November Issue

THE

TRINITY VOICE GAME DAY SWAP

Seniors rush the field after winning the Game Day Swap flag football game against the juniors.

November 2O23 Volume 26 Issue 2 Trinity Preparatory School 57OO Trinity Prep Lane Winter Park, FL 32792

SILENT SCREEN TO SILVER COIN As part of a new program, Anna May Wong becomes first Asian American on US currency Access via QR code on inside cover.

NEWS

Florida House Republicans move to strike key child labor restrictions.

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OPINIONS

Trinity should support identitybased affinity groups.

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FOCUS

Artist Mimi Hwang speaks on how abstract art helps her connect with her emotions.

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LIFESTYLES

Hip hop celebrates 5O years of cultural and political influence.

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SPORTS

The nationwide pickleball craze reaches campus.

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Table of Contents

November 2O23

TABLE OF CONTENTS News

News Bites O4 Homecoming O5 Child Labor Laws O6-O7 Cybersecurity O8 Voucher Program O9

Opinions

Family Vloggers 1O-11 Colonizing Mars 12-13 Personal Finance Class 14 Lead Ed 15

Lifestyles

Nostalgia Trend 23 Hip Hop’s Influence 24-25 AI in Medicine 26 Fast Food Localization 27

Sports

Pickleball Craze 28 Messi’s Influence 29 Boys’ Golf 3O

Puzzle 31

Focus

Defining Your Story 16-17 Storytelling in Food 18 WGA Strike 19 Storytelling in Art 2O-21 Storytelling in Fashion 22

Lia Garibay

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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 Ella Eichenholz

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“THE TRINITY VOICE” Olivia Kortman

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Staff/Podcast

November 2O23

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Taylor Riley Managing Editors: David Steinberg, Karthik Stead, Carol Marques, Peyton Alch Layout Editors: Peyton Alch, Lucy Chong

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Saint Talk This Month’s Podcast:

Blurb by Mohil Kapadia & Nikhil Daniel Graphic by Caden Liu

Ep. 2 - Words From a Weatherman

News Department: Zach Kleiman (Editor), Aarav Gupta, Sebastian Cabeza, Sofia Haddadin, Emily Lopez-Couto Opinions Department: Amanda Rose DeStefano (Editor), Sammy Lou, Nikhil Daniel Focus Department: Fay Zhao (Editor), Taylor Griffith, Mia Prince, Mila Taylor Lifestyles Department: Laziza Talipova (Editor), Iris Lei, Jack Aaron, Tavish Ward Sports Department: David Hull (Editor), Rahul Sivakumaran, Angel Berreondo Podcast Department: Mohil Kapadia (Editor), Gustavo Membreno, Nikhil Daniel, Social Media Online Department: David Bryskin (Editor), Julian Sealy, Ana Herrera, Olivia Agnew Graphics Department: Caden Liu (Editor), Lia Garibay, Maxi de la Fuente, Sam Miller Photo Department: Olivia Prince, Olivia Kortman (Editors), Ella Eichenholz, Jack Napier Fact Checking Editor: Jack Aaron Copy Editor: Sammy Lou Business Manager: Iris Lei Adviser: Erin Miller

On this episode of Saint Talk, Nikhil Daniel and Mohil Kapadia sit down with Trinity Prep Alum, Dr. Ryan Truchelut. As Co-founder, President, and Chief Meteorologist of Weather Tiger, a forensic meteorology analysis company, Truchelut shares information on the importance of and his fascination with all things weather, understanding climate patterns, and his company’s real-time weather analysis program. Tune in to hear more about Trinity’s self-acclaimed “Weatherman.”

November 2O23

News

NEWS BITES This Month: Month: By The Numbers

1,OOO,OOO+ The number of people evacuated from Gaza after Israeli military order

2,749

The weight in pounds of the record-breaking pumpkin, named Michael Jordan

1.77 BILLION The second largest Powerball jackpot won in history, with winning odds of one to 292.2 million

Above statistics provided by UNRWA, AP, and Powerball.com

The Headlines Alec Baldwin faces further charges after Rust shooting incident in 2O21 Kevin McCarthy’s ousting as speaker triggers House power struggle. As of October 24, the position remains vacant Israel-Hamas conflict breaks out in Gaza. The World Health Organization predicts an ensuing humanitarian crisis

Trinity’s Favorite Thanksgiving Dishes (by percent)

Statistics provided by school-wide survey with 328 participants

News

November 2O23

ENHANCE THE DANCE

Student council hires a party planner to reinvent homecoming Article by Aarav Gupta Photo by Ella Eichenholz For years, Trinity has upheld the same traditions and activities at homecoming. However, after the arrival of varsity football coach and student council sponsor Brian Kells, Trinity has invested in a new party planner which will help make homecoming bigger and better.

Kells was the homecoming and student council sponsor at University High School.

He helped organize popular school events like the carnival and winter dance. He also helped coordinate fireworks during football halftime.

“It’s just something I really enjoyed doing,” Kells said. “I think it’s neat to put together activities and take on those different challenges for the whole school to participate in.”

Homecoming was created as a way for alumni to come back to their alma maters, hence the name “Homecoming”. “[Homecoming] is a celebration of the school and Trinity has taken the tradition of the homecoming dance and the homecoming football game and it’s been around for a long time throughout our history,” junior and Stu-

dent Body Vice President Connor Nanus said.

In order to make homecoming as appealing and entertaining as possible, the upper student council started thinking of ideas and selecting themes before the school year started.

Concurrent with last year, homecoming will include standard activties such as Lunch on the Lawn, Hall of Fame inductions, Spirit Week, game day swap, a golf cart parade around the track and so much more.

However, this year’s homecoming was upgraded in many aspects. The student council recreated Central Park in New York City to fit with the “suits in the city” theme, karaoke and preparing to upgrade many of the events that were hosted last year.

While working at University High School, a student of Kells’ owned a party store and contributed to their homecoming by provid- ing decoration, a DJ, etc. He realized that a party planner would help the school save money while increasing the quality of the dance.

The company will assist the student council

by making homecoming more professional in terms of lighting, sound and more.

“We’re definitely stepping it up, and then hopefully next year, we add even more to it as we kind of grow with this company” - Brian Kells, Student Council Adviser “We’re definitely stepping it up, and then hopefully next year, we add even more to it as we kind of grow with this company,” Kells said. “We want to take a baby step this year ... more lighting and just a nicer effect.”

Junior Nikolas Polsinelli, who has been going to homecoming since he was a freshman said he had a great time at the dance and particularly enjoyed this year’s since it had much more variation and activities than last year.

“I just think that the music was better, the DJ was better ... they gave activities for people that didn’t want to just be dancing,” Polsinellisaid.

Polsinelli especially enjoyed the dancing and karaoke, but believed that it was a little too crowded.

“I wish there was more room at the poker tables,” Polsinelli said. “I didn’t get to play there. It was really crowded,” Polsinelli said.

With the new changes that the student council added, they were able to create a more entertaining and memorable homecoming for the students and staff.

“I thought that the homecoming dance was a success,” Kells said. “The students seemed to have a lot of fun.”

Students dance the night away at the Suits in the City homecoming dance. The dance featured many new additions including sparklers.

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News

November 2O23

CHILD LABOR LAWS LOOSENED Article by Sebastian Cabeza Graphic by Caden Liu

for more than 15 hours per week during the of minors in the workplace. This would mean In September, House Republican Rep. school year or more than three hours per day that local governments would not have the Linda Chaney proposed a new bill to the State on school days. However, HB-49 changes this power to override the state’s deregulation of Legislature that takes aim at Florida’s child to “may not” as opposed to “shall not.” child labor with its own laws, further taking labor laws. The bill, titled HB-49, would away local autonomy from an increasingly remove all restrictions on the number I get a lot less sleep, and that has restrictive state government. of hours 16 and 17-year-olds can work, Florida is not the first state to move in as well as allow them to work overnight negatively affected my mental health. this direction in recent years; 10 other states shifts on school nights or work during Sometimes I work from 7-11 p.m. on have all proposed similar bills loosening school hours for the first time since 1913. restrictions on child labor. Furthermore, Additionally, several labor restrictions that school nights and then have to get up at New Jersey, New Hampshire, Iowa, currently apply to those 17 years of age or 7 a.m. after going to bed at 1 or 2 a.m... Michigan, Arkansas and Tennessee have younger would be lowered to 15 years of I’m just really tired all the time.” already passed legislation loosening these age or younger. This would allow minors restrictions. The rationale behind many of over the age of 15 to work seven days a - Eva Chong, Senior these bills has stemmed from the need to week and more than four continuous make up for the labor shortage caused by This ambiguous language could leave the the COVID-19 pandemic. However, HB-49 hours with no available break.

In addition to getting rid of crucial bill up to legal interpretation, and it opens could have drastic consequences for children guarantees for teen workers, the bill also up the possibility of these regulations being who are forced to seek employment to support introduces vague language that puts the deemed optional in court. their family’s income.

The bill goes a step further by banning local enforceability of certain restrictions for those under 15 into question. Currently, Florida’s municipalities from regulating the presence A MENTAL DILEMNA child labor laws have several regulations stating Removing these restrictions puts teens’ that minors 15 years of age or younger “shall mental health, development and safety at risk, not” be made to work overnight shifts, work among other things. Combined stress from having to work a job and perform well in an exceedingly competitive school system may lead many students to experience extreme fatigue from lack of sleep and increased anxiety, potentially opening the door to more serious mental health issues.

November 2O23

News

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Potential law will cause rippling effects for working teenagers Even under the current regime, students are feeling the effects of this pressure, including senior Eva Chong.

“I get a lot less sleep, and that has negatively affected my mental health,” Chong said.

“Sometimes, I work from 7-11 [p.m.] on school nights and then have to get up at 7 [a.m.] after going to sleep at 1 or 2 [a.m.] because I still have to get my homework done, and then [I have] extracurricular activities. I’m just really tired all the time.”

Fatigue not only affects students’ mental health but also their performance in school. A study published by the American Sociological Association has shown that students who work more than 20 hours per week tend to perform significantly worse in school. Between school and work, students often have very little time for activities that promote achievement, such as completing homework, studying for tests, getting help from parents or teachers or participating in extracurriculars, leading to faltering grades and lower social engagement.

Moreover, fatigue threatens students’ physical safety. Driving while sleep-deprived can be extremely dangerous, and studies have shown that driving when tired markedly increases the chance of getting in a car accident.

Lack of sleep also significantly increases the chance of workplace accidents/injuries, some of which may be very serious and even lifethreatening, depending on the job.

POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS Florida first passed legislation regulating child labor in 1913 during the Progressive Era. Although, at first, the law was poorly enforced and contained numerous loopholes, many adjustments have strengthened and expanded the law over time. Should HB-49 pass, it would undermine over a century of progress toward ending child labor and likely undo many improvements to health, education and economic outcomes for youth that advocates have fought to secure.

Over the last 25 years, Florida’s child labor laws have played a crucial part in raising high school graduation rates from 52% in 1998

to 90.1% in 2021, according to the Florida poverty protections nationwide. This move will Department of Education. However, combined inevitably lead to more extreme poverty, which with the State government’s efforts to defund study after study has shown to be the root public schools through school vouchers, HB- cause of exploitative child labor. Meanwhile, 49 could encourage more teens to drop out of as children nationwide are pressured into school to join the workforce. This would be oppressive work contracts to support their detrimental for several reasons. According to families, CEOs and wealthy investors reap the the Bureau of Labor Statistics, students who benefits while the government steps back and drop out go on to have some of the highest allows it to happen. unemployment rates and the lowest earnings as adults, reinforcing the cycle of poverty for CONCLUSION the next generation. Additionally, according to In the last eight years, child labor violations social science teacher Brandon Burmeister, it is have seen an alarming uptick across the economically self-destructive.

“When you think about economics, there’s nation, with the number of minors employed only three ways to grow your economy,” in violation of child labor laws increasing Burmeister said. “Inventing new things, by 283% from 2015 to 2022 (according educating your populace [and] building to the Department of Labor). So far, state infrastructure. If you’re not educating your governments have responded by pulling population, that’s going to decrease your child labor restrictions and cutting social economic output and decrease your possibility safety nets, intentionally hurting our nation’s poorest to serve of inventing new things. the interests of a So I think ultimately incentivizing 16-year- “I think [HB-49] is a monumentally wealthy minority.

Many advocates, olds to take manual bad idea.” including the labor jobs as opposed to staying in school and - Brandon Burmeister, Social Science Economic Policy argue [getting] a little bit more Teacher Institute, that in this time of human capital behind their crisis, state governments should be expanding belts [is] economically irresponsible.”

Although vastly unpopular, corporate and strengthening protections for students, interests are still seeking to get HB-49 passed. not getting rid of them. They maintain that Under a capitalist system, corporations must state lawmakers should be working to alleviate maintain ever-growing profits or risk being the poverty that makes child labor necessary outpaced and bought out by their competition. by ensuring all students have access to This inherent need to endlessly increase profits quality public education, closing loopholes in leads many firms to prioritize short-term existing child labor laws, and expanding and improving social welfare programs to keep the profitability over long-term sustainability.

However, getting rid of child labor most vulnerable out of destitution. However, regulations is not the only thing on the these changes are unlikely to happen unless chopping block for corporate lobbyists. In constituents push for them. As American at least 22 states, special interest groups citizens and Florida residents, there are many such as the Foundation for Government options available to make your voices heard.

Accountability and others have fought hard You can call your representatives and tell them to limit access to social services like SNAP how you feel about HB-49, start a petition, (food stamps) and Medicaid, defund public organize a strike or demonstration, or even education, and cut unemployment benefits. something small like spreading awareness with Opponents of the bill say HB-49 is just one those around you in person or on social media. part of a concerted effort to eliminate anti-

News

November 2O23

DON’T GAMBLE WITH YOUR CYBERSECURITY In an increasingly digital world, protecting online data is a priority Article by Emily Lopez-Couto Graphic by Caden Liu According to a report by Duke University, as of 2022, more than 80 percent of U.S. companies indicate that their systems have been successfully hacked in attempts at stealing and releasing private data. MGM Resorts, an international hotel and casino conglomerate, recently fell victim to such an attack, which resulted in devastating financial losses. They announced on September 11 that a “cybersecurity issue” had been affecting its systems.

This small concern quickly escalated, as its clients’ personal information was stolen and the company lost access to its platforms due to a ransomware attack.

Gillon Helman, Vice President of Engineering for Cyber Programs at CESI, said MGM lost control of digital security and put tens of thousands of their clients’ privacies in danger.

“Basically, this company was transferring data in a non-secure way, so their cybersecurity was weak,” Helman said. “The hackers essentially locked the hotels out of their platforms, so none of their computer applications could authenticate anymore.”

Cybersecurity is not just relevant to large corporations and governments. Schools like Trinity Prep that maintain private records of academic performance, medical and financial information are an attractive target for hackers.

“Schools are super important to safeguard information because what we’re doing is extremely personal,” Chief Technology Officer Alex Podchaski said. “Some of the information that we’re guarding is the information about who you are, things like your Social Security number, where you live, medical records, things that are uniquely you.”

Aside from the significant work going on in the background to block out hackers, Trinity also implements certain programs to educate the staff.

“Every faculty member, when they come in, has to take a basic training course on identifying what ransomware is and what phishing is, and then if they fail they have to take a remedial course,” Podchaski said. “Also, with October being cybersecurity month, I addressed the entire student body and had them change their Gmail passwords to make them more secure.”

Computer science teacher Susan Frederick values the importance of teaching students about how to protect themselves and their online data. She plans on making a new elective available to high school students next year to educate them about cybersecurity.

“Students at a young age tend to be more vulnerable because they’re just not fully aware of how easily it is to get hacked or get your information stolen,” Frederick said.

According to EdWeek Research Center, 91% of teachers and administrators report that their districts or schools don’t offer any form of cybersecurity education for students. Frederick emphasizes how

necessary it is for students to learn to secure their data before becoming independent and going to college.

“As a student who is going off to college, you definitely want to make sure that your data is protected and can’t be hacked by anyone, especially other students,” Frederick said.

In an age where technology affords easier paths for malicious people to access and use your personal information, acquiring specific skills and an understanding of how to protect your data is paramount to digital safety.

“Our goal is to teach things like remembering that you have a computer that needs to get updated frequently so that it’s protected against other people breaking into it,” said Podchaski, who plans to instruct the class along with Frederick. “All students need to know that the default way is not necessarily the right way if you want to be secure.”

Trinity is taking many precautions to protect our online safety. Podchaski highlights how cybersecurity is a priority for keeping students’ information private.

“The faculty and students at Trinity need to do whatever it takes to protect their online data,” Podchaski said. “It’s really more important than most people realize.”

November 2O23

News

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RIGOR OVER REGULATION

School declines vouchers to chart its own course Article by Gustavo Membreno and Nikhil Daniel Graphic by Caden Liu Florida has recently expanded its private school voucher program significantly, granting vouchers worth approximately $8,000 per student to all families, regardless of income level.

This change, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in March, was embraced by many private schools as they eagerly accepted state funding. However, Trinity Prep has chosen to maintain its financial and curricular independence by declining state tuition grants.

The voucher programs, including Florida’s Step Up Scholarship, redirect public funding to private schools. Trinity’s decision to remain independent stems from its belief in the value of autonomy in education, curriculum management and student life.

Head of School Byron Lawson explained that independence enables Trinity Prep to set its own teaching requirements beyond what state certification demands. Trinity Prep’s independence also grants flexibility in responding directly to students’ needs.

“The freedom that we have to meet [students’] needs is sometimes based on the freedom of our ability to move the curriculum, throwing [in] another math class, throwing [in] another science class or having independent study,” Lawson said.

Director of Learning and Instruction Dr. Stephanie Dryden echoed messages of how independence frees the school from standardized state testing, such as the Florida Standards Assessment.

“We do our own curriculum,” Dryden said.

“We do our own evaluations and processes.”

Moreover, Dryden explained that the school does not have to follow the state’s curriculum regulations, such as the temporary ban on AP Psychology that happened at the start of this school year in Florida.

The school’s focus on its mission and student growth drives its education model.

Dryden further explained how the school utilizes internal benchmarks like SAT, ACT and AP scores rather than state tests to gauge

student progress.

“In high school, we have the kids take the PSAT right in 10th and 11th grade,” Dryden said. “And that’s something that lets us check and do benchmarks and reflections.”

Smaller classes and close mentoring allow tailored support outside rigid state systems.

“We’re in a completely different situation … and in between the smaller classes and with other kinds of measurements, we are able to clearly and quickly identify right where students might be stumbling,” Dryden said.

In opting out of vouchers, Trinity Prep joins other prominent Florida private schools, including Gulliver Prep and Lake Highland, seeking to retain autonomy. Many families are drawn to Trinity Prep for its independence and academic rigor free from external constraints.

One local school that chose to accept vouchers was Park Maitland School. In September, due to alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Gov. DeSantis and his administration suspended the use of school choice scholarships at Park Maitland and three other schools.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, 319 Park Maitland students participating in the voucher

program will have their scholarships revoked despite Park Maitland’s statements against Chinese involvement.

“Our schools abide by local, state and federal laws, and do not have ties to any government or political party, either foreign or domestic,” said Park Maitland in a statement on Sept. 25. “Our curriculum is accredited, standards-based and academically rigorous.”

Without the Step Up scholarships, 319 families are left scrambling to find the thousands of dollars necessary to continue their children’s education at Park Maitland. The average scholarship amount was around $8,000 per student, so in total, families could be faced with over $2 million in unexpected tuition costs. This difficult financial dilemma illustrates the dependence that can come with relying on state voucher funds.

As Trinity Prep prioritizes its autonomy from the government, it allows the school to make its own decisions on everything including scholarships. This independence prevents parents from the potential financial impacts that Park Maitland families are currently facing.

Lawson said that Trinity Prep offers robust donor-funded financial assistance, with over $2.5 million provided last year, so students of all backgrounds can attend regardless of state vouchers. The financial assistance is need-based and aims to provide support to qualified students who may not otherwise be able to afford tuition.

As voucher utilization grows across Florida, Trinity Prep is charting its own path focused on independence, academic excellence and individual student attention.

“Our responsibility to [the students] is to give every resource we have, both talent, personnel and finances to make [their] atmosphere as great an atmosphere for your success,” Lawson said.“I think that’s why you come to Trinity Prep and that’s why you stay at Trinity Prep.”

1O

November 2O23

Opinions

UNSUBSCRIBE Article by Amanda Rose DeStefano Graphic by Lia Garibay

The internet stood shocked after it was revealed that matriarch of the family-vlogging 8 Passengers YouTube channel, Ruby Franke, had been arrested and charged with six counts of felony child abuse. The YouTube channel, created in 2015, accumulated over two million subscribers before its deletion earlier this year. The channel blew up for its raw content of the family’s everyday lives, as it showed their morning routines, parenting styles, milestones and discipline techniques. It is clear, however, that the six Franke children were experiencing much more behind the camera than the channel let on.

Meet the families Abuse on and off camera is not unheard of within the world of family vlogging. The popular DaddyOfFive channel earned over 84,000 subscribers before the channel was taken down following a lengthy legal battle over custody of two of the couple’s children. Mike and Heather Martin, the couple behind the channel, were sentenced to probation for child neglect and lost custody of two of their five children after publishing several prank videos where they subjected their children to emotional torment and distress. In one instance, the Martins filmed themselves screaming at their children for spilling ink while the children cried. In reality, however, the ink was secretly invisible ink that the parents had set up as a prank to film their children’s reactions.

Machelle Hackney, leader of the Fantastic Adventures YouTube channel, which had over 800,000 subscribers, was charged with seven counts of child abuse, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and child neglect, and other charges. The children told police that they were kept out of school to film videos and punished for forgetting a line on camera or messing up during a video. The most common forms of punishment were pepper spraying or locking the children in a closet without access to food and water.

Myka and James Stauffer, whose combined channels totalled over 1 million subscribers, faced immense backlash after announcing they were rehoming the autistic Chinese boy they

had adopted after three years of filming and posting about him. The couple had profited off of videos surrounding his adoption process, tantrums and medical scares.

Family vlogging exploits children It’s no exaggeration that this style of family vlogging has gained a cult following. The Pew Research Center in 2019 found that “videos with children who appear to be under the age of 13 received three times as many views as other videos.” The popularity of children on social media has made family vlogging an incredibly lucrative business, causing more parents to join in. Ryan Kaji, the 9-year-old who posts videos on Ryan’s World channel, landed No. 1 on Forbes’ list of highest-paid Youtubers in 2020. Ryan is estimated to have made $29.5 million from his channel and subsequent brand deals.

Contrary to movie and television industries, U.S. labor laws do not apply to children working on the set of their parents’ YouTube videos. For example, minors working in the traditional entertainment industry are subject to compensation for their work, instead of their earnings going to their parents. The same protection is not applied to child YouTube stars.

In response to this, Illinois made history this year by becoming the first state to pass legislation protecting earnings made by child influencers by requiring parents to set aside a percentage of earnings into a trust for their children to use in the future.

Another issue with the rising popularity of children on the internet is the lack of formalized consent laws for children appearing in YouTube videos. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, came into effect in 1998 to limit the collection of information on kids under the age of 13 without parental consent. This, however, does not apply to children appearing in their own parents’ monetized content, as their parents are the people sharing information about them online.

To combat instances of outright exploitation of minors online, France adopted a law that “aimed at regulating the commercial exploitation of the image of children under the

age of 16 on online platforms,” in October 2020. This law required parents who were aiming to monetize videos of children under 16 to request permission first. Another way France attempts to reduce child online exploitation is by granting all minors the right to erasure, where minors can request that content or data shared on an online platform be taken down.

Unfortunately, the only state in the United States that explicitly gives minors the right to erasure is California.

Aside from legal complaints, family vloggers have faced backlash for sharing private or potentially traumatic experiences on the internet.

YouTubers gain views for shock factor, leading parents to film their children in the emergency room, post videos of injuries or accidents, and share embarrassing stories about their kids against their will.

YouTube doesn’t care about kids YouTube has come under fire for their potentially damaging algorithm. Some parents innocently upload videos of their wchildren playing or dancing to easily share with friends and family, but YouTube’s algorithm turns this pure action into a dangerous one. YouTube’s algorithm functions to gain viewership and subsequently ad revenue by steering content towards a group specifically receptive to that kind of video. Unfortunately for the children posted, this algorithm seems to be targeting pedophiles as well by sending these home videos their way.

In response to the criticism for their algorithm, YouTube temporarily disabled the comments on channels that feature minors in February of 2019, but took little more action to address the serious algorithm issues. While pedophiles are now unable to make predatory comments on videos of children, the issue runs much deeper. Researchers report in a New York Times article in 2019, that YouTube’s algorithm often referred viewers to home videos only after they watched “sexually themed content.” In isolation, each video may seem innocent, but the larger picture of the algorithm shows a scarier story: YouTube is leading pedophiles to their newest victims.

November 2O23

Opinions

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The hidden truth behind the camera of family vlogs While YouTube’s policy does not allow children under the age of 13 on the platform, it’s obvious that this has never been enforced.

Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to have their own channels, but some of the most successful content creators on the platform are families who share content of their children well under the age of 13.

The long term consequences Unfortunately, the internet endures forever.

A video posted in a child’s early years can be found by future employers, friends and enemies. Not only are there safety risks involved with oversharing on the internet, but it can become uncomfortable.

“Additionally, for kids whose parents do not have a good sense of boundaries and of appropriateness, sometimes the commercially sharented content can be pretty uncomfortable or even, in more extreme cases, constitute more abuse or neglect,” Leah Plunkett, author of Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online, said in an interview with Newsweek.

Since family vlogging is a relatively new phenomenon, the long-term psychological effects of being exposed to the internet in such a way are unknown. It is important that parents navigate what to share, or not to share, on the internet with extreme caution.

Some channels, such as the Eh Bee Family channel, which has over 10 million subscribers, understand the implications of posting their children online. The mother running the channel has hidden the

real names of her children, referring to them as Miss Monkey and Mr. Monkey in videos.

Even so, the children have still been robbed of a normal childhood by having to interact with fans in public and regularly produce content.

We are a part of the problem While family-themed content is popular, failure to recognize the abusive and exploitative conditions in which these videos are filmed incentivizes more families to participate and subject more kids to

the same fate. As members of the online community, we are complicit in the actions happening behind the camera. It is imperative to be mindful of the media we consume and the lasting effects it has on the people around us.

Opinions

November 2O23

Article by Lucy Chong Graphic by Sam Miller As glaciers retreat, sea levels rise and global temperatures continue to reach new heights, humans have started to wonder whether Earth is past redemption. For many, the solution to climate change is no longer reducing our carbon footprint or plastic consumption, but rather abandoning ship entirely.

Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, believes that the only way to ensure the survival of humanity against climate change is to relocate portions of our population to Mars.

“We don’t want to be one of those single

planet species; we want to be a multi-planet species,” Musk said in a speech at the launch of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission in April of 2021.

What 20 years ago seemed like the plot of a good sci-fi comic may soon become a reality.

As CNBC in April 2021 reported, Musk predicts that SpaceX will land humans on Mars by 2026.

This solution, however, won’t come without severe environmental and ethical consequences that beg the question of whether or not we should colonize mars regardless of feasibility.

HEATING UP EARTH A 2022 study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has found that significant increases in spaceflight during coming years may damage the ozone layer beyond repair.

Kerosene-burning rocket engines release exhaust containing black carbon into the stratosphere. These hydrocarbons then deplete the protective ozone layer that surrounds Earth.

The research team at NOAA used a climate model to predict the impacts of releasing 10,000 metric tons of soot into the stratosphere per year for 50 years. For reference, an estimated 1,000 metric tons of exhaust are currently emitted each year. Their conclusion was startling: under these circumstances, annual temperatures in the stratosphere would rise by 1ºF to 4ºF, and the ozone abundance in the poles would deplete significantly.

Such changes to Earth’s atmosphere would be deadly. The protective ozone layer that surrounds Earth shields organisms on the surface from harmful UV radiation that can cause cataracts, lead to skin cancer and damage agriculture.

Increases in global temperature will be just as dangerous; effects of worsening climate change will likely include more frequent natural disasters, poor air quality, food shortages and rising sea levels.

A mass migration of humans to Mars would increase spaceflight activity at least ten-fold (the value used in NOAA’s climate model) if not more, meaning it will be impossible to move to Mars without condemning Earth. We will have to choose.

A LEGACY OF COLONIALISM In February, NASA’s Curiosity rover found evidence of ancient water waves on Mars in the form of rippled rocks, renewing the ageold debate over whether or not aliens have ever existed on Mars’s surface.

“We see signs in Mars’ ancient rocks that liquid water did exist in the past, and the presence of possible metabolic energy sources, which means life could have developed there,” said Dr. Mitchell Shulte, Program Scientist with NASA’s Mars Exploration Program and Planetary Science Division. “We have not found any evidence of this yet, however.”

The uncertainties over life on Mars have emerged as a primary concern for philosophers and scientists researching Mars exploration and migration.

“If we find any life on Mars … we should maintain a completely hands-off attitude towards the planet,” said Dr. Ian Stoner, Saint Paul professor and author of the article “The Ethics of Terraforming: A Critical Survey of Six Arguments.”

In his article on terraforming, the “Earth-shaping” of a planet, Stoner warns about the dangers of recreating colonialist sentiments on Mars.

“We should not be so arrogant about med-

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dling with systems we don’t understand,” Stoner said. “We should not be so sure that our way is the best way and we should impose it on other places. And, we should learn that lesson from our own history of colonialism on Earth and not recapitulate it on a different planet.”

Obviously, colonialism on Mars will look different than on Earth, given the fact that life may not exist there; however, the promotion of the colonialist mindset is still incredibly harmful both on Earth and Mars.

TERRAFORMING: IMPACTS ON THE MARTIAN ENVIRONMENT Over 3.5 billion years ago, Mars’ surface was thought to have flowing rivers of liquid water, a thick atmosphere and plenty of organic molecules; it was the ideal home for life.

But, billions of years ago, solar winds transformed the surface of Mars into the cold desert we know today: a planet with an atmosphere too thin and a climate too cold to support human life.

As global policymakers and scientists begin to consider the possibility of migrating to Mars, they have also begun to brainstorm ways in which the red planet could be made habitable once more.

Elon Musk, for example, has suggested nuking Mars’ poles to create a warmer climate and liquid water. This, however, likely wouldn’t be a long-term solution as the carbon dioxide created from nuking the poles would only double Mars’ atmospheric pressure, which isn’t nearly enough to match Earth’s, since Earth’s atmospheric pressure is over 100 times greater than the red planet’s.

Breathing also presents a huge challenge to future explorers, as the oxygen composition in Mars’ current atmosphere is too low for humans to survive. NASA’s MOXIE project is currently researching ways in which carbon dioxide on Mars can be converted into oxygen.

“The objective [is] to make oxygen that is pure enough to use as fuel, with the idea being that you could make at least some of the material you would need to return home [on] Mars, rather than bringing it with you,” Schulte said. “Of course, the oxygen generated could also theoretically be used for the astronauts to breathe.”

Opinions

If successful, this technology could be used by future explorers to survive, but it’s unlikely that this technology could ever spread throughout the entire planet as the amount of oxygen created by MOXIE is very small.

There is a common argument made that exploring Mars and developing strategies such as the ones mentioned above will teach lessons on how to survive in extreme environments that can be translated back to Earth. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.

“We’re not going to have any ability to do anything useful or good or nondestructive on Mars until we figure out how to live lightly in our own environment,” Stoner said.

CONCLUSIONS Despite the numerous ethical and environmental concerns surrounding the colonization of Mars, companies like SpaceX continue to move forward with plans to colonize or at the very least explore the red planet, seemingly unbothered by any harms they may create along the way.

It appears that while policymakers on Earth may be learning lessons on colonization and environmental preservation, they will not carry their newfound knowledge over to Mars, instead, choosing to relive history.

To avoid the worst of climate change, scientists predict that the world will need to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The seeming impossibility of this goal has led to the consideration of Mars as our solution. However, while space travel may save pockets of humanity, the emissions generated by these rocket engines would condemn the rest of Earth.

Instead of looking for a way out, policymakers around the world should focus more on environmental actions that will reduce emissions and ensure humanity’s future on Earth.

Opinions

November 2O23

PREVENT FAILING FINANCIAL FUTURES

A personal finance class should be implemented Article by Sofia Haddadin Graphic by Caden Liu U.S. teens lack confidence in their knowledge of personal finance, causing further financial struggles later in life. Around 75% of teens across the country are struggling with financial literacy, according to a 2023 report by financial firm Annuity. The troubling statistic demonstrates how ill-prepared future generations will be to sustain themselves financially.

The responsibility of a school is to increase knowledge, and in terms of personal finance, Trinity is missing the mark. The school does not offer a personal finance class, which should be implemented to ensure our students are not a part of the alarming statistics.

According to Ramsey, a financial consulting firm, the knowledge from personal finance classes lays a foundation for students to build strong money habits and avoid many of the mistakes that lead to lifelong money struggles.

“From budgeting, balancing a check and what it means to save for retirement ... [personal finance classes give] kids a foundation that is super important,” said Director of Learning and Instruction Dr. Stephanie Dryden.

When students know the true value of their money at an early age, they are set up for better spending habits going forward. This decreases the risk of going into debt and later financial struggles, and can be taught through a high school personal finance class.

At Trinity, the only form of personal finance education is during one week in the Honors Economics class. However, a single unit is not as comprehensive as a semester-long personal finance class. According to Caralyn Saldarriaga, AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics and Honors Economics teacher, it would be ideal for a whole semester to be dedicated towards a personal finance class.

The Florida government has already acted upon the lack of youth financial literacy establishing a mandatory one-half credit in personal financial literacy and money management by passing Bill 1054, which went into effect on Jul. 7, 2022.

“Financial literacy is an important life skill

for a student to have,” Governor Ron DeSantis said. “Ensuring our students have the skills to manage their finances and perhaps one day own a business will pay dividends for our state.

I am proud to sign this bill to support the future of Florida’s students and ultimately their families and communities.”

The new law requires instruction to include lessons on how to balance a checkbook, manage debt, open and manage a banking account, and understand credit scores and interest rates, among other things.

However, this legislation does not apply to Trinity Prep, as it is a private school. When it comes to financial literacy, Trinity students are put at a disadvantage compared to public schools, which are actively teaching the course per the new law. As other schools begin to implement the course, Trinity must take it into consideration to fix the flaw in the curriculum.

Trinity Prep focuses on making leaders of tomorrow, but this cannot be possible if students graduate without knowing how to spend and manage their money properly.

“Financial literacy is something most students lack when they go off to college,” Saldarriaga said. “They don’t know the real costs of things, and they don’t understand this difference between need versus want. It’s very important and I would love to see it put in place.”

Though logistical challenges, such as hiring teachers, place obstacles in the inclusion of the course, the skills taught are increasingly important as the economy continues to change and develop.

“Market forces are going to be dominating our economic realities, so you need to know how to navigate those waters,” said social science teacher Brandon Burmeister, who has taught economics in the past. “Personal finance helps you know how to, at a young age, begin to put money away for retirement, know how to invest responsibly, and know credit cards aren’t really money.”

Simple financial skills slip through the cracks, making students unable to complete real-life tasks. Often, the school curriculum gets caught up in applied evolution or systems of equations, failing to provide students with skills to help them succeed in the real world and stay financially afloat post-graduation.

Burmeister notes that an early start is crucial for students so they are able to manage the ups and downs when starting their financial journey. Starting early not only provides a path for learning but also an opportunity to ask questions. To fail inside a classroom is far better than failing in the real world.

“I think knowing those things is valuable for anybody, but especially for 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds that are about to just go dive in the water with the sharks,” Burmeister said.

Trinity Prep must act now to provide instruction on financial literacy, and prevent bad spending habits and debt in students’ futures.

For graduates to excel, we must take the initiative to correct the lack of financial education.

November 2O23

Opinion

NO AFFINITY FOR DIVERSITY Trinity Prep’s mission statement claims the school strives for diversity and inclusion, but to achieve this goal, it must take an actionable first step that has been rejected for years: implementing identity-based affinity groups.

Identity-based affinity groups like the Jewish Student Union (JSU) or the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) are comprised of a set of individuals bound by a common identity or interest.

Affinity groups have been widely implemented across the country at all levels including high schools, universities and corporations with largely positive impacts.

“Every institution from where I went to, to where I’ve taught at, has had affinity groups,” Director of Forensics Benjamin Gaddis said.

“I think that [these affinity groups]create an accessible, welcoming and approachable space, especially for individuals that may not feel welcome in the country, university or within their town or community.”

In previous years, Trinity has rejected students’ requests for a JSU and a GSA. This year, Trinity Prep has once again shut down the idea of a JSU. “The school has not supported the idea of affinity groups due to concern that by their nature they can be considered exclusionary because they tend to require certain characteristics,” Head of the Upper School Dr. Tracy Bonday said.

The viewpoint of the administration rests upon the false notion that affinity groups are only open to those represented by the identity group. In reality, affinity groups are open to anyone who wants to join and learn about different cultures, identities and experiences.

This school policy demonstrates a clear lack of consideration for the concerns of the student body, with a Voice student survey in October showing that 83.7% of 104 upper school students support affinity groups.

“Trinity should allow [all] affinity groups because our new mission statement talks about diversity of thought and expression,” senior Rhea Maniar said. “I fail to see how we are

providing for that.”

Though Trinity has classes like World Religions, textbook curriculum and community conversation are two very different things.

Affinity groups provide the opportunity to go outside the bubble that is school education to learn about different identity groups.

One significant group seeking a community like this are the Jewish students attending Trinity. Although Jewish students opted to attend an Episcopalian school, they still want spaces for discussion and expression. “[Jewish people] still feel excluded in things like Chapel and FCA,” JSU advocate sophomore Sophia Scheinberg said. “I think that it’s just really important to have a place where we can all get together and talk about the struggles we have to face.”

The key to increasing inclusivity while reducing division is the understanding that affinity groups are available to every race, religion, sexuality or ethnicity - the only thing that is required is an open mind. Other schools like Montverde and Lake Highland seem to understand this idea perfectly.

“I think Montverde does a very good job of including everyone’s separate groups,” Montverde JSU President Adam Townsend said. “I think it is pivotal for everybody to understand more about not just Bishop Moore, not just Trinity, but really somewhere outside of their bubble. Other people have different ideas, different thoughts and different understandings of issues in the world.”

All public schools also have access to affinity groups in accordance with the Equal Access Act, which was supported in the Supreme Court Decision, Mergens v. Westside Community Schools. The Act and SCOTUS decision have been used to justify identity-based affinity groups across the country.

“We think that secondary school students are mature enough and are likely to understand that a school does not endorse or support student speech that it merely permits on a nondiscriminatory basis…,” Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in a majority opinion in 1990. “On our own campus however, administration has been less recep-

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tive. Instead of allowing affinity groups, umbrella organizations like the MultiFaith Club and Diversity Club where every affinity organization is clumped together.

“When you just take a bunch of minorities who feel that they haven’t made their voice heard on campus and squish them in a room together and call it under one big umbrella as the Diversity Club, it doesn’t really serve a purpose,” Maniar said.

Interestingly, Trinity actually does have a singular identity-specific affinity group. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This organization fulfills all of the qualifications of an affinity group, and yet administration does not consider it to be non-inclusive. Allowing this group but none of the others creates a facade of inclusion while continuing to fail its student body.

Affinity groups give students a voice, a voice they desperately want. The mission statement’s change to “embracing diversity in thought and perspective” is a good first step, but action speaks louder than words.

“If you can show the administration that students want this, that it’s a desirable thing, then I think there’s no question that the administration listens to that,” Blickman said.

It is clear students want this, with overwhelming statistics proving that affinity groups are supported. The only question is whether the administration will take action.

“When affinity groups are taken away or not allowed, I think that we’re not giving space to these groups and we’re robbing them of their voice,” Gaddis said.

It is hypocritical that Trinity is starting to emphasize their efforts for diversity while shutting down initiatives for marginalized communities to collectivize and communicate.

“Without being seen, you can’t be heard, without being heard, your voice isn’t there,” President of Diversity Club and GSA advocate Natalie Gillan said.

Ad astra per aspera is only our song if everyone feels like they have a voice to sing it.

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

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DEFINING MY STORY Article by Taylor Griffith Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente Senior Sophia Sukup goes to tour her dream school, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the best colleges in the country for art. As she is touring, she is amazed by the campus. The college counselor calls her away from the group she is with and gives her a letter. The letter contains her acceptance letter to SCAD and she’s overfilled with excitement “I followed my dream,” Sukup said. “Since I was little I wanted to do something related to art, always wanted to be an artist, and I finally got accepted into SCAD.” The story of Sukup’s life has shifted throughout the years, but art has helped her to devolop her story. She worked continuously on her story to accomplish getting into her dream college. Some students can focus their lives completely on academics, or they can take a different path like Sukup chose to do, by spending a lot of her time on art.

Taking a more rigorous approach with academics can cause students to feel resentment and negativity towards school. People thrive with positive validation, and students often find that through academics.

Guidance counselor Rylan Smith finds that when students solely focus on academics there can often be negative side effects.

“Teenagers see that if they do not have straight A’s or ... certain grades then they’re not going to be successful,” Smith said. “The reality is, there are a lot of things they could be successful in.”

Oftentimes academic achievements consume the life of student’s and become the sole quality that is seen in a successful student.

“In our society we tend to judge people on grades and make assumptions that you have to have this to be successful,” Smith said.

Sometimes academics can take over a student’s life. Senior Sarah Munjed often suffers from revolving her life around academics.

“Part of who you are becomes the school, the academics [and] the extracurriculars that

you are involved in,” Munjed said. “The school just becomes who you are because you spend

her schedule not only with AP classes, but also something she enjoys.

Like Sukup, Sophomore Victor Fang uses so much time here.” his art to express himself and create his own Academics can sometimes be overwhelming life story. for Munjed, she also finds value in things out“Art doesn’t define me, but I define my art,” side of school.

Fang said.

Classes are not the only thing that defines Art is something that Munjed’s story. She also has sculpted Fang’s story tries to veer away from and lead him into a preacademics by focusing on pared future. things completely different Th e critical inner from school. voice can lead to many “The big things that de- Victor Fang, Sophomore effects making the stofine me are friendships, ry of their lives change. family life, and school life,” The negative critical inMunjed said. ner voice is something that can tell you stories Many different things can define people, but that are not true making you believe negative Munjed prefers to view the things that define outcomes of yourself.

Th e negative voice is her with a positive mindset. caused by many diff erent triggers, sometimes There are a lot of different pathways to random and can often lead to negative effects. branch out and create the story of yourself.

According to Th e Student’s Wellness and Sukup has managed her academics so she Recreation, listening to their negative critical would be able to do something that is good for voice leads to a more negative outcome in daily her and shapes her story. life.

Th is can aff ect expressions of uncertainty Sukup has prepared herself throughout her high school years for a truthful story that or lack of confidence. Some students focus on showcases her own talents through her art their extracurricular activities as their stories.

Students trying to define themselves may focus on sports, athletics, arts and more. The critical voice that people have can determine this. This voice can be turned to positive by focusing on the positive aspects around you.

“We are often our worst critic and this is especially amplified in teenage years where we are constantly comparing ourselves to other people,” Smith said.

The critical voice that you have affects who you are due to the importance of what you are saying to yourself has. Smith agrees, the way you view yourself affects the outcome of your life and story. skills. As Sukup’s senior year was approaching “We become who we think we are,” Smith she tried to stack all of her art classes, so she said. would be prepared when she goes to college.

“Art doesn’t define me, but I define my art.”

Sukup now takes two art classes, AP 3-D Art and Design and Drawing 1. She balances out

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DEEP DISH DIVING

Telling stories about food beyond its looks Article by Mia Prince Graphic by Sam Miller Every Sunday night, the smell of freshly baked meatballs, pots clanking, spoons stirring is something chef Matt Carcone experienced. Carcone cooked his grandma’s recipes, and his family enjoyed making homemade meatballs, stuffed peppers and his “world famous” marinara sauce. Carcone, sous chef at Bar Italia, established his love for cooking at a very young age from being in the kitchen and helping with dinner. Carcone’s love for cooking became apart of who he was and motivated him to pursue a career.

“Growing up, both my parents, mostly my dad, would always cook, and when I was young I used to enjoy making dinner with him,” Carcone said. “So I started getting into it, and then I ended up going to a trade school in high school that had a culinary program.”

One childhood memory can set people on track for their college, profession and adulthood. From making dishes with loved ones or doing simple everyday activities, anything can influence decisions that are made later in life. According to the American Psychological Association, previous research has shown a positive relationship between good memories and good health in young adults, including higher quality of work and personal relationships, lower substance use, lower depression and fewer health problems.

“I went to the program, finished that out and then just went to work right after,” Caronce said. “I didn’t go to college or anything. I went straight into work and then just built my way up from line cook all the way up to a sous chef now.”

Each dish, memory and activity can have a story behind it. These dishes go farther than just the food, there is an art to each dish that tells a story. Carcone has many family dishes that have deeper meanings personal to him and his family.

“My mom’s meatballs, marinara sauce and stuffed peppers were all family recipes that were passed down,” Carcone said. For many,

the love for food and cooking started from a young age and stemmed from their culture. This was the case for both Carcone and senior Amanda Touissant. Many families pass down recipes through the generations as a way to connect to their ancestors and other people of that cultural descent. Their cultures have an influence on their love for cooking, culture and family recipes. “[My dad] taught me how to cook and showed me how to make a lot of the recipes and I was able to put my own twist on

a lot of things that he taught me and then share the new recipes with him again,” Touisant said.

Touissant finds that food is a good way to connect with other Haitians, and she fell in love with food at a young age from passed down family recipes.

“It’s interesting how you can go to like anyone who is Haitian and be able to talk about your favorite meals or talk about how on every New Year’s we always make this specific soup that we eat every year,” Touissant said. “I feel like that’s kind of interesting, and it’s nice to be able to connect that way.”

When she goes back to visit family she is able to cook food with her aunts and uncles, and it is a way that they can connect and share memories together.

“I’m able to go visit my country, Haiti, when I go back, I’m able to talk with my other family members and we’re able to cook together and talk about the dishes we made,” Touissant said.

Each flavorful dish can create a memorable experience which enhances the taste, the dish overall and the memories that come with it. The memories associated with food allow a better connection between a person and their culture. Food is a new way of expression, a way for people to introduce themselves, and portray themself in a new light that many people have not yet experienced before.

“It’s nice to see how different people put their own twist on dishes, even though it’s all cooked the same way, some people might add something and it might be like oh wow, that’s interesting,” Touissant said. “I like that we can connect that way.”

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WRITERS RALLY FOR RIGHTS Article by Mila Taylor Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente

“Stranger Things 4,” released in the summer of 2022, became such a hit that it rose to the second most watched show in Netflix history. Fans were wrapped up in a frenzy of anticipation for the upcoming season until the Duffer Brothers tweeted, “Writing does not stop when filming begins, while we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike.”

The Writer’s Guild of America strike, which started on May 2, was the second longest WGA strike in history, lasting 146 days.

Screenwriters from all over America gathered in solidarity for higher pay, provisions about artificial intelligence and other concerns in the workplace. Because of the protest, many highly anticipated shows and movies were put on hold. UCF professor of screenwriting and WGA member Barry Sandler explained the importance of telling stories through film, something that became very difficult when the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) would not listen to the writer’s concerns.

“The reason people go to movies is to get caught up in a story, and they do that through characters, primarily who take you on a journey,” Sandler said. “The glory of film is that we’re able to learn so much about not only the world around us and other people, but history as well.”

Movies and shows have become the 21st century form of storytelling, and represent so many different types of people and human experiences. Writers can open up a whole new world for people to experience new perspectives and gain insight.

“It offers a long-form way to look into characters and reflect on historical events and the current social landscape, and is a really good way to reflect on society,” senior Alexander Matusiak said.

Writers are giving up their voices because companies are not meeting their needs. Sandler spent his entire summer in Los Angeles on the picket line with his friends demanding respect for writers’ work and proper pay.

“We would carry our sign and march up and down the street,” Sandler said, “And we got a lot of support from passing people in their cars, fire trucks, police cars … we really felt this sense of support from the community and that people were behind us.”

Because of these strikes, many streaming services like Netflix had to resort to other means, such as live streaming of baby gorillas, to keep audiences entertained while shows were on hold.

AI has become one of the biggest topics of concern, for writers and actors there is a lot of argument about the uses of AI for script writing and CGI effects. However, many are worried that writers using AI leads to a lack of authenticity within scripts and storytelling.

“As a writer or any artist, you want to own the fullness of your products,” Christianity and film teacher Brandon Burmeister said.

“Not only is it a way to cut money, you’re [also] going to get repetitive bad products. It’s not artistic … it takes away from the integrity of the process.”

Other issues like residuals were brought up in the strike regarding the effects of AI. Not only are people worried about changes that AI

brings to storytelling, people in the film industry worry how AI is going to affect their jobs.

“The AI issue is very prominent in terms of protections for writers,” Sandler said. “Each era has its own technology that writers stand to benefit by and the studios have to be willing to pay the writers what they deserve.”

However, many argue that AI is a tool that can be utilized with caution.

“AI can be used in a lot of different ways to help create storyboards quickly and efficiently,” Burmeister said. “There’s a lot of good applications for AI technology. I just don’t think it’s in the creative side of it.”

The writers strike ended on Sept. 27, with a deal that included restrictions on AI, saying that tool can be utilized without reducing their pay. Other demands were also heard, including increasing overall pay and streaming residuals.

“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” WGA tweeted.

Even though the writers strike is over, there is still a lot of work to be done, on both the writers’ and actors’ part. Movies and TV shows are still unable to start production until the Screen Actors Guild of America (SAG) reaches a fair deal.

“With the strike over for the writers, [it] will create a momentum for actors and producers to sit down, talk and negotiate a deal,” Sandler said. “This really broke ground and really allowed for the actors to make their deal as well, because I think everybody wants to get back to work.”

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Article by Fay Zhao Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente & Photos courtesy of Mimi Hwang Artist Mimi Hwang walks into the vibrant pursued a successful career as a consultant in “I was a banana, yellow on the outside, room of her studio, colors popping from ev- IT. It was not until six years ago, when she de- white on the inside,” Hwang said. “When I ery corner. She approaches the blank canvas cided to quit her job and pursue her dream as went to college, there were very few Chinese and dives in with crayons, brushes of all sizes an artist. people. So all my friends were white, and I and a plethora of colors, with no plan but to “It was just a calling, I really focused on it thought I was white too.” follow the flow of her emotions. Through the too,” Hwang said. “So, I ended my contract Abstract art helped her map out her bundle rugged shapes and unique lines in her finished and I said ‘I’m just going to go straight down- of emotions through the freedom it offered. abstract piece, she tells a complex story of her town Orlando and get myself into a studio Through art, she was able to find herself from love for her dog and the companionship they with other artists and I’m going to paint all the Chinese roots of her family to the Amerishare as they face looming climate change. the time.’” can culture she lived in.

“It’s an internal journey and things are hapAfter officially becoming an artist, Hwang “I am an emotional painter,” Hwang said. pening while you’re painting it,” Hwang said. focused on finding herself through art. Being “It’s always about my inner journey and ab“The paint takes you in certain directions one of the only Asians in school growing up, stract is suited to that [instead of ] rather than [with] your mood, your arm, your energy, and she struggled with her identity and what de- trying to present something because of the you have to learn to trust that.” fined her. light or the form of the function. As an artist, Hwang’s love for art stems I fought and still have an urfrom her childhood. She was gency to express myself with born into an Asian American authenticity, and that means family that had an appreciafinding my roots, both sides, tion for art as a creative form eastern and western and of self-expression. pay[ing] it tribute.”

“I happen to be brought Preserving her heritage is up by parents who loved the important to Hwang. She arts and painted in their spare maintains a sense of Zen in time,” Hwang said. “They her paintings to honor her were very Chinese and they father, who was a master of didn’t want me to be an artist, tai chi, a Chinese practice they wanted me to be a docwhich involves slow, gentor or something, but they did tle movements to achieve a love to nurture my creativity.” meditative state of mind. She Despite all her years of douses Chinese colors like jade, ing art as a kid, Hwang did red and tan as well as incornot discover abstract art until porating the color black with she was in New York, where strokes of calligraphy. she was fully immersed in the Inspired by Asian art, art world. The abstract expresHwang often uses the consions of the ‘50s with inspicept of space in her artwork ration from punk, reggae and to express the flow of emofusion stuck with her. tions. Many people often “That was burned into my find space isolating and “Journey Home” soul and the way I see and apempty, but in Hwang’s art, preciate art and culture, I feel space is used to connect the subgrounded,” Hwang said. “I will Hwang’s painting includes calligraphy symbolic of the Chinese houseject to the world. In one piece, always identify with that scene.” hold she grew up in. There is a house with a figure of her mother, repreHwang painted a figure sitting Despite her passion for ab- senting the childhood feeling of home when with her mom. The pathway on a stone surrounded by blue stract art, she fulfilled her par- with a lost figure in the distance represent Hwang looking for which way to accentuate her interpretation ents’ wishes for a stable job and to go to finding home. of space.

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Hwang tells her story through abstract art “He’s connected to the whole world, space is connecting him,” Hwang said. “It’s not separating him. So it’s a flip way of getting people to see how important holding space is. Our soul really carries a lot of spaciousness, and I try to retain that.”

Besides specific techniques used, the main point of Hwang’s art is the portrayal of her emotions as her life changes. In her piece named “Journey Home,” Hwang explores the journey of finding her sense of home.

“What is home?” Hwang said. “Is it a place or is it a memory or is it a loved one? Or is it a sense of peace, people are always looking to be home, but sometimes it’s not a location–it’s a feeling.”

In another piece named “Lovers,” Hwang focused on the scarcity of time to devote love to someone entirely.

“The emotion between the two people was

so strong it was the only thing you should look at,” Hwang said. “That was an interesting process to strip down to the essence of the emotion. I could have spent a lot of time painting more figures and flowers, but it was really about the two people and how they felt about each other that came across.”

Sometimes her paintings involved emotions of sadness and pain, especially so when she experienced the loss of her child three years ago. The paintings were not just an expression of the soul, but a life line that protected and helped her through the tragedy.

“I thought my life was over and I had to paint my way out of it as grief touches my paintings,” Hwang said. “I don’t know what I would do if I did not paint, if I didn’t have that, I don’t know if I would have made it … painting helped me, it propelled me “Spirit” forward to address my vulnerability.” her paintings to balance the heavy emotions As well as processing that sometimes consume her art. her sadness through her “It’s a good thing in life to center yourself, to works, she also dwelled in find joy, to find gratitude, to reach inside yourthe mystery behind hu- self and see if you can find the strength that man life. day to help somebody, to be kind to yourself “You always know peo- because it’s hard to find [joy] when you’re sad, ple live and die, but when but all you have to do is is look, be present,” it really happens to some- Hwang said. one close, it’s a mystery,” Abstract art centered Hwang throughout her Hwang said. “They were life as it turned in different directions down a here, and now they’re winding path. She found joy and gratitude in gone, but you feel them. telling her story through art. It will continue That sense of mystery and to tell more stories to connect and bring joy to connection from the uni- others like it has for Hwang. verse or something, enters “The arts, in whatever form, are deeply coninto my paintings.” nected to being a human, you are connected Hwang expresses joy in with them and there is some joy and beauty in that,” Hwang said. “We need it very much in “Lovers” our lives because we are full of ugliness, material things and all sorts of things that don’t Hwang is the woman in the painting. Originally there were many really matter.” physical objects like kids, houses, and people in the backyard, but all were eradicated to capture the raw emotion and story of the two figures.

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Focus

November 2O23

STITCH TOGETHER A HISTORY The impact of storytelling through fashion Article by Iris Lei Graphic by Sam Miller Referred to as “fashion’s biggest night” and sign for a greater story, even the smallest detail “the Super Bowl of fashion” by Vogue, the Met or accessory. Levi Strauss & Co. is a clothing Gala draws the attention every year of fashion company widely known for its Levi’s brand enthusiasts and fans across the world. Howev- of jeans. According to the Levi Strauss & Co. er, this year’s gala has website, rivets in jeans faced controversy for “I think fashion always tells a were first created in its chosen subject, story, honestly. Even if it’s the 1873 to provide workKarl Lagerfeld, as a ing men with durable result of his conten- smallest thing about how you’re pants that would surtious opinions. For feeling that day, or what you vive longer when combetter and worse, with denim. decide to wear, there’s always a bined fashion has long been According to Hawa universal medium story behind it.” thorn, a leading clothfor storytelling. ing manufacturer in - Maiori Butz, Fashion Club the United Kingdom, From designers to Co-President nearly a century later teenage customers, fashion has wide jeans were frequently reaching impacts. Sophomores Gracie Asher worn by college students and others protesting and Maiori Butz established a fashion club at against the Vietnam War and thus became a school because of their shared passion for fashion and aspiring careers within the industry.

To them, fashion can be used as an outlet for creativity.

“I think it’s a form of art and expression,” Butz said. “It’s fun putting different pieces together and trying new things.”

This is possible because of fashion’s accessibility and flexible interpretations depending on the individual. Fashion can be an effective tool for sharing personal experiences or stories with a wider audience.

“A lot of people make clothes from their culture or [with] materials that other people wouldn’t [otherwise] be familiar with,” Asher said. “So when they show their clothes, it’s a way to express their culture to other people.”

According to Butz, there are also large varieties of fabrics and other materials that can be incorporated into fashion de-

symbol of youth rebellion.

Butz and Asher had a personal experience with fashion storytelling when they traveled to New York City to see the fashion exhibit “¡Moda Hoy! Latin American and Latinx Fashion Design Today” in The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

The exhibit features Latin American designers located in the United States as well as Latin American countries.

Another example of this combination of fashion and culture is Native American, and women-owned, fashion and lifestyle brand B.Yellowtail. Bethany Yellowtail is the company’s CEO, and a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne Nation as well as the Apsáalooke or Crow Nation. These ties to her heritage and a desire to have her communities properly represented motivated her to create B.Yellowtail, which incorporates Indigenous designs and patterns in its merchandise.

All outfits are influenced by individuals who produce or wear them and thus, recount the events they experience.

“I think fashion always tells a story, honestly,” Butz said. “Even if it’s the smallest thing about how you’re feeling that day or what you decide to wear, there’s always a story behind it.”

Storytelling through fashion has always brought people together from all walks of life and united them over a common interest. “[Fashion] gets people interested because if they want to tell their story or learn other people’s stories, it gives them an outlet to express themselves,” Asher said.

“It’s just a community of so many different people from so many different places coming together and learning from each other.”

November 2O23

Lifestyles

23

The impact of nostalgia is the dominant trend among Gen Z Article by Laziza Talipova Graphic by Maxi de la Fuente In a world defined by rapid technological advancements and evolving trends, nostalgia is making a big comeback in the lives of students, particularly among Generation Z. From rediscovering childhood hobbies to embracing vintage fashion and falling in love with classic movies, nostalgia has become the number one trend. Junior Addison Burgos is passionate about the topic of nostalgia on Gen Z “I feel like nostalgia always plays an important part in things like cultural identity and kind of how people align themselves within a culture,” Burgos said.

From digital screens to vintage scenes Gen Z grew up in a digital age of touchscreens where virtual realities were the norm.

Yet they find themselves irresistibly drawn to the world of their parents and even grandparents. One of the most intriguing aspects of Gen Z’s nostalgia is how they’re using it as a source of inspiration for their own creative endeavors. Many young artists, writers, and designers are drawing from the past to create something new and uniquely contemporary.

Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, “GUTS,” focuses on the past jitters of an ex-boyfriend. Rolling Stone magazine has deemed the album “another instant classic,” as the genre of her music transitions from teenage pop to rock, making an ambitious reference to the early 2000s.

Fashion Flashback Growing up in the digital age of fast fashion, nostalgia is certainly a factor in Gen Z’s relationship with fashion. The resurgence of vintage fashion from earlier decades, particularly the 1990s and the early 2000s, is one notable aspect of this nostalgia. Baggy jeans, oversized flannel shirts, claw clips, crop tops, and chunky sneakers are just a few examples of nostalgic pieces of clothing from these decades that have returned as essentials in Gen Z wardrobes. Psychology teacher Michael Brown isn’t used to this trend of fashion with his students.

“It feels like the ‘90s,” Brown said. “I think

it’s somewhat common, like it’s cyclical. It’s weird. I’m not used to the decade I grew up in being a thing that’s coming back. It makes me feel older.”

Nostalgic Entertainment The entertainment industry has also felt the reverberations of this nostalgia resurgence.

With legacy sequels like “Top Gun: Maverick” and cult classics like “Clueless” bursting onto the scene, Gen Z is rediscovering classic movies, TV shows and music from the past.

Streaming platforms and YouTube have made it easier than ever to access these older movies, giving young viewers a glimpse into the pop culture of earlier decades. Burgos feels that “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Wars” are the movies she grew up on, and she feels a sense of familiarity when it comes to the films.

“I feel like part of it has to do with the increase in technology, and the spread of information,” Burgos said. “Older media is a lot more accessible to us. Because of the widespread technology that we have, it’s a lot easier to connect to a movie from the past such as ‘Top Gun.’ And that provides an easier way to create new content off of that.”

Connecting through nostalgia Nostalgia also serves as a sense of community for Gen Z. They use shared nostalgic interests to connect with others, bridging generational gaps and forging connections with older family members.

This sharing creates moments of unity and understanding as Gen Z explores the interests, music, and

movies that their parents and grandparents once cherished.

“Nostalgia provides a sense of community within a generation, and it gives something to another generation,” Burgos said. “Being able to have that shared feeling and histology gives generations more meaning together.”

Why nostalgia now?

The fast pace of technological advancement has left many young people looking for a simpler, safer era. The power of social media has made it easier for Gen Z to discover, share and celebrate their nostalgic interests with peers.

Even the ongoing global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, may be prompting young people to seek comfort and stability in the familiarity of nostalgia.

“I feel like nostalgia and the knowledge of things kind of provide this sense of familiarity because there’s always that longing when things were simpler in your childhood,” Burgos said.

“A lot of times people wish to reminisce about the good old days and have something that’s nostalgic and provides a sense of comfort.”

November 2O23

Lifestyles

MORE THAN JUST THE LYRICS Article by Jack Aaron Graphic by Lia Garibay

In the summer of 2015, attendees of a Black Lives Matter rally witnessed a police officer pull a 14-year-old African American suspected of drinking alcohol and handcuff him underneath a bus stop. After the crowd grew larger and the mother of the boy arrived at the scene, members of the Black Lives Matter movement began reciting the lyrics: “We gon’ be alright.”

The chanting of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” symbolizes the popularity and influence of one of the greatest music genres of all time, hip hop.

Hip hop’s Upbringing Hip hop was born in the Bronx in 1973, when Clive Campbell, otherwise known as DJ Kool Herc, deejayed for his sister’s party and created the beat that became the foundation of hip hop, the “break.” The “break” is a musical technique where short sections of a song pause to give way for an isolated drum beat.

Since hip hop’s birth, the genre has seen the rise of titan artists such as Wonder Mike, Master Gee, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls and Kendrick Lamar.

Hip hop celebrated its 50th anniversary on August 11, and the genre continues to remain widely popular. According to The Economist magazine, it is currently the most popular music genre in the U.S. The genre is also widely popular on Trinity’s campus, as 30 percent of the student population said hip hop is their favorite music genre. Sophomore Karl Loiseau is one of those fans.

“I would say it’s a genre predicated on storytelling,” Loiseau said. “[Hip hop] talks about issues that aren’t covered in other genres of music.”

An example of this storytelling is in renowned hip hop artist Kendrick Lamar’s “Mother I Sober,” as Lamar recalled the violence and drama that took place in his family when he was a child. This can be seen in lyrics such as “I remember looking in the mirror knowing I was gifted / Only child, me for seven years, everything for Christmas / Family ties, they accused my cousin.”

In addition to storytelling, hip hop is also known for how it evolved as it difused into different regions in the U.S. “You had West Coast, New York, Houston, Atlanta and Memphis hip hop,” Mathematics teacher Eric Schneider said. “You kind of had these pockets of different styles for rap music.”

West Coast hip hop gave birth to several notorious artists and is a major determinant in hip hop’s popularity. In particular, the hip hop group “N.W.A” is one of the best representations of the subgenre. This group consisted of renowned rappers such as Andre “Dr. Dre” Young and O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr. The N.W.A is most well known for its album “Straight Outta Compton.” This album, with over 3.5 million copies sold, not only put West Coast hip hop on the map, but shed light on the struggles of the Compton, California community. Specifically, at the time Compton was wrought with gang violence and police brutality, and the N.W.A. was able to convey this through lyrics.

Famous Albums Throughout hip hop’s 50 years, only one album has ever won a Pulitzer Prize – one of the most prestigious awards for an album to receive. Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” has both achieved this feat and remained on the Billboard Top 200 chart since its release on Apr. 14, 2017. The album consists of famous songs such as “HUMBLE.,” “DNA.,” “LOYALTY.” and “LOVE.” UC Berkeley professor Rickey Vincent, a lecturer in Black music history and the cultural politics of hip hop, believes that this raises an important question regarding albums that fly under the radar.

“Now, the fact that Kendrick Lamar gets recognition for ‘DAMN.’ is a great honor,”

“I would say it’s a genre predicated o issues that aren’t covered in other ge

November 2O23

Lifestyles

Hip hop’s popularity and influence celebrates 5O years Vincent said. “And again, I’m like, where’s his recognition for the ‘Pimp A Butterfly.’ In my opinion, that was something that had a lot of layers and textures and things to say that I thought deserved as much recognition.”

Another album that has received significant recognition is 1998’s “Miseducation” by Lauryn Hill. In fact, she is the first woman ever to win five Grammy awards in a single night due to this album. This album was a major breakthrough for women’s voices within the genre, since the album was a reflection on her life and a message to all women.

“Miseducation” still remains a popular album more than two decades later, as it currently stands as the fourth best-selling hip hop album with over 20 million sales.

Social Justice

on storytelling. [Hip hop] talks about enres of music.”

- Karl Loiseau, Sophomore

According to hip hop artist Carlton “Chuck D” Ridenhour, “rap is Black America’s CNN.” Struggles such as poverty, unemployment, police brutality and racism are themes conveyed through many hip hop artist’s lyrics.

Joseph Robert Saddler, otherwise known as Grandmaster Flash, and the Furious Five put out their song “The Message” in 1982, which spoke about the struggles of poverty that took place in their neighborhood.

Through lyrics such as “it’s like a jungle sometimes / It makes me wonder how I keep from goin’ under,” Saddler was able to convey his feelings of his oppressed community.

Vincent believes that this method of conveying social justice through music was a large factor to the genre’s growing popularity. “[When Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five] started to do what they did, people were just kind of slapped upside the head and

like, ‘whoa’, this is telling the truth in ways that hadn’t been done before,” Vincent said.

“And the way they heard it, the way it came direct, uncut, not hiding under a lid or a layer of meanings.”

Renowned artist Tupac Shakur used his music to carry on the legacy of his political activist mother, Afeni Shakur. UCF adjunct professor for the Business of HipHop Innovation & Creative Industries Certificate Program, Marcis Fennell, argues that Tupac’s upbringing and education resulted in the input of social justice into his lyrics.

“Many will say that Tupac was ultra aggressive and violent. But I think Tupac served as a figurehead as a symbol for the young, Black kid in that era in the late 1980s, and raised in early 1990s, he served as a figurehead for the frustration that they felt, evolving around the limitations of their growth.”

Another example of the incorporation of social justice in hip hop lyrics is again in Lamar’s 2015 song “Alright,” because it told their entire community that even though they are undergoing difficult times, they will persevere.

“And oftentimes, a chant really is a meditative thing that you can really hold on to,” Vincent said. “That’s how you can rally folks towards an idea.”

So while hip hop may be known to some as a genre with catchy beats or a smooth rhythm, its impact goes far deeper than the actual tune.

Through its lyrics and 50 years of growth and evolution, hip hop has become a form of art that has affected all of society.

“This beat is great, [it] makes you want to move, but it makes you deal directly with the situation people are in,” Vincent said. “And, folks, they needed that. And they love that.

And so very quickly people realize hip hop is political just by being there, by giving a voice to the voiceless, the people who [felt like they were] being disappeared, it shows up and says we are here, that in and of itself is a statement of your power.”

26

Lifestyles

November 2O23

NEW BRAIN IN MEDICINE Article by Tavish Ward Graphic by Lia Garibay The patient is worried. An hour ago, he was lying on a narrow table in a hospital gown under a whirring cylindrical machine. Now he paces back and forth, anxiously waiting for what the doctor has to say. The doctor is worried too. She is unsure about the CAT scan that had just been done on the patient.

As a radiologist, she should be able to make decisions based on the most subtle differences in these medical images, and an incorrect diagnosis could prove to be very harmful. There will always be human error, but there is something that could help in this situation, something that can rapidly analyze large quantities of data, make remarkably accurate interpretations and stay up to date with the latest research and developments.

There is a new chapter being composed within the medical field, but humans may not be the ones writing it.

Artificial intelligence has arrived, and emergency room doctor Latha Ganti, who has already seen its impacts, believes that it can be incredibly advantageous for the future.

“Anybody can fall once in a while, but maybe AI algorithms can say, ‘well he fell once, he was hospitalized twice, his kidney function was a little bit off this day and then he missed his appointment another day … so maybe there’s some neurodegenerative thing that’s happening,” Ganti said.

Situations like these happen often, as AI is able to see things humans cannot. For instance, according to the Wall Street Journal, a program was developed by the AI company Bayesian Health that looks at over 250 factors, including vital signs and demographics, in order to determine which hospital patients are at higher risk of developing sepsis. Studies showed that this program could allow patients to receive sepsis treatment hours earlier and thus significantly reduce its mortality rate in the hospital.

These advances are fairly recent, but while AI has been rapidly rising in prominence over the last decade, the idea is nothing new. Sci-

entists have been exploring the potential of AI in healthcare since the 1970s. The public knowledge of artificial intelligence from those times, however, largely stemmed from Arnold Schwarznegger traveling back in time and riding around on a motorcycle. Now, something more practical is causing excitement, something students are likely familiar with.

“Since Chat GPT took off, which was the first time the general American consumer market got its taste of AI, there’s been a large amount of investment into AI in medicine,” said Andrew Gao, a senior interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.

So no, Chat GPT is not just being used to save grades, it is also saving lives. According to the Independent, there was a young boy who saw 17 different doctors in order to find the cause of his chronic pain, but none of them correctly diagnosed him. It was only after the mother put his symptoms and information from his MRI’s into Chat GPT that she was able to find the source of his problem.

Of course, there will need to be supervision by a human, since there have been some problems found in early stages of development.

Ganti recalled a moment in which she had asked Chat GPT for references for a paper she was writing, and it completely made some up.

This is called GPT hallucinations, which is where the AI does what it can to accommodate

the request, generating material that looks realistic but in fact is inaccurate or nonexistent.

“I hand checked the references [Chat GPT generated] and I couldn’t find them…the articles did not exist,” Ganti said. “It made up references. The authors are actual authors, the journal was an actual journal, the title was probably some kind of conglomerated title that it put together and gave to me. So if I had not checked, I would have placed in four garbage references into my paper.”

Even so, there seems to be many pros to few cons. According to the American Medical Association, a new physician in the 1950s would have a full career before medical knowledge doubled. Now, it’s doubling every 72 days. It’s practically impossible for doctors to stay up to date with that kind of exponential growth in information, especially with the amount of administrative tasks they must complete in modern society. AI can not only help handle the new developments in research, but it can also substantially decrease doctor’s workloads. Ganti has utilized AI to help her with busy work so she can spend more time with patients.

“I would much rather spend the extra however many minutes sitting with my patient and teaching them about their health and going over their medications ... making them feel better, than typing a bunch of nonsense into the computer,” Ganti said. “So I think AI is helpful there because you can have it document...and write prompts [for you].”

Right now AI is helping doctors with their work, but many wonder if it will eventually replace them. Neither Ganti nor Gao believe that this will happen, at least not in the near future. The human factor in medicine will likely always be there, but AI can make a tremendous impact. Gao is excited to see this change.

“AI is here to stay, and most of the people in big decision making jobs especially are welcoming AI because it makes everything more efficient,” Gao said. “It saves lives, so why not bring it?”

November 2O23

Lifestyles

27

FAST FOOD FROM AFAR

Students explore familiar fast food chains in other countries

Article by Sammy Lou Graphics by Caden Liu

the buns and spicy McDonald’s in Hong While on vacation in France this past sum- ramen noodles in Kong that had a modmer, sophomore Karl Loiseau took a juicy bite the center. Freshern look complete with out of a Signature Crafted Garlic White Ched- man Nathan Lu a salad bar, table service different dar Burger. The burger was not from a fancy found and larger size that can restaurant though. In fact, Loiseau was eating types of noodles hold more customers. all over the Mcat an airport McDonald’s.

“The nicest McDonIf a student were to pop into a McDonald’s Donald’s he visitald’s I’ve ever been to or another fast-food chain in a foreign coun- ed in China. was an experimental “I think it was try, they might be shocked by what they would restaurant called Mcfind. They could find spaghetti or even a spam, to fit the taste of Donald’s Next in Hong eggs and rice platter, thanks to something the Chinese peoKong,” Elbabaa said. ple,” Lu said. “Becalled localization.

“They marketed themMost everyone is familiar with globaliza- cause they’re used Artist rendering of a McSpaghetti found at a selves as a high-class tion, but not as many have heard of localiza- to eating those McDonald’s in Indonesia.

McDonald’s. Even in tion. Localization is defined as the adaptation things and it’s Europe, I found that of a product or service to the local needs of a easy to make. So it’s their kind of fast food.”

McDonald’s is a much more high-class place, Many of these different countries also have meaning that they are almost always two stospecific country or region. As businesses glocultural expectations. In ries with free Wi-Fi. To me, it feels almost like balize, they find Japan, the general aes- a Starbucks in the way that people come into themselves having thetic is clean and simple. the McDonald’s to do their work and connect to localize. FastWhen sophomore Julian to the free Wi-Fi.” food restaurants Foley visited a McDonlike McDonald’s These differences in their image and prodald’s in Japan, he noticed ucts have helped propel American fast-food are no exception, something different about chains’ international success. McDonald’s inand many travelers the burgers there. seek out these loternational achievements have been so great “My dad got the teriya- that McDonald’s in the U.S. only accounts calization efforts as ki burger and it was very for 34% of the profits, while Europe and Asia a way to experience neat,” Foley said. “It was make up 61% of the profits according to ficultural differences definitely a lot more visu- nancial service company The Motley Fool. in another counally presentable, and the try. Lake HighDuring the next opportunity, be on the bun was very smooth.” land senior Kamal Artist rendering of a chizza (chicken-crustlookout for unique fast food takes on local cuiJunior Nikolas Polsinel- sine in other countries like the “chizza.”

Elbabaa has been ed pizza) from Costa Rica. li has also been to several to McDonald’s in countries and was in24 different countries and tracks his discoveries on an account trigued by these changes to fast-food menus.

One Costa Rican KFC offered an invention on Instagram (@internationalmcds).

“Every time I travel, I go and try to expe- that seems to have combined the local’s love rience new things,” Elbabaa said. “Something of fried chicken and pizza.

“They all have some interesting dishes,” I’ve noticed is that McDonald’s in particular tries to accommodate the cuisine of the place. Polsinelli said. “In Italy, [McDonald’s] has So in many Asian countries like Japan, Thai- spaghetti, in Germany they have beer, and in land, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia, I’ve Costa Rica, they had this really crazy thing seen rice options on the menu in McDonald’s, at KFC. It was a pizza, but instead of a pizza crust, they had fried chicken.” which to us might seem a little weird.”

Localization can also come in the form One KFC product in China combines one Artist rendering of a spam, eggs and rice of its own products and one from the regional of changes to the physical appearance of cuisine: a sandwich that has fried chicken as restaurants. Elbabaa came across a high-end platter from Hawaii.

28

Sports

November 2O23

PICKLEBALL PROMINENCE Pickleball popularity hits new heights Article by Angel Berreondo Photo by Olivia Kortman & Graphic by Caden Liu Although pickleball has been in Trinity’s PE curriculum for over 20 years, its popularity as a hobby has undergone rapid exponential growth on both a schoolwide and national scale. According to the 2022 SFIA Topline Report, from 2021 to 2022, the number of pickleball players nationally increased from 4.8 million to 8.9 million, making it America’s fastest growing sport for the third year in a row. Following this trend, a new pickleball club has started at school, allowing new and experienced players to enjoy the sport with their friends.

Having a court half the size of a tennis court, a ball that travels slower and paddles that are easier to control, pickleball is the perfect activity for anyone who wants to get a good workout while having fun. All of these aspects have contributed to the growth at Trinity, with students obsessing over the simple game.

Among these students is senior Rachel Macejewski, who first started playing alongside her mom. She introduced the game to her friends, who fell in love with the sport so much that they play at least twice a week at Phelps Park.

“We get pretty competitive sometimes,” Macjeski said.” “It’s a great workout and it’s just nice to be outside. Some of my friends from other schools have started to play at different places, too.”

Similar to tennis, pickleball can be played in singles or doubles, which makes it ideal for people looking to try a new activity with a friend or family. Pickleball’s characteristics have allowed it to be played by a greater variety of groups, including the elderly, who usually cannot participate in high-intensity

sports. The sport also has a professional league.

In fact, the U.S. Open Pickle Championships are being held in Naples, Florida, which has the second most pickleball facilities in the U.S. Trinity’s new pickleball club has set its sights on introducing pickleball to the rest of campus and further expanding the presence of the fun, simple-natured sport. As co-founder of the club, Elizabeth Boyette wasn’t expecting much interest, however, during the club fair, a surprising 67 students signed up.

“The ultimate goal would be to start a league that’s able to play against other school club teams,” Boyette said. “Some of my friends at other schools have started clubs too.”

“[Pickleball] isn’t something you usually do everyday, but once you try it you’re hooked.”

-Elizabeth Boyette, Senior This enthusiastic response reflects the growing interest in the sport. The club plans to introduce pickleball by bringing portable nets to the outside basketball courts during times other than club meetings to encourage individuals to give pickleball a try. “[Pickleball] isn’t something you usually do everyday, but once you try it you’re hooked,” Boyette said.

Pickleball doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop either. With new courts being built due to increase in demand and its inclusive playstyle, pickleball is on the rise, and it’s here to stay.

Freshman David Myers serves the ball during a meeting for the new Pickleball Club which had 67 students sign up to participate.

Sports

November 2O23

MESSI

29

MANIA

The GOAT ingites fresh football fervor Article by Ana Herrera Photo by Olivia Prince

“I don’t think so, just because football and basketball are America’s games,” Carvajal said.

“There’s a massive culture like in the school, where we have pep rallies for football games, whereas it’s not the same for soccer.”

Regardless, when Messi first joined the MLS on July 10, 2023, his presence led to the sport’s rapid growth, especially for a soccer city like Miami. This can be clearly seen in the immense increase of social media followers for Inter Miami, with the team gaining around 12 million followers, surpassing all NFL, MLB and NHL teams as the fourth most followed

MLS statistics show television viewership for MLS games has seen an impressive 35% rise in In the world of sports, very few athletes are overall ratings, capturing the attention of apcrowned the title of the “Greatest of All Time’’ proximately 350,000 viewers per game during (GOAT). Lionel Messi indisputably stands as Messi’s first season. His effects can also be seen one of the few. The legend from Argentina in his partnerships with enterprises like Apple. has conquered the international soccer scene, Since becoming a brand ambassador for Apple amassing an impressive 43 major club and inTV, the program has experienced an immense ternational-level honors while playing for Barsurge in subscriptions, with their MLS Season celona and Paris Saint-German F.C. Messi has Pass experiencing a 1,690% growth in signbroken numerous records and has recieved the ups the day Messi first played. most Ballon d’Or awards in history, an award While Messi’s impact on soccer in the US that anually recognizes the world’s best player is undeniable, the burning question remains: of that year. However, it was can soccer become one of the during the 2022 World Cup country’s top sports? Messi’s arthat Messi solidified his starival has undoubtedly provided tus as the GOAT by leading a significant boost, but sustainArgentina to victory, marking this momentum will be the ing the country’s first World real challenge. Overseas leagues, Cup win since the legendary particularly the Saudi Arabian Diego Maradona in 1986. league, have been attracting reSince then, Messi has decidtired players for a while now due ed to take his talents to Mato financial incentives. jor League Soccer with Inter “We’ve got this Saudi ArabiMiami, causing a new surge of an issue,” Sebastiaan Blickman, soccer excitement within the Upper School Dean and soccer United States. enthusiast, explained. “...Where Initially, Messi’s arrival all of a sudden we’ve got a ton of caused surprise among soccer really good soccer players at the fans, many who regard the end of their career going to Saudi MLS as a step down from the Arabia to make a lot of money intop international leagues he stead of coming to the U.S.…but previously played in. Nonewe have a salary cap. So if you’re theless, Messi’s influence has a player, what incentive do you extended far beyond the field; have to come and work in and touching social media, ticket 7th grader Arjun Chandru and 6th grader Crosby Clemente in their Arplay in the United States?” sales and even forging partner- gentian Messi jerseys for Hoco Spirit Day 1. Messi’s global influence had However, some soccer fans are ships with global enterprises, Trinity Students decked out in blue and white for jersey day. still optimistic, believing that Meslike Apple. However, while the si is the catalyst for even more in“Messi Effect” unquestionably ternational players coming to play restarts the debate about soccer’s prospects in U.S. sports franchise on Instagram. in the United States. the United States, it faces the daunting chalOne of the most tangible impacts of Messi’s “I think it’s just starting with Messi and lenge of establishing itself within the nation’s presence has been the surge in ticket sales for there’s gonna be a lot more players,” said Acextant sporting culture, where American foot- MLS matches. According to Brandon Red- cording to 7th grade middle school soccer ball and basketball have long reigned supreme. dick, premium member experience special- player, Grant McElveen.

When asked, 12th grade varsity soccer player, ist at Orlando City, stadiums have witnessed As of now, the “Messi Mania’’ in the US is in Joaquin Carvajal, recognizes Messi’s undeni- an influx of fans eager to watch soccer games full swing, but whether it’s just a passing trend able influence on American soccer, but ques- where even Messi himself is not playing. or the foundation for a true soccer culture in tions its ability to take over as one of the na“There is an increase in the overall visibility North America only time will tell. tion’s top sports. of the league and of the club,” Reddick said.

3O

Sports

November 2O23

BOYS GOLF TEAM SETS NEW PAR Article by Rahul Sivakumaran Photo by Jackson Napier

After a 6-5 record the previous year, the its, Brewer has implemented a unique strategy is one of the top performers on the team and Boys Varsity Golf Team drastically changed aimed to use the team’s chemistry to their ad- attributes part of the team’s success so far to its their mindset, coaching style and tactics to get vantage in a system not used by many other team chemistry. off to a hot 6-1 start and a 2nd place finish in schools. In previous years, players the Winter Springs Invitational. were paired based on their seed on “I think everybody’s taken on their role After the hiring of new head coach Steve the team so that golfers paired with Brewer, the boys golf team had a drastic each other had similar skill levels. really well and accepted it. Nobody change in culture. Brewer implemented a new However, this year Brewer has paired complains about what seed they are or focus for the development of the team both on the team’s players based on how and off the course. their games complement each other, stuff like that; we only really care about “Changing the culture of our program was forming new connections between winning as a team.” my first goal,” Brewer said. “I wanted to create teammates. Sophomore Zevy Naft a team atmosphere where everyone -Zevy Naft, Sophomore plays the game the right way. [An atmosphere] where each player wants to play their best not only for them“I feel like the change in pairselves, but for their teammates too.” ings have created great bonds,” Naft The team has altered its focus said.“It helps our team chemistry in practices to individual trainwhen we are paired with people we ing. Brewer has created a system in play well with.” which players receive more one-onNot only has there been a change one coaching than in previous years. in strategy, but also mindset. AcAccording to senior golfer Andrew cording to Naft, the goals of the Lee, the new system and supportive golf team have expanded to hopes coaching has a positive effect on the of winning a state championship. team’s performance.

“This year we have higher expecta“We didn’t really have as much tions and goals like advancing from individual guidance,” Lee said. “This districts to regionals, and regionals year, coach has implemented oneto states,” Naft said. “We have the on-one training with the players to mentality of being able to do it, and more effectively boost our game, we feel like this is a team that can helping us focus more on every little really win trophies and put up big detail of our game.” results” Naft said.

Golf, aside from being physicalWith the change in coaching ly demanding, is a very mentally style, culture and overall success, the challenging sport. In addition to golf team appears to be set up for improving players’ swings and short tremendous growth in the future, game at the course, Brewer focuses boasting many promising youngon the mental side of the game just er players. Naft is one of multiple as much, holding meetings at school underclassmen who are main conto discuss strategy and what a player tributors on the team and is highly can do to be the best they can be. optimistic about the next few years.

“I’ve tried to help each of them “I think the future is really, really more one-on-one with the technibright,” Naft said. “I think we’ll be cal aspects of their game; full swing, even better next year and I think we short game, putting, mental game, have some really young kids who are Senior golfer Andrew Lee holds his finish at the Winter Park and strategy,” Brewer said. putting up amazing scores for how Golf Course.

In addition to the new practice habyoung they are.”

November 2O23 Puzzles by Karthik Stead

Puzzle

31

Connections!

How to Play: Find a group of four items that have something in common, circle them to make a category. There are four categories total.

Paper

Lobby

Keycard

Assemble

Wound

Blood

Pool

Bunch

Stand

Aid

Group

Staff

Cast

Cluster

Room

Hospital

ACROSS

DOWN

2. the art or practice of

1. Ancient stone struc-

garden cultivation and

ture

management

3. Villain of Avengers:

6. One of America’s na-

,Qº QLW\ :DU

tional parks

4. a stone pillar, typi-

7. Household task

cally having a square or

8. Instant Camera Brand

rectangular cross section and a pyramidal top, set up as a monument or landmark.

5. European Football Team Co-Owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny

Riddles!

Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I? What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it? :KDW JRHV WKURXJK FLWLHV DQG º HOGV EXW QHYHU PRYHV"

Answers:

32

Photos

November 2O23

PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSITION Homecoming

Olivia Prince Senior Jake Male and his stunt group perform at halftime during the Game day Swap. The Barbie-themed performace had the crowd on its feet.

Olivia Kortman Seniors parade around the track begind their class float. The homecoming game tradition has become a favorite for students as they embrace school spirit.

Olivia Kortman Seniors participated in musical chairs at the homecoming pep rally.

The exciting game ended with a peaceful finish amongst two seniors.

Olivia Prince Seniors Benjamin Mcneill and Taylor Pitone, are crowned homecoming King and Queen at the homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 6.