May Issue 2023

THE

TRINITY VOICE

May 2O23 Volume 25 Issue 7 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

HEADMASTER’S DAY Seniors and sixth graders make a splash at the water balloon toss.

Photo Collage on Back Cover

NEWS

English teacher Susan Lilley retires from Trinity after 26 years.

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LIFESTYLES

FOCUS

Different ways to spend your summer to make it count.

Positive reinforcement has more power than you might think.

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OPINIONS

The debate over the ethics of philanthropy continues.

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SPORTS

13 seniors commit to play sports at collegiate level.

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Table of Contents

May 2O23

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Opinions

Lilley Leaves O4-O5 May Moves On O6 Stricklin Steps Away O7 College Rankings O8 South African Exchange O9

Lifestyles

Summer Bucket List 1O Esports 11

Focus

Chocolate Farmers 16-17 Childhood Messaging 18-19 Philanthropy Problems 2O-21 Spelling Bee 22 College Acceptances 23

Sports

Pole Vaulting 24 BWL Champions 25 College Commitments 26-29

Praise and Growth 13 Thank You 14-15

Andrew Edwards

The Trinity Voice is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The Trinity Voice is produced by the newspaper/journalism class at Trinity Preparatory School of Florida. Editorials represent the opinion of The Trinity Voice writer and are not necessarily the views of the administration, faculty, or Board of Trustees of Trinity. The Voice welcomes letters to the editor and freelance articles or photography. All submissions become the property of The Voice. Please send all correspondence to 5700 Trinity Prep Lane, FL 32792. The Voice may also be contacted via phone at 407-671-4140 and via e-mail at voice@trinityprep.org. For information regarding the purchase of advertising within The Voice, contact us by one of the methods mentioned above. The Voice is a monthly publication during the school year (with the exceptions of November and January).

VOICE@TRINITYPREP.ORG

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THETRINITYVOICE.COM @TRINITY_VOICE Olivia Kortman

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@THETRINITYVOICE “THE TRINITY VOICE”

Olivia Prince

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Staff/Podcast

May 2O23

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Taylor Riley Managing Editors: Karthik Stead, David Steinberg, Ana Carolina Marques, Peyton Alch Copy Editor: Sammy Lou Layout Editors: Peyton Alch, Lucy Chong

Saint Talk This Month’s Podcasts:

Blurbs by Aetant Prakash, Sreekar Nagulapalli, and Mohil Kapadia Photos by Olivia Prince and Olivia Kortman

Ep.4 - 74 Questions with Ms. Lilley In this episode on this award winning podcast series, Aetant Prakash asks Ms. Lilley 74 questions about her life, inspired by Vogue’s “73 Questions” series.

Hear about everything from her make-up routine to why she writes.

Social Media Editor: David Bryskin News Department: Zach Kleiman (Editor), Julian Sealy, Alec Diaz, Karthik Stead, Laziza Talipova, Iris Lei Opinions Department: Amanda Rose DeStefano (Editor), Reese Taylor, Abby Hernan, Jack Ververis Focus Department: Fay Zhao (Editor), Peyton Alch, Lucy Chong, Marcos Membreno Lifestyles Department: Laziza Talipova (Editor), Jack Aaron, Kaylee Ortega, Boaz Kim, Victoria Berube, Sammy Lou, Sarah Zehnder Sports Department: David Hull (Editor), David Steinberg Podcast Department:Mohil Kapadia (Editor), Sreekar Nagulapalli, Aetant Prakash Graphics Department: Caden Liu (Editor), Austin Yuan, Andrew Edwards, Amy-Ruth Gyang, Lia Garibay Photo Department: Olivia Kortman & Olivia Prince (Editors), Andrew Edwards, Raheel Patel, Anna Miliotes Fact Checking Editor: Jack Aaron Business Manager: Iris Lei Adviser: Erin Miller

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Ep.5 - Mr. Langdon’s Goodbye A coach, a teacher, and a friend to many for the past 1O years, Mr. David Langdon is a one-of-a-kind faculty member. Mohil Kapadia talks with Langdon, about his experiences at Trinity Prep and his new beginning at the Geneva School. Hear more about his WinThe-Day mentality.

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News

May 2O23

LILLEY’S LITERARY LEGACY Article by Abby Hernan Photos courtesy of Susan Lilley

When Susan Lilley was in high school, Trinity Preparatory School had just opened. While she chose not to attend, her two brothers did.

Little did she know, she would spend more time here than either of them did.

Her first memories of Trinity are when her brothers would receive a pink slip in the mail.

At the time, a pink slip meant that you were in trouble for either grades or behavior.

“The most dreaded moment in our house was if… I saw a thing from Trinity with a pink slip in it,” Lilley said. “I was like, Whew, I’m gonna be gone tonight… it is a classic wait until your dad gets home, and there will be some fireworks.”

However, she remembers her brothers’ time at Trinity as being very fun. Whether it was sports games or the Renaissance fair where everyone would dress up in a Shakespearean outfit and play games in the quad, she always liked the idea of Trinity.

After she finished her master’s degree in literature, she worked as a corporate writer at Tupperware where she was the head of the company’s publications, running a newsletter and the monthly magazine for the sale’s force.

However, after a while, she wanted a change.

“I just got tired of writing about plastic bowls and the people who sell them,” Lilley said. “So there was an opening at UCF for an instructor which I was qualified to do with my master’s and I got the job.”

At the University of Central Florida, she fell in love with teaching and the freedom she was afforded. As long as she met the goals for her students, she could switch books, so she would not have to do the same thing everyday. Teaching brought a variety that her old job did not.

As her daughter entered middle school at Trinity, there was also an opening for an English teacher. After getting the job, she quickly had to learn how to adjust from teaching college students to teaching high schoolers.

“It was rough at first, but I grew to really love it. I just love that age group,” Lilley said. “With college students, everyone’s got this mask of sophistication like I know what I’m doing, even though I really don’t. In high school, people tend to have their hearts on their sleeve.

And there, in such an interesting stage of development, it’s just really fun when they learn things with the light in their eyes.”

Lilley has taught tenth grade English, eleventh grade English, creative writing, Christianity and film, and AP English Literature. Her favorite class to teach is AP Lit because she wants to spread her love of literature and develop her students into lifetime writers.

Inside the classroom, Lilley brings to life the books her students read.

“Miss Lilley made [Richard III] super dramatic, and she played the drama of the storyline up,” English teacher and Lilley’s former student Hannah Schlutter.

“Every time she wore a flowing black cape or shawl, and then she would use that as part of the drama of class.

I always loved that. I thought it was so funny.”

Not only has Lilley left a mark inside the classroom, but she has excelled outside the classroom. She, along with one of her students Molly Mae, started a literary magazine at Trinity called “Skylight.” She also was the student council sponsor. While it was stressful, she has

After she first arrived at Trinity, Lilley read from a UCF literary magazine at an open mic for Trinity’s literary magazine “Sky-

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Lilley leaves an indelible mark on Trinity after 26 years fond memories of being the sponsor. One of learn new ways to support creative writing and advisories. her memories was when the seniors wanted poetry within her community. For Trinity’s “I’ve just been really lucky to have incredto break the world record for longest paper 50th anniversary, Lilley curated a poem about ible advisory groups,” Lilley said. “I only go clip chain. They stayed up to prom when my advisory is all night in the library toseniors. A few advisories ago, gether, clipping paper clips. they bought me a little tiara, so While they did not break I could be their prom queen. the record, they managed to It was hysterical. Here’s this make a paper clip chain that teacher with a prom queen stretched around the track. crown on. Advisory has been Even though she is not a special relationship for me. student council sponsor And I keep up with a lot of anymore, recently, she has that after they’re gone on to become the English departhaving beautiful lives.” ment chair. Her favorite part She has left a literary legof being department chair is acy at Trinity through her being able to visit all the Enteaching. Her favorite part glish classes. of teaching is to get student’s “It’s so impressive to see different perspectives on what people are doing in books. She encourages them their classes,” Lilley said. “I to think beyond the text in learn something every time I front of them. go into another class and ob“She made us think beyond serve, and it makes me really the text more so than I probproud of what we do here in ably had ever done,” Schlutter education. It has been a real said. “She challenged us in joy. It’s brought me closer to ways that I didn’t know that department members and in I could accomplish but then a really interesting way. I love once I did it, she just kind of supporting them and what looked at us and was like see I they do, and it’s just been a told you.” real pleasure because we have Her plans for retirement such a strong team.” are to write a lot more and Lilley’s success is not only go on many adventures. This confined to Trinity. While summer, she and three other teaching at Trinity, she has writers will go on a writing also taught a night class at retreat in New Hampshire Rollins once a week. Not where they write all day then only did she teach tradiat night, they cook, laugh and tional classes, but she also play cards. She also wants to taught the adult program at do a road trip to New Orleans the school. This program al- Lilley at a dinner with her advisory which is a tradition she has kept. and visit countries such as Irelowed her to see people come land, Spain or Italy. back and finish a degree that the school. Asking many alumni to share stothey had not been able to before; she watched ries of something they learned at Trinity, Lilley them reach their goals and also be a good role then compiled the stories into a poem titled “I model to the younger students.

Learned It Here.”

Lilley was also the first poet laureate of OrWhile she is retiring after 26 years at Trinity, lando. As a literary citizen, she was able to one thing she will continue to remember is her

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News

May 2O23

MAY TAKES A FINAL BOW

Fine Arts teacher Maureen May retires after 18 years at Trinity Article by Iris Lei Photo by Olivia Prince

Fine arts teacher Maureen May has a long involved, funding for concerts and assistance stitches afterward.

“You tend to remember those things that are history with Trinity, starting her position in with fundraising initiatives.

“We try to scholarship students who couldn’t unexpected,” May said. “One of the memora2005 and expanding the orchestra program since then. She is retiring at the end of the year otherwise go to camp, or if we have an instru- ble things is when we did Star Wars six years ment need, we [cover the expense] and help ago.” after 18 years of teaching.

The concert was made memorable from May started teaching at Trinity as a part- them further that ability,” May said. “Hopetime teacher with her husband, Jonathan May. fully, when they get to college, they have that the use of lightsaber bows. They were created using filaments connected to batteries put on He was behind the creation of the orchestra ability to get scholarship money.”

Sophomore Lauren Hayes plays the violin the bows, and they lit up in the dark. Seeing program and the Jonathan May Foundation. the improvement “He was alof students with ways adamant their instruments about making is her favorite part sure everyone of teaching. has the oppor“Having stutunity to play, dents be able to no matter their go from beginning financial abiliall the way to the ties,” May said. end [and] the fact May switched that I could see to working fullthem all the way time after her through that rehusband passed ally is my favorite away in 2010 so part,” May said. that her youngMay plans on reest son could atmaining involved tend Trinity. Acwith orchestra in cording to her, her retirement as when she began she plans on conteaching, the tinuing to particischool’s setup pate in multiple was different. orchestras out“The faculFine arts teacher Maureen May conducts the orchestra during Easter Chapel. She has expanded the orchesside of Trinity. ty was smaller, tra department since joining full-time in 2010.

“First and [and] the foremost, I plan to administration was smaller,” May said. “There was a lot and has been in orchestra since sixth grade. play a lot with my grandchildren. But I perof excitement around [adding to] an orchestra She said May’s teaching greatly impacted her form a lot [with] the cello,” May said. “I’ll still program because…there were two orchestras from her start in the beginner’s orchestra to play with the Philharmonic, Orlando Philharmonic, and [the] Bach Festival Orchestra too, for [students] who just started and people who chamber orchestra.

“One of the few reasons I stayed in orches- and I’m looking at kind of expanding some had already played.”

She added four more levels from the start- tra was because I liked [Ms. May] so much,” of my solo cello playing. We’ll see where that takes me.” ing two, including chamber music and AP Hayes said.

According to May, her time teaching has Music Theory. The Jonathan May Foundation also supports the Metropolitan Area Youth been memorable because of unexpected sitSymphony (MAYS). According to the Jona- uations that always keep her on her toes. A than May Foundation Website, this is done student once got hit in the head with anoththrough offering scholarships for the students er student’s electric guitar and had to receive

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STRICKLIN SAYS GOODBYE Article by Kaylee Ortega Photo by Raheel Patel When Anne Marie Stricklin was a swimmuch as I could about putting a program to- has succeeded in leading the boys and girls mer in high school, she developed a habit gether, pushing swimmers to become the best, swim team to win titles, most notably the of helping the younger children on her club and creating team chemistry,” Stricklin said. 2022 district championships, and inspiring team learn to swim. She never imagined that “The success that we had at Auburn during many swimmers to continue their athletic cait would develop into her passion — a sucmy three years hooked me on ‘this is the job reers beyond high school. cessful coaching ca“My goal as a reer that she would coach is always to continue for nearly pass on my passion 30 years. for swimming to As a competitive your swimmers but swimmer, Stricklin most importantly recieved many titeach them to be tles, including bebetter individuing a five time High als,” Stricklin said.

School All-Ameri“Watching swimcan, two time Collemers achieve best giate All-American, times, qualify for a a qualifier for the specific meet or win Olympic trials in championships, have 1992 and featured been so rewarding.” in Sports Illustrated After 17 years of Magazine “Faces in coaching Trinity’s the Crowd.” swim team, Stricklin Stricklin has used will be moving in orher experience as der for her husband a collegiate athlete to accept a position while coaching, sayat Georgia Institute ing that her experiof Technology, and ence has given her has received a few the opportunity to coaching opportuniteach athletes how ties in the area. to push themselves Though her time on a daily basis. at Trinity will soon “If there is one come to an end, her thing that I have passion for swimlearned over the ming will remain. years, it is that you “Over the years, I always have to come Coach Stricklin ends the year off one last time with the much loved swimming unit. have enjoyed watching children who didn’t to workout prepared to push yourself and do things that you may I want to do.’ It was a lot of hard work but it know how to swim overcome their fears to behave never thought were feasible,” Stricklin has taught me how to be the coach that I am come terrific swimmers,” Stricklin said. “Being there to help support swimmers when their said. today.”

Upon her graduation from the University of After leaving her position at the Universi- race didn’t go well, helping them understand South Carolina and the end of her collegiate ty of South Carolina, Stricklin moved from that one bad race will not define them, and swimming career, Stricklin spent three years Georgia Southern University, Northern Illi- seeing swimmers push themselves out of their as a graduate assistant swim coach at Auburn nois University and the University of Notre comfort zone and do things that they never thought possible — those are the memories I University.

Dame before coaching at Trinity for 17 years.

“While I was at Auburn, I tried to learn as Throughout her career at Trinity, Stricklin will cherish.”

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News

May 2O23

A FLAWED SYSTEM

Colleges abandon U.S. News rankings, sparking concerns of legitimacy and value in higher-ed Article by Zach Kleiman Graphic by Caden Liu Every year, the release of U.S. News and World Report’s college rankings sends shockwaves through the academic community, with students scrambling to calculate their chances of attending a prestigious university. But, attitudes towards these rankings are shifting, sparking a nationwide conversation on the reliance of the widely recognized and influential rankings.

In November, Yale Law School, which had been listed by U.S. News as the top law school for three decades, announced it would no longer submit data for the rankings. Over a dozen other law schools, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia, which all ranked in the top four, followed suit. Months later, the mass exodus continued as droves of top medical schools withdrew from the rankings, claiming that they were too ridgid and “profoundly flawed.”

U.S. News’ annual rankings originated in 1983, and as its influence grew, so did colleges’ tendency to take advantage of the rankings. Columbia, one of eight Ivy League schools, has long been renowned as one of the most prestigious universities in the country, until recent news revealed that inaccurate data was submitted for the 2022 ranking cycle.

In the wake of this incident, the manipulability of the rankings has come under s c r u t i n y, prompting critics to question the value and dependency on these rankings, as well as the lengths col-

leges are willing to go to achieve a higher rank. “[The rankings are] something that can very much be hacked,” college counselor Christine Grover said. “Therefore, I don’t think it equates to the quality of undergraduate education.”

Columbia’s recent data scandal is not an isolated incident. College administrators who are critical of the rankings argue that even when the information submitted is accurate, the rankings are corrupted by how the U.S. News data team determines each factor’s weight.

The rankings utilize a complex formula that allocates percentages to various factors. However, college counselors dislike the rankings’ method due to its partial subjectivity and irrelevance. According to Grover, with 20% allocated to “expert opinion,” 20% to graduation rates, 30% to financial resources and 30% to alumni donors, there are many ways to influence the numbers.

“People value the rankings without understanding what they’re ranking,” Grover said.

American university culture is heavily reliant upon rankings, and with both

students and parents placing great value on a schools’ prestige, status and rank, acceptance into top-ranked schools is often equated with success and a way to secure one’s future.

However, the data scandal at Columbia and the withdrawal of rankings by Yale Law School and other top universities has caused a reevaluation of the traditional emphasis on rankings as the sole measure of a school’s worth.

“I genuinely think the actual [rank] doesn’t matter,” senior Andrew Lopez-Couto said.

“Any school towards the top 30 or 40, I would rank almost the exact same overall.”

In 2011, the National Bureau of Economic Research tracked the career earnings of individuals who attended highly selective colleges and those who attended moderately selective colleges but were accepted into top colleges.

The study found that the earnings of the two groups differed minimally, and concluded that attendance at an elite college had little impact.

While elite colleges and less selective institutions may provide a similar education, additional factors portray the elite ones as superior, including name-associated prestige and societal pressures.

Despite the possibility of more schools following in Yale Law School’s footsteps, the reputations of top universities will not be fazed. Applications will continue to flood in, bound to the notion that topranked colleges go hand-in-hand with success. “ U n til more schools begin to back out of them, the rankings are here to stay,” Grover said.

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RELATIONSHIPS REIGNITED Trinity-South Africa student exchange is back on Article by Sofia Haddadin Photo courtesy of Jack Gawronski

Trinity Prep students are always involved Lawson had always had the idea of an exFurthermore, during a conversation Lawin something, whether it be traveling across change, and with this partnership, the two son had with Isaacs, he said that he wanted the world, participating in community ser- made it happen. Now, Trinity Prep and Flo- his kids’ hopes and dreams to be expanded vice, or both. In 2019, three high school stu- reat Primary School students can enjoy all of when they traveled here to the U.S. dents got the opportunity to travel to Cape the benefits that come along with internaThese opportunities will be available to stuTown, South Africa to work at Floreat Prima- tional exchanges. dents and teachers, as Isaacs hinted at a yearly ry School. While there, they participated in According to nonprofit global education teacher and student exchange. one-on-one tutoring, helped as classroom as- company Ayusa, high school study abroad With this, students could now have the sistants, toured the city and visited museums. programs have been shown to encourage more chance to have an experience like Trinity As part of the same exchange student pro- open-mindedness. Lawson and Ayusa agreed Prep alum, Jack Gawronski. A few years ago gram, six South African students were sched- that travel carries many positive impacts.

Gawronski went on the exchange where, uled to arrive at along with helping in Trinity on March the school, he met Den5, 2020. However, nis Goldberg. Goldberg COVID-19 unforwas one of the eight tried tunately shut down with Nelson Mandela. all possibilities of Furthermore, Gawronthis happening. ski also witnessed a level Three years latof poverty he had never er, the exchange seen before. is back on, with “...We drove past the arrival of three Khayelitsha, which is a seventh-grade stuvery densely, heavily popdents to Florida. ulated area of Cape Town They will be stayand it is your image of ing for two calenThird World poverty,” dar months, leavGawronski said. “No ing the last week in Students’ view from atop a hill overlooking Cape Town, South Africa. In 2019 three Trinity paved roads or infrastrucSeptember. For the students traveled to there to kick off the start of an exchange program. Due to COVID, that ture or anything like that, time the students program was put on hold, but it is now back on this summer. and you see those things in are at school, they commercials, movies and will attend classes at Trinity.

“The impact of travel at the right time and TV shows. It really doesn't hit you just until According to Head of School Byron Law- the developmental stage for teenagers can be you see it with your own eyes.” son, who is primarily in charge of organizing pretty incredible,” Lawson said.

These two experiences were the most memthe exchange, the host families for the stuAdditionally, Lawson said international orable for Gawronski, and he still remembers dents arriving toward the beginning of the students can help Trinity students learn more them to this day.

2023-2024 school year have not yet been de- about what life can be like on the other side Through international school exchangtermined. With parents graciously volunteer- of the world. es, students have the opportunity to gain a ing to host the students, final decisions will “It's a big world, and I don't think the in- unique perspective on the world and develhopefully be made soon. ternet made it smaller,” Lawson said. “The in- op skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.

This exchange came out of a friendship ternet just showed how much we don't know With students traveling to us from the other Lawson formed with the Floreat Head of about people around the world. We have a lot side of the world, both Floreat Primary and School, Noel Isaacs, about a decade ago. They to learn with our students, seeing kids who Trinity Prep students will reap the benefits of first met at an educational conference in Cape are growing up in an upstart democracy and international school exchanges.

Town where Lawson was delivering a paper. giving them a picture of what's possible.”

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Lifestyles

May 2O23

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Students participate in a variety of activities over the break Article by Aarav Gupta Graphic by Austin Yuan The first few days of summer are filled with long hours of sleep and laziness. This free time can give people the opportunity to explore new hobbies and activities that they would not otherwise have time for.

“Explore something you think you might be interested in, whether that’s community service … or even teaching yourself something,” college counselor Christine Grover said. “It’s a good time to explore your interests.”

Sports: According to Tutornerds, playing sports especially in the summer helps with socialization, teamwork, nutrition, self-esteem and confidence. Freshman Thomas Bonos has a passion for soccer and spends most of his summer practicing and honing his skills.

During the summer, he practices with his club, Orlando City, twice each day, extending his practice time to 10 hours or more a week. One tradeoff of this lifestyle is that he is incredibly busy.

Since he plays in MLS Next, a feeder system into the pro league, he knows that he must have the right mindset in order to succeed.

“If I’m unmotivated, I’ll still try to stay disciplined and just continue to keep playing, continue to keep working and just keep getting better at what I do,” Bonos said.

While playing sports during the summer has huge benefits such as becoming healthier, this commitment might not be for everyone because of the amount of time one must put in.

“My social life over the summer is pretty nonexistent,” Bonos said. “I will hang out with friends or [my family] but otherwise, [summer] is not social.”

Traveling: According to travel guide Vacationer, 93 million Americans travel at least once during the summer. Eighth grader Reed McMillan takes

at least five trips over the summer, traveling anywhere from Chicago to Europe. He usually stays in each location for a few weeks, giving him a chance to embrace the local cultures. He believes that traveling can provide an experience that other activities cannot. “ Tr a v e l i n g helps me learn new t h i n g s ,” McMillan said. “You get to see some of the best things in the world and it helps me bond with my family.”

His favorite experiences have been visiting Heddon, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant in London, and watching “The Mouse Trap,” a murder mystery play.

McMillan believes that summer is a time to enjoy and live in the moment, rather than overburden oneself with summer courses and sports.

“Summer is meant to be a break,” McMillan said. “It eases you up before you head into the fall and go to school.”

Grover agrees that taking time off during the summer is both mentally and physically healthy.

“I’ve had students that over program themselves that have just tried to do everything… and they hit that wall where they just can’t do it anymore or it’s stressful,” Grover said. “I don’t think it’s good for your mental health and therefore your physical health to be under stress.”

Summer Courses: According to Forbes, children lose up to 40% of the academic gains they have made over the school year while on summer break. To combine these losses, or even sometimes to get ahead in coursework, some students participate in academic classes over the summer.

Last summer, eighth grader Ashwin Anand took geometry over the summer with Florida

Virtual School so he could spend the school year taking more advanced classes.

“If I hadn’t taken geometry over the summer then I wouldn’t have been able to take all of the math courses that Trinity offers,” Anand said.

Geometry teacher Michael Hill, who teaches this course over the summer at Trinity, explains that the pace of his summer course is not meant for every student, as it can be very challenging to complete a new chapter each day.

“I’ve had kids who are OK students … but they struggle with the pace,” Hill said. “I could eat an entire pizza but if you tell me to do it in 40 minutes, that’s a whole different story… getting it done that quickly is tough.”

However, unlike Hill’s class, the course Anand took was self-paced, which he believed made it more doable.

“I was able to choose when to work and when not to work,” Anand said. “It allowed me to have a pretty relaxed summer, even with taking it, and honestly, my summer would have been pretty boring if I didn’t take it.”

This year, Anand will be taking Personal Fitness over the summer to create more space in his schedule as a freshman.

“There are several electives that I want to be able to take next year, and taking personal fitness during the main school year will take up a whole semester,” Anand said. “So having the opportunity to take it over the summer and clear up a spot in my schedule during the school year is a great opportunity.”

Despite the different activities that students do over the summer, the general consensus is that every student spends their summer productively no matter what activity one chooses to take part in.

“I think the biggest thing that people need to know is that they need to do what’s comfortable for them,” Anand said. “You shouldn’t take a summer course because your parents want to … you should take it because you feel that you need to and you want to.”

May 2O23

Lifestyles

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NEW-ERA ESPORTS

A generational wave of esports revolutionizes the world of gaming and education Article by Gustavo Membreno and Nikhil Daniel Graphic by Maxima de la Fuente As the world of gaming continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, a new form of entertainment has taken the world by storm: electronic sports (esports). Esports are a competitive form of video gaming that has become a cultural phenomenon in recent years. From high school esports teams to tournaments with multimillion-dollar prize pools, the post-pandemic esports revolution shows no signs of slowing down.

“The gaming industry is tipped to maintain its recent rapid growth and could be worth $321 billion by 2026,” the World Economic Forum wrote in August. “Millions of new players splashed out on games and consoles during COVID-19 lockdowns.”

Trinity Prep’s Chief Technology Officer and esports club sponsor Alex Podchaski said the number of students playing video games rose dramatically during the pandemic. With few options for stress relief and socializing, gaming appeared to be a last resort at first but soon became an obvious choice. “[Gaming] is sort of part of the fabric of our culture,” Podchaski said. “There have been very few opportunities to express [gaming] officially in a school environment so one of the things that I wanted to focus on specifically is the concept of academic or scholastic esports.”

The growth of esports has allowed high school students to pursue a passion for gaming in a competitive, organized environment.

In 2018, a major milestone was achieved when the National Federation of State High School Associations recognized esports as an official sport. Since then, more than 8,600 high schools have created esports teams.

This explosive growth has resulted in the expansion of esports scholarships and careers.

This trend has been particularly evident at

some of the largest and most prestigious universities in the country, including University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State and many UC universities. These schools have allotted funding resources to give students the opportunity to compete and explore a career in gaming.

“When you have colleges building stadiums and giving scholarships for esports, maybe it’s time to start taking it seriously,” social science teacher Brandon Burmeister said. “It is a thing that has a large audience, marketability and is culturally impactful.”

An increase in student interest, real-life opportunities and the

ability to garner scholarships have prompted Trinity to follow suit this school year with the creation of its own esports team, headed by Podchaski. Among the first students to sign up for the new club was sixth grader Max Agnew, who was excited and eager to get started. “[It] makes it feel like school is not just sitting and learning,” Agnew said. “It feels fun and makes school much better.”

The implementation of esports represents a significant step forward, as in the past, Trinity has focused on more traditional sports and extracurriculars such as football or debate. The team currently competes in the Sunshine State Esports League in Rocket League and hopes to expand into multiple games by the end of next

year. The league operates on a statewide level with weekly scheduled games being played between different schools.

“The goal is [to create] an opportunity to get to participate in something that’s a little bit bigger than just playing against your friends and an opportunity to meet people and learn,” Podchaski said.

In the past six months alone, the team has grown by 167%, from six to 16 students. The team is currently comprised of only middle schoolers, but Podchaski hopes to expand into high school soon. This year was a starting point for the team, who hopes to make significant improvements to both its roster and competitive abilities in the future.

“This past fall focused on middle school [and] the first high school rocket leagues are taking place this spring,” Podchaski said.

“We’ll have all summer to recruit people to play games for a full high school and middle school suite for the fall.”

Trinity esports, like any other sport, gives participating students pride and improves cooperative skills.

“Whether you’re throwing a ball or smashing a keyboard, it’s still competitive,” Burmeister said. “[It] kind of gets your blood pumping, gets the endorphins running and it’s fun.”

As the world delves into a technological revolution, skills and abilities developed in esports have real-world applications. Esports introduces pathways to prepare students for the future and allows for a new avenue to success. “[Esports] gives you an opportunity from within the school environment to say, ‘I may not be the tallest person, the fastest person or the most athletically gifted person, but you know what, I have really good reflexes, I can follow the games and I can represent my school,’” Podchaski said. “That is something that I would hope that everybody should have an opportunity to do.”

Focus

May 2O23

May 2O23

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The positives and negatives of reinforcement Article by Laziza Talipova Graphic by Andrew Edwards In a world where positive reinforcement is often seen as a necessary tool for boosting self-esteem, comments like “You’re so smart” may sound like a pleasant compliment, but can carry a negative connotation.

Praise is a powerful tool in education. It can motivate students, boost their self-esteem and create a positive learning environment. However, excessive or insincere praise can have a negative impact on students, leading to a fixed mindset, lowered

resilience and a lack of motivation.

According to studies published in the Society for Research in Child Development, when students are praised for their intelligence or natural abilities, they may begin to see their success as innate rather than the result of hard work and dedication. This can create a fixed mindset, where students believe that their abilities are limited and cannot be improved.

Students with a fixed mindset are less resilient and less motivated to learn, as they may believe that their efforts will not make a difference.

Health and Wellness teacher Dee Starling believes that praise is given when it’s deserved, and the type of praise is important.

“I believe you get praised when praise is deserved,” Starling said. “I think too much praise gives kids a sense of false accomplishment and maybe makes them complacent, because they feel like they’ve already reached their goals…they’re getting so much credit for something they didn’t really deserve.”

Especially for parents, giving praise can become difficult. Parents unconsciously give unnecessary praise in the given moment.

“As a parent, I have to separate myself from being a parent and knowing the game and having a coach mentality,” Starling said.

Praise can also be an effective tool for behavior management. By praising students for positive behavior, teachers and parents can reinforce good habits and encourage students to continue making good choices.

“Focusing on the positive can help a person’s mental state of mind stay focused on what they’re doing well, and then fix what they’re

not doing so well,” Starling said. “Rather than the negative reinforcement that tells them otherwise.”

Insincere praise can also have a negative impact on students. When students are praised for tasks that are not challenging or for tasks they did not put in much effort into, they may begin to question the sincerity of the praise.

However, this does not mean that all praise is bad. Praising a student for legitimate effort and success, rather than easy accomplishments or innate traits, can increase their confidence, build their self-esteem and encourage them to continue to work hard. It can also create a positive learning environment where students feel valued, respected and appreciated.

“I think that you get that sense of accomplishment and praise if you’ve put in the time and you put in the work, and you can really reward yourself,” Starling said.

One study conducted by Stanford University found that children who received praise for their hard work were more likely to have a growth mindset, believing that their abilities can be developed through effort and dedication. In addition, students with a growth mindset are more resilient, more likely to take on challenges and more motivated to learn.

As for student athletes like senior Lauren Thelwell, praise can also create a positive team culture. When athletes are encouraged to support and uplift their teammates, it fosters a sense of friendship and teamwork that can translate into better performance on the field or court.

“Getting praised in something you work hard in, and working as a team is the ultimate success to succeed together,” Thelwell said.

Starling contends that while praise might aid in self-improvement, it is ultimately up to the individual to do so and not to rely on others.

“I think self-improvement has to be self -driven,” Starling said. “Coaches can only do so much.”

Focus

Article by Fay Zhao Graphic by Andrew Edwards Students bustle around with tests to make up, projects to get done, essays to write and practices to go to, not to mention the increasing pile of homework neglected at home.

Amidst the chaos, people often overlook the positive and forget about appreciating the small things, forgetting that gratitude plays a part in a person’s well-being and their success.

“The little bit of that momentary sense of calmness helps push the reset button a little bit like ‘okay,’ this is a crazy time or a bad day

May 2O23

and you take that minute, and realize that there’s some really good things going on, even when everything’s not really good,” health and wellness teacher Amanda Dean said.

Having gratitude and acknowledging the good things in life can lead to a trickle-down effect which creates a mindset that leads to growth and improvement.

“Most people don’t, by default, think about things gratefully, people tend to focus on the negative,” UCF psychology professor Jeffrey Bedwell said. “We know that if people intentionally choose to think about gratefulness it improves their mood and wellbeing overall.”

Gratitude has to be practiced as it is not human nature to always be grateful or look at the positive. According to the National Science Foundation, 80% of thoughts are negative.

Oftentimes things like entitlement and expectations get in the way of gratitude.

“I think where people are, ‘I worked hard for this, it should be mine,’” Dean said. “That’s a detriment to gratitude. ‘Because of my hard work, and because of whatever my natural gifts or talents might be, I was able to achieve is a very different thing than I deserve.’”

But when people are able to shift their mindset, gratitude can not just change a person’s well-being and mood but can also shift the outlook of life and how a person approaches and reacts to different situations.

“You come at everything with an apprecia-

tion for what you have, rather than an expectation of what you should have, and I think that a big part of what gratitude is, is just appreciating it rather than expecting it,” Dean said.

Instead of taking everything for granted, having gratitude encourages people to appreciate the opportunities given and become more optimistic. Based on a study conducted

by Madelon L. Peters, Yvo M. C. Meevissen and Marjolein M. Hanssen, an intervention of gratitude with exercise established a stronger positive outlook in life. These traits change how a person reacts and approaches a task.

“You can take that little bit of, ‘Here’s this thing that needs to be done, and I can view it as a burden, or I can view it as an opportunity,’ and when we can view things as opportunities… The little bit of a mind shift can really help to settle us,” Dean said.

With the mind shift of gratitude, people are able to change their perspective to finding the positive within sometimes difficult situations.

“A lot of times we get upset or in a funk, mentally, we take a breath and remember, ‘maybe I have this big arduous task to do, but I have it because of all these opportunities that I’ve been afforded and it’s going to lead hopefully to these good things,” Dean said.

The optimistic approach to life can result in the development of many important qualities for success.

“If you can always get yourself to a point

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How gratitude can lead to growth and success

where you’re coming at a challenge as I’m go- benefit them with better performances. family, people that you work with, people that ing keep trying, I’m going keep working, it’s “[Gratitude] lowers those,” Bedwell are doing things for you,” Polsinelli said. “It going to be worth it, then that helps us to de- said. “With more attention [you are] going to really helps to build a stronger and more benevelop perseverance that helps us to develop re- improve anything you do that takes thinking ficial, connection with them.” silience that helps confidence,” Dean said. or even motor skills, like athletics… [It] relates The other end of gratitude generally makes Gratitude can also affect people feel acknowledged and ina person’s mood in general spires them to do more. by reinforcing positive emo“You feel appreciated, you tions by focusing on the good want to work harder, you “We’re so hectic, everything’s so fast, everything’s aspects of life. According to feel appreciated, you want so busy. Even little kids right now... it doesn’t ever Research.com, a scientific reto continue to do better,” search website, by exercising Dean said. seem to settles down. Sometimes, just taking that gratitude, it has been found Although it is easy to moment to be like ‘we’re in a really good spot’ helps that long-term happiness say to be more grateful, to settle all that.” can be enhanced by more achieving a mindset of than 10%. positivity is hard.

-Amanda Dean, Health and Wellness teacher “[Gratitude] enhances “I don’t think for a lot people’s mood, because of people, our mental it gets them to focus health or our mindset is on things that are going quite as easily controlled as well, instead of always worrying or being anx- to better success academiwe’d like it to be,” Dean said. “It’s so easy ious about things that might go wrong in the cally, occupationally and socially. ” to tell somebody, ‘look on the bright side future or being stressed about current things Athletes, who use a positive mindset, are or just be happy’… Break[ing] through that are problematic. [It] sort of helps balance able to focus on how to better themselves in that fog can help… but I don’t think people out to see all the good things and pay their various sports. it’s as easy as that all the time.” attention,” Bedwell said.

“When I’m in a better mood, it helps me to However there are many ways to beGratitude increases attention as stress and focus more, because I’m not distracted by be- come more grateful, such as journaling about anxiety often times take up a lot of a person’s ing angry, being sad, or whatever,” sophomore good things, sharing gratitude with loved ones attention. As gratitude negates those Nikolas Polsinelli said. “That generally helps or just looking around and simply appreciatemotions, it leaves more room for my athletic performance.” ing the small but significant things that make people to focus their attention on Gratitude can also improve inter- life worth living. the task at hand, which will also personal relationships. According “Sometimes when I’m outside… I find myto Utah State University, express- self even just walking across campus a couple ing gratitude releases oxytocin, also times, where it’s been a beautiful kind of coolknown as “the love hormone,” which er morning with no humidity and pausing for can lead to a greater connection between a second and taking a deep breath and being two people. like, ‘it’s a gorgeous day, we’re really lucky to “Being grateful and recognizing other peo- experience this,’” Dean said. ple in your life of any sort, your friends, your

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May 2O23

THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT CHOCOLATE Article by Amy-Ruth Gyang Graphic by Caden Liu

Nurtured deep in the ground, the seed grows, germinating with its roots. After months of intimate care, the plant begins to form a yellow shaped pod. The pod is then opened by the farmers to expose its insides, an opaque white seed. To the companies that process the cocoa bean, this tiny seed is propelling the billion dollar chocolate industry. However, to the cocoa farmers who harvest this plant, this is only the beginning of a continual cycle of poverty.

It is estimated that the two West African countries, Ghana and Ivory Coast, produce an estimated 70% of the world’s cocoa. The chocolate industry provides billions in revenue for many chocolate companies. Yet, the profits that support this industry barely ever reach the root, as according to Business Insider, the average West African cocoa farmer makes less than $1 a day. Centuries later, the impacts of European colonization still persist in their former colonies despite political independence. Chocolate corporations care more for their profits than those who work endlessly to support them, ultimately perpetuating the cycle that leaves Africans voiceless.

The Chocolate Process Despite cocoa farming’s introduction in West Africa over a century ago, cocoa farmers are still struggling to harvest the plant in a rapidly changing world. The impacts of climate change, infertile soil, and plant disease cause yields of much less cocoa than was originally planted.

During the harvesting season, farmers across the region collect the tiny cocoa seeds and send them to major chocolate companies for processing in factories in Europe and North America. This displays a simple trading process, in which each

person involved makes a proportion of the profit, however the farmers make almost nothing.

Over the years, the manufacturers have grown richer while the farmers have grown poorer. Companies such as Nestle and Hershey are part of wealthy foreign markets that dictate the price of cocoa in relation to the demand and supply of chocolate. They in turn, also set the price at which farmers are paid, yet millions of cocoa farmers live below the poverty line. For the past century, West African countries have been left out of the conversation when it comes to chocolate processing and their efforts are minimized and neglected. Yet, the African farmers are not new to this as this exploitation has been occurring for centuries.

The Bitter Truth Cocoa was first introduced to Ghana in the late 1800s. It was during this time that Ghana became a British colony, and England began to monopolize the growth of cocoa. Farmers grew the crop that British chocolate companies would then process into chocolate for majority European consumers. This trading exchange was highly manipulated as the bulk of the profit from chocolate came from the end producers rather than the farmers. This allowed for Europe to set a precedent for how much cocoa farmers would be paid and how much profit they would gain in return. This trade relation still exists till today as a research study done by Oxfam in 2012, found that cocoa farmers receive only 3% of the revenue from chocolate production

while retailers receive 43%. To put that into perspective, the average Hershey’s chocolate bar costs 2.75 dollars per unit, which means that 0.0825 dollars will go to farmers while 1.1825 dollars will go to major chocolate companies. Chocolate companies make fourteen times more than the average cocoa farmer.

The Impact The global chocolate market is expected to grow by 3.7% from 2022 to 2030.

Recent trends, however, predict that farmers will be required to grow more cocoa while their salaries remain unchanged. Over the past decades, this has caused farmers to go to extreme lengths to keep up with the expected

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quotas. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, around 2 million children in Western Africa engage in hazardous labor on cocoa farms. Since many cocoa farms are family run, farmers’ children have to help to increase the amount of cocoa and profit they will ultimately receive. Over the years,

journalists have uncovered stories of children being trafficked from neighboring countries to work on cocoa farms.

Many of the children are between the ages of 12 and 16, but reporters have found children as young as 5. This normalized practice, however, leads to a ripple effect as many children are unable to attend school or are unable to access proper health care while working in dangerous conditions.

The Implications In 2019, Ghana and the Ivory Coast formed an agreement to streamline efforts to raise the income wages of cocoa farmers. Despite many chocolate companies’ initial agreement to increase wages and end child labor, this process still continues.

The chocolate industry has continuously exploited Africans to do their bidding, disregarding the pivotal role they have had on the industry for decades.

The chocolate industry, however, paints itself into a larger picture of the economic

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hardships that plague regions in Africa. In recent years, many have begun to use the term “African brain drain” to describe the mass migration of West African youth due to lack of economic and educational opportunities. Opportunities to escape the oppression of choicelessness, such as the injustices associated with chocolate manufacture, are prohibited by circumstances like cocoa farming. Major chocolate companies who understand that these strifes exist are therefore not incentivized to ever take measures to increase wages or end child labor, understanding that for many cocoa farmers there is no better alternative.

Our Role While issues such as child labor and income inequality require structural changes within the chocolate industry, there are still measures that can be taken by chocolate consumers to help support cocoa farmers. According to the Food and Drug Administration, dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa than other chocolate types. This would allow farmers to potentially receive higher wages. Major chocolate companies must still be held accountable for their part in enabling the exploitation of African cocoa farmers for their own gain. Until cocoa farmers are seen on the same playing field, the corruption that has existed for the past century will continue to reign superior.

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May 2O23

“BOYS WILL BE BOYS” Article by Amanda Rose DeStefano Graphic by Lia Garibay

The lessons we learn on the playground stick with us for the rest of our lives. Boys learn to run, jump, and play, all while getting out their energy during recess. Young girls, however, learn what it feels like to hit the mulch after being pushed to the ground by their male peers, just for their teachers to defend the boys’ behavior for the sake of “just being boys.”

Male aggressive behavior is passed off as being a biological component of their sex, instead of a learned and taught practice. Chalking up violence to “boys being boys” oversimplifies the issue to the detriment of the peers who will deal with the violence in childhood, as well as later in adult life.

The implications of harmful phrases like these don’t just stop at girls. “Boys will be boys” has become a license for boys to treat their peers, male and female, with disrespect and violence. Aggressive behavior like this has become normalized, accepted and expected throughout adolescence and into adulthood.

One particularly painful consequence of these excuses is experienced by young girls. A common phrase told to young girls complaining of the violence they are subjected to by their male classmates is “he just likes you.” The normalization of boys acting out violently has molded the way we respond to girls experiencing it. Instead of accountability and discipline, we teach girls that boys might just not know how to express their romantic feelings, causing them to act out.

“It primes girls to expect that a certain

amount of harassment just comes with the territory. That’s very dangerous. It also primes them to not confront the behavior. It makes them feel as if they have to accept it as the norm. It normalizes it,” author of middle grade novel “Maybe He Just Likes You,” Barbara Dee said.

who approached her while jogging to leave her alone. These stories don’t exist in isolation.

They are part of a much bigger picture of excusing and accepting violence against women and girls, further encouraging sexism.

All violence begins with disrespect. When we teach our young boys that girls are below

“We expect boys to act in a certain way because after all, they’re boys and that’s what they are genetically predisposed to do. That’s not fair to girls, and it’s certainly not fair to boys,” Dee said.

Entitlement seen in young boys in playground or classroom settings is exacerbated into much more severe violence. Dr. Tamara O’Neal was killed in 2018 by her fiancé after breaking off an engagement. College student Mollie Tibbets was killed after telling a man

them, they act out in seemingly minor instances. While it seems as though these minute events don’t have much of an impact on girls, when the adults in their lives write it off as simply a symptom of their bully’s gender, they begin to believe it. Girls become more hesitant to speak out, seeing the disrespect they are subjected to as an inevitability. They view daily instances of sexism as a normality. Internalization of sexist myths as reality is a dangerous game played by adults that will lead us further

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The way we treat young girls conditions them to accept disrespect later in life down the path of sexism.

“We also need to get adults to pick up the signs,” Dee said.

Aside from instances of violence, sexism experienced during childhood has real implications on women into adulthood. For instance, a study published by the Becker Friedman In-

to no effect, the opposite is true. Classrooms across the world have been permeated by sexism brought from patriarchal norms in society. The Center for Education & Youth reports that this in turn teaches students to accept this treatment as an inevitable reality, part of everyday life. When teachers challenge everyday

stitute at the University of Chicago in 2018 found that sexism experienced in childhood affects the salaries of women later in their life.

If a woman is raised in a highly sexist state, they are more likely to carry those beliefs throughout their life, even as they move to different states across the country. This devaluation of women is reflected into salary negotiations, promotions and more.

While ending sexism on the playground or in the classroom might seem to have little

sexism, however, it pushes students, parents and staff to do the same.

The way we arrange classrooms and playgrounds, as well as initiate conversations inside them, has a direct impact on what girls internalize. For instance, posters depicting only male U.S. politicians in a classroom led Korean immigrant girls to believe that only men could fill roles like these. Teachers often comment on girls’ neatness, but boys’ physical strength. Children adopt these roles and

attitudes and reflect them on themselves and peers, further perpetuating age-old stereotypes of the docility of girls and the strength of boys.

Children develop their gender identity and learn the differences between male and female around ages 3 to 5 according to Olaiya E. Aina and Petronella A. Cameron in the journal Dimensions of Early Childhood.

This makes it especially imperative for teachers, parents, and other adults to focus on resisting stereotypes and sexism in childhood. The effects of long-term gender bias proliferates the most during adolescence. Stopping bias and stereotyping young is the solution to preventing it later in life.

A study published in 2016 by the Feminist Review found that although there has been significant work done to target boys’ attitudes towards violence against women and girls, an important component of the problem has been missing a solution. Without an emphasis placed on the internalization of societal norms and patriarchal myths, women and girls cannot overcome violence and sexism.

Another uncharted territory in tackling childhood sexism is teaching girls how to effectively communicate. Dealing with violence and bullying as a child is scary enough without an added component of underlying sexism.

It becomes even more dangerous when girls are expecting for their experience to be downplayed and ignored, with little consideration for the fear and humiliation they feel.

“A lot of girls...really just don’t know how to advocate for themselves. They don’t know how to get adults to listen because they don’t know how to express how they feel about the behavior. It’s very confusing. It’s threatening,” Dee said.

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THE PR

May 2O23

BLEM

Article by Reese Taylor Graphic by Andrew Edwards In February of this year, YouTuber and philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, known as “Mr. Beast,” paid for 1,000 people to undergo a cataract eye surgery. The surgery is life changing. One highschool senior who received the surgery in his video broke down into tears after regaining his eyesight saying, “I didn’t even think this was real…I’m waiting to wake up.”

However, Donaldson’s donation of surgery sparked controversy as the surgeries were donated in order to film an ad-supported YouTube video. Conversations began examining the role of multi-million and billion dollar philanthropists in society. Many believed it was dystopian that a surgery so simple, taking only 10 minutes to perform, could only be accessed by people in need when a YouTuber thinks it will make monetizable content for a video. Others took a consequentialist outlook arguing that Donaldson undeniably benefitted the lives of other people which makes what he did good, regardless of his motivations. As the internet provides a new platform for individuals and corporations to publicize their philanthropy, we must continue to question the morality of philanthropy and the role it has in our society.

SPECTACLE & SAVIORISM

The dilemma withgww philanthropy is illustrated with Mr. Beast. Philanthropists are constantly faced with the same dilemma: Fight for systematic change that is often laborious and not as fame-inspiring or create momentary good that creates public perception of yourself as a hero?

Donaldson has built a brand off of the second option. From the eye surgery donation to saving orphanages, Donaldson’s philanthropy drives spectacle across the internet.

In addition, it is notable that quick dona-

tions and building wells do little in the long run to help communities, often doing more harm than good. For example The Knowledge at Wharton detailed the harmful consequences of the company Tom’s Shoes’s “one-to-one” promotion. In which, the company pledged to give away one shoe for every shoe purchased.

While harmless in thought the promotion had devastating effects on the communities they donated to. The donated shoes outcompeted local shoemakers and “failed to have any impact on the root causes of poverty for the recipients.” This caused Tom’s Shoes to examine their attempt at philanthropy, repealing the program in 2018. What the Tom’s Shoes event exemplified is how when philanthropists have motivations other than purely creating a net good for the communities they affect, they have more incentive to create flashy or profitable economic choices instead of ones that are truly beneficial.

politically and in terms of the disciplines of the market…In this sense they are profoundly anti-democratic.”

The repercussions of this fact were explained through charter schools by political philosopher Emma Saunders-Hastings. She noted that charter school funders rarely send their own children to charter schools. Often, sending their students to schools that employ completely different instructional practices. In this way, funders determine teaching methodology that they deem fit for other students, precluding their own.

Essentially, because of their wealth and accessibility, philanthropists get to dictate what they deem valuable or invaluable to society and excise those beliefs onto other people.

FINAL DEFENSE

Another problem with philanthropy is that it is treated as the solution to social inequality, when in reality it should be the last resort.

The existence of philanthropy is often used to excuse the need for policy changes that might help solve issues such as extreme poverty While it is easy to examine philanthropic and homelessness. However, it becomes clear work that falls into the second category and that it is hardly a solution to the problem. Inbelieve that, at the very least, there are those stead, it sometimes helps perpetuate it.

Jeffrey Bezos donated 1.5 billion euros to the that benefit from these motivations, what this neglects is the actual needs of the general pop- “Bezos Day One Fund” which was founded to end homelessness. However, Amazon plays an ulation. undeniable role We often forget that “Foundations are unaccountable, in homelessness. philanthropists and largescale foundations like The both politically and in terms of Journalist SindBill & Melinda Gates Foun- the disciplines of the market... hu Ram noted that in Seattle, dation are mostly unaccountable for the needs of the in this sense they are profoundly their city council proposed a bill public. While the public can anti-democratic” that would tax attempt to sway the direction - Paul Valley, British Journalist corporations of donations by advocating for in order to fund certain issues and dissuading attention from $500 more per employee others, the final decision is completely out of local homelessness efforts, but even after the council compromised to lower the amount our hands.

British journalist Paul Vallely concurred to $275, Amazon pressured the council into saying, “Foundations are unaccountable, both dropping the bill completely.

BECOMING UNDEMOCRATIC

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OF PHILANTHROPY SOLUTIONS

The ever-daunting question then becomes: “what role can we play in philanthropy?”

While the general public cannot give a final say in where philanthropists ultimately decide to spend their money, we can bring attention to the causes we care about in hopes they follow suit.

A large portion of Mr. Beast’s fortune is made monetizing the attention his philanthropic endeavors receive. By continuing to platform creators and causes that we care about we can provide motivation for philanthropists to support causes that they believe will garner them more public support.

In addition, we can examine our own relationship with philanthropy. Saunders-Hastings said that it is not only millionaires and billionaires who are capable of feeding into the toxic power imbalance of philanthropy. She noted that even when smaller donations are met with thank you notes, plaques in public spaces, and other commemorative pieces they carry “a tincture of social inferiority.”

There is no “right” way to be a philanthropist. Philanthropy is a financial/economic relationship that is inherently unequal. Philanthropy is not a concept that should or should not exist or a relationship that needs to be “fixed.” However, we need to acknowledge the problems inherent to it and not rely on it as a way to fix systematic issues. While the “ideal” philanthropist may be authentic in altruism or work to fix larger systematic problems, it does not negate that we are leaving the livelihoods of potentially millions of people to the whims of a single individual.

CONCLUSION

Philanthropy has the power to shape all of our lives. However, it is a social phenomenon that should not be devoid of scrutiny. By understanding how philanthropy can shape the society we inhabit, we can forge a relationship with it that truly benefits us all.

May 2O23

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SPELLING BEES SPELL SUCCESS Article by Sammy Lou Graphic by Austin Yuan

Ever since ESPN began broadcasting the National Spelling Bee in 1994, people around the world have been able to witness this challenging competition. Competing in the spelling bee is no easy task, as words can be pulled from any of the 476,000 entries currently in Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.

Have you ever heard of the word “chatoyance”? Most people would have trouble pronouncing it, let alone spelling it, but this is the type of word that National Spelling Bee competitors can spell with ease.

According to the Academy of Accelerated Learning, competing in spelling bees can help contestants develop their public speaking skills, as well as their self-confidence when performing under pressure on stage. It also enhances their vocabulary, as several words used in the competition are very advanced. An advanced vocabulary comes with many benefits, including being more persuasive and having better communication skills.

For these reasons, many schools ranging from elementary to middle schools organize spelling bees. While Trinity used to offer a spelling bee program, currently that is not the case. According to Head of Middle School Jason Dowdy, the spelling bee was discontinued because of waning student interest. Nevertheless, bringing back the spelling bee would be beneficial to students.

While there was not as much interest in the past, Trinity should bring it back and encourage students to participate.

Open to sixth and eighth graders, the spelling bee is a competition that tests each students’ comprehension and study skills.

English teacher Erica Keckley, who helps run the spelling bee at Park Maitland, believes that loving the English language can be all it takes to be a good speller.

“I think the ones who read a lot have a natural affinity for language and words, and they see the value of words,” Keckley

said. “That certainly lends itself to wanting to know everything about words. I think that the strongest English students are going to be the strongest spellers.”

In a world of autocorrect, some might ask why spelling skills are important. Interestingly, according to PCMag, 61% of people judge those who often misspell words. In fact, some companies will automatically discard a resume if they catch a spelling mistake on it. So for the 79% of the population who rely on autocorrect to fix their misspellings, it might be smart to brush up on spelling skills, since autocorrect is not always foolproof.

“I think in today’s world, we don’t value correct spelling,” Keckley said. “We rely so heavily on spell check. Sometimes, we get lazy when we rely too heavily on spell check, meaning we don’t always catch mistakes that the computer might make. I think that it does tie into phonics as well, and your ability to read words easily and sound out words that you’re not familiar with. So I feel like spelling is still an integral, necessary part of language arts.”

Some students might be scared at the thought of putting their spelling skills to the test on a stage in front of a lot of people as it

can be nerve-racking. In a high-pressure situation such as a spelling bee, just knowing the words is not always enough. An article written

by Forbes reports on a student being eliminated after misspelling the word “glands” simply due to nerves.

On the other hand, spelling bees actually can help with public speaking skills. According to Study International, a spelling bee helps participants gain confidence to speak in public and accept mistakes by exposing students to these situations at a young age. Being up on the stage forces the participants to come up with ways to overcome stage fright, whether it be by taking deep breaths or focusing on the competition to take their mind off the crowd.

One student who enjoyed participating in spelling bees is eighth grader Luke Kang, who won the Polk County Spelling Bee in his sixth grade year at Park Maitland. Kang believes there are many benefits to competing in the spelling bee, and he recalled the moment when he won.

“I think it’s a fun competition,” Kang said.

“When I heard my name called, I knew my studying paid off. You get to learn new words and it’s good to prep for it because you increase your vocabulary.”

If you were to ask a random person on the street if they can recall their school spelling bee experience, chances are they will remember the word that eliminated them, according to an NBC News article. Although spelling bees are sometimes associated with stage fright and intimidating words, these issues can be overcome and many benefits come with competing. For these reasons, we should reconsider bringing back the spelling bee for middle students, as it would open up an opportunity for students to enrich their vocabulary while creating memories that can last a lifetime.

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACCEPTED

How College Admissions Videos Hurt Students After studying for math tests, writing essays get to watch someone else live out their dream. and spending Saturdays taking the SAT, a high “It definitely hurts some people who just got school student’s hard work all culminates in hurt by the college admission system, and they their college acceptances. A decision so im- didn’t get in anywhere,” Buettgen said. “It can portant to them that the one thing they must be kind of hurtful to see all of these people’s do is set up a camera and record. successes on your social media with hundreds As college admissions have become more of thousands of likes.” selective, it is treated like a game where you Also, it hurts the younger students watchcollect the most points by getting good grades, ing them. The younger students who are exjoining the most clubs and getting the highest posed to a lot of these videos are made to feel SAT score. This like everyone leads people to is getting into want to brag when these colleges a college admisand that they sion brings sucmust apply to cess. They can fithese schools nally show people too when it that all their hard might not be work has paid off. the best option The trend of for them. college admissions - Trevor Buettgen, Senior “I think videos has spread across soit also further cial media with many videos makes it a big accumulating millions of views. An applicant deal,” Buettgen said. “It’s not just your parents will record their reaction to opening up their and your school pushing. It’s also your envidecision letters to highly ranked schools and ronment of kids around you on social media post the results. The problem with these videos pushing for you to go to a good college, so I is that they are not just for the applicant, but think it kind of reinforces the stress of the colthey are shared to the rest of the internet. lege admissions process.”

“I just have been waiting,” said senior Trevor College admissions is a stressful process. AcBuettgen, who made a college admissions vid- cording to The Princeton Review’s 2022 Coleo. “Honestly, the one thing I was excited for lege Hopes & Worries Survey, 74% of high in the college application process was to make schoolers report high stress about college apall those videos when I was done with it.” plications.

A college admissions video is usually made “It’s kind of like a self-worth problem when by super strong applicants who get accepted you feel like you’re only a test score and your into top schools. While they deserve praise for GPA and nothing more than that, and it’s all their hard work, a college admissions video is these small little things that barely matter,” not the way to earn it. The videos hurt the peo- Buettgen said. “But they’re everything to you ple watching them; someone who did not get because you need to get into a good college.” into top schools is made to feel less than. They A college admissions video makes college

“It’s not just your parents and your school pushing. It’s also your environment of kids around you on social media pushing for you to go to a good college.”

admissions even more competitive and stressful than before. All of a student’s hard work in and out of the classroom for all four years culminates in one decision: accepted, rejected or waitlisted. All their hard work is reduced to three words. A lot of pressure is put onto these words; after all, their future is dependent on it.

However, now a student does not just see these words. Instead, they see people all over their social media getting into the college they have been dreaming of for years.

College admissions videos only magnify the stress of college admissions. While students want to share their successes, there are more effective ways to do that. For example, when you decide where you are going to college, you can announce it and share it with people. This way you can still show off your hard work, but people will not have to see exactly what all your decisions were. Also, you can record the videos of opening the decisions, but only keep it for yourself and your family to watch.

College admissions should be a private process not a public one. When posting decisions anywhere, remember that when someone gets into a school that means another person did not.

The lead editorial expresses the opinion of the Trinity Voice editorial staff. Please send comments to voice@trinityprep.org.

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Sports

May 2O23

GRANVILLE JUMPS INTO HER FIRST SEASON Article by Boaz Kim Photo by Olivia Kortman

who is fairly fresh out of the sport. She believes Pole vaulting was never the first option for for the lost season. However, she decided to that being closer to her athletes’ age allows her Trinity head coach Raegan Granville. Ever forego this extra season and instead explore to connect with them and use that to coach since middle school track, she loved running coaching the sport she loved. better. and did only running events, ranging from the “I chose to walk away from my extra year “I think it is one thing to be a coach and 60 to the 400 meter. This pattern of running of eligibility, but I felt that it was not really have all of the years of experience and knowlcontinued well into her high school career, but a good closing chapter for my pole vaulting edge, but I think it is also another thing when ended in her junior year. career,” Granville said. “So, I mean one thing you have been in the athletes’ shoes and it has “At the time, I was a cheerleader as well and led to another, and I decided that I wanted been a closer time period,” Granville said. “I my friends told me that if you were a cheer- to look into coaching and I ended up here.” think that sometimes coaches can forget that leader or a gymnast you could be good at [pole Granville said this is her first coaching job, it is crucial to not only give them advice that vaulting] and I was like I’ll just pick this up be- but picked up some unofficial coaching expewill help them physicause my friends are cally, but also mentaldoing it,” Granville ly in how to deal with said. “I never really things when they are took it seriously or competing.” practiced it a whole Granville seems to lot because I was fobe well liked by her cused mainly on runathlete, senior Carning.” los O’Connor, who Granville said that picked up pole vaulther goal was to be ing this year for the able to run at the first time, had high collegiate level. Howpraise for Granville. ever, it started to be“I’ve had a really come apparent to her good experience with that she would have her,” O’Connor said. to get on a different “She really helps me path to compete in out a lot and you can track and field at the tell that she has had next level. a lot of experience in “I wasn’t progressher career. She is very ing as much as I good at analyzing our would have liked to with my running and Trinity’s new pole vault coach, Raegan Granville, trains with senior Carlos O’Connor to prepare jumps and breaking it down for us down I knew that if I want- for his upcoming vault in the Citrus League Championships on March 29th. to the smallest deed to continue track in tail.” college on a scholarFor her first official coaching job, Granville ship, I needed to change something,” Granville rience back when she was in college. She said was going in blind and said she did not know said. “I started to transition and focus more on that in college, there was not really an official what to expect. Like any good coach, she said pole vaulting, and I ended up jumping around pole vaulting coach, so she would go to clubs that she just wanted to be there for her athtwo feet higher than I had ever done in just a outside of school to receive coaching. In turn, letes. couple of months.” she would come back and “coach” her pole “I didn’t really know what I was walking Granville was recruited by the Universi- vaulting peers in college. into, didn’t know the experience level, the ty of the Cumberlands, located in Kentucky.

“I called myself the ‘vault mom’ because equipment I’d have access to, and whatnot,” She went there for pole vaulting, but later on what I would do is I would always help the Granville said. “But, my main focus was on added back some of her running events to her kids that were underneath me and work with the kids, you know, helping the seniors have schedule. them at the meets and practices,” Granville a good last year. My focus was helping them When COVID-19 hit, Granville was a ju- said. reach their goals and to get a lot of new faces nior in college and was given the opportunity As a coach, Granville believes that she has into pole vault, really try to grow it.” to get another year of eligibility to make up a unique advantage as she is a younger coach

May 2O23

Sports

25

UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS Boys weightlifting ends its triumphant season Article by Jack Aaron Photo courtesy of Amanda Dean For 21 years, the boy’s weightlifting has nev- and do the best they could that day and came really good, I feel like we’re going to be comer once won the district title. However, this out ahead.” petitive for a really long time,” Salinas said. year’s season was different, as for the first time All in -all, the boys weightlifting team Dean also believes that the team’s technique ever, they were able to achieve the first- place is a primary factor to their success. achieved unprecedented success with a bright title.

“We spent a lot of time talking about tech- future ahead of them. Along with their achieveIn recents weeks, the boys weightlifting nique and doing the lifts correctly,” Dean said. ments, Dean is proud of their comradery. team made unprecedented success after plac- “And our boys are really, really well trained in “I love how they kind of mesh and gel ing first in districts, having three individuals good technique. And from there, I think it sets around each other,” Dean said. “[To] go to win regionals and competing in states. This is them up nicely to be able to gain the strength these big meets and see one of our guys who’s the first time in Trinity history that the team to do the lifts really well in these [competi- getting ready to do a heavy attempt and just has taken this number one spot at the district tions].” seeing all the guys come over to watch and be tournament. In addition, seniors Boaz Kim, The team hopes to continue its success, and loud for them. And hype them up and pump Ramy Asfoor and Jackson Salinas qualified for Salinas pointed to the team’s younger athletes them. It’s really fun to kind of be in that atmostates, another record for the team. sphere to see how they interact and how they as the successors.

The captain and four-year member of the “I think that because of the amount of really, truly support each other.” team, senior Jackson Salinas attributes the younger guys that we have on the team that are team’s achievements to the overall synergy of the group.

“It’s a team chemistry,” Salinas said. “We are all really close with each other and we all come to practice and we all compete together. People always talk about how [weightlifting] is not really a team sport, but we all come together and we all cheer each other on every week. ” Jackson is not the only person who is proud of the team’s achievement, as first-time boys weightlifting coach Amanda Dean commends the team’s dedication and effort during the season.

“These guys, they worked really hard,” Dean said. “They set some goals for themselves, and they just went out and trained as hard as they could and follow the protocol and The boys varsity weightlifting celebrates its victory at districts on April 1. In addition, three of the boys won in kind of set their mind to try their division at regionals.

START OF A NEW CHAPTER 13 college commits continue their sports at the next level

Soccer Goalie, UCF

SHANE WRIGHT

May 2O23

Sports

“I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates and coaches.

I’m ready to continue to expand my understanding and skill in the game that I love.”

- Henry Brown, Soccer at Saint Lawrence University

“Daytona State will give me the chance to grow as a student and athlete for 2 years, and then help me transfer to a different college where I can continue my soccer career. I’m excited to get going.”

- Mason Dowdy, Soccer at Daytona State College

“I’m looking forward to the overall environment shift in college.

Mainly just being surrounded by other girls who have the same goal in mind as me and who are all putting in the same effort.”

- Angelina Garganese, Hockey at Utica University

“Playing baseball in college is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember. Bard was a perfect fit for me and I can’t wait to get started.”

- Charlie Lehr, Baseball at Bard College

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28

Sports

May 2O23

“Trinity has prepared me for my athletic career in college because it provided me with the brotherhood, team chemistry and hard work required to succeed.”

- Koray Tekin, Soccer at Vassar College

“I’m really excited to be going to WashU already knowing I have a group of people I can rely on and who can push me to become the best I can.”

- Max Balon, Swimming at Washington University in St. Louis

“I am incredibly excited to continue the sport I love at the collegiate level. I am very thankful for all of the support that I have received from the Trinity Prep family, and I would not be in the position I am today without it.”

- Nico Santiago, Diving at Georgetown University

“I love the competitive environment of my sport and the relationships with teammates you make along the way. Trinity has helped me grow as a player and prepare me for the collegiete level.”

- Ryan Avallone, Soccer at College of Charleston

May 2O23

Sports

“I am really looking forward to meeting my future teammates.

Trinity swimming has helped me prepare by training me on the college level and an environment just like college.”

- Kevyn Collazo, Swimming at St. Bonaventure University

“I am incredibly excited to continue the sport I love at the collegiate level and am thankful for all of the support I have received from the Trinity Prep family.”

- Morgan Cox, Running at Emory University

“I’m looking forward to playing and competing at a higher level.

I love soccer for the competitive team-based nature of the game.

Coach Ray has prepared me for the collegiate level with his tough training and cardio workouts.”

- Jeffery Wang, Soccer at Swathmore College

“I’m super excited to get on campus this fall and meet all my teammates! I also can’t wait to play at such a high level, and hopefully play in a National Championship game one day!”

- Thomas Kienle, Lacrosse at Rollins College

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May 2O23

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32

Photos

May 2O23

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION Events on Campus

Olivia Kortman Senior Sabrina Vicente poses with her dog, Mason, on senior dog day. This day is a tradition that students look forward to each year.

Olivia Kortman Senior boys, along with sixth grader Emmett Brown, celebrate their recent win after the water balloon toss at Headmaster’s day. The day was packed with friendly competitions across the grades.

Olivia Prince Seniors Jackson Salinas and Sabrina Vicente pose after receiving the titles of prom King and Queen. Juniors and seniors enjoyed the casino-themed prom at the Mezz.

Olivia Prince As part of Culture Fest, parents and students share food from more than 26 countries. At this booth, parents serve food from Haiti.