Presidential election results | 2
Senior screenplay | 4-5
Can’t we be civil? | 6
Find out who the student body chose for the next president of the U.S. — and if it was close
Behind the scenes of the seniors’ zombie apocalypse film
Now more than ever, listening and learning from those with different views is key
Vanguard College Preparatory School, 2517 Mt. Carmel Dr., Waco, Texas 76710
November 2020, Volume 48, Issue 2
The Vanguard Review A VCPS Publication
Taking issue
Gen Zers talk about their passions and the politics behind it
“Our generation, Gen Z, is the future and I think it’s always important, even if you’re unable to vote, to be aware of what’s going on politically within your country,” Rollins said. With the election at hand, students of Gen Z are becoming more expressive of their opinions and passions as tensions rise. “I’m very conDescribing the inspiration behind her painting “Weather Map Catastrophe,” cerned about the sophomore Maheen Shah conveys her thoughts about the environment. environment and race Photo by Delaney Trepinski / VR staff [issues],” Cooper Lacy, freshman, said. “I think eneration Z is the youngest and largest generation in American history compris- the environment is important because we’re seeing about 27 percent of the U.S. popula- ing the effects of it every day, especially climate tion, according to an article in the Business Insider. change.” Ben Lho, sophomore, shared his passion for Another common association with Gen Z is their passion for social justice. Born after 1996, the old- the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. “I would say that the BLM movement is one of est Gen Zers will turn 23 this year. They are racially and ethnically diverse, progressive and pro-govern- the most important movements that I have known ment and more than 20 million will be eligible to in my lifetime,” said Lho. “I think, at its core, it’s vote in November, according to a study by the Pew an amazing movement, but the people who just jumped on the bandwagon to preserve their image Research Center. “Young people are the future of the U.S. and are frustrating.” Who holds the office of the president is a big need to make their voices heard so that the country we inherit will be the best that it can be” Sarah Em- concern for freshman Karissa Kuhl. “I’m most worried about the presidential elecerson, senior, said. Nearly 76 percent of students think their gen- tion,” Kuhl said. “In my eyes, President Trump eration is more politically and socially active than would decimate the little integrity we still have ones before them, according to a Nov. 2020 VR as a country. Specifically regarding his stance on women and minority groups. He’s racist, sexist and poll. a white supremacist. That’s to say the least of his Senior Elisabeth Rollins agrees.
G
On their game
issues inside and out of his presidency.” Emerson said she is passionate about multiple issues at once. “As a member of the LGBTQ community, [these] rights are a huge issue that I am concerned about as some politicians are attempting to take away opportunities and rights from people,” Emerson said. “I am also concerned about the negative environmental impact the U.S. is currently making as the current administration has rolled back nearly 800 environmental protection acts and has continuously denied the seriousness of global warming.” Rollins’ concerns cover the spectrum, as well. “I am passionate about women’s bodily autonomy and Medicare for all so that no one goes bankrupt paying their medical bills,” Rollins said. “Also, making the immigration process easier and stopping the demonization of immigrants, as well as closing the ICE detention camps at the border.” But students aren’t just talking the talk, they are walking the walk. Emerson shared how she stays involved in her passions in an effort to make a change. “I work for an environmental conservation non-profit called EarthEcho and participate in educating classrooms around Waco about global warming and ocean conservation,” Emerson said. Rollins said educating herself is one way she gets actively involved in the issues. “I enjoy watching political debates on YouTube as well as videos discussing popular topics in politics,” Rollins said. “I like to read articles online, and I enjoy discussing politics with my friends and family.” Some students participated in an art project designed to get them thinking about political and social issues that are important to them. Freshman Avery Schnautz did a painting called “Finite.” Tim Reid, freshman, created a ceramic called “Up and Away.” Maheen Shah, sophomore, crafted a print called “Weather Map Catastrophe.” All the works are on display at climatecrisisartexhibit.org.
Karch Knoll ‘21 guest reporter
Esports makes TAPPS debut as two Viking teams gain momentum around the state
I
n 2011, a game known as League of Legends hosted its very first world championship in which eight teams from Europe, Southeast Asia and North America would compete in a horribly-lit backroom at a gaming convention in Sweden. Seven years later, in 2018, the same team would take on the Chinese, Invictius gaming in the finals. The finals reached a peak of over 200 million concurrent viewers - surpassing the viewership of the 2017 League of Legends World Championship, as well as the peak viewership of numerous worldwide sporting events including the Super Bowl. Esports is a competition among people who play video games. Similar to other sports, there is a regular season, sponsors, coaches, multimillion dollar facilities and even sports psychologists and nutritionists. Watched by millions, it is just as notable as traditional sports that people have been watching on TV for decades. There is an incredibly wide array of Esports, each with its own following and fanbase. If it’s a video game made within the last year, in which people compete, chances are
there’s some Esports scene for said game. TAPPS has jumped on the growth curve and has created an Esports competition for the first time. As it is still in its infancy, and the pandemic is still impacting schedules, there is some ambiguity to the teams competing and the format to win. VCPS teacher Lee Kuhl, who is an avid video gamer himself, is the Esports sponsor. The games competing this year will be Rocket League and League of Legends. Rocket League is very basic and is essentially a 3 vs. 3 match of soccer with cars, while League of Legends is more complex and is a 5 vs. 5 game in which both teams pick characters and work to kill their opponents and demolish their base from a top view. Both squads will play a regular season, starting Oct. 20, and will play teams in our district in order to qualify for State. VCPS has teams competing in both games. The League of Legends team has seven players: Archie Christian, Erik Knoll, Karch Knoll, Jake Lee, Taemin Lee, Lucinda Liu and Hai Nguyen.
“I get to play video games, and it counts toward a sports credit,” Nguyen said about why he joined the team. The Rocket League team has five players: Ethan Marsh, Keeton Matthews, Adrian Northcutt, Carter Oates and Aiden Perdichi. “You learn how to cooperate and work as a group to achieve a victory,” Taemin Lee said. So far, the League of Legends team has gone 3-1 and seems to be the clear second best team in the district. The Rocket League squad has gone 1-1 and was one goal away from beating one of the best teams in the country. (Top) Logging in for an esports competition, Archie Christian and Taemin Lee prepare to battle St. Pius X of Houston in a game of League of Legends. (Bottom) League of Legends is a teambased online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games where champions face off to destroy the other team. Photos by Lucinda Liu / Bifrost staff
Emily Coleman ‘21 business manager Gen Z is predicted to be remembered for their passion for social justice and advancing technology, according to Business Insider. Students have their own ideas about how they think their generation will be remembered. “I think personally that our generation will be defined by our skills with tech and ability to change,” Lacy said. “Unlike most people, we’ve all grown up with advanced technology like high end cell phones and fast internet speeds, which means we’re likely more experienced with them. I also think we’re very prone to and accepting of changes, whether it’s a change in trends or a change in society, we tend to adapt pretty well.” Lho thinks similarly. “I think that our generation will be remembered by the Coronavirus, the BLM movement and the exponential increase in technology,” he said. “These things are shaping our way of life and we will be remembered by these things.” The Coronavirus and the BLM Movement turned the world upside down. Students of Gen Z experienced these issues head on, and with that, they have grown in their passion for bettering the life that they have ahead of them, as well as the world around them. “I hope we will be well informed and politically active,” Rollins said. “I think a lot of times people will stand by because they think they don’t have any power. But you do have power, you have the power to elect officials who make the decisions. I think it’s negligent to waste that power and opportunity. I believe our generation is becoming more accepting of others, whether it be on issues of racism, different religions or differing sexualities.” Kuhl said she has hopes of her generation working for good. “I hope that with everything going on with COVID-19, Gen Z really takes a look at our world and decides to do something for the greater good,” Kuhl said. “Do something of true meaning.”