LOVE THE EARTH

Students March for Life in D.C.

The first school sponsored trip Jan. 18 includes 16 students and three chaperones in the nation’s capital.

BY CECILIA MOHÁCSI PRINT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sixteen students and three chaperones traveled to Washington D.C. for three days for the annual national March for Life Jan. 18. This is the first year a school sponsored trip has been organized for the event.

“I’m pro-life and I thought it would be a really good experience to come,” freshman Sophia Aguayo said. “There were a lot more people than I thought there would be.”

The trip was coordinated by Alive for All Life Club with the help of club sponsor and College Counselor Erin Stein. Stein planned the trip along with seniors and Alive for All Life Club presidents Taylor Pitzl and Cecilia Mohácsi. The group left Jan. 17 and returned Jan. 19.

“I could not have asked for this trip to go any better than it did,” Stein said. “I am proud of all of our girls for the way they represented Sion, as well as the sacrifice they made to attend the march.”

The national March for Life is the largest prolife demonstration in the world where hundreds of thousands of marchers joined together to march down Constitution Ave towards the Supreme Court. The theme chosen to represent this year’s march was “Unique from Day One: Pro-Life is Pro-Science.” Every year a rally precedes the March on the National Mall that features several speakers, many of whom focused their speeches on the theme.

“To hear from a stage full of individuals speaking about the unified cause of protecting the unborn was inspiring. There were faith leaders to politicians on both sides of party lines to a former medical director of Planned Parenthood,” Stein said. “Ultimately, the focus of the rally was not solely political or overly religious. Being pro-life is not limited to religious or political affiliation, but is rooted in science.”

Speakers at the rally included Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and Chairman of the Pro-life Activities Committee Joseph Naumann, founder of And Then There Were None Abby Johnson and conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, who recorded an episode of his podcast live at the rally.

“It was really interesting. He said some things I agreed with, said some things I didn’t necessarily agree with, but I enjoyed getting to hear someone else’s viewpoint,” senior Victoria Farrington said. “It was interesting to me too hearing the people around me react to what he said.”

One speaker arrived to the rally as a surprise. March for Life President Jeanne Mancini announced to the crowd that not even the staff knew about this speaker as Vice President of the United States Mike Pence walked Students on stage joined by his wife Karen pose with Pence. Pence had called into Shapiro’s signs for a show just an hour before his live photo taken appearance. “From what I’ve heard from past by a reporter from The Leaven years, you had to go through lots of during the extra security when he was there, so I rally for the really wasn’t expecting anything like March for that,” Farrington said. Life on the

Several of the students had never National been to D.C. or the March before. This experience allowed them to see a Mall Jan. 18. (Photo by Cecilia new part of the country. Mohácsi)

“I decided to go on the March because I wanted to experience something I hadn’t before and go somewhere with a school group,” junior Brie Bowes said.

While in D.C. the group also had time to sightsee around the city including visiting Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, walking to the monuments and seeing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. However, with the government shutdown, students were unable to visit Smithsonian museums and other D.C. attractions. But Stein is hopeful that the trip will continue in years to come.

“I’d love to see a new group of seniors rise to the challenge of coordinating this trip as their senior service project,” Stein said.

New Schedule Change for 2019-2020 School Year Class times for next school are being put into place in order to a total of 48 minutes instead of the said. “We will pilot it next year and year have been changed with the hope that students will sleep more. coincide with the natural wake-up times of adolescents, according to McDonough. “We have been researching normal 50. “I prefer the new schedule because I get to sleep in longer and the school day is a bit shorter,” junior keep data on several different items to see how effective the late start is in helping students achieve, get the rest they need and improve mental BY EMMA HUTCHIN schedules for the past two years, Caroline Ehren said. “The new health.” REPORTER and later start times work best with schedule works out great for me.” Although the changes are in

A new schedule change will be adolescent needs,” McDonough said. For students with after-school the best interest of students, some put into place next year, with school “During puberty, the adolescent jobs or activities, a “case by case” are upset with the new plan and starting at 8:45 a.m. and ending at circadian system naturally delays the 7th-hour work study hall can be set believe it will interfere with their 3:45 p.m. in order to give students an onset of sleep to a later time.” up, according to McDonough. Girls extracurriculars. With a later start opportunity to sleep more. The school building will still will be able to leave campus by 3:10 time, dismissal is pushed back in

“In our study, we found patterns open at 7:00 a.m. in case parents p.m., but need signatures from their order to have a full school day. Late of benefit for the health of teens need to drop off students early, and parents, counselor and employer. starts and activity time will now be with a later start time,” High School a math lab will be open for anyone Athletic practices will be set back 15 built into the daily schedule as well. Principal Natalie McDonough said. needing extra help. The math lab will minutes and games will be scheduled “I don’t like the late ending

An email was sent to students be staffed with math teachers and to miss as little class time possible. because it makes everything go later,” and their parents announcing students can either drop in or set an “We have students coming from sophomore Madeline Hammett said. the change Jan. 21 with attached appointment to ask for help. Rather all over the city during rush hour, “But, give a little take a little, and articles that were referenced when than classes beginning at 8:00 a.m., and pushing the start time back saves I’m willing to give 35 minutes at the deciding what the new schedule they will begin at 8:45 a.m. and last students time and danger in heavy end of the day if I am able to take 45 would look like. The new changes until 3:45 p.m. Each period will last traffic conditions,” McDonough minutes at the beginning.”