Opinion | 2 Let’s consider caps and gowns for future Viking’s graduation
Seniors | 4-5
Summer Lovin’ | 6
Farewell to the Class of 2022
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Vanguard College Preparatory School, 2517 Mt. Carmel Dr., Waco, Texas 76710
May 2022, Volume 49, Issue 6
The Vanguard Review A VCPS Publication
Masking the obvious
Local pediatrician weighs in on the health risks of prolonged mask wearing as some students continue to cover their faces Isaac Saadi ‘22 editor-in-chief
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ince the onset of the The CDC COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic map indicates most of Texin 2020, high school as, including McLennan students have been covering County, as a low-risk zone. their faces with masks. While No masks are required inthis was protecting them from doors or outdoors in the low the dangers of a novel disease, areas. This means that the it also prevented them from prevalence of COVID-19 showing their face to friends in the state and county is so and teachers at school. low that the risk of transmisTwo years later, as mask sion when indoors is very mandates have been lifted by low and a mask would not local governments and school be recommended. districts and recommendations But freshman Lathan repealed by the Centers for Dieterich said the governDisease Control (CDC), some ment’s inability to properly students are not willing or able Mask to mask, sophomores Zoe Matos and contain COVID-19 is what to return to life without a mask. Alyssa Jones chat between classes. Jones has led him to continue That has school administration said wearing a mask makes her feel “more wearing a mask. confident.” Isaac Saadi / VR staff — and their classmates — “I live in Texas and most wondering why. of the people here actual“Some teens still have fear of COVID,” local ly believe the lies that Greg Abbott spews about pediatrician Vicki Popejoy, M.D. said. “Others are COVID safety,” he said. “Our current leaders in very self-conscious and are worried about anoth- Texas and their followers are foolish enough to er social transition of ‘demasking.’ Teenagers are believe that the pandemic is over, and in doing very sensitive to what their peers think, especially so are elongating the time it’ll take to get rid of when their appearance is involved. There is also COVID-19.” a concept of ‘mask fishing’ in which teens may Sixty-two percent of the student body does not be more comfortable hiding their flaws under the see COVID-19 as a health threat, according to the mask.” April 2022 VR poll. But COVID remains a concern
for 37.9 percent of students, like Dieterich and senior Naomi West. “I still wear a mask because I still feel like COVID is something that needs to be taken seriously,” West, who wears double masks to school, said. Arabella Rosiles, sophomore, said she wears her mask to protect others. “The main reason I continue to wear a mask, even after the mandate has been lifted and I have been vaccinated, is to protect my younger family members who I spend a lot of time around and are not qualified to get vaccinated,” she said. “You can definitely still carry the virus despite being vaccinated and I have no intentions of giving COVID to my nieces and nephews.” Rosiles said after Vanguard stopped requiring masks, she stopped wearing them outside and when playing volleyball because of the importance of air circulation when doing high-intensity activities. Rosiles added that continuing to wear her mask also has shielded her from viruses beyond COVID. “In the past two years, I have only ever had seasonal allergies and a sinus infection that stems from allergies,” she said. “I rarely get the common cold or the flu anymore because the masks protect you from those as well.” But Popejoy said the effects of prolonged mask-wearing can present health risks of their own. “There are also concerns for medical condi-
tions affecting the lungs, airway, neurologic and psychological health due to prolonged mask-wearing,” Popejoy said. “I have seen an increase in rashes and acne where the masks are worn. Although the conditions will improve, scarring and skin discoloration may be permanent.” Some students said they actually enjoy wearing a mask because it makes them feel more confident. “In 7th-grade, before I got braces, I was really insecure about my crooked teeth and acne,” 8th grader Aria Cleveland said. “Wearing a mask covers my mouth and everything except for my forehead and eyes which gave me more confidence to talk to people or participate in class, which I rarely did before masks. I’ve made wearing a mask a sort of comfort blanket. I realized that if I have my mask off, I’ll talk less and try to cover my face with other things.” Sophomore Alyssa Jones agreed. “[Masks] honestly make me feel way more confident,” Jones said. However, Popejoy said wearing masks and becoming more confident is often a temporary solution to underlying social pressures. “They feel that wearing masks helps them overcome inhibitions and face uncomfortable social situations,” she said. “These individuals may have different variances of anxiety and inhibitions that would otherwise limit their interactions. Most Continued on page 8
Trash talkin’
Lunchtime trash creates environmental hazard and more work for maintenance staff Delaney Trepinski ‘23 assistant editor
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mpty lunch plates smudged with marinara sauce. Wadded up chip bags. Half-drunk water bottles. Spilled soda cans with bees buzzing around the rim. The ripped off tops of M&Ms bags and other candy wrappers. Soiled napkins. These are just a few of the items that remain on the ground after the bell rings at the end of lunch — some of them fluttering in the breeze, ready to take off with the next big gust of wind. Littering is an issue the school has been battling all year — and 56 percent of students agree it is a problem, according to an April Vanguard Review student poll. Some of it is truly unintentional. But, intentional or not, the end result is a campus that sometimes looks trashy, contributes to poor environmental standards and creates extra work for school maintenance staff. “I think the main reason is just laziness,” junior Andrew Holze said. “A lot of the time, someone misses the trash can and they don’t want to go get it.” Science teacher Lee Kuhl cited an article he read that says common place logic would suggest that general human laziness is likely the major cause for littering — just as Holze pointed out — and that several factors point to why. “The article says one hypothesis would suggest
that there are multiple factors to account for littering behavior,” Kuhl said. “The main predictors are age, presence of existing litter and distance to the nearest receptacle.” Kuhl said when applying this rationale to Vanguard, there is an obvious correlation. “The age of the students leaving trash is anecdotally higher in 7-10th, while juniors and seniors tend not to be as prone,” Kuhl said. “Also in areas of high use, the presence of litter tends to be a predictor of more litter in the future.” Kuhl added that the presence and location of trash receptacles is key. “There are very few in the areas which are used, and many are often full to overflowing,” Kuhl said. “During the warmer months, we also have to deal with the presence of honeybees that scout the area for leftover sugar water left in the bottom of beverage containers. These factors combine to increase litter presence on campus and using the same logic the increased litter will lead to further issues.” Still, students like senior Juliette Young believe most people would not litter on purpose. “The obvious unintentional reason for leaving trash is because they genuinely forgot to pick it up,” Young said, “or they had the intent to pick it up after doing something else.”
Sophomore Micheal Bennett agreed. “Honestly I don’t think most littering is intentional,” Bennett said. “Most people just get distracted, walk off and forget their trash. I’ve done it a few times.” One would hope all littering is just an honest mistake but that isn’t always the case. More than 34 percent of students said they have seen other kids internationally litter on campus, according to the VR poll. “Kids most likely learn from their parents not to pick up trash,” senior Claire Civa said, “or they do it because An empty chocolate milk bottle bakes in the sun near the they are lazy. It’s not that hard to be con- outdoor pergola under a sign that calls for “Responsibility.” Delaney Trepinski / VR staff siderate to the campus that you spend There are a number of ways to help curb the money to go to.” littering problem — and the most obvious is addEither way, putting a stop to littering is of great ing more trash cans around campus. More than 74 importance. Chemistry teacher and assistant head percent of students said they thinking adding more of school Zach Seifert said it’s a matter of integrity. cans would help, according to the VR poll. “I would encourage students that if they see “Obviously, keeping litter off the ground and trash at a table or on the ground, go ahead and just increasing the number of receptacles and the frepick it up,” Seifert said. “We talk about integrity a quency in which they are emptied would help trelot, and actions like this go a long way. If we are mendously,” Kuhl said. “The farther someone has responsible for ourselves and we look out for each to walk to dispose of trash, the more likely they are other, what a wonderful school and community we Continued on page 8 to litter.” will have.”