mick Abel.

Abel, verbally committed to perennial powerhouse and reigning national champion Oregon State, is remaining calm despite heavy press and publicity surrounding his recruitment and future in the spor t.

“My approach to the game is pretty simple, and that’s to do good and have fun while doing it,” Abel said. “I love baseball season because everybody on our team is there to work hard, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.”

Despite being ranked the ninth player in the nation for his age, Abel’s focus and determination has remained strong throughout his high school career.

“We’re taking everything one step at a time,” Abel said. “We are going to work hard to win the Metro League, and give it our all in every game after that.”

Jesuit’s coaching

staff, and specifically head coach Colin Griffin, have found Abel’s motivation and dedication to be a crucial personality trait in the Crusaders’ locker room.

“Mick’s work ethic is very rare for a kid with the talent that he has and the future that everyone expects him to have after high school,” Griffin said. “Not once has he ever been complacent, arrogant, or isolated from the program.”

Abel has been the Crusaders’ number one arm since the 2016-17 season his freshman year, and will enter the season in a similar role this year. His rare ability to throw all four pitches effectively and consistently has Major League Baseball scouts buzzing about potentially selecting Abel in the 2019 MLB Draft.

“When you look at Mick this year he seems calm, collected, and confident,” Griffin said. “He understands that he has very good complementary pitches to his fastball that are just as effective, if not better than his fastball.”

Abel’s teammates have also taken notice of his role on this team as well.

Junior Ethan Wilson, who is projected to lock down Jesuit’s second pitcher slot this year, raved about his pitching mate’s leadership and potential for success this up-

COURTESY OF AREA CODE BASEBALL coming season.

“Mick’s talents really help the team because we can always count on him to throw strikes for us and ultimately get the job done,” Wilson said. “Right now we have high expectations for ourselves coming off a great season last year and returning with a bunch of our starters. We’re really excited for this season.”

At the end of the day for Jesuit, teamwork is the name of the game, like in most of their athletic programs. Griffin, who also functions as the school’s assistant athletic director, expressed excitement in the collective unity and harmony of the program’s pitching staff.

“We have a lot of support on the mound this year and we’re not asking guys to throw 110 pitches a game,” Griffin said. “We’ve got a lot of guys ready to do something really special.”

With Abel hanging in the balance as the potential catalyst towards a state tournament run, Griffin and his squad are up to the challenge.

“We expect to rally around each other,” Griffin said. “With a kid like Mick in the program who gets a lot of press, it’s important for all the boys to support one another, and we’re lucky that they all do.”

Besides pitching for Jesuit, Abel also pitches for club teams year-round.

PAGE EDITORS: Grace Hershey and Alexa Grenley

ARTS

10

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

April 2019, EDITION LXII

Students stress over college auditions

BY NATALIE PERNAS, ’19

D

espite the stress and angst that high school seniors feel when applying to college, for those desiring to major in the arts, there is another added level of anxiety.

Those wanting to major in dance, music, or musical theater must go through a lengthy, competitive process consisting of additional applications, essays, prescreen videos, and in-person auditions for those invited.

“What makes my process really different is I can’t just fill out an application for the university and send it in and be done,” senior Sophia Takla said.

Sophia plans on majoring in musical theater, and applied to roughly 25 schools, but ended up audi-

tioning for over 30 schools because of last minute walkin auditions.

“The odds of getting into some of these schools is very slim, so you have to apply to a lot of schools,” Takla said. “There’s thousands of kids auditioning for maybe 10 spots for girls and 10 spots for boys.”

For people who want to major in dance, the process is extremely cutthroat.

“I think over 800 dancers sent in pre-screen video submissions to USC and only about 100 got invited to audition,” senior Jenelle Gaerlan said.

This cycle of prescreen videos, being invited back to audition, and then hearing back whether or not you’re in the program seems to be the customary cycle for both dance majors

COURTESY OF MS. GORDON-MANNING

and musical theater majors at the majority of universities. Jenelle plans on double majoring in dance and business, and applied to five schools.

“Passion significantly fuels my motivation to pursue something that doesn’t always have a guarantee of success,” Gaerlan said. “I feel like with the way I’ve prepared myself as a dancer and as a student here at Jesuit, I will be able to find the right place for me.”

Sophia Takla advises those wanting to major in the arts to start the process early, make spreadsheets of the various college audition dates, research so as to apply to schools feasible for you, and to keep in mind that this process is an integral part of wanting to pursue a career in the arts.

E Artwork awards

BY VIRGINIA LARNER, ‘20

S

ixteen Jesuit students received awards for 43 pieces of art by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in the Oregon Art Region, making it Jesuit’s most successful year.

In the first year that Jesuit started supporting students for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, seven students entered and two people received awards.

Over 200 entries and 43 awards were given to Jesuit students this year.

“It’s pretty exciting to see students participating more and reaping the awards they have earned by working hard to show off their skills and communicate their vision,” art teacher Ms. Gordon-Manning said.

The awards ranged from Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mentions to one American Vision and Voices Nominee. Artists found themselves surprised and proud of their achievements.

While remaining humble amongst her peers, junior Amélie Stoddard received the American Vision and Voices Nominee or Best of Show award for her photography piece, an award given to one student per region. Stoddard’s work will be sent to a panel of ju-

rors in New York City to be considered for the honor of the American Vision and Voices Medal.

“I was so surprised!”

Stoddard said. “I didn’t even really know about it until my friend told me, but I was so excited and honored to find out.”

The Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards is a national art competition that works to recognize students nationwide with extraordinary literary and artistic skill. The awards give students chances for recognition, exhibition, publication, and even scholarships.

“It’s been exciting for the students to have a lot more wins in this area, because we are really known as an athletic school, but the fine arts department is really getting a strong hold,” Gordon-Manning said.

Freedom within the competition allows for students to address any topic or theme. Work is judged by local artists and teachers with criteria regarding originality, technical skill, and the presentation of a personal vision or voice. Students can submit pieces they have worked on in class or on their own.

For more updates from the Jesuit art program visit their instagram @jesuitartpdx.

Student performing for a college admission audition for dancing.

State Thespians compete

BY KEDI HICKMAN, ’19

Amelie Stoddard’s award winning photograph titled “Rever Au Musee”

COURTESY OF TUTUTIX

very year in Salem, Oregon, more than 1,000 thespians from across the state come together to compete, celebrate, and be together for the State Thespian Conference.

The road to state begins at regionals, where local high schools compete for the top scores in front of judges. Students perform everything from solo-pantomime to large-group musical theatre. From the Regional Acting Competitions, the top ten percent of scores for each category audition for the State Showcase. This second set of auditions ends with the judges selecting at least two scenes or as many as twenty percent of the competitors.

The combination of all this amazing talent makes up the competitive side of the festival.

“On competition day you dress in black and go around all day to the different rooms to watch the performances. If you’re not competing you can just go to whatever room you want and see the talent, and then if

you are you go to your competition rooms,” senior Lilly Webb said. “At the end of the day we all meet in the big theater where they tell you who showcased, basically meaning who won.”

Competition isn’t the only driving force behind the festival, it’s also about meeting people, having fun, and honing one’s craft.

“Throughout the day tons of thespians from around the state are either competing or watching the events which is amazing to see. On top of this the festival includes workshops so you can learn about all sorts of things such as musical improv or stage combat or a dance workshop. There’s just so much to do,” Sophia Takla, a senior and an Oregon State Thespian Officer, said.

“There are two dances and for each dance you dress up based on the theme of the year and they’re so much fun. They play great music, some of which is musical theatre, not the whole time but there are some songs thrown in there. It gets everyone on the same level and it’s just the most

COURTESY OF SOUTHWEST STAGEWORKS

high energy dance that you will ever go to,” Webb said.

“Everyone’s super approachable and by the end of it all everyone makes friends with everyone.”

Besides seeing the talent across the state through watching other people’s performances in competition, the thespians get to see a few of the plays from high-schools across Oregon.

“We have thousands of thespians from all over Oregon watching somebody’s High School show which is really exciting and creates a massive sense of community. Everyone is one big family, there’s no school separation, it’s really cool to see,” Takla said.

For Jesuit’s drama community, going to state is full of companionship and love for the art. Senior Markos Buhler sums it up well: “It’s really fun because kids from Jesuit get to travel as one troupe, meet new people from all over Oregon, and enjoy eachothers company. And at the core of the experience, we get to witness the wonderful aspects of theatre,” Buhler said.

COURTESY OF KENZIE GROSS, ’20

Oregon state thespians logo and Oregon State Thespian first place winners Kenzie Gross and Johnnes Kromminga.

PAGE EDITORS: Virginia Larner and Karina Friel

OPINION

11 April 2019, EDITION LXIl

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

Exploring the effects of a block schedule PROS BY SCOUT JACOBS ’21

A

schedule with block days consists of classes that meet fewer times per week, but in longer periods of time. Typically, classes meet for 90 minutes a day instead of 50, and each class only meets a few times a week.

With classes meeting fewer times per week, students’ stress load is decreased as they have more time to complete their assignments.

“You get to meet for longer amounts of time and you get more time to do your homework,” sophomore Maddie LaChance said.

While block days lift stress off of students, they also benefit teachers immensely and the quality of their lessons. Senior Tim Galantine talks about the impact blocks days can make on

teachers’ instruction.

“Even though [the classes] take a long

CONS BY ALEXA GRENLEY ’20

H

aving a block day schedule is not effective in helping students and teachers succeed.

One of the things we value most at Jesuit is our sense of community. Junior Sam Curran believes that having a block day schedule could put that at risk.

time, you can definitely get a lot done in that chunk of time,” Galantine said. “It gives the teacher more opportunities to figure out what they need to go over.”

Along with stress relief, block days can make it easier for teachers to accommodate other students with different learning styles. Students can focus on subjects they are struggling in, and they can be taught in a variety of methods.

“There would be less homework and a lot less stress,” freshman Claire Cooney said. “They could get a lot more done and gain a better under-

“Having each class four times a week creates a bond between classmates and teachers,” Curran said. “If we had block days and only saw each of our classes two or three times a week, we would lose that sense of community.”

As flu season hit hard this year, sophomore Anna Dellit considered how being sick would have had a larger impact on her grades and school experience with block periods.

“If I miss one day at Jesuit I feel a little behind, but I can catch up in class the next day,” Dellit said. “With block periods, missing one class would be like missing two because of how long they are.”

standing of the subject. There would also be longer periods of time where they can do longer activities.”

The debate of block days at Jesuit has been talked about since at least 2011 when an article appeared in the Jesuit Crusader.

“I think that [Jesuit] should try [block days],” Cooney said. “A lot of other schools do it and it seems to work really well.”

One of the more obvious repercussions of a block schedule is the much longer class periods.

“I can start to zone out after 55 minutes of a class here at Jesuit,” sophomore Bobby Koury said. “If I were forced to sit through an hour and a half or longer I don’t think I would retain as much information.”

“With a day or two in between each time a class meets, you start to forget the information you covered the previous time you met,” Curran said. “Which means that a portion of every class has to be spent reviewing. In my opinion that is much less effective.”

Jesuit students agree that our current schedule is more effective.

Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

PROS BY RAISSA ROGERS ’19 Lowering the voting age could actually benefit the demo cratic system and allow for the younger generation to have a say in laws that will affect them.

The idea that anyone age 18 or older is informed enough to make an appropriate vote is unfounded.

“The assumption that people under the age of 18 don’t understand politics enough to vote responsibly is based on a huge assumption that people over the age of 18 actually pay close enough attention to politics and engage responsibly with politics,” U.S. Government and Politics teacher, Mr. Flamoe, said.

In fact, at 16, many teenagers are engaged in politics and have developed informed decisions on political issues. The belief that they are not responsible enough to vote holds them back from further developing their opinions as informed citizens.

“A lot of times younger people think we shouldn’t care about elections because we are too young,” 16-year-old sophmore Damon Grimm said. “If we were allowed to vote, allowed to make decisions, it would lead to a more educated generation of people who would enter adulthood able to make decisions for themselves.”

By age 16, teenagers are driving, possibly working, and have many aspects of the law that they must abide to. Because there are so many aspects of the government and laws that affect 16 and 17-year-old’s daily lives, they should have a say in lawmaking and elections (Vote16USA).

Right now, with the older generation holding the majority, things such as Medicare and Social Security receive the most funding from the government.

Things such as cost of college and education are often left underfunded because the lack of representation of youth in elections.

“If [politicians] know [the younger generation] aren’t as engaged, they aren’t going to respond to the needs of young people as much,” Flamoe said. “If you had an engaged young population, especially before they go to college, maybe politicians would be a lot more responsive.”

At the age of 16, teenagers are still living at home and attending high school. In school they most likely have taken history and government classes, creating an excellent source to help them make informed voting decisions.

The voting process can be a difficult one to manage as a first time voter.

Many 18-year-olds find themselves voting for the first time while away at college.

Lowering the voting age to 16 would help prevent the confusion and difficulty of voting for the first time.

CONS BY KESHAV SIDDHARTHA ’19 In the 1970’s, the federal government mandated that anyone over the age of 18 can vote. Similarly, Oregon’s constitution declares that anyone 18 years old or older can vote.

To change the voting age to 16 would require an amendment to the Oregon constitution, a move that could be seen as politically motivated to some.

For example, from a political standpoint, such a move would be a potential attempt to increase Oregon’s Democratic base. Oregon possesses a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators and remains nationally recognized as a Democratic stronghold.

By expanding the pool of potential Oregon voters, the change in legislation would be an attempt to further increase the Democratic party’s margin of victory. This might lead to stronghold Republican states like Texas or Utah lowering their required voting age to 16 years as well increasing their margin of victory.

“Moving the mandatory age to 16 would lead to more political polarization and lead to a precedent of shifting voting guidelines just to increase the chances of a political party winning,” senior David McDougall said.

Likewise, how young is too young? What makes a 16-year-old more qualified than a 15-year-old to vote? Or a 14-year-old?

“You may have a 30 year old who has the intellectual aptitude of a 7-year-old, but you wouldn’t say because of that, the person shouldn’t vote,” history teacher Mr. Flamoe said. “Nor would you say it is a good idea for a 7-year-old to vote. Why wouldn’t you have a 7-year-old vote? Because they aren’t an adult yet.”

18-year-olds have “skin in the game.” They are voting on policy initiatives that directly impact them as functioning adults. They get to vote on bills that impact how much they pay in taxes, whether they can arm themselves or who they can marry.

However, teenagers do not have any “skin in the game.” For example, most 16-year-olds are entirely dependent on their parents. Is that fair to force a 16-year-old’s opinion on a young adult’s livelihood?

“You need those extra two years to become informed with politics and more educated about the country and the world,” said senior Rachel Gulka.

“What a 16-year-old thinks can be significantly different from what a legal adult thinks.” *Full articles can be accessed at jesuitnews.com.

PAGE EDITORS: Raissa Rogers and Madison McClellan

BACK

12

APRIL 2019, EDITION LXIII

LIVE NEWS UPDATES @ www.jesuitnews.com

Can you match the Levi’s jean to its correct color?

A

B

C

“Love Ride”

D

“Electronic” “Too Much To Think”

“Destruction”

On their website, Levi’s has abstract terms for each of their jeans. See if you can match the name to the jean!

ANSWERS: A=Electronic, B=Destruction, C=Too Much To Think, D= Love Ride

Help the bunny find the basket of eggs!

Editor-in-Chief: Jane Ferguson Associate Editor-in-Chief: Erin Foley Managing Editor : Keshav Siddhartha Online and Social Media Content Editor: Virginia Larner Junior Editor-in-Chief: Shawna Muckle News Editor: Keshav Siddhartha Sports Editor: Keshav Siddhartha

Staff Box

Center Editor: Erin Foley Lifestyle Editor: Jane Ferguson Features Editor: Erin Foley Arts Editor: Shawna Muckle Opinion Editor: Jane Ferguson Moderator/Teacher: Mr. Dan Falkner

Staff Writers: Rahul Dua, Karina Friel, Georgia Gray, Alexa Grenley, Grace Hershey, Kedi Hickman, Scout Jacobs, Kaylee Jeong, Tommy Kallgren, Jack Kelley, Jed Lambino, Annie Landgraf, Johnny Maddocks, Maddi McCauley, Madison McClellan, Hayden Mills, Mitchell Nee, Natalie Pernas, Raissa Rogers, Kate Thompson

PAGE EDITORS: Annie Landgraf and Scout Jacobs