October 2020 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

October 28, 2020 Volume 56, Issue 2

the Everything Greenhill

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One Campus, Indivisible?

Greenhill students and faculty are discussing, debating, voting and poll-watching as America elects the next president on Nov. 3.

Photo illustration by Sarah Luan

Nate Stitt

Features Editor

Valerie Xu News Editor

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isiting relatives in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, last summer, sophomore Madison Rojas was reminded how Donald Trump’s presidency has changed perceptions of America, at home and abroad.

“My cousin had been enamored with the idea of ‘the American Dream,’” Rojas said. “[She] had always wanted to visit the U.S., and I had always wanted to show her around the place I call home.”

By last summer, Rojas’s 12-year-old cousin, Abril, had a different view of life in America. “They don’t want us there,” Abril remarked to Rojas.

Rojas says she shares her cousin’s dismay with how America has changed after four years of Trump rhetoric and policies— dismay that is shared by many Greenhill students who fear what Trump’s reelection might bring.

“After Trump was elected, the idea that America was a safe and welcoming place for people of all ethnicities began to fade,” Rojas said. “How could I be trying to convince [Abril] to visit when all of the people actually responsible for running the country were actively doing the opposite?”

Rojas says the polarization that Trump has triggered has intensified political activism at Greenhill. Rojas, for example, has joined multiple political action clubs.

Senior Zach Kennedy, president of the Conservative Student Association, has a different perspective on the impact of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

“I don’t think anything will change [at Greenhill],” Kennedy said.

Kennedy believes that Greenhill has always leaned liberal and doesn’t think the results of this year’s election will change that.

Senior Danny Enrico, a member of the Conservative Student Association and a selfidentified moderate conservative, says he isn’t sure who he would support in the presidential election if he could vote. Enrico says

that the Greenhill student body has been influenced by the nation’s polarized environment and has shifted even further to the left over the past four years.

Regardless of political ideology, students on campus say they are energized about this year’s election. For Rojas and many others, this election could determine the kind of country that America will become in the years ahead.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Rojas said. “Everything is at stake.”

The Silent Belief For conservative students surrounded by their left-leaning peers, many say they have trouble finding acceptance with students and teachers.

“Suppressed,” Kennedy said. “My ideas throughout my high school years have not been heard by teachers as well as students.”

Enrico says that he has also experienced belittlement from fellow students who have

questioned if he is a good person as a result of his conservative beliefs.

“I think a lot of this is extremely unfortunate,” Enrico said. “The truth is that conservatives at Greenhill are too afraid to speak out, and I do think a lot of the recent anger comes, understandably, as a result of some of the failures of the current [Trump] administration.”

Aaron Timmons, director of debate and faculty sponsor of Project Dialogue, a club dedicated to increasing critical discussions among students, says that any sort of environment that excludes the voices of certain perspectives, like conservatives, is not healthy for a liberal arts education.

“If you have a diverse community, that does not mean we agree on everything,” Timmons said. “It means we have a diversity of thought—and it seems like we don’t want that sometimes, which is why I believe that faculty members need to be trained on how to navigate difficult conversations.” continued on p. 10

News

Views

Features

Arts

Sports

COVID-19 has changed how voters cast their ballots, p. 2

A Greenhill conservative’s case for President Trump’s reelection, p. 5

The impact of social media as a platform for student politics, p. 6

Students highlight unjust criminal convictions in an original fall play, p. 13

Athletes find their voice in political activism, p.

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Students and Faculty Head to the Polls Amid a Surging COVID-19 Pandemic

Photos by Jeffrey Harberg

Photos courtesy of Kristal Crockett-Rodgers and Julia O’Gorman

VOTING IN A PANDEMIC: Greenhill senior Kristal Crockett-Rodgers, left, voted early at a Dallas County polling station. Julia O’Gorman, right, was also among the Greenhill seniors casting a ballot for the first time. Greenhill Upper School will be having a late start on Nov. 3 so that students and faculty can cast their votes at polling stations in their respective counties.

Khushi Chhaya Arts Editor

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rom seniors voting for the first time to faculty who took part in their first election more than 40 years ago, members of the Greenhill community are among the millions of Americans casting their ballots.

Whatever the final result, this election will be remembered in history because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the voting process.

The potential health risks posed by the pandemic have created an obstacle for many as they participate in the political process. These challenges have changed how many have approached the way in which they vote in the weeks leading up Nov. 3.

Due to the pandemic, polling locations have been implementing extra health precautions in terms of social distancing, mask wearing and sanitizing voting equipment after it has been used. “[We] just have to be much more careful this year than any other,” senior Abbi Kassanoff said. “I don’t think it

“

Voting matters. Who votes and who doesn’t has a direct impact on our future, on which values our governmental institutions will promote and protect and what policies are passed.

is going to feel like that real voting experience I had anticipated.”

Greenhill seniors have been taking advantage of early voting to make the trip to their local polling location. The hybrid rotation schedule has also made more time for students to cast their ballots during their weeks learning from home, senior

Alison Thieberg said.

Greenhill seniors and faculty will have an opportunity to vote on Nov. 3 until 9:30 a.m as the result of an Upper School late start. To accommodate for this change, students and teachers will have their A-block class during community time on Nov. 2, Oros wrote in an e-mail.

For faculty, finding the time to go out and vote can be a bit more challenging.

Greenhill has made some accommodations to ensure that all teachers are able to make it to the polls, and administration has encouraged them to do so.

“Mr. Hark and our administrative team are in full support of making certain teachers can get to the polls on election day,” fourth grade literacy teacher and girls varsity soccer coach Laura Flanagan said. “[Election day] is a designated ‘no meeting’ day.”

Teachers have been notified by administration of the possible flexibility in their schedules throughout the day on Nov. 3.

“I have received communication about it at both the schoolwide and Middle School division levels,” Middle School history teacher Kara Smith said.

“If teachers need to duck out during nonteaching time to vote, we may do so.”

Several faculty members, including Middle School history teacher Peggy Turlington, Middle School science teacher Gretchen Pollom, Middle School English teacher Suzanne Yaffe, Assistant to the Directors of College Counseling Pam Hopkins and Preschool and Lower School Spanish teacher Beth Stromberg are certified to register voters. Since August, they have been sending emails to both students and faculty, encouraging them to register and providing information on how to do so.

These faculty members are all Volunteer Deputy Registrars (VDRs) in

counties within the Dallas region, meaning they are qualified to officially register voters in their respective counties.

“We must form a habit of voting, no matter if it is for resident, state senator or school board,” Stromberg said.

Turlington organized the group of VDRs to register first-time voters on campus and help others who have had a change in address to update the information on their voter registration.

“People like Rep. John Lewis marched and fought for each of us to have the right to vote,” Pollom said. “It’s the least I can do, and in many ways, it’s the most I can do to use my voice, my vote.”

The state of Texas is conducting early voting at certain polling locations from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30. Originally scheduled to begin on Oct. 19, early voting was expanded by Gov. Greg Abbott in July.

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I feel strongly that every effort should be made to improve access to voting, especially during a pandemic. It falls on all of us to ensure fair and equal access to the polls.”

The extended early voting period has served as a way for those who are more concerned about the virus to vote while avoiding peak hours and large crowds.

“I usually take advantage of inperson early voting,” Smith said. “Due to COVID-19, I am more committed to voting early to avoid crowds on Election Day.” However, going into a local polling location is not the only way a voter can cast their ballot. Individuals meeting certain requirements may be eligible for alternative methods of voting.

Some of these methods include mailin ballots, which are available to voters

who are sick or disabled, live outside of their registered county or are over the age of 65, and curbside voting, which is available to those who are either not able to enter the polling location for physical or medical reasons.

Texas is one of only six states that didn’t make it easier to vote by mail to accommodate COVID-19 concerns—a stance that some Greenhill students found objectionable.

“Mail-in ballots should be open to anyone,” Kassanoff said. “My mom is immunocompromised and can send a mail-in ballot, but I am not allowed to do that because I am not immunocompromised. I am, therefore, putting her at risk by going out to vote.”

Mail-in ballots have become a topic of nationwide debate, with President Donald Trump and other Republicans claiming that this type of voting is vulnerable to fraud—a claim that election scholars and security experts dispute.

“I feel strongly that every effort should be made to improve access to voting, especially during a pandemic,” Smith said.

“I cannot help but think of the sacrifices of those before me who were willing to risk their lives to secure voting rights and have their voice heard. It falls on all of us to ensure fair and equal access to the polls.”

Whether due to health concerns, accessibility or candidates, an estimated 35% of Americans eligible to vote won’t cast ballots. Experts are predicting the largest turnout in an American election since 1908, but an estimated 90 million of America’s nearly 240 million eligible voters are expected to stay home—a fact that dismays some Greenhill voting advocates.

“Voting matters,” Smith said. “Who votes and who doesn’t has a direct impact on our future, on which values our governmental institutions will promote and protect and what policies are passed.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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News

Youth and Government Teams Prepare for Upcoming Tournaments Virtually

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Raag Venkat Editor-in-Chief

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ith various upcoming tournaments in the next month, Greenhill’s Youth and Government team has begun preparations for competition and is learning how to adapt to a virtual environment.

Youth and Government is a YMCA program that allows high school students to serve in model governments at the local, state, national and international levels. Activity is split into three branches: judicial, legislative and state affairs, a new addition to Youth and Government this year.

With the YMCA District Conferences on Nov. 14, each sector must adapt to virtual programming. This year, according to YMCA Texas Youth and Government, both District and State Conferences will be online.

“The coronavirus has completely changed what I have known Youth and Government to be,” said senior Cian Collins, who serves as the Judicial Chair.

“With everything virtual at the moment, it’s going to be one of those things where we’re kind of playing it by ear, along with everything else.”

As the Judicial Chair, Collins leads the Mock Trial team along with junior Kathy Yan, who serves as the secretary for Youth and Government. Mock Trial, also known as the judicial program, is a form of competition where students act as judges, attorneys, witnesses and bailiffs in a series of rounds in which they compete against other teams as either the defense or prosecution.

As student coaches, Collins and Yan teach new members, particularly underclassmen, how a case is structured.

Because the team is composed of primarily younger members this year, they’re also teaching them what the competition will look like.

The Mock Trial team is currently reading through the affidavits of the YMCA Districts Conference case they were provided and sorting out roles.

“I’ve been doing Mock Trial since middle school, and I really do enjoy being able to compete with other people and developing quick reaction times and spontaneous arguments,” Yan said. “Though this year has been quite unpredictable, I am excited that they are still letting us compete, even if it is in a virtual setting.”

Photo illustration by Raag Venkat

WORKING AND ADAPTING: Members of the Youth and Government work toward the YMCA District Conference on Nov. 14. The event is strictly virtual, so the Legislative, Mock Trial and State Affairs teams have been adapting to online preparation for tournaments.

The Legislative branch is also starting preparations for the YMCA District Conference. Led by sophomore Shreeya Madhavanur, the Legislative section involves preparing bills, or sometimes joint resolutions, for consideration, debate and action at the District and State Conferences.

The Legislative branch’s priority has been to educate students on how to propose and debate their bills in the District Conference environment. They have also started practicing debates using bills from last year’s tournaments while everyone is working on their individual bills to present at the District Conference, according to Madhavanur.

“Legislative has elements of individuality and freedom to it because everyone picks a topic they are passionate about,” Madhavanur said. “It allows me to be more personable and to convey emotions in my voice in order to bring people over to my side and vote for my bill.”

Greenhill’s new State Affairs group is headed by junior Ashton Higgins.

State Affairs Forum uses the structure of committee hearings in which students propose solutions to important current issues as delegates.

While the Legislative team writes specific bills on policies, the State Affairs forum creates overarching solutions for issues, resembling a meta-analysis of the problem, Higgins said.

“I remember talking to [Youth and Government sponsor Laura Hudec], trying to figure out how I could join the club, and then she mentioned the new State Affairs format and how Greenhill didn’t have anyone to lead it,” Higgins said. “And so I was like ‘that sounds really, really interesting.’ Especially because it sort of related to what I do in debate.”

Higgins is currently trying to garner more involvement for the new section and plans to teach members how to write and defend their proposals in preparation for the District Conferences.

With the upcoming presidential election, students and faculty credit Youth and Government for informing them on

national issues that are currently being discussed and debated. “[Youth and Government] serves as a practical application to discuss and understand social justice on a highly philosophical level,” said Hudec, Upper School Modern & Classical Languages Department Chair as well as Youth and Government sponsor. “For students to work with issues that you have to deal with in government really makes a big difference. I think it gives them a better perspective on what the presidential election truly affects, but it also gives them a sense of how much power you have in the local level elections as well.”

Senior Micaiah Kapumba, Greenhill president of Youth and Government, agrees.

“Youth and Government, in general, plays a huge role in empowering young people to really live out their political ideologies and speak out about what they think are solutions to the so many issues that are politicized today,” Kapumba said.

The Role of China and India in American Politics

Sarah Luan

Managing Editor

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eopolitical rivals China and India have emerged as political props in President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign. While Trump publicizes his warm relationship with India’s conservative government, he is tough toward China on issues of trade and COVID-19.

Asian Americans are a fast-growing group of voters in the United States, with around 11 million potential votes at stake on Nov. 3, according to a Pew Research Center report. Democrats have tended to fare better with Asian American voters in recent decades, but Trump and Republicans are trying to change that.

Those efforts are playing out in various ways in the families of Greenhill students who are the children or grandchildren of Asian immigrants. About 22% of Greenhill’s Upper School students identify as Asian American, according to a selfreported survey that was collected during the admissions process.

Trump has made China a point of attack in his campaign, claiming that China’s unfair trade practices have cost millions of American jobs. Trump has also criticized China’s lack of transparency about COVID-19, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Senior Kevin Liu, treasurer of the East Asian Affinity Group, believes that Trump’s trade relations with China threaten the Chinese American community because of the president’s inability to discern the Chinese government from those who identify as Chinese.

“Trump’s rhetoric is being taken out on the people instead of criticizing the Chinese government,” Liu said. “I think it’s not a good way to do international business and just not a diplomatic way to do things.”

According to junior Ashley Shan, president of the East Asian Affinity Group, Trump’s use of language describing COVID-19 has made Chinese American individuals feel vilified.

“The labels he uses like ‘China virus’ and ‘Kung Flu’ just points an accusing finger, sacrificing an entire group of

individuals within America,” Shan said.

“It’s all for the sake of making him seem better, and I don’t think he should be using that rhetoric to demonize Chinese Americans.”

U.S. trade with India is also an important issue, with the U.S. historically trying to pry open Indian markets that have a history of protectionist tendencies.

A larger issue from the Indian American perspective is U.S. support in India’s rivalry with China, which includes a disputed Himalayan border that became the scene of military clashes over the summer.

Sheela Vasan, co-leader of the South Asian Affinity Group, has extended family members in India that support conservative Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Vasan says that growing up in America has made her more progressive in her political views.

“The majority of my family isn’t very pro-Modi, but it’s the people that live in India that tend to be very pro-Modi and [support] his anti- Muslim policies,” Vasan said. “I just don’t try to bring it up with

them because the only cultural connection I really have is my family.”

Despite the close ties between Trump and Modi, there is no evidence of the Indian American community drifting towards Republicans this election. Biden’s choice of vice presidential running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, is popular with many Indians: Harris’s mother, Shyamala Gopalan, grew up in India and came to the United States in the 1950s. According to the Indian American Attitudes Survey conducted in September, 72% of registered Indian American voters are planning to vote for Biden, while only 22% said they would vote for Trump.

“I completely respect Modi as a leader, but I don’t believe in the way [Modi is] treating those who aren’t Hindu,” said Anagha Gouru, a member of the South Asian Affinity Group. “For that reason, Trump and Modi’s tie doesn’t really mean that much to me. There are many others reasons I wouldn’t vote for Trump, like the way he’s handling the coronavirus crisis right now and healthcare and human rights issues.”

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Cooper Raiff ’15 Soars to Relevance as a Filmmaker

Photo courtesy of Cooper Raiff ’ 15

DIRECTOR’S CUT: As a student at Occidental College, Cooper Raiff ’ 15 transformed his passion for movies and writing into filmmaking. His film debut, “S#!%house,” won the Narrative Feature Film Grand Jury award in the South by Southwest Film Festival earlier this year and recently began airing in select theatres and on major streaming services.

Ria Agarwal Staff Writer

Emma Rikalo Staff Writer

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ooper Raiff ’15 had always been interested in movies as a child, but it wasn’t until he was about to graduate from Greenhill that he fell in love with writing.

“Really, my senior year is the first time I wrote something and felt like, ‘Oh, I want to be a writer,’” Raiff said.

Now, Raiff has combined those passions to write and direct a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age feature film. His creation, “S#!%house,” won the highly competitive narrative feature competition at the South

by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival earlier this year.

The film made its public debut on Oct. 16, and is currently available in select movie theaters and online platforms like Google Play, Apple TV, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Vudu, Xfinity, Spectrum, and DirectTV.

Life at Greenhill Raiff is for the most part a self-taught filmmaker, but the seeds of his current success were planted at Greenhill. It was here that he began learning and improving on skills that would later help him in making “S#!%house.”

He began by acting in school plays, often working under former Director of Upper School Theater Synthia Rogers.

“She made me comfortable with acting in front of people, and comfortable as a performer,” Raiff said.

Raiff also took the Upper School Video Production class. Middle School and Upper School visual art instructor Corbin Doyle says he now teases his former student about some of the films he produced in that introductory class.

Raiff got a taste of filmmaking at Greenhill through his connections to the

Advanced Video Production circle. He didn’t actually take the class, but he acted in and worked on the films of friends.

Raiff was also a member of the campus Improv Troupe, where he gained confidence and useful skills. While writing his recent film, Raiff drew on the knowledge he gained from Middle School and Upper School Improv sponsor Henry Paolissi.

“He’s the only reason why I’m funny and the movie has funny, comedic beats,” Raiff said of Paolissi and his improv class.

“Cooper’s creativity helped him a lot, not only in writing, but in acting and improv as well,” Paolissi said. “He was also extremely spontaneous, which is a big part of improv.”

These experiences enriched and informed Raiff ’s life at Greenhill and beyond.

“I felt so taken care of at Greenhill by the faculty, my peers and everybody,” Raiff said.

Growing Pains College, however, would be a stark contrast for Raiff.

When he moved 1,400 miles away from his home in Dallas to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles, he was immediately thrown out of his element.

“No one really cares that much about each other and I was slapped in the face by that reality,” Raiff said.

During an uneventful spring break in his sophomore year, these emotions inspired Raiff to fill his time with a new project: a short film.

Raiff said he realized that if he wanted others to see his writing, he needed to make something out of it. He spent five long days filming with two of his friends to create what would eventually become “S#!%house.”

“I started a script, and then it just very quickly became about the pain of leaving home and growing up, because that’s what my college experience was infused with

mostly,” Raiff said.

He created the film’s protagonist, Alex, as a way to express his feelings during his freshman year, Raiff said. He wanted to explore college life through the lens of his own disorienting and sometimes dark experience.

Raiff posted his short film to YouTube and tweeted it to acclaimed indie filmmaker Jay Duplass, a well-known film director in Hollywood. Duplass reached out to Raiff and offered to help him expand his idea into a feature-length film.

Creating “S#!%house” With the ability to work on a larger scale and with expert advice, Raiff went back to work and created what is now “S#!%house.”

The film follows Alex as he grows closer to his college dorm resident adviser, Maggie, over the course of a night. Together, they explore their problems and the realities of college life.

Raiff faced many challenges during filming as a young, inexperienced director.

He had trouble gaining the trust and respect of the rest of the crew, who had mainly been attracted by Duplass’s name.

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I started a script, and then it just very quickly became about the pain of leaving home and growing up, because that’s what my college experience was infused with mostly.

“I think they quickly realized ‘Oh, Jay’s not here, this movie’s not going to be that great,’” Raiff said.

Raiff thought that many of the crew believed that his idea wasn’t going anywhere, or that he was too young and inexperienced to produce anything that would get finished, let alone be interesting.

Raiff said that he wanted to be able to

prove his capabilities as a director. Bringing his ideas to life and executing his vision for the film motivated him through the process, Raiff said. So, too, did his determination to prove himself to the seasoned professionals on the set.

By the end of filming, Raid said he felt he met those goals. He became close with crewmembers on set and showcased his filmmaking skill and passion.

Future Plans Last spring, Raiff received more validation of his work when “S#!%house” received the South by Southwest Film Festival’s Narrative Feature Film Grand Jury award, one of the top prizes.

“Moving forward, I do want to be a director,” Raiff said. “I realized that directing combines all the things that I love about acting and writing.”

During his work on “S#!%house,” Raiff discovered a way to take his long-standing passions and use them to tell stories in the way he envisioned them. Directing was the perfect way to communicate his love for his characters and stories to others, Raiff said.

Raiff ’s Greenhill improv teacher believes that this is only the beginning, and that Raiff will continue to grow as a director and screenwriter.

“I think this was Cooper’s first step to a stairway of success,” Paolissi said.

As Raiff explored in his film, the college experience is far from universally positive, and often it doesn’t go according to expectations. However, as illustrated by his own experience, it can also be the doorway to discovery.

Raiff ’s advice to Greenhill students: make the most of life’s experiences.

“Expand the bubble as best you can,” Raiff said. “Be ready for anything, try new things, and go outside of your comfort zone.”

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Opinion: Sanders Supporters Should Vote for Joe Biden

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s a Sen. Bernie Sanders supporter and volunteer for two primary seasons in a row, it is difficult to wrap my head around the number of Sanders supporters that voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and plan to do so again in November.

From the Left Cameron Kettles

Sanders’ commitments to equality, access to necessities, a leveled playing field for opportunities and a focus on saving a dying environment run antithetical to Trump himself: a draft-dodging con artist who used generational wealth to pour money into projects destined for bankruptcy and racist dog whistles to get white supremacists in his corner.

And yet, despite the clear distinction, 1 out of 10 Sanders supporters voted for Donald Trump in 2016.

As a reminder, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election by less than 80,000 votes in three states: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

In each of these, Trump’s margin of victory over Clinton was smaller than the number of Sanders voters who gave him their vote.

Many different “what-if ” scenarios might have changed the outcome of that election. But yes, as ashamed as I am, onetenth of Sanders supporters did secure the presidency for Donald Trump.

I chalk this up to desperation among many for a populist leader, any populist leader, to sit in the Oval Office. Both Trump and Sanders are populists, deriving the base of their support from outside the wealthy and very well-educated political elites. Both campaigned on bringing back jobs and fixing corruption within American politics.

These similarities were enough to convince some voters not just to switch parties, but to go from one extreme to the other.

For anyone considering such a radical switch in 2020, three aspects of this election should cause you to reconsider a vote for Trump.

First, a populist on the left is not the same as a populist on the right.

Left-wing populism is about rebalancing economic systems for those most disadvantaged by capitalism. This

is consistent with raising taxes, removing college debt, providing healthcare and subsidizing housing. Traditional rightwing populism, especially that of the last century, is nativist to the core. While the average American living in the Rust Belt of the Midwest has seen only very marginal improvements in quality of life, it is masked

by Trump’s insistence that any number of the groups he has demonized as “the other” is to blame.

Second, please distinguish between the way a politician presents themself and the policies they support.

Populism in politics is just a form of marketing that emphasizes “the people” over “the elites.” Past actions are a far better indicator of future action than campaign promises. While Sanders spent 22 years in national government consistently advocating for the same policies that he campaigned on, Trump ran as the poster child of profit-hungry, exploitive corporations.

If you voted for Trump because you thought he would stand up for you against the capitalist class, is your life tangibly better than it was before Trump took office?

Corporations are certainly $350 billion richer after the most recent tax cuts, but the average American is suffering. Equating a man who has dedicated his life to equality

with someone like Trump is an insult.

Third, if you supported Sanders during the primaries, why have you now abandoned him?

Not only has Sanders enthusiastically endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden, but he has also partnered with him to create a large number of joint policy recommendations on a large number of issues, including criminal justice, climate change, healthcare and education. A Biden presidency means at least the possibility of implementing important policies. If you trusted Sanders to run the country, you should trust him to select the next best option.

To my fellow Bernie supporters, you may call yourself socialists, but you are not too pure to vote blue. You do not have the privilege of staying home in November. You do not have the privilege of holding out for perfection.

To my fellow Bernie supporters, you are right. A return to normal isn’t enough.

We desperately need radical action to save the planet and the lives of working-class Americans. We need to start somewhere, and normal is a step up from the status quo.

A Biden presidency isn’t the end goal, but a Trump presidency is a very deadly defeat.

Opinion: Why I Support Donald Trump EDITOR’S NOTE: This column was written by a member of the Evergreen Online staff who doesn’t wish to reveal their identity, for fear that their public support of President Donald Trump might subject them to retribution in the college admissions process.

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support Donald Trump because I believe in the principles of conservatism.

I see liberalism and conservatism as two different ways of approaching the world. One is not more correct than the other and both are equally valid. I identify as a conservative simply because a majority of my political opinions align with those of conservative ideology.

Philosopher Roger Scruton once said, “Conservatism starts from the sentiment that all mature people can readily share: the sentiment that all good things are easily destroyed, but not easily created.”

I am a conservative because I am inclined to be skeptical and trust traditions.

I believe that traditions preserve the best of what we have had and bring with them knowledge and experience.

I have a strong desire to uphold the political philosophies and rules of government defined within the Constitution. I believe that taxes should

be lowered, as money is best spent at the hands of those who earn it. Lastly, I believe that the free market system allows for more economic growth, more jobs, and a higher standard of living than systems subject to strict government regulations.

Being a conservative ideologue does not mean that I always support the Republican candidate. I use two criteria when deciding which presidential candidate to support: policy positions and morality.

The president of the United States should represent American values. He or she should exude empathy, humility and resilience. Ideally, I prefer a president whose policy views align with mine. For example, while I believe that Bernie Sanders is a man of strong character and displays a true passion for accomplishing his goals, our political ideals are so starkly different that I would be unable to support him.

The first presidential debate was a make-or-break moment for President Trump. At the time, he was trailing by roughly 7 points nationally, according to the NBC National Polling Average. If Trump could show the American people that he could be mild-mannered, then his chances of winning the election would have increased significantly. However, in typical

Trump fashion, he bullied, badgered and interrupted.

Trump’s inability to behave himself displayed just how unfit he is to be president.

His performance only compounded my concern with the ways in which he has polarized the American people. I believe that the widespread protests and social unrest that have ensued over the last six months embody this perfectly.

The debate was not a victory for Joe Biden either. His inability to answer policy questions effectively and coherently only furthered the fear that he will be used as a tool to advance the goals of far-left politicians such as Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The way I see it, the best-case scenario is to have Biden as president and have a conservative majority in either the House of Representatives or the Senate.The degree of control that a president has within Congress determines his political power, and having a Republican majority would drastically reduce Biden’s power to influence the congressional agenda, pass sponsored legislation and get judges approved.

This preferred outcome can be achieved through split-ticket voting, with voters choosing a Democrat as president and

Republicans for Congress. Unfortunately, the likelihood of this occurring is very slim, as split-ticket voting has been declining for years. A Pew Research Center study revealed that during the 2012 election only 26 of the 435 House districts—a meager 6%— were a product of split-ticket voting.

In this election, that pattern could translate into a blue wave, giving Democrats control of the House of Representatives, Senate and the White House.

I believe that a blue wave will lead to the packing of the courts, defunding of police and the destruction of the pillars that make America the great nation that it is. I am uncomfortable giving power to a Democratic Party that is so focused on tearing our nation down.

At the 2020 Republican National Convention, Donald Trump said, “At no time before have voters been faced with a clearer choice to vote between two parties, two visions, two philosophies or two agendas.”

While I admit that the possibility of Biden implementing a radical left agenda is relatively low, that does not mean that it is out of the question. For that, I must give my support to Donald Trump.

imagine a Donald Trump presidency, I never felt as though I had to explain my identity to those who felt threatened by it. I doubt most of the kids staring at me had heard Spanish outside of the language classroom or their maid. It is such a small detail that has always felt so normal to me, but so abnormal for them.

The feeling of “not being normal” has never really faded for me. If anything, that feeling has only become more and more prevalent in everyday life.

It is no secret that the U.S. has become increasingly divided on many issues. And race seems to be the most divisive of them all.

In 2017, hate crimes reached a 16year high. Of the 5,060 victims of racially motivated hate crimes, 48.6 percent were African American, 10.9 percent were Latino or Hispanic and 2.6 percent were of Arab descent.

Since Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, my community has had to deal with an added load of fear and worry embedded in their daily lives.

Being an immigrant under a Trump

presidency means having to constantly defend your identity to those who see you as a threat. Additionally, the increased use of xenophobic and fear-mongering rhetoric has only emboldened people to act violently on views that were seen as unacceptable in the past.

Will immigration authorities decide they no longer want us in the U.S.? Will we be able to continue working at our jobs?

Will we be harassed in the grocery store for not speaking English?

This sense of fear has only grown with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has disproportionately affected minority communities. Latinos are nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, 4.6 times more likely to become hospitalized and 1.1 times more likely to die of the disease, studies have concluded.

Although no close members of my family have died due to COVID-19, I have had to witness the death of several family friends either directly or indirectly from the disease. I have never seen so many people lose loved ones on such a large scale;

it seems like every week I hear of a new fatality.

What makes this situation even more frustrating is knowing that the Trump administration’s failure to properly address the pandemic is the root cause of all this death.

Many students like to think of Greenhill as an insulated bubble, safe from the outside world. The fact is, that statement could not be further from the truth. If anything, Greenhill is a space that highlights all of the injustices and disparities that are looming just outside of its gates.

Opinion: My Mexican-American Lens Madison Rojas

Contributing Opinion Writer

T

he first time I felt different was in fourth grade.

I was new to Greenhill and I had just transferred from a primarily Black and Latino elementary school. Since my parents both worked until after school let us out, I would always wait to be picked up in the Lower School’s Extended Day program.

On this day in particular, I was wary of the time because I was going to be late to a dance class scheduled later that day.

When my mom finally walked in, she yelled in Spanish for me to quickly grab my coat and backpack. I found nothing odd about it as Spanish was my mother’s primary language; two other parents had told their kids the very same thing.

The only difference between what they had said and what my mom had said was the language being spoken.

I didn’t notice the stares from my peers until I had gathered my belongings and was on my way out the door.

In those years, long before we could

Madison Rojas is a contributing opinion writer who covers issues of social, political and economic inequality. She is a sophomore who loves policy debate and reading books.

Features

The Political Power of Social Media

Students reflect on platforms as catalysts for activism and grassroots movements

Graphic by Emma Nguyen

Emma Nguyen Staff Writer

Saara Bidiwala Staff Writer

I

n between classes, sophomore Ian Bock often hops on his phone and scrolls through social media. Sometimes, he’ll share content on the social media platform Instagram.

“I’m fairly active,” Bock said. “I’m not as active as a lot of people. I don’t post 100 stories about it a day. If I do, it’ll be four or five.”

Typically, these posts are about the election. Instagram facilitates sharing what’s going on in the form of posts and stories, making it ideal for sharing opinions on current events.

Bock shares these posts for whoever wants to listen. In a mostly liberal-leaning community, what he values most is conversation, Bock said.

“I post so I get it out there, because I want the information out there,” Bock said.

“I don’t care who it reaches, so long as it reaches some people.”

From the pandemic to the presidential election, 2020 has been a memorable year for news. And amplifying the swirl of information around these historic events is social media. Its interface makes it ideal to absorb information about politics in bitesized chunks. Sharing something is now only a tap away.

For senior Ava Markhovsky, it’s a way to express herself amid the current events.

“Right now, I think there’s a real sense of loss of control, and it feels like this is something that we can control,” Markhovsky said.

Since most Greenhill students aren’t yet eligible to vote, apps like Instagram are ways that students can stay politically active.

“Not having the ability to vote helps to push us to go toward those other avenues,” junior Ashton Higgins said. “This awareness and this engagement carries over in the next couple of years when we are able to vote.”

Youthful obsession According to the Pew Research Center, 97% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 used at least

one of the seven main social media platforms in 2018.

For some, Instagram acts as a lens through which one can view particular current events, junior Hallie Sternblitz said.

“I’ll get the facts from CNN and then I’ll go to Instagram and see five different people posted different ideas about that, and then I figure out which one I most align with,” Sternblitz said.

Upper School history teacher Scott Cotton said he follows politically active public figures and politicians to find out what other educated individuals’ opinions are.

Although he does not post on Twitter, “[it’s] a great way to find out what interesting, smart people are reading and thinking.”

To sophomore class dean Jason Gajderowicz, social media is a powerful tool, so long as it’s exercised carefully.

“It’s important to post something that you think will be good for you,” Gajderowicz said. “Even within the circles I do occupy, I think there is still room to sharpen your perspective.”

Classroom scrutiny As social media continues to influence political activism, a new question has arisen: Should its role in politics be discussed in the classroom?

To Cotton, the answer is yes. His Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government class has explored various readings, one of which is a work of political science that navigates the role of media in politics. He believes social media should be foregrounded in class, since it impacts the students he teaches.

“We have a chapter in the [text]book on media [but] we should do more of that, especially as the election is a few weeks away,” Cotton said.

Director of Marketing and Communications Kerry Shea believes social media has played a pivotal role in facilitating communications within the Greenhill community, especially during the pandemic.

“During COVID-19, social media has been particularly important in bringing our community together, since we have not been able to come together physically in the ways

that we have traditionally,” Shea said.

To her, giving students the tools to be courteous digital citizens is a priority.

“The school intentionally teaches students how to engage in civil discourse, or sharing opinions and thoughts in respectful ways,” Shea said.

Echo chamber With its high activity among Greenhill’s student body, some members of the community are concerned as to whether social media is the best outlet to express political beliefs, since conversations are more stilted on these digital platforms.

Gajderowicz is one of those who is concerned. Since the algorithms are designed to pull up posts similar to what is being consumed, he cautioned users to be diligent.

“If you create your own echo chamber, Facebook will be more than happy to keep that up for you,” Gajderowicz said.

Another concern is that of fake news. Although many feel confident in identifying it, seeing and accidentally sharing exaggerated comments or misinformation on their feed is common.

Social media, as Markhovsky describes it, can be the world’s biggest game of telephone if one is not careful about factchecking content.

“If you can’t argue the thing that you posted, then you shouldn’t post it at all,” Markhovsky said.

For Sternblitz, though users may not be spreading misinformation deliberately, the condensed content in posts can unintentionally relay divisive messages. “[On] Instagram, you’re not going to post a whole paragraph because who’s going to read that?” Sternblitz said. “You’re going to post a few sentences, and a lot of times quotes can be taken out of context.”

Bock believes the virtual space isn’t as good as real-life conversations.

“I do enjoy having Instagram to have that space to debate people, but there are ways to make it so one-sided for yourself that it eliminates all the good that it does,” Bock said. “For me, I prefer to do it face-to-face.”

Polarizing distortions Bock sees social media as ultimately more polarizing than unifying. Since a partisan space can be created with no input from the other side, it means conversation can become especially limited, Bock said.

Cotton says that social media can create the illusion that Americans have more radical viewpoints than they actually do.

“Twitter is distorting all of our senses,” Cotton said. “[Social media] is a polarizer, or it attracts more people who are polarized.”

Head of School Lee Hark describes social media as another challenge for teenagers in a complicated world.

“Using social media appropriately is challenging to do, especially for young people with access to powerful channels of self-expression but without many positive exemplars on which to pattern their own use,” Hark said.

Hark also finds the inherently divisive nature of social media troubling and instead encourages the Greenhill community to be empathetic in political discussions. “[Social media] is often intended to divide us rather than bring us together,” Hark said. “It’s important to remember that we need to be active listeners, to seek first to understand before being understood, and to enter into dialogue with compassion and empathy for those who have different views.”

The lack of distinction between performative action and genuine desire to promote positive change also contributes to the setbacks of social media, Higgins said.

“There needs to be an awareness of what being posted on social media is going to be helpful and what is just performative,” Higgins said.

Social media, despite some difficulties, is worth utilizing, but it’s not a definitive source, Markhovsky said.

“Social media is not the answer, it is a part of the answer,” Markhovsky said. “Take everything and put it together and figure out what you think. Because at the end of the day, if you know what you think, then you will fight much harder than someone being told what to think.”

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Evergreen Ever the

Features

7

Students Step Up as Poll Workers Amid Pandemic Fears Ava Iwasko

Staff Writer

Max Kettles Staff Writer

Helina Tedros Staff Writer

S

everal Greenhill students are helping alleviate a pandemic-related shortage of Dallas County poll workers by stepping up to fill the vital electoral role.

In a typical year, senior citizens make up the majority of poll workers, but many have begged off this year because of the risks posed by COVID-19, area election officials said.

Dallas County and others across the country have turned to students to fill the shortfall.

At Greenhill, Political Action Club president Kelly Meng said she was notified about an opportunity for student election clerks to work at the Dallas County polls.

She shared the news with other students, and many jumped at the opportunity, Meng said.

“I am really excited about the election this year, because I can vote,” senior Dulany Bloom said. “I just wanted to get as involved in the whole process as I could.”

With some of Greenhill’s politically active students too young to vote, working at the polls gives them a chance to participate in the electoral process.

Senior Josh Flowers turns 18 three weeks after the election, too late to vote, but he said he’s thankful to play a role in the democratic process as a poll worker.

“I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure that the election was going to go over smoothly,” Flowers said.

One-quarter of all poll workers in Dallas County are usually high school students, according to Dallas County Bilingual Program Coordinator Laura Varela.

“Students always participate in the elections,” Varela said. “If they can learn the process early on, then they themselves can do their civic duty.”

The Dallas County program was started in 2012 to educate young people on the electoral system, and it now includes 1,800 students. The program has provided the 463 polling locations in Dallas County with much-needed help during this pandemic-plagued election season.

Varela hopes that students will gain valuable insight

Photo courtesy of Laura Valera

ELECTION OVERSIGHT: Senior citizens traditionally serve as poll workers in U.S. elections, but fears of contracting COVID-19 have kept them home. Greenhill students are among the young Americans who have stepped up to ensure voting.

into the U.S. political system.

“Students should gain a unique understanding of how politics and our government works,” Varela said.

Meng said her immersion in the voting process has also given her new insights into the difficulty of voter registration and how much more efficient a simpler system would be.

“I think the whole process of voting is a lot more difficult than it should be in the U.S.,” Meng said.

According to Varela, 1,000 more voters than in 2016 came to the Dallas County poll sites on Oct. 13, Texas’ first day of early voting. While the first early voting day in 2016 saw around 58,000 voters at the different Dallas County locations, around 59,902 voters came out this year, Varela said.

These larger numbers of voters could lead to a higher

chance of violence or noncompliance at the poll sites.

However, even in a highly disputed election year, Meng said she is not concerned about any violence taking place at the polls.

The poll-working students expressed mild concerns about the long lines and the possible exposure to COVID-19, but Varela said she is confident that the rules and regulations that have been put in place will be effective in adequately preventing the spread of the virus.

Greenhill student poll workers agree with Varela that it is imperative that everyone votes.

“Especially for this election, which is very controversial and partisan, I think everyone should be voting,” Meng said.

Civic-Minded: Political Clubs on Campus Sarah Luan

Managing Editor

A

longside the rest of the nation, Greenhill’s politically active clubs are watching the unfolding presidential election that ends on Nov. 3. By engaging with Upper School students, these groups are dedicated to holding respectful discussions over how this election will impact the political climate in the United States.

Political Action Club, a bipartisan political club at Greenhill, is intended to foster discussions over political events.

“Especially with social media, you can get really drawn to one party or one ideology depending on the news you look at or because you communicate with friends with similar interests,” said senior Kelly Meng, the president of the club. “I think it’s really important to listen to other people’s perspectives, either to gain insight on their beliefs or to more strongly base your own ideology.”

Upper School history teacher Scott Cotton is one of the faculty advisers for the club along with Assistant to the Directors of College Counseling Pam Hopkins. Because the discussions are mostly student-driven, Cotton says he enjoys listening to what the students have to say.

“I’m always impressed by Greenhill students because they handle complicated issues in a respectful way,” Cotton said. “I think the tone is set by the school, and then I think the tone is reinforced by the leaders of the club.”

Political Action Club also hosts Zoom livestreams of the presidential debates and sends out emails to its members on different ways to stay politically involved.

“I think a lot of people are currently detached from politics, but they don’t realize how much it affects their life,” Meng said. “A lot of people complain about a lot of laws, but they don’t realize that they actually do have the ability to shape those laws if they were to exercise not only their right to vote, but also if they do things like campaign, donate and [educate] other people.”

Another political club on campus is the Libertarian Student Association, led by junior Ashton Higgins.

Libertarianism is a political philosophy that aims to maximize individual liberties and political freedoms.

“It’s important to talk with people that you agree with to help you better formulate your own opinions or just have a sense of validation that other people also stand with that belief,” Higgins said. “I also think it’s extremely important to talk with people that do not agree with you because that

Graphic by Sarah Luan

might expose something where you’re wrong, or it might show you another reason why you might disagree with that person.”

Although the group has not met yet this year, Higgins hopes to meet soon and discuss the importance of this year’s election.

“Personally, I want Joe Biden to win this election, even though he’s definitely not a libertarian,” Higgins said. “[Being] a minority belief, we need to understand how to vote in such a high stakes election like this.”

One of the other ideologically affiliated clubs in the Upper School is the Conservative Student Association.

“There aren’t a ton of people that show up to the meetings, but it’s [still] nice to know that I’m not the only one that has experienced judgment through high school and even a little bit in eighth grade,” said senior Will Schackman, a regular member of the Conservative Student Association.

Schackman also believes that there are some misconceptions about the conservative community and that everyone deserves respect in sharing their own views.

“Being looked down upon in a negative way because I’m conservative is upsetting because I don’t want to speak for everybody, but personally, I respect everybody’s views, and all I really want is equal respect when I share my own,” Schackman said.

Senior Zachary Kennedy, the student leader of the Conservative Student Association, hopes to inspire club members to stay informed on politics and current events by obtaining facts from reliable sources.

“I think politics is seeing what politicians are actually saying and trying to understand [them] without talking about the media,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy thinks that it’s important to have conversations with different perspectives, and that people with political views on opposite ends of the spectrum can still find similarities.

“We don’t need to start beating each other up or anything, because even though we have differing opinions, we can actually find common ground between what we’re saying,” Kennedy said.

Members of political clubs on campus agree that students should stay politically active, even if they are not of voting age. “[The students have] learned a lot in school and now it’s time to apply their learning about history and government into the real world,” Cotton said. “Anything that the school can do to promote that through clubs or voter registration or just information is really important because democracy requires civic duty.”

8

Features

Ever Evergreen Politics in the Classroom the

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Students and teachers navigate a polarized campus climate

Graphic by Emma Nguyen

Chloe Wetzler

Backpage Editor

F

or educators in today’s contentious climate, discussing politics with students is difficult.

The United States has become increasingly polarized, so some teachers feel as though they must be careful not to show their biases and make students feel alienated or divided.

Greenhill policy prohibits teachers from endorsing policies or candidates while at school. However, administration doesn’t restrict political discussions in the classroom.

“I started as a very young teacher with the philosophy that the classroom wasn’t my stage or my platform to try to make my views the views,” Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government teacher Genie Burke said. “Every time I’ve taught AP Gov, the first day I make it really clear that that’s not my intention, it’s not my job, it’s not my purpose. While I’m the teacher, I just don’t want to have that obvious bias.”

Burke has taught AP U.S. Government for 20 years. She believes that since she started teaching, the political climate has significantly changed and made class discussions more difficult.

“I feel most comfortable trying to encourage students to share their thoughts and questions,” Burke said. “My job is to acknowledge the other side to just provide some balance. Sometimes that’s not possible in the current political climate that’s so polarized. It’s made it even more challenging.”

Upper School History Department

Chair Amy Bresie ’96 also feels that classroom political discussions have become increasingly difficult.

“So much of the world and life has been politicized,” Bresie said. “Things that shouldn’t be political now are.”

Bresie detailed that despite the restrictions of what she can say, she feels as though it’s necessary in some cases to voice her opinion.

“If someone does or says something that threatens another person’s fundamental human rights, I think that is fair game to talk about,” Bresie said. “I will unabashedly say in my classroom that Black lives matter because that is not a political statement.

That is a statement affirming the value of Black lives.”

Junior Ashton Higgins says Greenhill’s liberal reputation among Dallas private schools means political discussions in class tend to lean to the left, regardless of the teacher’s intent.

“

So much of the world and life has been politicized. Things that shouldn’t be political now are.”

“For the most part, I feel like teachers keep their views to themselves,” Higgins said. “I think it’s hard sometimes with a school that’s very overwhelmingly liberal. I think the conversations usually just kind of go that way regardless.”

However, some students believe that they get a glimpse of their teachers’ biases occasionally, according to senior Shreya Saxena.

“I’ve only had a handful of teachers hint at who they support politically,” Saxena said. “However, students are typically able to determine which party they lean toward based on how they carry themselves and the opinions they defend during class.”

Saxena says that class material can create a biased environment, specifically with liberal teachers.

“A lot of the resources that teachers provide or the questions posed in assignments reflect the left-leaning basis of Greenhill,” Saxena said. “This overall might hinder the broader perspective and diversity of ideas that students initially came to Greenhill for.”

Teachers in other departments tend not to involve politics in class discussions. In the science department, politics are rarely brought up, according to Chemistry and AP Environmental Science teacher Mike Krueger.

Some sciences, however, have become increasingly partisan and politicized, especially environmental science on the issue of climate change.

“Studying the environment does have a pretty political component to it,” Krueger said. “It will start to get a little political when we start talking about global changes, and maybe the politics of anthropogenic climate change, and some other larger issues.”

Although politics are involved in his class, he doesn’t believe in sharing his own opinion on environmental policy. Despite being a sponsor of the Conservative Student Association, Krueger says he keeps his beliefs completely removed while he is teaching.

“I try not to invoke my opinion at all,”

Krueger said. “I don’t think students should really know my politics. I think they should walk away from class with both sides of an argument.”

Sophomore Ian Bock sees a difference in political discussions between departments.

“It really depends on the department and the teacher,” Bock said. “For math and science and fine arts, teachers really keep that out of the classroom, because it really doesn’t pertain to the class at all.”

However, in other departments, Bock has noticed that some teachers have unknowingly shared their biases.

“For history and English, it depends on the teacher,” Bock said. “Some do a good job of staying very neutral during discussions, but with others, it’s a little different. They show their biases, but not explicitly.”

According to Burke, history teachers collectively try to make the classroom a safe space when it comes to politics.

“While Greenhill may be known as the liberal private school in Dallas, we have a wide array of ideology and opinions,” Burke said. “I have to create a space where those voices feel comfortable talking.”

Politics are a tricky line to cross for many teachers in 2020, but at Greenhill their top priority is to make sure everyone feels heard, according to Bresie.

“I have a great deal of respect for students who voiced opinions that go against the grain,” Bresie said. “That is very difficult to do. I think there are more people who agree with them then would let on. It helps the people who don’t maybe necessarily feel comfortable sort of putting themselves out there.”

Special Report

All Our Voices

Marginalized communities at Greenhill share their perspectives on current social and political issues

Graphic by Katherine Li

Isabel Martinez Features Editor

I

n a tumultuous year defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter protests and a contentious presidential election cycle, marginalized Greenhill students are adding their voices to those calling for a national reckoning on issues of race and justice across the political, social and economic spectrum.

Black, Latinx and Muslim Greenhill students say their communities are experiencing the worst effects of the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic and protests. They also say their communities are experiencing the worst effects of police brutality, systemic racism, and Islamophobia.

But these students, like their peers and community activists across the country seeking legal and societal changes, say they are looking to change attitudes and policies within the Greenhill community.

COVID-19 Pandemic As October draws to a close, the United States has been ravaged by more than 8.5 million COVID-19 cases and nearly 230,000 deaths. Statistics show that minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic—a fact that concerns Greenhill students in the hardest hit groups.

“COVID-19 is just a virus and people say that a virus can’t discriminate,” senior Clarissa Smith said. “But Black people have more underlying health conditions than white people, so when the virus came, it hit us harder.”

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black people are over two times as likely to die from COVID-19 as white people.

Members of minority communities are also more likely to hold jobs that put them at the greatest risk of exposure, and many of these people lack health insurance or struggle to bear the cost of personal protective equipment.

“Many people where I live, and even my family sometimes, don’t have the means to look after themselves healthcare-wise,” said junior Alondra Valdez, co-leader of the Latinx Student Union.

The economic pain has been deeper and more personal for Valdez’s family.

“My family suffered a lot economically because both my parents lost their jobs,” Valdez said. “It’s predominantly minorities who are working in places like grocery stores and restaurants, so they either lose their jobs or at a bigger health risk.”

Last April, as the U.S. economy went into a freefall as a result of the pandemic, about 1 in every 5 Latina workers lost their jobs. The unemployment rate of Latinx people soared to 18.9%, compared to the 14.2% unemployment rate of white workers, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C. Because both parents lost their jobs, her family struggled in the first few months of the pandemic, Valdez said.

Smith says the issues many faced depend on where they live. Smith and her family, for example, live in suburban DeSoto, which has experienced one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in Dallas County.

Smith theorizes that her community has been hard hit because of a lack of credible information and lax enforcement of health and safety protocols.

2020 Election Even amid the pandemic, the Nov. 3 presidential election and contests for other federal and state offices have put many Americans—and many members of the Greenhill community—on edge.

Smith sees the election as a barometer of American attitudes on race and the debate over systemic racism.

“If Biden loses, I think everybody is going to be impacted,” Smith said. “It will get worse for the Black community because Trump would be in power. We are at a revolution point in our country for racial equality, and if Trump stays in power all the rioting is only going to get worse and nothing good will come out of it.”

President Trump’s administration has expressed very charged views on immigration, students said. According to sophomore Madison Rojas, co-leader of the Latinx affinity group, her community will be greatly impacted if Trump is reelected.

“Lots of anti-immigrant sentiment is [aimed] toward the Latino community,” Rojas said. “The result of this election will establish whether or not the United States considers people of different backgrounds part of their community. The Latino

community will feel much more ostracized if Trump is reelected.”

But no community is monolithic, and that’s true about Latinos: In a Pew Research Center poll just days before the 2016 presidential election, 58% of Latino voters surveyed said they would vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton, while 19% said they would vote for Trump. Subsequent exit-poll data from the National Election Pool found that 66% of Latino voters supported Clinton while Trump won 28% of the Latino vote.

Polling in the 2020 campaign shows Trump’s support among Latino voters holding steady around the same levels, with his support much higher among Latino men than women.

Sophia Mohamed, co-leader of Greenhill’s Muslim Student Association, says the election won’t cure America’s racial ills. Racism and violence against minorities, especially Black people, will still be widespread under any administration, she said.

“This is a problem,” Mohamed said.

“Even if Biden supports the Black Lives Matter movement more than Trump does, neither candidate will stop the violence that wrecks the lives of Black people and minorities.”

Black Lives Matter Earlier this year, the Black Lives Matter movement made headlines with protests around the globe drawing more than 10 million participants. The movement’s mass actions against police brutality and systemic racism were galvanized on May 25 when a 46-year-old Black man named George Floyd died during an arrest after a Minneapolis police officer kept him pinned to the ground for more than eight minutes.

The Black Lives Matter movement has focused its protests this year on high-profile cases like the death of George Floyd and a 26-year-old Black woman named Breonna Taylor, who was shot to death during a police raid in Louisville, Kentucky.

Many Greenhill students have embraced the movement’s goals: justice for victims of race-related killings, the end of police brutality and the elimination of systemic racism, Smith said.

“I think the current administration is actually working against the Black Lives Matter movement,” Smith said. “As we’ve seen with all the protesters who are getting

arrested, I think that our government is actually making it worse.”

Mohamed also says she sees the Black Lives Matter movement as a driving force for social change, at a time when her community is exposed to ongoing violence.

“Trump being president is only detrimental to me, as I am a Black and Muslim woman,” Mohamed said. “I’m not a hijabi”—a woman who wears a traditional Muslim head-covering—“but someone in my neighborhood was actually just killed for being a hijabi.”

”A Voice at Every Table” Greenhill students have found ways to channel their passion for change in this year of challenge and upheaval.

In the summer, Smith, along with juniors Ari Appel and Lily McArdle, organized a Black Lives Matter protest in which students gathered on campus and marched to a nearby intersection holding signs and chanting.

“Greenhill supported us when we did the protest,” Smith said. “That was something I was not completely expecting.

I am grateful for that.”

Other activities have been geared to the Nov. 3 election. Student Body President Noah Grimsley partnered with Middle School history teacher Peggy Turlington to send out an email to the class of 2021 offering instructions on how to vote.

But some students say that Greenhill hasn’t done enough to spread awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement and information on the election.

“I believe that there are some faculty and staff members at Greenhill who really do care about us and want to see minorities thrive,” Valdez said. “But there are other people whose efforts don’t seem very genuine.”

Rojas says she would like to see Greenhill incorporate the election and Black Lives Matter movement into the curriculum.

“I think one of the most important things we can do is help people realize they deserve to have a voice at every table that makes decisions that impact their lives,” Rojas said. “Whether that is supporting the BLM movement, or helping people get registered to vote, everyone deserves the right to be fairly represented.”

Everg Ever the

10

A POLARIZING PRESIDENTIAL

Students debate the meaning o !"#$%#&'()*+",)-.)/ When he first joined, Enrico said that many students would come to meetings with the sole purpose of mocking and laughing at club members.

In an effort to protect Conservative Student Association members from this type of bullying, the group has made it an option for members to remain anonymous.

Enrico says that he is unapologetic about his conservative beliefs, which is why he chose not to stay anonymous as a club member.

“I understand why many conservatives at Greenhill would choose to stay anonymous,” Enrico said. “But the fact that students have to stay anonymous to protect themselves for coming together over a common group of ideals is really sad.”

While Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester agrees that conservative voices are considered a minority belief at Greenhill, he also believes that students are capable of creating healthy dialogue on politics.

“Greenhill is a predominantly liberal community, and that has unfortunately led to some conservatives feeling alienated,” Worcester said. “But at the end of the day, I believe that we are all one community and I have faith that students will be able to set aside their political beliefs.”

Students of Color After months of national protests on police brutality and systemic racism, many students of color are faced with the dilemma of who should lead America in confronting issues on racial equality.

“This isn’t new to us,” senior Kristal Crockett-Rodgers said, referring to the recent killings of George Floyd and other Black citizens killed in encounters with white police officers. “A president is expected to exhibit a certain level of class, respect, and empathy. Donald Trump has shown none of that to the Black community.”

This sentiment is also shared among other students of color.

Rojas, a Mexican-American and co-president of the Latinx Student Association, says that “Trump’s continuous usage of fear-mongering rhetoric” is why she plans on supporting former Vice President Joe Biden.

To Rojas, the most notable example took place four years ago, when Trump launched his campaign with a controversial speech about the need for stronger enforcement of immigration laws.

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” then-candidate Trump said.

“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”

Rojas says the effect of Trump’s words is to polarize Americans and stoke a backlash directed at migrants.

“He’s just incapable of being president,” said Rojas.

Crockett-Rodgers, a selfdescribed progressive, agrees with Rojas. As a Black voter, Trump’s lack of character and what she describes

as an unwillingness to condemn white supremacy is why she plans to vote for Biden, Crockett-Rodgers said.

“I believe that if Trump wins again, a lot of students will be very disappointed and hurt,” CrockettRodgers said. “Greenhill is such a diverse community and Trump has offended so many groups of people, many that students identify with.”

This is a common theme among students of color.

“I cannot comfortably support a candidate whose platform is rooted in ethnocentrism and bigotry,” senior Josh Flowers said.

Senior Clarissa Smith shares those views.

“His character impacts too many lives,” Smith said. “He constantly focuses on monetary value rather than the lives of American people.”

Demarcus Powell, debate coach and faculty sponsor of the Black Student Union, says that although attacks on minority groups occurred in the United States long before the Trump administration, these attacks have become more socially acceptable in recent years.

“Black students on campus feel the impact of these words, day-today as they go about their lives,” Powell said.

Crockett-Rodgers says that people should think about others when they vote, regardless of their political beliefs.

“You don’t have to identify a certain way to empathize with or recognize the struggles of marginalized groups,” CrockettRodgers said. “We should all want better for America and the only way we have a chance of that is if people get informed and go vote. Be the change you want to see.”

A Shift in Culture Although the time surrounding a presidential election is always uncertain, many on campus feel tension and anxiety are exponentially high as this year’s election approaches.

“For the past four years I’ve watched the president spew hateful speech, attempt to strip people of their rights, deny science and so much more,” Flowers said. “I think that is why our nation is in such a state of anxiety right now.”

Faculty members have seen this shift in culture as well.

“Unlike previous elections that, as a faculty member, I have witnessed over the years, people have more at stake than it had been previously,” Worcester said.

In the classroom, some teachers are noticing that their students are becoming more vocal on discussions of politics and current events.

“I feel my students are more politically charged than ever and want to understand their own ideology and that of those around them,” Upper School history and government teacher Genie Burke said.

Rojas agrees with Burke that many students are becoming more knowledgeable and passionate.

“Democracy is literally at stake,” Rojas said.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020

11

ELECTION GRIPS GREENHILL

of four years of Donald Trump The anxiety that Rojas has about the election is attributed to its uncertainty—including the recent attacks on mail-in ballots by Trump and his campaign and the threat of federal court intervention in ballot disputes.

“I want to make sure we’re ready to handle the results, to help everyone come together,” Head of School Lee Hark said. “This election seems to be heading toward a zerosum end, all winners and losers. I hope Greenhill can rise above that.”

Election Anxiety As Nov. 3 approaches, election anxiety among Greenhill community members is taking many forms.

Many students, like sophomore Carcyn Coleman, are constantly checking polls.

“For other elections, I normally wouldn’t look at polls as much, but this year’s election is so important that I’m checking websites almost every day,” Coleman said. “It just feels different.”

Students across the political spectrum agree on one thing: The stakes of this election seem higher than previous elections they can remember.

Many left-leaning students at Greenhill believe that the path forward for America means getting Trump out of office.

“The thing that still drives me is that I genuinely think it is possible for the country to find the path of progress if Trump leaves,” senior Ava Markhovsky said.

But liberals aren’t the only ones energized at Greenhill. For conservatives like Enrico, this election is crucial, regardless of who

one voted for, because it will change the policy course of action for the next generation of Americans.

“I believe that this election is definitely different than others because there has been a bigger movement to go out and vote, especially for youth,” Enrico said.

And for Enrico, that gives him hope for a better future.

Classroom Politics The heightened polarization is making it difficult to discuss political issues on campus, which is exactly why student organizations such as Project Dialogue exist, said Timmons, the faculty sponsor.

He believes it is crucial that Greenhill does not shy away from discussing politics.

“The personal is the political,” Timmons said. “As a diverse community of learners, we must lean into discomfort. We cannot and should not yield to fragility in a discussion of our lived existence.

Real change, and exposing systemic problems in our community will be, and should be, uncomfortable.

Refusing to do so leaves current power structures intact.”

Greenhill, as a community, must recognize that people are personally affected by political issues, Timmons said.

“One of the things we [often say is] we don’t want to be too political,” Timmons said. “But, race is always political—it is the history of our country. [Race] has been political, will always be political, and if we say we can’t be too political, then you’re saying we can’t talk about an issue that is forefront to me.”

While Timmons believes that Greenhill should not be pushing any partisan agenda, he thinks that a true liberal arts education cannot exist without allowing for a diverse body of thought.

That sentiment is shared by other faculty members.

“Everything is political,” said Powell, the debate coach and faculty sponsor of the Black Student Union.

“The question is how do you navigate that in the classroom so you don’t make any group of students feel marginalized.”

Some conservative students want teachers to completely stay out of political discussions in the classrooms to minimize the possibility of marginalization.

“We need to use the Socratic method more, where every student has their own opinion and they back their own opinion up,” said sophomore Ian Bock, who identifies as a conservative.

Many teachers, like Upper School history and government teacher Scott Cotton, accept that polarization and controversy regarding how classroom discussions on politics should occur are bound to happen.

“America is a polarized society,” Cotton said. “In workplaces, in schools, around the country, there are people who have strong views.

Greenhill is no different from that.”

Looking to the Future In Texas and across the nation, more than 75 million Americans have already cast ballots in early voting.

“The seniors and I are pumped for the election,” Flowers said.

“Regardless of political ideology, I think we’re all just really excited to participate in our first presidential election.”

!

Everything is political.

The question is how do you navigate that in the classroom so you don’t make any group of students feel marginalized.”

Hark says that the excitement felt by students like Flowers is what keeps him hopeful that Greenhill will be able to come together as a community once the votes have been counted and the winners declared.

“The Greenhill Community is strong, and it will stay that way,” Hark said.

“Our values are clear, and our mission is clear. This is a community where people from all walks of life come together to work towards a common goal. Nomatter what happens in the election, I hope people in our community know they belong at Greenhill, and that they are valued and loved.”

Graphic by Sarah Luan

Arts

Campus Debaters Elevate Policy Disputes Above the Political Fray

Diane Lin

Elements of the presidential election are present in all three debate formats practiced by team members.

In the Lincoln-Douglas debate format, the contested resolution switches every two months. The September/October topic is “Resolved: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory.”

“Considering what this topic is about, we talk and research about the election a lot,” junior Lincoln-Douglas debater Varsha Gande said. “It’s kind of inevitable. The election is important. We debate about important things.”

In Policy debate, political topics are just as important. Although the topic is

Views Editor

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n the first U.S. presidential debate earlier this month, Donald Trump and Joe Biden stunned voters with a verbal food-fight variously scorned by commentators as a nightmare, a toddler’s temper tantrum and “frat bros dunking on each other.”

Around the same time, members of Greenhill’s debate team staged a campus demonstration in which the opposing sides skillfully argued both sides of the case to defund police.

The contrast between the TrumpBiden brawl and the debate team’s performance couldn’t have been clearer: One was a mudslinging mess, the other a clinic in rhetorical skill.

There is little that a presidential candidate can argue that a competitive high school debate student has not heard. Although not all debates are about politics, politics turns up in every form of debate that Greenhill teaches.

“

We wanted to model a beneficial discussion that promoted different points of views on a given subject. Both sides agreed police brutality is a problem, but disagreed on how to solve the issue at hand.”

“

What is happening in politics at any given moment in time is being debated about in many, many Policy debate rounds.

For example, there are debates about criminal justice reform.

An argument might be that the policy being debated in regard to criminal justice reform is going to influence how voters vote for the election, and that would either be good or bad.”

“If you think about how we learn politics formally in school, it’s just a semester class, like government,” said Cindi Timmons, Greenhill’s World Schools format debate coach. “But politics impacts all of our lives, every single day. And it shouldn’t be disembodied in just a class.

What debate does is allow you to think about it all the time.”

Due to the competitiveness of high school debate and the wide array of arguments and topics, debate students have to become well-informed on a wide variety of subjects, including politics. In terms of arguing controversial topics and discussing positions on policies, every season is election season for high school debaters.

The debate team has expanded its influence through Project Dialogue, a club at Greenhill that aims to promote civil discourse on campus by equipping students with the tools necessary to engage in effective dialogue and discussion.

Project Dialogue sponsored the recent mock debate on defunding the police in an effort to show what a serious discussion of a contemporary issue should look like, junior Aimee Stachowiak said.

“We wanted to model a beneficial discussion that promoted different points of views on a given subject,” Stachowiak said. “Both sides agreed police brutality is a problem, but disagreed on how to solve the issue at hand.”

The demonstration debate featured juniors Ashley Shan, Cameron Kettles, Caroline Greenstone, Aimee Stachowiak, Ashton Higgins and Jothi Gupta. The

Graphic by Sarah Luan

depth and breadth of the discussion only highlighted the contrast between the superficial arguments in the presidential debates and the detailed policies covered by the debate students.

“

If you think about how we learn politics formally in school, it’s just a semester class, like government. But politics impacts all of our lives, every single day.

And it shouldn’t be disembodied in just a class. What debate does is allow you to think about it all the time.”

“The goal is to make any side convincing to an average judge,” Kettles said.

“It’s to make an argument like defunding the police seem appealing to a conservative and an argument like regressive taxa-

tion appealing to a strong liberal.”

Debaters have to look beyond the surface arguments of whether or not an issue exists, Kettles said.

“Once you get the past the question of ‘are police systematically racist?’

—yes—then you can have a much more important conversation how you want to address that,” Kettles said. “Then you can analyze the merit of the policy without going into ‘is this a problem?’”

In the demo debate, the opposition— the side against defunding the police— brought up issues like vigilantes and whether the action of defunding would truly solve the issues that give rise to police brutality. Topics like shifting police funds to social workers and how different levels of police funding would negatively or positively affect marginalized communities were discussed in depth.

the same for the entire debate season, current political issues factor in every debate.

“What is happening in politics at any given moment in time is being debated about in many, many Policy debate rounds,” Director of Policy Debate Alexandria Chase said. “For example, there are debates about criminal justice reform.

An argument might be that the policy being debated in regard to criminal justice reform is going to influence how voters vote for the election, and that would either be good or bad.”

In the World Schools format, the motions being debated change every round.

Like the other formats, not every argument is about politics, but politics is everpresent in the competitions.

“Motions can be about anything anywhere,” Timmons said. “But we have political motions every single tournament.”

Among the World Schools motions drawn from the current political season are ones about increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, real-time factchecking during presidential debates and a requirement that presidential candidates release their income tax returns.

None of the debate formats asks student debaters to actually take the side of the Biden or Trump campaigns. Instead, students debate about factors of the election, such as voting, or issues such as defunding the police or the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing in the production of oil and natural gas.

While many Americans will no doubt welcome the opportunity to mute some of the political noise after the Nov. 3 conclusion of 2020’s bitter campaign, Greenhill debaters will continue doing what they always do. And that means reading and researching the latest political coverage and mining congressional debates, presidential speeches and court rulings for new material.

Greenhill debate coaches stress to their students that there is a political component in nearly every subject. And for that reason, political season never ends for members of the debate team.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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Evergreen Ever

Arts

Social Justice at Center Stage

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Fall play shines a light on biases in the criminal justice system Emily Hu Staff Writer

Sophia Li Staff Writer

Pooja Sanghvi Staff Writer

I

njustice and wrongful conviction take center stage in a new original Greenhill theater production that will be performed and streamed this fall.

“Race, Fire, Children, and Wives: True Stories of Exonerations” is the saga of several individuals who were wrongfully convicted of crimes because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. The studentwritten play was set in motion when the theater department was unable to secure digital rights for the planned fall production, “The Exonerated,” an award-winning 2000 play that ran for over 600 performances and was adapted as a 2005 film.

Rather than settle for an upbeat Broadway staple for which they could get digital rights, theater students decided to create their own play that speaks to current events.

“After the spring and the summer that we’ve had, we did not feel that it was time to do a fluff piece,” Upper School theater director Valerie Hauss-Smith said. “Our justice system needs a serious overhaul in terms of racial injustice and in terms applying the law because the line is really thin between being innocent and being found guilty.”

“

I think for me it’s always important to understand that our justice system is a work in progress.

We’re never at the finish line, so it’s about making sure we are improving it and always moving forward.”

With growing national and local awareness surrounding racial inequality, theater faculty and students decided to turn a spotlight on “exonerees,” as those exonerated of crimes for which they had been previously convicted are known. The topic was chosen to bring attention to the concept of bias within the justice system, which has disproportionately targeted people of color in American society. “[The] justice system should be about justice,” said junior Ilanna Feldman, a cast member in the new production. “In reality, it’s not really about justice in the end.”

For the past few weeks, the cast and crew of the fall production have been writing a new script from scratch. Given the obstacles that have arisen due to the pandemic, there were major changes to the physical elements of the play that had to be considered. To ensure and maintain the safety of everyone, students are to film their segments on stage in socially distanced groups.

Although the students will not wear a mask when recording, the camera crew will wear masks and stay more than twelve feet away.

Exploring this topic in a deeper way has had impacts on the lives of both theater students and faculty.

“

After the spring and the summer that we’ve had, we did not feel that it was time to do a fluff piece. Our justice system needs a serious overhaul in terms of racial injustice and in terms applying the law because the line is really thin between being innocent and being found guilty.”

“A lot of the kids in the cast have realized that exonerees and being wrongfully convicted is something we don’t talk about very often,” Feldman said. “It’s like these people have their whole lives thrown away and it’s not even their fault.”

Junior Prisha Gupta says the cast and crew were excited to embrace the challenge of creating their own script. They’ve worked to represent the exonerees and their stories in a sensitive, respectful way, Gupta said Gupta and her group are telling the story of Hamid Hayat, a South Asian man, who was wrongfully accused of terrorism after the 9/11 attacks.

“A lot of people have an innate trust in the government and judicial system, because that’s how we were brought up to think and that’s what the media tells us,” Gupta said.

For many students, this new approach to a heavier topic took some adjustment.

However, while working on the production, many realized the impact of a wrongful conviction on a person’s life and what it means for all of those around them.

“I think that wrongful convictions are just all part of a larger problem,” freshman crew member Serena Martin said. “Spotlighting this one issue, even if only one per-

Photo illustration courtesy of Valerie Hauss-Smith

POLITICS IN THE THEATER: Theater students wrote their own play for the fall production, spotlighting the flaws and biases within the nation’s criminal justice system.

son talks about it, is still absolutely worth it to get a conversation going and get people thinking about the world in which we live in.”

The production examines a subject that is familiar to many Americans on some level, but the issue of wrongful conviction has historically resonated most deeply in marginalized communities.

“As a white person in America, I feel that I could have a problem with the law,

Photo courtesy of Valerie Hauss-Smith

STARTING FROM SCRATCH: Difficulties in securing digital rights to the planned fall play led theater faculty and students to write their own creation. Now, they are overcoming pandemic restrictions to perform and film the play for December screening.

and I could explain myself,” Hauss-Smith said. “If somehow there was a crime that was committed and I was one of the people under suspicion, I feel that I could walk in there and tell my truth and they’d probably believe me.”

Exonerees encompass a diverse group of people, symbolizing that people of all races, religions, ethnicities, sexualities and genders have been affected by the justice system.

“I can’t imagine living through what these people have lived through,” Upper School technical theater director Will Turbyne said, “Many of them come out with a sense of forgiveness that I’m not sure I would have. [It] is a testament of how great people can be. The reasons why they’re in that situation is also a testament to how bad people can be.”

Wrongful convictions encompass a broad range of crimes, from misdemeanors to murders. The common thread, as the theater faculty and students have discovered and are highlighting in their work, is that lives can be irreparably damaged by failures within the American system of justice.

“I think for me it’s always important to understand that our justice system is a work in progress,” Turbyne said. “We’re never at the finish line, so it’s about making sure we are improving it and always moving forward.”

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Arts

Ever Evergreen Free-flowing Creativity the

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Students pursue their passions and push boundaries in AP Art class Saara Bidiwala Staff Writer

Emma Nguyen Staff Writer

T

he pieces which senior Victoria Le crafts for her art portfolio are made of a myriad of materials. Ranging from tulle to denim, everything Le can make from these materials with her hands, she does. Choose any one of her pieces, and it’ll be sure to reveal the details in both the fabric she picks out and the effort put into constructing articles of clothing.

To Le, this work is done in pursuit of the best art portfolio possible. Advanced Placement (AP) 3D Art, she said, gives her the freedom to pursue whatever she wants and to transform her art into more than an article of clothing.

“The lack of structure lets my creativity run free,” Le said.

True to her word, the pieces Le produces are incredibly detailed. Her fashion Instagram account is filled with countless photos of the fruits of her labors: meticulously sewn dresses and altered jeans, all laid out in neat, squared photos.

Le is one of only nine students who takes Upper School arts teacher Paige Furr’s AP 3D Art class. Similar to its 2D counterpart, only those who have fulfilled its prerequisites are enrolled in the course, Furr said.

The courses are structured for the students to work toward their sustained investigation: artwork that focuses on a concept or principles of design tied in with a method of working.

“I’m mainly their coach—I help them with the techniques, materials, and process,” Furr said. “We work as a group to tighten up our pieces when we do our critiques.”

She added that the freeform structure and the group critiques build an environment which fosters creativity. The course requires dedication, time and effort, but the result is worth it. It allows for students to submit their work to the College Board and have the opportunity to receive college credit in a studio art class.

The classes test students’ abilities to work with different media and to masterfully create artwork that conveys students’ identities as artists, according to junior Ella Dzialowski. The creativity, she said, has to come from themselves, which personalizes the experience.

“It’s not necessarily the teacher just saying, ‘Ok, make

this’, and then you do it,” Dzialowski said. “You get to figure out what you want to do.”

Her sustained investigation, involving simple materials during its first stages, sets up a more complex project for her portfolio.

“I’m making an old-fashioned plane where the propeller at the front turns,” Dzialowski said. “I’m starting pretty simple with only the [propeller] moving [so] that as I go on I can progress and get more advanced with how I make it move.”

Besides the AP 3D Art class, Greenhill also offers an AP 2D Art class, taught by Upper School arts teacher Lesley Rucker. As an instructor, Rucker said she challenges students to step out of their comfort zone and build on techniques they learn in class.

The course is designed to push students to develop critical thinking skills and create strong visual narratives within their compositions.

“This conceptually based approach allows students to continue to hone their skills while finding their artistic voice,” Rucker said in an email interview. “[A student’s portfolio] is a very individual endeavor.”

Senior Hannah Fox says the freedom-based structure of the class coupled with the challenge to expand their art media gives her ample time to work on her passion. Given the small size of their class, they have much more room to work.

“I’ve been working on this large Egyptian-style scarab beetle,” Fox said. “On top it has the sun and below it has the moon. It has eagle wings because it’s supposed to represent the Egyptian sun god Ra.” The piece is large, Fox added, but it’s still within the confines of her space and the artist statement—a formal written description of the planned work—which she drafted at the beginning of the year. Her artist statement, which concerns bugs, is the only constraint on her portfolio. After fulfilling that requirement, she can take her next portfolio piece wherever she wants.

“With the AP portfolio, you have to showcase a lot of variety, because it’s an investigation,” Fox said.

The other student in the class, senior Dulany Bloom, agrees that the freedom is beneficial. So long as the medium is in 2D and demonstrates their artistic voice, AP 2D Art allows it. As a result, students can explore different media, which the resources of the class are able to support.

Photo courtesy of Victoria Le

PUSHING THE LIMITS: AP 3D Art student Victoria Le unleashes her creativity and talent through fashion design.

One of Bloom’s favorite art forms is a photograph with a painting or drawing over it. Her current work, titled “Family Tree,” is composed of a cyanotype, which causes the photo to adopt a blue tone, with graceful figures of trees painted over.

Bloom’s creation draws inspiration from nature.

“I chose nature as the main part of my artist statement because I have always felt connected to my natural surroundings,” Bloom said.

Perhaps the most meaningful part of these classes is the sense of freedom and fulfillment that the artists carry with them outside the studio, students said.

Le said her art adds color to her life, while Fox finds peace in her creations.

“Whenever I’m having a really tough week, it’s nice to sit down and start drawing,” Fox said. “In a way, it’s like venting.

It has the same emotional relief, but it’s on paper.”

Staff writers Kaden Alibhai, Josie Arbuckle, Emily Quinn and Stephanie Rojas also contributed to this story.

Sports

Greenhill Athletics Remain Largely Untouched By Pro Sports Political and Social Activism

Photos courtesy of Sam Rubin/Yale Athletics and Kati Gibson

ATHLETES FIND THEIR VOICE: Greenhill alumna Ellen Margaret Andrews ’17, left, sees social media as facilitating sports activism. Senior Kati Gibson, right, reads “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You,” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, as part of the varsity girls basketball team’s preparation for their season.

Lane Herbert Executive Editor Sumana Kethu Chief Section Editor

P

olitical activism is sweeping American sports in the countdown to the Nov. 3 election.

At the forefront of the movement are sports teams like the Atlanta Hawks, players like LeBron James and coaches like Lloyd Pierce. In response to controversial police killings and the presidential election campaign, players and coaches alike in the National Basketball Association (NBA) are speaking out and using their platform to influence public opinion and force desired change.

Athletes and coaches have banded together to highlight the Black Lives Matter movement and other causes.

After the Aug. 23 shooting of a 29-year-old Black man named Jacob Blake, less than 40 miles from their home court, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the floor for an NBA playoff game against the Orlando Magic.

The National Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA) postponed their season in order to continue the momentum of the racial justice movement and express their support.

The NBA, while in the forefront, is not the only sports league making a statement.

Political activism has swept across Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball and the professional tennis tours.

Marquee players like James have used post-game interviews, their presence on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook and nationally televised games to extend the reach of the movements they support.

“Two years ago, you think you would have been interviewing NBA people about racism and racial equality and to be able to say it openly and confidently and to put ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the court?”

Atlanta Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

“Those things were impossible in any sport two years ago because of the difficulty to confront racism and racial equality. The necessary side of having these conversations has at least gotten us to this point.”

Even though the history of sports activism is long and storied, the responses to activism have historically been characterized by a common response: stay in your lane.

“I believe there’s a notion that athletes are supposed to be athletes and they’re paid to do a job and go home,” Director of Sports Performance Jessen Houston said.

“We’re all humans, and inalienable human

rights should always be at the forefront of everything we do, regardless of what our profession is. There are certain human rights that we all need to make sure that everyone in this country has the opportunity to exercise and everyone has the opportunity to see to fruition, without being harmed, isolated or discriminated against.”

People’s sense of failed government leadership on social justice issues has spurred a sense of urgency within movements.

“More and more Americans are less hopeful that the government can solve problems and that Washington D.C., can solve problems, so maybe athletes or entertainers or activists or teenage climate activists from Europe have to fill the gap from where politicians have failed,” varsity boys tennis coach and Upper School history teacher Scott Cotton said.

Recent efforts to advocate for political justice within sports, such as when the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem at the start of an NFL game in 2016, were met with immense public backlash.

Kaepernick started a nationwide movement to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

Kaepernick’s protest and the backlash it generated were painful and offensive to Houston on several levels: as a Black man who has witnessed racial injustice; as a Navy veteran; and as a diehard 49ers fan. Houston was appalled that Kaepernick faced such a harsh reaction from the NFL and fans for peacefully protesting police brutality and excessive force.

As Houston sees it, events have vindicated Kaepernick’s protests.

“Police brutality is still prevalent today,” Houston said. “When Kaep kneeled many people didn’t know nor cared to know. Now, multiple cases are at the forefront of our consciousness.”

Recently, more and more athletes are using their platform to protest. Greenhill alumna and Yale women’s basketball senior Ellen Margaret Andrews ’17 believes social media has contributed tremendously to the activism among athletes.

“I think social media has probably liberated a lot of people to use their voice more regularly and sort of connect their voices with the more general public,” Andrews said. “I think that’s one way that you are getting news and community engagement more often and easier than you would historically when it was sort of regulated or mediated through either television or even through newspapers in the earlier days.”

An athlete’s platform can change as they move from high school to college to

professional teams. Senior varsity baseball player Zachary Kennedy doesn’t believe it is necessary to talk about politics at a high school level. He feels the difference between high school athletes and professional athletes is their fan base, including their following on social media.

“I don’t think we really talk politics in [high school] sports, ever,” Kennedy said.

“It’s unnecessary. I go to sports, do my training, my workout or whatever and I go home. I don’t really need to bring up politics on the baseball field. If I brought it up, I don’t think they would really care. It’s just not a necessary thing to do.”

As athletes begin to participate in professional sports, the way they carry themselves and their image may also shift.

The public views adults and teenagers differently, so this transition can significantly impact an athlete’s actions.

“I think we all have a platform by which we need to take ownership in increasing the momentum of things that are important to us,” Houston said. “In a high school setting, that could get a little tricky, because of the levels of education, literacy, comfortableness and obviously the levels of maturity.”

At Greenhill, athletes and coaches have varying opinions on whether or not athletes are being prepared sufficiently for the new sports world where activism is becoming a reality.

Many students believe that Greenhill prepares them well for the potential of being politically active.

“

We’re all humans, and inalienable human rights should always be at the forefront of everything we do, regardless of what our profession is.

“I think the whole entire Greenhill community is very welcoming and they encourage thoughts and questions about a lot of different topics, regardless of how extreme they are,” senior varsity basketball player Kati Gibson said.

Coach Darryn Sandler is planning to read “Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendi with the varsity girls basketball team throughout their season. Sandler’s goal is to have open and honest discussions in hopes of educating coaches and athletes more about political and racial issues.

Some members of the team finished reading the book over the summer, “I mean, personally I thought it was a great book,” Gibson said. “I thought I learned a lot from it. I think that it gave me a newfound respect for others and kind of made me look at the world a little bit differently, as it’s happening now.”

Some coaches are still working to further incorporate political activism into Greenhill sports teams.

“I know that the core values of Greenhill stand strong in confirming and affirming Black Lives Matter and improvement of civil rights and improvement of voter registration and being against voter suppression,” Houston said. “I’m [planning on] connecting with the diversity, equity and inclusion department to collaborate on some ideas on how to [discuss political activism in sports teams].”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary focus of coaches has recently been to have a successful fall sports season while navigating numerous health guidelines and restrictions put in place for athletes.

Coaches have had difficulties allotting time during practices for discussing the recent political activism or ways for athletes to be advocates themselves.

“We’re so concerned about just getting back to playing,” Head of Athletics & Physical Education Jarrett Shine said. “I must say it’s heavy work for the kids to be able to try to get back to playing and think about social justice. I think the image is out there. It’s in their mind and they’re thinking about it. I think we can do more. There’s a lot of things I want to do to help our coaches really create a platform for student-athletes to talk about some of these things that need change in this country.”

The Nov. 3 election has not created a discernible difference in the way Greenhill athletes act around each other. From a coach’s standpoint, there has not been notable controversy regarding athletes’ opposing political viewpoints in sports teams. However, there have been a few instances of athletes discussing politics generally.

“At one of the practices we were talking about voting and who was able to vote,” Houston said. “That’s something that I’ve never seen at a Greenhill practice or sports performance session. That was a large step in the right direction, just based on what the professional athletes have been doing and keeping what’s important relevant in our daily consciousness.”

Although political activism is not the dominant topic of conversation among athletes, the Greenhill community generally encourages students to use their platform to advocate for what they believe in, according to Houston.

“Maybe these issues have gotten to a crisis moment where they can’t wait,” Cotton said. “Whether it’s climate, whether it’s Black Lives Matter, whether it’s gun control or the Women’s March. Maybe there’s a sense that movements form when you can no longer stand by and be silent.”

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16 Sports

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Mask Up, Game On

Numerous Safety Protocols Allow Fall Sports Teams to Compete

Photos courtesy of Ella Dzialowski and Sarah Luan

SPORTS IN FULL SWING: Greenhill cross country runners, left, warm up for their first meet of the season on Oct. 10. Runners wear masks unless they are actively competing and are expected to remain socially distanced from other schools. Girls volleyball opened its season on Oct. 15. Athletes remain masked for the entire game because it is an indoor sport.

Franks Avery Sports Editor Jack Trimmer Staff Writer

reenhill’s fall sports teams are competing against other DallasFort Worth area schools despite the cancellation of their official season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) canceled all fall contests on Aug. 21, but Greenhill athletics administrators and coaches created a plan for a gradual return to fall athletics without an eventual SPC tournament.

“We had to have a phase-in approach,” Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine said. “I think the coaches did a pretty good job of putting a safepractice plan in place in order to get kids the skill work they needed and the [Sports Performance Center] did a very good job of getting athletes physically ready.”

This phase-in approach included transitioning from outside to inside as health guidelines permitted and eventually resuming normal practice. In-person practices began outdoors under sociallydistanced conditions on Sept. 14, and teams were cleared for contact on Oct. 5.

line by school and masks were required unless an athlete was actively competing.

Teams were also socially distanced before and after the meet to prevent large groups from gathering.

“I thought it felt pretty safe,” said junior Ella Dzialowski. “There were some people from another school with parents and kids all together and not wearing masks, so that was a little uncomfortable.”

Unlike other sports that are not able to hold any tournaments or season-ending competitions, cross country is holding an SPC North Zone race to conclude the season with the top runners from each school in the division. All races this year have limited numbers of entries.

“I hope that [the coaches] will make it where everyone at least gets the chance to race a couple of times and they’ll switch out who’s racing so it’s not always the same people,” Dzialowski said.

Greenhill is not allowing spectators for any sports contest held on campus. Some cross country meets permit two spectators per athlete to attend.

“Since it’s cross country, it’s a lot easier to be spread out because it’s not all these people packed into the stands, so they were spread out along the course,” Dzialowski said.

Sports Performance

Volleyball

Greenhill’s Sports Performance Center has made many changes to adapt to the pandemic and operate safely.

“The major adjustments are limited capacity, social distancing, masks being required, limited pieces of equipment per athlete to reduce contact, entering and exiting through two different doors, preand post-workout sanitization of each area and equipment and hand sanitization for all athletes,” Sports Performance specialist Ramiro Mendez said.

COVID-19 has not blurred the Sports Performance Center’s vision of making teams stronger and more athletic. As of Oct. 5, students were permitted to lift weights with their team while supervised. When given time with athletes, coaches have been focusing on mobility rather than finding the maximum weight students can lift. “[With athletes] I focused on movement over maxes,” Mendez said.

“Being an efficient mover is more crucial to the success of an athlete than a onerepetition max on back squat.”

Both Sports Performance Center staff and students said they welcome the opportunity to be back in the weight room while prioritizing safety.

For the volleyball teams, the phasein approach began with practices outside, then practices in small groups, leading to practices inside on Sept. 29, and finally competition against other schools.

Players must stay masked for the whole match, even while on the court. Bags are required to be spaced out six feet apart in the gym, hand sanitizer is required before and after games and practices, and balls are sanitized daily or if a non-member of the team touches it.

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Cross Country Greenhill’s first athletic contest for any team was a cross country meet on Oct. 10.

Runners were sectioned off at the starting

“

“It’s a personal choice whether a player stays masked during a game or doesn’t play at all. Each family had to make a calculated decision, and Greenhill has given them several options to choose what is best for them.”

“It’s a little bit hard to adjust to wearing the mask because it gets humid inside and it sticks to your face, but we have all been getting used to that feeling,” said senior Kaylee Chien.

Teams wave to each other before matches to show sportsmanship, but social distancing is required among all players regardless of their team. Benches are spaced out and players are discouraged from getting close during team meetings.

This physical distance has also impacted athletes’ ability to bond and connect with their teams.

“It’s not as comfortable as getting in a huddle and putting your arms around each other, or when you’re hyped up and you just want to high five each other to celebrate,” Chien said. “When you’re close together, it’s very intimate and everyone feels really united, but if you’re so far apart and trying to do those pep talks, it just doesn’t feel the same.”

Since there was no summer training or pre-season, and the season started almost two months later than planned, players and coaches acknowledge that the skill level and team chemistry are not what they usually are.

“We didn’t get to start off with setting the standards and laying the foundation for the team over the summer, and even girls that I have been teammates with before, I haven’t played with in a year,” Chien said.

“The connection on the court is not the same. It’s a pretty weird feeling that we were just kind of thrown into the season, but everyone is trying their best.”

Field Hockey The field hockey team coordinated their schedules and procedures with the Episcopal School of Dallas and Hockaday to ensure athletes are as safe as possible during games, since field hockey is a contact sport.

Players are not required to wear masks while competing, but they are worn during practice and warm-up.

“It’s a personal choice whether a player stays masked during a game or doesn’t play at all,” head field hockey coach Brittany Johnson said. “Each family had to make a calculated decision, and Greenhill has given them several options to choose what is best for them.”

Maintaining social distance and organizing transportation for off-campus learners have been challenges for coaches.

“It’s overwhelming to make sure [the team] is socially distanced and six feet apart during practice,” Johnson said. “Then also balancing who is and isn’t on campus and who can and can’t get here. There are kids who can’t get a ride to practice and only went to four practices and then played in a game, which is just really hard.”

Football Sports and Sports Performance Center coaches agree that football has been affected the most by the pandemic, since it is more of a contact sport than any other.

To compensate, football coaches and Shine have coordinated a plan to make their season as safe as possible.

In past years, players would attend two practices a day from early in the summer until the beginning of the season.

COVID-19 stopped in-person summer practices for football and pushed back the start of the season.

“In past years we were definitely more prepared,” said varsity football player Max Rathbun, a junior. “This summer was hard for everyone to get their work in, and I feel like the result of that will show in the upcoming games we will have. Everyone is trying their best with what they have.”

The football team opened its season with a 43-0 loss to the Episcopal School of Dallas on Oct. 23, and they are scheduled to play St. Mark’s School of Texas on Nov. 6 and Fort Worth Country Day School on Nov. 13. Students will be wearing masks anytime their helmets are not on, and all equipment will be sanitized before and after games.

Safety Protocols Despite Greenhill’s safety protocols, some athletes are still choosing to optout of playing a fall sport. Some students have chosen to attend practices but are not competing, while others dropped out entirely for the season. If a student chooses not to participate in a team sport, they are still required to fulfill their yearlong sports requirement.

“If you can’t come to practices at all you actually can’t do [the sport], because practices are most of what we’re doing this season,” Dzialowski said. “There have only been a few people, but they had to switch into a [physical education] class to get their sports credit.”

Teams are also trying to honor their seniors, who did not anticipate having their final fall season during a global pandemic.

Senior Nights still exist for each sport, but with adjustments. Senior Night is an event where parents and fans can honor the team’s seniors by giving speeches and announcing their names before the game or during halftime. Volleyball’s Senior Night was outside the gym to allow parents to attend, and sports are holding the ceremony earlier in the season in case later games are canceled.

“Unfortunately for [the seniors], it’s just a very different season,” Johnson said.

“I think they’ve wholeheartedly embraced it, and I think they’ve realized that it may not be the same as what they envisioned or what other seniors had, but it’s very unique to them.”

Although numerous safety protocols and concerns have altered the fall season, Greenhill’s athletics program is taking advantage of the opportunity to compete, which was not guaranteed.

“We’re all making the best of what we have, and we’re all having a good time, too,” Chien said. “Even though the season is cut short and we didn’t have much of an opportunity to grow much as a team, this is a special season and I think everyone understands that, which has made our bond different from other seasons.”

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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17

Winter Sports Teams Begin Preseason Amid COVID-19 Payton Blalock, Emma Hoffman, Mateo Lanzillotta, Andrew Mann and Ravi Vasan Staff Writers

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hen the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) halted all fall sports contests in August, the outlook for winter sports appeared doubtful.

Due to COVID-19, SPC delayed the start of fall sports to prevent spread among players. Now, with some fall sports returning to games and meets in October, winter coaches are optimistic about the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Upper School seniors are trying to prepare for their last winter season during these unprecedented times.

“I wish I knew how the season was going to go, but it will be fun,” Jack Quinn, a senior basketball player, said. “I’m just hoping we can get some sense of normality out of the season.”

Boys Soccer Boys varsity head soccer coach Greg Krauss has decided that, in the face of a murky season, he plans to coach as if it was last year. Much is still unknown about the upcoming season.

“I have not been given any information about what may or may not be the case with protocols,” Krauss said in early October.

“I’ll make adjustments as I find out what protocols we will have to put in place.”

In an Oct. 22 email, Krauss announced that he was delaying the start of pre-season training to Monday, Nov. 2.

Sophomore Arman Najari, who played on the varsity team last year, said he is optimistic about the outlook for the season.

“From my experience from club soccer, everything seems to go smoothly,” Najari said.

Girls Soccer While much is still unknown about the winter soccer season, girls varsity coach Laura Flanagan is willing to follow any guidelines necessary to get her team back on the field.

Most of her players have already been playing on teams outside of school since the summer, and COVID-19 has not been a significant issue.

“I feel that both Greenhill and other schools are doing a very good job of making sure that kids who aren’t feeling well aren’t playing,” senior Abbi Kassanoff said.

It’s nearly impossible for players to distance or wear masks during game play, but Flanagan is open to coaching in a mask and having her players wear them to the field.

“I will do whatever the school needs me to do, and if they feel like it’s going to keep my players safer, then I’ll do it,” Flanagan said.

Boys Basketball Coach Joey Sims’s boys basketball squad got a late start because of the pandemic restrictions, but morning practices began on Monday, Oct. 26. The first varsity game is scheduled for Nov. 14.

“There’s a lot of precautions that we have to take that we haven’t done in years past,” Sims said. “Obviously the masks. It’s going to look different, and it’s going to be an adjustment period for everyone, but I think once we get comfortable with it, it will seem normal.”

Girls Basketball The upcoming winter season still has lots of uncertainties, but girls varsity head coach Darryn Sandler is ready to make the most of it, no matter what.

Graphic by Sarah Luan and Meredith Roberts

Figuring out how to practice inside while maintaining social distancing has been a struggle. Every step in practicing plays and other drills must be carefully executed to keep the health and well-being of the players the top priority, while still giving them a somewhat normal season, Sandler said.

“It’s a completely different team every year and our motivation is to just play to our potential, which is one of our goals this season,” Sandler said.

Senior Kati Gibson, who was on varsity last year, is ready for the season to start, even with newly implemented health guidelines.

“Even if we have to be cautious of how we play or maybe the games are shorter or we get tested before but I think we definitely have a shot at a season,” Gibson said.

Swimming Boys and girls varsity swimming coach Patti Monzingo has an optimistic view on the upcoming season.

Several protocols have been

implemented to ensure safety. Swimmers are now required to bring their equipment home with them to prevent sharing materials.

They must start drills on opposite ends of the pool in order to create more distance.

And they are no longer permitted to change after practice, team members said.

“Once I found out we were having a season, I informed Coach Shine that I was going to set up some protocols,” Monzingo said.

Preseason workouts are scheduled to begin Nov. 2, with official practices beginning on Nov. 16. The team’s first meet is scheduled for Dec. 2.

Senior Victoria Le is hopeful of a successful end to her Greenhill swimming career.

“It’s definitely sad that our senior year swim season will be so different and have no away meets or not as many traditions,” Le said. “But I know that everyone that is working behind the scenes is doing as much as they can to make the season seem ‘normal’.”

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Opinion: The Potential Negative Impacts of the Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Nikitha Thoduguli

Contributing Opinion Writer

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he death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Sept. 18 has sparked heated debate over the political propriety of filling a vacant seat on the highest court in the land only days before a presidential election.

Four years ago, when conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, pointed to the presidential election that loomed nine months in the future and declared, “Let’s let the American people decide.”

Now, with voting already underway, hypocritical Senate Republicans have trampled McConnell’s words in their race to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by President Trump less than a week after Ginsburg’s death.

The Republican actions underscore just how polarized and opportunistic our nation currently is.

During the first presidential debate, Trump attempted to justify Barrett’s nomination by saying that since Republicans have the Senate and the White House, they should be allowed to confirm a justice before the election. It’s a rationalization that McConnell and other Senate Republicans have repeatedly cited, although they didn’t mention it four years ago when they refused to give President Barack Obama’s nominee, Judge Merrick Garland, a hearing or a vote.

This demonstrates that the current administration will disregard precedents or conjure new ones solely in self-interest rather than in the interests of the American people.

Obama’s acknowledgment of the American people’s right to decide the outcome of decisions that ultimately affect them was not only more presidential, but also an act to preserve our democracy rather than laying siege to it.

The root cause of this problem has

not surfaced out of the blue. The current administration’s rush to fill the Supreme Court with more ideological conservatives is in part a response to the actions of past conservative nominees.

Some of those past conservatives, such as retired Justice Anthony Kennedy, drifted to the middle over time, sometimes acting as the swing vote in favor of more liberal rulings on abortion and gay marriage— much to the outrage of conservative activists and politicians.

To ensure more conservative rulings going forward, the Trump administration has been even more focused on past voting records. Conservatives haven’t concealed their delight over Barrett’s reliably conservative views and past rulings on such issues as the Affordable Care Act or the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that upheld abortion rights.

The Republican refusal to consider President Obama’s 2016 Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year has now been shattered by Barrett’s hasty confirmation even as voting was already underway.

With the Barrett confirmation battle now history, the question of her impact on American life takes center stage. Since Supreme Court justices are appointed to serve for a lifetime and Barrett is 48 years old, her confirmation cements the court’s conservative majority for decades to come.

The speculation will quickly be put to the test: On Nov. 10, only one week after the 2020 election is decided, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on California v.

Texas and Texas v. California, a case focused on whether the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that virtually every American obtain health insurance is constitutional and, if not, whether the rest of the Affordable Care Act can survive.

Despite Barrett’s efforts to avoid disclosing her personal beliefs during her confirmation hearings, her views on abortion are well known.

Barrett’s answers to questions from Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, about the precedent set by Roe v. Wade give credence to speculation that Barrett’s confirmation would lead to the overturning of the landmark decision that made it mandatory to allow abortions in all 50 states. Barrett told Senators that she believes that the Roe decision is not a “super-precedent” like Brown v. Board of Education that should be considered irreversible by the court.

The implications of Barrett’s declaration could be profound.

As of 2019, about two-thirds of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Barrett’s arbitrary designation of some precedents as ‘superprecedents’ and others as simple precedents is a position that threatens our democratic rights.

Her previous repudiation of Roe v.

Wade shows how politics is destroying the sanctity of the Supreme Court and its critical role in American society.

Republicans like to claim that Democrats would do the same in a similar situation, but that’s a hypothetical claim that is irrelevant. What is clear is that Republicans and now Justice Barrett will continue to legislate from the bench of the Supreme Court in an effort to deliberately thwart the will of the American people.

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Our Editorial Policy

The Evergreen is an independent, student-run newspaper serving the community of Greenhill School. It is printed six times during the school year. Print circulation is 1,000 copies. Past issues are archived at issuu.com/ghevergreen.

The Evergreen staff upholds a code of ethics that values honesty, integrity, accuracy and responsibility. Our mission is to help the local community interpret campus, local,

It is a privilege for an able person to decide not to vote.

When a person chooses to vote, whether in a local or national election, they’re endorsing specific policies. Whether that includes every single one of a candidate’s policies or only one, a vote is a vocalization of one’s views, at least as a preference between two options. If a person feels indifferent towards the policies and beliefs of the presidential candidates, that means that their lives won’t be heavily affected by a change in the office-holder.

“

No matter your political preferences, voting is a right and a responsibilty. To actively choose not to vote out of indifference is an apathetic act that undermines progress and change in our nation.”

For some members of the Greenhill community, it might not matter who the next president is. However, even if you won’t national and international events through articles and editorials written and edited by students.

The Evergreen welcomes letters and emails from readers. We reserve the right to edit submissions for accuracy, grammar and length. The Evergreen will not publish material that we judge to be libelous, obscene, invades privacy or constitutes hate speech.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

The Staff Editorial represents the opinion of The Evergreen staff, not necessarily that of Greenhill School.

Editors-in-Chief Leah Nutkis Raag Venkat

Executive Editor Lane Herbert

Managing Editors Cameron Kettles Sarah Luan

Chief Section Editor Sumana Kethu

News Editor Valerie Xu

Features Editors Isabel Martinez Nate Stitt

Arts Editor

Khushi Chhaya

Nikitha Thoduguli is a contributing opinion writer who covers current events such as COVID-19 and other political issues. She is currently a sophomore who spends her free time as a competitive debater and photographer.

Editorial: Make a Plan. Make a Difference. Vote. his upcoming election is arguably one of the most important elections in American history. Not only will its outcomes shape how the government responds to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it will also drastically affect the American public.

Many Greenhill seniors are able to vote for the first time this election season.

While this might seem like a rite of passage, it is important to remember that there are millions of Americans who do not have the same freedom.

Although rules vary by state, many that are under 18, not a US citizen, miss the registration deadline, have a felony conviction, are mentally incapacitated, or simply are not able to leave work to stand in long lines, are barred from casting a ballot on Nov. 3.

With the importance of making one’s voice heard through a vote coupled with the stakes of this presidential election, it is imperative that every single person that is able to vote does, regardless of who they choose.

the Ever Evergreen staff

personally be affected by most polices you can vote on, your vote is still very important.

Even if issues like religious freedoms, bodily autonomy, economic support, social services, the Green New Deal, or gun control won’t make a major difference in your life, they will still drastically change the lives of millions of other people. A vote shows endorsement, but that endorsement does not necessarily have to directly impact the voter. Instead, that vote is used as a means to help support a group whose livelihood depends on this election. If you can vote, vote for those that can’t but need to be protected nonetheless and need leaders that care about them.

No matter your political preferences, voting is a right and a responsibility. To actively choose not to vote out of indifference is an apathetic act that undermines progress and change in our nation.

To the Greenhill community, especially those who are able to vote in this upcoming election, we urge you: go out and vote.

Sports Editor Avery Franks

Views Editor Diane Lin

Backpage Editor Chloe Wetzler

Staff Writers Emma Nguyen Saara Bidiwala

Adviser

Gregg Jones

Assistant Adviser Amy Bresie

Have a response?

Opinion?

Original Idea?

Email the Editors-in-chief nutkisl21@greenhill.org venkatr21@greenhill.org

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We pledge to correct our errors. To request a correction or clarification, please email Gregg Jones:

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Rants

&

Views

19

Raves

RAVE to everyone helping others vote. From student

RANT to the presidential election. Democracy and all that

RAVENT to homework suddenly being due at 10 p.m. I

RANT to Microsoft Teams absolutely decimating my laptop and my Wi-Fi. My fan is loud and overworked. The audio cuts out every five minutes. The camera randomly freezes and there are consistent waves across whiteboards. I consider it a miracle if I get through any class without any technical difficulties.

RAVENT to Twitter and its seemingly never-ending

RAVE to healthcare workers. We can’t really thank

RAVENT to lunches. On one hand, I’ve been told that

RAVE to the weather these days. Knowing my luck, the day

poll workers to teachers who are helping to get students registered to vote, every contribution to getting people to vote is important. This is one of the most important elections of our lives, people. If you can, get out there and vote. If you can’t, encourage those who can.

as a general statement lunch has been pretty good for those of us in person. On the other hand, the vegetarian options are not it. For those of us online, we’re either eating spectacular homecooked meals, Kraft Mac & Cheese or nothing at all.

aside, the presidential election season is a stressful time for everyone—no matter what your political party is. Even worse, this year’s election is insanely important, but it indisputably gives off chaotic evil energy.

political sphere. Being informed about current events that impact our lives is important, but I also don’t have the energy or willpower to worry about the politics of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings while trying to prep for a PSAT at the same time. If someone could just tell me that everything is gonna be alright, that would be great.

that this is published it’s going to be rainy and miserable, but as of right now we are in that rare and brief autumn weather that gives us blue skies and cool winds and crisp air.

get the idea being that if homework is due at 10, we can go to bed early or something like that, but that’s unrealistic.

People have loads of extracurriculars and some of us get home at 10. Also—listen, teenagers sleep late anyway. I haven’t gone to bed at 10 for well over four years now. Make my homework due at midnight again!

healthcare workers enough in general, but in the middle of a pandemic, their jobs become infinitely more dangerous but necessary. Thanks for doing what you can to keep us healthy and safe!

RANT to Upper School students not getting emails that

concern us. I said it last issue and I will continue to say it until we get the emails our parents do. We’re old enough to handle emails. In fact, we’d probably handle emails that concern us more efficiently than our parents who are also balancing a whole job. Include us when you send emails to “Greenhill families.” Our families probably wouldn’t even be Greenhill families without us.

How to Be Successful in AP Government Lane Herbert Executive Editor

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n light of the election underway, one of the most popular Advanced Placement (AP) courses at Greenhill—AP U.S. Government—has garnered a whole new level of real-world relevancy.

In previous years, AP U.S. Government has been offered in the second two trimesters of the academic school year. Since the switch to the semester schedule, AP U.S. Government is now offered to upperclassmen as a semesterlong history credit. This year, AP U.S. Government is available during the first semester in an effort to enrich the curriculum with discussions and lessons surrounding the 2020 election.

As part of our “How to Be Successful in…” series, we’ve asked some AP U.S. Government alums and current students a series of questions. Here is some of what we learned: What is the summer assignment for AP U.S. Government? What are your recommendations for doing it?

“The summer assignment was reading one book— ‘Why We’re Polarized’ by Ezra Klein. I would recommend reading it twice, once early in the summer, and then later in

the summer, because it’s a lot to digest and understand.” — Pranav Mukund ’22 Any study tips for making sure that you retain all of the information in time for the test?

“The study tip that helped me the most during AP Gov. was Khan Academy. They have tons of multiple-choice questions that are just like the ones on the AP.” — Georgia Sasso ’21 How important are the seminars? What prepared you best for them?

“I think they are very important. I would say the best way to prepare is gather all of your materials you could need and plan out your answers ahead of time. Planning out your answers helps the seminar run smoothly.” — Abbi Kassanoff ’21 How are the tests in terms of time, difficulty, and overall content?

“There are five units in the AP Gov curriculum, and the units vary in size and scope. That means the content covered per unit varies. The tests are generally around an hour and have a multiple-choice section and a free response question.

This is the format, although quite a bit longer, that the AP Exam follows.” – Genie Burke, AP U.S. Government teacher What should you have a solid foundation in going into the class?

“It is important that the students coming into AP Government have a solid foundation of American history and an interest in current events. A lot of students report that they knew how the government works on a surface level, but they felt charged as an informed citizen after the class.

Getting a good score on the AP exam is great, but nothing is more valuable than young adults being armed with how they can participate and have a voice in government.” — Genie Burke, AP U.S. Government teacher How did you prepare for the College Boardadministered exam? How well did the academic course prepare you for the test?

“I did questions on my AP Classroom, reviewed all my past tests and reviewed Supreme Court cases. I also wrote down important information to know from each unit. The tests definitely prepared me for the exam, both in terms of timing and material.” — Abbi Kassanoff ‘21 How much of the class covered current events such as elections and SCOTUS cases? Did covering current events help you better understand the class?

“There was a significant amount of current events covered in class, which definitely made me more knowledgeable about the world and how the government works in action.” — Georgia Sasso ’21

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Evergreen Ever the

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE RECAP

On Oct. 22, President Donald Trump faced off against Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. NBC’s Kristen Welker was the sole moderator, serving as the second Black woman to fulfill that role. Below are selected questions and answers from the debate.

BIDEN TRUMP

MODERATOR: How would you lead the country out of this [COVID-19] crisis?

BIDEN: “What I would do is make sure we have everyone encouraged to wear a mask, all the time. I would make sure we move in the direction of rapid testing, investing in rapid testing. I would make sure that we set up national standards as to how to open up schools and open up businesses so they can be safe, and give them the wherewithal and financial resources to be able to do that.”

MODERATOR: How would you lead the country during this next stage of the coronavirus crisis?

TRUMP: “We have a vaccine that’s coming. It’s ready. It’s going to be announced within weeks, and it’s going to be delivered. We have Operation Warp Speed, which is the military, is going to distribute the vaccine.”

“I want to open up the schools. We have to open our country.”

MODERATOR: Russia and Iran are working to influence this election. Both countries have obtained U.S voter registration information, these officials say, and Iran sent intimidating messages to Florida voters… What would you do to put an end to this threat?

MODERATOR: For two elections in a row now, there has been substantial interference from from foreign adversaries. What would you do in your next term to put an end to this?

BIDEN: “I made it clear that any country, no matter who it is, that interferes in American elections will pay a price. They will pay a price if I’m elected. They’re interfering with American sovereignty.”

In his response to this question, Trump focused primarily on Joe Biden allegedly getting money from the Russian government. He did not specifically detail how he would prevent election interference. He did, however, say he has been tough on Russia.

MODERATOR: Your healthcare plan calls for building on Obamacare.

What is your plan if the law is ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court?

BIDEN: “What I’m going to do is pass Obamacare with a public option—become Bidencare. Public option is an option that says… if you qualify for Medicaid and you do not have the wherewithal in your state to get Medicaid, you automatically are enrolled.”

“We’re going to make sure we reduce the premiums and reduce drug prices by making sure that there’s competition that doesn’t exist now by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices with the insurance companies.”

“Not one single person with private insurance would lose their insurance under my plan, nor did they under Obamacare. They did not lose their insurance, unless they chose they wanted to go to something else.”

“I think health care is not a privilege, it’s a right. Everyone should have the right to have affordable health care.”

MODERATOR: I want to talk about the way Black and Brown Americans experience race in this country. Part of that experience is something called “the talk...” Parents who feel they have no choice but to prepare their children for the chance that they could be targeted, including by the police, for no reason other than the color of their skin. I want you to speak directly to these families. Do you understand why these parents fear for their children?

BIDEN: “I do. The fact of the matter is there is institutional racism in America. We have to provide for economic opportunity, better education, better healthcare, better access to schooling, better access to opportunity to borrow money to start businesses, all the things we can do.”

MODERATOR: How would you combat climate change and support job growth at the same time?

BIDEN: “[My plan] will create millions of new, good-paying jobs. We’re going to invest in 50,000 charging stations on our highways so that [the United States] can own the electric car market in the future.”

“We’re going to take 4 million existing buildings and 2 million existing homes and retrofit them so they don’t leak as much energy, saving hundreds of millions of barrels oil in the process and creating a significant number of jobs.

The whole idea of what this is all going to do, it’s going to create millions of jobs and it’s going to clean the environment.”

TRUMP: “There has been... nobody tougher than me on Russia, between the sanctions, between all of what I’ve done with NATO. I’ve got the NATO countries to put up an extra $130 billion, going to $420 billion a year. That’s to guard against Russia.”

MODERATOR: Over 20 million Americans get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. It’s headed to the Supreme Court and your administration, Mr. President, is advocating for the court to overturn it. If the Supreme Court does overturn that law, those 20 million Americans could lose their health insurance almost overnight. So, what would you do if those people have their health insurance taken away?

TRUMP: “First of all, I’ve already done something that nobody thought was possible. Through the legislature, I terminated the individual mandate [of Obamacare]. That is the worst part of Obamacare, as we call it. The individual mandate—we have to pay a fortune for the privilege of not having to pay for bad health insurance.”

“What I would like to do is a much better healthcare, much better. We’ll always protect people with pre-existing [conditions]. I’d like to terminate Obamacare, come up with a brand new, beautiful healthcare.”

MODERATOR: I want to talk about the way Black and Brown Americans experience race in this country. Part of that experience is something called “the talk...” Parents who feel they have no choice but to prepare their children for the chance that they could be targeted, including by the police, for no reason other than the color of their skin. I want you to speak directly to these families. Do you understand why these parents fear for their children?

TRUMP: “Yes, I do. Nobody has done more for the Black community than Donald Trump. And if you look, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, possible exception, but the exception of Abraham Lincoln, nobody has done what I’ve done… Criminal justice reform, prison reform, Opportunity Zones.”

MODERATOR: How would you combat climate change and support job growth at the same time?

TRUMP: “We have the trillion trees program, we have so many different programs.

We have the best carbon emission numbers that we’ve had in 35 years under this administration.”

“I will not sacrifice tens of millions of jobs, thousands and thousands of companies because of the Paris Accord, it was so unfair.”

Graphics by Sarah Luan