The Trinity Voice - October 2020

THE

TRINITY VOICE

October 2, 2O2O Volume 23 Issue 1 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

A MOVEMENT, NOT A MOMENT

Students support the Black Lives Matter movement after the killing of George Floyd.

Page 6

NEWS

Students share the most important issues of the 2O2O Presidental Election.

Pages 8-9

LIFESTYLES

Women have been able to vote for 1OO years. Here’s what they’ve accomplished.

Pages 1O-11

FOCUS

Despite increased use, Gen Z still struggles with tech skills.

Page 16

OPINIONS

Trinity must promote better inclusivity on campus by accepting affinity groups.

Page 24

SPORTS

Trinity forms Citrus League with local private schools to adapt to COVID-19.

Page 26

Table of Contents

October 2O2O

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Students Overseas O4 Education Funding O5 BLM Protests O6 COVID-19 Summer Plans O7 2O2O Election O8-O9

Lifestyles

19th Amendment 1O-11 Exchange Students 12-13 TikTok and Music 14

Opinions

Remote Learning 2O-21 Schedule Changes 22 Performative Activism 23 Lead Ed 24 Angry Beaver 25

Sports

Citrus League 26 Weight Room 27

Focus

Inequality 15 Artificial Intelligence 16 Digital Literacy 17 Future of Education 18 Jaidyn Holt

Page 18

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

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

VOICE@TRINITYPREP.ORG THETRINITYVOICE.COM @TRINITY_VOICE @THETRINITYVOICE “THE TRINITY VOICE” Henry Van Voorhis

Page 14

Ella Craghill and Cover Photo Henry Van Voorhis

Staff/News Bites

October 2O2O

NEWS SPOTLIGHT

STAFF

Editor-in-Chiefs: Ryan Zehnder, Matthew Mapa Managing Editor: Matthew Halpin Copy Editor: Deniz Bölöni-Turgut Layout Editors: Emma Kim, Amy Qiao Online Editor: Maneesh Rajulapati News Department: Andrew Bachrach (Editor), Ava Savino, Julian Sealy, Jack Ververis Opinions Department: Connor Raffa (Editor), Maddie Peckham, Jake McCreary Focus Department: Deniz Bölöni-Turgut (Editor), Evan Huang, Marcos Membreno Lifestyles Department: Sidney Seybold (Editor), Alec Diaz, Sarah Zehnder, Amy-Ruth Gyang Sports Department: Jake Raffa (Editor), Oliver Johnson, Boaz Kim, Cate Williams Graphics Department: Henry Van Voorhis (Editor), Jaidyn Holt Photo Department: Kayla Alexandre (Editor), Mateo Membreno (Editor), Anuha Tatineni, Ella Craghill, Jessica Dorrien Fact Checker: Oliver Johnson Business Manager: Sidney Seybold Adviser: Erin Miller

This Month: By the Numbers $750 income tax paid by President Trump in 2016-17, according to NYT

13.6 million

3.6 million

unemployed Americans as of 8/31

acres burned

by California wildfires

The Headlines TikTok seeks approval from China for Oracle-Walmart deal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies after 27 years on the Supreme Court.

Hurricane names switch to the Greek alphabet after running out of names for the second time ever.

Quote of the Month Well, we’re going to have to see what happens.

Get rid of the ballots and... there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There’ll be a continuation.

President Donald J. Trump, when asked if he will commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the 2020 election

Local spotlight Grocery store chain Publix celebrates its 90th anniversary

Light Up UCF was cancelled for the first time due to COVID-19

News

October 2O2O

STUDENTS START THE SEMESTER ABROAD DUE TO COVID-19 Article by Emma Kim Graphic by Emma Kim

With Trinity offering an online alternative to in-person classes, a few students have begun the new school year overseas. Junior Helen Zhang and sophomore Kris Lu, who joined Trinity last year through the New Oasis International Education program, are attending classes remotely from China.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Zhang was unable to get a plane ticket to Florida and is currently taking classes from her home in China. As China’s time zone is 12 hours ahead, Zhang has had to adjust her sleep schedule, taking classes at night and sleeping during the day. Although Zhang said her experience with taking classes overseas has not been bad, she hopes to return to Florida by January next year.

“I prefer [being] in Florida,” Zhang said. “I prefer face-to-face communication, so I hope I can go back as soon as possible.”

While travel restrictions are also delaying Lu’s return to Florida, she originally decided to stay in China due to the high number of U.S. COVID-19 cases. Lu said her life is not influenced by the virus anymore, since the COVID-19 cases in China have gradually decreased.

“If I go to the big city like Shanghai for the underground, I have to wear masks, but if I just go shopping, I don’t need to wear masks,” Lu said.

“Maybe I’m asked to test the temperature, but after that, everything is good.”

Lu said she enjoys staying with her family in her hometown and particularly appreciates the food in China. In her free time, she relaxes by meeting with friends and watching movies.

“I would say [what I enjoy the most is being] surrounded by things you’re familiar with because for the first 14 years, I grew up in China with my family, and in the freshman year I decided to start abroad, leave the hometown, my family, my friends, everything I’m familiar with,” Lu said.

Still, Lu chose to stay at Trinity since she has already spent her freshman year at the school and plans to graduate from Trinity as well. Lu hopes to return to school in Florida, in order

to cut out the challenges caused by the difference in time zones and technology issues.

“I don’t really see my classmates, only the digital ones, and I don’t experience having lunch with friends,” Lu said. “I miss that.”

Director of learning and instruction Stephanie Dryden said she hopes to support the overseas students in any way possible and would like the school to be able to welcome back all of the students in the near future. She said this situation has been a great learning experience and has helped Trinity reflect on ways to grow and become a better school.

“I have a deep admiration for [the international students] because they’re taking on something that’s challenging and they are committed to being at Trinity Prep, and we’re trying to stand by them as much as we can to help them further their education and keep them as part of our community,” Dryden said.

October 2O2O

News

PANDEMIC LEAVES EDUCATION FUNDING IN JEOPARDY Article by Jack Ververis Graphic by Jack Ververis As much as the coronavirus is an infection of the body, it has infected nearly every aspect of society as well. Economies worldwide have been ravaged by uncertainty, and it has exposed the divisions of America even as the death toll continues to rise. But for many Americans, the coronavirus isn’t just hurting them in the present­­­­­­­­­­­­­­— it’s killing their futures.

Education funding is critical to the development of students and provides lifelong benefits. However, the coronavirus has had a massive effect on funding in both the private and public sectors, and schools and students are feeling the effects.

When the coronavirus swept through America in early March, schools were quick to switch to online learning. But many soon realized this wasn’t sustainable, and they would need a new plan for reopening in the fall.

“Why get students back on campus?” Head of School Byron Lawson said. “It’s the best way students learn. It’s the way we’re constructed. We are a day school, it’s the best way our teachers instruct. And for Trinity to continue to be the Trinity that it is, we had to hit those marks.”

Many students across the country found online learning to be a difficult experience.

Inside Higher Education reported that teachers and students felt isolated and emotionally challenged while online, and Education Week explained that in studies conducted in multiple states last spring—including Florida—that online learning was comprehensively less effective, especially for students who already struggled before the transition.

“Our fight against COVID shouldn’t lead to us to deprive our kids of the tools they need to succeed,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a July press conference.

However, knowledge as to exactly what tools were needed was slim. Lawson said that the shifting nature of the coronavirus also added to this difficulty.

“That has been probably the single greatest thing about keeping up with corona[virus]; it has continued to change non-stop,” Lawson said.

However, adapting to those changes isn’t cheap.

“There is a lot of finance that goes into making a school safe enough in my mind for kids to come back live,” Lawson said.

Preventative measures like health and tech equipment are expensive, and government assistance was mostly nonexistent, especially for public schools. The CARES Act, a comprehensive coronavirus relief bill passed in March, included $13.5 billion for K-12

son. And Brookings Institution explained that her efforts have politicized reopening to a point where some districts are being forced to ignore health warnings in order to be able to open at all.

This crisis, however, isn’t affecting schools equally. PBS warned that specialized and expensive learning plans are deepening already high education inequalities, and CNBC

education, distributed to state governments.

However, the New York Times explained that through a combination of fine print and orders by the Trump administration, much of this money isn’t going to the students it was supposed to help. As reported by The New Republic, public schools would receive on average roughly $266 worth of funding per student, while some private and religious schools would receive over $5,000. While the order is being sued by multiple states, the future of this funding is currently in question.

The Board of Trustees declined to comment on whether Trinity received funding.

This situation was worsened by Florida’s reopening order, which required public schools to open face-to-face in August or suffer reduced funding. Orange County estimated that, if they had opened virtually, they would have lost $22.5 million dollars in funding per month. And while the order was struck down in late August, for many it was too late— Orange County had reopened in-person the week before.

Part of this confusion has been sparked by national figures like Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has garnered criticism for her actions surrounding reopening of schools.

NBC News reported that she has provided little guidance to state leaders other than repeated calls to open schools in full and in-per-

explained that current funding will leave poor and minority students at severe disadvantages. “[Trinity students] have access to the same hardware often at school and at home,” Lawson said. “That’s not the case in some public schools. And so those points of inequity make it difficult to provide a consistent educational experience from before COVID to after COVID, and it’s the quality of education that we as an educator are all targeting.”

Pressure to reopen in person, combined with little guidance and funding for preventative measures, means that many schools are being forced to put the safety of their students up against the quality of their education. And with record cuts to education nationwide, the future of sustainable public education is in question.

But educators aren’t giving up hope.

Lawson attributed Trinity’s relatively smooth transition to decade-long planning, including the one-to-one program and technology improvements. However, he also said that we need to reckon with how we can adapt to the new normal.

“I bet for a lot of people, they’re going, ‘Well, is [school] exactly like it was in January?’” Lawson said. “And I do not have an answer for that. What I can tell you is nothing is exactly like it was in January. But we’re trying to do the best we can.”

News

October 2O2O

STUDENTS SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT the official organization, but also to funds related to supporting Black artists and Black communities in Chicago, where her brother lives.

Black Lives Matter was created in 2013 after the trial of Trayvon Martin gained national attention. Martin was a Florida teenager in Sanford walking home when he was seen and followed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman. Martin was found dead by gun-

message or to have smaller conversations with people that I encounter in my daily life,” Stroup said.

Ever since the video of George Floyd’s killJunior Keyaira Goff first got involved when ing at the hands of police officers went public she heard about BLM during the 2016 presion social media, the Black Lives Matter movedential election. ment has continuously gained more support “I was just 12 years old, so I didn’t really do and momentum. Some students at Trinity much, but it is now that I’m growing up and have contributed to the movement to raise having my own money, I just start donating recognition and demand equality for Black and...doing what I can to help,” Goff said. people and other minority She says that some of groups. the best ways to create “Black Lives Matter has change is by voting on defined that Black people laws that support your are important and have ideas. She recommends made important contrivoting or at least regisbutions to society, and tering to vote as soon as should be celebrated,” soyou can to start being an cial science teacher Tatiana active citizen. She also McKinney-Stokes said. “It says that signing online doesn’t mean that other petitions and donating people are not important, is a great way to get init just means that Black volved in the organizalives at this moment are not tion. being looked at as [import“It’s just donating to ant].” the right areas and makSenior Ellie Watson is ing sure that I provide one of several students who links and information have gotten involved in efto people about Blackforts to bring about change owned businesses and alongside the organization. other ways that they Adrian Beaupierre, a Sanford raised child, holds a sign supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement impacts people of all ages, genders, and In May and early June, she can help people who are races in the fight for systematic equality. marched in several protests. struggling with racial in“It was powerful to see justice,” Goff said. everyone there for one reason,” Watson said. fire, and after Zimmerman was found not The types of events that founded and recent“It was overwhelming for sure, but then after guilty for Martin’s death, protests and move- ly brought more attention to Black Lives Matthe fact, I was like, ‘It’s a lot for me to say it’s ments erupted across the country. Since then, ter still continue to happen. The movement overwhelming when this is what Black people BLM has been working to combat violence is an ongoing effort, and all of these students are finding ways to share their knowledge with have to deal with every day of their life.’” and racial inequality.

At one of the marches she attended, everyJunior Taylor Brown suggests that a way to others to raise awareness and support it.

“I feel like equality is something that we one stood for a moment of silence for Breonna educate others about BLM is through social Taylor, who was shot by police while unarmed media. She encounters many people online all need to achieve,” Goff said. “It’s been long in her home. At another, Watson said they who try to refute the movement’s ideas, but enough, and we need to bring the important went from City Hall through Parramore and she is always prepared to educate others on the matters to everybody and be inclusive.” the police department, singing and marching topic with factual evidence. in solidarity.

“Bring up the numbers, compare the sta“It was very imposing, but powerful, and tistics … instead of just saying blanket stateespecially in Orlando where this isn’t the first ments that really can mean anything if you time that a community has banded together replace one word,” Brown said. for something like this,” Watson said.

English teacher Jay Jay Stroup said she supAfter hearing about the death of George ports the movement by raising up other peoFloyd, Watson said she informed herself about ple’s voices to bring attention to the important the movement and started donating to the topics addressed by it.

BLM organization. She not only donated to “My job is to listen and to pass along that Article by Ava Savino Photo by Kayla Alexandre

October 2O2O

News

COVID ALTERS STUDENT SUMMER PLANS Students battle COVID-19 and adapt to life at home this summer

Article by Oliver Johnson Graphic by Henry Van Voorhis Junior Alyssa Dorrien had been enjoying a relatively normal summer. That was until she contracted COVID-19.

“I had to get tested five times, and when I learned I had [COVID-19] I was stuck in quarantine for four straight weeks until I tested negative,” Dorrien said.

Dorrien lost her sense of taste and smell during her time with the virus and was tested five times because she had a very high viral load.

Having the virus changed her whole summer. According to Dorrien, she was very limited on what she could do during her month in quarantine.

“All I really did was binge Netflix, watch some TV and sleep all the time,” she said.

With beach days and plenty of other trips cancelled, her summer was quite underwhelming.

Luckily for Dorrien, COVID-19 did not spread through her family or to any of her relatives.

After her summer of quarantine, Dorrien said she was ready for school to start and is excited to be back with her friends.

Contracting COVID-19 came as a huge surprise to junior Nick Kohm as he had been wearing a mask and social distancing the whole summer.

After he contracted the virus, Kohm only had to get tested once and went into quaran-

tine for 15 days. During his time in quarantine, Kohm said he had plenty of time to relax.

He played Xbox with friends, watched a new show on Netflix and talked with people over Facetime while trapped in his room.

Prior to getting the virus, he had a trip planned to Texas to see some of his friends that he had to cancel.

“Quarantine wasn’t too bad for me,” Kohm said. “I had some symptoms but felt just fine.

The worst part was that I missed my trip.”

Unfortunately for Kohm, COVID-19 spread quickly through his family.

“After I got [the coronavirus], my family was tested, and we learned that my mom and sister had gotten it too,” Kohm said.

Senior Alaina Pisello also encountered COVID-19 this summer. After learning that her sister contracted the virus, Pisello began showing symptoms of the virus herself. She sided with caution and quarantined for 20 days.

Pisello’s senior year summer was much different than years past. Like many other students, Pisello missed out on a lot. She had plans for boat days cancelled, she was unable to hang out with her friends and even missed a big family trip. Her family contracted COVID-19 the week before their trip to Boulder, Colorado and were unfortunately unable to go.

Pisello was still able to enjoy limited time with her friends, but in much different ways than before. With newly introduced mask mandates, closed restaurants and new social guidelines, Pisello and her friends had to make the best out of the summer.

This summer looked a lot different than previous years for many students at Trinity. With new COVID-19 guidelines, the Trinity family has had to adapt. Staying home and going out only when necessary were some of the actions taken by families throughout the summer of 2020.

“For my friends and I, our junior year is going to look different in many ways, but I think I’m finally ready to be back,” Dorrien said.

News

October 2O2O

2O2O VISION: PRESIDENTIAL Infographic by Andrew Bachrach Graphics by Jaidyn Holt and Matthew Mapa

Each of these “tweets” comes directly from statements either made by the candidates or from their campaign websites.

BIDEN’S TAKES

Joe Biden

@COVID-19 1h

I will lead a decisive public health response that ensures the wide availability of free testing, eliminates cost barriers to treatment, develops of a vaccine, and fully deploys all necessary supplies, personnel, and facilities.

1,663

Joe Biden

1,808

5,901

@ClimateChange 4h

I will ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050, rally the rest of the world to fight climate change, and stand up to polluters.

4,743

Joe Biden

What do you believe is the most pressing issue for the 2O2O Election?

2,651

7,354

@RaceRelations 6h

COVID-19

Climate Change

55.9%

8.8%

Immigration

Race Relations

8.8%

8.0%

Healthcare

Other

6.4%

12.1%

While I do not support defunding the police, we need to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom. Police brutality is a stain on the soul of our nation. We must make serious investments in social services to fight this issue.

7,802

Joe Biden

10.9K

40.3K

@Immigration 4h

As president, I will take undo Trump’s damage and modernize America’s immigration system. We will reassert America’s commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees, tackle the causes of irregular migration, and implement effective border screening.

2,587

6,959

20.9K

October 2O2O

News

CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUES For more information, visit joebiden.com, donaldjtrump.com or whitehouse.gov.

TRUMP’S TAKES

Donald J. Trump

Which Presidential candidate do you support?

@COVID-19 3h

I will hold China fully accountable for allowing the virus to spread around the world, and develop a vaccine by the end of 2020. We will return to normal in 2021 and produce all critical medicines and supplies for healthcare workers in the U.S. 3,999

Donald J. Trump

7,180

24.6K

@ClimateChange 6h

Americans have long been told that our country is running out of energy, but we now know that is wrong. American energy policy must balance environmental protection with economic growth in order to encourage innovation and prosperity.

599

Donald J. Trump

2,113

6,908

@RaceRelations 8h

Police have not been treated fairly in our country.

Reckless far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation or our law enforcement are oppressive or racist. We will incentivize more officer training, and create a national database of officer misconduct.

1,336

Donald J. Trump

6,945

22.8K

@Immigration 9h

I am committed to constructing a border wall and ensuring the swift removal of unlawful entrants. My administration will block illegal immigrants from becoming eligible for taxpayer-funded welfare, and will end sanctuary cities.

Survey conducted of 374 Trinity Prep students. Results are as of September 14th.

3,379

7,525

26.7K

Lifestyles

October 2O2O

THE 19TH AMENDMENT Article by Sidney Seybold Photos Courtesy of Library of Congress

This year, on August 18, 2020, the United States celebrated the centennial of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Before its ratification, women in 18 states, mostly in the west, had full suffrage, 22 states had partial suffrage—meaning women could vote in some elections—and eight states had no female suffrage.

For decades, women in many states, mostly in the southeast, had been kept out of the polling stations. Anti-suffragists opposed suffrage for various reasons. Many argued that women didn’t want the vote and should be kept out of politics, but one opinion in the early 20th century was that women would vote like their husbands and therefore make their vote pointless.

However, history has proven the anti-suffragists wrong, as the female vote has become very important. According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, in every major ethnic category, more women have voted than men in every presidential election since 1964. In the 2016 election alone, 73.7 million women voted, while only 63.8 million men did. Therefore, it is impossible to say that women only vote like their

male partners, considering there are millions more of them voting. So what have they done with this political power?

Since the passage of the 19th amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, more women have been elected to Congress, which has subsequently created more legislation aiming to improve the lives of women. Equal access to credit, equal pay and fair health guidelines are just a few of the initiatives that women have pushed for in the last 100 years.

“All different kinds of women from women in China to black women, Native women— everybody had their hat in the game on what they needed to be able to get access to, and the one way that people can make change is through policy,” social studies teacher Tatiana McKinney said. “Being able to vote, it really opens the door for you to be able to say I want this candidate because they’re going to support women.”

For example, according to the lifestyle magazine Woman’s Day, before the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, single women could be denied credit cards, and married women needed the approval of their husbands for credit. According to The Atlantic, initially the

Equal Credit Opportunity Act did not include sex or marital status in its nondiscrimination policy, so Congresswoman Lindy Boggs amended the act to include those guidelines.

Senior Molly Halladay-Glynn attributes this to the idea that women are better advocates for their own needs than men are for women’s needs because of their personal experiences.

“Even though men totally should still care about women’s rights, I feel like women understand more and therefore will fight harder for those types of ideas, and it’s just really important to have a woman to represent us and to fight harder for those issues,” Halladay-Glynn said.

Furthermore, 15 female representatives created the Women’s Caucus to focus on women’s issues, such as in 1990, when they took on the National Institutes of Health for not using female test subjects. They wouldn’t even conduct research on female rats. Because of the caucus, later in 1993, the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 went into effect and stated that “(A) women are included as subjects in each project of such research; and (B) members of minority groups are included as subjects in such research.”

Ida B. Wells

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

Susan B. Anthony

Ida B. Wells founded the Alpha Suffrage Club that taught Chicago women about the importance of voting. She also helped Illinois women gain partial voting rights in 1913 and marched with the Illinois delegation at a NAWSA suffrage parade in Washington D.C., despite being told to march in the back behind the white women.

Chinese-American immigrant Mabel PingHua Lee fought for women’s suffrage starting in her teenage years. She organized a suffrage parade in New York City in 1912 and fought for the voting rights of Chinese women, who were excluded from the 19th amendment due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Susan B. Anthony was an abolitionist and was friends with fellow suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The two gave speeches around the U.S. about suffrage and founded the American Equal Rights Association. Later they started the National Woman Suffrage Association to focus on passing a constitutional amendment for women’s suffrage.

October 2O2O

Lifestyles

HOW THE FEMALE VOTE HAS CHANGED AMERICAN POLITICS In addition to legislation in Congress, the Supreme Court has been an integral part of furthering women’s rights. In Reed v. Reed, in which the court ruled that women could not be paid less than men for the same job, upholding the precedent set by the Equal Pay Act. The female vote has also played a role in the judiciary system. According to the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, in the 1992 presidential election, 45% of female voters voted for Bill Clinton, however just 38% voted for George H.W. Bush Sr. One year later, Clinton appointed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court of the United States, making her the second woman in US history to be on the Supreme Court.

As a justice, Ginsburg voted in favor of women’s rights in cases like Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., [UPS] which, as the American Civil Liberties Union states, resulted in requiring “employers to provide pregnant employees with the same on-the-job accommodations...as they do to other nonpregnant employees who are similar in their ability or inability to work.”

Finally, it’s important to note that the 19th

amendment in practice only allowed white women to vote. Native Americans couldn’t vote until much later, with Utah as the last state to allow them to vote in 1962. In addition, black women were subjected to poll taxes and intentionally unreasonable literacy tests until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Even today, voter suppression still exists for many minorities and felons.

Still, the election polls and the issues and people on the ballot look very different today than they did just 100 years ago. In 2020 alone, the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University states 584 women filed to run for Congress, and 261 will be on the ballot this November, up from 234 in 2018. Although there is still much to be done to achieve equality, great progress has been made by fearless leaders, especially by the leaders of the women’s rights movement.

“I am very very proud of our country and the progress that we made,” social studies teacher Robin Grenz said. “So we have women in politics. We have women in powerful positions. We have women doctors and lawyers and justices, and I think that we should be proud of that progress.”

This article is dedicated to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on September 18, 2020 at the age of 87. A pioneer for women’s rights, she fought to end sex-based discrimination and dedicated her life to creating the change she wanted to see in the world. Ginsburg has inspired the next generation to challenge the status quo and to never give up on their dreams, no matter what obstacles stand in their way.

Biographies’ Source: National Women’s History Museum

Sojourner Truth

Alice Paul

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Born a slave in 1797, Sojourner Truth gained freedom in 1827; she was a prominent abolitionist and women’s rights champion. Truth delivered speeches about slavery and women’s rights. Her most famous one, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, which she shared at a women’s rights convention in 1851, outlined her experiences with gender and racial inequality.

Alice Paul dedicated her life to advancing the political status of women, specifically through the 19th amendment and the Equal Rights Amendment, which was never passed. Paul created the National Women’s Party as well as organized marches and pickets outside of the White House to pressure President Wilson into supporting the 19th amendment.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an abolitionist and pioneer of the women’s suffrage movement. Stanton helped produce the Seneca Falls Convention, the original women’s rights convention, and wrote “The Declaration of Sentiments,” which modeled the Declaration of Independence and listed the grievances women had suffered from men.

Lifestyles

October 2O2O

EXCHANGE STUDENTS ARRIVE Article by Sarah Zehnder Photos Courtesy of Jonna Plate and Stoil Bozhkov Moving across the world during a global pandemic is a big leap of faith. After months of applying and going through the ASSIST exchange student process, sophomore Jonna (Yaw-nah) Plate finally arrived in Orlando to be greeted by her Trinity host family, the Martins, family of eighth grader Tori Martin. For the next 10 months, Trinity Prep, as well as the Martin’s house in Oviedo, will be her new American home. Plate was born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, and this is the first time she has ever been away from her family for a long period of time.

Having visited the U.S. many times before, she said that she mostly knew what to expect in Florida.

“I don’t know exactly how many times I’ve been [to the U.S.], but probably ten or more times, Plate said. “So I have been here a lot.

And Florida too. I’ve been to Orlando and around the coast.”

Plate was hoping to attend a private school instead of a public school because she thought she would have a more positive experience.

“I feel like normal high schools have just so many people,” Plate said. “I think at Trinity there are a lot of activities, you can participate

Plate skis on the slopes of Austria during a vacation with her older sister, Smilla.

in more, and a lot of people know each other.”

Even though Plate feels homesick at times, especially for her older sister Smilla, the Martins have made her feel like a welcome addition to the family.

“I Facetimed them once in July and then I met them at the airport,” Plate said. “They are really fun.”

Plate has already become close to her host sister, eighth grader Tori Martin. Plate said she and Tori share a love for “Harry Potter” and have started watching popular TV shows like “Stranger Things” together.

Plate and her older sister Smilla have been close since they were born. What binds them most of their shared love of swimming.

This year at Trinity, she joined the varsity swimming team. Plate said joining the team has definitely given her a glimpse into how different school life is compared to in Hamburg.

“We don’t have sports in school, so swimming and other sports are separate, and I haven’t been swimming as intensely as here,” Plate said. “In Germany, I have been practicing three to four times a week. At Trinity, they train like six times a week, even on Saturdays.”

The sophomore has also joined Trinity’s

Vocal Society. Even though she doesn’t think Vocal Society will travel or compete, she said is excited to be a part of the group while doing something she loves.

Plate is excited for all these new challenges, but of course there is the issue of the pandemic. According to the World Health Organization confirmed cases of COVID-19, since the pandemic began, Germany has had 246,116, while the U.S. has had 6,011,042. Plate’s hometown of Hamburg’s COVID-19 laws regarding safety regulations during the pandemic are very different than Florida’s.

“I didn’t really think about the differences [between Germany and the U.S.], but when I came, it was really different,” Plate said. “In my city, we had almost no cases and when I got here, I had to wear a mask everywhere.”

COVID-19 aside, Plate hopes to travel around Florida and the U.S. this year.

“In the United States, I’d love to go to Hawai’i and travel more to nearby countries,” Plate said.

Plate poses in her favorite canola flower field in front of the Baltic Sea while on vacation.

October 2O2O

Lifestyles

DESPITE COVID RESTRICTIONS

Bozhkov smiles next to the Trinity Rock during his first time on campus. He arrived two weeks before the first day and was excited to finally be on campus.

New ASSIST student Stoil Bozhkov, after a similarly long application process, is happy to be settled into a school 5,593 miles away from his hometown in Novi Han, Bulgaria. for the next 10 months.

Bozhkov is staying with the Polsinelli family. His host brothers are eighth grader Nikolas Polsinelli and seventh grader Oliver Polsinelli.

Bozhkov is a junior at Trinity.

“I joined ASSIST because I wanted to see a different world and learn more about American culture and more about myself,” Bozhkovsaid. “Additionally, I wanted to develop my English skills by communicating with native speakers.”

This is Bozhkov’s first time visiting the United States. He is from a small town outside Sofia, Bulgaria, called Novi Han. In Novi Han, Bozhkov speaks English with his peers at his school, however he said he has enhanced his English skills since coming to Florida.

“I speak English fluently but of course it depends on the topic,” he said. “I usually speak [English] everyday with one of my friends from Bulgaria in order to practice it.”

Bozhkov and his host family eating at Armando’s in Winter Park. Armando’s is one of Stoil’s new favorite restaurants.

Bozhkov was not worried about Florida’s COVID-19 case status before moving here.

However, he said the pandemic did make the application process a little longer and more difficult. Bozhkov’s application process consisted of a series of emails, several interviews, many forms, and months of waiting.

“It was a very long process, especially now with the coronavirus,” Bozhkov said. This was very challenging, but I’m here!”

According to Bozhkov, his home town in Bulgaria follows very similar COVID-19 safety procedures that require masks and social distancing. When he came to Trinity, he was not surprised by Trinity’s guidelines.

However, after only one month, Bozhkov already sees differences between his public school in Bulgaria and Trinity. He said he was astonished by the people, the educational system and everyday school life.

For instance, at Trinity, Bozhkov was pleasantly surprised that he could choose his own courses. The school he attends in Bulgaria doesn’t provide that option. He enjoys performanced-based classes like choir and acting.

“Acting II [is] my favorite class because it is interesting because it’s different from everything I’ve done in Bulgaria,” Bozhkov said. “I can express myself in some way.”

As well as acting, Bozhkov is interested in many fine arts including piano, chess, and he is also a thespian. Aside from the arts, Bozhkov practicipates in many sports like swimming , tennis, and soccer.

“I’m interested in a lot of things, I could talk for days,” he said.

With the guidance of his host family. Bozhkov has already visited many places around central Florida with a few months.

“My host family are very adventurous people, they take me almost everywhere,” he said, “We recently went to Gwatorland, different restaurants in the area, and we have been to escape rooms.”

During his time in Florida and at Trinity, Bozhkov hopes to fully immerse himself in the American high school experience.

October 2O2O

Lifestyles

TIK TOK TAKES OVER THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Article by Amy-Ruth Gyang Graphic by Henry Van Voorhis

TikTok, the video streaming app which has soared in popularity since the start of the pandemic, has now taken over screen times, attention spans and even the surveillance of the president. While TikTok has had various impacts, perhaps the most salient impact of all is its influence on the music industry. The users have been the fairy dust in a slew of mainstream music hits.

TikTok’s growth in popularity spans from the memes, tacky trends and music that accompany it. The users have been the app’s superpower in promoting artists.

Amidst the pandemic, where platforms that musicians previously used are unavailable, the music industry has been forced to find new ways to advertise their music. Many artists have hosted virtual concerts and live streams through the app.

Music labels, such as Universal, Sony and Warner Music Groups, have all worked with TikTok to promote their artists. TikTok’s short video format, which can easily integrate brand deals and ads, makes it easier for labels to advertise their music.

TikTok allows unknown artists to have a chance in the spotlight. Overnight, virtually unknown artists have garnered millions of likes and made themselves known to the music world.

“The app has exposed me to plenty of new artists, such as Salem Ilese and Paravi Davis,” senior Nydia Clifton said.

Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” put TikTok on the map for creating music hits. In 2019, Lil Nas X, a 20 year old college dropout, uploaded his song to TikTok. The sound produced millions of videos with people dressed up as cowboys and streams for the app and coming rapper. “Old Town Road” spent 19 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 — the longest run ever recorded in the chart’s 60year history.

“I should maybe be paying TikTok, they really boosted the song,” Lil Nas X stated in April in an interview with TIME. He has since collaborated with many artists including Cardi B, Billy Ray Cryus, DaBaby and BTS. Doja Cat’s “Say So” took the music industry by storm. The song, nine months after its

release, is still on the Billboard’s Top 100 and earned MTV’s “Song of the Year” award.

This is partially due to Haley Sharpe, a 17 year old Tiktoker from Huntsville, Alabama who, in late December of 2019, created a dance to the unknown song that garnered millions of likes and views. After “Say So,” at least eight of her songs have gone “TikTok” viral, and she’s gained over 30 millions streams on Spotify in the last year. Since her TikTok fame, she’s collaborated with City Girls, Chloe x Halle, Nicki Minaj and Gucci Mane.

TikTok’s impact has even affected other streaming services. Spotify’s United States Viral Playlist is filled with songs that are popular on TikTok. Apple Music has playlists titled “TikTok” which feature hundreds of songs that have found extreme popularity. The

app’s rise in popularity has shortened the length of songs as well. According to Billboard, the average song on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, decreased by 30 seconds compared to 2018’s average. This is a major dip from previous years as the average top 10 song length varied by only 11 seconds from 2015 to 2017.

Artists have always used streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora to promote their newest songs. Nowadays many artists are hoping to gain fame by appealing directly to a TikTok audienceIn 2020, TikTok has become new territory for known and unknown artists to gain popularity. With the possible threat of a ban in the United States, TikTok will long be remembered for its revolution of the music industry.

October 2O2O

Focus

EQUITY OR INEQUALITY?

Infographic by Matthew Mapa Graphics by Matthew Mapa

In Africa, off-grid solar energy could provide power to the

75%

of people who lack electricity.

Precision agricultural technology can increase crop yields in developing countries by up to 27O mobilemoney services in 93 countries Sources: World Bank, MIT, Time Magazine, UChicago, The Globe Post

3O% have helped 411 million people access financial services

4O million jobs

Out of the lost during peak of the pandemic, have been lost forever due to automation.

42%

On average, each additional robot in manufacturing displaced 3.3 workers and reduced wages

by O.42%.

HOW U.S. TAX POLICY INCENTIVIZES AUTOMATION

$1OO in worker wages $1OO in equipment

$3O in taxes $3 in taxes

Focus

October 2O2O

SHORTCOMINGS OF OUR DIGITAL WORLD

Is technology advancing too quickly for humans to control?

Article by Evan Huang Graphic by Jaidyn Holt For some 80 years, humankind has feared the growing role that technology has played in our society. Think of the numerous movies like “2001: A Space Odyssey” in 1968, “Blade Runner” in 1982, “The Terminator” in 1984 and most recently, “Ex Machina” in 2014, where technology has gained the power to influence humans to an uncontrollable extent.

Technology is obviously embedded into nearly every aspect of our lives: shopping, talking to friends, and working. But one idea comes to mind when the phrase technological advancement is used: artificial intelligence (AI).

AI has made possible things that were once unimaginable. A voice can unlock a phone. A car drives itself. Amazon’s Alexa makes a shopping list. But with each of these advancements, comes a concern of the potential control and influence that AI can have.

“I think the biggest fear is losing control, especially when [the AI] gets to the self-learning phase,” Computer Science Teacher Susan Frederick said.

Today, AI has reached the point where it’s taken over jobs. A study by economists at MIT and Boston University estimated that robots could replace as many as 2 million more workers in manufacturing alone by 2025.

According to Frederick, the concern for AI is solely an issue of its creator. “[The technology] is only as good in nature as the programmer who programmed it,” Frederick said. “When suddenly [the technology is] being controlled by a few in power, that’s when problems arise.”

In the past, the abuse of technological inno-

vations has created rippling effects in our society. The most prevalent example of incorrectly using technology is social media.

“When we first started using social media, it was very positive, but we didn’t know very much about how it could be used,” Instructional Design Specialist and Intro to Social Media and Ethics teacher Natalie Galed said.

“I think that changed when we figured out ways it could be harmful to people.”

While social media has helped connect people from all around the world, it’s also paved ways to more destructive problems like harming our well being and our self-esteem.

According to Galed, the solution ultimately

“A study by economists at MIT and Boston University estimated that robots could replace as many as 2 million more workers in maufatering alone by 2025” comes down to self-control.

“When we don’t know how to use it well or when we abuse it is when there are problems,” Galed said.

Another one of the biggest problems with constant technological advancements is that it promotes an emphasis on convenience: our TV can be turned on and off with just our voices, our phones can remotely unlock our car doors and pay for groceries.

Technology has made so many aspects of our lives easier. However, these forms of convenience also have led to more problems.

Over the past few years, the convenience of communicating through a screen rather than in person has caused a decrease in the

amount of face-to-face communication. A survey by Elon University in 2015 found that nearly 46% of survey respondents communicate more frequently with friends and family via technology than in person. It seems that people have reached a point where we prefer FaceTime over face time.

“I think relationship building is a very personal interaction,” Chief Information Officer Denise Musselwhite said. “We have yet to learn how to build strong relationships in technology to duplicate what we are used to doing in-person.”

And with AI as the focus of new technological innovations, the convenience that it will bring will also have potential drawbacks.

While technology has created both benefits and problems for billions of people around the world, it’s still become a cornerstone of our lives: something we depend on to survive. But it’s important to remember that the harms that technology can possibly bring fall to us and our application of how we use the technology.

“Technology, like any other innovation, when harnessed the right way, can be incredibly powerful,” Galed said.

“Technolgy, like any other innovation, when harnessed the right way, can be incredibly powerful” - Natalie Galed, Instructional Design Specliast and Intro to Social Media and Ethics Teacher

October 2O2O

Focus

THE NEW ALPHABET: TECH LITERACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY Studies show that digital literacy is not as widespread as it should be Article by Deniz Bölöni-Turgut The school day has just ended. The previously silent quad is filled with a horde of students filing out of many different classrooms. All of them share one thing in common: they’re looking at their phones. Under the remote constraints of a global pandemic, it’s nearly impossible to go an hour without accessing the internet or social media. Yet, studies show that surprisingly few students are truly technologically literate.

Technological literacy, or tech literacy, can refer to a very broad range of skills. Some of these skills, like using the internet, are widespread. Others, like troubleshooting basic computer issues and evaluating risks to privacy and security, are exceedingly rare but just as necessary to living in a world that is becoming more and more dependent on technology.

“Tech literacy is extremely important, and I think this COVID virus and going remote demonstrates that 100%,” computer science teacher Susan Frederick said. “Those that were not tech savvy in any way had so many problems getting connected, staying connected.

The panic hindered their progress until they got comfortable.”

The current generation of students at Trinity are often called digital natives; using the Internet and navigating smartphones and laptops is second nature for them. However, according to the 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study, only 2% of American eighth graders demonstrated proficiency in the highest level of computer and informational literacy. The highest level entailed demonstrating an ability to evaluate internet sources, control movements on the computer, and precisely search for information). This

suggests that simply being a digital native doesn’t ensure tech literacy.

“It’s kind of like learning any language that you know,” Frederick said. “Those that are native are great at the slang but when they get into a classroom, doing the formal portion of the language is a little bit hard because they haven’t learned the formal [parts], they’ve learned it on the fly.”

All Trinity students take at least one semester of a computer course in order to fulfill their graduation requirement, yet there are some areas in which their knowledge is lacking.

“Some of the biggest gaps I’ve seen are knowing the right keywords to find the information you want,” librarian Reba Gordon said.

Even after finding the right information, Gordon said that it’s important to stay vigilant when analyzing sources.

“When we have an opinion and then we find facts or information that supports our opinion, usually we’re like ‘Yes, ok, good, I’m done’,” Gordon said. “But one needs to always remember that … when you’re reading something online, you need to look at what company or what person is writing it, and … understand their bias.”

Despite how important evaluating bias is in academic and personal settings, some students might still be unwilling to take those extra steps. Junior and self-described tech guru Daniel Rodriguez said that most digital natives feel very comfortable with technology. Yet, that feeling of comfort is exactly why unexpected problems can pop up, especially when it comes to privacy. For example, Instagram offers a feature which allows you to geotag your photos. Rodriguez said that what this really means is that Instagram is constantly tracking

your location.

“A lot of the friendliness of our user interfaces today is because we can anticipate what data will be needed,” Rodrguez said. “[So], it’s really easy to say ‘Why don’t we just take it all the time?’ … It isn’t that much of a stretch in computer terms, but it is a huge stretch for us in terms of privacy.”

There are many app features which lurk in the background, tracking and saving information like your location or clipboard. Yet, in part due to legal contracts, these apps do it quietly, not secretly.

“You don’t need to read the legal terms,” Rodriguez said. “All you need to look up is what data is stored on TikTok, what data does Snapchat share. It takes proactive measures from you. You have to care for these things to be solved because the companies don’t really have an interest in protecting your privacy.”

Knowing the types of information you share on apps or on the internet is part of being tech literate. The decision to continue sharing that information is completely personal, however, Rodriguez and Frederick agree that researching and becoming tech literate is very important in today’s society. In that vein, Instructional Design Specialist Natalie Galed recently created an infographic for remote students with instructions for solving common tech issues.

The graphic was made available to teachers to publish on their canvas pages.

“You can be super comfortable with technology … but tech literacy is taking it a step beyond that,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not only knowing how to use it, it’s knowing what it’s doing so you can use it. … It’s not a given that we’re going to be [tech] literate, [so] we need to use our brains.”

Focus

October 2O2O

THE FUTURE OF TECH IN POST-QUARANTINE EDUCATION How technology and COVID-19 have transformed schools, and how some changes may stick Article by Marcos Membreno Graphic by Jaidyn Holt The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many changes for students and their use of technology in classrooms. The world of education is not the same as it was six months ago. The gradual shift towards utilizing technology in classrooms became a forceful thrust of necessity due to the pandemic. Now the question is, what does this mean for the future?

In the past years, schools have been mainly focusing on the in-person classroom experience. Anthony Salcito, Vice-President of Education at Microsoft, said in a June Microsoft report that he believes schools will start to “create a foundation of inclusive, flexible, data-driven buildings and spaces that will enable students to learn beyond those walls.”

Given this year’s events, academic institutions have quickly launched forward into Salcito’s vision. Trinity Prep, along with many others, reshaped its learning models this past summer.

Such schools implemented new digital resources in order to fulfill the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines and accommodate families who prefer the remote learning track. “[For Trinity] it was two phases,” Director of Learning and Instruction Dr. Stephanie Dryden said. “We had the emergency remote learning … and then we had this summer, where we had time to reflect and think about what the next school year would look like.”

Adapting to new technologies, schools get a glimpse of where education is headed.

“We are looking at what are the things that we have learned from all of this that make us a better educational institution,” Dryden. “We see that we are getting better at communicating, being purposeful and maintaining a community.”

Being able to keep the school’s sense of community is crucial to the implementation of new technology. Traditional classroom methods provide something that online learning can’t. Teachers have an open window into students’ abilities to learn. In this year’s transition, schools will have to learn how to keep the social and emotional aspects traditionally found in face-to-face learning.

A May Microsoft report on the reimagining of education envisions that the future of education will “[combine] the best of in-school and remote learning, with digital engagement.”

Dryden said this is a process that will take time but that we have already found successes in terms of communication. Students said that the lack of human connection has been a major issue when implementing remote learning.

“The teachers are trying to balance both in-classroom and remote learning, but it is hard to focus in lectures,” junior Ela Patel said.

“It feels like you are just watching a video.”

Patel said she believes having classes with solely remote students could improve the attention received from teachers, as there seems to be an evident disconnect when part of the class is behind screens.

Of course, technology is not a perfect plat-

form, and there will be inevitable tech and social problems. From devices crashing on both ends of the screen and technical glitches emerging, classes often have to deviate from learning in order to address the issues. This combined with Patel’s sentiments are a reminder that this transition is not a one and done deal.

Platforms such as Zoom are being used for brown bag lunches with parent groups. School events are being live-streamed. Online discussion boards, break out rooms and applications such as Screencastify are now integrated to better engage students. Online testing is soon to be available with DigiExam.

Everyday in classrooms, teachers gain a better understanding of what will work in the long run. Such is the case with Google Meets — a video communication service that many hadn’t heard about, yet now will be used past the pandemic because of its accessibility regardless of location. “[In the future], I think having Google Meets will be really helpful when people are out of town and need to check in with teachers or classes,” Patel said.

Scanning documents for online submission is another practice that might stick around. Teachers are taking this into consideration as it allows them to store papers efficiently online.

“I can’t really tell my teachers anymore, ‘Oh I’m sure I turned it in. The paper must’ve gotten lost,’” sophomore Koray Tekin said.

Dryden said that she believes adapting to these changes and learning new processes “quite honestly, makes better students.”

As teachers learn to navigate this process, schools will continue to add new online tools to their inventory. New resources that are found beneficial will stick around, and those that restrict learning will go.

October 2O2O

News

Peter G. Lemieux, D.M.D., P.A. 1185 Orange Avenue Winter Park, FL 32789 407/644-2700 www.WinterParkDentist.com

Opinions

October 2O2O

A CLASSROOM DIVIDED With some students learning on campus and some students learning off campus, there’s bound to be issues Article by Madeline Peckham Graphic by Jaidyn Holt It’s 7:59 a.m. and senior Ella Saffran trying to pull up her first period’s Google Meet, but it’s buffering. Oh no… What if she’s late? Should she just give up, call it a day, and go back to sleep?

With the coronavirus forcing schools to rethink their approach to learning, Trinity introduced a HyFlex plan, giving students the option to attend face-to-face or remotely. Although there are many benefits to the HyFlex model, such as promoting social distancing, there are also some flaws.

According to a survey sent out by administration, 50% of students strongly agree that the experience has been positive after the first week and 39% moderately agree.

“These surveys are going out every few weeks or so, because we are coming up with plans and trying to address the concerns as we are aware of them,” director of learning and instruction Dr. Stephanie Dryden said.

However, many remote students say that they miss socializing and the attention they’re used to getting in person.

“I’m more introverted, so I’m okay with staying at home, honestly,” Ella Saffran said.

“But there’s some moments where I regret it, because, like earlier [that day], for instance I

was in math and then it kept freezing and [the Meet] was just gone.”

Online students are craving the social interaction they once got from “normal” school, but that’s not possible at the moment. Students on campus and off campus will sometimes need to interact and that will be a reality as long as there is HyFlex learning.

Teachers have been trying to bridge the gap by using Canvas or Google breakout rooms, but the best way to do this is using Snapchat or other group chats.

Almost every student has some form of messaging on their phones, and the most difficult part is exchanging numbers or snaps, and once it’s done, you don’t really have to do it again.

Along with that, if students are allowed to pick their groups, they’ll be more likely to already have the other people’s information saved in their phone.

It’s simple and it’s effective. It’s also way less formal than conference or breakout rooms, making students feel more at ease.

Teachers may worry about the students abusing the privilege of being allowed to use Messages or Snapchat during class, but if it makes all students feel welcome and comfortable, it’s kind of a necessary evil.

Another major benefit is it’s completely

October 2O2O

wireless, meaning face-to-face students don’t have to leave their seat, and they can continue social distancing. With breakout rooms, a student may have to get up and move to access an outlet because their computer is about to die and they have half a day ahead of them.

Wi-Fi has also been a big issue for many students. If a freak thunderstorm doesn’t knock out wifi at home, then for some unknown reason, wifi at school is spotty and their Google Meet has been frozen for the last 15 minutes.

Bad Wi-Fi could also kick the teacher out of the Meet, leaving students online out of touch and unable to contact the teacher to inform them of the issue.

Some remote students also feel like they are often overlooked in favor of the in-person learners.

“I felt like we were being ignored by teachers,” junior Paulo Botelho said. “The way I see it the teachers are teaching the people on-site and the people online are like an extension, not really part of the class.”

Opinions

Botelho has since switched to face-to-face and said that he has all around enjoyed it far more than remote learning.

Students are not the only ones experiencing problems with this divided classroom. Teachers are essentially in charge of two classes at the same time, while monitoring the questions and concerns of both the on-site students and the online ones. Moreover, teachers are trying to teach a curriculum that’s already quite rigorous, and it’s a lot to juggle. It’s nothing like the spring semester of remote learning everyone went through together, because it was just one class, comopletely online.

Learning of any kind during the pandemic will never be normal, and it won’t be perfect.

There’s no one to blame for it. All anyone can do is perpetuate growth and accept it in stride.

Taking unconventional solutions into consideration and implementing the ones that do work is the only way to get through this.

Opinions

October 2O2O

COVID CREATES NEW AND IMPROVED SCHEDULE

Article by Jake McCreary

Photos by Mateo Membreno As the coronavirus continues to impact the nation, schools—like many other institutions—have the task of adapting to new challenges like social distancing and virtual learning. One of the more fundamental differences to Trinity as a whole affects not only the student body, but everyone affiliated with the school: the new schedule.

Whether this circumstantial schedule resulted from smart decision making by officials or pure coincidence, the focal shift to block days offers nothing but benefits to teachers and students alike.

To accommodate social distancing needs, the administrators have incorporated several changes. One major new feature is the emphasis on block days, with 4 of the 5 days of a normal week now following a B or C day schedule. This, in addition to advisory and chapel receiving small adjustments and reschedulings, encompasses the major changes to the pre-virus schedule thus far.

The new shift to a heavier focus on block days rather than the more well-rounded A-day yields many new benefits. According to the National Education Board in 2016, block schedules provide a myriad of benefits, including more time for students to process information, longer student retention of information and the ability for teachers to provide more individualized instruction.

What this means is that, from the perspective of both teachers and students, this sched-

ule is a win. Teachers are presented with new behavior. Consistent block day schedules creopportunities to give more personal attention ate "saner school days" by reducing homework to each student. and freeing up additional time for more inter“A teacher sees fewer students during the day, active and collaborative learning. thereby giving him or her the ability to spend It’s easy to see that students and teachers more time with alike are satisfied with each one. Because Block days help [me] focus on the new schedule. of the increased my classes more and provide me “I love the new block span of teaching schedule. It helps me intime, longer co- with the opportunity to engage teract with my teachers a operative learning with teachers in a way that hasn't lot more effectively,” said activities can be senior Joshua kidd. completed in one been possible before.

Many teachers and class period,” said students frequently note - Jeffrey Hill, Senior Education Expert that it’s hard to believe Melissa Kelly. that A-days used to be as That’s not all: the new schedule has addi- prevalent as they were. Some go as far as claimtional implications for specific classes. For ex- ing that block days are blatantly superior. ample, science courses now have more chances "I can't believe A-days used to be so comto conduct fun and interactive lab activities mon, they're way more stressful than block that normally require too much time to fit into days!" said 8th grader Alexandra Rubin. a standard 45-minute class period.

While some other aspects of Trinity’s new Students similarly gain considerably from schedule receive a more negative reaction, such the switch to block days. Firstly, students re- as the large window of time allocated to a short ceive less homework without sacrificing un- chapel livestream, the shift to block days bederstanding of the material. coming the norm is without a doubt a step in This reduction would inadvertently decrease the right direction. While such a schedule was student stress and increase amounts of sleep for originally implemented with the purpose of students across the board. This in combination facilitating social distancing initiatives, the adwith the school day beginning 15 minutes lat- ministration may have created a schedule that er substantially benefits the health of students. not only better fits today’s hazardous circumAdditionally, the National Education Asso- stances, but also the best interests of teachers ciation cites block days as beneficial to student and students alike, virus or no virus.

THE WORD ON CAMPUS

What do you think of the new shift to a predominantly block-day focused weekly schedule?

The longer class periods help me manage my time better.

- Drew Alvarez, Junior

“I like the new class schedule because you can focus on certain classes more.”

- David Hull, Eighth Grader

“I love it. It gives us time to go more in depth in class.”

- Señora Decoster, World LanguageTeacher

October 2O2O

Opinions

ACTIVISM FOR CHANGE, NOT FOR SHOW Article by Amy Qiao Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

On June 2nd, only a few days following George Floyd’s death, millions of Instagram users took less than 10 seconds of their time to upload a black square on their profile, hashtag the photo with “#blacklivesmatter” and sit comfortably in their “activism;” activism that, unfortunately, was their only acknowledgement of George Floyd’s murder.

By the end of June 2nd, the #BlackOutTuesday hashtag surged the internet with over 24 million posts –– over double the amount of signatures under George Floyd’s change.org petition. Instead of taking direct action against police brutality, millions opted to veil their indifference in the form of a meaningless Instagram post. This huge discrepancy imposes another impending problem we must face: the harmful effects of performative activism.

“I thought it was interesting,” president of Students Take Action club senior Grace Field said. “Were they just trying to cover up their silence because they saw everyone else posting the black square?”

AP Psychology teacher Donna Walker said that teenagers are more susceptible to negative criticism from their peers so they hastily give into performative activism. Positive affirmations that they receive online trigger their brain’s reward system –– creating a never ending positive feedback loop. Individuals are then stuck in an unhealthy cycle of needing constant validation from others. While this is an effective way to boost a person’s self justification, it draws attention away from the real pressing issues at hand.

“I did [post the black square],” senior Brooke Beers said. “I realized after the fact that it wasn’t the best idea… There were a lot of people who would only post the square and then never post again.”

Whether Instagram users posted the black square in fear of receiving criticism from their

friends or in hope it would give them more attention online, it still drastically undermined the main objective of the day itself. Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, two Black female music marketers, started this initiative to emphasize the power of the Black community in the music industry. This movement was specifically made for Black creators to take the spotlight for the day. But instead, it silenced them, drowning their messages in the deep abyss of black nothingness. Not only were black voices nowhere to be found, but also resources to helpful links and petitions got lost

under the #blacklivesmatter hashtag.

Singer Madison Beer was also under high scrutiny when she was seen at protests, posing for a photoshoot in the middle of a street.

While I doubt Beer’s intentions were harmful, the video that circled online is undeniably ridiculous: Beer is pictured posing on the sunroof of a Range Rover while multiple photographers take shots. I’m sure there were more useful ways to report on the protest rather than having paparazzi come in and capture an “instagram-worthy” photo for her. Beer’s behavior is also shown in regular individuals as well.

“I saw videos of people getting out of their car to take photos at the protest and then get back in their car and leave,” Field said.

But the blame is not only set on individuals.

Major corporations, knowing they had to keep an online reputation, also had their fair share in performative activism.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tweeted about the ongoing frustration of Floyd’s murder and how he would patch up the systemic issues in the NFL itself. However, he failed to mention Colin Kapernick, San Francisco 49ers’ Quarterback, whose kneel during the National Anthem cost him his career in 2016.

Goodell’s meaningless coverup, or any coverup for that matter, cannot be taken seriously without some real change backed behind it.

I understand those who want to show solidarity with the movement. Of course we want to stand against social injustices, but posting a square and saving face is not an effective way to do so.

For those who want to truly help, I encourage you to engage in open dialogue, donate to causes and, most importantly, educate yourself. All of these actions do not have to be publicly broadcasted.

“I think we need to have a lot of conversations,” Beers said. “We shouldn’t expect oppressed people to be teaching us. We should be looking into educating [ourselves]. There’s a ton [of resources] on Instagram ... I definitely learned a lot in the past couple months. I feel bad for not knowing about it before.”

And for those who shame others for staying silent online, your berating is not helping the cause either. Who’s to say that they aren’t taking action behind the scenes? Everyone has different conduits for expressing their activism; while some like to continuously post resources online, others might opt to privately donate money instead.

If we want to take social injustices more seriously in the future, make tangible actions for a change.

Opinions

October 2O2O

A LACK OF LOVE FOR AFFINITY GROUPS School’s policy on affinity groups leaves students feeling isolated Trinity Prep is a school that prides itself on ed an affinity group has had the opposite effect people who feel their presence is overlooked its diversity and inclusion. Yet, for some stu- –– facilitating exclusion and leaving many stu- otherwise. For the school to argue otherwise is dents, this feeling of acceptance and respect dents feeling like their voices aren’t heard. simply nonsensical. simply isn’t felt. If the social media crisis last “Some students need affinity groups as a safe To be fair, Trinity has shown a willingness spring was any indication, Trinity’s treatment space … to express a part of their identity free- to work with Steinberg and has continued an of minorities has been called into question ly and without judgment,” Steinberg said. open dialogue over the existence of his club as of late, and the school’s new policy on afBy not allowing and those like it. finity groups has served to reinvigorate this these groups, it can With the new “Saints long-standing issue. leave students feel- “The initial rejection of JSU is up- in Conversation,” Last May, senior Gabriel Steinberg went to ing like they can’t setting and unexpected.” the school hopes to student council with the idea of forming a Jew- express themselves; extend this dialogue ish Student Union (JSU) on campus. The club like they’re alone. It’s - Gabriel Steinberg, Senior to a wider audience. is part of a national organization and would the complete oppoUpper School Dean aim to educate students on Jewish culture and site of inclusivity and Kelly Aull has contraditions. After an overwhelming vote in his comes in stark contrast with the many of the firmed that affinity groups are a topic that will favor, Steinberg’s idea was approved, and he school’s objectives. be discussed in the near future. immediately began making preparations for As part of its Strategic Plan, Trinity writes The school’s conversation with Steinberg, the upcoming year. He recruited advisors, that its mission is “to become increasingly at- in particular, has resulted in the rebranding formed a board of his peers, contacted local tractive, inclusive, and welcoming to a diverse of his Jewish Student Union into a MultiFaith JSU representatives and even scheduled events group of faculty and students while cultivating Club, which the school hopes is more open for his club to enjoy. relationships throughout the community.” If to students of all backgrounds. Steinberg says However, in early August, administration that’s the case, then what better way to do this he has received positive feedback from many told Steinberg that his club had been reevalu- than through these affinity groups? They aren’t students, including some recent graduates, on ated, and since it was exclusive.

Anyone this idea. However, as Steinberg laments, the deemed an “affinity and everyone is wel- school’s reaction to his JSU club still hurts. group” and catered “Some students need affinity come to join. What’s “While MultiFaith is a great initiative and towards only a select groups as a safe space ... to ex- more, they active- effort to unify the religious backgrounds of our group of students, it ly unify our school student body, the initial rejection of JSU is upwould not be allowed press a part of their identity free- community by facil- setting and unexpected,” Steinberg said. on campus in the fall. ly and without judgement.” itating relationships As we are all constantly reminded, Trinity The school used the between those who Prep is a family. Though we come from a vasame reasoning to - Gabriel Steinberg, Senior are a part of these riety of backgrounds, we all share this home prevent the formation minority groups and away from home for the better part of our of a Gay-Straight-Allithose who aren’t. middle school and high school careers. So, if ance (GSA), while groups like FCA (FellowThough it is an Episcopal school, Trinity has anyone doesn’t feel welcome, regardless of the ship of Christian Athletes) were still allowed a stated goal of “embracing people of all faith intentions, there is a clear issue. As such, Trinand encouraged. and no faith.” Then what sense does it make ity needs to make conscious changes if we’re According to the students who petitioned to encourage a group of one faith and not an- to become a family that is inclusive to all, and for these clubs, the school has cited a desire to other? Just because the beliefs or practices of this starts with its treatment of affinity groups. improve inclusivity and curb divisiveness as a these affinity groups don’t represent a majority, justification for its actions. Yet the school’s ar- doesn’t mean their presence is exclusive. If anyThe lead editorial expresses the opinion of the bitrary decision-making as to what is designat- thing, they promote inclusivity by embracing Trinity Voice editorial staff. Please send commenets to voice@trinityprep.org

October 2O2O

News

THE ANGRY BEAVER “It ticks me off when people click their pens over and over.”

“It ticks me off when people drive really slow.”

“It ticks me off when people talk during movies.”

- Taylor Griffith, Sixth grade

- Charles Ahl, Senior

- Elizabeth Carlin, Seventh grade

“It ticks me off when people walk “It ticks me off when warblers hide in on the wrong side of the door.” too high in the trees to be identified.”

“It ticks me off when in-person kids make fun of online students who just want to learn.”

- Ms. Rizzo, Staff

- Mr. Krueger, Staff

“It ticks me off when there’s bird poop on the chairs outside.”

“It ticks me off when someone puts vaseline on my car handles.”

“It ticks me off when people take off their mask to sneeze.”

- Evi-Jane Garnett, Junior

- Anuha Tatineni, Junior

- Julee Sharma, Senior

- Hanson Zhang, Senior

Sports

October 2O2O

TRINITY JOINS NEW SPORTS LEAGUE Local private schools form Citrus League for fall sports

Article by Jake Raffa Graphic by Matthew Mapa After a recent vote carried out by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), Florida has decided to resume its fall high school sports. However, with the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak, sports can’t just return to normal. In an attempt to keep athletes safe and provide them with an actual season, Trinity Prep has decided to join the Citrus League.

“Right when the pandemic hit, a group of athletic directors and I started talking,” Athletic Director and assistant football coach David Langdon said. “We discussed strategies on how to handle different COVID-19 related issues, and eventually came up with the idea for the Citrus League.”

The league consists of Trinity Prep, Bishop Moore, Lake Highland Prep, The First Academy, Windermere Prep and Montverde Academy. With safety at its roots, the league is an attempt to group like-minded schools. Not only do these schools tend to be on a similar level both academically and athletically, but they also have the same COVID-19 protocols. This way, the possibility of outbreaks is mitigated.

In addition to this, the Citrus League operates on a weekly rotation, meaning each week, schools will be paired up with only one other school. For example, if it was Trinity Prep’s turn to play Lake Highland, the two schools would play each other that entire week in all fall sports. The next week, Trinity would get assigned a new school within the league to play, and so on and so forth.

“If [an outbreak] does happen, this weekly rotation gives us the flexibility to do what we need to do,” Langdon said. “When we’re confined to one team per week, it’s much easier to trace potential outbreaks.”

For sports like football, this one school per week schedule is already the norm. However, for sports like volleyball, who typically play 2 or 3 different schools each week, it will take some adjusting. Although some sports will still play multiple games per week, all of these will be against the same school.

“Seeing the same team more than once a week will make the games more difficult,” said senior volleyball captain Jordan Hardy. “Each of the teams will be more familiar with each other, so it will be harder to prepare.”

From a coaching standpoint, Langdon acknowledged that this is not the ideal scenario. But, with both teams having to play under the same circumstances, it shouldn’t make too much of an impact.

The plan is to continue this weekly rotation up until the start of playoffs. At this time, the league will break from its bubble and begin a modified postseason. While specifics for this are still being worked out, the teams in the Citrus League are all FHSAA eligible and will be able to participate in their respective post-seasons.

As of now, the Citrus League is only in place for fall sports and the winter and spring sports are still on schedule for a normal season. However, Langdon doesn’t want the league to stop here.

“Our dream is to take [the league] even farther,” said Langdon. “In addition to the FHSAA post-season, we could have our athletes compete for another title, a Citrus League conference title.”

Whether or not the Citrus League continues into next year or even into winter and spring sports, is still very much up for discussion. Regardless, it’s great to say that sports have returned to Trinity Prep.

“I’m just excited to get back on the field,” senior football captain Travis Pavel said.

Citrus League: Last Season’s Breakdown Trinity Prep

Lake Highland Bishop Moore

XC Football Football Regionals: Quarterfinals Regionals - Quarterfinals Regionals: 7th (G), 2nd (B) States: 22nd (G), 5th (B) XC XC Regionals: 6th (G), 4th (B) Regionals: 3rd (G & B) Swimming and Diving Regionals: 4th (G), 1st (B) States: 16th (G), 4th (B) States: 14th (G), 9th (B) States: 35th (G), 12th (B) Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Regionals: 2nd (G), 5th (B) Regionals: 2nd (G), 4th (B) Golf Regionals: 5th (G & B) States: 4th (G), 8th (B) Golf States: 15th (B) Regionals: 3rd (G), 1st (B) Golf Districts: 6th (G), 7th (B) States: 7th (G), 3rd (B) Volleyball Regionals: 1st Volleyball Volleyball States: 1st Regionals: Semifinals Regionals: Semifinals

First Academy Windermere Prep

Montverde

Football XC XC Regionals: 2nd Regionals: 15th (B) Regionals: 1st (G), 9th (B) XC States: 6th (G) Swimming and Diving Regionals: 8th (G), 13th (B) Swimming and Diving Regionals: 1st (G), 9th (B) States: 19th (G) Regionals: 1st (G & B) States: 7th (G) Swimming and Diving States: 6th (G), 2nd (B) Regionals: 9th (G), 17th (B) Golf States: 22nd (G) Regionals: 4th (G), 2nd (B) Golf Regionals: 6th (G), 9th (B) States: 11th (G), 3rd (B) Golf Regionals: 1st (G & B) Volleyball Volleyball States: 2nd (G), 1st (B) Districts: 3rd Districts: 3rd Volleyball *Stats as of last season. Unlisted sports are independent Regionals - Quarterfinals from FHSAA or don’t have results on the FHSAA website.

October 2O2O

Sports

THE WEIGHT IS OVER Weight room renovation is complete Article by Boaz Kim Photo by Jessica Dorrien Almost all the sports teams on campus have used the weight room at one time or another.

However, the weight room had not been upgraded in almost 10 years until Athletic Director and varsity football assistant coach David Langdon stepped in this year and led the redesigning of the weight room. With the help of an anonymous donor, the all-new weight room was redesigned and given a fresh coat of paint.

According to Langdon, the redesign of the new weight room was old and well overdue.

The equipment was getting old, and an upgrade was needed for safety purposes.The redesign will give athletes a more efficient experience in the weight room.

“It will be better for our student-athletes and our P.E. classes,” Langdon said. “You’re going to have new equipment that has more functionality to it.”

Not only was new equipment added, but ing to be a lot nicer than the old equipment the room itself was redone. It was complete- and there will be more space for the athletes,” sophomore weightly stripped down and lifter Jordan Acker repainted. Then a new “I think the new weight room said. floor, lights, and ceiling One of the sports tiles were all put in. They will be a big help this year, and that use the weight also put in diamond we’ll be able to get a lot stronroom the most is plates onto the bottom ger than we were last year.” weight lifting. The part of the walls. new weight room Previously, the weight -Jordan Acker, Sophomore design will not affect room had three full powhow the weight lifting er racks, which are used for squatting and benching, and three half meets are held during the season. The regular racks, which are used for just benching. The season meets will be held as usual in the weight new weight room will include six full power room. Postseason meets will be set up in the racks and six half racks. This was made possi- DAC like they have been in the past.

“It’ll be a more efficient use of our practice ble because the platforms that held the racks time, so there will be more time actually liftwere taken out during the redesign, which ing weights and less time waiting for an open cleared out space. Because of the new space, spot,” varsity boys weightlifting head coach the occupancy increased from 24 to 48 athIsiah Cabal said.

“I think anytime you can get letes, and the number of racks have doubled. more reps and get a barbell in your hands or “I’m excited for the weight room to be comweight on your shoulder to squat, you’re going pletely done because the new equipment is goto get stronger.”

With the new sports season coming up, the new redesign will give athletes and coaches more opportunities than they have ever had before.

“I think the new weight room will be a big help this year, and we’ll be able to get a lot stronger than we were last year,” Acker said.

Senior weightlifter Gabriela Cochran squats on the brand new full power rack in the redesigned weight room.

Photos

October 2O2O

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION

FALL SHOWCASE

Ella Craghill On a winding road in Yellowstone National Park, the sun beams through the clouds as it begins to set.

Anuha Tatineni

Anuha Tatineni The Lukas Nursery in Oviedo, Florida is home to many color changing plants with the upcoming fall season.

Kayla Alexandre