One poisioning.paralisisthejourneystudent’sbacktogymafterfromfood THE TRINITY VOICE BowdenPhotographicLeavesLegacy NEWS OPINIONS FOCUS English teacher and forensics coach Dean Rhoads retires after 43 years at Trinity. Rainbow capitalism profits o pride by exploiting the LGBTQ communities it’s intended to help LIFESTYLES Summer homework remains popular among teachers for good reason. SPORTS Page 31Page 14Page 17Page 26 Milestones don’t always college.middleadulthood,definefromschoolto Page 4 May 2O22 Volume 24 Issue 7 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792 Page 8
TABLE OF CONTENTS February 2O22Table of Contents e Trinity Voice is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association. e Trinity Voice is produced by the newspaper/journalism class at Trinity Preparatory School of Florida. Editorials represent the opinion of e Trinity Voice writer and are not necessarily the views of the administration, faculty, or Board of Trustees of Trinity. e Voice welcomes letters to the editor and freelance articles or photography. All submissions become the property of e Voice. Please send all correspondence to 5700 Trinity Prep Lane, FL 32792. e 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 e 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). “THE@THETRINITYVOICE@TRINITY_VOICETHETRINITYVOICE.COMVOICE@TRINITYPREP.ORGTRINITYVOICE”Page 13Anuha Tatineni Opinions Medical RainbowMisinformationCapitalism 2O-21 18-19 College Commits Sports 28-29 Post-Season Weight- 3O News Rhoads’ Legacy O4-O5 Lifestyles 2O Time 11 Teen Stereotypes 12 Focus Travel Restrictions 16 15 SummerAdultingGasPre-CollegePrices13Homework14 Student Voices 25-26 Don’t Say Gay 24 Road to Recovery 31 O6McKinney MovingO7OnClanton Retires O8-O9Bowden Homecoming 1ONew Justice Jackson 17 Women’s Health 22-23 Drugs 27 Editor’s Note - The editorial sta 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. Source: US Census Bureau Page 1OSarah Lin
In honor of a Trinity Voice tradition, this month our topic for the podcast is departing sta 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. & Sta Aetant Prakash (Editor), Sreekar Nagulapalli
3February 2O22 Sta /Focus Topic STAFF Editors-in-Chief: Marcos Membreno, Jack Ververis Managing Editors: Sarah Zehnder, Ava Savino Copy Editor: Kaylee Ortega 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 Online & Social Media Editors: Carol Marques, David Bryskin 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 Layout Editors: Amy-Ruth Gyang, Reese Tayor
Tune in to hear from our special guest and keynote speaker at this year’s graduation, Mr. Dean Rhoads!
by
Podcast Faculty
This Month’s Podcast Blurb Sreekar Nagulapalli and Aetant Prakash Rho
Podcast Department:
Topic:
Photo courtesy of Chi
Rhoads circa 2004 in a yearbook spread showing his “quirky” love of co ee.
Because of Farmer’s unique experience of being both Rhoads’ student and colleague, she has funny memories from both sides of the desk. One specific memory she has is one of her time traveling together for a forensics event as a student.“Iknow that Mr. Rhoads can sleep upright in his chair, which is pretty impressive,” Farmer said. “I remember being at speech tournaments, and he could be sitting at a round table and he just regally closes his eyes.” As a colleague, Farmer describes Rhoads as a mentor to new teachers, especially in the English department. She also said that Rhoads has contributed much more to Trinity than just his teaching abilities.
May 2O22News
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 rst 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 di erent. 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 to awards at the state and national levels. With a humble start in 1982, Rhoads said that he 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.
“Even though he’s an English teacher and he does debate and all this other stu , Mr. Rhoads cares mostly about getting to know his students.”
“I can coach kid-on-kid di erent 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, ve years of her being here, we started having nationalRhoadsnalists.”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. “Mr. Rhoads is very similar to what he used to be like,” Farmer said. “When I was in school, we didn’t have computers, so my main memory of him is the classic Mr. Rhoads sitting at the front with a book and talking and joking about the book. I think he still kind of does it that way.”
“Even though he’s an English teacher and he does debate and all this other stu , Mr. Rhoads cares mostly about getting to know juniorsaidheincanhisandconcernFarmerstudents,”hissaid.Rhoads’careforstudentsbeseenstoriestells.Hethatastudent of his one day came up to him and asked how to receive an A on his paper after never getting one for three years. Rhoads then explained the process, and the next paper that the student wrote was what Rhoads described as “grad school quality” and received a 100%.
EVERLASTING LEGACY OF LEARNING
Rhoads circa 1996 showing o his sense of humor.
- English teacher Melanie Farmer
“ ere’s so many people that he’s crossed paths with, helped, talked to, over [his] time here, it’s almost di cult to kind of imagine all the di erent little connections that he’s built over the years,” Krueger said.
English teacher Dean Rhoads retires after 43 years at Trinity
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.
“I think it says something about the strength of the relationships that he has with students [and] that it’s not just about class, it’s clearly a 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.
May 2O22 News
“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 bizarreRhoadsway.” has positively in uenced every corner of campus with his skillful forensics coaching, hilariously quirky stories, and ever ready mentorship.
“ at’s really what I’m working for,” Rhoads said. “I get great satisfaction in helping other people understand who they are.”
Rhoads said that the student decided to be an English teacher after continuously turning in these high-quality papers.
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.
“I don’t know Trinity without Mr. Rhoads,” Farmer said. “I think that there’s no adult on this campus who does.”
Rhoads’ yearbook photos in 1980 and 2021. Rhoads has impacted generations of Trinity students for 43 years from grades 7-11 in English and all levels of Forensics. Rhoads circa 2002 in a yearbook spread about theater and forensics, coining him “Papa Rhoads”. Rhoads circa 2010.
Her favorite part of teaching at Trinity was building relationships with her students and seeing them nd 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.”
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 decided to start it at Trinity because I started to notice when I did mock trials in my classroom, the kids were really interested, and they wanted to do it in a more competitive said.McKinney-Stokesformat,”McKinney-Stokesplanstopursuead-ministrationnext,assheenjoyshelping
MOVING UP THE LADDER
McKinney-Stokes leaves Trinity after seven years to pursue an administrative role
McKinney-Stokes received her undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri, her rst 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.
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 loves working with students outside of her classroom and will take on a job in administration after seven years at Trinity.
“I just realized that I’ve done everything I could possibly do here,” McKinney-Stokes said. “It’s time for me to move more into administration and just nd a di erent spot where I can try to make a di erence and help other kids gure out their passions.”
"I'm going to miss all the students I've connected with and [gotten] to know. Because I know so many kids...it's been cool to watch people grow up."
“I’ve lived in the east, I’ve lived abroad,” McKinney-Stokes said. “ is is the rst time I’ve lived on the west coast.”
Article by Iris Lei Photo by Anuha Tatineni
- McKinney-Stokes, Social Science Teacher
May 2O22News6
students outside her classroom and working with other teachers.
“[I] really liked the school when I interviewed and thought it was a good place for zme to start teaching the subject,” McKinney-Stokes said. In middle school Civics, rap battles about opposing gures in history were always memorable. When she rst introduced them, the students were unsure about the project. “ e reception at rst was like, ‘she’s lost it. She’s crazy,’” ingalizekidscool…when“Itney-StokesMcKin-said.waskindofthestartedtore-Iwasn’ttry-topunishthem.”Accordingtoher, many students told her how the rap battles helped them after 8th grade.She also started the middle school mock trial team after being on the junior varsity team in her high school, which sparked her interest in law and policy.
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.”
While she taught her students integrals, u-substitutions and hypothesis testing, Clanton said her students taught her to take certain matters less “Somethingseriously.I’velearned as a teacher is … to relax and just enjoy where you are,” Clanton said. “Don’t sweat the small stu … Listen, it’s ne if [students] come in two seconds late. Don’t worry about it. Be where you are. at might just come with age, I don’t know.”
THE END OF AN INTEGRAL CHAPTER warding with the Math Counts kids. We took them to states one year. at 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.”
Mathematics teacher Barbara Clanton retires after 37 years of teaching
Clanton joined the Trinity faculty in 1996 and has since contributed to the mathematics, athletics and computer science departments on campus.
May 2O22 News 7
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.
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“Whichcoordinator.ofthose did I like the best?” Clanton said. “How do you choose among your children? I liked them all … It was very re-
Clanton took on her rst 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. “ ere was a real Trinity family here at that time. Colleagues took time to help you feel welcome and part of the community. ere was a real sense of ‘we’re in this together.’ Students and the parents and … administration, everybody. Everybody.”
“When I had surgery, I had a ton of colleagues at my door at my house bringing me food, bringing me owers, and that, I thought, was incredible,” Clanton said. roughout 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 “Calculusteach.isso robust,” Clanton said. “ ere 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.”
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 di erent 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.
“I want to stay in the profession and just get like old and gray and still get excited about literature,” Bowden said.
May 2O22
“It wasn’t until my rst 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’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 t the coupleBowdenperfectly.hastaught 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 o er as well as the ability to create a strong bond with each other.“Ithink 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,”
BowdenAnothersaid.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. e class of 2019 was the rst 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. e 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.
Article by Ella Norman Photo by Anuha Mrs. Bowden fosters a love of reading in her classroom.
May 2O22
“I met Mr. Bowden, and it was kind of like divine intervention,” Bowden said.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowden enjoying break at the Butter y
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 di erent 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 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.
BOWDENS HEAD
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.
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.
Junior Lilly Lawton, who has been on yearbook sta since freshmen year and started taking Bowden’s photo classes sophomore year says Bowden takes the time to invest in student“He’srelationships.socharismatic and genuinely cares about developing a good relationship with each and every student on sta ,” Lawton said After joining the Trinity sta with little to no experience in yearbook, 10 years later he is in nals for the Teacher of the Year award for the Florida Scholastic Press Association.“Icame in thinking yearbook was the worst part of my position, now it’s become my favorite part,” Bowden said.In addition to yearbook, Bowden made a lasting impact in the photography program. With already having prior knowledge and experience of teaching photography, Bowden was able to adjust comfortably to the photography program at Trinity.“To have [Bowden] as a photo teacher is really cool, because he’s really invested in each of our personal growth as a photographer,” LawtonAftersaid. 10 great years at Trinity, Bowden shares he is excited to return to California and have a homecoming with his family.
News
“I almost didn’t take the job because yearbook came with photography,” Bowden said. “I took a chance and my rst year with yearbook was purely survival.”
A few of Bowden’s favorite memories at Trinity include winning his rst yearbook award, and students winning di erent awards, In yearbook speci cally, his favorite part was watching the sta 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. “ ey go from a scared freshman coming out with the sta to a very con dent senior editor and that’s really special to me.”
“We moved here from the Santa Barbara area and we’re super excited to go back and be near friends and family,” Bowden said. Although Bowden is moving back home he will leave a lasting impact on Trinity and most speci cally the yearbook and the photo department.“It’sreally nice to have somebody really rooting for you and for your success and somebody that is invested in your work” Lawton said.
Bowden spent 10 of his 22 years teaching here at Trinity, and this was his rst experience advising yearbook.
BACK HOME May 2O22
Mr. Bowden takes center stage for the last time with his AP Photography students
After a decade of teaching at Trinity, Fine Arts Teacher Ryan Bowden is going back to his home state of California.
Article by Victoria Berube
Photo by Anuha
Butter y Garden.
“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 rst 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 ve women, including the rst 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.
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. e last nominee to have that high of an approval rating was Chief Justice Roberts in 2005.
Article by Tavish Ward Graphic by Sarah Lin May 2O22
Jackson’s appointment breaks racial barriers that have been around since the beginning of America. To many, her achievement has shifted what’s possible.
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 rst public defender 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, “ at’s refreshing because each case is a new blank slate.”
“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.”
“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.
Source: US Census Bureau
RAISING THE BAR 1O News
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 elded questions at her con rmation hearing, the group cheering as the future justice handled each inquiry.
“In this day and age that’s a monumental thing, as polarizing as the American public is,” Burmeister said.
Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes the first African American woman appointed to the Supreme Court 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.
“No matter what her rst 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
“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 di erent perspective.”
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.
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.
Article by Peyton Keith Photo by Anna Miliotes May 2O22 11
2O Time Projects benefit unaddressed societal problems
Carlson hopes that anyone interested in her project will donate to the foundation.
Ellison is not positive about how many events she would want per year but will continue her project in the near future and raise even more money for di erent charities.
“Here at Trinity we’re all very fortunate to [attend] just such an amazing school and we have so many opportunities, and I would like to provide the opportunities to people who don’t [have] the same ones,” Clark said.
Clark and O’Brien have raised over $225 in just their rst tournament, a set of Nuke’em matches. ey also had another event on April 13 and 14. Clark had hosted a basketball tournament and nished raising her goal of $500 for the Coalition for the Homeless.
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. e 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.
“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. “[ ey mention] how it maybe helped them when they got to college and [to] gure out what it is they want to do.”
Carlson expects to have another event coming later this year. e Michael J. Fox Research Foundation has honored Carlson for her signi cant contributions to the organization.
“I do wish he was still alive, but this will be the rst show that I’m doing with him not alive,” Carlson said.
“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.” at 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 foundation. Her grandfather Charles DeBord, who passed away in October 2020, had Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disease that causes di culties such as talking, walking, use of hands, and other basic movements.
GENEROSITY AFTER-HOURS
“I don’t think we want to have an entry fee for people to watch it,” Clark said. “But I think for our next [tournament], we’re going to consider a concession stand.”
Lifestyles
e 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.
Clark said that she charged a $5 entry fee to those who wanted to participate in the competition. For the basketball tournament, she wanted to add something new: a concession stand. Students who watched or played were able to buy some snacks and beverages during middle school lunchtime.
Seventh graders Alfonso Salvador, Carson Wicker and Avery Sasser compete in a basketball tournament. e tournament was for a fundraiser by eighth graders Ellison Clark and Gavin O’Brien’s 20 Time Project.
“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.”
Lifestyles
Various studies have discovered a link between adolescent smoking and alcohol use in lm/television in relation to those same habits in real life.
An article published by University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications explored the in uence of lm culture on teenagers and declared it similar to that of a peer.
May 2O2212
One example of this e ect 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.
“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.
However, other teens have alternative opinions, believing that more genuine and relatable characters would add to the entertainment value of television and lm targeting teenagers.
While one may argue that such portrayals are just ction, the problem arises when teens aspire to embody these two-dimensional archetypes. e consequences can be damaging to both adolescents’ physical and mental health.
e irony is that the people who nd these exaggerated versions of teens most entertaining are teens themselves.
Adolescent stereotypes in film influences everyday culture
Article by Lucy Chong Graphic by Jaidyn Holt
TEENAGE FILM DISTORTS REAL LIFE
“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.”
Teenagers in television and lm are often portrayed as cut and dry versions of stereotypes, labeled with one trait while simultaneously being declared ineligible for others.
In addition to the obstacles above, teenage girls speci cally have to contend with stereotypes that oversexualize them. According to a study done by University of Southern California Annenberg on female stereotypes in lm/ tv, the percentage of teen girls shown with nudity is more than double the percentage of boys (35% vs. 14.1%). Although this gendered di erence occurs in portrayals of adults as well, it is particularly harmful to adolescents. As the industry 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 lm have discernible academic interests and goals. e constant portrayal of teenage girls as less intelligent can communicate harmful messages.
“It’s much harder to relate to somebody who’s just a stereotype rather than a well developed character who has character aws and is more like a real person,” Zaher said. Whether or not the use of stereotypes in lm 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 re ects 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.”
Freshman Morgan McIver nds that if teen media was made too accurate it would become predictable because she would already know the story.
“I think that even if we try not to let those [stereotypes] in uence us, subconsciously, when we see somebody doing something... we feel that we also have to kind of follow their footsteps,” Junior Mary Zaher said. e 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.
Article by Laziza Talipova Photo by Anuha Tatineni May 2O22 13
Knight is feeling the heat on rationing gas. But it’s de nitely gotten harder,” Knight said. “Sometimes, I’ll nd that I’m low on money due to gas, and it makes me not want to drive.”
is January, junior Benjamin Knight paid just $60 to ll his 2011 Chevy Avalanche up with gas. Today, he pays over $120 for that same“It’stank.crazy that it takes that much to ll up even with the lowest grade,” Knight said. A few months ago, gas was $3.18 a gallon. Now, the gas prices are raised to about $4 per gallon. Ination in the economy and the Russia-Ukraine war are both contributing to the abnormally high gasKnightprices. drives a truck, and he lives 15 minutes away from school. Aside from interning with his parents, he plays lacrosse as well. Driving back and forth for these after-school activities takes a toll on his“It’sgas.hard because especially now that I’m doing lacrosse, I have to drive multiple times a day to get to and from practice, and to and from school,” Knight said. Knight’s driving is deeply a ected by the gas spike. Usually known to accelerate quickly while driving, Knight now takes more caution to save money. His driving style has changed drastically from carefree to constantly checking his gas tank.
Senior Kelsey Silberbusch is also concerned with the rising costs of gas prices. To provide herself money, she works at the Heathrow Racket Club and as a camp counselor. Silberbusch plays tennis and lives 10 minutes away from school. She drives a 2020 Silver Acura RDX. Even though her car takes the lowest grade of gas, she still struggles with the price.
DRIVERS FUME OVER FUEL PRICES
“ ere’s nothing I can do because Ihave to get to school to work.”
Knight isn’t the only student struggling with the high gas prices. Many working students in the U.S have had to make budget adjustments to affordAccordinggas. to environmental magazine Grist, because of the increase in gas prices, 72% of students combined trips together by carpooling, from the 60% a few months ago. Students also used public transportation more regularly--23% compared to the 14% a couple months back. More and more students are thinking of ways to save money. Gas is starting to become a luxury to some.
e gas prices are slowly dropping, and students like Knight and Silberbusch are thankful for it. But Silberbusch still believes that over time the gas prices will spike again. “I just really hope the gas prices go down because I can’t pay for this gas much longer,” Knight said.
Senior Kelsey Silberbusch lls up her gas tank, which she says has gotten increasingly expensive with the recent rise in gas prices.
“I literally refuse to drive my car sometimes because I can’t a ord to get gas,” Silberbusch said. Silberbusch has had to cross certain items o of her budget to afford gas. “I had to give up my car wash, and I don’t have a car wash subscription anymore,” Silberbusch said. “It’s now gone, because I couldn’t a ord it.”
Not just students, but teachers as well, are feeling the impact of higher gas prices. Math teacher Dr. Barbara Clanton lives in Mount Dora, which is 50 miles away from school. Clanton now drives a hybrid Toyota Prius V just because of the gas prices.“It’s just a lot of money, and I have to get gas every week,” Clanton said. “ ere’s nothing I can do because I have to get to school to work.”Slowly gas prices are appearing to drop, and students like Knight and Silberbusch are thankful for it. But Silberbusch still believes the gas prices will spike again. “I just really hope the gas prices go down because I can’t pay for gas this much longer,” Knight said.Clanton lives in Mount Dora, which is 50 miles away from school. Clanton now drives a hybrid Toyota Prius V just because of the gas prices.“It’s just a lot of money, and I have to get gas every week,” Clanton said.
Lifestyles
Article by Deniz Bölöni-Turgut Graphic by Sarah Lin
ACT YOUR AGE: ADULTHOOD DEFIES DEFINITION
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,” Membreno said. “ ey gured it out. ey have a place to live, a job, kids.”
GRAD
May 2O22Lifestyles14
Graduating high school is only the rst step towards adulthood and Smith said there are ways to grow and re ect “[Youindividually.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.”
“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 nd occupations … [that’s] when you start to see people having more adult-like behaviors.”
Trinity Prep alumnus Varun Bhatia stares up at his lights in bewilderment. Just moments before, the electricity cut o with no warning, casting him and his apartment into darkness. e cause was not a thunderstorm, but a mistake on Bhatia’s part.
“You’re not always going to be at the top,” Bhatia said. “Because college is much more di cult than high school and your career is probably going to be a little more di cult than what you experience in college, … you need to understand in a di cult situation, you may fail the rst few times. But, [consider] what
Adulthood
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 nancial budget, buying a house and ling 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 Bhatiawrong.”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.
“I remember once when I rst 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 shutGraduatingdown.”
“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?”
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. ese varying age restrictions make adulthood di cult to de ne.
HS SAT 11th 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 Manysuccessful.”ofthesetypes 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 Everycontrol.”year(with the exception of the 20202021 academic year), the guidance counseling o ce sponsors the Senior Retreat, an overnight trip packed with outdoor activities and workshops designed to guide graduating seniors in the transition to college. is year, Senior Retreat took place from March 31-April 1.
Shraddha Bhatia, Senior
With the school year coming to a close, stu dents start looking forward to a variety of ac tivities such as amusement parks, family trips, and vacation destinations outside of the Unit ed States to fill their summer break. Amidst these summer plans, some students use their break from school to engage in academics via pre-college summer programs at colleges and academicestedschoolersgramssummerofferanduniversities.Bothcollegesuniversitiespre-collegeproforhighinterincertaintopicswhile also providing a taste of the college experience. Students get to live in dorms, walk around campus, eat in dining halls, and meet interesting people along the way. Many of these programs require an ex pensive admission fee, and typically last from a few weeks to a few months.
Article by Angel Zheng Graphic by Jaidyn Holt
“I think if people have doubts about what they’re going into, especially juniors, it’s help ful for them to go explore these programs and the courses they offer and see what university styles they’re interested in, and see what cours es they’re interested in and what major they might want to pursue,” Bhatia said.
COLLEGE IN THE SUMMER
“I wanted to just get an introduction and see if it’s something I’d be interested in doing further in college.”
He explained that while his classes ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., there would be a four-hour long programming contest every other day. Not only that, he notes a considerable differ ence in the teaching styles between high school and“Thecollege.programming techniques taught there were mainly standard for competitive programming stuff, which is stuff not really taught in school,” Wang said. “You’re able to learn more about skillsandrithms,programmingdifferentalgotechniques,moreadvancedthatyouneed for competitions or even career later in the fu ture.”These pre-college summer programs aren’t only available in person; many colleges and universities offer an online option as well. Se nior Shraddha Bhatia attended the Harvard Pre-College Program in 2021, the summer be fore her senior year. She took an online course called “Great Ideas in Macroeconomics.”
Attending a college summer program can be an impactful experience for students, espe cially if they want to explore and delve deeper into their academic interests. Despite the sig nificant costs that range in the thousands, the overall experience may help students challenge themselves and become more confident in their
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“I just was interested in economics and I hadn’t had any classes for it, since Trinity doesn’t offer it until senior year,” Bhatia said. “So I wanted to just get an introduction and see if it’s something I’d be interested in doing further in Althoughcollege.”theonline college experience dif fers from that of in-person, one can still get a feel for the lecture style, homework load and Pre-college summer programs encourage academic and personal growth discussions that occur in a typical college class room. Bhatia compares her online course to a class in the Malone Schools Online Network (MSON).“Itisreally 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.
“Initially,abilities.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.
ENCOUNTER
Senior Alexander Wang participated in the UCF Competitive Programming Summer In stitute in 2019, the summer before his soph omore year. His interest in computer science reinforced his decision to attend the two-week long academic experience at the UCF campus.
“I wanted to try to be a little bit more ad vanced in programming as I was going to take AP Computer Science next year, and I want ed to help build up possible skills … from a young starting grade,” Wang said.
May 2O22 Focus
less severe, Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor, “doesn’t expect the U.S. to see a significant increase in hospitalizations and deaths,” according to an article by Spencer Kimball of CNBC.
Multiple countries have now lifted their COVID-19 travel restrictions. Countries such as Sweden and the United Kingdom, have lift ed their travel restrictions, regardless of vacci nation status. Both countries lifted their travel restrictions due to the high number of people who are vaccinated, which helps lower the risk of contracting COVID-19. However, the U.S. is not lifting all of its trav el restrictions for a variety of reasons. Part of the reason is because of the Ba.2 COVID-19 variant, which according to an article by MedicalNewsToday, is more contagious and is better at evading immunity compared to BA.1. Ba.2 is a sub-variant of Omi cron, and is an Omi cron “stealth” variant ofOriginally,COVID-19.the mask mandate for air travel was going to be lifted back in January, but has now more recent ly been pushed back to April 18. However, the date has now been pushed back again to May 3, due to the severity of the Ba.2 sub-variant. Accord ing to the CDC, as of April 16, the Ba.2 sub-variant makes up more than 90% of COVID-19 variants in the AlthoughU.S. the mask mandate for air trav el got pushed back to May 3, on April 18, the mandate was dropped due to U.S. District Judge Kath ryn Kimball Mizelle shutting down the CDC’s mandate. Mizelle shut down the CDC’s man date because according to an article by NBC Chicago, words it as, “the CDC failed to jus tify its decision and did not follow proper rule making procedures that left it fatally flawed.”
“So when traveling back [to the United States], we had to get [PCR] tests 24 hours be fore and then we also have to get one done at the airport for rapid antigen testing, and then you can only board if you got the results,” Bha tia said. “Negative rapid antigen test as well.”
REQUIREMENTSREQUIREMENTS UK UK USA USA CA CA IN IN SE SE 72 hrs OR RECOMMENDED 14 days72 hrs If unvaccinated Interstate RESTRICTIONS International Sources: The Points Guy, CNN, Trip.com, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, Travel O Path, Times of India, and Travel Agent Central
Like many other countries, India’s tourism has been affected. When Bhatia traveled to In dia, she said that there was less traffic and that people that she talked to over in India said that it felt a lot emptier.
Focus required to show her and her family’s vaccina tion status at the airport.
TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: U.S. AND ABROAD
Article by Alec Diaz Infographic by Sarah Lin COVID-19
According to an article by Forrest Brown and Megan Marples of CNN, most states in the United States have dropped their travel restric tions from state to state. States such as Florida, Louisiana, Idaho, and Georgia have dropped their statewide travel restrictions. However, states like Maine require travelers to fill out a travel protocol form and must quarantine for ten days upon their arrival.
Senior Shradda Bhatia, who traveled to In dia for three weeks in December of 2021, was
May 2O22
Fortunately, Bha tia said that people were also trying to get back to some sort of normalcy, and people were transitioning back to their normal lives, and the rules in India are pretty loose when it comes to wearing your mask as ingcasestectyou,nottoasduringyouashouldicalHospitalticleaccordingesCOVID-19well.Althoughcashavedecreased,toanarbyChildren’sandMedCenter,youstillbringmaskwithyouifdecidetotravelthesummer,thatisonewaycontinuetohelponlyprotectbuthelpproothersaswell.SinceCOVID-19aredecreasandbecoming
According to an article by Trip.com, when traveling to Canada from the United States, people who are not vaccinated must be quar antined for 14 days before traveling to Canada, people who are not vaccinated must also show proof of a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before departure, and Canada strongly recommends wearing masks as well.
entirethroughoutsummer 10% ofbeginningsummer 4.3% once beganschoolagain 3.7% never 93.6%23.1% 9.7% 17.4% 6.4% Classes for which surveyed students had summer homework EnglishHistory MathLanguage Science Article by Sarah Zehnder Graphics by Jaidyn Holt May 2O22 Focus
“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.
SUMMER = SCHOOL-YEAR
As exams are getting closer and summer break is just around the corner, the hectic work load that many Trinity students are facing will soon subside. However, the work is never re ally over. The beginning of summer break also means the beginning of the infamous summer assignments. Although most students want to avoid anything that will interrupt the blissful, school-free relaxation of summer, these assign ments are an important part of preparing for an enonlossmerengaged.keepularviousterial,ingbeginworkload,angivemoving,thework:signteachersreasonsaclass.upcomingTherearevarietyofwhyassummertokeepbraintostudentsideaofthetolearnnewmaandmore.ThemostobandpopreasonistothemindSumlearningisaphenominwhichstudents
summer
“Textbook reading is a good way to start learning,” Grenz said. “It is not a bad idea to get a jump start on things.”
forget information they learned over the last school year. Most information about learning loss, also known as brain drain, focuses on younger students. This is because elementary school students are learning basic information that is crucial to development. However, highschoolers also experience a fair amount of learning loss.
“What we re ally are looking for is a starting point, because we will go back and re-read ev erything again in detail during the year,” Mc Gimsey said. The most beneficial kind of summer as signments de pend on the course and teach er. The effectiveness can also hinge on timing. When is the ideal time to begin summer as signments?“Iwould suggest students to read through the assignment so that you can ask yourself what I am asking of you,” Science teacher Elmarie Mortimer said. “Then read the book whenever you have time. I would say if you are to spread out the work, know where each of the assignments is going to take you.”
“I think that students are more likely to re member and understand the texts better when it is broken up into sections,” McGimsey said.
When the surveyed students completed their summer very end of 28.1%
HOMEWORK
World language teacher Kyle McGimsey said that the main goal of summer assignments is for AP Latin students to begin the year with a general understanding of the material.
somewhatassignmentsof90%90%surveyedTrinitystudentsreportedthattheirsummerwererelatedorrelatedtothefirstunitof class
“When we come across it in the school year, for the students to be able to look back on the information and go ‘Oh yeah, I remember that,’” McGimsey said.
assignments 48.5%
Although students can feel like the last thing they want to do during summer break, sum mer assignments are a beneficial test-run of what to expect for the upcoming year.
Other instuctors utilize the time over the summer for students to get a head start on materi al. That way, the summer assignment easily transitions into the first unit of class.
Another motivation for giving summer as signments, usually paired with reading, is so students can get a feel for the upcoming work load.Especially for AP or advanced courses, text book or nonfiction reading is common. Al though the College Board does not explicitly recommend any resources before the school year, they advise students to complete reading directly assigned by AP teachers. McGimsey also said that he uses his summer assignments for AP Latin as a stepping stone to the material during the year and to help students become familiar with the advanced curriculum.
“It feels to me that the summer time is the only time that students at Trinity have the time to just sit and think and that is what I like about summer assignments,” Mortimer said.
In a recent New York Times article, Pro fessor Mark Bauerlein of Emory University recommended all teachers, especially those teaching high school students, assign summer homework. He believes that summer home work is the most effective way to combat learning loss.
If the goal is to keep students’ minds moving during summer break, Grenz said the content does not make a difference.
In a recent survey of Trinity’s student body, 54.4% of students who participated reported that their summer assignments for at least one of their classes was related to the first unit of that class for this year.
“It is really important to keep students in the mode of reading,” Social Science depart ment chair Robin Grenz said.
“What the assignment consists of will vary with the student population, but some exten sion of learning into vacation time is sorely needed,” Bauerlein said.
SUCCESS
VOICE
A way to create familiarity is through clubs and the student council. ese 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. e student will then feel more comfortable expressing themselves to an administrator because they feel the administrator already knows them.
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 e ort, 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.
TRINITY
While the hall passes were a good way to solve the inaccurate attendance issue, many students were unaware of this. e failure to communicate the true reason for the passes to the student body leads to them being unpopular and thus not consistently used. erefore, their original purpose is defeated.
Lack of Communiction
Graphic by Sarah Lin
“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 ompson 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.”
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 rst. However, the limited connection between students and administrators hinders student voice and expression, leaving our mission unful lled.
Administrators are sta 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. e lack of communication creates a bigger issue on campus; no communication breeds resentment. As more rules are enacted and enforced, there is little communication explaining the rules’ purpose. e 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.
May 2O2218 Opinions
For example, when hall passes rst appeared on campus, many students were confused about their purpose.
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. “ ere have been inconsistencies in tracking attendance. e hope was that by using the hall passes, we would get teachers to go back and be more accountable to accurately re ect right whether a student was physically present in their class or not because they would have that visual reminder.”
e school is making positive steps to creating communication and connection on cam-
May 2O22 Opinions 19 pus. For example, the student council is able to participate in many changes occurring at the“[Studentschool. 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. ey 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 studentHowever,handbook.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. is range does not have to apply to the entire student body, but it helps people who want to get involved to have a more o cial opportunity of sharing their thoughts. By creating situations where administrators must directly talk to students, the campus will slowly progress to a more uni ed space.
“I think it is really important that everybody in the community, students, faculty, sta , 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 important 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 e ect. 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.
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. ey then can explain to each other their concerns and compromise on a new policy that will please the most people on campus.
e lead editorial expresses the opinion of the Trinity Voice editorial sta . Please send comments to voice@trinityprep.org.
Bonday said. “ at’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.”
Connection on campus will promote student expression
“ e value to communication is that students want to know that their voices can be heard. ere’s a bene t 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,”
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.estudent 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.
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 sta , 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.Asrecently 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.
TEXTBOOK RACISM
In the manual “A Treatise on Tropical Diseases; and on e 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 Commission, 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, e 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. Speci cally, they asked whether the Nativemittedcalcans,Blackfrom.getdrenthatvicediseasesuallowingwithboServicethatstudents,bodilyfringingessaryfacechildrenwhetherhadn’t)sentedparentschildren’shadcon-(theyandthewouldany“unnec-risks.”Asidefromin-upontheautonomyoftheitwasdiscoveredeIndianHealthhadrunplace-trialsonchildrentrachoma,themtoerfromtheinser-ofresearchthechil-wouldn’ttobenetSimilartoAmeri-themedi-crueltycom-againstAmericans was justi ed by centuries of myths that dehumanized them. From as early as Andrew Jackson’s presidency, indigenous Americans were described as biologically inferior. Regardless of e Indian Health Service’s past, the organization continues to be contro-
May 2O222O Opinions
DISMANTLING MEDICAL MYTHS
Article by Reese Taylor Graphics by Sarah Lin
e reality is, medical conditions and symptoms present di erently in varying levels of skin pigmentation. Because of that, academia needs to re ect diversity of skin tone. However, Black medical illustrators are working to nd 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.
“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 o 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.
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 e ects of the myth that Native Americans received free healthcare from the federal government. “ e 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. at’s not what’s happened at However,all.” 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 e 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. is means that health care systems that exist beyond the IHS rarely service Native American patients.
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.
For people of color, the e ects of medical myths are evidenced in the rates of death and misdiagnoses within their population.
EFFECTS OF MISNOMERS
According to an article published in e US National Library of Medicine & National Institutes of Health, while people of color are less likely to become a icted 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. is is because it tends to only be caught in later stages of diagnosis. One of the prominent e ects 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. e e ects 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.
May 2O22 Opinions 21
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.
According to Planned Parenthood statistics, 56 percent of their health clinics are in rural areas with less health access, which helps provide healthcare to women who aren’t insured, or who can’t a ord to go to a primary care physician. Michael Stroup, an OB-GYN at Winnie Palmer Hospital, explains that lack of insurance can be a large factor. Many women who don’t have insurance, have to rely on places where free healthcare is o ered. “ e big struggle is whether you’re insured or not,” Stroup said. “A large percentage of the population, especially in Florida, is uninsured. Even though people can get emergency care, many don’t really have good access to primary care.”Stroup added that he believes it is unlikely that the political debate about women’s right to healthcare will end anytime soon. Politics play an instrumental role in the healthcare system, speci cally impacting women’s health issues, widening the gender gap associated with men and women’s access to healthcare.
Graphic by Jaidyn Holt
Article by Peyton Alch
- Mila Taylor, 8th Grade Women around the country are being told “no.” Due to increased political focus in women’s health, women are being denied access to certain healthcare initiatives, especially regarding reproductive health. e role of politics in women’s health has impacted and regulated the ways in which women can receive healthcare.
May 2O2222 Opinions
“Knowing that random politicians are trying to control what we do with our bodies is really frusturating, especially because men’s health isn’t constantly challenged by politics the way women’s health is”
HER BODY, THEIR CHOICE
“I think that the igniting factor is abortion,” Certi ed Nurse Midwife Nadine Flaharty said. “ e ability to either bear a child or restrict the possibility of that happening is ultimately a woman’s choice. I think that many politicians are anxious to control that aspect of women’s lives.”Nonpro t organizations, such as Planned Parenthood, have been negatively impacted by the drastic increase in the politicization of women’s healthcare. Planned Parenthood is a nonpro t organization that provides healthcare services for women. Although they provide a variety of health services and screenings, many people seem to only associate the organization with abortions. is is why many want to defund their clinics, despite the fact that no federal funds are used to perform abortions. Instead, Planned Parenthood uses private donations to fund the procedures.e Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2021 was introduced to the House in January of 2021. is bill restricts any federal funding for Planned Parenthood clinics for one year unless they certify that the clinics will not perform abortions. Planned Parenthood’s budget is tied to Congress, so they have control over where the money goes. Defunding Planned Parenthood decreases healthcare access for so many women, many of whom are dependent on the free healthcare provided, beyond just “Generalabortions.healthcheckups, as well as things like STD testing and cancer checks, are available to women,” Flaharty said. “So when Planned Parenthood is threatened, it’s a whole litany of healthcare that is threatened.”
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 preventDoctorspregnancy.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.eydon’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.”
May 2O22 Opinions 23
Recently, state and federal lawmakers want to prevent teens from accessing contraceptive care unless they ask their parents for permission. ese laws can lead to higher rates of unwanted pregnancy and STDs.
Women everywhere are continuing to be impacted by constant political involvement and restrictive laws. Flaharty explains that politics shouldn’t a ect 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.
“I feel like it especially a ects our mental well-being,” Taylor said. “Knowing that random politicians are trying to control what we do with our bodies is really frustrating, especially because men’s health isn’t constantly challenged by politics the way women’s health is.”Women’s health being underminedconstantlyand restricted negatively a ects the health and overall welfare of young girls.
“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.
“Healthcare has nothing to do with the law, nothing to do with anything other than a woman’s right to make decision for herself.”
- Nadine Flaharty
The impact of politics on women’s health
“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 community are not a part of the curriculum, they can arise naturally as related to the subject. In history classes, students are taught about Roman and Greek civilizations and how they were accepting of homosexuality in some contexts. In AP US History, LGBTQ rights arise as part of the overall Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. e bill could make teaching about ancient civilizations and time periods di cult, leaving teachers and administrators to navigate dangerous waters without guidelines. To avoid this, a school’s administration might tell teachers not to bring up homosexuality or gender in “I think in literature classes, it’s so easy to talk about a wide variety of ideas and a diversity of topics. I don’t, as a teacher, do it through individual students’ lives or my own life.”
IDENTITY CENSORSHIP
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 ght for positive representation of LGBTQ+ people now faces legislation intended to stop education about the community from happening.
- Jay Jay Stroup, English teacher “...or in a manner that is not age-appropriate in accordance school 250+
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 senate.gov, the bill states that “Classroom instruction by personnelschoolor 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. e 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 could cause a parent to take legal action.
Defenders of the bill are also quick to point out that it only applies
7 17 4
e
ismanner“...ortheHowever,thirdtenkindergar-tothroughgrade.textsaysinathatnotage-appropriate or developmentally appropriateaccordancein with state standards.” With this, the bill can be applied past kindergarten through third grade, and all grade levels are at risk of this censorship.
the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill will not directly impact Trinity because it is an independent private school, the question of what is appropriate for students to discuss in classrooms is still relevant. Private schools can apply guidelines similar to those for public schools, or parents would expect private schools to go along with nearby school districts.
English teacher Hannah Parker worked in a Seminole County public school and did an internship at a charter school. From that experience, she knows how bills just meant for public schools can spread over to private ones.
Not only this, but the legislation mentions state standards on sexual orientation and gender orientation, but such standards do not exist. As a result, teachers may be unsure of what they can safely discuss without any references to Whilecheck.
May 2O2224 Opinions
“You don’t have to make [conversations about LGBTQ+ topics] complicated,” junior and one of the leaders of Diversity Club Lainey Wilemon said. e legislation aims to silence conversations about LGBTQ+ culture and history, but it also reinforces the dangerous belief that outside sources in uence 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.“[eDon’t Say Gay bill] seems like an extreme reaction to changing American culture and society,” Stroup said. “It seems that when we change,momentoushavethere’s always a pushback.”
“You don’t have to make [conversations about LGBTQ+ topics] complicated.”
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.
e legislation is worded vaguely, but its intent is clear: to scare teachers into silence with the threats and leave LGBTQ+ students alone in the dark, especially if their loved ones aren’t supportive. LGBTQ+ topics do not have to have an elaborate approach but rather as a normal concept similar to how society accepts heterosexual marriage.
“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.”
A lack of conversations about LGBTQ+ topics can have devastating e ects, as LGBTQ+ youth are already at high risk for mental disorders and suicidal thoughts. According to the Trevor Project, a nonpro t organization focused on preventing suicide attempts for the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ youth are four 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 feelingAsidealienated.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 e University of California, Los Angeles
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.
- Lainey Wilemon, co-leader of Diversity Club change,have there’s momentous 250+ 7 4 (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 di erent from a heterosexual one.
May 2O22 Opinions 25
“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 beDenyingme.’”
e 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 theBecausemajority.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. ese 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.
Article by Maddie Peckham by Sarah Lin FOR PRIDE
“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. “ ey’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.
May 2O22Opinions26 A PRICE
$$$$
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 Companiesanyone.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 pro ts 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.
The human cost of rainbow capitalism
“ ere 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.
PayPal, for example, changed its logo rainbow in support for pride, but won’t allow transgender users to change their account from their birthOthername.awareness months aren’t nearly as capitalized o of. Pride month is much easier to package and slap a price on. e LGBTQ+ community has countless stereotypes that are easy to market, especially for a retail store. People see LGBTQ+ as amboyant 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. e collection immediately faced backlash from Black voices calling out the collection. So why do people accept LGBTQ+ stereotypes? ese cariactures are seen as harmless and that’s where the harm lies; amboyant fashionistas don’t upset or o end people, and LGBTQ+ voices are silenced to a point of ignoring these stereotyping with the goal of pro t. “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 di erent groups use di erent things.”
Graphic
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. en, 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 a ects.
Disney has recently been under re for funding supporters 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. eir 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.
A DISEASE NOT A CRIME
“ e entire [Health and Wellness] curriculum 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.”
e PEW Charitable Trusts has released statistics that prove that states with more 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 Decriminalization,faces.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 ve 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 rst state to decriminalize personal use and possession of illegal 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.
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.eglobalwar 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 Possiblyothers.”
Under decriminalization, people found with personal-use amounts of an illegal drug would face a small penalty such as a ne, but selling drugs or carrying any amount beyond what is considered personal-use would still result in prisonDecriminalizationtime. 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 e ective in reducing drug problems.
the most damaging e ect 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. e 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.”
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 ndings in the published paper titled “Study: Public Feels More Negative Toward People With Drug Addiction an ose With Mental Illness.”
e 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.
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. is 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.
Opinions
e 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. is 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.
Article by Taylor Riley Graphic by Jaidyn Holt May 2O22 27
“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.”
May 2O2228 Sports
“TrinityPennsylvaniahas 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 -Javonme.”Bennett, Basketball at Merrimack College
“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 -Sarabest.”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 -Kianpotential.”Vakili, Tennis at the University of Pennsylvania
NEW SCHOOLS, SAME SPORT
Article by Boaz Kim Photos by Anuha Tatineni
May 2O22 Sports 29
-Neiman Mocombe, Diving at Bowdoin Col“Ilegelove 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.”
“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.”
Eight senior athletes will go on to pursue their athletic and academic careers in college
-JJ Stein, Soccer at Haverford College
-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.”
Article by David Hull Photo Courtesy of Chi Rho Junior Boaz Kim benches 235 pounds, winning his weight class during the Citris League Championship on March 9.
Following a successful regular season with a record of 6-2, the boys weightlifting team faced several challenges heading into districts, including the u and other illnesses. Despite these obstacles, the team still performed well, nishing with four district champions.JuniorBoaz Kim competed in the bench and clean and jerk, placing rst in the district for the 154 weight class, putting up a 230-pound bench press and 185-pound clean and jerk. Kim stated that he was con dent from the start, expecting to perform well.
“I had already looked at a lot of the numbers from the other teams that we matched up against, and my numbers were a lot higher than theirs,” Kim said. “I was con dent in myself enough to place rst.” e team also found success in the snatch, a new event added this year, with three district champions including junior Anthony Miceli. Miceli won his weight class, but like many other lifters, he originally wasn’t sure about participating in the new lift and only started a couple of months ago.
Even though the event was optional, head coach Isiah Cabal had all lifters participate in the snatch throughout the season, unlike the majority of other schools. Miceli said the coaches did a great job teaching the lift and led him to compete in the event in “districts.ecoaches really a ected me,” Miceli said. “ ey did a great job specifying the workouts for the snatch, and they did a really good job helping teach us what to do to warm up.” Despite nding success in the snatch, the team also faced many challenges including illness. During the month of April, a strand of the u spread around campus. Multiple lifters, including junior Jackson Salinas, were out sick during the district meet and therefore did not have the opportunity to qualify for regionals or states. Kim often practiced alongside Salinas, saying that they often pushed each other to do “Hisbetter.numbers were state level,” Kim said.
“I think he would have had a lot of success against the lifters in his weight class and easily gone to states, so it really sucks to see that his season had to be cut short.”
“Icompete.wassuper disappointed and so upset,” Salinas said. “It was a perfect situation going into districts but then everything happened and it all fell apart.” Before being noti ed of all the sick lifters, Cabal believed the team had a good shot at winning districts.“Wehad a lot of really strong guys that all progressed really well,” Cabal said. “ I thought we were going to have at least four, maybe ve, district champs at least, and then we started getting the emails that our students got theBesidesu.” facing the u, the team also went through another traumatic experience when junior lifter Safwan Zaman was temporarily paralyzed. Salinas said that the team rallied around him and dedicated the season to him. After seeing multiple contributors out with the u and Zaman’s injury, Cabal said that it showed nothing should be taken for“Yougranted.can only control the things you can control,” Cabal said. “We’re really fortunate to have multiple lifters at every weight class. I hope the takeaway for anyone who is seeing that is, nothing’s guaranteed. You can’t rely on what will happen next year, because you never know.”
Sports
Weightlifting team overcomes adversity in the postseason
OUTWEIGHING THE OBSTACLES
May 2O223O
Salinas’ numbers were outstanding for the 169 weight class and would have guaranteed him the district title. His total of the two lifts was 500 pounds, the rst place lifter in districts total was 465. Salinas was well aware of his numbers and frustrated with his inability to
May 2O22 31
Lifters (left to right) sophomore Aurion Ekbatani, junior Boaz Kim and junior Jackson Salinas visited Zaman in the hospital during the early stages of his recovery.
A SEASON SNATCHED
Junior lifter’s journey back to the gym following paralysis
Zaman was one of the key contributors to the team’s 6-2 regular season record, but his impact extended outside of the gym. Varsity Head Coach Isiah Cabal said Zaman’s energy was felt by lifters and coaches, often elevating the mood of the team.
Article by David Steinberg Photo courtesy of Boaz Kim
“I never expected this to happen obviously,” Zaman said. “But I guess it has made me realize to never take anything for granted. is could have been worse, and I am just lucky to be in a position to make a full recovery and compete again.”
Sports
“We all started lifting for him every week, and we would call him before and after practices,” Salinas said. “I feel like it was a motivation for everybody, since he’s not there, we’ll just try our best and do it all for him. e end of our season was kind of dedicated to ehim.”road to recovery was a long and hard process for Zaman. After being paralyzed for three days, he spent four weeks in a wheelchair before being able to walk with a cane. Now two months removed from the situation, Zaman is walking without any support and expected to make a full recovery in six to 12 months. He plans on getting back in the gym as soon as possible, hoping to compete again next season.
During the days of Zaman’s recovery in the hospital, multiple lifters from the team came to visit. Zaman, who was in a wheelchair at the time, was happy to see his friends for the rst time in days. “It was nice seeing them, because in the hospital I was alone for most of the time,” Zaman said. “It was kind of su ocating because I wasn’t allowed to leave my room or even see anyone unless they visited, so it was really great for them to come.”Among those to visit was junior lifter Jackson Salinas, who had worked out with Zaman in both the o season and on the school team. Salinas said that Zaman’s story served as an inspiration for the team heading into districts.
“Safwan is kind of like our uno cial mascot,” Cabal said. “He’s super enthusiastic, he has a lot of energy, he’s a great training partner, basically everyone loves to lift with him. Every time he’s in the room, he just always seems to bring the mood up.”
Junior lifter Safwan Zaman went out to grab lunch after a typical morning lift. One week later, he was lying still in a hospital bed. Zaman was diagnosed with a food-related stomach bug that later turned into Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). According to the Centers for Disease Control, GBS is a rare disorder in which a person’s own immune system damages the body’s nerves causing muscle weakness, and in Zaman’s case, paralysis--just a few weeks before the weightlifting postseason.Afterwaking up in the hospital, weightlifting was the last thing on Zaman’s mind, but as his recovery progressed, he realized that a year’s worth of working out was wasted. From a few days before to after the incident, Zaman had lost around 23 pounds. “I trained hard from the end of last season to get to where I was before the whole thing happened,” Zaman said. “And it was just so frustrating to realize that I wouldn’t get a chance in districts, but at the end of the day, I knew I had to accept it. And now, I just have to hope that next year I’ll be ne enough to compete again.”
Anna Miliotes
Ella Craghill
Juniors go in for the catch during the junior vs. sophomore frisbee game in the practice eld.
Anna Miliotes
Seniors and 6th graders participate in the annual water balloon to kick o the day.
Photos32 PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION HEADMASTER’S DAY 2O22
Anuha Tatineni
Senior Simon Brown goes in for a throw during the junior vs. senior dodgeball game.
Juniors pose for a picture while cheering on their team from the bleachers during a game of dodgeball.
