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TOWER/MARCH 10, 2023
Florida book bans: closer to home than you think
set in the 1830’s on a sugar plantation in Barbados, follows the journey of a young enslaved person named Wash. The book does not shy away from “banned” topics mpty shelves. Closed such as slavery and the violence that libraries. Confused occurred because of it, self-harm, teachers. Worried liand racism. “I got some pushback brarians. All of these are the effects last year,” Green said, “Not so of banning books. On March 8, much about the fact that the book 2022, the Florida Senate passed addresses slavery but because of the “Parental Rights in Education” the violence.” However, as she exbill which was signed into law by plained to her class before teaching Governor Ron DeSantis on March the book, the violence is necessary 28. The Parental Rights in Educato tell an accurate story of the time. tion Act, quickly dubbed the “Don’t In addition to reading and celSay Gay,’’ law stops children in ebrating these books, McCoy and kindergarten to third grade from the rest of the library staff being taught about sexual have put together a library orientation or gender idenpolicy to help make deciWe’re all citizens of the United states, tity. In older grades, these sions about what to put on topics must be delivered in and when state governments start attacking the our school’s shelves. “It an “age-appropriate” way, rights of their citizens to access information just helps clarify what the liand only “in accordance that they need, that’s concerning. brary’s priorities are,” Mcwith state standards.” Coy said. Part of that policy This act sparked confualso included a materials sion, anger, and protests - Jillian McCoy reconsideration policy, Mcalmost instantly as books Coy explained. If someone were taken off of shelves “and when state governments start were to challenge a book, the policy and the LGBTQ+ communiattacking the rights of their citwould enable the library to considty suddenly had no place to read izens to access information that er that person’s perspective why or learn about people like them. they need, that’s concerning.” they felt that the material should The piece of legislation, along One way of pushing back be removed from library shelves. with many others, has contributed against book bannings is to learn While this portion of the policy to the problem of banned books. about them, gain information, and has not been put into action yet, it is Images of classrooms with bare even read them. This year, Green’s important to highlight the tools that shelves circulated the internet. ninth grade English class is reading Masters has put in place to keep our Teachers taught “on eggshells” the novel “Washington Black”, by resources open and our shelves full. said Jonathan Friedman, PEN America’s director of Free Ex- Esi Edugyan. “Washington Black”,
AYALAH SPRATT Contributing Writer
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pression and Education programs. Lisa Green, an English teacher and director of the Writing Center at Masters shared her opinion on the book bannings. “I think it’s terrifying,” she said, “The purported reason for this is to protect kids. But what is really going on as it is, is people sort of jockeying for political power, and I think kids are being used.” While Masters is a school that doesn’t experience book bannings, we are still affected, according to Masters librarian Jillian McCoy.“We’re all citizens of the United States,” McCoy said,
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ROOKE WISER//TOWER
NATALIIA KULIESHOVA AND DAYAN Battulga present their winning Masters Innovation Challenge project, in which they created an app called Signisa. Runners-up were Alice Fuller and Rebbeca Troy in second place, and AJ Bagaria and Bobby Callagy in third place.
IEC launches Masters Innovation Challenge for student start-ups ROOKE WISER Accountability and Media Advancement Manager
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LYDIA ETTINGER//TOWER
THE MASTERS SCHOOL LIBRARY has not been affected by the widespread book bans, and continues to proudly display literature that would be considered “banned” in other states. In Florida, teachers must endure constant pushback against the literature they choose to share with students.
he Masters Innovation Challenge, organized by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC), is a project in which students are able to create innovations and start-ups they want to develop. According to IEC Director, John Chiodo, the focus is on identifying consequential problems and developing solutions for them, rather than solely on the product. “We look for students to uncover a consequential problem that needs solving. It's really [more] about
the problem and developing a solution for it than it is about the product that they come up with.” In the initial stage, 14 Upper School student teams submitted their proposals, and the results were announced in January, with five teams as finalists. The final pitch session took place on Thursday, Feb. 16, where a panel of judges, including school administrators and different entrepreneurs, evaluated the teams' presentations. “One of the people there was a venture capitalist. One of the other people there, I believe, is in Real Estate Investment and Development. Another one has owned a number of companies but currently owns a green energy
company,” Chiodo said. During the finalist pitch session, the students had to answer questions about their products, finances, and long-term plans on the spot. The winners of the competition were seniors Nataliia Kulieshove and Dayan Battulga, who created an app called Signisa that uses A.I. and machine-learning technology to teach people sign language. Sophomores Alice Fuller and Rebecca Troy came second with Nu Plastics, a biodegradable plastic, and third place was awarded to AJ Bagaria ‘25 and Bobby Callagy ‘24 for their alert system that prevents truck drivers from falling asleep at the wheel and causing accidents.
Chinese spy balloon causes the U.S to enhance air patrol
strengthen defenses against Chinese espionage. In fact, further in-depth investigation revealed that similar Features Lead Editor cases had happened multiple times during the Trump administration but jet flew by a suspected the government failed to detect them. Chinese spy balloon as Senior Aidan Meltzer, a student it floated off the coast in in the International Relations class, Surfside Beach, South Carolina, in the said, “It’s an interesting situation and U.S. on Jan. 28. After it flew I think that it kind of shows the over residential areas, Presiareas in which the US governdent Biden ordered the Pentament has let down its guard. The conflicts between China and the gon to take down the surveilThey are focusing more on lance balloon. There has been United States globally, but especially in the far higher altitudes instead controversy regarding why the South China Sea and Asia, have been escalating of lower to Earth altitudes. Biden administration waited So the spy balloon exposes for quite a while. This is certainly not going to do for almost a week to shoot some of the faults within the down the balloon. The De- anything to lower the temperature.” US Defense Department, but fense Department, after evalit also becomes a learning uating the threat of the bal- David Schultz, Hamline Law Professor opportunity as well. This also loon, concluded, “we should offers an opportunity to try to not shoot it down over land, figure out more things on an it was not a serious threat.” in the South China Sea and Asia, have international relations scale as the US This “spy” balloon has further been escalating for quite a while. This and China continue to solve this probstrained Sino-U.S. relations as Presis certainly not going to do anything lem and communicate with each other ident Joe Biden said to the public to lower the temperature. In fact it's both economically and politically.” that America will not back off. Chigoing to make it an even more difficult Although the balloon is conna’s vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng, complex situation going forward.” sidered as a “spy” balloon, Chinese in response, claimed that the U.S. After this incident, both Canada officials deny the fact that the balloon has overreacted and that the balloon and the U.S. became more vigilant in is used to gather intelligence from would not harm any U.S. citizens. detecting unidentified flying objects. other countries and demanded the This incident directly affects the reSo far, the National Security Council debris to be returned once collectlationship between the two most has not discovered any real threats the ed. They state that the balloon went powerful countries in the world. balloon would cause to civilians on the in the wrong direction and was out of Zhu Feng, the Director of the ground. However, it does intercept control, so it “accidentally,” instead School of International Studies at the transcontinental air traffic and may of “intentionally,” flew over the U.S. Nanjing University, said, “The greatcause severe danger to civilian planes. territory. Further investigation is er the polarization of US politics and ALYSSA WANG//TOWER Biden, on Feb. 6, ordered an inter- still needed to deduce the true purUS society as a whole, the more poliNEWS OF THE CHINESE “spy balloon” have swept media outlets across the country. In an already ticians will attempt to use the ‘China agency team to investigate the real pose behind the surveillance balloon. tense era of Sino-U.S. relations, many analysts have expressed concern about the future of these two threat’ theory as a rallying point. This purpose of the flying balloon and to geopolitical actors, given the rise in anti-Chinese extremism in the United States. MARIANNA GU
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trend has been the main driver behind the growing tensions between Beijing and Washington and will continue to pose the greatest threat to US-China relations in coming years.” Hamline Law Professor David Schultz commented on a different note, “The conflicts between China and the United States globally, but especially
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