November 2024

THE

TRINITY VOICE

November 2O24 Volume 27 Issue 2 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

Crowned Couple Seniors James Hawley and Jackie Stenzel are voted Homecoming King and Queen.

NEWS

Afterschool activities promote new interests for students.

Page 6

OPINIONS

Trinity needs to communicate more with the student body.

Page 8

FOCUS

Students face challenges in all of high school.

Page 18-19

LIFESTYLES

Automation is gamifying the college application process.

Page 24-25

SPORTS

The Guardian Cap can lead to a significant reduction in football injuries.

Page 28

Table of Contents

November 2O24

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Lifestyles

News Bites O4 Framing Discussions O5 Afterschool Activities O6 Diversity Council O7

Opinions

Lead Ed O8 Commentaaron O9 Language of Privilege 1O-11 Need for Diversity 12-13

Shohei Ohtani 2O-21 Space Junk 22 Sonny Angels 23 Gamefying College 24-25 Importance of Reading 26

Sports

Flag Football 27 Football Safety 28 Weightlifting feature 29

Focus

Cover Page 14 Through the Years 15 Perfectionism 16-17 Mental Health 18-19 Jackson Napier

Page 29

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

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

VOICE@TRINITYPREP.ORG THETRINITYVOICE.COM @TRINITY_VOICE @THETRINITYVOICE Jackson Napier

Cover Page

“THE TRINITY VOICE” Maxi De La Fuente

Pages 14-15

Staff/Podcast

November 2O24

STAFF

Saint Talk

Non-Print Editor-in-Chief: David Steinberg

Blurbs by Jack Aaron and Gustavo Membreno Graphics by Caden Liu

Managing Editors: David Hull, Zach Kleiman, Amanda Rose DeStefano, Lucy Chong

Pardon the Interruption

Editors-in-Chief: Peyton Alch, Carol Marques

Copy Editors: Aarav Gupta, Jack Aaron Layout Editors: Laziza Talipova, Fay Zhao Social Media Department & Broadcast: Ana Herrera [Editor], Olivia Agnew, Sarah Currie News Department: Sofia Haddadin (Editor), Krish Gupta, Janav Ramprakash, Sami Haddadin Opinions Department: Nikhil Daniel (Editor), Ashwin Anand, Karl Loiseau

Focus Department: Mila Taylor (Editor), Mia Prince, Taylor Griffith Lifestyles Department: Sammy Lou (Editor), Bowen Dong, Aarav Gupta, Jack Aaron, Lila Choudry Sports Department: Emily Lopez (Editor), Ben Kleiman, Thomas Bonos Podcast Department: Gustavo Membreno Graphics Department: Caden Liu (Editor), Maxi de la Fuente, Natalie Baron Photo Department: Jackson Napier (Editor), Aksel Williams, Ally Williams, Julia Hoskins, Eden Kiger Fact Checking Editors: Taylor Griffith, Mia Prince Business Manager: Jack Aaron Adviser: Erin Miller

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This Month’s Podcasts:

Tune into this month’s edition of Pardon the Interruption with David Steinberg and David Hull as they discuss topics varying from Trinity’s very own Game Day Swap to the NCAA Heisman race.

Ep. 3 - Volunteering Across Cultures Gustavo Membreno sits down with Staci Summers as she shares powerful insights from her work at The Fuller Center for Housing, from laying foundations in remote villages to fostering lasting cross-cultural connections. Learn more about volunteering around the world.

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News

November 2O24

NEWS BITES

Spread by Sofia Haddadin Graphics by Caden Liu, Photos by Julia Hoskins

Sankar Science Center: The Monthly Update “The foundation for the building has been poured. Next, we will pour the slab. After the slab is poured, we will pour the walls.”

- Mr. Lawson, Head of School

This Month: By The Numbers

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The amount of money in billions in economic losses from Hurricane Milton.

The amount of money in millions the Smile 2 film made in previews alone.

The amount of meat in millions of pounds from BrucePac that was recalled for listeria contamination.

Sources: Herald Tribune, Yahoo, CNN

Saint On The Street: What Are You Thankful For?

“I’m thankful for good weather.”

- Victor Fang

“I am super thankful for friends, family and football at Thanksgiving.”

- Mrs. Lopez

“I am thankful for Trinity’s staff and everyone behind the scenes.”

- Alfonso Salvador

November 2O24

News

5

FRAMING FREE EXPRESSION Framework guides political discourse in the classroom

Article by Nikhil Daniel and Sofia Haddadin Graphic by Maxi De La Fuente With the 2024 election looming on the horizon, politics are at the forefront of citizens minds across the country. The classroom is no different, where administrators are bracing to walk a tightrope of promoting conversation while preventing division. In hopes of providing schools with a solution, headmasters across the country, including our very own Bryon Lawson, authored “Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools.” The plan defines principles that secondary schools can utilize to create vibrant cultures of inquiry and curiosity, furthering discourse in a divided country.

“The levels of effective polarization are so entrenched and so deep at this particular moment in time, that I think it’s important for schools to think about how they can adopt approaches, strategies, norms and even curricula that can encourage political literacy, civic inquiry and constructive dialogue,” Deerfield Academy Head of School and lead author Dr. John Austin said.

The framework is not a uniform approach to solving these issues but a guide for open conversation and institutional reflection. It is structured into three key pillars: a commitment to expressive freedom, a commitment to disciplined nonpartisanship and a commitment to intellectual diversity.

“The framework is a place to start and school a vehicle to promote institutional community conversation,” framework Project Director Lee Levison said. “You’ve got something to work with and from and then you adapt it to what makes sense for your school.”

School communities are distinct with different cultures, rivalries and students. The framework’s pillars shape schools to be hubs for productive, fruitful discourse that does not silence but rather encourages conversation. Doing this is hard and requires a campus culture that values students first, above their opinions.

“You need to create an atmosphere of trust

where people feel like they can contribute their own perspectives,” Austin said. “If my voice as a teacher and an authority figure works to constrain that, then I just need to be more careful about what I disclose and when I disclose.”

Within the classroom, teachers must maintain respectful and open dialogue between themselves and their students.

“I think my role is to sort of maintain balance and to maintain a level playing field in the classroom, which is really challenging if you don’t necessarily agree with the student,”

fellow and social science teacher Quinn McKenzie said. “People have very strong feelings and it’s very tough to manage and mitigate those in an environment that is also free for people to explore.”

Students want teachers to act as neutral moderators of classroom discussion, offering their expertise without imposing personal beliefs and opinions.

“A teacher sharing their opinion does have some authority behind it,” senior Nikolas Polsinelli said. “They are an authority figure so there is a little bit of pressure to conform

to that, which I know people don’t like. As long as it is presented in a way that they are just contributing to the discussion, not kind of dictating the discussion, I think it can still be important.”

Self-articulation is key for developing students, allowing them to not only reach their own conclusions and form their own opinions but also defend their beliefs in the classroom and beyond.

“The framework promotes courageous expression,” Austin said. “We want you to feel an ability to speak and ask questions even when they run against peer opinion or what’s commonly accepted.”

The ability to facilitate open and respectful discussion among students is a cornerstone of an effective education.

“To be a good liberal arts school is to get the students to be able to develop the ability to self articulate, defend, listen respectfully, if not intently, and then reformulate a position,” Lawson said. “That’s the job.”

Debate and discourse are fundamental pieces of the education puzzle. Being able to disagree with others, defend beliefs and possibly change minds is all part of learning and growing, and schools have a duty to allow it.

“We live in a republic that requires deliberative processes,” Levison said. “If you have an educational experience that gives you regular practice in being deliberative and zealously advocating for your view, it is not only important to do that but there are moments where your mind has changed.”

The framework provides guidelines for secondary schools to build and enhance environments that promote open discourse among students, ensuring that no one is afraid of sharing their opinions.

“I believe if schools can do [the framework] they’re going to graduate young people who are excited to learn, who have open curious minds and who are going to be able to engage deeply with others,” Austin said. “It will serve them well and it will serve our democracy well.”

News

November 2O24

SPARK STUDENT PASSIONS After-school programs promote new interests Article by Janav Ramprakash Photos by Aksel Williams and Julia Hoskins

In this early stage, these programs do not “There’s much less people [in Painting] with The ancient artistic techniques of Wheel require any previous skill in the topic to par- around six students in total, so the teachers can Throwing, the lifesaving skills of Beginner ticipate, so they provide a unique opportunity be more individualized to students,” freshman First Aid and the cognitive thinking of Chess for any student interested.

Sidarth Pothuraju said. “They pay more attenare just a few of the six new after-school pro“It’s a great chance for experiential educa- tion and [spend] more time, so it feels much grams that Trinity Prep is offering this year. tion [and] exploration of what’s possible for more involved.”

These programs meet once per week until the students to know more about,” Schachner said.

Schachner noted that the programs also put end of the first semester, allowing students to Ashcraft’s plan for her program is to first as- a focus on learning for the sake of learning. discover a variety of new interests and hobbies sess what previous skills her students may have “These after-school programs promote a while also helping growth mindthem explore their set that you can pre-existing pasactually learn sions even further about anything,” than before.

Schachner said.

“There’s a lot “You just need already offered for to focus on it [so our students after that] you can beschool,” Director come better at it.” of Auxiliary ProThe after-school grams Vincent programs help inSchachner said. volve students in “So we tried to after-school camfind places that pus affairs by inmight be new or stilling proactivity. that are not al“It’s benefitready offered to ing students who our students.” have to be stuck In order to form at school and these programs, sitting in the liteachers were surbrary,” Ashcraft veyed in order to said. “They can be There are many different after-school programs being offered at Trinity Prep this year such as see what programs more productive they would like to Painting, STEM and Beginner First Aid. with their time and teach and run, where actually explore an they chose specific programs based on their had with painting. Based on that, she will start interest and learn some skills.” individual interests. Fine arts teacher Irina up new projects that will build up from the Instead of sitting in the library, waitAshcraft, one of the teachers offering an af- simply to the complex skills of painting. ing to get picked up, a student could be ter-school course, decided to tap into her area “The progress that I want to see is my stu- learning how to rescue someone through of expertise. dents being more comfortable with painting the Beginner First Aid course. Ashcraft “Painting is something that I practice as an techniques,” Ashcraft said. “[I want to] take said she hopes the after-school programs artist myself and enjoy doing the most out of away some of the fears of painting… and spike might go further than just keeping a stuthe art techniques that I know,” fine arts teach- more interest in exploring a technique that dent busy after school. Hopefully it will er Irina Ashcraft said. “I thought that it would they are more excited about and learning more spark a passion. be a good fit [for an after-school program] be- depth in the future.”

“You never know,” Ashcraft said. “They cause it not only builds skills, but it’s also an One of the benefits of these after-school pro- could develop a new passion for painting, activity that’s relaxing for students after a full grams is their small size and the individualized for chess or ceramics, whatever the proday at school.” attention students can get from instructors. gram is and it could change their future.”

November 2O24

News

SPIRITUALITY IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Trinity approaches diversity through a student advisory council Article by Sami Haddadin Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente One only needs to look at the divisiveness in the status quo to find that a misunderstanding of faith plays a central role in some of that divisiveness. With this, there has never been a more prevalent call for a more accepting and diverse environment on a school campus.

Among Trinity’s various organizations, the Diversity of Spirituality, Thought and Perspective Student Advisory Council is its most ambitious project yet. Run by Assistant Head of Upper School Sebastiaan Blickman and Father Russell Wohlever, the cohort aims to recognize faiths year-round and allow students the opportunity to learn from one another, and also to share their identity with the school in a constructive and educational setting.

“It was after Culture Fest last year where it was my first time ever seeing it, and I thought, imagine if we were able to do something similar to this for the various faiths, diversity and spiritualities that exist on campus,” Blickman said.

With roots leading back to Trinity’s very own mission statement, which highlights embracing diversity, the council serves a unique purpose on campus. By sparking dialogue around the misconceptions regarding students’ individual faiths, it also provides opportunities for students to learn about the various faiths celebrated on campus.

“At its heart, it’s to live out the mission, which is to provide leadership opportunities for students to listen to perspectives of others and to show, recognize, celebrate and learn about the diversity of spirituality that exists on our campus and hopefully allow students to grow in that spirituality,” Blickman said.

On Sept. 27, the Interfaith Assembly, comprised of representatives from the Jewish, Hindu, Catholic and Muslim faiths, spoke to Upper School students during middle block. This event was the first of many that will take place

throughout the school year. When focusing on the specific religion, the council plans on inviting religious leaders from the community to come and discuss their faiths. In addition, they plan to engage students by incorporating activities to aid in student understanding of various faiths.

“Trinity is kind of a tight bubble from the outside world, so having this influence and teaching them about

various religions, practices or traditions that people … celebrate is good,” junior and council member Ishan Choksey said.

Future plans for the council include a variety of events taking place in September until April, mainly occurring during middle block.

The council plans to feature a religion represented on campus during a specific month tied to one of its holidays.

“So for [October], it’s the Jewish faith,” Choksey said. “Then the following month it’s the Hindu faith where we are planning to celebrate Diwali.”

Though the details are still a work in progress, the council plans to give a presentation, invite speakers from different backgrounds and include several activities for students to interact with to gain a better understanding of each faith.

“I think that the council will provide a better udnerstanding of actual traditions that certain faiths celebrate, and then that’ll give the minset to students that there’s so much more out there,” Choksey said.

Through the council’s mission, the valuable lessons taught through the exploration of religion will carry with and help students well after high school.

“You take that on with you after you graduate ... college is a place where you meet new people from all over the world,” council member and junior Leticia Feliciano said. “I think that if we teach diversity and how it is important, you become more educated and you’ll be even more prepared to experience that in the real world.”

However, the council has been met with some pushback from students who originally wanted to implement affinity spaces, but it is argued that affinity spaces could do more harm than good.

“Affinity spaces are really difficult to run well and if they are run poorly, they run counter to our mission as a school,” Blickman said. “We recognize the beauty of having affinity spaces, but oftentimes, what those do is close doors more than they open doors for conversation.”

Through overcoming these challenges, the council has high aspirations for the future and will continue to work to achieve the goal of educating and representing the diverse faiths that students at Trinity celebrate.

“My hope is that the campus becomes one where folks are willing to and excited about their own spirituality, love to learn from one another and are curious about other faiths,” Blickman said.

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Opinions

November 2O24

ALL ACTION, NO TALK Trinity’s communication skills need work Trinity’s welcome letter from early August emphasized that “Communication between the advisor(s), teacher(s), and parent(s) is an important ingredient in a good education.”

Notably, one component of the Trinity family received no mention: the ones experiencing said education.

That was not a coincidence. The email included information about class schedules, attendance policies, parking and dress code, among other crucial aspects of student life, yet never made it to students. And it definitely set a precedent.

Students are consistently an afterthought to our school’s communication. Impromptu announcements make this exceedingly evident.

On Sept. 26, the school was forced to hold a virtual day as Hurricane Helene crossed Florida. The decision was made the day prior, and while an alert was promptly sent to parents and faculty, students could only find out secondhand.

Expecting teachers to relay things to their students is not unreasonable. However, relying on individual faculty members to ensure such a significant update reaches every student across 50 different classrooms is bound to create uncertainty that direct, centralized communication would head off.

To the school’s credit, students were included on an email announcing campus closure due to Hurricane Milton two weeks later — but not until a couple of hours after parents had been notified.

This practice of prioritizing parents is not exclusive to unplanned messages. According to Director of Marketing and Communications Kelly Gaines, any communication that involves parental action, such as registration or payment, is sent strictly to parents. Recent examples include the newly added after-school programs and optional uniform shirts. Major policy changes are not immune either, like the new phone policy, announced over the summer in a parent-only email.

Certainly, parents deserve to be aware of opportunities for their children. But they are not the ones turning in their phones every morning. They are not the ones staying after school to play chess. They are not the ones with a dress code to follow. Students are.

“I definitely think as students, we should have the right to know what’s happening,” freshman Henry Greenlee said. “Some parents don’t tell their kids stuff … It’s definitely better if they send emails out to the students as well as the families.”

Leaving students off school communication does not prevent information from reaching them; it just forces that information to travel through the grapevine instead of official channels. And when students’ only outlet for important information is gossip, miscommunications abound.

“When communication goes out to parents, I typically hear 15 different versions of what that communication said from different students coming to ask about rumors that their friend told them,” social science fellow Quinn McKenzie said. “And I think that’s going to happen when communication is not directed to the students … When you give them a crumb, they’re going to turn that crumb into their own imaginary cake.”

As authority figures, faculty should be able to shut down these rumors. But that is only possible if they are informed enough to do so.

In August, the school announced to families that Director of Forensics Benjamin Gaddis would depart Trinity in October. McKenzie, who coaches for the debate team, recalls that he was notified at the same time, but with even less detail. This put him in an uncomfortable position: When students came to him with questions about the program he helps to run, he could offer no reassurance.

That situation is all too common. When students can no longer turn to teachers — the people who are supposed to be guiding them — for answers, the trust between them is lost.

“It’s tough for us to be the responsible adults in the room when we have the same amount of information as the students,” McKenzie said.

“When events or incidents happen, families want answers, and we’re going to be the people they feel comfortable going to.”

Teachers’ lives are needlessly burdened by the lack of clear updates. Frequently, an event like bingo is added to the school calendar but never explicitly mentioned. The calendar is available to all faculty, but when a simple message could eliminate any confusion, there is no reason to play spot-the-new-middleblock-event with those who simply want to give their students a good education — a key part of which, by the school’s own admission, is communication.

Part of the solution is already in motion: keeping faculty updated on what families know. Though still not always the case, Trinity now routinely sends employees a copy of any communication addressed to parents, which is a fantastic step forward.

The next step is extending that courtesy to students. Even when a message contains information a student cannot directly act on, there is no harm in keeping us in the loop.

Weekly assembly is a great outlet, but as a supplement to daily communication, not a replacement for it. Gaines is working hard to make sure no one is forgotten.

“Not everybody uses email,” Gaines said.

“Not all sixth and seventh graders have a phone, so text message won’t work for them.

Not everyone uses social media. So I have to find a delicate blend between all of our distribution channels to make sure that everyone feels like they’re being reached.”

It may be difficult, but we are worth the effort. Kids are part of the family. Let’s treat them like it.

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

COMMENTAAR N Virtual Vindication

Enlightenment philosopher John Locke is known throughout the halls of history classes for his advocacy of inalienable rights — life, liberty and property. For Floridian students, our self-entitled birthright is hurricane days off from school. Similar to the good old 13 colonies starting a revolution in pursuit of their rights, we Trinity students must recognize that our beloved days off have been stolen from us (Dun Dun Duuun!).

If every single school in a 400-mile radius gets the day off during a hurricane, we Trinity students should not be forced to be “fully dressed” and sit in any other position than the classic Zoom technique: lay in bed with the camera off.

But this virtual vindication doesn’t just end with hurricanes. No, No, No. This fairly unan-

COMMENTAARON and Spotlight

imous sentiment is targeted at all virtual days.

If hybrid learning is incorporated into our curriculum for the purpose of being prepared in the event of an unforeseen disaster, it seems pretty redundant to do so when we have already gone virtual for a hurricane. The only thing “hybrid” about it is the combined anger and sadness I feel when the teacher’s screen freezes for the 15th time in the same class.

For those of us out there who don’t have enough friends to do a virtual school hangout at Billy’s house, we have to suffer alone in the boredom that comes with online lectures and teachers struggling to use basic technology.

Unfortunately, even the holy triad of Tetris, Tik Tok and Brawl Stars isn’t enough to make online learning enjoyable.

Virtual days are just as unnecessary as the rainy season walk-of-shame: going from the

end of Holloway, through Stuart, past the auditorium and then to the library because the Trinity lightning gods dictate that a perfectly clear sky equals a tropical storm.

Thus, let me put forth my two cents on the matter. Since having a hurricane cancel school at least once a year is just as much of a given as not having clubs on C-days, let’s just take one for the team and have virtual days during these lovely storms instead of additionally spinning the magical wheel that tells us to go virtual during some random day in October.

This way, we don’t have to worry about suffering more than we already do from godforsaken hybrid learning.

newfound popularity with a scene of him running a bakery shop: At first he is selling baked treats nobody is interested in, and the next moment he is surrounded by people eager to purchase his goods.

All of its humor and action aside, Williams dives into a very emotional time in his life that can bring the audience to tears. After his band, Neptune, splits apart and he begins to die down in fame, Williams then has to grapple with the tragic passing of his grandmother, the sole person who inspired him to pursue music to begin with.

Even if you know nothing about Williams or his career, the entertaining and imaginative animation throughout this movie guarantees an enjoyable 90 minutes.

However, the biopic is not perfect. Midway through, the characters indulge themselves with a tantalizing substance dubbed “PG spray,” a stand-in for marijuana. Overall, the film could use more of that.

The directors took care to censor some aspects for younger audiences but failed to go all the way. Early on, there is a cut before a character says the word “damn,” while a harsher curse word is later left uncensored.

We’re not here to be the language police.

That’s where the Motion Picture Association comes in with its standardized movie rating system. If this film is truly meant for pre-teens,

like a PG rating would indicate, it should be more careful with its vocabulary — or, at the very least, consistent.

The obscenities go beyond the verbal. The directors seem to have thought they could get away with lewd imaging as long as everything was in LEGO form. While a plastic minifigure in a bikini may be less offensive than its live-action counterpart, it still has no place in a movie deemed appropriate for children.

There are also clear references to the Black Lives Matter movement toward the end of the film, which is commendable, but again, the directors simply won’t commit. Such a heavy topic must have enough time to be explored, or it loses its potency. A sign reading “I can’t breathe” means nothing to young viewers in just one frame. Police brutality and racial justice are important themes; unpack them.

Still, “Piece by Piece” is a pleasant, emotional way to spend a weekend afternoon. The premise is fun, if not a bit narcissistic. Williams admits near the climax that “relevance is a drug.” If it is, he’s certainly a user, given that he produced a 90-minute movie about himself in the form of a kids’ toy.

The plot of “Piece by Piece” focuses on Williams’ self-discovery journey. Maybe the film should go on one too.

COMMENTAARON is the revival of Andrew Kwa’s satirical commentary, KWAMMENTARY, which ran from 2017 to 2018.

Article by Jack Aaron and Ashwin Anand Graphic by Jack Aaron In this world, there are two everlasting truths: LEGO and hip hop are both amazing.

Fortunately for avid Death Star constructors and “FE!N” fanatics, they can finally have their (LEGO) cake and eat it too. Pharrell Williams’ biopic “Piece by Piece” tells the renowned musical savant’s story through none other than LEGO. Accompanied by other artists like Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani and even Snoop Dogg, Williams created an unprecedented, unforgettable movie.

Brick by brick, Pharrell Williams ingeniously breaks down his entire life in a way that engages and enthralls any audience member.

Starting off in his hometown of Virginia Beach, Va., Williams portrays his passion for music through incredibly vivid colors and animations. In what he calls “synaesthesia,” Williams’ thoughts and imagination are represented by swirling, bright images that instantly capture your attention.

The entire set of background music played throughout the movie was created by Williams himself — a unique way of telling his story through tunes, instead of words.

One great advantage of conducting this biopic through LEGO bricks instead of the conventional live action is its ability to allow characters and metaphors to come to life. At one point in the movie, Williams portrays his

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Opinions

November 2O24

LANGUAGE OF PRIVILEGE Article by Karl Loiseau Graphic by Maxi DeLaFuente

and document lives. During the Great Migration, AAE flourished as Black Americans “Twin” settled into their communities and individual “Slay” dialects began to form. Phrases like “slay” were “Tweaking” born in LGBTQIA+ Black spaces and used by “Crash Out” members of the community as well as women.

Despite their history and significance to You may have used phrases like these on the Black community, dictionaries continue campus or online, maybe to be funny or to fit to treat AAE as “informal” or “slang.” Merin. However, what many are not aware of is the riam-Webster defines slay as “to be excepimpact such words have. These phrases all have tionally impressive,” which for all intents and roots in African-American English (AAE). purposes is correct. The issue arises when a Usage of AAE becomes an issue once a sim- word that has served as a cultural touchstone ple fact is acknowledged: Black people can’t for decades is reduced to the label “informal.” speak that way without judgment from the Formal instutions contuing to undermine the greater society. signifiance of AAE continues to keep people A 2021 study by Baylor University found unaware of its existence. that 24.9% of the adjectives used to describe Instead, the very existence of AAE individuals who “sounded Black” were associ- should serve as a reminder of the hisated with being “uneducated,” while 19.5% of tory of disenfranchisement within responses included the word “poor” for Black the Black community. Black people people. These statistics show that AAE is ulti- have been excluded by a non-Black mately viewed as uneducated despite the intri- society so much that an entirely new cacies and nuances of the language. language was formed.

“African-American ways of languaging are However, it also serves as a testament to as complex as any other language [and] have Black people’s determination, community unique evolutionary histories which do not and solidarity. differ from those of Korean or French,” Assis“Black language use, and all Afritant Professor of Language Sciences at the can-American languages, are built on resistance to social, “Black language use, and all African-Ameri- and often physical, can languages, are built on resistance to so- domination,” Wright wrote. “Black people cial, and often physical, domination. Black in the Americas have people in the Americas have had no choice had no choice but to and sustain a but to build and sustain a unique culture build unique culture with with … new words, phrases, sounds and … new words, phrases, sounds and signs signs [that] are continuously generated.” [that] are continuously gener- Dr. Kelly Wright, Assistant Professor of the ated.”

University of Wisconsin-Madison As Black voices continue to rise in music and media, exposure to AAE has re-entered the University of Wisconsin-Madison Kelly stage. Voices like Drake, Beyonce and Travis Wright wrote over email.

Scott ring out among a non-Black audience, AAE began as a means to communicate bringing AAE to new ears. with other enslaved persons, preserve legacy However, this is not a first. In the ’90s when “Gang”

artists such as Lauryn Hill, Tupac and Biggie exploded onto the scene, Black culture did too.

“It’s encouraging to see how influential our culture can be, but it can also be upsetting for some people who don’t share hardships of the people that speak [AAE],” sophomore Miles Johnson said.

Today, AAE has also begun to soar on social media, a phenomenon Professor of English and African-American Studies Lauren Jackson at Northwestern University has acknowledged as “digital Blackface.”

November 2O24

Opinions

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Ignorant use of language leads to appropration As songs by Black artists have gone viral, non-Black voices have entered social media mimicking what they just heard in a song.

Given that it no longer comes from a genuine place of appreciation, it becomes appropriation, but that is what sells. “[AAE is] humorous to [non-Black people in] that it’s another form of a white minstrel show,” former ethics teacher and PhD candidate in rhetoric at the University of Texas Austin Benjamin Gaddis said. “Look at us dressing up our voices like someone else’s.”

Minstrel shows were a common form of that language naturally.” entertainment for white people in the early Treating AAE as a fad and neglecting its im19th to the early 20th centuries. They featured portance while continuing to use it for one’s white people painting their faces black and personal gain is cultural appropriation. Underacting out a caricature of Black people. standing where the line is forces one to think Similarly, non-Black users online appropri- about their actions, not just in a vacuum or as ate AAE to express their ideas in a more dra- a “joke,” but from a genuine place of deliberamatized or “comedic” way.

Seeing the response, non- “It’s encouraging to see how influential our Black celebrities continue culture can be, but it can also be upsetting their mockery, reaching a greater audience, and the for some people who don’t share hardships cycle continues. of the people that speak [AAE],” sophomore The reason AAE is seen as humorous stems from Miles Johnson said. our standards. What we use as standard English is ulti- Miles Johnson, Sophomore mately an exclusionary form of language. Enslaved people were never given access to the “proper” education. tion. It is also important to take into considerEhen the standard form of a language is un- ation the culture one comes from. If you grew attainable for an entire group of people, it be- up in an environment where AAE was comcomes a tool of oppression as well. In an effort monplace, then that is just the way in which to avoid such oppression, many Black people you speak. actively turn away from AAE. The appropriation of AAE also serves to di“I would like it if more people knew that minish Black culture. AAE is unique to Black many Black people learn to speak stan- people and their lives. When non-Black peodard English out of fear,” Wright wrote. ple use the same language, it undermines the I was taught to speak standard English reason people speak the language. It allows the because my parents did not want me to speaker to bypass the lived experiences of being be profiled. Seeing the media’s portrayal Black, but reap the benefits of the culture. of AAE made my parents scared of me It would be a disservice to only focus on the speaking the same way. Thoughts of all negative though. There are ways to actively of their sacrifices going to waste because peo- cultivate a community surrounding the apple never gave me a chance, entirely because preciation of different languages and dialects. of how I spoke, prompted them to have me Approaching conversations with the intention conform. However, non-Black people use AAE to learn and grow is the best thing any person without the same societal costs Black people can do. experience.

“Black individuality is a luxury, an heirloom “Appropriation becomes a thing when to be protected and cherished,” Wright said. “I this natural process of contact or bor- would like it if more people knew this when rowing is amplified by our social they chuckle along with their non-Black friends hierarchies,” Wright wrote. “And and colleagues and then in turn look down on we see it when a (typically) white Black people using the same language.” person uses the language of a minoritized group without experiencing the social costs minoritized people experience when producing

Opinions

November 2O24

Article by Jack Aaron Graphics by Jack Aaron On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that it is unconstitutional for schools to separate students by race. Now, 60 years later, has society finally resolved the issue of inequality and all of its variants in the classroom? No. And for teachers — the backbone of the education system itself — this problem has only grown worse.

Teachers are undoubtedly integral to the quality of learning throughout all schools.

Their task: education and inspiration. For students, the latter soars higher than it already is when their teacher matches their own identity.

It is only logical that the diversity of teachers — both in terms of race and gender — should parallel the growing diversity of students.

“Teenagers need role models who look like them, who represent different parts of their identities because that’s how we figure out who we are,” said Dr. Gretchen Brion-Meisels, Harvard’s Graduate School of Education’s Senior Lecturer on Education and expert on Diversity for Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in education.

Racial and Gender Disparity Unfortunately, the majority of schools have been unsuccessful in making any positive changes towards teacher diversity.

According to Education Week’s teacher diversity demographics from November 2023, a mere 35.2% of Florida K-12 public school teachers are persons of color. This statistic is compared to the 63.9% of Floridian students who are also non-white, a major discrepancy of racial diversity on all campuses.

A lack of diversity among teachers is not exclusive to race alone. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, around 77% of all teachers are women, while 23% are men.

Brion-Meisles explains that the cause of this imbalance is the societal expectations of men and the stereotypical archetype of teachers.

“It’s a profession that has been relegated to a female profession … and it’s easier to assume that they’re going to have to take care of people and nurture people,” Brion-Meisels said.

“We’ve made this profession seem feminine, and so it’s less likely for men to go into it.”

tous to people of color is poor experiences as students themselves. It makes sense. If school is a place where a person was bullied, discriminated against or outcast, they will be less inclined to view school positively and want to return as a teacher.

“I would say, on average, probably people who have marginalized identities … are going to have more challenging experiences in schools than people who have all dominant identities,” Brion-Meisels said. “And so I could understand why, for some folks, they might not want to go back to school, because school feels oppressive or restrictive in a way that feels harmful.”

Causes of Inequality

Significance for Students

There is no one all-encompassing reason for the status-quo disparity among teachers, but there are many small factors that multiply into our current crisis. One cause, as Brion-Meisels outlines, is the racism and classism that have afflicted marginalized communities for the past 300 years. Socioeconomic disparities caused by slavery, such as a lack of generational wealth, have trickled down to many Black people in the 21st century. For Americans with fewer fiscal resources than their average white counterparts, it becomes increasingly difficult to even obtain a degree and license in teaching to begin with.

A degree in teaching from the University of Florida’s College of Education currently costs $26,424, which for many, leads to years, if not decades, of student loan debt.

For others, that number is so great they are altogether steered away from the profession.

Dr. Amber Johnson, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff in the DEI at University of California, Berkeley, explains that out of all of the jobs similar to teaching that require degrees and certifications, teachers are some of the lowest paid.

Fiscal challenges may not apply to every person who struggles to become a teacher, but one determinant that is almost ubiqui-

Having more teachers of color benefits every student in the classroom. People of different heritages, upbringings and races can provide unique perspectives to subjects. Being surrounded by people different from us improves the quality of our learning and the caliber of our work.

November 2O24

Opinions

Florida’s lack of teacher diversity is a detriment to students

According to Education Northwest, a non-profit organization for education, research studies show that with diverse teachers, students have improved problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity.

Still, in the cases of many people, diversity is not always essential to an environment conducive to learning. AP World History teacher Isiah Cabal grew up being surrounded by a lack of diversity among teachers, which he said didn’t impact his love of learning.

“For me, a minority, I was just kind of used to having white teachers, so it was never something I thought about [be]cause it was almost a given that was going to be my experience,” Cabal said. “It was just pretty much my experience growing up.”

Solutions across Levels Fortunately, there are solutions to improving teacher diversity in schools. Brion-Meisels explains that similar to K-12, higher education has also faced serious problems with a lack of diversity. Though non-discrimination laws

stop colleges like Harvard from hiring teachers based on qualities such as race alone, there are ways for these colleges to improve diversity.

Specifically, Harvard has a myriad of courses they have installed such as the Disability Rights Laws course. Classes like these not only educate students on diverse and important topics, but they are subjects that tend to attract people of different backgrounds. This method works to draw a diverse set of applicants instead of trying to find a candidate among a pile of resumes.

High schools can follow similar measures to improve their diversification as well. One great example would be AP African American Studies. Instituting new courses like this provides innumerable benefits. While this class was banned by Governor Ron Desantis back in 2023, that ruling only applied to public schools, so private schools are free to offer the course.

This solution isn’t just a pipe dream. According to the Director of Learning and Instruction and Interim Head of Middle School Dr. Stephanie Dryden, there are current discussions of offering additional electives and optional courses following the reduction in their minimum required social sciences credits. While the process of adding a new course can take anywhere from one to two years, there is a possibility that AP African American Studies could set foot on Trinity grounds.

“So there’s some flexibility there as part of [the social science credit] change, we are starting to think about what are some additional social science courses that we might be able to offer,” Dryden said.

“We’re in the process of thinking about what we want to do. There are pros and cons of doing AP anything and we have to think through that.”

Johnson believes that a course offering like this is a strong first step in taking progressive action. But just like any first step, there must be more to come. For any institution looking to improve teacher diversity on campus, Johnson recommends that schools address this issue via a top-down approach, starting at the administrative level.

“I think your board of trustees or your region’s board of directors, your principal, your administrators, they have to be committed,” Johnson said. “They have to show that when you come here, you are going to be valued, respected and listened to, [and] that we’re going to implement your ideas to make this place better … What attracts them is important, and what keeps them there is more important.”

Diversity in the Quad Junior Leticia Feliciano Seda, a Puerto Rican student, finds it important to have teachers who match her own identity. This rang true to her own personal experience when she was a freshman at Lake Nona High School.

“My ninth grade English teacher was Puerto Rican and I remember [that] I never had a Puerto Rican teacher at all [beforehand],” Seda said. “I thought that made me want to learn more about her class and made me more interested in learning. [It] made me have a higher connection with the teacher and with the class.”

Diversity facilitates inclusion. Inclusion ensures justice. But it is painfully clear that our society could do more to create a safe haven for diversity in the classroom.

“If we don’t allow young people to learn about themselves and their own histories, then we are robbing them of understanding their identities,” Brion-Meisels said. “If you don’t know your history, you can’t know yourself.”

November 2O24

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4 YEARS, NEW FEARS Article by Taylor Griffith Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente The high school years at Trinity vary due to different challenges. Each grade level reveals another level of surprises and stresses that are unique to each year.

9th Grade As students entering 9th grade are introduced to the new perspective of high school, many have to adapt to the faster pace.

“The pace of ninth grade coming from middle school is different because of the amount of daily work,” Upper School Academic Support Sarah Hill said.

Along with the workload amount, the standards are also raised for the quality of work.

Students are forced to adjust their habits and ability to manage time such as going to more study periods after school or spending more time studying.

“The biggest change for me from middle to high school is the workload and how strict the teachers are on due dates,” freshman Amanda Sanchez said. “In middle school, it wasn’t so hard to turn in assignments on time and the teachers were flexible, now they aren’t anymore.”

Still, freshmen know that the next few years of high school will likely prove even more challenging.

“Freshman year is more difficult than middle school, but I know that the upcoming years are going to be even more important since my grades will have to go to colleges,” Sanchez said.

Changing from middle to high school can be stressful but many turn to sports as they dedicate more time to their respective junior varsity or varsity sports. While it is an extracurricular, it is also a way of managing stress. According to the Tennesse Chiropractic Association, 68% of teens who exercise or participate in sports say that this technique of relieving stress is extremely effective.

“Sports are a great outlet for anybody because if you are stressed academically, you need an avenue to alleviate all that stress and sometimes the only way to do that is physical fitness,” Hill said.

10th Grade Although 9th grade is a hard transition from middle school, it is still considered, by many students, easier than the rest of high school. sophomore Kristian Baum believes in 10th grade there are higher expectations of various classes.

“The main difference between sophomore and freshman year is that there are a lot more quizzes and tests and the grading system is much harder,” Baum said. “For example, in English, there are a lot more standards when writing an essay than there were during freshman year.”

Although sophomores are under a lot of stress, students now have the freedom to drive.

Because of this privilege, many are able to plan around their busy schedules by alleviating the long waiting times for parents “Driving in your sophomore year is a privilege that brings happiness and is a way of relieving stress,” Hill said.

11th Grade The transition from 10th to 11th is one of the most dramatic changes because the workload and new extracurriculars that are introduced during junior year are said to be significantly harder than that of freshmen and sophomore years.

“The transition from freshman and sophomore year [to junior year] was extreme because all of these new activities were introduced and the impact was extreme,” senior Jacqueline Stenzel said.

As more APs are introduced, the overal stress has progressively increased with each new AP. Students have to manage the college-based course now and then prepare for the class exams as

well as the AP exams. In sophomore year there are about 1-2 APs able to be taken while in junior year students can take 5-6 APs. Not only are APs introduced but in junior year students have to look into taking the SAT and ACT. Students dedicate hours of studying and tutoring sessions to achieve the scores required for college applications.

Maintaining current extracurricular activities as well as finding new opportunities can also take a toll on the already busy juniors.

“Now everyone could drive, people were getting jobs and school work got a lot harder,” Stenzel said.

12th Grade The stereotype of senior year being the easiest due to easier classes and a lessened workload can be proven wrong in different seniors as the workload can maintain a steady pace from junior to senior year.

“This far into my senior year has been the hardest year because I have had as much work as I had during junior year and even more,” Stenzel said. “This can be determined by what classes you take your senior year but this year is causing me just as much stress as last year.”

Seniors also are under the pressure of applying for colleges and listing out their resume, which can be very nerve-racking. According to the website, Spartan Shield, 37% of seniors who are applying for college said that applying was the most stressful task.

“It’s so difficult to try to apply to colleges and focus on school at the same time, it’s overwhelming,” Stenzel said.

Along with school and looking ahead to the future, many have responsibilities outside of school, such as jobs.

“I work at Mathnasium two times a week, where I tutor kids in math, this does add to my stress and workload but when I use my time wisely and manage it, it all allows me to be productive,” Stenzel said.

High school years at Trinity can all be difficult in their ways based on extracurricular activities, applying to colleges and workload; such things are the various stresses of high school students.

Focus

November 2O24

Article by Fay Zhao Graphic by Caden Liu In the midst of high-achieving people all me the whole day,” Wang said. “You fixate on disconnected and empty. gathered at the intensive college prep environ- it for so long, it was there in 6th grade, it won’t “You had your experience with friends. But ment of Trinity Prep, either you are a perfec- leave again. It destroys my confidence. The once you get there, you’re all alone,” Wang tionist or know someone who is. next time I’m going to be triple-checking all said. “It’s like the King of the Hill. You push Although on the outside, perfectionism my answers. I can still function, but it never other people off to get to the top, and once looks like the ideal model for success, under- leaves my mind entirely until I prove myself.” you’re there, what do you have?” neath reveals a system that ensares its victim in Some eventually find that the mentality The relentless pressure to climb higher often a perpetual cycle of “never enough.” that previously allowed them to accomplish all leads to a point where perfectionists stop try“[Perfectionism] is the idea that ‘everything’s these things is becoming parasitic as the stress ing new things. Some might even succumb to going to be perfect or that I have to be per- accumulates in the highly competitive school inaction, paralyzed by their own overwhelmfect,’” therapist Ana Martinez said. “Anything environment. ing standards. less than that is failure and unacceptable. It “As it intensifies it can even prevent you is an all-or-nothing mentality.” from trying things,” Martinez said. “‘Why While society associates perfectionism “[Perfectionism] is like ‘if I don’t have will I try if I know I’m not going to get it? with productiveness, accomplishment and this next perfect step, my whole life is Why would I even do this if I know that success, like any behavior, too much of it person has better qualifications?’ a failure.’ There’s so much pressure on other can have the opposite effect.

Then you are left with ‘I’m not good at “It can be healthy, it can drive you to the that next step that it’s almost like the anything. Why do I even try?’” next step, but there’s a fine line,” Martinez whole world is coming at them at that In trying to excel, they sacrifice various said. “If you notice that ‘I have no time for areas of their life — friends, family and anything else, because I have to get this moment.” their wellbeing — all to satisfy their condone and if I don’t get this done, I’m a - Ana Martinez, Therapist stant perfectionistic needs. failure.’ Then that perfectionism might be “It’s a hamster on the wheel; there’s costing you your own mental health. It’s one “Being a perfectionist, it’s not glamorous at never a break,” therapist Diana Garcia said. of those things that a lot of people don’t pay all,” Wang said. “It is actually staying up late. “Anything to a certain degree you can only do attention to until it’s having an impact.”

There was a time I actually got so stressed that for so long. Your body and mind might evenIt becomes maladaptive (or unhealthy) per- I started breaking out and my hair started fall- tually show signs that you’re drained or overfectionism when goals become too unrealistic, ing out. There are physical ramifications of whelmed. You make decisions fully based on standards too high, and when all that matters being stressed from this environment. It is de- external validation versus truly being driven by is achieving the next step and anything short teriorating your mental and physical health. It your values.” of that becomes a testament to insufficiency. ruins your experiences outside of school, who Especially among students, many put aside “Perfectionists, we always want the best … you are and your ability to have fun.” their wellbeing for academic success, rationalYou’re never going to be satisfied with what Perfectionism consumes the person with a izing that once they move past the goal of colyou have right now,” junior Hannah Wang constant pressure to rise to the top, so far that lege, everything will be okay. So they continue said. “You always want more than what you it becomes an isolating experience where even to let perfectionism drive them, not realizing are giving.” friends become a reminder of competition. that many others have tried and failed.

According to mental health website New“In popular culture, the idea of perfection“With perfectionism, the person likes this port Academy, between 25-30% of teens suffer ism is super high functioning and competent,” part of them,” Co-author of “The Anxious from maladaptive perfectionism. Most develop Co-author of “The Anxious Perfectionist” Cla- Perfectionist” Michael Twohig, Ph.D., said. perfectionistic tendencies in adolescence, often rissa Ong, Ph.D., said. “In reality, there’s this “They usually come in suffering from the conwhen high scores and achievements are prior- sense of loneliness … When you’re always try- sequences of their perfectionism. I have clients itized as the only source of validation a child ing to be better than someone, by definition, who are 16 and 60 telling the same story ... receives at home. The desire for that validation you cannot connect with that person because The truth is whatever you’re getting with this is internalized and fear of failure becomes the you’re always trying to be at a different level.” pattern of behavior is what you’re going to get foundation of perfectionism.

Many perfectionists experience isolation in the future. By finding a healthy way to live “It’s a sickly feeling that just stays with where, even after reaching the top, they feel now, you will enjoy a healthy life later.”

November 2O24

Focus

Students descend into the pitfalls of perfectionism Perfectionism is not inherently bad. Being aware of where the line between healthy and unhealthy is can allow people to understand where their own limits lie and how to maneuver around the traps of perfectionism. Awareness comes through constant reflection of one’s own actions and being open about different strategies of support.

“We are a very individualistic society, a lot of people want to do it on their own,” Martinez said. “I ask them: ‘if you’re succeeding, you’re doing it, but at what cost? How is your mental, physical and emotional health? Is there anything that would make it better and why not use that resource? How much more would you be able to accomplish or how much better would you feel?’”

Defining values can shape the way a person approaches their goal. Values are completely in their control and provide an applicable approach to any situation as they do not revolve specific outcomes rather, a way of doing. Establishing these value-driven goals will prevent people from blindly following a path simply because society labels it as the route for success.

Prioritizing certain tasks can accomplish the very same goals but without the pressures of being perfect in every situation. Establishing self-compassion and empathy leads to a flexible version of perfectionism in a growth mindset where curiosity is the driving force.

“Growth mindset is striving for excellence,” Martinez said. “[There is] this desire to learn, this desire to grow, this motivation to improve. The fear may still be there, but the motivation to grow, to improve is so much bigger.”

Although society generally prizes all forms of perfectionism, schools can

be an external support of healthy perfectionism by becoming more cognizant of the maladaptive side.

“Schools or work benefit from people going above and beyond, that comes back to [perfectionism] being reinforced,” Garcia said. “But this goes back to the role of schools, whether a trusted teacher, mentor or counselor would help students notice when they’re starting to go overboard.”

Twohig was the grad teacher who helped Ong realize the excessive efforts she poured into her studies in psychology. He dared her to give less effort and aim for a B instead of A. Ong discovered that even with significantly less effort, she still received the same high grade as she had previously without the extra hours of work. Twohig’s help in her own perfectionistic tendencies led to their eventual collaboration in writing “The Anxious Perfectionist” — a book for managing perfectionism-driven anxiety.

Despite all the support of teachers, books and friends and family, the ultimate decision to live a healthy, fulfilling life comes from within.

While maladaptive perfectionism may seem like the only option in face of all the obstacles and goals to surmount, one can choose to mold their perfectionism away from a fear of failure into a desire for growth.

“Ultimately taking care of your health is not a chapter of your life, it should be an ongoing thing,” Martinez said. “What better way or what better time to start than when you’re young, so that when you go into whatever you do next, you can bring those right along.”

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Focus

November 2O24

NO STRESS, NO MESS

Different ways students deal with stress in their everyday lives Infographic by Mia Prince Graphic by Caden Liu

November 2O24

Focus

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Lifestyles

November 2O24

5 LESSONS FROM SHOHEI OHTANI Article by Sammy Lou Graphic by Natalie Baron

Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Joe Davis made the electrifying call during MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run: “On a 1-2, Ohtani sends one in the air the other way.

Back it goes … GONE! One of a kind player!

One of a kind season! Shohei Ohtani starts the 50/50 club!”

On Sept. 19, in the Dodgers game against the Marlins, Shohei Ohtani made history by setting a baseball record that no one even thought was possible: hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases in a single season.

Since transferring from Japan to enter the MLB in 2018, Ohtani’s career has been nothing short of dominant. What exactly sets him apart? Here are some key takeaways from his historic season and inspiring career that could benefit anyone on and off the field.

Challenge normal conventions

Many argue that hitting a 100-mph baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. Others argue that it’s just as hard to throw 100-mph pitches. By this logic, it would be impossible to do both. In fact, the last MLB player to both pitch and hit at a high level was the legendary Babe Ruth himself in the 1920s. These days, with the competitiveness of professional baseball, most coaches and players believe in focusing solely on either hitting or pitching.

Nevertheless, at a young age, Ohtani set his mind to doing both.

When he was being scouted after high school, Ohtani said, “There wasn’t anyone [in the MLB] who was looking at me as a pro baseball player who could bat. I didn’t think I’d have the option of doing both.”

At first, MLB teams were not willing to sign Ohtani as both a hitter and a pitcher, so Ohtani decided to stay with a Japanese baseball club to prove himself as a two-way player. As he proved his pitching and

hitting prowess with the club, he soon was offered a chance to be a two-way player in the MLB for the Los Angeles Angels. As a twoway professional player in Japan and the U.S., Ohtani has smashed expectations in both departments and set new standards for the game. In fact, in 2022, the MLB created a new rule nicknamed the “Ohtani Rule,” as he was the impetus for it, which allows a pitcher to remain in the game as a designated hitter after being relieved on the mound. Just because your aspirations don’t yet exist in the “rulebook” doesn’t mean they are not worth pursuing. Maybe you’ll get a new rule named after you, too.

Don’t let doubters get you down

Ohtani’s transition to the MLB was not smooth. He made the move to the MLB

from Japan after seeing a ton of success in the Japanese equivalent of the MLB, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, in his first spring training with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani hit and pitched very poorly, posting career lows in almost every hitting and pitching metric. Several MLB scouts and rival teams, including ones who had tried to sign Ohtani before spring training, commented that Ohtani would never make it at the major league level.

“He’s basically like a high school hitter because he’s never seen a good curveball,” one anonymous scout said.

Ohtani blocked out all of the harsh criticism and stayed calm and resilient. His interpreter relayed Ohtani’s attitude: “It doesn’t bother him,” Ohtani said. “He is going to keep doing the same thing.”

The Angels GM took comfort in Ohtani’s calm confidence, stating: “When your players are calm, you’re calm, too.”

Ultimately, Ohtani proved all of the naysayers wrong by making a huge comeback during the regular season and winning the Rookie of the Year award. He is now a two-time unanimous MVP winner, the only one in MLB history. Those scouts no doubt feel a little sheepish now. Who knows where Ohtani would be if he let them shake his confidence.

Being the best takes more than talent

Designated hitters like Ohtani who have a 6-foot-4, 240-lb frame and are made to crush home runs usually are not the fastest MLB players. While Ohtani ranks in the 70th percentile (172 out of 566) of qualified MLB players in terms of speed, his speed is nowhere near that of top-tier MLB base stealers. Despite this fact, Ohtani still ended up recording 59 stolen

Lifestyles

November 2O24

21

5 life lessons we can learn from an MLB superstar’s historic career

bases this season, the second most in the MLB. Before this year, the most bases he had ever stolen in a single season was 26. According to the Dodgers’ first base coach, what has made the difference is Ohtani’s relentless efforts to

study and look for even the smallest ways to improve his base-stealing skills, such as picking up tells in the opposing pitchers’ movements.

The Dodgers have praised his strong work ethic, posting videos of his meticulous approach to his workouts. A popular anecdote from his time in Japan tells how the Nippon Ham manager received a message early Christmas morning with a video of Ohtani hitting balls at 1 a.m. to practice his mechanics while the rest of

his teammates were out celebrating their Japan Series win. Now that’s effort, and it is what has made him the player he is today.

Don’t let setbacks define your limits

Although Ohtani is the only active MLB player to both pitch and hit, he unfortunately tore the UCL ligament in his elbow for the second time in the 2023 season, an injury that would keep him from pitching in the 2024 season. Instead of getting frustrated or stepping away from baseball, Ohtani decided to focus his efforts on his hitting and went even further by doubling his efforts with base stealing. In this season, despite actively recovering from elbow surgery, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to join the 50 home runs/50 stolen bases club. Ohtani smashed a career high 54 home runs, swiped a career high 59 bases, and racked up another career high 130 runs batted in. Along the way to these records, he overcame other smaller setbacks, including a 30game slide in which his batting average continually decreased and a slump where he struck out in six consecutive at-bats.

He was 1 for 12 in three games before becoming only the third MLB player in history to get a home run, triple, walk, hit-bypitch and stolen base all in one game. Let us also not forget that despite striking out at least 140 times in the last four years of his batting career, he still puts up MVP numbers every year.

Always embrace humility and respect

If you watch Ohtani closely, you will notice that he goes out

of his way to be polite and respectful both on and off the baseball field. Despite being a worldwide phenomenon, Ohtani still keeps a humble attitude, which makes him likable and a fan-favorite across the world. In his early days, his high school baseball coach ingrained a sense of humility in him by assigning him toilet-cleaning duties. That humility is still apparent today. Fans can find a Youtube video with compiled clips of him picking up trash in the dugout and the field. It is a sign of his respect for the field and the game. He has never thrown down his equipment after a walk, is always respectful towards the umpire and always seems to be smiling. He even donated his $150,000 earnings from the 2021 home run derby to the Angels support staff as a thank-

you and did it without any fanfare. It might seem like his first priority is his personal record, but Ohtani puts his team above his individual success.

“Obviously, the closer I get to 50/50, the more I’m contributing to the team win,” Ohtani said. “If that’s how it is, I’m happy for that.”

The Dodgers’ executive vice president Lon Rosen put it succinctly: “He’s got that special quality to be so enormously talented and still everyone feels like, ‘He’s just like me.’”

Lifestyles

November 2O24

MORE DEBRIS, LESS SPACE Millions of space debris particles are emitted annually Article by Aarav Gupta Graphic by Caden Liu It was an ordinary day in Naples, Fla. The sounds of waves hitting against the sandy shore. The smell of salt lingered in the calm air.

Suddenly a loud terrifying sound instilled fear within the community — KABOOM! Florida man Alejandro Otero was traveling overseas when he received a panicked call from his son back home. A mysterious object had torn a colossal sized hole through his roof — that object was none other than a piece of space debris. It was later recognized as a pallet of old batteries that had been expected to re-enter Earth later that day according to the Washington Post.

While this may seem like some sort of rare occurrence, statistics would say otherwise.

Scientific models estimate that space debris is rapidly occurring near our planet. The European Space Agency recorded over 170 million objects larger than 1 mm and 670,000 items larger than 1 cm orbiting our planet currently.

While space debris consists primarily of human waste, it can also include pieces of old spacecraft, specks of paint and explosions of satellites generating enormous amounts of space debris.

These objects move faster than a bullet, posing an incredible risk to space exploration.

Space junk poses a threat to exploring space.

“As the amount of space junk increases, it becomes more dangerous to launch from the Earth,” director of the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education Philip Metzger said. “It becomes harder to avoid running into it. We can’t track all of the space junk since even a little tiny piece like a flake of paint can cause real damage to a space.”

What’s more dangerous is that such “junk” blocks the night sky.

“It obscures the night sky so whenever you’re looking at the stars instead of just looking purely at the stars, you’ve now got all sorts of things in between them and these all reflect the sun,” science teacher Dr. Mortimer said.

Private and government space corporations including NASA and SpaceX have reportedly emitted a great deal of space junk. According to Space.com, “SpaceX’s Starlink satellites now make up 40% of reentering satellite debris.”

Despite imposing regulations onto individual corporations, international space laws have made it challenging for nations to solve the problem. In order to create change, an overarching law that all countries abide by must be followed.

Orbital debris is not currently addressed in any international law.

“The issue that I think is coming in here is that space at the moment is international,” Mortimer said. “I don’t think just making a law in America would help that. I think this would need to be international laws that would be enforced.”

Companies from all over the world have come together during such a crucial time to remove space junk. In fact, at only 18 years old, Trinity alum Amber Yang improved the way space junk is tracked by creating an algorithm that recognizes patterns in how space junk moves and changes orbit.

Furthermore, startups have designed innovative solutions for combatting the junk.

“These bigger pieces of space junk could be deorbited or they could be brought to a higher orbit to get them out of the way,” Metzger said. “You can use lasers to make the space junk dead orbit and burn up in the atmosphere the way you do that is as the space junk is flying along you.”

However, the general public has very limited knowledge of this issue. “[The public] thinks that it’s some abstract thing,” Metzger said. “They don’t realize that space junk destroys satellites and those satellites are important to our everyday lives.”

Limited media coverage has contributed to not effectively addressing this issue.

“We need to start talking about exactly what is going on there,” Mortimer said. “At the moment, the only people that are complaining about it are the amateur astronomers.”

While it may be challenging to create any significant change, individuals can advocate against large space companies worldwide.

With space junk becoming a more pressing issue now than ever, the solutions to help mitigate this issue lies in the hands of the people.

November 2O24

Lifestyles

23

SONNY DAYS AHEAD

How Sonny Angels have taken over the hearts of fans worldwide Article by Lila Choudry Photo by Eden Kiger “He may bring you ‘more’ happiness!!” The 3-inch cherub Sonny Angel’s promise of joy has sparked a global craze. These tiny, collectible figurines, with their signature angel wings and whimsical hats, have captivated collectors worldwide, offering not only happiness but also an avenue of nostalgia, creativity and even a sense of community. The 5-word promise has grown into more than a slogan — it reflects the emotional connection many people feel toward these little angels.

Created in Japan in 2004, Sonny Angels were initially marketed as a collectible toy for children, but their appeal quickly spread across age groups. These dolls, often adorned with hats shaped like animals, vegetables or seasonal themes, have found a special place in the hearts of collectors who value their charm and exclusivity. The uniqueness of each series, coupled with their mystery-box packaging, adds an element of

Sonny Angels have blown up on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Videos of fans unboxing new collections or hunting for rare editions have racked up millions of views. Part of the allure is the tiny, joyful discovery that comes with every new figure.

“When I watch TikToks of people finding their dream Sonny Angels, I feel happy for them; it makes me want to buy

This collecting culture taps into something deeper than the dolls’ physical appearance.

The community celebrates individuality, as each collector can curate a collection that reflects their unique tastes and personality.

“It helps build an aesthetic. You see one of them, and the colors and design help you understand what you like,” Sickler said. “It’s a way to express your individuality through your collection.”

At Trinity, Sonny Angels have made their mark both literally and figuratively.

The little cherubs have found homes on water bottles as stickers, and they often perch on phones or laptops, providing a splash of color and personality. Students keep these figures close, offering moral support and a reminder of comfort amid academic stress.

“You can find Sonny Angels a lot now, with the collabs and hippers [Sonny Angel dolls with adSonny Angels, launched in 2004 in Japan, have gained worldwide popularity with over 10 hesive patches that stick to million figures sold globally. various surfaces] especially,” surprise that more,” freshman and Sonny Angel fan Sam Cruzada said. “It really helps expand their aphas fueled a Sickler said. peal.” robust colThe fandom surrounding Sonny Angels has The Sonny Angel craze at Trinity speaks to a lecting culture. become so widespread that it has its niche con- broader cultural movement where collectibles “I think their tent, from “hunting” for rare dolls to crafting serve as symbols of personal expression. Colappeal comes from personalized displays to creating clothing and lecting Sonny Angels is not about the figures the variety,” senior accessories for each induvidual cherub. The themselves but the community that surrounds and Sonny Angel figures are no longer just collectibles — they them. Beyond being trendy, these tiny cherubs collector Cassidy are cultural icons. offer a sense of connection and creativity. Each Cruzada said.

The “hunt” for rare editions has become Angel tells a unique story, reflecting the indi“There are so almost competitive, and prices for these tiny viduality of the person who owns it. They are many different figurines can soar, with some rare ones selling not just a decoration — they are a fun, whimkinds, like ocean or for over$100. sical way to brighten daily routines and share food-themed; there’s “I’ve seen rare Sonny Angels go for a $100, in a collective hobby that is both nostalgic and something for every- and I’m like, ‘Wow, people are ambitious!’” modern, making these little figures a cherished one.”

Sickler said. “They’re cute, but are they really part of student life.

In recent years, worth that much?”

24

November 2O24

Lifestyles

GAME ON Article by Sarah Currie Graphic by Caden Liu

Before computers, college applications were filled out by hand or typewriter and sent to colleges via fax or snail mail.

Now, the college process is be-

coming more automated than ever. With the advent of the Common Application, Match by Concourse and Scoir, the college process is moving in a more data-driven direction. By adopting a more impersonal approach, these platforms are sending a message to college counselors and students: a student’s GPA and standardized test score is the most important piece of their application. This makes it more likely for a student to gamify the college process and compare themselves to their peers on the grounds of test scores and Grade Point Average (GPA).

The common application, which seniors use to apply to most of their schools, is a single online college application form used by over 900 colleges and universities. Having a universal application to house all of the essays

and information makes the application process more simple for students– but almost too simple.

“Students are applying to way too many schools,” Director of College Counseling Christine Grover said. “It’s too easy to just keep adding schools onto your common application.”

With more and more people applying to college, universities become more selective.

With more applications to read, colleges are

looking to standardized test scores and GPA to get immediate answers about their applicants and often discount essential information.

Another college network software, Scoir, is used by high schools nationwide – including Trinity. Scoir has a new feature that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to predict a student’s likelihood of acceptance. However, Scoir’s predictive chances only take into account standardized test scores and GPA. Reliance on standardized test scores and GPA to determine whether a student gets into a school only feeds into the idea that standardized test scores and GPA are all that a student brings to the table.

“I hate the AI predictive chance,” Grover said. “It doesn’t see the factors we see...The AI predictor was showing that our students had a good chance of getting into Georgia Tech. It did not factor in the fact that we are out of state and they are taking a much smaller portion out of state… I’ve asked Scoir to turn [the AI feature] off because I find their AI to be detrimental to students.”

In addition to the AI predictor, each student has access to a scattergram that shows the standardized test score and grade point average (GPA) of every applicant from their school to every college and the outcome of their application.

The graph can be used by college

November 2O24

Lifestyles

25

Automation is changing the college application process counselors to help a student make two decisions: whether to apply and in the case that they do, whether they should send their scores. Looking at the scattergram and seeing their dot, on the lower end of the graph, can be discouraging for students.

More concerningly, Trinity students have turned Scoir scattergrams into a guessing game, trying to identify the anonymous dot on the graph. Because of this, seniors have become increasingly secretive about their test scores and GPA. “They’ll try to guess who it is on the scattergram or they’ll try to figure out… who they need to beat out,” Associate Director of College Counseling, Maya Lupa said.

The fear of sharing too much or sharing too little is often on the minds of Trinity seniors, and Scoir scattergrams only exacerbate the issue.

“When you’re sharing that type of number, there is such a high level of anxiety around it,” senior Zara Kalmanson said. “It’s almost like your social security number.”

Trinity has adopted another software, Match by Concourse, which is a tool colleges can use to offer an immediate acceptance to their university.

took.”

While it might be nice to have some guaranteed acceptances from any college, there is more to an applicant than their statistics. Extracurricular activities and essays show more of who an applicant is and what they can bring to the university.

“Even my brightest students…have a hard time coming in to talk to me or to move

At the beginning of the year, counselors advised Trinity students to give Match by Concourse simple information about themselves. Weeks later, Trinity seniors were offered acceptance into universities they never applied to based on surface-level information.

“Match by Concourse never sees a student’s name,” Grover said. They’re putting in their test scores… GPA, and the courses they

forward with the application process because they are questioning themselves or the things that they’ve done because of this comparison,” Lupa said.

Data-driven features like these only gen-

erate competition. Trying to control the unpredictability of college applications seems to only fuel students to compete against each other. No one can confidently determine whether they will be accepted or denied from any college, but students and AI can now act like they can.

While these tools can be used to fuel competition, when used appropriately, these systems have the power to benefit the application process.

SCOIR scattergrams, for instance, can be used as a tool to advise their students, without actually showing students their peers’ data. This can easily be achieved by putting the scattergram into perspective and realizing that most colleges take a wider view of the applicant. Students must remind themselves that the college application process is a deeply unreliable system, and students are more than a dot on a graph.

Lifestyles

November 2O24

THE NEED TO READ

Pleasure reading has significantly declined among teens

Article by Nikhil Daniel Graphic by Maxi De La Fuente The smell of fresh parchment fills the air as a student races into the distant lands of Narnia. As their hand flips the pages, eyes racing toward the next word, they gain insight into worlds only available in their imagination.

“Humanities, at large, is understanding where we all come from and sort of answering the eternal why,” English teacher Steven Garnett said. “I think that [reading] should also be pleasurable, and I think that pleasure reading is a gift because it gets the imagination going in ways that looking at something that’s being [taught] cannot.”

While many know its benefit, pleasure reading has plummeted following the pandemic and the technological revolution. On our campus, the number of books that were checked out from the Rich Library decreased by 45% from 2018-2019 to 2023-2024. This issue is staggering and campus-wide, especially in the upper school.

“Honestly, none of my friends read, so it does seem like there’s a huge decline,” sophomore Thomas Hoskins said. “The only time people actually read is when you’re assigned to read. Other than that, there’s just no reading.”

As the demands on kids’ time changes as they get older, there becomes less opportunities to sit and read.

“At a certain point, you have kids in the palm of your hands because there’s nothing else they’re going to do with their day but play,” Garnett said. “At some point, the kids are going to get older and want to socialize, work, be able to take up extracurriculars [and] have a boy or girlfriend that’s more interesting than a Percy Jackson series.”

Outside of a growing social life, the rise of short-form content and constant notifications have amplified distractions that decrease the likelihood of a student picking up a book.

“Social media is another aspect that decreases someone’s want to read,” Hoskins said. “It’s just because people are on it all the time and it’s

a lot more stimulating than reading a book.” some project that has to do with it.”

While many credit the national decline in Starting next quart, De Groft hopes to impleasure reading to a lower attention span plement community-based initiatives such as and technology, Trinity “Meet Me in the Prep’s Director of Li- “Reading to me is understanding Middle,” which brary and Information would bring the the nature of words, how they lower school togethServices Lee De Groft attributes educational work in the world, and how you er to read the same policies like No Child can communicate better.” books during midLeft Behind, as a strucdle block. She wants - Lee De Groft, Director of Library to expand this to tural problem that has compounded the issue. and Information Services the upper school lat“Before, it was deemed imer this year. Another portant for students to read important step, according to De Groft, is whatever they wanted to recognize there is value in reading any for pleasure or class material, no matter the genre.

“I would say embrace every genre read,” De Groft said.

“That quickly went and format of reading that there is,” De Groft said. “It does not have to be out the window a Newbery Award winner. It does not have to be a New York Times bestseller. It could be a graphic novel. It could be a meal prep cookbook. It could be anything driven by your interest.”

While classics like “The Odyssey” and “The Misanthrope” are important to learn in the classroom, De Groft hopes to promote a broader understanding that any reading is good reading. when you “If you’re interested in something and you’d were required like to pursue that during the school day by to instead work on worksheets that guided reading about it then I think that would be a your standardized testing, so I think that is just great thing to support,” De Groft said. as much to blame as social media.”

To be a reader is not defined by glasses and These policies reinforced the idea that read- 900-page books, but rather by the want to gain ing is a means to an end, rather than an en- a deeper understanding of the world, engage joyable activity that can build portable skills. your imagination and get better at communiWhile pleasure reading is declining now, there cating with others. are numerous solutions Trinity can implement “Every time you read, you’re expanding your to buck the trend. vocabulary, you’re finding out new views of the “In some way, [Trinity] would have to in- world, but most importantly you’re building centivize people by making [reading] more your relationship with words,” De Groft said. fun,” Hoskins said. “The school would have “Reading to me is understanding the nature of to maybe make it a group opportunity to talk words, how they work in the world, and how about what you’re reading about and work on you can communicate better.”

November 2O24

Sports

TACKLING FLAG FOOTBALL Article by Emily Lopez Photos by Aksel Williams and Charlotte Davis

The air is packed with anticipation as athletes take the field. The whistle blows and the only sound is the swift, silent snap of a flag being pulled. This is flag football — a fast-paced, no-contact game where agility and strategy outshine brute force, offering players a safer, more inclusive way to experience the thrill of a football game.

Recently, flag football has experienced a rise in popularity, with a 15% increase in youth participation since 2016, according to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). This spike may be correlated to the decline in tackle football, as SFIA has reported a 18% decline in participation for kids age 6 to 12 between 2020 and 2021.

While every sport comes with risks, flag football is a much safer alternative to tackle.

According to a 2021 CDC study published in Sports Health, players in youth flag football leagues sustained 15 times fewer head impacts than tackle football players during a practice or game.

“Flag [football] is a non-collision sport and the refs do a very good job of enforcing that element,” flag football head coach Harry Meyers said. “They do the best they can to ensure the

players’ safety.”

Additionally, flag football leagues are cheaper to fund since the sport only requires a football and flags for each of the players.

The sport is progressing as the American Flag Football League disclosed its plan to launch the first professional men’s and women’s leagues in 2025. In addition to this, the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028 announced the addition of flag football to their program. They When in 7th grade, current seniors Lindsey Yared and Charhave created both men’s lotte Davis played on the flag football team. and women’s teams, which has encouraged many young athletes of both Yared played for Trinity’s middle school flag sexes to participate in the sport. football team along with senior Charlotte Da“The addition of flag football to The Olym- vis in 2020. They were the only girls on the pics is really cool, and it gives female athletes team at the time. more of a chance to shine because they’re “It was a really fun opportunity,” Davis said. overlooked a lot,” senior Lindsey Yared said.

“We were like this dynamic duo.”

Flag football gives female athletes an outlet to participate in a traditionally male-dominated sport. Its usage of minimal equipment, simple set of rules and increased safety make the sport accessible to a wider range of ages and genders. As reported by USA Football, more than 230,000 girls between the ages of 6 and 17 participated in flag football across the U.S. in 2023, a 44% rise since 2014. This growth has a powerful impact in the sports realm and may bring visibility to other gender norms that need to be renovated.

With its growing popularity, flag football is becoming an increasingly attractive option for players of all backgrounds.

“Flag football is a great alternative for people that don’t want to get hurt or can’t afford to play tackle,” sophomore and student coach Britt Voll said. “It gives women an opportunity to play and it is 100% cheaper and safer, which Seventh grader Avi Verma played in a flag football game on Oct. 5 at Windemere Prep. is why I think it’s gotten really popular.”

28

Sports

November 2O24

GUARD THE GAME

Football team tackles player safety head-on

Article by Ben Kleiman Photo by Jackson Napier

Every football fan can relate to the heartbreaking feeling of watching a player endure a season-ending injury. The crack of two helmets hitting each other echoes throughout stadiums around the country. On Sept. 12, star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion of his career. Tagovailoa lay on the field unconscious. Later that week, Tagovailoa considered ending his career because of the amount of head trauma he endured.

Tagovailoa’s reoccurring head injuries could have been prevented injury or had a lesser impact if he was wearing a Guardian Cap, a one-size-fits-all foam helmet cover that weighs only 7 ounces. Guardian Caps are covers designed to reduce the force of head impacts by absorbing shock. According to a study done

by Stanford University, the Guardian Caps reduced in-laboratory impact tests by an average of 25% at a contact/impact speed of 3.5 meters per second.

This is the first year that Trinity has made these shields available for the varsity football players, offering Guardian Caps for up to 15 players. The program will buy more depending on the demand for them from the team. They are not a requirement for players in games or practices this year because they arrived two weeks into the season.

Nurse Kelly White believes Guardian Caps are a valuable addition to safety equip-

ment, highlighting their potential reduction of Trinity tries to keep helmets as new as poshead injuries. sible, as they play an important role in main“I would hope to see the vast majority of taining the safety of our players. While helmets players wearing these to reduce the amount of and Guardian Caps keep players safe, there are concussions,” White said. “They would be a alternatives to promote athletes’ protection. wonderful addition to safety equipment.”

According to Rutgers University, using Despite the NFL’s push to amplify player Guardian Caps, along with safe tackling techsafety, most profesniques producsional football play- “I would hope to see the vast majority es fewer head ers have expressed injuries. As a hesitation in wearing of players wearing these to reduce the result of the Guardian Caps during amount of concussions.” many statistics games this year due to - Kelly White, Nurse supporting new their weight and the safety measures, way they alter balance. This attitude towards Head Football Coach Brian Kells is teaching the helmet padding has been echoed by the players safe tackling techniques along with f o o t b a l l team members where very few teaching the players how to fall safely. players wear the caps during practices and “We teach the most updated tackling techgames. Captain Carson Wicker explains why niques you can teach,” Kells said. “Something players have declined the option to wear them. we worked on this year is teaching the kids “Some players don’t think it protects their how to fall. We try to make it a safe environhead from the bigger hits that are seen in foot- ment for our players.” ball,” Wicker said.

Using the latest statistics from the NFL, colThough the Guardian Caps were originally lege and high school games and practices, Kells made in 2010, the design’s technology is still is preparing a resolution for player safety. He evolving. This year in the NFL, they were plans to mandate Guardian Caps for all players required for offseason training. Although as soon as Trinity receives enough covers for Guardian Caps were allowed by the Nation- the entire team. al Federation of High School Associations to “We will make them mandatory for pracbe employed in high school football programs tice,” Kells said. “I would like [the players] to since 2015, Trinity introduced these caps after wear them during games.” the NFL required them for the first part of off-season training this year.

“The [Guardian] Caps are not widely known about,” White said. “It’s something new.”

Guardian Caps are foam shields strapped on top of a standard helmet that reduces head injuries up to 25%. This year they are offered for the football team in practices and games but not mandatory. Coach Brian Kells will eventually make the shield mandatory for the players to wear.

November 2O24

Sports

VICTORY SNATCHED

Junior Parker Tchekmeian places nationally in weightlifting Article by Thomas Bonos Photo courtesy of Parker Tchekmeian The clank of the plates echo throughout aspects of her game and life in order to achieve good personality for the team, she does a great the gym, a familiar symphony in the world that bigger goal. job of leading by example,” Meyers said. “She of weightlifting. As junior weightlifter Parker “I’ve only been lifting with my club team is constantly learning more and applying that Tchekmeian prepares to go into her next set, for just about a year so [for now] to continue to help teammates in terms of coaching and she feels the cold steel of the bar as you press to grow as a human and an athlete just a little telling them what they need to work on.” it up with immense strength. Beads of sweat bit every day is the biggest and my primary Outside of Trinity, Tchekmeian is a member start to form as Tchekmeian attempts to mus- focus … knowing my time is coming [soon],” of the team at a gym called Orlando Strength, cle the bar up. With one final push, she is able Tchekmeian said. where she competes in USA Weightlifting to finally get the bar up, and has to repeat meets, looking to improve her national this as she moves onto her next lift. This ranking and at some point qualify for the feeling is a daily occurrence for Tchekjunior olympics. meian who sees this consistent struggle to “[At Orlando Strength] we train like a be vital to her success. family almost,” Tchekmeian said. “In our This past summer, Tchekmeian comteam we have some of the best people to peted at the 2024 USA Weightlifting be around and the best athletes in all of National Championships, placing 9th. the nation.”

Only about 5-10% of junior weightliftAlong with the many challenges ers in the country are able to qualify for Tchekmeian will face her junior year, this event. Tchekmeian sees this as a huge she is taking on an even more vigorous accomplishment and something that will weightlifting schedule. Tchekmeian emmotivate her in her next lifts. braces these challenges as necessary to her “[This year] I achieved a main goal of development and is willing to make the mine of competing and placing high in necessary adjustments to her schedule to the 2024 USAW National Championmake these improvements ships,” Tchekmeian said. “In Decem“Eating, drinking whatever I want are ber, I will be competing in Arizona in just simple tasks that people do all the the North American Open Finals. I am time that I can’t do,” Tchekmeian said. “I aiming for top 10 but I realize that I am also have to make sacrifices socially, like still very new to this side of competitive not going to football games or to other weightlifting.” events because I have to go to training Weightlifting coaches Amanda Dean or I’m going to this competition over the and Harry Meyers have worked with week or weekend.”

Tchekmeian for the greater part of two Even through the toughest of challengyears and seen her display great characes, such as bombing a lift or not doing as ter and discipline both in and out of the expected in a meet, Tchekmeian is able weight room. to come out on top because of her dis“She marches to her own drum and cipline, willingness to learn and the supJunior Parker Tchekmeian warms up for her competition doesn’t see a limit in anything she looks port in which she receives from her team at the 2024 USA Weightlifting National Competition to achieve, which is essential in weightor gives to everyone around her. lifting,” Meyers said. “She goes out of her way The coaches of the weightlifting program “Parker’s determination to be better and to be better, putting in long hours and training have seen immense growth from Tchekmeian stronger every time she lifts is one of her at a gym outside of school.” both in her individual weights and statistics. greatest strengths,” Dean said. “[AdditionalTchekmeian knows she has to stay patient She has also stepped into a leadership role in ly] being coachable, being able to control her to achieve the results she wants and knows that the team. Tchekmeian transitioned from being emotions and the fact that Parker is also always she will continue to prevail as a top weightlift- a beginner to weight lifting to now one of the willing to discuss lifting with anyone who will er with time. Her biggest goal is to compete in most impactful people on the team. listen, allows her to be an athlete who is sucthe Olympics but she is focusing on the small “[Tchekmeian] is a very valuable asset and cessful in any aspect.

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Photos

November 2O24

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION Homecoming Week

Jackson Napier On day five of spirit week, 7th grader Catalina Barbarossa and her friends played volleyball during the annual lunch on the lawn. There was a DJ, food, and many more games.

Eden Kiger On the third day of spirit week, the theme was Greek life vs. Greek life. Seniors Charlotte Davis, Nick Saraiva, Anabel Duggan, Jose Quiros and Mason Pengra participated.

You could dress as a frat/sorority member or classic Greek character.

Aksel Williams On Oct. 18, during the pep rally, students participated in basketball musical chairs. Students from each grade dribbled until the music stopped. Once it stopped, they would run to the hoop to shoot it. Sophomore Brodie Wordell (on right, in a gray shirt) won the game.

Julia Hoskins On Oct. 16, the annual Game Day Swap game occured.

Junior Elizabeth Ranson ran by seniors Sivi Ward and Cassidy Cruzada to extend the juniors’ lead in the game. The juniors ended up winning 34-26 against the seniors.