October 2024

THE

TRINITY VOICE

October 2O24 Volume 27 Issue 1 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

Kicking Off a New Year

Varsity football team faced Seven Rivers in its opening game on Aug. 16.

NEWS

Trinity enacts new cell phone policy for middle school and freshmen.

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OPINIONS

PRO/CON: Should celebrities voice their views on politics?

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FOCUS

Harris’s campaign strategies reach out to Gen Z. Page 18

LIFESTYLES

Media focuses too much on violence, pushing journalists to take a different approach.

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SPORTS

Being a college athlete majorly impacts life postgraduation.

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Table of Contents

October 2O24

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Lifestyles

News Bites O4 ASSIST Student O5 Pentler’s Journey O6 New Parking Lot O7 Mpox O8-O9 Habitat for Humanity 1O Cell Phone Policy 11

Sushi Review 2O Stories in the Media 21 Former Teacher Mr. Hill 22

Sports

New Swim Coach 23 Sports in the Real World 24

Opinions Lead Ed 12

Identity Based Labels 13 Platform in Politics 14-15

Focus

Caden Liu

Pages O8-O9

Cover Page 16 Change on Campus 17 Kamala Harris 18 Universal Changes 19

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

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

VOICE@TRINITYPREP.ORG THETRINITYVOICE.COM @TRINITY_VOICE @THETRINITYVOICE “THE TRINITY VOICE” Jackson Napier

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Julia Hoskins

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Staff/Podcast

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STAFF

Saint Talk

Non-Print Editor-in-Chief: David Steinberg

Blurbs by Jack Aaron and Gustavo Membreno Graphics by Caden Liu

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

Ep.11 - Better Left Unread Than Dead

Editors-in-Chief: Peyton Alch, Carol Marques

This Month’s Podcasts:

Dive into a thought-provoking episode, where Gustavo Membreno explores the dangerous habit of texting while driving.

Listen to candid interviews with students and alarming statistics that shed light on the dangers of this risky habit.

Tune in to learn more and stay safe!

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

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

Ep.12 - A Presidential Perspective Did you just fall out of a coconut tree? If so, listen in to Jack Aaron accompanied by seniors Jerry Chen and Nikolas Polsinelli.

Enjoy their friendly, lighthearted discussion about the upcoming Presidential election.

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News

October 2O24

NEWS BITES

Spread by Sofia Haddadin Graphics by Caden Liu

Sankar Science Center: The Monthly Update “The plumbing is connected from the current piping to the new building, and we will pour the foundation shortly.”

- Mr. Lawson, Head of School

Trinity’s Crest Throughout the Years

1968

1986

Americans spend around $1O billion on Halloween each year.

1977

198O

1998

1982

2O16

Halloween Fun Facts Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are one of the most popular Halloween candy.

1985

2O23

Halloween is the country’s second largest holiday after Christmas.

Sources: Drive Research and The Harborside

October 2O24

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News

HALLO FROM TRINITY

New ASSIST student shares her experience Article by Lila Choudry Photo courtesy of Yizhao Chen

educational system while also providing our tice, because I have another obligation, they Journeying from the picturesque landscapes local students with a broader perspective,” she are really nice and understanding about it.” of Vienna, Austria, sophomore Yizhao Chen is said. “It’s a two-way exchange that benefits Chen’s adjustment to Trinity has been a thrilled to be starting a new chapter as an in- everyone involved,” Lawson said. “it [The AS- mix of excitement and challenge. While the ternational student at Trinity.

SIST program] offers great exposure to diverse language barrier was minimal, she found She was selected by the American Secondary experiences and traditions.” some differences in the daily schedule.

School for International Students and TeachChen is excited about the unique oppor“The school day here is longer than ers (ASSIST) program to spend a year at back home, and getting up early for Trinity in the U.S. With a curiosity for cross-country practice has been a chalcultural exchange and an extensive backlenge,” Chen said. “But I appreciate the ground in bilingual education, Chen is many little breaks there are throughout excitedly diving into the American high the day.” school experience.

Little details have made a big differChen attended Federal Secondary ence in Chen’s experience in America.

School in the 19th District of Vienna, a One of the most surprising differences bilingual high school, which exposed her for Chen has been the absence of front to a global environment. license plates on cars, which are manda“I have tons of friends who have tory in Austria.

American parents, so I’ve always wanted “Some random little thing that was to do a year abroad,” Chen said. “Amerinteresting to me is that all the cars here ica was my main choice because of the do not have license plates … on the movies; you see life there, and it looks front, which would be illegal in Austria, very interesting.” ” Chen said.

Before arriving at Trinity, Chen disAcademically, Chen has noticed a covered the ASSIST program through a higher workload and more graded aschance encounter. Her school in Austria signments compared to Austria’s syshas an English library where students tem, where homework is not often often hang out during breaks. One day, graded for accuracy but for completion, she found a yearbook report featuring a with feedback on its quality. This shift student from the school who had particrequires Chen to invest more time and ipated in the ASSIST program approxieffort, but it has been overall, managemately five years earlier. able for her.

“The way [the student] described the Socially, Chen has found a very school, it was a different school involved friendly and welcoming environment at in the program, with the great facilities Trinity. and the great teachers just really appealed ASSIST student Yizhao Chen (left) relaxes after cross country “Everyone has been very friendly and practice with sophmores Isabella Goodall (middle) and Sophie accommodating to me.” she said, I’ve alto me.” Chen said.

World language teacher Bozena Law- Yamada (right). ready built a really nice circle of friends.” son, who oversees Trinity’s ASSIST proAs Chen settles into life at Trinity, she’s gram, emphasized the initiative’s significance. tunities available at Trinity, such as the debate looking forward to making the most of her The ASSIST program benefits Trinity’s ex- club and cross-country team—activities she time here. isting students as well as the ASSIST students. had not experienced before.

“I found some great friends here who I Lawson noted that the program’s goal at Trin“The debate team and sports are things I feel like I can do really fun stuff with, so I’m ity is to enrich the educational experience for wouldn’t have had access to back home,” she really grateful about that,” Chen said. “But all students. said. “I’m also enjoying the support from the overall, I’m very excited. I’m looking forward “The program helps international students coaches. They are also understanding and pret- to becoming more independent abroad and to immerse themselves in a new culture and ty relaxed. If I’m ever missing a meet or a prac- experiencing new things.”

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News

October 2O24

PENTLER PENS NEXT PAGE

Trinity welcomes seasoned writer as new English department chair Article by Ashwin Anand Photo by Jackson Napier Chad Pentler boasts an impressive three master’s degrees, multiple playwriting credits and a novel that’s been on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. Now, the veteran writer joins Trinity as its new English department chair.

Pentler comes to Trinity after eight years at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, where he taught AP English Language and Composition, English 10 Honors and Creative Writing. This year, Pentler is again teaching AP Language, as well as venturing into middle school with English 8 and advising Trinity’s literary magazine, Skylight. He looks forward to seeing what the department has to offer for all students.

“Trinity has an excellent reputation for being scholarly and [having] really strong students and everybody caring about learning,” Pentler said. “I felt at home on campus right away. It seems like students enjoy being students, which isn’t always the case.”

Pentler always suspected his career would be in education. While his early substitute teaching experience cemented his path as an educator, the seeds were planted in his childhood.

“My mom encouraged my sister and I to discuss movies,” Pentler said. “And so there was a lot of thinking … being able to discuss ideas out loud was really helpful [in] setting the stage to want to be a teacher.”

Pentler’s first few years out of college went in a different direction, though. As a professional screenwriter in Los Angeles, he penned several TV and film scripts. He also wrote a number of plays, including a comedy performed at one of his alma maters, Carnegie Mellon. But at the age of 30, Pentler decided to pursue a more stable occupation.

“It was a hard living,” Pentler said. “I tell my students, ‘You still need a profession’ ... Not many writers can just write and make a living.”

Now a full-time teacher, Pentler emphasizes that his students must make time for their creative pursuits while putting their work first.

For him, that meant setting aside three hours each weekend to write.

“Whatever you decide, you just have to really commit to it,” Pentler said. “You have to keep showing up at the same time. You can’t just write when you feel inspiration.”

This commitment paid off in January 2022, when Pentler published his first novel, “Orleans Parish.” The book follows the life of two brothers: a Los Angeles screenwriter with supernatural powers and a substitute teacher in New Orleans. Pentler has lived both of these lives — just without the magic. “[My novel] came out while I was teaching,” Pentler said. “So then I had a book talk with a lot of students gathered, and it was fun teaching my creative writing class as a book was coming out because I would tell my students about the process.”

One of Pentler’s favorite aspects of writing is the art of humor. Whether he is teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” or watching “Saturday Night Live,” he always appreciates a good joke.

“I look forward to teaching my AP Lang students about humor,” Pentler said. “There’s a lot you can do with dialogue, with timing, to make a joke work. You can always use humor for the rest of your life. It’s a good thing to know about.”

Pentler is thrilled to be at Trinity for this new chapter of his life. In addition to sharing his love of comedy, he hopes to see every student find their voice.

“Being an English teacher is really about helping students not only to explore the world, but to become strong writers and to get them to see themselves as writers,” Pentler said. “And I feel like everybody should be able to write and feel comfortable with it.”

Pentler published his book, “Orleans Parish,” in January 2022. The fantasy novel captures his experiences as both a screenwriter and teacher through the eyes of two brothers.

News

October 2O24

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PARKING FRENZY

On campus construction forces adjusment to parking system Article by Janav Rampakash Photo by Aksel Williams On Aug. 16, junior Maxwell Koehler was backing up in the junior practice field parking lot when his car suddenly crashed into another car that lay just a few feet from him. As a result his back bumper was dislodged and his right rear brake light broken. The other car that was involved in the crash had its back bumper scratched up and one of its rear tail lights shattered.

“I’ve never crashed my car, never gotten close to crashing my car,” Koehler said. “I’ve backed up the same way every single time [but] this parking lot is so bad it feels like an airplane where they cram 500 people into a super small tiny area.”

Because of the year-long construction of the Nochur Sankar Science Center, the parking and drop off/pick up system had to be significantly altered. Some of these first alterations included juniors having to park in the practice field, sixth graders having to be dropped off behind the middle school, and seventh grade and up having to be dropped off in front of the DAC. However, there were conflicting feelings among students, parents, and teachers about the new parking system.

“As a junior, I feel like I have to walk half a mile to my car every single day, especially because I have theater practice after school,” Koehler said. “I get mud all over my shoes and on my car because the parking lot is just awful.”

Some parents also felt that the parking system can be a burden when picking up and dropping off.

“From the traffic light… to the drop off area, it’s around 15 minutes to get there,” seventh grade parent Franklin Adrianza said.

Because of this delay, parents felt that it took a toll on their children’s sleep and themselves. “[The] earlier you get up in the morning, you don’t sleep well so you have to go to bed earlier,” Adrianza said. “[It requires] more effort [from] us parents to try to get up earlier and the kids to get ready earlier.”

While students and parents felt like the new system was flawed in some aspects, some teachers found it more convenient than ever with assigned parking lots.

“I find that coming in the mornings is a lot smoother than it was in the past,” Science Department Chair Dr. Romina Jannotti said. “As a staff member, this is a lot more efficient in the morning because I know exactly where I have to park. I don’t have to spend my time in the morning searching for a place.”

Taking the views of parents, students, and teachers into consideration, administration has made two main changes to the system.

“We did start with sixth grade only dropping off behind the middle school,” Associate Head of School Dennis Herron said. “After monitoring the [drop off] for two or three days [though], we realized that the flow with

the sixth grade was better than we anticipated.

So we added seventh grade [to the drop off/ pick up behind the middle school].”

Another change that has been made to the system is crosswalk duty. A number of Trinity’s administrators perform crosswalk duty in the parking lot or drop off/pick up points on specified days to ensure that students are crossing safely and that parking rules are being followed.

“This is a duty I didn’t have to do in the past,” Jannotti said. “But I’m glad to do it because we want to make sure that kids don’t get hurt coming in from the parking lot in the morning.”

Along with these changes, Trinity is working to find new ways to better manage the system. Director of Security Anthony Maldonado keeps in contact with Seminole County Traffic Engineering to ensure there is an open line of communication between the county and the school. On Sept. 11, new parking instructions for juniors were released: students must now only park in the middle rows of their designated lot. This was done to ensure safety when pulling in and out of the parking spaces.

“It’s been a learning curve for those of us who designed it and are trying to manage it,” Herron said. “It’s been a learning curve for those who are driving to campus, both parents, students and faculty.”

“As a staff member, this is a lot more efficient in the morning because I know exactly where I have to park.”

- Dr. Romina Janotti, Science Department Chair

“As a junior, I feel like I have to walk half a mile to my car every single day.”

- Maxwell Koehler, Junior

“[It requires] more effort from us parents to try to get up earlier and the kids to get ready earlier.”

- Franklin Adrianza, Parent

News

October 2O24

ALARMING RISE OF MPOX Article by Aarav Gupta Graphic by Caden Liu

In a small impoverished town of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 6-year-old Amani begins to feel tremendous pain across his body. Although unnoticeable at first, minuscule spots rapidly multiply until he feels something like red hot needles poking him. They pierce through his flesh like small knives, causing his body to ache and throb uncontrollably. Luckily — due to his parents’ rapid efforts — he fully recovers in under a week as reported by the BBC. However, others may not be so lucky.

Mpox

Long before the recent outbreak in Africa, Monkeypox, otherwise known as mpox, has been around since 1958, when first discovered in a colony of monkeys in Denmark.

On Aug. 14, this newfound disease was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Spread through direct contact with scabs and open wounds, mpox, which is a double-stranded DNA virus that belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, is primarily a sexually transmitted infection. Although very unlikely, the virus can spread through respiratory droplets.

Symptoms of this life-threatening disease include uncomfortable blisters, also known as pustules, fever,headache, swollen

lymph nodes, muscle aches and chills.

Since its recent rise to fame, mpox has made its ways into numerous households around the world. Coming in close contact with a blister is the primary way to receive the disease, causing it to spread throughout your body.

Regions of Highest Spread

WHO records that the recent global pandemic was caused by the clade IIb strain. Since its recent upsurge in cases across Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been particularly vulnerable to this infectious disease. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 20,000 mpox cases have been reported from 13 African Union Member States with over 500 deaths since 2024.

The extreme poverty and lack of necessary resources contributes to the sharp rise of cases within this region. “[Africa] lacks health infrastructure,” UCF Professor of Pathology Hatem Kaseb said. “If people go untreated they cannot get adequate vaccines. This will definitely lead to the spread of the disease.”

Africa’s widespread conflict is also a factor that adds to the rise of the disease. According to the Geneva Academy research journal, with more than 35 armed conflicts, Africa ranks second in the number of wars globally.

“A lot of areas in Democratic Republic of Congo where this disease started [have] domestic unrest and a civil war,” Kaseb said. “When you have this situation, it’s very hard for the government to provide health services for the people.”

Beyond Central African countries, the newest strain of this disease has spread to Pakistan, the Philippines and Sweden via travel.

When someone is exposed to a new microbacteria from a new geographic area, they can become infected through small openings in the

body and then bring the virus back home.

“Anytime you have transmission of a sexually transmitted infection, it usually is due to microabrasion,” science teacher Scottie Smith said. “Microabrasions is where you have a tiny little non-visible cut and when you have a pustule (blister), it breaks against that cut.”

Next COVID-19?

Misinformation spreads like wildfire. Children panic. Teachers worry. The big question on everyone’s mind is “will mpox be the next COVID-19?”

Rest assured, students won’t be in lockdown once again particularly because of how restrictive the disease is.

“Mpox is not the new COVID-19,” WHO’s European director Dr. Hans Henri Kluge told CNBC. “We know how to control mpox and, in the European region, the steps to eliminate its transmission altogether.”

According to Dr. Kaseb, Mpox spreads remarkably different than COVID-19.

“This is a disease that is mainly a contact transmission,” Kaseb said. “It’s not an airborne disease like COVID-19 or even avian flu. They spread very quickly and through multiple routes.”

Although mpox is transmitted differently than COVID-19, Kaseb said some lessons

October 2O24

News

Mpox cases have surged across the globe learned during the 2020 pandemic can be applied to this current health crisis.

“These were lessons learned from the recent COVID: working together, providing the vaccine, having availability of the vaccines in the developing countries, especially the Central African countries,” Kaseb said.

In addition, much is known about the virus and the means to control it.

Preventative Measures

Currently, modern pharmaceutical companies have developed two effective vaccines for combating mpox.

Despite these safety measures, mpox is becoming more dangerous than ever before.

It is vital to ensure the safety of others as well as yourself to be properly educated about the dangers of the virus. Although the chances of mpox spreading through respiratory droplets is considered extremely low, it is entirely possible. That means to frequently wash your hands with soap, cover your mouth when sneezing, dispose of tissues immediately, wear a surgical mask when near others, etc.

On the contrary, the most effective ways to decrease the spread and likelihood of contracting the virus includes avoiding physical contact with others, avoiding sharing the same objects and staying away from wounds.

Since mpox is such a fast-spreading disease, it may be challenging for governments to dramatically reduce the rapid growth, meaning enforcing protective measures amongst ourselves could be more effective than those of the government.

“The problem is that the US and Europe tried to ban people from traveling during COVID, and it wasn’t effective,” Kaseb said. “Protective measures were even more effective than travel bans.”

School Safety

It is extremely unlikely that students will be forced to isolate once again since COVID. To ensure this, proper guidelines must be adhered to ensure limited spread of the virus.

According to the official CDC website, the risk of contracting mpox in children and teens in the US is low although still possible.

Yet, the symptoms “I wish the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t so marof children pose more serious side effects due to ginalized when it came to healthcare. It’s ima weaker immune system portant for patients to feel like they can talk to and constant exposure to their doctors ... because I do think there’s that other people.

“Children are slowly stigma and it needs to be removed in healthbuilding up their immucare settings ... everybody’s the same.” nity to illnesses in the community, so tend to get unwell more often,” - Scottie Smith, Science Teacher family health doctor Preeya Alexander said.

LGBTQ+ Community

While very little research has been recorded on the newest strain of mpox, according to the BBC in May 2022, the virus impacts the LGBTQ+ community at a higher rate.

Due to the stigma and discrimination this community often faces, especially in underdeveloped countries in Asia and Africa, people in this group sometimes struggle to receive the help they desperately need. “They are vilified in many places,”

Smith said. “If you get it in a country where it’s illegal to be gay, how are you going to talk about it? To your friends? Doctors?”

This challenge makes it much harder for [LGBTQ+] patients to receive the proper resources and vaccination needed.

“I wish the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t so marginalized when it came to healthcare,” Smith said. “It’s important for patients to feel like they can talk to their doctors … because I do think there’s that stigma and it needs to be removed in healthcare settings … everybody’s the same.”

Luckily, advocacy groups from across the world have worked together during this crucial time period.

With the new mpox variant being on the brink of arriving in the US, governments and advocacy groups are trying to work together to ensure the spread of the virus is mitigated.

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News

October 2O24

TRINITY HELPS OUT HABITAT Article by Sami Haddadin Photo by Jackson Napier

Since 1999, Trinity students and teachers have dedicated countless hours to building homes and offering hope to families in need.

Through their efforts, they’ve helped Habitat for Humanity’s vision of affordable housing for all become a reality, one house at a time.

Despite some challenges, Habitat for Humanity is working to help low-income families achieve homeownership, driven by its vision of a world where everyone has access to affordable housing.

“Trinity provides the majority of our volunteers and is one of our financial sponsors,” Winter Park Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity Courtney Kropp said. “We would not be where we are today without them!”

Even with high volunteer turnout helping move projects along efficiently, uncontrollable factors still delay the building process. In recent years, Habitat for Humanity has faced roadblocks in purchasing land in Winter Park due to the housing market in the central Florida area becoming increasingly competitive, outpacing wages. According to the Orlando Sentinel, housing costs have increased more than wages in Central Florida. The median monthly home price in Central Florida was $395,000 in June, according to Orlando Regional Realtor Association, the highest price on record.

“In recent years we have struggled a lot when it comes to finding land to build our

homes due to the increased cost of land in Winter Park,” Kropp said.“We rely on donations from community members to help us purchase land.”

Support from the community is what keeps Habitat’s efforts alive. Through the organization, students have the opportunity to give back to their community while making memories.

“Habitat is a great way to get out and help your community while having fun doing it… you can get your friends to come with you and you can go out for lunch on Park Ave,” junior Owen Raffa said. “It’s a super fun and rewarding way to help those in need.”

Trinity’s volunteers have an opportunity every weekend to help build, making a significant impact while also making up a large percent of the volunteers.

“Every Saturday, they have the ability to go out and build at the houses, and [students] come out for around three hours to work on it,” Habitat for Humanity club sponsor Emily Massey-Burmeister said.

Through volunteering often, club members can help speed up the building process, allowing for families to get their houses sooner.

“You’re able to put in up to 10-12 hours every month and I went with 15 to 20 kids there, [so] that’s a total of 60 hours at work put it in every single weekend,” Raffa said.

When working at the build site, a volunteer

Habitat for Humanity, with the help of volunteers, works on the Winter Park house until its completion at the end of the year.

will never find themselves short of a task to complete. With a wide variety of jobs and activities, volunteers are constantly engaged.

“It depends on how far along they are in the development,” Raffa said. “I’ve seen kids build the structure of the house with hammers and nails. The kids paint because that’s a safe thing to do… Pretty much anything at any development stage of the house, there’ll be something for the kids to do.”

Raffa enjoys volunteering because of the impact it makes in his community. The work he does feels fulfilling, and each day he works is an accomplishment.

“The most exciting part is knowing that the work I’m doing is making a difference in the lives of the family,” Raffa said.

Habitat for Humanity has left a long-lasting footprint in our community, giving lives stability and lifting people from poverty. Through the long-lasting partnership with Trinity, Habitat’s vision will continue to live on.

“I think that Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization that helps provide home ownership for people that might not have the ability to have that,” Massey-Burmeister said.

“I think it is an incredibly worthwhile organization to be a part of, and there’s nothing more important than you could do than give back to the community around you.”

October 2O24

News

LOCKED IN

11

Trinity enacts a new cell phone policy

Article by Krish Gupta Graphic by Caden Liu

On July 11, Trinity announced its plan to create an environment where students complete their work on time, socialize during breaks and increase their attention spans year after year. They aimed to accomplish this through the new cell phone policy requiring students in grades 6-9 to give their smartphones to their advisors for the entirety of the school day.

According to a Stockton University report from 2019, cell phones produce both positive and negative impacts in an educational environment. Although they help students engage in classroom activities and make information more readily accessible, phones may also interfere with students’ focus, cognitive abilities, and attention spans through social media and messaging apps.

Due to a recent Florida law enacted in May of 2023 prohibiting cell phone use during class, Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) have also terminated smartphone use.

As an independent school, Trinity does not have to follow this state law. However, Head of Middle School Dr. Stephanie Dryden said her research led the administration to follow suit.

“As a school, we’re always tapping into current trends in education and trying to keep our fingers on the pulse of that world,” Dryden said.

“We’re regularly reflecting on what [we] are doing, why [we] are doing it, [and] how [we] can be better.”

Dryden and her colleagues have been frequently observing this policy’s overall effectiveness and noting its glaring advantages.

“We’re seeing more strong social interactions,” Dryden said. “Teachers are reporting that the classes are going well. Not having that distraction has been helpful.”

This distraction-free environment filled with interactions is an atmosphere the administration and teachers have been trying to achieve for years. “[This policy is] all about how we are trying

to create an environment for learning and an environment that minimizes negative distractions and encourages engagement with peers, with teachers [and] with material in the classroom,” Dryden said.

Teachers and parents have also been noting the improvements brought by this policy. Assistant Upper School Dean and English teacher Steven Garnett, as both a father and educator, recognizes the significant distractions smartphones cause.

“The new cell phone policy ... is 100% satisfactory to me,” Garnett said. “As a parent, I saw firsthand the distractions that phones could be outside of the classroom and during the school day.”

AP Psychology teacher Michael Brown notes how, from a psychological perspective, the policy has already increased student communication levels.

“Humans have not evolved to handle the addiction machines that are our screens, and so we succumb to that addiction very rapidly,” Brown said. “I love the idea of removing it and forcing [students]

to interact with other humans rather than a screen.”

In the past during the 2023 - 2024 school year, Brown allowed students to keep their phones with them during the class period. However, he noticed that this negatively impacted the stu-

dents’ overall focus and concentration.

Brown thinks of cell phones as a barrier to social interaction between students. However, he also believes students can circumvent the policy using other devices.

“We just took away a speed bump to interacting with others, [but] it might not force it to happen,” Brown said. “They could be on their laptop [or] they could bring a switch in their backpack. There [are] so many other options, but we just removed a [barrier] here.”

Eighth-grader Liem Murphy has beliefs similar to Brown’s, in which he has seen the obstructive effects of devices firsthand.

“I think that [the policy] helps with kids who are more prone to playing video games or just sitting by themselves at break,” Murphy said. “It forces them to make friends ... [and] develop better social skills and talk to other people during breaks.”

Murphy, however, also feels that this policy may partially be a burden. He states how factors such as communication may be drastically affected due to this policy.

“The messaging app is really important for me because, if my parents are late or early to pick me up from practices or school, it helps communicate,” Murphy said.

However, Dryden believes this is simply a short adjustment period in which students and parents are getting used to the new policy.

“I don’t really think that the end of the day pickup is a downside to the policy,” Dryden said.

“I think it’s just an adjustment period. Quite honestly, you could have that problem even if people do have phones.”

Garnett is excited to discover the new opportunities this policy will create for both the students and the faculty and hopes it will improve Trinity’s overall educational experience.

“At 2:55, [students] have their phones and they can catch up with their friends and do [what] they want to do,” Garnett said. “But for roughly seven hours, hopefully, they did better schoolwork.”

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Opinions

October 2O24

PHONY SOLUTION Trinity’s new phone policy creates more problems than it solves

Trinity’s new policy makes the term “cell phone” literal, with phones locked up in metal cases. And much like a traditional prison system, it is ineffective, inequitable and unsafe.

The policy — which forces all middle schoolers and freshmen to turn in their phones to their advisers for the school day — was enacted to “enhance student well-being and bolster learning,” according to the school’s announcement from July. However, it fails to accomplish either.

Our student handbook acknowledges that phones provide great utility in the classroom: “All electronic devices must be turned off during class unless the teacher has specifically authorized the use of the device during that particular class for educational purposes.”

The new policy inhibits students below 10th grade from completing tasks as basic as submitting classwork or recording media for projects. Nowhere is this more glaring than in our own newsroom: freshman staffers have to navigate a tedious new process to simply record an interview. Outside of class, QR codes, often used for club signups and incorporated into assembly, now exclude one-fourth of our upper school. That doesn’t bolster students’ learning; it diminishes it.

Recent changes to the dress code and attendance policies have been couched as necessary for students to build self-discipline. But with phones completely out of the picture for younger students, they no longer have a chance to do so.

“I don’t know if students, not just Trinity Prep students, students in general, are strong enough to self-regulate against what is one of the most lucrative industries in the world,” Assistant Head of Upper School Sebastiaan Blickman said. “So I’m not sure that practicing that attempt to beat [that industry] and failing repeatedly actually allows the student to develop that discipline.”

Students should not be denied that opportunity. Wholly eliminating phones from large

swaths of the student body because of a few downsides neglects the benefits of learning to use them in moderation.

“We had a negative way of using our phones at school,” Freshman Class President Max Menard said. “So, because of that, we can’t improve ourselves and learn from our mistakes, and they just take it away. We don’t learn anything, and we’ll just go back to the same thing next year.”

Furthermore, much of what the policy aims to guard against, including video games and social media, can easily be accessed on laptops.

Even texting can be accomplished without a phone — with the right technology.

MacBooks allow users to chat through iMessage even if their phone is turned off. Therefore, students who use Apple can circumvent the policy while maintaining a facade of compliance. This not only renders the current system futile but also creates an equity concern: Android and PC users can’t skirt the policy in this manner. What could have been a great campaign for healthy cell phone use has manifested as a half-baked advertisement for Apple.

“These are inequity issues that I think, as an administrative team, we [have] to wrestle with and [that] only get exposed when we actually put this into [effect],” Blickman said. “Now that we know it’s an issue, now we have to solve it.”

Students without Macs are now cut off from their parents, causing confusion with processes like after-school pickup — especially at this time of year, when severe weather holds are a regular occurrence. Trinity’s solution, per the policy’s announcement, is that “Parents can relay messages through the division offices, and students can connect with parents via the office phone.” But in serious situations, such as a medical emergency or threat on campus, that middleman wastes precious seconds.

During the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia on Sept. 4, sophomore Abby Turner kept in touch with her mother

over text. Her father soon rushed to the campus. If not for her phone, Turner would’ve spent what might have been her final moments in complete isolation from her family.

“I wanted to [text her] in case I couldn’t do it later,” Turner said in an interview with The Washington Post. “It was my first instinct.”

Given these concerns, Trinity should expand the system currently employed by 10th-12th grade, where students retain their phones while complying with teachers’ policies. More severe measures can be used as punishments on a case-by-case basis. Phones are valuable tools both educationally and socially, and at a college preparatory school, students must be prepared to work with such an integral part of society, not shielded from it.

“We can take phones away from kids during the school day, but when they end up going out to the real world … that’s something that they’re going to have,” Student Body President Connor Nanus said. “So if we’re trying to replicate a preparatory environment, I think limiting access to those things isn’t always the best option.”

Despite its flaws, Trinity’s new policy stems from an honorable goal. Unexpected challenges are bound to occur with any monumental change to life on campus.

“My biggest fear is that kids see teachers or admin or whoever as boogeymen that are out to get them,” Blickman said. “I want them to see that any decision we make is always guided by what’s best for the student. And it might be best for the student tomorrow, or it might be best for the student 10, 15, 20 years from now.

We are trying to serve you all.”

For better or worse, phones are a part of life.

It is time for us to stop locking them up and instead deal with them in a way that is practical, fair and safe for all.

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

October 2O24

Opinions

BREAKING OUT OF BINARIES Racial binaries constrict identities Article by Karl Loiseau Graphic by Caden Liu “I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?”

Former President Trump said in July about Vice President Kamala Harris. As harmless as this statement may seem, Trump’s comments reveal a greater issue regarding identifiers and how multi-ethnic people, like Harris, are often forced to choose between two identities. “[It] goes to the way in which [people] understand mixedness,” said Dr. Curtiss Takada Rooks, a multi-racial studies professor of Loyola Marymount. “[Harris] identifies with being Indian heavily. She was raised by a single Indian mom, but her life experience [was] walking through the world as a Black girl.”

Society has constructed rigid binaries that prevent people from simply being themselves.

In Harris’ case, she is expected to be either Black or Indian, as if identity is mutually exclusive. While 33.8 million people nationwide identify as multiracial according to the 2020 U.S. Census, these binaries still form well before adulthood.

“My brother had to give a photo of him being in an Indian outfit for one of his friends to believe him and it’s like you need to prove [yourself ] ... just for you to be accepted,” junior Marisela Morel said.

The way we perceive race started explicitly for discrimination. When America was still forming, poor white laborers were treated the same as enslaved African people. By the 1700s, however, race had become a legalized system, and slavery had become a social status bound to the color of one’s skin to delineate white laborers from enslaved African people. To cement a boundary, a series of anti-miscegeneation laws were passed to prohibit interracial marriage which not only impacted Black people but also excluded South and East-Asian people.

All of these efforts served to alienate multi-ethnic

people who fell outside of the binary, and they have had long-lasting impacts.

This binary has personally impacted me and my family members due to our multi-ethnic background. People coming up to my brother and inquiring about “what he was” seemed absurd. Asking personal details about those who appear ethnically ambiguous feels entitled and intrusive. What was more striking, though, was his answer. Depending on who asked, he identified himself differently. His answers were either “mixed” or “Black,” neither of which helped him feel comfortable.

However, my brother’s response is not an isolated one. In 2015 a Pew Research report found that 21% of multi-ethnic people said that they have felt pressure from friends, family or “society in general” to identify as a single race. Ethnically ambiguous people are questioned while simultaneously their answers are never enough.

Identity invalidation is not just constricted to a social aspect though. On government-sanctioned surveys, like the 2020 Census, people who do not fit under the seven options that are provided are

prompted to select “some other race.” If they choose to type out their identity, they are funneled under “some other race.” While identifying as an “other” seems invalidating, the Census did not even allow for a person to identify as mixed until 2000.

Black, Asian, Alaskan Native, Latino– all these identifiers serve to indicate a cultural background or shared identity. No matter how diverse each respective culture is, those identifiers still point to lived experiences or countries that people can associate with. There is no shared country or culture for people who are mixed, biracial or multi-ethnic. To accommodate this, society must recognize that identity is not Black and white. For mixed people, identity is an eternal gray.

“I identify as Black,” Rooks said. “I identify as Black Japanese. I identify as Japanese. One plus one for me equals three.”

Society must rupture the identity binary, accepting the fact that multi-ethnic people can be multi-ethnic. Mixed people are entitled to their identity as well as their privacy and should not have to deal with uncomfortable questions. Identity-based questions that seek to categorize people lead to unproductive discussion, as more often than not, multi-ethnic people feel obligated to choose the path of least resistance. These questions then place the responsibility on the reply rather than addressing society’s pressure. “ ... Being counted as multiracial is of both personal and national significance,” wrote professor of law at Georgetown University Naomi Mezey Georgetown Law Faculty Publications.

“That is, a person can only sustain [their] identity if others recognize [them] as [they] recognizes [themselves] and that [they] [are] only included in the national community to the extent that the government classifies [them] in a recognizable way.”

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Opinions

October 2O24

PRO: CELEBRITIES SPEAK OUT Article by Amanda Rose DeStefano Graphics by Caden Liu

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” hit-singer Taylor Swift said in an Instagram post following the presidential debate.

Along with the official endorsement, Swift explained that she thought her post was important to dispel AI-generated images of herself endorsing former President Trump’s campaign. She explained that in light of the images, she thought transparency about her political intentions was vital.

Swift isn’t the first celebrity to use their platform to comment on politics. Football stars, hit singers and CEOs are all getting political.

Scrolling through your social media feed, you are sure to find countless celebrities weighing in on hot-button issues – whether it be climate change, LGBTQ+ rights or geopolitical tension. While some argue that these celebrities should stick to the field or the recording studio, celebrities have the power to make or break our political system with their platforms.

The most valuable of this influencer activity is endorsements of political candidates. At both the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention, celebrities were loud and proud in the audience and on the stage. From Kid Rock to Lil Jon, celebrities made up a large portion of media coverage at the conventions.

Even more so, celebrities advocate for po-

liticans on social media. Musical sensation Charli XCX’s tweet reading “kamala IS brat,” has reached over 55 million views on X. While she didn’t mean for the tweet to spark such fame, Charli explained to Vulture magazine that she stands by her tweet. “... to be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me,” XCX said.

Regardless of the importance of the young vote in elections, the Harvard Kennedy School found earlier this year that only 53% of 18 to 29 year olds intend to vote in the 2024 election. This number is incredibly concerning, with young people inheriting the product of the next presidency, but refusing to show up for it.

Celebrities might be the solution to getting young voters to show up to the polls.

NPR reported in 2023 that after Taylor Swift posted a link for voting registration on her Instagram, more than 35,000 people registered – an unexpected surge in democratic involvement, all thanks to the pop star’s social media message.

Celebrity status isn’t a reason to steer away from politics, but a reason to become involved.

Celebrities like Swift are able to create tangible and positive change by encouraging fans to participate in elections.

This isn’t the first time that stars have stuck their nose in politics. Bob Dylan, famous for his anti-war and pro-Civil Rights lyrics, proved that left-wing ideas could be commercially successful. Coined as one of music’s biggest stars, Dylan’s attention to moral issues spiraled him into fame in the first place, showcasing that celebrity intervention in the political sphere can benefit celebrities

themselves as well as the society at large.

Although some argue that celebrities aren’t qualified to comment on politics, junior Jia Sood thinks otherwise.

“If you’re living in the world, you’re qualified to talk about it, because it’s what you’re seeing around yourself,” Sood said.

With an influx of celebrities commenting on politics, backlash has also increased.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham went down in infamy in 2018 for her request for Lebron James to just “shut up and dribble” in reaction to his commentary about racism, Trump and politics at large.

In response, James used a press conference to defend his statements and his societal role in talking politics.

“We will definitely not shut up and dribble. ... I mean too much to society, too much to the youth, too much to so many kids who feel like they don’t have a way out,” James said.

While there is a risk of giving the wrong people a huge platform, it’s important for social media users to recognize that the personal is political. Athletes like James deserve to comment on the racism rampant in athletics and in the country at large – his celebrity status doesn’t change this right. Charli XCX should feel comfortable using her art to advocate and her platform to endorse. Lil Wayne should advocate for Trump’s presidency after Trump pardoned the rapper in his first term. Personal experiences, interactions and opinions shouldn’t be kept out of Hollywood – they make Hollywood relevant.

“I don’t speak out because I am an artist,” Scandal’s Kerry Washington said. “I speak out because I’m an American.”

Opinions

October 2O24

CON: CELEBRITIES SHUT UP Article by David Hull Graphics by Caden Liu

In today’s digital age, news can be posted with the click of a button, and as a result, celebrities have a significantly larger role than ever in shaping public opinion. Although they have the right to free speech, news spread by celebrities has, in some cases, been proven to be misleading and a distortion of the truth.

Opening up X, any common voter can scroll past fabricated or deceptive posts such as a picture of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in a communist uniform. While these posts may seem harmless, they often garner hundreds of thousands of likes, expanding their influence further than many are willing to admit. With the far-reaching influence celebrities wield over American citizens, the question has to be asked: are they qualified to tell others how to vote?

While it would be ideal for all voters to be well-versed in current events and basic governmental policies, a poll by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology finds that the average voter only knows 1.3 of the 3 most important news stories each month. Even more concerning, according to the University of Pennsylvania, only 5% of adults know the first five amendments of the Constitution. While the right for celebrities to share their political opinions is protected by the First Amendment, voters’ inadequate political awareness has caused a need for this debate.

These statistics are especially concerning given the recent emergence of social media as a popular outlet of news.

With the average social media user spending over two hours on different plat-

forms per day, it is evident that what they see will affect their views. Public figures who have gained their fame through a variety of industries have used their popularity on social media to voice political opinions.

The average voter’s lack of knowledge and constant use of social media makes them more susceptible to false information posted by celebrities. For example, Elon Musk has used his fame and fortune to endorse Former President Donald Trump. The multi-billionaire bought the social media platform Twitter (later renamed X), and in an effort to sway the public view of the current candidates, he has unbanned Trump from the app. Musk is also an avid user of X and has posted many misleading tweets, which include an AI-generated video of Kamala Harris, claims that non-citizens are voting, and multiple messages about his doubt in the machines that tabulate votes and mail ballots. While multiple of his messages have been fact-checked and proven incorrect, Musk’s dominance over the app gives him the ability to influence X’s 556 million users with false information that could alter their perception of current events – and more importantly, their votes.

Many Americans, especially young voters, would prefer to listen to celebrities rather than governmental representatives. According to a Harvard study, only 9% of young Americans believe that the US is heading in the right direction which shows the common distrust of political leaders. This skepticism has opened the door for celebrities to have a larger effect on Americans’ views.

Although voter education is a key part of the issue, the more important matter at hand is the political consciousness of those spreading information.

15

While it isn’t possible to know the average celebrity’s extent of political literacy, many instances in the past suggest that they shouldn’t be the ones shaping public discourse. According to studies conducted by Temple Management Information Systems Professor Minseok Pang, social media users create more fake news after being verified. The majority of celebrities are verified users on social media, and the credibility of their posts is likely to be assumed because of their popularity.

“When you’re verified, your posts carry more weight, and it’s more damaging when you share fake news,” Pang said.

Kanye West is a perfect example of celebrities’ lack of credibility. In an interview with American radio host Alex Jones, West was quoted praising Hitler. Although most acknowledge the radicality of West’s quote, his words fuel the lasting effects of the Holocaust.

“I like Hitler,” West said. “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis.”

Particularly in recent history, public figures have made their political stances known. At the Women’s March on Washington in 2017, famous pop singer Madonna Ciccone told a large crowd about her thoughts of blowing up the White House because of her disagreements with the Republican administration. After President Trump’s victory in 2020, award-winning actress Roseanne Barr posted racist tweets toward one of President Obama’s advisers.

While the radicality of celebrities’ statements on politics can vary, it is often too hard to decipher who is trustworthy, and the diversity of public figures speaking out highlights the broad range of people affected by their opinions. In a world where disinformation is so rampant, celebrities only contribute to the noise, drowning out credible sources of information.

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Focus

October 2O24

October 2O24

Focus

17

YEAR OF CHANGES Article by Mia Prince Photo by Julia Hoskins

Trinity’s campus looks immensely different drive themselves, but now with this new rule, year,” Balouchian said. from last school year. With drastic changes in sophomores have to rely on their parents to get The large volume of students adds to the our parking lot, phone policies, and Grille, them to school. crowds formed in the Grille. Although there students have turned from sending each other The Grille Changes: are obstacles created the new stations offer new TikToks to trying to navigate the traffic in the The Grille has implemented newfood op- options for pickier eaters allowing the Grille to parking lots. tions for students, even bringing back pre- appeal to a bigger variety of students.

COVID-19 options such as the panini station Students have enjoyed all the changes and New Parking Lot: The new junior parking lot in the practice- and the salad bar. Other stations were added are excited to see how they develop and other field has created morning and afternoon cha- like the soup bar which has been greatly appre- changes made in the future years.

The New Phone Policy: os due to the rain. When Sixth through ninth graders thunder, lightning and seare not allowed to have their vere weather hit, the long phones this year. In the morntrek across is now even ing, the phones are taken and more painstaking. are locked up until dismissal.

“The worst part is Many ninth graders are upwhen it rains and there set that they are included in is lightning alerts, we get this rules since they feel they stuck and we can’t walk are mature enough. to our cars,” junior Isa“We shouldn’t be included bella Moore said. “Leavsince we’re already in high ing is also a pain because school,” freshman Kamilah in order to get out of the Herniquez said. “We finished parking lot we have to middle school so I think it isgo through carline which unfair to include us as well.” takes a lot longer.”

Students are having are Although there are miharder time connecting with nor inconveniences cretheir parents and friends. If ated for the junior class, needed to be picked up there there are aspects to the is no easily accessible way new parking arrangement to contact parents. During that juniors like better.

College counselor Matthew Likso provides speed reminders to parent and student breaks students can’t easily text “I leave at the same time drivers. The parking lot is just one of the many changes made this year. their friends to locate them. because only juniors are “If I need to leave early or allowed to park and I’m have an emergency, I have to schedule a time not fighting for a spot like I had to last year,” ciated by all students.

Even the stations that already existed have for it and know beforehand and it’s not someMoore said. “I’m not so worried about getting to school as early as I did last year and I am been upgraded like the grab and go section has thing I can always plan,” Herniquez said. new sandwiches and wraps adding to the level less stressed.”

Picking up their phones at the end of the On the other hand, sophomores have been of variety this school year. day has become a new hassle.

“The new stations are great and create more completely inconvenienced because they can “It’s chaotic because there was a time that variety allowing more options for each and ev- my advisor wasn’t in the room and she had the no longer drive to school.

“The reason why it has been frustrating is ery student,” Balouchian said. key,” Herniquez said. “I had to wait 10 minbecause sophomores are getting to the age The new stations create more varieties but utes for her to come after school and I was alwhere they’re going to be able to drive and I allows for more crowds creating frustration. most late to practice.” don’t think administrators understands the “More options for food have created longer These challenges hinder students social lives hardships now created,” sophomore Monely lines, the panini station and hot lunch lines which is a source of frustration.

Balouchian said. have become longer now that there are more Many parents depend on their students to food stations in the same small space as last

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Focus

October 2O24

GOING C C NUTS FOR KAMALA Harris’s campaign strategies gear towards Gen Z Article by Mila Taylor Graphic by Maxi De La Fuente In 2007, Barack Obama was the first presidential candidate to ever leverage the power of social media for campaigning, with almost 1 million followers on Facebook. This was significant for his time, but fast forward to 2024, and Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has around 17 million followers on Instagram. On July 22, a day after Harris was endorsed by Joe Biden, Kamala HQ posted a neon green statement with blurry black letters and a tweet from Charli XCX saying “kamala IS Brat.”

Marking a significant change in campaign tactics, Harris’ campaign has steered towards Generation Z (Gen Z), giving her a stronger lead in polls than Biden throughout the summer. Unlike Biden’s campaign, which also attempted to attract young voters with TikToks, Harris’ Gen Z platform grew almost effortlessly. Excitement about Harris’ campaign has quickly gained momentum after Biden stepped aside

from reelection. Over the summer, “Coconut Tree” TikToks went viral, based on a statement she made at a White House event in 2023, advocating for education equity.

“My mother ... would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us ... You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?”

Harris said. “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.”

Supporters then used coconut and palm trees to show their support and endorsement for her, and Harris’ campaign team used the viral meme to their advantage. Sponsor of Trinity Prep’s Voters Club, Sebastiaan Blickman said he has learned a lot about pop culture through Harris’ campaign.

“We decide our leaders based on who can promise the most, and do so in the most attention-seeking way,” Blickman said. “I had no idea what this “brat” thing was … Then I learned about it based on that campaign.”

Kamala HQ is providing context; between posts highlighting the dangers of Project 2025 and Harris’ policy plans, the campaign team uses viral Gen Z memes to appeal to younger audiences, while also educating them about the candidate. Harris’ campaign efforts had differed vastly from former President Donald Trump, who turned to media outlets like X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook, mark-

ing an appeal to older audiences. Harris’ approach to appealing to younger audiences has gained her a significant amount of press.

“As a strategic move, I think it’s been tremendously effective,” senior Nikolas Polsinelli said. “I think it’s more representative towards a broader audience. I think it’s good for democracy in addition to her campaign.”

Harris’ media presence has boosted her polls significantly, in contrast to Biden. Shortly before Biden dropped out, his polls stood at around a 38% approval rate from U.S. adults, according to AP News. However, when Harris entered the race as the new Democratic candidate, her approval rate stood at 48%, almost half of US adults, according to AP News. Not only has her appeal to Gen Z, but also the historical significance of a woman of color running for president, has excited many voters.

Similar to Harris, Obama who was known as the “first social media president,” launched a campaign with such force that he inspired citizens to vote for him. According to a case study written by the Stanford School of Business, a major factor that contributed to the success of the Obama campaign was its use of social media, “not only to raise money but also more importantly, to develop a groundswell of empowered volunteers who felt that they could make a difference.”

Just like Obama, harnessing the power of social media has since become a driving force of campaigns. However, no other candidate has caught the attention of Gen Z quite as much as Harris. Her campaign has used pop culture to its advantage, and voters have latched onto her relatability. Despite her growing popularity at the beginning of the campaign, Trump has now caught up in the polls. Americans will just have to wait and see if Harris’ large social media presence and platform of young voters is enough to secure the presidency.

October 2O24

Focus

19

UNIVERSAL’S EPIC SWITCH Universal releases new major park, Epic Universe Article by Taylor Griffith Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente The world-famous theme park, Universal Studios, is expected to grow dramatically with a fourth park, Epic Universe. Ten years in the making, this project has faced many construction challenges but the highly anticipated park will make its epic opening sometime in 2025.

According to the tourist website Orlando Informer fourth theme park at Universal Orlando has been a bumpy ride: announced in August 2019, put on hold in July 2020, and reactivated in March 2021. Currently, construction is slowly ramping back up to pre-pandemic levels, and its opening date is still set for sometime in 2025.

“These plans were started years and years ago, but we’re kind of down to our last final parts of planning,” Software Development Manager at Universal Studios Chris Crumbaker said.

With these plans completed, officials released the map for the new park and announced the new lands. According to Crumbaker, the different lands are Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic, How to Train Your Dragon: Isle of Berk and Dark Universe.

“A big draw is going to be the Super Nintendo World,” Crumbaker said. “They have that in Hollywood right now, and that was a big draw there. This one’s going to be a lot bigger than Hollywood.”

Supposed to be the best ride in Super Nintendo World, Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge is a way for people to be in a real race, like Mario Kart. Not only is this new park going to have different lands, but also a hotel that will be overlooking the park. “[The hotel] is going to be amazing,” Vice President of Resort Development for Placemaking Ricardo Galbis said. “It’s kind of the

first time, at least in local history, where you will have a hotel directly in the park and the views are spectacular.”

The hotel will be something that many theme parks have not seen before. The new lands and hotel will attract lots of crowds, and Universal has been preparing for this.

“This new park is going to double the size of Universal Orlando,” Crumbaker said. “Currently we have Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay. If you take the capacity of those three parks, the new park is going to equal the capacity of Epic Universe. It’s huge, and it’s Universal’s largest park.”

With a new park, crowds will ramp up, but Universal has found a way to ensure the old parks are still visited the same amount as the new park.

“When the new park opens, they’re doing what is called a gated ticket way of selling tickets,” Crumbaker said.“If you want to go to the new park you’re going to have to buy tickets to the old park too.”

This method will maintain the status of the old parks and control the large crowds at Epic Universe. A new technology of face ID will also be introduced to both parks. When you enter the park instead of using your fingerprint, there will be a camera that sees if your face matches your ticket.

Creators are hoping the new park will cause more people to stay at hotels and parks longer.

“Their idea with this park is to make Universal the week-long destination,”

Crumbaker said.

Instead of people just visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal which usually only takes one to two days, with the new park there is much more to do.

“They’re expecting 200,000 tickets just on the first day of ticket sales for the new park,” Crumbaker said.

With each land taking about a day to go through, the park has many stops. The new park will intrigue many new guests and the changes to Universal are said to be the biggest investments they have ever made and will completely change the experience. With many new rides that are like no other, the highly anticipated ride Harry Potter and the Battle of Ministry is said to be one of the darkest rides that brings the magic of Harry Potter alive. With new rides like these, Epic Universe will gain attraction rapidly.

“The park is really going to be spectacular, it’s going to be a park like no other,” Galbis said.

2O

Lifestyles

October 2O24

NEW WAVE OF SUSHI

A review of an enticing new Maitland sushi fusion restaurant

Article by Sammy Lou Graphic by Natalie Baron A new sushi restaurant has made its way into town, riding on the wave of a food mashup trend that combines American fast food with Japanese sushi. At Wave Sushi, which just opened in Maitland, customers can choose from seemingly bizarre options that include sushi pizza, sushi burgers, sushi burritos and even sushi tacos.

They may sound a bit unusual, but each of these items on Wave Sushi’s unconventional menu is an eye-popping display of color that is both delicious and Instagram-worthy. Whether you are a diehard sushi fan or just enjoy trying something different, this new fusion of Japanese and American cuisine is sure to spark your interest.

Traditionally, sushi is served as raw fish and rice, either in roll form (maki) or individual pieces on top of vinegared rice mounds (nigiri). In fact, in Japanese, “su” means vinegar and “shi” is short for “meshi,” which means rice.

When sushi arrived in the U.S. decades ago, it began to evolve with the creation of rolls like the California roll, adding new ingredients like avocado, “krab” and cream cheese. Now, restaurants in the U.S. are taking the sushi concept one step further, blending Japanese sushi with American comfort food.

Recently, new restaurants specializing in these sushi mashups have begun to pop up in Orlando, including Poke Burri, which opened in February 2024, and Wave Sushi, which opened in August 2024. This new location is the fast-casual version of Wave Asian Bistro in Mt. Dora, which has grown quite popular for its sushi burritos and sushi donuts, amassing almost half a million followers on its Instagram account.

As a sushi lover, I was excited to investigate this new trend by trying out Wave Sushi. I had already tasted sushi at restaurants in Japan (which is the best in my opinion – no surprise), conveyor belt restaurants like Kura Sushi, local sushi restaurants and even graband-go sushi from Publix. I could not wait to add Wave Sushi to the list.

Wave Sushi is in a newly renovated plaza on

East Horatio Avenue. The building’s architecture and big windows give the restaurant’s exterior a sleek, modern look. The inside of the restaurant has a fast-casual atmosphere similar to a Shake Shack, and the interior is bright and clean, with a colorful mural covering the walls.

When I stepped up to order at the counter, I was hit with one disappointment: the Maitland location does not serve sushi donuts yet.

Luckily, they had everything else. I decided to try four of the main menu items to see what this mashup trend is all about. (No, I did not finish all of this by myself!)

When the food was first brought to the table, it was a colorful blend of red, orange and green ingredients. I could not fight the urge to take a picture of everything before digging in.

I first tried the Poke Sushi Pizza, which combined typical poke bowl toppings on a pizza slice made of rice. I have to hand it to the creativity and details that went into the design.

I loved the use of masago (fish eggs) as the “sauce” of the sushi pizza and a tuna roll as the “crust.” The tuna, salmon, edamame and sesame seed toppings gave each bite great texture and flavor. While delicious, it was the heaviest “pizza slice” I have ever eaten.

Similarly, the Nami Sushi Burrito was basically an oversized California roll big enough to feed two people. Seaweed served as the “tortilla,” which was stuffed with a substantial mix of tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, avocado and vegetables. Aside from the sheer size of the portions, the food tasted amazing. Both the fish and the vegetables were fresh and blended well together.

More sushi creativity came in the form of the Spicy Krab Taco, which had a fried tempura seaweed shell that kept the taco from falling apart, an annoying problem with traditional tacos. Similarly, the salmon sushi burger’s deep-fried sushi rice buns not only held the burger together well, but they also gave the sandwich a crunchy texture that complemented the soft salmon “patty” perfectly.

In terms of the taste, the food deserves a 9/10, and the presentation easily earned a 10/10. I will admit that the prices are a bit

steep for “fast food” sushi: $70 before tax for four items. However, the large portions, flavor and presentation of the sushi make up for the hefty price tag.

Wave Asian Bistro’s sushi creations are a tasty novelty that is great for sushi lovers who do not mind paying a few extra dollars for the creativity and presentation. I think the restaurant is a great destination for eating with friends and/or family, and I would highly recommend trying it out.

Nami Sushi Burrito

Salmon Sushi Burger

Poke Sushi Pizza

October 2O24

Lifestyles

21

IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS

Media’s overfocus on violence forces journalists to change their approach Article by Lucy Chong Graphic by Caden Liu A typical day’s top stories on Google: “11-year-old boy confessed to killing former mayor of a small Louisiana town and his daughter.”

“A man was found dead in a closet at a Florida nursing home.”

“Apalachee High School shooting leaves at least four dead.”

“In Ukraine’s supposed safe haven city, a family is wiped out by a Russian missile strike.”

The news has become all too predictable; every day there are fresh stories, but they are all written in the same tragic font. The rise of 24-hour news and social media have created a never-ending stream of violent, dire content that has impacted readers, writers and policymaking for the worse.

The dean of Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Sandro Galea, explains in an interview with NPR that the viewing of trauma in media outlets can cause psychological distress or mental health issues among viewers. Research after 9/11 found that specifically watching images of people being hurt had the greatest impact on audiences.

Unsurprisingly, these impacts are even more severe for the reporters who are expected to keep researching and writing these types of stories day after day.

“As bad as this may be for the audience, it’s even worse for the people who are covering these stories,” journalist and UF professor Dr. Kim Walsh-Childers said. “For health reporters who were covering COVID non-stop it was very traumatic ... they were constantly having to write about people dying.”

The constant flood of bad news brought on by 24/7 coverage of everything that’s wrong with the world has left people with the feeling that they no longer have the power to make a difference, which has harmed civic involvement. “[It] makes sense.”

Walsh-Childers said.

“If the big problem in your city is homeless- things are happening, but it is imperative that ness, but you feel like there’s homelessness those discussions start becoming more solueverywhere and nobody knows how to solve tions based. the problem, why would you get involved?

Solutions journalism is an emerging field Nobody likes fighting losing battles.” of journalism that focuses on solutions-based However, despite today’s overwhelming coverage of global issues. The movement has number of tragic headlines, journalism seems been led by the Solutions Journalism Netto be headed in a more positive direction, even work, but continued by big name publications if slowly. too like BBC, Politico and the Seattle Times, Walsh-Childers “If we find places that are actually who have all started colexplains that the umns (People Fixing the coverage of mass making some difference, then it’s a lot World, What Works, shootings has re- more appealing to people to try to be the Education Lab, recently evolved for involved...because they don’t feel like spectively) dedicated to the better. Previsolutions journalism. ously, news out- they’re fighting a losing battle.”

“Solutions journalism lets focused heavis - Walsh-Childers, UF Professor [the idea] that rather ily on the shooter than focusing all of our and their life, which raised concerns that the attention on things that are going badly, maymedia was inspiring copycats to commit simi- be it would make a lot more sense if we tried lar actions because they desired this “fame.” In to find places where things were working,” 2022, however, there was a notable shift in the Walsh-Childers said. way publications chose to cover mass shootWalsh-Childers gives the example of an artiings, choosing to focus on the victims instead cle on graduation rates to show what solutions of the perpetrator. journalism looks like in action.

Moving forward, Walsh-Childers believes “If I’m going to tell you about how our journalists can continue this trend of change schools’ graduation rates are bad, doesn’t it by shifting the way they cover tragic issues to make more sense to say, ‘yeah, ours are bad, focus on solutions over problems. It’s import- but look at this other school over here that’s ant reporters don’t stop discussing these top- in a very similar community, very similar popics because people deserve to know when bad ulation and their graduation rates are actually pretty good,’” Walsh-Childers said. “So what is it they’re doing that we’re not?”

Despite its recency, studies on solutions journalism have shown that it makes audiences feel less depressed and less anxious. Most notably, solutions journalism has made people more willing to get involved in global issues, which has given it the potential to reinvigorate civic engagement.

“If we find places that are actually making some difference, then it’s a lot more appealing to people to try to be involved in those activities because they don’t feel like they’re fighting a losing battle anymore,” WalshChilders said.

22

Lifestyles

October 2O24

UPHILL FROM HERE

Mathematics teacher Michael Hill has big plans after his retirement

Article by Jack Aaron Photo courtesy of Michael Hill

my business and help others, and if I get bored ever, ending his teaching career still hasn’t sunk Four classrooms. Four different math I can always tutor math and [I’ve] got a few in yet.

“Every teacher goes on retirement for two courses. 29 years of teaching. To some, he is years of doing that,” Hill said. “coach.” To others, he is “Mr.” To many, he is Since leaving teaching, Hill has certainly months out of the year anyway, so it still feels kind of like it’s still summer,” Hill said. “I an inspiration. made the most of his time.

Michael Hill was a math teacher at Trinity “I did a half Ironman race in Oregon and know school has started, but in some ways, it’s for 12 years, after having taught at Winter then visited my family in Colorado,” Hill not quite hit me any differently than another Park High for 17. Before departing from his said. “So it’s been a full summer of go-go-go. summer would.”

As the end of a school year approaches, teaching career, Hill taught pre-algebra, al- I’ve probably traveled more this calendar year gebra, geometry and college algebra. He also than any previous two or three combined. Not teachers typically publicly disclose their resigworked with the cross country and track and so much with retirement but just the way it nation. Hill, on the other hand, kept his leaving lesser known. field teams as a coach and official timekeeper worked out.”

“I did not make [my retirement] known unfor meets.

Hill’s plans don’t end here. After having to Now, Hill has retired from teaching to ded- cancel his trip previously due to COVID-19, til right at the end of school,” Hill said. “I told icate more time to his track and field timing Hill would like to visit his birthplace, Switzer- the people I had to tell earlier in the semester, company, Elite Timing & Event Management. land, for his 30th wedding anniversary. How- just out of respect and who I had to tell. But I didn’t tell even my close friends here “We’d like to host events as the fortill maybe two weeks before school mer head track coach of Winter Park and I didn’t tell my students just beHigh School where we hosted the state cause I didn’t want them distracted.” meet for years,” Hill said. “I feel very Sophomore Everest Lochbryn comfortable in a directorship role. I’ve was one of Hill’s students and was done everything from compete to offisurprised to hear about his favorite ciate the time.” teacher’s sudden leaving.

Hill has been surrounded by track “He was a very enthusiastic teachand field his entire life. His largest er,” Lochbryn said. “The way he did role-model was his high school coach; his lessons and the way he talked and his best man at his wedding was a taught us made it more engaging, and former teammate; and he has even I feel like I remember that more than coached numerous high school athsome other classes … It was obviously letes to state championships. sad because I like to still talk to teachHis love of sports and math perfecters after I’ve left [their] class. But I’m ly blend together to form the passion happy for him. I’m sure he and his he has for this profession. business are doing well, and so I wish “[There are] 34 events, 17 boy’s, 17 him all the best.” girl’s events and within each of those Hill wasn’t just a teacher or a coach; you can have 15 to 40 kids compethe was a man who genuinely enjoyed ing,” Hill said. “So if you do the math, what he did and strived to be a role that’s hundreds and hundreds and model for all students. sometimes thousands of points of data “A colleague here told me on the that have to go in through me, and last day of school, ‘you’ve got a golden none of them can be wrong… I love ticket if you ever change. Math teachthe pressure.” ers are needed, and you could always Along with prioritizing his entrefind a job,’” Hill said. “My response preneurship, Hill plans to spend the was ‘I don’t know that I ever want a rest of his free time helping others job’ and I’ve never felt like teaching and being with his loved ones.

After retiring in June 2024, Hill visited the Yosemite National was a job.”

“I think the first thing is to expand Park over the summer.

Sports

October 2O24

23

Head Coach Thomas Roark instructs the swim team on proper technique before a team practice.

ROARK MAKES A SPLASH

Article by Ben Kleiman Photo by Julia Hoskins

Thomas Roark enters the 2024 - 2025 school year as the interim head coach for the varsity swim team. Roark’s passion for swimming began at the age of five and he has always had big aspirations for his swimming career.

At the age of 12, Roark made his first national cut which ultimately led him to pursue his swimming career.

In 2016 and 2017 Roark was the captain for his school swimming team. This role was primarily reserved for seniors, but Roark was given the honor in his junior year and continued his captainship throughout the rest of his high school career. Leadership positions and teamwork were often challenging for Roark, but this role changed his life.

“It helped me realize that there are people that are going to have struggles, but as a leader, you have to uplift everybody and serve them in their best way,” Roark said.

The following year Roark joined the Louisiana State University (LSU) swim team as a 10time state champion. Roark had achieved the

goal that he made when he was 12 years old.

After Roark wrapped up his swimming career at LSU, he still felt that he had more to give to the sport.

“As I grew older, I wanted to start to give back to the sport that gave me so much, and that’s what got me into coaching,” Roark said.

“I am giving back to the next generation and showing them how amazing [swimming] is.”

Roark began his coaching career at Crawfish Aquatics in Baton Rouge, La. followed by his employment at Blue Tide Aquatics in Houston, Texas for nearly two years. Roark later moved to Florida, where he became the assistant coach for the Trinity swim team under Coach Steve Lazaraton.

The swim team practices alongside the diving team coached by Kristy Nave, a First Team All-American and diver for Duke University.

Nave has worked closely with Roark for the past year, and she is excited to see his growth throughout the swim season.

“The assistant coach helps the head coach,” Nave said. “[Roark] organized the things behind the scenes for the team, so he was pre-

pared to be the head coach. It was a really good transition up for him.”

In his new position, Roark is determined to teach his team about accountability and the importance of staying focused, in order to help them accomplish their final goal of winning districts. Roark also aims to set up his swimmers for success in and out of the pool.

“My ultimate goal is to develop better people,” Roark said. “You are accountable to your teammates, your teachers, your coaches, and your parents, and if you’re not giving your best, you can’t ask someone else to do their best.”

Roark has significant expectations for the team. He is going to keep on pushing the swimmers. This season he plans to guide his swimmers on what it means to be a hard worker, but also on technique in hopes in leading the team to districts.

“I want the best out of [the team],” Roark said. “Holding the swimmers to their team’s expectations and staying focused on the present, not worrying about what was in the past, but rather looking forward to the future.”

24

October 2O24

Sports

PLAYBOOK TO PAYCHECK

How college athletes excel beyond the field in their careers Article by Thomas Bonos Photo by Caden Liu

Almost every kid’s childhood dream is to pursue their passion at the highest level possible — whether that be as an astronaut, professional athlete or a school teacher; Peter Princi is no exception.

In his life, he’s only had two employers: the NY Mets and Morgan Stanley. Star pitcher and senior captain of Wake Forest’s baseball team, Princi fulfilled his childhood dream when he was drafted to the New York Mets.

After a brief career in the minor leagues, Princi believed it would be in his best interest to hang up his cleats. The internship Princi secured during his senior year created a lifelong job at Morgan Stanley; the lessons and skills he learned as a student-athlete in college provided him the foundation to climb to the top of the finance world.

According to a 2024 Harvard Business School study as well other studies by the NCAA found that 33% of collegiate athletes had great job opportunities after graduation.

Former collegiate athletes find more success when it comes to securing higher-paying jobs or pursuing additional degrees than students who did not play a sport in college.

Student-athletes have been trained to manage and balance the many demands on them, whether that is social, academic or athletic.

This early understanding of creating a life balance sets them up well for real-world exposure.

Princi believes that juggling the challenging workload of the Wake Forest Business School and the demands of playing in a top 20 Division I baseball program helped him deal with real-world pressures.

“Go to the best possible school you can go to because the likelihood of you making money in your sport is less than 1% even when you get to the college level,” Princi said.

Trinity Alum Isabella Brady has had similar experiences managing a rigorous academic schedule while competing at the Division I level. After graduating Trinity in 2020, Brady played

Division I volleyball at Davidson College and is currently in medical school.

“Davidson taught me a lot about time management,” Brady said. “There were days where I had a crazy schedule with little breaks, and I had to learn to manage it… That’s one thing that many med school programs and potential employers really look for.”

Time management forces student-athletes to stay disciplined and work extremely hard to stay at the highest level of their sport and academics. Not only does the rigorous collegiate athletic environment prepare future employees for work, but, according to Princi, it creates a competitive spirit and drive that carries over into his career in wealth management.

“When I came into Morgan Stanley, there were 20 other rookie advisors and I came with the mentality that I’m going to beat them all; only two [of the rookies] are still in the busi-

ness,” Princi said. “So there’s no room to fail.”

Trinity Prep Assistant Head of Upper School Sebastiaan Blickman has found the same level of discipline to be vital in the college world and his life today. He attended Bucknell University, where he played soccer. Blickman later earned teaching degrees at Boston University and the University of Pennsylvania.

“You [learn] to love the structure of being a student-athlete and to value every minute to be as efficient as possible throughout the day,” Blickman said. “That’s the greatest gift that [college] ever gave me, and I realized the beauty of structure and discipline.”

The teamwork and camaraderie that comes with being part of a collegiate team creates opportunities for athletes like Brady and Blickman to form relationships and connections. “[Being a student-athlete] you have a group of friends who are all pulling more or less in the same direction,” Blickman said. “They become like family, and it creates this culture that is driven to success and to growth.”

Athletes at the pinnacle of their sport after high-school sometimes choose to go straight to the pros. Athletes considering bypassing college to go straight into the professional world of their sport may gain valuable skills in the college process that will translate into the real world as they are no longer able to play a sport.

“Being a student-athlete teaches you to manage your time well in that type of schedule and translates when you come into the work world,” Princi said.

Recruiters choose to hire college athletes because time management and discipline are skills that allow them to hit the ground running with the most challenging of jobs.

“Playing a sport at a collegiate level [is] kind of the icing on the cake when I look to bring people into my consulting firm,” Princi said.“I know they are going to be hardworking and resilient when they step into the door.”

October 2O24

Sports

25

STRONG START TO FOOTBALL SEASON

Photo by Jackson Napier On September 16, Trinity Prep captains (from left to right) Jackson Altomare, Orion Ratanasirintrawoot, Jack Niles, and Carson Wicker approach the middle of the field to call the coin toss. The Saints lost to Seven Rivers Academy 14-22.

Photo by Jackson Napier Sophomore James Ellzey steps up to the line of scrimmage in Trinity’s game versus Seven Rivers Academy.

CHECK OUT THE VOICE’S FIRST EVER PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

26

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October 2O24

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27

Puzzle

October 2O24

Puzzles by Mila Taylor

ACROSS

DOWN

5. Taylor Swift’s second

1. group of crows

studio album 2. Your favorite artist’s 8. A system of government

favorite artist

by all the members of a

3. highest and farthest

state, through elected

seats in a stadium

representatives 4. ... and sweet 9. updated every school year

6. with great power comes

10. ... summer

great ...

7. Wes Craven horror franchise

Black Panel, Red Panel

By Mila Taylor & Jack Aaron

Answers:

28

Photos

October 2O24

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION Student Life

Aksel Williams

Jackson Napier

The inaugural bingo tradition kicked off on Sept. 10.

Students competed in different versions of bingo to win a casual day, gift cards, a get-out-of-detention pass, and to show school support.

On Aug. 23, the seniors arrived early to school for the annual Senior Sunrise. In this photo, Saanvi Arvind (center) and her friends are taking a photo to remember the moment.

Ally Williams

Julia Hoskins

On Sept. 14, the annual college fair occured. Senior Lauren Hayes talked to the representative from Lehigh University. Admission officers from 80 different colleges attended the fair.

On Aug. 28, the annual club fair featured 60+ clubs.

Juniors Alexander Greenwald, Samantha Nappi, Kelly Wentz, and Alex Sagotsky showed off their Wellness4Kids club. Trinity provided time for students to explore many extracurricular opportunities.