Valentine’s Day | 2
Black History Month | 6-7
Raging fires | 10
A day to celebrate or mushy, made-up holiday?
Honoring the contributions of African Americans to the history and culture of the U.S.
Australian wildfires threaten people, homes, wildlife and the environment.
Vanguard College Preparatory School, 2517 Mt. Carmel Dr., Waco, Texas 76710
AP photo
February 2020, Volume 47, Issue 4
The Vanguard Review A VCPS Publication
Taking action T aking an active role in protecting the environment was the topic of discussion Monday, Jan. 13 in Jaworski by a panel composed of Texas Parks and Wildlife district biologist and VCPS alumna Annaliese Scoggin, environmental science teacher Michaela McCown and junior Sarah Emerson. The three addressed an audience of about 20 on the importance of environmental involvement and put the spotlight on simple ways to conserve the Earth’s resources, especially land, wildlife and water. “The best way to save resources is to reduce your use of them in the first place,” McCown said. “Great ways that we can all reduce resource consumption include: taking shorter showers, not purchasing single-use items, carpooling and driving less, only purchasing items when needed, recycling and reusing items when you have to purchase them, donating unwanted items to be reused, composting and eating lower on the food chain.” Emerson agrees that there are many simple ways to conserve resources. “Everyone can always do their best to recycle and save water and energy by turning the sink or the lights off when not in use,” Emerson said. When Emerson was in eighth grade, she participated in a semester at sea, which is what sparked her interest in the environment. “I became interested in environmental issues at a young age because I was given the opportunity to
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Panel focuses on simple ways to protect the environment
learn about the ocean and its creatures,” she said. “[This] led to me wanting to protect that ecosystems that I love so much.” Now Emerson does water testing with EarthEcho International, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to water conservation. She collects samples and tests the pH, temperature and density of local water sources and then submits them for research purposes. McCown said she became interested in the environment in her youth because she grew up on a ranch outside of Austin. “At that time, I was primarily interested in wildlife conservation and management,” she said. “After I began working for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, my viewpoint expanded to include concern about a broader variety of environmental issues.” McCown said she tries to engage her students in environmental activities by taking a hands-on approach, including lots of field trips. She has taken her students to the local wastewater treatment plant, as well as to local lakes and rivers to take water samples. The panel also discussed some of the threats to the environment — one of the greatest being climate change. “Global warming is the biggest threat to the environment due to its wide-reaching effects that touch every single ecosystem and fundamentally change
how each one works,” Emerson said. McCown agreed that this is a major concern and that humans must take ownership of the problem. “The biggest risks to the environment right now are climate change and human arrogance,” McCown said. “The majority of scientists agree that climate change is a major concern that our world faces, and if we do not act now, we will face serious consequences including drought, extreme storm events, water shortages, more wildfires, rising sea levels, spread of disease, more heat-related illnesses, mass migra- Students listen attentively to Annaliese Scoggin, Texas tions, food shortages, among other things.” Parks and Wildlife district biologist, as she talks about conMcCown said that, currently, climate servation. Archive photo have certain things or live at a certain standard change is the top reason for refugees and, as parts of our planet become more inhospitable, that even though those actions are destroying the very number will continue to rise. Not dealing with this resources we feel entitled to,” McCown said. “In crisis will lead to an uncountable number of deaths general, we seem to avoid responsibility for the environment, make excuses, or argue that scientific and unfathomable economic losses, she added. “[The book] ‘The Uninhabitable Earth’ notes improvement or space colonization will be the remthat 3.7 degrees of warming would cost $551 tril- edy for the destruction of our planet, even though the only solution is acknowledgement and action.” lion in damages,” McCown said. Students looking for ways to take an active role Arrogance is another threat to the environment, McCown said, because people are often unwilling in protecting the environment can join with local to admit the degree of devastation humans have organizations, like Keep Waco Beautiful, Waco caused to the environment or take the necessary ac- Friends of Peace-Climate, or take an environmentions to prevent further damage to the environment. tal science class at school. All offer educational and “We seem to have a sense of entitlement to clean-up opportunities which can be a good place to start.
New generation of students reacts to Middle East tensions
n Jan. 3, 2020, Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was assassinated by a drone strike in Baghdad. This attack was authorized by President Trump seven months prior but was only to take effect should Iranian aggression result in the death of an American citizen. The airstrike was enacted after an attack by Iranian proxies in Iraq led to the injuries of four U.S. service members, as well as the death of a U.S. contractor. American officials claim that the attack was in response to the general’s plans for imminent attacks on the United States. The strike and explosive media coverage that ensued is the first time most students have experienced the reality of U.S. tensions with Iran or other hostile Middle Eastern countries — and the feeling of fear for their security. “When I first heard about what happened, it really scared me,” said freshman Avril Maldonado. “My sister was trying to talk to me about everything that happened, but I didn’t want to think about it. I knew if I really dug deep into it, I’d stress about it.” Major General Soleimani’s assassination has led to increased tensions between Iran and the United States. The general, who was widely considered to be one of the most powerful men in Iran, was second only to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His assassination has caused great mourning in Iran along with a deafening cry for revenge. On the day of Major General Soleimani’s funeral, thousands of mourners, including the country’s supreme leader Khamenei, could be heard shouting “Death to America.” This statement was later amended by Khamenei when he publicly revised his statement saying that “Death to Ameri-
Maili Maldonado ‘20 reporter
Elisabeth Rollins ‘21 reporter
J. Long, director of Middle East Studies and associate professor in the Honors College at Baylor University. “Neither side really wants fullscale war because the costs would be enormous and would have far-reaching, and likely unintended, consequences,” Long said. Long explained that the U.S. will likely tighten sanctions on Iran, and Iran will retaliate by planning small scale attacks. Earlier this year, President Trump announced the possibility of the UnitFreshman Avril Maldonado and sophomores Annah Brown, Laine ed States bombing Iranian cultural Hightower and Courtney Wiethorn discuss the tensions between sites. The president later retracted his the U.S. and Iran in the wake of the assassination of Gen. Soleima- statement due to the bombing of culni. Archive photo tural sites having been made illegal by the Geneva Convention. ca means death to Trump and John Bolton and “The strike would have violated international Pompeo.” Khamenei refers to John Bolton, Preslaw and would have inspired Iranian hardliners to ident Trump’s former national security advisor, as more extreme action,” Long said. “It would be bad well as Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state. press for the United States, globally.” Khamenei vowed to mourn Soleimani’s death Another big concern for Americans, includfor two days then retaliate against the United ing students, is the terrorist organization known as States. One form of this retaliation came in the ISIS. form of Iran exiting a nuclear arms deal. Another “I don’t know a lot about ISIS, but I know they form of retaliation came on Jan. 7, 2020, when Iran are a threat to the U.S. so I do not like them,” said fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. freshman Erin Padgett. “But I am not necessarily forces stationed in Iraq. worried about them on a daily basis.” Statements like “Death to America” as well as However, Long said the terrorist organization Khamenei’s promise to mourn two days before retalcould become a threat again. iating against the United States have put fear into the “ISIS thrives in chaos,” Long said. “There is hearts of many American citizens. Approximately 30 increasing chaos in Iraq. If U.S. troops leave Iraq, percent of VCPS students stated that they were conthe picture turns bleaker.” cerned with the possibility of World War III. A concern for many millennials, along with The likelihood of a full-scale war with Iran is Generation Z, was the possibility of a draft. The unlikely, but not impossible, according to Dr. Mark
most recent draft in U.S. history was in 1972, towards the end of the Vietnam War. Though only 7.9 percent of VCPS students currently qualify for a draft, it was a topic of conversation among students. “A draft wouldn’t happen due to the military capabilities of the United States,” said junior Aidon Butler. “The U.S. would be able to sweep through Iran without even having to instate the draft.” To cope with increasing hysteria surrounding a possible war with Iran, many of younger generations have responded with humor. Memes concerning World War III and the draft spread like wildfire across social media. “I think the memes are beneficial for my generation to help cope with the stress of a potential war, but it’s also necessary that we stay aware of the actual situation,” said junior Dana Burton. Cartoons and comical pieces have long been used to explain difficult issues, like elections, financial crisis and even war. “Humor has always been used as a mechanism to deal with uncertainty and anxiety,” said David Foti, Social Sciences Department Head at VCPS. Many hold the belief that a better understanding between Middle Eastern and Western cultures would help de-escalate tensions now and in the years to come. “We fear what we do not understand,” Long said. “My hope is to see intelligent women and men of good will exert greater influence because they have come to a greater appreciation of the other.” Misunderstandings between countries and cultures can certainly cause conflict. “The American government shouldn’t attempt to punish the Iranian citizens for something they had no say in,” said freshman Maddie Hanley.