The Elliott Spring 2019

Why I Don’t Like School Dances Noah Finley

Cont. on page 6

Tragedy of the Galloway Commons Chris Nieves

Cont. on page 6

How Much Are the World’s Billionaires Worth In Their Own Products?

Jaden Ellman

Cont. on page 4

The Elliott Mag

My Journey With Lysdexia ...Wait Vivi Melkonian

Since I was in elementary school, I have always despised reading aloud. When the time came, I would skip lines, mix up the order of words, and completely misread everything. Needless to say, it has never been a pleasant experience.

This continued throughout middle school and again into high school.

As I grew up, there were other irregularities in my learning style that I began to notice. It was very hard for me to track numbers and words across the page, and I legitimately could not tell you my left from my right side (this resulted in some very bad remarks from my driver’sed instructor). But my grades were good, so nobody said anything.

Sophomore year, things took a turn.

Cont. on page 11

May 2019

The Legacy of Mr. Griffith

Sophie Kieffer

During his threeyear tenure, Gareth Griffith has masterfully led the Upper Learning community.

His thoughtful leadership and dedication have helped make Upper Learning at Galloway a welcoming community where students can thrive. While he is departing Galloway to focus on other life goals, after interviewing him for this piece, it is clear that his time here will be something he always treasures.

Although Mr. Griffith is leaving Galloway, he has certainly changed the school for the better.

Mr. Griffith has teaching in his blood. He grew up in an academic household, the son of two PhDs. His father was an English professor, and he grew up next door to a college campus. He began

coaching, which he described as a form of teaching, and lifeguarding during college.

Then, during graduate school, after having a conversation with a neighbor who was the English Department Chair at an independent school in Greensboro, North Carolina, he put in a resume on a Wednesday and got the job just two days later. While he originally thought he’d just be there for one year, he ended up staying for fourteen. After moving to Toledo, Ohio, to be a high school principal, Mr. Griffith came to Galloway.

Mr. Griffith has taken on many roles during his time at Galloway. He not only stepped into the role of principal, but he also became a Galloway parent and head swim coach. His swimmers, who he affectionately calls the Aqua Scots, say he has transformed the swim program and made

The Evolution of Prom: The Most Remembered High School Experience

Rose Sanders

Casual conversations about long dresses in the hallway, dramatic gestures, and the blooming flowers of spring could only mean one thing: prom is on its way.

Once we leave high school and become entrenched in the next steps of our lives, it is unlikely that we will remember the daily happenings of our teenage reality, but prom night is often unforgettable. In fact, it is a memory that stands out sharply. Photographs of milestones like a first day of school or winning a basketball game are often discarded over time, while prom pictures are cherished and assigned a high sentimental value. This one dance not only takes priority over other school events, but also reigns supreme above all other recollections of high school. How did this come to be?

The word “prom” originates from “promenade,” which is “the formal introductory parading of guests at a party.” In the mid-to-late 1800s, prestigious universities in the northeast held proms to encourage proper social etiquette and manners in their graduating classes, which is ironic when considering all of the Cont. on page 6 debauchery that often occurs at a modern prom.

their experiences at Galloway stronger.

This wasn’t the only program Mr. Griffith changed for the better during his time at Galloway. Through his creative approach, he altered Excursion from a 4-day experience to a 3-week experience. His extended Excursion plan has allowed students to dive deep into topics and pursue independent studies they are passionate about. He explained, “it’s important to do things that set you apart and allow you to follow your interests and Cont. on page 6 figure out what interests you.”

What Makes A Perfect 2020 Democratic Candidate?

Annie Levy

Although it feels like the 2016 election coverage just finished, it’s unfortunately already time to scuttle about figuring out who will live in the White House from 2020 to 2024. With twenty-four democratic candidates already having thrown their hats in the ring, it seems as though the next election is getting complicated very quickly. The ultimate goal among all of them though? Getting Trump out of office. There are millions of different ways to analyze each candidate and determine who is most qualified and it is over simplistic to think that any one formula is the answer. However, if we pull back the lens here, let us consider the bigger question: What makes Cont. on page 3 a perfect 2020 Democratic candidate?

News

May 2019

Page 2

Georgia’s New Heartbeat Bill... and One Representative’s Amazing Response Alexa Freedman Abortion has been a heavy topic in the news lately, and thanks to our new pro-life governor, Georgia may be adopting the “heartbeat bill” very soon. Georgia’s current governor, republican Brian Kemp, stated during his campaign for governor that he would fully support a heartbeat bill that outlawed abortion after six weeks, and he has made good on that promise.

The bill, creatively titled HB 481, was written by Georgia’s 35th district representative, Ed Setzler. Having already passed the House committee, the bill is now on its way to the state Senate for a vote; if it passes (and it is expected to), it’ll be sent right to Kemp’s desk for his eager stamp of approval.

Currently, women in Georgia may seek an abortion at up to twenty weeks of pregnancy. This bill, though, seeks to drastically change that to six weeks, the time that a fetal heartbeat can be detected - but also a time before most women even know they are pregnant. The bill does grant exceptions for fetuses that would not live past birth, for women whose lives are at stake should the pregnancy continue, and in cases of rape and incest - but that last amendment comes with a few hoops to jump through: the pregnant woman must file a police report before trying to get her abortion.

As a response to this extreme bill, Georgia state representative Dar’shun Kendrick asked her staff to compose a new bill, one she called ‘The Testicular Bill of Rights’. She writes that under this legislation, she proposes banning vasectomies and blacklisting doctors who perform them; she also says that paternity testing should be required at eight weeks of pregnancy, and the expectant father must begin paying child support right away. She also writes that men must get permission from their sexual partner before asking their doctor for a prescription for Viagra. Under this bill, sex without a condom would be classified as aggravated assault.

As the cherry on top, she wrote that she would like to implement a 24hour waiting period for any man who wants to buy porn or sex toys. Kendrick admits that this bill will probably never get passed - but she says that if men are going to legislate women’s bodies, women will do it right back.

On March 15, 2019, the Georgia State Senate passed the Heartbeat Bill. The bill has one final stop to make before being signed into law, and that’s Governor Brian Kemp’s desk; Kemp must sign the bill (which he will) to have it as part of our Georgia legislature.

However, some organizations in the area are planning on filing a lawsuit against the bill the moment it’s signed into effect; and with the lawsuit against it, the bill wouldn’t be enforceable. Of course, the writers of the bill are well aware of this plan; they’d like to get the lawsuit to the Supreme Court for a chance to overrule Roe v. Wade.

A lot is happening with this bill, and it’s hard to keep up with. But one thing is for sure: things are going to be shaken up soon! So will the ‘Testicular Bill of Rights’ ever pass? Probably not. However, the heartbeat bill has a good shot - and if it does, several more will pop up across the country. So, whatever your opinion, get out there and tell the world.

The Consequences of Anti-Vax Owen Stone

The United States recently experienced measles outbreaks in places like New York City and Illinois. In 2000, the US declared that the virus had been eradicated. Whether you want to admit it or not, it is scientifically proven that this is the result of the anti-vax movement taking off. After going to countries where measles are widespread, such as Israel or Ukraine, unvaccinated people in the US are getting measles. Then, once those people come back to the US, they spread the virus to others who are unvaccinated. It’s just a fact that people who are not vaccinated are spreading these viruses and other diseases that we have already considered “eliminated.”

Because of this, there have been recent situations such as the story of a 6-year old boy in Oregon who was playing on his farm in rural Oregon when he got a minor cut on hisforehead which wasn’t even bad enough to stop playing. However, all was not well. Since his parents were against all vaccines, he did not have any. Six days after getting this little cut on his forehead, he was in the hospital for involuntary muscle spasms, trouble breathing, and lockjaw. He was immediately diagnosed at Oregon Health and Science University with Tetanus, the first case of the infection in thirty years. Sadly, that was not the worst news for the boy and his family.

He spent the next fifty-seven days in the hospital, kept in a dark room with earplugs to stop his spasms, and receiving fluids through an IV because he could no longer open his mouth. The hospital bill amounted to an insane $800,000 as opposed to a $63.99 Tetanus shot. The boy almost died, but sadly, the experience did not change his parents minds.

They still believe that vaccines are bad for their son, opting

for him to not get a tetanus shot after the ordeal.

There are so many stories like the one presented above, and tech companies like Amazon, Youtube, and Facebook have had enough. In three separate campaigns, each of these major online platforms have attempted to hide or outright ban anti-vaccination media and propaganda, citing that they do not want to be the sources for the spread of misinformation and lies.

“

We like to talk about freedom of speech a lot.

”

When talking to people about this development, I have heard one major outcry: “What about Freedom of Speech!” So, I would like to remind anyone who thought that, what the First Amendment means. We like to talk about freedom of speech a lot. We say it to our friends when they disagree with us, we say it to our parents when they cut us off, we say it in so many contexts, but none of them are right. “c

The First Amendment actually only protects us from the government censoring us, not each other. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are designed to protect the people from the government, and that is all. Private companies are not, in fact, part of the government, and as such they should not be subject to the first amendment. They are allowed to censor the platform however they want and make whatever choices they want for what the people see.

Powerful social media and tech companies refusing to spread misinformation is such an important development in the anti-vax movement of today. I think that people were afraid of speaking out against these ideas in a public way out of fear of “what if my friend is an anti-vaxxer and I hurt their feelings,” and similar mentalities. However, I think we need to stop treating easily disproved ideas as equal. We need to actually stand up to people who believe this false information. And if you are reading this article and think that it is just some big company trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, then I regret to inform you that you are wrong, and the consequences are life-threatening. These are real life situations with real life consequences and ignoring the truth will cause more young and innocent lives to be lost.

May 2019

China’s Secret Human Rights Crisis

News Jake Bogartz

The Communist Chinese government has from its beginning shown itself as an oppressive and deadly regime. In the early days of his rule, Mao forced intellectuals to do hard labor because he felt they needed an understanding of the working life. As his rule continued, Mao’s crimes against humanity grew only more violent. In his so-called great leap forward that promised to rapidly industrialize China by reorganizing rural life, Mao manufactured the largest famine in history. 5 years after the famine had ripped through China, Mao proclaimed yet another act to consolidate his power. This was called the cultural revolution, in order to reignite the revolutionary spirit in China Mao influenced young people to attack intellectuals. Around a million intellectuals were beaten, humiliated, tortured, and even killed in the name of Maoism.

All the while, Mao expanded his system of 1000’s of forced hard labor camps across China. By the time Mao died, he had killed an estimated 65 million people more than anybody else in history. Today, this pattern is continued by the modern Chinese government by their efforts to subdue religious minorities and other separatist movements in the far reaches of their nation.

In China, one of the largest human rights crises of the 21st century is taking place. Muslim people in the Xinjiang province of northwest China have been undergoing intense persecution. According to a recent article in BBC News, the conflict in the region stems from the Uighur people who live there. The Uighurs are a Muslim minority in China that have heritage in central Asian nations such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Conflict between the Chinese government and Uighurs has been going on since the end of World War Two when the Uyghur unsuccessfully tried to establish an independent nation.

By 1949, the growing Communist Chinese government took over the region.

In theory, Xinjiang is an autonomous region like Tibet, but also like Tibet, strong control is exerted by the Chinese Government.

On the surface, the situation in Xinjiang is already bad. Uighurs feel the growing Han Chinese population is threatening their way of life. In response to this and the Chinese government presence, there have been a number of separatist attacks in the past decade. To combat this, an extremely heavy police presence has been established. Police checkpoints are at every street corner to watch citizens along with facial recognition cameras that constantly scan pedestrians. Citizens who use WhatsApp to communicate internationally are being targeted out of fear that news of the mistreatment will get out.

The police presence isn’t the worst of the atrocities being committed to the Uighurs. Around a million Muslims have been put in camps for “re-education” by the Chinese government. In these camps, the main goal is to force Muslims to renounce their religion in favor of the Chinese government.

The camps Uighurs are being put in resemble the Gulags of the Soviet Union, or the prison camps of North Korea. Prisoners are forced to praise Chinese president Xi Jinping and sing patriotic songs about China. More disturbingly, prisoners are forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, both of which are strictly prohibited by Islamic law. Some former detainees have also detailed extreme torture, including beatings, sleep deprivation, and other gruesome methods.

The international response to this blatant breach of human rights has been extremely limited. A couple of countries have released official statements condemning the situation, but nothing more. The UN has requested China let Human Rights inspectors in, but upon their requests being denied by Beijing, they gave up. For the most part, the international community is too scared of China’s economic power, and the Uighurs are too small a minority for anyone to care.

The worst part of this situations is that the concept isn’t new at all in China. For decades, China has been imprisoning political opposition and others who disagree with the government in similar internment camps. Other ethnic minorities are punished at a similar vigor as the Uighurs across different regions of China. Perhaps the US State Department summed it up best in one of their only official statements saying, “this kind of religious discrimination has not been seen since the 1930s.”

Page 3

What Makes A Perfect 2020 Democratic Candidate? Annie Levy

Although it feels like the 2016 election coverage just finished, it’s unfortunately already time to scuttle about figuring out who will live in the White House from 2020 to 2024. With twenthy-four democratic candidates already having thrown their hats in the ring, it seems as though the next election is getting complicated very quickly. The ultimate goal among all of them though? Getting Trump out of office. There are millions of different ways to analyze each candidate and determine who is most qualified. However, if we pull back the lens here, let us consider the bigger question: What makes a perfect 2020 democratic candidate?

Moderation

It’s fair to say that a new trend on Capitol Hill, and really everywhere, is that the more extreme a politician is, the better. Between our President tweeting whatever comes to mind on the daily, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez screaming about who knows what, and states trying to pass the most insane of bills, the United States could not be more divided.

Before Trump’s win in 2016, it was normal for people to not have a definite answer when asked which political party they best aligned with. Now, however, after seeing Trump’s presidency, many who may have views in the middle and have voted red in the past are not aligning with the Republican Party. While that’s a much larger problem for the conservative party, democrats can either play this to their advantage or not.

The Democratic Party needs to find a way to appeal not only to those on the left, but also the millions of people who are somewhere in the middle on the political spectrum. In this election, there’s no room for polarizing views and bashing the other side. Moderacy is essential.

Maturity

Even though Donald Trump is involved in pending court cases and several controversies, including collusion with Russia and not releasing his tax returns, he has announced his candidacy and plans to follow through.

It seems likely that he will become the Republican nominee, considering he has already acquired $30 million in campaign fundraising, far beyond any other candidate so far. In the event he does become the nominee, democrats have to be mature. Since a common theme in modern-day politics is stooping down to Trump’s childish rhetoric for a “take that!” effect, this behavior is digging liberals deeper into a hole.

The smallest smirk can and will be picked apart by the conservative news media outlets and flipped into a controversy. We saw this happen in 2016 with Hillary Clinton, and odds are, we will see it again.

With this in mind, each democratic candidate must be the bigger person in every debate.

Youth

Age matters, and especially for such a position that involves a level of stress that leaves most presidents looking like grandparents by the end of their term. A presidential candidate should be virtually unbreakable. And, right now, one of the biggest risk factors for too many of the candidates is them physically breaking before seeing a day in office.

Currently, two main democratic frontrunners for the election are Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. However, Sanders will turn 79 before the 2020 Election Day, and Biden will turn 78 soon after. The conservative news networks will undoubtedly go to extreme lengths to expose any age-related weaknesses on the democratic side.

Although Biden and Sanders may seem to be qualified candidates, age is physically uncontrollable. It may be the smarter move for Sanders and Biden to endorse a younger candidate, like the young-faced Beto O’Rourke, and let a younger generation take over the White House.

So far, 24 candidates have decided to run, and none appear to meet every requirement, while also just being qualified to be president in the first place. This is the democrat’s chance to take back the White House and fix what they’ve been complaining about for the past two years. But, they’re running out of time. If they put their resources to work and angle themselves just right, a democrat may have a shot at the White House.

Entertainment

May 2019

Page 4

How Much Are The World’s Billionaires Worth in Their Own Products

Jaden Ellman

Money is a very powerful tool, especially when you have more of it than 134 countries. However, for us normal people, it can be difficult to visualize just how much money the world’s richest people truly have. Sure, a billion dollars is an incredibly huge amount of money, but what is it actually worth? What does a billion dollars get you? And more importantly, if the world’s richest individuals wanted to spend everything they had, how many of their own products would they be able to buy? After a completely unjustified amount of research and calculations, I finally have some answers to this admittedly pointless question, and the results are actually quite astounding.

Tim Cook ($625 M) Easily ranking as the poorest person I investigated, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s net worth clocks in at a measly $625 million. Believe it or not, however, a few hundred million bucks can still get you quite a bit of stuff. In Tim Cook’s case, if he were to invest in his company’s new iPhone XS Max, he would be able to buy 568,699 of them.

Alternatively, he could purchase 477,099,237 pounds of apples.

Michael Jordan ($1.4 B) Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever play the sport, Michael Jordan has since found success in the fashion industry with his Jordan brand of athletic shoes and apparel. His products are often sold at a pretty steep price, but luckily for Jordan, that should not be a problem for him if he wants to buy some for himself. For example, if he wanted to get a few of pairs of his Air Jordan 12 Retro CNY shoes ($250 MSRP), he could afford about 5,600,600 of them. Or if he wanted to support his former team, he could purchase 666,984 courtside tickets to Chicago Bulls games.

Elon Musk ($21.1 B) Elon Musk has become one of the biggest names in the tech world recently thanks to his endeavors in PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX. With electric cars becoming more and more popular, Musk’s Tesla brand of luxury electric vehicles has been particularly successful; with $21.1 billion, Musk can obtain 239,773 Model X Teslas. He is also worth 234 reusable launches of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at $90 million each.

Mark Zuckerberg ($62.8 B) Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg emerged onto the Silicon Valley scene at a very young age and immediately became one of the world’s wealthiest robots humans.

While Facebook itself is completely free to use, the company has recently experimented with other products such as the Portal, Facebook’s response to the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Currently listed at $149, Zuckerberg could purchase his new voiceactivated AI assistant 421,476,510 times. He can also afford 4,849,420,849 Blu-Ray copies of The Social Network, starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg.

Bill Gates ($94.6 B) Formerly the richest man on Earth, Microsoft’s Bill Gates is known for being one of the most generous philanthropists, creating the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which invests billions each year to provide healthcare, education, and food to underdeveloped areas. But, why give to those in need when you can buy 193,186,373 Xboxes?

Jeff Bezos ($142.3 B) Founder and CEO of Amazon, a company which single-handedly started the online shopping revolution and would go on to kill almost every retail store in its path, Jeff Bezos is worth an unfathomable $142.3 billion. He is the richest man in the world by a wide margin and there’s nothing that will ever change that, ever.

Okay, so maybe Bezos is at risk of losing his title of wealthiest person alive due to some, uhh, troubling controversies. But despite the recent scandals, let’s take a look at how much Bezos was worth at his peak because the numbers are simply jaw dropping.

A monthly subscription to Amazon Prime currently costs $12.99. If Jeff Bezos decided to invest every penny of his net worth into these monthly subscriptions, he would have 10,954,580,446 months of Prime. To put that into perspective, Bezos has enough money to buy one month of his own service for every living human being on the planet and still have $42.5 billion left. But, what if Bezos was not feeling quite as philanthropic and only wanted to buy Amazon Prime for himself? In that case, he would probably go for the yearly subscription, costing him $119 per year. If he uses all of his money to ensure that he will maintain his Prime bonuses for the longest amount of time possible, he would have to wait 1,195,798,319 years until he no longer receives two-day shipping on eligible purchases.

What Takes a Show to Broadway?

Ben Schleifer

There are many different ways for a show to get to Broadway. The Alliance Theatre, the largest theatre in the southeast, has sent multiple shows to Broadway, the most recent being Tuck Everlasting and The Prom. Both of these shows are directed towards teens. The theatre has a new show running from May 1 until May 26 called Ride the Cyclone, and people think it’s going to be the next famous teen musical. Ride the Cyclone is a surprisingly hilarious show about high school students who die on an amusement park roller coaster. However, one child gets to go back to Earth to live the rest of their life while the rest do not get revived. The narrator then tells the teens something that gives the whole musical an exciting twist.

The Alliance Theatre has put in a lot of effort into market their shows for teens, showing that teens and social media have so much power over what gets to Broadway. The Alliance Theatre has begun putting a lot more money into their social media marketing. What they have learned is while billboards and online ads help some, nothing gets the word out about a show as well as social media posts.

I had the opportunity to ask the Executive Director of the Alliance Theatre, Susan Booth, a few questions about the new show. When asked about what makes a perfect Broadway show, she said, “The perfect Broadway show is crafted with so many wide open doors and windows that a cynical 15-year-old from Atlanta can sit [in the audience] next to a

Brooklyn hipster who is, in turn, sitting next to some old people from Ohio, and all of them laugh/cry/ catch their breath at the same moment.” She thinks that teens have a big say in whether a show makes it to Broadway as exemplified by Be More Chill, a show that went viral online after millions of teens, who believed it was a story that needed to be told, posted about it under the hashtag #bemorechill.

Because of this, the show got to Broadway despite impossible odds. Susan Booth believes that Ride the Cyclone has this same potential.

I also asked Brand Content Strategist Kathleen Covington and Brand Journalist A’riel Tinter a few questions. When asked about the effectiveness of social media ads, A’riel said: “paid social media campaigns are very effective and are a crucial piece to any marketing push.” A’riel also brought up Be More Chill. When talking about it she said, “The show, an original new musical, premiered a few years ago in New Jersey to tepid sales. But after producing a cast album and leaking video content, the show saw an emergence in popularity on sites like Tumblr and Twitter. The excitement was enough to bring it on Broadway. The question is: will an original show that is driven by teen excitement survive to

recoup its investment?” Covington talked about how social media has helped the Alliance Theatre. She said, “Something really exciting I think that social media has done for our industry is that it has allowed the behind-the-scenes process to become a lot more visible to audience members. Actors and designers can share with audiences in real-time all the excitement of producing a show. I think audiences really get to connect with the work before they even see it.” Covington also said, “we noticed a trend that arts coverage in the media was declining, and so we decided to shift our focus to being our own media coverage and sending out our content through our own channels, meaning social media, our blog, through our advertising and PR.”

I highly recommend that all the readers of the Elliott Mag go see Ride the Cyclone this month.

Susan Booth emphasized the importance of Atlanta teenagers going see the show, stating that “[she] can safely promise you that you’ve never seen anything like it, and the first thing you’ll say to someone after you’ve seen it is, ‘you have to see this.’”

May 2019

What Makes the Perfect College Tour Guide?

Reviews

Vivi Melkonian

Page 5

Thanks a lot, College Board

Caroline Parrish

If you’re a sophomore, junior, or senior, chances are you’ve had some interaction with the College Board. And, if you’re anything like me, that experience hasn’t been great. Between the recent college admissions scandal, the College Board lawsuit, and the fact that the SAT (and other College Board tests) cost upwards of 50 dollars per sitting, College Board is in hot water with students and parents alike. College Board is for-profit, meaning that they make money off of the tests they administer. Not only that, but because the SAT is one of two tests that is needed to apply to college, they can charge students (or their parents) exorbitant amounts of money to take their tests.

I feel like the SAT subject tests are something that don’t get a lot of press, and that makes them even more convoluted.

The newly-implemented subject tests are the equivalent of the normal SAT, but they focus on one particular subject. Some schools require them, some schools don’t, and there is absolutely zero explanation from anyone as to why they were created or why they’re required. For example, Georgetown “strongly recommends” taking not one, not two, but three subject tests.

And why? Why should I spend my time and money taking these standardized tests? The last thing I want to do is spend my Saturday mornings at Marist for four hours at a time taking tests that will, in the long run, have absolutely zero impact on my life. I can understand why the SAT/ACT is necessary. It gives schools a reasonable estimation of how much you have learned and retained in high school. (I get that this varies; some people are good test-takers, some aren’t. But that’s an article for another time.) But the SAT subject tests seemingly have zero importance or relevance to anything, given that so few schools require or even suggest taking them. So, in my eyes, these tests seem like another way for the College Board to milk us for all we’re worth as high school kids applying to college.

College Board is also in the middle of a class-action lawsuit because people are upset about SAT questions being recycled from test to test. This poses security concerns and students and parents alike were worried about some test-takers having an unfair advantage. Rightfully so! As someone who has taken the SAT (and many College Board-administered SAT practice tests), I would be very upset if other test-takers had an unfair advantage over me. The SAT is also inherently unfair to students who can’t afford to get tutoring for the test. Knowing Alexa Freedman your strategy is one of the most important things to do when taking the SAT, not to mention figuring out the timing for each

As an avid reader from a young age, and detention centers. But when she meets section. Tutoring helps students deal with all of these issues, I’ve come across many a book or series that a figure from her past, her world is changed and those who cannot afford to attend a class or a 1-on-1 tutordelighted me to my very core. However, forever. ing session will be inherently disadvantaged. never before have I had the chance to share my Book 2: Unravel Me. Juliette has escaped

Not only are the SAT and the subject tests administered thoughts on such a book, which is why I find it her captors and found refuge at Omega Point. by College Board, but so are AP exams. So many high school very important to report on my latest favorite There, she needs to learn to harness her powers, students choose to take AP’s, and that’s all good and fun until series, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. but it isn’t going too well. Things only worsen they want to get college credit for their course, which requires The Shatter Me series, while still unfinwhen Warner (one of her previous captors) that they take the end-of-year exam. Each AP Exam costs $94, ished (we’re anxiously awaiting the final book!) shows up to fight for Juliette, and he isn’t backand God forbid students want to take more than one. There currently consists of 5 full-length books and ing down. is absolutely no way that the cost of administering an AP test 3 shorter novellas, each written in a different Book 3: Ignite Me. In the wake of the attack, comes anywhere close to $94. It’s frustrating to me that Colpoint of view. The author plans on releasing one not many members of Omega Point are left lege Board seemingly strives to make the college application more novella and one more full book to end the alive. The remaining few band together with a and preparation process even more difficult and expensive for series. new plan to overthrow the Reestablishment, but students for their own benefit.

Not many authors can keep a reader it could be thrown off by Warner’s meddling.

I always hear from teachers that the SAT isn’t the interested for 5 books, let alone have their readBook 4: Restore Me. In this book, each chapbe-all-end-all of my highschool career. In 15 years, my SAT ers begging for an early peek at the sixth, but ter alternates between Juliette’s and Warner’s score won’t matter. And sure, that may be true in the sense that Mafi manages to keep coming up with inventive perspectives! Juliette and her team have sucI could live a perfectly happy life regardless of what score I storylines that keeps the reader questioning evcessfully taken over Sector 45 and has named received. But right now, my SAT score is a major factor in my erything in the world she’s created. With every herself the new Supreme Commander of North college admission process, and deciding what school I’ll go to page, comes another unbelievably unexpected America, but her problems are far from over. will be the biggest decision I’ve made for myself at this point in surprise.

All of the other Supreme Commanders are bemy life. So, my SAT score is very important to me and with that Shatter Me is one of the most complex series’ I ing suspiciously quiet until their kids show up it’s endlessly frustrating that College Board holds all the power have ever read (in the best way). Reading one to investigate Juliette. Their arrivals bring with and yet seems to care so little. chapter can leave me so happy and heartbrothem secrets, lies, and drama. ken at the same time. There is so much action Book 5: Defy Me. In this book, the reader sees and emotion piled into every part of the books Kenji, Juliette, and Warner’s points of view! Ju- to see that maybe he isn’t as twisted as Juliette thought. and with each book, Mafi succeeds at expandliette’s birth parents have taken her and Warner Novella 2 (Between books 2 and 3): Fracture Me ing a world that keeps the reader excited and hostage, and their plans for her are nothing less Readers get a look into Adam’s mind, and realize just how invested. than despicable. But Kenji and Nazeera have a much he’s done to get where he is.

Below is a short synopsis of each book: plan to save their friends. Long-kept family se- Novella 3 (Between books 4 and 5): Shadow Me Book 1: Shatter Me. This book starts out folcrets are revealed and Juliette becomes stronger Readers finally get to see Kenji’s point of view, and will find lowing a teenage girl named Juliette who hapthemselves laughing at his personality even in dire situathan ever before. pens to have a lethal touch. Her world’s dystions.

Below is a list of each of the shorter novellas: topian government has labeled her dangerous, So, I hope this review has incited a want to read this Novella 1 (between books 1 and 2): Destroy Me animalistic, and crazy. They have locked her up beautiful story of love, heartbreak, betrayal, and strength.

Readers get an insight into Warner’s mind, only in various asylums

The start of junior year, the college process began to rapidly accelerate. All of a sudden, long weekends that would have been previously spent with my friends and family in Atlanta have now been completely monopolized by college tours around the country. Since August, I have been on four different trips If this is the case, the guides will feed off of and toured many a school. The one thing I’ve each other’s energy and it will multiply menlearned is that the tour guide makes or breaks tioning Harry Potter more than once. the tour. So, here is my guide to college tour Overly Chill -- This guide will probably show guides: up in sweats and a flannel over their university

Requirements for Tour Guides:You t-shirt. They are most likely hungover and are must be able to walk backwards while simulnot the most skilled at hiding it. This is distaneously describing a bunch of buildings. You played by the amount of water they consume must work at least one Harry Potter reference while leading the tour. They probably have reinto your dialogue. And finally, when passing viewed the mandatory information to talk about the quad, it is vital to illustrate that on perfect but will probably talk more about the school as sunny days there are people outside relaxing they have experienced it than specific logistics. and throwing a frisbee. It is very important to They rely on audience questions to hit all their mention the frisbee. talking points. These are actually some of the Different Types of Tour Guides: best guides in my opinion, because they give an The Robot -- This type of guide is neither here authentic feel for student demographics in the nor there. Yes, they get the information across, school. However, they are likely to miss some but it is very clear that they have spent hours crucial information, if nobody brings it up. rehearsing and memorizing a university-admin- The Perfect Guide -- They’re energetic, reistered tour script. The night before, it is part of laxed, and have memorized all the information. their routine to practice their jokes in front of These guides do a great job having a balanced the mirror for a minimum of three hours. During incorporation of their personal experience this time they will retell their jokes with differ- with the facts and general norms of the school. ent hand gestures every time. Overall, pretty They’ll often tell sarcastic jokes throughout boring, but at least it’s informative. their monologues, while also giving you all of Energetic -- This guide will hype up every the information you’re hoping to hear. Most aspect of their school. Prior to the tour, they likely, they will give you an extensive take on probably had at least three cups of coffee. While their opinions of the on-campus food when you walking you around they’ll probably take down pass the dining hall and offer their personal tips another one. They generally utilize a wide va- and tricks for entertainment around campus. riety of hand gestures while touring. They will This guide obviously knows their stuff and will probably begin talking about a professor they thoroughly answer all of your wildest questions, had, as if you know the professor personally. but they are also very charismatic.

Shatter Me Series Will Shatter Your Heart

Scots Nation

May 2019

The Legacy of Mr. Griffith

Page 6

Sophie Kieffer

Cont. from front page

Mr. Griffith’s commitment to letting students explore their interests and passions has created opportunities to study everything from flowers to fashion. He believes Galloway is equipping students for life, not just college, and that Galloway “owes it to students to prepare them for the long haul.” Mr. Griffith explained that “the more Galloway can connect students to the world, the better off students will be.”

Mr. Griffith described typical Galloway students as “unique, independent, outspoken, confident, and thoughtful. They know something about who they are and they’re interesting people.”

He spoke about being most proud of Galloway when he sees students taking on leadership positions in things they are passionate about, such as school spirit or Town Hall. When discussing the recent increase in school spirit, he grinned as he explained how The Hype Committee has been reenergizing Galloway through videos and themed games. To help increase attendance and keep Town Hall entertaining, student leaders have created advisory challenges which Mr. Griffith can be seen watching with pride in his corner of the theater.

Finally, one of Mr. Griffith’s favorite Galloway traditions, graduation, demonstrates Galloway’s unique opportunities for student leadership as many students share their talents and experiences at this culminating event.

With 21 years in secondary education, Mr. Griffith has decided that it’s time to try something new. He explained that at some point a person gets restless and thinks about what other things there are to do in life. This is that moment for him.

While he still loves education and working with students and teachers, he’s decided it’s time to look beyond high school and chase a new passion.

While Mr. Griffith has decided to pursue his entrepreneurial interests with his next job, he still plans to stay involved as a parent of three Galloway students.

Whatever he ends up doing, he is ready to “take a risk and see what else is out there in the world.”

When I asked Mr. Griffith what his advice would be for current Galloway students, he answered, “Galloway students before they graduate should all try to play a sport, try to be part of an arts group/ensemble, try to be a significant part of a club. They should take the classes they’re interested in with the idea that you need to fully join and participate in order to get the most out of a high school experience.”

When Mr. Griffith emailed the students to announce that he’d be pursuing another opportunity at the end of this year, he wrote “I have loved being UL principal the past three years at Galloway because of you and your teachers. Your teachers are some of the finest people I know because they care deeply about you and your success. And you all comprise one of the most talented and promising group of high school students I’ve worked with in my 21-year career working in high schools. Galloway is a special place because of you all.”

Mr. Griffith has definitely changed this special place for the better and he will certainly be missed.

The Evolution of Prom: The Most Remembered High School Experience Rose Sanders Cont. from front page

By the 1930s, prom had become a regular event hosted by schools all over America, complete with fancy dinners and bands for music. In the ‘50s, prom was moved from high school gymnasiums to more swanky venues like country clubs and hotels, thanks to the growth of the post-war economy. In the 1960s and ‘70s, however, prom became less popular. It has been theorized that this is due to the political and cultural events of the time period, as the Vietnam War and the antiestablishment movement were front and center.

But, have no fear, the beloved school dance made a comeback in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and hit an all time high in the 2000s, when prom focused movies became popular. Pretty in Pink and Mean Girls are two of the plethora of infamous movies that came from these three decades. Naturally, growth brings expansion; proms have spread to other parts of the world, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.

Some countries have even adapted the dance or created their own version, as teens in Norway convene annually around New Year’s for a dance known as Nyttårsball.

It’s safe to say that prom has definitely evolved over time. The dance seems to get more and more expensive each year, as the cost can include a dress or tux, makeup, elaborate hairdos, transportation, a group dinner, and for most, an entry ticket. Although, some would argue that little has changed, and that prom still enforces conventional gender roles that were imposed centuries

ago. Traditionally, the boy asks the girl to prom. This dates back to the roots of the dance, when private women’s universities used prom to socialize their students with private men’s universities. However, prom is becoming more tailored to our modern world, as anyone has the liberty to ask anyone these days. Dresses are not solely for girls and tuxedos are not reserved for boys. Self-expression is no longer restricted. Of course, this differs, as all schools make their own guidelines regarding what students can wear and who they bring as their date.

At Galloway, prom is in early May, and it is without a doubt the most anticipated school sponsored social event. According to the former principal of Upper Learning Mr. Mathis, who has seen the school dance through the years, prom comes later at Galloway in order to mark the end of high school for the senior class. Instead of going to prom in April and still having to complete a lot of schoolwork before graduation, seniors at Galloway can celebrate having finished grade school with one last school hosted event in May. There are no rules as to who asks who, and no one is obligated to wear certain clothes. While there are definitely some Galloway students who dislike or dread the dance, the majority of the student body looks forward to having a good time dancing with friends and attending an after party. Additionally, Galloway holds a picture party for everyone before prom in in the courtyard. Most schools require students to make their own arrangements for picture parties, which can lead to stress

Lunch: Here’s What You Should Know Caroline Parrish If you’re a sophomore or an upperclassman, you’ve probably taken advantage of Galloway’s off-campus privileges by now. And, chances are you’ve probably sped back onto Pool Drive with two minutes to spare. Let me help you with that plight, dear reader, by giving you a complete list of the best restaurants you can reach from Galloway during a 55 minute lunch period.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Distance: 3.5 miles away (12 mins) I’ll be honest, this is probably my favorite restaurant to go to off-campus. They have anything you could ever want to eat. As the name implies, they serve smoothies, along with breakfast all day, quesadillas, grilled cheese, etc. My personal favorites are the Sunrise Sunset Smoothie and the All-American Wrap. Words cannot describe how good they are.

Poke Nooke Distance: 1.2 miles away (5 mins) This was one of the first places I went when I got my off-campus form signed. It’s pretty pricey (at $10.85 per bowl) but you get a lot of bang for your buck. If you’re like me, you can eat a bowl for lunch and not be hungry for almost the rest of the day. If raw fish (typical poke protein) isn’t your thing, they have crispy chicken or tofu, along with tons of options for toppings.

Poke Bar Distance: 1.5 miles away (4 mins) This is Poke Nooke’s most competitive rival. And, in my personal (professional) opinion, it’s nowhere near as good. Sure, there are more protein options, but that may be the only part of Poke Bar that is superior to Poke Nooke. Poke Bar is good on its own, but given the choice, I’d choose Poke Nooke.

Chick-fil-A Distance: 1.2 miles away (5 mins) Chick-fil-A is a Galloway favorite. It’s close to school and one of the cheaper lunch options, which makes it all the more appealing to broke high school students. Be wary though, because there’s always a huge crowd at lunch time. You have to leave right at the beginning of lunch to make it through the drive-through with any time to spare.

Zaxby’s Distance: 1.0 mile away (5 mins) Objectively, Zaxby’s is inferior to Chick-fil-A, but if for some reason you crave subpar chicken, Zaxby’s is just within reach. The food is affordable, and if you’re trying to eat healthy so you can fit into your prom dress, you could always get a salad.

A mediocre, inadequate salad.

While there are so many places to choose from, with a limited lunch time frame and a lot of options, I hope this list helps you decide what to get for lunch today, tomorrow, and into the future. and exclusion. Galloway students can still have their own short picture sessions before arriving at Galloway, but a school-wide picture party makes it so that prom is a community event where everyone is included.

As our society continues to change over time and become more inclusive and open-minded, it is likely that our traditions will follow the same trajectory. Prom has remained a dance for high school students for decades, but it has shifted from a means of mingling young women with young men to a way of celebrating the conclusion of another school year with a fun social event.

Scots Nation

May 2019

Page 7

The Tragedy of The Galloway Commons

For many, the commons is a comfortable place to meet with friends between classes. For others, the commons is seen as a devilish hellscape that must be avoided at all costs.

It’s easy to understand why the commons is packed during tutorials and lunches; the space creates a duality between leisure and productivity. The couches allow for relaxation, while the tables allow for work.

This makes the space ideal for collaboration.

When you combine this with the vending machines, bathrooms, and the brilliant senior decided decor, it is obvious that the commons is one of the most versatile spaces in Gresham. But there is a known stigma surrounding the commons: it belongs to the upperclassman. This further proves that it is by no means a shared space.

The locations of different classrooms suggest that the commons are more catered to upperclassmen. While all math classes reside in the west wing, both english 9 and 10, political science, and world history are held in the east wing. With so many underclassmen classes in the east wing, underclassmen are a rare commodity in the west wing.

Many upperclassmen have a schedule that never warrants a trip through the east wing, so it is only natural that upperclassmen inhabit the commons, while underclassmen inhabit the library.

But could this really be a matter of convenience? I suspected something bigger, and I knew if I wanted to get to the bottom of this, I’d have to use science. I began to do some research on the matter, pouring through a vast collection of data, searching day and night for some kind of answer.

Hypothesis: Underclassmen don’t want to sit with upperclassmen.

Experiment: Have an open space in the commons and see if an underclassmen would take it.

Independent Variable: Number of upperclassmen in the commons Dependent Variable: Number of underclassmen who take the seat Procedure: Set up an open space on the couch.

Sanitize the area completely.

Lay out bait for the unsuspecting prey (i.e. fruit snacks or other colorful treats) Ask any and all teachers to vacate the commons.

They may scare off the prey.

Add a senior to the commons.

Record the amount of underclassmen.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until the commons reaches capacity.

Results: I only wanted to do the experiment once, so there were like 11 upperclassmen and no underclassmen.

Conclusion: The hypothesis was accepted.

Underclassmen do not want to sit with upperclassmen. Perhaps we can chalk this up to “psychogeography,” a term coined by Guy Debord in 1955. Psychogeography explores how our environment impacts our emotions and behaviors. Because of its tight space, the commons’ claustrophobic atmosphere encourages juniors and seniors to mingle. It’s almost impossible to pass through the commons without being seen, and as a result, many underclassmen avoid the commons, fearing that it might lead to an awkward situation. The library’s role as a study environment causes tables to be occupied by studying students of all grade levels, including large groups of underclassmen. Because of this, the library is notorious for having tables that are packed with underclassmen cliques, further driving upperclassmen away.

Chris Nieves

There are two Galloway spaces that draw in travelers from far and wide: Chaddick and the booths at the end of the east wing. In both of these spaces, there is no shame in quietly keeping to your own group, Chaddick because of its space, and the booths because of their separation. Individuals can navigate these spaces while avoiding awkward social interaction. No one wants to speak to a large group of unknowns, and during lunch, it’s only natural that groups form.

We all innately realize that this is the way things are, but upperclassmen are generally happy with the current situation since everyone gets a chance to be an upperclassmen. In the words of Elliott Gruenhut, a second semester senior, “Everyone has their time.”

While science shows that the system exists as a response to teenage instinct, screw science.

This grade hierarchy exists at most typical high schools, and Galloway is at its best when it refuses to submit to the conventions of other schools. Most aren’t willing to admit it, but this separation between grades really exists because upperclassmen believe that underclassmen are annoying. While it is true overall that youngsters are naturally not as mature, Galloway students should feel accepted regardless of grade level. There are plenty of irksome underclassmen, but in creating welcoming spaces and with proper role models, there is an opportunity to aid them in their maturity.

Sure, we could tell underclassmen reading this to just wait it out. But, we all used to be underclassmen trying to stand out amongst a stereotype. We have the power to shape our community.

We have the power to make Galloway feel like a family. But we also have the power to do nothing.

After all, it was seniors that created the current system, and only seniors who can change it.

Elliott Mag Staff Sophie Kieffer Jake Bogartz JaneEllis Brown Jaden Ellman

Emmaline Elsbree Noah Finley Alexa Freedman Annie Levy

Vivi Melkonian Tillman Minter Chris Nieves Caroline Parrish

Rose Sanders Ben Schleifer Adam Smith Owen Stone

May 2019

Scots Nation

The Spring Sports Rundown

Page 8

Adam Smith While Spring brings warmer weather and means summer is just around the corner, it also means that spring sports at Galloway are in full force. Here’s a breakdown of spring sports at Galloway: Baseball: Galloway’s baseball season has definitely not been what the team expected. As of publication, the team has only won three games, but the morale in the dugout remains high. The season boiled down to two games, and if the team won both, we would have made the regional tournament. This would have been huge since Galloway has only made the baseball regional tournament once in the last four years. Unfortunately, the team did not make the tournament after losing our last two games, but next year is looking great for Galloway baseball.

Track: While the baseball team may be struggling, the track team is off and running. Jane Ellis Brown, a Junior at Galloway, described her track experience this year as “invigorating.” She finds motivation in wanting to not Golf: The Golf team at Galloway this year saw little action, but let her teammates down. Her teammates are important because she runs the 4x1 with three of them. Jane described her bond with her teammates as “tight similar to other sports, everyone had a great time. The golf team won knit,” which might be a factor in why they are currently ranked number two two of their four golf matches this year. The total would have been six in the state. Ranking this high is not seen by Galloway athletes often, so this but the lack of players forced them to forfeit a tough match against Eagles Landing Christian Academy. The team did win two matches, is a big accomplishment.

Tennis: When discussing the tennis team with Jake Bogartz, a sopho- both against Ben Franklin. However, next year, looks to be a good one for the Galloway Golf program. Many athletic underclassmen are lookmore on the team, the first words out of his mouth were “Coach Biglari is the best coach in all of Galloway sports.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons ing to play, which might help them make a run for a state tournament they’ve reached the regional tournament this year. After the regional tourna- appearance, or even a state title.

Spring sports have always been overshadowed by winter sports ment comes the state tournament which is always noteworthy at Galloway. and their success. While the basketball team’s region is extremely Through talking with Jake, it was clear that this year’s tennis team is above par. Hopefully, this will be the year that they make a name for themselves at tough and chock full of talent, Galloway boys basketball prevailed making it to the state tournament this year for the first time in fifteen the state tournament. years. While they lost in the first round of the tournament, their suc Soccer: After talking to an anonymous source on the Girls’ Soccer team at Galloway, I quickly learned that the soccer team this year was not the cess brought huge numbers of fans to the games and really showed the best in Galloway history. Although the team did not win a single game, they potential of Galloway athletics. There is no reason basketball should did tie their only game to Holy Spirit. Even though the season was shadowed be seen as the only successful sport at Galloway. Even though it seems by loss, players on the team said their experience was “good and fun.” The this way, because of the sold out crowds at the games, other sports are boys improved a little bit from the girls’ record. The boys’ soccer team won extremely successful but do not have the fan base to show for it. Not only spring sports, but all Galloway athletics have the potential to do two games against Cristo Rey and Atlanta Classical. Hopefully, like many other sports, the soccer teams at Galloway will soon be running for a shot at great things and build the reputation of a school that fights for each win and wins often. the state tournament.

Do You Know Ms. Martinez?

Sophie Kieffer

Jeanne Martinez is the woman who everyone in Upper Learning knows, but not many know much about her. As someone who isn’t late and rarely signs out, I haven’t interacted with Ms. Martinez as much as I’d like, considering I’ve heard such positive things. Luckily, in order to write this article, Ms. Martinez invited me into her office, decorated with cheerful quotes, to chat about her life, including her passion for crocheting, her childhood home, and her kitchen habits.

When Ms. Martinez isn’t placing orders on Amazon, entering records, writing late passes, or keeping Galloway Upper School running smoothly, she can be found smiling at students. She explained that her favorite part of the day is “when students come into the office and she gets to ask how their day is going.” When she’s not at school, she can be found spending time with her daughter or crocheting. While Ms. Martinez learned how to crochet twenty years ago from her step-mom, she really picked up the hobby about four years ago and has been crocheting ever since.

Ms. Martinez should be called the crochet queen, as she can produce a blanket in one month on top of all her life responsibilities. Her blankets aren’t just for comfort, but for giving back, as she donates the blankets to a church down the street for foster kids and sick babies. She’s learned multiple different stitches and makes blankets in stunning patterns. In December, she and her mom made a blanket together for her ailing aunt. Her aunt would always say “you’re wrapped in my love.” So, when Ms. Martinez and her mom crocheted her aunt a blanket to be buried in, Ms. Martinez wrote her aunt a note that said, “we want you to always know you will be wrapped in our love forever.”

When asked about what Ms. Martinez was like in high school, she replied that she was a big tomboy. If there was a pile of dirt, she was always trying to play in it. While school never came easily to her, she did very well on the field, which is where she spent most of her time. She was on the softball diamond five to seven days a week playing for her school, the recreational league, or the all-star team. While she doesn’t play anymore, she still loves to watch softball games. Growing up, she also loved to work, so she got her first job at fourteen bagging groceries and then eventually she became a cashier. She and her brother and two sisters all then worked in the movie theater, which was her favorite job, since she could see all the movies for free. Then, she was a camp counselor, which involved everything she enjoyed.

While Ms. Martinez has many talents, cooking is not among them.

When she and her friends get together on the weekends for dinner, they joke “we better go out if Jeanne’s cooking dinner.” She’s known to burn every meal she makes, but she can bake, grill, and cook breakfast. She and her daughter joke “it’s not a good week in the Martinez household if the smoke alarm doesn’t go off.” Luckily, the fire truck hasn’t needed to come to her house.

When asked how she would describe Galloway using something in her office, she pointed to her sign “be yourself because an original is always more cherished than a copy.” She said she liked it because it reminded her of Galloway. Which, she described as a place that is “all about finding yourself and being the best that you can be.”

When asked if there was anything else she’d like to add, Ms. Martinez said, “I wanted to say one more thing about the students, if I could. I love talking to the students each day, but the students inspire me. I continue to be amazed at all the talent I see among them; from signing, dancing, acting, playing sports, or getting up in front a crowd for the first time reading at Poetry Day. The students inspire me to be better and take chances where I may have not done so in the past. say to myself, ‘if the students at Galloway can get up there and give it their best, so can I.’” We’re so grateful for all that Ms. Martinez does for Galloway and how she brightens the days of the student body.

May 2019

Scots Nation

Page 9

Galloway: All-Inclusive...With a Few Exceptions

One day at school, I made what could have been considered a right-leaning comment and everyone in the room immediately exploded in uproar. The class was haranguing me with their opinions, telling me how I was wrong and lecturing me on what was actually right. I felt like my classmates were acting very closed-minded and hostile, when I was just innocently discussing politics. This made me wonder what it’s like to be a Republican in a setting with an abundance of Democrats, like Galloway. I wanted to go deeper into this topic and interview an open Republican in our community. I needed an interviewee who is approachable, can reason behind their beliefs, is looking to inform people’s views rather than transform them, and is not afraid to voice their opinion in this environment. The person who fits all of these criteria is none other than Will Pile.

Jane: What are your views and what led you to have them?

Will: I am economically conservative, which includes anything finance, government law, etc..

Socially, I’m libertarian, so with other stuff like gay rights, I don’t care what you do...I was raised in a conservative household around conservative people and I reaffirmed my beliefs by researching.

Jane: Do you feel like your political views have changed at all as you’ve gotten older?

Will: Yes, I became more open. In middle school, I was against gay marriage, but entering high school, I opened up more on social issues. However, economically, I’m the same. It’s not that I have shifted from conservative to liberal, but moreso from all around conservative to libertarian, like “do what you want, I don’t care.”

Jane: How do you feel about the Republican stereotype and do you feel like you fit it?

Will: I feel that the stereotype is associated with

a lack of caring about people who are lower class or minorities. A lot of people think being conservative is about keeping the rich people rich and I think that’s incorrect. I think that neither party is incorrect in their beliefs, they just have a different way of doing things.

JaneEllis Brown

some topics all together.

Jane: Have you ever said something relating to your views without thinking in a situation where they may not have been accepted? If so, what was the reaction?

Will: I’ve had experiences with that. The reactions are mostly passive aggressive. One time I said something about climate change not being the most pressing issue. The response I got was passive aggressive, something like, “Oh, so is it not important that people are gonna be losing water?!”

Jane: Do you feel you have people you can safely talk to about your views? Are they only people with similar views or no?

Will: Yeah, I have people. There are people who are liberals who I can open up and talk to about these things because they’re accepting of my views and there are definitely people with the same views I can talk to.

Jane: Do you wish that you could voice your opinion more or do you feel that it’s not worth the trouble?

Will: I’m not dying to go speak about conservative beliefs; I just wish that the community was Jane: Are you ever afraid to voice your views more open to healthy discussions about things. because of the expected backlash?

I also wish there was more representation of Will: Yes. There are people at this school that Republicans in teaching and just in general. You are very much like, “I will fight you about can’t really grow your political beliefs if you this,” even though it’s not that big a deal. The don’t challenge them. environment becomes hostile to some extent.

It’s a shame that Will could be described The year Trump was elected, I wore a Make as brave and unique just for being open about America Great Again hat, not to be in your his differing political views. This interview reafface, just to show support. Someone tried to firmed my belief that the Galloway community yank the hat out of my hand and a teacher said should be more open to listening and valuing to take it off because it was causing too much others’ opinions, even if they differ from your distraction. You do have to watch what you own. say around certain people or just avoid

Globalists, Interdimensional Demons, and Galloway Chris Nieves **Names, dates, and events have been altered in order to maintain the integrity of this story**

People of Galloway: Wake up. There is evil among us. The unwashed masses of our fair institution have been shrouded in a blue and yellow curtain that is quickly sweeping our school. An organization hell bent on control and power, and the worst part: they aren’t playing fair. The organization I am referring to, of course, is the Galloway Student Government. Our government’s reputation has been shaken before. Think of Gallogate.

Oh how the globalists wept that day. Their tears were so salty, so delicious. But our feast has been interrupted by a much darker secret. One that our President and Vice President have long tried to keep behind locked doors. But in my past couple of months of journalism, I’ve learned one thing: if you want a good story, you have to look at the hard facts.

Now, this whole thing started with a request to do a report on a car accident that took place on West Wieuca. The accident occurred between a UPS truck and a USPS truck. The UPS driver, Pete Malcolm, stated that the USPS driver forcibly hit his truck causing the vehicle to flip on its side and scatter the contents of the truck onto the road. And despite Malcolm insisting that the “government narc was just seeking a fat insurance check to go along with his obese hog of a wife,” I suspected something bigger (I am referring, of course, to a bigger news story, not his allegedly obese wife.) You see, the contents of the truck were not letters and packages, but instead, snacks: Dori-

tos, Oreos, ice cream sandwiches (The accuracy of the description of these events is not yet confirmed.) When I mentioned I worked for the Elliott Mag, Malcolm started shaking and quivering like a globalist coward. You know exactly what I’m talking about: globalists. They’re chicken neck nellies who steal our jobs and love buffets. When I asked to take some of the snacks for forensic analysis, he demanded the interview be over.

I knew there was something suspicious about Malcolm and his goodies, so I spoke with a school store representative, and they did, in fact, confirm that both the school store and the vending machines are stockrf from the same source.

The story behind these strange deliveries is simple. We basically have a hive-mind collective of demons controlling the members of the student government who are attempting to brainwash the entirety of the school, and at some point, the world, into obeying their power. They are launching a fullscale Interdimensional demon invasion. Everyone knows this: these people are not human. Pawn Bollocks is a demon. Wheaton Shartz is a demon. It is possible the demons have already assumed control of your very mind.

You see, these demons haven’t been able to reach our dimension until recently. Science proves that our souls have this sort of ozone layer that protects them from these cross-dimension traveling demons. We all know that the government has been using chemtrails as a means of mind control, but these chemicals are creating holes in our soul ozone. Further aiding the creation of these holes are Galloway’s colorful assortment of snacks and

drinks available for purchase. “Enjoy your Doritos as well as that nickel sized soul hole that a demon will one day meander into.” And don’t think I’ve forgotten about our old friend Flik. Flik itself is a Class A demon. Not everyone is aware, but recently, a bird flew into the lunchroom and began terrorizing the good people of Galloway. Don’t be quick to rush to conclusions. Sometimes, to see the truth, we must approach the situation with an unbiased, fact-based opinion. I have concluded that this bird was communicating with those at Flik. He cameth down with righteous authority and issued the prophecy, “Bring about the cataclysm my vessels of control: Seek the destruction, control the weak, undercook the pasta.” True evil.

These demons have the power to enter your body through laptop screens, Promethean boards, and really any screens UTAP can get their hands on. Do you know what UTAP stands for? “Ulterior Trans-dimensional Anchor Point.” The evidence is damning, people. I spoke with President Bollocks, asking if she had any comments about the situation.

She refused, and instead asked, “can’t you think of a better use of your time?” My crusade will not be stopped. Not until the globalists weep once more.

If we’re right about the school store, Flik, and UTAP, then demons are among us. We have to start asking ourselves the hard questions. Were the outcomes of the election completely falsified?

Are Galloway’s sports and theatre functions a front to sell mind control snacks? Will I get in trouble for writing this article? Most importantly: who can you trust? The answer, as I’ve flawlessly proven, is obvious.

May 2019

Baseball’s “Opener” Strategy is Effective but Boring Jaden Ellman

On May 19, 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays sent their closing pitcher, Sergio Romo, to the mound to pitch a single inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels. This is typical for a closing pitcher; their job is to enter the game briefly for the final inning to record the last three outs. Except this was not the end of the ballgame. This was the first inning.

The Rays were experimenting with a new strategy that had never been seen before in Major League Baseball: the opener. It was quite an unconventional and polarizing idea, becoming one of the biggest headlines of the 2018 season and sparking countless debates among baseball fans. While it may seem strange at first, the idea makes a lot of sense in theory. By letting a reliable relief pitcher throw the first 1-2 innings of a game, the true starting pitcher, the one who will ideally pitch for the majority of the game, does not have to face the most dangerous part of the opposing team’s lineup immediately upon entering the game. As a result, the opposing team’s best hitters will have less time to adjust and get accustomed to the starting pitcher.

And on paper, this forward-thinking strategy seemed to be a massive success. After introducing the opener strategy in May, the Rays went from having the eighth worst pitching staff in the majors to the best in all of baseball, leading the league in almost every major pitching statistic and carrying Tampa to a surprise 90-win season. This is impressive enough on its own, but considering that the Rays play in the AL East, the division with baseball’s two best offensive teams in the Yankees and the world champion Red Sox, their success in 2018 was almost unheard of.

The Rays plan to continue using the opener in 2019, and they have already claimed the second best record in the league through the first two weeks of the season.

So what’s the problem here? If the opener is so effective, why is it such a bad thing for the sport?

Simply put, it just isn’t fun to watch.

With baseball often being criticized for its slow pace, MLB has made strong efforts over the past few years to improve the game’s pace of play, proposing and implementing several rule changes to minimize the amount of time spent away from the action. However, their efforts have been counteracted by teams’ overreliance on relief pitchers. Of all the things that bloat the length of a baseball game, pitching changes are by far the longest and least exciting for the spectator, but with the rise of advanced analytics and the constant fear of elbow injury, teams turn to their bullpen sooner and more frequently than ever before.

By giving the ball to a relief pitcher to start a game, a pitching change is guaranteed to occur in the first three innings, killing the momentum of the game just as it’s getting started. This also does nothing to reduce the amount of pitching changes in the later innings since teams typically turn to the bullpen just as much as they would otherwise, even though their starter pitches fewer innings.

On a more basic level, there is something to be said for watching a starting pitcher work deep into a game. Few things in sports are quite as exciting and downright mesmerizing as seeing a pitcher throw all nine innings of a game without giving up a run, or even without giving up a hit, but with the relief pitcher revolution of the past decade, the complete game has become a dying art. The opener is only accelerating the death of the complete game and slowing down the pace of play.

OPED

Page 10

Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez The Democratic Party’s Trump?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seems to have it all. She’s 29, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, the daughter of two working-class Puerto Ricans, a progressive Democrat, and a Twitter god.

In terms of 2019, how could she be any more appealing? When Ocasio-Cortez (known as AOC) beat out Republican Anthony Pappas for the 14th district of the Bronx, the Democratic party was over the moon. She quickly became a symbol for the party: a young, fresh face that brings a new wave of passionate liberals. However, upon closer examination, AOC may be hurting the Democratic party more than she is helping.

Even worse, she may be much more similar to President Trump than most voters think she is. Here’s how: 1.She crosses a clear line of professionalism with her rhetoric

First of all, Ocasio-Cortez does not communicate like a politician. Sure, it’s 2019, and, sure, it’s definitely time for politicians who can talk and communicate with Americans in today’s English. However, a line must be drawn between mature and immature language.

In January 2019, Fox Business published an article entitled “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t the future of the Democratic Party: Joe Lieberman” after a TV interview with independent politician Joe Lieberman.

In it, Lieberman explains that he finds Cortez to be too extremist for a party that has shifted to appeal to the left-right spectrum.

To that, Cortez retweeted a screenshot on her ever-popular Twitter account with the caption “New party, who dis?”

Cortez was referencing a trend among teens to respond to an unwanted text with “New phone, who dis?” AOC is proving with this tweet that she is definitely in with the kids, and takes her politics pretty casually. However, as quirky and relatable as this may appear to millennials, she is not gathering support from anyone else.

AOC has secured the vote and support of young democrats, period. However, the midterms are over. Cortez is far from gaining the respect, or even acknowledgment of many longtime Republicans. She may never gain that respect, but she is certainly not going to get anywhere close by acting juvenile. Cortez can tweet about Fox News attacking her until she’s blue in the face, but she is only fueling into the conservative narrative by tweeting like a child.

2. She’s a Twitter star

It’s not just Republicans who are finding fault with AOC’s ways; it’s the veteran Democrats too. In an interview with Politico, it is apparent that everyone in Congress is doing their best to put Cortez in her place. One unnamed Democratic congressman commented, “She needs to decide: Does she want to be an effective legislator or just continue being a Twitter star?”

He added that there’s a difference between being an activism personality and a true lawmaker.

Annie Levy

3. Her fiery rebuttals and snarky comments may come from her lack of knowledge on the federal government system

In fairness, she’s only 29, and politicians who spend decades devoted to learning about the complex governmental system still don’t always understand every quirk of it, but most veteran politicians are certainly not posting about everything on their minds.

In November 2018, two weeks after being elected, Cortez posted a video to her Instagram explaining how to turn the White House blue in 2020. “If we work our butts off to make sure we take back all three chambers of Congress- rather all three chambers of the government- the presidency, the Senate, and the house in 2020, we can’t start working in 2020.”

Many Americans at the time had lots of questions when this was posted as her statement was pretty unclear. Nonetheless, as AOC tried to defend herself and apologize, she only dug herself into a deeper hole.

“Maybe instead of Republicans drooling over every minute of footage of me in slowmo, waiting to chop up word slips that I correct in real-time,” she replied, “they actually step up enough to make the argument they want to make.” Sure, Cortez’s response can be labeled ‘savage’ by her younger counterparts, but in reality, it’s not helping her case.

The proper response to a hiccup on social media is never to attack the other side. Cortez should have corrected herself, apologized, and left the issue as is. Fox News loves to see AOC react explosively, just as it’s entertaining for the liberal news agenda to see Trump react.

AOC was made for this decade’s politics, no doubt, and as far as progression goes, it’s a beautiful and inspiring thing to see someone like her in Congress. Not only was her win historic, but children with similar backgrounds as AOC will undoubtedly strive to get into politics.

Cortez is much more dignified than Trump, truly. However, she as well as many other Democrats at times have stooped down to Trump’s level of immature rhetoric entirely.

At the end of the day, though, Cortez needs to reflect on the true priorities of the Democratic party in Trump’s America. Healthcare for all and justice for immigrants are beautiful goals, but not if the rhetoric used to describe these goals is eruptive and hypocritical. If we’re not careful, Trump’s way of acting could become the new political normal.

May 2019

My Journey with Lysdexia...Wait Cont. from front page

OPED Vivi Melkonian

It was becoming increasingly hard for me to keep up in some of my classes, and I felt like I needed a significant amount of additional time to complete standardized tests. I confided in my friends who were officially diagnosed with dyslexia and told them the specifics of what I was experiencing. They were all positive from the little things I said that this was something I should talk with my parents about in a serious manner.

What made me finally realize I needed to push my parents into getting me tested was a conversation with my friend, Joseph. He was telling me how he uniquely wrote the number 5ive because he was dyslexic. I interrupted him mid-sentence to say, “You’re joking, I have done that since elementary school.” This was eye-opening for both of us, and he encouraged me to talk to my parents about what I was experiencing.

Given that a full psychoeducational evaluation costs somewhere around $3000, it took a lot of convincing on my part for my parents to book an appointment.

About 20 minutes into the three hour testing process, the doctor looked at me and said, “Wow. There is no grey area here.” We continued with the testing, and then in the follow-up meeting with my parents, she repeated herself again saying, “There is no grey area here. You have a very significant case.” This was a huge relief for me.

But it was only the beginning of the process.

After getting the official diagnosis, I had to worry about getting accommodations for my standardized testing. For the SAT, it was not a tough process. We submitted the results from my evaluation and about three weeks later heard from the College Board that I was approved. This was great except for the fact that dyslexic kids usually excel more on the ACT for whatever reason. I separately submitted a request for the ACT, and about a month later got the results. Denied. As you can imagine, this was not ideal news. Their reasoning was that there was no prior history of needing extra time for testing. The reason there was no prior history was because I had been able to compensate from elementary school until my sophomore year before it started to show. But I felt like I was working twice as hard as my peers for the grades I was getting. Galloway is such an accommodating school, it wasn’t until taking a College Board AP test that I felt my inability to keep up with a timing schedule.

So what next? Well it was quite a process. My mom went through all of my Galloway progress reports from the time I was in the Three-Year-Old-Program until first semester of 11th grade, so 13 years worth of progress reports. She tediously went through them and highlighted notes that teachers made early on about my not finishing tests in time. Galloway, being an accommodating school, always gave me more time to finish things, but the ACT is unfortunately not as lenient.

Next, we appealed. The doctor who tested me wrote a letter to the ACT. My parents wrote a letter. The learning specialist at Galloway wrote a letter. I wrote a letter. After submitting the evidence, we waited. Finally, two days before Christmas, I got a response. The e-mail essentially said, “You have been approved!” To be honest, I think my parents were even more relieved than I was.

I am really grateful to have been in a position to be tested, but what if we could not have afforded the testing? What if my parents had not believed me or had not put in any effort to help me? I will only have these accommodations through my first two years of college, but I will be dyslexic for the rest of my life. I still joke about not knowing my left and rights, and I call myself illiterate daily, but I’m happy I know, and I’m proud of who I am. I have an explanation for my learning differences, and having gone through the process, I can help to educate others.

Drop Everything and Yoga

Page 11

Why I Don’t Like School Dances

Noah Finley

With hundreds of pre-teens running around in nice clothes while hopped up on sugar and caffeine, what could go wrong? Most students in the United States above the age of 13 have probably been to or at least know about school dances.

They usually take place in the school gym or, in Galloway’s case, any open space available. When I spoke to Galloway Alumni and current Northeastern University Sophomore Faith Finley about what she did not like about school dances, she explained that the lighting and decorations the school uses are insufficient, saying, “I never liked the decorations, they don’t distract you enough to make you forget you are in the last place you want to be on a Friday or Saturday night.” The music is never what kids actually want to hear either because, let’s face it, kids like inappropriate music that their parents would never approve of and thus can’t be played during a dance. In addition to this, the teachers that the kids see everyday are watching them like hawks, making everyone nervous.

There is something about the people that control my grades watching me that makes me not want to let loose and have a good time.

Then, there’s the fact that school dances tend to be incredibly expensive. One person I spoke to claimed that after adding up all of her expenses, she found herself $500 deep from her prom attire alone. Two others estimated their total cost being around $350. All of the girls that I spoke with insisted they needed to get their hair and makeup done, nails painted and eyebrows plucked, along with purchasing a new dress and shoes. I don’t see the need for a new dress or shoes just for one short night, and they won’t wear the dresses to another event because they already wore them. This money spent seems like a waste to me because it is all spent for one night that will likely not live up to expectations.

Finding a date, getting something to wear, finding people to go with, and figuring out what to do with your friends before and after can all be very stressful. The days leading up to the event are nothing but chaos due to the long list of things that students need to do before the dance itself. When asked what’s the most stressful thing for them about school dances, the responses I heard were, “everything...whether my dress will fit well or not,” “logistics add to all the stress of the night,” and “asking a girl to a dance is kind of a pain.” In a perfect world, school dances would be more relaxed, less formal, and subsequently, more fun for students.

Of the school dances I have been to, one thing remains consistent: the stress that surrounds the days leading up to it isn’t worth it. In my opinion, there is no need to waste this money and stress due to social expectations. School dances make socializing into something that requires effort, when all students are truly looking for in a dance or party is to relax and enjoy being with friends.

Imagine this: In a dimly lit room, twen- as adolescents are forced to balance their home lives, academic success, recreational activities, and ty people are staggered evenly, their phones and daily worries stowed away in cubbies. The their relationship with social media. A recent study found “a statistically significant association” begentle cadence of their breathing bathes the tween anxiety and substandard grades. This pressure space in a soft, constant energy as they flow through different postures. In these forty-five only intensifies as students get older and enter their minutes of movement, body, mind, and spirit teenage years.

Adolescents spend the majority of their are reconnected, and any semblance of stress day learning academic subjects to prepare them for gradually washes away.

What am I describing? Public schools their futures, so what better place to teach them to of the future. While it is increasingly popular regulate anxiety than with a practice that has the for offices to offer yoga breaks, we have yet to power to change lives? But why yoga? Yoga leaves incorporate yoga into the tense environment of the body with more than just a good workout. One a public school. This introduction could be vital study discovered that yoga allowed participants to in relieving adolescent stress, as the National “focus their mental resources, process information quickly [and] accurately, and also learn, hold, and Survey of Children’s Health discovered that there was a twenty percent increase in diagno- update pieces of information” better than aerobic ses of anxiety between 2007 and 2012 in six to exercises. Yoga practitioners also have larger superior parietal cortexes, which are brain areas that seventeen year olds.

There is a certifiable link between teen- increase the ability to focus, as well as enlarged hippocampuses, key brain regions that regulate stress. age anxiety and poor performance in school,

Rose Sanders

Three students at Briarcliff High School reaped these benefits after a parent at the school hired a yoga teacher to “create an opportunity for kids to learn how stress affects [their] health and emotions and find a way to release tension.” They reported that yoga not only helped them to prepare for classes by enabling them to concentrate, but also allowed them to relax after their fast-paced days.

With or without a hired instructor, yoga is accessible to everyone through the millions of free online videos that guide viewers in calming yoga sequences. If administrators blocked off a time period weekly to bring yoga into the classroom, they would be investing not only in the academic futures of their students, but also giving them a long-term tool to manage their stress as well.

May 2019

Environment

The World is Going to End and it’s Our Fault

We think that it doesn’t affect us individually, but if everyone thinks that, there’s no hope.

Animal species all over the world are going extinct at a rate that has increased by more than 1000% because of the presence of people on the planet, according to a review published on May 29 in the journal Science.

Not only is animal extinction due to humans’ physical destruction of habitats and the planet as a whole, but the attitudes that humans have about conservation will be the end of animals and eventually us.

When people have the mentality of oh, I can’t do much harm or someone else will figure it out and fix it, it may feel like that thought has no impact because “how much damage can one person do?” But, if everyone individually has this thought and inaction results, suddenly there are 7 billion pieces of garbage left on the ground, 7 billion trees cut down, 7 billion animals dead. Pretty insane, right?

People can’t just sit back and wait for all the world’s issues to solve themselves. You are part of the problem; we are part of the problem, so we need to be the solution.

It’s horrifying that even after we list these animals as critically endangered and protect them vigilantly, they continue to fall off the face of the earth, never to be seen again. Clearly, everything conservationists are doing seems to be no match for the abundance of poachers, authentic fur consumers, and game hunters who want nothing more than a giant, dead lion head hanging on a wall in a log cabin. There was even a movie, Rio (2011), written about the fast approaching extinction of the Blue Spix Macaw, to raise awareness. And, guess what?

Despite the movie’s success, the Blue Spix Macaw is now extinct in the wild, with only around 50 alive in last-resort breeding programs.

While humans aren’t the only reason animals go extinct, the rapid acceleration at which animals reach extinction is entirely due to humans.

When researching this topic, I couldn’t even figure out which animals were extinct in the wild, versus altogether extinct, versus critically endangered. Every source said something different. If people cared, they would ensure that these statistics remained up-to-date.

It took me 45 minutes to figure out that the Western Black Rhino is extinct, while the Eastern Black Rhino is critically endangered. The inaccessibility of clear facts on the animals of the world, further proves to me that an insufficient number of people care about animal conservation.

As for the rest of the animals I was researching, sixteen somewhat well-known animals have gone extinct in recent years. This includes five types of tigers and several marine animals, all of whom were hunted for their fur, meat, shells, or flubber. The list of sixteen animals included: the Western Black Rhino, Javan, Caspian, Tasmanian, and Balinese Tiger, the Golden Toad, Japanese Sea Lion, Japanese Baiji River Dolphin, Mali Tiger, The Carolina Parakeet, Passenger Pigeon, Japanese Honshu Wolf, Quagga, Toolache Wallaby, Caribbean Monk Seal, and the Pinta Island Tortoise. Of that list, I only listed 16 of the roughly 342 animal species that have gone extinct in the last 200 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Of the species that are expected to go extinct in the next 10 years, I only named 10. Because of the selfish attitudes and behavior of humans, there are approximately an additional 41,415 species on the IUCN red list threatened by the looming possibility of extinction.

Animals are being taken from the world for materialistic and monetary gain. Think about that. A life for a couple hundred dollars.

Page 12 JaneEllis Brown

Is the amount in your bank account more important than the existence of several thousand species?

Habitat destruction and climate change, both of which are caused by humans, are two of the major factors causing animal extinction. Habitats are destroyed through such actions as harvesting fossil fuels, deforestation, filling in wetlands, and urbanization. While obliterating well-established ecosystems in the process, all of these methods are for human benefit in order to build such things as homes, businesses, and factories. We’re essentially destroying one home for another.

As for climate change, electricity and heat produced by the burning of fossil fuels results in greenhouse gasses. These greenhouse gases warm up the earth as a whole which and harms animals and their habitats.

For example, climate change affects the pH of the ocean, which causes the shells of several marine animals to disintegrate.

Who gave us permission to play God and decide who gets to live or die? We’ve decided that a human’s well-being, or rather a human being’s greed, is more important than an orangutan’s life. We’ve decided that if it betters our lives, then it must be best.

The way we get our food, shelter, water, electricity, warmth and everything else negatively impacts the rest of the world. When you look at it like that, it seems we have dug a hole so deep that there’s nothing we can do to get out of it and make the earth and environment healthy again. And that would be correct.

While there are steps we can make to stop destroying our planet, there has been so much irreversible damage done to the Earth that we’ll never be able to get back to the state we were in before humans put their needs above others.

As for the the current tactics attempting to invoke change in the world and to earn additional support for animals, they are clearly not working. Everytime the infamous ASPCA commercial comes on, people either change the channel, sing along with Sarah McLachlan, or make a meme out of it. So, what do we do? I don’t know how to change people’s minds, I don’t know how to make them care. But, here’s some ideas of how we could do things differently:

First, a pretty obvious one, just stop killing the animals! I understand that some animals need to be killed for food, so as long as people aren’t overkilling and wasting the resulting meat, hopefully the world won’t end. As for killing animals for material items like authentic fur and ivory horns, that needs to stop completely. Efforts to stop poaching mean nothing without universal support. The main goal for anti-poaching reserves is to: 1. Increase the effort required for poachers to be able to kill animals, 2. Increase the resulting risk for poachers if they do kill animals, (rather than just a short stint in jail), and 3. Reduce the rewards that poachers can gain from selling the animals’ parts.

Your support can make a huge difference in these efforts, whether it feels like it or not.

Second, vote for policies against climate change.When it comes time for an election, look for candidates supporting policies fighting climate change. Research the candidates, figure out what they believe in, and get out and vote. Policy changes could do a number of great things for the animals and the world.

If saving the animals is not important to you, think about it like this: if we don’t have animals, we don’t have humans -- So, if you don’t care about conservation and are more of a selfish, don’t-care-what-happensonce-I-die type, you probably at least care about what happens to human beings -- so in order to save your own skin, save the animals.

May 2019

Environment

Page 13

Teching Our Way Through Climate Change

Climate change--we have heard so much about it recently, and we have truly become desensitized to it. We see headlines about it weekly, and many of us zone out whenever anyone brings it up. However, there is quite possibly a real solution to climate change in the works that could actually succeed in the long run.

According to an article in The Atlantic, a team of scientists at Harvard got together with a company called Carbon Engineering. Carbon Engineering is an organization dedicated to finding ways to reduce climate change by directly changing and getting rid of the CO2 in the air. In the past, other scientists have said that it is impossible to reverse climate change, but the team eventually proved them wrong.

The team has developed a somewhat complicated, but actually quite clear solution that can remove CO2 from our air:

1. Large factories are constructed. I call them factories but they are more like massive fans that suck large amounts of oxygen (and the CO2 combined with it) into the “factory.”

2. A liquid is then used to remove the CO2 from the air and convert it into a liquid as well.

3. Then, the liquid undergoes a series of reactions that completely separates the clean air from the carbon, then release the clean oxygen back into the air.

Here is where the process diverges into two seperate paths. Both still result in stopping climate change and follow the above steps, but there are pros and cons to each:

They take the CO2 they have removed from the air and pump it underground in a way that causes it to dissipate and removes it permanently from the atmosphere. On the surface, this seems like the best solution: we are reducing pollution and stopping climate change. However, there

are two key issues when you look deeper into it. One is that this form of solution means that we either have to continue to produce gasoline for cars or change our society to be much more carbon friendly, which we’ve really struggled to do. So, if we follow through with this path, then we aren’t fully “finding an alternative” with how we power our society. The second major problem is that if Carbon Engineering decides to follow this method, they will no longer have any companies or individuals funding the project since the current funders prefer the second option.

This brings us to option two which is to take the CO2 and combine it with hydrogen, making gasoline. At this point, the company can sell this gasoline as fuel for consumers and companies to use for all our technology that creates pollution. Now, on the surface, this seems like the less favorable of the two ideas, since it feels like we aren’t solving anything and are just continuing to pollute, but if you take the time to think about is, it actually may be the better of the two solutions. For one, if humans implemented this on a larger scale, we would not be increasing pollution anymore.

The way Carbon Engineering describes it is as a carbon neutral solution. This means that every consumer/company who uses fuel sold by Carbon Engineering is not increasing pollution, because the carbon being released is from the air and is being reused! It’s not carbon being burned from ancient underground reservoirs of dinosaur bones. Carbon Engineering estimates that if you burn a gallon of gasoline, it will cost about $1-$2.50 to recapture it. The other major problem people have with this solution is that it doesn’t encourage us to change out consumption of fossil fuels and change the way we power our world. However, this might be an advantage. While we have begun to turn to green energy, humans

Owen Stone

are far from a place where we could replace our infrastructure with carbon clean solutions without spending a ton of money and time. With this solution however, as long as we are not creating new pollution, we don’t actually have to make a massive societal change. Also, if we implement this method, more companies would likely be willing to sign on, meaning that the effort could be expanded on a global scale.

Finally, there are the costs. With current solutions, it costs us $600 or more to remove a metric ton of carbon from the air, and even then, we are not actually removing the carbon. With this solution, the same amount of carbon could actually be removed from the atmosphere for somewhere between $94 and $232.

Carbon Engineering currently plans to implement the second method, as they have already found companies and donors willing to support it. Depending on the success of stage one, they will likely also implement the first method simultaneously in order to begin permanently reducing pollution. They currently have a small setup running in the UK and with their current funding, they plan to have a full industrial scale factory up and running by 2021.

While the company is not yet well known, their notoriety could quickly grow if they find success in their potential solution to climate change.

May 2019

Environment

Just Another Piece on Climate Change

If aliens came down to Earth tomorrow, what do you propose they would think about the current state of our planet? Perhaps they would notice the complexity of life on Earth, the phenomenon of human consciousness, the technology, the food, the music, the endless stream of media, the business, the suffering, the happiness, the war, the peace, the chaos. Perhaps they would notice also the abundant destruction of nature, and we would have to explain to them this situation we call Climate Change, and the possible result of what we call the Sixth Extinction. And of course, I assume, this would then cause them to wonder why exactly this happened, how this happened, and what made this self-destructive behavior possible in a world supposedly dominated by logic?

A complex question indeed, one which deserves no simple answer. You could begin to talk about a magnitude of things, giving your best effort to describe the complex behavior of your species to this foreign lifeform. But perhaps you could make this easier, and instead of starting with the present, you could start with the past. How exactly did this happen? When did humans deem themselves as separate from this organic, material world from which they emerged? When did they begin to see Mother Nature not as a part of their own self, but as a force to be dominated, analyzed, ripped apart and dissected like a frog laying on the cold lab table in a high school bio class? It’s worthy of thinking about, isn’t it? This story of the broken relationship between Man and Earth.

Charles Eisenstein, author of the beautiful and compelling book “Climate –A New Story,” makes a crucial point in discussing the current state of our environmental conditions. In this book, I found the words describing something that, until that point, I had only experienced in myself and noticed in others, that which Eisenstein refers to as the “Story of Separation.”

Essentially, the Story of Separation is one in which the human species has developed and internalized social systems which rest on the foundation of the understanding that the Earth, our environment, is separate from us, somehow taking place in an distinct world. This disconnect then justifies our harmful actions to the environment, and we further lose the connection to nature in our attempt to dominate it.

Eisenstein makes the argument that this notion does not apply solely to one’s relationship to the environment, but also to our fellow humans.

Page 14

Emmaline Elsbree

We feel comfortable destroying nature because we feel comfortable destroying each other. The external wars of destruction are mirrored by those wars which are internal.

This notion of separation between one’s environment then implies that what happens to me does not happen to you. As Eisenstein puts it, “cast into an objective external universe, more for you is less for me; naturally then we are in competition with each other.” And, like this, we are pinned against each other, striving to survive in a society which indeed relies on this basic human belief. This is, of course, a symptom of the separation, while the understandings we share and hold as a society act as the cause; societal norms and behaviors support the reinforcement and condonement of alienation from nature, and furthermore, the understanding of ourselves as part of it. If you want to go to the beginning of why Climate Change is happening, you could start with the Story of Separation. But then what? If we want to fix this problem, how do we do that? Well, it was Albert Einstein who said that “we cannot solve our problems with the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Eisenstein proposes possible solutions to mend the broken bond between Man and Nature in his book, and I encourage you to further research about such solutions if they are able to. But the bottom line is that this problem of Climate Change is not simply an issue of technology, poor timing, innocent mistakes, overpopulation, and whatever else is commonly laid at the hands of society. Rather, this problem cuts much deeper than that. Certainly we must not believe that the sole cause of environmental degradation is human action; we must know that it is that societal conditioning which causes those actions, enforces violent behavior towards the Earth and ourselves, and begins at the root of something much more complex and innate than is commonly realized. As Eisenstein beautifully articulates, we must heal ourselves before we can heal our planet. Short-term fixes, no matter how progressive they may be, are not addressing the root of the problem. We must change. Not just our policies, not just our actions, but our minds and souls. With this, we can begin to write a new story, and hope to create a better, more peaceful and aware world for the next generations of conscious life on Earth to come.

The Elliott Mag The Galloway School

Games

May 2019

T J K T P I P N G R F P G J G C S J Y L R E V U X V U O T H Z H S A T

O W A L U H E A A E Z G J C Q G V A O O R D C P Y Z M U W A C G G A Y

M M K Z X N U N M G N R M Y B H W T H I V X Q P J F N P H X H Z Z D U

N W A T T Q Z I E J F Z X T R O D L E W X F F E D Z J O R L A A H H K

H A O A E W L N O M K B U A L T U A P E F H Q R M U H M U N S P R H Y

R T V R O V H E F N K D N L E Z U N S C D H U L Q Z R S B R T M K H F

C H Q O J S E S L Y M M A B Y D I T F V N A H E E T C M D A A Z U A A

A F Y O G R T T E B W G A V G Z Q A P C S I K A I V J T C T I C N R D

V Q P E H I K A A Z A G T I X W W J G J E Q Z R R H H H C K N M K N T

G D R J W B L E R U H M G Z A H V Y N D D K I N J A Z A W W E S L A A

S X L Z B N Y H N D D R S J R N J Q S A C O N I N P K H B G A R I Z A

X C S E V Z C G I Z X A E I I G E A H A O H R N Z D Y Q A O C T R T E

D K O E W F L Z N V T L R J L C L M O Q G P Q G R X C M M G U S H O B

H J R T H H F N G L H I E G H A U L J N J E M U R R T B A W E Y G N W

ATLANTA BUCKHEAD CANVAS CHADDICK CHASTAIN COMMONS ELLIOTTMAG

Sudoku

Fill all the blank squares with the correct numbers. In a 9 by 9 square Sudoku game: * Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order * Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order * Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9

R I M F S K A B F W U Q B G L V N C E Q X I O S L T E P H I I P R L F

L E B E J N U S G X W V E R E J W R J F R F Y X O I K E S Z W O R Q L

J J T N H C A B U Z T B H E Z M C D U A Q X A I N D L U E S D I B D E

G Q D S K S Z T U O V H N L F G T C I O G A L D C M Q Q R N H M M R J

A J N H L C A N I Z S P J V K A V B M Q J L E O R P U D G O D F M H L

B U E I Z P F J P O N P N S I C V B Z T E P Z M I N W D R Q K L Z P H

Page 16

B A X B G W Z C N H N Z N A I S V I Q T E H N W I E L K F U F R L E A

D L M Q Z Q G J T T U F F J W I V L V N M A V Q M T U T P N E P X A R

S T I D T U T R O M X E B Y R S C I D H R X K A E D R K Y D T L U E G

FLIK FOURD GALLOWAY GAMEOFLEARNING GRADUATE GRESHAM INDEPENDENTSCHOOL

C H C X I I S B J S H H E Z E P Z E K T N C V S H X Z E E N H B H I E

S L D W Y G Z W D T R I U K D T N L A X X E H J H H O V M Q Q Y Y W V

Q F I T E Z I V L Q W N A T L T W K M U V F V V R U C Y L M W S M O F

Q E M J T R U E F Q M O D O S Z N P Q L Y Z U V T K A E T N U T F Z A

C U T R U I B Y P J I I S C X Q Y B F J A X R P I T N C A V A S A Z V

V O C Q E R O F C V P R H I R H Y A G A X S O D F V V Y G Q S M B B D

H Z M O P P Y Z W U F O K C I D D A H C V B Q N X A A G L T X Y F V W

U W B M B D E L J C O G W I L N X U B A D M X A D M S V O B R B Y V P

U W Z Z O B L L Z L A I V P Q N A O C F C Y G K J O R Q S T X Z O Q Y

Y A D S E N D E W L U F R E D N O W I O L K R S S P J D J M L J P U O

S Z S B H I S F R G F O V K M V Y I R Y Y I D Z P R U Q X V B W J U L

Y W E C R K C P D P P R M Y T R T G P Y Y V K M S V S D T C O Y H T R

JOURNALISM MCKERROW SCOTSNATION SUMMERTIME UPPERLEARNING WIEUCA WONDERFULWEDNESDAY