Hopkins School 986 Forest Road New Haven, CT
December 18, 2020
Vol LXVIII, no. 3
Hopkins Reacts to Biden-Harris Win
www.therazoronline.com
Resch Reflects on 1918 Flu Pandemic
sional districts occupied by very progressive Democrats, Biden consistently outperformed them.” He continues, “In House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-
a Democrat, and he won the Melody Cui '23 same number of electoral votes Assistant News Editor as Trump did four years ago.” In addition to Presi“No one pretends democracy is History teacher Zoe dent-elect Biden’s win, the 2020 perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has Presidential Election was also Resch's lecture on the Spanish been said democracy is the worst Flu of 1918, an annual installform of government except for voter turnout. There are sev- ment of the History Department's all those other forms that have eral contributing factors that Evans-Rood lecture series, takes been tried from time caused lower voter on a new tenor as we live through to time” -Winston turnout in previous the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. Churchill, November Although the place of years. Amnesty In1947 ternational Club head origin of the Spanish Flu, an avian The battle Kian Ahmadi ’24 between incumbent explains that, “Ac- Resch states that it likely origiPresident Donald cording to the Poor nated in the “very early months of Trump and former People’s Campaign, 1918…probably among wild boar Vice President, now the most common [and] domesticated birds on the President-elect, Joe reason people give farmland out [in Kansas].” Resch Biden in the 2020 for not voting is that continues, “There was a big war Presidential Electhey are ‘disillusioned camp nearby where soldiers were tion was, at the very with their voting preparing to go overseas, because least, a historic and prospects,’” mean- the US had joined [World War monumental event ing “they either don’t for many Americans. like their candidates, and then the men leaving the As Arts teacher and aren’t interested, or camp spread it to other camps.” March for Our Lives After an initial spike in feel that their vote Club faculty advisor won’t change things.” Peter Ziou sees it, Young Repub- ple of months until it reappeared “Biden represented licans club faculty in Europe late in the summer. This Forbes Magazine order, Trump repreadvisor and History time around, however, Resch exsented chaos. This is President-elect Joe Biden gives acceptance speech at teacher Scott Wich the classical battle as a believes political redrive-in victory rally in Wilmington, Delaware metaphor through the alignment - “where terms of its lethality.” This strain history of our world.” But he be- Cortez’s district, Biden got political ideologies are shifting was ultimately responsible for the lieves this is not the end: “Reason more votes, whereas in districts and polarizing, and the political 50 million deaths that would follow. was the winner in the selection, occupied by moderate Demo- parties are adjusting the policies chaos still wants to take over crats like Abigail Spanberger they support and amplifying the turned to the United States, hitting the battle: this still will go on.” and Conor Lamb, they usu- messages that they send to vot- port cities like Philadelphia espeWas the election out- ally got more votes than Biden.” ers in response to those changes” cially hard. Fort Devens, a small come a mandate for Biden? HisJewish Culture Club - played a large role in the turn- army camp outside of Boston, was tory teacher Megan Maxwell head Evan Migdole ’22 looks out. According to Wich, a sympresponds, “Not even close. The at the election results from a tom of political realignment is a election of 2020 was a refer- higher voter turnout, in addition place...hundreds of soldiers died in endum on President Trump; he lieves Biden’s win was indeed to cultural changes surround- that camp in a week or two.” Resch lost.” After carefully observing ing voting. “National politics, describes the soldiers’ bodies as and studying the data from this and not the current president and the presidency in particular, being “stacked like cordwood election, Model UN head Finn as “Biden won Georgia and all over the camp because they Continued on Page 2 Kiely ’22 agrees: “In congres- Arizona, which is very rare for didn't know where to place them.” Part of the peculiarity of the Spanish Flu lies in its at-risk Aanya Panyadahundi '23 Assistant News Editor
Students and Faculty React to Local Elections Anushree Vashist '21 Lead News Editor Shriya Sakalkale '24 Campus Correspondent
In addition to a historic presidential race, the 2020 electant campaigns at the local level. In Connecticut, all 151 seats of the state House of Representatives and all 36 seats of the State Senate were up for grabs. Constituents also had members of the U.S. House of Representatives, making it an active political year for both students and faculty on The Hill. Although most Hopkins students are too young to vote, many are actively involved in political discourse. One such student is Carly Slager ’21, who is enrolled Inside: News........1-3 Features....4-5 Op/Ed.......6-7 Arts...........8-9 Sports.......10-11 Wishlist....12
in the 21st Century Democracy elective. When asked about the importance of local elections, Slager remarked, “You can [not] overstate the importance of local government in times like these. This last presidential election was such a dramatic, all-consuming event that I think it’s easy to forget that many of people’s day to day lives are decided on a municipal level.” Slager is hopeful that, because local elections tend to be less “personality-based,” constituents will “focus on the policies and issues that impact their lives.” Reform in regards to systemic racial injustices and policing was a key issue this year. Slager noted: “Across the country, in red states and blue Features Page 4: Student Council AdaptsWinter Holiday Traditions
ing those infected with their
immune
system.
Resch
somebody's lungs, [and] it turned to pneumonia, they were gone.” Despite the lethality of government, preoccupied with the ongoing war, did little to stop its spread. Resch emphasizes that “the government was conducting a desperate war. And so there was no way that President Wilson or the military felt like they could war.” Resch explains that the government was worried that speaking the public. Why cause panic? And most importantly, why cause panic At the local level, pubaccomplish much due to a lack of trust from the public. In 1918, public health was still relatively new and seen with suspicion by Americans. Resch stresses that “Americans have always valued their freedom,” resulting in “a lot of pushback” from citizens that included: “You can't tell me to quarantine. You can't tell me to wear a mask. You can't tell me not to take public transportation.” Public health services also As Resch puts it, “[public health] is not glamorous … if you’re the public health department, you're [fairly] invisible until there's [an emergency]. And then everyone's like, 'Where are you public health?' 'Why haven't you done anything?'” In order for public health services sizes that “we have to give them the resources [they require].” Thus, citizens did little to -
states, candidates for city council are most deadly to young children and the elderly, Resch notes that cities held big parades to sell liberty forgiveness, police reform, and the Spanish Flu “killed people in bonds to fund the war, after which ending the carceral state, just to the prime of life (20's, 30's, 40's) the infection rate would skyrocket. name a few. These policies can more than any other age group.” Resch details, “These huge parades change lives on a local level, Continued on Page 3 but they also plant the seeds had not yet been invented, leavfor reform on a larger scale.” Rose Robertson ’24 Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Medicine agrees with Slager, adding, “It’s critical that we realize that some people do have advantages over other people in life just because of the color of their skin and that’s absolutely unfair and as a nation not only need to recognize this but we need to address this important issue of systemic racism which has become far too normalized and allowed in today’s society.” Nana DondorfulAmos ‘22, a right-leaning IndeContinued on Page 3
Soldiers on an emergency hospital ward at Camp Funston, Kansas.
Op/Ed Page 7: The Razor x RealTalk Collaboration
Arts Page 8: Artists Impact the 2020 Election