The Pioneer Press December 20, 2022

News Editor

Alyssa O’sada

Feature Editor

Husayn Hamoud

Opinion Editor

Zain Zindani

Sports Editor

Carter Peet

Ad Editor

Angela Chehade

Photo Editor

Mohammed Alali

Website Editor

Hussein Baiz

Staff Writers

Wilson Inyang

Manar Alsarraf

Marissa Kenrick

Hadi Alaouie

Mariam Baiz

Nathan Watson

Semih Yasarlar

CRACK DOWN.

Dearborn Police and DHS administration crack down on underage vaping in schools and community

Aidan Oakley

Editor-in-chief

Vape use in our country has risen extremely in the past decade. According to NBC News, 14.1% of high schoolers and 3.3% of middle schoolers regularly vape. The vibrant, flavorful nicotine products have seemingly replaced cigarettes as the new trend for smoking, and are even making their way into the hands of youth. DHS School resource officer Chad Hanson spoke on how the epidemic within the schools is making simple school routines difficult for students.

“It’s a nuisance for people that are trying to use the bathroom to just go in there and do what they have to do and leave,” Hanson said. “They shouldn’t be subject to going in there and having three, four, five, six kids in there smoking and causing problems for people that are just trying to use the bathroom.”

As many worried parents have voiced concerns, Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin and the Dearborn Police Department have created a plan to crack down on the use of vapes in Dearborn Public Schools. Students previously caught vaping on campus received a suspension, a fine, and a vaping education class. Even with this penalty, Shahin believed that more was needed to prevent vape use in the schools.

“You can’t keep on doing the same thing and expecting different results. So that’s why I thought we needed a different approach,” Shahin said.

A different approach was made. With help from social service organizations such as ACCESS and LAHC, as well as the neighboring courts, Dearborn Police was able to successfully integrate community service into part of the ticket given to students. This aspect of the ticket will require students to complete 16 hours of community service which could involve many different jobs around the city.

“My hope is that community service, instead of just your parents

paying a ticket and being able to go about your business, the idea that you might have to work in a soup kitchen, pick up trash on the side of the road, and sit through education will help reduce the problem,” Shahin said. “I’m doing my very best to try to think of different ways to address the issue.”

Dearborn High Principal Zeina Jebril has seen the effects of vaping first-hand and is upset with the lack of understanding the students possess about the dangers of smoking. Jebril said she appreciates all the effort that the Dearborn Police has made while cooperating with the schools.

“We’re kind of like working hand-in-hand, we’re like, you know, really true partners,” Jebril said. “I appreciate the police department because they really help us out and I think a lot of parents have gone to the chief and that’s why he’s stepped up and said he wants to work with the schools.”

The Dearborn Police are extending their enforcement outside the walls in which learning takes place, tackling the issue at its source through the businesses carrying smoke products on retail. Shahin plans to detect businesses not enforcing the law of prohibiting underage smoke sales through tests on sending underage youth into the stores

to attempt a purchase. Pursuing the matter further, Shahin also wants to target the middle men that place these harmful products in students’ hands more easily.

“I am not just going into gas stations,” Shahin said. “If there’s young people or young adults that are trying to sell these devices online, I’m going to also look at as an opportunity to try to stop it as well. I acknowledge that these vapes are getting in kids hands in a whole host of ways. It’s not kids just walking into gas stations and buying them. I understand that.”

There is no flawless way to stop vaping - at least in the near future. With so many kids participating and so little information about how students get them, vaping as a whole is a problem hard to suppress. Through the opinions and beliefs that stir up after such a big decision, Shahin stated he wants to make one thing very clear to the community.

“I am not criminalizing kids,” Shahin said. “I don’t want young adults that have their whole future ahead of them have to deal with a citation or a ticket or anything on their record. But what I want to do is take advantage of that opportunity to educate kids on all the dangers surrounding smoking.”

Vape brands such as Breeze (featured above) are popular with the youth due to their different flavors.

Democrats Sweep Dearborn

Dearborn votes more blue in the recent midterm elections

Hadeel Antar Editor-in-chief

On Nov. 8, 2022, Michigan’s midterm elections were held with the exception of absentee voters. Reported unofficially by the Dearborn City Clerk, 64.59% (11,547) of Dearborn voters voted democratically, while 33.44% of Dearborn (5,978) voters voted conservatively, leading to a win for Democrat Gretchen Whitmer for governor, Democratic Jocelyn Benson for secretary of state, Democrat Dana Nessel for attorney General and other officials. Within these elections, Proposals one, two and three all passed on a state-wide level.

With her new 4-year-term, Whitmer aims to embrace a woman’s right to abortion, improve roads and education, create debt free college, repeal the “retirement” tax, and much more. DHS government teacher Eftikhar Saleh-Hernandez states the newly unified state government is the perfect opportunity for Whitmer to display remarkable ratifications.

“This is the first time in almost 40 years where Michigan has a united government and if Gretchen Whitmer is going to pass notable legislation this is going to be the time,” SalehHernandez said. “I think it would be a good test on the democratic party to see what they deliver and how they deliver.”

Former DHS History teacher and recently elected House of Representatives official for the 26th District of Michigan Dylan Wegela said that, as a Democrat, he believes that his party now more than ever is able to make a difference.

“Well obviously I’m a Democrat so I think that there’s an opportunity for the first time in four years that Democrats have had power to actually do things that help people and not big business. For me that’s like repealing ‘right to work’,” Wegela said. “I’m hopeful but cautiously optimistic is the way I’ll put it because while I think we can do a lot of really good things for people. I also don’t have a lot of faith in the system, which is why I’m running and I’d like to see it happen first. By all means we should be able to get some things done.”

Wegela’s last day of teaching at DHS was Dec. 2, 2022 in order for him to smoothly transition into his new House of Representatives position for the 26th District in Michigan. With the new midterm election results, Wegela states his goals haven’t changed despite him being less extreme than the rest of the Democratic party.

“I think my goals are kind of the same. I think we’re gonna get more things passed but I would say I’m more of a progressive than a lot of people in my party,” Wegela said. “I think I’m still

going to have an uphill battle because I’m going to have to convince more moderate Democrats to support things like universal healthcare and taking real action on the environment and giving people livable wages.”

With Michigan, and Dearborn specifically, voting Democratic, Saleh-Hernandez said that the recent midterm election allowed for higher attention towards politics, which is a genuine positive for our community.

“If anything [the midterm election] made people more politically active and aware,” SalehHernandez said. “You’re going to see a lot more people involved in politics, a lot more people who care about the ongoing politics, which I think is an overall win.”

Wegela also mentioned that he thinks the Democrats flourished due to reproductive rights being considered on the ballot, specifically through Proposal 3.

“I think a big reason why Democrats did so well in Michigan is because of Proposal 3 which relates to reproductive freedom rights,” Wegela said. “I think that drove a lot of people out to vote that wouldn’t normally vote because people wanted to protect the right to choice.”

With the Republican party winning the majority of the House of Representatives, SalehHernandez claims that the slim win took her by surprise.

“I’m not surprised in that we’ve predicted that the senate was going to maintain democratic control and that the house was going to be controlled by a Republican majority,” SalehHernandez said. “However, what did surprise me is the narrow margin of victory Republicans had over the house. They did take back the house, but it’s a very narrow margin of how many there are in comparison to what we expected.”

Additionally, Wegela states that he believes

Restoring Roe in Michigan

Angela Chehade Ad Editor

On Nov. 9, 2022, more than two million people approved Michigan’s Proposal 3 in order to amend the state constitution to protect reproductive rights. The Reproductive Freedom for All bill covers new individual rights to reproductive freedoms, including but not limited to abortion, contraception, childbirth, postpartum care, and miscarriage management. It aims to protect these rights while offering a reliable, safe manner to carry out these procedures.

Although the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative passed, many conservative and religious groups are still demanding a recount on Proposal 3. They strive to have abortion banned, however, banning abortions would not stop people from continuing to carry them out. If anything, it makes the mother more susceptible to danger. Therefore, it is essential to create an environment where people are able to access safe clinics to carry them out.

The victory of this proposal is not only important for women but it’s also important to victims of sexual assault in all forms, who have gotten pregnant as a result of their situation. They’re able to take control of their own body as well as make decisions best for themselves considering what they’ve been through.

According to Michigan’s constitution, Act 328 of 1931, abortion is a felony that is punishable by up to 4 years in jail in all situations except to save those in which the mother’s life is in danger. This includes attempting to have an abortion and taking drugs to induce the termination of a fetus. The case

Roe v. Wade was brought before the US Supreme Court in 1973, and it decided that since women’s reproductive health is a private matter, it is protected by the 14th Amendment. Since abortion deals with women and their bodily autonomy, making it illegal would be unconstitutional.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court in the summer of 2022, state governments were given control over reproductive rights rather than the federal government. This would have meant that Act 328 in Michigan might have been reinstated, but a bill initiative was put in place so that the people of Michigan could decide whether to keep these rights protected or not. Before Act 328 was going to be reinstated, Planned Parenthood and Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer filed a lawsuit which resulted in blocking the reinstatement of Act 328, along with Michigan Court of Claims Judge Elizabeth Gleicher ruling Act 328 being unconstitutional on Sept. 7, 2022.

Many religious groups pushed to vote “no” on this proposal because of the many misconceptions surrounding the bill, however, many of these misconceptions have been debunked by the Reproductive Freedom organization. Under the bill, there is still a similar ruling to carry out reproductive procedures as under Roe v. Wade. So yes, a minor looking to perform any procedure would need parental consent as well as anyone looking to abort a fetus must do so before the fetus is presumed viable.

I recognize many argue this law should not be put in place due to it not aligning with their

religious beliefs. However, there are religions in which reproductive procedures, such as abortion, is not recommended but is allowed under certain circumstances which are not listed under Act 328. A vote for “no’’ on Proposal 3 would’ve most likely been influenced by religious views. If Proposal 3 did not pass, we would have a law based on religion which is unconstitutional under the first amendment. The Establishment clause states that the federal government cannot establish a nationwide religion which goes hand in hand with the Free Exercise clause which states that everyone has the right to express their religion. At the end of the day, it’s your body, your choice.

People not only in Michigan, but nationwide were scared of the overturning of Roe v. Wade because of the drastic effect it would’ve left on the affected community. It is important that the people of Michigan chose to pass this initiative despite many disagreeing because it now protects the people’s right to privacy and bodily autonomy. As a woman in Michigan, I’m relieved that proposal 3 was passed because it would’ve led me and many others to feel constant paranoia and anxiety over the possibility of a traumatizing event occurring and me having no control over it.

Any additional information/resources can be found on the Michigan Reproductive Freedom website or places such as Planned Parenthood.

Photo Credit: Husayn Hamoud

Pioneer Time Assembly Required

Dearborn High School’ s program Pioneer Time encounters complications

Zain Zindani OpinionEditor

Dearborn High School’s administration implemented a program called, “Pioneer Time” again this year to provide students with time outside of classes to help them catch up on classwork. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, classes were reduced by about five minutes in order for Pioneer Time to occur.

However, the introduction of Pioneer Time has presented numerous problems, all of which have made the program an annoyance for students and teachers alike. Along with this is the question of whether or not implementing Pioneer Time is valuable to students.

I experienced problems that ruined the whole Pioneer Time experience in both years it was carried out. One issue I had was the session I wanted to attend was unavailable. During the middle of my third hour Arabic class, we were instructed to go on iLearn and sign up for a Pioneer Time lesson. I saw this as an excellent opportunity to go work out since I couldn’t get a ride to the gym those days, plus I was all caught up on my work for all my classes.

Unfortunately, I was a minute too late to the signup process due to the poor wifi connection. Every third hour class at the time was instructed to go sign up for a session. To put that into perspective, students all over the school were using wifi/cellular data.

It’s pretty easy to see why that would be a problem, not only would that slow down the signup process across the whole school, but I couldn’t even register for the weightlifting session since all of the spots had been secured by other students. There was no real point in me going to a session in the first place if I couldn’t work out because all my work and tests were caught up.

Not getting the session I wanted would make Pioneer Time worthless to me. Luckily, the Leadership Coalition is working on solutions.

Student Results

DHS Literacy Coordinator

Laurie Lintner shared what the Leadership Coalition is and why they made Pioneer Time.

“Our Pioneer Time for years now has been designed by Leadership Coalition, which is a group of about 40 teachers that represent all of the content areas and courses. Those teachers meet once a month to talk about issues in the school and come up with solutions,” Lintner said. “So we designed Pioneer Time as a way of giving them time in class or during school hours to do that work.”

Pioneer Time sounded good in theory, although it encountered many issues, most of which made the experience a pain in the back for most people. To try and pinpoint these problems, Linter said a survey was made. students and staff both agreed in a survey they conducted that Pioneer Time needs to be longer but fewer days and that students need more opportunities.

“More than 70 percent of students found there to benefit in Pioneer Time, but the majority of students said longer and one day a week would be more beneficial to them. That echoed what the staff said,” Lintner said. “Another option is trying to give more opportunities so that students don’t feel torn if they need help in two classes.”

Pioneer Time was not just made as a way

Teacher Results

to assist students with the work that they don’t have time for, but also to teach students how to find the help they need independently. When nearing finals week, I started to gain much more homework. In any situation that inncludes mass amount of schoolwork would prove Pioneer Time viable. However, not all students would utilize Pioneer Time to do their homework, but rather to meet with their friends. Lintner said preparing kids to make the proper decisions for themselves is the main obstacle.

“It’s easy to have teachers decide where students need support. What’s hard is trusting students to make the right choices, to get to the right location, and to use their time wisely,” Lintner said. “So the biggest barrier seems to be helping students be ready to make the right decisions for themselves, and that takes time to learn and staff support.”

Pioneer Time could eventually become something integral to our schedule, considering the amount of positive feedback. However, I fear for the program’s future. There’s a chance that Pioneer Time will be enforcedW more than it should be. It could be used to add more work to student’s already filled schedule, AKA, more stress to students. Students may try to fight eachother or smoke, the possibilities are endless.

But until the Leadership Coalition polishes it, both students and staff will have to deal with the problems that come with it. All we got to do is hang in there, and hope Pioneer Time will become a great addition to DHS.

Reputation Degradation

Mohamad Rammal Staff Writer

I’ve always been told to mind my business, no matter how valuable my input could be. Following that advice as a precedent, I shunned my proactive side as I didn’t want to endanger myself or anyone else if it meant a probability of escalating said business existed.

Nevertheless, it’s become apparent that some people find amusement in engaging in affairs they shouldn’t concern themselves with without possessing prior knowledge of the consequences, potentially harming their community. As an immigrant, I view myself as an outlier in this environment entirely foreign to me. As such, it is only valid to give the perspective of one, and as I am mutually a student, my concerns are to be voiced in that regard as well.

Video recordings are the primary catalysts for said harm. Publicizing the actions of others without their appropriate permission is a sign of stupidity and foolishness which will only be reflected in the community in its entirety. I can respect the entertainment factor it may bring. Still, it becomes a severe issue when it involves dehumanizing people or posting offensive content without taking notice of their mental being. Education is important. College is essential. A career is indispensable. How does it feel to have someone negate all of that? My future, our future, is practically enslaved to these people. Why should we be penalized because of the sloppiness of others?

Student-made accounts often yield the most damage in that aspect. Just not long ago, an Instagram account going by the name “DHS Randos” was compromised after it posted a series of images of arbitrarily selected individuals to mock them. A motive such as this is absurdly childish and would not be perceived lightly by the public eye. Suppose the relationships between classmates appear as this severed. In that case, it is only plausible that the community would be recognized for lunacy.

(Statistic Title) 97%...

Furthermore, posting these videos would only advertise and reveal someone’s distinct, closeted persona, destroying their public image. More recently, high school football player Marcus Stokes had his scholarship to the University of Florida withdrawn after a video of him rapping racial slurs surfaced. That alone speaks of social media’s foothold in exposing and revoking the accomplishments of victims of these videos.

In addition, stereotypes that may be harmful to specific ethnic groups are promoted during such occasions. In regards to the student body present in the Dearborn Public School District, recordings intended to glorify these fights may be interpreted negatively, especially from the lens of prejudiced or narrowminded individuals. Dearborn is home to a large

Arab-American community whose members are found in significant numbers in the school district. If a redundant sum displays provocative behavior, then it will fall upon the rest to carry the burden of being criticized and denied by college institutions following public disapproval.

I’d like to refer to an incident during a boys’ basketball game between Fowlerville High School and Haslett High School. If you are not familiar with what transpired at the time, FHS fans began performing taunts that were racist, in essence, towards the Black HHS players. This inappropriate behavior is a show of indecency that can be attributed to poor sportsmanship and morals. For something like this to become public knowledge, it would bring great shame to the school’s reputation and set a negative precedent for the individual graduating from said school.

Bearing this in mind, delinquency could be exploited as a form of propaganda to affirm the notion that all students misbehave and to encourage bigotry against them. The issue of recording videos may not fall under the jurisdiction of the school itself. Still, it’s up to the students to take responsibility and alleviate themselves of any consequences by erasing the videos in rapid succession and preventing any potential outbreak of new videos by refraining from recording in the first place.

Photo Credit: Husayn Hamoud

Photo: Alyssa O’sada

DHS students gather around to watch a fight that was posted on social media.

DHS

Wegela Wins

Dearborn High School history teacher Dylan Wegela packed up and quit being a teacher here on Dec. 2, 2022, but not for the reason you’d think. He left to become a part of something larger than what most will achieve.

As of this year, Wegela has been on a self-managed campaign run to become Michigan’s District 26’s state representative for the Democrat party. The 26th District includes the cities of Garden City, Inkster, and Romulus areas. Wegela ended up winning the election with a 43.3% voter turnout (3,582 votes) in the primary election and then a 67.8% turnout (20,470 votes) in the general election against James Townsend. After his departure from DHS, he will then officially become a member of Michigan’s House of Representatives.

Before entering Dearborn Public Schools, Wegela first taught at schools in South Korea but moved after half a year to teach in schools in Arizona. It was there that he fought for teachers’

rights helping set up a teacher strike with over 40,000 teachers. He became the teacher union president at the Cartwright Education Association in the Cartwright Elementary School District #83 and served two years in that role. He said it was the spark that lead him to the position he was recently appointed to and will serve.

Wegela said that promoting his own campaign was challenging but worth it.

“I knocked on over 10,000 doors. So to put that in perspective, I average I think like 16 doors an hour. I spent over 625 hours knocking doors which is over two 186 full 24-hour days,” Wegela said. “So I think it was something like I knocked doors for like, almost 15 or 16% of the time that I was awake.”

He always wants to make sure that he maintains a healthy and supportive relationship with his students and community in general, putting the students first and representing that with what he stands for. He said that he wished others would do the same in taking these measures of student safety and acceptance.

“You know, to me it’s it’s frustrating the way that we have basically catered to what I would call people who are homophobic,” Wegela said. “I don’t think kids learning about stuff makes them do it right like for example when I was a kid I played Grand Theft Auto you’re playing a game I

Hamoud Feature Editor Mariam Baiz Staff Writer

don’t go around hijacking cars and killing people.

Wegela was also a part of fighting the fight against banned books and attended both of the Dearborn Public Schools board meetings concerning the matter., even speaking at the second one. He argued that the book-banning issue was not about the books in the first place.

“The book banning wasn’t about sexually explicit books or adult content. It really felt like the book banning was just about the fact that some of the content in the books was about LGBTQ+ students or people in general,” Wegela said. “So were all the signs– they were homophobic signs and that didn’t feel right. I figured in my head if I had any students in my class that saw that, and it was viral, essentially, especially for our community, they probably felt scared, ostracized, alienated, or excluded.”

DHS U.S. History teacher Jared Maynard, a good friend, and colleague of Wegela said that his election only means one thing for DHS.

“Dearborn High is losing an incredible teacher. Overall, Michigan is getting a politician that I know will do everything he can to help the people in Dearborn and Michiganders,” Maynard said.

DHS Sophomore and former student of Wegela, Zakaria Eleyan, said that Wegela has made an impact on him.

“Learning from Mr. Wegela is a great experience. He is an amazing teacher and empathizes with his students. He teaches everything very well and helps you when you need it. He tries to make class interesting and productive, which he tends to do so. Overall, I was very lucky to be one of Mr. Wegela’s students,” Eleyan said. “I believe Mr. Wegela would be an amazing politician due to his amazing

advocacy and kind manner. He speaks his truth and advocates for what he, and other members of our community who are unable to advocate themselves, believes what is right.”

Wegela plans to go into the job with the same attitude he has been carrying; concentrating on the people and building a stronger community with those around him.

“I want to make sure that first number one that we respond to people who come to the office,” Wegela said.

DHS history and algebra teacher Steven Holt. and colleague of wegela said that he has always held respect for Wegela. “I worked closely with Mr. Wegela last year, and our classes were next door to each other, so I got to know him relatively well, Holt said. “I supported his decision to run for a political office. I even voted for him because I live in his district. He is passionate about issues that affect education, so I believe it will be a good thing to have an educator’s voice in Lansing.”

Holt also mentioned that DHS would be losing a great educator in Wegela’s win.

He was not given the government class to teach, which was a missed opportunity for our students to learn from someone with his experience.

Once he gets into office, he aims to work on canceling school debt for schools affected by the 2008 recession and wants to reform lobbyist-politician relations along with general developments in improving worker rights, healthcare, environmental policies, etc. His inauguration will be held on Dec. 27,

Lansing,

Husayn

I don't think it's completely hit me. I just need a break

- Dylan Wegela.

Dylan Wegela (D) James Townsend (R) 67.8% 32.2%

History Teacher Dylan Wegela Becomes A Michigan State Representative following the 2022 midterm election.

2022 In

Michigan.

Photo: Dylan Wegela

Infographic: Husayn Hamoud

Dylan Wegela in hus classroom teaching his class at his podium.

Dylan Wegela posing for a portrait.

Without Permission, Without Punishment.

The effects of the student-made DHS Instagram account @dhs_randos

Husayn Hamoud Feature Editor Nathan Watson Staff Writer

Schools are meant to be safe places for students to come and get educated, socialize, or even just simply share a hot meal but recently, the dhs_randos Instagram account put our school’s safety at risk. Situations like these are what led to unfortunate statistics such as 20% of teens reporting having suicidal thoughts, 9% actually attempting (uclahealth), 22% reporting to have been bullied (pacer), and 35 U.S school shootings in 2022 alone (educationweek).

The dhs_randos Instagram account featured pictures of students around the school with offensive comments meant to harass the individual. The owner of the account has not been held accountable or even found but the account was terminated in Oct. 2022 following reports to the site. Although this may seem like good news, victims of the harassment show that the damage has already been done.

DHS social work intern Kathleen Olrich said that the account may have damaged the sense of safety and community DHS has.

“We have had some students who did complain about the page because they were upset so I think that it’s impacting them in privacy, as well as feeling targeted and they are just feeling sort of violated,” Olrich said. “I think that just because they don’t know why they’re being posted, it kind of makes them feel like there’s maybe something behind it. They don’t know who’s looking at it, think it contributes that it’s on a public platform, where they know that people are seeing it, they don’t know who’s seen it.”

To many, the posts felt as if they violated the bare minimum expectation of privacy: to go to school without being harassed. DHS Sophomore Abbas Bazzi who was previously posted on @dhs_randos said that he felt as if the account focused on ableism, sexism, and sexualism.

“I’m happy about the account being banned. A lot of the people being posted on the account were clearly being targeted for their sexuality, gender identities, etc,” Bazzi said. “I reported the account for the last time

when they posted a video making fun of a student’s limp.”

Although the intentions of the account are unknown, this type of harassment targeted toward LGBT students or those with health conditions is more common. According to 2021 data from Perkins law, 90% of middle and high schoolers apart of the LGBT+ community reported having been bullied. 2007 data from The Guardian shows that 80% of students with health impairments reported having been harassed about their disability or impairment.

Current DHS school psychologist and member of the district for five years, Jennifer Darwich, mentioned that preventing future instances of bullying comes down to revealing its impact. Darwich said that mental health is an important aspect of everyone’s lives; it’s something that should not be overlooked.

“It comes down to teaching students what the effect of their actions had on staff and students. Students should be taught what mental health is,” Darwich said. “Just to give a little background on mental health. Mental Health is the foundation for one’s emotion, thinking, communication, learning, hope, self-esteem, and resilience. It is also the key to one’s personal and emotional well-being. Once any of these areas are disturbed it takes a lasting effect on the person.”

Darwich also mentioned that one’s mental health may be more vulnerable than others. “Imagine the feeling when a person struggles to read, then is called on in front of the class to read aloud. Imagine all the emotions that happen in that moment, your heart races, some student will lash out, some students won’t show up to school to avoid being asked to read, Darwich said. “People won’t understand this feeling because they can read, however when there is that understanding of what and how your actions can affect others, that’s when learning and understanding can happen.”

Although punishment for harassment outside of school might seem like a violation of free speech, the U.S. Supreme Court case Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. began in 2021 andWW gave a ruling setting the boundaries for free speech. When Brandi Levy, a student of Mahanoy Area High School in Pennsylvania, didn’t make the cut for her schools Junior Varisty team, she posted on Snapchat a steroid of F-Bombs directed towards the school and the cheer team leading to her

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Levy in an 8-1 vote but also stated that punishments may be issued if said free speech is considered harassment, bullying, or cheating.

DHS assistant principal Kelly Dear said that social media is extremely problematic and a sensitive topic in schools.

“The existence of Instagram, created a very uncomfortable situation for many of our students. Feeling their privacy was being intruded on, and that their photos were at times embarrassing. The students repeatedly reported this feeling of discomfort knowing this was occurring.”

Dear also shed light on the steps DHS is taking to prosecute the owner(s) of the account.

“Those responsible should of course have a consequence for the action, however, that must go hand in hand with an educational component, maaking them aware of the actual effect of these actions, and the continuing growth of disrespect toward others for their own entertainment, Dear said. “Our actions are much the same as any private individual, we have repeatedly reported these incidents to instagram, and await there response. In the interim, we investigate each report by seeking out the individuals who actually took or posted each picture.”

As of now, the owner(s) of the accounts are still not known. The school will continue to try and uncover the identity and proceed with their punishments according to their policy on bullying.

Dear said that the best precuation for future instances of bullying at DHS is to shed light on bullying and discrimination as a whole.

“Prevention is in education. Working with individuals and groups to deter this action and building a common respect among our students.”

Mock Photo of student asking dhs_randos to take down one of their posts.

Photo: Husayn Hamoud

A lot of the people being posted on the account were clearly being targeted for their sexuality, gender identities, etc,

Infographic: Husayn Hamoud

Top 5 Albums of 2022

Hadi Alaouie Staff Writer

The Weeknd, Abel Tesfaye, released his biggest album, “Dawn FM”, on Jan. 7, 2022. Dawn FM hit number one on the Billboard top album chart in 10 different countries. The album also broke the record for the biggest vinyl week in the U.S. for an R&B album with 34,000 types of vinyl being sold.

Kendrick Lamar released his album titled “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers” on May 13, 2022. The album was the first hip-hop album to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify. The album was awarded best rap album and album of the year. It debuted at number one on Billboard 200 in the first week released. The album also went platinum after selling 1 million units in the U.S.

One week later, Harry Styles released his biggest album, “Harry’s House”, on May 20, 2022. The song “As it Was” was what made the album shine. The album was awarded best pop vocal album of the year. The song was listed as number one on TikTok and started popular trends on the app. It was also the most-played song in the U.S. for 15 weeks straight.

Beyoncé released her album “Renaissance” on July 29, 2022. The album immediately flew up to the number-one album on Apple Music in over 100 countries. Renaissance was awarded album of the year and song of the year. The album also received 179 million streams on Spotify in the first week which was the most Beyonce has ever received in her career. Renaissance sold 190,000 albums making it the fourth most significant sales week album in 2022.

Toward the end of the year, Taylor Swift released the album “Midnights” on Oct. 21, 2022. The album broke multiple records in its first two weeks of being out. The album was at the top of the Billboard for three weeks and became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams in one day.

With the hundreds of albums that have been released in 2022, only a few albums were good enough to prevail in the top five.

meet the winter Captains

Wilson Inyang Staff Writer

Fatima Kabbani, Junior Girls’ Basketball

“It is a big leap from where I was last year, I was one of the babies on the team last year, so getting to this position it takes a lot of responsibility, and I feel like it is good for me, because I do feel like I have some leadership role.”

Katya Salame, Junior Girls’ Basketball

“Basketball is an escape from life stress and a way to have a good time and get some excitement. I work well with others, I have an understanding of the game, and I’ve been on the team since freshman year.”

Billal Ilayan, Junior Wrestling

“Being named captain of the team means that I have to take the other players under my wing, I have to show them the way. The culture I’m trying to build for the team is mostly just gonna be brotherhood. Having a team of wrestlers going out on meets together, practicing together, at this point were like a family.”

Mohamed Hossein, Senior Wrestling

“I always have to keep myself in check. I have to make sure I’m pushing the rest of my team which means I have to push myself more than anyone else. You have to keep your team in check, you have to check up on them, and you have to make sure practice is moving smoothly with the coaches.”

Medina Ramouni, Senior Girls’ Basketball

“Personally it means a lot to me because sports have been my form of validation for the past few years, over high school, and being recognized for captain and having that responsibility put on my shoulders, it is a burden but it is also an honor and it means a lot to me.”

Nassim Mashhour, Junior Boys’ Basketball

“My dad has always been a coach of junior college, so I basically grew up with basketball, it was either I was watching his game or I was playing basketball at home so no matter what it was always about basketball.”

Photos: Wilson Inyang

Alex Peet, Senior Boys’ Bowling

“I hope to bring a sense of family and bring the whole team together, in sports there are different friend groups, this group of kids joined together for fun, but I am trying to bring the whole team together because J.V. varsity have always been split up.”

Mason Wehab, Junior Boys’ Swimming

“The first that comes into my mind is discipline. If you know anyone who’s swam before, they’ll tell you that they hated it and that it’s just hard. You’d get up, it’s early and you have to swim, it’s a physically brutal task, cold water. It’s that discipline, it’s that fun, it’s that training, it’s doing something, it’s having a purpose, a drive, a goal.”

Peter Schondorf, Senior Boys’ Swimming

“To me swimming is about determination, as mostly everything is exceptionally exhausting and sometimes unpleasant, but you stay in it for the progress and the bonds.”

Hayley Burt, Junior Girls’ Bowling

“I think sportsmanship is important and building on everyone’s strengths and helping them become better at bowling. I want to have a team that supports each other, and will help each other out.”

Bryant to Brooklyn

DHS Seniors Aidan Oakley and Sam Roberts take their friendship and racing career from elementary school to high school states

Marissa Kendrick and Semih Yasarlar Staff Writers

During any sporting event, it’s always nice to have good teammates to cheer you on. It’s even better when your teammates are one of your closest and oldest friends. DHS seniors Sam Roberts and Aidan Oakley have been great friends since their initial meeting in Lindbergh elementary school. Fast forward to Bryant middle school, they began to get closer as they ran and medaled in the city meet for Bryant’s track and field team. After middle school, Oakley and Roberts both decided to run cross country at DHS.

“Well, we did track at Bryant together and we were both pretty good,” Oakley said. “He actually went to the city meet with me in eighth grade for the mile and two miles. After that, he was set on doing cross country. But I didn’t know if I wanted to do it– I was kind of skeptical about it. But he forced me to sign up and made me come to the practices and I ended up really liking it.”

Oakley and Roberts both made it to the state finals for their freshman, sophomore, and senior year. Additionally, Roberts made it to state finals for his junior year. Oakley said he believes their success was derived from the hard work of the boys’ cross country coach Philip Mahar.

“Me and Sam wouldn’t have made it to the places we have if it weren’t for coach Mahar,” Oakley said. “Coach Mahar has been there pretty much everyday to improve our fitness and support us in any way he can.”

Mahar said he knew Aidan had to run an outstanding race which caused motivation from both Oakley and Roberts. Oakley did rank fifth as an individual at regionals, eventually allowing him to make it to states.

“I knew that Aidan would have to run his best race of the year to qualify for the state meet and Sam would have to run a solid race. Aidan really stepped up big at the Regionals,” Mahar said. “I believe that Aidan was motivated to keep up with Sam in the races. There were a few races that Sam probably thought ‘Aidan is close to me, I better get going.’”

Oakley also felt the pressure of Roberts and worked to catch up to him, even from elementary school. Oakley said his first memory with Roberts is being in gym class with him.

“My first memories with Sam was running around the track– he would always beat me. He was so fast,” Oakley said. “I knew he was going to

be a really good runner when he grew up, but that’s my first memory because it correlates to what I’ve done for the past four years.”

Not only did Oakley and Roberts become running partners, but they also grew into best friends. Their friendship runs through not only meets, but aside from the sport as well. They often spent time together to strengthen their friendship.

“My favorite memory with Aidan was what we did after states. We went to the movies but we couldn’t see anything other than a romance movie,” Roberts said. “We got a sugar high and ended up getting happy meals at one in the morning.”

Roberts also said that he would describe his friendship with Oakley as “wacky” and that Oakley himself is a “wild child”.

After they graduate high school in the spring, Robert plans to continue his running

career for college.

“I plan on doing college sports either running track and cross country at Eastern, Purdue, Minnesota, or Michigan State,” Roberts said.

Oakley plans on pursuing dentistry at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, however he plans to stay in touch with Roberts through college.

“No matter how far we are next year, I would love to keep in contact with Sam,” Oakley said. “He’s been one of my best friends and has helped me succeed in athletics which is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Photo: Carter Peet

Photo: Susan Oakley