The Bear Facts February 2020

THE U.S. & THE MIDDLE EAST: What you should know; Timeline pg 2, 12

THE BEAR

Vol. 41, Issue 3, February 2020

FACTS

Ursuline Academy of Dallas

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Welcome to the New 20s!

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Inside

February

The Bear Facts

The Middle East: Clarifying Misconceptions

By SARAH HUI ‘20 On Jan. 3, the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. airstrike dominated headlines. In response, Iran fired missiles at two American bases in Iraq five days later. That same day, a Ukrainian passenger jet crashed near Tehran, Iran’s capital. After three days of denial, Iran’s military admitted responsibility for the crash.

These are the latest events in a long history of U.S. involvement and intervention in the Middle East. This story and an infographic on pgs. 12-13 aim to provide a clear overview of not just the ongoing “global war on terror” but also the origins of U.S. interaction with the Middle East and the region itself.

Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran

The “war on terror” phrase first used by President George W. Bush after the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, captures a simple, one-dimensional impression of the Middle East as a place of violence and terrorism.

However, the region is much more than that. Accompanying this story are photos of Iran that provide a picture of the Middle East seldom shared.

Geographically, impressions of the Middle East are also often mistaken. The U.S.-led “war on terror” began with invading Afghanistan. Is Afghanistan in the Middle East? Right is a map of the region in question. Afghanistan is not included because it is actually in Central Asia.

Here is a map of the “Greater Middle East” or Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. (right) Calling these countries by a single name as one region, which the U.S. government began doing after the Sept. 11 attacks, has a political purpose of grouping them by their common religion of Islam.

The MENA countries are all Muslimmajority, except Israel. But while North Africa has historical and cultural ties to the Middle East, the Central Asian countries east of Iran like Afghanistan have differences in culture and language. Invading Afghanistan highlighted the country’s religious tie to the Middle East, encouraging the misconception of Afghanistan being Middle Eastern.

Like Afghanistan, the Muslim world and the Arab world are often incorrectly thought of as the same thing as the Middle East. Muslim-majority countries include more than just the Middle East and the MENA region. Only about 20 percent of all Muslims live in the MENA region. Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population, is located in South Asia.

The Arab world includes many Middle Eastern and MENA countries, except for

Turkey, Israel, Iran and Central Asia.

Arab identifies a group with various ethnic backgrounds that shares a common mother tongue, Arabic. The Middle East is home to many non-Arab ethnic groups, including Persians, Kurds, Palestinians, Egyptians, Druze, Jews and Armenians. Below: A map of the 22 Arab-majority countries that make up the Arab world. and Syria. The U.S. does not recognize the State of Palestine. Turkey is a fellow member of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a peacetime military alliance formed during the Cold War. Major non-NATO allies in the region include Afghanistan, Egypt and Jordan. Israel is a major strategic partner, Masouleh, a village built into a mountain like steps.

Both “worlds”, one centered around a religion and one around an ethnic group, overlap with the Middle East but are not one and the same.

Likewise, Arab, an ethnicity, does not equal Muslim, a religious identity, and vice versa. There are hundreds of millions of non-Arab Muslims as well as millions of Arabs who are not Muslim.

Today, the U.S. government has diplomatic relations with every Middle Eastern country except Iran

Maranjab desert at sunrise, covered by snow

a level above a major non-NATO ally.

The U.S. also maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Continued pg. 12

Images courtesy of CNN, Scott McLeod on Flickr, USA Rice Federation, Wikimedia Commons

THE BEAR FACTS STAFF FRONT EDITORS Sarah Hui ‘20 Abigail Mihalic ‘20 INSIDE EDITORS Sarah Hui ‘20 Abigail Mihalic ‘20 SCHOOL NEWS EDITOR Natalie Ro ‘22 PROFILES EDITOR Ellie Skelly ‘21 FEATURES EDITOR Helen Emerson ‘20 GLOBAL FEATURES EDITOR Katharine Bales ‘22 SPREAD EDITOR Sarah Nguyen ‘20 SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITOR Emma Louviere ‘22 https://theuabearfacts.com/

ADVISER Melinda Smith EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sarah Hui ‘20 Abigail Mihalic ‘20 ONLINE EDITORS Grace Risinger ‘20 Emilea McCutchan ‘20 Editorial Policy Editorials reflect the staff’s opinion and are not bylined. Opinion pieces are bylined and are the opinion of the author.

Letter policy Readers are encouraged to submit letters to be considered for publication. They may respond to an article, provide feedback on the whole paper, or address a topic not addressed in the paper. In order to be published, these letters cannot be anonymous. Articles, story ideas, or pictures submitted by the Ursuline community will be received and considered for publication. Submissions for should be e-mailed to 20amihalic@ursulinedallas.org or 20shui@ursulinedallas.org, or brought to room 035.

4900 Walnut Hill Lane Dallas, Texas 75229 uabfstaff@gmail.com

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Ainsley Neitzel ‘20 TRENDING EDITORS Kate Janson ‘20 Hope Whitcraft ‘20 INSIGHTS EDITOR Bethany Roberts ‘20 OPINIONS EDITOR Jackie Thomas ‘20 BACK EDITOR Kate Giebler ‘21 BUSINESS MANAGER Kate Janson ‘20 SOCIAL MEDIA & PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Hope Whitcraft ‘20 REPORTER Brooke Norman ‘20 @uabearfacts

The Bear Facts

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Inside

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February

Welcome to the New ‘20s!

By ABIGAIL MIHALIC ‘20 With the start of this new decade, the 2020s will be stepping into the shoes of one of the most culturally relevant decades in American history, the Roaring Twenties. Defined by economic prosperity, consumerism, and social change, the 1920s are beloved by nostalgics everywhere, even though they often pair their flapper dresses with rose-colored glasses.

Although this coming decade may not turn out to have as loud of a roar, the 1920s should not be put on a pedastal and the 2020s should not be critiqued and passed over for ritzier eras.

Both decades have their high and low moments, and in many ways, inventions, ideas and movements born in the 1920s have grown and evolved to play substantial roles in current life. Here are six of these areas comparing the 1920s to the upcoming 2020s, but only time will tell if this next decade will also be remembered fondly as a cute costume and the theme for fun parties in years to come.

Women’s Fashion

More than just the flapper dresses that symbolize the 1920s, women’s fashion changed drastically after the first World War to fit the needs of a new kind of woman. After the violence of the war, the pervading feeling among many Americans was to live in the moment and enjoy life, sentiments that became emblematic of the flapper girl. To accommodate both their recent entrance into the workforce and their need to move freely while dancing to increasingly-popular jazz music, women’s clothes became looser and more freeing.

While there may be more futuristic styles in the 2020s, the fashion of the future will look very similar to the fashion of the past. In this past decade, clothing items like bell bottoms from the 70s and chokers from the 90s have become in style again, and this is expected to continue in the 2020s. This trend, however, is rooted in the admirable goal of sustainability. The fashion world has become increasingly more aware of their role in pollution through millions of pounds of clothes thrown away

each year, and this problem is expected to be addressed head-on in the 2020s.

Movies

Before Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, and other modern celebrities, there was Charlie Chaplin. The silent movies of the 1920s in which he starred brought the first generation of movie stars. These silent movie stars, however, did not enjoy their fame for long after the first “talkie” premiered in 1927. Also during the twenties, Hollywood became the movie capital of America.

Coming into the 2020s, cinema has recently enjoyed high and lows. In 2019, Avengers: Endgame became the highest grossing film, earning $2.796 billion. Recent movies have utilized high-tech special effects to create extremely-lifelike animals in The Jungle Book and resurrect the deceased Carrie Fisher in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Technology may also spell trouble for the traditional moviegoing experience. With streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon creating their own movie content, some worry that people will no longer drive to a theater to see a movie they could watch on their iPhone screen.

Cars

Before the 1920s, automobiles were extremely expensive and unattainable for the average American. With the help of Henry Ford’s assembly line, cars became much more affordable. After the federal government expanded the roads system and created federal highways in 1925, Americans became more mobile than ever before.

This wave of personal vehicles which started in the 1920s has resulted in over 90% of households in America owning a car. The cars of the 2020s, however, will look much different than Ford’s Model T. Electric cars from traditional car manufacturers and new brands like

Tesla have surged onto the scene and are expected to make up 23% of new vehicles sold globally by 2025. Fully automated cars may not be in the near future, but 70% of new cars will have self-driving features by 2030.

Women’s Rights

Women of the 2020s owe a huge thank you to the courageous women of the 1920s who successfully fought for the right to vote, resulting in the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.

Although many women remained in the traditional role of housewife during the decade, the number of working women increased by 25% as a result of World War I. The flapper became the image of the “New Woman” who enjoyed more freedom and individuality than ever before.

Despite obtaining many more freedoms in between these two decades, women in the 2020s are still addressing issues like sexual harassment and the wage gap that have persisted since the 1920s. Recently, the #MeToo movement which called out many powerful men for sexual misconduct has made the issue of harassment more public and hopefully intolerable in the future. Women in the 2020s will move closer towards full gender equity.

Food

Food in the 1920s was revolutionized

by Clarence Birdseye who, in 1924, invented the quick freezing method used to store food frozen for long periods of time.

At the same time, the U.S. underwent a period of Prohibition which imposed a ban on the

sale of alcoholic beverages. Dallas plays a role in the history of food during the 1920s as the birthplace of the first drivein restaurant.

Although those driveins and the subsequent drive-thrus seemed wonderful at the time, fast food has contributed to the growing problem of obesity in the U.S. which will continue into the 2020s. The new decade will not only look into human heath but the health of the planet. To mitigate the large environmental footprint of meat production, plant-based alternatives are becoming more popular and more mainstream in the 2020s.

Sports

The 1920s were a monumental age in sports history.

After the radio became common in most households, fans did not have to travel to a stadium to hear play-by-play descriptions of a game. Because of increased leisure time and money, the playing and watching of sports became more popular, leading to the rise of star athletes like Babe Ruth. College football also boomed in popularity as WWI soldiers returned to play for their college teams and serve as a fun diversion from the stresses of wartime.

Although football has surpassed baseball as America’s most popular sport, traditional professional sports will still be loved and watched, even if games are streamed on phones instead of watched on televisions. The sports of the future, however, may be entirely digital as eSports grows in popularity.

500 million people are predicted to be watching games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Call of Duty by 2021. A collegiate eSports league already exists, and in the 2020s, there may be formalized professional leagues that new fans can root for.

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School News

February

The Bear Facts

Academic Changes Await Future Bears

By SARAH NGUYEN ‘20 Students’ schedules are getting a makeover in the future. Ursuline has lowered its required credits for graduation from 28 credits to 26 credits. But what does this mean? The class of 2024 will only be required to take three credits of Math, Social Studies and Science instead of four. One credit of Life Skills is required, and there will also be the option to take two free periods during the year. Juniors, sophomores and freshmen will also have some changes, but not as major as the upcoming class.

Academic Dean Elizabeth Smith said, “This [change] has been in discussion since 2017. A team of 17 Ursuline faculty from nearly every department contributed to this 2-year discussion.”

In 2017, Ursuline Academy created the Well-Being Task Force to meet monthly for discussions on tactics for improving student well-being. After researching other Independent Schools of the Southwest (ISAS) schools and reviewing Texas state requirements, they agreed on the benefits of lowering the required number of credits to graduate in order to provide flexibility in students’ schedules. With greater flexibility, students can pursue classes that match better with their own interests.

According to the announcement from Dean of Students Kayla Brown and Academic Dean Elizabeth Smith, “A reduction in graduation requirements will provide choice for our students to pursue electives and dive into the subject areas that they

are passionate about.”

For example, take Bear Facts coeditor Abigail Mihalic ’20. “I think this change is a great idea that I would have greatly appreciated during my time at Ursuline. Since I am very passionate about Newspaper, I have made sacrifices to take the class all four years including giving up my free during sophomore year and taking four se-

less interested in. While some are concerned about colleges who require four years of some of these subjects for particular majors, the Ursuline administration believes that students will naturally take the classes needed for college.

The deans’ announcement further addresses that “to meet particular college entrance requirements, many of our students may choose to take more

Courtesy of William Thompson

mesters of summer school. I have really enjoyed the classes I’ve taken, but it would have been nice to have more flexibility,” she said.

In the future, students who are passionate about specific subjects will be able to take more classes and electives that are related to their interests and spend less time on subjects they are

credits than those required by Ursuline.

Each student will have guidance and assistance from their college counselor to ensure they know the requirements of the colleges they are interested in attending.”

Colleges are also increasingly looking for students who demonstrate specific interests instead of assembling a collection of clubs and classes across many

areas. Delia-Rose Constantin ‘21 believes that with this schedule change, “you are able to really show what you are interested in by focusing on a specific area of study.”

In addition to the decrease in required credits, there are also changes in subject requirements. Currently, students are required to take three years of a language. With the change however, if a student passes level 3 in any language, she is only required to take it for two years. To clarify, if she places into Spanish III Honors freshman year, she must go on to complete AP Spanish sophomore year and would then meet the language requirement. Junior year, she would have the choice not to take a language class..

Furthermore, each student will be required to take a Life Skills class for one semester in both her freshman and junior years covering topics including Study Skills, Speech and Presentation Skills, Social Media Responsibility, Finances, Self-Defense and Interview Skills.

In the end, this change was made to benefit the overall well-being and interests of the student body. And according to Smith and Brown, “This change will encourage our students to take more classes that they truly love… Education is moving in a more personalized direction. Classes should be taught in many different ways to meet the needs of students who all learn differently.”

DADYO, Not Just Another Club Activity By: KATHARINE BALES ‘22 Students may have noticed DADYO flyers posted around Ursuline’s campus and perhaps wondered, “What is this acronym, and how does it pertain to Ursuline life? Why should I care about it?”

DADYO stands for Dallas Area Diversity Youth Organization. Bailey Uttich ’20, involved in the African American Awareness club, frequently attends these meetings.

“Though many people think of it as a club, the African American Awareness (AAA) club is the one that delegates the DADYO meetings, and each school has its own form of a diversity club,” Uttich said.

Meetings take place on a monthly basis at ESD, Greenhill, Ursuline, Jesuit, Parish, Hockaday, or St. Mark’s.

“Anyone can attend, not just private schools,” Uttich said. “We’ve had people come from Plano and Lakewood schools, so it’s open to everyone.”

DADYO promotes inclusion by inviting all nearby schools to participate in its monthly discussions of pertinent societal issues.

“It is used to show different perspectives, whether racial or socioeconomic,” Uttich said. “Students get to meet others with similar and contradicting ideas and

grow their opinions on important current event topics that are affecting our generation.”

At past events, DADYO has focused on topics such as cognitive dissonance, tokenism and socioeconomic privilege.

Most recently, members met in Haggar to raise and dissect issues of cultural insensitivity and “cancel culture.”

The term “cancel culture” is a form of boycott in response to a public figure sharing controversial or questionable ideas. If enough people collectively boycott a celebrity, they can potentially damage his or her career.

Cultural separation and boycotting, however, are just two of the many themes analyzed at monthly gatherings.

Regardless of the subject matter, meetings typically follow a structure meant

Courtesy of Jesuit Dallas

to produce an effective, informed discussion at the end.

At each DADYO meeting, participants break up into two groups to talk about different topics related to the theme of the meeting. After discussing their respective topics thoroughly, the two groups switch topics so that everyone can discuss all of the relevant issues.

Finally, the two groups reunite and share their thoughts with each other and the adults present.

This discussion process encourages students to focus on the specific factors that contribute to a broader issue. By the end of the conversation when the group reunites, they can address the larger issue and support their claims with these findings.

DADYO helps educate young men and

women about the world’s social problems, especially as they currently affect individuals within the Dallas community.

Whether discussions pertain to global or regional matters, their consequences could impact this generation’s future if adolescents and young adults disregard them.

To involve youth in conferences beyond Dallas, DADYO-affiliated schools take their students to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. The nationwide event gathers high school student leaders from across the United States and other countries as well.

As a result, it engages students in a larger-scale diversity interaction, providing the opportunity to discuss universal issues and how they reveal themselves globally.

By facilitating discussion among high school teenagers, this Dallasspecific organization allows young people to gain perspective on the experiences of others, including their peers who may come from different backgrounds. Uttich encourages Ursuline girls to attend meetings because “they are super fun and you get to learn a lot about people’s lives.”

The Bear Facts

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School News

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February

Recapping the Last Intramurals of the Decade

By SARAH NGUYEN ‘20 Lights and streamers hang in Main Hall. Stress fills the air. Portions of the school are decorated in blue, red, yellow or green. No, you are not delusional.

This is Intramurals, an annual Ursuline competition, celebration and tradition where each grade competes in volleyball, spirit, hallway decorations, a mural and a video.

The theme each class chooses plays a pivotal role in every aspect of the competition. This school year’s themes from the seniors down to the freshmen were inspired by “Avengers: Endgame”, “Stranger Things”, “Toy Story” and the proposed Area 51 raid, respectively.

Students spent weeks preparing for Intramurals, from writing the video scripts to painting the murals to practicing winning volleyball strategies. The actual Intramurals event centers around the volleyball games. Students separate by class into designated regions of the red bleachers in the gym where they chant, scream and jump around.

As always, this year’s first day of Intramurals had the seniors playing the freshmen and the juniors playing the sophomores. Although the class of 2023 put up a respectable fight, the seniors beat the freshmen team decisively in two games.

On the gym’s other side, the juniors struggled throughout much of their first game to keep ahead of the sophomores, leaving their eventual first win breathtakingly close. Ultimately, the juniors pulled through to defeat the sophomores both games.

On day two, the juniors played the freshmen and the seniors played the sophomores. Both matches had the up-

perclassmen teams victorious.

The last Intramurals day was the day of the underdogs. The juniors and seniors played a close match, with an initial junior victory followed by two senior victories. While the junior win was discouraging, the senior class amped up its cheering and the volleyball players went out hard, playing to a champion win.

The freshmen and sophomores played a close match as well, with a first-game victory from the sophomores followed by two upset victories from the freshmen. After much cheering and hard work, the seniors took first in volleyball, the juniors, second, the freshmen, third and the sophomores, fourth.

Although volleyball is the spotlight competition, this school year’s hallway decorations took as much dedication and student participation. With a tight deadline and a blank sketchpad, Abigail Mihalic ‘20, chair of the seniors’ hallway committee, worked tirelessly with her team to sketch and paint their Avengersinspired hallway.

In the end, all the hallway committees’ hard work paid off. The seniors won first in hallway, the juniors, second, the sophomores, third and the freshmen, fourth.

Mihalic said, “No one had told me this before, but I never realized how much harder it would be to pull off

senior hallway compared to sophomore and junior hallway, not just because of the bigger area to cover but mostly because of how Decoration Day coincides with the Nov. 1 college deadline. Those three weeks were very stressful, but I am so grateful that I got to spend them with my class. Running up to get the plaque was one of the most exciting things ever and winning just made our senior year Intramurals experience sweeter and [more] memorable.”

Without the spirit contest – translation, screaming contest – would Intramurals even be Intramurals?

This school year’s spirit wins from first to last were the seniors, the juniors, the freshmen and finally, the sophomores.

Even though each class was competing against each other, this friendly competition always brings the girls together as a community. Not only do Ursuline students bond within their own class, they feel more connected across the grades. As everyone sings the ending alma mater, there comes a realization that Ursuline is not made up of separate individuals, but is indeed, one family.

The mural is probably the most tangible souvenir from Intramurals. Each year, artistic and unartistic students crowd into art teacher Sarah Kennedy’s classroom to mix paint and dust off pencil erasings.

Michaela Coulter ‘20, co-chair of the seniors’ mural committee, said, “I had so much fun working with

other people! Even though seniors won second for mural, I loved spending my last intramurals with my friends.”

The seniors’ mural was anchored by their class president of four years, Courtney Kang. When asked why the mural team decided to portray Courtney Kang as Captain America, Coulter said, “First, she is obviously the face of the Senior class. Second, everyone loves her! And third, we wanted to portray Ursuline’s diversity.”

Ultimately, the mural contest ended with the juniors taking first, followed by the seniors and sophomores tied for second and finally, freshman in fourth.

Last but not least, the video contest is always a collaborative project for each class that involves girls’ participation through acting as extras, shooting and editing the video or writing the script.

Emma Louviere ’23, a member of the sophomores’ video committee said, “I partook in making the videos this year and last year, and I had a blast! I make videos in my free time anyway, so this activity was a way for me to put my hobby into use. Although there were some issues when trying to fit our theme, Toy Story, with the school, it turned out well in the end.”

In the end, all the videos were a success. Seniors won first, followed by the juniors, the sophomores and lastly, the freshmen.

If any Ursuline student, teacher or alumnae is asked, there is no doubt they would describe Intramurals as unforgettable. Not only does this tradition create lasting bonds, the joyful memory of it lasts long after students depart the Academy.

Images courtesy of Ursuline Dallas Flickr

Theatre Will Be Workin’ 9 to 5 on Spring Musical

By NATALIE RO ‘22 “Workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin’…”

Ursuline theatre’s upcoming spring musical titled “9 to 5” is based on a 1980s classic movie which tells the story of three women who work at Consolidated Industries. The company is overshadowed by a sexist environment kept in place by misogynistic president Franklin Hart Jr. “When the movie ‘9 to 5’ made its debut in 1980, it struck a cultural nerve.

A cartoonish revenge fantasy, it was fun to watch and resonated with female office workers who felt oppressed by their bosses and by male-dominated corpora-

tions,” the New York Times wrote in 2012.

The film featured Violet, Judy, and Doralee as its heroines. Hard-working Violet is a widowed mother with a rambunctious teenage son. She is portrayed as the company’s greatest asset and receives a major promotion. Violet feuds with Hart because he treats his female secretaries like objects.

Fresh-faced intern Judy is new to the world of a nine-to-five job and must learn how things operate within an office environment. Violet mentors Judy and takes her under her wing.

Office gossip Doralee is known for being flirtatious with men in the office.

She has a special relationship with Mr. Hart and the other women are jealous of her. However, in reality she simply wants to be liked. The three of them get tired of being mistreated by their misogynistic boss and decide to abduct him and run the business themselves.

Actress and singer Dolly Parton, who starred in the 1980s movie as Doralee, composed the music for a

Broadway version of “9 to 5” in 2008.

The musical premiered in April of 2009 and closed in September. The Broadway musical gained a large amount of popularity and earned multiple Drama Desk Award nominations, four Tony Award nominations and even a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

In an interview, Parton said, “Once I got into it, I found I have a little knack for it because I’ve always loved telling stories… I wanted each song to fit each character perfectly and fit the story line, as well and to have the songs to be singable and memorable.”

It is no wonder the 2008 musical took off even years after the original film.

Even now, while the 1980s and 2020s may seem worlds apart, issues such as the fight for equal pay and lack of maternity and paternity leave still exist and affect women negatively. In “9 to 5”, the characters discuss how the female employees do not receive the same salaries as the male employees, even if both do the same job and accomplish the same work.

“From the perspective of today, 9

to 5 is a fascinating time capsule of the wage slavery and sexism of its time, with a great shot of a grimly vast office (as in The Apartment), a giant Xerox collating machine, and hulking, humming IBM golfball electric typewriters everywhere,” British newspaper The Guardian wrote in 2018.

Comparing the 1980s to now is not that farfetched. “9 to 5” has a historical lesson that today’s audiences can learn from. Considering lasting challenges that women face in the workplace, this movie still serves to call out society for acting sexist towards women and asserts that everyone should receive fair treatment.

Images courtesy of Rolling Stone and dollyparton.com

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February

Profiles

The Bear Facts

Ursuline Welcomes New Director of Admissions

By HELEN EMERSON ‘20 This year, Ursuline welcomed Ashley Rae Jackson as the Director of Admission and Enrollment Management. While at the University of Nevada, Reno, on a full academic and athletic scholarship, Jackson earned a degree in journalism and communications, and continued on to get a master’s degree in communication management at University of Southern California (USC).

Jackson comes to us from a previous position as Middle School Director of Admission for Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles. Before working in this role, she served as Senior Assistant Director of Admission at USC, where she worked specifically with underrepresented groups as they navigated their college search.

In her new position at Ursuline, she is also directing the Ambassadors program, along with Spanish teacher Ms. Ayala.

The two have been a great team navigating their first year with the program.

“Ms. Jackson has completely changed the ambassador program for the better.

She has incorporated snacks and cookies in our meetings to make the program seem more welcoming. Her passion for this program shows her dedication towards her job. She is the best,” says Emily Ray ’20, Officer of Communications for Ambassadors.

What inspires you in your work in admissions?

Admissions is about fit, process, and mission. At Ursuline, we have a rich history of service, we have undeniably faithful faculty and staff, and we have a community of students, alums, and supporters that believe fervently in our mission. I am inspired by each of these daily.

Building our community is a responsibility yes, but it’s also a great privilege.

What is the best part of your role as the Director of Admissions?

I truly love my role as Director of Admissions. It’s even more special that I get to serve the Ursuline community.

My varied responsibilities make each day fun and rewarding. The best part of the role hands down, however, is working with our girls. They are such gems! Watching them transition to high school, grow in their commitment to God and service to others, and truly find themselves is fascinat-

ing. I’m inspired by them daily.

What are you most looking forward to in the spring semester?

Spring semester will bring many unique Ursuline traditions. I look forward to Mardi Gras—any time we can pour into students, is great. It’s a wonderful cause at that. Each year we continue to raise funds for tuition assistance.

That’s huge. Also, I cannot wait for graduation! (Although, I’ll be sad to say farewell to my senior advisees). It will be such a memorable, momentous occasion.

Lastly, I am most looking forward to March/April when admission decisions are distributed, and we begin to welcome new families to the Ursuline community.

How exciting!

Do you miss anything about Los Angeles?

Of course! My last decade in Los Angeles was quite fruitful.

While I miss former colleagues, professors, and friends, I miss the weather and the beach the most! There’s nothing like consistently sunny weather.

What service opportunities are you passionate about, and how does a service mindset impact your work?

In my personal life, I am most passionate about education—access, resources, and opportunities for all children.

Equity and inclusion are key factors in this equation. And really, so is love and understanding. Let’s face it, we could all use a little more love and kindness these days.

I spend my time mentoring high school/college students and volunteering at elementary schools. Breast cancer awareness is another cause important to me. My mother is a breast cancer survivor, so raising money for research and supporting those impacted by the disease is important to me.

How does having a service mindset impact you work?

Easy. I am—we are, called to serve others. If helping others and sharing God’s word is in your heart, work is less “work”. Rather, work is something that you simply love to do, something that you get to do. I’d like to believe that I have a servant’s heart. As such, if I can help prospective students and parents in this, sometimes anxious admissions process, I consider it a joy.

Ursuline Athletes Commit to Colleges

By SARAH NGUYEN ‘20

Since the age of five, Rachel Cook has had a passion for soccer. When asked why she wanted to play for Tusculum University (gReenville, TN) this fall, Cook said, “I have been playing ever since I can remember. It is what I love to do. I always knew I wanted to play in college. I am always very busy with practices and games, but I can’t imagine my life without [soccer],” The first time Cook visited Tusculum University, she knew it was one of her top choices. The community was so welcoming when she got there, especially the soccer team.

The soccer team is very close, and she cannot wait to be a part of that family.

Besides playing soccer, Cook plans to major in Psychology and minor in Business. Because of the academic rigor and challenging classes, Ursuline has played a major role in Cook’s path to Tusculum University, and she is going to miss all her teachers and friends very much! We love you and wish you the best, Rachel!

Who is Mackenzie Morris?

Besides being a senior at Ursuline, she is one of Ursuline’s most prized volleyball players. Morris said, “Volleyball has provided me with unforgettable memories and teammates that I will forever cherish,” She started playing volleyball at the age of nine, and she plans to attend and play for Kansas State University (in Man-

hattan, KS) next year. Once she stepped onto campus, Kansas State University immediately felt like a family atmosphere, Cook said. The strong academics and athletics program are the reasons that pushed her to choose K-State, and she also plans to pursue marketing as well. Mackenzie, Ursuline will always be your supportive family, and we are going to miss you so much!

When Isa Lopez was younger, she played many sports, from ice skating to basketball. However, she soon found her passion for volleyball by age eight after signing up for volleyball clinics.

Lopez said, “I never wanted to leave the court to go home, and everyday I looked forward to touching the volleyball. As I grew older, that love and passion for volleyball intensified. I love the competitiveness, the constant drive to win and the teamwork aspect of it because each player on the team can make each other better, and I wanted to be that person that could make a difference on and off the court.” She plans to continue her volleyball career at La Salle University where she finds the athletic staff and team the sweetest and the most supportive people she has ever met. La Salle also has an amazing computer science program which proves quite useful as Lopez hopes to pursue a job as a data analyst in the future. Although she has had her fair share of struggles from long pratices to tough diets, Ursuline has impacted her volleyball career for the better by making her a better leader on and off court.

Ursuline loves you and wishes you the best of luck!

Mia Krusinski started playing soccer at the age of four when her parents

signed her up for a small YMCA team.

Her love for soccer blossomed from this small hobby as she soon joined her first club team and ever since then, soccer has been a huge part of her life. Krusinski said, “Soccer taught me that with hard work, I have the ability to achieve whatever I put my mind to.” Soccer makes up her identity today and taught her confidence and the importance of teamwork.

In the fall of 2020, she plans to attend Florida Gulf Coast University and she is ecstatic about it. Krusinski loves the coaching staff and the flexible practice and study schedules. In the end, Krusinski cannot wait for the future ahead. “I am so grateful that I get to play the sport I love to fund and support my college education. I am so truly blessed with this amazing opportunity and thank God for this amazing gift that He has given me,” she said. We wish you the best, Mia! Once the only freshman on the Varsity volleyball team, Natalia Walls has built up a reputation for being a beast at this game. She started playing volleyball in first grade but did not start playing at a competitive level until the summer going into fourth grade. Walls said, “I fell in love with the sport immediately and knew I wanted to play in college. I have been working towards improving my skills so I will be able to get to that level, and I continue to improve so I can enter my freshman year of college very strong.” After much consideration and review, her college search ended with St. Edwards University in Austin. Walls looked for a Catholic, STEM school, and St. Edwards was a perfect fit. She will be playing for them in the fall. Walls is excited for the next chapter after

Ursuline, and we wish you the best of luck, Natalia!

If peers were to describe Priscilla Wongso, kind, generous and intelligent would be the adjectives. Swim is another word closely linked to Wongso, as the sport has been a companion for most of her life. She started swimming at the age of five and started club at age seven.

Wongso said, “I’ve learned to love swimming because it has taught me dedication and hard work. It motivates me to push myself as hard I can. I also love my teammates, the people I meet at swim meets and all the places I get to travel to.”

Although she struggled with the pressures of Honor courses and a tough swim schedule, this routine formed her into the strong-willed, independent woman she is today. In addition, she said that Ursuline is a large contributor to her path to success through the patience and understanding of teachers and staff.

Wongso will be joining this fall. Wongso said, “I chose Cornell University because of the combination of world-class academics and stellar athletics. The team was also so welcoming, and I felt at home when I visited. I am so grateful for this opportunity to attend Cornell and continue my passion for swim.” Ursuline is so proud, and we wish you the best of luck, Priscilla!

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Lauren Simmons Trading Stocks and Breaking Norms

By ELLIE SKELLY ‘21 Financial wiz-kid Lauren Simmons has ushered wall street into the 21st century by becoming the youngest and, currently, only female trader for the New York Stock Exchange and the second African American woman to hold the title.

Armed with unbreakable determination and a way with numbers, the 23-year-old dubbed the “Lone Woman of Wall Street” is ready to conquer the world, or at least its economy.

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Simmons was raised in a hardworking middle-class family. Her father was the first black bus driver in Georgia, and her mother was a schoolteacher. Both parents held high expectations of straight A’s, creating an environment of love paired with a push to consistently do the very best.

After graduating from Kennesaw State University in 2016 with a degree in genetics and a minor in statistics, Simmons was initially drawn to study genetic counseling to help people like her twin brother who has cerebral palsy. However, Simmons said, “I wanted to go into genetics counseling and, long story short, they’re just not at the point in technology where I would want to pursue that,” so, instead, she ventured to the concrete jungle, unsure of everything outside of her wish to want to live in New York City.

Simmons knew she had a gift for numbers and originally planned to break onto Wall Street as a financial analysist but lacked the connections to make it happen. Simmons remembers placing blame on her mom, questioning, “Why didn’t you do better? Why do we not

have more connections? Why am I struggling so hard?” she said, “But then, obviously, getting out of that victim mentality and just saying, I’m going to figure it out.”

An opportunity presented itself to Simmons when, after being denied a job as an analysist, she found herself in the running for a job in a trading role.

Before being considered, Sim-

mons was required to take a test with an 80 percent fail rate.

“Right before I took my test, there were men on the trading floor openly betting if I was going Courtesy of Harper’s Bazzar

to pass,” Simmons said. But her attitude and ability held strong, confident in her hopes of becoming a trader and making her mother proud. Simmons described the moment she got her results back.

“It was such a surreal moment.

They just absolutely did not believe

that someone other could come in and do it, let alone a black woman from Georgia who didn’t go to an Ivy

League school and didn’t have connections on the trading floor.”

Employed as equity trader on Wall Street for Rosenblatt Securities, Simmons has a mentor relationship with her employer Richard Rosenblatt. Simmons claims that through observing the importance of connection on the trading floor, Simmons knew she needed to develop a close relationship with her employer at the beginning of her career.

“I made it very apparent to be in his office once a week and have these conversations. He very much still mentors me.”

Concerning her mark in history, Simmons said,” I never look at my gender/ race/age as a factor.” She never set out to make history, rather, she just wanted to do a good job.

She went on to describe the event of finding out she is the second African American trader, ”That moment was amazing to share with my family. And also, bittersweet that in 225 years I was the second African American. Amazing but eerie that things like this are still being accomplished in 2017 or 2000 anything.”

Simmons firmly believes that it is time for the financial industry to catch up. Too long has a lack of diversity lead to a concentration of white men in highly desired, and high paying, upper positions. Simmons said, “Diversity has to stop being a hot topic word that people like to throw around to seem cool.

There needs to be action, and it needs to be represented throughout the company and not just on entry-level roles.”

Mr. Lee Goes From Technology to Teaching

By BETHANY ROBERTS ‘20 Mr. Lee, Ursuline’s tech professional, is teaching Ursuline’s creative writing class. Usually seen in the CAVE, he just concluded his first semester of teaching.

I asked him a few questions so we could get to know him better:

Why are you teaching creative writing?

When I was in high school, I had so many ideas in my head that it was distracting. I was always searching for ways to get those idea out and onto paper. The last possibility I ever thought of was writing and I didn’t really hit that realization till my late 20’s.

When I went back to college, I decided to concentrated on a degree that would improve my writing skills. Every elective slot was filled with a creative writing class. Every literature course that had some sort of creative project, I signed up for it, especially if it counted towards a degree requirement. Come December 2016, I received a Literary Studies degree from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Of course, people assumed I was just going to teach with an English degree.

It wasn’t necessarily on my radar at the time, but I knew that if I was going to teach, creative writing would be the class I wanted. I always thought it to be an unattainable goal though as I envisioned the creative writing class as the course teachers fought over to teach. However, thanks to a lot of wonderful people here

at Ursuline, things went my way .

What is the beauty of creative writing to you?

The most beautiful thing about creative writing is that it is never the same, never concrete. It’s a medium that allows an opportunity to revise in order to make a piece stronger, better or more meaningful. Even if a story or poem is published, there is nothing to say that it can’t be changed because the author feels it can be improved or made different.

What has been your favorite memory from class?

There was a day in which I decided to give in-class work time. Early on, the students got into a discussion and I started to hear ideas being bounced around at random. I don’t think anybody realized these were ideas that could be utilized for writing so I let the discussion go on for the rest of class.

Every student was involved by that point and I started calling things out.

I would point to one student and say “that’s an idea for a story” or “that is a line of poetry.” I got a lot of strange looks, but I think they started to see that ideas could be pulled from the most mundane things. There are things that came from that day we’re still talking about in class. I’m not sure if that was the first day I felt I had a good connec-

tion with the class, but I count it among the best.

What has been your experience working at Ursuline before being a teacher? What about now being a teacher? What differences have there been?

When I first started at Ursuline, I was just 21 years old. I still remember the original CAVE office and talking cars with Father Deeves. I remember asking him to bless the current CAVE in fact. Plenty has changed but so much hasn’t. Lots of familiar faces are still here from that first day.

Now, I get to see things from the other side of the CAVE desk. I get to step away from that desk and see the school more for what it is instead of just computer problems. Anytime you can view things with a different perspective, it is valuable and powerful. Not too long ago, one of the seniors saw me in the hall and said she just then realized I had legs.

What has been your most memorable experience thus far as a teacher?

Probably the fact that so many people at Ursuline have been excited for me to be a teacher. Faculty, staff, students, administration. So many people have shown their support that in many ways, it is still hard to fathom. It has made the

transition into the classroom easier and I appreciate everyone for that support.

What has been your most memorable experience working in the tech department?

That’s hard to pin down. I’ve seen so much crazy over the years, especially with the laptops. You pretty much have to pick a category. Trust me, there are categories. Above all though, the people in Technology are like family. Some of them came to my wedding. Some of them dropped by the hospital when my daughter was born. You don’t find that in all work environments.

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Features

The Bear Facts

Appeal to Sandy Hook Lawsuit Denied by SCOTUS

By ELLIE SKELLY ‘21

As debates over gun control and its role in the prevention of school shootings continues to escalate, the Supreme Court’s role in the interpretation of preexisting laws is essential to the resolution of such issues.

Thus, as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of relatives of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in their case against Remington Arms Company, the shield protecting big gun manufacturers faltered. The ruling blocked Remington’s attempt to appeal the lawsuit, claiming the case “presents a nationally important question” concerning the country’s gun laws, arguing that the case should be tried in front of the Supreme Court rather than a local Connecticut court, warranting the national stage would be more lenient in the protection of gun manufacturers.

Remington based their claim to appeal to the Supreme Court specifically on the interpretation of a 2005 law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce Act, which protects gun-makers from crimes committed with their products. The product in question was the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle; the crime was

Adam Lanza’s use of it to murder twenty first graders and six elementary school teachers.

As a consequence, the parents involved filed a lawsuit against Remington, accusing the company of violating Connecticut trade laws which prevent gun companies from marketing their products to be used as weapons against human beings.

The families claim that through ads placed in violent video games, containing such tag lines as “consider your man card reissued” and “the opposition will bow down,” Remington Arms was in violation of such laws, and through the rifle’s advertisement, Lanza was inclined to use the gun in his attack.

Families claim that such ads “published promotional materials that promised military-proven performance for a mission-adaptable shooter in need of the ultimate combat weapons system.” They also claim the company used a “lone gunman” narrative to promote the Bushmaster, specifically citing an ad that trumpeted, “Forces of opposition, bow down. You are single-handedly outnumbered.”

The lawsuit is seen by many as an attempt to fracture the shield surrounding firearm manufacturers in the wake of mass shootings, holding not only the shooter but the tool responsible. Ultimately, this case is foreseen to set the tone in legal battles concerning school shootings, and the measures taken towards their prevention.

The trial marks a larger debate occurring in the country, the accountability of the law in preventing such tragedies as school shootings. Therefore, the trial has brought plenty of attention, with supporters of Remington including The National Rifle Association, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, nine states and 22 members of the House who signed nearly a half-dozen legal briefs supporting Remington’s appeal.

None were more outspoken than the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who issued statements that deny the role of the company in the shooting. “We are confident that Remington will prevail at trial.

Nothing in Remington’s advertising of these products condones or encourages the illegal or negligent

misuse of firearms.”

The next step of the lawsuit is long awaited, claims the families’ representative Josh Koshkoff, who disclosed to the New York Times, “Now we get to proceed with the case, which is what we were hoping to do almost five years ago.”

However, the lawyers still need to do serious research in preparation, laying the groundwork for the case. “We’ll want to ask questions to find out what was behind the decision-making for the marketing that was so aggressive and reckless,” said Koshkoff.

As families continue to mourn and feel the hole left by the loss of a child and loved one, they strive to hold those they find responsibly accountable. Such is the situation of Nicole Hockey, whose seven year old son was killed in the shooting, and who argues against Remington Arms, claiming, “Lanza chose an AR-15-style gun because he knew it would kill as many people as possible as fast as possible.”

The ruling was not a definitive act against gun manufacturers, rather, a step in fostering a debate and, eventually, encouraging a resolution.

Images courtesy of The Economist and NPR

Dallas Restaurants Benefit the Community

By KATE GIEBLER ‘21 Restaurants are places to sit down to a nice dinner or snag a quick sweet treat, but some notable Dallas eateries offer an entire world beyond serving meals.

These restaurants are offering opportunities to people in need in order to change their lives while at the same time satisfying their hungry customers.

Café Momentum, a revolutionary restaurant with a mission to change lives, is a prime product of the overwhelming eagerness of one Dallas resident to support service.

Café Momentum describes its services as providing “a transformative experience through a 12-month paid post-release internship program for young men and women coming out of juvenile facilities.”

Chad Houser, the heart behind Café Momentum, began the restaurant in order to create an environment of care to transform abandoned youth from feeling helpless to hopeful.

Houser tells the Stand Together Foundation, “We advocate on behalf of our kids and we educate them as well.”

However, the restaurant stresses that the mission is “equal parts dining room and classroom,” for the interns learn to

cook, serve and manage in order to provide a traditional and delightful dining experience.

One of the most rewarding results of this experience comes out of the customer’s takeaway. “While you’re enjoying the results of their hard work and determination, you’re also sending them a message that you believe in them,” said Houser when addressing the affect the concept imprints on all diners.

We can observe the restaurant live out their slogan of “Eat. Drink. Change Lives” through the words of Café Momentum employee Maya. She said, “To me, Café Momentum means family because when I come to work it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like I am hanging out with my family, but I am getting paid for it.”

Another cafe setting out to serve the community is La La Land Kind Café on Lower Greenville in Dallas. This café is a quaint coffee shop for anyone in need of a place to work, socialize or just in need of a good cup of

coffee.

The café not only benefits its employAlthough La La Land Kind Café has all ees, but it also benefits the customers by the normal attributes of a regular coffee serving dishes only made with organic shop, it also doubles as “a training ground ingredients. for aging-out foster youth,” according to “La La Land is a socially conscious the Dallas Observer. cafe that prioritizes honest inFrancois Reihani, founder gredients and altruism above of the café and multiple othall else,” the café’s website er restaurants and service reads. projects, is a 23-year-old Shifting slightly away entrepreneur who strives from the realm of cafés to improve his community but not a degree away through his talents. from selflessness, Howdy The La La Land Kind Café Homemade, 4333 Lovers website even states Reihani’s Ln., is yet another dining own motto: “Bettering the world location that leaves customers through value-based business and kindfeeling satisfied by both the delicious ness.” food and the feeling of helping others.

Like the people at Café Howdy Homemade is an ice cream Momentum, Reihani priorishop which provides jobs for people tizes assisting the people with special needs in order to spread who are overlooked by the the idea that “the restaurant industry is community. He offers jobs about people first.” to children out of foster Tom Landis, founder of Howdy who are struggling to find Homemade, runs the business with a a place in the community. heart of openness and inclusion, two Reihani says, “As much characteristics he speaks about to many as we tried, we knew that we people around the U.S. were just leaving band aids on the This shop not only serves amazing system. This was our way to solve the and unique ice cream but, like the other biggest problem, employment. Earning an restaurants, never lets a customer leave income while being mentored to lead suc- without a new world view and a warm cessful lives, making real impact.” heart.

Images courtesy of La La Land, Howdy Homemade, Cafe Momentum

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Global Features

The Bear Facts

Ghana Rounds Out Cultural ‘Year of Return’

By JACKIE THOMAS ‘20 According to historical records, the first ship carrying enslaved Africans to the newly settled American continent arrived in Virginia in August 1619. To honor the suffering, journey and culture of these slaves and their posterity in the 400 years since, Ghana named 2019 the “Year of Return” for those of African descent around the world, offering artistic exhibitions, historical tours and other attractions celebrating the somber history and resilience of the African diaspora.

Massive structures built by European settlers as early as the 1500s line Ghana’s coast, once serving as dungeons where traders brought slaves before their grim journey across the Atlantic ocean to the Americas. In fact, Ghana was the final African destination for as many as 75 percent of all slaves within the transatlantic slave trade, according to the New York Times.

The Year of Return serves as an attempt to reclaim and recognize Ghana’s “unique position,” in the words of President Nana Afufo-Addo, as such a major site in the slave trade centuries ago. The president said, “That’s why we had a responsibility to extend the hand of welcome, back home to Africans in the diaspora.”

The Year of Return organizers called the event “a major landmark spiritual and birth-right journey” to celebrate “the cumulative resilience of all the victims of the transatlantic slave trade who were scattered and displaced through the world in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia.”

Courtesy of Voice of America

President Afufo-Addo first announced the venture a year ago, and the Year of Return has taken the world by storm since. For example, the event kicked off with the first, and now annual, Full Circle Festival in capital city Accra, which drew attendees from around the world. The festival alone made an economic impact surpassing $70 million in tourism revenue, according to the

magazine Essence.

Organizers’ efforts focused especially on events this past August to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first slaves’ forced journey from Ghana to America in 1619. Many African Americans traveled to the country to walk through the coastal dungeons that quartered millions of slaves before embarking on the Middle Passage.

Tours saw sites like Elmina Castle, a slave dungeon now preserved as a historical site and museum in remembrance of the atrocious conditions and treatment forced upon slaves.

Continuing in the year-long event’s spirit of cultural unity, the Ghanaian government granted citizenship to 126 foreign nationals living in Ghana on Nov. 27. President Afufo-Addo noted the importance

and value of immigrants to Ghana from the diaspora, mentioning notable examples like poet Maya Angelou and civil rights leader W.E.B. du Bois who both moved from the U.S. to live in Ghana.

Rabbi Kohain spoke at the citizenship conferment ceremony on behalf of the 126 new Ghanaians. He said of the event, “The most valuable possession

that was taken away from us was our identity and our connection; it was like severing the umbilical cord. But tonight, our identity, the dignity, the pride that has been absent is restored here.”

Over the course of the past year, along with providing an enlightening celebration of heritage for visitors, the Year of Return events have served to boost Ghana’s tourism considerably. The efforts are a major part of a 15-year plan to revitalize and develop the country’s tourism sector to strengthen its national economy. With projects like the Year of Return, combined with improvements to infrastructure and marketing nationwide in Ghana, the nation expects the annual number of tourists to grow from 1 million to 8 million by 2027 and projects that the travel industry alone will raise $8.7 million by the same year, according to CNN. The Year of Return’s impact is hard to ignore, with a spotlight cast on its events thanks to participation and publicity from celebrities like actor Idris Elba and model Naomi Campbell. Exposure on social media, as well as heightened coverage by news outlets, too, has brought new awareness to the Year of Return movement in Ghana. Largely thanks to mobilization of the Ghanaian tourism sector and efforts by President AfufoAddo, the Year of Return has had amazing economic impression on Ghana, as well as inspiring those of African descent worldwide to learn more about their roots and historical culture.

Hong Kong Protests Continue and Worsen

By KATE JANSON ‘20 The ongoing Hong Kong protests are known for their complex, changing course since they first began in June. Much has happened and many changes have arisen since the protests started. But first, here are the basics.

According to the BBC, Hong Kong’s protests started in June because of plans to allow extradition to mainland China. An extradition bill was introduced in April and to put it simply, would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China under specific circumstances.

The discontent sparked with opponents who said the bill would risk exposing the Hong Kong people to unfair trials and violent treatment. Along with that, the bill would also grant China greater influence over Hong Kong and possibly undermine judicial independence and endanger dissidents.

For 156 years, Britain ruled Hong Kong as a colony, eventually returning the port city to China in 1997. Now China oversees Hong Kong with a “one country, two systems” arrangement, which allows some autonomy, with the Hong Kong people having relatively more rights than Chinese mainlanders.

The June extradition bill was withdrawn in September, yet demonstrations continue and have escalated to demanding full democracy and an inquiry into police action. Protestors have clung to five specific demands: withdrawal of the extradition bill, an investigation into police actions and possible brutality, renunciation of the label Courtesy of diendantheky.net

“rioters” applied to protestors, pardon for arrested protestors and universal suffrage combined with the resignation of Chief Executive Carrie Lam. Up to date, clashes between police and activists have become increasingly violent, with police firing live bullets and protestors attacking officers and throwing petrol bombs. Even with the bill withdrawn, it was too little, too late.

On Oct. 1, China celebrated 70 years of Communist rule, leading to one of the most violent and chaotic days in Hong Kong’s history. Though protestors had been shot by rubber bullets in previous protests, the 70th anniversary protest marked the first injury from a live round. An eighteenyear-old male was shot near his left shoulder, alongside sixty-six injured, two in critical condition, and two others seriously injured.

Continuing into early November, the government banned protesters from wearing face masks,

which prompted more anti-government rebellion and protesting. But the largest tragedy of early November sparked wildly eventful protesting for the remainder of the month when a pro-Beijing lawmaker was stabbed in the street by a man pretending to be a supporter.

The week following, a policeman shot one protestor at close range while activists attempted to set up a roadblock. Later that day, another man was set on fire by anti-government protestors. Standoffs between police and students took a new level when the campus of Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University was barricaded.

The campus was the scene of some of the most intense clashes witnessed during the months of protesting. Many were arrested attempting to escape PolyU via the sewers.

Finally, in late November, the territory held local council elections

that were seen as a barometer of public opinion.

According to local media counts, 17 of the 18 councils are not controlled by pro-democracy councilors.

Despite fears the vote could be disrupted or cancelled due to the unrest, it went ahead peacefully.

The election became a test of support for the government after months of disagreement and unrest. The government and Beijing had been hoping the election would show support from the “silent majority”, but it did not materialize. Alternatively, some significant proBeijing candidates lost council seats. One lawmaker that lost his seat, Junius Ho, remarked, “Heaven and earth have been turned upside down.”

With Hong Kong’s district counselors having such little political power, they mainly deal with issues such as bus routes, so district elections don’t generate much interest in the people at all.

But these polls were the first time people could express themselves at a ballot box on how Chief Executive Carrie Lam is handling the crisis.

Over the past few months, demonstrations have been gradually escalating.

Police have not been afraid to use live rounds, which have wounded several protestors. It is unclear just how much of the population still support the protestors, and authorities hoped the election would make known the protestors as a small group of extremists. On the other hand, the hope of activists is that the overwhelming victory of anti-establishment parties will force the government to take protestor’s demands more seriously.

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Ursuline Junior Leads Intramural Service Project

By KATE GIEBLER ‘21 An average day in the life of an average Venezuelan is one where they awake to a pitch-black bedroom because the government cut the power without reason again.

They then walk outside without breakfast because the 53,798,500% inflation rate makes even bread unobtainable. They open their door only to have to wade through thousands of protestors because the government refuses to listen to even the loudest voices for change. An average day for an average Venezuelan means surviving.

The crisis in Venezuela is due to complications leading to complete tragedy, and most of the roots of the disaster can be uncovered by looking at the government’s instability.

The Venezuelan government is not one easily explained because the position of president has been contested since January. The struggle for presidential power is one fought between Nicolás Maduro, elected as president in 2013, and Juan Guaidó, president of the rightful national legislative body, the National Assembly.

According to BBC News, “During his first term, the economy went into freefall and many Venezuelans blame him and his socialist government for the country’s decline.”

Then, during his controversial

reelection in 2018, “the National Assembly argue[d] that because the election was not fair, Mr. Maduro [was] a ‘usurper’ and the presidency [was] vacant.”

As the president of the National Assembly, Guaidó then “declared himself acting president and said he would assume the powers of the executive branch from there onwards,” with a stance that the election was invalid due to injustice.

The uncertainty of leader-

of food, random power outages and malnutrition.

Julie Siegler ‘21, Ursuline student and member of a Venezuelan family, says that this is “only the tip of the iceberg.”

In the past, Siegler traveled to Venezuela frequently to visit her mother’s side of the family. Now, she is unable to visit her “second home” as she calls it, due to the unrest and danger.

“I have seen Venezu-

ela’s poverty with my own eyes and I have seen the damage that this crisis has created,” said Siegler.

She is now passionate about helping in any way possible, and in order to fulfill her goal, she decided to rely on the help of

her Ursuline sisters. For Intramural service project, Seigler suggested that each advisory collect materials such as powdered milk, baby formula and medication into boxes to provide the suffering Venezuelans with the most basic daily necessities through an organization called Rayitos de Luz. When asked what the best way is to help from Dallas, Siegler said, “The best thing to do is honestly just what we did: donate food and pray.”

Each student got the opportunity to provide help for the cause, but Seigler was able to encounter the appreciation and affect firsthand when she gave the volunteers from Rayitos de Luz all the supplies that Ursuline gathered.

Siegler said, “The most impactful thing was when I was talking to ladies from the corporation and you can see how grateful they were for all of the boxes. They were literally crying tears of joy.”

Although Venezuela is thousands of miles away, the Ursuline community, with the leadership of one upstanding student, was able to accomplish an amazing deed of service. The Venezuelan people were beyond grateful for the small contribution, revealing that showing any amount of care can be impactful.

las and make tons of memories.”

Wednesday is dedicated to Africa and the Middle East. During activity period, visiting Ugandan priests Father Joe Luzindana and Father Joe Ssebunnya will lead an African prayer service. There also may be films played related to the Middle East and Middle Eastern culture throughout the day.

Europe, Australia and Antarctica will be spotlighted on Thursday.

Students on the Global Advisory Council will speak about their hosting and travel experiences around the globe, specifically those who participated in the delegations to Australia, England and France.

Friday will be bursting with activities and surprises exclusive to Asia. The Chinese delegation will host their presentation during activity period, which will be followed by a South Asian dance session

led by Ursuline’s NACH dancing club.

Sarah Hui ‘20, a Global Advisory Council board member, is hosting a student from China. “I am excited to host a girl from China because since my parents speak Chinese fluently, we will be able to make her feel comfortable in our home and connect with her on a deeper level.”

May Shen, Mandarin Chinese teacher at Ursuline, is planning to host dumpling-making sessions during all lunches on Friday. Additionally, to close out Global Week with a bang, a former teacher at the Ursuline school in Peru will be giving a speech about Bangkok, Thailand, her current city of residence.

She will also be surprising her visiting former coworkers who do not know that she will be on campus!

Global Advisory Council president, Allie Kilduff ’20, is eagerly awaiting Global Week. She loves the fact that Global Day will now last a whole week.

“I am really excited that each region of the world will be given its own time to shine rather than them all being crammed into one day,” she said. With the fires burning in Australia as well as the unrest in Iran, Kilduff also feels that the timeliness of Global Week with current events “will give students a better understanding of what is going on in the world around them.”

ship combined with past Venezuelan socialism complicating the economy has created an environment of chaos, seemingly unmanageable. The chaos is composed of hyperinflation, severe lack

Global Week Kicks Off at Ursuline

Courtesy of Diario Las Americas

By GRACE RISINGER ‘20 This year’s Global Day is quite revolutionary. For those of you who love Global Day as much as I do, you know that Global Day is not just a day. This annual event is an amazing opportunity to expand the boundaries of your knowledge through international activities and talks. And this year, Global Day is now Global Week!

This change will be a smooth transition from the Ursuline’s global department, led by the fearless trio, Cecilia Nipp, Kathy Ross and Angel Chinuntdet, as well as Global Advisory Council president, Allie Kilduff ’20. Beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 21, and ending on Friday, Jan. 24, Global Week is not nearly long enough. However, the week will bring plenty of fun activities and surprises.

Each day of Global Week will be dedicated to a different section of the globe. Students will spend each activity period engaging with the themed Global Week activities. Normal activity period designations will not apply. There will be a market each day in the Global Village selling items from the part of the globe that day revolves around.

Sarah Visokay ‘20 cannot wait to visit this year’s markets. “I was fascinated by the market [last year] because I found it interesting to think that all of the items were from such diverse places in the world and there were so many cultures

represented in one place,” she said. After purchasing a colorful camel keychain, Visokay felt that she “had a little piece of India with me.”

During lunches, SAGE will be coordinating menus to match each section of the world being celebrated. Small snacks reflecting the cultures of each region will be provided by the Global Department.

Lastly, music to match each region will be played.

Tuesday will be spent celebrating the Americas, including North, Central and South America. As both the Chinese and Peruvian delegations will be present during Global Week, the Peruvians are giving a special presentation on Tuesday. Global Advisory Council member Montse Spencer ’22 is very excited to host a Peruvian, stating that she “cannot wait to show her host sister around Dal-

Priscilla Wongso ‘20, Sarah Visokay ‘20 and Ashlyn Gage ‘20 looking at Global Market products.

Courtesy of Ursuline Dallas Flickr

12

Spread The Bear Facts U.S. involvement in the Middle East: W February

Continued from Inside ries under European control. One of 80 years ago, the U.S. had very little these mandates, Palestine, felt the impact of another controversial British promise interest in the Middle East. That changed after WWII ended in 1945. This new U.S. made during WWI. Known as the Balfour Declaration, it promised British supinvolvement followed years of European port for the creation of a Jewish homecolonialism, a key factor to understandland within Palestine. Like Sykes-Picot, ing the region’s makeup. U.S. involvethis promise was contradictory to the ment was simply a continuation of earlier pledge to Arabs for their indepenWestern interference. dence. The Balfour Declaration set forces The end of WWI brought the breakup in motion that led to the creation of the of the Ottoman Empire, a defeated Central Power. Britain had promised indeState of Israel and the lasting conflict Sykes-Picot ignored how ethnic and between Jews and Palestinians today. pendence to Arabs under Ottoman rule if religious groups were situated, which Another legacy from the British is they would revolt, which they agreed to. the later borders drawn did similarly, the name “Middle East” itself, coined in However, in the now infamous Sykesand betrayed the trust of Arabs, it has the late 19th century shortly before the Picot Agreement, Britain and France been blamed for the region’s continuous secretly carved up portions of the former turmoil. world would go to war for the first time.

Like “Far East” referring to East Asia, Ottoman empire for their own control.

The aftermath of Sykes-Picot was a “Middle East” only makes geographic The lines of Sykes-Picot never became mandate system of actual borders. They did foreshadow sense from a European perspective. territoAnti-colonial Arab and Islamic rethe borders set in stone a sistance movements sprang up between few years later, which WWI and WWII in reaction to Europeremain the modDutch-Lebanese journalist Kim an control. At the end of WWI, the ern geographic Ghattas writes in “The Muslim World’s boundaries of U.S. had made a positive impresQuestion: ‘What Happened to Us?’ sion on the Middle East when the Middle Understanding the events of 1979 is crucial for those trying President Woodrow Wilson East. to figure out a better future for today’s Middle East.” for The advocated for self-deterBecause Atlantic; Jan. 25: mination, a people’s

VOICE

“I look to 1979, when three major events took place: the Iranian Revolution; the siege of the Holy Mosque in Mecca by Saudi zealots; and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the first battleground for jihad in modern times. These acts occurred almost independently of one another, but the combination of all three was toxic, and nothing was ever the same again. From this noxious brew was born the Saudi-Iran rivalry.

A destructive competition for leadership of the Muslim world soon began, in which Iran and Saudi Arabia wielded, exploited, and distorted religion in the pursuit of raw power. That is the constant from 1979 onward, the torrent that flattens everything in its path. Nothing has changed the Arab and Muslim world as deeply and fundamentally as the events of 1979.

From invasions to coups and support for dictators, the actions of the U.S. have fed and aggravated local dynamics. But Saudi Arabia and Iran have agency, too; they make decisions based on their interests and drive the dynamics. This endless self-reinforcing loop of enmity cannot easily be broken, but across the region young Arabs and Iranians are clearly demonstrating that they want a different future.”

Dec. 2003 – Saddam Hussein is captured.

Dec. 2006 – Saddam

Hussein is executed for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Jan. 2020 – Ongoing peace talks between Taliban and Trump administration

Aug. 2010 –

Obama begins withdrawing troops from Iraq; in 2011 all U.S. troops have been withdrawn.

Jan. 3, 2020 – U.S. airstrike

kills General Qasem Soleimani, leader of several armed groups backed by Iran; unlike Bin Laden, Soleimani was backed by a nation, not a terrorist group.

right to decide their own national identity or government. However, when the U.S. stepped into the scene after WWII’s end, that sentiment would soon change.

As the democratic U.S. opposed the communist Soviet Union during the Cold War, Europe lost most of its colonial holdings, including in the Middle East.

Ex-colonial nations became battlegrounds in the U.S.-Soviet struggle. The U.S. government rallied around a battle cry of democracy, but often prioritized stability instead. Multiple American presidents ended up supporting dictatorships or repressive, right-wing regimes as long as they were anti-communist. Besides countering Soviet influence, the U.S. had two other goals in the Middle East: protect its oil access and protect the new State of Israel.

U.S. concern for oil and stability played out in 1953. Iran’s prime minister then was the popular, democraticallyelected Mohammad Mossadegh, who opposed Western interference. When he claimed British oil properties in Iran, the CIA helped the British overthrow Mossadegh, placing the shah (king) back in power. Resulting Iranian distrust and

Timeline: “The W The “war on terror” has lasted over 18 years, directed by three U.S. presidents, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq, Africa and Asia. The “forever war” has always drawn controversy. Gen. Qasem Soleimani’s killing thrust the war back into the national spotlight. “[The conflict’s] not new, evolved definitely, but not new,” Social Studies teacher Jeffrey Girard said.

March 2003 – The U.S.

invades Iraq citing the possibility that Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction. An underlying motive is securing Middle Eastern oil. There is major international backlash.

Dec. 2010 – The Arab Spring, a wave of prodemocracy protests and uprisings spreads across the Islamic world beginning in Tunisia.

Dec. 9, 2019 – The Washington

Post publishes the Afghanistan Papers, a series of government documents they obtained which reveal that U.S. officials misled the public about the extent of the Afghanistan war.

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February

: World War II – Present resentment towards the U.S. lasted for decades, as U.S. support for the shah continued until 1979.

In 1979, a revolution, fueled in part by anti-Western sentiment, forced the shah into exile and established a theocracy, a government under religious leaders, led by Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. For over a year, 52 American hostages were held captive in the U.S. embassy. The 1979 Iranian revolution marked a critical point in Middle Eastern history, including the widening of the divide between Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims.

That same year, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Cold War was still ongoing, and the U.S. responded by funding anti-communist guerrilla warfare. Among those guerrilla fighters was Osama bin Laden, the man who would be responsible for 9/11.

A year later in 1980, Iraq unexpectedly invaded Iran, beginning eight years of war. Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, had the aim of preventing the Shiite revolution from spreading to Sunni-majority Iraq. The U.S. supported Iraq, incorrectly believing Hussein could subdue Iran.

By SARAH HUI ‘20

would take the form of terrorism as early as 1993, when a bomb went off beneath the World Trade Center in New York City. By 1998, Osama bin Laden had organized his radical Islamic militant group Al Qaeda and was bombing U.S. embassies in Africa and Yemen. The stage was set for Sept. 11, 2001.

This summary of U.S. involvement and intervention in the Middle East before 9/11 still lacks enough detail and nuance to resolve all misunderstanding.

It fails to completely capture the conflict in the Middle East since it omits in the Middle East from WWII-on, includTwo years after the Iran-Iraq war’s the interaction between Middle Eastern end, Hussein invaded Kuwait, threating continual support for Israel throughout countries themselves. the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, had accuening oil-rich neighbor Saudi Arabia However, as U.S. citizens, knowlmulated strong backlash in the region. This edge of the U.S. government’s actions while under the impression he had U.S. support. America’s response to the backlash in the region is important for undoing threat towards an important oil supfalse impressions, understanding ply resulted in the Gulf War, a quick, the context of news headlines, victorious removal of Iraqi troops by remembering that the peoRooha Haghar, freshman at UT 1991. ple of the Middle East Austin, Iranian Bahai refugee, spoke about The U.S. emerged from the are people as well her refugee experience during Ursuline’s Global Day Cold War’s end in 1991 and reflecting on in 2018: as the dominant world how their lives power. However, years have been of U.S. interference affected.

“I will never believe that the United States’s presence in the Middle

e War on Terror” Sept. 11, 2001 – A ter-

rorist attack organized by Osama bin Laden-led Al Qaeda kills nearly 3,000 people on American soil.

Days later, President George W. Bush declares a global “war on terror”.

Oct. 2001 – The U.S. leads an invasion of Af-

ghanistan, where the Taliban, an extreme Islamic group, is protecting Al Qaeda.

Early 2002 – The Taliban has been overthrown,

Al Qaeda training camps have been destroyed, most senior Al Qaeda members have been killed or captured.

1979 Iranian Revolution Courtesy of National Security Archive

VOICE

East is for the protection of my people. Oil is the only reason the United States is so involved in the conflicts and elections taking place in that region.

But I think in addition to the profit motive, the logic of “a white man’s burden” is used to justify the prolonged deployment of American troops in the ME. It is not a secret that American politicians do not think highly of the Middle East and its people; misinformation, lack of knowledge, islamophobia and racism all contribute to this problem.

Soleimani’s death is Trump’s unprincipled attempt at re-election and nothing else.

My criticism of Trump and his administration should not be mistaken for support for Soleimani; he had a lot of innocent blood on his hands and worked under a regime that has no regard for freedom and human rights.

The Ukrainian airplane being shot down by Iran has been devastating to say the least. This tragedy has opened my eyes to the resilience of my people.

My parents have lived through a revolution, the Iran-Iraq war, and heavy religious persecution. Now, in addition to the American sanctions which have tripled the cost of food and other items, my people must mourn the death of their family and friends. Iranians have taken to the streets in spite of the fact that they too could be killed.”

Images courtesy of The Economist, Time, History.com, Reuters, The Guardian, Vox, BBC, CNN, The New York Times

May 2011 –

Mid-2014 – Rise

Osama bin Laden is killed during a raid by U.S. Special Forces in Pakistan.

Sept. 2019 – Trump cancels peace talks with Taliban leaders.

of ISIS, which splintered off of Al Qaeda; based in Iraq and Syria

Aug. 2017 – Trump

increases troops to 14,000 in Afghanistan.

Sept. 2014 –

Obama launches airstrikes in Syria.

Dec. 2014 – Obama declares the end of the War in Afghanistan but leaves 9,800 U.S. troops to remain.

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Sports & Wellness

The Bear Facts

Simple Ways to Achieve New Year’s Fitness Goals

By EMMA LOUVIERE ‘22 “This year, I am going to work out more.” This sentence is said by countless people during the new year but kept up by few. According to The Real Buzz a website whose purpose is to set goals and provide the tools to help you reach them finds that nearly 12 percent of all gym memberships are made in January, and most of those people stop going or cancel their memberships after 24 weeks. Still, the promise to better one’s fitness life continues to be the most popular new year’s resolution, so how can you actually keep to this resolution in 2020?

Setting Manageable Goals:

Goals are an asset to having the motivation to succeed, and with continuous motivation, you are more likely to keep your resolution. “It feels really good to set a goal. People often just set them for the burst of optimism they get when they vow to make a change,” said Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist at Stanford University during a Ted Talk.

She she also stated that your goals have to be small. “Focus on the process, not the outcome,” said McGonigal. This would mean setting manageable goals, like going to the gym once a week or running once a week. Instead of looking for a significant change in a short amount of time, cel-

ebrate your small achievements. Mc-

Courtesy of Pinterest

as fast or effectively. Instead, you should start your fitness journey with a positive mindset. This will help you want to work, and your workouts will be more effective.

Plan Beforehand:

Courtesy of Feature Pics

Gonigal said, “Small changes pave the way for bigger changes.”

Having small goals and results planned will motivate you to keep going and eventually to reach your larger fitness goals.

Have a Positive Outlook:

Having a positive outlook can make anything you strive to do easier. It is not just a cliché, it is science. The Huffington Post broke down positive psychology researcher Barbara Fredrickson’s landmark paper on positive thinking. In this paper, she explained how positive thinking builds skill sets that last for much longer than a skill set built on negative thinking.

Fredrickson explained that if you start something with a positive viewpoint, it will help you retain the information more effectively.

Therefore, if you start your fitness journey in a negative mindset, you will not retain the skills you learn

Instead of simply telling yourself that you will work out, actively make a plan for each week on which days you are going to work out.

Multiple apps can help you make a schedule including the Nike Training Club. The Nike Training Club is a free app with in-app purchases that has a built-in calendar and various training programs to choose from.

You simply have to answer a few questions on what your fitness life is like currently, and then they will handpick a workout plan for you. It will also send you reminders to work out and has pre and post-workout regimens available. By not only us-

Courtesy of Nike

Courtesy of Pinterest

ing the app but additionally writing down a plan. Dr. Gail Matthews informed the Huffington Post that a person is 42 percent more likely to complete a task if they wright it down. This forces you to visualize what your goals are and how you are going to get there. Make your plan specific and concise so that you are more likely to complete it.

Find Your Fitness Buddy:

Keeping motivated to work out regularly is not easy, but it is even harder when you are going at it alone. Help yourself out and get a workout buddy to help motivate you.

This will inspire friendly competition, and you can keep each other in check. Make sure you choose a partner who will push you to work hard and is not afraid to show tough love. Also, choose someone with a positive mindset who will motivate you and not put you down.

Orange Bowl in a Bind

By KATE JANSON ‘20 As reigning national champions, Clemson is rushing towards a fifth consecutive conference title and another presumed College Football Playoff berth. However, one unique challenge has emerged this season for the Tigers. The issue comes when describing the quality of the league the Tigers play in, the Atlantic Coast Conference, or ACC. Fans of teams such as Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and LSU complain that Clemson is only ranked so high during season because they do not play any ranked teams in the ACC. Southeastern Conference, or SEC, teams face off ranked teams almost every gameday weekend. So, is the ACC middling? Average? Ordinary?

Actually, that’s exaggerating. According to CBS Sports, with less than two weeks still left in the season, 13 of the ACC’s 14 teams have lost at least three games. Similarly, last season, 12 of the 14 teams lost at least four games. In both the 2017 and 2018 Pac-12 seasons combined, only one team had less than three losses.

And, in 2018, Washington State went 11-2.

The teams Clemson faces during season are simply mediocre, and the season games are the games that determine how the playoffs pan out.

The ACC is described best as, let’s say, top heavy. With Clemson ranked as No. 3 as the ACC’s only team in the College Football Playoff Rankings, that’s where

the word mediocre comes into play.

Another issue comes to light with the Orange Bowl. By contract, some ACC team must play in the Orange Bowl and that team will go to the next highest-ranked ACC team after Clemson, under the assumption the Tigers make the playoffs again. But, as of now, Clemson is the only ranked ACC team, which pushes the decision of the opponent to the Orange Bowl board of

some team from the ACC to get back in there.”

With Virginia’s win over No. 23 Virginia Tech this past weekend, Virginia is likely to steal a spot in this Wednesday’s rankings. As costal champions, UVA will face Clemson in the ACC Championship. The reality is the ACC shines when basketball season begins. But, until then, Clemson surpasses its opponents to so much of an direcextent that the tors.

Tigers skip over Even besides the their spot in the Orange rarity of the situation, the Bowl to advance into Orange Bowl and ACC have Courtesy of Clemson the final four. to deal with the possibility of In seasons like this year’s, perhaps hurting some schools’ feelings. when the Orange Bowl isn’t part of the As Eric Poms, Orange Bowl CEO, told playoff, the ACC obtains one spot opCBS Sports, “It’s a great question. We posite either Notre Dame or a team from are hopeful, obviously, with weekends the Big Ten or SEC. This year, that spot of football still to go there is a path for will go to the highest-ranked available

team among the three.

There are three “contract” bowls in the New Year’s Six rotation, including the Orange Bowl, meaning those three bowls are contracted to conference partners. When the Rose Bowl is not part of the playoff, it matches the Pac-12 and Big Ten. And the Sugar Bowl matches the Big 12 and SEC. If those conference champions aren’t available, the bowls make the pick of the next-best available team in those leagues. All of it could just be uncomfortable, because there is no simple way to decide when subjectivity is involved.

Whatever team wins the Coastal i¬¬s merely a speed bump for Clemson. As winner of 22 in a row overall, the Tigers have beaten four straight Coastal winners in the ACC Championship Game by an average of more than 20 points. As of last weekend, Wake Forest had the secondbest overall record in the conference, 7-2.

The Tigers beat them by 49.

With Clemson’s dominance combined with the mediocrity of the ACC, the Orange Bowl is put in a bind. The spot has to be filled, and the CFP Selection Committee’s director Bill Hancock said there was no thought given to the committee doing the conference a solid. This would mean extending top 25 ranking to 30 just to accommodate the ACC. And that would be extending mediocrity.

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February

Jesuit Rangers Defy Every Expectation

By EMMA LOUVIERE ‘22 As Friday, Nov. 22, began, the Jesuit Football team was preparing to go up against Longview Highschool. As the defending state champions, Longview’s record was 11-0. They were predicted to handily beat the Rangers and go far in the playoffs which Jesuit was not even supposed to make.

As the game went on, however, the Rangers defied every expectation. When the clock finally ran down to zero, the score was 27-25. And so, the Ranger’s historic playoff run began.

The next game was against Klein Collins High School and was potentially record-breaking as the Rangers had never gone past the third round of the UIL playoffs in school history. All eyes were on the Jesuit football boys, playing under the lights of Baylor University’s stadium.

The boys, their parents and their fans were still riding high from the last win and praying it was more than just a stroke of luck. Anything could happen, and there were no expectations because they had already been exceeded.

The Rangers started the game strong with a 91-yard drive, finished by senior E.J. Smith with a nine-yard touchdown run. The defense then held off Collins and forced them to punt.

Smith proceeded to score a 95-yard touchdown reception to put the Rangers up by two touchdowns. Collins came back with a touchdown, and the Rangers led 14-7 to start the second quarter.

The second quarter was tight, with both teams falling short of successful offensive runs. The Rangers got the ball on their own three-yard line, and Smith pushed through to give the Rangers a 21-7 lead going into the second half.

The second half was full of turnovers which the Tigers took advantage of scoring first to put them only a touchdown behind the Rangers. Jesuit drained the clock to keep their lead going into the fourth quarter.

As the fourth quarter began, Jesuit fans held up four fingers in solitude—the community hoping the boys could hold on to their lead. But Collins came back to tie the score at 21-21. The stadium was tense as the clock rolled down, both sides of the stadium hoping their team could make one more touchdown.

Finally, senior quarterback Rance Holman threw a break-

out screen pass to senior Christian Allocco for a 37-yeard gain. Smith then finished the drive and led the Rangers to a lead of 28-21. Collins tried one last attempt to stay in the game, but sophomore defensive back Robert Fitzgerald picked a pass off, and the crowd went crazy. This led the Rangers into their first fourth-round playoff game.

The next game was against Westfield, and after speculation, the game was held in Houston at NRG stadium.

Despite the long drive, Jesuit fans packed the stadium in support of the boys who had gone further than any other Jesuit football team The game started off positively for the Rangers with Westfield’s first pass intercepted by senior Jack Barton.

Barton carried the ball 26 yards to give the Rangers an early lead. After that, Westfield came back strong with a 64yard rush to tie the game followed by a 53-yard pass to gain a lead.

Rance Holman then fumbled the ball, which Westfield took advantage of and gained a lead of 21-7. The Rangers fought back, though, and Smith was able to rush for a touchdown before the first quarter ended, bringing Westfield to only a one-touchdown lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Ranger’s defense fought hard in the second quarter, providing opportunities that the Rangers offense just could not capitalize on. After a frustrating few minutes, senior Ethan Lane intercepted the ball and put the Rangers back on track. Smith proceeded to run to tie the game at 21-21. The Rangers couldn’t hold on long though as West Field scored again to take the lead at 28-21 going into the half.

Both defenses were rock solid going into the third quarter, letting nothing slip by. The Rangers entered the fourth quarter still a touchdown behind. The offense finally got through the Westfield defense. Holman threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to junior Charlie Cook to tie the game at 28-28.

Westfield received the ball but was shut down by Jesuit’s defense. They were forced to take a field goal. The crowd held its breaths as it was the last few moments, and every point mattered. The ball flew just left of the goal post, and Westfield missed its chance to take the lead followed by a cheer from the Jesuit stands. The refs called

Courtesy of The Dallas Morning News

a false start penalty, however, and West Field was able to retake the kick. They made it the second time giving them a 31-28 lead.

The crowd still hoped for a comeback from the Rangers.

But with 2:45 seconds left, Westfield inter-

cepted the ball, and a 61-yard touchdown put Westfield up by 10. The game ended 28-38, and the Rangers historic season had ended. But it was not all for nothing as seniors on the team revealed.

Senior Christian Allocco who played defensive back for the Rangers said how much the team believed in each other throughout the season. “Nobody believed we would ever get as far as we did in the playoffs, except for us. We all knew what we were capable of, and we proved all the doubters wrong. I love all of my teammates like family and we set the foundation for the young guys; it’s their turn to take over,” he said.

Senior defensive back Jack Barton described his last Jesuit football season as “a blast.” He said, “Our team chemistry, leadership and tenacious attitude just blended really well and, as a result, we

had a team unified in a singular belief, playing for one another every single play. I can personally say that, without my teammates, this season wouldn’t be nearly the same. They made the season fun and engaging and made 6 a.m. practices worth it.”

Senior Ford Buckner, Jesuit’s outside linebacker, also described the teams incredible unity. “The team’s success represents the greatest chemistry I’ve ever witnessed between teammates. Our coaches, senior leaders and underclassmen operated as one supportive unit with each player serving a critical role in gameplay, preparation and team spirit.

Needless to say, we left a lasting legacy that we know our underclassmen will carry on next season. We seniors can’t wait to come support our team again next fall,” he said.

The Rangers’s remarkable, recordbreaking season and the unforgettable experiences of their senior players attest to the fact that this 2019 season will be a cherished one in Jesuit’s football history and will set an example for all teams to follow.

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February

Entertainment

The Bear Facts

Country Star Jennifer Nettles Calls Out Radio Bias

By BETHANY ROBERTS ‘20 The Country Music Awards on Nov. 13, 2019 was a celebration of legendary women in country music. With hosts Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, the night was filled with memorable performances from both men and women.

On the red carpet, however, Jennifer Nettles got everyone’s attention, even those who aren’t interested in country music. Her stark white Christian Siriano pantsuit was eye-catching enough, but what got everybody talking was the spray-painted message on the back of her fuchsia cape demanding radio stations to play female country artists’ songs.

Nettles’ message was a call out to the issue of familiarity bias especially present in the country music industry. Familiarity bias is an issue in the country music industry that is just now being discussed.

Because female country music artists are rarely played on the radio, the public isn’t given a chance to like their music; an audience is unable to like what they don’t hear.

“I hate it when people say that they turn the channel when they hear a woman,” said Nettles. “They turn the channel when they don’t hear something they recognize. And they don’t recognize women because they don’t play women. The fans don’t know: they just want to hear music.

But women aren’t getting to hear their own stories. It’s not that impact isn’t being made, it’s just there is not enough.”

Country music has a reputation for

undermining women in song lyrics and in the industry. According to the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiate, only 16% of country artists and 12% of country songwriters are female. On Twitter, the researchers said their purpose was to address issue of gender in the country music industry in order to represent the “people terrified to speak.”

In a paper issued by the University of Ottawa in 2018, it was revealed

that women also fail to remain at the Number One spot on Billboard as long

as men because of underrepresentation in radio airplay. Dr. Watson, the author of the paper, wrote, “Radio airplay and Billboard chart activity are only one part of story of inequality in the country industry.”

To Rolling Stone, Nettles said, “When I heard the CMAs were going to be celebrating

women . . .

I thought ‘What a fantastic opportunity to take the conversation beyond applause and beyond the ritual, and actually try and further it

and put it out into the public consciousness and send a message to the industry as well.’”

Put it into the public consciousness indeed . Nettles has said that many women have reached out to her because they feel “seen” and “like we are protecting each other.” She is determined to recognize the ugly truth behind the country music industry and bring it to light, sending a powerful message to girls everywhere.

Nettles was also determined to maintain her femininity with the message.

“What more womanly way to send a message than with fashion? . . . I wanted the vibe of it being somewhat punk. I knew from the beginning it was going to be a moment.”

A situation long needing to be addressed, Reba McEntire, one of the longtime hosts for the award show, has addressed the “boys club.” She said to PBS that Nashville has a “bro culture”.

However, the present case of the industry does not have to represent the future. With such strides being made in celebrating women, it simply must be a conscious decision for labels, streaming services, and listeners to rise above familiarity bias.

“By taking action as an industry, executives, programmers, advocates, and even consumers can leverage their influence to create a space that produces great music— by male and female artists,” says the conclusion of the Annenberg report.

Courtesy of abcnews.go.com

Disney Easter Eggs in Beloved Movies

By HOPE WHITCRAFT ‘20 Easter eggs are hidden clues, objects or words that explain something from another movie or reveal an inner meaning. These eggs are often hidden in movies or tv shows and appear on screen very quickly in specific scenes. Often, if movie watchers blink, they will miss them!

Disney is famous for sneaking little Easter eggs into their movies for viewers to look out for and discover.

Several films have very obvious Easter eggs while others need a much close look in order to find.

Fans went crazy over a major Easter egg in the 2013 film Frozen when audiences noticed characters from another Disney movie Tangled attending Queen Elsa’s royal coronation. Princess Rapunzel and Flynn

Images courtesy of Disney

Ryder appeared for an instant in the same frame as Princess Ana walking into the castle.

Hercules was another movie where an Easter egg made an appearance. The character Scar from The Lion King appeared as a rug in the film. This short and quick scene had more of an obvious, visible Easter egg. Some might miss the reference, but for Lion King fans, this scene made the Hercules movie a little more fun.

The beloved film Lilo and Stitch has a hidden Mickey Mouse in the watermelon scene if you look closely since it is easy to miss.

While many are focused on the adorable Lilo and Stitch banter, very few actually catch the subtle

incorporation of a hidden Mickey in the bushed behind Lilo’s head.

Another hidden Easter egg in Lilo and Stitch is the poster in the background for another Disney movie, the 1998 musical favorite Mulan.

The fadedness of the poster and its abstract art format make it even harder to point out, but its trickiness makes it more enjoyable to find.

This Easter egg in the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast certainly requires a closer look requiring in some background information to understand it. The worn off letters on the sign say Anaheim and Valencia, both cities in California. Anaheim is where Disneyland is located, and Valencia is where the California Institute of Arts, or CalArts, is located.

CalArts is where many of the animators studied.

Notice anything about the spinning wheel in the background of this Tangled scene? It is the same spinning wheel that pricked Princess Aurora’s finger in the 1959 film Sleeping Beauty—an interesting egg to hide in this film especially with the similarities between the two princess’ stories. Both princesses are battling to escape their situation of being trapped in the same place for their whole life.

The most recent hidden Easter egg was in Frozen 2. Disney’s head of animation, Becky Bresee, claims there is a hidden Mickey Mouse in the follow image. See if you can find it!

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February

Pop-Culture Moments that Defined the Decade

By AINSLEY NEITZEL ‘20 As 2020 approaches, we reach the end of not only another year, but another decade. As the decade of our generation’s childhood comes to an end, it is fun to reflect on the events and stories that shaped our childhood.

In 2010, the decade started with Miley Cyrus changing her image. The once Disney poster child completed her Nicolas Sparks film, The Last Song, where she met her future ex-husband, co-star Liam Hemsworth. She also released her hit song “Can’t Be Tamed” which she used as an aid in her break away from the Disney image she had previously built.

That same year, the third film in the Toy Story series was released.

In 2011, Author J. K. Rowling completed the final novel in the seven-book series, Harry Potter. The films caught up and were completed five years later, in 2016. This final chapter of the beloved series was bittersweet. The readers and actors were growing up, and with them, so were the stories.

Continuing with the movie theme, the Hunger Games movies began and ended in the 2010s.

The first film was released in 2012, and the following three were released in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

The series made over $400 million, according to USA Today.

In 2013, a movie was released that would make a huge impact in the Disney Princess community. The release of Frozen brought people of all ages into the magic. The soundtrackongs gained so much popularity, that it “Let It Go” became a pop culture icon.

Now, most people, even those who have not seen the film, can at least recognize t h e iconic song.

Two years later, 2015 was a very significant year.

To start, Olympic athlete and reality TV star, Bruce Jenner, publicly announced his sexualityplanned transition and transitioned into Caitlyn Jenner. This came as quite a shock to many and made a huge impact in the media. That same year, Caitlyn’s daughter, Kylie Jenner, launched her own makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics. In the years to follow, Kylie Cosmetics would help Kylie become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, taking Mark Zuckerberg’s place on the Forbes list.

That same year, the

newest trilogy of the Star Wars series began. The seventh film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, excited many long-time fans, and brought in a new generation of fans to the series as well.

In 2016, the infamous Oscar Mix-up made history. When announcing that year’s Best Picture award, actor Warren Beatty accidentally grabbed the wrong envelope, and announced La La Land as the winner. It was not until several minutes into the acceptance speech that the mistake was recognized. La La Land did not, in fact, win the award, but instead, the movie Moonlight won.

2018 brought several exciting events as well. Two of the most exciting moments were the Royal Wedding and the release of the long-awaited sequel to the movie The Incredibles.

When Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, announced his engagement to American actress,, Meghan Markle, the whole world watched.

Making history in many ways,

the wedding was awaited and watched by people all across the world.

Several short months after, the sequel of The Incredibles 2 was released in theaters around the world. After twelve years, viewers of all ages arrived in theaters and watched in excitement. It was a unique chance for Millennials, young kids and toddlers to share a common interest with equal excitement and wonder.

The final year of the decade, 2019, brought many incredible moments of excitement as well. The change of the decade made people recognize the end of childhood and the beginning of a new stage in life. One event that allowed us to recognize this clearly was the marriage of child star and pop singer Justin Bieber.

This artist has grown up in the spotlight after his music brought significant success. Now a married adult, Bieber grew up with our generation, and the realization of his reaching adulthood made us realize we were growing up as well.

There were also some exciting movie releases. Two that stood out were the final chapter, and fourth film of the Toy Story series.

Shortly after, Frozen 2 was released, creating a perfect conclusion to this eventful, nostalgic decade.

Images courtesy of Disney

Grammy’s Future Includes New Leadership

By NATALIE RO ‘22 Audiences love the annual award show honoring and congratulating the best and most talented music artists of the year. On Jan. 26, the Grammy Awards show airs for the 62nd time.

Emmy-winning executive producer Ken Ehrlich announced in July 2019 that he will be working on the Grammys for the last time. Many viewers were shocked at how sudden Ehrlich’s step down was announced since he has produced the Grammys for forty years.

In recent years, the Grammy Awards show has seen a slump in popularity due to a shortage in quality performances.

Ehrlich has always tapped celebrity artists, but several have turned him down because of a lack of diversity and the freedom to choose the songs for their performances.

When the Grammys aired in 2018, viewers were quick to notice the absence of many female winners. The only wellknown female artist that won an award was Alessia Cara, who won the award for Best New Artist. Lorde was the only female nominee for Album of the Year.

She was not asked to perform.

According to The New York Times, “Of the 899 people nominated in the last six Grammy Awards, 9 percent were women.”

However, in 2019 the Grammys

seemed to make up for the imbalance by having multiple female artists perform, including Alicia Keys, Cardi B and Janelle Monáe.

Avoidance of the Grammys is also related to Ehrlich’s relationships with artists themselves. Over the past couple years, Ehrlich has been involved in multiple feuds with celebrities like Drake, Kendrik Lamar and Taylor Swift.

Last year, Ariana Grande was supposed to perform at the Grammys but turned down the offer after conflict with Ehrlich over which song she would perform during the show.

Grande took to Twitter and did not hold back on expressing her opinions.

Grande tweeted, “I’ve kept my mouth shut but now you’re lying

about me. I can pull together a performance over night and you know that, Ken. It was when my creativity and self-expression were stifled by you that I decided not to attend. I hope the show is exactly what you want it to be and more.”

Fans were quick to choose sides and the fandom attacked Ehrlich for being inconsiderate of Grande’s talent and not acknowledging the fact that Grande worked hard and made an effort to give Ehrlich several song choices.

Ehrlich responded with, “I will say this, and they don’t want me to say it, but I’m going to say it: The thing that probably bothered me more than whatever else she said about me is when she said I’m not collaborative,” according to an interview with Rolling Stone.

Conflicts like the one with Grande indicate a budding trend of big-name artists shunning the show and hint at the fact that the Grammys may not be as much of the must-attend award show it once was.

“Grande wasn’t the only act who declined an invitation to perform, despite being up for multiple awards. Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Childish Gambino all said no,” according to Los Angeles Times.

Ehrlich did not directly address the obvious decrease in hip hop performances, but did make an assertion that hip hop is “bitter.”

One would think conditions would improve the following year, but 2019 saw a severe lack of female winners.

“The Grammys seem to be continuing their losing streak when it comes to relevance for some of the biggest artists on the charts, according to Refrinery29, entertainment newspaper The Grammys’ new leadership will likely make a greater effort to improve relationships with the stars of the music industry. Ehrlich’s replacement is Late Late Show With James Corden executive producer Ben Winston. Viewers will have to wait until 2021 to make an assessment of Winston’s success at mending the cracks that have appeared under Ehrlich.

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Does Anyone Like Milk Anymore?

By HELEN EMERSON ‘20 Social media is flooded with images and videos that its early innovators could have never foreseen. One puzzling new trend involves teens posting videos of themselves drinking milk to spark controversy, as followers flood the comments section with “Ew!” and “What is wrong with you?”

This is strange. Most people have been raised drinking milk for its benefits in growth and bone health or for the warm feeling associated with milk and cookies. Suddenly, teens and young adults are micro-analyzing the color, taste, origin, and odor of this former favorite, and milk is losing popularity.

“Personally, I think milk is just opaque water. I have never been a huge fan of milk, maybe because of the opaqueness and color, or perhaps I just don’t like the taste. I only really enjoy milk when I eat cereal, but if there were more options for what liquid I could have with my cereal I probably would not choose milk.

Another thing that truly belongs with milk is cookies. Otherwise, I think milk is over-hyped.” said Nikki Kanzler ‘20, former milk-drinker. “But we do owe it something, as it helped our bones to grow and we are in debt to it in a way. Even so, I love coconut and almond milk, particularly because they go great in smoothies.”

Kanzler is not alone. This apparent trendiness of a dislike for milk is accompanied by the rise of plant-based milks and other milk substitutes, such as almond, coconut, soy, and oat milk.

These milk alternatives are filling fridges everywhere, and are rapidly increasing in

popularity.

“They are deliberately marketing them as a substitute for cow’s milk, and it’s very successful: More and more people are using those products,” says Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University.

These shifting trends carry legitimate economic effects for the dairy industry. It is not suffering, due to the remaining popularity of other dairy products such as yogurt, ice cream, butter, and cheese, but still takes a noticeable hit.

Dean Foods, the largest dairy company in the nation, has filed for bankruptcy. “Across the food and beverage industry, the challenges facing Dean Foods are becoming increasingly familiar. In recent years, consumers have moved away from brands, and even entire categories of food, once seen as household staples. The decline of the milk industry has emerged as a particularly stark example of how these changing tastes are challenging major companies whose products once crowded store shelves,” says David Yaffe-Bellany of The New York Times.

The industry must adjust not only to pressure from milk alternatives and declining popularity, but to shifting medical recommendations. Doctors used to recommend that multiple glasses of milk a day, particularly for children, was essential to health.

However, it has since been discovered that milk is not a necessity. Some industries thrive simply because people must buy their products. Milk is no longer a must, so many are choosing not to buy it. Another likely culprit is the decline in cereal consumption, for cereal was once a go-to breakfast for millions but now many prefer to grab a protein bar or other quick bite.

According to a data from the Agriculture Deparement, Yaffe-Bellany reports that Americans drank 37% less milk in 2017 than they did in 1970, and the Dairy Farmers of America reported a sales decrease of over $1 billion from 2017 to 2018. “This is really sad. I still drink milk regularly because it is crisp, re-

freshing, and good for me. Other people should do the same,” says Tia Taylor ‘20.

“Milk gets too much hate. Personally, I think milk is great and I enjoy having a cold glass of milk with a meal, because it is filling and gives me key nutrients. I think people are offset by the look and smell of milk, but if you can get past that, you will discover that milk is a delicious, hearty drink. People think alternatives are better, and maybe they are for those with an allergy or a special diet like veganism. But for those open to milk, they should not shy away from it,” says Nicole Jones ‘20.

Certainly, some agree with Tia and Nicole while others feel like Nikki and have grown to dislike milk.

Milk will never fully come off the market, but it will be interesting to see if the U.S. will still be asking “Got milk?” in the coming years.

The Year of 2019, Recapped

By NATALIE RO ‘22 “Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road I’m gonna ride ‘til I can’t no more.” This song was the song that everyone was singing in 2019.

2019 involved historical events and pop culture events, including both political wildfires and new movies.

This year many wildfires spread throughout California. These fires impacted many people who were forced to evacuate their homes. The flames destroyed thousands of houses, powerlines and trees. To add onto the destruction, 85 people were found dead.

“A new wildfire breaks out in Los Angeles and blazes fanned by high wind spread elsewhere in California, a day after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency,” wrote CNBC on Oct. 28.

In Dallas, Texas, many were impacted by a powerful and destructive tornado. On Sunday night Oct. 20, disaster struck the people of North Dallas. Hundreds of houses and stores were devastated because of 140mph winds.

According to the Weather Channel, “Sunday’s tornadoes that ripped through the Dallas metro area are expected to be the 11th billion-dollar weather disaster of 2019 in the United States.”

In happier news, many people jumped for joy when the British royals announced that they were welcoming a new mem-

ber to their family. The royals Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had their first baby son. Archie was born on May 6, 2019 and weighed seven pounds and three ounces.

At the Met Gala, many celebrities showed their own interpretation of the “camp” theme. Lady Gaga amazed everyone when she had four costume changes and had multiple assistants helping her.

Zendaya looked like she just came back from the ball in her own take on Cinderella’s beautiful blue ball gown.

Memorable artists and actors passed away this year including Cameron Boyce, Luke Perry and Juice world.

Their lives have touched us all through

their incredible performances in movies and in songs.

2019 was the year Disney came out with a whole bundle of live action remakes, new Marvel movies and sequels to past classics. These films included “Aladdin”, “The Lion King”, “Toy Story 4”, “Frozen 2”, “Spider-Man Far from Home”, “Captain Marvel” and “Avengers: Endgame”.

For Marvel fans, 2019 was the year the Infinity Saga came to an end.

“Avengers: Endgame” finished the series with a bittersweet but memorable, ending Next year, Marvel studios promises a new phase 4 which includes movies such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of

Madness (2021), Black Widow (2020) and The Eternals (2020). Also, Marvel will add series like Loki, WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

The music of 2019 can be defined by “Senorita” by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish, and “7 rings” by Ariana Grande. Many more amazing songs came out this year and the music industry thrived. Some artists made a comeback, such as the Jonas Brothers, and others stayed on the top 100 Billboard for more than or equal to 40 weeks. “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus spent 40 weeks on it and “Talk” by Khalid spent 43 weeks.

2020 promises excitement that everyone can look forward to. In sports-related news, the summer Olympics will be held in Toyko. According to NBC news, skateboarding will now be introduced as an Olympic sport. “We could see Shaun White competing in Tokyo. After winning his third gold medal in snowboarding at PyeongChang, White says he’d ‘love to live out my dream of going to the Summer Olympics,’” according to an NBC interview with White.

Even though 2019 is over, 2020 will bring its own landmark events. A year of milestones has passed, but the beginning of a new decade has begun.

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NYU Graduate Advocates Zero Waste Lifestyle

By KATHARINE BALES ‘22 As the climate change becomes a more pressing issue, people are starting to change their everyday actions to help the environment. To reduce landfill trash, they take special measures like recycling, composting, and even going “zero waste.”

Lauren Singer, an environmental activist who majored in environmental studies at New York University, developed a passion for saving the planet which inspired her to produce substantially less waste. She created her own YouTube channel and blog called “Trash is for Tossers” and has spoken at various conferences like TEDxTeen.

At a public speaking event known as EAT Forum in 2018, Singer spoke about her journey toward a zero waste lifestyle. After learning about the environment for the past four years, she decided to better respect the earth in her day-to-day life.

To accomplish her newfound goal, she learned how to make her own beauty products, shop without plastic packaging and compost food scraps. For instance, she mixes organic coconut oil, baking soda and organic peppermint oil to make package-free toothpaste. She also buys unpackaged foods from the local farmer’s market to avoid sending unnecessary plastic to the landfill.

Singer also discussed at the forum the impact that methane has on our planet, specifically through garbage, animal agriculture and natural gas.

“Methane is one of the most catastrophic things facing us and the planet,” Singer said. “By reducing those three things, we could help to reduce methane.”

Singer has chosen to drastically lower her environmental impact

paper bags. To accommodate the items that cannot be carried in cloth bags, Singer uses glass jars and bottles to buy grains and olive oil in bulk.

“By composting and buying in bulk, I essentially eliminated 80 percent of my waste,” Singer said in the interview.

While she was transitioning to the zero waste lifestyle, she had to change some everyday items to fit her littleto-no-waste standards. She now

by

reducing the amount of trash she produces. All the garbage she cannot recycle, compost or reuse goes into a glass mason jar, which now holds four years’ worth of her trash.

In an interview with American journalist Lauren Ling, Singer explained how she buys groceries. She carries her fruits and vegetables in reusable cloth bags rather than disposable plastic or

uses a compostable bamboo toothbrush, a compostable dish brush, cotton napkins, wood and stainless steel kitchen utensils, reusable cotton rounds, homemade dryer balls, bulk castile soap in place of shampoo and organic, vegan makeup in recyclable packaging.

In one of her YouTube videos, Singer said, “Everything in my mason jar is made of plastic, and it’s plastic that isn’t cur-

rently recyclable in the New York City recycling programs.” Her trash usually consists of plastic straws that inevitably come with her beverages, produce stickers, clothing tags made from synthetic materials, wristbands, old food packaging and gift ribbons.

Singer believes that each item highlights a different trash problem facing society; although it may seem insignificant in the “scheme of trash,” it still goes to landfill. This, she claims, should lead us to form solutions on how to reduce the human trash impact. For example, produce stickers could be composted if only they were made of paper or cotton.

Lauren Singer’s eco-friendly way of life may be viewed by some people as excessive.

However, she always tells her audience that her way of helping the environment is easier than it seems. Now that she has initiated this lifestyle, Singer claims to eat healthier, more natural foods. She can control the ingredients that comprise each of her products. She spends less money on groceries and other basic utilities.

To her YouTube followers and global citizens everywhere, Singer serves as a role model for planet protection. Although Singer’s lifestyle seems daunting, it is the accumulation of little steps and lifestyle changes like bringing a reusable water bottle to school that students can make each day to better respect the planet.

Card Game Aims to Create Meaningful Connections

By EMILEA McCUTCHAN ‘20 The website for We’re Not Really Strangers is bright red, modern and simplistic. At the bottom of the page in bold, white letters is their motto: “Come curious, leave connected.” It is not at all obvious that this website sells a card game because We’re Not Really Strangers is nothing like the typical game night games people are used to.

We’re Not Really Strangers gets its sleek look from a thought-provoking art account on Instagram it is linked to that has a community of over one million followers. The game is also loved by celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith.

This seemingly small card game with its attached art account is making waves for doing exactly what their motto says: bringing curious people together who leave with a better connection to others.

We’re Not Really Strangers was created by Los Angeles model and artist Koreen Odiney. She was inspired to create the We’re Not Really Strangers card game because she wanted others to feel empowered to create meaningful connections with other people, feel empathy towards others, feel less alone, and reconnect with themselves.

Odiney started out as a photojournalist to help her cope with a breakup. After hearing stories of strangers’ first loves, she gained perspective on her situation and felt encouraged to share other’s sto-

ries. She likens her camera to a passport with which she can ask anyone anything, she said to The Nue Co. She soon began We’re Not Really Strangers on Instagram which now boasts one million followers. She posts her photographs and images with thoughtful and provoking questions.

However, there is a disclaimer in her Insta-

gram bio: “warning: feelings may arise.”

Photographs with sayings on them, such as a red cake inscribed with “Congratulations on your breakup” stir up feelings within the We’re Not Really Strangers community. Odiney shared she herself was congratulated for her breakup by a friend because most of the

time, people in relationships are either happy or too afraid to breakup. Breaking up was a good thing—it signaled that neither person was happy anymore, and it was time to move on.

Many commented underneath the post and agreed. These kinds of feelings often arise when viewing her thought-provoking photographs, and strangers from around the world often comment their emotions under-

make a connection with anyone in the right circumstances, everyone loves to be acknowledged and asked about themselves, and lastly, there has to be a way to create those circumstances so people can create those deep, meaningful connections. Thus, the We’re Not Really Strangers card game was born.

The card game comes in a box, like Cards Against Humanity, but is red and meant to bring you closer to others in meaningful connections. The card game consists of questions that spark dialogue, then show the two peoples’ similarities, which will then hopefully blossom into a meaningful relationship.

Celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith and her daughter Willow Smith praise and endorse the game because of how it brings people closer together.

“When Willow discovered We’re Not Really Strangers, we knew it was special and had the ability to open the lines of communication in such an accessible and fun way to get deeper and raw neath the photos. Strangers will respond with one another,” says Pinkett Smith to and empathize with these comments, People Magazine. thereby connecting people who would Odiney hopes that We’re Not Really never have met in real life.

Strangers becomes a global movement.

Speaking to The Nue Co, Odiney realShe plans to have a digital experience of ized that “the more she photographed some sort in the future or even a show people, the more she learned about then, to capture the essence of what We’re and realized a few important things.”

Not Really Strangers is all about--fosterThese important things are that you can ing meaningful connections.

Images courtesy of @werenotreallystrangers

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Navigating the Pitfalls of Online Shopping

By KATE GIEBLER ‘21 Imagine ordering a beautiful red dress with fluffy ruffled roses along the bottom and gorgeous long sleeves from a website that seems reliable just enough. Now, imagine receiving that dress, eagerly opening the box and ruffling through the bubble wrap only to uncover a dress meant for a barbie doll, not a human person. As insane as this scenario sounds, many people have been victims to online shopping horrors as terrifying as this one.

Online shopping, the go-to way to purchase products in today’s world, is everyone’s favorite pastime and a fun way to procrastinate while studying. Shopping online has both innovative perks and unfortunate downfalls. However, it is often difficult to determine the best ways to get the most out of an online shopping experience.

The easiest way to tell if a website is reliable is to read the reviews.

Most websites include reviews of products beneath all the information pertaining to the product itself. If the reviews are flooded with negative impressions, then the website should become immediately less reliable in your eyes and not worth risking your money.

Many websites such as eBay, Amazon and Etsy include pictures of the product being sold. This test, of course, is not foolproof, but just by glancing at the photo of the product, you can usually tell if the merchandise that caught your interest is worth buying or

maybe not.

For example, a photo posted on eBay may show a professionally-taken picture of nice Nike tennis shoes, supposedly brand-new, but, upon arrival, you might open the box to find that there are two left shoes with no right shoe to be found.

So, the takeaway is to not be too trusting

dards. Amazon, for one, stands as one of the most reliable and well-known internet shopping powerhouses because they have a history of providing consistently-good services.

Balance Small Businesses.com says that “since it was founded in 1996, Amazon.com has become known as the go-to

Courtsey of CannyPic

simply because the website provides a picture.

Corporate-owned companies with big names also typically stand as fairly-reliable as they must uphold certain stan-

online retailer.”

Amazon, like many other online shopping sites, also provides a cheap and easy return policy. We cannot always be positive that our purchases are going to satisfy

us completely, so, when we cannot be sure, we might as well have a back-up plan.

The return policy is one of the best safety nets online retailers can provide because then a buyer not only feels more comfortable with purchasing but can also try multiple sizes if he or she is buying clothing.

Which brings us to another trick: When buying clothes online, the most convenient way to survive and conquer homecoming dress season and swimsuit purchased for the summer is to utilize websites with return policies. This feature works well with buying multiple sizes and colors, as one can never be sure how clothes will fit until they try them on and see them in person.

Lastly, although a very rare circumstance, be sure to verify that a website claiming to sell clothes is actually a website that sells clothes.

There have been scams in which shoppers browse a seemingly authentic site, makes their purchase, and waits for their clothes to arrive at their doorstep. However, they wait and continue to wait, but the clothes never come because the site simply took the money without any intention of providing a real product.

To avoid being scammed like this, conduct a quick background check on a website before you plan to make a substantial purchase from them. This will ensure that you will, in fact, actually receive your purchase.

Instagram Users Un-Like Platform’s New Policy

By BETHANY ROBERTS ‘20 Instagram is testing removing likes from their platform, a move that has received mixed reactions from their user base. According to Instagram’s Twitter account, their goal is to help users “focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”

Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri commented at the Wired25 conference. “We will make decisions that hurt the business if they help people’s wellbeing and health.”

Instagram has turned into a platform riddled with comparison. Projecting others’ highlight reels becomes an easy catalyst for the jealousy and insecurities that come with comparison. This mindset is impressed upon all its users, which is one of the reasons why Instagram is the worst social media for mental health according to a 2017 study from the Young Health Movement. What used to be a place for pictures of Valencia-filtered latte art has morphed into a world cloutfocused ‘influencers.’

The rise of influencers in the past decade has changed how media and advertising appear on the app. NPR said, “Most reports estimate brands are pouring billions of their marketing dollars into partnering with these [influencers] who can reach consumers on social media.”

The social media craze isn’t seeming

to slow down, either: users upload 544 million pictures a day. Why? Instagram is psychologically proven to be addictive.

Nir Eyal, a Stanford University lecturer and author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products,” said to Business Insider that there are several reasons why Instagram is so popular.

Beyond the immediate gratification we get from likes, the act of taking a picture has been a habit forming for over a century. “[There is an] anxiety that we feel if we don’t capture this moment,” says Eyal.

The act of sharing the picture is an investment, a “hook” as Eyal calls it. Once everyone got “hooked,” Instagram became the sharing default

With all the users sharing so intimately, the user base could suffer from a fear of missing something important. This cycle becomes addictive.

While, at first, the positive effects of removing likes seem obvious. However, the issues of Instagram run deeper than likes.

Courtsey of PittNews

Many influencers have spoken out that comments are more toxic than likes.

Cardi B, a rapper who boasts 55 million followers, asked her audience “What makes you feel more insecure, getting no likes or people constantly giving opinions about you, your life and topics?”

And why just Instagram? Will Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, remove likes too? Chances are: probably not. This may come as a big surprise, but Facebook is not concerned enough about its user’s mental health to “hurt the business.”

Esquire put it best saying, “It’s about cash, not your mental health. Every week, millions of dollars pass from brands to influencers, and Facebook doesn’t get a cut.” If users are only able to see their own likes but not that of others, brands wouldn’t be able see the influence or popularity of any specific account.

“Influencers could share those numbers themselves, but they could easily be doctored or manipulated. Step in Instagram Influence* (Name TBC), through which the platform connects brands with the well-performing and micro-targeted influencers who are best positioned to sell their products. In return, Instagram gets a cut.”

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Seniors’ Favorite Off Campus Lunch Spots

By HOPE WHITCRAFT ‘20 Having the senior privilege of going off campus for lunch comes with the responsibility of deciding what to eat for lunch. With so many restaurants close by, it can be hard to choose what to get or where to go each day. Here are some places that have something for everyone.

Many students’ favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-Fil-A, is just around the corner. Right across from Jesuit on Inwood Road, this restaurant provides options for even the pickiest eaters.

Some of their top food items are chicken nuggets, the cobb salad, and their spicy chicken sandwich. They also sell delicious drinks such as their fresh lemonade, vanilla milkshakes, coke and more.

Another two classic lunch stops are located in the Preston and Royal shopping center. Eazti’s and Starbucks both provide a myriad of options for food and drink. Some favorites from Eatzi;s are the mac and cheese, the salmon salad and pizza. The famous Starbucks is the perfect stop for tea, coffee and other flavorful drinks. They also carry a delicious assortments of breakfast food.

With the two restaurants located so close together, students can stop at both spots for a drink and food before making their way back to school. There is also a Starbucks located on Midway and Northwest Highway as well as on Inwood.

If you stop by the Inwood Starbucks, you can also get some tacos on the way.

Rusty Taco is a great place to fill all your taco cravings. They have amazing guacamole and are open any time of day. Students can go in the morning before school for a breakfast bacon, egg and cheese taco or during lunch to get a beef or chicken taco.

Next door to Rusty Taco is Einstein Bros. Bagels. This is a great place to grab some advisory food, a breakfast snack, or just a side for your Starbucks drink. Some flavors that are considered their best sellers are

plain, chocolate chip, and asiago.

If seniors are in the mood for a salad or hamburger, Village Burger Bar is the place to go. Their salads are a mix of all different kinds of ingredients such as pecans, avocado, tomatoes, corn and more depending on what salad you choose.

Their hamburger selection is large and customizable with all their toppings.

Another great place to go for food on Midway and Northwest Highway is Central Market. Central Market is a massive store that has something for everyone. They have fruit, sandwiches, noodles, sushi and more. They have all different kinds of drinks to go with your meal such as Hubert’s lemonade, coffee, matcha green tea and kombucha.

Panera Bread has the best comfort food.

Their mac and cheese with the bread bowl is scrumptious. Their bread truly lives up

to its hype. Their delicious bread comes with one of their soups or salads. Their agave lemonade is amazing, and they have free refills too!

Potbelly is another great place for sandwiches and drinks. Students can grab a sandwich and chips with a coke and make their way back to school quick if they are in a time crunch.

Lastly, Flowerchild is a great place that is both healthy and delicious to grab a salad, sandwich or even some hummus and pita bread. This place has such amazing and unique snacks, and seniors can quickly pick them up and take them back to school. They have tea and lemonade and lots of other drinks to have with the meal.

These are only a few of the many restaurants located near Ursuline that seniors can grab lunch fast for an offcampus lunch with friends. Since seniors may have only one year left in Dallas before leaving for college, they should also try to explore new hidden restaurants to savor all that Dallas’ food scene Courtsey of FreePik has to offer.

Preparing for Snowball: The Messy Behing the Magic

By AINSLEY NEITZEL ‘20 One of the most beloved Ursuline five couples, but girls can request tables traditions is senior year’s Snowball up to twelve people if they are willing dance held on the first Friday evening of to squeeze.

Christmas break. Snowball is the prinFast forwarding to a week before cipal social event of every girl’s experithe dance, seniors begin physical and ence attending Ursuline. Each class will appearance-related preparations. Girls save funds beginning freshman year to begin deciding if they will tan, and if spend on their Snowball three years later, so, how to accomplish the best tan for including organizing the Harvest Dance themself. Some girls choose to senior year. This is why the Harvest spray tan, others self-tan, dance is a fight to get sophomores to atand tend every year.

The time and energy girls put into preparations for the highly-anticipated dance can be tremendous. No detail is left untouched. In talking with several current seniors, I have outlined the typical preparation schedule for an Ursuline senior getting ready for the pinnacle dance of high school.

The first thing girls have to figure out is a date to ask and tables to organize. For Snowball, girls invite their date, as opposed to being asked to homecoming and prom dances. The majority of girls ask their dates from early to midNovember in order to have plenty of time to organize their tables.

Since Snowball is the most elaborate of dances, dinner is included. Tables at the dance seat ten people maximum, so Courtsey of Emojipedia

some go without tanning at all.

A spray tan requires an appointment that needs to be made by Tuesday at the latest. Most girls who spray tan will go two days before the dance, so Wednesday or Thursday. If girls self-tan, they will start earlier in the week. The average girl will do her first round on Monday, see how it develops, and build up gradually from there.

Next comes nails. The average girl gets a pedicure and dip manicure. This treatment takes about two hours and costs between $40 to $60, depending on the nail salon.

“I love to get dip nails because they last the longest,” said Lauren Asher ’20. “The only issue is how

expensive they are.”

Other appointments deal with hair and makeup. If a girl chooses to do either, the appointment times need to be precisely scheduled so as to give enough time for her to drive home from the appointment, change into her a dress and head off to take pictures.

Girls will spend hours and significant amounts of money preparing for Snowball, but the reality is, five minutes into the dance girls will throw their hair into messy ponytails, slip their heels off, and accept that their makeup has started to sweat off.

“All of the prep before the dance is for pictures,” said Marta Baker ’20. “The days before are spent prepping for pictures, which don’t last that long. But it’s worth it.”

Despite the time and money put into preparations just for the pictures, seniors will do the same thing every year. Even though it is time consuming and costly, “it is still a fun process,” said Asher.

So, underclassmen, get ready, because despite the insane amount of preparation and expenses, girls follow this basic process every year. This means that you will very likely be experiencing the same once your senior year rolls around.

22

February

Opinions

The Bear Facts

It’s Time to Stop Validating Toxic College Discourse

By JACKIE THOMAS ‘20 If you asked me to describe the college process in one word, I would say (easily and without hesitation) toxic. Ask any senior currently drowning in applications or painfully awaiting their decision letters, and I’m sure they will agree. Application-season toxicity: you’ll see it in the face of the senior who just pulled an all-nighter perfecting her Common App essay; you’ll feel it in the palpable stress pervading the college counselling lounge in the days before a deadline; worst of all, you’ll hear it in students’ rhetoric, both toward themselves and their peers. This last one, toxic discourse, is a problem that we as students need to eradicate. Here are just a few all-too-common phrases that do much more harm than good:

“Of course they’ll get in. They’re [insert minority of your choice].”

The issue of affirmative action in the American college application process is a testy topic, seen in several high-profile legal cases in recent years, and often leads to dangerously generalized sentiments like this one, often by white applicants. In fact, a substitute teacher recently commented to my math class that she sympathized with how difficult it is to apply and get into college, especially “now that they want minorities.”

Unsettlingly racist undertones of that statement aside, I am taken aback by how easily we as applicants can get sucked into applicationrelated bitterness to the point of reducing our peers to their race as a point of contention. This comment, and others of the same variety, are ripe with toxic assumptions. Firstly, casually assuming the acceptance of the peer in question subjects them to undue pressure and inevitably leads to added shame and stress if they are rejected.

Second, this assertion suggests that colleges use race as an absolute deciding factor in the process of application readings. I readily admit that I have no experience as a university admissions director, but I do not think I’m wrong to suggest that race cannot make or break an applicant when weighed against test scores, essays, extracurriculars, interest and the multitude of other factors that go into holistic review.

Most importantly, commenting that someone’s race is the reason they did, will or can get into college unfairly tosses aside the years of hard work preceding their personal application process, reducing them to an ethnicity and ignoring academic and extracurricular accomplishments that likely serve as the real reasons for their acceptance. Congratulate their achievement and move on.

“It’s so unfair that an athlete could take my spot in my dream school! I’ve worked so hard!”

Everyone applying to college has worked hard! Dismissing athletes as undeserving of admission at a school simply because they were recruited is disrespectful and ignorant of the process. As anyone committed for a sport—there is an incredible amount of work, which they have undertaken over years, that goes into the recruitment and committing process behind the scenes.

These students have balanced their academic responsibilities with countless hours of practicing their sport, perhaps daily. Their achievement should be celebrated, not torn down or resented! Keep in mind, too, that the average academic applicant is not competing against the Division I-commit for a spot in the freshman class.

A certain number of spots are set aside for these athletes, separate from the rest of the application pool. It also seems common to disregard any academic component of the committing process, when, in actuality, many schools require incoming athletes to achieve outstanding scores or grade averages for acceptance on top of their outstanding athletic talent.

Reducing one’s acceptance to sport performance alone is entirely oversimplified. Again, congratulate their achievement and move on.

Test Scores Judgement ance Accept Rates

“It’s not fair! I don’t have enough of a sob story or inspiring anecdote to make my essay stand out!”

As I was in the painful brainstorming and drafting processes for college essays earlier this year, I often fell into this mentality. Falling into the stressful rabbit hole that is College Confidential, I would become disheartened as I read essay after essay detailing students overcoming life-threatening illnesses to become activists for awareness, or basically raising their younger siblings due to tragic circumstances at home while holding two jobs and balancing school on top of it all or inventing and coding an app that enabled city government to better tackle systemic poverty in their community.

Especially at first, it’s easy to reflect on your own life in comparison and find difficulty locating ways that you overcame impossible odds or completely transformed society. It’s important to step back, however, and realize that colleges are looking to get to know you in the personal statement; it’s not a contest of which applicant has faced the most hardship.

It just so happens that, for many students, hardship has shaped them in ways important to share in their applications. Impactful events in service, an inspiring family member or any number of things that will reveal who you are will be just as poignant in an essay. Torturing yourself over the lack of life-threatening illness in your life is pointless and—let’s face it—almost laughably irrational.

This comment is toxic from all perspectives: both for the speaker (sans sob story) and for those with a potentially unique narrative of personal struggle. The speaker belittles and overlooks the many interesting aspects of themselves while simultaneously reducing adversity in others’ lives to leverage in a college application. Any way you look at it, the statement is the epitome of dangerous comparison and lack of empathy.

“I just applied to [insert school of your choice] as a safety. I’ll obviously get in.”

This is another case of needing to step back and consider other perspectives. What might be a safety school for you could be the top choice of the person sitting next to you.

Put yourself in the shoes of the girl crushed by a recent rejection letter, only to hear her friend casually call it a safety the next day.

This comment, though likely without any malicious intent, can easily be accidentally hurtful.

Of course, it is an important part of the process to determine which schools are safety, match, or reach, but it can be easy to forget that every student is at a different point as an applicant, with unique circumstances and desires for his or her college of choice.

A closely related statement to this one is its more confrontational cousin: “You want to go there? But it’s so easy to get in!” Again, the speaker falls victim to those pesky toxic assumptions once again. Remember that not everyone wants the same thing in their university experience, with countless factors and personal research going into a college choice beyond an acceptance rate.

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In the end, these phrases—and countless others like them—are inevitable outcomes of a process that encourages students to view each other as opponents and push themselves beyond reason. No matter the cause, though, we have the power to make the stressful act of applying to college a little less painful by being mindful of what we say. Whether you are years away from college applications or currently in the thick of it right, eliminating toxic discourse as much as possible will do wonders to improve the mindsets of you and your peers in such a tense time.

The Bear Facts

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Opinions

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23

February

Northwestern Reporters Apologize for Reporting

By HELEN EMERSON ‘20 In the current political climate, there has been growing tension between the press and the people, particularly those involved in politics or activism. Even straight news stories are often accompanied by politically sensitive themes, causing criticism of the press. A recent event at Northwestern University highlighted this tension and emphasized the necessity of a free press.

In early November, Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke at Northwestern University, prompting riotous protests from student activists and causing police involvement. Naturally, the student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern, sent photographers and reporters to cover the protest.

The newspaper, however, faced backlash from the activists who claimed the event was of a sensitive nature, implicating police action toward students, and should not have been covered. The newspaper issued a lengthy apology editorial, a decision which triggered nationwide criticism against staff for bending to baseless criticism.

“We recognize that we contributed to the harm students experienced, and we wanted to apologize for and address the mistakes that we made that night — along with how we plan to move forward,” wrote The Daily Northwestern editorial board.

Activists pushed back against the paper particularly for documenting the event through photos and using the student directory to reach out for comments, claiming that it was an invasion of privacy.

“We weren’t there to get in the newspaper. We weren’t there to get national attention. People still hold dear that their journalistic duty is the most important thing, and that’s not the case,” said one protestor who was photographed.

This student incorrectly analyzed the situation, which was not an issue of

priority or the aims of the protest. Journalists do not report to give attention to those who seek it, but to document facts which will connect the general public with relevant events. This responsibility will never change. Their coverage of this protest did not deserve criticism, nor did any action warrant an apology from the paper, which fulfilled its purpose by covering an important campus event.

Professors in Northwestern’s Medill School of journalism, one of the top journalism programs in the country, were equally disappointed in the publication. “The first thing I would say is journalists should never apologize for doing their job. This is a teachable moment. These are students involved here,” said Caryn Ward, a Medill professor.

“You’re not going to make everybody happy. You’re not here to make friends.

You’re here to cover the news,” continued Ward.

Charles Whitaker, the dean of Medill, agreed. “It is naïve, not to mention wrongheaded, to declare, as many of our student activists have, that The Daily staff and other student journalists had somehow violated the personal space of the protesters by reporting on the proceedings, which were conducted in the open and were designed, o s t e n s i b l y, to garner attent i o n ,” said Whitaker.

The positions of t h e s e Northwestern faculty members were echoed nationally by journalists and media outlets, saddened by the approach of the paper.

“How is it possible that

a newspaper at what is allegedly a top journalism school would apologize for the basics of reporting? This is a travesty and an embarrassment,” said Glenn Kessler of The Washington Post.

This event sparked such national uproar because it is not a new occurrence; activists and journalists have struggled on college campuses for years.

The New York Times cited incidents from the past few decades, illustrating a pattern of tension between students and the press. In 2015, Wesleyan University published a student’s column which criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, prompting fellow students to request that funds be denied from the paper. That same year, staff at the University of Missouri, also an esteemed journalism program, called to remove a student hoping to photograph a protest of racial issues.

Similar issues ran rampant on campuses in the 1990s and early 2000s as well.

Earlier this year, the Harvard Crimson dealt with similar pushback, but in a far more favorable manner. Students demanded a boycott of the paper after it interviewed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for commentary on an anti-ICE protest on campus. Students argued that these interviews violated the safety and privacy of protestors.

Kristine Guillaume, the paper’s president, and Angela Fu, the managing editor, did not succumb to this pressure.

Instead, they firmly asserted that their actions were rooted in

a core principle of journalism: to contact every view relevant to a story.

The Crimson faced even harsher criticism than that of the Daily, as student groups as large as the Harvard College Democrats have signed petitions to boycott the paper. Thus far, the paper has maintained its position and will not reform its policy.

Many attribute these incidents on college campuses to a larger issue – the tense relationship between the press and those they cover. The New York Post published a scathing critique of the Northwestern paper, titled “Northwestern’s bungling student journalists were just copying the professionals.”

The article argues that too often good journalists, doing no more than their job, face more criticism than those who gloss over facts or publish utter falsehoods since these things rarely rile the public as much as the truth.

The author, Kevin Williamson, referred to the Northwestern journalists as “sniveling kids,” but compares their actions to those of the New York Times, which once changed the factual headline “Trump Urges Unity Vs. Racism” when political twitter criticized them. Naturally, student papers which are generally produced in full by students without faculty moderators, take direction from established, esteemed publications such as the Times.

Ultimately, the incidents at Northwestern, Harvard and elsewhere denote a tension with the media which puts the field of journalism at risk. Many, particularly activists or those involved in political protests, misunderstand the role of reporters. In an era where issues are particularly tense and discussions are heated, coverage of these trends cannot please everyone, but that is not the point.

Protesters are better served to focus on their goals rather than berate reporters for doing their job.

How to be an Activist and Advocate

By EMILEA McCUTCHAN ‘20 This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 20 will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the celebration of the Civil Rights Movement leader and his life of civil service and leadership. King is still celebrated for his advocacy and activism for the rights of African Americans in America and becoming one of the greatest leaders who practiced peaceful protest.

Born on Jan. 15, 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. grew up Christian but doubted his faith until he took a Bible class at Morehouse College, where he was enrolled. His faith and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi helped to shape his ideology: nonviolence.

King used this ideology in his nonviolent protests to achieve legal equality in the sixties, which was not easy. Many protesters were beaten or harmed by police and opposing protesters, yet they remained resilient and nonviolent in their protests.

Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the power of words over the power of one’s fist and continued to use his ideology to start protests and acts of civil disobedience to achieve revolutionary goals

that were once thought impossible to achieve. Because of his ideology and peaceful action towards injustice, he won the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize and other distinguished honors.

Martin Luther King Jr. is by far one of the most notable advocates and activists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Right now in the twenty-first century, however, we still struggle with similar injustices. Our country still deals with racism and social stigmas, but people continue to fight against discrimination. Some things are different today, too.

Fighting to prevent climate change is becoming more urgent than ever because it is causing species to become extinct and oceans to acidify. Another controversial topic is the debate on whether health care should be given to all people. With so many movements and injustices within the world, it can seem daunting to try and get involved, especially when it seems like there are so many more qualified people out there.

How does one become an advocate?

Before setting out to become a good advocate or to attend your first protest,

it is helpful to first identify what kind of advocate you want to be. You can advocate for yourself, for a friend, for others, or for your community. The most popular kind of advocacy is to advocate for cause, like climate change or to end stigma around mental illnesses.

Next, it is important to gain some knowledge about your cause and about protesting in general. It is vital to know the laws regarding protests: first and foremost, know your rights. Everyone has the right to protest and you do not need a permit to protest, or join a protest, in a public area.

However, if you are on private property, you can be arrested because it is private. You can also be arrested if you interfere in another person’s arrest, so if you believe the arrest is unlawful, you can video or photograph it. Note that officers are not allowed to confiscate or destroy that photo or video.

When you decide to attend your first protest, make sure to bring supplies.

Posters, whistles, and comfortable walking shoes are popular items you may see protesters have with them. If you cannot find a protest that is solely for your

cause, try looking for other protests that have a similar cause.

For example, the 2017 Women’s March in Washington D.C. combined the issues of climate change and health care. If you still cannot find a protest or another way to advocate for your cause, try finding other advocates and activists in your area on social media. Often, you can find out about meetings or protests through these accounts.

Above all, when being an advocate or activist, it is important to stay true to your beliefs and to not waver in the face of opposition.

By staying informed about your cause and helping to make a change through protest, you can help spark a revolution in the world.

Senior Snowball

Memories