October Issue 2023

THE

TRINITY VOICE

October 2O22 Volume 25 Issue 1 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

How new platforms are changing the way students grow up Page 14

SOCIAL MEDIA EVOLVES NEWS

With a record 879 students on campus, how will Trinity run at capacity?

Page 5

OPINIONS

New technologies used in class could leave teachers and students behind.

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FOCUS

Social media is changing the way students live, for good and for bad.

Page 13

LIFESTYLES

With or without science, manifestation becomes a major trend Page 11

SPORTS

New football season sees suprising additions to the team.

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Table of Contents

October 2O22

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

Focus

BeReal 13 Youth and Social Media 14-15

Student Poet O4 Record School Size O5 Assist Students O6 Grille Price Increase O7 New Admin O8 New French Teacher O9 New College Counselor 1O

Lifestyles

Opinions

Classroom Technology 16-17

Sports 18 New Swim Staff Football Player Shortage 19

Manifestation 11 Music and Studying 12

Olivia Prince

Page 5

Austin Yuan

Page 12

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

Anna Miliotes

Cover Photo

“THE TRINITY VOICE” Raheel Patel

Page 18

Staff/Podcast

October 2O22

STAFF

Editors-in-Chief: Marcos Membreno, Jack Ververis Managing Editors: Sarah Zehnder, Ava Savino Copy Editor: Kaylee Ortega Layout Editors: Amy-Ruth Gyang, Reese Taylor

Social Media Editors: David Bryskin, Ana Carolina Marques News Department: Iris Lei (Editor), Julian Sealy, Alec Diaz, Karthik Stead, Laziza Talipova Opinions Department: Abby Hernan (Editor), Reese Taylor, Amanda Rose DeStefano Focus Department: Peyton Alch (Editor), Fay Zhao, Lucy Chong, Zach Kleiman Lifestyles Department: Taylor Riley (Editor), Kaylee Ortega, Boaz Kim, Victoria Berube, Jack Aaron, Sammy Lou Sports Department: David Steinberg (Editor), David Hull Podcast Department: Aetant Prakash (Editor), Sreekar Nagulapalli, Mohil Kapadia Graphics Department: Amy-Ruth Gyang (Editor), Austin Yuan, Andrew Edwards, Caden Liu, Lia Garibay Photo Department: Anna Miliotes (Editor), Andrew Edwards, Raheel Patel, Olivia Kortman, Olivia Prince Fact Checking Editors: Boaz Kim, Julian Sealy Business Manager: Sreekar Nagulapalli Adviser: Erin Miller

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Saint Talk

This Month’s Podcasts: Blurb by Aetant Prakash, Sreekar Nagulapalli, and Mohil Kapadia Graphics by Austin Yuan and Caden Liu

Ep. 1 - Swami Swaroopananda Swami Swaroopananda is the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, an organization that spreads the teachings of the Hindu Scriptures, Vedanta.

Ep. 2 - Srinivas Alluri Srinivas Alluri is the Executive Director of Data Engineering and Science at Georgia Tech. Listen to him talk on the topic of technology in today’s world.

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News

October 2O22

SENIOR PUBLISHES BILINGUAL POETRY COLLECTION Article by Iris Lei Graphics courtesy of Megan Vu Few students at Trinity become published authors, much less with books written in two languages. However, senior Megan Vu has accomplished this feat with her new poetry collection titled “Ex Caelis ad Tartarum,” or “From The Heavens to Tartarus.” It contains 20 free form poems written in Latin, the language Vu took from sixth grade, with English translations. Award-winning author and Trinity Prep alumna Meg Nocero provided the book description and a commendation on the back of the book.

“The words dance on the page, delightfully evoking imagery that has one curious as to the stories’ mythical unfolding,” Nocero wrote.

“Bravo to a wonderful debut. Well-done!”

As the title insinuates, the theme of the book is a descent from the heavens to hell.

According to Vu, the book starts with the heavens; heavenly bodies and stars, then the earth, and finally the poems related to hell and the outer world. She decided on this theme after reading poems in Honors Latin III, a class that additionally motivated her to write the book.

“We were reading a lot of Catullus poems, and I think I got the idea from that,” Vu said.

“Honestly, he talks about a lot of nature.”

The collection of poems is a result of Vu honing lanher guage

skills and fluency, which assisted her in Latin competitions. Last year, she placed second, with Maxima Cum Laude in the National SCRIBO contest. Earlier this year, she won a gold medal with Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam.

According to Vu, writing poems in Latin is especially difficult as the structure and grammar both require the writer’s complete attention.

“I always have my [Latin] dictionary in my hand while looking at that,” An illustration of Hades dancing with Vu said. “And I Persephone, one of the three illustrations by Megan Vu’s illustyped the poems trator Clarissa Du. [with] the other.”

While this is her first time writing a poem collection, she “I sent a bunch of emails to different pubhas experience writing short stories. Still, it lishing companies, but after talking to them was challenging for her to juggle schoolwork in detail I realized that the publishing process and writing. would be way too long,” Vu said. “Some of “I was overwhelmed with schoolwork at the them can take years to get published.” time, so I wasn’t able to write my book until All the proceeds from the book sale are doChristmas,” Vu said. “I took really long breaks nated to the nonprofit social services organiin between.” zation, Kids Beating She finished after eight Cancer. According to months, but poetry is not the “I always have my Vu, she also talked with only thing the book contains. [Latin] dictionary in the orginization There are also three illustrain late August tions inside done by Vu’s illus- my hand while looking about selling her trator Carissa Du, who is also at their upat [grammar]. And I book her cousin. They depict Hacoming gala. des dancing with Persephone, typed the poems [with] Though her jourCharon the ferryman rowing ney writing “From the other.” down the River Styx, and a Heavens to Tartarus,” figure fishing among the stars.

- Senior Megan Vu is over, she is working Publishing her work consiston a short story based ed of trial and error, and she on Latin and Greek eventually self-published on Amazon mythology. Vu’s motto after the traditional method would not stated in her book’s foreward encapsulates her An illustration of Charon the ferry- work. Amazon allowed her to manage current and future piece: Latin is here, Latin is every aspect of the process. man for Megan Vu’s book by Clarissa Du. there, Latin is everywhere.

October 2O22

News

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TRINITY HITS STUDENT POPULATION RECORD Article by Alec Diaz Photo by Olivia Kortman This school year, Trinity is facing its larg- 1,000 if we built out space just for teachers to school and 11:1 for middle school. est enrollment in history with 879 students. [have] offices not in their classrooms.”

According to Turner, if Trinity ever did get According to Director of Admissions Denise With a significant interest in Trinity, there to 900 students, the possibility of purchasing Turner, 6,000 people move to Florida each are some that the school has to turn away, at land is not off the table. month, which contributes to the increase. least initially.

“If [the growth] necessitates new property, The COVID-19 pandemic also played a “As high as [applications have] been, we if that necessitates moving the school a couple role in parents wanting to send their children have turned away more students than we have of grades to a different building, then potento Trinity, as it was one of the only schools to in the past,” Lawson said. “We are getting tially you’ll have to do that,” Turner said. continue offering Turner said that face-to-face eduhaving the middle cation during the and upper school at pandemic. different locations is “Parents benot ruled out either. came very frus“I don’t think trated with public anything is out of schools, so they the realm,” Turner started pulling said. “It’s just that their students out [this] is a strateof public schools gic answer that the and looking for board of directors private schools would have to come where we quite up with [and] the frankly managed board of directors [the coronaviwould have to say to rus] a lot better,” Mr. Lawson, ‘This is Turner said. what we want to do Head of School and let’s go.’”

Byron Lawson There has been said that part of some property purthe reason Trinity chased, most notahas gotten more bly an office park students is due to On Thursday, August 26, the Trinity Saints pack in the auditorium for senior investiture. with four buildings Trinity’s reputa- This year marks the largest number of students at Trinity with a total of 879. that can be seen tion. Trinity has when going towards both gotten positive reviews from parents and more students from more areas than we have Howell Branch Road. grown the school’s college matriculation data in the past.”

Since admission is always a year ahead, during the pandemic.

The waiting list at Trinity is an unranked Turner said that there are 180 students being “It’s the equivalent of, ‘I don’t know what to waiting list, which means that a student is just looked at for the 2023-2024 school year. do right now, but I know I can’t go wrong if on the waitlist and it does not matter if there “You think about the fact that we’ll be gradI [go to Trinity],’” Lawson said. “We are that are people ahead on the list. Then, every ap- uating 142 students this year, right, so essenschool, you’re not going to go wrong if you plicant is reevaluated to see what they bring to tially we would be looking to have at least 142 choose Trinity Prep.” the table. There is currently a waiting list of 37 new students join us next year, as new students Lawson said that the school could possi- people across all grades, with the most being to replace our graduating class,” Turner said. bly exceed its current limit if there was more in 9th grade.

“So to try to keep our enrollment about where space, though it might lead to unintended As a result of the large student body size, it is, year over year, which is around that 800 consequences. the school is being forced to adapt to its large mark, when you graduate out, you have to “I will honestly say that I do think this number of 879 students. All school assemblies bring in new.” school has a limit, and it’s limited by space,” have been moved to the gyms instead of in Lawson said. “How we use the current space the auditorium. The teacher to student ratio that we have, the school could probably get to for the core classes this year is 12:1 for upper

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News

October 2O22

EXCHANGE STUDENT SHARES EXPERIENCES FROM STOCKHOLM Article by Julian Sealy Photos Courtesy of Hanna Skoglund and photo by Andrew Edwards After going through various applications with essays, English tests, and interviews, junior Hanna Skoglund has finally made it to Trinity Prep. Skoglund is from Stockholm, the capital of and one of the most inclusive and welcoming cities in Sweden. “[Unlike America] it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have your driver’s license,” Skoglund said. “There’s a lot more bikes and buses and less cars because everything is so close.”

Skoglund has quite the extended family and is one of five kids in her family. She has a twin sister, two younger brothers who are twins and an older sister, Clara, whose also in the ASSIST program in California.

Skoglund said its been difficult to adjust to the Florida heat, as well as, the dress code and cuisine. “[In Sweden] we have the same schedule

Junior Hanna Skoglund with fer family in the mountains while she worked as a sailing instructor over the summer.

every day and the classes are very different,” Skoglund said. “We also don’t have much of a dress code really.”

Skoglund talked about some of the biggest differences between Sweden and the U.S. “You serve a lot of pizza and fries everyday, we don’t really have that in Sweden” Skoglund said. “We have different stuff everyday, where here it’s all the same thing every week.”

Back home in Sweden, Skoglund is a sailing instructor and also enjoys playing pickup basketball.

Skoglund said she’s enjoyed Trinity so far and is excited for what’s to come this year.

“I’ve made some new friends and all the teachers are really nice,” Skoglund said. “I like pottery a lot too, it’s a very different subject, but a lot of fun.”

GERMAN STUDENT BRINGS MULTI-SPORT TALENT After a long flight on Sunday night and a serious case of jetlag Monday morning, sophomore Moritz Ernst has made it to Trinity from Germany. Ernst is from Dusseldorf, home to some of the best fashion and trade fairs in Europe.

Ernst said what he enjoys most about living in Dusseldorf.

“I would say how close [together] everything,” Ernst said. “If I’m hanging out with friends, it’s easy to go to each other’s houses or go into the city to the restaurants because it’s all very close.”

Ernst said how his first days at Trinity have been so far.

“The first days were rough, but it’s fine now, I really like it here and the people are really nice.” Ernst said.

Different from America, there’s no high school sports in Germany, everything is through clubs and signing up to play.

Moritz Ernst recently moved to Florida and is enjoying his few weeks at Trinity. He plays three sports: football, tennis, and soccer.

Ernst talked about what he’s most looking forward to about playing sports in high school.

“I’m playing football right now and I’m enjoying that,” Ernst said. “I would say I’m excited to meet new people and I’m looking forward to playing soccer and tennis.”

Back home in Germany, Ernst has two brothers, who all love sports.

“Me and my younger brother play soccer and tennis,” Ernst said. “My older brother though is a competitve skier, I would say he’s pretty good,” The US and Germany have many differences and Ernst said which ones have been the most significant.

“In Florida, it’s really hot and the buildings and the landscapes are just in general, very different from Germany,” Ernst said. “I think also I do like German food more than American, although I think it’s weird that you fry everything.”

October 2O22

News

INFLATION SCRAMBLES GRILLE PRICES Article by Jack Aaron Graphic by Lia Garibay

Inflation has crept into Trinity’s breakfast burrito. Senior Max Balon purchased a $4.75 breakfast burrito from The Grill every day last year and paid $855 over the course of the school year. If Balon keeps that up this year with the $5.50 dollar breakfast burrito, he will end up paying $135 more - for a total of nearly $1,000 by the end of the school year.

Food prices in the past year have gone up for several reasons, including inflation and supply chain disruptions. The Grille is being hit particularly hard by this instability.

“The other day I got aluminum foil for $98, normally it’s 45 bucks,” Food Director Christopher Behrens said. “My chicken has gotten up to $140 per 10-pound case.”

Food prices have increased all over the world. In the U.S., food prices as a whole have gone up 13.1% from August of 2021 to August of 2022. According to an August article in CNN, the price of bacon increased 9.2%, the price of fruits and vegetables increased by 9.3%, ground beef 9.7%, milk went up 15.6%, flour increased 22.7%, and eggs increased 38%. In contrast to these prices, from December of 2017 to December of 2018, food prices increased by a mere 1.6%.

This current surge in food prices is forcing The Grille to increase its own prices. Behrens is making sure that the prices of The Grille’s food are staying consistent with the amount of money he is paying for the food.

In addition to food, The Grille has seen an increase in the price of paper goods. According to a May article from the fresh produce industry newspaper The Packer, the price of paper has gone up 14%. This paper can be seen all over The Grille from the sheets of paper between bacon to the paper cups they supply.

“Coke cups, I can’t get them at all,” Behrens said. “The 21 ounce cups, they’re not available, so I had to get the plastic cups.”

Despite the higher costs, students and staff are still frequenting the Grille.

“We’re busier than ever,” Behrens said.

“We’re busier than ever because if you think about it you can eat here or try to go outside.

So if you had your car, you drive to Tijuana Flats, they charge you twice as much as me, and then you’re going to drive gas, find a spot,

grab your food, come back and try to find a spot again.”

Despite this, some are still dealing with the cost increase. Ninth grader Dylan Daviduke purchases a breakfast burrito every morning, but because he has a fixed budget, he plans on buying fewer this year.

“I have to reduce the amount of food I consume from The Grille because of the inflated prices,” Daviduke said.

Daviduke is among the many who have to compensate for the price surge, and it is unclear what effect this will have on The Grille.

Morningstar’s head of U.S. economics, Preston Caldwell, said in an interview for CNBC that food prices will not start to drop until

anywhere from 2023 through 2025.

An annual tradition is now the next item to suffer from the current price surge.

“We won’t have Thanksgiving turkeys to get,” Behrens said. “Normally the head of school will buy turkeys for each staff member and give it away for Thanksgiving. We won’t be able to do that this year.”

Even in this stressful environment with problems everywhere, Behrens is hoping to roll with the punches and keep The Grille afloat.

“You live life on life’s terms, sometimes it’s how it is,” Behrens said. “It’s more of a headache for me to keep changing [the food prices], so I don’t. I raise what I have to raise a little bit, and left it at that.”

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News

October 2O22

WILSON WIDENS HORIZONS WITH NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ROLE Article by Ava Savino Photo by Raheel Patel New Assistant Head of School Tresa Wilson has always been inspired by the strong women in her life. Whether it was her mother encouraging her to pursue her passion in teaching or the women leaders in her previous job at an all-girls school in Dallas, she always was surrounded by powerful role models. With her new position at Trinity, Wilson hopes to continue this legacy and inspire even more young leaders by being a role model herself.

Wilson grew up in the west Texas town of St. Angelo and was raised in Tyler, located two hours outside of Dallas. With a major in communications and minor in Spanish from The University of Texas at Tyler and Southern Methodist University, Wilson started her professional career at a local TV station. However, Wilson decided to change careers after a short time in this job. “[I] was really not progressing as I thought I would in the communication field…[so] I decided that I wanted to branch out with the advice of my mother,” Wilson said.

This transition marked the beginning of Wilson’s 22-year career in education, starting at the Dallas Independent School District teaching Spanish first and then sixth grade.

Continuing in education, Wilson transitioned into private schools where she discovered The Hockaday School in Dallas.

“I was at the school for 16 years, and I think what the great thing about education is that [it] gives you a chance to grow,” Wilson said.

Wilson said that she got to experience a variety of perspectives in her different roles. She was a fourth grade teacher for eight years and the Director of Inclusion and Community for another eight, her most recent role before coming to Trinity.

In this role, Wilson was in charge of a number of initiatives to promote diversity and community at Hockaday, including professional development to staff on student development, parent education, and how to counteract biases. Wilson’s favorite program that she developed during this time was the yearly Hockaday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.

“That entailed really thinking

about, ‘How do we come together as a community?’ ‘How do we celebrate his message?’”

Wilson said.

During this celebration, Wilson emphasized this message with lessons and dialogue about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in advisory and classes. There were also a variety of performances led by students and faculty working together in activities such as the all-school choir or individual dance performances.

“One thing I’d love to do was really highlight people that you never saw before,” Wilson said. “All of us [came] together to create one community.”

Wilson’s experience in her previous job led to her current Assistant Head of School position here at Trinity Prep where she is currently working on learning the school community.

“I’ve got to learn, ‘Who is Trinity Prep, What does it mean to be a saint?’ and then incorporate those things, your mission, your strategic imperatives…and then think about how does that trickle into my day to day,” Wilson said.

In this role, Wilson’s main responsibilities are currently recruitment, retention and the school Fellows program for mentoring new teachers. She hopes to incorporate her past ex-

perience as a diversity director into her current role once she better learns the school’s culture.

“Whenever you go to a new institution, you should learn that institution,” Wilson said.

“My hope is to bring insight and also think about programming as we move further down the path.”

Aside from her current job, Wilson has a variety of hobbies that she hopes to continue since moving to Florida. She is interested in joining sports such as soccer, tennis and golf.

Wilson is also an avid Netflix watcher and enjoys a variety of action, romance, and foreign language films.

“I’m the one if there’s a new superhero movie coming out, I’ve got to go to the movies,” Wilson said.

She also enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her mother who works at a neurosurgical clinic, her father who is a retired school crossing guard and her sister who is 11 years younger than her.

Wilson said that she is excited to meet the new students and faculty here on campus as a people person herself, so she hopes that students stop into her office behind the help desk or interact with her out on campus whenever they see her.

“I hope it becomes a culture where if you have a question, ask it,” Wilson said. “I love providing [students] with opportunities or tapping into how I can support them.”

Wilson hopes to learn more about Trinity through the lense of her sixth grade boys advisory.

October 2O22

News

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NEW FRENCH TEACHER TRANSLATES TRAVELS INTO TEACHING Article by Lucy Chong Photo courtesy of Elisabeth Johar From teaching students in Paris to attending a wedding in China, Elisabeth Johar, Trinity’s newest French teacher, has created a life in which she is always looking to experience new cultures and broaden her perspective of the world.

Originally from Brittany, France, Johar moved to the US at the age of 16 to attend college at Bryn Mawr University. During college, Johar began what would become a long legacy of teaching, through tutoring the French students at her university.

“I started tutoring French a long time ago in college. They needed people to help ..so I helped them [run] drills and that kind of thing… and I really liked it,” Johar said.

Following her time at Bryn Mawr, Johar continued pursuing her love of languages and passion for teaching through working with international students at the University of Notre Dame, Drexel University, and the University of Delaware. Additionally, Johar ran a language program that educated the spouses of international students in English.

“It’s all about education, helping people learn [and] helping people fit into their environment[s],” Johar said.

Once she had established the foundation for her career, Johar decided it was time to take her talents overseas. In 2005 Johar arrived in Xi’an China, home of the terracotta soldiers and capital of the Shaanxi province.

She worked for a company in Xi’an teaching English to students of all ages for around a year and a half.

While abroad, Johar discovered a plethora of new experiences, one of her favorites taking place in a Western region of China occupied by the Uyghurs. There, she attended a wedding where she met people from a variety of areas including Uzbekistan, China, the Uighur regions, and the West.

After returning from China, Johar attended Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she received her master’s degree and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate.

Johar’s next big adventure abroad began in a place not very foreign to her: France. For the last five years Johar has enjoyed teaching English at Lycée Fénelon, and showing her hus-

In late spring of 2017, Johar visited the Eiffel Tower with her two sons.

While there, they got to see the tower’s annual French Open decorations.

band and two sons the country in which she grew up.

“France is so beautiful. There’s just so many things to see and discover,” Johar said.

Right behind Johar’s latest adventure in France follows a brand new one in Winter Park at Trinity Preparatory School. New to Florida, Johar has recently enjoyed exploring the area and finding ways to involve herself in the community. One of which has been joining the Winter Park Bach Festival Society Choir.

“It’s been really fun to get to know the area, discover a little bit and learn the Trinity culture,” Johar said.

Now at Trinity Johar aims to educate and create an environment in which her students can thrive. Johar cites her favorite aspect of teaching to be the moment when she sees the information all fall into place for each student.

She describes it as “a click.”

“When I see students who… maybe struggled in learning a language all of a sudden [experience] a click, I see that I can help them,” Johar said. “I really love that.”

News

October 2O22

DUNAGAN’S NEXT MOVE

Former college admission officer becomes Trinity’s new college counselor Article by Jack Aaron Photo Courtesy of Katherine Dunagan Katherine Dunagan is a first generation college graduate who underwent the admissions process without much guidance. Her lack of support during this time made her passionate about helping others, which led to her becoming Trinity’s new college counselor. Before Dunagan’s journey here at Trinity, she was a college admissions officer for the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

“It was intense,” Dunagan said. “I worked for a school that had 60,000 applications last year alone, so it was really, really busy all the time. I was constantly reading students’ files, while also trying to recruit students out on the road.”

Dunagan’s prior experience is rooted in her education background. Dunagan received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications-Public Relations and French from Wisconsin-Stevens Point University.

This experience has benefited her ability to help students with the college admissions process.

“I think [my experience] definitely helps because you’ve built a lot of connections at other universities,” Dunagan said.

“So I would be out on the road with No- Dunagan celebrates after her first ever Disney 10K in Feb. tre Dame, with Wake Forest, with USC. I 2022. Her skirt is a reference to Frozen, and her shirt is a co-presented with the University of Flor- joke for a friend. ida, so I got to know admissions people very well. So that way, when you move to a new position and a high school, you can really connect more directly with counselors on the university side.”

Along with her connections, Dunagan uses her own experience in applying to college as she counsels Trinity students.

“I want to make sure that the student’s voice is in the conversation, even though the parents might be the ones making the decision,” Dunagan said. “Making sure that I’m working with students so that they feel engaged and empowered is something that I value because I didn’t necessarily have that from a counselor when I was applying to college.”

In Dunagan’s free time, she enjoys taking her 10 year old daughter to Disney World. In addition, Dunagan has been running for the last five years.

“I made a New Year’s resolution where I was going to do one 5K a month for an entire year,” Dunagan said. “And I made it halfway through, but I didn’t make it all the way. And then last year, I did my first 10K, so that was the longest one that I’ve done so far.”

Dunagan is still working to complete her New Year’s resolution, as she trains to run a half marathon in February of 2023.

“I want to set a goal,” Dunagan said.

“And I want to work towards the goal and know that I can achieve it. And I know it’s going to be hard. But the feeling afterwards is what I’m looking for, like I can set my mind to something and make it happen.”

TO LEARN ABOUT OTHER NEW TEACHERS, SCAN THE CODE! - Mr. Todara - Ms. Johar - Mr. Henderson - Ms. Armstrong

- Mr. Garcia-Fernandez - Ms. Portalatin - Ms. Clark - Ms. Greenlee

- Ms. Faris - Mr. Joseph - Mr. McKenzie - Ms. Oswald

- Ms. Shurba - Ms. Hren - Ms. Komza

October 2O22

Lifestyles

11

MANIFESTATION: MAGIC OR MOTIVATION A trend sparks debate over mental health concerns Article by Taylor Riley Photo by Anna Miliotes From going viral on social media platforms to Ariana Grande writing a song about it, manifestation took the world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time when so much of life felt out of control, many found it comforting to subscribe to a belief system where the power over your life is ultimately yours to wield. But does the theory hold any scientific credibility? Or is it, as Grande sings, “just like magic”?

Manifestation is rooted in the law of attraction, a principle that posits positive thoughts attract positive outcomes while negative thoughts attract negative outcomes. Many understand manifestation as attempting to will your desires into existence by thinking or writing about them. Sophomore Sallee Rosen, who discovered manifestation via the internet, uses it as a tool for mental health. She believes that it does not have a singular definition or purpose, but can mean different things to different people.

“It can be a way spiritually to actually manifest things, it can be a way to organize your thoughts, it can be a way to just set things in motion,” Rosen said. “It can be many things, whatever the person pretty much believes.”

However, many critique manifestation for placing value on thoughts rather than actions.

Psychology teacher Donna Walker said that wishing for something to happen is not the

same as putting work towards making that happen.

“People who subscribe to [manifestation] may also believe they’re able to cause a change in the universe that isn’t controllable by themselves,” Walker said. “So for example, if I manifest that I get accepted into the college I want, that’s really not something that is within your control.”

While manifestation is not backed up by science and has no guarantee of success, there is a proven correlation between positive thinking and less stress. According to a study titled “The power of positive thinking: Pathological worry is reduced by thought replacement in Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” positive thinking decreases stress and anxiety, even if the positive thoughts are unrelated to a source of worry. So although users of manifestation are not proven to be able to change something that’s out of their control, they can lower stress levels through positive thinking.

However, is achieving what they’ve manifested a result of lowered stress levels due to positive thinking? Or is there truly a supernatural element at work? Either way, manifestation has helped Rosen decrease her anxiety by helping her focus on the positives.

“If I’m in a really anxious mode or if I’m having a panic attack, I can think to myself, okay, so what is happening right now?” Rosen

said. “What’s stressing me out? What do I want to be better? And I can focus on that stuff.”

Rosen represents a healthy use of manifestation, however some take the practice too far. At its core, manifestation is about positive thinking, but forcing yourself to be happy or positive when you are actually hurting is unhealthy. This is called “toxic positivity,” which applies to repression of negative emotions in order to appear happy when you aren’t. Dee Starling, physical education teacher, agrees that toxic positivity doesn’t lead to genuine happiness.

“Is there a correlation between positivity and happiness?” Starling said. “I think there can be, but I feel like it has to be genuine positivity. Because I feel like there are a lot of people that have positive attitudes, but really on the inside, they’re hurting or they’re sad, or that they try to portray a positive attitude.”

Many manifestation users simplify the concept to pushing away all negative emotions in order to be positive, which is why it can be unhealthy. But as Rosen said, it can just be a lens to positively view the world and work on improving yourself. Either way, the positive thinking that is central to manifestation is proven to lower stress, so Ariana Grande’s “I get everything I want ‘cause I attract it” attitude might just be worth a try.

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Lifestyles

October 2O22

STUDYING WITH SONGS

How listening to music affects studying performance

Article by Boaz Kim Graphics by Austin Yuan As senior Koray Tekin sits down to memorize his AP French oral, he turns on some of his favorite rap music to listen to while he studies. After about 10 minutes he cannot seem to focus on memorizing his speech.

“When I am trying to memorize stuff or I am trying to read, I feel like the lyrics just get in the way because sometimes I find myself starting to sing along to the lyrics instead of focusing on the words of a page,” Tekin said.

“Instead, I will either put on lo-fi music or classical music with no lyrics in it.”

Tekin’s explanation for this lack of focus is backed up by a 2019 study by the University of Wollongong Australia. According to the findings, listening to lyrical music can significantly decrease your comprehension when trying to memorize something. It is shown that the least disruptive music genres for studying include classical, instrumental rock and ambient/chill music.

“If you are a student who is just miserable without studying with music, then the research is pretty clear that instrumental music is better to listen to than music where someone is singing and there’s words that can alter your focus,” AP psychology teacher Donna Walker said.

Many people listen to music they like to improve their mood or help them focus on a task at hand. A study called the “Blur Effect” had a group of students listen to the popular britpop band Blur and another group of students

listen to Mozart before taking a spatial test. The results concluded that the students who listened to the popular pop music did better on the test than the students who listened to Mozart simply because they liked the pop music more than Mozart.

“When I am doing math problems or writing an essay, I do listen to rap because it is my favorite genre of music and something about it just helps me get through my homework efficiently,” Tekin said.

Tekin is not alone in preferring to listen to music in only certain subjects. A Trinity Voice survey found that 73.5 percent of respondents listened to music while studying for math, compared to only 40.5 percent of students who listen to music while studying for world languages.

There are a variety of combinations and subjects where listening to music is utilized, but for some students such as senior Thomas Kienle, listening to no music at all, seems to work the best for studying.

“I normally do not listen to any music while studying or doing homework because I feel like it takes my focus away from the work that I have to do and puts it on the music instead,”

Kienle said. “I have learned this from experience because I have tried to listen to music while doing school work and usually I get little to nothing done.”

While researchers have discussed all of the different benefits and drawbacks of listening to music while studying, at the end of the day the choice is on the student.

“Research has demonstrated that studying with music for most people is actually detrimental, which is why I would suggest to students that they should try studying without music and give it a try for at least two tests to see how they do,” Walker said.

October 2O22

Focus

Let’s BeReal.

Rising social media app shows a two-sided perspective

Article by Peyton Alch Photo by Anna Miliotes In a society where there’s pressure to look and act a certain way, BeReal is attempting to respond by offering a more genuine approach to social media.

BeReal was founded by Alexis Barreyat in 2020, and though the app is two years old, it has substantially risen in popularity over the past few months. BeReal went from having around 900,000 users in July 2022, to 21.6 million users just a year later.

BeReal is a different approach to social media, promoting authenticity and encouraging people to live in the moment. Every day, BeReal sends a notification to users’ phones telling them it’s “Time to BeReal.” From there, you have two minutes to stop what you are doing and take your BeReal for the day.

“Overall, I think it’s kind of unique,” sophomore Connor Nanus said. “It’s a cool concept, I like how you can see the calendar, and how it gives you a picture each day you can look back on.”

Freshman Ellison Clark just recently downloaded BeReal, and her first impressions of the app are positive. She said that it is a lot different from other social media apps and that she likes the genuine, realistic approach that BeReal provides.

“Overall, I think It’s kind of unique, It’s a cool concept, I like how you can see the calendar, and how it gives you a picture each day you can look back on.”

- Connor Nanus, Sophmore “I like it,” Clark said. “It’s really nice because you don’t feel like you’re on social media. It’s what you’re doing right now, so it takes that unrealistic part away.”

According to Nanus, for him, BeReal is less addicting as a whole. He will spend a maximum of 30 minutes on BeReal a day, which is

substantially less than the amount of time he spends on other social media apps.

“I’ll do the one a day and then react to a couple of people’s, but other than that it’s not really something I think you can really spend a lot of time on,” Nanus said. “You mostly just take your picture and then look at other people’s [posts].”

BeReal has changed the way people view social media. Its popularity has influenced people to use social media in a more casual way, which can help erase the unrealistic standards seen on other social media platforms.

“I feel like on other apps, you have to look really nice and presentable when you post but with BeReal, I feel like none of us look super put-together,” Clark said. “And it’s nice to see that.”

Though BeReal’s whole point is to erase the obsession around perfection on social media, it may be promoting a different kind of performance. Many find it hard to tear away from old habits and be genuine on the app, forcing the question to emerge: To what extent are BeReal users actually being real?

“When I first got it, I was really scared of it, because I wanted to look nice,” Clark said.

Other platforms have influenced people’s attitude toward social media, so it’s harder for people to be genuine on BeReal.

Clark said that the more she uses it, the easier it is to abandon old ideals and embrace authenticity.

“Now I’ve kind of gotten rid of that pressure,” Clark said. “I don’t spend as much time thinking about it, so I’m not scared of it anymore.”

Though BeReal is a milder version of social media, it is still entertaining and can be a good way

“I like it, It’s really nice because you don’t feel like you’re on social media. It’s what you’re doing right now, so it takes that unrealistic part away.”

- Ellison Clark, Freshman to connect with friends and see a side of them that might not be as commonly seen on other social media platforms.

“Getting the notification is always so exciting,” Clark said. “Even if I’m not doing anything fun. It’s nice to see what everyone’s doing.”

Focus

October 2O22

MATURING WITH MEDIA Article by Peyton Alch Graphic by Caden Liu

Social media is a place with unlimited potential. It can spread good, or it can release bad. For young kids using social media, the potential for negative impact becomes even more extreme because they are much more impressionable.

Social media has never been necessarily kid-friendly. Despite the age ratings that have become nothing more than a suggestion, younger kids are joining these apps and becoming part of the large masses addicted to social media.

According to a poll sent to Trinity students, out of 400 responses, around 20% downloaded social media at the age of 12, and 16% got it at the age of 11. Some began even younger, such as eighth grader Olivia Agnew, who has had social media since the age of eight, when she first got Musical.ly, and has had some form of social media ever since.

“I’ve always had TikTok because my mom thinks it’s very creative,” Olivia said. “I’ve had Instagram since sixth grade and Snapchat since seventh grade.”

for young kids in the first place. Kids are being exposed to things that impact their mental health, self image, and beliefs in general.

“Because many are under the age of 18 they don’t have the maturity to switch off from social media,” Olivia Agnew’s parent Genny Agnew said. “They don’t realize how obsessive it can be which has a toll on their mental health from FOMO to anxiety to loneliness.”

have the capacity to understand all that information coming at them,” California assembly member Buffy Wicks said before the vote on August 30th.

“We want to make sure that when these products are created, they are by design and by default safe for our children.”

In August, California lawmakers passed two bills designed to protect minors using social media. These bills would force social media platforms and online services to make sure their features protect the minors using them by re-evaluating the risks that these services might cause to children.

“Our children are getting bombarded with information online, and they don’t yet

Bill AB 2273 would stop companies from using minors’ personal information. This would force social media platforms to enable data privacy measures to protect minors’ information from being used in a way that might hurt them. Bill AB 587 would require social media companies to make their privacy policy and terms of service available to all users.

California assembly members Jesse Gabriel

“I think that having social media so young can really impact who you want to be; having so many expectations kind of sets you up for failure because no one’s perfect,” - Lilly Lawton, Senior According to a report from the University of Michigan, one-third of children ages seven to nine years old use social media apps. They are being exposed to all types of content on the internet, good and bad. The things they are being exposed to influence their social and emotional development.

Social media platforms have so many ways to keep people coming back, but these techniques can negatively impact the children using these apps because they weren’t designed

October 2O22

Focus

Social media is altering the way younger generations grow up and Buffy Wicks suggest that this bill might motivate other state governments to pass bills similar to this one to protect the growing number of minors on social media.

can really impact who you want to be; having so many expectations kind of sets you up for failure because no one’s perfect,” senior Lilly Lawton said.

“Deep down, we all know that social media is a highlight reel, not real life,” - Genny Agnew,Trinity Parent

Survey taken of 400 Trinity students on August 31, 2022

“Unlimited access to news, brands and other privileges previously reserved for adults canforce children to mature faster,” Genny said. “They are more savvy than previous generations.”

When kids see their favorite influencer look or act a certain way, they will be more prone to copying that behavior, which can cause them to change their behavior to mimic the influence.

“I think that having social media so young

“And when you put up a somewhat perfect persona on a social media platform that isn’t accurate, it can really hurt individuals.”

Another impact that social media has on individuals has to do with the unrealistic standards that are so regularly seen. These ideals create false expectations that are ingrained in young kids from frequent exposure.

“When you’re scrolling forever, you start to compare yourself,” Olivia said.

“You feel like, ‘oh I could be like that, or oh I wish that was me.’”

This exposure to the unrealistic beauty standards seen on social media can cause young users to become insecure about their appearance. They change their appearance and look older, but they usually do not mentally mature until around 18 years old.

“I think social media can be a good thing when it comes to maturing, because you see older people on social media, but at the same time, I think it can hurt young girls and guys,” Lawton said.

“You see all these expectations and beauty standards, and that can definitely impact teens’ insecurities.”

Social media can also become consuming for young kids who don’t have the maturity to realize how obsessive it can be.

“I personally try to limit myself on social media just because I hate how it kind of consumes some people,” Lawton said. “I think that’s a really good way to limit how much it’s influencing you and the decisions you make.”

Social media has become a large part of society and will continue to influence people. As kids continue to use social media, it will change the way they mature and change. It’s important to think about how much social media is impacting the most influential group of people, kids.

“Deep down, we all know that social media is a highlight reel, not real life,” Genny said.

“You can’t fully remove social apps from kids.

But if parents and schools help students set boundaries with their social media to guide them not to get sucked in too far this will help with their overall mental wellness.”

16

Opinions

Article by Abby Hernan Graphic by Andrew Edwards Late last year, University of Central Florida’s Department of Modeling and Simulation performed a study on Trinity’s campus. 13 students volunteered to use an Oculus or virtual-reality headset to test if lab skills learned virtually could transfer into real-life applications. While some students could easily maneuver through the game, others struggled with the controls, felt side effects such as nausea or dizziness and experienced technological issues on the headset.

Even though virtual reality is not routinely used in classrooms, other technology has been cemented into curricula.

Whether it’s taking tests on Canvas, typing essays on Google Docs or making flashcards on Quizlet, almost every part of the classroom that was originally on paper has transitioned into its online counterpart.

This transition has made schoolwork more accessible and organized; with technology there are no loose papers being shoved in backpacks or homework assignments unable to be found. However, as school technology advances, the disadvantages of an overreliance on technology could be pushed aside.

The appeal of a flashy new tool can overtake how practical that tool actually is. Virtual reality seems like a good way to introduce students to performing dangerous experiments in a controlled setting, but those techniques learned through virtual reality aren’t necessarily carried into real life. The UCF study only tested students with previous lab experience, but there is still little information on how

October 2O22

students with little experience would learn on the headset. Schools need to remain hesitant on adding new tools to the classroom unless they have been adequately studied, as the consequences for our students can be dire.

During the pandemic when virtual classrooms were essential, a poll by Common Sense Media and Survey Monkey found that 59% of teens felt that online school was worse than traditional school.

While some students said the main downside of online learning was missing social interaction, the majority’s concern was the fact that they felt they could not learn well online. Students would stare at a screen for hours to learn a lesson to then continue to stare at the blue light to do assignments only to repeat it the next day; a Google meet was not the same as face-to-face interaction.

Technology should be used as a complement to teaching, not a replacement. Virtual learning was a temporary solution to a problem, but if we allow technology to grow too fast while being unchecked

Opinions

October 2O22

then the same problems of students struggling with little human interaction could arise.

“Technology is not a skill set. It’s a tool that helps inform a skill set,” English teacher Hannah Schuttler said. “Sometimes we get so excited about the new fancy tool that we forget that it’s merely a tool to help students achieve a skill or some kind of knowledge. I don’t want them to know how to use Kahoot.

I want them to use Kahoot to learn vocabulary.”

Technology in the classroom also remains too centered on the student’s experience rather than the teacher who has to utilize that technology.

According to a survey done by the EdWeek Research Center, nearly two-thirds of teachers said they were experiencing technology fatigue, which is a burnout that occurs when

people have to rely too heavily on technology. Teachers cannot be expected to learn how to use new tools, implement them and be able to solve issues that might arise for them.

While we should be cautious of technology, there are still many benefits that can come from it. Review games such as Kahoot or Gimkit are great ways for students to practice using the information they are taught. It also makes collaboration easier such as sharing a Google doc or being able to easily send a teacher an e-mail if you need help.

A virtual-reality headset could also allow students in a French class to virtually travel to France and converse with other French students or allow history students to travel to museums around the world.

“What I’m seeing like for the Oculus that I think is more interesting is an enrichment type of activity,” science department chair Romina Jannotti said. “For instance, there is an app of [a museum of ] Anne Frank’s house, where you can tour Frank’s house on the Oculus. I’ve never been to Amsterdam or to Anne Frank’s house, but I had a student who went on it and she’s been there, and she told me that they let you see things in the Oculus and go in places where they don’t let you go in real life.”

Many teachers have already begun to successfully balance technology with more traditional methods of teaching. For example, Schlutter tries to incorporate technology into her seventh grade classes to help them learn how to use technology in a school environment, but with her ninth graders she takes a different approach.

“With the ninth graders, I start out using less technology to reset and really think about how they do things and how they study,” Schuttler said. “Is a Quizlet really the best option or is it just the easiest one? How they complete assignments? Does that need a Google doc? Is it easier to do it on the computer? Or is it because that’s just how it was given to me?”

Encouraging students to explore different methods of learning will help them find which one will suit them best. The classroom cannot be reliant on strictly pen and paper, but it also cannot be reliant on technology. There must be a blend of both to produce the most optimal environment for students. The classroom uses technology, technology does not use the classroom.

17

Sports

October 2O22

DIVING INTO A NEW CHAPTER

Aquatics program adds new director and head coach Article by David Steinberg Photo by Raheel Patel For the first time since 2005, Trinity Prep Aquatics is competing without former Director of Aquatics and Head Coach, Rocco Aceto.

Filling Aceto’s old position is a familiar face on campus, previous Assistant Aquatics Director and PE Teacher Anne Marie Stricklin.

Stricklin is serving as Interim Aquatics Director until a long-term coach is named.

Growing up, Stricklin had a passion for swimming and began competing at age 10. During her high school years at Grand Island High School in New York, Stricklin was a five time All-American, two-time New York state swimming champion in the 50 yard freestyle, and school record holder in seven events. After an illustrious high school career, she went on to swim at the University of South Carolina. In four years of competition, Stricklin was a 3x NCAA Division I Academic Team All-American. The competitive nature that swimming brings was what Stricklin loved most about the sport, and it pushed her to become better and better as the years went on.

“I loved to compete,” Stricklin said, “but I hated losing even more. I love the competitive aspect involved in swimming at all levels, whether it be middle school or at the college level.”

After college, Stricklin went on to coach at multiple universities, including Auburn, Georgia Southern, Northern Illinois, and the University of Notre Dame before ultimately joining Trinity as an assistant aquatics director in 2006. This year marks Stricklin’s 17th year at TPS, and she is excited to help compete for more titles.

Filling the position as Head Coach of Swim and Dive is Natalie Nickson. Nickson joins Trinity after previously coaching ten years at Dr. Phillips High School, where she attended as a student and competed on the swim team.

After high school, Nickson went on to swim at the University of Florida, competing in the 100 and 200 fly. Nickson plans on bringing a fun, yet winning culture to Trinity in her time as head coach.

“I am hoping to form a sense of community to the team,” Nickson said. “High School swimming is a very fun and fast experience. I want all the swimmers to enjoy their time representing Trinity Prep. I was both a high school and collegiate swimmer, and I look back at my time swimming for Dr. Phillips High school as the best time of my swimming career. The friends and memories I made are something I hold very dear to my heart even now. ” At first, the adjustment from coach to coach was not easy for the swimmers, but as they became more familiar with the coaching staff, they began to see improvement. Boys Varsity Captain Max Balon said there was a time this summer when he wasn’t sure about how this year was going to unfold, but is now confident that the team is heading in the right direction.

“The transition from the old to new coach was very difficult for every single one of the swimmers,” Balon said. “There was a buffer

stage where we did not completely get the most benefit out of our practices, but then we all adjusted to the new coaching style, which has helped all of us improve into the best we can be.”

Trinity aquatics is known to be among the best in the Central Florida area, and there is no intention for that to change. Stricklin said that the team has found a groove after an unfamiliar start to the year, and is hoping to add more banners in the DAC this upcoming season.

“It’s definitely a hard time when you lose your coach that has been around the program for such a long time,” Stricklin said. “So it was a transition, but I think everybody now is settled in and working well together. We had a great summer of swimming and produced lots of best times at meets so far. So we’re well on our way to continuing the long standing tradition of winning that we’ve had here in the program.”

Head Coach Anne-Marie Stricklin with her varsity boys swim team after a recent practice.

October 2O22

Sports

FOOTBALL TEAM TACKLES PLAYER SHORTAGE Article by David Hull Photo by Olivia Prince The number of students playing tackle up with much more experienced players. allow the younger players to succeed. football throughout the country has been on “We regularly have a bunch of seniors and “We’ve worked hard on getting [the junior a steady decline, especially in private schools. juniors,” Langdon said. “We’ve got these high team] so the kids can play age appropriate Over the last three years, Central Florida young kids, but we’re not going to put them opponents,” Langdon said. “The kids want to schools, including Trinity, have experienced up against older kids from other schools.” play so we’re just going to try to make it as safe a notable decrease in numbers. Despite this, According to Langdon, because the six mid- and great of an experience as we can.”

Trinity’s football team has attracted younger dle schoolers don’t get a lot of playing time, the Over half of the varsity team are ninth gradstudents to play. freshman and sophomore classes have had to ers or younger, so if a JV team was assembled, According to Athletic Director David Lang- take on a more significant role, typically play- the majority of players would have to play on don, the team has its youngest roster in over ing for the majority of their games. both teams. Play time would be limited due to a decade, with two-thirds of the players being Freshman Ishan Choksey is a starting wide the six quarter rule, stating that an athlete on underclassmen or middle schoolers. receiver and cornerback. Despite his size disad- both junior high and varisty can only play six “This is not a Trinity Prep problem,” Lang- vantage, he appreciates getting so much expe- of the eight quarters between the two games. don said. “This is happening to a lot of teams rience during his first year.

Despite the challenges the team will likely we play. You’ve got other schools that have “It’s scary, but it’s also fun because I like the face this season, Langdon said the young team been predominantly very good in the past and contact,” Choksey said. “I’m going up against should lead to success in the future. they’re still good but their numbers are down.” seniors from other schools. I’m still young and “We have a lot of potential in our seventh, In its first two games of the season, Trinity it shows I have a long way to go on varsity.” eighth and ninth graders,” Langdon said. “We faced off against Seven Rivers and Taylor High During the season, there are plans to assem- just have to keep fighting and get through the School. Despite having more than 40 players ble a junior high team consisting of seventh, season, let the kids get better for upcoming just a few years ago, both rosters now have less eighth and ninth graders. Langdon believes years.” than 22 players. that the addition of a junior high team would According to Forbes, this issue isn’t only affecting the Central Florida area, but also schools throughout the nation. High school football participation has experienced a 12 percent decrease from 2010 to 2018, and is still declining.

Even though the team has become significantly younger, senior and captain of the team Jordan Acker said he’s optimistic about the prospects of a younger lineup.

“As a senior it was kind of tough having a young team like this,” Acker said. “A lot more kids are starting to realize that football isn’t as dangerous as you really think it is and that is actually a lot of fun.”

In previous years, the team has been heavily reliant on seniors to start and play significant minutes, averaging about 10-15 senior players. This year, the senior and junior classes combine for only nine players. Langdon is impressed with the younger players’ performance, but Senior Anthony Miceli and seventh grader Lucas Cordova rest on the sideline during the game against Taylor High School on September 2. Cordova is one of the six middle schoolers on the team. thinks that it is unfair to match them

Photos

October 2O22

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION Volleyball Serves Up A New Season

Olivia Kortman Sophomores Tori Hill and Cece Davis block a pass during the game against Monteverde Academy. They secured a win with a score of 3-0.

Anna Miliotes Senior, Lis Jermano, getting ready to serve against the Winter Park High School volleyball team on August 23.

Andrew Edwards Seniors on the volleyball court create a barrier to block the opposing team. The Trinity Prep team is able to work together and make quick group decisions during a rally.

Anna Miliotes Senior Lis Jermano spoke with her coach, Terri Kruczek, about a play for the next rally at the game against Winter Park High School.