Issue 1 - September 2019

the Standard

The American School in London | One Waverley Place | London NW8 0NP U.K. | standard.asl.org

Introducing Kwame Alexander

News 2-5

Amazon Fires The fires raging across the Amazon Rainforest have come to the forefront of conversation on protecting the environment.

John Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief

Opinions 6-9 Opinions editor Allegra Albanese discusses the stigma surrounding learning differences and her experienes with ADHD.

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Learning Differences

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Features 10-17 Black History Month

Although Black History Month is a time to remember black individuals throughout history, Staff Writer Houdah Daniels feels as though there needs to be more attention on the work and success of modern day members of the black community.

PAGE 12-13

Culture 18-20 ‘Vox’ Review

Christina Dalcher’s enticing “Vox” gives insight into an eerie alternate America where the government wants to turn back time and take away womens rights.

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Sports 21-23 Mental Health Concussion and other collision related sports injuries often have a detremental impact on professional atheletes both physically and mentally.

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Isabelle Lhuilier | Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print

Story on pages 16-17

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News

Hong Kong protests extradition bill Hong Kong’s new extradition bill has incited protests in the city, causing Chinese police to respond violently. Students and teachers comment on the tension surrounding the bill.

Lucas Romualdo News Editor: Online Peaceful protests began in Hong Kong in late March after a bill was proposed by the Chinese government to allow the Hong Kong government to extradite residents to mainland China for trial. This bill sparked outrage from activists concerned about China’s different justice system; Hong Kong has a democratic government and court system, even though it is a part of the Communist Party-run China. In 1997, Hong Kong gained independence from Britain, and was promised 50 years of self-governance before being returned to China.

Social Studies Teacher Lanting Xu supports the demonstrations and the idea of protecting Hong Kong’s local democracy. “The demand of the Hong Kong people is absolutely valid,” Xu said.

Alternatively, Elijah VanderMolen (’20), who lived in Hong Kong for ten years, has friends who are more ambivalent about the protests.

“One of my friends...views the Chinese government negatively...but he also d o e s n’t view a lot of the protesters in the most posi-

tive light either,” VanderMolen said.

“He sees them as helping to incite the violence and chaos.”

Likewise, Stella Schabel (’22), a former resident of Hong Kong, has friends who participated in the protests in support of Hong Kong’s democracy. However, the protests have since become more dangerous. “I’m pretty sure [my friends are] staying out of it,” Schabel said.

Due to the protests, the Hong Kong government withdrew the extradition bill on Sept. 5. As a result of the pressure, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam indicated she wants to leave office in a meeting with corporate figures, although China’s Central Government reportedly rejected her resignation.

Xu believes that China must manage this situation carefully. “The Chinese government cannot afford to have another 1989,” Xu said, referring to the 1989 Tiananmen Square student protests. In that situation, the Chinese used military force to end the pro-democracy demonstrations, resulting in hundreds of deaths and international condemnation.

Ishaan Rahman (’20) agrees with Xu, and said that the Chinese would not open themselves up to foreign criticism again. “That

would not look good for [the Chinese Government] on the world stage, so I think they’re going to have to be more cautious,” Rahman said.

Despite the risk, violence between protesters and pro-China counter-protesters has forced the Chinese police to get involved, using tear gas, riot batons and pepper spray to stop the protests.

“They haven’t been treating [the protesters] right,” she said.

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It’s not like the Hong Kong people are exclusively being imposed upon by this tyrannical government.

Elijah VanderMolen (’20) On the other hand, VanderMolen views the protesters also at fault. “It’s not like the Hong Kong people are exclusively being imposed upon by this tyrannical government, there’s violence on both sides, [the protesters] have incited it as well,” VanderMolen said.

However, Xu understands the reasoning behind the controversial extradition bill that sparked

the protests. She referred to corrupt, wealthy Chinese citizens who moved to Hong Kong to escape trial. “In order for the government to hold them legally accountable for the crimes they have committed in the mainland, they need to have such a law,” Xu said.

Rahman says these protests have sparked broader questions about the future relationship between the two countries. “This agreement that the British and the Chinese had, that was to keep Hong Kong half independent, only lasts for a little bit longer so it’s right to raise questions about what would happen after that,” Rahman said.

Rahman said that the Chinese will have more centralized control over the city as a result of the protests. “It would mean more Chinese control of the Hong Kong government,” he said.

“The Hong Kong government would really be an extension of the Chinese government, which is already starting to happen.”

VanderMolen was not surprised at this development. “I’ve always viewed China taking Hong Kong back as i n e v i t a b l e ,” he said. “A lot of [the protesters] are hoping they can

cling on to their quasi-independence that they have now.”

Meanwhile, Xu believes that the Chinese reactions to these protesters have greater implications for China’s approach to other potential territories.

“The current situation in Hong Kong and the way the Chinese government handles the situation may set an example or create a warning sign to Taiwan,” Xu said.

Rahman agrees, and says that Chinese expansion in the region would have a negative impact. “Further Chinese control in any territory is not good, whether it be Taiwan or the South China Sea, and on Hong Kong which is such an important economic region,” Rahman said.

For now, the protests do not show signs of dissipation. “It looks like the protesters are still gaining strength,” Xu said.

Rahman, however, sees the conflict as favoring China’s government. “The Chinese government still has an advantage because the protesters are the ones that are going to have to come out every day and spend their entire day shouting and screaming about the Chinese government while they can sit on the sidelines and criticize the protesters.”

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN SADLER

2 News

The Standard

Kashmiris live under lock down After the removal of Article 370 from the Indian Constitution, the region of Kashmir, owned in part by both India and Pakistan, has been cut off from the outside world.

Zainab Shafqat Adil Features Editor: Print After a change in India’s Constitution, the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir has lost semiautonomous status. This change has sparked a lock down of the region and violence in the area. “[Kashmir] got really unsafe, not only for us, but for a lot of other families who come from our school who used to go to Kashmir,” Arjun Dhar (’22) said.

Dhar’s family is from Kashmir, a region in South Asia, but his family has returned to New Delhi due to the current conflict in the area.

Southern Kashmir is controlled

by India, and the north is controlled

by Pakistan. However, both countries claim that the state should belong fully to them. Under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which was enacted in 1957, the part of Kashmir that is controlled by India had partial autonomy. However, on Aug. 5, the article was revoked, meaning the region no longer has its special status. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has defended his decision by saying that Kashmir should be treated the same as the rest of the country; therefore, the special status given to the region by Article 370 should be removed.

Andrea Stephen (’21), who is from India, strongly disagrees with the government’s actions, claiming that “India had no right to remove [Article 370].” She believes the removal infringes on the rights of the Kashmiri people.

“It was done without their consent, and as the people are living in Kashmir, they have the right [to decide] what laws they should live by,” Stephen said.

Dhar also disagrees with the Indian government’s act. “It reflects poorly on the Indian government,” he said. “Modi, the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party, they want to have full control over their piece of

September 2019

Kashmir. [The revocation] is better for the government, but it’s not good at all for the people.”

Since the removal of the article, the region has been put under a lock down, which includes a new curfew, cutting telecommunications as well as the internet, in order to restore order within the region.

However, Social Studies Teacher Terry Gladis, who teaches Contemporary Global History and Human Rights Seminar, has touched on the issue in both classes. Gladis believes that the lock down was uncalled for, leading to “an unbelievable [number] of human rights violations.”

Dhar is also concerned for the people of Kashmir, and how the revocation of Article 370 has af- f e c t e d them. “Some peo-

ple don’t have access to electricity ... they’re going back in time,” he said.

“People don’t have access to things that they need in order to live.

Though there are many drawbacks to the removal of the law, Stephen acknowledges the possible benefits of the change, despite being against the government’s decision.

“From [the government’s] point of view, it’s an economic benefit.

You’re going to get more businesses there, more tours there, it’s going to be an economic boom for Kashmir,” she said. “On [the other] side it’s infringing on rights, the people’s freedom is being taken away, they’re being suppressed.”

Since the removal of Article 370, tensions between India and Pakistan have risen. The two countries have fought two wars over the region. Pakistan’s prime minister, Imran Khan, has asked the international community to do something in response to the removal.

Pakistan-Administered Kashmir | Pakistan owns 90 nuclear warheads

Dhar expressed concern for the rising tensions between the two countries. “India and Pakistan not only have nuclear weapons, but they also have allies, and if that whole thing erupts, it can become a nuclear war. It would be terrible,” he said.

In Dhar’s opinion, the government’s decision to revoke Article 370 could have serious implications for other areas inside of India. “Since Delhi is sort of like a father state of Kashmir, anything that goes in Kashmir will affect New Delhi, and since that’s the capital, it will spread to other states,” he said.

Gladis’ concerns are similar, as he explained that other states in India are in danger of getting treated similarly to Kashmir. “More than four million people in India, mostly Muslims, are at risk of being declared foreign migrants,” Gladis said.

Because of this, he said if Kashmir is a “top news story,” and that if someone is a “global citizen,” they should start talking about what is happening to raise awareness.

Alongside the removal of the article and the lock down, there have been many reports made by Kashmiris to the BBC that the Indian army has been beating or torturing them. However, when asked about the violence,

India-Administered Kashmir | India owns 130-140 nuclear warheads

the government denies that it has happened, claiming that the Kashmiris’ accusations lack evidence.

Gladis said the violence is religiously motivated, as the majority

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Kashmir should be able to decide what they want to do, not a ruling group that does not identify with the people who live there.

Andrea Stephen (’21) of the Kashmiri population is Muslim, and Modi “doesn’t have a very good track record with Muslims, they’re doing all of this to maintain law and order, and keep the peace in security... This isn’t peace and security, you’re beating innocent people, those innocent people just happen to be Muslim,” Gladis said.

Dhar believes that the people of Kashmir shouldn’t be treated any differently just because they are no longer an autonomous region. “Whether their figure of authority is from the nation’s government, or someone from their own government, they’re still people,” Dhar said. “They’re still people; they definitely still deserve rights,” he said.

Similarly to Dhar, Stephen echoes the belief that Kashmir should have a say in their own future. “Right now, we’re seeing a case of colonization and imperialism,” she said, “[Kashmir] should be able to decide what they want to do, not a ruling group that does not identify with the people who live there.”

News 3

News

Boris Johnson takes on Brexit After becoming the British Prime Minister July 24, Boris Johnson has attempted to take hold of the U.K. government in anticipation of the approaching Brexit deadline.

Cameron Spurr News Editor: Print Former British Prime Minister (PM) Theresa May resigned from her position as Conservative Party Leader June 7 after failing to draft a Brexit deal which all parties agreed to. New PM Boris Johnson is set to serve until 2022, five years after May called for a general election, unless another general election is called. This possibility is becoming increasingly likely as Johnson brought a vote for an early general election to the commons floor on Sept. 4, but lost.

Over the summer, Johnson won the Conservative Party leadership election, and took office July 24.

Johnson was favored to beat the other candidates from the beginning.

As other candidates were eliminated from the running, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt became the final opposition to Johnson.

Ily Brigui (’22) preferred Hunt to Johnson, due to Hunt’s support of providing more funding to the navy.

One major policy that Johnson campaigned on was his adamance about leaving the European Union

ally hasn’t been going anywhere… It’s a scary possibility,” she said.

On Sept. 9, Johnson made the controversial move to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament until Oct. 14, just 17 days before the U.K.’s new leave date.

It was a move which was deemed unlawful by Scotland’s highest court, taking it to the U.K. Supreme Court, which has upheld the Scottish court’s ruling. MPs returned to Parliament on Sept. 25 following the Supreme Court’s decision. “It’s a cowardly act,” Partridge said. “Despite [Johnson’s] protestations, proroguing for that length of time is clearly designed to prevent people from debating things in Parliament.”

The week leading up to Boris Johnson’s move to prorogue Parliament was hectic. Johnson wants to call for a general election but needs a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons in order to initiate one, which he’s struggling to find. Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn said that Labour will vote in favor of a general election once the Benn Bill had passed.

Partridge feels that Johnson has not been very successful in Parliament so far, citing the fact he has ini-

“He’s not a far-right conservative Prime Minister who won’t spend money on the country. He wants to help public services,” Brigui said.

Partridge is unsure whether a general election is a good solution to the current situation in Parliament.

“I don’t know that [a general election] will solve the divisions in the country. People have become very, very polarized. But, what it could do in the short term is let people relax,” Partridge said.

Additionally, Partridge said that in a general election, it is also somewhat unclear what constituents would be voting for. “If you’re going to vote Conservative or you’re going to vote Labour, you’re not quite sure what you’re voting for because you may have a Conservative who’s proBrexit or a Conservative who’s antiBrexit,” he said.

The value of the pound has wavered significantly over the last three years of Brexit, and it has continued to do so under Johnson. Due to Johnson’s threat of a no-deal Brexit, it fell to $1.19 to the pound in August, the first time it’s dipped below $1.20 since 2017. But, since the Benn Bill has passed and reaching a

“OUR CURRENT PM SEEMS TO HAVE A RECORD FOR BEING ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH.”

May 24

Theresa May Resigns as Prime Minister

July 24

Boris Johnson elected Prime Minister

Aug. 28

Queen assents to proroguing Parliament

Sep. 9

Benn Bill passes, blocking no-deal Brexit

Sept. 10

Prorogation begins and Parliament closes

Sept. 11

Scottish Court Rules Prorogation Illegal

Sept. 24

Supreme Court Overturns Prorogation

Sept. 25

Parliament returns to session

Oct. 19

Deadline to pass a Brexit deal

Oct. 31

U.K. to leave the E.U.

SCIENCE TEACHER DAVID PARTRIDGE on Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

However, this is now legally impossible as the Benn Bill, designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit, was signed and passed through the House of Lords with no opposition Sept. 6.

Yet, Science Teacher David Partridge doesn’t feel any safer about the future of the U.K. now that a no-deal Brexit is ruled out. “I should do. But, honestly, with the way politics is moving at the moment, when people start saying things like: ‘well, even if the bill is passed, we’re going to break the law to make sure that we get out’ and so on, I’m not sure,” he said.

Similarly, Talia De Beer (’20) is worried about the potential effects of a no deal Brexit. “[Leaving with no deal] is highly likely because negotiation re-

4 News

tiated and lost all of his first six votes in the House of Commons. Partridge maintains “very-little” confidence in Johnson and the British government currently. “Our current PM seems to have a record for being, shall we say, economical with the truth,” he said.

De Beer agrees, and views Johnson’s approach as unproductive. “[Johnson] has lost a bit of credibility because of his radical choice to suspend parliament and it hasn’t seemed to have any effect on Brexit or the progress of the discussions,” De Beer said.

Brigui holds different views of Johnson from Partridge and De Beer.

Though he recognizes that Johnson’s personality is somewhat odd, he admires some of his policies and ideas.

deal is more plausible, the pound has risen to $1.25 to the pound, its highest since July 2019.

Former PM David Cameron, who has been silent on Brexit since the referendum, criticized Johnson for lying during the 2016 leave campaign.

The lie that Cameron referred to was when Johnson posted on the side of a bus: “We send the EU £350 million a week, let’s fund our NHS instead.”

The figure is closer to £250 million.

Partridge said Brexit has also altered the U.K.’s political landscape and public discourse, often to the point where the topic damages personal relationships.

“It’s very difficult to talk to [friends] because they’re brandishing opposite political opinions to the ones that I’m brandishing. That’s unfortunate.”

Jan. 31, 2020

Proposed Brexit extension (Benn Bill) The Standard

‘Lungs of the planet’ remain up in smoke Man-made fires are raging across the Amazon rainforest to clear land for crops and cattle, yet Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has refused aid from other countries.

Isabel Link News Editor: Print The Amazon rainforest - a home, according to the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), for 40,000 unique plant species and 427 kinds of mammals - is on fire right now.

The exact date of when the fires started is unknown, but by Aug. 19 São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, was engulfed in dark smoke, devoid of sunlight.

Bella Spinelli (’21), whose parents immigrated to America from Brazil, said there has been inadequate coverage and a general overshadowing of these issues in mainstream news.

“People aren’t talking about [the fires] because no one talks about Brazil. No one cares about Brazil,” she said.

The Amazon has been burning at unprecedented rates. According to the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) in Brazil, 75,000 fires were started in the rainforest from January to August 2019. That is 85% more fires than were recorded in the same time span in 2018.

But to Spinelli, people treat problems like the fires as just another article to post on their social media stories because not everyone who posts online truly cares about what they are sharing.

She said they tell themselves, “if I don’t post about it then, because everyone else is posting about it, people are going to think that I don’t care about it.”

After Skyler Sweidan (’22) found out about the fires, she also remembers the online response. “I saw ‘Save the Amazon Forest’ popping up on all my social media,” she said.

Although Sweidan said posting about environmental news is a useful way to educate others, she does not think it helps if no one is making lifestyle changes. “People should realize their responsibility and the irony in their actions if they still don’t live sustainable lives,” Sweidan said.

The fires in the Amazon rainforest are not naturally occurring. In fact, according to an article by CNN, 99% of all fires in the Amazon are started by human activity, for example clearing land for farming and cattle.

Science Teacher Marisa Wilson believes the destruction of the rainforest is leading to the irreversible depletion of valuable varieties of species. “[The Amazon] is the most biodiverse biome and area in the world.

And the loss of that biodiversity is heart wrenching,” she said.

Sweidan echoes Wilson’s feelings about what humans are doing to the habitat of thousands of plant and ani-

September 2019

mal species.“The Amazon is on fire this very second ... biodiversity is crumbling this very second,” she said.

Furthermore, the vegetation and plant life in the Amazon is not self-restorative, which Wilson points out as the main issue with clearing land to farm. “The ecosystem is very

hard to replace,” she said. “Once it is destroyed, the soil is nutrient-poor and so it’s difficult for the same kind of system to come back.”

According to Wilson, farming in the Amazon is also not efficient from the ecology perspective.

When land is cleared for crops, farmers have to add nutrients to the soil themselves.

Plants in a rainforest like the Amazon immediately take up all the nutrients from decaying matter on the forest floor, leaving very little nutrients behind in the soil. “So it’s the wrong place to be farming in the first place,” Wilson said.

was burning, billionaires pulled together to put in enough money to rebuild it,” he said.

“But no one’s willing to put in money to save one of the most important ecosystems on our Earth.”

In addition, Spinelli said Bolsonaro’s inaction and refusal of help from other countries is one of the most damaging factors in the Amazon being cleared.

“Bolsonaro doesn’t have the guts or the ability to do anything about it,” she said.

According to an article published

by The New York Times, Bolsonaro said on Aug. 1 that news of defor-

sustainability.” However, Alberts said that this system cannot continue for long as industries do not let resources replenish before using them again.

Despite this, Spinelli said that by demanding the government to take action, the

situation w i l l change. “ T h e more pressure we put on them, the more they’re going to realize, ‘this is stupid - let’s do something about it’,” she said.

Sweidan shares Spinelli’s views that targeting different government bodies is an effective form of activism. “We need a system change. We need a cul-

of the Amazon is limiting beef consumption. “So much of this [cleared] land is going to cattle farming. So this is another reason why it’s good to try to eat low on the food chain,” she said. By eating more plants, consumers receive nutrients and energy directly from those crops instead of eating animals that ate the plants.

Similar to Wilson’s ideas, Sweidan is working to make adjustments to her lifestyle to aid the Amazon and limit climate

change effects it contributes to. “I am trying to limit meat consumption, dairy consumption, and [I’m] trying and be as plant-based as possible,” Sweidan said.

Likewise, Alberts said there are multiple ways for each person to take action. “If there’s anything you want to do to not be supporting this industry, stop eating beef. Beef is the one thing that you can avoid most,” he said. Addition-

“THE AMAZON IS ON FIRE THIS VERY SECOND ... BIODIVERSITY IS CRUMBLING.” SKYLER SWEIDAN (’22) At a summit in France on Aug. 26, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro turned down a collective offer from G7 leaders to give Brazil the equivalent of $20 million, or £18 million, according to an article published by the BBC. Co-president of the Sustainability Council Dom Alberts (’20) said that not enough is being done to support the Amazon. “When Notre Dame

estation, supposedly exaggerated, would damage his country’s image.

“The numbers, as I understand it, were released with the objective of harming the name of Brazil and its government,” Bolsonaro said, per the article.

Alberts said he does not find Bolsonaro’s refusal of aid surprising “because at this point world leaders are picking economic development over

tural change. We can achieve that, but it has to be unified across all people, all governments,” she said.

Wilson further agrees that people should take charge to inform the government of their opinions. “You can get political about it. Write letters to leaders so that leaders know that people care about this issue,” she said.

In addition, Wilson said an important step in combatting the clearing

ally, Alberts cites palm oil as another resource to avoid as it largely contributes like cattle farming.

Sweidan said immediate action must be taken by all individuals, not just the youth looking forward to their futures, to help the environment. “We don’t have time anymore,” she said. “The best time to start being sustainable is 20 years ago, but we might as well start today because all we can possibly do is change.”

News 5

EDITORIAL

Diversity of opinion is valued “The Standard staff and adviser are dedicated to creating a collaborative, open forum that cultivates productive dialogue within the School community...” – Mission statement

At this year’s all-school assembly Aug. 30, Head of School Robin Appleby announced that inclusivity would be the theme for the 2019-20 school year. Subsequently, representatives from different grades took turns explaining what the word inclusivity means to them. Lower School students spoke to the importance of including all kids in playtime. One Middle School student said inclusivity isn’t only about sitting with other people at lunch, but it’s about “asking them questions, making connections and sharing a bit about yourself.”

Finally, High School Student Council President Natalie Vann (’20) spoke about what it was

like meeting new people after her friends moved.

Inclusivity is going to be at the forefront of the school’s focus this year. Therefore, The Standard aims to find ways to directly integrate this theme into the publication. Much like how the Lower, Middle and High School representatives at the assembly had models of inclusivity that they want to strive towards, there are goals for The Standard as well. The Standard aims to facilitate and encourage public discourse by “creating a collaborative, open forum” within the school, per our mission statement. To focus on inclusivity of opinion and thought, there will be an emphasis on a diverse range of top-

ics, writers and perspectives.

In the past, guest writing and letters to the editor have been the primary means through which The Standard has sought to encourage community involvement. However, there needs to be more ways to engage people.

Therefore, The Standard will be hosting a Guest Writers Conference club, which will meet once every other school cycle. The club will be casual, allowing students to come and go as they so choose. It will establish a place where students can bring story ideas to the editors, and ultimately put themselves in a position to write an article for publication.

In a world polarized by political opinion, newspapers play a crucial role in bridging divides and displaying multiple points of view.

The Standard aims to provide a platform that every member of the community can place their trust in. This is even more vital as we belong to a school whose student body is comprised of people all over the world, and therefore varying experiences and opinions.

Everyone should feel comfortable knowing that The Standard will give them a voice. Especially as the school tries to create a more inclusive community, there should be a space for all students to express their thoughts.

Standard JOHN TOWFIGHI Editor-in-Chief ISABELLE LHUILIER Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Print JONATHAN NOVAK Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Online CAMERON SPURR News Editor: Print ISABEL LINK News Editor: Print LUCAS ROMUALDO News Editor: Online ALLEGRA ALBANESE Opinions Editor: Print SAL CERRELL Opinions Editor: Online LEA GEORGE Lead Features Editor ZAINAB ADIL Features Editor: Print HELEN ROTH Features Editor: Online EMILY FORGASH Culture Editor: Print RAUNAK LALLY Culture Editor: Online LILY WHITMAN Sports Editor: Print MICHAEL FLAHERTY Sports Editor: Online IMOGEN WEISS Media Director MADDY WHITMAN Media Editor ROHAN HAARMANN Video Editor LOUISA AVERY Adviser STAFF WRITERS Houdah Daniels, Polina Dashevsky, Jasmin Taylor.

CARTOONIST Zainab Adil CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Sadler, Lydia Crump

6 Editorial

MISSION STATEMENT The Standard staff and adviser are dedicated to creating a collaborative, open forum that cultivates productive dialogue within the School community by publishing exemplary student news media according to the strictest standards of journalistic integrity.

CONTENT The Standard covers news related, but not limited, to the School community. Issues-driven coverage that aims to explore ideas, themes, concepts, trends and recent developments beyond the campus that are relevant to members of the community are also included.

GUEST WRITERS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send submissions to the journalism lab, room P-101, or to the_standard@asl.org. These must adhere to the same set of ethical guidelines that all staff content is held to, and will only be published at the discretion of the editorial board and the adviser. The Standard retains the right to edit letters or articles for length and AP/Standard style. The Standard remains committed to maintaining the highest journalistic ethics and has zero tolerance for their violation. All letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication.

EDITORIALS Articles published without a byline and presented in the same location issue-to-issue represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. They are unsigned.

DISTRIBUTION Press run is 800 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty and staff in The American School in London; current enrolment 1,400.

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The Standard

ALLEGRA ALBANESE allegra_albanese@asl.org

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I didn’t understand what ADHD was but I felt that having it made me different, and I began to feel different from everything and everyone.

Ms. Irwin’s Kindergarten class was a magical matrix filled with yellow pencils, hot pink Playdoh, red ladybug chairs, and me, a happy little girl with a yearning to learn and play. A few months into Kindergarten I told my mum that I no longer wanted to go to school, which was shocking considering she had to physically pull me out of my classroom daily. When she asked why, I told her that I didn’t like to write in my weekend book. Weekend books were another feature of Miss Irwin’s classroom—green journals to be taken home on Friday and returned on Monday complete with stories about the weekend’s events. After further exploration, my mum found that I didn’t like to write in my weekend book because I found it difficult to form sentences. This was perhaps the earliest indication of my learning differences.

As I grew older, my learning struggles expanded to other subjects beyond writing. At 6 years old, I was taken to a learning specialist and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. I didn’t understand what ADHD was but I felt that having it made me different, and I began to feel different from everything and everyone.

At British primary school, the teachers weren’t accepting of my learning differences. They saw me as an inconvenience and a distraction to the other students. Instead of working to help me improve, they constantly compared me to the more able pupils and set me up for failure.

So, my mum moved me to ASL. When I arrived, I was held back a grade not because my birthday falls late in the year or there wasn’t any space, but

because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the students in my own grade.

Beginning Grade 4 was daunting.

I was afraid the teachers would treat me as they did in my previous school.

What I found was just the opposite.

I was assigned to a learning specialist to work specifically on writing. She integrated colors and pictures into stories to make me feel enthusiastic.

Even at times when I couldn’t continue because my brain was too tired, she treated me with care and respect.

After a year, my writing improved dramatically. In fact, it was decided that in Grade 5 I would not need to work with a specialist. Yet, I still felt different.

Over the years, I’ve had to understand that my learning differences will always make me feel different because the truth is I am different. The way my

brain functions is fundamentally different to that of my peers. It takes me three hours to complete 50 minute homework assignments, small purple pills to focus in class, and multiple explanations to retain information.

However, the psychological effects of ADHD are the most troubling.

Since it takes me more time to complete assignments and retain information, I will often spend days studying for a test only to get less than desired results.

Instances like this only reaffirm my feelings of difference. The anxiety that results can sometimes make me spiral into panic attacks.

Living with ADHD is a constant mental battle, so when students ask if my parents buy me extra time on tests it is hurtful.

The recent U.S. college scandal has created a stigma of learning differences being

OPINIONS

Embracing my learning differences

used as tools to make college entrance easier for the wealthy, with celebrity parents paying doctors to diagnose their kids with dyslexia and ADHD, among others. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As I have pointed out, having learning differences isn’t solely about standardized test taking. In fact, I would jump at the opportunity to not spend six hours taking an SAT. Once you take a test for that long it becomes almost impossible for your brain to function and solve problems. In most cases, it works against your favor. When people make comments like this it only reinforces the ideas of learning differences as negative, as it seems like everyone thinks these obstacles are fake, when in fact, living with learning differences can be incredibly positive.

It took me a long time to understand the benefits of having ADHD. Since my brain is always active, I have an incredibly creative mind. My creative brain has led me to pursue a few of my passions: writing, art and design. My active brain also means that I’m always spotting the outliers: the people in the crowd who don’t stand out or the tiny object on a shelf that is camouflaged. Perhaps the greatest skill that ADHD has given me though is the motivation to work hard and succeed. My ADHD reminds me that academic obstacles are made to be overcome and can be overcome.

We’ve learned to respect differences in gender identity, race, religious affiliation and others. We should be respecting and honoring people’s learning differences as well.

Music Department thrives in past years JOHN TOWFIGHI john_towfighi@asl.org

“

The Department hasn’t experienced major structural changes such as other programs in the school, yet it has had a rapidly growing enrolment rate.

September 2019

People in my grade still break into songs from Grade 5 choir. People who left band in Grade 8 still remember the time they played “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. Those still involved in music, now going onto their last year in the program, are reaching extraordinary levels of musicianship. Music and the performing arts are integral parts of an education at ASL, and though levels of participation vary from person to person, every student has had some level of exposure to the program.

Entering my eighth year in the choir, and being a member of the band for four years in Middle School, music has been a consistent element of my ASL experience. It is the only subject which I have remained within the same realm of classrooms and teachers. I have grown up alongside the department, and particularly in the last four years in the High School, I have seen tremendous growth that is worthy of recognition.

When the New Frontiers campaign began in 2016, It focused on enhancing the visual arts programs with the introduction of much needed spaces in the Community Arts Building. It developed Athletics with the aquatic and fitness centers.

However, it did not allocate any new money to the Music Department.

Despite being overlooked in the construction plan, the department found their own way. The band room was in much need for construction as a growing program and lackluster facilities stretched for the limits of safety with capacity and sound levels being created. As a result, the department advocated for itself and was able to enact construction to expand the room.

Other than this, there haven’t been major structural changes to the department as there has been to such as other programs in the school. Yet, it has had a rapidly growing enrolment rate. The High School Music Tour had to be split up into two trips starting with the 2017-2018 school year as the number of students in the band exceeded what was possible for combined travel. The choir and orchestra now travel together, while band goes on its own trip.

Furthermore, just this year, another choir teacher has been hired for an expanding program that has over 70 kids.

The growth in participation also resulted in a change of venue for the Spring concert.

Two years ago, the department made the move from hosting the Spring concert in the School Center, to renting out Marylebone Church, just by Baker Street. The move allowed for a beautiful collage style concert that provides a better atmosphere and creates more needed space for students.

The endeavor bolstered the overall flow and production of the concert and serves as a lovely way to get off campus as a community.

At school, the atmosphere at Bottom Yellow is always friendly. I hear different students playing the piano and guitar each day. The teachers foster individual exploration. As a result, arts are very respected in the High School and students look up to those who have excelled in music.

But the program must be sustained.

This year in choir, only six new boys signed up. As the High School changes and new factors come into play, such as the change in Alternatives to have the same dates as Music Tour, it is essential to not lose sight of the value of the Music Department.

As a way to promote involvement, I’d love to see more opportunities for student showcase of those involved in the department. Every year, there is a

concert help for the Old Age Pensioners in December where smaller ensembles perform. It would be great to see more of these small style concerts held for special occasions. From the department, it would be interesting to try having more chamber groups across the programs to encourage musical collaboration .

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID PAPENHAGEN

PHOTO BY ALLEGRA ALBANESE

Top: the black curtain of the old band room covered a wall that prohibited space. Bottom: The new bandroom has this space open, with more room for chairs and equipment.

Opinions 7

U.K. youth crime crisis needs attention RAUNAK LALLY raunak_lally@asl.org

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Since we are so separated from those involved in gangs, we neglect to understand why this is an issue.

Driving to school should be peaceful. With a hard day ahead, the last thing I want to hear on the radio is two talk show hosts heatedly debating the latest social or political scandal.

The weather report and news headlines announced during the break of the debate is comparatively calming. Yet it is alarming to hear how unfazed the radio host is when announcing the latest stabbing in London, especially since it’s so difficult to have a discussion about what motivates the perpetrator.

Likewise, news reports on stabbings were inescapable during the summer, as crime rates typically rise with hot weather, according to the “BBC”. For example, Aug 13, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed after being chased through Munster Square which, according to an “Express” article, is “plagued by drug problems.” This incident at Munster Square was especially difficult for me to avoid as it occurred in walking distance of my home.

As shocking as it was to hear that the victim was younger than myself, it was even more alarming to learn that the suspects’ ages ranged from 18 to 23: the age of some students in my own grade.

Adults and children living in affluent bubbles, which essentially covers the majority of the students in our school community, are generally less susceptible to the motivations which often tempt people to engage in criminal behaviour.

Consequently, it is no surprise that since we are so separated from those involved

in gangs, we collectively neglect to understand why this is an issue. But, when young men and women are caught up in the criminal underworld, and are the same ages as those still enrolled in fulltime education, it really comes down to investigating what external factors influence the youth of the U.K. to resort to gang-related crime.

Race is not one of the contenders for these factors. We can’t be reinforcing the stereotype that the darker your skin, the more likely you will be to carry a weapon or be in a gang. Even outside of the U.K., and notoriously inside of the U.S., law enforcement is not doing any service to citizens by stopping a person of colour in the street for seemingly dubious reasons.

Rather, a common trait that many gang members share is that they are a part of lower economic classes. Of course, this is not to make a generalization about all, nor to disrespect any of those living in more impoverished areas. It just underscores the correlation between those who are involved in gangs or are the assailant in a stabbing and their socioeconomic status.

Take the incident in Munster Square, for example. Though the teenage victim was suspected to be entangled in the predicament as a result of drug abuse, we should not be dumping the blame on him, but rather asking ourselves: what led him – and similar young people – down the path of drug abuse and gang involvement?

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There is a socioeconomic divide between those who are more susceptible to joining gangs and those who are not. Therefore, it is not surprising that people who live in wealthier areas rarely have to worry about the factors which often motivate young

34,000 U.K. children are linked to gangs people to join these groups as they are unlikely to encounter them. Children from richer families do not feel pressured to find alternative ways of making money. They are often surrounded by positive role models who they can look up to, and they have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities and programs

during the hours when they are not in full-time education.

In order to combat these factors and prevent more young people from joining the estimated 34,000 children linked to U.K. gangs, according to “The Guardian,” the government has been taking action in response to knife crime being at an all-time high.

At the end of 2018, a £200 million Youth Endowment Fund was established by the then Home Secretary Sajid Javid, which will be used to support community initiatives which work with young people who are at risk of resorting to crime. Similarly, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has publicly supported establishments which were already working towards the prevention of knife crime and violence, such as boxing gyms and martial arts clubs, which encourage its clients to keep their fights in controlled and supportive environments as opposed to on the streets.

Not all of us have millions of pounds to spend on creating workshops and activities for children, nor are we all trained to give interventions to young adults.

But the longer that our society chooses to turn a blind eye on kids who join gangs as a cry for help, the longer we will have to hear about 7 years old carrying knives in the name of self defence. We’ll be scared to walk through tube stations when it’s dark, and we’ll hear casual announcements of the latest stabbing story in the mornings.

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Social Studies pod: (A) Strong move. They did really well.

This Editorial Board of 1. New 4. Dolphins: (F) Can we give them Tua already? Michael Flaherty Would be A+ if they sorted the colors.

John Towfighi The Standard gives the democratic debates: (B) At least Biden is speaking coherMountain Low: (F-) No Rocktober baseball for us.

2. Third 5. Rocky ently now, and there was no Spanish this time. Sal Cerrell Even our MVP Nolan can’t save us now :( Lily Whitman school its first report of Chai Latte season: (A+) Pumpkin Spice Latte, who? Way to Senior workload: (D) I thought we were going to be eased into the the school year 3. workload a little bit more, but I was wrong. Imogen Weiss 6. come through Beatles. Maddy Whitman

8 Opinions

The Standard

Point SAL CERRELL sal_cerrell@asl.org

The Democratic Party needs a moderate candidate to build a coalition of support from a larger population, to defeat Donald Trump.

As the Democratic primary has steadily heated up, fault lines have been established between the moderate and progressive wings of the party. Disagreements on healthcare, immigration and economic policy have, now more than ever, divided voters and politicians alike, to the point that the true identity of the party is in serious question.

These disagreements have subsequently spilled out onto the primary debate stages, with candidates seemingly lacking allegiance on any issue. The only indication that all of the candidates shared the same party affiliation was the projection of the word “Democrats” on screens behind them.

The issues that candidates, particularly those in the progressive wing of the party, have prioritized in their bids for the nomination differ greatly from those which were front and centre of the successful bid in 2018 to retake the House of Representatives, not to mention seven governor’s mansions.

Instead of focusing on good, realistic policy proposals that hold broad support amongst most Americans, Democrats on the far left have garnered media attention by throwing red meat to their progressive base by advocating for legislation that stretches far beyond the realm of political possibility, and have threatened their good-standing with the American people in the process.

Two policies that exemplify this are “Medicare for All” and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. A single-payer healthcare system in the U.S. is estimated to cost over $30 trillion to implement and would throw more than half of the country’s population off their private healthcare plans, 70% of whom are satisfied with the coverage they receive.

“ should Democrats

pursue change that builds on the progress of past administrations.

Furthermore, decriminalizing illegal border crossings only incentives the migration of more Central American migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, further straining Homeland Security’s already broken immigration system. It also provides Republicans with political ammunition and fuels the claim that Democrats support open borders, which, as of now, is not entirely false.

These two issues should be the bread and butter of the Democratic agenda. The current President and his party have repeatedly tried to throw millions of Americans off of their health insurance, most prominently in the case of those with preexisting conditions. The administration also insti-

September 2019

gated a “zero tolerance policy” at the border, which separated children from their parents at the southern border, some as young as four months old. On both, Democrats need to affirm that they are the party of morality, and Republicans are not.

In the case of immigration, the judicial branch encouraged the separation of migrant families fleeing violence in Central America, sending children to holding facilities that lack basic human necessities, such as running water and adequate sleeping arrangements. The immorality of both of these policies should work in the Democrats’ advantage.

Instead, they have chosen to fight fire with fire, by advocating for solutions that are unworkable and ineffective in practice.

This has resulted in political backlash from voters. In 2018, the Democratic Party held a 10-point favorability advantage over Republicans, leading them to an astounding victory in the midterm elections. However, just over the last year, polls indicate they are now level with Republicans in that same metric.

This comes just as the Democratic primary process has ramped up, and the progressive ideas of both Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), not to mention those of Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), have been more heavily vocalized in media. One cannot help but think that there is correlation, if not causation between these two occurrences.

Democrats must not yield to progressive activists when crafting policy. Instead, they should pursue mainstream, incremental change that builds on the progress of past administrations. On the issue of healthcare, they should work to strengthen the public option to provide more Americans with coverage. In doing so, private insurers would be forced to lower rates as competition from government costs them, patients.

On the economy, Democrats should refocus their attention on working-class voters in the midwest. They should provide investment in 21st-century jobs in green energy, revitalizing the flourishing communities of the past.

Proposing moderate policies also allows Democrats to appeal to larger swaths of the electorate, building a coalition of support to beat Donald Trump. Let’s not forget the damage he has caused under just one term of his presidency. Political norms have been uprooted, international bodies have been undermined, all while progress on finding solutions on issues ranging from gun control to climate change have been stagnated. One cannot possibly imagine what four more years of this president, a man who believes in using nuclear weapons against hurricanes, would hold. Democrats, don’t give him those four years by adopting political nativism. It is not worth creating an inter-party civil war over, as one commentator put it, “technocratic necessities.” This election is too important to lose.

Counterpoint A progressive candidate is necessary for The Democratic Party to challenge the status quo and push for positive change in America.

ALLEGRA ALBANESE allegra_albanese@asl.org

With an opportunity to reclaim the White House from President Trump in 2020, it has become increasingly important for Democrats to choose a candidate who can win both the popular and electoral votes. The big question remains whether the party would like to put its faith in the more moderate candidate, Joe Biden, or the progressive frontrunners, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

As of this moment, Biden is leading the polls. He is the safe candidate who it is believed can win back moderates who voted for Trump in 2016 in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. Other than this, Joe Biden is not an exciting candidate. His platform is really a call for a return to the policies of Barack Obama.

Though many of Biden’s policies mirror those of Obama, for example, immigration and Obamacare, Joe Biden is not Barack Obama and will not generate the hope and excitement for change that created the large and diverse following that enabled Obama’s victory. If Joe Biden is nominated, it is possible that America could have a repeat of the 2016 election, when Hillary Clinton was defeated by a more charismatic electioneer.

One of the biggest faults of the Democratic Party in the 2016 election was that they elected a candidate who didn’t appeal to many demographics and therefore couldn’t draw enough voters out. Biden is a candidate for the suburban moms, retirees and possibly African Americans. While there is no doubt that it is necessary to appeal to these demographics to win, it is no longer enough. According to a study conducted by Tufts University in 2016, Sanders surpassed Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic primary totals among young people in 25 states where a comparison could be drawn.

Sanders won 71% of young voters while Obama won only 60%.

Now is the time to target and prioritize the votes of young people. To do this, Democrats

DATA FROM CNBC

need to be bold and choose a more progressive candidate than Joe Biden.

“The progressive agenda is the American agenda,’’ Elizabeth Warren said. Much like Bernie Sanders, Warren is an avid supporter of progressive policies, including “Medicare for All,” eliminating lobbying from the legislative process, providing early childhood care, responsive climate change policies and gun control. The structure of these policies is different, and new. For instance, “Medicare for All,” a government-run health insurance program that covers all Americans above the age of 65 and is funded by taxpayers, has never been attempted before. The policy is controversial, as it would need to be funded by tax revenue and fear mongers suggest the choice of individuals will be limited. However, we know from living in the U.K. that a national health system can work to meet many different needs.

In reality, the public is afraid of these poli-

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I fear if Democrats keep pushing old policies and moderate candidates, the U.S. will never move forward. cies because they are new and unpredictable.

Yet, it is these new policies that Democrats need to strive for. I fear that if Democrats keep pushing old policies and moderate candidates, the U.S. will never move forward; it will simply remain in the same place. Much needed reform in American society requires great reform in its policies.

The U.S. has always stood for democracy, freedom and moral leadership. Under Trump, none of these standards have been upheld. Perhaps the most appealing aspects of Warren and Sanders’ campaigns is their attention to these ideals. Warren stands as a Robin Hood figure who has the courage to take on the giants in Washington and return the government to the people. Sanders calls for a world of peace and prosperity with America as the catalyst.

Amongst the current global political climate, the U.S. needs to set an example to other nations of how to craft new policies that respond to a changing world. A candidate like Biden, mired in the past can show only how to return to a world that no longer exists.

Opinions 9

features

Schill travels the world for work Social Studies Teacher Travis Schill is new to ASL, however he is not new to change, having taught in four countries across three continents. Schill’s passion for economics has traveled with him the whole way.

John Towfighi | Editor-in-Chief

H

iking has always been a hobby for Social Studies Teacher Travis Schill. Whether that be back home in rural northern Pennsylvania, or in the mountains of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Schill has found ways to stay connected with what he enjoys doing. This is reflected in his professional career, where his love for education and teaching has brought him to teach six different subjects, across five countries and three continents in the last eight years.

Growing up in a small town with a population of 1,000 people, Schill’s childhood was quiet and filled with playing outdoors. “If you like trees or cows, it’s the place for you,” he said laughing.

Schill’s graduating high school class was comprised of 52 students. While employment in manual labor was prevalent for graduates around the area, Schill was certain that his career would take a different route, especially after basing his graduation project around planning and teaching a history class.

“I always knew that I was going to go into education,” he said. “I always loved school, I liked going to school, it seemed like an okay path for me.”

As an economics major in college, Schill applied many concepts he learned directly into his

life, including planning ahead and budgeting.

He paid for college himself, working in kitchens, pizza shops, saw mills and other places through high school and college to make money. Planning ahead proved worthy when he organized his college credits so that he could save money and study abroad during his senior year.

“I knew it would be expensive, and so I saved four of my easy economics classes, skipped them, jumped right to hard stuff, and saved easy ones for last semester, so I could save up during college by working, and then I was able to pay for that last semester to go to Sweden,” he said.

Schill studied abroad twice that year, going to Costa Rica for five weeks, and spending a full semester in Sweden.

This travel foreshadowed a future living around the world for Schill. Beforehand, he had only left the state of Pennsylvania a handful of times. “I didn’t travel very much,” he said. “Costa Rica was the first time I’d gotten on a plane.”

However, he had always had a desire to get out and see the world. “Being interested in economics, history, the world, it seemed very natural for me to spend some time travelling,” he said.

Following college, Schill began travelling.

His first teaching job was in Saudi Arabia,

where he spent a year teaching math and science. He said it was a fun and “educational year,” and joked that teaching middle school STEM classes as a high school social studies teacher was “super comfortable.”

After Saudi Arabia, Schill ventured to Mongolia, where he would spend the next two years teaching AP Economics and AP Psychology. The move enabled him to teach social studies, which

“

similar to my time in Mongolia but the pay was much better,” he said.

In those two years, Schill paid off his student loans, and then continued on his journey. Schill reached his last destination before London in the summer of 2016: Venezuela.

Particularly in China and Venezuela, Schill witnessed how culture and socio-political climates radiate in class, and he learned how to

All the moves I made were based on becoming a better teacher.

Travis Schill, Social Studies Teacher had always been his original goal. Schill said, living in Ulaanbaatar was incredible. “There was lots of nature,” he said.

Schill left Mongolia mainly for practical reasons – he wanted to pay off his student loans. “I was quite happy in Mongolia,” he said. “But I wasn’t making enough money to be debt free.”

So, he traveled just across the border into China, where he worked in Sichuan. “I spent two years in China, and basically it was very

adapt his teaching and refine his skills as an educator to accommodate. “People always have questions about the economy, and it often dovetails into local politics. I always try to refrain from talking too much about the local politics,” he said. “In places like China or Venezuela, I had to be a bit more conscientious about what I said.”

When posed with challenging questions, Schill was able to formulate answers sticking to education and his studies. “In Venezuela I’d

PHOTOS FROM TRAVIS SCHILL

Far left: Travis Schill hiking the Angel falls in Venezuela. Top right: Schill at the Colca Canyon in Peru. Left: Schill at a river in Jiuzhaigou Country in China.

Far right: Schill rides a camel in Terrelj National Park, Mongolia.

10 Features

The Standard

get a lot of political questions, so I’d did try to stick strictly to the economics, the cause and effects,” he said. “I wouldn’t necessarily say an action by the government was bad. I would talk about what the government did and what the results were.”

As an economics teacher living in a country that began experiencing hyper-inflation under a crumbling government, Schill got to see first hand the drastic real-world effects of his field of study.

The summer that Schill arrived in Venezuela, one U.S. dollar was worth “about 30” Bolivares, the now failing Venezuelan currency. By the summer of 2018, following political corruption and public riots, one U.S. dollar was about 10 million Bolivares. The government began to switch currencies, trying to make the Bolivar stronger, which led to more instability. For Schill, having a passion in economics and education, and witnessing 400x inflation occur before his eyes was something of an “eventful” experience.

In this environment, Schill participated in classes that were very different from anywhere else in the world. He explained how it was the only time in his teaching career where teaching inflation was “very easy.” For Schill, generally students don’t remember a time when things were cheaper so the idea that prices gradually increase over time is “kind of abstract and hard to visualize [for them].”

However, in Venezuela, “they got it like that,” Schill said, snapping his fingers. “I talked about inflation, and they’re like, ‘oh yeah, that happened this afternoon’.”

The economic complexities of living in Venezuela also connected to Schill’s personal life.

He had to buy and sell currency over the black market as he converted his pay in dollars into Bolivares for use. “I’d send a Bank of America transfer of $100 to [someone’s] account and they’d send me a million Bolivares,” he said.

This practice “wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds,” and extended to his students as well.

Schill noted how the odd situation actually resulted in increased understanding of economics from his students. “Buying and selling currency is often pretty abstract to students,” he said. “But my Venezuelan students were getting an allowance, and they were trading it and doing international exchange themselves, not through an ATM where it’s all done for you,” he said. “They were doing the negotiating themselves, so they understood the idea of a currency market better than my Chinese students ever did for example.”

Teaching around the world has reaffirmed for Schill that “every school has a different culture.” He explained how it is just like the way “teaching at ASL is very different from teach-

ing at any other school in London,” but, “that is compounded with different cultures and different geographical locations.”

The complexity and power of education was increased for Schill by teaching overseas. He recalled a memory from an economics class in China, where his students had a tough time comprehending abstract concepts taught in English. Schill explained how there were rigorous math programs and less focus on language at the school. Therefore, he sat down with a calculus teacher, and planned a lesson that would incorporate a lot of calculus. “I essentially retaught the lesson that they failed to grasp but as a calculus lesson and they got it immediately,” he said. “It was really quite interesting to see the compensation strategy for the language skills with mathematics. It was really interesting to think about calculus making things easier for them, because math is a universal language.”

For Schill, all the experiences he’s had throughout his career helped better his approach to his job. “All the moves I made were based on becoming a better teacher,” he said.

“I was always in places where the resources were limited. I would go and get what I was able to achieve, and then to continue growing.

I kind of needed to move on.”

Now recently settled in London, Schill is excited to explore a school “so well equipped with great resources and really fantastic teachers and wonderful community.”

Although used to a life on the go, Schill imagines himself staying in London longer.

“The ceiling for my professional growth here is not very limited,” he said, before adding, “and living out of two suitcases gets super old.”

“For eight years I bounced around, and that was fun especially as I was younger but now I like to stay in one place,” he said. “ASL is a fantastic place to stick around.”

“I ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO GO INTO EDUCATION.” SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER TRAVIS SCHILL

September 2019

Features 11

Black History: breaking c

Although Black History Month is a time to remember and ackno throughout history, Staff Writer Houdah Daniels feels there modern day members of the black communit

Houdah Daniel

A

s a black-British person who has lived in London my whole life and been at ASL since Grade 7, the entirety of my education studying black history has revolved around African-American slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. Furthermore, prior to attending ASL, I had always known Black History Month to be in October in the U.K., as opposed to following the February Black History Month in the U.S. From late September, our entire primary school would prepare for lessons, plays and performances dedicated to further understanding black history. This centred around activities such as reenacting Rosa Park’s Montgomery bus boycott in history class and reciting parts of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in English class.

While studying African American slavery and the consequential Civil Rights Movement is integral in understanding black history in general, learning of the struggles and adversities blacks have gone through over the years, should not overshadow the successes of black individuals and their accomplishments, which have

British empire expanded that black slaves were shipped across the seas to work on plantations in the Caribbean or the Americas. In 1772, when slavery was made illegal in Britain, many of these black people worked as butlers or other household attendants of wealthy white households. This is a fact recognized in modern-day culture

by Joseph Marcell’s portrayal of Geoffrey Butler in the early 90’s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”.

Despite Geoffrey fulfilling

the role of a black butler, the sitcom challenges these traditional depictions by casting a black aristocratic family that Will Smith’s character moves in with. Throughout the six seasons, the show explores and defies the history and realities of race and class.

One aspect of traditional depictions that the show challenges is the relationship between a mother and her son in a black household.

Through the show’s portrayal of Smith’s relationship with his mother, they shed light on the necessity for society to understand the hardships of a woman raising a black son,

certainly wasn’t the first sitcom to celebrate black actors and actresses, this show and others of the like, paved the way for further celebrations and ownership of black culture, but also the ability to redefine what it means to be black.

Fast forward 22 years to February of 2018, the fantasy/science fiction film “Black Panther” has become the ninth highest-grossing film of all time.

In the article “The Revolutionary Power of Black Panther” featured in TIME magazine, journalist Jamil Smith states, “if you are reading this and you are white, seeing people who look like you in mass media probably isn’t something you think about often.”

As a young black woman watching Black Panther with white friends, admittedly, my initial concern was whether they would “get it” - whether they would understand certain references, jokes, or depictions. This was before I cam to the realization that when I had watched predominantlywhite screenings, or when anyone watched predominantly-white screen-

Why was that?

After seeing “Black Panther”, I almost didn’t even want to have a conversation about it. When my friends asked me what I thought of the film, I said “good,” leaving them unsatisfied. I wanted to accept that embracing African prints, accepting non-English language, seeing different afro-hairstyles or seeing black people in China were normal. All of those things, if not mine, were someone else’s reality.

While the women warriors of “Dora Milaje” were fictional in “Black Panther”, the all-female “Dahomey Amazons” military regiment was real in 19th Century Benin.

While the Vibranium

LEARNING ABOUT THE HISTORIC STRUGGLES AND ADVERSITIES BLACK PEOPLE HAVE FACED SHOULD NOT OVERSHADOW THEIR SUCCESSES AND THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. made a lasting impact on today’s popular culture.

According to “BBC” article “The First Black Britons”, an aspect of black history that was often left out or brushed over in my own education (despite living in London) was recognizing that enslaved Afro-Caribbeans existed in Britain. The first few black Britons have lived in Britain since the 12th century, and it was only as the

12 Culture FeaturesCommentary

especially in neighbourhoods where a common perception is that black boys come from unstable homes. From Smith’s mother's perspective, she is a black woman who carries herself with dignity and class; this too confronts the stereotype that black women end up pregnant as teenagers, and subsequently struggle to care for their child(ren).

While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

ings, there was never a question of whether or not people would “get it”, whether people would understand certain references, jokes or depictions - because that had become the accepted norm. It’s common to have a “token” person of color in mainstream media, yet when there was a predominantly black cast which succeeded in mainstream media, my main concern was that people wouldn't “get it.”

metal essential to the plot of “Black Panther” may be fictional, oil, gas and gold are three of Africa’s highest economically valued minerals. While the country of Wakanda may be fictional, melanistic big cat species are real and, in the form of a leopard, black panthers can be found both in Asia and Africa, specifically in the Kromdraai Conservancy of South Africa. I wanted to accept those

The Standard

chains, bringing change

owledge the accomplishments and struggles of black individuals e should also be attention placed on the work and success of ty, and their influence on younger generations.

ls | Staff Writer

things as a reality because, despite mainstream media neglecting African culture and black beauty for so many years, it still existed nevertheless.

While I wanted to eradicate race from the conversation and applaud the production for being a phenomenal production, the truth is that part of its phenomena was attributed to the reality that it was able to transform and celebrate minority, overlooked, neglected groups into the mainstream, and that in and of itself deserved slightly more than a “good” on my behalf.

Beyond “Black Panther,” actress

Lupita Nyong’o has been an influential figure in advocating for black rights, especially for women.

Although times are ever-changing, a decade ago, scrolling through online clothing websites, flicking through magazines, seeing billboards, or watching modelling shows on TV, the mass media represented a strict image of a beautiful woman, and that was one who resembled European features of white skin and mostly blonde, sometimes brunette hair.

In mainstream fashion magazines throughout history, black women of a lighter complexion, which resembles caramel as opposed to ebony, have been deemed more beautiful and desirable due to their more “palatable” features. Black women were appreciated the most when they had features prominent in European cultures, such as blue eyes, wavy hair and a slim nose. For instance, last year in July, “Essence” released an article acknowledging then five-year-old Jare as “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” praised for her “doll-like features.”

While this celebrates black women with such features, this genetic make-up tends to be so rare that it often forces the other majority black women to seek other methods of enhancing their beauty, such as wearing

women celebrities, as there was a desire to resemble being mixed race. Appearing to have fairer skin was more palatable and actors and actresses could be more versatile in movies.

For black women who didn’t obtain such features, being told by mainstream media that they weren’t deemed as beautiful was detrimental not only for them but for the rest of society. In my personal experience, creating social media accounts before the age of 10, I was already exposed to these conflicts. Growing up on “black” social media and messengers, there was an evergoing conflict of “light-skinned vs. dark-skinned” women.

There was a constant shift of individual appearance in order to match the trends of social media at the time.

There were dark-skinned women with naturally rounder noses who would contour their noses to match a slimmer look just as there were lightskinned women with naturally thin lips who would overline their lips to appear to have fuller, rounder lips.

From a young age, I was exposed to the toxic reality that, instead of being taught how to seek acceptance

what beauty is in order to love and accept myself. Ironically, 11-year-old me came to this realization scrolling on Instagram and landing on a post quoting “believe in your own slay.”

While I have since deleted Instagram, this motto is one that I have carried with me in learning to accept myself for the things I cannot change, and instead focusing on bettering those that I can in order to feel my best.

If magazines such as Vogue rarely feature black figures, why not instead look at “Ebony”? If “Rush Hair” did not cater to afro hairstyles in the ways I was accustomed to, why not search the depths of “Harlesden” for the underrated women who were masters of their craft? Furthermore, since mainstream media, in general, had failed to represent and appreciate those that not only looked like me but spoke like me, dressed like me or even thought like me, I instead sought the inspiration from members of my surroundings such as family, friends and relatives to rewrite my definition of what beauty was.

I’ve realized that while there certainly is a story from outer appearance of skin tone and facial features, those things are essentially the con-

I’VE RECOGNIZED THAT SOCIETY’S PERCEPTION OF BEAUTY HAS SELDOM MIRRORED GIRLS WHO LOOK LIKE ME She encourages embracing natural beauty, specifically feeling comfortable in her own skin and with her hair texture.

For many black girls growing up, wearing hair extensions, weaves, wigs, or even perming their hair is common as it protects and strengthens their natural hair, but also because of the image society has deemed as beautiful through the lack of diversity portrayed in mass media.

unmatched make-up shades, bleaching their skin or even plastic surgery.

From my own experience

growing up watching Ghanaian and Nigerian television, commonly known as Nollywood, I would often see actors and actresses as one shade and then several shades lighter in other movies as a result of having bleached their skin. This was a common practice, particularly with

and discover inner beauty, young females, in particular, were being encouraged to seek external or virtual enhancements (such as surgery or facetune) in order to gain validation on social media, supposedly as a fuel to self-love.

Growing up in the Western

hemisphere, I’ve recognized that society’s perception of beauty has seldom mirrored girls who look like me, and has forced me to redefine

stant variables in the larger equation which consists of one’s entire being; their nationality, their accent, their idea of home, their family history, their associations, their beliefs, their accomplishments, their lessons learnt and so on. While being black in and of itself tells wonders of my ancestral history, I will not allow the chains of black history to interfere, or better still, prohibit my future aspirations, despite what society says.

Photo Credit:

Photos used with permission from Flickr.com, Gage Skidmore, John Vachon, NP Gallery, Library of Congress's Print and Photographs Division, National Park Service, Imperial War Museum, Wikimedia Commons,

September 2019

Culture Commentary Features 13

Creating community and chaos Religion can play a controversial role in shaping communities; it’s important for maintaining traditions and acts as a guide to life, yet it can also serve as a catalyst for major international conflicts.

Lea George | Lead Features Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY ZAINAB SHAFQAT ADIL

14 Features

The Standard

J

udaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and so many more. There is no question about the prevalence of religion in the world today. For some, religion determines their daily rituals, their habits, their morals and even their politics. Whether it’s maintaining Shabbat every Friday evening and Saturday, or it’s attending church every Sunday or simply not believing at all, the question of the role of religion is one that differs for all individuals.

Though living in a multi-confessional world cultivates an array of cultures and identities, history has shown that at times, religion can be the harshest form of division. According to the Encyclopedia of Wars, written by Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod, out of the 1,763 wars, around 123 of such conflicts were primarily fuelled by religious differences.

So, does religion really act as a form of unification, or does it just cause devastation?

Social Studies Teacher Christopher Wolf, who identifies as Christian, used to practice the Roman Catholic division of Christianity. However, in the past decade, Wolf has strayed from this denomination, only adhering to the fundamental beliefs of his religion instead. “In particular in the Roman Catholic tradition, the institution has wandered away from the true message and the faith,” he said. “Personally, participating in the practice does more to remind me of the failings of the institution than it does to remind me of the issues of the faith.”

Although Wolf feels that his religion has played a role in influencing his beliefs and morals, he does not feel as though it has emulated explicitly in his day to day life. “In the past eight or ten years, the practice side has kind of fallen out, although I largely maintain most of the beliefs,” he said.

For Micaella Lavi (’21), who identifies as Jewish, religion is less of a belief than it is a culture.

“ I t ’s been that tradition and that culture, but less of that believing in what people have to say,” she said.

Lavi feels as though listening to others preach the specific meaning of a religion is not as impactful as the culture it can cultivate.

September 2019

Being Jewish and Israeli, Lavi feels as though the religious and cultural components of her life are very much intertwined. Her definition of religion reflects this. “[Religion is] tradition and it’s being part of a community,” she said.

Like Lavi, Daniel Philips (’21), who is also Jewish, feels as though religion is a driving factor of his identity and upbringing. He believes that this is one of the benefits that religion brings to society. “I went to a Hebrew school for a few years. I already built up a community that I’m still part of today. I’ve known [these] people for almost all of my life,” he said. “There aren’t very many Jews, especially [very] religious Jews in the world, and you feel almost a connection to

someone else who’s Jewish when you find out that they’re Jewish,” Philips said.

However, in contrast to Lavi, Philips views religion as set of answers to questions one may have about the world. “I look to religion for questions to be answered, to unite people and because it gives us a set of rules to follow,” he said.

Similarly, Hend Al-Khater (’20) who is Muslim, sees religion as a sort of guideline to life. “I have to pray five times a day, and I have to abide by the rules of my religion,” she said.

Al-Khater said that a major benefit that religion can bring to the table is that it influences people’s decisions for the better. “It kind of helps the world function because there these moral problems that religion can help with as well,” she said.

Lavi said that another benefit that religion can contribute to a society is that it provides people with a sense of hope. “Hope is so beautiful,” she said. “Religion was built and made to cultivate hope.”

Although Wolf no longer prac-

tices Roman Catholic traditions, he said that the main contributing factor all religions have to modern society is their advocacy for a philanthropic lifestyle. “Most religions are going to say, especially all universally recognized religions, ‘here’s an ethical code; the ethical code is good’, and they provide a reason for it, which is beneficial for everyone,” he said. “The more people are participating and being good to one another, then the better off we all are.”

On the other hand, although Charlie Park (’20) does recognize the moral lessons that religions preach, he said that such ideas come naturally to humans. “I don’t need a book to tell me to be nice to people, or I don’t need some 2,000 year old transcript to say that I need to have some sort of purpose or some sort of goal in life,” he said.“You naturally want to do that because it’s beneficial for yourself and your community.”

Park was brought up in a Catholic family. However, what he remembers are not the lessons he was taught in Church, but rather the confusion that accompanied them. “I didn’t really buy it from the get-go,” he said.

“I was six, and I remember thinking, ‘this doesn’t make a lot of sense, this seems like a very different rule to the world I’m living in’.”

However, Park said that in life, there must be a reason behind everything. “There’s a clear structure of life, the way organisms are created.

From a molecular level, it’s very unlikely that all of those atoms would combine and create a living breathing organism that can move around and interact with other organisms,” he said.

But, Park does not “subscribe to any religion.” Religion is different from a belief of what’s going on,” he said.

For Philips, loyalty and intense devotion to one’s faith may be what is constantly fuelling argument and turmoil across belief systems. He said that many conflicts that are sparked by religious differences stem from a lack of empathy rather than religion itself. “If you feel so strongly about your faith, the other person will feel really strongly about their faith,” he said.

However, according to Philips, what ultimately results in such extensive and prevalent conflicts is not only loyalty, but also extremism. “[Extremism] starts conflicts that will last for days, months, years, instead of simply disagreeing with someone,” he said.

Similarly, Lavi said that although the concept of hope can be beneficial for society, it can come to a point where people are too defensive of their religion and slight disagreements can lead to horrific consequences. “When someone dismisses what you believe in, and doesn’t believe in why you believe in it or al-

most extinguishes your hope. One, it causes turmoil, and two, it ignites a passion to fight for what you believe in,” she said.

Unfortunately, with passion comes extreme behavior. “People have taken [religion] out of context, and have taken it to extreme places where it is the one thing that can be focused on and it’s the one hope there is, where in reality, there’s a thousand other things you could be hopeful for,” Lavi said.

A l - Khater said that in the end, religion does unify o u r society because at their core, most religions are fundamentally the same.

I feel like it does unite people.

“Lots of religions have the same basic rules. For example, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, stem from the same belief,” she said. “So, whenever you meet someone, you can have something in common with them, without knowing anything about them.”

Looking at it from a historical standpoint, Wolf discusses two types of religious practices. The first, orthopractic, are individuals who may not necessarily believe in the religious ideology themselves, but maintain the practices and traditions it preaches. The second, orthodoxic, is comprised of individuals who believe that their religion or practice is the only truth and the sole correct one. “orthodoxic religions though, tend to create more conflict and division because there is a true belief which makes all other beliefs inherently not true,” he said.

Additionally, Wolf believes that there are two reasons that explain why religion has ignited countless conflicts. First, when religious institutions begin to have a motive other than simply explaining their values, such as a dogma, and second, when religion becomes integrated in politics. “At different times, orthodoxic religions have opted for the idea that part of their mission is to push

their true belief onto other people,” Wolf said. “So, once a religion has a dogma, or orthodoxy, then anything that’s not of that orthodox belief set, has to be either expunged, eliminated or converted.”

Alternatively, Park sees such conflicts stemming from human nature.

He believes that as humans, there is no doubt that we desire to be a part of something. Park describes subscribing to a religion as pure “tribalism.” “A lot of it also has to do with humans. Naturally and instinc-

tively, we want to be tribal, we want to form groups, we want to separate ourselves from others,” he said.

However, Park said that as society progresses, this is becoming less of the case. “We’re moving away from that. We’re kind of homogenizing, and everyone is interacting now,” he said. “But before, people used [religion] as a way to protect themselves and surround themselves with likeminded people.”

In contrast to Park, Lavi considers religion to be an overall necessity. “Religion has its drawbacks, but it’s also beautiful. It’s a cultivation of hope, and I just don’t think the world will ever exist without it,” she said.

On the other hand, Wolf sees it as unlikely that the idea of having multiple religions can unite a society, but rather what unites us is the fact that we all have a desire to understand the world we live in. “As humans, it would be hard to say [...] that religion or particular religions unify anyone,” he said. “But, maybe the idea that we need belief systems to make sense of the world is a fundamental aspect of all humans.”

Features 15

The man across campus Poet and educator Kwame Alexander is spending the year at school, filling the new Innovator-in-Residence position. Alexander details his place as a writer and path to poetry.

John Towfighi Editor-in-Chief

O

n any given day, students and teachers are seen coming and going from the same corner of the Mellon Library near the blue stairs. However, they are not going to study and are actually meeting with published poet, educator and current Innovator-In-Residence, Kwame Alexander.

Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Alexander is the school’s first Innovator, and holds office hours in this tucked away library spot when not speaking at events or engaging with specific classes.

Nearly three decades into his professional career as a writer and poet and with 33 published books under his belt, Alexander brings inspiration for students and teachers alike. As Innovator-in-Residence, Alexander will work with students across all three divisions of the school, as well as help with faculty and staff development.

Taking the job tested Alexander’s creativity, as he entered a position with minimal guidelines and no previous examples. However, this only excited him. “I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so to be the inaugural Innovator-In-Residence, it’s great,” he said. “It’s also great to sort of have these ingredients and then be able to sort of figure out what kind of meal I’m going to make.”

Alexander’s move overseas and adjustment to ASL has been eventful, as he said he feels inspired by the community and thinks it’s good to be out of his comfort zone. “I realized I had been in a rhythm and a comfort zone in the States, and ... I feel like I just needed to switch it up and mix it up a bit to challenge myself so I can sort of reach another level and I feel like that’s happening here,” he said.

Alexander works with guitarist Randy Preston to combine poetry and music to create an interactive performance. Alexander explained how the fluidity of words and improvised delivery backed by music enables him to reach the audience with the time he has. “I need to be able to engage you and inspire you and empower you. I want to say a whole lot, and what I’m saying has to be really meaningful and significant,” he said. “For me the best way to do that is through verse, because it’s immediate, and it’s emotional, and it allows me to tell a story, and I’m able to do all those things in that short amount of time.”

Alexander’s greatest passion is poetry, however he views his biggest challenge as turning that passion into a career. “To be able to make a living from writing … I always knew that’s where I wanted to get,” he said. “You can grow doubtful and weary and want to quit. I’ve been there a bunch of times. How do you not quit? Well you just gotta stick in there and give it another shot ...

I had some idea about how I was gonna get there and that changed 10, 15 different times.”

Alexander’s career was propelled into motion during his time as a student at Virginia Tech. He re-

16 Features

Isabelle Lhuilier Deputy Editor in Chief: Print

members a particularly significant moment - a protest, in the snow, against the university’s support of Apartheid-related corporations where he read one of his poems. “I just remember feeling, A: like I was able to capture the moment, B: that people connected with that, and C: like I was doing something that mattered,” he said.

“

ander’s proposal, which encouraged him to find a way for himself.

During this time span, Alexander took on a myriad of projects to engage with writing.

For five years he produced a book fair for The Washington Post. He turned to writing plays, including an American idol for poets which he

The writing is the central thing in my life, the stories so everything feeds that. It’s all connected.

Kwame Alexander Innovator-in-Residence Simultaneously, Alexander saw the success of his poetry in his personal life. “I met this woman, who I wanted to go on a date with, and I wrote her a poem and she went to Pizza Inn with me,” he said. “Five dollar buffet, all you can eat, and I just kept eating, I had no etiquette whatsoever, and [thought] she’d never go out with me again… and she ended up marrying me.”

That is when Alexander knew he wanted to become a poet. “I was like, ‘this poetry thing is going to work out,’” he said.

In a 23 year span of self-publishing, Alexander’s career took various turns. His father, a publisher of novels, initially turned down Alex-

spent nine months in Hollywood trying to sell.

Although Alexander enjoyed all he took part in, he felt that none of it allowed him to “really build something.”

Alexander’s novel “The Crossover” won the Newbery Medal in 2013 which was a fond memory for him. Alexander’s recent endeavours in writing verse style novels showed him that poetry and writing were things that he truly connected with.

From travel to cooking to jazz music, everything that Alexander loves influences his poetry and his work. “The writing is the central thing in my life,

the stories, so everything feeds that. It’s all connected,” he said.

Walking onto the stage to give a presentation, Alexander exudes confidence. However, he confessed that he often feels uneasy during the minutes he waits backstage. “Nobody knows that when I go on stage I am completely freaked out and nervous.

I just take that leap,” he said “I’ve done it so much, I know in my mind like ‘dude it’s gonna work out,’ but it doesn’t change the fact that I am nervous as hell when I go out there.”

Yet, these nerves dissipate within a minute as Alexander gets a laugh from the audience and begins to feel at home on the stage. “I’m like ‘oh it’s a wrap now.’ Then I’m the complete opposite,” he said. “In my mind I go from ‘what am I going to say what am I going to do? Oh my goodness.’ I’m sweating and then I get out there, I say something, I get a laugh and I say to myself immediately ‘dude you are the man.’ It switches like that and I never go back.”

Ultimately, for Alexander, his role as a poet extends beyond just sharing his writing, and into a larger movement of building connections between people. “This concise, rhythmic, figurative language is going to be able to help me connect with you, help you connect with me, help us connect with this idea, these themes, these topics, these stories, that really they’re all tied to love and relationship and us becoming more empathetic and understanding and ultimately more human,” he said.

PHOTO BY LYDIA CRUMP

Kwame Alexander speaks to Grade 7 students in the Mellon Library Sept. 13 as part of the Seven Questions With series alongside guitarist and friend Randy Preston.

The Standard

“TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THE WRITING, I ALWAYS KNEW THAT’S WHERE I WANTED TO GET. ” KWAME ALEXANDER

The Crossover Published: 2015 Won 2015 Newbury Medal

Solo Published 2017 Nominated for Goodreads choice award

PHOTO BY LYDIA CRUMP

Booked Published 2016 Nominated for Goodreads choice award

PHOTO BY JOHN TOWFIGHI

Top: Kwame Alexander signs a copy of his book ‘Swing’ Sept. 9 after hosting an evening event of jazz and storytelling.

Bottom: Kwame Alexander holds office hours in the far right corner of the Mellon

September 2019

Rebound Published 2018 Nominated for Carnegie Medal and Goodreads choice award Features 17

CULTURE

‘Vox’ exposes the past and present of America Christina Dalcher’s enticing new novel “Vox” gives insight into an eerie alternate America where the government wants to turn back time and take away women’s rights.

Emily Forgash | Culture Editor: Print

I

magine this: one day, all of your finances get transferred to your significant other. A few days later, you’re told that you no longer have a job. After that, you are given a mandatory bracelet that limits you to 100 words per day, and shocks you in increments for every 10 words you let spill over the limit.

Now, if you’re a male, stop imagining;

this doesn’t apply to you. In fact, all of your wife’s or your sister’s finances are suddenly in your bank account. If you are gay, don’t be. You must get married to a female as soon as possible or face being sent to a concentration camp.

These are the horrific laws that are put in place in current day America in Christina Dalcher’s addictive debut book, “Vox.” The novel’s protagonist, Jean McClellan, is a mother of three and wife to Patrick McClellan.

Prior to her job being stripped away from her, Jean was a neuroscientist developing a cure to a brain disease that makes people speak gibberish.

Once the all male government implements bans on women’s voices, the gender split in the McClellan family becomes more apparent than ever before. Through the teachings of these new ideals in school, Jean’s oldest son, Steven, starts to believe in the messages that the government has begun to persistently preach.

One slogan they emphasize

is, “God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of every man and man is the head of the woman.”

In addition to obliterating equality of the sexes, the government is trying to turn back time to the 1950s. They try to instill a mindset that women are good for nothing except being mothers and doing domestic work: the stereotypical housewife image.

However, Jean gets the chance to rebel against the housewife mould the government is trying to shove her into when the President’s brother gets into a skiing accident and starts to speak gibberish.

Jean agrees to continue developing her cure for the president as long as her and her daughter’s bracelets get removed immediately. But the benefits of Jean’s new job don’t just end there; she gets to start work again with her past lover, Lorenzo Rossi, who she had an affair with while she was married.

Their love for each other only grows stronger and more intense the more time she spends with him.

Through Lorenzo and her newfound power as a relatively free woman, Jean works to keep her and her daughter safe in a world that is trying to silence them from all sides.

The plot of “Vox” made it impossible to put down, even as I was walking through the busy streets of California over summer; getting hit by a car was of secondary concern. I couldn’t take my mind off of what life would be like if women in America were being censored in this way. I was having a mental debate about whether a regulation as extreme as the 100 word rule could possibly ever happen in “the land of the free.”

Can we rule something like this out?

Memes are popping up on the internet every day about women solely doing domestic work. These “jokes” must come from real prejudices procured throughout history. “Jokes” have also been made about abortions. So, if abortion freedom can be reversed, couldn’t women’s freedom?

These mental debates are necessary in this day and age, and “Vox” is a fantastic conversation starter. Even if something to this extreme wouldn’t happen in America, it’s important to note what this book says about American culture.

“Vox” eerily hits just a little too close to home. When the Trump Administration broadcasts the “Make America Great Again” slogan all throughout the country, it is reasonable to assume

PHOTO FROM AMAZON

they are referring to the mid 20th century when the American economy was booming on a global scale, but gender equality was sorely lacking.

The 1950s in America solely benefitted rich, white men. Some black people couldn’t even vote yet due to socioeconomic barriers, and women were being reduced to housewives. In addition, everyone was conforming to social norms rather than standing up and speaking out.

The parallels that can be drawn between the goals of the American government in “Vox” and the real-life American government today are scary and shocking. Although I’m pretty confident that women in America won’t have to wear word-restricting bracelets anytime soon, the fact that the two different Americas are similar in many ways sets off alarms. Not only is “Vox” thrilling, deeply upsetting and full of romance, it also gives insight into America’s past, present and future.

PHOTO FROM PIXABAY/ARTSYBEE

“IF ABORTION FREEDOM CAN BE REVERSED, COULDN’T WOMEN’S FREEDOM?” 18 Culture

The Standard

Music catalyzes social change With an increase in accessibility to music, songs and artists’ platforms can be a source of education on social issues and call for change.

Imogen Weiss | Media Director

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she immediately looked up the lyrics and watched the music video. “Nothing was sugar-coated. After listening to the lyrics again, I thought [the song] was really powerful because it’s not necessarily a song you’d think would be a social commentary, but [drunk driving] is a real issue that does affect people,” she said.

Similarly to Blanks, Social Studies Teacher Terry Gladis enjoyed listening to political rap groups such as N.W.A. and Public Enemy when

As part of the curriculum for Contemporary Global History—one of Gladis’ classes—students examine music from the late 20th century that has a social commentary. “The ’70s and the ’80s were unbelievable times for protest music. It captured a lot of anger and anxiety in political and global situations,” Gladis said.

However, Gladis has noticed a shift from artists discussing more global issues to a focus on domestic problems in the U.S. “Protest songs

“

them. “A lot of people aren’t getting the same education that we get at ASL, so minds are not being opened up to all of the problems going on. Music is the perfect medium to educate people on societal issues since it’s so accessible,” he said.

Blanks shares the same sentiment as Gladis, as she said “music is a place where everyone can share their opinion and the way they see the world, which is incredibly important because there aren’t many other platforms that are as inclusive and broad.”

Music is a place where everyone can share their opinions and the way they see the world.

Zein Blanks (’22) he was in college. “It’s funny [that] as [a] white male that grew up in an upper-middle-class family that music resonated so much with me,” he said.

“Could I put myself as a part of their message? No. I’m who they were protesting against in the grand scheme of things [but] I remember thinking ‘these guys are really taking a stance and doing something’!”

have become increasingly targeted and more regional to certain groups of people,” he said. “I can think of ten songs off the top of my head that talk about police brutality, or the Prison Industrial Complex.”

Gladis thinks this shift is in part due to music being more accessible and artists really wanting to share their stories and raise awareness for issues affecting

In addition, Benjamin-MacDonald said that the rise of social media has given artists even more of a platform to share their music. “If an artist releases a song, it is easier to spread the message to their followers through a post or an Instagram story,” she said.

However, Tom Deagan (’20) would like to see more artists utilize their platforms to take a stance in the same way

Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande have.

Deagan felt empowered by Swift’s “You Need To Calm Down,” which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. “In the music video, she recruited many important leaders in the LGBTQ+ rights movement ...

It was empowering as a community to see that type of representation in mainstream media,” he said.

Additionally, in the wake of the Manchcester Arena bombing May 22, 2017, Deagan believes Grande’s efforts to bring people together through music and stand up against terrorism “showed the power music has.” “One Love Manchester was an incredible moment in history. Ariana Grande could have cancelled her tour, but she instead used her power to create this beautiful moment and help people heal,” he said.

Moving forward, Benjamin-MacDonald would like to see music continue to raise awareness for social causes and “bring people together because the political climate right now is so divisive,” she said.

Blanks, Gladis and Deagan all agree that music can be a catalyst for social change, sparking necessary dialogues.

However, Blanks said “everyone needs to already have a piece of themselves that wants to make the world a better place in the first place for real change to take place.”

PHOTOS BY EMILY FORGASH

ooking outside her bedroom window as a young child in Cairo, Egypt, Zein Blanks (’22) could see people being violently arrested for speaking up against Egypt’s increasingly militaristic regime. Years later, when Blanks heard “M.A.A.D City” by Kendrick Lamar, his words resonated with her, even though the lyrics discuss police brutality in the U.S. “Something just clicked. I really understood what he was saying because I had seen firsthand some of the things he describes in the song,” she said.

Growing up in a “very politically active household, with a lot of very strong opinions,” Blanks developed an interest in human rights. As she grew older, her love for social justice and music intertwined when she discovered political rap. “One of the things I love about political rap is that the message of the songs are quite understated and the beat is always catchy, so you can search for the deeper meaning of the lyrics or just listen to a catchy song,” she said.

When Olivia Benjamin-MacDonald (’21) listens to music, she usually does not pick up on the lyrics to a song the first time she hears it. However, Benjamin-MacDonald was so struck by the lyrics to Joyner Lucas’ “Frozen,” which discusses drunk driving, that

From left: Tom Deagan (’20), Zein Blanks (’22) and Olivia Benjamin-MacDonald (’21) hold songs that speak to them.

September 2019

Culture 19

British media targets Meghan Markle The Duchess of Sussex has become topical in the press and has been scrutinized because of biases toward her race and gender.

S

Maddy Whitman | Media Editor

ince marrying Prince Harry Mountbatten-Windsor, the Duke of Sussex in May 2018, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex has become a breathing bullseye for the British media. Markle, originally making headlines for being the first woman

of color and the first American since 1937 in the Royal Family, has since received constant backlash. The criticism thrown at her ranges from claims of breaking royal protocol by closing a car door to accusations from “The Sun” that she is “damaging the throne.”

Markle hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary. She has followed the customary charitable work required of a royal, adhered to her national duties and has already introduced a new member into the family.

However, her pregnancy was different from what the public experienced previously with other royal babies in that the couple decided to keep it more private.

Although this was likely a decision made by both Markle and Mountbatten-Windsor, journalPHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION FROM MARK JONES/ FLICKR ists immediately pinned

these changes on Markle. Many news outlets wrote articles shaming her for keeping her pregnancy private. In April 2019, “The Sun” reported all of the royal pregnancy traditions Markle broke saying, “the former ‘Suits’ actress may be using her time to swot up on royal protocol.”

Similar to past royals, the most recent being Kate Middleton, Markle was involved with British “Vogue.” Whereas most royals have only been featured on the front cover, Markle guest edited the September 2019 issue. Before the issue was released, Markle was criticized for being associated with the magazine as a member of the Royal Family. Then, when she dedicated her issue to influential women changing the world, she was labeled fake and an attention-seeker. Had any other royal used their platform for change, they would be praised and portrayed as a role model.

Why is it that something that could easily be a decision made by both Mountbatten-Windsor and

Markle is always negatively attached to her?

Markle doesn’t fit the typical mold of a Royal, yet the only difference she holds to the other members is that she isn’t white or British. The prejudice against people of color in the media has been ever present since these outlets existed. Also being a woman, the media seems to negatively target Markle for anything that could be deemed unusual for a royal couple to do.

However, pairing Markle with the family that embodies British history and culture, Markle has been treated like she’s plaguing the family.

Looking at the larger impact of Markle’s presence, her addition is positive.

Markle has broken down a barrier that’s existed since the start of the country’s monarchy, when it comes to diversity in the Royal Family. Markle has affirmed that people of color belong at the forefront of the country, being a representative of the nation’s values and beliefs. As a country, people need to reassess their views of Markle, and look at the bigger picture of what she does for the country

and how she is a role model for other people of color, specifically women.

Keeping an open mind is something that I feel is really important for everyone in the future. Sometimes, we have tendencies to hold people to the judgements we make upon first impressions or other interactions, but everyone has a different story that defines them. Why are these judgements of Markle calling her selfish and ‘sabotaging’ made when people don’t know the specific justification for her decisions? Why does she have an obligation to share her entire personal life with the public? The media assumes her intentions are cynical, but the public has no idea of the thought process behind a certain decision.

The treatment of Markle is a reminder that prejudice based on one’s identity is prevalent today, and through awareness of both ourselves and others, we can combat stereotypes and inequality. Her ability to overcome the obstacles before her is an example to others that discriminatory barriers can be broken.

‘Waitress’ whisks up West End success This musical is full of decadent baking, indepedent women and exuberant songs to entertain all audiences.

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

T

he fantastic Broadway Musical, “Waitress,” with music and lyrics

by Sara Bareilles, is playing in the Adelphi Theatre until Jan. 4, 2020. It is located on The Strand, nestled between Embankment, Charing Cross and Covent Garden tube stations. The theater is recognizable from at least a block away, thanks to the large blue and pink illuminated “Waitress” sign.

Upon arrival, the theater has an inviting atmosphere and smells like freshly baked cherry pie. Ladies dressed in pink waitress costumes hold trays of tiny mason jars filled with pie, which offers a sweet and almost comforting diner-like feel to the theater that makes one feel at home.

“Waitress” is based on a movie of the same name by Adrienne Shelly.

The broadway show originally opened in London on Feb. 8, 2018, featuring stars like Katherine McPhee and Jack McBrayer. Currently, Lucie Jones plays Jenna Hunterson, a waitress at Joe’s Pie Diner in the south of the U.S.

20 Culture

Jenna is in an abusive relationship and finds out that she is pregnant, so uses baking as a way to escape her miserable home life. With the help of her friends,

“

And makes you believe it’s all true/ And now I’ve got you/And you’re not what I asked for/If I’m honest I know I would give it all back/For a

Catchy tunes, heartfelt ballads and sad melodies fill the show’s setlist, and there was never a dull moment.

Becky and Dawn, Jenna learns the importance of resilience and friendship.

Catchy tunes, heartfelt ballads and sad melodies fill the show’s setlist, and ensure there was never a dull moment. Some of the best lyrics of the show include, “Make it sweet/Crimp the edges/Or make it sour and serve with lemon wedges/Even doubt/Can be delicious/And it washes off of all the dirty dishes” from “What Baking Can Do,” “It’s not what I asked for/ Sometimes life just slips in through a back door/And carves out a person/

chance to start over” from “She Used to Be Mine” and “What’s inside?/ Everyone wants to know what’s inside/And I always tell them but I/Feel more than words can say/You wanna know what’s inside?/Simple question, so then what’s the answer?/My whole life is in here/In this kitchen baking/What a mess I’m making” from “What’s Inside.”

The setting and characters were so captivating, and the songs are so heartfelt and honest that I felt part of the show myself.

The set is cleverly designed, and the pies are creatively named and described. The pie board in the diner setting includes pies with quirky names, such as ‘My Husband’s A Jerk Chicken Potpie,’ ‘Love Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness Pie’ and ‘Where There’s a Whisk, There’s a Way,’ to name a few. I was so interested in the pies on the set that I actually looked into buying the recipe book, which is called “Sugar Butter Flour, recipes from the files of Jenna Hunterson.”

I haven’t made any pies yet, but I plan on making the Deep-Dish Blueberry Bacon Pie, which consists of a gingersnap cookie pie crust, bacon streusel and a lemon blueberry filling.

The experience combined with the show was absolutely fantastic. I can

wholeheartedly say that I 100% recommend “Waitress”, and if you get the chance to see the show before it closes in January, you will not be disappointed.

The Standard

Sports

New season welcomes new faces

Two of ASL’s newest coaching additions, Quentin Hoad and Lydia MacDonell, describe their experiences playing sports and how they got into coaching.

Michael Flaherty | Sports Editor: Online

Quentin Hoad

Head Coach, JJV boys soccer How did you get the job at ASL? I was the assistant manager to [Assistant Athletic Director] Pranay [Dhanani], for the team he coaches outside of ASL. He knew that ASL was looking for a coach so he messaged me to come in for an interview with [Athletics Director John] Farmer.

What do you think so far about the program at ASL? Straight from the interview with Mr. Farmer, I was impressed with how things were run here. It’s got a very professional atmosphere compared to most schools where I know they’re fairly relaxed with their sports.

The facilities are amazing, the equip-

ment is all [at Canons Park] and I’m surprised at how well it’s run here.

What are your goals for this season and your team?

My main goal in taking [up coaching] the JJV team is to improve the players because there are a lot of freshmen and [sophomores], so they will be looking to make JV and varsity in the coming years. I’ll be looking to facilitate that and help them improve so that they can do that in the coming years. I’d also like them to enjoy it and have a successful season, so obviously winning is a part of that, but I wouldn’t say that is my main aim.

With a younger team, how do you plan on growing them into better soccer players?

I think creating an atmosphere within the players where they all know each other, and get along well. Some of them had preseason with the varsity and JV lads, so they have come up against some tough opposition.

How did you get into playing soccer?

I started playing soccer when I was 15 years old. I couldn’t play football on Saturdays, but after I moved house, I started playing football, as I hadn’t really played it. [In] my 11th and 12th grade, I went to a football specific school and it just sort of took off from there.

JJV boys soccer Head Coach Quentin Hoad

What got you into coaching girls field hockey?

Obviously, I’ve played a lot and I love playing, and I like the idea of using my knowledge. And so I got asked to do a little bit for a company when I was playing internationally.

It’s a company that runs coaching camps, and for schools, but [has] international reach for the players that do it. So that got me into it. And then I got asked by my university to run a coaching program for a school.

So I ended up running that for a year with one of my friends, and coordinating all of that, and then coaching every week. So that’s how I got into it and really interested in it.

How did you get the job as head coach at ASL? I got put in touch with [Athletics Director] John [Farmer] by a person I know through a few contacts. I came in when I spoke to John [Farmer] about it. That’s basically how I got it. We had a discussion about everything.

What drew you to hockey as a coach and as a player?

I picked it up as a player when I was 8. I was naturally quite good

at it. As soon as I started playing, I loved it. I thought it was the biggest girls’ sport at my school, and everyone wanted to play it. That was how I got into it when I was younger, and I will say, stuck at it. And as I’ve got older, and coaching wise again, it’s a lot through my playing. I went to pursue contacts in a lot of people that play to a high standard. A lot of the time, you don’t get much time to do anything. So I got into coaching through playing really, and it’s just become something that I really enjoy. I really enjoy watching people progress and having success in little things like being able to pass.

What was your journey as a player through school?

I played right through school from the age of 8. In my second year of school and my last year at school I started playing for England Under 23s, and then carried on at university. I was at a Premier League club at home, and then I moved to Birmingham University, which is a Premier League hockey club. It was the only university in the Premier League [at the time] and carried on playing in university. A lot of the girls

PHOTO BY MICHAEL FLAHERTY

Lydia MacDonell

Head Coach, varsity field hockey

PHOTO BY ISABELLE LHUILIER

Varsity field hockey Head Coach Lydia MacDonell

September 2019

there that went in my year played for the Under 23s as well. So anyway, I played that for years and did international stuff right up until I was 21.

And then I’ve just moved to a new club now, at Grinstead and I’m still playing Premier League hockey, but just not as frequently.

Anything else to add about hockey in general?

I think one thing that’s great about hockey is also the worst thing about it. I was doing some coaching the other day and we were sat there saying it’s such a technical sport and it’s so hard to do. So football, you can run around and kick a ball, that’s fine. Most people can do that [to an extent]. Actually give somebody a hockey stick and it makes things so much more difficult. I am really keen to get girls that actually want to play it because a lot of girls will give up when they are older because it’s so hard to do. So trying to maintain that participation throughout I think is really key. And I want to see people enjoying it even if they’re not the best players, like still actually enjoying playing it because it’s a fun sport to play and it is a great sport.

Sports 21

ISST tournament changes Many schools are starting to move away from the International Schools Sports Tournament (ISST). Swimming, cross country and track and field ISSTs will no longer have JV divisions and ISSTs for field hockey will not take place altogether.

Maddy Whitman | Media Editor

A

s the 50th anniversary of the International School Sports Tournament (ISST) approached last year, the structure of the tournament was reviewed by the member schools and redeveloped. Director of Athletics John Farmer is the Chair of the ISSTs and played a significant role in the discussions of the changes. “There [were] conversations a year and a half ago back in January 2018, and slowly but surely talking more about making this better quality,” he said.

Many significant changes have been put in place for the coming year, focusing on making the tournament a better experience for all student-athletes.

The primary change made was the number of schools included in the organization, which decreased from 23 schools to 13. ACS Hillingdon, Cairo American College, and TASIS that are some of the schools who are no longer part of the organization. Farmer said that the remaining schools all share the same objectives for the tournament. “These 13 schools are very much like-minded schools,” Farmer said. “They all have support structures in places in the schools that very much view athletics as an important part of students' day to day and it's not an afterthought.”

Some sports were affected more than others, such as cross country, swimming and track and field. These three sports took JV and varsity teams to ISSTs in the past, but with fewer schools, the JV races were removed as the sports moved from two divisions to one. Farmer said that with two divisions of six or seven schools, "you've got the same feel in mid-season as you do at the end of the season.”

However, with a large quantity of schools comes housing issues. “We decided [to] have everyone in the same [race], but then you run into a housing nightmare where you have 20 plus students in every school times 13 schools. No one would've been able to do that,” Farmer said.

On the other hand, Evan Emery (’22), a

22 Sports

member of the cross country, swimming, and track teams, said that the JV division at ISSTs was beneficial in providing younger athletes more competitive experiences. “When there was JV, it was giving more people the opportunity to compete,” he said.

“

The big thing is going to be that these 13 member schools are very much like-minded schools.

John Farmer, Director of Athletics Emery also said that the JV level at ISSTs motivated people to perform to their highest potential, in order to be able to be one of the members on the team who traveled to ISSTs. “Especially when we were in [Grade 7 and Grade 8], it gave you something to reach for if you were above the skill level of the rest of the kids in your grade,” he said.

Another significant change made this year was the elimination of the field hockey tournament.

Farmer explained that only five teams played in the old structure of the ISST tournament, and British School of Brussels stopped playing the sport. The British School of the Netherlands (BSN) left the ISST, but an end of season tournament has been arranged. "British School of The Netherlands has a vested interest in continuing the program as do we, and they're generously hosting an event at the end of the season," he said.

Farmer said that this end of season tournament could provide an excellent opportunity to expand competition if ASL were to host in the future. "ASL wants to host field hockey, and I

think we've got a great opportunity here to host an event where we have not only the ISST international schools but also British schools as well," he said.

Mckayla Hyman (’20), a member of the varsity field hockey team, said that there isn't much of a change with the end of season tournament replacing ISSTs. "It's only my second year at ASL, so I wasn't so attached to the idea of ISSTs, it was just a name to me," she said.

Hyman added that the goals for the season remain the same, despite the change in the end of year tournament. "Even last year, I don't really remember the whole emphasis being on ‘we need to win ISSTs,’ it's more like taking it a step at a time, trying to improve one thing and then as a team improve," she said.

Another change that athletes will see is the shortening of tournaments. Student-athletes will now compete on the same day as they travel, similarly to what usually happens during regular travel tournaments. "I think it's probably one of those things that seems major and then you do it once or twice and you kind of get used to it and it's just the way it is," Farmer said. "We're hoping that we can make that really work and it will stay because it would be three less school days [for all the seasons combined] that students have to miss."

Farmer said he hopes students athletes keep in mind the purpose of these changes, and he understands that there will be some unpredictable situations with travel. "I hope that people have open minds and understand that the reason for [shortening the tournaments] is trying to have students be in class more and not have to miss so much school to reduce stress, but what's going to come along with will be some dicey moments," he said. "I hope that our community will be positive and open to these changes and recognize the big picture and the overall positive experience."

The Standard

Concussions take toll on athletes Concussions and other collision related sports injuries often have a detrimental impact on professional athletes, both physically and mentally.

Lily Whitman | Sports Editor: Print

T

At least 25% of concussed athletes fail to get assessed by a medical personnel.

In the U.S., athletes suffer from roughly 300,000 concussions every year.

Loss of consciousness is thought to occur in less than 10% of concussions.

Statistics from dosomething.org

September 2019

he implications of long term sports injuries and mental health issues are enormous. In the likes of high school, college and professional level sports, there are many instances where mental health and brain injuries can have a substantial impact on athletes’ livelihood.

With former Indianapolis Colts quarterback, and former ASL student Andrew Luck’s recent retirement from the National Football League, a conversation has opened about the importance of mental health in athletics. Luck’s retirement announcement cited repeated injuries over his six NFL seasons. These included torn cartilage in two ribs, a partially torn abdomen, a lacerated kidney, at least one concussion, a torn labrum in his right shoulder and a calf/ankle injury. He also described feeling worn down, from the constant cycle of pain in the sport.

Luck isn’t the only football player who has opened up about struggles with mental health.

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski also attributed reasons for his retirement from the NFL to injuries and mental health. Over his career, Gronkowski suffered back, knee and quadricep injuries that greatly impacted his gameplay and offensive receiving yards. He was also previously reported as having suffered two grade one concussions: mild concussions where there is no loss of consciousness, which contributed to his deteriorating mental health and brain health overall.

Gronkowski understood the implications of his injuries and mental state and decided to walk away from football for the time being.

In a recent interview with CBS on Sept. 12, Gronkowski admitted to having “probably 20 concussions, with five being complete blackout hits where he lost consciousness.”

The issue of injuries impacting mental health isn’t solely present in the NFL; it can be seen in almost every major sport worldwide that is played at a professional level. Major League Baseball has also had significant issues with season-ending, and in some cases career-ending injuries. Baseball carries a risk of concussion issues and brain injuries with collisions and occasional intentional pitches thrown at players.

Giants Catcher Buster Posey’s infamous homeplate collision with Cincinnati Reds player Scott Cousins during the 2014 MLB season demonstrates the need for regulations around collisions. Posey suffered a fractured left ankle and severely strained ligaments. This highlights the dangers of sports collisions in general and the need for rules and regulations, which prevent such hits from happening.

The MLB and baseball, in general, is now being looked at as a new danger in concussions.

One of the first cases of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE, was found in a former MLB player. CTE is defined by the Boston University Research: CTE Center as a degenerative disease in the brain found in those who have had repetitive brain trauma including concussions and hits to the

head that seemingly do not cause symptoms.

Ryan Freel, a former Cincinnati Reds infielder, was found to have CTE after committing suicide in 2012 and had significant amounts of abnormal protein in his brain. Although baseball is not a contact sport, there can be collisions as aforementioned, being hit by pitches and on the odd occasion there can be brawls. This discovery of CTE is concerning as it means that players of any sport, even minor concussion implications can be potentially life threatening if there are enough hits to an athletes head.

In the case of ice hockey, there are known problems with injuries, and more specifically head injuries. The National Hockey League is known for fighting, suicide passes (blind passes into players in which opposing defensemen illegally hit the player recieving the pass) and blind hits. Suicide passes can, in some cases, be knockout hits, and are quite dangerous as they can cause concussions. Additionally, the role of the enforcer, is the role of the “tough guy,” who is usually is one to get in fights to protect teammates. Todd Ewen, a former player for the San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues in the NHL, was one of the players specifically known for his role as an enforcer. Ewen committed suicide in 2012, and shockingly did not actually have CTE, although he experienced many symptoms, including erratic behavior and extreme anger.

“

Even outside of professional sports, the implications of brain injuries are extreme.

This reputation for ice hockey being a tough sport that involves lots of knockout hits is quite dangerous. It is incredibly important that the amount of hits and the regularity of these hits is diminished. Although fighting is a big part of the atmosphere of ice hockey, the dangers of long term exposure to hits on the head are too considerable to continue with the magnitude of hits that occur in the league today.

This danger of NHL and hockey, in general, is massive, and it is essential that the NHL and hockey players are more aware of the implications of CTE, concussions and brain injuries in general because of the sheer danger and lifethreatening impacts of head injuries.

Even outside of football and other professional sports, the implications of brain injuries and mental health are extreme. There are greater dangers to the impact on teens playing, and suffering injuries from getting hit multiple times, whether it be soccer, baseball, or even basketball.

At ASL, with those involved in sports, it is quite important that students take precautions to minimize the chances of being affected by concussions, as they can have negative long term affects on young student-athletes’ brain health and mental health.

Sports 23

Sports

ISST changes A

s the 50th anniversary of the International School Sports Tournament (ISST) approached last year, the structure of the tournament was reviewed by the member schools. Athletic Director John Farmer played a major role in the redevelopment of the organization as the chair of the ISSTs. Read more on page 22.

“

There were conversations a year and a half ago back in Jan. 2018, and slowly but surely talking more about making the ISSTs better quality.

“

John Farmer, Director of Athletics

Madeleine Ashton (’21) runs in a cross country meet at ACS Cobham on Sept. 14. Ashton won the girls race.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FAITH WHITMAN

24 Sports

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