Griffin Rites Vol 48, Issue 3 by Griffin Rites

The Griffin Rites

EDITORIAL

FEATURE

The divided states of America: stop arguing and start discussing

Home of the hopeful: seniors spark change through dialouge

Winnetonka High School | Kansas city MO, 64119 | Vol. 49, Issue 3 | Dec. 13, 2017

Page 16

Pages 14 & 15

Special Edition

Us or USA? Looking for common ground in an era of political polarization

CONTENTS

Editors letter | By Katie Bullock and Jessica Glaszczak

T On the cover: Hands painted in blue and red are held in fists that have been fighting. They respectively symbolize oppositional liberal and conservative points-of-view to showcase the political polarazation that results from two sides not working to understand each other. Photo by KatieBullock

Features 04 - The image of Islam Students speak out against stereotypes and advocate for acceptance 06 - It is not black and white National controversy sparks student discussion about the perpetuation of racial divisiveness 08 - Today’s uniqueness, tomorrow’s acceptance Staff and students support LGBTQ+ students in contrast to international climate 14 - Home of the hopeful Three seniors fight to make changes in their community through activism, dialogue and leadership

News 10 - Tonka’s take Student viewpoints on the issues that matter most to them

Editorial STAFF

16 - The divided states of America Americans must stop arguing and start discussing problems in order to address them

he Griffin Rites staff discussed at length what we wanted the topic of our annual special edition newsmagazine to be. We knew that we wanted to address an issue that was both prevalent in our society and relevant to our generation. As we brainstormed, we came up with long lists of potential topics, but we soon discovered that nearly every issue on the table was the result of polarization between two political sides of an argument. When we began to look back on past issues within our nation, we discovered that most problems in our society have been solved through both sides coming to a common understanding and working together. It seems that now though, people end up fighting more often than uniting. Soon after looking at our nation’s current political climate and the division within it, we came to ask the question: what has created the divide between us as people and us as our political opinions as citizens of the USA? For the most part, citizens all want the same things. We want to be happy, healthy and free to do what we would like. Our stances on most topics, regardless of party association, are often very similar, even if we do not see that. Yet still, we argue. The fight between blue and red has become the new way of life. Students could be quoted in this issue saying that they vote based off their political party rather than

The Griffin Rites Purpose

Staff Editor-in-chief Print Editor Sports Editor Multimedia Editor Photo Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Adviser

their own beliefs and values, but often times students do not even know the differences between the major political parties in America. As people, we are still working hard to connect to each other. In an era of social media and smart technologies, we can communicate now more than ever before. Yet on national topics, friends turn against friends and family against family. The contrast between our social unification and political division is striking and unnecessary. When we chose stories for this issue, we looked at the political topics that are most debated in the media at the moment and searched for their connection to students in our school. The subject of Republican and Democratic advertisements gave us inspiration for our editorial’s juxtaposition of the United States to a more aptly named divided states. Recent terrorism became a conversation about religious diversity and racial stereotypes. Youth voter turnout devolved into a study of politically active seniors who look to incite change within this community. As we began interviewing students for our stories this issue, we discovered a common theme among them; most students said they believed that the solution to our nation’s problems is through discussion. They told us that they believed the best way to create change was to keep an open mind, to be respectful of all opinions and to listen to others while still working hard to stand up for their own beliefs. They mentioned compromise and they mentioned co-dependence. They mentioned unity. Our editorial this issue is named ‘The divided states of America,’ but with this special edition we hope to see that change of unification. It has always been said that “we are stronger together than apart,” and so, as a generation, we must be the ones who make the conscious decision to unite instead of divide, to understand each other instead of fight. Only then can we possibly hope to solve the issues and support the causes that we so strongly believe in.

Katie Bullock Jessica Glaszczak Hani Yousif Elizabeth Hopkins Andrea Simmons Jason Hopkins Gage Rabideaux Laura Williams

The Griffin Rites strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution committed to preparing productive citizens must include teaching students these values, both by example and lesson. We welcome letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for length and clarity, but we will not change ideas. Letters may attack policies but not people. They must be signed an submitted to F6 or mailed to Laura Williams at 5818 NE 48th St., Kansas City, Mo. Advertising space is available. Please contact laura.williams@nkcschools.org or call 816-321-6527 for information. Our organization is a member of the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City, Journalism Educators Association, the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

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PAGE DESIGN BY GAGE RABIDEAUX | FEATURES

The Image of Islam Students speak out against stereotypes and advocate for acceptance

By Gage Rabideaux

eligion is a major component of many students’ lives. It inspires them to attend church, to fast and to serve their communities. But around the country, religion has recently been used as a reason to incite violence. On Feb. 23, two Indian engineers who were assumed to be Muslims were shot in a bar in Overland Park, Kan. This was not an isolated incident. According to the FBI’s 2016 hate crime statistics released in mid-November, hate crimes against Muslims - which increased by 19 percent from the previous year - experienced the greatest increase out of all national hate crimes for the second year in a row. Despite these national attacks on religious freedom, junior Ruman Ahmed says that students at Winnetonka embrace each other’s religious differences. Ahmed practices Islam and is an active member of the school’s Muslim Student Association (MSA). She encourages non-Muslim students to join MSA so that awareness about Islam and its values may spread, which she believes will help to deter discrimination against people practicing Islam. “I don’t understand why religion has to be discriminated against,” Ahmed said. “Can I just practice my religion and move on? I don’t understand why my religion has become a political situation. We’re [MSA] just trying to help spread awareness of our religion and the different cultures Muslim people are.”

FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY GAGE RABIDEAUX

Senior Rana Ekilah, who is also Muslim, was raised in an Islamic household and celebrates traditional Islamic holidays. However, Ekilah doesn’t look like a stereotypical Muslim. She has blue eyes and long, red hair that is not hidden underneath a hijab headscarf. Because of this, people around her often do not realize that she practices Islam, and she sometimes hears negative comments about Muslims. “I hear people say things all the time that aren’t true and are very biased,” Ekilah said. “They’re very hurtful.” Ekilah has also witnessed religious discrimination against her family in the past. “As a kid, I used to travel a lot and one trip my family went to Egypt,” Ekilah said. “I remember in the airport as we were getting ready to board, my mom - who was wearing a headscarf - got pulled out randomly from a crowd of two hundred people for a security check. Once she stopped wearing a headscarf, for social reasons, all of that negativity went away.” Sophomore Nesrudin Redi, who also practices Islam, first experienced religious discrimination in the sixth grade. “This girl, she asked me my religion. I said I’m Muslim, and she said, ‘Are you going to kill me?’,” Redi said. “It makes me really mad that people associate Muslims with terrorism. Every religion has its problems, like the KKK in Christianity. People perceive Islam as terrorism, and they [MSA] are just trying to get that out of their heads.” Students of different religions have also seen religious discrimination against Muslims. Junior Piath Mourwal is a practicing Christian, but she supports those practicing Islam and says that she understands the struggles her Muslim friends face. “I think it [Islamophobia] is dumb. It’s just a religion. Why are you scared of a whole religion?” Mourwal said. “People were really shocked after 9/11, but they blamed the religion instead of the group, and that’s not okay.” With the recent world-wide attacks

by the terror group ISIS, and the increase in U.S. terrorism over the last decade, the image of Islam has been transformed into one of violence to many Americans. But according to senior Dillon Osborne, extremist attacks should not influence student perception of non-extremist groups. “There’s going to be extremists no matter where you are, whether it’s Christianity, Muslim or any religion really,” Osborne said. “For extremists, it’s almost like one bad apple ruins the bunch in a way. Don’t let that one, small percentage represent the entirety of it, no matter what religion.” Osborne instead suggests that students inform themselves about all religions in order to understand its followers point-of-view. “Educate yourself about the different religions. Make sure you understand where they are coming from because some people are saying Islam, but everyone thinks terrorists, whenever in reality, it’s [Islam] actually peaceful,” Osborne said. “That’s ignorance because for me, just being an atheist, I just believe that everyone should be treated the same no matter who you are.” Despite the discrimination she has experienced, Ahmed believes that Winnetonka has an accepting religious environment. “I don’t get pressure from people with different views, since I feel Winnetonka is such a positive environment,” Ahmed said. “Nobody goes out of their way to say disrespectful stuff.” Although Ahmed believes that students and staff do a good job of celebrating religious diversity, Ekilah hopes that that same understanding will move from the school into the rest of the world. “I’m as different to anybody else as they are to me,” Ekilah said. “I just wish more people would realize that.” Photo: Senior Arfon Abdi was instrumental in recruiting students to join the Muslim Student Association and continues to organize activities that promote a better understanding of Islamic. Read more about her story on page 14. Photo by GageRabideaux

BLACK 06

PAGE DESIGN BY HANI YOUSIF | FEATURES

NOT

National controversy sparks student discussion about the perpetuation of racial devisiveness By Hani Yousif

overnment officials across the country are ripping down Confederate statues while protesters object, believing this action is destroying American history. NFL players kneel during pregame national anthems to the jeers of many fans. After a year in office, President Donald Trump is continually accused of perpetuating racial divisiveness through his words and actions. And at Winnetonka, students disagree about the moral integrity of students who sing lyrics that include racial slurs. Since 2011, America has been engrossed in what The Huffington Post has dubbed “the second civil rights movement,” and students have taken notice. According to junior Asase Jewel, racial discrimination has negative consequences that can range from simple neglect

to more straightforward forms of abuse, exclusion and harassment when not addressed. The phrase ‘You know I’m just kidding’ still echoes down the hallways after students make insensitive comments, according to Jewel. “Even though this is a diverse school, there are still some ‘clique-y’ people and I think a lot of insensitive jokes are made,” Jewel said. “I think they themselves don’t know what it [discrimination] looks like and they never themselves have been discriminated against.” Today, racial discrimination seems to permeate all aspects of life - even entertainment. In his documentary released in No- junior Patrick Biggs vember, American stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu called out the character Apu from the long-running primetime cartoon “The Simpsons” for being racist. “Of course he’s funny, but that doesn’t mean this representation is accurate or righteous,” Kondabolu told the BBC,

“You have to be able to see both sides of racism and then and only then can you see that it is wrong and be able to say ‘I need to do my part to fix this.’”

FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY HANI YOUSIF

American-Indian / Alaska native adding that it demonstrated “the insidiousness of racism… because you don’t even notice it when it’s right in front of you. It becomes so normal that you don’t even think about it.” Although Jewel believes that racial discrimination is a real problem with harmful effects, others, like junior Damon Carter, think that discrimination is sometimes used as a tool to gain sympathy. “I have gotten into arguments with old friends because I am white and they believe that I don’t get an opinion,” Carter said. Racial arguments are not an excuse to Jewel, but rather they are a result of the severity of the topic at hand. “I think that a lot of the time people like to take situations and emotionally charge them,” Jewel said. “People like to use things like this to their advantage. I had a Socratic Seminar last year and

someone said something to see how African-Americans would react. People think that it is funny but they don’t know the impact they have on people.” African-Americans reacted positively to the announcement that England’s Prince Harry and American mixed-race actress Meghan Markle are engaged, helping to break racial barriers. Heated discussions arose when GQ magazine gave Colin Kaepernick the Citizen of the Year honor in mid-November for protesting racial systemic oppression in America. Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem before 49ers football games in 2016 - a tradition that is carried on today by numerous NFL players, including Marcus Peters of the Kansas City Chiefs. Racial representation such as this is important to junior Patrick Biggs, who

.5% Asian 1.8% Black/African-american 16% Pacific Islander .6% Hispanic/latino 16% white 56% two or more races 9% total minority enrollment 45%

| Above: Winnetonka’s enrollment by race, according to Nov. 2017 school records from PowerSchool. | Below: Based off a survey of 100 students proportional to overall minority enrollment.

100% of black students

100% of other students 100% of Hispanic students 60% of white

83% of students feel that they have been racially discriminated against in the last 90 days

says that discrimination occurs by either a lack of exposure to people of different ethnicities or a misunderstanding of what discrimination is. “I think you have to be exposed to it in order to see that it is wrong,” Biggs said. “You have to be able to see both sides of racism and then and only then can you see that it is wrong and be able to say ‘I need to do my part to fix this.’” Although Biggs said that acknowledging racism is the first step to fixing it, he also believes it can be hard to determine what is racist because of people’s different backgrounds and sensitivities. “Racism is wrong but there are limits to what is racist,” Biggs said. “Anything someone says can be seen as racist. A lot of the time, it depends on the way people are brought up and the background of those people. The right side and the left side are both sort of extremist. Then there are the 50 shades of gray in the middle. Just be kind to everyone. That’s how I see it.” When it comes to conversations about race, Carter said he always approaches disagreements politely. “As long as you have a good social ground based on morals then you will have a better discussion rather than someone who yells at you the whole time,” Carter said. Although conversations can become charged, Jewel believes that people should focus on listening to the other side during conversations about race. “I think some people need to be able to open their minds and listen to someone else speak,” Jewel said. “To understand why they feel they are being discriminated against even if that person doesn’t know that that is what they were doing,” Jewel said.

| Graphics by KatieBullock

PAGE DESIGN BY ELIZABETH HOPKINS | FEATURES

today’s uniqueness, Tomorrow’s acceptance Staff and students support LGBTQ+ students in contrast to the international climate

“I just want everyone to know that it’s okay to be themselves and celebrate who you are.” - English Teacher Andrea Caspari

Junior Regan Smith-McLey and English teacher James Hawes walk with Gay-Straight Alliance in the homecoming parade on Sept. 29. Photo by AllisonSchoonbeck.

By Elizabeth Hopkins

embers of the LGBTQ+ community going to see the 2018 World Cup game in Russia were warned this month about governmental retaliation for showing affection toward each other, according to usatoday.com. This stigma against the LGBTQ+ community is not isolated, but rather international. The amount of hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community has gone up since last year, according to The Washington Post. Chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League Jonathan Greenblatt spoke about the effects of these hate crimes. “Hate crimes demand priority attention because of their special impact,” Greenblatt said. “They not only hurt one victim, but they also intimidate and isolate a victim’s whole community and weaken the bonds of our society.” Part of that LGBTQ+ community is the students at Winnetonka who are fighting the worldwide stigma against them. But by encouraging personal diversity and remaining open to all students, regardless of who they identify as, English teacher and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) sponsor Andrea

Caspari believes that Winnetonka does not have stigmas that are as prevalent as they are at other schools. “I’m always bragging that our school is so open,” Caspari said. “I think this is a really open, awesome environment and there is not a stigma here, but there are at other schools. I have to say Winnetonka is unusual in that respect. Everyone is just friends with everybody. We really don’t see a designated table for certain types of people. I feel that we’re very open and accepting.” Principal Eric Johnson, a self-described advocate for social justice, also believes that Winnetonka is accepting, but explains that it is still far from perfect. “Although we still have instances of bias, I think because of the climate and culture we try to set, those situations are a lot less common than they are at other places and spaces, not just at other schools, but even in greater society,” Johnson said. “Winnetonka is an accepting place, but just like other schools, we have our own work to do.” Junior John Menlo* agrees that Winnetonka has progress to make in helping the LGBTQ+ community within the school. He, along with other transgender students, spoke last month with the administrators on topics such as PowerSchool rosters. “There’s a problem for trans [transgender] kids especially with sub [substitute teacher] rosters because teachers will put names up on the boards for attendance, and your birth name will come up instead of the name that you want to be called,” Menlo sad. “A lot of the times if you’ve come out and are consistent with what people are calling you, people won’t necessarily know your birth-name, and it will be displayed or a sub roster and the sub will call it out. Then everyone knows. That gives them the

FEATURES | PAGE DESIGN BY ELIZABETH HOPKINS

opportunity to ask questions and then they can make comments. I have a lot of friends that have been bullied because of that.” Johnson believes the inability to accept others for their differences lies in how people are raised or conditioned to think. “We all have unconscious bias no matter who we are,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t make us racist, it doesn’t make us homophobes, it doesn’t make us sexist. It just means we’ve been wired in a certain way based on the messages we’ve received through media and just living.” Understanding individuals instead of thinking through bias is a concept that Johnson hopes to instill in students. “Whether we are taught that [bias] explicitly or implicitly, we all have different things that we learn,” Johnson said. “I think what I want us to do is unlearn some of those things and become more conscious and aware of the individual and what they bring to the table.” There are many external influences that can condition one to think a specific way, and according to freshman Kyle Herz, family beliefs are one of those influences. “Since I grew up in a Christian household, that definitely influences my opinion of gays and transgenders,” Herz said. “I just kind of look the other way. I don’t really like them, but I tolerate it. I deal with it.” Despite his beliefs, Herz actively tries to avoid any form of discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community and keeps to him-

self. Senior A-Nedra Edwards appreciates this because she believes that students unique traits are a defining characteristic of Winnetonka.

| Graphic by ElizabethHopkins

“I really love it [Winnetonka],” Edwards said. “It’s very open, very accepting and different. I love different. Everyone here is themselves. Everyone here has their own style. Each individual has their own personality.” In the United States, 53 percent of the LGBTQ+ community have been victims of ‘insensitive or offensive comments or negative assumptions’, according to npr.org. Winnetonka is combating insensitive behavior by providing a place for students to express their individuality and creating an environment where everyone feels like they belong, according to Caspari. “I just want every kid to know that they have a place and that they’re celebrated for what they are and what they believe and how they feel,” Caspari said. “I just want everyone to know that it’s okay to be themselves and celebrate who you are.” Caspari hopes that GSA is a place where students do not fear any form of discrim-

ination. “We’ve never felt discriminated against as a club and I can say that easily,” Caspari said. “In 10 years there’s never been one comment or anything by leadership, by administration, by other teachers. If there are any weird feelings, no one’s ever shown them.” In times of discrimination, Edwards believes that the opinions of a group of people should not ruin someone’s day. “Don’t let one person destroy you,” Edwards said. “You shouldn’t have to explain anything to anybody because this is your life. We are a symbol of us as individuals.” *A fictitious name was used at students request to protect their identity

THE LGTBQ+ Acronym

transgender - An umbrella adjective for people whose gender expression and/ or gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Queer - Traditionally a negative term, “queer” has been appropriated by some LGBTQ+ people to describe themselves. However, it is not universally accepted even within the LGBTQ+ community and should be avoided unless quoting or describing someone who self-identifies that way.

Questioning - The adjective used to describe people who are unsure of their sexual orientation.

intersexual - The adjective used to describe a person whose biological sex is ambiguous.

lesbian - A woman whose enduring emotional, physical and/or romantic attraction is to other women.

Ally

- The adjective used to describe people whose enduring emotional, physical and/or romantic attractions are to people of the same sex.

asexual

- A person who is not a member of but supports the LGBTQ (QIAAP) community.

Gay

bisexual - An individual who is emotionally, physically and/or romantically attracted to men and women.

- An individual who is not emotionally, physically and/or romantically attracted to others.

pansexual - A person who is attracted to others without taking gender or biological sex into account. | Graphic by KatieBullock

PAGE DESIGN BY JASON HOPKINS | OPINION

Take

Student viewpoints on the issues that matter most to them By Jason Hopkins and Andrea Simmons

he Griffin Rites newsmagazine sent out a poll to the student body on Nov. 10 to see what they believed are America’s most prevalent problems. Of the 128 responses, 18 students representing the student population were randomly selected to

be interviewed further about the poll’s nine most chosen topics. The results of the poll are shown below. Topics were selected for consideration in the poll based on a combination of media mentions, Google search trends and their observed relevance inside the school by the Griffin Rites staff.

Which three of these health care and personal issues do you believe need to be addressed the most? Affordable healthcare

70.5%

Legalization of marijuana Medicare

27% 23%

Mental health Obesity

65.1% 29.4%

Planned Parenthood Social Security

61.6% 28.6%

Affordable health Senior Kylee Zerbe

Junior Ana-le Lund

“I don’t think your health and basic human rights should be compromised based on the income you make and the situation you live with. Someone who has a lot of money shouldn’t have better access to health care because some people can’t have it. I think that it should be one hundred percent equal because we’re all human beings. We are all the same.”

“All Americans should have affordable health care because healthcare is about keeping the human body healthy. As humans, we need to be healthy and that is what healthcare is for. It should be affordable. It should be a natural right.”

OPINION | PAGE DESIGN BY JASON HOPKINS

Mental health Freshman Kayleanna O’Leary

Senior Harper Ross

“I don’t think it’s [mental health] that much of a problem. We should solve the problem by making more mental health places, more areas of an environment where they’re [people with mental illness] able to get help. That could help with the mentally ill population; at least it would go down in certain areas.”

“I definitely think there is a stigma around it [mental health] and by asking for help I think, as of late, our generation has taken a much bigger interest in it. I think a lot of strides are being made in the right direction because a lot more people are open about struggling with depression, struggling with eating disorders, struggling with anxiety and any number of mental health disorders. So I think it’s a lot more open now through our generation but I think we still have a ways to go.”

Planned parenthood Senior Tori Duensing

Sophomore Michael Bratton

“It [Planned Parenthood] should be funded because other than abortions they have contraceptives available for those who can’t afford them or can’t get them due to situations in their house. They give training, they help new parents learn how to take care of their child. It’s more than just abortions, so it should be funded because there are more options there too. Plus, if you don’t have safe abortions… we’ve already been with that before and women died, the child along with them.”

“It’s [Planned Parenthood] really bad, and why should people support that if it’s their own child that they are supposed to support? They’re [fetus’] not just for nothing. If you’re giving birth to someone, it’s not just nothing. No, they’re not worthless at all. They’re worth as much as our own lives as well.”

Which three of these political issues do you believe need to be addressed the most? DACA Mexico-U.S. border

24% 29.4%

Transgender military ban

35.7%

Equal pay Food debt and access

46% 29.4%

Homelessness Standing for the National Anthem Separation of church and state

71.4% 26.2% 32.5% continued on page 12

PAGE DESIGN BY ANDREA SIMMONS | OPINION

Homelessness Sophomore Jack O’Brien

Senior Julia Wildes

“I’m a very strong believer of ‘if you really want it, you will work for it.’ If you want to not be homeless, you will work to not be homeless. We already have millions of programs they could go to. I work for one of those programs actually: Warriors Descent. It’s a program to help veterans with PTSD. My dad went through it and he said, ‘Before it I wanted to be a brick wall, to where people couldn’t see past me and you couldn’t see through me,’ to his own kids. And when he came out of Warriors Descent, his first words were, ‘Is this what I missed for all those years?’ But he went through the program and got help.”

“I think it’s [homelessness] a huge problem. There are many homeless people around the city even though we are taking steps to make it better for homeless people just here in Kansas City. I mean, I’ve been other places like New York with a bunch more homeless people, a crazy amount of homeless people. They’re just everywhere and it’s not necessarily their fault all the time and it’s a big thing. I think it shouldn’t be a thing because there is enough room for everybody.”

Equal pay Senior EricaRose Hamilton

Junior Clayre Barkema

“My mom and my dad used to have the same exact job and my mom was paid $32 less than my father. My mom was a little better at her job than my father, but still she was paid $32 less. I don’t think someone with less skill should be paid more than someone who is joining the job and doing it and they are better at it.”

“In certain instances there are corrupt people, but most employers pay based off what their company tells them to pay. I get paid more than I’m supposed to just because my job was so desperate for people. I get paid more than a guy who works there. Statistically, women go for jobs that pay lower. Teachers get paid less than doctors, and there are more men that are doctors than women, so in that instance men are paid more than women.”

transgender participation in the military Sophomore Jaelee Pitt “I think they [transgender people] should be allowed to do whatever they want to do. If I wanted to go into the Air Force, that’s my right, and if someone that changed their sexuality wanted to then they should be able to do it. They’re not hurting me; they’re just trying to help our country. Yes, you changed your body and maybe your hair, but you haven’t changed your passion and your love for the country and I don’t think people understand

that.”

Junior William Bryant “I don’t see a problem with them [transgender people] being in the military. We let both genders do it anyway, so I don’t see why someone who goes from one gender to another gender should be restricted from being in the military in the first place.”

OPINION | PAGE DESIGN BY ANDREA SIMMONS

Which three of these economic and societal issues do you believe need to be adDressed the most? Global warming

51.6%

Gun control

50.8%

Terrorism

59.4%

Religious freedom

36.7%

Rich and poor divide National debt Allocation of national funds

33.6% 19.5% 36.7%

Terrorism Senior Baylee Dolph

Junior Cari Foster

“I definitely think that they [the government] didn’t just do it [the travel ban] for diplomatic purposes, I believe they were targeting people. A lot of people post 9/11 had Islamophobia, and it’s gotten pretty bad. Just because someone is Muslim doesn’t mean that they’re terrorists. I know a lot of people make associations with it, but it’s not justified. Plus, terrorism isn’t just Middle Eastern people. Nine out of 10 times, it’s a white person making the attack.”

“I don’t think it [travel ban] should be just about terrorism, I think it should be about the fact of over-population and we already have enough taxes on American citizens. We have to pay for every immigrant that comes in, and if America can’t support their own homeless population then I don’t get why other countries think we should also pay for their people to come in when we should first stabilize our own economy.”

global warming Junior John Murray

Freshman Sophia Ferson

“I do believe it [global warming] exists and I think we’re actually basically destroying the earth but I think we’re so far gone that it’s pretty much too late to change anything. It’s happening and we should be aware of it. I believe in it because of just the facts based off the atmosphere with the CO2 levels rising. That has happened in the past too, but not at the rate at which it is happening now.”

“I think it [global warming] exists, but it’s just that there’s not enough evidence or research on it for us to be that precisely sure about it. I feel like there are all the cars and all the transportation that are messing it up, so I wish I could just say, ‘take a bus,’ but people don’t want to do that because they think it’s dirty or something, so it’s not really a good option.”

gun control Sophomore Garret Carson

Sophomore Ethan Willard

“It [gun ownership] shouldn’t be a thing because people are controlling and crazy with guns. Too many kids are dying. The government should take all the guns away.”

“There shouldn’t be more restrictions [on gun ownership], but more allowance. If you can prove that you have a concealed carry permit and they can prove the gun is registered in your name and it’s not illegal, then I think you should be allowed to carry it.”

| Page 10-14 graphics by KatieBullock

PAGE DESIGN BY KATIE BULLOCK | FEATURES

in the Home of the hopeful Seniors create change in their community through activism, dialogue and leadership By Katie Bullock

n the 2016 presidential election, less than 46 percent of millennials turned out to vote. That number was even less for local elections. But in a society where youth are often disengaged from the political climate, three seniors are fighting to make their voices heard. “During the 2016 presidential election, there was a lot of fighting between me and my family members,” senior Hannah Hernandez said. “I had a lot of passion about it [politics] and I would have rather fought than have had my ideals squashed. So I attended the Women’s March and got super involved in the activist community.” Attending the Women’s March became a stepping stone towards political activism for Hernandez, who said that the atmosphere of change at the March made her believe she could make a difference. “It was really life-changing because it was the first time I was able to see all of these people that had the same values as me,” Hernandez said. “It wasn’t one person complaining about everything, it was five-thousand people that were passionate about so many causes wanting to make change.” Since the March, Hernandez has attended the Women of Color Conference at UMKC, joined both the national and local chapters of the environmental organization 350. org and been elected the president

“Creating that dialogue between people is what’s going to create change.” - senior Arfon Abdi, member of the Muslim Student Association Above: Senior Arfon Abdi helps clean up the Muslim Student Association’s (MSA) homecoming parade float on Sept. 29 after marching in the parade. She is involved with MSA in order to help erase negative stereotypes about Islam. Photo by AllisonSchoonbeck

of school service organization Key Club. According to Hernandez, her involvement is important because it shows action. “I want to feel like I am actually doing something to enact change,” Hernandez said. “I don’t want to just be complaining for the sake of complaining. I want to make sure that I have a purpose in what I am fighting for and that I am trying to enact change in the best way possible.” Hernandez is not the only person creating change in her community though. Senior Arfon Abdi was instrumental in growing the Muslim Student Association (MSA) as a way to inspire conversation and acceptance among students. “The purpose of MSA is to just bring awareness and allow people to see what Islam really is instead of just what they see in the media,”

Abdi said. “We hold events where people can ask questions and we can tell them what we do and what we believe in. I think that really unifies the people and allows for that meaningful conversation and dialogue.” Abdi said that she believes having conversations about contested topics is the best way to bring about change and understanding for those topics. “I think creating that dialogue between people is what’s going to [create] change,” Abdi said. “Without having those conversations nothing will change because everyone has a little bit of inherent bias within them. By talking to people about what they perceive, it allows us to gain understanding.” According to senior Bryton Koch, meaningful dialogue comes from both parties having a mutual respect for each other and a desire to

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“You can’t just be tweeting into the void. you have to be calling your representatives and making sure your voice is heard.” - senior Hannah Hernandez, president of Key Club Above: Senior Hannah Hernandez paints a water droplet poster for Key Club’s awareness campaign about the global water crisis. Photo by KatieBullock

understand one another’s points of view. “I don’t want to know what someone believes, I want to know why they believe it,” Koch said. “If you don’t understand where the other person is coming from then you can’t discuss it with them effectively. If you don’t even understand how they came to their conclusions then in your mind it makes them seem inept, like they’re stupid for coming to that conclusion - when 99.9 percent of the time they’re not stupid for coming to the conclusion, they were just raised differently or are in a different situation.” For Koch, the best way to create change is to set an example by understanding his own view points after having formed them based on research. “I think that setting the example is always an effective way to create change,” Koch said. “Read your sources and form your own opinion. There’s a difference between reading to read and reading to understand, and we should really read to understand and to add that knowledge to ourselves and see how it shapes how we think.” Hernandez - who advocates for environmental conservation, racial diversity and women’s rights among other things hopes to make changes in her community through activism and also through her career path. “I’m hoping to become an environmental scientist while also keeping my activist identity and fighting for those

problems that I won’t be able to tackle with just my own degree,” Hernandez said. “I want to make sure that I don’t lose my passions for these problems because they’re huge problems that aren’t going to go away in a week or a month. They need to be fought for for long periods of time if we want to make change. The civil rights movement didn’t get equal voting rights even after slavery ended. They [African-Americans] didn’t get it after the amendment that gave them that right. As awful as it was, they had to wait until society changed their mind about what was going on to get their rights. It takes a long time, but you can’t give up on the fight.” In order to advocate for her personal beliefs, Hernandez spreads her thoughts to those that can help make them reality by contacting her government representatives. “ Yo u have to make sure that you aren’t just tweeting into the void,” Hernandez said. “You have to be calling your senators, call- senior ing your repBryton Koch, re s e n t a t i ve s active member of and making student leadership sure that your voice is heard

by the people who are in power. Even though they are representatives, they are out of touch with who we are as people on the local, city of Gladstone or Kansas City level.” Whether someone is making change by having a conversation, joining a club or organization, or attending a march, Abdi believes that change is only made by a person’s conscious decision to create it. “The only way we can have change is if we change within ourselves and we decide to be open-minded and accepting and willing to see the perspectives of other people,” Abdi said. “When people change within themselves, and when they want to understand, then they will. By having those conversations we can become more unified and we can get rid of all of the xenophobia, and all the hatred that stems from ignorance.” Every person has the ability to create change according to Abdi, who has seen the difference that MSA can make on both an individual and local level. “I really hope there is a change, and that we become a more accepting and unified nation, but change starts with you,” Abdi said. “Know that you can make a difference just by yourself. You have the ability to create change and I feel like once you understand that, it inspires you to create that change. It’s hard to create change, but keep an open-mind. Be willing to understand the ideas and perspectives of other people, and be kind.”

“I don’t want to know what someone believes, I want to know why they believe it.” Senior Bryton Koch rehearses for his Gold Medallion exhibition presentation over political moderatism on Dec. 6. Photo by KatieBullock

EDITORIAL | PAGE DESIGN BY KATIE BULLOCK

The divided states of America

Americans must stop arguing and start discussing in order to create change

| Art by JasonHopkins and GageRabideaux

The Editorial voice of the Griffin Rites staff,

Jessica Glaszczak

mericans are increasingly making decisions on issues just because it has Republican or Democrat stamped on it, but simply arguing about solutions to important political issues diverts attention from actually solving the problems at hand. America is supposed to be a united nation, but yet it is divided. Citizens expose themselves only to the opinions of those who agree with them, refusing to acknowledge that there is another, equally valid side to the issues at hand. By associating exclusively with like-minded individuals and media sources, Americans are choosing to validate their own biased opinions instead of opening their minds up to the possibility of another side. As a result, they are ignorant to the reality of the problems they are arguing about. To solve this problem, people need to stop separating themselves by a political wall of red and blue and instead learn to discuss the real issue from all sides and perspectives. If citizens continue to block themselves off from those that think differently, progress towards a better nation will come to a standstill. At the present point in time, America and its problems are like a fire, but instead of just putting out the fire, two people (the two major political parties) just argue about the best way to put it out. Both parties are so confident in their thinking that they stop listening to anything but their own voices. With neither person willing to compromise on their plan-of-action, the fire spreads. This problem could have been solved quickly and efficiently if both people were willing to discuss and compromise instead of argue. In fact, the two plans for putting out the fire could have been combined for even greater effectiveness.

Instead, because both people were blinded by their desire for the other person to be wrong, nothing was solved and the problem only grew. Sometimes doing the best thing is not always the easiest thing to do. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better,” author and poet Maya Angelou said. It might be easier to argue for your side than to listen to someone else’s opinion, but the first step to solving the problem is simply listening so that you can learn and grow through someone else’s experiences. Democrats and Republicans seem to see each other as enemies. They believe that compromise with ‘the enemy’ will not create effective results. However, no matter what political party people belong to, they all want to solve the same problems; they all want the same outcomes. For example, almost all citizens want the death rate in America to go down; Republicans believe they can achieve this outcome by protecting gun rights, while Democrats believe they can lower the death rate by implementing stricter gun laws. If the parties choose to work together instead of choosing to fight each other, they can solve the problem by focusing on the outcome; their one point of agreement. Instead of fighting each other, Americans must start working together on an individual level. Once people are able to discuss political problems and can come to some level of agreement, they can focus on the real issue and solve it. If they hope to have a better nation, then the citizens of the United States need to be true to their nation’s name and unite instead of divide.

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