The Elliott Fall 2019

#Enough isEnough

Kranch: The Final Frontier Jaden Ellman

Cont. on page 4

Ruby Kauffman

The Creation of a Townhall

Cont. on page 10

Cont. on page 6

Sophie Kieffer

The Elliott

www.elliottmag.com

Should College Athletes be Paid?

Jake Bogartz Every Saturday in the fall, millions of people gather around their TVs to watch their favorite schools battle it out on the football field. Schools, broadcasting companies, and vendors bring in millions every weekend.

Meanwhile, the players who dedicate their lives to the sport and put their health on the line every day don’t see any of this money. This issue exists across all college athletics, not just football.

The reason schools don’t pay their athletes is because the NCAA, the organization that manages college sports, has strict rules against any form of compensation for Athletes or recruits.

If a school even pays for a potential recruit’s travel and accommodations on a visit it’s an infraction. Colleges that are found guilty of violating these rules can face harsh punishments. For example, in 1987 SMU football was charged with paying recruits in order to entice them to commit to the school, Cont. on page 3

The Galloway School

Fall 2019

Foreman at the Forefront Caroline Parrish This year, Galloway is turning 50 years old, and with this monumental birthday, Upper Learning has also gained a new principal. With Mr. James Foreman at the helm of Upper Learning, we’ve got the next fifty years in our sights as well.

To say the least, he is a jack of all trades. He’s been a Dean of Students, Director of Diversity, a Middle School Principal, and a computer science teacher. But, apart from his obvious qualifications to be the Upper Learning principal, Mr. Foreman is down to earth, conscientious, and excited to foster Galloway’s sense of community. At this monumental anniversary of Galloway as an academic institution, Upper Learning has a leader who both respects Galloway’s history and has an exciting vision for its future.

The first thing I noticed when I sat down to interview Mr. Foreman was his infectious smile.

His wide, toothy grin made me feel like I just dropped the mic after finishing a killer comedy special at Radio City Music Hall. He’s warm and personable with a sunny disposition. This interview wasn’t the first time I’d met Mr. Foreman. I tutor underclassmen after school across from Mr. Foreman’s office, and he has made a point to stop by and ask us about our days. Every. Single. Time.

This interview was, however, an opportunity for me to learn a lot more about the life Mr. Foreman led before coming to Galloway. When he was in high school, he spent his first two years at McDonogh, a small independent school, before transferring to Randallstown, a giant public high school in Baltimore to play football. There were 600 kids in his senior class, but fewer than 500 graduated. Mr. Foreman claimed that at McDonogh,“[he] could still almost tell you everyone who was in [his] graduating class.” His fundamental belief in the importance of community started at a young age.

The Elliott’s Exclusive Interview with Annie Levy Senate Candidate Jon Ossoff I knocked on the door of the Grant Park home, rubbing my sweaty palms off on the sides of my jean jacket. A few shaky moments later, the door opened to present a completely different version of the politician I had long anticipated. After spending several months researching, questioning, and analyzing Jon Ossoff’s online footprint, I was taken aback to find him standing in front of me in his sock feet, just like any other ordinary guy. “Hey,” he said as he reached out a hand. “I’m Jon.” Through an incredible connection with a Galloway teacher, I had the opportunity to interview U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. Ossoff first emerged as a prominent Democratic politician after his run for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District in the most expensive congressional race in history, raising a remarkable $23 million. Although he did end up losing to Congresswoman Karen Handel, Ossoff made a noteworthy dent in Georgia’s historically red demographic and quickly became a household name across the country.

Over the past two years since the loss, Ossoff has worked tirelessly to understand the nation’s partisan atmosphere and the changing political culture. He believes wholeheartedly that his experience and abundant knowledge of today’s political issues can transform the political climate.

It’s impossible to properly boil down Mr. Ossoff’s eloquent words. However, these are the most important takeaways I walked away with after speaking with the Senate candidate.

Cont. on page 12

While an abridged version is available here, the full-length interview is now available at www.ElliottMag.com.

Cont. on page 8

Flying Solo

Rose Sanders

Conveniently, my first flight alone was scheduled for a week before my eighteenth birthday, almost as if the universe was saying to me, “this is something you need to do before becoming an adult.”

Throughout my high school years, I always jumped at the chance to do anything that seemed remotely independent, and flying alone, in my mind, is one of the biggest freedoms I can have. Going to a new place without anyone to guide me makes the trip my experience, and my experience alone. While it is special to take in a new culture and explore new terrain with the ones I love, it was more important for me to travel solo than I had initially realized.

Typically, I am forgetful and absentminded in the airport, as I simply follow my family wherever we need to go and drown out the rest. This produces mindlessness, which I used to be perfectly content with, but now I am able to recognize that because I relied so much on those I was with to help me get to where I needed to be, I was starting off a trip or vacation by tuning out when I should have been tuning in, as well as training myself to believe that apathy is a beneficial way of life.

Cont. on page 14

NEWS

Fall 2019

What Just Happened to Spider-Man?

Max Meyers

It’s been a busy month for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. After Sony and Disney split from their Spider-Man sharing deal in a manner that blew up the media, they’ve recently reconciled after a month of separation, seemingly pleased to be back in action together with a clear plan for the future. So exactly what just happened and why? To truly answer that question, we need to take it back a decade.

When Iron Man first premiered in movie theaters in 2008, fans were thrilled to see a live-action adaptation of an iconic Marvel character. More importantly, they were greeted with an additional surprise; a scene after the credits rolled that would change Hollywood forever, with Samuel L. Jackson hinting to fans that the Avengers would make a big-screen debut in the future. Flash forward four years, and The Avengers assembled for the ultimate team-up that would topple countless Box Office records including the highest grossing opening weekend of all time, and the 3rd highest grossing movie of all time (as of 2012 when it first released). And, as of today, Marvel has taken in over $22.5 billion from 23 successful films in their Marvel Cinematic Universe (and that’s not even counting the revenue of toys, collectibles, DVDs/downloads, and tie-in TV shows). They have also taken home 3 Oscars and 18 nominations total. Then, Avengers: Endgame was recently released and it took the world by storm and made history by taking the crown from James Cameron’s 2009 hit Avatar to become the new highest grossing movie of all time.

One of the most significant events in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) history came in 2015, with the reveal that Spider-Man, previously exclusive to Sony Pictures, would now be joining the Avengers and Marvel Studios.

Initially, a hack in late 2014 exposed ongoing discussions between Sony and Marvel about the character, with a formal announcement coming months later. Now, with the beloved Tom Holland portraying the web slinger, he’s appeared in 5 MCU movies and has become a fan favorite over the years.

However, in August 2019, that almost changed.

So What Happened First?

Reported by Deadline on August 20th, 2019, the article revealed that Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, would no longer be the producer in future Spider-Man projects “because of an inability by Disney and Sony Pictures to reach new terms.” Previously, Disney and Sony’s partnership involved splitting the profit of the movie’s gross at a 95-5 percent ratio, with Sony raking in that majority since Spider-Man is their property. Disney made up for the lopsided split by collecting all sales from merchandise sold.

However, the studio soon became interested in bargaining for a new deal with Sony that would make it a 50-50 split. Seeing as how the most recent film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, made over $1 billion, it’s not a surprise to see that the house of mouse wants a bigger piece of the pie. Sony turned down the deal; since Spider-Man is their most valuable franchise, they weren’t interested in giving up half of it. Afterward, more dominoes fell, and then headlines came.

How Did People React?

Fans stormed the internet following the breaking news. Many felt that the ever-growing MCU was dependent on Spider-Man’s role in the future and how the company would shape his character going forward. They were disheartened to hear that he was suddenly out of the picture with little explanation, especially since he had just appeared in a sequel one month prior that ended on a major cliffhanger. Soon after, Sony issued a statement regarding

the conflicting rumors on the topic. The studio said that they “are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have [Kevin Feige] continue as a lead producer of our next live-action Spider-Man film. We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him — including all their newly added Marvel properties — do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own...Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”

Recently, Feige opened up on the situation, and expressed, “[I’m feeling] gratitude and joy. We got to make five films within the MCU with Spider-Man: two standalone films and three with the Avengers. It was a dream that I never thought would happen. It was never meant to last forever. We knew there was a finite amount of time that we’d be able to do this, and we told the story we wanted to tell, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Why is Sony involved with Marvel properties?

So why does Sony even own Spider-Man anyways? If they’re all a part of the same comic book universe, why aren’t they all owned by Marvel Studios? To answer that question, one must look back to 1996, a time when Marvel was nearing bankruptcy.

They were forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (where large companies seek to restructure their debt). This came as the comic book industry started to collapse, as was Marvel. Looking for some quick cash to keep them alive, they sold their film rights away (which at the time may not have seemed like such a bad idea after multiple Marvel films produced had less than admirable results).

The Hulk was given to Paramount; 21st Century Fox grabbed Daredevil, the X-Men, and Fantastic Four, and Sony gained Spider-Man (reportedly for only $7 million, an insanely cheap price for the now billion dollar franchise it is today).

This eventually led to Fox jumpstarting X-Men which brought superhero films back into the mainstream. Sony went onto produce the extremely successful and popular Spider-Man films with Tobey Maguire, directed by Sam Raimi. After a quick reboot of the franchise in 2012, when Andrew Garfield took the reigns as Spider-Man, criticism of the films ultimately led to the current collaboration deal between Marvel and Sony. At the same time, a merger between Disney and Fox resulted in the Fox-owned characters returning to Marvel Studios. This set up a bright future for the company with plenty of new characters for the company to toy with in their upcoming Phase 4 and Phase 5 plans.

The New Deal: The Solution to this Great (Spider-Man) Depression Had this plan with Sony and Disney breaking up been final, this would have meant that, since Feige and the MCU are now on the outside, Spider-Man would no longer appear in the MCU. All crossovers that have fulfilled many fans’ dreams over the years would have no longer been allowed to continue following the new terms. Luckily, that is not the case anymore.

On September 27, 2019, it was announced to the joy of many that Spider-Man would be back in the MCU, with Kevin Feige stating, “I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it...Spider-Man is a powerful icon and hero whose story crosses all ages and audiences around the globe. He also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.” The new terms say that the character is signed up to star in a third film to close his respective trilogy, as well as being able to appear in another future MCU film.

While it’s been a long and hard month for Spider-Man films, if anything, it’s shown that the love for this character is incredibly deep, and we have no one else to thank for that other than the legendary Steve Ditko and beloved Stan Lee. For fans and beyond, all that’s left to do is wait until July 16, 2021, for the next Spider-Man film. Only then will we see what’s in store for wall crawler in the future, as we follow him through his journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Colonizing Mars: Space to Grow Many know Mars as the small red planet next to our home planet Earth. But, with NASA’s rover set to launch in July 2020, we might be learning a lot more about this planet soon.

While many wonder if our generation will have the opportunity to live on Mars, even some of the leaders of NASA don’t think society will be able to adjust to such an alteration of everyday life.

Since Mars is 140 million miles from Earth, it will be a while until NASA receives data back.

The launch’s objective is to collect samples of Martian materials and send them back to Earth. This data will allow scientists to see if the materials on Mars and Earth are similar. The rover is landing on the red planet’s Jezero crater.

Equipped with two high definition cameras, this rover is the epitome of twenty-first century

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technology. It is set to land in February 2021, which means the flight will take almost a full year. The weather on Mars will also be tested in this expedition in order to see if it is comparable to earth in order to determine whether the planet can support human life.

There are many questions that remain to be answered: what does colonizing a planet look like? How are humans going to get to Mars in a safe, efficient way? Will our society be able to mentally and physically adjust to such a change?

While it is very exciting for NASA to gather any data that would benefit us, how this will impact us in the future remains to be seen. But, with this upcoming voyage, the opportunity for humans to live on Mars in our lifetime seems like it could be a possibility.

Dylan Steinfeld

NEWS

Should College Athletes be Paid?

Jake Bogartz

Cont. from front page

and as a result, the NCAA placed the death penalty on their program. The 1987 season was canceled, SMU lost 55 scholarships over 4 years, was essentially banned from all TV coverage and bowl games, and suffered other recruiting and coaching punishments. Due to the payments SMU was offering recruits, their top 20 program was crippled so badly that they still remain a second tier team today.

SMU was motivated to pay recruits because they wanted to secure the top talent in the country, but not only SMU benefited from the payments. Many athletes looking to play in college come from very poor environments. These students have worked tirelessly for years to get to the top of their sport and for many of them, their parents can’t afford rent or food. To one of these athletes, receiving ten grand to commit to a certain school is life-changing.

The NCAA justifies not paying athletes because they are defined as amatuer “student-athletes” rather than at the same level as pro players. This assessment seems unfair when schools pull in millions through broadcasting, advertising, tickets, and concessions. An athlete doesn’t even see any of the money that gets made from selling jerseys with their number on it. If these players are watched like pros, generate revenue like pros, and play like the pros, why don’t they get paid like pros?

Despite the NCAA’s efforts to keep money out of the hands of the athlete; somehow elite athletes get paid. At many Power Five schools, star football and basketball players, along with other athletes who were, for the most part, raised in poverty are driving around in brand new BMWs and Dodge Chargers.

Clearly these students are receiving payment, but no one, except the people within the program, know exactly how.

The Electronic Epidemic Eileigh Munro

Our generation’s new cigarettes, vapes, have caused distressed parents of young teenagers to panic the last few months. According to the CDC, since the release of the vape, 1,479 vaping-related illnesses have been reported in the United States. 33 people have died from vaping related complications, including 2 Georgia residents. The CDC has been unable to “pinpoint a specific product or device responsible for the illnesses and is continuing to investigate.”The Georgia Department of Public Health and Georgia governor Brian Kemp have sent out a public health advisory on e-cigarettes alerting parents of the dangers. The governor stated that “The safety of Georgians is my top priority. This public health advisory will notify Georgians of the potential hazards associated with adolescent vaping and encourage youth to take proactive steps to safeguard their health and well-being. We are asking convenience stores, vape shops, and leaders in communities throughout Georgia to join us in raising awareness.”

According to NPR, there are “two hundred and thirty-four unique e-cigarette or vaping products across 87 different brands.” The rise of the vape is largely linked to the vast array of brands and many of those brands are marketing their vaping products to teens.

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There is record of students and recruits receiving sums of cash in the tens of thousands from anonymous “bag men” who are connected to different schools.

A coach may write a few thousand dollar check to a player as a personal gift.

But no matter how it’s done, these illegal payments harm everyone involved.

For the most part, the NCAA turns a blind eye to these payments but when a program loses the favor of the NCAA the fallout is disastrous. Similar to SMU’s 1987 incident Ole Miss players, coaches, and the program as a whole were shook by sanctions put on them when the NCAA discovered payments being issued to recruits. If schools were allowed to just pay their talent up front, nobody would have been hurt in this situation. Instead, players lost scholarships, coaches lost jobs, and a football program was severely damaged.

If schools were to officially pay their athletes there is an important question of how they should do it. One way would be paying athletes a cut of the money made from sales of their jerseys or other use of their names. However, while the most elite athletes would benefit from this, the majority of players would still remain uncompensated. There isn’t a whole lot of money in jersey sales for a third-string wide receiver or a D2 track star. Perhaps the best solution is for schools to pay athletes based on their success and importance to their given program. This system would still reward the best players for their skill but wouldn’t leave lower-level athletes unpaid.

Another issue with the current payment situation in college sports is that when a player gets injured they are left with nothing. In most cases, injuries are minor enough that a player only misses a season or a few games, but sometimes an athlete loses their ability to compete at all. In this case, the athlete is left disbaled and misses out on potential millions, if they were going to go pro.

In contact sports, a player may not miss a game in their career, but they still put themselves at risk of brain damage such as Chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. It is unjust for these players to be expected to put themselves at such high risk for free while a university makes money off of them.

Earlier this year, in New York, a bill was proposed that would allow colleges to pay athletes 15% of ticket sales and a portion of the money made off of their likeness, or in other words, money made off of their name. The bill would require an injury fund for athletes so they still get paid even if they get injured.

On October 26, the NCAA board of governors voted unanimously to allow athletes to profit from their likeness, but they did not release any information on how athletes who won’t make money off of their likeness can be compensated.

For over half a century the NCAA had been preventing athletes from receiving any form of compensation. These athletes constantly work to improve, and compete at the highest level of their sport. It is unfair for the NCAA to treat these athletes like they are highschool students rather than professionals. It’s past time for collegiate athletes to get paid fairly.

The article suggested Dank Vapes is the teen brand of choice. After several searches for Dank Vapes, I discovered their website (after searching on my iPhone due to Galloway’s firewall) where I was greeted with several pop-up ads. The website was littered with ads and warnings against vapes, and sent shivers down my spine as I thought of the virus the website was giving my computer. After clicking “shop” on the site, I was taken to a page selling me vape oils, all in strangely named flavors, including, Apple Jacks, Banana OG, Black Berry Kush, and of course, who could forget Chem Dawg. The product pages give little information about ingredients, zero reviews and had a ton of pop windows. Dank Vapes is one of many websites selling vape products marketed toward teenagers. Purchasing from vape websites is easy as they rarely ask for a signature or proof of age when ordering online. The ease of access allows any naive teen looking to hop on the trend of vaping to do so with the simple click of a button.

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The ease of access allows any naive teen looking to hop on the trend of vaping to do so with the simple click of a button.

- Eileigh Munro

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Fall 2019

According to the CDC, in the United States more than 1 in 4 high school students has vaped in the past 30 days. With brands like Dank Vapes marketing to teens, this can create an environment that normalizes teens using vapes. Despite the government’s new restrictions and parental backlash, vaping remains a common activity amongst young people. Kids as young as twelve or thirteen are becoming addicted with little understanding of the potential consequences.

Despite the recent news and warnings surrounding vaping, teenagers in particular are sadly continuing to see vaping as the new normal.

REVIEWS

Fall 2019

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Kranch: The Final Frontier

Jaden Ellman

When Henry John Heinz founded the Heinz Company in 1869, it was nothing more than a humble passion project. Working out of his parents’ basement in rural Pennsylvania to manufacture horseradish from his mother’s family recipe, he knew he could turn his sauces into a profitable business, but above all else, he was driven by his unbreakable love for condiments. To Heinz, the potential for wealth and fame in the sauce industry was merely an additional perk. He could have never anticipated that his obscure local business—his makeshift factory of flavors—would become a multi-billion dollar corporate powerhouse and a staple of supermarkets across the nation.

It is now 2019, exactly 150 years after Henry Heinz produced his first batch of sauces, and the company is as relevant as ever. But as with all things in the year 2019, the company decided to ruin everything their honorable founder stood for when a couple of idiots from marketing realized they could just combine two of their sauces, give it a ridiculous name, and with enough obnoxious social media advertising, plenty of foolish American consumers would actually buy it.

This is roughly what went through my cynical mind on the night of July 20th when I first saw the Instagram ads for Kranch, a Heinz production combining ketchup and ranch into a single sauce. However, my cynicism quickly faded into sheer disappointment after I remembered one very unfortunate detail: I am the foolish American consumer. I knew I needed to get my hands on such an absurd and unnecessary product, no matter the cost.

After doing some quick research, I learned that Kranch is a member of Heinz’s new and fittingly poorly-named “Saucy Sauce” family of products. Launched in 2018 and receiving continued support ever since, the Saucy Sauce line also includes such hits as Mayochup, Mayomust, and Mayocue, all of which are, in fact, exactly what they sound like. But something about Kranch intrigued me the most. Not only was it the only sauce of the bunch with a ranch base rather than the typical mayonnaise, but it was easily the one I saw the least amount of people talking about online. It was mysterious. Elusive. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a Heinz brand condiment. I could just pick up a bottle at any major grocery chain, right?

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Over the course of the next 44 days, I visited 12 different grocery and retail establishments scattered throughout the Atlanta area: four Publix locations, three Krogers, three Targets, and two international farmers markets on Buford Highway. Every single store sold Mayochup. Seven locations carried Mayocue and five had Mayomust in stock. I could not find even a trace of Kranch.

Any reasonable person would have given up after the first couple of tries, and any smart person wouldn’t have looked for Kranch in the first place, but each failure only made me want it even more. It turned every visit to the grocery

store into a thrilling game of chance and every weekend outing into a visit to the grocery store. I had not felt this excited to waste my time since my days of collecting trading cards in elementary school. Perhaps my enthusiasm and determination for Kranch were a bit unwarranted, but again, at the end of the day, it’s still just a Heinz brand condiment. It seemed completely harmless.

Unfortunately for me, however, by the time I opened my eyes and began to understand the dark side of my pursuit of Kranch, I was already far beyond the point of no return. I will never forget the moment when it hit me. It could not have been any earlier than 10:30 in the evening when it happened; after an enjoyable night out with a group of friends, I saw a sign for Kroger in the distance on the ride home and insisted that we pull over to look for Kranch.

Confused but ultimately indifferent, my friends agreed to make a quick fiveminute stop, and, much to my dismay, Kranch was nowhere to be found.

Except I didn’t stop there. Something about that Kroger seemed different to me, and I refused to give up that easily. Without telling my friends, I rushed out of the condiment aisle and located the nearest employee, and what followed was one of the most awkward interactions I have ever had. There I was, standing in the middle of an empty grocery store minutes before closing, explaining what Kranch was to a couple of exhausted employees while my friends looked on in what can only be described as a mix of confusion, frustration, and embarrassment. In that precise moment, I had officially lost my mind.

My journey would finally come to an end on September 2nd when, hidden in a forgotten corner of a suburban Walmart, I arrived at the promised land. It only took a month and a half of hard effort, but I was officially a proud owner of 19 whole ounces of Heinz Kranch. However, for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed and even slightly bitter. Sure, the prophecy had been fulfilled, but at what cost? The Heinz Company may tell you it’s an affordable $2.98, but they don’t want you to know about what lies beneath the price tag. Kranch is heartless. It shows no mercy. It steals your time, consumes your thoughts, and tarnishes your reputation. But perhaps worst of all, Kranch makes anything taste much, much worse.

You can also read this article online at ElliottMag.com

Why You Should be Excited About Star Wars Max Meyers *Spoiler Warning for all Star Wars Films* The Conclusion of a Saga It’s been over 40 years since the first Star Wars While being a conclusion to its respective movie, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, was trilogy, it acts not only as an end to released in theaters and surprised the world and that chapter, but an end to the entire Skyaudiences around. So much has come from that one walker Saga. That’s the term used to movie: sequels, prequels, tv shows, comics, endless describe the main Star Wars films that have merchandise, an apparent religion, a theme park, been released (including the original trilogy and even a recognized day of the year dedicated to that debuted in the late 70s and early 80s, celebrating the franchise. It’s clear that Star Wars the prequel trilogy from the beginning of has had an astronomical impact on the world. What the 21st century, and the most recent trilwas even more of a delight to fans happened when ogy). That’s a scary thought for many fans.

Disney bought Lucasfilm (production studio for This is the end to the saga that defined their Star Wars), and announced that a new Star Wars generation, their interests, and their childtrilogy was in the works, kickstarting in 2015 with hood. In spite of that, knowing that the end the first film, which turned into Star Wars: Episode is near, one can’t help but be excited to see VII - The Force Awakens. It received mostly posi- how they tie together this story spanning tive reviews, yet some criticized it for being too over 40 years. much like its predecessor with similar plotlines; The Return of Many overall, it was still well received and kept many After the backlash of Star Wars: Episode excited for its sequel, especially with its cliffhanger VIII - The Last Jedi, fans were worried ending. Then, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last about the future of the franchise. Once it Jedi was released. While receiving fairly positive was announced that J.J. Abrams would be reviews from critics, fans and audiences around returning to conclude the franchise, many were not as pleased. The variety of their complaints were able to rest easy. Having directed Star ranged from the reveal of Rey’s parents as nobod- Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens ies, the death of Snoke before any real character de- (which was fairly well received), many velopment, and the portrayal of Luke Skywalker as were excited to see a familiar face back bea negative pessimist (which some felt was a wrong hind the camera, especially since he knows deviation from his initial character as a symbol what the fans like and can deliver on those for hope and heroism). While some fans felt that desires. He’d proven himself once before, all hope was lost for the future of Star Wars, some so surely he can do it again. Additionally, hype has been circulating around the upcoming on the music side, John Williams is back to film, Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalk- conclude his tenure composing the saga. He er. Here’s why you should be excited for this. is responsible for the music in all

Skywalker Saga films, and he has said he’ll been incorporating themes from all Star Wars movies of the past, which many will be happy with.

Another detail that excites many fans is the return of previous Star Wars actors whose roles were beloved by many: Billie Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Ian McDiarmid as Emperor Palpatine. One of the biggest draws to this new sequel trilogy in the first place was the decision to use the old actors as their original characters and not reboot it completely. Seeing the films incorporate even more of their old characters is a treat, especially considering that Palpatine supposedly died at the end of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. We’ll have to see how that plays out.

The Future of Star Wars While Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker may be the end of an era, it’s not the end of the Star Wars franchise just yet; in fact, it’s a really exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. An astounding amount of new projects are on the way. Recently fans saw the anticipated release of The Mandalorian, a Disney+ exclusive original following the story of a new bounty hunter after the end of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. With a first season of 8 episodes to watch and a second season already confirmed and on the way, only excitement lies with this one.

Additionally, two more Disney+ exclusives are coming soon.

Next year will be a show that focuses on a fan favorite: Obi-Wan Kenobi. With the beloved Ewan McGregor returning to reprise his role as the wise Jedi, fans are beyond excited to see him back in action once again. Further down in the future comes a prequel to the Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One, focusing on the character Cassian Andor from that film.

There’s no doubt that more Star Wars content will surface on Disney+ and the big screen (that’s not even mentioning the new animated projects from Star Wars such as a 7th season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker is the end, but only the end of one chapter. Star Wars has a bright future. And besides, beginnings always hide themselves in ends.

Fall 2019

REVIEWS

I Cut My Phone Use in Half. You Can Too Sophie Kieffer

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Mercedes Benz Review Ellis Balser Inside and out, the Mercedes Benz Stadium is spectacular.

From the seats to the food, the stadium is doing everything right. They offer everything from stadium hot dogs to Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. The seating allows for a good view from every seat in the stadium no matter which of the 70,000 + seats you are in. The retractable roof is miraculous and is one of the reasons why this stadium, which cost 1.2 billion dollars to build, is the most unique in the country.

With all of the stadium brand food costing just two dollars, the dining is very affordable for a stadium. Along with the stadium brand options, there are restaurants including Chick-fil-A, Fox Bros, Iberian Pig and even dessert options like Brusters Ice Cream. When you go to Mercedes Benz Stadium, food will not be a problem.

Last season, the Falcons had an attendance average of about 72,000 people per game, and Atlanta United averaged well over 50,000. The maximum capacity is 80,000 for “special events,” but they only offered 42,500 seats for the majority of Atlanta United’s games last season, along with 72,000 for the Falcons. There are 7,500 “club” seats that are padded and grant access for their patrons to get right up close to the action. There are three levels of seating total with lots of standing room as well.

I’ve always been the kid who doesn’t enjoy what other kids enjoy. I favored the vegetable tray over the Chick-fil-A nugget platter at class parties; watching a movie gives me the urge to clean my room; scrolling mindlessly on my phone is not my idea of fun. To say my habits are a bit strange compared to my peers, wouldn’t be far off.

Though I already spend very little time on my phone compared to my peers, recently, I went even further off the deep end by challenging myself to reduce my phone usage time even further. Initially, this resulted in me spending more time mindlessly scrolling on my laptop, but when my laptop died halfway through the summer and I was out of town for the remainder, I went off on my adventures with the goal of spending as little time looking at a screen as possible.

My summer adventures were spent living without my phone on my mind. I made memories through my eyes rather than staring at a screen, laughed without chatter coming from a phone’s speaker, and hung out without my phone in my hand. My lack of phone use not only startled my parents, but greatly upset them, as I didn’t communicate with them for days while I was overseas.

When I returned stateside, to begin my quest to use my phone less, I went to Barnes & Noble with the intention of finding a book to keep me preoccupied. I finished the book I had purchased within the weekend, which never happens for me. Once I saw the magic of reading instead of scrolling, I began to carry around a book with me. While this habit has faded, I now spend a few minutes before bed reading each night instead of catching up on the afternoon’s news through my phone. Implementing reading before bed has helped me sleep better at night, as I’m not worrying about the world’s problems, which will still be there when I read about them the next day.

A few days later, I walked into my room with a book in one hand and my phone in the other, and I felt like a hypocrite. My bedroom is supposed to be a sanctuary to escape the hecticness of teenagedom. Yet, I was plopping onto my bed and scrolling on my phone. With the irony of this in my mind, I decided to make my room a phone free zone. While I only lasted a few days without being on my phone in my room, I’m now much more aware of The retractable roof allows for air conditioning and cover when I walk into my room and sit down to scroll. in bad weather, and an outdoor-like environment for good As I sat on my bed scrolling mindlessly, I thought about the manipulative power of the weather. With the push of a button, the roof can open or apps on my phone. The apps are designed to make me feel like I shouldn’t log out of the close in only 12 minutes, allowing for a last minute decithem. I’ve managed to stay away from most games, as I’d prefer to read a blog. (Once again, sion to be made about the roof according to the weather.

I don’t like what other kids like.) I refuse to get Snapchat, as I simply just don’t understand While there were some issues when the stadium was new, the point of sending random pictures back and forth. I downloaded Instagram but was never the roof works well now and is in good condition. There into it like my peers, who spend hours drafting their captions, have photo shoots specifiare eight panels that slide at an angle to close in a circle. It cally for their Instagram feed, and analyze others’ posts. While reflecting on my disinterest is the most unique and interesting roof in the world, unseen in Instagram, I deleted the app in May (and deleted my account in November) assuming before the Mercedes Benz Stadium.

I’d download it a few days later. Instead, I found that I was spending much less time on my While Staples Center may have more food variety, Merphone and felt happier overall. When I had Instagram, I didn’t spend excessive amounts of cedes Benz has enough good options for you to get whatevtime on it, but I opened the app more frequently than I’d care to admit. er you want. Maybe Suntrust Park has a more intimate feel, With Instagram gone, I questioned the purpose of my other apps. I considered the last but Mercedes Benz allows for a high-energy environment time I used each app and deleted anything I didn’t feel was vital in an emergency or that I with lots of fans. Sure, Lucas Oil Stadium may have a good wouldn’t use frequently. I put the remaining eight apps that I deemed necessary into a folder roof too, but Mercedes Benz has a fast moving, unique roof labeled “Waste of Time,” thinking placing the apps in the folder would feel like a barrier and that’s unlike any other. Wrigley field may have more hiswould make me go on my phone less. The “out of sight, out of mind” practice helped in my tory, but Mercedes Benz will make history in the years to quest to remain off the phone and the interwebs. come. These characteristics add up to make the best sports I used to play videos in the background while I was doing mundane tasks, which is the stadium in the world, and I hope the stadium will be here opposite of what every mindfulness expert says to do. As I brainstormed ways to stare at a for many years to come. screen less, I decided to try listening to a podcast instead of watching a video while I completed my tasks. I turned my podcast on, flipped my phone over, and focused on the task at hand without feeling the need to look at my screen occasionally while listening.

With all the tools in place to spend as little time on my phone as possible, I decided to make it as unattractive as possible. My phone was already covered in cracks from my clumsiness, but in order to make it uglier, I turned to google where I discovered how to convert my phone to a plain black and white screen.

With my screen appearing in black and white, I didn’t want to scroll through anything. Instead, I wanted to get off my phone.

A few months into this experiment, I spend much less time on my phone. Instead, I opt to spend my free time enjoying the outdoors. If you have an inkling that you’re spending too much time on your phone, look up and notice the people surrounding you. Their necks are probably sloped downwards so they can have the most optimal phone viewing experience. Do you want to be with your friends while texting on your phone? Do you want to be at the volleyball state playoffs snapchatting the event? Noticing your phone usage is the first step in achieving a new technologically mindful lifestyle.

Fall 2019

SCOTS NATION

The Creation of a Townhall Three hundred students charge through the doors of the Chaddick Theater ready to listen to their peers deliver news, goof off on stage for all to see, and feel the momentum that gathering the whole student body together brings. Well, in theory, the entire student body gathers on Fridays to hear the week’s news, but numbers have lagged, especially this year. However, the people who attend are treated to a student run show each week where they get to see their friends “coming up to the stage putting themselves out there,” according to Joseph Clementi, the senior in charge of organizing Town Hall.

This weekly gathering might seem simple to students who attend but so much goes on behind the scenes. Before Town Hall takes place, students have filled out forms detailing their Town Hall announcements and Student Association President Caroline Sirk and Vice President Max Meyers have taken part in many check-ins. Student Association has brainstormed how to make Town Hall an event people don’t want to miss and Joseph Clementi has created a tight schedule, locking down every last detail.

Joseph forms a While people expect Town Hall to be amusing, Joseph harps that the “point of it is to deliver information.” His dedicated task force sympathize with the lack of energy some Town Halls have, but also understand the goal of providing essential information to the student body.

The entertainment at Town Halls have varied dramatically over the years with some more memorable than others. The Seniors’ Freshmen year, they

Sophie Kieffer were motivated to attend Galloway events on the premise of winning a prize at the end of the year through inputting their attendance to the Spirit app.

The following year, they were treated to Max Rubinstein’s weekly Town Hall recap with the iconic line, “so what did we learn today?” while they dimmed the lights and played smooth jazz. Their Junior year, Advisory Challenge launched allowing advisories to compete against one another in fun games. This year, they’ve continued and revamped Advisory Challenge and added a monthly birthday celebration.

While Advisory Challenge may be the reason people attend Town Hall, it is not the only thing Town Hall offers. Town Hall serves as an outlet for the Upper Learning student body to come together.

It is a place where introverts can do improv, thespians can be hula hoop champions, and athletes can boast about their latest successes. Students get out of their typical realms and show off interests we might not associate with that individual. Each person comes alive as they take the stage to present to the Upper Learning student body.

The humble beginnings of one’s formative years in Upper Learning are shaped by the weekly communal gathering Town Hall provides. Students are thrusted into the Upper Learning community by being encouraged to join clubs, perform dances, and participate in competitions. The unique tradition of Town Hall is an opportunity each week, for our entire high school careers to be brought together as a community and take a deep breath together.

Has Galloway Surrendered to AP Culture? Annie Levy When Elliott Galloway founded The Galloway School, he filled a gaping hole in the Atlanta educational community. Students who found themselves out of place in other schools in the area found a place here and fell in love with the philosophy.

Through the pillars of individuality, mastery, fearlessness, and community, Galloway has grown to become one of the best schools in the Atlanta area,as well as being known in the educational field nationally. However, the Galloway that stands now, 50 years later, is just not the same place. Due to the rapidly changing world, many believe that Galloway, in order to stay competitive and relevant, has fallen victim to some of the academic and systematic expectations, that Elliott Galloway was trying to escape in founding this institution. The ultimate example? AP courses.

Advanced Placement courses, created by The College Board, are designed for students to take high school classes that could earn the student college credit. Or at least, that’s what APs are supposed to be. In reality, APs have created a culture that encourages students to take as many Advanced Placement courses as possible in return for a boost on their grade point average (GPA), diminishing the academic incentive of a challenge. Students train themselves like robots to remember facts, dates, and vocabulary terms in order to perform well on the AP exam in the spring instead of marinating in the material and understanding it. These courses epitomize the notion of ‘teaching to the test’ instead of actually teaching. Despite overwhelming proof that this is not helping the cognitive well being of students in the slightest, schools continue to adopt more and more AP courses. Enter a progressive school like Galloway. Where do we fit into this culture? Apparently, we accept it.

It would be wrong to say that this surrender is without reason; there are several. Many are quick to point out that the world outside of the Buckhead bubble has become incredibly competitive, and that the original, organic Galloway philosophy doesn’t necessarily fit entirely into that intense environment.

However, one teacher argues that the Galloway way

Page 6

Flik for The Win

Ellis Balser Each day the majority of the student body is fed thanks to Flik, Galloway’s dining service. While reviews on Flik are mixed, I think we are lucky to have it as our lunch provider here at Galloway. There is a new lunch daily, which includes many drink options, a daily featured meal and soup, a salad bar, and a sandwich bar, giving you options every day.

Compared to most other schools, Flik is much better quality, has more options, and is easy and quick.

You can find the Flik menu online and see what will be served up to two months in advance. The main entree item varies from chicken, to hot dogs, to even breakfast items for lunch. Each day there is also a different soup. Some of the soups include tomato basil, chicken noodle, tortilla, and chili. No matter what allergies or food accomodations you may have, there’s always an option for you.

Another impressive and overlooked aspect of Flik is the time frame in which they serve lunch. Any time between 11:00am and 1:40pm, there is lunch available. As a highschooler, this flexible time range is helpful because it allows you to get food before lunch and ensures that the lines don’t get too long.

There is also enough food for over 450 students to get firsts and even seconds if they want.

The last thing that makes Flik an impressive dining service is their consistent food quality. Each day there is fresh, healthy and good tasting food. Most other schools have the same cheap chicken tenders and gross hotdogs, but Flik serves high-quality grilled foods with lots of flavor. Other schools’ foods just don’t compare.

The combination of the quality, options, availability, and variety of Flik really take it a level above other schools. Flik checks all the boxes to make their food far above average. While some may take Flik for granted, I hope it will be here for years to come.

of thinking has never fit into the outside world.

“There is no pure origin of the school. [We talk as the student in the chair next to them.

Some students are quick to get flustered by this though] there was some sort of perfect time when notion and assume that a lack of AP courses on their Mr. Galloway founded the school and now things have deteriorated. That pure origin didn’t ever exist. transcript automatically puts them at a disadvantage, risking their college acceptances. However, the simple It was always difficult from the very beginning.”

The teacher explained how Galloway was founded reality here is that a growing number of colleges are no longer even taking AP credits at all. It should also at the exact same time as the desegregation of the be noted that it has become increasingly trendy for Atlanta public school system, and although Mr. Galloway surely did not found the school with the private schools, particularly those up North, to do intention of it being a ‘segregation academy,’ it can- away with APs entirely.

There’s nothing attractive about AP courses from not help but exist in that context. the educator’s side either. Galloway prides itself on The teacher continued to describe how tensions its staff, and rightfully so. We have science teachers and pressure from the outside world are not at who’ve had careers as chemists and biologists. We all unfamiliar here, and yet they only continue to intensify. While at its founding, it might have been have art teachers who are professional musicians and artists with careers of their own. We have PhDs from outside pressures due to segregation that caused challenges, today it’s the immense academic pres- the Ivys, we have award after award. Overall, we have a diverse staff of thoughtful educators dedicated sure that comes from an internal sense of fear.

The same teacher noted that the pressure for Gal- to their craft. However, the structure that is the AP loway to match the “outside” schools is somewhat monster reigns over these teachers and enforces steep parameters on their lesson plans in order to fit a predeattributed to the parents. They noted, “I feel as a teacher that parents use the language of capitalism… termined curriculum set by College Board.

Of course, each teacher can still somewhat implelike if I’m paying $28,000 for 12 years, $300,000 ultimately, what am I getting in return?” Parents ask ment their own flare and techniques. For instance, in questions like What does my child have to do to get an AP Government class, students may participate an E in this class? And If the goal is not to go to the in intriguing activities on the subject matter one day, best possible college, why bother paying so much but the next day is dedicated to learning the correct for school in the first place? It’s important to remem- formula to write a Free Response Question on the AP ber that although a private school is a business more Exam. Instead of enriching students in the material, or less, we cannot use the same language to describe teachers must implement the College Board formula no matter what. education as we can buying a car.

Elliott Galloway founded the Galloway School to This commonly occurring mindset permeates the be a place for learners who didn’t fit the mold other student body in such apparent ways. Of course, there’s always been pressure for students to ‘play the schools enforced. Yet, we are on track to become the game of school’ in order to get by, but it could not very thing he was escaping. This is a sacred institube more intense than now. Instead of allowing one- tion that thoughtfully evolves its morals to properly self to marinate in one A.P. course, students bicker accommodate the changing world. There is nothing with advisors and administration over taking two, or about an Advanced Placement course that correlates even three. Students feel adamant that a shiny course at all with the “Galloway way.” As Galloway embarks on its next 50 years, we must confront this reality and completion on their college application or GPA reevaluate the direction the school may be approachboost is worth the incredible time, pressure, and stress that comes from the course load. All the ing before it’s too late. while, they are becoming a cookie-cutter replica of

OPINION

Fall 2019

Sharpay Evans Deserved Better

Page 7

Sophia Sanders

that they had actually worked for. Troy and Gabriella even went as far as illegally hacking into the school’s system just so they could change the audition time so it would fit their schedule (and they still showed up late)!

Theater suddenly became cool when the popular jock joined the musical: Sharpay was always made fun of for her love of and dedication to musical theater, but the whole school decided to get on board with the idea once Troy Bolton joined. Everyone attended the Spring Musical to see Troy and Gabriella in action. This is entirely unfair because everyone should have come to the shows to recognize the hard work of Sharpay and Ryan rather than people coming due to the popularity of others.

If you grew up in the 2000’s, you know High School Musical. If you know High School Musical, you probably idealized Gabriella Montez, the “hero” of the movie. From the first time I ever watched High School Musical One, I knew that Sharpay Evans, the so-called “villian” did not get the credit she deserved. From the viewpoint of my six-year-old self to now, here are all the reasons why Sharpay Evans deserved better: Ryan and Sharpay are trained performers: It is evident that Ryan and Sharpay have been in showbiz for most of their lives (seventeen school productions to be specific), whereas Gabriella and Troy had never even sang in front of a crowd until that one night that they sang karaoke together on New Years Eve, so while it may have seemed rude for Sharpay to tell them they should consider supporting roles for the spring musical, she was just telling them the truth. She even told them that she was excited to have some newcomers. Troy and Gabriella had never participated in a musical before, not to mention they were horribly unprepared for their audition, and they came in and clearly stole Sharpay and Ryan’s leading roles

Sharpay congratulates Gabriella at the end: Imagine working since preschool for your dream role, and the new girl comes into theater completely inexperienced and takes it from you. This is exactly what happened to Sharpay, and yet, when Gabriella is about to go on stage, Sharpay tells her to “break a leg,” (which is theater talk for “good luck.”)

Of course Gabriella had no clue what that meant (further showing her lack of experience), but Sharpay didn’t bat an eye, or bring up the fact that literally everyone knows what “break a leg” means. Also, she truly meant it when she wished her luck which shows a lot about her character.

The overall message of the movie is life is one giant popularity contest: Basically, if you dedicate your whole life to your passion like Sharpay did, you will get made fun of and end up losing to the popular girl who tries out everything, but never really sticks with a hobby.

This is only a fraction of the reasons why she did not get enough credit. There are plenty more in all three of the movies. Even Ashely Tisdale, the actress who played the legendary role of Sharpay Evans, agrees with this theory, stating, “I personally think she was the victim from the start!” Maybe some of Sharpay’s tactics were questionable, but how about some admiration for the fact that Sharpay always knew what she was worth and how talented she was, and she wasn’t afraid to demand the respect she deserved.” Next time you find yourself watching any of the movies in the High School Musical trilogy, keep in mind the heavily underappreciated icon that is Sharpay Evans.

The College Board Trilogy Caroline Parrish I know. You saw the headline. You thought, “Caroline. You’ve spent two previous articles talking about your fiery disdain for the College Board. Get over it. What more can you say?”

Well, dear reader, I have a lot more to say.

I recently finished applying to college (Woo!). But that didn’t happen without my fair share of crises. Most of which were prompted by, as I’m sure you have guessed by now, the College Board. My brain kept returning to the fact that all of my academic work and achievement would be boiled down into just one score. I would submit that test score to colleges, they would judge me, and then either accept or reject me. Yikes.

College applications are often the first time young adults feel real rejection.

We work for months, semesters, years. We study and take practice tests and stay up late finishing our essays. And even then, despite our best efforts, sometimes the chips just don’t fall in our favor. But our whole academic culture has taught us that if we do our best, our efforts will be rewarded. And, sadly, that just isn’t universally true.

All of my academic work and achievement would be boiled down into just one score.

- Caroline Parrish

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Most schools across the country require SAT or ACT scores to apply. Let’s disregard the ACT for a second (it’s not run by the College Board; it has its own issues). So I started preparing to take the SAT at the beginning of my junior year. I spent countless hours with my prep books, pens, pencils, highlighters, a timer, a snack, at least two bottles of water, and some scrap paper spread out on my dining room table.

My scores on practice tests decreased like the exchange rate between the dollar (USD) and the yuan (CNY). The most frustrating feeling in the world is taking test after test and working as hard as you possibly can to study and only doing worse. I was disheartened and fed up and on the verge of tears every time I sat down to study.

I can look back on this process and say that it was all worth it because my hard work paid off and I earned the score I wanted. Plus, pain fades with time, so I’m not still hung up on the stress and anxiety this test caused me. But the further I’ve gotten into the college application process, the more I’ve resented this test. All of our achievements, all of our knowledge is boiled down into one Saturday morning.

The ultimate judge of my intelligence is a four hour multiple choice exam, that I had to pay for. College Board charges an obscene amount of money to take the SAT and you have to pay an extra fee to take it with the writing section! I’ve worked for years on end to cram my brain full of information, and this robust and dynamic knowledge is then reduced to grammar and algebra and process of elimination.

I have yet to hear back from the schools I applied to. In the meantime, College Board seems like a natural scapegoat for my anxiety and this article a good outlet to process it. I don’t have the alternative to standardized testing though I know my intelligence wasn’t adequately tested and while I know that I did all that I could, I also know that even that might not be enough. In the meantime, College Board continues to be an integral part of this whole college application process and to me this continues to be grossly inadequate.

50th ANNIVERSARY

Fall 2019

Foreman at the Forefront

Page 8

Caroline Parrish

Cont. from front page

Mr. Foreman went on to get a sociology degree from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. When I asked him his degree impacts the interactions he has with his students, he chuckled as he responded, “every day working in a high school is like a petri dish for a sociologist. I love the relationships between students and teachers, students and other students.” Watching the dynamics of a high school unfold before him not only brings Mr. Foreman joy, it also has allowed him to better assimilate into his new community.

Mr. Foreman’s path to Galloway is a fascinating one. While this could easily be a profile about his time as a hand model, a life guard, a cross country coach, or a solo hip hop artist, I instead want this piece to reflect Mr. Foreman’s current dedication to Galloway and its future.

Mr. Foreman talked extensively about wanting to continue cultivating a tight-knit community during his tenure at Galloway, but what struck me as we were talking was how he is already actually putting the effort into making it happen. He believes that a strong sense of community also fosters a strong Mr. Foreman is determined to teach kids what he calls “the fundamental building sense of individuality because students are then able to be their authentic blocks of character.” Galloway focuses on “meeting students where they are” and selves and can be known to their teachers and peers outside of high school stereotypes or misconceptions. When I asked him what was most vital for his molding them into informed, conscientious young adults capable of critical thinkstudents to know about him, he responded, “What you see is what you get. I ing and becoming their own individuals. This means not just teaching kids how to hope that whether it’s what I’ve said or how I’ve been present in the commu- absorb and regurgitate information, but to form their own opinions and truly understand what they’re learning and why. nity that people realize how authentic that is.”

As we come to the halfway point of Galloway’s 50th year, faculty, staff, and If someone had come up to me on the street and asked me to define Mr. students alike are reflecting back on the traditions we’ve established over half a Foreman in one word, “authentic” would be the first one to come to mind.

Since the first day I met him, Mr. Foreman has come off as nothing but down century as an institution. Mr. Foreman’s goal is to not only keep the traditions Galloway has already established alive, but to build upon them, and to make new tradito earth and real. This plays a large part in his role as Upper Learning Printions as well. Mr. Foreman is not content with remaining stagnant; it is imperative cipal. He believes in leading by example and taking healthy risks; students that we continue to move and change and grow. should feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from them.

Growing Up Galloway Rose Sanders At five-years-old, I walked down the east wing porch and opened the door to Galloway for the first time. Quiet and pensive, I anxiously made my way up the long Early Learning hall to my kindergarten classroom, which was all the way at the top. I had recently graduated Pre-K, and it had been my choice to leave my old school to come to Galloway. It’s no secret that I was constantly worried as a kid. I hated leaving my parents and being surrounded by strangers. If you had told five-year-old me that I would stay at Galloway for twelve years, meet my best friends, find my passions and my voice, and learn how to navigate through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, she most likely would have cried and ran away.

But that was then. After going through all of early learning, middle learning, and now having six months left of my upper learning career, I feel confidently prepared to take the next step of my life. And I owe a lot of that transformation and readiness to the playground where I did the monkey bars for the first time, the stage I longed to perform on when I was younger and the theatre company and dance ensemble that I am now a part of, the classes that made me love learning, the teachers who have shaped me, and the friends who have become family over the past decade. Leaving all of this will not be easy by any means, and it will most likely be more heartbreaking than I currently realize because Galloway has set the bar high for my next academic and life experiences.

This philosophy has garnered such longevity due to one small but vital characteristic: it includes teaching students how to think for themselves and develop their own opinions. So much of today’s youth adopt the attitudes and beliefs of the adults in their lives without examining their perspectives. Growing up at Galloway, I was always encouraged to ask questions, value the process of thinking, and remember that much of life is nuanced. This is what I, along with so many of my peers, am used to, and it has and will continue to be my normal outlook. I’m not afraid to disagree with others; that is how quality conversation, meaningful connection, and change comes about.

This is an advantage, among many, that we have as Galloway students. We are not apathetic, and we’ve spent time getting to know ourselves and others who may be very different from us. The environment that we learn in prioritizes empathy over competition, which reduces the comparison factor that exists almost everywhere else our lives will take us.

Some may say that this sounds overly unrealistic. In fact, I’m sure this article will provoke the argument that the nurturing aspect of our school is the farthest thing from what occurs in reality. Some may say that Galloway is not preparing students for the harsh world outside of this idealistic bubble. And, while this claim might hold some ground, while the “real world” is harsher, more cutthroat, and less nurturing, if there is any hope for a better world, a world that hold us up - Rose Sanders instead of pushes us down, that is less about perfection and more about opportunity, someone has to be the impetus.

As Galloway graduates, this is what we will have been trained for. In order to As I prepare to begin and celebrate the next chapter of my life, Galloway also make the world a more compassionate place, a place that generates more peace prepares to embark on and commemorate a new era: the fiftieth anniversary of and acceptance, it is vital to be raised in spaces that promote authenticity. This is the existence of our school. It’s crazy to think that for fifty years, there have been exactly the kind of environment that Galloway fosters, meaning that it will soon students before me who have had similar experiences of growing up at Galloway become our responsibility to model tolerance and empathy for those who have and gaining the unique foundation that we are privy to here. not had the privilege of experiencing it.

Almost all schools teach their students generic curricular subjects, such as To my peers, the class of 2020, I urge you to consider the idea that you are mathematics, sciences, english, and history, along with electives sprinkled here equipped with the tools to leave this world and the people in it better than they and there. However, Galloway takes this one step further. As Elliott Galloway were before you. Do not discount the insight and empathy that you have been said, we “play the game of learning, not the game of school.” As cliche as that taught, for it can move mountains both for others and for you if you give it a has always sounded to me, I do believe that this original attitude that the founder chance. of our school adopted to approach learning has become ingrained in this campus In another fifty years, Galloway will hopefully have provided us with another and in the Galloway alumni community. Additionally, with every change of fac- fifty graduating classes, each one bringing a set of students with their own views ulty and administration, the Galloway philosophy remains in tact. And as a result, and opinions. With each graduating class, Galloway is cultivating cohorts of despite some exceptions, Galloway generally delivers thoughtful, conscientious, changemakers. With these thoughtful, conscientious, and mature young adults and mature graduates who go on to accomplish whatever they desire. percolating into society, anything can happen.

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I feel confidently prepared to take the next step of my life.

Fall 2019

50th ANNIVERSARY

Page 9

50th Anniversary Photography

Photo by Markus von Wismar

Photo by Ella Katz and Kathryn Pope

Photo by Ella Katz and Kathryn Pope

Photo by Ella Katz and Kathryn Pope

Galloway: Half a Century of Uniqueness This year marks the 50th anniversary of Galloway. Galloway has changed most obviously in its physical appearance, in 1969, the entire Galloway community was housed in the Gresham building and now there are 700 students spread out over a full campus. Looking at our school over the past half a century, it has gone through many iterations. To commemorate the anniversary, I spoke with some of the teachers who have been here the longest: Dr. Barksdale, Mrs. Lander, and Mr. Mathis. Collectively, they have contributed 82 years of teaching to Galloway and have not only helped to shape the students who have graduated from this institution but have also helped to shape the institution itself. Throughout the 50 years many things have happened, many things have changed, but some have remained the same.

Throughout its 50 years, Galloway has worked to instill its students with a sense of self-confidence, independence, and community. Galloway students are encouraged to ask questions, talk to their teachers, think “outside the box” and to work hard. They are also encouraged to treat everyone equally and with respect, no matter their differences. It is clear that Dr. Barksdale, Mrs. Lander, and Mr. Mathis agreed that the positive attributes Galloway seeks to instill in all of its students stem from the legacy of the school’s founder, Mr. Galloway.

The school itself came to reflect many of Mr. Galloway’s qualities. A love of learning and acceptance became ingrained in the school. One of Mr. Galloway’s often quoted sayings is “we play the game of learning not the game of school.”

Mr. Galloway clearly led by example. Both Mrs. Lander and Dr. Barksdale shared stories demonstrating how Mr. Galloway was never one to shy away from hard work. Mrs. Lander reminisced about Mr. Galloway “putting on his oldest sweatsuit and literally crawling under the building and coming out holding a dead possum.” During Dr. Barksdale’s first year at the school, Mr. Galloway, well into his seventies, led him to the attic of the Gresham building and insisted they carry a bookcase all the way to the Stone House. Along with his hard-working spirit, Mr. Galloway had a deep love of sharing his knowledge with students. Mr. Mathis and Dr. Barskdale explained how Mr. Galloway would drop into their classrooms and share stories, some of which included first-hand accounts of his service in World War II. Mr. Mathis recognized this invaluable opportunity for his students to realize that learning does not just come from books. Mr. Mathis’ favorite memories of Mr. Galloway are when “he would come by every so often and kind of give [him] advice or just talk with [him.]” No matter how busy he was, Mr. Mathis always took advantage of these opportunities with Mr. Galloway.

Mr. Galloway believed that the best way to educate students was to make the students want to learn. He also gave teachers the freedom to teach their classes in abstract ways. Mr. Galloway demonstrated the key trait of acceptance by allowing Martin Luther King Junior’s children to attend Galloway in its first year.

This made Galloway one of, if not the, first integrated Atlanta private school.

Jake Bogartz

Mr. Galloway encouraged independence through the use of trust-based education. As Mr. Mathis and Dr. Barksdale pointed out, Galloway entrusts students to not cheat and keep up with their work, a teaching system that makes Galloway unique.

Even though all three teachers love Galloway, they agree that there is still room for improvement. For example, Dr. Barksdale stated “I would hope we could go back to the idea of having less emphasis on uniformity . . . I don’t think every teacher has to do everything the same way and it is probably better for the kids that they don’t.” Mr. Mathis would like to facilitate more interaction between grade levels. He believes this could be done through a program like the old buddy system, or something new that can help teachers from the three different schools connect. Mrs. Lander hopes Galloway can provide more support for students with learning differences and can give teachers more resources to do so.

By founding this school, Mr. Galloway has had a profound impact on the students and teachers for the past fifty years. Through the teachers and Mr. Galloway himself, all Galloway students learn the positive attributes of confidence, hard work, and acceptance, in addition to the complex understanding of history that Dr. Barksdale, Mrs. Lander, and Mr. Mathis hope will allow their students to be better citizens. The teachers themselves have also been changed by Galloway. Mrs. Lander spoke about how Galloway has become her community and family over the years. Mr. Mathis explained that Galloway, unlike other private schools, taught him that students don’t need to take a conventional test to prove their knowledge and Dr. Barksdale believes that teaching around people from so many backgrounds has improved his own teaching. There is no doubt that Galloway has accomplished a lot in fifty years, and changed a lot of lives.

It will be exciting to see how Galloway continues to grow over the next fifty years while also staying true to Mr. Galloway’s original founding principles.

OPINION

Fall 2019

#EnoughIsEnough

Page 10

Ruby Kaufman

Cutting and Pasting our DNA

Eileigh Munro

“By people learning to computer program, they also learn how to be a criminal hacker at the same time. Should we not teach people computer programming because they can use the same knowledge to do something bad?”

- Josiah Zayner, biohacker.

This quote was used as an analogy for genetic bioengineering, which is basically rewriting our genetic code. Our DNA. We have created the technology to rewrite our own selves. This all seems ridiculous and astounding, but also raises quite a few inquiries. One question stands above them all: should we edit nature itself?

At first glance, when the question, “Should we artificially modify ourselves in any way we want?” is posed, most people would agree that it does not sound like a good idea. We are not made for the unnatural. It calls into question at what cost would it be, to take a part of ourselves and alter it completely?

Let’s start off with the potential good that could come out of this. Curing diseases. Hereditary diseases such as cancer, blood disorders, cystic fibrosis, blindness, AIDS, and so many others could be wiped away from our genetic pool using this technology. Perhaps this could lead the way to increasing life expectancy, or increasing our abilities in general. It could improve the human race as a whole.

Improving the human race. A simple sentence with a much more complicated reality. Improving ourselves can be twisted in dark unimaginable ways. Back in World War II, the main goal of the Nazis was to make a superior race: the Aryan race. Many unethical experiments were done to try and manufacture people, giving them blonde hair and blue eyes, so they could fit into a messed up fantasy that a tyrannical leader had implemented throughout nearly half of Europe by that time.

The technology back then wasn’t nearly as advanced as it is now. The concept of making a “master race” in any way somebody sees fit is becoming increasingly more possible.

With the direction that bio-genetic engineering is headed, it is possible that pretty much anybody can get their hands on this type of technology. Rich or poor, there are individuals with backgrounds in some kind of biology making do-it-yourself kits, where people can order injections online and have them delivered to their door. Genetic DIY Kits are being sold to the general public, which means there is potential for these to be used in ways that are frivolous and unnecessary.

There has been talk of “designer babies,” which is when you inject an embryo with DNA that will give it, let’s say, curly hair. And for what purpose?

This type of technology is innovative and groundbreaking but also very dangerous. While the thought of the number of diseases genetic bioengineering could cure and the deaths it could prevent is truly exciting, it should strictly be used for curing diseases. Making sure that it closely regulated and that the laws are enforced helps to ensure that this science doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Otherwise, the promise of genetic bioengineering may do far more harm than good.

As our country is at peak division, views on almost any topic are so split that a middle ground has ceased to exist. I too am a victim of having somewhat extreme views towards one side, and rarely is someone able to sway my opinion. Despite regularly disagreeing with other viewpoints, I am able to, or at least I try to somewhat understand the other side and accept it. It is at the very least comprehensible. However, the single topic that I cannot even slightly understand the other side’s reasoning for is gun control. No matter how hard I may try, the idea of being opposed to gun restrictions is mind-boggling to me. Now, before I dive deeper into my ideas, understand I am not arguing that all guns should be illegal and that the 2nd Amendment should disappear as a whole, rather I am arguing that limits are necessary, it is literally life or death.

According to CBS News, as of November 17, there have been 369 mass shootings in 2019. On average that is 1.2 mass shootings per day. Mass shootings are defined as any event where more than 4 people are shot, and mass murder is a shooting leaving at least 4 dead, excluding the shooter. Is this not unfathomable? How can people see these statistics and still believe gaining possession of a gun, or at least an assault rifle, should not take extreme background checks and a deeper evaluation process of some sort. What would that be, I am not quite sure, but I know there is a solution out there that will not lead us down the slippery slope to no guns, the main fear for many pro-gun users. One central argument pro-gun lobbyists continually refer back to is that it is their constitutional right as American citizens to own a gun and that can not be taken away.” But like any other issue, we, the Americans, must evolve with the world, and in this case, with guns. In 1788 when the constitution was ratified, the AR-15 or Barrett REC7, were not accessible to citizens outside of a war zone. Because guns of the magnitude that we have today didn’t exist then, the Founding Fathers had no reason to create the strict gun laws we now need.

Many who defend guns and our current gun restrictions, or lack thereof, argue that school shootings are not the fault of the guns rather the shooter and their “mental health issues.” This past August, when addressing the issue of gun violence, Trump stated, “it’s not the gun that pulls the trigger, it’s the people.” And I agree, the gun does not shoot by itself, this is not news. However, a school shooting is created by 2 factors: the shooter and the gun. One or both of these factors needs to be eliminated or lessened, but at this point in our society, we are unable to stop all mental illnesses, for a variety of reasons, so we are left with needing to increase gun restriction laws to save lives.

Mental illness is an ongoing and ever-developing issue that is being addressed but will not be eliminated in the foreseeable future. For America to be as safe as it can be, we need to make it so that guns cannot be accessible to those who are mentally unstable. And, as so many mentally ill people are undiagnosed, thorough background checks must be used to evaluate each individual to make sure he or she is not only ethical but also responsible enough to own a gun.

Gun violence is not only an issue at the top of the political agenda, but also in the minds of any informed citizen today, particularly with the prevalence of gun violence in schools. Schools are supposed to be safe places for a child to grow in many ways, as they learn not only basic math, science, and english, but also who they are and how they interact with others. However, in recent years, students, such as the ones at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, have gone from viewing school as a place of safety and learning, to one of fear. Despite this increase in awareness and advocacy from young people, nothing seems to be happening with policy.

In April of 1996 in Port Arthur, Australia, a huge shooting massacre took place leaving 35 people dead and many injured. Despite a large portion of the Australian population owning guns, the government immediately created very strict gun laws, despite pushback. The Australian government “banned automatic and semiautomatic firearms, adopted new licensing requirements, established a national firearms registry, and instituted a 28-day waiting period for gun purchases.” After these laws were put into place, Australia’s shooting dropped from an average of 13 mass shootings in an 18 month period to 0. These laws have undoubtedly saved hundreds of lives over the years. Additionally, gun-inflicted suicides have decreased by 74% in Australia. I understand due to the way our country’s democracy works, a law like the one implemented in Australia will likely never be put into place. But something needs to be done and soon. Because maybe if we had these laws, the 58 people that died in Las Vegas would still be here, or the 49 people from Pulse nightclub, or the 27 children from Sandy Hook Elementary.

I will continue to advocate for increased gun control in our country because enough is enough. I refuse to stand around, doing nothing, while yet another mother is burying her child because someone who is irresponsible or unstable got their hands on a deadly weapon and used it inappropriately.

I refuse to live in fear at my school. I refuse to watch temples, mosques, hotels, bars, stores, concerts, theaters, and restaurants become places where shootings are common. I refuse to accept that any more people need to die because our government and its agencies care more about money than our lives. I refuse to watch our country fall apart one bullet at a time.

Fall 2019

OPINION

Page 11

Voice Assistants are Dumb and Stupid and Dumb

Modern technology is incredible. With only a couple clicks or taps, the internet enables us to instantly purchase any and every product known to man, find answers to all of our questions, access millions of songs and movies, and communicate with others across the globe. So considering all of these conveniences of twenty-first century life, how have Silicon Valley’s biggest innovators aimed to make their products even more effortless to use? The answer is simple: let consumers talk to everything.

Siri. Alexa. Cortana. Google Assistant. They go by many names, but voice activated artificial intelligence systems are all very similar in practice. Through the magic of voice recognition software, voice assistants can complete a variety of tasks on command, offering users the ability to operate the device entirely hands-free. When this technology first emerged onto the market, I remember how utterly groundbreaking it seemed. However, now that the novelty has worn off, I am simply left wondering why it had been all that exciting in the first place.

The most obvious glaring issue with voice assistants is that despite major technological improvements over the years, the software is still very limited.

Contrary to how they are advertised, the user experience is less of a casual conversation with your computer and more of a convoluted list of very specific commands which must be recited from memory. In most cases, changing even a single word can make the difference between working perfectly and not working at all. That, of course, is assuming that your device perfectly understands your voice, recognizes names and other proper nouns, and correctly interprets words with several possible meanings, all of which are things that a computer

Jaden Ellman does not do particularly well. Having to repeat yourself numerous times just to ask a simple question is a frustration that arises far too often, especially when the same tasks can be completed in a fraction of the time with a few taps. It becomes needlessly inconvenient.

That’s not to say that voice assistants have no worth at all; it is hard to deny that the hands-free capabilities of these products can be quite useful in certain scenarios where multitasking is necessary. But from what I have observed in my own experiences and the experiences of others, these truly practical scenarios are few and far between. The vast majority of the features offered by voice assistants have no real purpose aside from feeding into our sheer laziness.

When the Google Home first hit store shelves, one of its biggest selling points was that, when linked with a Google Chromecast, it would allow users to control their TV with their voice. For me, this was when I began to steer away from the voice assistant bandwagon. It never made sense to me; how often could you possibly end up in a situation where you just have to use the TV remote while your hands are full? More often than not, I saw this feature being used simply out of laziness. Millions of people were paying good money for the privilege of not having to press a button. It’s a practice that seems so commonplace today, but when the craze had only just begun, there was something deeply unsettling about it to me. It felt almost dystopian.

And then, of course, there is the fact that devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo use microphones to record and listen to you at all times. Controversies surrounding the companies’ usage of these recordings seem to surface on a near-weekly basis, and while they have assured consumers countless times that their devices are incredibly secure and recordings are always deleted instantly, the sheer quantity of controversies on the matter is alarming. Earlier this year, Amazon had even admitted to having several thousand full-time employees in three different countries whose sole responsibility was to listen to recordings taken from select Alexa systems. Google and Amazon, the two most powerful corporations on the planet, have essentially wiretapped hundreds of millions of households; who knows what they could be capable of doing with so much private information?

The bottom line is that while I do believe that the capabilities of voice assistants have some merit, it seems to me that the inconsistent technology and unnecessary privacy risks are simply not worth the novelty. In the case of massive tech companies like Amazon, there is a fine line between providing consumers with convenience and intruding on their personal lives. And with Amazon cramming Alexa into everything from refrigerators to shower heads to christmas trees, that line has long been crossed.

How to Survive High School

Ella Katz

out for

High school consists of four chaotic, stressful, overwhelming, and incredible years, where life-long friends are made and loads of information is retained.

Being a junior, I want to share my experience and advice on how to make high school the best it can possibly be. At Galloway, I have met some of my lifelong best friends and have grown as a person by learning from my mistakes.

Based on my past three years in upper learning, I have created a list of tips to help guide you through the amazing journey of high school.

Branch out Be friends with people you never expected to be friends with. You might think you are too cool for someone or that you have nothing in common, but I promise, you do. Having an open mind about making friends and being kind to everyone makes life and highschool more meaningful.

Do not spread or believe rumors Rumors are easily spread throughout a school. It can be from someone misinterpreting something, someone overhearing other students talking, or people simply wanting to start drama. Spreading rumors will get you nowhere, it just makes someone less trustworthy. Also, do not believe a rumor about someone if you have not heard the whole story. You shouldn’t just assume something is true because it often isn’t and can really hurt someone.

Make your own judgments If your friends do not like a person, that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with them. If you hear that someone is annoying, rude, or anything else, find

yourself. You can not just accept other people’s judgments on someone if you do not know them. You might actually really like them or view them completely differently than your friends.

Keep up in classes This is very important. If you are absent for a few days of school, you could possibly miss two tests, a quiz, and an essay. Getting behind in school can be very stressful and your grades can drop. This is why you should always stay on top of it. Try not to procrastinate until the last minute. You can even create an agenda of what to do each night. I use digital sticky notes on my computer (in the dashboard) to keep track of what homework I have every night.

Try to not stress High school seems like everything; as if it will predict your entire future. It clearly is very important but getting a B is not the end of the world. People compare themselves with others and get upset over their grades way too often.

Just know that you will go to college. It might not be your first choice, but you will end up enjoying it. If you don’t, you can go somewhere else. Eventually, you’ll find the right place for you. There’s a right place for everyone.

Overall, the four years of high school are a once in a lifetime experience.

Make sure to balance your social life with academics and to leave time to make memories with your friends. High school is going to be stressful and there are going to be ups and downs, but all in all, it will allow you to grow and prepare you for the next chapter in your life.

Page 12 HUMAN INTEREST The Elliott’s Exclusive Interview with Senate Candidate Jon Ossoff

Fall 2019

Annie Levy Cont. from front page

I knocked on the door of the Grant Park home, rubbing my sweaty palms off on the sides of my jean jacket. A few shaky moments later, the door opened to present a completely different version of the politician I had long anticipated meeting. After spending several months researching, questioning, and analyzing Jon Ossoff’s online footprint, I was taken aback to find him standing in front of me in his socked feet, just like any other ordinary guy. “Hey,” he said as he reached out a hand. “I’m Jon.” Through an incredible connection with a Galloway teacher, I had the opportunity to interview U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. Ossoff first emerged as a prominent Democratic politician after his run for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District in the most expensive congressional race in history, raising a remarkable $23 million. Although he did end up losing to Congresswoman Karen Handel, Ossoff made a noteworthy dent in Georgia’s historically red demographic and quickly became a household name across the country.

Over the past two years since the loss, Ossoff has worked tirelessly to understand the nation’s partisan atmosphere and the changing political culture.

He believes wholeheartedly that his experience and abundant knowledge on today’s political issues can change the political climate.

It’s impossible to properly boil down Mr. Ossoff’s eloquent words. However, these are the most important takeaways I walked away with after speaking with the Senate candidate.

Jon Ossoff’s campaign isn’t just about Jon Ossoff. It’s not even just about Georgia. It’s about the fight against Washington corruption and the attempt to refine our government.

Senator David Perdue, Georgia Senator of five years, is what Ossoff describes as a “caricature of Washington corruption.” According to Ossoff, Perdue has ignored his citizens entirely; he hasn’t held one town hall throughout his whole Senate career and refuses to acknowledge the real issues Georgians are facing, like maternal mortality and poverty. Ossoff is determined to end this. Unlike Perdue, Ossoff will not be taking any money from corporate PACs in this race and is motivated to serve Georigans and their true interests. Once Ossoff defeats Perdue, he plans to work in the Senate to co-sponsor legislation to overturn the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision, a case that, as Ossoff says, “opened the floodgates for unlimited anonymous spending on political propaganda.”

Although he may have lost in 2017, Ossoff’s Congressional campaign against Karen Handel shifted the Georgia voting demographics completely and made a dent in a once all-red state.

Just weeks before Ossoff entered the 2017 race, Tom Price, the former representative for the 6th district, was reelected into the house by 23%. “This was Newt Gingrich’s district,” Ossoff explains. “This was not a district that was considered competitive, let alone winnable.” Ossoff held a competitive race, ending in a run-off. By the end of the race, just six month later, Ossoff’s team had moved the needle 20% in the 6th district and transformed our deeply red state. Through the careful organization of determined locals, the perception of Georgia’s demographic changed completely and with it, the way the country viewed this state. The message to the country was clear: If Georgia can be a swing state, any state can be a swing state. In Ossoff’s words, “Of course, the loss [to Karen Handel] was tough and disappointing, but it confirmed to me that when we organize people, we can put up a hell of a fight anywhere, even when the odds are against us.”

Ossoff’s work as a journalist grants him a different point of view compared to other politicians.

After years in government, Ossoff grew disenchanted by the corrupt ways of politics and decided to leave Washington to pursue further education and develop other passions. Seven years and a master’s degree later, Ossoff now runs a journalism company that specializes in undercover anti-corruption investigations of war crimes and human rights violations. As Ossoff says, “The work we do is about holding people accountable when they abuse fellow human beings and when they steal from the public purse.” Some of their more recent works include an investigative piece about FIFA, the international soccer association.

They have exposed dozens of referees and members of the FIFA council taking bribes. This work has resulted in certain backlash, specifically in the assassination of one of Ossoff’s colleagues, Ahmed Hussein-Suale, in January 2019.

Ossoff explains, “The folks whom we investigate don’t take [these allegations] sitting down; they fight back because their reputations are on the line and sometimes they face the threat of persecution.” Similarly, politicians, whether they’re here in Atlanta or stationed in Washington, don’t take it well when their power is threatened. Ossoff believes that what differentiates journalism from politics is its purity, but when confronting established power, there will always be inevitable backlash.

Jon Ossoff needs students just like you to help win this fight.

As young people, we often ponder why such issues as climate change, poverty, healthcare, and infrastructure are seemingly ignored by politicians. While asking questions and discussing these issues may be effective for raising awareness, real change in a democracy can only occur with who we have in positions of power. Ultimately, these issues are going to end up impacting the lives of young people and as young people, we can make a difference. So, for young

people who are passionate about putting a halt to our country’s problems, and all should be, join Jon Ossoff’s army. He needs our help in knocking on our neighbors’ doors and contacting more voters to spread this message statewide.

If you visit electjon.com and click “Volunteer,” you are fulfilling your obligation as a citizen of this country to act on the issues you care about and take the power out of the hands of those who abuse it. Ossoff says, “My humble plea to students at Galloway and across the state is to join my team, get out and canvas, build community, and [help us] win statewide in Georgia 2020 and send a message that will be heard around the world.”

While an abridged version is available here, the full-length interview is now available ElliottMag.com Annie Levy (AL): I would love to start by hearing a little bit about what you were like in high school and your journey to where you are now.

Jon Ossoff (JO): I arrived to an interest in politics from an interest in history; I was a big history buff in junior high and high school. I read Congressman John Lewis’ memoir Walking In the Wind about his experience in the Civil Rights movement, and I was so inspired by his story that I wrote him a letter asking if I could come work in his office. He invited me to work in his Washington office while I was still a high school student, and that experience changed my life and really awakened me to how history and politics are linked.

It was also around the time of the Iraq war, so this was 2003 or 2004, and I was opposed to the war and saw it unfolding before our eyes and recognized from that observation how politics was driving history and how important engaging in democracy was to shaping history.

AL: So going back a little to voter registration and first time voting, a lot of my peers or people a few years older than me are going to be voting for the first time next November. I really would like to know why should they care about your fight against corruption and really your campaign? Why are you the representative for them, or more simply why Jon Ossoff?

JO: Well because it’s our present and it’s our future, particularly for young people. We have such deep challenges that we face, but they’re also not mysterious challenges. We know what they are, we know that our political system is compromised by corruption. We know here in Georgia we have a poverty crisis; one in three children in rural Georgia lives in poverty. We have a healthcare crisis: the highest maternal mortality rate in the country, half of our counties have no OB-GYN physicians, rural hospitals and clinics closed. We have an environmental crisis; scientists overwhelmingly are warning us that climate change poses potentially an existential threat to the species. We know that we have crumbling infrastructure that we need to rehabilitate and revolutionize so that we can live better and more efficiently and cleaner. The problems that we face are not mysterious, and the solutions are not mysterious either. But in order to enact those solutions, we have to generate political power. You have to have power to make change, and in a democracy, the way that we generate political power is by organizing to engage in democracy, to vote. So young people today, who I think are more attuned and aware of what’s going on than many generations of young people before, have an obligation not just to wait to be called upon to get engaged, but to engage in their own immediate selfinterest. My view is that if Donald Trump is reelected for another four years, if a clear message is not sent by the defeat of those who are enabling him, and if we don’t solve these critical problems that we’re aware of - like I said they’re not mysterious - then the consequences for the country will be dire, that means the consequences for young people in this country will be dire.

AL: Your loss in 2017 to Karen Handel was the expensive House race to date. How are you motivated by this loss to perform better next year?

JO: Look, six weeks before I got into that race, the incumbent Republican Tom Price had been reelected by 23%. This was Newt Gingrich’s district, this was not a district that was considered competitive, let alone winnable. Six months later, we moved the needle in Georgia’s 6th District by 20%, and that was with the national Republican party fully engaged in its defense as their highest priority.

Continue on Page 13

Page 13 HUMAN INTEREST The Elliott’s Exclusive Interview with Senate Candidate Jon Ossoff

Fall 2019

Annie Levy Cont. from page 12

What that proved to me and what all of the volunteers, more than 13,000 volunteers, who came out of the woodwork to get involved, the more than 400,000 individuals who pitched in an average of $21 to support me, is that we can fight anywhere. People power, ordinary people volunteering in politics and contributing $10-15, can go toe to toe with the correct apparatus of super PACs and corporate money and special interest money that funded most of the Republican campaign in the 6th district. I was inspired by that experience. Of course, the loss was tough and disappointing, but it confirmed to me that when we organize people, we can put up a hell of a fight anywhere, even when the odds are against us.

AL: As you know, today’s political climate is incredibly divided. I really would like to know how are you as a millennial democrat, as a younger democrat, working to lessen that divide? By my research, you’d be one of the youngest Senators to date. With this lack of bipartisanship in our country right now, do you feel that you have an advantage by being a younger person, or a disadvantage perhaps?

JO: My sense is that young people, my self included, are not motivated by allegiance to a political party or this sort of red versus blue battle. We’re motivated because elections have real human consequences. When I travel the state campaigning, I don’t make any assumptions about voters. I don’t presume that anyone will or won’t support me. I try to present practical solutions to the problems that we face regarding everyone’s interests. One of the things you may be studying in American History is something called the Southern Strategy, which has been the Republican party’s playbook in the south since Nixon. That strategy is to divide southerners along racial lines so that we fail to grasp our shared interests. Because our interests are shared, and there is more consensus on the key issues than many people think. A few examples: an overwhelming majority of Georgians believe that every citizen should have healthcare, an overwhelming majority support Roe v. Wade, an overwhelming majority of Georgians want to save and preserve our natural environment, an overwhelming majority of Georgians want us to invest in our infrastructure and our clean energy. There is much broader consensus than the political circus and noise and conversation lead us to believe. I think that’s a winning message to take statewide in Georgia and a winning agenda.

Moving from Miami Dylan Steinfeld Flashback 4 years: I’m in my Miami house one day and my family and I are having dinner like always. It’s awkward silence for a bit until my parents break it and say, “We’re moving to Atlanta.” My mouth and eyes both dropped so far down I think it looked like my face was melting. I thought I was dreaming. But nope, this was definitely reality.

My sisters were the same as me. Our main question was, “why?”

But, my parents explained that my mom had gotten a better job in Atlanta and that the weather would be better too. Miami is brutally hot; “Hotlanta” is a joke compared to Miami.

My emotions were everywhere. One moment I was crying in my room, and the next day, I was asking all sorts of questions about Atlanta, a city I had never been to. I was only 10 at the time, and to me this meant leaving the only home I ever knew and all my friends. I was also not looking forward to going to a new school, someplace I was told was called “Galloway.” After being in Miami for my whole life, this was going to be a big change and I was absolutely terrified.

After a few days though, I started thinking with a more positive mindset about the crazy change that was about to happen. I quickly got over the fact that I was leaving the only home I ever knew, and started thinking about the exciting things that going somewhere new could mean.

When I moved to Atlanta, I immediately felt welcomed. I remember the meet and greet for my sixth grade class very clearly. This random kid asked me questions about my move and welcomed me to Galloway.. Little did I know, he would later become my best friend. Mr. Boswell, my sixth grade history teacher, also really helped me find my way throughout the year, giving me tons of advice.

Once the school year started, I became friends with more and more kids and really found my place. While I had been so nervous to move schools, Galloway made it so easy. My journey at Galloway has gone by so fast. It is hard to believe that it has already been almost four years now since I first set foot on this campus. At the end of the day, I am so grateful that my parents made the decision to move and now I get four seasons throughout the year instead of just the one I would get in Florida.

AL: And you believe that you can convey this broader consensus and communicate well to everyone across the board to win?

JO: My sense is that young people, my self included, are not motivated by allegiance to a political party or this sort of red versus blue battle. We’re motivated because elections have real human consequences. When I travel the state campaigning, I don’t make any assumptions about voters. I don’t presume that anyone will or won’t support me. I try to present practical solutions to the problems that we face regarding everyone’s interests. One of the things you may be studying in American History is something called the Southern Strategy, which has been the Republican party’s playbook in the south since Nixon. That strategy is to divide southerners along racial lines so that we fail to grasp our shared interests. Because our interests are shared, and there is more consensus on the key issues than many people think. A few examples: an overwhelming majority of Georgians believe that every citizen should have healthcare, an overwhelming majority support Roe v. Wade, an overwhelming majority of Georgians want to save and preserve our natural environment, an overwhelming majority of Georgians want us to invest in our infrastructure and our clean energy. There is much broader consensus than the political circus and noise and conversation lead us to believe. I think that’s a winning message to take statewide in Georgia and a winning agenda.

AL: I would just like to wrap up here by asking how can students my age get involved in politics?

JO: My advice is to go to electjon.com and click “Volunteer.” We are building a massive grassroots army statewide. Our ambition is that it will be unprecedented, building on the work that Stacey Abrams has done over the last three years to knock on more doors and contact more voters and generate stronger turn out than the history in this state. There’s nothing more effective than knocking on our neighbors’ doors to make that happen; that is the single most effective thing that anyone can do. It’s more effective than tweeting, it’s more effective than even something that I encourage which is calling your representatives and making your voice heard. Knocking on our neighbors’ doors gets out the vote. My humble plea to students at Galloway and across the state is to join my team, get out and canvas, build community, bring friends out, and [help us] win statewide in Georgia in 2020 and send a message that will be heard around the world.

Kirby Smart: Best of the Bulldogs

Kathryn Pope

In the fall of 1995, Kirby Smart, the current head coach for the University of Georgia’s Football team, stepped onto the Dooley Field in Stanford Stadium to play his first game. He was #16 and played defensive back. Along with an impressive 13 career interceptions, Smart was a 4-year letterman. Although he was named an All-SEC player his senior year, Smart now states that he was never impressed with his playing and would not offer his high-school self an opportunity to play for the Bulldogs; “[he] was good at interceptions, but [he] was not a good safety”. When his time playing for UGA ended in 1998, he was not drafted into the NFL, but he did sign with the Indianapolis Colts as a free agent. Sadly, he was cut before the start of their regular season in 1999.

Once Smart was cut from the Colts, he began his coaching career. After being the defensive coordinator at the University of Alabama, the defensive assistant at Louisiana State University, and the safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins, the University of Georgia offered him a position to be the head coach of the Bulldogs. He took the opportunity and has remained their coach for the past 4 years. Currently, it looks as though his role as Head Coach will continue for many years to come. Smart was a semifinalist in the Maxwell Club George Munger National Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Bobby Dodd Trophy Coach of the Year competition.

Smart has helped the University of Georgia’s Football team in many ways: putting them in the National Championship for the past 2 seasons and improving the team’s playing in order to get them into the Sugar and Rose Bowls during 2017 and 2018. Smart has extended the Bulldog’s bowl game record to 22 consecutive years of appearances. This is the second-highest active streak in the country, under the Virginia Tech Hokies with 26 straight bowl game appearances. In 2017, his second year as head coach, the Bulldogs won the SEC championship over Auburn for the first time since 2005, with a final score of 28-7. In 2017, Smart’s impact on the football program at the University of Georgia was immediate when the Bulldogs ranking went up to 3rd in the nation by the end of their season.

Smart says that he “has never worked a day in his life.” This is because he loves his job and the kids who play for him. His passion for coaching makes his job never feel like work and drives him to push his players to success. Kirby Smart has seen both sides of the football. Due to his passion, Smart is building quite a legacy for himself and leaving a positive impact on not only the players and the records but also the fans.

Fall 2019

HUMAN INTEREST

Flying Solo

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Rose Sanders

Cont. from front page

When I go to a new place, I always want to be alert and awake to see things there that are different from my normal reality and see what I can learn from that.

This should begin in the airport and continue throughout the duration of the trip.

I find that if I neglect to be mindful at the very beginning of my vacation while I am in the airport, that will likely lead to a very checked-out travel experience.

Traveling alone, I had no choice but to be attentive and observant, as no one else was going to do it for me. To my surprise, I found that my life was actually made easier when I was fully in the moment. I could more efficiently follow the signs in the airport, I didn’t get on the wrong train or attempt to board the wrong plane (this has happened before), and I actually had time to reconvene at my gate and double check that I was in the right place. Once I saw how much I could gain from simply being present, I didn’t want to fall back into the trap of going through the motions. This new mindfulness and vigilance translated back into my daily life.

As a human being, I am very indecisive. I personally would rather let others make decisions for me than have to make them for myself and be forced to sit with any consequences that follow. This ties back into my perfectionism and rigidity, as my fear is that I am not going to make the ‘right’ decision. When it was just me alone in the airport, and after, when I was my own responsibility for the rest of the trip, I was forced to step into the role of decision maker that I had previously always delegated to others.

As a result of consistently making my own decisions – even if they were as simple as choosing where I was going to eat or determining which bottle of water to buy based on which one was the cheapest – I became more confident in my ability to be independent and fend for myself, which is vital in the life of someone who is or strives to be autonomous.

Additionally, I was required to speak up for myself, as no one else around me was going to or could. This helped me to further develop and strengthen my assertiveness. If I had a question or did not know where to go, I had to either become more attentive to my surroundings or ask for help. Having this experience made me more comfortable using my voice in public spaces.

While I did fear for my safety at some points during this process, as being a young woman alone in a crowded place sometimes causes me to, I was able to prove to myself that I have the tools and the knowledge to keep myself safe.

This was an integral part of my whole experience traveling alone, as it was my biggest concern before setting out on this activity.

Although it can be unnerving to go anywhere alone, especially to a new place, it is important for us to spend time by ourselves. Being comfortable in our own company brings fulfillment, self-appreciation, and stability.

Tree of Life: Reflecting on Loss One Year Later Ruby Kaufman On October 27, 2019, congregations all across America full of heartbroken Jews joined together for the one year anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting. One year ago, eleven men and women were deprived of life in their very own synagogue. A place of worship and security was disturbed. A safe haven for many became a place of murder, due to a violent act of antisemitism. On October 27, 2018, congregation members at the Tree of Life synagogue sat next to their loved ones, ready for another Shabbat morning service, prepared to thank God for all he had given them, not aware that this would be their last opportunity to do so. Not long into the service, 46-year-old Robert Bowers charged into the synagogue, AR-15 assault rifle in hand, ready to kill. By 9:50 am, Robert Bowers exited the building, leaving behind eleven dead and many injured. Even those who were not physically harmed were traumatized and would never be the same. That day Bowers deprived worshipers of their lives in the place where they should have felt the safest and most loved and alive.

On the anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting, my temple’s confirmation class followed the tradition of traveling to New York for a weekend to explore the city and learn about Jewish History. On Friday night, we attended a service where we commemorated the eleven lost souls. As I sat in the beautiful temple surrounded by others singing and praying, I felt sad, yet happy. I was sad that what happened just twelve months ago already seemed forgotten, and I was sad that it had happened in the first place. When interviewing my Rabbi, he remarked that the cruel act of antisemitism hurt him not only as a Rabbi but as a father, feeling “sad that we live in a world where there’s so much hatred of other people,” and “angry that we live in a world where people can get access to guns so quickly and so easily.” While I felt pain and anger too, being surrounded by Jews who welcomed my group with warm arms brought a smile to my face. Seeing the Jewish community come together, despite the pain and hurt, to sing, laugh, and smile was a beautiful thing.

As a 14-year-old Jew in the 21st century, I had never thought of my Judaism as being a threat to my life. I never thought that my synagogue, a place that feels like home to my family and me, could possibly be the place I could die.

Antisemitism seemed like a thing of the past. I thought that since the Holocaust was long gone, I had nothing to worry about. I am no longer the targeted minority. As they say, ignorance is bliss, or at least it was. After October 27, I never thought this way again. Robert Bowers deprived me of this sense of safety. Every time someone enters a service just a few minutes late, I feel a slight shiver go down my spine.

As a 15-year-old Jew in the 21st century, I now know my beliefs, just as the beliefs of those who have come before me, could put my life in danger.

Robert Bowers not only inflicted fear, loss, and pain upon the Tree of Life Synagogue congregation but the entirety of the Jewish population all over the world.

Just because you’ve seen more in the headlines about the vaping crisis, Trump’s possible impeachment, or global warming than antisemitism doesn’t mean that it is any less relevant and continuous. October 25, 2019, the FBI prevented a threat to the bombing of Temple Emunual in Colorado. Richard Holtzer, a white supremacist, and former Ku Klux Klan member was thankfully arrested on October 25 for his alleged plans. Fortunately, the FBI was able to prevent this hateful act of violence, but that doesn’t mean they always can. On November 5th, 2019, an Israeli monument was vandalized with a swastika in Columbia. Inequality and antisemitism are not fading away towards justice like we all pretend they are. As the youth, it is our duty “to call out antisemitism when [we] see it” and “speak up to [our] teachers, principles, and [our] Rabbis, whenever [we] see anything [we] don’t like” (Rabbi Berg, The Temple). The youth are the upcoming leaders and we must be able to find the strength from our Jewish community and use it to “make the change we wish to see in the world,” (Mahatma Gandhi).

Fall 2019

HUMAN INTEREST

The Opioid Crisis Through a Mother’s Lense

Three years ago, Erica Hurt was found overdosed in her car, needle in hand, with her infant son, Parker, crying in the backseat. Today, she celebrates three years of sobriety.

Hurt’s journey with opiods began when she was just fifteen. She had contracted a staph infection, and when her pain pill prescription ran out, she started buying the pills from dealers. Twenty-nine percent of patients like Erika are prescribed opioids misuse them. Her tolerance built up, and not even four years later, she started using heroin. About eighty percent of people who use heroin first abused prescription opioids. She recalls going to extreme lengths to support her addiction. She even resorted to stealing. It wasn’t until she was twenty-one that she realized she needed help. She went to many different rehabilitation facilities, but she relapsed months later on October 22, 2016 in her hometown of Hope, Indiana. Not surprisingly, the Midwestern region saw opioid overdoses increased seventy percent from July 2016 through September 2017, which is around the same time that Hurt overdosed. Along with that, sixteen other states saw an opioid overdose increase of fifty-four percent.

- Sophia Sanders

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It wasn’t until she was twenty-one that she realized she needed help.

A photo of Erika Hurt’s overdose went viral, to serve as a reminder of the dangerous opioid epidemic. Fortunately, she was able to be revived by two doses of Narcan, which is a nasal spray used in life-threatening opioid overdoses. In court, she pleaded guilty to neglect, and since she had already been on probation when she was found overdosed, she was sentenced to six months of rehab followed by two years in jail.

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Sophia Sanders

Hurt recalls her son Parker visiting her in prison and being too afraid to sit in her lap, “he did not even know who I was or how to interact with me. That was ultimately when I decided I truly wanted to be sober,” said Hurt, who was sober all through her pregnancy but relapsed two months later. She also added that she missed many milestones in his life like his first birthday, his first steps, and his first words, and that they did not really have much of a bond, but now they are “pretty much inseparable” and Parker is a full on “Mama’s boy.”

Hurt admits to initially being embarrassed to be the poster child for addiction, but now she sees it as motivation to stay sober. “I use it to remind myself that that is where my addiction is going to take me if I do relapse,” she said. On the three year anniversary of her sobriety, Erika and Parker, who is now three, had a photoshoot together where they held signs that praised Narcan for allowing Parker to have a mom. Now, she hopes to use those pictures as the motivation for her to continue her sobriety journey.

She credits her life to Narcan, saying “what is really important today, is the fact that Narcan saved my life! Narcan kept me alive until I wanted to live! Had Narcan not been available to me; or had someone who felt that I did not deserve Narcan been there that day, I would have never had the chance to get sober and my son would be growing up without ever knowing his mom.” Similar to Erika’s case, eighty percent of reported Narcan uses involved heroin; however, Erika was lucky because Narcan is only dispensed in one out of every sixty-nine overdoses, and although medical professionals think it should be administered more often, they try hard to make sure it is only used it as a last resort.

This Halloween, Hurt took her son trick-or-treating at the police station where Officer Tallent, the officer that released the picture of her overdose works. Officer Tallent said, “I’m so happy that Erika has continued her sobriety and has her wonderful little boy who is growing up. To see her in that light, as a doting mother, is just a great thing and I’m happy that she stayed sober.”

Every day, more than one hundred thirty people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. Erika Hurt hopes to become a recovery coach to help people like her find hope in their darkest times. “It’s possible to change, but nobody should have to go through it alone,” she said, stressing the importance of a support system. She knows that one day her son will see the viral picture of her, and he will know about all that she has been through, but she hopes that her experience will teach her son the importance of compassion and how you should never judge people because you never know their story.

The Elliott

The Galloway School

STAFF

Fall 2019

Page 16

Seniors

Jaden Ellman

Sophie Kieffer Editor

Max Meyers

Juniors

Jake Bogartz

Caroline Parrish Print Designer

Rose Sanders Editor

Student Comics

Ella Katz

Kathryn Pope

Sophomores

By Lawton Jordan

Ruby Kaufman

Annie Levy

Sophia Sanders

Eileigh Munro

Dylan Steinfeld

Freshmen

Ellis Balser

By Reese Mendenhall