OPINION: REDUCE VOTING AGE?

Anti-Semitism must not be tolerated

parker BRANDT

Growing up with divorced parents, I experienced two different upbringings. I had two sets of parents, two sets of siblings, two closets and two homes. But, as a child, religion was one of the most difficult conflicts I faced: the choice between Judaism and Lutheran Christianity.

I had a hard time identifying with one religion or the other, and because each of my parents was so important to me, I didn’t know which was the “right” choice. I still haven’t made a choice, but each religion highly resonates with and is important to me.

That is why the modern wave of anti-Semitism has been so difficult for me to process.

The senseless hate toward the Jewish community exhibited by famous pop culture icons, athletes and politicians will never be okay.

Kyrie Irving, point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, was suspended by the NBA for a minimum of five games after tweeting a link to an anti-Semitic film that perpetuates false ideas about Jews, like that the Holocaust wasn’t real.

Ye, formerly Kanye West, once tweeted that he was “going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE” and that he can’t be anti-Semitic because “Black people are actually Jew also.” His comment referred to the U.S. military defense readiness level called “DEFCON.”

Irving only issued an apology after his suspension was issued by the NBA, and when asked if he had any anti-

Illustration by Emma Tyulyayev

Semitic beliefs, he wasn’t able to give a “yes” or “no” answer.

The claims and statements made by these public figures also has been perpetuated by a series of “projection bombings” in cities across Europe and in the states. While this form of protest — projecting images or phrases onto large, often famous, buildings or landmarks — has been around for years, people in support of Ye and Irving’s statements have taken to the method.

In Jacksonville, Fla., a message reading “Kanye was right about the Jews” was projected at the TIAA Bank Field after a game between Florida and Georgia. This happened only days after a series of anti-Semitic messages were displayed on a major highway in Jacksonville.

It is hard for me to understand why the struggle of millions of people can be cast aside and ridiculed by privileged celebrities with no remorse for their actions.

When you have a large-scale platform and the ability to reach millions of people with your thoughts and your voice, spreading hate and misinformation can lead to widespread violence and discrimination.

Religious freedom isn’t exclusive to the white, traditional Christians who wrote and created our constitutional rights. Considering how far as we have come as a nation, the systematic oppression of religions can no longer be carried on or tolerated.

If we want to protect our rights, we have to protect each other.

Methods of are getting out of hand

liza COOPER

In the past month, a can of tomato soup was hurled at a Van Gogh in London, cake was smeared across the Mona Lisa in the Louvre and mashed potatoes splattered down the front of a priceless Monet in Potsdam, Germany.

So-called climate change activist groups like “Just Stop Oil” and “Last Generation” have been attacking famous works of art with various foods to bring media attention to the increasing threat of global warming.

The pieces of art were not harmed because they have protective glass, but the knowledge that people are willing to harm art to make dramatic statements is alarming. And while these public exhibitions of protest do attract attention, it’s the wrong way to go about addressing a pressing issue.

How are we supposed to take the activist groups seriously when they are running at a Van Gogh armed with Campbell’s Tomato Soup? The whole situation seems childish.

In order to protest effectively, groups or individuals must not act too rashly. If they do, their crazed actions will leave a bad taste in the public’s mouth, which will make the masses more likely to dismiss the protestors as insane. And by dismissing the protestors, the public is also dismissing the issue.

This is exactly why peaceful protests like Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington and the Women’s Suffrage Parades were so successful: they brought attention to an issue without inciting violence or harming anything. The method of protest must be related to the topic of protest. These groups would be more effective in getting their message across if they expressed their discontentment outside places that are actually contributing to global warming, like oil drilling plants or greenhouse-gas producing factories.

Defiling a harmless art piece to make a point is ridiculous and a haphazard waste of food. If these protests continue to happen, there could be a movement to protect valuable art by hiding it away or making it harder to view. This would defeat the whole purpose of art, which is to be admired.

It is essential to address real world problems like climate change, but until a few dramatic activist groups stop their antics, the movement to invoke change will not be taken seriously by the public.

In order to be taken seriously, protestors must not let their passions get the best of them.

Should the voting age be lowered from 18 years old?

YES

aiden BURKHARDT

Lowering the voting age to 16 would not only provide teens with a say in matters that affect them, but would also make sense given the role many teens already play. Many issues up for election are those that affect teens and younger generations the most. Just as it would hardly be fair to let only teenagers vote on tax rates, it makes little sense to only exclusively let adults vote on objects of importance to younger generations like public school policies and environmental issues. Additionally, teenagers are already treated like adults in other facets of their lives. According to Youth Rights, roughly a quarter of a million minors are tried or incarcerated as adults annually. Also, in 2011, minors paid more than $730 million in income tax. If teenagers can suffer the negative aspects of being an adult, they should be granted the benefits of being an adult too. Sixteen and 17 year-olds can drive, have a job, donate blood and register as organ donors — they should be granted the right to vote as well.

NO

claire LOWDER

While many teenagers are perfectly capable of forming and expressing political opinions, the voting age shouldn’t be lowered due to the fact that, along with a lack of knowledge and experience, the brain isn’t fully developed until the mid to late 20s. Many teens are easily influenced and even pressured by their parents, peers and the media, which would result in a decline of the quality of democracy. Along with this, most teenagers don’t have a good understanding of the government unless they have taken a government or politicsrelated course in school. Most people already agree: in a 2019 Hill-HarrisX poll, it was found that 84 percent of registered voters opposed lowering the voting age. Finally, turnout of voters from the ages of 18-29 is extremely low historically, suggesting that many aren’t ready or prepared to vote until later in life anyway.

Logan Fischer (far right), senior, has been swimming for the swim and dive team beside his twin brother Will since his freshman year. Fischer, who has cerebral palsy, improves as a swimmer by internally competing with himself rather than his surroundings. Photograph by Jodi Fischer Austin Johnson, senior, has been bowling since 2018 after drawing inspiration from his two older brothers. Johnson lives with aniridia, a rare eye condition which impairs his vision. “Having a sport that the ball goes away from you, and you’re not having to physically catch a ball or anything was really helpful,” Johnson said. Photograph by Jacob Robinson

Overcoming Obstacles

Swimmer faces challenges of movement disorder

pranav SRIRAMAN

Born with cerebral palsy that affects the functioning of his legs, swimmer Logan Fischer, senior, faces challenges and limitations every time he steps foot into the pool.

“I’ve started to use my legs a little bit more. I know that it’s going to be different learning how to swim for myself in comparison to other people,” Fischer said. “But I feel like that’s part of the fun of it. Learning my own way to tackle the challenge and get through it.”

Cerebral palsy is a condition that causes complications in movement and posture as a result of abnormal development to the cerebellum, the region of the brain that controls movement.

Fischer started competitively swimming nearly 10 years ago for the Rockwood Swim Club. He said he pursued swimming in high school with his friends in order to get a different experience while still performing in a sport he loved.

“I was pleasantly surprised that it was very team based and that the team morale was very high,” Fischer said. “I think that’s one of the main aspects of high school swimming I really enjoyed.”

Jodi Fischer, Logan’s mother, said Logan started aqua therapy at Ranken Jordan when he was only 1 year old and continued that once a week for five and a half years.. “The warm water was tremendous for his muscles because for kids with neuromuscular and cerebral palsy, the water gives great sensory feedback and helps with movement,” Jodi said. Joe Schoedel, swim coach, said the experience in coaching Logan and helping him work past his limitations has been enhanced by Logan’s work ethic and mindset.

“Everybody’s got challenges. His are just a little different from everyone else’s,” Schoedel said. “He has a difficult time doing kicking sets and things like that, so he is really compensated by working on his upper body strength and technique and it’s beautiful. He swims beautifully.”

active. On Wednesdays, middle schoolers interested in the sport are welcome to bowl with the club. “Austin has a younger brother who’s in seventh grade and is on the Wednesday night league with him,” Corey said. “It’s kind of a little family thing for us.” Corey loves to be present to cheer “I’ve started to use my her sons on. legs a little bit more. I know that it’s going to “Like with any sport as a parent, that’s what you’re there to be different learning do — support your how to swim for myself in comparison kid,” she said. Bowling is a MSH SAA sport, but the to other people,” team is not officially sponsored by MHS

Logan Fischer even though eight MHS students particisenior pate. All of the coach es for the team are volunteers and some of them were on the bowling team when they were students at MHS. Dallas Remy, senior, said he joined to play with Johnson. Both were on the team when they placed sixth at State last year. Overall, Remy said, the team is a unified front who takes pleasure in what they do. “Obviously we fight sometimes, but who doesn’t bicker,” he said. “It’s all good fun and we do well and we win.”

Bowler adapts to rare vision impairment

liza COOPER

Austin Johnson, senior, is not new to bowling. In fact, he grew up around it.

His two older brothers were into the sport and on the MHS bowling team, which led him to try out for the same team in 2018.

“I quite enjoy bowling,” Johnson said. “I find that it’s very “Like with any sport relaxing, not overly exhausting and I get to work with the team.” as a parent, that’s what you’re there

Johnson was to do — support diagnosed with a rare condition called anirid- your kid,” ia, which is where an individual has a com- Corey Johnson plete or partial absence of an iris in their eyes. mother Although aniridia can provide challenges to his vision, it certainly won’t slow him down, Johnson said.

“I’ve adapted to it pretty well,” he said. “I’ve worked with coaches and they all support me.”

Johnson also said he likes bowling because it is not a defensive sport.

The bowling team meets at West County Lanes 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays for practices. They compete on Sundays, also at West County Lanes.

Corey Johnson, Austin’s mom, likes the bowling club because it allows students to be social while also being