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Students and candidates weigh in on your issues by Allison Fitz and Faye Prekeges It would be easy for high school students, America’s future voters, to keep their distance from national issues and how the candidates plan to address them, but teenagers hold a large influence on the 2016 election and will inherit this country’s problems. Below are the issues that, according to a recent poll on anniewrightinkwell.org, are most important to Annie Wright students, and how the candidates plan to address them.
around by the time it truly impacts us, but to the teenagers...We are already running out of time to make a productive change. If Trump is elected and does not address the problem, it will be too late to fix.” Hillary Clinton states that as President she would launch a $60 billion Clean Energy Challenge to cut carbon pollution and expand clean energy. She said she plans to make environmental and climate justice central priorities in the United States, claiming the environment is central to national security, and the health and futures of children in the United States. Donald Trump is an advocate for clean air and water for everyone, but does not believe that Global Warming is real. “I believe in clean air, immaculate air, but I don’t believe in climate change,” he said.
Inkwell 827 North Tacoma Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98403 inkwell@aw.org | 253-272-2216 Issue 1 | Volume 52 | OCTOBER 2016 Editor in chief, print Lexy Sullivan Editor in chief, online Katie Erickson Managing editor Allison Fitz News editor Faye Prekeges Sports editor Alexandra Bessler Student Life editor Nina Doody
Environment The environment will be around much longer than the upcoming four-year term of our elected President. That said, environmental policies are an important issue to both the students and the candidates. “I think it’s very important to note that, although neither candidate is perfect, Hillary Clinton does identify that global warming exists... whereas Donald Trump believes it to be a hoax from China, which is ironic because we see smog caused by extremely high levels of greenhouse gas emissions to be at its highest in China,” said senior and environmental activist Annika Cederstrand. “We also need to realize that climate change poses a threat primarily not to Donald Trump, who will no longer be
Annie Wright Upper School
Features and Arts editor Abby Givens Social media editor Sarah Chon
Gun Laws In the state of Washington, firearms are accessible to most citizens over the age of 18. There are Upper School students who have the opportunity to purchase a gun. Although accessibility is high, Washington is an outlier when
Inkwell aims to provide the Annie Wright community with dependable and engaging coverage of school, local, national and global topics. 75 copies are published four times per year and distributed around campus. Submissions of articles and photographs, correction requests and signed letters to the editor are most welcome. Please email the editors at inkwell@aw.org. All published submissions will receive credits and bylines.
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compared to other states with its high number of gun safety laws. Despite the troubling statistics of gun violence, guns hold strong cultural significance and power in America, and much of the population stands by the right to own a firearm.
“At Annie Wright we have a large international representation. Both candidates’ views affect our perception of people from around the world. We need a candidate with an open mind about people coming to America,” said sophomore Tana Anulacion.
“Gun control is important because there are people who really should not get access to those kinds of weapons,” said senior Aurora Hake. “This election’s candidates hold radically opposite views on gun control, so you just have to be careful about who you stand by.”
Hillary Clinton wants to make the path to citizenship easier for immigrants, with increased access to language programs, so immigrants can improve their English and understand our immigration system better. She has said, “I am 100% behind comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.”
Donald Trump believes in the importance of the Second Amendment and has said that our right to bear arms will not be taken away under his presidency. He has said that lawabiding gun owners should be able to defend themselves against violent criminals, and that he aims to fix our broken mental health system to prevent further mental health related shootings and bring programs back to lower the number of gang members and drug dealers on the streets.
Trump hopes to create a system of immigration that puts the American people first. He believes in creating a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border that Mexico will pay for, ending sanctuary cities, keeping immigration levels within their historical norms, selecting immigrants into the U.S. based on their eligibility to succeed, and ensuring that jobs are open to American workers before immigrants.
Abortion
A range of languages, cultures, religions and beliefs have contributed to the American identity. In the 2016 election, much debate centers on how to approach immigration, and the consequences could be extreme.
“People our age should be able to choose,” said Rachel Holland, also a junior. Trump has stated that he is pro-life and that if he becomes President, he will change the law and allow states to protect the unborn. In an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, he also stated he believes that women who receive abortions once they have become illegal should be punished, although he quickly recanted this and said that it was doctors who perform abortions who should be punished. Clinton has promised to support Planned Parenthood if elected President. She stated that a woman’s health decisions should be made by the woman and her family, with the counsel of her doctor. Clinton also said she will defend access to legal abortions and affordable contraceptive care.
Note from the editors
Hillary Clinton believes gun control in America needs to be reformed. She voiced plans to fight for reforms to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and those too dangerous to own them. “If you are too dangerous to get on a plane, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in America,” she said.
Immigration
when asked about the importance of the issue.
Abortion is yet another divisive theme of the Presidential race, and the right to one is an emotive issue for many politicians and citizens. At an all girls’ school especially, the subject of who legally can or cannot decide the outcome of abortion will closely relate to students’ personal lives as they navigate motherhood. “The idea of a teen pregnancy and not finishing high school could be difficult for some girls, but it’s completely their choice,” said junior Amethyst Kettrell,
Annie Wright Upper School has a vocal liberal student constituency, and anonymous sources have expressed discomfort in sharing conservative political opinions at school. We hope that this issue inspires informed, respectful conversation about the candidates that allows room for all perspectives. The opinions and viewpoints expressed in this issue are those of the editors and do not necessarily reflect those of the students or the school. If you would like to discuss this issue or any future Inkwell issues, please email Lexy Sullivan (alexis_sullivan@aw.org), Katie Erickson (katherine_erickson@ aw.org) or Allison Fitz (allison_ fitz@aw.org).
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The candidates in a nutshell by Nina Doody
Donald John Trump BORN June 14, 1946, New York, New York AGE 70 EDUCATION High School: New York Military Academy College: Fordham University, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
graphic courtesy of Katie Erickson
Graduate School: None
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton
PROFESSIONS Businessman and television personality
BORN October 26, 1947, Chicago, Illinois AGE 68
SPOUSES Ivana Zelníčková Trump (1977-91), Marla Maples (1993-99) and Melania Knavs Trump (2005-present)
EDUCATION High School: Maine East, Maine South
KIDS Donald Jr. (born 1977), Ivanka (born 1981), Eric (born 1984), Tiffany (born 1993) and Barron (born 2006)
College: Wellesley
PARTY Republican
PROFESSIONS Attorney & Politician
PREVIOUS POLITICAL POSITIONS None
SPOUSE Bill Clinton
CAMPAIGN SLOGAN “Make America Great Again”
KIDS Chelsea (born 1980)
Get the latest news on local, national & international issues that matter to you at www.anniewrightinkwell.org.
Graduate School: Yale Law School
PARTY Democrat PREVIOUS POLITICAL POSITIONS United States Senator (2001-2009) and Secretary of State (2009–2013) CAMPAIGN SLOGAN “Stronger Together”
Stick it to the man (or woman) by Sarah Chon With the Presidential race in full swing, political stickers are gracing bumpers across the country. This year’s major candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, have been selling them on their official websites, and third parties have been selling plenty as well. Trump has controversial stickers on his official website that pose a negative angle on his old and current competitors. Examples include “HRC, Liar Liar, Pantsuit on Fire” and “Feeling Berned? Vote for Trump.” One of them features
a picture of Clinton, promoting the website his own campaign created, “LyingCrookedHillary.com.” Trump also sells self-promoting stickers, such as “Grow Businesses. Shrink Government” and “Veterans for Trump.” Some stickers feature the name of his running mate, Mike Pence. His stickers cost five dollars, but some packages come with more than one. Hillary has a much wider number of designs for sale on her official website. Clinton also has stickers that present
Trump in a bad light, from making his face into the monopoly banker with the text “Never, ever Trump” to a picture of Trump himself behind the text that reads “Nope.” Additionally she has promoted her running mate Tim Kaine on many of her stickers. Some of her self-promoting ones are in Spanish or aim at other groups, such as “African Americans for H.” Non-official bumper stickers have been a source of entertainment and controversy. See some samples of these at anniewrightinkwell.org.
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Students share international perspectives on the election by Faye Prekeges
This election season has been a heated one, with news of it on every television, web site and newspaper in the country. At Annie Wright Upper School, American students discuss it in classes, debate with friends at lunch, and are bombarded with new information regarding it every day. Many international students have a different relationship with the current election. Even though they attend school in the United States, their home countries each view it very differently. Spanish exchange student Almu Cerrada, junior Mayako Matsuno from Japan, and senior Alana Muhoza from Uganda shared their perspectives on this election and their own countries’ electoral climates.
Inkwell: How much do you know about our election?
AC: “Not so much. In Europe, in Spain, we know a little bit of every country’s election.”
MM: “I want to say a little bit,
because I don’t often read articles or watch news...I only know a little bit from information I’ve heard from teachers or from other students.”
AM: “On a scale from like zero to a
hundred percent, I’d say like a ninety percent. I know your parties, I know about Donald Trump, I know about Hillary Clinton, I have watched the debate. I mean, it’s aired everywhere, so even if I didn’t want to watch it, if anyone watches news they’d have to watch it.”
Inkwell: Many Americans have
expressed their discontent over our candidates. Have you ever experienced an election in your country where neither candidate was popular?
AC: “Yes, this year yes, because we
States where one person might be liked more. In Japan, it is usually like what is happening in the U.S. election right now.”
AM: “You have that group of ten
people who think he [the President] can’t become President again, but then you look at his opposition and you’re just like, it’s either that or this, so. The majority of our people are under thirty, or just over, so he has been President for most of everyone’s life. So I don’t think he’s even had the chance to be a less favorite.”
Inkwell: The media, in the United
States, plays a large role in the election process. How big of a role does the media play in your country’s elections?
AC: “A large role. The thing is that,
there are so many candidates, so the TV and the different newspapers focus on the different candidates. Maybe one is focused on one of the candidates, and the other is focused on another.”
MM: “Not as much compared
have four candidates, and nobody is the favorite. So, it is very difficult. This past summer was the third time my parents had to go to vote for the President of Spain.”
to here, because these days the candidates use Twitter and other social media, but they don’t use them as much as they use them in the U.S. There isn’t a big media presence from the candidates in Japan.”
MM: “Yes, it always happens. It
AM: “For us, the media doesn’t even
isn’t like other elections in the United
play a role in it because we know what
is going to happen regardless...I think he [the President] stopped the media from covering the elections, because the debate was a joke and he didn’t want our country to be laughed at by the rest of the world. It [the media] definitely doesn’t play as big a role as it does here.”
Inkwell: How does your country’s media cover our elections?
AC: “I don’t know. They cover that
there are two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and that Donald Trump does not know what he is doing. We focus on the election, but not as much as others.”
MM: “They talk about it, but not a lot. It is important, because they talk about how the different candidates want to create relationships between Asia and the United States. The election isn’t a huge topic of interest though.”
AM: “I think we see yours more
than we see our own. Our presidential debate won’t be covered on CNN; you have to find it on local news outlets. When I watched my Presidential debates I had to find it on some weird streaming site, whereas with United States election, I can literally log in to CNN, or Al Jazeera, or BBC UK, to see it.”
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Spotlight: first daughters by Abby Givens
photo courtesy of Politico
This year’s presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, have daughters who have gone on to play large roles in their family enterprises, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump. Chelsea Clinton, 36, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She skipped third grade and learned how to invest in the stock market before age eleven. At the age of 13, she moved to Washington D.C. to live in the White House during her father’s presidency, which subjected her to a lot of media scrutiny. Bill and Hillary expressed the desire to give her a normal family life and made it a priority to shield her as much as possible from the media. Chelsea attended Stanford University, graduating in the class of ‘01, and then went on to get her master’s in International Relations at Oxford University in England. After her graduation in 2003, Chelsea joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company in New York. Chelsea went on to campaign for Hillary’s 2008 presidential bid, and has become an increasingly bigger public figure since then, taking over many Clinton Foundation
responsibilities. In 2010 she earned a Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University, and worked as a correspondent for NBC the following year. She is currently the vice chair of the board at her family’s Foundation and wrote the book Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going!, aimed at informing middle school students about social issues, in 2015. Ivanka Trump, 34, is the daughter of Trump and his first wife, Ivana. Born in Manhattan, Ivanka grew up in the spotlight with her real estate millionaire dad and model mom. According to Ivanka, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, Donald and Ivana, “sheltered me a lot, as much as they could, from the media, but it was always there...”. When Donald and Ivana got divorced, eight-year-old Ivanka found out when it was “splashed across the front page of a newspaper.” Ivanka later attended Choate Rosemary Hall boarding school in Connecticut. Ivanka started modeling at age 14, gracing a few covers, and walking some runways before turning her attention toward the family business, real estate. After graduating from the
Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Ivanka spent two years working at a real estate development firm outside of her family’s organization. From 2008 to 2015 she worked alongside her father and two brothers as a judge on Celebrity Apprentice. Ivanka has also become the vice president of acquisitions and development at the Trump Organization, working on high profile buildings and resorts, while collaborating with her two older brothers, Donald Jr. and Eric. Ivanka also co-founded the Trump Hotel Collection, a successful luxury hotel management company, and created her own fashion brand, best known for shoes. Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump have a close friendship, despite their parents’ competition for the Presidency and difference in political views. When asked how these recent events and politics would affect their friendship, Chelsea responded in an interview on September 9, 2016: “We were friends long before this election, and we will be friends long after this election.”
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What is Trump’s appeal? by Katie Erickson
He is controversial. He is combative. He has broken ranks with the leadership of his own party. Yet Trump has millions of supporters and wide appeal. Here are five commonly cited reasons: He’s confident.
He’s a Republican.
Trump exudes confidence. Many voters tend to migrate toward a strong candidate as opposed to one that is seen as weak or wishy-washy. Trump is an expert at sound bites and he has a simple response for everything.
This occurs every election: voters feel they must represent their party regardless of the candidate. Following two terms with a Democrat as President, it is natural for a steadfast Republican to wish his or her party to be in power once again.
He’s a businessman. Many Trump supporters feel that business is key in politics. As an entrepreneur and a billionaire with a number of successful enterprises, Trump is an accomplished businessman.
He’s a breath of fresh air. As many Bernie Sanders supporters voiced and Trump supporters echo: the political establishment needs reform. Potential voters are attracted to a candidate they see as outside the political system. While Trump lacks
political experience, voters see this as refreshing and decidedly uncorrupt. Trump is unabashed when it comes to seemingly outrageous statements that politicians have long been too afraid to make.
He’s a dad. Many potential voters, and even his rival, Hillary Clinton, have been complimentary that he has been able to raise successful children as opposed to the spoon-fed billionaire’s child stereotype. Seeing his success with his children evokes a feeling of trust in him from many parents.
First what? by Allison Fitz If elected on November 8, Hillary Clinton would make national history as America’s first female President. With her inauguration, another “first” would be sworn into the White House: a male spouse. Bill Clinton’s possible responsibilities in the White House are still unclear. In the past, first ladies have been tasked with acting as a hostess and organizing official events. When interviewed by television host Jimmy Kimmel, Hillary mentioned that she would seek Bill’s advice in “other categories” besides party planning. Bill Clinton holds a certain obligation to take his role seriously, but being
the first of his kind, he faces few specific expectations. Hillary made it clear that, alongside her campaign, “[Bill] is running to break the iron grip that women had had on being spouse of the President.” As far as titles, Bill Clinton has many possibilities. He is a particularly special case because he is also a former U.S. President. Hillary has suggested: “First Dude... Mate...Gentleman,” as plausible titles.
graphic courtesy of Katie Erickson
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October 2016 | page 8
Opinion: Hillary is a woman. It matters. For the first time in history, we are facing a strong possibility of a female President. Although some argue that gender is not a major factor in the upcoming election, I believe it matters very much that Hillary Clinton is a woman, for three major reasons.
Here are some examples:
1. Sexism
“Lock her up” has been a popular chant at the Republican National Convention and Trump rallies. (For those who have read Jane Eyre, consider the theme of calling passionate women crazy and locking them up...)
Hillary has had to overcome sexism throughout her campaign, and started at a disadvantage to Donald Trump due to her gender. Research by Dr. Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, an assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, concludes that female candidates must be more qualified than their male opponents to do well in an election, because many voters have a hard time seeing women as leaders. “Based upon my research, Hillary Clinton and [former Republican primary candidate] Carly Fiorina have the challenge of clearly demonstrating to voters that they are more qualified than their male counterparts. And they have the additional challenge of figuring out how to be more qualified in the ways that matter to most voters today.” (Check out the video “Sexism Rules in the Ballot Booth unless Voters have more Information” by Vanderbilt University.) There have been many studies about how men seem predisposed to interrupting women (See, for example, “Why Men are Prone to Interrupting Women” by Alice Robb on NYTLive). In the first Presidential debate, according to Vox, Mr. Trump interrupted Mrs. Clinton 51 times, while she interrupted him 17 times. Comments, cartoons and other media about Hillary’s body, hair, clothing, voice and temperament reveal that Hillary is suffering more and harsher criticism due to her gender than her competitor.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Hillary’s reaction to Monica Lewinsky’s testimony about her affair with Bill Clinton proves Hillary Clinton is “too stupid” to be President.
Pat Garofalo, Candidate for Minnesota State Representative, tweeted “I don’t have an ex-wife. But if I did, she would sound like Hillary Clinton.”
photo courtesy of Annie Wright Schools Communications
by Lexy Sullivan
A woman created buttons that she sells on Ebay and Etsy featuring Monica Lewinsky’s face featuring the lines “I Got the ‘Job’ Done When Hillary Couldn’t” and “Good Luck Hillary—Don’t Blow It.” Among the anti-Hillary buttons at the Republican National Convention was: “KFC Hillary Special: 2 fat thighs, 2 small breasts, left wing.”
2. Female-friendly policies Hillary’s policies would impact women positively. According to former U.S. Ambassador and Annie Wright alumna Pamela Hyde Smith (see the full interview on page 12), “Mrs. Clinton has a very long history of deep concern for women and children. She also had very detailed plans for family leave, closing the wage gap, all kinds of practical steps that would make life easier, better, and more equal for more women. It’s hard to imagine that the overwhelming majority of women who prefer her are not thinking about those practical policies that she has put in her platform.”
3. The opportunity for a female president We owe it to all women, now and in previous generations, to break through the barrier of the all-male Presidency. We asked three of our local politicians, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, State Representative Laurie Jinkins, and Senator Jeannie Darneille of Tacoma’s 27th District (where Annie Wright resides), why it matters that Hillary Clinton is a woman.
>>Mayor Strickland: Electing the first woman president of the United States will be an historic event because even in 2016, women are grossly underrepresented in politics,” said Strickland. “We are half the voting population but roughly 20 percent of elected officials at the city, state and federal levels. That can only change if we address the social, cultural and structural barriers that discourage women from running for office.”
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“Women who rise to positions of leadership often share the ability to collaborate and negotiate because we know that cultivating relationships leads to positive outcomes. If the United States hopes to solve the challenges facing our cities, nation and the world, we cannot squander the opportunity to elect the most qualified candidate who happens to be a woman. This will encourage more women to run for office and bring more voices to the table.”
women led businesses, when women controlled their own health care, when women would be allowed to become lawyers, when women would become lawmakers, and even when a woman would become President.
>>Jeannie Darneille:
Think of their efforts to improve the status of women as though they had entered a long relay race. Picture the team of women running an 800 meter relay race where jumping hurdle after hurdle was required. We are near the end. It would be unacceptable for the last runner on our relay team to walk off the track before she jumped the very last hurdle, right? We should elect Hillary Clinton because she is qualified AND she is a woman. All of the women past and present who have voted, owned property, owned businesses, become lawyers and judges and State Senators like me should be cheering her on to finish our 176 year long race.”
“We are on the verge of possibly electing our first woman President of the United States. Think for a moment about the chain of events that has brought us to this incredible time in our history. The suffragettes gave up everything, some even their own lives, to advance the status of women in our country. They fought for over 80 years for the right to vote, and 96 years have passed since women won that right. Yes, they fought for a woman’s right to vote, but their vision was so much bigger. They wanted women to vote, but they also saw a time when women would own property, when
Of course, there are voters who don’t want to vote for a woman for President simply because she is a woman. But if not now, when will we have this opportunity again? The vision of the suffragettes can be fulfilled and should be fulfilled in 2016.
>>Laurie Jinkins: “She never gives up. After her efforts at major health reform failed in the ‘90’s, did she give up? No, she went right back to work and created the Children’s Health Insurance Program, so that our children would have healthcare coverage. She recognized that Obamacare was a step forward, but also recognizes that we need to keep on making improvements. After 240 years of men holding the presidency, some great presidents, some not so great, there’s nothing more transformational that could happen than electing a woman to serve as President of the United States of America. And that woman should be Hillary Clinton, the most qualified candidate to ever have run for the office.” If Hillary Clinton is elected to be the 45th president of the United States, she will be showing young girls throughout the nation that women are capable of anything that men are capable of and more. While sexism is alive and well in today’s society, if we continue to stand up and fight against it, we can overcome it.”
photo courtesy of Annie Wright Schools Communications
(right) Darneille speaks to 4th graders at Annie Wright about our state government. (above, left) Strickland speaks to Upper School students about women in politics.
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October 2016 | page 10
Q & A with Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith
by Lexy Sullivan
I had the privilege of speaking with Pamela Hyde Smith, an AWS graduate, current AWS board member and former ambassador. Ambassador Smith joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1975 and served in Romania, Yugoslavia, the Warsaw Pact countries, Indonesia, the U.K. and Moldova.
Inkwell: What was your
motivation in joining the Foreign Service?
PHS: I was quite idealistic. I wanted
to serve my country. I liked the public service aspect of government work. I also wanted to travel, so the Foreign Service was a wonderful combination of meaningful work that I believed in with the added benefit of traveling. In my class at Annie Wright, almost all of our teachers were foreign-born, and so there was no way not to have one’s eyes open to the rest of the world. We learned Latin from a Czech woman, math from a Swedish woman, French from a Swiss and then French woman, and our English teacher was English.
Inkwell: Did you experience many challenges due to your gender?
PHS: There were not so many
challenges related to gender in the U.S. government, because the mid 70s, when I joined, was a time when the U.S. government and foreign service in particular were trying to make up for lost time when there had been a lot of prejudice and barriers to women. They were trying extra hard to attract women. My entering class into the Foreign Service was half and half, men and women, for the first time in history. Now, three secretaries of state have been female. Some people even worry that diplomacy is getting feminized, but it isn’t. I didn’t feel prejudice in the government, but in some overseas posts, the people that I dealt with were not as forward thinking. In
the U.K., I had no problem at all. Indonesia is a Muslim society, though not particularly conservative. I found there and throughout Eastern Europe that the job title was more significant in most people’s eyes than the gender, so I didn’t experience much prejudice. I didn’t serve in highly traditional societies, but I have colleagues who did experience some difficulties. In fact, in some cases, I felt it was an advantage to be a woman, and I have two examples to share with you.
Inkwell: Are women adequately
In the mid 90s, between all these foreign assignments, I worked in Washington. I took over a large office from a man. This office worked with another large office also run by a man. The person who took over the other office was also a woman. These two men had been fighting with each other for the two years that they had held the jobs. When this other women and I got in our positions, we thought, well let’s not do that. Let’s cooperate. I don’t know if it’s the feminine spirit or if it’s just the way that she was and the way I was, but she had 100 people working for her and I had 100 people working for me, and we made it work on a cooperative, collegial basis. We got a lot more done than these two men had, fighting over turf and responsibilities.
Inkwell: What needs to change? PHS: First is policy. If we had better
Then, when I was ambassador, I had to deal with a lot of very senior government officials on the other side. I had meetings with the president of Moldova and all the ministers, and I felt when things were delicate and difficult, as a woman, I was able to elicit more trust. They weren’t on their guard so much. I would go into the same officials with a visiting colleague from the State Department in Washington who was a man, and I could see these officials, whom I knew, be more tough, because they felt like they had something to guard. Ambassador Smith speaks at May Day in 2013.
represented in politics?
PHS: No, and I think that’s clear to
anyone who watches TV and sees the Senate or the House in action. There are far fewer women in government than many parliaments in Europe. We also, let us not forget, have not yet had a woman President or leader at that level, but Britain has, India has, Israel has, Germany has. I mean we are kind of behind the curve.
child care and better family leave policies, then more women would be able to go into more professions. Secondly, we’re getting there, but we need more role models of women in powerful positions, so that people like you will see that their path is whatever they want to do. So I think it is quite important, really, for us to have a woman President, the way President Obama was a role model for black children; they can be anything they want to be. And I saw this operating in the State Department. When we had female Secretaries of State, suddenly the women foreign service officers down the chain had a little more confidence.
photo courtesy of Highstreet
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October 2016 | page 11
Inkwell: Did you ever experience
having to choose between your career and your family, a conflict women encounter much more often than men?
PHS: Absolutely. I met my husband
and we wanted a family, and so we had two children. Now I wanted to keep my career and we were overseas so it was easy; I just hired help. I did nothing around the house except be with my children. No laundry, no cooking, no cleaning, because there is only so much time in the day, and when I was home I wanted quality time with my kids, so I just delegated everything else. Now, I was in a position where I could do that. Unfortunately, not everybody is in such a position that they can do that, and that is why there should be more affordable childcare to all. Even so, when my children were young, I took jobs that were not 14-hour day jobs. A lot of the Foreign Service is full of type A people who work really hard, and I just knew that for a certain period of time in my life I didn’t want to do that. And I may have retarded my career a little bit because of that, but then I made up for it, so I don’t regret any of it.
Inkwell: To what extent do you believe gender is a factor in the upcoming election?
PHS: Let us look at two big things in the election. One is that the difference between the way most women are indicating they want to vote and the way a lot of men are indicating they want to vote is huge, maybe the biggest difference we have ever had. There must be some reason for that. It could be the personalities of the candidates, it could be the simple fact that Hillary Clinton is a woman, but it also could be, and I don’t think that this can be discounted, the policies that the two candidates are talking about. Mrs. Clinton has a very long history of deep concern for women and children. She also had very detailed plans for family leave, closing the wage gap,
Ambassador Smith’s senior photo in Annie Wright’s 1963 Shield Yearbook
all kind of practical steps that would make life easier, better, and more equal for more women. It’s hard to imagine that the overwhelming majority of women who prefer her are not thinking about those practical policies that she has put in her platform. The fact that Donald Trump bullies her in the debate and otherwise and says sexist things, that all probably feeds into the difference as well.
Inkwell: Have you ever met Hillary?
PHS: I have met Hillary Clinton
several times. We were at Wellesley at the same time, overlapped by two years, though we didn’t know each other at school. I have talked to her since then. I think it’s wonderful that she’s from Wellesley; we keep producing Secretaries of State. Madeline Albright was from Wellesley too! I met her [Hillary] when she was first lady, and President Clinton came to Jakarta when I was press attaché there. Then I worked at the State Department when she was Secretary, so I wrote memos to her; no emails though! She was famous in the State Department for hard work and being the most well-informed person in any meeting, any time, anywhere.
Inkwell: What can Annie Wright
students do to get involved in national politics?
PHS: Not voting is letting other
people make an important decision for you. I think the best thing that students can do is be informed. Reading about current events and foreign affairs is essential, and I think it’s important to read contrasting viewpoints, not just what you like, but the other side too. I read the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Politico. I mean I read too much; I’m obsessed with the election. My next piece of advice is to talk about it. Have a study group or discussion group; a politics discussion group would be fascinating, and maybe use the Oxford rules to do it. I’m a little vague on them, but a proposition is formed, for example, the debate between Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump is laden with sexism, and then one person or group argues for that and one person or group argues against it, no matter what they personally think. Learn how to think and argue about politics. I hope that students at Annie Wright will inform themselves about politics and government service and consider government service for their eventual careers. It’s an interesting, valuable, honorable thing to do with your life despite what some people say.
October 2016 | page 12
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Check out some of Trump’s controversial tweets
graphic courtesy of Katie Erickson
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October 2016 | page 13
The Lowdown on Hillary’s e-mail scandal by Abby Givens & Nina Doody
1. Hillary Clinton, while she was Secretary of State, used her personal email and private server to send government information during the Benghazi investigation. 2. A Clinton aide asked someone to delete the messages on the server; however he didn’t do so.
H: I do not recall.
3. In March 2015, The New York Times reported existence of the government e-mails, some of which had classified information, on her private server. 4. The next day, one of Clinton’s staff deleted the emails, after he realized he forgot to do so earlier. 5. During FBI hearings Clinton claimed she was unaware of the protocol of personal and government email and repeatedly said she couldn’t recall details. 6. The FBI recommended that no criminal charges be filed against Hillary Clinton but said that Clinton and her colleagues were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” 7. Some of the emails from this server have been leaked, giving people an insight into Clinton’s campaign.
Thinking about moving to Canada if your candidate loses? So are other people.
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October 2016 | page 14
Follow @TheCandidates by Sarah Chon
Social media has played a big part in this year’s Presidential race. According to a recent study by Pew Research, 14 percent of people get their political news from social media, second only to local TV stations and higher than news web sites. Both of the major party candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, have decided to actively engage on social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat to gain more attention to their campaign
Instagram @HillaryClinton, Hillary’s official Instagram, has 2.3 million followers and averages an 137% engagement rate, which is measured by the amount of replies, likes, tags, and comments compared with the followers someone has. She uses this social media platform to post pictures with her supporters, to call out controversial things that Trump has said, and to broadcast videos her campaign has created. Trump’s official Instagram is @RealDonaldTrump, with 2.5 million followers, which is slightly more than Clinton. His engagement rate is 196%, which is way ahead of Clinton’s. He has definitely stirred up controversy with his posts. See a list of some of the most controversial on page 6.
Twitter Twitter has also been a huge part of the election. Hillary has an engagement rate of 24% and has gained a total of 9.3 million followers. Trump has a 53% engagement rate with his 12 million followers. Both Tweet similar content to their Instagram posts.
Snapchat Snapchat has also been a new available platform for this year, and Trump has taken advantage of geofilters. His campaign bought a nationwide one before the first Presidential debate, with the text “Debate Day. Donald J Trump vs Crooked Hillary.” He does not have an official Snapchat. Hillary has one, @HillaryClinton, though she does not actively post on it.
graphic courtesy of Katie Erickson
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October 2016 | page 15
We know they are old. How is their health? by Alexandra Bessler Hillary Clinton, 68, and Donald Trump, 70, are among oldest candidates to run for President. If he wins in November, Trump would be the oldest President ever elected. If Clinton won, she would be the second oldest, after President Reagan, who was 69. Both current candidates have been secretive about their health, though Clinton has had health issues that have made news over the last four years. In 2012, Hillary fainted from dehydration after a stomach virus and hit her head, which resulted in a concussion. In a follow-up appointment for the concussion, doctors discovered a blood clot in Mrs. Clinton’s brain, which required immediate treatment of blood thinners to remedy. This clot blocked the right transverse sinus from draining blood
from the brain, which could cause strokes or brain hemorrhages. Hillary also had a blood clot in her leg in 1998, which may mean she has to take blood thinners indefinitely. Last September, Clinton had to leave suddenly from a ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11 in New York. Her legs appeared to buckle and she needed to be helped to her van by two secret service agents. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and dehydration. On September 13, Donald Trump introduced records of a recent physical on “the Dr. Oz Show.” According to the results, Trumps stands at 6’ 3” at 236 pounds, leaving him “slightly overweight,” according to Dr. Oz. Trump, who admits to a diet high in junk food, takes a statin drug to reduce his cholesterol and blood pressure.
Although he provided a short statement last year, it did not give details about his heart rate, cholesterol or medications. According to his doctor, Trump has only ever been hospitalized once, when he had appendicitis at the age of 11. Age is a factor for both candidates. According to the Center for Disease Control, about half of people ages 65 through 74 have cataracts, and 25 percent have significant hearing loss. Older people also have much higher incidences of heart disease and cancer, the leading causes of death in people over 65. Both candidates have a good chance of surviving two terms, but Clinton’s is better; according to calculations published in The Washington Post, Trump would have a 8.43 percent chance of dying in office, while Clinton would have a 5.89 percent chance.
Opinion: thanks Obama... really by Nina Doody Obama has been the President of the United States since 2008, and being President comes with hard work and decisions. He has tackled many issues and leaves a strong legacy. Here are some of his accomplishments:
Health Care Reform Although we still do not have universal healthcare coverage, millions more people are now covered under the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average number of uninsured dropped by 11.4 million between 2010 and 2014.
Same Sex Marriage Americans have different takes on same sex marriage, but if you believe in equal rights for the LGBT community, the passing of a law to allow same sex marriage is a major
widespread racism to achieve his goals.
Having a Great Wife graphic courtesy of Katie Erickson
accomplishment. “No matter who you are, here in America, you’re free to marry the person you love because the freedom to marry is now the law in all 50 states,” Obama said after the Supreme Court passed the law 5-4.
Dignity in Office “To walk with dignity and grace is a huge achievement for Obama,” said Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Leonard Pitts when asked about Obama’s achievements during a talk at the University of Puget Sound. As the country’s first black President, Obama has overcome
From carpool karaoke to support for members of the armed forces and their families, Michelle Obama has been a popular first lady, with, according to a Gallup poll, significantly higher approval ratings than either of the potential new first spouses, Bill Clinton or Melania Trump. A lawyer herself, she has also worked hard to provide a great family life for her daughters. Obama has many other accomplishments, including ending the war in Iraq and increasing antiterrorism efforts, making Americans safer. Particularly during this uncivil and controversial race for his successor, many people already miss Obama.
Ask Annie
Legend has it that the ghost of Annie Wright (1863-1904) returns to offer wisdom to students of her namesake school. Here is some of her advice about the upcoming election.
If I am eligible to vote, should I? What if I don’t like either of the candidates? Yes. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the outcome. Even if you aren’t a fan of Clinton or Trump, identify the candidate you prefer by getting informed (read articles, watch the news and debates or highlights, and follow the candidates on social media). You could also choose a third-party candidate. What happens if my candidate doesn’t win? How much power does the President actually have? Checks and balances make sure that each branch of government, including the President, doesn’t control all the power. The President, does, however, have important responsibilities like commanding the military, appointing influential civil servants, overseeing foreign policy and representing our nation. If my candidate doesn’t win, should I move to Canada? It is an extensive process to be able to move permanently to Canada. A better way to handle seeing your candidate lose is to step up and get involved. If you feel the need to move, move to Washington D.C. and create change. How do I handle a situation in which my friends’ or parents’ political views vastly differ from my own? People have very strong feelings about the candidates. You should listen to different views and respect others’ opinions (you might learn something!), but don’t be afraid to share your own views and express your own opinions. If you feel frustrated or offended and are worried that you will lose it, change the subject or excuse yourself to calm down.