May 2022 Issue

THE

TRINITY VOICE

May 2O22 Volume 24 Issue 7 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

Bowden Leaves Photographic Legacy Page 8

NEWS

English teacher and forensics coach Dean Rhoads retires after 43 years at Trinity.

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OPINIONS

Rainbow capitalism profits off pride by exploiting the LGBTQ communities it’s intended to help Page 26

FOCUS

Summer homework remains popular among teachers for good reason.

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LIFESTYLES

Milestones don’t always define adulthood, from middle school to college.

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SPORTS

One student’s journey back to the gym after paralisis from food poisioning.

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Table of Contents

February 2O22

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Rhoads’ Legacy O4-O5 McKinney Moving On O6 Clanton Retires O7 Bowden Homecoming O8-O9 New Justice Jackson 1O

Lifestyles

Opinions

Student Voices 18-19 Medical Misinformation 2O-21 Women’s Health 22-23 Don’t Say Gay 24 Rainbow Capitalism 25-26 Drugs 27

Sports

2O Time 11 Teen Stereotypes 12 Gas Prices 13 Adulting 14

College Commits 28-29 Post-Season Weight- 3O Road to Recovery 31

Focus

Pre-College 15 Travel Restrictions 16 Summer Homework 17 Source:

US Census

Bureau

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 Sarah Lin

THETRINITYVOICE.COM

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Editor’s Note - The editorial staff of The Trinity Voice is proud to feature the writing of the Introduction to Journalism class. These articles were written by the students in the month of May as a culmination to the course.

@TRINITY_VOICE @THETRINITYVOICE Anuha Tatineni

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“THE TRINITY VOICE”

Staff/Focus Topic

February 2O22

STAFF

Editors-in-Chief: Marcos Membreno, Jack Ververis Managing Editors: Sarah Zehnder, Ava Savino Layout Editors: Amy-Ruth Gyang, Reese Tayor Copy Editor: Kaylee Ortega Online & Social Media Editors: Carol Marques, David Bryskin News Department: Iris Lei (Editor), Victoria Berube Opinions Department: Abby Hernan (Editor), Maddie Peckham, Ella Norman Focus Department: Peyton Alch (Editor), Deniz Bölöni-Turgut, Angel Zheng, Alec Diaz Lifestyles Department: Taylor Riley (Editor), Kaylee Ortega, Sports Department: David Steinberg (Editor), David Hull Podcast Department: Aetant Prakash (Editor), Sreekar Nagulapalli Graphics Department: Jaidyn Holt (Editor), Sarah Lin Photo Department: Anna Miliotes (Editor), Anuha Tatineni, Ella Craghill Fact Checker Editors: Julian Sealy, Boaz Kim Business Manager: Sreekar Nagulapalli Adviser: Erin Miller

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This Month’s Podcast Topic:

Faculty & Staff Blurb by Sreekar Nagulapalli and Aetant Prakash Photo courtesy of Chi Rho

In honor of a Trinity Voice tradition, this month our topic for the podcast is departing staff and faculty. We spoke with Dean Rhoads on his 43 year career at Trinity and about all of his unique experiences. From bizarre senior pranks to teaching past students’ kids, he has seen it all as an avid English teacher and beloved Forensics director. He plans to retire after this school year as the most tenured teacher in school history.

Podcast

Tune in to hear from our special guest and keynote speaker at this year’s graduation, Mr. Dean Rhoads!

News

May 2O22

EVERLASTING LEGACY OF LEARNING Article by Ava Savino Photos Courtesy of Chi Rho

When English teacher Dean Rhoads started his teaching career at Trinity 43 years ago, he thought it would be a teaching position similar to his first job at a North Carolina public school. Instead, what he found was a group of highly ambitious and competitive students who had a drive for learning that made his job exciting and different.

Rhoads has been witness to many students, programs, and changes on campus with his years of experience on campus. One of his most impactful legacies was founding the forensics program that has led countless students

coached a small group of 12-20 students until the program started going to nationals after adding another experienced coach to assist with the larger scale of national tournaments.

“I can coach kid-on-kid different events, but the running of a big team like that and imagining how to make that work really is not my skill set,” Rhoads said. “Once [the new coach] came on board, we kind of exploded, and within about three, four, five years of her being here, we started having national finalists.”

Rhoads also impacted Trinity by teaching some of the current teachers here on campus. English Teacher Melanie Farmer said that she remembers Rhoads as her eighth grade English teacher and forensics coach.

Rhoads circa 1996 showing off his sense of humor.

“Mr. Rhoads is very similar to what he used to be like,” Farmer said. “When I was in As a colleague, Farmer describes Rhoads school, we didn’t have computers, so as a mentor to new teachers, especially in the my main memory of him is the clas- English department. She also said that Rhoads sic Mr. Rhoads sitting at the front has contributed much more to Trinity than with a book and talking and joking just his teaching abilities. about the book. I think he still kind “Even though he’s an English teacher and of does it that way.” he does debate and all this other stuff, Mr. Because of Farmer’s unique expe- Rhoads cares mostly about getting to know his rience of being both s t u d e n t s ,” Rhoads’ student “Even though he’s an English Farmer said. and colleague, she teacher and he does debate and R h o a d s’ has funny memories concern from both sides of all this other stuff, Mr. Rhoads and care for the desk. One specif- cares mostly about getting to his students ic memory she has is can be seen one of her time trav- know his students.” in stories eling together for a he tells.

He - English teacher Melanie Farmer forensics event as a said that a student. junior stu“I know that Mr. Rhoads can dent of his one day came up to him and asked Rhoads circa 2004 in a yearbook spread showing his sleep upright in his chair, which is how to receive an A on his paper after never “quirky” love of coffee. pretty impressive,” Farmer said. “I getting one for three years. Rhoads then exremember being at speech tourna- plained the process, and the next paper that to awards at the state and national levels. With ments, and he could be sitting at a round table the student wrote was what Rhoads described a humble start in 1982, Rhoads said that he and he just regally closes his eyes.” as “grad school quality” and received a 100%.

May 2O22

News

English teacher Dean Rhoads retires after 43 years at Trinity real friendship,” Farmer said.

Krueger has his own fair share of funny stories about Rhoads just like Farmer.

He remembers Rhoads performing an almost impossible tongue twister version of “Cinderella” to Krueger, leaving him amazed and confused at the same time.

“I always enjoyed it, it made me laugh, but it was also seemingly impossible to speak,” Krueger said. “I don’t know how he would actually say these words in this biRhoads circa 2002 in a yearbook spread about theater and zarre way.” forensics, coining him “Papa Rhoads”.

Rhoads has positively influenced every corner of Rhoads said that the student decided to be an campus with his skillful foEnglish teacher after continuously turning in rensics coaching, hilariously quirky stories, Rhoads circa 2010. these high-quality papers. and ever ready mentorship.

“That’s really what I’m working for,” Rhoads “I don’t know Trinity without Mr. Rhoads,” said. “I get great satisfaction in helping other Farmer said. “I think that there’s no adult on people understand who they are.” this campus who does.”

Colleagues of Rhoads agree that this theme of helping and impacting students is consistent throughout Rhoads’ career. English teacher Steve Krueger was Rhoads’ department head for around 22 years and shared this sentiment about his impact on Trinity.

“There’s so many people that he’s crossed paths with, helped, talked to, over [his] time here, it’s almost difficult to kind of imagine all the different little connections that he’s built over the years,” Krueger said.

Another quality that both colleagues highlighted is Rhoads’s ability to remember details about many of the students and faculty members he has encountered over the years. Farmer said that he often does this by talking to anyone who stops by the teachers’ lounge, sometimes for an hour or more, and keeping up with his knowledge of students’ families that he has gotten to teach by directly interacting with his students.

Rhoads’ yearbook photos in 1980 and 2021. Rhoads has impacted generations of “I think it says something about the strength Trinity students for 43 years from grades 7-11 in English and all levels of Forensics. of the relationships that he has with students [and] that it’s not just about class, it’s clearly a

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News

May 2O22

MOVING UP THE LADDER

McKinney-Stokes leaves Trinity after seven years to pursue an administrative role Article by Iris Lei Photo by Anuha Tatineni As a fourth generation teacher, social science teacher Tatiana McKinney-Stokes has familiarized herself with classrooms and the students in them. Although she is leaving Trinity after seven years as a middle school Civics teacher, middle school Assistant Dean, and mock trial coach, she will continue working with students with a move into administration.

McKinney-Stokes received her undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri, her first master’s degree at Sarah Lawrence College in women’s history, and a second degree from Adams State University. She began teaching general education in elementary school and English as a Second Language (ESL), which she also did while living in Beijing. McKinney-Stokes enjoyed helping students learn English, but she wanted to use her degrees while teaching, which led her to Trinity. “[I] really liked the school when I interviewed and thought it was a good place for

zme to start teaching the subject,” McKin- team after being on the junior varsity team in ney-Stokes said. her high school, which sparked her interest in In middle school Civics, rap battles about law and policy. opposing figures in history were always memo“I decided to start it at Trinity because I rable. When she first introduced them, the stu- started to notice when I did mock trials in my dents were unsure classroom, the kids about the project. "I'm going to miss all the students were really interest“The reception ed, and they wanted at first was like, I've connected with and [gotten] to do it in a more ‘she’s lost it. She’s to know. Because I know so many competitive format,” crazy,’” McKinK i n n e y - St o k e s kids...it's been cool to watch people Mc ney-Stokes said. said.

“It was kind of grow up."

McKinney-Stokes cool…when the plans to pursue adkids started to re- - McKinney-Stokes, Social Science Teacher ministration next, as alize I wasn’t tryshe enjoys helping ing to punish them.” students outside her classroom and working According to her, many students told her with other teachers. how the rap battles helped them after 8th “I just realized that I’ve done everything I grade. could possibly do here,” McKinney-Stokes She also started the middle school mock trial said. “It’s time for me to move more into administration and just find a different spot where I can try to make a difference and help other kids figure out their passions.”

She has lived all over the world, including Beijing, New York City, Washington DC, Memphis, Chicago, and Mississipi. Her next job takes her into Denver, Colorado.

“I’ve lived in the east, I’ve lived abroad,” McKinney-Stokes said. “This is the first time I’ve lived on the west coast.”

Her favorite part of teaching at Trinity was building relationships with her students and seeing them find what they took a liking to in Civics.

“I’m going to miss all the students I’ve connected with and [gotten] to know,” McKinney-Stokes said. “Because I know so many kids…it’s been cool to watch people grow up.”

McKinney-Stokes loves working with students outside of her classroom and will take on a job in administration after seven years at Trinity.

May 2O22

News

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THE END OF AN INTEGRAL CHAPTER

Mathematics teacher Barbara Clanton retires after 37 years of teaching Article by Emma Kim Photos courtesy of Chi Rho Mathematics teacher Barbara Clanton had just graduated from four years at Princeton University as an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major when she realized she wanted to pursue a different path. As she was interviewing for various companies, she found that her interests aligned more closely with a career in which she could coach and work with younger students. Now, after 26 years at Trinity Prep and a total of 37 years of teaching, Clanton prepares to move on to the next chapter of her life as her teaching career comes to a close.

Clanton took on her first job as a teacher at a private, all-girls college preparatory school in the state of New York, where she stayed for eight years before moving to a public school for the next three years of her career. From there, she began looking for schools near Central Florida in order to move closer to her parents who lived in the area. In 1996, Clanton began teaching at Trinity.

“It was good,” Clanton said. “There was a real Trinity family here at that time. Colleagues took time to help you feel welcome and part of the community. There was a real sense of ‘we’re in this together.’ Students and the parents and … administration, everybody. Everybody.”

Clanton said she has found this camaraderie to be one of the most memorable experiences from her time on campus, from the early-on Trinity family feeling to the seamless teamwork within the math department.

“When I had surgery, I had a ton of colleagues at my door at my house bringing me food, bringing me flowers, and that, I thought, was incredible,” Clanton said.

Throughout almost four decades as a teacher, Clanton has taught a myriad of classes including eighth-grade math, Honors Algebra, College Algebra, Honors Geometry, Honors Precalculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, Computer Studies, and AP Computer Science. Of these, calculus has been her favorite subject to teach.

“Calculus is so robust,” Clanton said. “There

Clanton joined the Trinity faculty in 1996 and has since contributed to the mathematics, athletics and computer science departments on campus.

are so many applications. It’s the pinnacle of all algebra-based mathematics, and by the time students get to calculus, they are the ones who can handle the rigor of that subject.”

While she taught her students integrals, u-substitutions and hypothesis testing, Clanton said her students taught her to take certain matters less seriously.

“Something I’ve learned as a teacher is … to relax and just enjoy where you are,” Clanton said. “Don’t sweat the small stuff … Listen, it’s fine if [students] come in two seconds late.

Don’t worry about it. Be where you are. That might just come with age, I don’t know.”

Outside of her classes, Clanton also contributed to the athletics department as a coach for the girls’ softball and basketball teams. Additionally, she mentored various clubs and served as Honor Council advisor and eighth grade team coordinator.

“Which of those did I like the best?” Clanton said. “How do you choose among your children? I liked them all … It was very re-

warding with the Math Counts kids. We took them to states one year. That was incredible.

Honor council — just seeing the honor council students handle the honor code violations and just be so mature and with it, that is fascinating. Coaching — always satisfying.”

Clanton has made many cherished memories over her years at Trinity, from her time spent with students and colleagues to previous Headmaster Craig Maughan’s t-shirt incident in assembly. And though Clanton said she will miss the youthful energy of the students and working with math all day long, she has plenty of post-retirement plans to look forward to.

“Ultimately I want to just spend time with my wife — quality time with my wife — do some traveling, do a lot of writing, go to Major League Baseball games during our travels, and, you know, just not commute an hour each way.”

May 2O22

May 2O22

BOWDENS HEAD Article by Ella Norman Photo by Anuha While sixth grade English teacher Lenna Bowden is a fourth-generation teacher, that was not actually her original plan. Lenna Bowden attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, and graduated in 1998. She started out as a journalist for Surfer Girl Magazine where she found the most joy in educating people about what was happening environmentally along the California coast. She was content in this job until she met Ryan Bowden.

“I met Mr. Bowden, and it was kind of like divine intervention,” Bowden said.

Ryan Bowden was going into teaching and Lenna Bowden got inspired to go back to school. She liked working with young kids, and she saw teaching as a different and fun way to learn and share ideas.

She received her teaching credential in 2001 and was three classes short of her Master’s degree, but she decided to get a teaching job because she needed the money. She would later decide in 2019 to go back to receive her Master’s degree. When student teaching for her

Mrs. Bowden fosters a love of reading in her classroom.

credential, she had the opportunity to work in a middle school classroom but decided at the time that she had liked working with high school students better.

“It wasn’t until my first independent school job that I was teaching seventh through 12th grade, that I got to hang out with middle schoolers and thought, well, this is kind of fun,” Bowden said. “I like their energy. It was controlled chaos and I’ve done that ever since.”

Bowden spent the next four years after earning her credential teaching in public school followed by working in independent schools for sixteen years. During this time she decided to leave the boarding school she was working at and take a job at Trinity.

Bowden’s grandmother, whom she had a very close relationship with, lived in Florida and Bowden wanted to move out to Florida to take care of her. In searching on the National Association of Independent School’s website, Ryan Bowden found a job as a high school photography teacher at Trinity Prep, as well as a sixth grade English teacher, which fit the couple perfectly.

Bowden has taught English 6 and English 7 but prefers English 6. She is the sixth-grade faculty representative in the middle school student council. She has sponsored the Anime Club and the Minecraft Club. She is also a faculty representative for the Honor Council which she enjoys because she gets to spend some time with upper schoolers.

She said that one of her favorite parts of teaching at Trinity was how much she enjoyed working with her community of colleagues.

She believed that the faculty are dynamic and have a wide range of things to offer as well as the ability to create a strong bond with each other.

“I think that’s important for any school community to have strong faculty who are not only excited about their content area but also excited about hanging out with kids all day,” Bowden said.

Another one of Bowden’s favorite parts of Trinity is the energy of the sixth graders. She

also loved that she had the experience of seeing her sixth graders grow up, potentially even have Mr. Bowden as a tecaher and eventually graduate. The class of 2019 was the first year where she was able to see some of the students that she once taught graduating and class of 2022 will be the forth.

While Bowden is sad to leave the school, she is excited for the opportunities that moving back to California can provide for her. The main reason that she is leaving is to get closer to family. Her grandmother passed during COVID so it seemed like the right time to get her boys around more family. She plans to teach middle schoolers at another independent school and doesn’t see herself ever working as anything else.

“I want to stay in the profession and just get like old and gray and still get excited about literature,” Bowden said.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowden enjoying break at the Butterfly

May 2O22

News

BACK HOME Article by Victoria Berube Photo by Anuha After a decade of teaching at Trinity, Fine Arts Teacher Ryan Bowden is going back to his home state of California.

Bowden spent 10 of his 22 years teaching here at Trinity, and this was his first experience advising yearbook.

“I almost didn’t take the job because yearbook came with photography,” Bowden said.

“I took a chance and my first year with yearbook was purely survival.”

A few of Bowden’s favorite memories at Trinity include winning his first yearbook award, and students winning different awards, In yearbook specifically, his favorite part was watching the staff grow through Upper School.

“Out of all the students on the campus, they’re the ones I’m closest to, because I get them as freshmen and I get to watch them graduate,” Bowden said. “They go from a scared freshman coming out with the staff to

terfly Garden.

a very confident senior editor and that’s really special to me.”

Junior Lilly Lawton, who has been on yearbook staff since freshmen year and started taking Bowden’s photo classes sophomore year says Bowden takes the time to invest in student relationships.

“He’s so charismatic and genuinely cares about developing a good relationship with each and every student on staff,” Lawton said After joining the Trinity staff with little to no experience in yearbook, 10 years later he is in finals for the Teacher of the Year award for the Florida Scholastic Press Association.

“I came in thinking yearbook was the worst part of my position, now it’s become my Mr. Bowden takes center stage for the last time with his AP favorite part,” Bowden Photography students said.

In addition to year“We moved here from the Santa Barbara book, Bowden made a lasting impact in the area and we’re super excited to go back and be photography program. With already having near friends and family,” Bowden said. prior knowledge and experience of teaching Although Bowden is moving back home photography, Bowden was able to adjust com- he will leave a lasting impact on Trinity and fortably to the photography program at Trin- most specifically the yearbook and the photo ity. department.

“To have [Bowden] as a photo teacher is re“It’s really nice to have somebody really rootally cool, because he’s really invested in each of ing for you and for your success and somebody our personal growth as a photographer,” Law- that is invested in your work” Lawton said. ton said.

After 10 great years at Trinity, Bowden shares he is excited to return to California and have a homecoming with his family.

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News

May 2O22

RAISING THE BAR

Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first African American woman appointed to the Supreme Court

Article by Tavish Ward Graphic by Sarah Lin In late March, junior Kyra Alston sat nervously in the kitchen of her grandmother’s house. Surrounded by her family, she watched as then Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson fielded questions at her confirmation hearing, the group cheering as the future justice handled each inquiry.

“She’s a black woman, and she’s the nominee for the Supreme Court,” Alston said.

“So, in terms of the possibility and potential of what that means for me, it’s great to see.”

On April 7, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first African American woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Since the origin of the Supreme Court in 1789, 108 of the 115 total justices have been white males. But in the last 55 years, the court has added five women, including the first Hispanic judge, and two African American men.

Social science teacher Tatiana McKinney is glad that the Supreme Court is beginning to look more like America’s demographics.

“I think it’s a really cool opportunity to see someone who looks like me, an African American female, in that place,” McKinney said.

However, McKinney also believes that with that high position will come a considerable number of obstacles.

“No matter what her first case will be, I think there’s going to be a lot of political tinge around it because of where we are in this nation, in

regards to the divisiveness,” McKinney said.

“People are going to just assume, given some of the past decisions on her previous cases, that she’s going to bring her opinion into every single case.”

However, the Jackson family is no stranger to challenges. Both of Jackson’s parents lived in the Jim Crow south and attended segregated primary school. When Jackson was in high school, her guidance counselor told her not to set her sights too high after she expressed her aspirations to attend Harvard.

“She’s an African American woman who doesn’t come from a kind of detailed, wealthy background,” AP U.S. Government teacher Brandon Burmeister said. “I think those things add a different perspective.”

After graduating cum laude from Harvard Law, Jackson served as a law clerk for a few years, even clerking under former Justice Stephen Breyer, whom she is replacing. Soon after, Jackson became an assistant federal public defender, making her the first public de-

fender to be appointed in Supreme Court history. While some see her past as a public defender as a drawback, Burmeister thinks it brings a fresh viewpoint to the Supreme Court bench.

“Trial [defense] lawyers view each case as an individual case,” Burmeister said, “That’s refreshing because each case is a new blank slate.”

However, this background is also what many Republican senators critique about Jackson. Many dissenters, including Senator Ted Cruz, criticized her representation of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Despite opposition from most Republican senators, Jackson was appointed to the court with a 53-47 majority vote. In a poll released by Gallup, 58% of Americans supported her nomination, while 30% were against it. The last nominee to have that high of an approval rating was Chief Justice Roberts in 2005.

“In this day and age that’s a monumental thing, as polarizing as the American public is,” Burmeister said.

Jackson’s appointment breaks racial barSource: US Cens us Bure riers that have been around since the au beginning of America. To many, her achievement has shifted what’s possible.

“Future generations are able to see that, not just hear about it, but actually see it,” Alston said. “She made it, you know, she’s there.”

Lifestyles

May 2O22

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GENEROSITY AFTER-HOURS

2O Time Projects benefit unaddressed societal problems Article by Peyton Keith Photo by Anna Miliotes Since 2016, hundreds of Trinity Prep eighth grade students have worked on a project called the 20 Time Project where they dedicate 20% of their time to help themselves or someone else. Past projects include sporting events for the homeless, a dance program for people with Parkinson’s, and even an app to detect skin cancer before it’s too late.

“I’ve seen a lot of students that have reached back out and were excited for the opportunity to take the time,” Civics teacher, Tatiana McKinney-Stokes said. “[They mention] how it maybe helped them when they got to college and [to] figure out what it is they want to do.”

The 20 Time project was inspired by Google when the company’s employees would dedicate 20% of their time to doing something in order to help the company be more creative and innovative. Social science teacher Mike Hopkins, who used to teach Civics with McKinney-Stokes, thought the idea could be well adapted for eighth graders.

Some students, including current seniors and some alum, have continued to work on their projects well beyond the due date in their 8th-grade year.

“What I’ve seen in the last couple of years is that students have made an impact on the community,” McKinney-Stokes said. “But then also, it’s impacted maybe what they wanted to do in the future. And I can only really speak for my classes, but I know that I had a student do a Parkinson’s dance competition a while back, and it became an every year thing until she left the school.”

That student, Lauren Carlson, is now a senior at Lake Mary Prep, and she has continued her work on the project she started in 2016. Over the last few years, she has raised over $23,000 for the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Research Foundation.

“I partnered with dance organizations from around Central Florida, and they have come and performed,” Carlson said.

Carlson started her project after she was inspired by what her grandfather has gone

through and what the money could do for the and beverages during middle school lunchtime. foundation. Her grandfather Charles DeBord, “I don’t think we want to have an enwho passed away in October 2020, had Par- try fee for people to watch it,” Clark said. kinson’s disease, a neurological disease that “But I think for our next [tournament], causes difficulties such as talking, walking, we’re going to consider a concession stand.” use of hands, and other basic movements.

Ellison is not positive about how many “I do wish he was still alive, but this events she would want per year but will conwill be the first show that I’m do- tinue her project in the near future and raise ing with him not alive,” Carlson said. even more money for different charities.

Carlson expects to have another event com“Here at Trinity we’re all very fortunate to ing later this year. The Michael J. Fox Research [attend] just such an amazing school and we Foundation has honored Carlson for her sig- have so many opportunities, and I would nificant contributions to the organization. like to provide the opportunities to people Carlson hopes that anyone interested in her who don’t [have] the same ones,” Clark said. project will donate to the foundation.

Eighth graders Ellison Clark and Gavin O’Brien have been working on their 20 Time Project for the last four months and have been raising money for the Coalition of the Homeless, located in downtown Orlando.

The two of them are raising money through various sports tournaments, which started in early March.

“We want to have a sport that is fun and is easy for everyone to play,” Clark said.

Clark and O’Brien have raised over $225 in just their first tournament, a set of Nuke’em matches. They also had another event on April 13 and 14. Clark had hosted a basketball tournament and finished raising her goal of $500 for the Coalition for the Homeless.

“I found out that $500 will provide 19 children with food, shelter and services,” Clark said. “So I decided that that would be our goal.”

Clark said that she charged a $5 entry fee to those who wanted to participate in the competition. For Seventh graders Alfonso Salvador, Carson Wicker the basketball tournament, she wantand Avery Sasser compete in a basketball tournaed to add something new: a concesment. The tournament was for a fundraiser by eighth sion stand. Students who watched or graders Ellison Clark and Gavin O’Brien’s 20 Time played were able to buy some snacks Project.

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Lifestyles

May 2O22

TEENAGE FILM DISTORTS REAL LIFE Adolescent stereotypes in film influences everyday culture

Article by Lucy Chong Graphic by Jaidyn Holt Teenagers in television and film are often portrayed as cut and dry versions of stereotypes, labeled with one trait while simultaneously being declared ineligible for others.

While one may argue that such portrayals are just fiction, the problem arises when teens aspire to embody these two-dimensional archetypes. The consequences can be damaging to both adolescents’ physical and mental health.

An article published by University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications explored the influence of film culture on teenagers and declared it similar to that of a peer.

One example of this effect is shown through the portrayal of drugs and alchol.John Hopkins Medicine found 93% of shows heavily watched by teens portray alcohol abuse and 22% convey drug abuse. By portraying such stereotypes, the industry can lead to an increase in onset use in adolescents.

Various studies have discovered a link between adolescent smoking and alcohol use in film/television in relation to those same habits in real life.

In addition to the obstacles above, teenage girls specifically have to contend with stereotypes that oversexualize them. According to a study done by University of Southern California Annenberg on female stereotypes in film/ tv, the percentage of teen girls shown with nudity is more than double the percentage of boys (35% vs. 14.1%). Although this gendered difference occurs in portrayals of adults as well, it is particularly harmful to adolescents.

As the indus-

try continually focuses on the bodies of girls, the lack of focus on their intellect becomes more apparent. According to a study by the USC School of Communications, only 8.1% of young female characters in film have discernible academic interests and goals. The constant portrayal of teenage girls as less intelligent can communicate harmful messages.

“I think that even if we try not to let those [stereotypes] influence us, subconsciously, when we see somebody doing something... we feel that we also have to kind of follow their footsteps,” Junior Mary Zaher said.

The harm with a stereotype is that it not only serves as a mirror that instructs teenagers on how to behave, but it also models how others should treat teens.

“When you tell someone you do cheer, it’s like, oh my god, so you’re popular,” freshman Ella Eichenholz said. “No I’m not. It’s not High School Musical.”

Zaher adds that such stereotypes are not only frustrating but damaging.

“When you’re trying to make an impression, if they already have that kind of ingrained image of what your stereotype is, it can be very harmful,” Zaher said.

At the end of the day, the fashionable and reckless lives of teenagers shown through the media are inaccurate.

“We’re naive as adults if we assume that

teens don’t deal with a lot,” guidance counselor Rylan Smith said. “However, I think TV shows tend to bring out the extremes.

And the reality is most teenagers and really, most anybody falls somewhere in the middle.”

The irony is that the people who find these exaggerated versions of teens most entertaining are teens themselves.

Freshman Morgan McIver finds that if teen media was made too accurate it would become predictable because she would already know the story.

However, other teens have alternative opinions, believing that more genuine and relatable characters would add to the entertainment value of television and film targeting teenagers.

“It’s much harder to relate to somebody who’s just a stereotype rather than a well developed character who has character flaws and is more like a real person,” Zaher said.

Whether or not the use of stereotypes in film is entertaining is a point still up for debate, but those harms do have consequences in reality, to the point where it is hard to discern whether what’s displayed on the screen molds society or simply reflects it.

“People have a habit of wanting to categorize people into boxes,” Zaher said. “I think it’s a lot easier than getting to know every individual person. But it can be really harmful, especially when it’s depicted in the media, because every person is unique and individual. And, sometimes we kind of look past that because of our prejudices that have been kind of ingrained into us through that media.”

May 2O22

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DRIVERS FUME OVER FUEL PRICES Article by Laziza Talipova Photo by Anuha Tatineni

regularly--23% compared to the 14% a cou- grade of gas, she still struggles with the price.

This January, junior Benjamin Knight paid ple months back. More and more students are “I literally refuse to drive my car sometimes just $60 to fill his 2011 Chevy Avalanche up thinking of ways to save money. Gas is starting because I can’t afford to get gas,” Silberbusch with gas. Today, he pays over $120 for that to become a luxury to some. said. same tank.

Silberbusch has had to cross cer“It’s crazy that it takes that much tain items off of her budget to afto fill up even with the lowest ford gas. grade,” Knight said.

“I had to give up my car wash, A few months ago, gas was $3.18 and I don’t have a car wash suba gallon. Now, the gas prices are scription anymore,” Silberbusch raised to about $4 per gallon. Insaid. “It’s now gone, because I flation in the economy and the couldn’t afford it.”

Russia-Ukraine war are both conNot just students, but teachers as tributing to the abnormally high well, are feeling the impact of highgas prices. er gas prices. Math teacher Dr. BarKnight drives a truck, and he bara Clanton lives in Mount Dora, lives 15 minutes away from school. which is 50 miles away from school.

Aside from interning with his Clanton now drives a hybrid Toyparents, he plays lacrosse as well. ota Prius V just because of the gas Driving back and forth for these prices. after-school activities takes a toll on “It’s just a lot of money, and I his gas. have to get gas every week,” Clan“It’s hard because especially now ton said. “There’s nothing I can do that I’m doing lacrosse, I have to because I have to get to school to drive multiple times a day to get to work.” and from practice, and to and from Slowly gas prices are appearing school,” Knight said. to drop, and students like Knight Knight’s driving is deeply affectand Silberbusch are thankful for it. ed by the gas spike. Usually known But Silberbusch still believes the gas to accelerate quickly while driving, prices will spike again.

Knight now takes more caution to “I just really hope the gas pricsave money. His driving style has es go down because I can’t pay changed drastically from carefree for gas this much longer,” Knight to constantly checking his gas tank. said.Clanton lives in Mount Dora, Knight is feeling the heat on rawhich is 50 miles away from school. tioning gas.

Clanton now drives a hybrid ToyBut it’s definitely gotten harder,” ota Prius V just because of the gas Knight said. “Sometimes, I’ll find prices. that I’m low on money due to gas, “It’s just a lot of money, and I Senior Kelsey Silberbusch fills up her gas tank, which she says and it makes me not want to drive.” have to get gas every week,” Clanhas gotten increasingly expensive with the recent rise in gas Knight isn’t the only student ton said. prices. struggling with the high gas prices.

“There’s nothing I can do because Many working students in the U.S Ihave to get to school to work.” have had to make budget adjustments to afSenior Kelsey Silberbusch is also concerned The gas prices are slowly dropping, and stuford gas. with the rising costs of gas prices. To provide dents like Knight and Silberbusch are thankful According to environmental magazine herself money, she works at the Heathrow for it. But Silberbusch still believes that over Grist, because of the increase in gas prices, Racket Club and as a camp counselor. Silber- time the gas prices will spike again.

72% of students combined trips together by busch plays tennis and lives 10 minutes away “I just really hope the gas prices go down carpooling, from the 60% a few months ago. from school. She drives a 2020 Silver Acura because I can’t pay for this gas much longer,” Students also used public transportation more RDX. Even though her car takes the lowest Knight said.

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May 2O22

ACT YOUR AGE: ADULTHOOD DEFIES DEFINITION

Article by Deniz Bölöni-Turgut Graphic by Sarah Lin

Tangible milestones like those mentioned

by Membreno are commonly cited as signs of adulthood. In a 2019 survey of 2,000 Americans aged 16-51 conducted by OnePoll and Farm Rich, the top three indicators of adulthood were maintaining a financial budget, buying a house and filing taxes. Yet, Smith said that emotional maturity also plays a big part.

“Being an adult is more than an age,” Smith said. “[Adults] are not just reacting anymore; [they] are actually looking at pros and cons and taking responsibility for those decisions right or wrong.”

Bhatia agrees that both emotional maturity and the ability to apply knowledge to a personal career path are necessary. According to Bhatia, one fundamental milestone on the road to adulthood is failure and learning to overcome it.

“You’re not always going to be at the top,” Bhatia said. “Because college is much more difficult than high school and your career is probably going to be a little more difficult than what you experience in college, … you need to understand in a difficult situation, you may fail the first few times. But, [consider] what

Trinity Prep alumnus Varun Bhatia stares up at his lights in bewilderment. Just moments before, the electricity cut off with no warning, casting him and his apartment into darkness. The cause was not a thunderstorm, but a mistake on Bhatia’s part.

“I remember once when I first moved into Berkeley, in my apartment, I didn’t even know that I had to pay a recurring PG&E electricity bill because the lights were on,” Bhatia said. “I thought ‘oh okay, I guess we just get free electricity.’ I think, after 8 months, the electricity shut down.”

Graduating seniors are often told that the transition to college is synonymous with the transition to adulthood. Yet, as Bhatia’s experience illustrates, this is not always the case. In the United States, a citizen is eligible to vote, to be drafted and to sign legally binding contracts on their eighteenth birthday. However, 18 year olds are still unable to rent cars at most rental agencies and are below the legal drinking age of 21. These varying age restrictions make adulthood difficult to define.

“You tend to see adult behaviors more often when you have frontal lobe development which is going to be in your mid to late twenties depending on gender and depending on genetics,” guidance counselor Rylan Smith said. “Once people are past the early twenties and they start to find occupations … [that’s] when you start to see people having more adult-like behaviors.”

Eighth grader Gustavo Membreno said that he believes adulthood to be a state of both increased freedom and responsibilities, and views college graduates as adults.

“My parents are a pretty good example of adults,” HS GRAD Membreno said. “They figured it out. They have a place to live, a job, kids.”

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kind of learning experience can you have from those failures that you can apply to the experience that you have later on to make sure that it is more successful.”

Many of these types of learning experiences which guide a person towards adulthood come with time. Yet, Smith said that a lot of emotional growth occurs through classroom interaction which was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think students on one level have experienced a lesser degree of resiliency because as schools, we tended to be a little more forgiving and less stuck on deadlines [during the pandemic],” Smith said. “But, then in other ways, I look at you all and I think [that] there are actually places that you are more resilient because you recognize that certain things are out of your control.”

Every year (with the exception of the 20202021 academic year), the guidance counseling office sponsors the Senior Retreat, an overnight trip packed with outdoor activities and workshops designed to guide graduating seniors in the transition to college. This year, Senior Retreat took place from March 31-April 1.

“One of the things we wanted you to do on the retreat was think about where you want to go and what’s important to you,” Smith said. “[We wanted] to get you to think about [how] it’s more than just what your parents want for you, it’s what you want for you. … Who are you going to be next year and what are you going to put into place to make that happen?”

Graduating high school is only the first step towards adulthood and Smith said there are ways to grow and reflect individually. “[You should] not be afraid to look yourself in the mirror … and own the decisions you make,” Smith said. “Recognize that your consequences are your consequences and not get caught up in the blame game where it becomes about everybody else. … Really own who you are.”

May 2O22

Focus

COLLEGE ENCOUNTER IN THE SUMMER

Pre-college summer programs encourage academic and personal growth

Article by Angel Zheng Graphic by Jaidyn Holt With the school year coming to a close, stu- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., there would be a four-hour dents start looking forward to a variety of ac- long programming contest every other day. tivities such as amusement parks, family trips, Not only that, he notes a considerable differand vacation destinations outside of the Unit- ence in the teaching styles between high school ed States to fill their summer break. Amidst and college. these summer plans, some students use their “The programming techniques taught break from school to engage in academics via there were mainly standard for competitive pre-college summer programs at colleges and programming stuff, which is stuff not really universities. taught in school,” Both colleges “I wanted to just get an introduction Wang said. “You’re and universities able to learn more offer pre-college and see if it’s something I’d be inter- about different summer pro- ested in doing further in college.” programming algograms for high rithms, techniques, - Shraddha Bhatia, Senior and more advanced schoolers interested in certain skills that you need academic topics while also providing a taste for competitions or even career later in the fuof the college experience. Students get to live ture.” in dorms, walk around campus, eat in dining These pre-college summer programs aren’t halls, and meet interesting people along the only available in person; many colleges and way. Many of these programs require an ex- universities offer an online option as well. Sepensive admission fee, and typically last from a nior Shraddha Bhatia attended the Harvard few weeks to a few months.

Pre-College Program in 2021, the summer beSenior Alexander Wang participated in the fore her senior year. She took an online course UCF Competitive Programming Summer In- called “Great Ideas in Macroeconomics.” stitute in 2019, the summer before his soph“I just was interested in economics and omore year. His interest in computer science I hadn’t had any classes for it, since Trinity reinforced his decision to attend the two-week doesn’t offer it until senior year,” Bhatia said. long academic experience at the UCF campus. “So I wanted to just get an introduction and “I wanted to try to be a little bit more ad- see if it’s something I’d be interested in doing vanced in programming as I was going to take further in college.”

AP Computer Science next year, and I wantAlthough the online college experience difed to help build up possible skills … from a fers from that of in-person, one can still get a young starting grade,” Wang said. feel for the lecture style, homework load and He explained that while his classes ran from

discussions that occur in a typical college classroom. Bhatia compares her online course to a class in the Malone Schools Online Network (MSON).

“It is really similar to MSON because … it was the whole online setting and you’re with people you don’t go to school with, but you’re all learning the same topics,” Bhatia said.

Attending a college summer program can be an impactful experience for students, especially if they want to explore and delve deeper into their academic interests. Despite the significant costs that range in the thousands, the overall experience may help students challenge themselves and become more confident in their abilities.

“Initially, I was actually a little bit hesitant to go because I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know what these two weeks are going to be like,’ and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but it turned out to be one of my best experiences pretty much in high school,” Wang said.

Furthermore, pre-college summer programs can benefit students who aren’t sure what to pursue later in life. Students who feel stressed about the college application process can use these programs to their advantage and figure out what kind of environment they would like to be a part of.

“I think if people have doubts about what they’re going into, especially juniors, it’s helpful for them to go explore these programs and the courses they offer and see what university styles they’re interested in, and see what courses they’re interested in and what major they might want to pursue,” Bhatia said.

Focus

May 2O22

COVID-19 TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: U.S. AND ABROAD Article by Alec Diaz Infographic by Sarah Lin Multiple countries have now lifted their According to an article by Forrest Brown and required to show her and her family’s vaccinaCOVID-19 travel restrictions. Countries such Megan Marples of CNN, most states in the tion status at the airport. as Sweden and the United Kingdom, have lift- United States have dropped their travel restric“So when traveling back [to the United ed their travel restrictions, regardless of vacci- tions from state to state. States such as Florida, States], we had to get [PCR] tests 24 hours benation status. Both countries lifted their travel Louisiana, Idaho, and Georgia have dropped fore and then we also have to get one done at restrictions due to the high number of people their statewide travel restrictions. However, the airport for rapid antigen testing, and then who are vaccinated, which helps lower the risk states like Maine require travelers to fill out a you can only board if you got the results,” Bhaof contracting COVID-19. travel protocol form and must quarantine for tia said. “Negative rapid antigen test as well.”

However, the U.S. is not lifting all of its trav- ten days upon their arrival.

Like many other countries, India’s tourism el restrictions for a variety of reasons. Part of According to an article by Trip.com, when has been affected. When Bhatia traveled to Inthe reason is because of the Ba.2 COVID-19 traveling to Canada from the United States, dia, she said that there was less traffic and that variant, which according to an article by people who are not vaccinated must be quar- people that she talked to over in India said that MedicalNewsToday, is more contagious and antined for 14 days before traveling to Canada, it felt a lot emptier. is better at evading Fortunately, Bhaimmunity compared tia said that people to BA.1. Ba.2 is a were also trying to sub-variant of Omiget back to some cron, and is an Omisort of normalcy, RESTRICTIONS cron “stealth” variant and people were Interstate of COVID-19. transitioning back International Originally, the mask to their normal mandate for air travel lives, and the rules was going to be lifted in India are pretty back in January, but loose when it comes If unvaccinated has now more recentto wearing your ly been pushed back mask as well.

RECOMMENDED 72 hrs 14 days to April 18. However, Although the date has now been COVID-19 caspushed back again to es have decreased, May 3, due to the according to an arseverity of the Ba.2 ticle by Children’s sub-variant. AccordHospital and Meding to the CDC, as ical Center, you of April 16, the Ba.2 should still bring OR sub-variant makes up a mask with you if REQUIREMENTS 72 hrs more than 90% of you decide to travel COVID-19 variants during the summer, in the U.S. as that is one way Although the mask to continue to help mandate for air travnot only protect Sources: The Points Guy, CNN, Trip.com, Travel + you, but help proel got pushed back Leisure, AFAR, Travel Off Path, Times of India, and tect others as well. to May 3, on April Travel Agent Central 18, the mandate was Since COVID-19 dropped due to U.S. cases are decreasDistrict Judge Kathing and becoming ryn Kimball Mizelle shutting down the CDC’s people who are not vaccinated must also show less severe, Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House mandate. Mizelle shut down the CDC’s man- proof of a negative COVID-19 test no more chief medical advisor, “doesn’t expect the U.S. date because according to an article by NBC than 72 hours before departure, and Canada to see a significant increase in hospitalizations Chicago, words it as, “the CDC failed to jus- strongly recommends wearing masks as well. and deaths,” according to an article by Spencer tify its decision and did not follow proper rule Senior Shradda Bhatia, who traveled to In- Kimball of CNBC. making procedures that left it fatally flawed.” dia for three weeks in December of 2021, was

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Focus

SUMMER HOMEWORK = SCHOOL-YEAR SUCCESS

Article by Sarah Zehnder Graphics by Jaidyn Holt

“What the assignment consists of will vary with the student population, but some extension of learning into vacation time is sorely needed,” Bauerlein said.

If the goal is to keep students’ minds moving during summer break, Grenz said the content does not make a difference.

“I like to maybe assign a novel the students would not ordinarily read to give them insight into a topic that perhaps we are not going to fully cover during the year,” Grenz said.

Other instuctors utilize the time over the summer for students to get a head start on material. That way, the summer once school

Another motivation for giving summer assignments, usually paired with reading, is so students can get a feel for the upcoming workAs exams are getting closer and summer load. break is just around the corner, the hectic work Especially for AP or advanced courses, textload that many Trinity students are facing will book or nonfiction reading is common. Alsoon subside. However, the work is never rethough the College Board does not explicitly ally over. The beginning of summer break also recommend any resources before the school means the beginning of the infamous summer year, they advise students to complete reading assignments. Although most students want to directly assigned by AP teachers. avoid anything that will interrupt the blissful, McGimsey also said that he uses his summer school-free relaxation of summer, these assignassignments for AP Latin as a stepping stone ments are an important part of preparing for to the material during the year and to help an upcoming students become familiar with the advanced class. curriculum.

There are When the surveyed students began again completed their summer assignments “What we rea variety of 4.3% never ally are looking reasons why Classes for which surveyed students had summer homework 3.7% beginning for is a starting teachers asof summer Language point, because sign summer 10% Science 6.4% very end we will go back work: to keep Math of summer 17.4% 9.7% and re-read evthe brain History 48.5% erything again 23.1% throughout moving, to entire summer in detail during give students 28.1% the year,” Mcan idea of the English workload, to 93.6% Gimsey said.

The most begin learnbeneficial kind ing new maof summer asterial, and more. signments deThe most obpend on the course and teachvious and poper. The effectiveness can also ular reason is to of surveyed Trinity students hinge on timing. When is the keep the mind reported that their summer assignments were related or ideal time to begin summer asengaged. Sumsomewhat related to the first unit of class signments? mer learning “I would suggest students to loss is a phenomread through the assignment so enon in which students forget information assignment easily transitions into that you can ask yourself what I am asking of they learned over the last school year. Most the first unit of class.

In a recent survey of Trinity’s student body, you,” Science teacher Elmarie Mortimer said. information about learning loss, also known as brain drain, focuses on younger students. 54.4% of students who participated reported “Then read the book whenever you have time.

This is because elementary school students that their summer assignments for at least one I would say if you are to spread out the work, are learning basic information that is crucial of their classes was related to the first unit of know where each of the assignments is going to take you.” to development. However, highschoolers also that class for this year.

“Textbook reading is a good way to start “I think that students are more likely to reexperience a fair amount of learning loss.

“It is really important to keep students in learning,” Grenz said. “It is not a bad idea to member and understand the texts better when it is broken up into sections,” McGimsey said. the mode of reading,” Social Science depart- get a jump start on things.”

World language teacher Kyle McGimsey Although students can feel like the last thing ment chair Robin Grenz said.

In a recent New York Times article, Pro- said that the main goal of summer assignments they want to do during summer break, sumfessor Mark Bauerlein of Emory University is for AP Latin students to begin the year with mer assignments are a beneficial test-run of what to expect for the upcoming year. recommended all teachers, especially those a general understanding of the material.

“When we come across it in the school year, “It feels to me that the summer time is the teaching high school students, assign summer homework. He believes that summer home- for the students to be able to look back on the only time that students at Trinity have the work is the most effective way to combat information and go ‘Oh yeah, I remember time to just sit and think and that is what I like that,’” McGimsey said. about summer assignments,” Mortimer said. learning loss.

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May 2O22

Opinions

TRINITY VOICE Graphic by Sarah Lin According to the Trinity website, a portion of the mission is to “develop individuals who will excel in college and in life, contribute to their communities, lead in a changing society.” For students to excel in life and lead in an evolving society, they must have the opportunity to become agents of change within our campus first. However, the limited connection between students and administrators hinders student voice and expression, leaving our mission unfulfilled.

Lack of Communiction Administrators are staff who manage school operations without directly teaching students.

Due to no in-classroom relationships, it is easy to create a gap between administration and students. Without a familiar relationship, a student will not feel comfortable approaching an administrator even if the administrator is willing to listen to their concerns.

Our Trinity family is left estranged if our school cannot connect across all aspects of our campus. It is up to both the students and the faculty to work together to re-establish the Trinity family.

The lack of communication creates a bigger issue on campus; no communication breeds resentment. As more rules are enacted and en-

forced, there is little communication explaining the rules’ purpose. The mystery of the rules facilitates rumors that demonize a policy that had harmless intentions.

Getting student input or explaining the reasons behind the rules eliminates confusion.

For example, when hall passes first appeared on campus, many students were confused about their purpose.

“I think [hall passes] are not useful because teachers never stop to check hall passes or ask why you are not in your class,” sophomore Abbie Thompson said. “Since hall passes are not always enforced, I see no point in having them. As long as your teacher knows where you are there shouldn’t be an issue.”

To most students hall passes appeared out of nowhere, making them unfavorable across the student body. However, they originally had good and necessary intentions.

“A lot of the catalyst for [hall passes] had to do with attendance, the accuracy of attendance was highly problematic. I know a lot of people don’t believe this, but the one legal requirement that all schools public or private have is attendance records.” Head of Upper School Tracy Bonday said. “There have been inconsistencies in tracking attendance. The hope was that by using the hall passes, we would get teachers to go back and be more accountable to accurately reflect right whether a student was physically present in their class or not because they would have that visual reminder.”

While the hall passes were a good way to solve the inaccurate attendance issue, many students were unaware of this. The failure to communicate the true reason for the passes to the student body leads to them being unpopular and thus not consistently used. Therefore, their original purpose is defeated.

Limited Voice Not only does minimal communication hurt policies on campus, but it also hurts student expression. Clubs such as the diversity club have facilitated conversations about inequity on campus. While they have made a valiant effort, most of their ideas have been thrown to the side; the dress code remains the same, and feminine products are still not provided in the girls’ restrooms. As more student ideas are overlooked, the less likely students are to continue to share their thoughts.

A way to create familiarity is through clubs and the student council. These extracurriculars are good ways for passionate students to get involved and get into contact with the school. By communicating what was wrong and what needs to be changed, a relationship can be formed. The student will then feel more comfortable expressing themselves to an administrator because they feel the administrator already knows them.

The school is making positive steps to creating communication and connection on cam-

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Connection on campus will promote student expression pus. For example, the student council is able to participate in many changes occurring at the school. “[Student council] sat down with some of the candidates for the new assistant, Head of School as well. We’re not making decisions about that, but it’s a way that candidates coming in for administrative positions can get a student’s perspective on things that are happening,” student council advisor and Assistant Dean of Students and Activities Director Kyle McGimsey said. “I found our students were pretty honest. They were very upfront about how they were feeling.”

McGimsey also explained that members of the student council have a chance to share their thoughts on making revisions to the student handbook.

However, communication like this only is available to the four students from each grade elected into the council. Allowing certain clubs or other interested students to come to speak at certain meetings would give a more diverse range of the student body the chance to feel heard by the administration. This range does not have to apply to the entire student body, but it helps people who want to get involved to have a more official opportunity of sharing their thoughts.

By creating situations where administrators must directly talk to students, the campus will slowly progress to a more unified space.

Using assemblies to address new rules or even simply acknowledging to the students

they have heard their voices can foster a more connected campus. An administrator can meet with clubs to get an idea of student perception on campus.

The student body and faculty should work as partners with the goal of creating the best learning environment. Both must be open to hearing ideas, accepting ideas, or understanding why the idea cannot happen.

Actual Action However, while verbal communication is a good stepping stone, actual action and changes are what will successfully connect the entirety of the school. Either actively changing issues on campus or creating conversations about why that policy cannot be changed can create a stronger connection.

For example, when a student posts Google forms over campus to raise awareness about amending the dress code, an administrator can meet with that student. They then can explain to each other their concerns and compromise on a new policy that will please the most people on campus.

“I think it is really important that everybody in the community, students, faculty, staff, administrators, feel like they have an opportunity to be heard,” McGimsey said. “Understanding that just because I say once it’s going to happen, doesn’t mean it’s always going to happen.

But to feel like somebody is genuinely listening and really considering where I’m at, it’s im-

portant because it gives us all a sense of ownership of the school. When we feel like we have ownership of the school, we are able to take more pride in what we do every day.”

Once the campus is more connected, students will be able to express themselves and voice their opinions. Ideas, such as the ones presented by the diversity club, will have more effect. Even little steps like having an administrator explain a dress code referral or speak to a club that has brought up a concern will create more connections. Once students can become agents of change on campus, they will then excel in life, and they will carry what they learned at Trinity into helping create change in the world.

“The value to communication is that students want to know that their voices can be heard. There’s a benefit and mutual respect also being taught like the idea of how you should communicate with an adult and how we can have respectful conversations and discussions,” Bonday said. “That’s part of learning valuable 21st-century skills that helped to have you ready for the college experience and careers after college. Having the opportunity to be able to come forward and have a frank conversation with an administrator is an important part of the informal learning process and growth and development as high school students.”

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

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May 2O22

TEXTBOOK RACISM Article by Reese Taylor Graphics by Sarah Lin

Between gasps of air, Serena Williams demanded her doctors give her a CT scan and a heparin drip after giving birth to her daughter in 2018. Williams said in her interview at Vox that, instead of being met with concern from her medical staff, her nurse insisted that pain medicine was inducing her “confusion.”

Myths in medicine surrounding people of color are detrimental to the healthcare they receive. Racial inequality in healthcare is a multifaceted issue, but by addressing the history of medical myths and misnomers, we can begin to bring an end to racial inequality in healthcare.

As recently as 2020, COVID-19 proved that medical misnomers are hardly a thing of the past. Information circulated the internet on platforms like Twitter and TikTok claiming that Black people were immune to COVID-19, even as, according to Bloomberg, COVID-19 rates continued to rise throughout Africa and the Caribbean. While these claims were often made as a joke, unsubstantiated ideas about medical care for people of color have a far reaching history.

DISMANTLING MEDICAL MYTHS

In the manual “A Treatise on Tropical Diseases; and on The Climate of the West-Indies,” the late 1700s British doctor Benjamin Moseley asserted that Black people were able to handle immeasurable levels of pain, citing his numerous amputations on them as reference.

Moseley’s claims laid the foundation for centuries of medical torture. In her book, “Medical Apartheid,” Harriet A. Washington detailed how brain surgery, electrical shocks, amputation and mutilation were accepted for centuries as a necessary means for medical advancement as long as its recipients weren’t white.

Similar misnomers also prevailed in Native American communities. Samantha M. Williams, a PhD historian and writer who worked as a consultant for the Nevada Indian Com-

mission, explained in her article the details of the studies conducted on indigenous children in Native American boarding schools during the 1960s and 70s.

In 1975, The Children’s Defense Fund raised concerns about drugs used to treat trachoma, an infection of the eye that can result in blindness, being tested on Native American children in these schools. Specifically, they asked whether the children’s parents had consented (they hadn’t) and whether the children would face any “unnecessary risks.”

Aside from infringing upon the bodily autonomy of the students, it was discovered that The Indian Health Service had run placebo trials on children with trachoma, allowing them to suffer from the disease in service of research that the children wouldn’t get to benefit from.

Similar to Black Americans, the medical cruelty committed against Native Ameri-

cans was justified by centuries of myths that dehumanized them. From as early as Andrew Jackson’s presidency, indigenous Americans were described as biologically inferior.

Regardless of The Indian Health Service’s past, the organization continues to be contro-

May 2O22

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A history of medical myths run deeper than they may seem versial. One member of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Anna Whiting Sorrell, detailed the effects of the myth that Native Americans received free healthcare from the federal government.

“The Hellgate Treaty of 1855 says that because we gave up Western Montana we get healthcare,” Sorrell said to Montana Public Radio. “We paid for it. But we don’t just get healthcare for free. That’s not what’s happened at all.”

However, as a result of the treaty, there is still a belief in indigenous communities that federally provided healthcare is guaranteed. In reality, the Indian Health service spent 3,332 dollars per patient as of 2017 in comparison to the 12,829 dollars allocated to patients under Medicare according to The New York Times.

Even so, indigenous Americans mostly remain within the Indian Health Service

(IHS) because of the barriers preventing access to the private sector of healthcare. This means that health care systems that exist beyond the IHS rarely service Native American patients.

EFFECTS OF MISNOMERS

For people of color, the effects of medical myths are evidenced in the rates of death and misdiagnoses within their population.

According to an article published in The US National Library of Medicine & National Institutes of Health, while people of color are less likely to become afflicted with skin cancer, they are far more likely to die from it due to a delay in diagnosis.

Dr. Naiara Abreu Fraga Braghiroli from the Miami Cancer Institute cited that the average 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 92% in white populations but 67% percent for Black people. This is because it tends to only be caught in later stages of diagnosis.

One of the prominent effects of medical misnomers is the high mortality rate among black women, especially in pregnancy. According to a BBC report, Black women are four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.

The effects of medical misnomers are far reaching and Black communities are painfully aware of their position within the healthcare system. Dr. Rohana Motley White, obstetrician gynecologist at Advent Health, noted that the pain of black women is constantly neglected. She continued saying that the fear this instills in black women when they interact with medical professionals is paralyzing.

FINDING SOLUTIONS

Dr. Hao Feng, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Connecticut reported to the New York Times that only 10%

of medical textbooks present skin diseases on darkly pigmented skin. When they are included, they most often depict syphilis, a disease most notorious for its involvement in the unethical Tuskegee experiment which was run on Black Americans in the 1930s, similar to the studies on indigenous children.

The reality is, medical conditions and symptoms present differently in varying levels of skin pigmentation. Because of that, academia needs to reflect diversity of skin tone.

However, Black medical illustrators are working to find a solution. Chidiebere Ibe is a Nigerian medical illustrator currently studying at Kyiv Medical University. His work went viral throughout the internet with his picture of a Black fetus.

As there is a continued push for diversity in medical illustrations, Yale senior medical student Joel Bervell noted the medical illustrations we are getting are dominated by images that portray people of color with infectious diseases. Bervell runs a TikTok page dedicated to disproving medical myths, as a self-proclaimed “Medical Mythbuster.” And he’s skyrocketed to fame, amassing 11.8 million likes.

“It’s so interesting that in any case that mentions a non-white person, it’s always in relation to an infectious disease,” he said in a recent video. “All that does is reinforce stereotypes about marginalized populations and that’s not the way to make medical illustrations more equitable.”

However, the push for diversity, not only in the medical doctors and physicians, but also addressing the myths that continue to prevail in medicine are a pertinent solution to the problem.

When the resources available to healthcare professionals are severely void of diversity, people of color become the victims of a system built off of their own exploitation. But by reclaiming their space within institutions that historically exclude them, people of color can prove that medical diversity is more than just skin deep.

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Opinions

May 2O22

HER BODY, THEIR CHOICE Article by Peyton Alch Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

Women around the country are being told access for so many women, many of whom are “no.” Due to increased political focus in wom- dependent on the free healthcare provided, been’s health, women are being denied access to yond just abortions.

“General health checkups, as well as things certain healthcare initiatives, especially regarding reproductive health. The role of politics in like STD testing and cancer checks, are availwomen’s health has impacted and regulated the able to women,” Flaharty said. “So when Planned Parenthood is threatened, it’s a whole ways in which women can receive healthcare.

“I think that the igniting factor is abortion,” litany of healthcare that is threatened.”

According to Planned Parenthood statistics, Certified Nurse Midwife Nadine Flaharty said.

“The ability to either bear a child or restrict 56 percent of their health clinics are in rural the possibility of that happening is ultimately a areas with less health access, which helps prowoman’s choice. I think that many politicians vide healthcare to women who aren’t insured, are anxious to control that aspect of women’s or who can’t afford to go to a primary care physician. Michael Stroup, an OB-GYN at lives.”

Nonprofit organizations, such as Planned Winnie Palmer Hospital, explains that lack of Parenthood, have been negatively impacted insurance can be a large factor. Many women by the drastic increase in the politicization of who don’t have insurance, have to rely on placwomen’s healthcare. Planned Parenthood is a es where free healthcare is offered.

“The big struggle is whether you’re insured nonprofit organization that provides healthcare services for women. Although they pro- or not,” Stroup said. “A large percentage of the vide a variety of health services and screenings, population, especially in Florida, is uninsured. many people seem to only associate the organi- Even though people can get emergency care, zation with abortions. This is why many want many don’t really have good access to primary to defund their clinics, despite the fact that no care.”

Stroup added that he believes it is unlikely federal funds are used to perform abortions.

Instead, Planned Parenthood uses private do- that the political debate about women’s right nations to fund the procedures.

“Knowing that random politicians are tryThe Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2021 ing to control what we do with our bodies was introduced to the is really frusturating, especially because House in January of 2021. men’s health isn’t constantly challenged This bill restricts any federal funding for Planned by politics the way women’s health is” Parenthood clinics for one year unless they certify that the clinics will not perform - Mila Taylor, 8th Grade abortions. Planned Parenthood’s budget is tied to Congress, so they have control over where the money goes. Defund- to healthcare will end anytime soon. Politics ing Planned Parenthood decreases healthcare play an instrumental role in the healthcare sys-

tem, specifically impacting women’s health issues, widening the gender gap associated with men and women’s access to healthcare.

With many medical procedures, including sterilization, there is a huge gender gap between what men have access to and how they can get it compared to women. In a 2014 article from the Chicago Tribune, a woman spoke about her experience trying to have a tubal ligation, which is a surgical procedure to prevent pregnancy.

Doctors were hesitant to give her one, telling her she might change her mind in the future. When her husband went to a doctor

seeking a vasectomy, he was given one with little resistance.

“They don’t restrict vasectomies, for example,” Flaharty said. “Men typically don’t make the decisions when it comes to terminations.

I think the fact that women have the right to make their own decisions causes many politicians to feel the need to control that.”

With constant challenges to women’s reproductive health, politics are more prominent in healthcare than ever and will continue to impact women of all ages. Eighth grader Mila Taylor expressed her concern about how women’s health is changing. She said that these drastic changes are impacting women everywhere, including young girls.

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The impact of politics on women’s health “I feel like it especially affects our mental well-being,” Taylor said. “Knowing that random politicians are trying to control what we do with our bodies is really frus“Healthcare has nothing to do trating, especially with the law, nothing to do with because men’s health isn’t conanything other than a woman’s stantly challenged right to make decision for herby politics the way self.” women’s health is.”

- Nadine Flaharty Women’s health being constantly undermined and restricted negatively affects the health and overall welfare of young girls.

Recently, state and federal lawmakers want to prevent teens from accessing contraceptive care unless they ask their parents for permission. These laws can lead to higher rates of unwanted pregnancy and STDs. “It impacts us too, especially people like teen moms, who should have the ability to make a decision about their bodies for themselves but can’t,” Taylor said.

Women everywhere are continuing to be impacted by constant political involvement and restrictive laws. Flaharty explains that politics shouldn’t affect how women make decisions about their bodies, because it is an innate right.

“Healthcare has nothing to do with law, nothing to do with anything other than a woman’s right to make decisions for herself,” Flaharty said.

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Opinions

May 2O22

IDENTITY CENSORSHIP 4

Article by Iris Lei Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 16 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were enacted in 2021, surpassing 15 bills in 2015. In 2022, the fight for positive representation of LGBTQ+ people now faces legislation intended to stop education about the community from happening.

The Parental Rights in Education Bill, colloquially known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, was introduced by Florida Representative Joe Hardings and has paved the way for an uncertain future with its signing on March 8. According to flsenate.gov, the bill states that “Classroom instruction by

250+ propriate for students to discuss in classrooms

could cause a parent to take legal action.

Defenders of the bill are also quick to is still relevant. Private schools can apply point out guidelines similar that it only to those for public applies to “I think in literature classes, it’s so easy schools, or parents k i n d e r g a r - to talk about a wide variety of ideas and would expect priten through vate schools to go third grade. a diversity of topics. I don’t, as a teach- along with nearby H o w e v e r , er, do it through individual students’ school districts. the text says English teacher “...or in a lives or my own life.”

Hannah Parker manner that worked in a Semiis not age-appropriate or de- - Jay Jay Stroup, English teacher nole County public velopmentally appropriate in school and did an accordance with state stan- internship at a charter school. From that experience, she knows how bills just meant for public schools can spread over to private ones.

“I think that a lot of private schools tend to follow some of the mass expectations of public schools,” Parker said. “We

see that even now with

Trinity. We follow Seminole and Orange county calendars.”

According to Parker, what the school decides to implement depends on the bill and what the bill plans for the future.

At Trinity, while discussion of topics about sexual orientation, gender identity, or the history of the LGBTQ comdards.” With munity are not a part of the curriculum, they this, the bill can be applied past kindergarten can arise naturally as related to the subject. through third grade, and all grade levels are at In history classes, students are taught about risk of this censorship.

Roman and Greek civilizations and how they Not only this, but the legislation mentions were accepting of homosexuality in some constate standards on sexual orientation and gen- texts. In AP US History, LGBTQ rights arise der orientation, but such standards do not ex- as part of the overall Civil Rights movement of ist. As a result, teachers may be unsure of what the 1960s. The bill could make teaching about they can safely discuss without any references ancient civilizations and time periods difficult, to check. leaving teachers and administrators to navigate While the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill will not di- dangerous waters without guidelines. To avoid rectly impact Trinity because it is an indepen- this, a school’s administration might tell teachdent private school, the question of what is ap- ers not to bring up homosexuality or gender in

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school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender orientation may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate in accordance with state standards.” If parents learn that an educator has violated this rule, the school district can be sued.

The bill’s wording reveals that explanations of sexual orientation and gender are not the focal point; it is anything that could be connected to said topics. Reading a book about a non-heterosexual couple or a student mentioning their parents who are the same sex

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The ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill will isolate students, not protect them class to steer clear of legal action from parents, which prevents students from getting all the information they need about the topic.

“I think in literature classes, it’s so easy to talk about a wide variety of ideas and a

diversity of topics,”

English teacher and sponsor of Diversity Club JJ Stroup said.

“I don’t, as a teacher, do it through individual students’ lives or my own life.”

The legislation is worded vaguely, but its intent is clear: to scare teachers into silence with the threats and leave LGBTQ+ have students alone in the dark, especially if their momentous loved ones aren’t supportive. LGBTQ+ topics change, there’s always a pushback.”

A lack of conversations about LGBTQ+ topdo not have to have an elaborate approach but ics can have devastating effects, as LGBTQ+ rather as a normal concept similar to how sociyouth are already at high risk for mental disety accepts heterosexual marriage. orders and suicidal thoughts. According to “You don’t have to make [conversations the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization about LGBTQ+ topics] complicated,” junior focused on preventing suicide attempts for the and one of the leaders of Diversity Club LainLGBTQ community, LGBTQ youth are four ey Wilemon said.

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“You don’t have to make [conversations about LGBTQ+ topics] complicated.”

- Lainey Wilemon, co-leader of Diversity Club

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The legislation aims to silence conversations

about LGBTQ+ culture and history, but it also reinforces the dangerous belief that outside sources influence LGBTQ+ identities instead of being an integral aspect of that person. It implies that anything other than heterosexuality is inappropriate for students and leaves LGBTQ+ youth with an increased feeling of isolation. “[The Don’t Say Gay bill] seems like an extreme reaction to changing American culture and society,” Stroup said. “It seems that when we

times as likely to have suicidal thoughts and make a plan than their straight peers. It is essential to show students, even at a young age, that non-heterosexual and cisgender identities are conventional so they do not grow up feeling alienated.

Aside from simply giving LGBTQ+ people a place to belong, classroom conversations about the community are hospitable to students with parents who are not heterosexual. According to The University of California, Los Angeles

(UCLA), 114,000 same-sex partners raise children in the United States. In addition, 24% of female same-sex couples and 8% of male same-sex have children. LGBTQ families exist, and the students part of said families need to understand that their family is no different from a heterosexual one.

“We have openly queer senators and legislators,” Stroup said. “We have students who at a younger age are feeling that they are comfortable enough to say ‘this is me,’ or ‘this might be me.’”

Denying students the chance to learn about their culture and history in a safe environment is a horrifying reality where they are told that being who they are is abnormal when they should be embracing their identities. Figuring out your identity is already a tumultuous path— and making the journey darker is cruel.

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Opinions

May 2O22

A PRICE FOR PRIDE The human cost of rainbow capitalism Hundreds of companies release their collections every year. A facade of support that covers for companies that don’t actually want change. Walmart’s “pride & joy” section on their website means nothing when they continue to donate upwards of $442,000 to 121 politicians who push anti-gay legislation.

Many companies will show their support by releasing pride collections or changing their logos rainbow for the month. Then, on July 1 at midnight, all the logos change back to standard and the pride collections hit the clearance rack. Another pride month has gone by and no awareness has been raised for the people who this actually affects.

“Well, I think we must understand that it’s a gesture of support, but gestures of support, nice words, visible images of solidarity aren’t always enough,” said gender and sexuality professor Karen Tongson at University of Southern California in an interview with PBS News Hour. “They’re often never enough, actually.”

Historically, companies with discriminatory policies in place rush to join the pride parade, but still refuse to change their own policies.

PayPal, for example, changed its logo rainbow in support for pride, but won’t allow transgender users to change their account from their birth name.

Other awareness months aren’t nearly as capitalized off of. Pride month is much easier to package and slap a price on. The LGBTQ+ community has countless stereotypes that are easy to market, especially for a retail store.

People see LGBTQ+ as flamboyant and fashion lovers— combine these and that’s an easy fashion line to market. Other months, however, are much trickier to market. Bath & Body works in late January 2022 released a Black History Month collection which featured extremely stereotypical designs, patterns, scents, and colors. The collection immediately faced backlash from Black voices calling out the collection. So why do people accept LGBTQ+ stereotypes? These cariactures are seen as harmless and that’s where the harm lies; flamboyant fashionistas don’t upset or offend people, and LGBTQ+ voices are silenced to a point

of ignoring these stereotyping with the goal of profit.

“I think sometimes it’s saturated the market so much that what is supposed to be a celebration and an opportunity to learn and bring awareness becomes more of a fashion statement,” said middle school civics teacher Tatiana Mckinney. “But I think once it became an issue, especially for me, it was during the pride moments where there were rainbows everywhere, and people weren’t really aware of what each of the symbols meant, or why different groups use different things.”

Pride products aren’t entirely bad. For one thing, it’s nice to have people in the LGBTQ+ community feel recognized and for allies to show their support more openly. But this is a rainbow without the rain. People in the LGBTQ+ community have been scrutinized and hurt for decades and continue to be.

Strides are made, but oftentimes, these aren’t enough. Systems and charities have been put in place to help people in the community and raise awareness, but if no one knows about these foundations, they can’t get funding, and can’t help anyone.

Companies that choose to release pride collections or even simply change their logo in support should be doing something to aid in change. Some of the profits from these collections should go to foundations like the Trevor Project. Oftentimes without proper research, companies that do donate end up donating to actively homophobic foundations. Disney has recently been under fire for funding sup-

$ $$

Article by Maddie Peckham Graphic by Sarah Lin

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porters of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill; Disney tried to balance this support by attempting to donate to the Human Rights Campaign where their donation was rejected. Their attempted donation was a blatant cover-up for their backing of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill— a bill that many feel discriminates against LGBTQ+ people and sets a precedent to avoid discussing anything beyond heterosexuality.

The Trevor Project is a charity and research foundation aiding in suicide prevention within the LGBTQ+ community. Many LGBTQ+ youth feel a sense of wrongdoing when they realize their sexual orientation isn’t heterosexual, because society has set a standard of heterosexuality being “normal.” A majority doesn’t make something “normal”: it just makes it the majority.

Because of this, suicide rates in the community are extremely high due to feelings of alienation, feelings of wrongdoing, and bullying/ mistreatment. According to the statistics made available by the Trevor Project, 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth, aging 13-24, seriously consider suicide. It is estimated by the Trevor Project that at least one of these youth attempts every 45 seconds. Along with suicide contemplation and attempts, LGBTQ+ youth often use substances to cope; 47% of LGBTQ+ youth under 21 have used alcohol in the last year according to a 2021 study by the Trevor Project. Alcohol isn’t the only substance that was reported; 11% of youth under 21 have reported using prescription drugs that weren’t prescribed to them. These youth are at risk because of the lack of real support. Companies simply changing their color scheme won’t solve these issues or make them go away.

“There has to be a point where there’s a message and intent behind what you’re actually trying to do,” said Mckinney.

If companies would place information around these collections, whether it be signs, posters, or even on the tags, more people who wish to support the LGBTQ+ community could do so through a new awareness. As beautiful as seeing the rainbow on so many people is, it doesn’t actually do anything to save LGBTQ+ people from harm, scrutiny, mistreatment, alienation, or feelings of wrongdoing. Real awareness requires real change.

Opinions

May 2O22

A DISEASE NOT A CRIME

Article by Taylor Riley Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

America’s longest war was declared over 50 years ago, and according to research from the University of Pennsylvania, the government has spent over one trillion dollars on it, which also makes it our most expensive war. Unfortunately, it was a total waste of time and money, because the war on drugs has been outrageously unsuccessful.

“The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world,” the report titled “War on Drugs” written by the Global Commission on Drug Policy” reads. “End the criminalization, marginalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others.”

Possibly the most damaging effect of the war on drugs was criminalization of drug use, which radically changed the general public’s opinions on drug users. Criminalization created a harmful culture of shame around illegal drug usage, which has prevented healthy conversations about addiction from occurring on a widespread scale.

The shame surrounding addiction discourages many addicts from seeking help for fear of judgement. Jillian O’Connell is a prevention specialist at FCD Prevention Works, an organization that visits schools to deliver seminars about addiction and prevention. O’Connell visited Trinity in January to educate students about addiction, and says that some of the most frequent obstacles to recovery are the lack of information about addiction and the shame surrounding drug use.

“For me, when I was in my active addiction, there was a sense of shame that came with it,” O’Connell said. “Logically, I know that this is not healthy for me, but it doesn’t feel like I have a choice anymore whether or not to use alcohol or other drugs.”

Trinity has started the conversation about addiction by bringing in representatives from FCD and including a drug curriculum in the required Health and Wellness class. This class is in part taught by physical education teacher Dee Starling, who explained the steps they are taking to start educating students about drug use and addiction.

“The entire [Health and Wellness] curric-

ulum is about making good choices,” Starling said. “Addiction could possibly be a result of anyone that exposes themselves to drugs or alcohol. We do talk about that risk and that at that point, you may not be able to make the decision. Addiction is a disease that takes time and support to heal and conquer.”

However, for many addicts, support is nowhere to be found. A study conducted by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that there is a societal bias against addicts, and that people tend to view addicts as failures who lack restraint when in actuality they are struggling with a serious disease. Associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and study leader Colleen L. Barry explains their findings in the published paper titled “Study: Public Feels More Negative Toward People With Drug Addiction Than Those With Mental Illness.”

“While drug addiction and mental illness are both chronic, treatable health conditions, the American public is more likely to think of addiction as a moral failing than a medical condition,” Barry said. “In recent years, it has become more socially acceptable to talk publicly about one’s struggles with mental illness.

But with addiction, the feeling is that the addict is a bad or weak person, especially because much drug use is illegal.”

The solution to this societal bias would be conversations about addiction that can destigmatize drug abuse and encourage addicts to seek help. However, criminalization prevents that from happening. This is one reason why many people advocate for the decriminalization of drugs.

To be clear, decriminalization does not mean that any illicit drugs would be legalized.

Under decriminalization, people found with personal-use amounts of an illegal drug would face a small penalty such as a fine, but selling drugs or carrying any amount beyond what is considered personal-use would still result in prison time.

Decriminalization turns the possession of drugs from a criminal justice issue into a public health one, meaning illicit drug usage is handled by psychologists, doctors and counselors, which has been proven to be more effective in reducing drug problems.

The PEW Charitable Trusts has released statistics that prove that states with more

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drug-related imprisonment show the same rate of drug problems such as usage and overdose as states with less arrests. Arresting people does nothing to solve the addiction and overdose crisis our country faces.

Decriminalization, on the other hand, has been proven to work. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the possession and use of numerous illicit street drugs, including marijuana, cocaine and heroin. According to a report by the Cato Institute conducted over five years later, it was shown that the number of annual deaths from street drug overdoses had dropped from 400 to 290. Additionally, the number of new HIV cases caused by using unsanitary needles to inject illegal substances had decreased by 71%. Oregon has recently followed suit and become the first state to decriminalize personal use and possession of illegal drugs.

The changes necessary to institute policies of decriminalization must come from our government, but we as citizens are not completely powerless. We can clear our own biases, raise awareness about the cause, donate to nonprofits that support rehabilitation and vote for policies that support decriminalization and end the war on drugs.

Beyond statistics and percentages of overdoses, arrests and overcrowded prisons, the war on drugs is about people. People who are struggling with addiction and being thrown in prisons for minor possession crimes rather than given the opportunity for safe and healthy rehabilitation. Addiction is a disease, and we need to stop treating it like a crime.

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Sports

May 2O22

NEW SCHOOLS, SAME SPORT Article by Boaz Kim Photos by Anuha Tatineni

“As UCF is joining the Big XII, I will be part of history as they begin the new conference and compete against some of the nation’s best.”

-Sara Stricklin, Rowing at the University of Central Florida

“I would like to go undefeated in the season and move up in the national rankings. I will be given the opportunity to compete with the best players in the nation and be on a team that will allow me to reach my full potential.”

-Kian Vakili, Tennis at the University of Pennsylvania

“Trinity has already surrounded me with an environment of high expectations and a hard working student body, so the transition should be pretty easy for me.”

-Nicholas Carpenter, Cross Country and Track at the University of Pennsylvania

“It has been my lifelong dream to play Division I basketball because I grew up watching a lot of college basketball, so to have the chance to perform at the highest level in front of my friends and family means a lot to me.”

-Javon Bennett, Basketball at Merrimack College

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Eight senior athletes will go on to pursue their athletic and academic careers in college

“Being a college athlete in the sport that I’ve loved since I was six will definitely keep me motivated to keep performing well in school and in the pool.”

-Dylan Reher, Swimming at Washington and Lee University

“I am looking forward to the camaraderie and bonding moments which I will experience with my teammates. I hope the relationships I form at Bowdoin will remain years after my time as a Polar Bear.”

-Neiman Mocombe, Diving at Bowdoin College

“I love soccer and I want to keep playing it at a high level for as long as I can. It’s what gets me out of bed in the morning and is what I live for. Playing soccer in college is what all my hard work has amounted to and I couldn’t be happier.”

-Matthew Ahl, Soccer at Rhodes College

“I think Trinity has definitely prepared me in just being able to balance schoolwork and athletics, also with high school sports and club sports. I think these skills will help out pretty similarly in college.”

-JJ Stein, Soccer at Haverford College

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Sports

May 2O22

OUTWEIGHING THE OBSTACLES

Weightlifting team overcomes adversity in the postseason Article by David Hull Photo Courtesy of Chi Rho

Despite finding success in the snatch, the team also faced many challenges including illness. During the month of April, a strand of the flu spread around campus. Multiple lifters, including junior Jackson Salinas, were out sick

“I think he would have had a lot of success against the lifters in his weight class and easily Following a successful regular season with gone to states, so it really sucks to see that his a record of 6-2, the boys weightlifting team season had to be cut short.” faced several challenges heading into districts, Salinas’ numbers were outstanding for the including the flu and other ill169 weight class and would have nesses. Despite these obstacles, guaranteed him the district title. the team still performed well, His total of the two lifts was 500 finishing with four district pounds, the first place lifter in champions. districts total was 465. Salinas Junior Boaz Kim competed was well aware of his numbers in the bench and clean and and frustrated with his inability jerk, placing first in the disto compete. trict for the 154 weight class, “I was super disappointed and putting up a 230-pound bench so upset,” Salinas said. “It was a press and 185-pound clean perfect situation going into districts but then everything hapand jerk. Kim stated that he pened and it all fell apart.” was confident from the start, expecting to perform well.

Before being notified of all the “I had already looked at a lot sick lifters, Cabal believed the of the numbers from the othteam had a good shot at winning districts. er teams that we matched up “We had a lot of really strong against, and my numbers were a lot higher than theirs,” Kim guys that all progressed really said. “I was confident in myself well,” Cabal said. “ I thought we enough to place first.” were going to have at least four, The team also found success maybe five, district champs at in the snatch, a new event addleast, and then we started getting ed this year, with three district the emails that our students got champions including junior the flu.”

Anthony Miceli. Miceli won Besides facing the flu, the team his weight class, but like many also went through another trauother lifters, he originally matic experience when junior wasn’t sure about participating lifter Safwan Zaman was tempoin the new lift and only started rarily paralyzed. Salinas said that a couple of months ago. the team rallied around him and Even though the event was dedicated the season to him. optional, head coach Isiah CaAfter seeing multiple conbal had all lifters participate tributors out with the flu and in the snatch throughout the Zaman’s injury, Cabal said that it Junior Boaz Kim benches 235 pounds, winning his weight class during season, unlike the majority showed nothing should be taken of other schools. Miceli said the the Citris League Championship on March 9. for granted. coaches did a great job teaching “You can only control the the lift and led him to compete in the event during the district meet and therefore did not things you can control,” Cabal said. “We’re rehave the opportunity to qualify for regionals ally fortunate to have multiple lifters at every in districts.

“The coaches really affected me,” Miceli or states. Kim often practiced alongside Sali- weight class. I hope the takeaway for anyone said. “They did a great job specifying the work- nas, saying that they often pushed each other who is seeing that is, nothing’s guaranteed. outs for the snatch, and they did a really good to do better.

You can’t rely on what will happen next year, “His numbers were state level,” Kim said. because you never know.” job helping teach us what to do to warm up.”

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A SEASON SNATCHED

Junior lifter’s journey back to the gym following paralysis

Article by David Steinberg Photo courtesy of Boaz Kim Junior lifter Safwan Zaman went out to grab seems to bring the mood up.”

“It was nice seeing them, because in the hoslunch after a typical morning lift. One week During the days of Zaman’s recovery in the pital I was alone for most of the time,” Zaman later, he was lying still in a hospital bed. Zaman hospital, multiple lifters from the team came said. “It was kind of suffocating because I was diagnosed with a food-related stomach bug to visit. Zaman, who was in a wheelchair at the wasn’t allowed to leave my room or even see that later turned into Guillain-Barré syndrome time, was happy to see his friends for the first anyone unless they visited, so it was really great (GBS). According to the Centers for Disease time in days. for them to come.”

Control, GBS is a rare disorder Among those to visit was junior in which a person’s own immune lifter Jackson Salinas, who had system damages the body’s nerves worked out with Zaman in both causing muscle weakness, and in the offseason and on the school Zaman’s case, paralysis--just a few team. Salinas said that Zaman’s weeks before the weightlifting story served as an inspiration for postseason. the team heading into districts.

After waking up in the hospital, “We all started lifting for him weightlifting was the last thing on every week, and we would call Zaman’s mind, but as his recovhim before and after practices,” ery progressed, he realized that a Salinas said. “I feel like it was a year’s worth of working out was motivation for everybody, since wasted. From a few days before to he’s not there, we’ll just try our after the incident, Zaman had lost best and do it all for him. The end around 23 pounds. of our season was kind of dedicat“I trained hard from the end ed to him.” of last season to get to where I The road to recovery was a long was before the whole thing hapand hard process for Zaman. After pened,” Zaman said. “And it was being paralyzed for three days, he just so frustrating to realize that I spent four weeks in a wheelchair wouldn’t get a chance in districts, before being able to walk with a but at the end of the day, I knew cane. Now two months removed I had to accept it. And now, I just from the situation, Zaman is have to hope that next year I’ll be walking without any support and fine enough to compete again.” expected to make a full recovery Zaman was one of the key conin six to 12 months. He plans on tributors to the team’s 6-2 regular getting back in the gym as soon as season record, but his impact expossible, hoping to compete again tended outside of the gym. Varnext season. sity Head Coach Isiah Cabal said “I never expected this to hapZaman’s energy was felt by lifters pen obviously,” Zaman said. “But and coaches, often elevating the I guess it has made me realize to mood of the team. never take anything for granted.

“Safwan is kind of like our This could have been worse, and unofficial mascot,” Cabal said.

I am just lucky to be in a posi“He’s super enthusiastic, he has a tion to make a full recovery and lot of energy, he’s a great traincompete again.” ing partner, basically everyone Lifters (left to right) sophomore Aurion Ekbatani, junior Boaz Kim and loves to lift with him. Every time junior Jackson Salinas visited Zaman in the hospital during the early he’s in the room, he just always stages of his recovery.

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Photos

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION

HEADMASTER’S DAY 2O22

Anna Miliotes Seniors and 6th graders participate in the annual water balloon to kick off the day.

Anuha Tatineni Juniors pose for a picture while cheering on their team from the bleachers during a game of dodgeball.

Ella Craghill Senior Simon Brown goes in for a throw during the junior vs. senior dodgeball game.

Anna Miliotes Juniors go in for the catch during the junior vs. sophomore frisbee game in the practice field.