Feb. 17, 2022 issue 06 Loquitur

Award-Winning Student Run Newspaper

Overcoming a family loss and discovering my purpose Page 7

acp YOU SPEAK Cabrini’s backyard is a hotspot for Human Trafficking Page 4

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Vol. LXIII • Issue 6

WE LISTEN

Thursday Feb. 17, 2022

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Human Trafficking Another invisible pandemic ‘in our backyards’

“Crying Woman” Photo by Kat Smith from Pexels

Cabrini tackles crime of human trafficking in recent panel

By Max Silverman, Cierra Southard, Victoria Giordano News Editor, News Editor, Assistant News Editor

T

his isn’t a hot button issue, rather a heartbreaking one that requires global attention.

Many global events get widespread attention by the media. However, human trafficking is not one of them. Human trafficking has permeated the underbelly of society, always beneath the surface.

“It’s in your backyard, regardless of where your backyard is,” Abbie Newman, CEO of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, said, while adding that regional reports of the crime are rising and many victims are being sold and exploited by family members.

Human trafficking is a worldwide, multi-billion dollar industry in which vulnerable people are manipulated by strangers or family, kidnapped, taken hostage and sold for forced labor, sex work or organ removal. The most likely to be targeted and sold into this inhuman market include women, children, members of the LGBTQ+ community, former convicts, those who struggle with low self-esteem and teenage runaways.

Three distinguished professionals visited Cabrini on Jan. 31st in Grace Hall to discuss the tragic details behind human trafficking.

These professionals included Newman, Carla Clanagan, member of Cabrini’s Domestic Violence Awareness Board of Advisors and the Interagency Council of Norristown Board of Directors, and Walt Hunter, retired Eyewitness News reporter and board member

of Mission Kids, the Montgomery County Child Advocacy Center.

Newman explained how human trafficking occurs not only in the King of Prussia region, but everywhere.

“I don’t care where you’re from, there is human trafficking going on,” Newman said.

She said there is a visual, infrared map from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Polaris, that shows dots of where the national hotspots of trafficking dated back in 2019. Clusters of red dots surround major highways, with a high density of reports coming from places along I-95 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“The other thing that is really important to understand is that a lot of trafficking victims, in particular adolescents and kids, are being trafficked from home,” Newman said.

Pandemic sparking more crimes

Statistics have proven that during the opioid epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic, more parents and guardians have sold their children for sexual acts.

“It has gotten worse,” Newman said. “There has been an uptick of kids on child pornography websites or people looking to purchase and abuse child pornography. If a child is locked inside with their abuser, they can’t get out. Mandated reporters, teachers, classmates and friends can’t tell if something is wrong. They’re hidden

in plain sight.”

Newman shared with the audience that human trafficking is a $150 billion per-year worldwide industry. While in the U.S. alone, it’s a $44 billion per-year industry.

Newman also shared that according to a study in San Diego from seven years ago, 20 high school districts had reported at least one student whom to be believed they were a victim of human trafficking while attending school.

“Many victims of trafficking, however, initially don’t identify themselves as victims,” Newman said. “Often, there’s a grooming process. 70-90 percent of adolescents and children who are involved in human trafficking have prior histories of being child or sexual abuse victims.”

Traffickers look for groups of girls hanging out together, targeting the girls who may be left back. This is where the grooming process can begin.

“At that point, she’s not thinking that the stranger is going to snatch and sell her,” Newman said. “They’re going to manipulate her into doing things she wouldn’t normally do and afterwards, she’s not going to have a choice. She still wouldn’t consider herself a victim.”

See Human Trafficking Page 3

Editorial

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WE ARE THE

LoQUITUR 2021-2022

Editorial Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SOPHIA GERNER WRITING MANAGING EDITOR MATTHEW RUTHERFORD MEDIA MANAGING EDITOR SYDNEE REDDY NEWS EDITORS ANNA SCHMADER CIERRA SOUTHARD MAX SILVERMAN SPORTS EDITORS RYAN CHYBINSKI CHRIS SCHALLER LIFESTYLES EDITORS TONIANN GOODEN PRYCE JAMISON PERSPECTIVES EDITORS MARK FINLEY TROY SCOTT LAYOUT AND DESIGN EDITOR SOPHIA GERNER ADVISER MARION CALLAHAN MISSION The Loquitur student newspaper and website are integral parts of the educational mission of the Cabrini communication department, namely, to educate students to take their places in the public media.

Loquitur Media provides a forum of free expression. All members of the university community may submit work to the editors for possible inclusion. Publication is based on the editorial decision of the editors.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Loquitur accepts letters to the editor.

The letter should be less than five hundred words, usually in response to a current issue on Cabrini University’s campus or community area and are printed as space permits. Name, phone number and address should be included with submissions for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent via email to

loquitur@cabrini.edu.

loquilur Media

feLOC'.j\\ilter

Most of what we know of human trafficking is wrong, experts say

By Sophia Gerner Editor-in-Chief In front of an audience of more than 50 college students, Carla Clanagan motioned to the crowd. “It can be anyone. Look around, anyone of you can be a trafficker; anyone of you can be a victim,” Clanagan, a front-line fighter to help rescued survivors heal, said.

There is more to human trafficking than the “kidnapping” stereotype that many people believe it to be.

Victims can be sold by family members, tricked into marriage or new employment contracts and groomed with false promises by someone they thought they trusted.

An estimated 24.9 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery.

victim, Clanagan said that the girls who may have a boyfriend that never comes around, typically dresses one way, likes to be around people and then makes a drastic shift to wearing designer clothes and staying home or taking many weekend trips could be “signs that something’s happening, even if its not sex trafficking something’s changed.”

She said we shouldn’t go looking for these changes but that we want to be alert and pay attention to differences in behavior.

Traffickers may also seamlessly blend into the lives of young adults. There is not one defining characteristic that every human trafficker has in common. Even the depiction that all traffickers are males is false.

According to The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), human trafficking “is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological.

Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud or coercion was used.”

Experts at the panel said that young teens can be hired by traffickers to scout their schools for potential victims.

The stereotypes and “movie versions” surrounding this depiction that we’ve come to know are more than girls being locked away in dark rooms who need to be rescued. Human trafficking is a real-life crime that preys on people that some of us may see every day.

“I think across the board we just don’t want to put this in a nice little box and say this is what a trafficker looks like or this is what a victim looks like; it can be anyone, from any walk of life, of any race, anyone can be a victim or a trafficker,” Clanagan said.

There is no one profile of a trafficking victim or of a trafficker.

So what do you do when any living person can be a victim right under your nose or you can be unknowingly someone who crosses paths with a trafficker on your morning walk around the community?

What the movies and stereotypes don’t show is that both victims and traffickers can be hidden “in plain sight, interact with people on a daily basis and are forced to work under extreme circumstances,” according to warnings listed on a DOJ webpage.

“The visual of the crossed hands tied with rope; get rid of that visual. That is not your typical trafficking victim,” Abbie Newman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, said.

Although there is no true typical trafficking

According to the DOJ, “The United States has prosecuted cases against women traffickers.

Traffickers can be pimps, gang members, diplomats, business owners, labor brokers and farm, factory and company owners.”

The first step is to throw away the past depictions, stereotypes and what we thought we knew about human trafficking.

By reeducating ourselves and those around as, we can do away with the movie versions of human trafficking.

We can then realize that anyone can be a trafficker, and we can better see the real faces of victims, who look like you and me.

Jordan Center, a resource for help

By Troy Scott Perspectives Editor According to the National Human Trafficking Outline, Pennsylvania is ninth in the country for most reported cases of human trafficking in 2021. At Cabrini University, advocates have been working to create awareness of human trafficking and its victims.

With the goal in mind to educate educators, students and others about the struggles of human trafficking, the Barbara and John Jordan Center for Children of Trauma and Domestic Violence is a resource at Cabrini University. Professional on staff help those who have gone through trafficking and work to prevent those who are most vulnerable.

Dr. Colleen Lelli, a professor in the educational specialists’ department and the director of the Jordan Center, has been at the forefront of the battle against human trafficking for more than 10 years. With her background in trauma with children, Lelli educates people about the dangers.

“Part of our role is to offer professional development to educators and leaders,” Lelli said. “[but] we also offer professional development to other organizations, to businesses regarding trauma, domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and topics along those lines.”

Lelli also mentioned how important it was to get the Department of Justice Violence Against Women grant awarded to the program.

“Receiving this grant helped us with moving forward and expanding our reach in teaching leaders about trauma,” Lelli said. “This allowed us to do different campaigns and teach new people.”

The Jordan center has been providing education for leaders around the area since it was established in 2017. Along with the Jordan center, Karol Brewer and the Missionary Sisters continue to work and support those affected by human trafficking and other unfortunate circumstances. “[The Missionary Sisters] have worked with Dr. Lelli and the Jordan center since it was established,” Brewer said. “We helped plan fundraisers, food drives and clothes drives to help support people in our area and beyond.”

Brewer has worked with the group for more than 15 years and has continued to do outreach, launch awareness campaigns and other public service efforts that align with the goals of the Missionary Sisters.

“The Missionary Sisters want to end human trafficking along with gaining equal rights for immigrants of the United States,” Brewer said.

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Human Trafficking Fortunately, Newman has also said that laws on human trafficking have improved over the past 20 years.

“I think one of the biggest issues is making sure that there’s an understanding that trafficking is everywhere,” Newman said. “Over the last few years, we’ve come up with better responses to trafficking for minors and adults. The laws pertaining to adults are different from the laws that pertain to minors. All of these laws must work together.”

Victims who don’t know they’re victims

Clanagan works closely with two programs. One community empowerment program brings in victims who do not know that they are survivors and educates them.

“We’re educating them on human trafficking through another program called ‘Ending the Game’ that talks a lot about how to come out of the life of prostitution, escorting, stripping and ultimately human trafficking or sex trafficking,” Clanagan said. “It’s all about the education, showing them and bringing them resources so that they have an understanding that there are programs out there to help them.”

Through the education program, Clanagan mentions that the victims usually have an “a ha” moment where they realized they have been a victim of human trafficking. They realize that the things that have happened to them aren’t normal and that they have been violated in some way.

The second program that she works closely with is a housing program for survivors. It is a longterm residential housing program that houses only women for two years.

This program is connected across the country to other shelters that do the same type of work and is part of a national alliance.

“In this program, they still come to us knowing that they’ve had trauma, some sort of violation but they still don’t recognize themselves as being sex trafficked,” Clanagan said.

She explains the need of these victims to have to do something for income and that they turn to their bodies to do so.

Clanagan mentions a term called “complex trauma” to describe the type of trauma that the victims have experienced. She explains it as living the same experiences multiple times a day over a period of time.

While working with the women and educating them, Clanagan notices their behavior and how it is out of the ordinary.

“A lot of their behaviors are related to the fact that their brains have stopped functioning at the level it was supposed to function when the trauma started,” she said. “They don’t trust, they don’t know how to have healthy relationships, including friendships, they don’t have safe people in their lives, and their families have walked away from

them.” Clanagan pivots to mention that even though she deals primarily with women, men can and are victims of human trafficking, too.

“Not only are they trafficked, but they are used to get to the girls. They will use what they call a ‘romeo pimp’ to get close to the ‘it guy’ in a situation, use them to get close to the women, groom and manipulate them and get their victims that way,” she said.

Clanagan says to look out for subtle signs that are noticeable, such as changes in their behavior and the way that they dress.

Reporting in the media

With human trafficking being such a dark and mature topic, it is important that the media reports about this with the seriousness it deserves.

Hunter, after years of reporting on the dark, hidden crime in the Philadelphia area, knows how important it is for the media to cover human trafficking.

“When you cover one of these cases, you think of the faces in the windows - people that are disempowered, disenfranchised,” Hunter said. “They stick with you for the rest of your life.”

Hunter proposes a few ways on how to better report trafficking cases.

The first way, he said, is to read everything you can about a case. Cover it in court and read all

documents available. “Once you have a fountain of knowledge, you must put the meat on the bones of this story and get it out there,” Hunter said.

He mentions that court case decisions often take a long time due to the trial period.

He said that it is important as a journalist to keep reporting on the case after the decision was made so that voices are heard.

Keeping everyone confidential for the safety of victims is also important according to Hunter.

“Lives are getting destroyed,” he said. “Naming names can cause more problems for these victims down the line.”

“This is a ‘yuck’ topic,” Hunter said. “You must come up with a sincere, compassionate and creative plan to cover this topic. You must first focus on victims to humanize them and your story. You need to get the reader’s attention, but you need to do it in the right way.”

“There is no other side to this issue, this is as close to evil personified as anything you could ever imagine.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 and CAPS (Cabrini’s Counseling and Psychological Services) at 1-610-902-8561.

CBS reporter Walt Hunter details his 40-plus years of fighting sex trafficking

By Jake Rader Multimedia Assistant Editor Photo from TUTV the side in mainstream news

coverage.

Hunter was lucky enough to have bosses who let him report on sensitive subjects like child abuse, which a lowed him to shed light on this problem throughout his 40plus year career.

In the 1980’s, the war on drugs was in full swing, as poverty stricken areas in Philadelphia were succumbing to drug abuse and drug violence.

Reporters such as Walt Hunter were on the front lines of this epidemic, and saw first hand the effect that drugs can have on a community’s well being.

However, it was during one of these tragic drug abuse stories that exposed Hunter to another epidemic that still rages on today in child abuse, and sex trafficking.

Hunter remembers it like it was yesterday, as it was classic case of drug abuse leading to child abuse in intercity families.

This instance involved a drug addicted single mother who’s daughter was locked in a closet, and starved to death while her mom was out buying drugs.

This story took an emotional toll on Hunter, and was one of the main factors that led to his second career in fighting sex trafficking.

“Child abuse/sex trafficking is one of those dirty issues that nobody wants to hear about,” Hunter said, as he believes that because of it’s disturbing nature, it often gets pushed to

Mission Kids would not only provide the necessary mental health support/counseling needed to abuse victims, but also the legal services required in order to convict their abusers.

Hunter was so enthralled by the services of Mission Kids that when he retired from CBS in 2016, he joined the companies board, and currently serves as their main spokesperson.

Mission Kids has given Hunter an outlet to continue his 40-plus year fight against child abuse, and for that he is extremely grateful.

Hunter’s primary focus throughout his career was on the various systems in place to protect children in the Mon gomery County area. Ho ever, like reporters often find, the system was broken.

In addition to the fight in the courts, Hunter believes that boots on the ground journalism is crucial to combating this problem.

The procedures in place had many flaws, as there was not even records kept of children who reported a sexual abuse case.

In Brown’s case, this was a story that took over 15-20 years of reporting, and after numerous times being shut down, Brown was finally able to expose Epstein.

Not to mention that so much information would get lost in translation, as these kids would be dragged all over the county to three/four different places in order to formally file a report.

“This process was flawed, and would often cause more trauma for these poor kids,” Hunter said, as a procedure that in theory should be painless, would often make an awful situation more uncomfortable for the victims.

It was clear to Walt that something had to change, and Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman agreed.

In 2009, Ferman founded Mission Kids, a non profit advocacy center that was created to achieve justice for children who were victims of child abuse.

This center was a centralized place to process victims of abuse, while offering services such as housing, medical, mental health treatment, forensic interviews, family advocacy and assault prevention/training.

The founding of Mission Kids was music to Hunter’s ears, as this revolutionary center put all support, and services these victims needed under one roof.

Hunter cited his former colleague in Miami Herald reporter Julie K. Brown, as she was the driving force in reporting the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal.

Brown stuck with the story despite the deck being stacked against her due to Epstein’s wealth, and fame.

“Cover the trial, cover the prosecution, and stick with the story,” Hunter said, as he believes that boots on the ground journalism is the key to exposing child abuse.

If we all do our part in combating this problem, Hunter believes that the world would be a better place.

Photo by Erica Zebrowski

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What we can do: Spotting the signs of Human Trafficking

By Mark Finley, Ryan Chybinski Perspectives Editor, Sports Editor A frequent visitor arrived once again in the emergency room.

This time a nurse spotted a bar code like an item at a grocery store. Immediately, she knew the frightening reality behind what some may perceive to be an innocuous tattoo. But it wasn’t; it was among signs that can be tied to victims of human trafficking.

This scenario unfolded in a Pennsylvania hospital, but it highlights the importance of knowing the signs of human trafficking crimes, according to Abbie Newman, CEO of Mission Kids, a child advocacy and anti-trafficking organization in Montgomery County.

Human trafficking is a type of human rights abuse where people profit from the exploitation of others mainly through the use of force, fraud or coercion to manipulate victims into engaging in sex acts or labor/services.

Newman, during a human trafficking awareness panel at Cabrini, said it’s important that the general public do its part to help combat this ever rampant issue, as there are many different signs that could point to the fact that someone is being trafficked.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, there are 13 major signs that people should be looking for to possibly spot human trafficking.

One sign the department wants people to be on the lookout for is a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?

Though this is not always an indicator that someone is a victim of human trafficking, this can be an early warning sign that someone has fallen victim to a trafficker.

There are many different ways you could tell that someone may be a victim of trafficking. Some of those signs have no access to personal identification and can’t clarify their address.

“A good sign of someone being trafficked is when you see girls who typically have like regular clothing or dress a certain way and

then all of a sudden they wear jewelry or designer bag,” Carla Clanagan, director of a program that helps survivors heal, said.

The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania and The Polaris Project is a national database of human trafficking crimes and hub for reporting those crimes. This system warns us that certain people may be more vulnerable than others.

Those facing poverty or are having trouble paying for basic needs, those who are in an unstable living situation and those with a history of domestic violence victimization are all more likely to be victimized.

Others at risk include those caregivers or family members with a substance use issue, those who are runaways or those who are a part of the foster care system.

In fact, National Center for Homeless Education said, as many as one-third of teens who runaway or thrown away youth will become involved in prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

Clanagan, Newman and long-time investigative reporter, Walt Hunter, were a part of a human trafficking awareness panel held at Cabrini University Feb. 1. and was about Human Trafficking.

“Everyone can help by learning the types of trafficking and paying attention to the people around us,” The National Human Trafficking Hotline said.

This hotline has a lot of different signs on how to recognize whether someone is being trafficked and provides information on who is most vulnerable, how traffickers lure people in and who

“Ghost’s on the street.” Photo by Roma Kaiuk on Unsplash.

traffickers are.According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Polaris Project, some of the most vulnerable for human trafficking are people addicted to drugs or alcohol, have previously experienced other forms of violence such as sexual abuse or domestic violence and undocumented immigrants.

“Many victims of trafficking however do not see themselves as victims of trafficking,” Newman, said.

Human trafficking is an important issue with 25 million people who are trafficked and yet many of the victims of this crime don’t even know that they are victims.

The panelists said human trafficking is an issue all around the country but especially right here in King of Prussia.

Cabrini’s backyard is a hotspot for human trafficking

By Victoria Emmitt Assistant News Editor Cabrini’s backyard offers a perfect storm for human traffickers, and authorities explain why: The intersection of multiple highways offers easy access to hotels.

It neighbors one of the largest malls in the country.

Police say the lines blur when it comes to jurisdiction, making it tough to hunt down predators and decide which police department will lead the case.

The exploitation of victims from human trafficking is happening at a national scale, but closer to home, in King of Prussia, it is becoming a major hotspot for human trafficking.

One retired Montgomery County police officer, who did not want to be named, said “The transportation hub that the turnpike and others are, amazingly, people do not realize the amount of contraband and people that are run through this section of the country. It is absolutely about transportation and the ability to move people.”

The Human Trafficking Institutions 2019 report stated that Pennsylvania ranked fourth nationally in defendant convictions in human trafficking cases.

As of 2020, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported a total of 221 cases of human trafficking in Pennsylvania, 57 of which were minors.

“When you start talking about jurisdiction, and investigation into it, enforcement is difficult because of the way it’s done in Pennsylvania,” the officer said.

This epidemic is not hidden, it is in plain sight on highways and in local hotels and malls he said. As determined by the Simon Property Group, the King of Prussia mall attracts more than 35 million visitors annually.

Malls are magnets for traffickers looking for victims. They wait and look for a group of teens so they can prey on the one that may appear as an outsider. Traffickers are looking for certain vulnerabilities and insecurities they can exploit, to isolate the victims from friends and family to establish control.

Identifiable vulnerabilities that traffickers prey on are unstable housing, homeless or runaway youth, low self-esteem, substance

abuse, and mental illnesses.

“Traffickers who are looking to recruit teenagers are very clever and will play a long game,” Abbie Newman, CEO of Mission Kids said during a Feb. 1 panel at Cabrini University. “Most of the time it is not a snatch and grab, it is getting this teen girl to think she has a love interest, so she goes willingly because she feels a romantic attachment.”

Factor in the ease of transportation provided by the access of three major highways, Interstate 70, 80 and 95, along with various access points all over the King of Prussia area.

Human trafficking, the global issue that continues to be, is also something that all communities in the United States are dealing with daily.

According to Polaris, a national hub of human trafficking data and reports, events like sports games that draw in large groups of people are appealing to various businesses, human trafficking included.

As reported by experts, Super Bowl Sunday is a time for fun and food, but it is also the biggest weekend for human trafficking in the United States. So while football fans are out partying and cheering for their favorite team to pull through, there are children, women and men who are being abused and damaged due to human trafficking.

“Complex trauma is what is happening to these victims, they are being raped or molested over and over again, six, seven, 10 times a day. That is more than just trauma,” Carla Clanagan, program director at Worthwhile Wear, said.

COVID-19 has also had an immense impact on the demand for labor. With the labor shortage and push for better working conditions, certain businesses can not fill positions fast enough, so they will have people trafficked in for cheap labor.

“A lot of those people are dropped by persons that are managing their lives, holding their identification, their passports,” the Montgomery County police officer said. “Keeping threats actively against their families and against them and using other methods like sexual assault to keep them at bay right where they are at.”

Human trafficking is a business that runs off a supply and demand model. The supply is the victims of trafficking being exploited, so where is the demand coming from? The victims are coming from within our communities and so are the buyers, Newman said.

“There is no other side to this issue; this is as close to evil personified as you can imagine,” Walt Hunter, eyewitness reporter, said during the panel.

Photo by Pexels

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Humanitarian against Human Trafficking makes a difference at Cabrini

By Skyler Kellers Staff Writer Clanagan and two other experts in the field talked about the realities of the crime and the misconceptions. So, what is human trafficking? Human trafficking in layman’s terms is when someone is coercing another person into labor work or sexual exploitation.

Clanagan said there should be another name for human trafficking as the term doesn’t encompass all that it is.

While trauma from human sex trafficking is not in the DSM5, also known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which categories mental health conditions, she clarified that the girls and women who experience human trafficking have experienced complex trauma.

many students are living away from home for the first time and don’t have as many social connections.

The lack of those connections could make them “vulnerable to traffickers who may offer emotional support to gain trust.”

Economic instability also adds to the risk factors.

The report warns that students may experience financial difficulties that “traffickers can exploit by offering monetary support or

Clanagan emphasized, “It’s all about getting out that life of sex trafficking but many victims aren’t aware that what they experienced isn’t normal.”

Photo of Carla Clanagan from the Worthwhile Wear website

If someone doesn’t believe human trafficking happens in schools and on college campuses, Clara Clanagan will set the record straight.

On college campuses, Clanagan said human traffickers who target victims often use someone who is referred to as a “Romeo pimp.”

A “Romeo pimp” is typically a guy who finds the popular guy on campus and goes to the parties to find and target the women on campus, she said.

Clanagan highlighted a community empowerment program called Ending the Game that educates victims on how to come out of the life of commercial sexual exploitation. Clanagan said that sometime over the six-to-nine-week program, there is typically “an Ah-ha moment where they realize I am a victim, these things have happened to me and that there are resources to help me.”

“If readers could have one takeaway about human trafficking, it would be that it is happening locally and that everyone can take part in the fight against Human Trafficking.

No one gesture to help is too small because these ladies and men are worth it,” Clanagan said.

Clanagan is the executive director of a residential home called Worthwhile Wear that helps victims of human trafficking victims who come from the suburbs and the cities.

She stressed that young people, especially college students should be aware of their surroundings. After the panel, Mission Kids CEO, Abbie Newman, said, “If we save one person, we have made the difference we need to.”

“It’s not glamorous, it’s not Pretty Woman and it is also not typically being kidnapped and being taken away,” Clanagan said during a Feb. 1 panel that Cabrini hosted to bring awareness to human trafficking.

College students may vulnerable to trafficking crimes for a variety of reasons, according to the Human Trafficking Response Guide for Campus Law Enforcement and Public Safety Officials.

According to the guide, which alerts public safety officials to trends,

Photo by Erica Zebrowski.

false promises of jobs. Taking advantage of students’ potentially newfound independence, traffickers may use drugs and alcohol to lure potential victims.”

Clanagan said that college students should follow Mission Kids, Montgomery County Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition (MCAT) and Worthwhile Wear on Instagram to protect themselves on social media because predators don’t want to target young women who are following these organizations.

Because of her worthwhile and important work, she was a Martha Dale Willis Humanitarian Award recipient at Cabrini in 2016.

The impact of Human Trafficking

By Brandon Elvira-Peña Staff Writer

While human trafficking crimes are often hidden and underreported, several local and national organizations are working to get facts and figures on the crisis to better educate people on just how prevalent it is.

For example, The Polaris Projects is leading a data-driven social justice movement to fight sex and labor trafficking at the massive scale of the problem - 25 million impacted worldwide.

Abbie Newman, CEO of Mission Kids Child Advocacy (CAC) men-

tions that the King of Prussia region isn’t the only hotspot for human trafficking. It occurs everywhere, no matter the state, country, or city an individual is living.

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The major highways that intersect other cities and states such as I-95, is a main transporting routes for sex traffickers according to Polaris infrared human trafficking map.

A study in San Diego worked with 20 high schools, every one of those high schools identified at least one student that they believed was a victim of trafficking that was attending school.

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The brighter the spot on the map indicates a call received by the Human Trafficking Hotline, which has at least one bright spec across all of America.

Most of the victims who are children or adolescents are groomed and have no idea that they are being trafficked, this occurs because 70 to 90 percent of victims have prior sexual abuse in their life. Children who have experienced these traumas are much more vulnerable to traffickers because of their mental trauma and low self-esteem.

Newman touches upon the number of children and adolescents who are trafficked by a parent or household member.

Anyone can be trafficked, in any community, just as anyone can be the victim of any kind of crime.

They are exploited for sexual acts labeled as commercial sexual exploitation of children, it has only worsened by the opioid epidemic and Covid since many children are staying home.

While it can happen to anyone, available evidence suggests that people of color and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be trafficked than other demographic groups.

Here are some facts:

Human trafficking is highly personal and most of the time the abuse will happen right in front of you.

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Online recruitment has become the top recruitment location.

Polaris discovered a significant increase in potential victims through Facebook and Instagram. 125 percent increase in reports of human trafficking coming from social media platforms

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The Industry of human trafficking is estimated to be worth $150 Billion yearly worldwide, with escorts services and child pornography contributing the most following alongside illicit massage and beauty services.

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Infographic made on Canva by Santino Terranova

Among all forms of trafficking whose recruitment relationships were known (4,142), the proportion of victims recruited by a family member or caregiver increased significantly - from 21 percent of all victims in 2019 to 31 percent in 2020 - a 47 percent increase.

Individuals who have an unstable living situation or a household member with serious substance addiction can be vulnerable to trafficking.

Keeping an eye out for a romantic relationship with a considerable age difference is a situation that might cause some concerns.

If you or a loved one has any suspicion about an individual being a part of human trafficking, contact the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline at (888) 373-7888.

THELOQUITUR.COM Lifestyles How ‘outdated’ schools need to change to keep pace with the workplace

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By Pryce Jamison, Anna Schmader Lifestyles Editor, News Editor The public education system has been in place for centuries with little to no change to its format, testing requirements or curriculum. Meanwhile, the constantly evolving workplace adapts to new and improved ideas, as industries crave creativity and innovation among workers.

“Nobody has ever been taught to think outside the box, and this is the trend we’ve all seen since very early education where it’s always been drilled into our minds,” Logan Deconti, exercise science major, said.

to be outdated with how young minds have always been taught with a critical emphasis on memorization and repetition.

If you struggle with your academics and prove to be different in terms of success in the classroom across these required subject matters, being labeled a failure and feeling lost in the world is where many students lose their motivation when in reality there are so many facets in life where a kid can eventually create their destiny.

Deconti, looking back on his experience of his school days over the years, realizes just how little the public education system prepared him for success in college and life. This is only one example of how many students at Cabrini and universities across the nation feel.

Perspectives from educators

“Education before college, in general, teaches to be more so followers than productive leaders when you really look at it, and that’s when students at this stage really get caught off guard,” Deconti said. “To sit still, follow directions, complete homework within a specific time frame and react off the bell.”

“They have been teaching the same curriculum for over the last 30 years,” Altieri said.

From receiving grades on a numbered scale to being obliged to take standardized testing, there’s a shifted focus away from practical experience.

Essential data found in 2019 surveys published by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri, consisted of over 2,000 participants that reported “most adults—59 percent of those surveyed—said they can’t connect what they learned in high school to their current jobs,” and that “74 percent of students think they’ll have a job in 20 years that hasn’t even been invented yet.”

“Overwhelmingly, students, parents and employers surveyed thought high schoolers would be better off learning how to file their taxes than learning about the Pythagorean theorem. At least 82 percent of parents, students and employers thought schools should focus more on the 1040-EZ form than on that fundamental concept in geometry.”

Differing from the structure of the education system that has been in place since the 17th century, the job market is constantly evolving and diversifying which requires different levels of critical thinking, as also entrepreneurial thinking is something more and more students are leaning towards.

Traditional curriculum and simplistic ways of teaching may prove

Sam Altieri, a substitute teacher at Norristown Area High School is a firm believer that the education system needs to change.

Altieri mentioned the magnitude of change over time and how it doesn’t match with what’s going on in the world today. There’s a level of disconnection between the material being taught and the current students in this modern world.

“Minorities fill up a lot of my school and the education system has failed students by teaching them things that are directed towards a specific group of people… while not exactly telling everyone’s story,” Altieri said. “There needs to be more diversity that way everyone can connect to it in some aspect.”

This idea resonates the most with the subject of history and how the education system has been highly criticized in recent decades.

It further shows that not every piece of significant history is accurately brought to the light.

Another disparity he pointed out is that they are requiring students to learn a set list of topics in which they simply don’t care all about or have any interest in gravitating towards when it comes to their passions that they have in mind for the future. “That’s the problem with today,” Altieri said.

Transitioning into the thoughts from Ms. Myers will give us more emphasis on ways to get the kids operating more creatively.

Ellie Myers, a 2nd-grade teacher at Green Woods Charter School, reflected that students aren’t taking in the information as it’s taught under the curriculum because they can’t grasp the concepts.

Photo by Bruce Matsunaga

“I think that one of the flaws of the education system is that class sizes are too big, so students do not have enough individualized attention,” Myers said.

An effect of the lack of attention can lead to students “being off-task/not paying attention, messing around and distracting other students and gradually falling behind in class.” When these students, especially at a young age, start to fall behind, confidence and motivation suffer.

“With a 1:28 teacher-student ratio, students often feel neglected and struggle to keep up with the class,” Myers said.

When teaching effectively, students will have some take away from the lesson and this is highly dependent on how the information is presented.

“If you just teach from the curriculum without implementing any type of unique activities, chances of students retaining the information are slim,” Myers said.

She’s used Play-doh to spell out words, counting with a song or dance, making it relatable by talking about Roblox and there’s been visible progress.

Instilling ways for students to give feedback as often as they take tests and having the schools communicate with students about ways that students love to learn seem more possible than many educators think, especially in middle and high school.

Benefits of going to a religious college are plentiful

By Isaiah Dickson Assistant Prespectives Editor The decision of which school to attend is one of the most important and difficult decisions in a young person’s life.

Being at a religious school can open doors to things students haven’t experienced before.

So many factors play a role in making the best choice: cost, location, programs and athletics. In the same way that all of those areas can be beneficial to a student’s college experience, the decision to attend a religious college can be beneficial, too.

For students looking for something different, a religious school offers unique qualities. Razler said that Cabrini gave her a new perspective on things that she hadn’t had before college.

as a better and more caring person.

“I think at the end of the day we have to remember that college and higher education is a business, you have to pay to come here. But how you’re treated here varies by different institutions,” Lopes said.

“I think the Catholic piece and how people are treated from the staff and faculty side translates to the students.”

Whether or not a student attended a Catholic or Christian high school, a religious college can be inviting to students.

At religious schools, students can be cared for more than their public counterparts.

Cabrini looked like a nice fit for student Katlylnn Razler, who grew up in a Catholic family and attended Catholic schools throughout her youth.

This helps to prepare them for challenges they may encounter post-college.

One of Cabrini’s own religion instructors, David Muruta, believes that one of the advantages of attending a Catholic school like Cabrini is that it prepares students for the future.

“My Catholic schools in general were very small,” Razler said. “My grade school I graduated with less than 20 kids and my high school was under 200. I just liked the small classroom feel and most of the schools that are like that are smaller private and Catholic colleges.”

“Whether the student becomes a doctor, a lawyer, a social worker, a teacher or in any other occupation, I believe that having discernment of their life makes that student stronger when faced with difficulties of life,” Murata said.

A religious school offers the freedom of being exposed to different worldviews that public institutions don’t always have, not just religious worldviews but views on hot topics seen in today’s society.

Guilherme Lopes, Director of Campus Ministry, sees religious schools as a safe space for dialogue.

“This provides a space where we can have conversation and dialogue on hot church issues about the LGBTQ community, about abortion, about the Democrats and Republicans and about Black Lives Matter,” Lopes said. “I think all of those things, you can have conversations like that on a campus that has some form of religious backing to it.”

Lopes believes there is a level of compassion that allows for these discussions and for learning. He says that a religious institution can spark healthy debates.

While a religious institution might not be on the radar of an incoming freshman, the benefits are plentiful.

Photo by Marion Callahan

“Coming here I did not want to take another Roman Catholic course because I did that for 12 years,” Razler said. “I wanted something new, so I’m taking world religions right now, so it’s exposing me to other kinds of religions.”

As a Catholic institution, Cabrini focuses on the education of the heart.

The hope is that each student will graduate and go into the world

“That level of dedication to excellence translates over to the classroom, to academics, to sports because the people who are here want to be here, we want the students to be here, and there’s a mutual interest in their success,” Lopes said.

Religious colleges have diverse levels of commitment to their students.

Students and instructors alike hope that this commitment to achievement spreads throughout a religious college campus.

Perspectives

THELOQUITUR.COM

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Overcoming a family loss and discovering my purpose

By Edward Martin Staff Writter I had no sense of direction. No sense of reality. No sense of purpose. I was simply, lost.

of middle school. I didn’t enjoy doing the things I used to once love.

Simple tasks started to feel like substantial burdens.

I lost my brother, Michael Ryan Finley on Nov. 22, 2011.

Finley was a three-sport athlete, attending Radnor High School in Radnor, PA. Finley received All-American honors in football and basketball. He was a two-year captain for the football and basketball team. Ryan’s leadership qualities shined a light on not only his teammates but his classmates as well.

It was the first time I had seen my dad cry. I still won’t forget the look on my mom’s face when she found out my brother, her son had passed away.

Photo by: Nick Ieradi

I was just entering middle school.

Being 11 years old, I could have not been more unprepared to face a tragedy of this degree.

Finley was a dual-threat quarterback that could lead the offense down the field with his arm or legs. He led the Raiders to their first seven-win season in program history. Finley’s legacy at Radnor is remembered every year as our family grants the “Ryan Finley Scholarship Award” to a senior who resembles leadership qualities while showcasing superb athletic abilities on the gridiron.

Eleven and a half years later, I can confidently say that I have found my sense of direction, reality and purpose.

Photo by Delco Times

Ryan was more than a brother to me. He was my role model. Growing up, I would emulate his every move. Moreover, his presence just inspired me at a young age.

In Mar. 2018, I invested in my first camera with aspirations to create sports highlights videos. I quit the lacrosse team senior year to mesh my filming and editing passions. I had edited on various social media platforms, including Vine and YouTube, since 2013.

It wasn’t until Christmas of 2011 that the loss of my brother hit me. I would always storm into his room early Christmas morning to wake him and my family up to open presents.

At first, filming in front of large crowds overwhelmed me. The one thing I would remind myself before I started recording was, “if I could overcome the loss of a family member, I can overcome anything.”

Months after Ryan’s death, my first friend of memory told me that I was using my brother’s loss as an excuse to seek out attention from others. I suppressed and blocked off my emotional state for the rest

“I not only want to live an enlightening life for myself but for him.”

Each day, I strive to live out the life that my brother was not able to live. I remind myself that everything I do is for him.

About four years later, I woke up with a sense of enlightenment. It was the first time since his death that I had woken up excited to get my day underway. This feeling was not a one-time occurrence, it continued. I finally start to internalize that maybe my grieving period had concluded.

After Thanksgiving break when I reunited with my classmates, my mind was in a fog. I didn’t tell anyone why I was absent for an additional week. During class, my mind would flood with memories as I started to reminisce his presence.

That year, things were just off. It wasn’t only the holidays that felt derailed, it manifested into a daily occurrence.

my vision and turn it into a professional career. Ryan not only has motivated me throughout my filmmaking career, but he has also driven me to become the best version of myself.

Filming high-school lacrosse that spring was one of the most fulfilling chapters of my life.

I believe that my brother helped spark my passion for filmmaking.

Maybe not sparked but guided me into believing that I can channel

Losing Luna: The emotional toll of losing a pet

By Siani Nunez Assistant Perspectives Editor On a cloudy Oct. day in 2017, I came home after school to find both my brother and my mom waiting for me in our living room. They would typically arrive at 5 p.m., so I was surprised to see them early.

I smiled and asked them what they were doing at home so early, but they were silent and seemed nervous. They pointed to a cardboard box right in front of me that I happened to miss, and there I saw cream and blonde fur and a small frame of an animal.

A tear fell down my eye. My mom got me a dog! “What?,” I shouted.

“This cannot be real.”

Once they pulled her out of the box, she started running around and going under our sofas and I bawled even more. I don’t know why I was crying; I guess I was just so surprised and happy.

My Luna, my light, my source of happiness died last month. It was not easy.

Luna had a lot of medical issues throughout her short life; when she came home to my family, she had fecal worms, ear infections and fleas. In the span of four years, she had gone through four surgeries, dozens of vet visits and medications. Just in the last year, she had two surgeries- one for her spine and another to remove bladder stones- separated only by a few months.

Luna was the most resilient dog I’ve ever seen- and probably ever.

She had so much pain but still, she would always be happy to see me, wagging her tail and accepting my baby talk and belly rubs.

She developed a herniated disc in Sept. 2020, where she became paralyzed in her left hind leg and needed emergency surgery to remove the spinal disc that was pinching her nerves and making her unable to walk. It would require an extensive recovery period and plenty of money, too. In total, my family spent $13,000 on that

veterinary visit.

run after squirrels and birds.

We knew there were no other options except to proceed with the surgery because she was so young and a member of our family.

Even though she exhausted her tiny legs running for over an hour, she never stopped being happy to see the vast world before her eyes. On those days, it felt like I was caring for a toddler, not a dog because her emotions were so eager and obvious.

The terrifying afterthought was that there was no other way we could do the surgery again if it happened a second time. That’s why we were so devastated when she began to develop the same symptoms again a few months ago.

It wasn’t the money that was the issuewe could pay it off over time with loans.

It was the fact that the more surgeries Photo by Siani Nunez she would undergo, the more likely the problem would develop again and the more her limbs would not function the same way before.

On Dec. 9, 2021, my mom and I took her to a veterinary hospital in Center City Philadelphia, where she died in the afternoon. We mourned and prayed over her because we knew we had to put her down. But I had to ultimately make the decision; it was the hardest day of my life.

I had never experienced grief before in such a grave and personal manner; we were a family. I had a connection like nothing I’ve ever felt before with my dog. We would stare at each other’s souls.

I dedicated so much of my time to her.

As a puppy, she was extremely hyperactive. She would nibble on my bare toes and sprint around my house when my brother would chase her with a toy.

In the spring and summertime, my family and I would take her to one of our favorite nature parks called Wissahickon Creek to explore the trails, rivers and beautiful nature around us. She was obsessed, so much so that she would tug and tug on her leash to

It still pains me so much to think about her absence. I think I lost a part of myself once I realized her fate. No one is going to understand what it means to lose Luna. She wasn’t just a dog. She was so much more than that. She touched the lives of all who knew her- truly.

We got her at eight weeks old and she died at four years old. I said to my mom, “A fire that sparks that bright doesn’t last as long.”

I think she was an angel sent to Earth to complete a mission in my life.

She protected me and brought me so much joy, laughter, support and distraction when my mental health was going south. She was such a fighter, a true survivor.

Once she helped me learn from her strength, loving kindness and resilience, I think she understood she did what she had to do and her time was up.

But was she sad?

No! Her excitement never ended. Her new chapter in life, heaven, would be a whole new adventure that she couldn’t wait to see.

Though I don’t have advice, this article opened my eyes to see the power in grief.

Photo by Siani Nunez

THELOQUITUR.COM Sports Cabrini student shares how a sport and a lacrosse coach inspired sobriety

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By Victoria Giordano Assistant News Editor River Harper anxiously shifted in his seat and grasped his hands as he reflected on his younger years.

The senior lacrosse player and biology major with a dream to become a doctor shared a struggle that he grappled with for many years. Harper explained how for a long time he felt a part of him was missing inside of him. So, when he turned to alcohol and drugs, he enjoyed them because they made him feel normal.

He was barely a teen when he became addicted.

“Addiction runs in my family, so I think I was genuinely born with that type of personality,” Harper said as he continued to clutch his hands. “I started drinking hard alcohol and smoking marijuana at ages 12, 13 respectively. By 15, I was abusing prescription medications and using cocaine.”

Harper said he had a normal childhood and grew up with a love for sports. Outside of sports, however, he had trouble fitting in. It was only in lacrosse where he felt most belonged.

Photo by Ryan Chybinski

At 15, Harper witnessed his very close friend struggle with severe medical issues and began spending most of his free time beside his friend, neglecting his own “self-care,” Harper said. “It was really, really emotional for me to go see him at the hospital day after day and try to support him without giving myself time to process.

That spiraled me into an emotional wreck. I knew in the back of my head I had that escape from the normal anxieties of life.”

To continue reading Harper’s story, scan here

He thought, since he was taking care of his friends, he was also taking care of himself by coping with drugs and alcohol.

SCANME

“Instead, it made everything much worse.”

At 16, he started getting into trouble with his parents and at school, particularly getting arrested for alcohol-and-drug-related usage shortly after getting his drivers’ license.

“It’s really hard to live an honest life when you’re stuck in addiction,” Harper said. Despite the consequences, his addiction was making it hard for him to stay out of trouble and in the clear. It was also causing more issues within his household.

“I had distanced myself from my family even more, which caused a lot of problems such as moving out of my house and not having a stable place to live.”

He was 17, a junior in high school, and it continued until he graduated.

Photo By Ryan Chybinski

“I always had social anxiety,” Harper said. “I would struggle with meeting and feeling comfortable around people and sports was a great outlet for that.”

In middle school, when the anxiety intensified, he turned to drugs and alcohol.

“I had figured that I could use a substance as an outlet like I did with sports. After that, the addiction increased and increased.”

“Not having a stable environment to live in or having a place to call ‘home’ was extremely difficult for me. I always considered myself a family person but I couldn’t stay sober long enough to move back in. This put a big rift in my life and caused a lot of internal and emotional problems, mostly because I was a loner.”

Harper’s voice began to shake as he explained how his family had to deal with his addiction.

“My dad understands why I kept making wrong decisions because he was sort of in my position.

He’s been sober for six years and has stuck with it.”

For his mother, however, it created a “huge divide.”

Cheerleading is an Olympic sport but at Cabrini, it’s a cheer club

By Victoria Emmitt Assistant News Editor Cheerleading is being recognized as a sport on an international level. As of 2021, the International Olympic Committee officially declared cheerleading a sport, and according to USA cheer, the International Cheer Union can now petition to be included in future Olympic Games. If cheerleading is an Olympic sport, then why does it remain a club at Cabrini?

The Cabrini cheer team is a group that boosts morale at sports games while bringing people together on campus to create a sense of community for students. However, they are more than just school spirit. Cheerleaders need to be able to handle the intense physical and emotional demand that comes with being a part of a cheer team.

“Cheerleading in my eyes has always been a sport especially because of all the risks we take when we stunt; that’s dangerous holding somebody and trying new skills and techniques,” Alexis Capria, head cheer captain, said.

“I know the physicality that goes into it, the mental aspects,” Ashlee Hofner, co-cheer captain, said. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten hurt on the mat during a competition and gone back in. I am not dying? Ok, go back in.”

Being categorized as a club rather than a sport comes with challenges for the team. They aren’t funded by the university. Their funding relies on the dues paid by each member at the start of the season. The money goes towards the club fees that are required by all clubs at Cabrini and what is left over goes toward the essential equipment needed for the team that year. Unlike the sports teams who receive funding from the university and do not have to rely on fundraising to afford the essential equipment needed.

is to be transported to urgent care or a hospital. This leads them to be responsible for the medical expenses.

“So many times I’ve fallen and hit the ground and it is scary to know that if I needed that medical assistance right then and there, I can’t get it from the trainer outside the gym,” Capria said.

Cabrini sports has an NCAA division III sports program and with that comes certain regulations that there needs to be an equal number of teams for women and men. Cheerleading at Cabrini has always been open to all genders and at one time even had men on the team. It is the team’s hope that if they can have a bigger turnout at future tryouts that can result in a more inclusive team and they can finally take the steps to transition from a club to a sport. “Maybe because cheer has not really been able to grow here that maybe they didn’t see a purpose in it, but I hope moving forward it can become a sport for girls and guys at a division III college,” Capria said.

Being recognized as a sport by Cabrini would open up more opportunities for the team to be able to compete in competitions and hold various workshops to grow and refine their skills and techniques.

Cheerleading tryouts will be held at the beginning of the fall semester and, as always, will be open to all genders.

“Although we aren’t a sports team now, you never know what could happen in the future and I would always encourage anyone if you think you can do it to come out and give it a try,” Bush said.

“It can be difficult for our needs to be met at times because we are not a top priority,” Kelly Bush, head cheer coach, said. “These girls come in with experience, dedication and do the work, and being known as a sport they are able to get that acknowledgment from the school that their work is appreciated.”

If the dues are not enough to cover what is needed for the team then the supplemental funding needs to come out of pocket or through fundraising. Usually, the team holds a bake sale or a school dance, but that has been put on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the effects of cheer being a club rather than a sport is not only about titles or funding but about safety concerns as well.

“We can’t use the trainer when girls get hurt; cheerleading is probably one of the most dangerous sports. We keep pushing until we really can’t because we don’t have the luxury to get help right away because we don’t have that trainer,” Hofner said. “God forbid something happens and I can’t even get ice for the girl, that’s frustrating.”

Cheerleading does not have access to the athletic trainer provided by the university. Whereas the sports teams at Cabrini have the trainer readily available during practices and games incase medical attention is needed. If a member of the cheer team needs immediate medical attention, the only option

Top row left to right: Alexis Capria, Nicole Bydalek, Jessica Dube. Bottom row left to right:is Ashlee Hofner, Jaylene Lopez, Natalie Wilson.

Photo provided

by Alexis Capria.