Patriot Post Issue 1 September 2021 by The Patriot Post

The Patriot Post Broward Campus Vol. 25 Issue 1 September Issue 2021

Fame(ish): sort of famous.

The first edition of Volume 25 of the Patriot Post shares an insight on influencers and the role of social media.

Dear Heritage,

As we start a new school year after the strangeness that was 2020, we consider the impact social media has on our lives. Both of us were online last year, so most of our interactions with friends were through technology. After a year online, it’s a struggle to come back to school in-person and interact regularly, a struggle we’re sure many students can relate to. We’re embarking on a journey as Editors-in-Chiefs in this strange new normal, and we hope you enjoy the first edition of the 2021-22 school year.

The Patriot Post

Entertainment and Cover Story Editor |Nithisha Makesh, 11| Features and Opinion Editor |Ellaheh Gohari, 10|

the American Heritage student news magazine Vol. 25 Issue 1 September 2021 The Patriot Post is an award-winning studentproduced hybrid publication that influences readers through editorials and entertains through features, as well as reviews, all achieved through responsible reporting held to high journalistic standards. We strive to create content that adheres to the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Any queries about our content can be directed to patriotpost@ahschool.com or to a staff member in room 25310. With new posts on our online newspaper almost every day, the content doesn’t stop at the last page of this magazine. Visit ipatriotpost.com for more information and subscribe for email notifications.

The Patriot Post is featured as an online pdf on Issuu for free. American Heritage has 1,900 students and 141 faculty members. American Heritage School 1200 W. Broward Blvd. Plantation, Fl 33325 954-472-0022 ext. 3300 patriotpost@ahschool.com ipatriotpost.com

2 Welcome

Issue 1 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

follow @ipatriotpost

Editorial

page 4 Opinion

page 5

Features

page 7 Cover Story

page 11 Entertainment

page 14 Sports Sports

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Editorial Policy

The Patriot Post limits opinion to opinion articles, columns and editorials. All editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff. Opinions detailed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of administration, faculty or the student body. At our own discretion, we will publish letters to the editor either in print or online at ipatriotpost.com. We reserve the right to edit these letters for grammar and layout restrictions and will not publish any content we deem libelous to any students, faculty or members of the community. Do you have a response to a column or article that was published in the news magazine? We accept and encourage letters to the editor by students, faculty or parents in response to any opinion pieces. Physically hand the response in to room 25310 or email it to patriotpost@ahschool.com. (Design/Ellaheh Gohari) Issue 1

Table of Contents 3

Editorial

Don’t believe everything you see The staff reminds their fellow students that social media isn’t necessarily what it seems.

business or platform that thrives on youths and teenagers who can be persuaded by anything they see online, social media is not always completely genuine in the information it releases into the world. Social media, which includes several platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, allow people to manipulate their posts to make sure they portray the best versions of themselves. Those people who gain a large following for their content are deemed “social media influencers.” The term influencer is used to represent those who have built a reputation for themselves on social media with a large following. Influencers often gain money for their posts and brand deals, while also trying their best to keep up good appearances online. However, one might question whether these people are truly genuine online if they only show the parts of their lives they want to show. According to cognitive anthropologist Bob Deutsch, “Because you are working to create something for a mediated audience online, you direct your actions in a given situation toward playing for a camera.”

(Graphic/Facebook)

It is almost as if influencers are actors acting a certain way online to fit their image and grow their audience. Influencers may use social media to create specific content for others rather than post their normal daily lives. This could allow them to appear as if they have a put-together life, when that might be far from the truth, further proving that not everything on social media is real.

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Thinking about the stories you want to create for social media influences your behavior in real life. - Bob Deutsch Influencers may post happy pictures of themselves on vacation every other day, but all people see are chapters in their lives and not the full story. Ultimately. people should not worry if they do not have the same “perfect” life as an influencer, as followers do not truly know what goes on in an influencer’s life besides what they allow to be known.

SAY CHEESE: Junior Aurora Lai poses for the perfect selfie. (Photo/Nithisha Makesh)

4 Editorial

Issue 1 (Design/Ellaheh Gohari)

Opinion

What makes an influencer? Aspiring influencers must find a way to make their accounts unique. Kayra Dayi | Staff Writer pl241681@ahschool.com

ver since the social media app TikTok became popular, influencers could be just about anyone, regardless of age, location and gender. However, being an influencer is harder than it may seem. An individual can’t be an influencer overnight simply by setting up an account online and gaining followers. Awareness, personality and content make a creator successful.

because she danced to an audio clip of someone reciting the Quran. Barrett claimed that she had no idea that the sound was a verse from the Quran, but lost the respect of many of her followers nonetheless. Being a public figure comes with many responsibilities, and being aware of one’s actions and their potential consequences is one of them.

Awareness

Personality

An influencer’s job revolves around social media, so knowing how to use it and communicate efficiently is beneficial. As well as knowing their way around social media platforms, influencers must know how to handle scandals and sensitive topics.Nessa Barrett, an influencer on TikTok, lost over 6 million followers

Even though this might not always be the case, people on social media like to follow creators that help them become the best version of themselves. Creators that stay humble and remind their followers that everything they see on social media and their account is not always the truth support their followers; enabling theirn fans to see them as a friend.

INFLUENCER

ENCOUNTER:

Junior Alexandra Elkhoury, right, took a picture with famous TikTok influencer Griffin Johnson at Universal. “I started freaking out when I saw him,” she said. “I knew that one of my closest friends was crazy about him, so I really wanted to send her a picture.” (Photo/Alexandra Elkhoury)

Feed For new users hoping to become influencers, starting trends rather than following them will be beneficial in the long run, helping make a great first impression as a creative creator. As well as being original, one’s feed must be captivating, relatable and aesthetically pleasing for users to engage with the content. “I like a feed I can relate to,” freshman Isabella Nascimento said. “It should be ‘clean,’ not something that is all over the place.” Social media allows anyone to post anything. There is no age or job requirement, so anyone could become an influencer. The variety of creators leads to the many different feeds which are present on social media platforms today. Generally speaking, there is something for everyone. Those who want to become a social media influencer should consider their awareness, personality and feed before doing so.

(Graphic/Facebook)

(Design/Ellaheh Gohari) Issue 1

Opinion 5

Social media stalks us all Ellaheh Gohari | Co Print Editor-in-Chief pl236951@ahschool.com

NOT-SO-SOCIAL-MEDIA:

This is very concerning. Sure, doomsday movies where AI becomes all powerful and wipes out the human race are not true (yet), but that doesn’t mean we should let these methods of data collection become so normalized that we sacrifice our privacy and prerogative. Our data can be weaponized and used against us, sometimes with cataclysmic effects. According to U.S. Intelligence, foreign governments, particularly Russia, attempted to influence the 2016 and 2020 presidential election via social media. Russian agents created thousands of false profiles and tried to persuade users on the fence about the election to vote for Donald Trump. This data targeting is not unique to America; Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, collected and used close to 50 million people’s personal Facebook data in order to push ads convincing undecided voters to vote to leave the European Union.

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Social media can be addictive, taking up time and promoting pseudo-social interaction through a screen. Companies such as Facebook, TikTok and Twitter collect users’ data and sell it to third party vendors. These vendors target ads and have the potential to manipulate someone’s thoughts, as seen by the Cambridge Analytica scandal which affected elections in multiple countries. (Photo/Nithisha Makesh)

early a decade ago, CIA employee Edward Snowden risked his career, reputation and life to leak highly classified information that revealed the government was spying on us via technology and social media. Yet, after all these years, virtually nothing has changed. Social media companies continue to spy on their users, collecting personal data to push relevant ads and predict our decisions before we even make them. This breach of privacy has become so normalized in society that companies are not even bothering to hide it anymore. For example, TikTok’s privacy policy states that the app “may collect biometric identifiers and biometric information” including “faceprints and voiceprints.” When asked why they needed such information, they did not comment. Similarly, Facebook, which also owns Instagram, acquired a patent from the U.S. government for “computer-vision content detection for sponsored stories.” According to AI tech consultant Asif Razzaq, this means if you took a picture of something, the AI system can scan it, determine what the image is of and later push sponsored stories on your feed that sell it or something similar.

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Facebook is no longer just a company, I told them. It’s a doorway into the minds of the American people, and Mark Zuckerberg left that door wide open for Cambridge Analytica, the Russians and who knows how many others. Facebook is a monopoly, but its behavior is more than a regulatory issue -- it’s a threat to national security.

- Christopher Wylie, former employee turned whistleblower of Cambridge Analytica

At least for now, whether we like it or not, corporations and the government will continue to try to spy on us. However, there are ways to make it harder for them. By reading the terms of service of every app instead of simply clicking “I agree,” you can make a more educated judgment on whether sharing your data is necessary. Also, if you have a social media account and post everything about your life, it’s easier for companies to track you. Rethink how much you share, and don’t take your privacy for granted.

Issue 1 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

Features

EHAS: Dianne Leconte Through dance and volunteering, this issue’s subject of Everyone has a Story, junior Dianne Leconte, hopes to make the world a better place.

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Ellaheh Gohari | Co Print Editor-in-Chief pl236951@ahschool.com

he stage lights up as all the dancers get into position. A camera starts to roll while the opening notes of a song begin to swell. As the dancers fly across the stage, looking out into the audience for their reactions, an empty auditorium stares back at them. For over a year, this has been the reality of junior dancer Dianne Leconte, chosen for this issue’s EHAS via random selection from the list of people enrolled at Heritage.

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Dance is just something I’ve always been attracted to. Even when I wasn’t in a dance school or company for dance, I would still dance anyway I can. Due to the pandemic, Heritage’s dance team was forced to record their performances for their last two shows, Winter and Spring, in order to keep everyone safe. Adjusting to the hybrid format was difficult for the team, who were used to performing live in front of an audience. “This Spring show we did, we recorded in May [2021], but we started working on that performance in January. It was a very slow progression because first we had to find music, and then sometimes you have to figure out if people are coming in to record it or if they’re recording at home,” Leconte

said. However, the new format didn’t crush her spirit. “I was coming in for both [of my] performances, they were back to back, and it was fun actually.” An online learner for her entire sophomore year, Leconte spends time with her friends through dance, as well as at Holy Cross Hospital where she volunteers. As an aspiring pediatrician, Leconte is always looking to help out her community, and finds great enjoyment in volunteering. “We were filing vaccine registration forms that people submitted. Some had cancer, some had diabetes, some had HIV—basically anything that would put them at the top of the list as a high-risk patient—we would just put [the forms] in boxes and give them to the head. We’d give [the forms] to her so that she could call people and help them register and see whenever they could come in for the vaccine,” Leconte said. “I’ve always wanted to volunteer at a hospital. They did need a lot of help cause it was a whole mess; everything wasn’t sorted. It was just me and two other friends and we would just sort for sometimes up to eight hours. We were happy to help.” When she’s not volunteering or dancing, Leconte likes working out, watching TV (she’s particularly a fan of shows like Shameless and Grey’s Anatomy) and spending time with her friends and family. Coming from a Haitian background, Leconte is very close with her family.

(Design/Joseph Richards) Issue 1

We cherish family a lot; that’s what I learned growing up: that family is everything. You take care of them in their time of need even if you don’t know them that well. Leconte knows these past two years have been difficult for a lot of people, but hopes she can entertain people through her dance or help people while volunteering. Her family’s philosophy is to “Just try your best in everything;” words she lives by in whatever she does.

STAYING WELL-ROUNDED: Leconte jug-

gles many activities, from school to volunteering to dance, but finds a way to balance her time. During her free time, she likes talking with her friends, whom she describes as “a close group— they’re all nice.” (Photo/Dianne Leconte)

Features 7

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Tiktok can jumpstart careers Tiktok is starting to become a business as companies create accounts and contact influencers.

Nithisha Makesh | Co-Print-Editor-in-Chief pl246981@ahschool.com

oday, people can build a career based solely on social media and being an influencer; this involves how many followers they have on an online platform and their ability to connect with others. The app TikTok, originally known as Musical.ly, started November 2017. The app rose in popularity, and as of February 2021, has over 37 million users just from the United States. Through this app, content creators went from posting 30 second dance videos to being interviewed by Jimmy Fallon and gaining brand deals. Some specific content creators who became known through Tik Tok include Addison Rae and Charli D’Amelio. According to Pop Buzz, as of April 2021, Rae and D’Amelio are the highest paid TikTokkers. Rae earned approximately $5 million from TikTok in 2020 and makes $14,500 for every sponsored post she promotes. Through her success on TikTok, she has also been able to launch her own company, ITEM Beauty, and works with brands such as American Eagle. Similarly, D’Amelio, the second highest earning TikTok star, made $4 million from the app.

8 Features

She also works with Dunkin’ Donuts, who named a drink after her, has a reality series about her family on Hulu and has appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon three times. Both stars used their beginnings on Tiktok to expand and make connections. They were able to use the opportunities they were exposed to in order to reach other goals. For example, Rae starred in the Netflix movie “He’s All That,” consequently creating a start to her acting career. Through the media presence and following they built for themselves, TikTokers have the ability to go from a person who entertains people online to an influencer/celebrity status, similar to those who start out on other social media platforms, such as Instagram. Students who have an interest in the work social media influencers do or would like to have a future career in a field that deals with people can utilize the benefits of developing a following on social media platforms.

Issue 1 (Design/Kayra Dayi)

USEFUL SOURCE: Due to the rise in

people’s use of their phones, social media is an accessible way to start one’s career. Whether that be related to business or entertainment, people can use social media platforms to gain a following and inform people of what they want to pursue. (Photo/Nithisha Makesh)

Heritage students return to school in-person after a year off campus Teachers weigh the pros and cons of in-person and online learning Shreya Shanmugam | Staff Writer pl251121@ahschool.com

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OVID-19 struck the United States over a year ago, shutting down schools and businesses. As backto-school season approached once again, about 60% of students who haven’t been to campus since last year returned to school. Teachers have varied opinions about fully going back to school this year; some teachers prefer online learning, while others want to teach in-person. “Although I cannot speak for all of the teachers at American Heritage Schools, I am certain that there are many that feel exactly as I do. I would much rather be teaching in person than online or in a hybrid classroom,” Mr. Paul Shaffer, who teaches social studies, said. He further explained that children are more engaged and lively in an in-person environment. The effectiveness of in-person interaction with students compared to online interaction with students also plays a part in teachers wanting to return back to school.

Teachers who favor in-person learning are also facing the excitement of seeing their students again and having classroom interaction.

During in-person classes I can interact with the students and determine what I need to change or what approach I need to take to ensure that they are understanding the concept I am presenting.

- Mr. Paul Shaffer

“Students [will be] able to see and talk to one another. Listening to each other, and being able to provide your

WEEK ONE: Mr. Wesley Moore’s second period Precalculus

students learn in a full classroom on their first week of school. (Photo/Shreya Shanmugam)

input during a class is imperative to the learning process. Nothing better than a lively debate or competition between students,” Mr. Shaffer said. Some teachers at Heritage are also leaning towards in-person learning because of the safety protocols Heritage has enforced. “I think American Heritage Schools have done a very good job implementing a COVID-19 protocol to make our school safer, considering that all students will be on campus,” Dr. Alfredo Pastor, who teaches Spanish, said. Overall, while there are some teachers concerned about safety in the classroom, others are excited to get back to some sense of normalcy. In-person classes may be more effective in student engagement and classroom interaction, but the rising number of COVID-19 cases has given teachers reason to be nervous about returning to school this year.

IN-PERSON CLASSROOM: Students in Ms. Judy Ramos’s ninth period Spanish III class attend school in-person during the pandemic. (Photo/Shreya Shanmugam)

(Design/Shreya Shanmugam) Issue 1

Features 9

Cover Story

The number of fame(ish) influencers is rising The influence of social media in this day-and-age is prominent, and individuals may utilize the related platforms to develop a career. Eva Pierre-Antoine|Online Editor-in-Chief pl242581@ahschool.com

History of Influencers

n influencer: someone who has “the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others due to his or her authority, knowledge, position or relationship with his or her audience,” per influencermarketinghub.com, is an amalgamation of different types of people who are able to impact monetary decisions of other people. The first influencers can be traced back to gladiators of the Roman Empire who endorsed certain products to Coco Chanel, affecting the entire fashion world. With the proliferation of social media, influencers have shifted beyond this simple definition to encompass people who have a mass following on online platforms. Added to the English dictionary in 2019, influencers have gained popularity through means such as blogs and YouTube, and share their content, often sponsored, through these platforms. They started to become more influential with the concept of the “Mommy Bloggers,” referring to moms who specialized in recommending children’s products to their followers.

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NOT PAYING ATTENTION: Phones play a big role --as Junyi Xiu (10), Sofia Toledo (11) and

Aurora Lai (11) illlustrate--especially in this generation, when it comes to communication and entertainment. It may become a problem when people rely too much on their phones, to the point they don’t interact with the people with them. It is important to appreciate the aspects of real-life that do not come from an electronic device. (Photo/Ellaheh Gohari)

Larger platforms are classified by devoted followers, often described as “fandoms,” who will follow advice, whether that influencer knows what he or she is talking about or not. For example, Charli D’Amelio, a teen of tik tok fame, is considered an influencer due to her 121.8 million TikTok followers and 42.8 million Instagram followers, a count that has allowed her to gain a fandom known as the “dunkins.” D’Amelio collaborated with Dunkin’ Donuts to create a drink called The

Issue 1 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

Charli; the day the drink launched, a record was set for the number of daily users on the Dunkin’ Donuts app, with Dunkin’ Donuts recording and a 57% increase in daily app downloads. This is one of many examples of, companies that promote sponsorships from influencers, who are separated into categories based on the amount of followers. This number represents a recorded loyalty among their fans. With successes like these, the influencer industry is expected to reach $13.8 billion in 2021, per influencermarketinghub.com.

DEFINED BY LIKES: Not everyone gets compared to another person based on how many likes

they have received in social media, which Aurora Lai (11), Junyi Xiu (10), Mudit Marwaha (11), Alejandra Abramson (11) and Sofia Toledo (11) demonstrate. Clicking the like button on a post takes a second and provides only momentary satisfaction to the receiver. In the long end, the amount of likes on someone’s post does not define them. People are not sorted by a number, they are sorted by their character. (Photo/Eva Pierre-Antoine)

Social media sites promote this activity, through various algorithms and codes that thinly veil their true commercial purposes. These components, for example, might frequently show products being sponsored that a specific user might purchase based on his, or her, activity on that site. Through these subtle methods, users are more likely to be “influenced,” showing a collaboration between brands, influencers and sites that some criticize.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Influencers A major controversy with influencers arises with the validity of the products they are sponsoring. Many suspect that influencers have not tried, nor support what they preach, citing a lack of transparency

For example, in a social experiment by BBC and Irish personality BlindBoy according to insider.com, influencers were caught on tape agreeing to promote a weight loss drink, which they were aware contained the lethal compound hydrogen cyanide. Despite not having tried the product and its fatality, the influencers did not hesitate to participate in the brand deal, showing a lack of transparency in this practice. People criticize the integrity of influencers supporting and “using” a product without informing their fans that they are being paid to do so. Fans believe and purchase said product when the influencer might not even support it him or herself. Actions have been taken to remedy this criticism, such as social media platforms requiring influencers to add hashtags with words like ad and sponsored, to prevent what may be considered a manipulation.

(Design/Nithisha Makesh) Issue 1

However, current legislation by the Federal Trade Commission forces influencers, and not sites themselves, to clarify when they are being paid for promoting content. Thus, it is unknown whether influencers are always transparent regarding which posts are sponsorships Some view the domination of influencers on social media sites, such as Instagram and Snapchat, as a representation of the pitfalls of society. The ease at which people can be manipulated, as well as the importance placed on influencers exhibits societal values that critics deem as ridiculous. These influencers gain millions of dollars, drawing comparisons to careers such as teachers and nurses who do not receive a the same, or a similar paycheck. For example, an influencer with over a million followers can make more than $250,000 an Instagram post, while nurses working tremendous hours in the height of the pandemic only made about $800 a week. Influencers comprise a fairly young demographic, such as Avani Gregg (18) and Addison Rae (20), who are still able to influence the public greatly, leading to a critique of a society that can so easily be persuaded by people who have not made any meaningful societal contributions. Teens on both sides of the screen are negatively impacted in terms of mental health, due to this young audience. Viewers are shown a glamorized, artificial world where products like unhealthy weight loss drinks can be sponsored and sold to naive viewers who are unaware of the photoshop and surgeries that influencers underwent. As a result, instagram accounts like @celebface are committed to exposing celebrities for plastic surgery they deny having. Accounts like these

Cover Story 11

PERSISTENT PHOTOS: Having influencer status means someone may get photographed anywhere and at any time, Junyi Xiu (10), Mudit Marwaha

(11) and Alejandra Abramson (11) found out. There have been numerous videos on online platforms, such as Youtube that show influencers and celebrities reacting negatively to paparazzi. It can be invasive to have their entire lives documentd even when they are trying to maintain their privacy. Privacy seems to be something someone must sacrifice once they reach the status an influencer or someone in the industry possesses. (Photo/Ellaheh Gohari)

serve to demolish the pristene image that Instagram presents, detailing procedures and editing technologies that a certain celebrity used. Teens can feel anxiety and low self-esteem as they compare their lives to this fabricated world. Teenage influencers themselves are subject to the rough lens and bullying of the internet, and are only valued in terms of fake images they have to live up to. In the D’Amelio Show, the D’Amelios shed light on the bullying that they have been subjected to, including scenes showing the targeted comments and their ensuing damaging mental effects on D’Amelio herself. Yet, no matter its many drawbacks, the influencer community has many advantages. Due to the widespread nature of the internet, this phenomenon has given opportunities to people who might not have had said opportunities. Small businesses can use these means to promote their products and services. On both sides, influencers, and even micro-influencers with comparatively the least amount

12 Cover Story

of followers in the influencer world, and small businesses are benefited in this partnership. People who support the concept of influencers cite a responsible influencer as beneficial to society. If that person behaves according to a certain set of “rules” that have yet to be specified, often stated as using the “platform in a positive way” such as speaking out on world injustices, the impact to society is beneficial. For example, some influencers use their prominence to raise money and support for charitable organizations. Youtuber Mr. Beast promoted a teamtrees campaign where people donated a dollar to sponsor a tree, which led to 23,122,017 trees planted today. A whole subsection of charity influencers, like Elton Castee and Elona Karafin, has been created specifically to raise awareness and donations to their respective cause. However, dispute still arises on what the ability for influencers to impact people’s paychecks signifies and whether society should listen to the opinion of people who are not experts Issue 1 (Design/Nithisha Makesh)

in the important topics of which they are speaking. “Influencers promote a lot of products that are new and talk about what they do and how it could help,” alumni Kelsey Ragin said. “If there weren’t people talking about how products work and how things may benefit them, it would leave people with a lot of questions.” Another positive impact of influencers is their ability to diversify what people are exposed to. As influencers promote different products, their access to a wide fan base lets those who might not be exposed to some of the products see and interact with new things. Their abilities to influence what is considered “trendy” gives different types of people (often young) an ability to create a more dynamic social norm. As society weighs the different aspects of influencers and how they affect society, influencers will continue to make money and spawn trends. With this relatively new era of social media, only time will tell how long and sustainable this phenomenon is.

Influencers in the heat of COVID Eva Pierre-Antoine | Online Editor- in-Chief pl242581@ahschool.com

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OVID-19 changed the way people worked, causing many to switch jobs to virtual workspaces and temporarily eradicating the need for those that relied on personal interaction. Influencers were not immune to such adjustments; gone were their abilities to collaborate in person with other influencers and show off their lavish parties and houses. Some types of influencers’ lifestyles and content were completely erased, as activities like extensive traveling that were the key focus for some careers were put on hold due to COVID-19. Now, influencers were forced to rely on at-home events, online collaborations or interactions with their fans and their own personalities to maintain their fandom. To alleviate these changes, influencers substituted much of their original content and activities for COVID safe alternatives. Online meet-and-greets became popularized in lieu of in-person meetings, and physical collaborations among their peers were changed to virtual. However, influencers were not completely harmed by the onset of COVID-19. As people stayed home due to quarantine, they had more time to follow and support influencers’ contents. Brands could no longer rely on in-person activities, like physical events and brick-and-mortar retail. They were now forced to rely on online shopping, using influencers on multiple social media apps to popularize and show off their content. Brands began to invest in online creators more, as influencers proved to be highly productive in their product campaigns to others. Digital media was responsible for 59% of all global ad spending in 2020, showing a shift from television and other forms of advertising to one that relied on social media influencers. Yet, some influencers did not adhere to COVID-19 restrictions, often receiving backlash for doing so. They espoused these actions in many instances, going from Jake Paul having a party in his Calabasas mansion July 14, 2020 to YouTuber Tana Mongeau saying on her Instagram that she “doesn’t care” about the pandemic. Some fans excused their behaviors, saying that such a lifestyle was essential for their entire livelihoods. Yet, others pointed out the irresponsibility, as these large gatherings have a great potential to spread the disease.

Influencers who present themselves as being COVID-conscious — and criticize those who aren’t — have also opened themselves up to a higher level of scrutiny over their behavior. Even those who appear to care very deeply about following the guidelines have made mistakes or taken risks their fans don’t agree with.

- Arit John, Los Angeles Times

Influencers impacted COVID-19 more directly, spreading misinformation at a disproportionate scale compared to a relatively few spreading the information. Termed the “Disinformation Dozen,” these influencers contributed to two thirds of the anti-vaccination content on Facebook and Twitter. Leading the entire anti-vaccination movement, people, from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to Joseph Mercola, spread information, ranging from incorrect statistics regarding the death rate of the vaccine to dubbing it the “Tuskegee Experiment” to imply that the vaccine’s purpose was to harm those who took it.

(Graphic/Anya Pinto)

(Design/Nithisha Makesh) Issue 1

Cover Story 13

Entertainment

FASOTM: Roie Dahan

This issue’s Fine Arts Student of the Month focuses on Roie Dahan, an active student in school productions through acting and directing. Zoe Horwitz | Staff Writer pl255131@ahschool.com

ver since he was a child, senior Roie Dahan loved to dress up, put on shows and record silly skits with friends. After trying every sport imaginable, Dahan didn’t find his true passion until joining an improv class. After his first ever production, “101 Dalmatians” in kindergarten, starring as Horace and a Boxer Dog, the rest became history. As a very active theater student, Roie has played many roles in school performances. This includes Peter Quince in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jud Fry in “Oklahoma,” Harrison/Ensemble in “Chicago” and the Writer in “The Good Doctor.” Besides being an actor, Dahan also works behind the scenes, most recently co-directing “Check Please!” He also serves as secretary and ICC representative of Heritage’s chapter of the

International Thespians Society, is the lead critic for his chapter of the South Florida Cappies and is a member of the acappella choir. “I think my favorite role was the Writer, just because the experience of putting together the show, from rehearsals to tech to final bows, was unforgettable and super fun. It was also my first lead role comprised of pure acting,” he said. “Additionally, it was a great character study on Anton Chekhov, one of the most prolific and respected theater academics and playwrights in history.” At school, Dahan has taken a variety of fine arts classes, including both Mixed and Acappella chorus and Acting 1-5 during the past three years. As for this year, he plans on continuing with Acappella and Acting 6 & 7, as well as Dance Tech 1A.

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Through the fine arts department, I’ve experienced and learned about tons of opportunities to essentially live out my dreams.

SHOWSTOPPING: Roie Dahan (stands in

center with cane) alongside castmates before taking the stage for the school production of “The Good Doctor.” (Photo/Michael Guarasci)

14 Entertainment

“Thanks to [Heritage] and the fine arts department, I know exactly how to approach the college admissions process, specifically in regards to the fine arts applications,” Dahan said. “The people I’ve met through this program have had such a lasting impact on me, both personally and professionally. Issue 1 (Design/Zoe Horwitz)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Senior

actor Roie Dahan performs in the school’s production of “The Good Doctor” in February 2020. (Photo/Crystal Dahan)

I’ve met people that I consider some of my best friends.” For the future, he plans to pursue theater at the collegiate level and continue on with acting, whether on TV, film, stage or all of the above. With dreams of accepting an Oscar award at the Dolby Theater, the sky’s the limit. If theater doesn’t pan out, Dahan’s backup plans still include a career in the performing arts, whether representing a studio or actor, or becoming an arts manager or producer. “Heritage has immersed me in so much knowledge about my direction for the future and how to be better prepared for life outside of high school and home. And through the theater department, I’ve experienced and learned about tons of opportunities to essentially live out my dreams,” he said.

Influencers begin to outperform traditional entertainers

Since the 2010s, the popularity of influencers has grown tremendously, and sponsors are starting to prefer influencers over celebrities Shreya Shanmugam | Staff Writer pl251121@ahschool.com

the 2010s and heavily fueled the presence of today’s influencers. Brands are beginning to prefer modern influencers over traditional entertainers for promotions and sponsorships, according to MediaKix, an influencer marketing agency.

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or centuries, traditional entertainers such as actors and singers have dominated the entertainment industry. Veiled from the public’s eye, celebrities seemed to live in a different world. People enjoyed the mystique of the celebrity lifestyle; however, over the past couple of decades, the public has veered towards a new form of entertainment powered by social media. Beginning the shift toward social media, “[Edward Hans] Murphy [CEO of IZEA] launched PayPerPost, the first marketplace to pay bloggers to create content for brands – and so began modern influencer marketing on social media as we know it today,” according to IZEA, an online media marketing company. These businesses became increasingly popular in

Global spending on influencer marketing has skyrocketed in recent years, rising from an estimated $2 billion in 2017 to about $8 billion in 2019.

- Forbes

The shift in public perception is mainly due to the environment modern influencers create.

Traditional entertainers may seem more mysterious and far away to their audience - a persona more than a person. Influencers, however, are expected to create a close relationship with their audience so they have the ability to influence their audience’s purchase decisions. This is why influencers such as Katie Jane Hughes, a British makeup guru, have a cult-like following who will purchase the products they promote. Celebrities mainly achieve their status through talent in the fine arts; therefore, they have a status that the general public cannot attain. The possibility of becoming an influencer, where one can simply begin making content in a free platform has attracted people to the profession. The opportunities social media platforms provide in profitability and leverage have made the profession increasingly sought after.

Universities and student influencers benefit from each other The rise of social media has caused colleges to seek out student influencers on their campuses (Graphic/Shreya Shanmugam)

Shreya Shanmugam | Staff Writer pl251121@ahschool.com

tudent influencers are usually college or university students who have a large following on social media and receive brand deals and recognition by making content around their college, lifestyle or interests. Incoming students rely heavily on social media when learning about different universities. “I watch student youtubers a lot. It is fun to see their

content vlogs and how they live their life,” sophomore Melodi Fugate said. According to InsiderEd, “many colleges are compiling lists of students with large social media followings.” Colleges will be very interested in influencers who center around college content and may ask the influencer to promote their college by making appearances in the school’s social media. The influencers can also receive benefits through the relationship, as institutions will pay their influencers for (Design/Shreya Shanmugam) Issue 1

videos or blogs such as dorm tours and items necessary to bring to campus as seen in Colorado State University. With the rising popularity of social media, universities can increase their application pool while also allowing their students to creatively express themselves.

Entertainment 15

Scholarly works for students Kayra Dayi | Staff Writer pl241681@ahschool.com

s college comes faster with each passing year, students may feel unprepared. According to the student survey done by Youth Truth in 2016, fewer than half of students feel they are ready for college. Assigning scholarly books for each grade level is a great way to improve the understanding of a subject. For those who have a hard time getting started, St. John’s college has a few recommendations.

Freshmen

“Iliad” by Homer is an epic poem famous for its philosophy and history. It follows the last days of the Trojan War and was written by ancient Greek poet, Homer, according to ancient-literature.com. Readers will get exposed to the famous myth of Achilles.

Sophomores

Seniors

“Conics’’ by Apollonius is a great choice for those who want to advance in mathematics. According to mathshistory, Apollonius was an accomplished mathematician during ancient Greece. His definitions for parabola, ellipse and hyperbola are still used today in classes such as Algebra 2 and Precalculus.

Nikolai Lobachevsky’s “Theory of Parallels” is an excellent choice for seniors who are looking to add to their knowledge about natural sciences and mathematics. Lobachevsky, according to encyclopedia.com, was “one of the first scientists to discover the internally consistent system of non-Euclidian geometry.”

Juniors “Essays on the Theory of Numbers” by Richard Dedekind is great for those who are interested in history and mathematics. The author, Dedekind, was a well-respected mathematician. Dedekind became an idolized mathematician during the nineteenth century according to plato.stanford.edu, becoming one of the biggest contributors to algebra.

BUNCH-OF-BOOKS:

Young Adult books featuring sci-fi, romance and fantasy have been filling shelves, with YA selected as the most popular genre in 2021. (Photo/ Kayra Dayi)

Movie theaters reopen around country Eva Pierre-Antoine | Online Editor-in-Chief pl242581@ahschool.com

OVID-19 created a domino effect on society, changing the economy and general public as normal social gatherings ceased. Theaters were closed, as their cramped, indoor settings are highly conducive to the spread of diseases. With this, there were many effects, as industries from the movie industry itself to consumers were affected. The closing of theaters created a loss in profit, with the global film industry losing 7 billion US dollars only a month into the pandemic. As the pandemic continued, the release of movies that were filmed prior to the pandemic were postponed, causing people from the actors themselves to movie theater workers to have lowered

16 Entertainment

income. With no one to buy tickets, movies were no longer produced and struggling actors were hit the hardest. Theaters themselves also suffered. Not only did they lose all their business as movies were no longer playing, but the pandemic created a heavier reliance on alternate forms of viewing media. For example, the proliferation of many films on streaming services, such as Disney+ and Hulu, increased a reliance on those streaming services, resulting in less people wanting to attend movie theaters in the first place. Regal Movies closed 536 US theaters. Some steps were taken to alleviate the damage. Many movies adapted to closing theaters by releasing them on alternate platforms, increasing an

Issue 1 (Design/Ellaheh Gohari)

already growing dependence on streaming services. For example, Mulan was released on Disney+, rather than in theaters. However, this decreased much of the profit, grossing just $70 million with a $200 million budget.

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During the pandemic, I relied on Netflix, HBOMax, Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu.

- J’nesse Balkman, 12

As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, movie patrons are returning to the theaters. Time will tell whether movie watching will go back to normal.

Sports

Patriots toil in football camp Joseph Richards |Sports Editor pl234911@ahschool.com

f you were to ask any football player what the most dreaded part of the year is for him, he would definitely say the summer preseason workouts. Filled with circuits of daily conditioning, agility drills and weightlifting sessions, these workouts are not for the faint of heart, especially when fitness coach Mike Hall is involved. Coach Hall is notorious for his grueling workouts, coaching both high school athletes and NFL athletes in their respective off seasons for more than 10 years. But what exactly is the typical workout day for an American Heritage football player in the summer like? The routines are simple on the surface, with a day usually consisting of a weightlifting session and a conditioning session right after, but each day varies in the type of weights and sprints done.

The weightlifting sessions vary from workouts targeting the upper body, core muscles and lower body. Typically for an upper body workout, circuits would include exercises such as bench presses, bicep curls, shoulder shrugs; core circuits would include

he 2020 Tokyo Olympics was quite the event and not only for the competitions. After being delayed a year because of COVID-19, the spotlight was on Japan to see how the country could safely hold a worldwide competition. With limited spectators and strict measures, Japan was able to pull it off. The USA led the total medal count with 113 medals. China was next in line at 88 medals with the United Kingdom in third place bringing home 65 medals. U.S. women dominated this year’s Olympic games winning, 66 medals more than half of the U.S. team’s overall medal count.

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The training is hard and all, but it’s really necessary for us, especially this year. We have a really intense schedule. -Jaeden Kinlock

READY

TO RUMBLE: The Patriot football team storms the field in their matchup against St. Thomas Aquinas. The Patriots looked to even the score with their opponents after losing to them in the previous season. (photo/Khye Vogt)

Rushing for Gold

Zoe Horwitz| Staff Writer pl255131@ahschool.com

planks, V-ups, crunches; while lower body workouts would include squats (both double leg and single leg), calf raises, hamstring curls. The number of reps and weights done is directly proportional to the players’ body weights. As for the conditioning, Coach Hall rotates his workouts between sprints and long distance running, change of direction drills and agility drills with cones.

One of the most memorable parts of the Tokyo Olympics was athletes bringing mental health into the spotlight. Two of the world’s most recognized athletes -- USA gymnast Simone Biles and Japan tennis star Naomi Osaka -revealed they were struggling mentally with the pressure of the Olympics. Simone Biles, the gold medal frontrunner, dropped out of the team competition, while Naomi Osaka, who was also expected to win gold, was eliminated in the third round. Both ladies later discussed how they were under immense pressure and not mentally capable of competing. Biles ended up returning for the individual beam final, where she received a bronze medal. Issue 1 (Design/Joseph Richards)

Something unique about the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was the new disciplines added to existing sports and the four new events introduced-skateboarding, surfing, karate and climbing. New disciplines included three-on-three basketball for both men and women and mixed-gender teams in swimming and track and field. The four new events added 474 competitors into the Olympic games.

[The bronze medal] means more than all the golds because I’ve pushed through so much the last five years and the last week while I’ve even been here -Simone Biles

Sports 17

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Ways students can stay active Nithisha Makesh|Co-editor in Chief pl246981@ahschool.com

hysical education (P.E.) allows students to stay physically active during school. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “children and adolescents ages six to 17 years” are recommended to dedicate at least an hour towards physical activity each day. Examples of said activities include aerobics, muscle strengthening and bone-strengthening. Engaging in regular physical activity lessens the risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis, as stated by the CDC. A healthy and well-formed P.E. curriculum includes workouts students might not know about. As reported by Stephen Parker who has an M.A in Educational Leadership, in the blog in Graduate Programs for educators,“By

experiencing various physical activities, whether sports or exercise regimens, some students may and often do find a ‘niche’ that they would have never sought to seek out on their own. At the very least, students [who are] involved in a well-disciplined P.E. program find themselves in better overall physical condition.” Besides exposing students to different workouts, P.E. allows students to work together in teams as well as individually. Students learn how to interact with their teammates and how to listen to their own bodies. By improving the blood flow in the brain, the brain’s function also improves. Although students either might not want to take more than the one required P.E. class or cannot take the class because of their packed schedule, students should still stay active on their own terms.

Exercise also improves blood flow in the brain, therefore influencing the amount and concentration of nutrients such as oxygen and glucose, as well as the expanding and contracting movement of the cerebral vessels, which in turn affects brain cells. -The Psychologist

Scan the QR code to get the latest updates on fall sports.

Athletes re-adjust after Covid Kayra Dayi| Staff Writer pl241681@ahschool.com

SMASHING FOREHANDS: Freshman Kayla

Billera is at the courts practicing her form as she prepares for her upcoming tennis tournament. (Photo/Kayla Billera).

ue to the unpleasant situations that developed during the pandemic, sports events were canceled and the majority of the athletes fell behind their schedules. However, now that vaccines are available, competitors are back at their game.

18 Sports

Most players in the United States are ready to get their vaccines to compete in major tournaments. For the Olympics at Tokyo, 85.5% of U.S.’s athletes were vaccinated. Team USA had 613 members, 104 returning as Olympimedalists. The time has come for athletes to show off their talent once again. Student athletes are also ready to get back on track. Student athlete Kayla Billera is motivated to train for tennis more than ever now that opportunities to safely participate in sports events have become available. “I had been struggling to find motivation during the pandemic,” she explained, “especially because of the worry that I might not be able to play as well on the courts as I used to after this long break.” Kayla plans to take adIssue 1 (Design/Joseph Richards)

vantage of her worries and use her free time during the summer to train for tennis tournaments. “I will be training for tennis during the weekdays in the morning and afternoon and competing at tournaments almost every weekend,” Kayla said. She has a busy schedule ahead of her, filled with lessons and competitions. However, while working on training and conditioning during the summer may be beneficial, it is important for players to take time for themselves as well. Alex Soller, a strength and conditioning coach, suggests that to prevent injuries this summer, athletes must take the time to rest and not over exercise. It is recommended that players take breaks in between training, mentally and physically

Fitness infuencers getting rich off scams Joseph Richards | Sports Editor pl234911@ahschool.com

ecently, the media has become a marketplace for almost any type of product or service traditionally offered in physical stores. Businesses such as clothing brands and scattering services have gained customers through this method, transitioning from small, usually unknown businesses to large scale enterprises. Fitness pages have become prominent in social media. Scrolling on Instagram, it's nearly impossible to miss fitness influencers promoting their workout routines or merchandise to their viewers. These influencers constantly show off their fit bodies as a way to attract buyers. They use the customer’s gullibility as bait to scam them. Fitness influencers have various ways they can use to scam buyers. One is by ghosting the buyers. Some of the sellers put their effort into the advertising portion of their business, disregarding the actual service they offer. They will post pictures of their or a hired model's physique as a tactic. Customers see the body of their dreams in these posts and consequently contact the sellers to purchase their programs so that they can achieve a similar build. They buy the workout routine, then either never receive it or are not offered the full benefits of the service.

This occurred with Brittany Davis, a fitness influencer with over 800,000 followers on Instagram. Multiple of Davis' clients reported buying a workout routine where access to Davis as a trainer by phone was part of the package. However, Davis failed to get back to many of the customers' messages, sometimes completely ghosting them altogether. Another way influencers can scam the public is by profiting off misinformation. This was seen with self-labeled fitness guru Vince Sant, known as V-Shred on social media. Since Sant’s demographic consisted of novice bodybuilders, the customers were tricked into thinking that the exercises they paid for were legitimate. However, after Sant's lack of expertise on bodybuilding was exposed by other influencers and customers, his business began to deteriorate.

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HOME EQUIPMENT: Since many of the gyms shut down due to COVID-19, a lot of people started working out at home. Some basic home gym equipment may include dumbells, bands, stretching material, etc. (Photo/Kayra Dayi)

Before buying services on the social media, particularly fitness, it is important that product buyers do their research on their desired brands. Not only can buyers waste money on these, but a person's health could be put at risk if the exercises are flawed.

Too much "tricky" marketing to get consumer to purchase more product. Annoying, deceiving and a poor way to treat customers. - K Watts, reviewer of Vince Sant's program

(Design/Kayra Dayi) Issue 1

INFLUENCER

RECOMMENDED

ITEM:

Freshman Kayra Dayi displays protein bars she purchased from a social media advertisement. After renowned fitness TikTok stars Anna Archer and Mia Challiner promoted them, Dayi was swayed into buying them. (Photo/Kayra Dayi)

Sports 19

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Patriot Post Issue 1 September 2021

Articles inside

Patriot Post Issue 1 September 2021