Afterschool activities promote new interests for students. Trinity needs to communicate more with the student body.
Students face challenges in all of high school.
Seniors James Hawley and Jackie Stenzel are voted Homecoming King and Queen.
Automation is gamifying the college application process.
The Guardian Cap can lead to a significant reduction in football injuries.
e Trinity Voice is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.
e Trinity Voice is produced by the newspaper/journalism class at Trinity Preparatory School of Florida. Editorials represent the opinion of e Trinity Voice writer and are not necessarily the views of the administration, faculty, or Board of Trustees of Trinity. e Voice welcomes letters to the editor and freelance articles or photography. All submissions become the property of e Voice. Please send all correspondence to 5700 Trinity Prep Lane, FL 32792. e Voice may also be contacted via phone at 407-671-4140 and via e-mail at voice@trinityprep.org. For information regarding the purchase of advertising within e Voice, contact us by one of the methods mentioned above. The Voice is a monthly publication during the school year (with the exceptions of November and January).
Non-Print Editor-in-Chief: David Steinberg
Editors-in-Chief: Peyton Alch, Carol Marques Managing Editors: David Hull, Zach Kleiman, Amanda Rose DeStefano, Lucy Chong
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 Gri th
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 Gri th, Mia Prince
Business Manager: Jack Aaron Adviser: Erin Miller
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.
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.
Spread by Sofia Haddadin
“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
The amount of money in billions in economic losses from Hurricane Milton. 16O
The amount of money in millions the Smile 2 film made in previews alone. 2.5
The amount of meat in millions of pounds from BrucePac that was recalled for listeria contamination. 1O
Sources: Herald Tribune, Yahoo, CNN
“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 sta and everyone behind the scenes.”
- Alfonso Salvador
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. e classroom is no di erent, 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 “ riving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools.” e plan de nes principles that secondary schools can utilize to create vibrant cultures of inquiry and curiosity, furthering discourse in a divided country.
“ e levels of e ective 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,” Deer eld Academy Head of School and lead author Dr. John Austin said.
e framework is not a uniform approach to solving these issues but a guide for open conversation and institutional re ection. It is structured into three key pillars: a commitment to expressive freedom, a commitment to disciplined nonpartisanship and a commitment to intellectual diversity.
where people feel like they can contribute their own perspectives,” Austin said. “If my voice as a teacher and an authority gure 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 eld in the classroom, which is really challenging if you don’t necessarily agree with the student,”
“ e 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 di erent cultures, rivalries and students. e 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 rst, above their opinions.
“You need to create an atmosphere of trust
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.
“ e 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.”
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, o ering their expertise without imposing personal beliefs and opinions.
“A teacher sharing their opinion does have some authority behind it,” senior Nikolas Polsinelli said. “ ey are an authority gure so there is a little bit of pressure to conform
e ability to facilitate open and respectful discussion among students is a cornerstone of an e ective 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. “ at’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.” e 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.”
Article by Janav Ramprakash
Photos by Aksel Williams and Julia Hoskins
e ancient artistic techniques of Wheel rowing, the lifesaving skills of Beginner First Aid and the cognitive thinking of Chess are just a few of the six new after-school programs that Trinity Prep is o ering this year. ese programs meet once per week until the end of the rst semester, allowing students to discover a variety of new interests and hobbies while also helping them explore their pre-existing passions even further than before.
“ ere’s a lot already o ered for our students after school,” Director of Auxiliary Programs Vincent Schachner said. “So we tried to nd places that might be new or that are not already o ered to our students.”
In order to form these programs, teachers were surveyed in order to see what programs they would like to teach and run, where they chose speci c programs based on their individual interests. Fine arts teacher Irina Ashcraft, one of the teachers o ering an after-school course, decided to tap into her area of expertise.
In this early stage, these programs do not require any previous skill in the topic to participate, so they provide a unique opportunity for any student interested.
“It’s a great chance for experiential education [and] exploration of what’s possible for students to know more about,” Schachner said.
Ashcraft’s plan for her program is to rst assess what previous skills her students may have
“ ere’s much less people [in Painting] with around six students in total, so the teachers can be more individualized to students,” freshman Sidarth Pothuraju said. “ ey pay more attention and [spend] more time, so it feels much more involved.”
Schachner noted that the programs also put a focus on learning for the sake of learning.
“ ese after-school programs promote a growth mindset that you can actually learn about anything,” Schachner said.
ere are many di erent after-school programs being o ered at Trinity Prep this year such as Painting, STEM and Beginner First Aid.
had with painting. Based on that, she will start up new projects that will build up from the simply to the complex skills of painting.
“Painting is something that I practice as an artist myself and enjoy doing the most out of the art techniques that I know,” ne arts teacher Irina Ashcraft said. “I thought that it would be a good t [for an after-school program] because it not only builds skills, but it’s also an activity that’s relaxing for students after a full day at school.”
“ e progress that I want to see is my students being more comfortable with painting techniques,” Ashcraft said. “[I want to] take away some of the fears of painting… and spike more interest in exploring a technique that they are more excited about and learning more depth in the future.”
One of the bene ts of these after-school programs is their small size and the individualized attention students can get from instructors.
“You just need to focus on it [so that] you can become better at it.” e after-school programs help involve students in after-school campus a airs by instilling proactivity.
“It’s bene ting students who have to be stuck at school and sitting in the library,” Ashcraft said. “ ey can be more productive with their time and actually explore an interest and learn some skills.”
Instead of sitting in the library, waiting to get picked up, a student could be learning how to rescue someone through the Beginner First Aid course. Ashcraft said she hopes the after-school programs might go further than just keeping a student busy after school. Hopefully it will spark a passion.
“You never know,” Ashcraft said. “They could develop a new passion for painting, for chess or ceramics, whatever the program is and it could change their future.”
Article by Sami Haddadin
Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente
One only needs to look at the divisiveness in the status quo to nd 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, ought 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 rst 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.
throughout the school year. When focusing on the speci c 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 in uence and teaching them about
ough the details are still a work in progress, the council plans to give a presentation, invite speakers from di erent 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.
“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. is event was the rst of many that will take place
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.
e council plans to feature a religion represented on campus during a speci c month tied to one of its holidays.
“So for [October], it’s the Jewish faith,” Choksey said. “ en the following month it’s the Hindu faith where we are planning to celebrate Diwali.”
rough 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 a nity spaces, but it is argued that a nity spaces could do more harm than good.
nity spaces are really di cult 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 a nity spaces, but oftentimes, what those do is close doors more than they open doors for conversation.”
rough 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.
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.
at was not a coincidence. e 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 de nitely 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. e decision was made the day prior, and while an alert was promptly sent to parents and faculty, students could only nd out secondhand.
Expecting teachers to relay things to their students is not unreasonable. However, relying on individual faculty members to ensure such a signi cant update reaches every student across 50 di erent classrooms is bound to create uncertainty that direct, centralized communication would head o .
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 noti ed.
is 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. ey are not the ones staying after school to play chess. ey are not the ones with a dress code to follow. Students are.
“I de nitely think as students, we should have the right to know what’s happening,” freshman Henry Greenlee said. “Some parents don’t tell their kids stu … It’s de nitely better if they send emails out to the students as well as the families.”
Leaving students o school communication does not prevent information from reaching them; it just forces that information to travel through the grapevine instead of o cial channels. And when students’ only outlet for important information is gossip, miscommunications abound.
“When communication goes out to parents, I typically hear 15 di erent versions of what that communication said from di erent 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 gures, 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 noti ed at the same time, but with even less detail. is put him in an uncomfortable position: When students came to him with questions about the program he helps to run, he could o er no reassurance. at 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. e 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. ough still not always the case, Trinity now routinely sends employees a copy of any communication addressed to parents, which is a fantastic step forward.
e 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 nd a delicate blend between all of our distribution channels to make sure that everyone feels like they’re being reached.”
It may be di cult, but we are worth the e ort. Kids are part of the family. Let’s treat them like it.
e lead editorial expresses the opinion of the Trinity Voice editorial sta . Please send commentstovoice@trinityprep.org.
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. is fairly unan-
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. e 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
Article by Jack Aaron and Ashwin Anand
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.
e 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
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. us, 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. is way, we don’t have to worry about suffering more than we already do from godforsaken hybrid learning.
COMMENTAARON is the revival of Andrew Kwa’s satirical commentary, KWAMMENTARY, which ran from 2017 to 2018.
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.
e 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. at’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.
e obscenities go beyond the verbal. e 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.
ere 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. e 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.
e plot of “Piece by Piece” focuses on Williams’ self-discovery journey. Maybe the film should go on one too.
Article by Karl Loiseau
Graphic by Maxi DeLaFuente
“Gang” “Twin” “Slay” “Tweaking” “Crash Out”
You may have used phrases like these on campus or online, maybe to be funny or to t in. However, what many are not aware of is the impact such words have. ese phrases all have roots in African-American English (AAE).
Usage of AAE becomes an issue once a simple fact is acknowledged: Black people can’t speak that way without judgment from the greater society.
A 2021 study by Baylor University found that 24.9% of the adjectives used to describe individuals who “sounded Black” were associated with being “uneducated,” while 19.5% of responses included the word “poor” for Black people. ese statistics show that AAE is ultimately viewed as uneducated despite the intricacies and nuances of the language.
“African-American ways of languaging are as complex as any other language [and] have unique evolutionary histories which do not di er from those of Korean or French,” Assistant Professor of Language Sciences at the
and document lives. During the Great Migration, AAE ourished as Black Americans settled into their communities and individual dialects began to form. Phrases like “slay” were born in LGBTQIA+ Black spaces and used by members of the community as well as women.
Despite their history and signi cance to the Black community, dictionaries continue to treat AAE as “informal” or “slang.” Merriam-Webster de nes slay as “to be exceptionally impressive,” which for all intents and purposes is correct. e issue arises when a word that has served as a cultural touchstone for decades is reduced to the label “informal.” Formal instutions contuing to undermine the signi ance of AAE continues to keep people unaware of its existence.
Instead, the very existence of AAE should serve as a reminder of the history of disenfranchisement within the Black community. Black people have been excluded by a non-Black society so much that an entirely new language was formed.
However, it also serves as a testament to Black people’s determination, community and solidarity.
“Black language use, and all African-American languages, are built on resistance to social, and often physical, domination. Black people in the Americas have had
no choice but to build and sustain a unique culture with … new words, phrases, sounds and signs [that] are continuously generated.”
- Dr. Kelly Wright, Assistant Professor
of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison Kelly Wright wrote over email.
AAE began as a means to communicate with other enslaved persons, preserve legacy
artists such as Lauryn Hill, Tupac and Biggie exploded onto the scene, Black culture did too.
“It’s encouraging to see how in uential 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.”
“Black language use, and all African-American languages, are built on resistance to social, and often physical, domination,” Wright wrote. “Black people in the Americas have had no choice but to build and sustain a unique culture with … new words, phrases, sounds and signs [that] are continuously generated.”
As Black voices continue to rise in music and media, exposure to AAE has re-entered the stage. Voices like Drake, Beyonce and Travis Scott ring out among a non-Black audience, bringing AAE to new ears.
However, this is not a rst. In the ’90s when
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 Aus-
tin Benjamin Gaddis said. “Look at us dressing up our voices like someone else’s.”
Minstrel shows were a common form of entertainment for white people in the early 19th to the early 20th centuries. ey featured white people painting their faces black and acting out a caricature of Black people.
Similarly, non-Black users online appropriate AAE to express their ideas in a more dramatized or “comedic” way.
that language naturally.”
Treating AAE as a fad and neglecting its importance while continuing to use it for one’s personal gain is cultural appropriation. Understanding where the line is forces one to think about their actions, not just in a vacuum or as a “joke,” but from a genuine place of delibera-
Seeing the response, nonBlack celebrities continue their mockery, reaching a greater audience, and the cycle continues.
e reason AAE is seen as humorous stems from our standards. What we use as standard English is ultimately an exclusionary form of language. Enslaved people were never given access to the “proper” education. Ehen the standard form of a language is unattainable for an entire group of people, it becomes a tool of oppression as well. In an e ort to avoid such oppression, many Black people actively turn away from AAE.
“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.
-
tion. It is also important to take into consideration the culture one comes from. If you grew up in an environment where AAE was commonplace, then that is just the way in which you speak.
“I would like it if more people knew that many Black people learn to speak standard English out of fear,” Wright wrote. I was taught to speak standard English because my parents did not want me to be pro led. Seeing the media’s portrayal of AAE made my parents scared of me speaking the same way. oughts of all of their sacri ces going to waste because people never gave me a chance, entirely because of how I spoke, prompted them to have me conform. However, non-Black people use AAE without the same societal costs Black people experience.
Black becomes when
“Appropriation becomes a thing when this natural process of contact or borrowing is ampli ed by our social hierarchies,” Wright wrote. “And we see it when a (typically) white person uses the language of a minoritized group without experiencing the social costs minoritized people experience when producing
e appropriation of AAE also serves to diminish Black culture. AAE is unique to Black people and their lives. When non-Black people use the same language, it undermines the reason people speak the language. It allows the speaker to bypass the lived experiences of being Black, but reap the bene ts of the culture.
It would be a disservice to only focus on the negative though. ere are ways to actively cultivate a community surrounding the appreciation of di erent languages and dialects. Approaching conversations with the intention to learn and grow is the best thing any person can do.
“Black individuality is a luxury, an heirloom to be protected and cherished,” Wright said. “I would like it if more people knew this when they chuckle along with their non-Black friends and colleagues and then in turn look down on Black people using the same language.”
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. eir 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.
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. is 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.”
ere 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-
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.”
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.
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.”
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. ough 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. is 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.
is 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. ere 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. “ ey 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.”
Junior Leticia Feliciano Seda, a Puerto Rican student, finds it important to have teachers who match her own identity. is 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.”
Article by Taylor Gri th
Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente
e high school years at Trinity vary due to di erent challenges. Each grade level reveals another level of surprises and stresses that are unique to each year.
As students entering 9th grade are introduced to the new perspective of high school, many have to adapt to the faster pace.
“ e pace of ninth grade coming from middle school is di erent 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.
“ e 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 exible, 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 di cult 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.
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.
“ e main di erence 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.
e 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 signi cantly harder than that of freshmen and sophomore years.
“ e 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.
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 nding 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.
e stereotype of senior year being the easiest due to easier classes and a lessened workload can be proven wrong in di erent seniors as the workload can maintain a steady pace from junior to senior year.
“ is 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. “ is 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 di cult to try to apply to colleges and focus on school at the same time, it’s overwhelming,” Stenzel 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 e ective.
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
“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 tness,” Hill said.
Along with school and looking ahead to the future, many have responsibilities outside of school, such as jobs.
exams jobs. allows in ways
“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 di cult in their ways based on extracurricular activities, applying to colleges and workload; such things are the various stresses of high school students.
Article by Fay Zhao
Graphic by Caden Liu
In the midst of high-achieving people all gathered at the intensive college prep environment of Trinity Prep, either you are a perfectionist or know someone who is.
Although on the outside, perfectionism looks like the ideal model for success, underneath reveals a system that ensares its victim in a perpetual cycle of “never enough.”
“[Perfectionism] is the idea that ‘everything’s going to be perfect or that I have to be perfect,’” therapist Ana Martinez said. “Anything less than that is failure and unacceptable. It is an all-or-nothing mentality.”
While society associates perfectionism with productiveness, accomplishment and success, like any behavior, too much of it can have the opposite e ect.
“It can be healthy, it can drive you to the next step, but there’s a ne line,” Martinez said. “If you notice that ‘I have no time for anything else, because I have to get this done and if I don’t get this done, I’m a failure.’ en that perfectionism might be costing you your own mental health. It’s one of those things that a lot of people don’t pay attention to until it’s having an impact.”
It becomes maladaptive (or unhealthy) perfectionism when goals become too unrealistic, standards too high, and when all that matters is achieving the next step and anything short of that becomes a testament to insu ciency.
“Perfectionists, we always want the best … You’re never going to be satis ed with what you have right now,” junior Hannah Wang said. “You always want more than what you are giving.”
According to mental health website Newport Academy, between 25-30% of teens su er from maladaptive perfectionism. Most develop perfectionistic tendencies in adolescence, often when high scores and achievements are prioritized as the only source of validation a child receives at home. e desire for that validation is internalized and fear of failure becomes the foundation of perfectionism.
“It’s a sickly feeling that just stays with
me the whole day,” Wang said. “You xate on it for so long, it was there in 6th grade, it won’t leave again. It destroys my con dence. e next time I’m going to be triple-checking all my answers. I can still function, but it never leaves my mind entirely until I prove myself.”
Some eventually nd that the mentality that previously allowed them to accomplish all these things is becoming parasitic as the stress accumulates in the highly competitive school environment.
“[Perfectionism] is like ‘if I don’t have this next perfect step, my whole life is a failure.’ There’s so much pressure on that next step that it’s almost like the whole world is coming at them at that moment.”
- Ana Martinez, Therapist
“Being a perfectionist, it’s not glamorous at all,” Wang said. “It is actually staying up late. ere was a time I actually got so stressed that I started breaking out and my hair started falling out. ere are physical rami cations of being stressed from this environment. It is deteriorating your mental and physical health. It ruins your experiences outside of school, who you are and your ability to have fun.”
Perfectionism consumes the person with a constant pressure to rise to the top, so far that it becomes an isolating experience where even friends become a reminder of competition.
“In popular culture, the idea of perfectionism is super high functioning and competent,” Co-author of “ e Anxious Perfectionist” Clarissa Ong, Ph.D., said. “In reality, there’s this sense of loneliness … When you’re always trying to be better than someone, by de nition, you cannot connect with that person because you’re always trying to be at a di erent level.”
Many perfectionists experience isolation where, even after reaching the top, they feel
disconnected and empty.
“You had your experience with friends. But once you get there, you’re all alone,” Wang said. “It’s like the King of the Hill. You push other people o to get to the top, and once you’re there, what do you have?”
e relentless pressure to climb higher often leads to a point where perfectionists stop trying new things. Some might even succumb to inaction, paralyzed by their own overwhelming standards.
“As it intensi es it can even prevent you from trying things,” Martinez said. “‘Why will I try if I know I’m not going to get it? Why would I even do this if I know that other person has better quali cations?’ en you are left with ‘I’m not good at anything. Why do I even try?’”
In trying to excel, they sacri ce various areas of their life — friends, family and their wellbeing — all to satisfy their constant perfectionistic needs.
“It’s a hamster on the wheel; there’s never a break,” therapist Diana Garcia said. “Anything to a certain degree you can only do for so long. Your body and mind might eventually show signs that you’re drained or overwhelmed. You make decisions fully based on external validation versus truly being driven by your values.”
Especially among students, many put aside their wellbeing for academic success, rationalizing that once they move past the goal of college, everything will be okay. So they continue to let perfectionism drive them, not realizing that many others have tried and failed.
“With perfectionism, the person likes this part of them,” Co-author of “ e Anxious Perfectionist” Michael Twohig, Ph.D., said. “ ey usually come in su ering from the consequences of their perfectionism. I have clients who are 16 and 60 telling the same story ... e truth is whatever you’re getting with this pattern of behavior is what you’re going to get in the future. By nding a healthy way to live now, you will enjoy a healthy life later.”
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 re ection of one’s own actions and being open about di erent 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?’”
be an external support of healthy perfectionism by becoming more cognizant of the maladaptive side.
“Schools or work bene t 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.”
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.
De ning 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 speci c 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 exible version of perfectionism in a growth mindset where curiosity is the driving force.
“Growth mindset is striving for excellence,” Martinez said. “[ ere is] this desire to learn, this desire to grow, this motivation to improve. e 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
Twohig was the grad teacher who helped Ong realize the excessive e orts she poured into her studies in psychology. He dared her to give less e ort and aim for a B instead of A. Ong discovered that even with signi cantly less e ort, 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 “ e Anxious Perfectionist” — a book for managing perfectionism-driven anxiety.
“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.”
Despite all the support of teachers, books and friends and family, the ultimate decision to live a healthy, ful lling life comes from within.
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 bene t anyone on and o the eld.
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. ese 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, “ ere 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 rst, 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.
from Japan after seeing a ton of success in the Japanese equivalent of the MLB, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, in his rst 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.”
Don’t let doubters get you down Ohtani’s transition to the MLB was not smooth. He made the move to the MLB
e Angels GM took comfort in Ohtani’s calm con dence, 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. ose scouts no doubt feel a little sheepish now. Who knows where Ohtani would be if he let them shake his con dence.
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 quali ed 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
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’ rst base coach, what has made the di erence is Ohtani’s relentless e orts to
his teammates were out celebrating their Japan Series win. Now that’s e ort, and it is what has made him the player he is today.
Don’t let setbacks de ne your limits
study and look for even the smallest ways to improve his base-stealing skills, such as picking up tells in the opposing pitchers’ movements. e 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
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 e orts on his hitting and went even further by doubling his e orts with base stealing. In this season, despite actively recovering from elbow surgery, Ohtani became the rst 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 o the baseball eld. 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. at humility is still apparent today. Fans can nd a Youtube video with compiled clips of him picking up trash in the dugout and the eld. It is a sign of his respect for the eld 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 sta as a thank-
you and did it without any fanfare. It might seem like his rst 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.”
e 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.’”
Article by Aarav Gupta
Graphic by Caden Liu
It was an ordinary day in Naples, Fla. e sounds of waves hitting against the sandy shore. e 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. Scienti c models estimate that space debris is rapidly occurring near our planet. e 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.
ese 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 ake 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 re ect 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
Orbital debris is not currently addressed in any international law.
“ e 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.
“ ese 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 ying along you.”
However, the general public has very limited knowledge of this issue.
“[ e public] thinks that it’s some abstract thing,” Metzger said. “ ey don’t realize that space junk destroys satellites and those satellites are important to our everyday lives.”
Limited media coverage has contributed to ectively addressing this issue.
With space junk becoming a more pressing issue now than ever, the solutions to help mitigate this issue lies in the hands of the by must be followed.
“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 cant change, individuals can advocate against large space companies worldwide.
not e need can people.
Article by Lila Choudry
Photo by Eden Kiger
“He may bring you ‘more’ happiness!!” e 3-inch cherub Sonny Angel’s promise of joy has sparked a global craze. ese tiny, collectible gurines, with their signature angel wings and whimsical hats, have captivated collectors worldwide, o ering not only happiness but also an avenue of nostalgia, creativity and even a sense of community. e 5-word promise has grown into more than a slogan — it re ects 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. ese 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. e uniqueness of each series, coupled with their mystery-box packaging, adds an element of surprise that has fueled a robust collecting culture.
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 gure.
“When I watch TikToks of people nding their dream Son- ny Angels, I feel happy for them;
is collecting culture taps into something deeper than the dolls’ physical appearance. e community celebrates individuality, as each collector can curate a collection that reects 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
“I think their appeal comes from the variety,” senior and Sonny Angel collector Cassidy Cruzada said.
“ ere are so many di erent kinds, like ocean or food-themed; there’s something for everyone.”
In recent years,
it makes me want to buy
collection.”
more,” freshman and Sonny Angel fan Sam Sickler said.
e fandom surrounding Sonny Angels has become so widespread that it has its niche content, from “hunting” for rare dolls to crafting personalized displays to creating clothing and accessories for each induvidual cherub. e gures are no longer just collectibles — they are cultural icons.
e “hunt” for rare editions has become almost competitive, and prices for these tiny gurines can soar, with some rare ones selling for over$100.
“I’ve seen rare Sonny Angels go for a $100, and I’m like, ‘Wow, people are ambitious!’” Sickler said. “ ey’re cute, but are they really worth that much?”
At Trin-
ity, Sonny Angels have made their mark both literally and guratively. e 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 gures close, offering moral support and a reminder of comfort amid academic stress.
“You can nd Sonny Angels a lot now, with the collabs and hippers [Sonny Angel dolls with adhesive patches that stick to various surfaces] especially,” Cruzada said. “It really helps expand their appeal.”
e Sonny Angel craze at Trinity speaks to a broader cultural movement where collectibles serve as symbols of personal expression. Collecting Sonny Angels is not about the gures themselves but the community that surrounds them. Beyond being trendy, these tiny cherubs o er a sense of connection and creativity. Each Angel tells a unique story, re ecting the individuality of the person who owns it. ey are not just a decoration — they are a fun, whimsical way to brighten daily routines and share in a collective hobby that is both nostalgic and modern, making these little gures a cherished part of student life.
Article by Sarah Currie
Graphic by Caden Liu
and information makes the application process more simple for students– but almost too simple.
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
“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
Another college network software, Scoir, is used by high schools nationwide – including Trinity. Scoir has a new feature that uses Arti cial 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.
looking to standardized test scores
and GPA to get immediate answers about their applicants and often discount essential information.
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. e graph can be used by college
“I hate the AI predictive chance,” Grover said. “It doesn’t see the factors we see... e 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] o because I nd their AI to be detrimental 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. is 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).
e 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
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.
“ ey’ll try to guess who it is on the scattergram or they’ll try to gure out… who they need to beat out,” Associate Director of College Counseling, Maya Lupa said.
e 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.”
took.”
While it might be nice to have some guar-
anteed acceptances from any college, there is
Trinity has adopted another software, Match by Concourse, which is a tool colleges can use to o er an immediate acceptance to their university. ginning of the year, counselors advised Trinity students to give
course simple information about themselves. Weeks
later, Trinity seniors were o ered acceptance into universities they never applied to based on surface-level information.
“Match by Concourse never sees a student’s name,” Grover said. ey’re putting in their test scores… GPA, and the courses they
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
erate competition. Trying to control the unpredictability of college applications seems to only fuel students to compete against each other. No one can con dently determine whether they will be accepted or denied from any college, but students and AI can now act
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-
like they can.
While these tools can be used to fuel competition, when used appropriately, these systems have the power to bene t the application process.
SCOIR scattergrams, for instance, can be used as a tool to advise their students, without actually showing students their peers’ data. is 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.
Pleasure reading has significantly declined among teens
Article by Nikhil Daniel
Graphic by Maxi De La Fuente
e smell of fresh parchment lls the air as a student races into the distant lands of Narnia. As their hand ips 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.”
a lot more stimulating than reading a book.”
While many credit the national decline in pleasure reading to a lower attention span and technology, Trinity Prep’s Director of Library and Information Services Lee De Groft attributes educational policies like No Child Left Behind, as a structural problem that has compounded the issue.
some project that has to do with it.”
“Reading to me is understanding the nature of words, how they work in the world, and how you can communicate better.”
- Lee De Groft, Director of Library and Information Services
While many know its bene t, 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. is issue is staggering and campus-wide, especially in the upper school.
“Before, it was deemed important for students to read
whatever they wanted for pleasure or class read,” De Groft said. “ at quickly went out the window
Starting next quart, De Groft hopes to implement community-based initiatives such as “Meet Me in the Middle,” which would bring the lower school together to read the same books during middle block. She wants to expand this to the upper school later this year. Another important step, according to De Groft, is to recognize there is value in reading any material, no matter the genre.
“Honestly, none of my friends read, so it does seem like there’s a huge decline,” sophomore omas Hoskins said. “ e 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 noti cations have ampli ed 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
when you
were required to instead work on worksheets that guided your standardized testing, so I think that is just as much to blame as social media.”
ese policies reinforced the idea that reading is a means to an end, rather than an enjoyable activity that can build portable skills. While pleasure reading is declining now, there are numerous solutions Trinity can implement to buck the trend.
“In some way, [Trinity] would have to incentivize people by making [reading] more fun,” Hoskins said. “ e school would have to maybe make it a group opportunity to talk about what you’re reading about and work on
“I would say embrace every genre and format of reading that there is,” De Groft said. “It does not have to be 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 “ e Odyssey” and e Misanthrope” are important to learn in the classroom, De Groft hopes to promote a broader understanding that any reading is good reading.
“If you’re interested in something and you’d like to pursue that during the school day by reading about it then I think that would be a great thing to support,” De Groft said.
To be a reader is not de ned by glasses and 900-page books, but rather by the want to gain a deeper understanding of the world, engage your imagination and get better at communicating with others.
“Every time you read, you’re expanding your vocabulary, you’re nding out new views of the world, but most importantly you’re building your relationship with words,” De Groft said. “Reading to me is understanding the nature of words, how they work in the world, and how you can communicate better.”
Article by Emily Lopez
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 have created both men’s and women’s teams, which has encouraged many young athletes of both sexes to participate in the sport.
When in 7th grade, current seniors Lindsey Yared and Charlotte Davis played on the flag football team.
“The addition of flag football to The Olympics is really cool, and it gives female athletes more of a chance to shine because they’re overlooked a lot,” senior Lindsey Yared said.
Yared played for Trinity’s middle school flag football team along with senior Charlotte Davis in 2020. They were the only girls on the team at the time.
“It was a really fun opportunity,” Davis 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 is why I think it’s gotten really popular.”
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. e crack of two helmets hitting each other echoes throughout stadiums around the country. On Sept. 12, star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa su ered his third concussion of his career. Tagovailoa lay on the eld 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- ts-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.
is is the rst year that Trinity has made these shields available for the varsity football players, o ering Guardian Caps for up to 15 players. e program will buy more depending on the demand for them from the team. ey are not a requirement for players in games or practices this year because they arrived two weeks into the season.
ment, highlighting their potential reduction of head injuries.
“I would hope to see the vast majority of players wearing these to reduce the amount of concussions,” White said. “ ey would be a wonderful addition to safety equipment.”
Despite the NFL’s push to amplify player safety, most professional football players have expressed hesitation in wearing Guardian Caps during games this year due to their weight and the way they alter balance. is attitude towards the helmet padding has been echoed by football team members where very few players wear the caps during practices and games. Captain Carson Wicker explains why players have declined the option to wear them.
Trinity tries to keep helmets as new as possible, as they play an important role in maintaining the safety of our players. While helmets and Guardian Caps keep players safe, there are alternatives to promote athletes’ protection.
“I would hope to see the vast majority of players wearing these to reduce the amount of concussions.”
- Kelly White, Nurse
According to Rutgers University, using Guardian Caps, along with safe tackling techniques produces fewer head injuries. As a result of the many statistics supporting new safety measures,
Brian Kells is teaching the players safe tackling techniques along with teaching the players how to fall safely.
“Some players don’t think it protects their head from the bigger hits that are seen in football,” Wicker said.
“We teach the most updated tackling techniques you can teach,” Kells said. “Something we worked on this year is teaching the kids how to fall. We try to make it a safe environment for our players.”
Using the latest statistics from the NFL, college and high school games and practices, Kells is preparing a resolution for player safety. He plans to mandate Guardian Caps for all players as soon as Trinity receives enough covers for the entire team.
“We will make them mandatory for practice,” Kells said. “I would like [the players] to wear them during games.”
ough the Guardian Caps were originally made in 2010, the design’s technology is still evolving. is year in the NFL, they were required for o season training. Although Guardian Caps were allowed by the National Federation of High School Associations to be employed in high school football programs since 2015, Trinity introduced these caps after the NFL required them for the rst part of -season training this year.
Nurse Kelly White believes Guardian Caps are a valuable addition to safety equip-
e [Guardian] Caps are not widely known about,” White said. “It’s something new.”
Article by Thomas Bonos
Photo courtesy of Parker Tchekmeian
e clank of the plates echo throughout the gym, a familiar symphony in the world of weightlifting. As junior weightlifter Parker Tchekmeian prepares to go into her next set, she feels the cold steel of the bar as you press it up with immense strength. Beads of sweat start to form as Tchekmeian attempts to muscle the bar up. With one nal push, she is able to nally get the bar up, and has to repeat this as she moves onto her next lift. is feeling is a daily occurrence for Tchekmeian who sees this consistent struggle to be vital to her success.
is past summer, Tchekmeian competed at the 2024 USA Weightlifting National Championships, placing 9th. Only about 5-10% of junior weightlifters in the country are able to qualify for this event. Tchekmeian sees this as a huge accomplishment and something that will motivate her in her next lifts.
“[ is year] I achieved a main goal of mine of competing and placing high in the 2024 USAW National Championships,” Tchekmeian said. “In December, I will be competing in Arizona in the North American Open Finals. I am aiming for top 10 but I realize that I am still very new to this side of competitive weightlifting.”
Weightlifting coaches Amanda Dean and Harry Meyers have worked with Tchekmeian for the greater part of two years and seen her display great character and discipline both in and out of the weight room.
aspects of her game and life in order to achieve that bigger goal.
“I’ve only been lifting with my club team for just about a year so [for now] to continue to grow as a human and an athlete just a little bit every day is the biggest and my primary focus … knowing my time is coming [soon],” Tchekmeian said.
good personality for the team, she does a great job of leading by example,” Meyers said. “She is constantly learning more and applying that to help teammates in terms of coaching and telling them what they need to work on.”
Outside of Trinity, Tchekmeian is a member of the team at a gym called Orlando Strength, where she competes in USA Weightlifting meets, looking to improve her national ranking and at some point qualify for the junior olympics.
“She marches to her own drum and doesn’t see a limit in anything she looks to achieve, which is essential in weightlifting,” Meyers said. “She goes out of her way to be better, putting in long hours and training at a gym outside of school.”
Tchekmeian knows she has to stay patient to achieve the results she wants and knows that she will continue to prevail as a top weightlifter with time. Her biggest goal is to compete in the Olympics but she is focusing on the small
e coaches of the weightlifting program have seen immense growth from Tchekmeian both in her individual weights and statistics. She has also stepped into a leadership role in the team. Tchekmeian transitioned from being a beginner to weight lifting to now one of the most impactful people on the team.
“[Tchekmeian] is a very valuable asset and
“[At Orlando Strength] we train like a family almost,” Tchekmeian said. “In our team we have some of the best people to be around and the best athletes in all of the nation.”
Along with the many challenges Tchekmeian will face her junior year, she is taking on an even more vigorous weightlifting schedule. Tchekmeian embraces these challenges as necessary to her development and is willing to make the necessary adjustments to her schedule to make these improvements
“Eating, drinking whatever I want are just simple tasks that people do all the time that I can’t do,” Tchekmeian said. “I also have to make sacri ces socially, like not going to football games or to other events because I have to go to training or I’m going to this competition over the week or weekend.”
Even through the toughest of challenges, such as bombing a lift or not doing as expected in a meet, Tchekmeian is able to come out on top because of her discipline, willingness to learn and the support in which she receives from her team or gives to everyone around her.
“Parker’s determination to be better and stronger every time she lifts is one of her greatest strengths,” Dean said. “[Additionally] being coachable, being able to control her emotions and the fact that Parker is also always willing to discuss lifting with anyone who will listen, allows her to be an athlete who is successful in any aspect.
Puzzles by Mila Taylor
2. the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet
3. November 5th 2024
5. Thanksgiving day parade
8. transmit (a program or some information) by radio or television
9. Releasing on Nov. 22, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
1. collection of Christmas movies with similar plot lines
peanuts beagle
oldest university in the US
Starbucks 16 fl. Oz. drink
“On The Origin of Species”
1. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?
2. You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy. Credit:
On day ve of spirit week, 7th grader Catalina Barbarossa and her friends played volleyball during the annual lunch on the lawn. ere was a DJ, food, and many more games.
