Distorted Reality - The Eagle Eye - Vol 5, No 3 - February 2020

Distorted Reality

Quarter Three 2020 • Volume 5, Number 3

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School 5901 Pine Island Road Parkland, FL 33076

The Eagle Eye Quarter Three • March 2020 • Volume 5, Number 3

Front Cover: Illustration by Leah Ronkin

Contents Graphic by Brianna Jesionowski

The opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School or Broward County Public Schools. The publication is a member of the Florida Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. If you would like to advertise please call (754) 322-2210 or email MSDEagleEyeNews@gmail.com

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03 Letters to the Editor MSD In Brief 04 Raising Funds 07 07 Running 4 Beigel 09 Giving Back New Year, New Calendar 11

MSD student body shares their perspective on various issues

New developments occur at MSD

Second annual Chris Hixon Memorial Walk raises money for student athletic scholarships Parkland community gathers for 3rd annual Run 4 Beigel 5K

15 Illustration by Leah Ronkin

Students, faculty participate in community service projects on Feb. 14 Broward County Public Schools unveils new calendar for 2020-2021 school year

Editorial Board Dara Rosen Leni Steinhardt Zoe Gordon Brianna Fisher Editors-in-Chief

Ava Steil Katrina White Fallon Trachtman Ashley Ferrer Ryan Servaites Nadia Murillo Jason Leavy Mackenzie Quinn Copy Editors

Darian Williams Brianna Jesionowski Bryan Nguyen Fenthon Aristhomene Photo Editors

Julia Noye Jenna Harris Sports Editors

Taylor Yon

Business Manager

Einav cohen Managing Editor

Kacie Shatzkamer Assistant Business and Managing Editor

Staff Writers

Lily Singer Ian Richard Erika Ryan Brooke Harrison Noa Livni

Travis Newbery Anisah Steele Sophia Squiccirini Leah Ronkin Joyce Han

Melissa Falkowski Adviser

12 Our New Normal Reality 15 Distorted .

18 Privacy 21 Dare To share 23 Remnants of a Revolution 25 Comparing Candidates 26 Swamped By Safety Measures Truth Behind Our Trauma 27 Back To Action 27

MSD students continue to adjust to life two years after deadly shooting

MSD students struggle with body images, eating disorders

I

Rapid technology growth reshapes, redefines society’s standards of privacy Political discussions find their way into the classroom

Two years after the March for Our Lives, MSD student activism on gun violence prevention drops

2020 Presidential candidates support different views on gun violence prevention

Security changes are only band-aid on issue of school shootings

Valentine’s Day has been forever transformed from a holiday of love to a day of service and mourning Students at MSD need to reach the level of political participation that was present in 2018

Design by Dara Rosen

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Bathroom Patrol

Dear Editor, I would like to recommend that security start manning the various bathrooms on campus because of the smoking that is occurring on a daily basis.

We have had one too many fire alarms going off due to vaping in our public bathrooms. While I may be OK when the fire alarm goes off, many of my friends and classmates are terrified and shaken up. It brings back bad memories of the tragedy which we don’t need as we are trying to learn.

I don’t know if it’s possible, but I think security around the bathrooms would create a deterrent and kids may think twice about going in these bathrooms to smoke.

Brett Lickerman, 11

The Popular Vote Dear Editor, A popularity contest is a contest or situation in which the person who wins or is most successful is the one who is most popular rather than the one who is most skillful or qualified.

A lot of the things we do in this school is based on popularity.

For example, choosing our student body president. We vote for the person we know; therefore, whoever knows the most people usually wins. Lots of people don’t even listen to what the other candidates, that they don’t know, have to say.

There is a possibility that if we voted based on experience or qualification we may have people that help to improve our high school experience and that we like more than our wonderful student body now.

Ananda Grissette, 11

Restroom Restock Dear Editor, It cannot be that difficult to restock a bathroom with toilet paper and soap.

It’s ridiculous how many times I’ve heard someone in the next stall ask for toilet paper because theirs ran out.

Not to mention the fact that we do not have soap most of the time is absolutely horrendous.

It’s flat out disgusting and 100% a problem. You would think that with the amount of staff that works on campus we would have enough man power to restock the restrooms and create a more sanitary and livable environment.

This really isn’t too much to ask for. It just so happens to be the absolute bare minimum.

Hayli Siegel, 10

Send us a letter Have something to say about school? Have something to say about a local, national or global issue? Have something to say about this issue of The Eagle Eye? We want to hear your opinions.

Email submissions to: msdeagleeyenews@gmail.com

Submissions must be between 100-250 words

Save the Soft Belly

Dear Editor, The noise of the construction of the new freshman building is throwing off my soft belly breathing.

In my AP World class, facing the construction site, we usually start class with a nice soft belly. Now those are usually silent, but unfortunately it always gets interrupted by the noise of the construction.

I’m pretty sure this affects other

classes too, but not as much as our soft belly breathing. A soft belly is a time for relaxation in order to calm down our amygdala’s to get ready for class. I’m not asking for the school to call the CEO of loud construction, but it would be nice to implement some sound-proof doors to fix the issue of the loud noise.

But for now, our amygdala’s shall remain hijacked.

Andrew Fibkins, 10

Stand for the Stars and Stripes

Dear Editor, Every morning at approximately 7:40 a.m. someone goes on the announcements to tell us to stand up for the pledge of allegiance. The reason they do this is out of respect for the American flag.

I am almost 100% certain that every school does this in the morning. For the majority of it, there are a lot of kids that stand up to put their hand over their heart and pledge allegiance to the flag. It’s just

respecting this country to give back for everything this country has given to us.

But then there are certain kids that choose to sit down or use their phone during the pledge of allegiance. I think that is a sign of disrespect to our flag. Not only is it disrespectful to our flag, I also think it’s disrespectful to the people that fight for our country to make sure we’re safe.

Max Charles, 11

A Gift of a Program Dear Editor, One of the large justifications for gifted education is that high achieving kids need more complex working material, so they do not complain about being bored during the school day.

Here at Stoneman Douglas, I feel our gifted program may be slowing down but not for good reason.

I feel that students who qualify for gifted should be taking these courses, mainly because brighter kids in gifted classrooms are more prone to being preoccupied with activities focusing on more advanced topics, along with activities to develop critical thinking and creativity, such has holding Socratic Seminars, brainstorming activities,

and debates. It is important that these students stay on the gifted track for as long as possible, not only because it accelerates students’ learning, but because it allows these gifted students to receive high quality instruction from well-trained teachers to help kids who have already mastered the basics to go deeper into material which may help them in the future for things like standardized tests.

My personal experience with the gifted program has gotten me to be much more of an attentive and above-and-beyond type of student by going more into depth of different topics with the addition of extensive activities. I highly recommend sticking with it.

Jordan Epstein, 10

Schooltime Sadness

Dear Editor, I feel like the school should have more events to get students involved while they are at school. During spirit week so many kids have fun wearing wacky outfits and costumes to school. While they are participating, they are not stressing over a chem or a trig test.

These events help students live in the moment and not get consumed with stress and worry. They feel like something bigger than themselves during

these times, and it is really beneficial to all students participating or not. After Homecoming and football season most kids are just counting the days until winter break, then spring, and then finally the best of them all, summer.

During spirit week students want to get out of bed to go to school, unlike most days. Kids shouldn’t be counting the days until they get out they should be having fun while school lasts.

Kellan Markowitz, 10

Get it Together, Guidance

Dear Editor, I personally believe that the new guidance counselor staff should make more of an attempt to introduce themselves and get to know their kids that they help. Although I am only a sophomore, I was very close to my guidance counselor last year and knew that I was able to come to her with anything, whether it regarded grades or any personal issue.

Although I love my new guidance

counselor this year, I feel as if I do not have the same connection as I did with my old one. Maybe if the new counselors meet with their students, they can make stronger connections and be able to help us more.

I also think that it is very hard to regularly see my guidance counselor as she is always in a meeting or not in her office. This makes it a little difficult to get paperwork and turn forms in on time.

Gabby Fisher, 10

Trouble with Tardies Dear Editor, Ever been to an airport? I mean, just because I made it to the airport on time, does not necessarily mean I will have made it to the plane on time.

Well, I run to the gate as fast as possible to try and get on my plane, but the ticket attendant has closed the door. So she sends me back to the ticket counter to get a new ticket for a new flight.

Do you see what I did there? I compared the plane to your classroom and the airport to our school. Don’t be late. Be on time. Have a great day.

Jeffery Wasserman, Curriculum Specialist

Tally Rally Dear Editor, Recently there was a rally to promote teachers’ pay and school funding in Tallahassee after Governor Ron DeSantis proposed boosting the minimum teacher pay to $47,500.

His proposal would cost around $900 million, including the bonus program for educators.

This cost concerns House speaker Jose Olivia but is seen as not enough for Florida teachers. I support teachers having higher pay, but also express concerns of an increase in taxes that would affect my parents as well. Issues like these cause people to decide whether the result outweighs the cost. Is there a good compromise or will teacher pay continue to cause controversy?

Kylie Larson, 10

Allergy Alert Dear Editor, As someone with a severe peanut allergy, I think it is concerning that there is no area in the cafeteria designated for people with allergies.

This is even more surprising because of the increase in the number of people with severe allergies that can go into anaphylactic shock and die from just breathing in the fumes from something as harmless as a peanut.

Personally, when in the cafeteria, I check everyone sitting at a table to see what they are eating before I sit down.

I am not the only student who suffers from this problem because there are many others with severe allergies and do not like to eat at school or sit in the cafeteria because of it.

Many students have to be precautious and scared for their own safety just because they don’t know what others are eating. This is why it is important for the school to designate a few tables during lunch for students with allergies.

This will help these students feel safer in school and more open to sitting down and eating lunch at school.

Nicholas Melamed, 10

Letters to the Editor 03

New developments occur at MSD

MSD in brief

Princess and the Playground

Princess Meadow’s Playground officially opens to public

family members and a few city officials.

Some spoke somberly of the life that Meadow could have led if she continued to live on. Others marveled at the impact rincess Meadow’s Playground, a the playground will have in the future. project 18 months in the making, “The playground will exist as a place formally opened on Saturday, Jan. of community, connection and childhood 4 at 10 a.m. This project honors Meadow joy,” Meadow’s grandmother Evelyn Pollack, who died in the Feb. 14, 2018 Pollack said in her speech. “I feel this is shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas what Meadow would want.”

High School.

In constructing the playground, the The playground, which is located at family wanted a way to carry on Meadow’s Betti Stradling Park, replaced Volunteer love for children and her caring nature to Park, which previously stood there. It was a place that could benefit all members of constructed with the help of Meadow’s the community.

Movement and the City of Coral Springs, “[The vibrant colors of the with additional contributions from playground] reflect Meadow’s spirit and Butters Construction and Development, her essence in a way that a tombstone Top Line Recreation and Ellemar never could,” Meadow’s brother Huck Enterprises.

Pollack said.

After months of fundraising and Once the speeches concluded, construction with a goal of fully funding Meadow’s stepmother conducted a the $1 million equipment, the park now butterfly release. stands open to the public with the motto After the release, the ribbon to “Be kind to all kinds.” the playground was cut, and all of the Crowds began to gather nearly half children in the crowd were able to run in an hour before the beginning of the and play. The playground filled up quickly ceremony. On Jan. 4, members of both the with adults conversing and children Parkland and Coral Springs communities enjoying the new equipment. congregated in front of the gates leading Overall, the community seemed to the new brightly colored playground. to think positively about this new The ceremony began with a line-up of playground. speeches from various people related to Alison Carew, an alumna and parent the project, including five of Meadow’s of current MSD students Madison and

P

Royal Fun. Children of all ages play and enjoy Princess Meadow’s playground, equipped with monkey bars, swirly slides and other amenities, while their families watch over them. Parents and guardians were also able to appreciate the play area as they mingled while their kids played.

Photo by Maria Vera

Mackenzie Mirsky, explained that while her children spent much of their childhood in the previous playground, she is happy with this new addition.

“I think it’s a beautiful way to honor someone that was so involved with children and joy,” Carew said.

While it seems the parents and children of the community are pleased with the new addition, they are not the

Building beyond

A

new building is currently being constructed along the south side of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s campus, parallel to the Sawgrass Expressway. This building will hold 30 classrooms and contain advanced security features, such as controlled access points.

The building is set to be completed by August 2020 for the start of the next school year.

The need for this new building arose when the 30 classrooms in the 1200 building could no longer be utilized.

Portables are temporarily located on the basketball courts, but the new structure offers a more long term solution.

One request that many students and teachers had when they were informed that a new building was being built was that it includes a bridge connecting it to the rest of the campus. This is a feature that the 1200 building did not contain, and many felt it would be beneficial.

In a survey of 381 students at MSD, 42.7% said they thought the buildings should be connected, 35.4% said the two buildings should not be connected and 21.7% were indifferent about the construction of the bridge.

“I agree with the 42.7% of students who

04 News • Briefs

say the buildings should be connected,” senior Justin Richard said. “It makes it seem like the new building is actually a part of our campus and [would] be more convenient for students who will have classes in that building.”

The building has been under construction since the summer of 2019 and the foundation and shell of the structure, along with the bridge connecting it to the 900 building, were recently completed. “[The building is being connected to the 900 building because] it provides easy access and connects all of [MSD’s] buildings. It follows the flow and construction of our existing buildings,” principal Michelle Kefford said.

Although the new building will be a positive addition to campus, its construction has proven to be a distraction. In the same survey of 381 students, 54% said the noises from the construction are distracting during school hours.

“The construction can sometimes be loud and annoying when I’m in the 900 building,” senior Krystina Masihy said.

“While taking tests or even notes, I can hear banging which catches my attention

only ones who appreciate what it stands for.

“I think it’s so extravagant, especially celebrating her in a different way,” alumna Tatyanna Kittendorf said. “She should be honored in this way.”

With this new playground now open to the public, the community is free to enjoy the facilities in Meadow Pollack’s honor.

Story by Leah Ronkin

First look at the design for MSD’s newest building set to open next school year

Constructing the Future. The foundation for MSD’s new building is finished, seven months after its start date of Aug. 1, 2019. Located between the 400 and 900 buildings, the 1500 building is expected to be finished in August 2020. Photo by Brianna Jesionowski

and ultimately distracts me from what I’m doing.”

In spite of the fact that the construction can be noisy, many teachers feel that it will be well worth the disturbance since they will obtain permanent classrooms. Spanish teacher Josefina Heerdegen, taught her students in the 1200 building prior to the shooting on

Feb. 14, 2018 and is excited about the fresh start that the new building will offer.

“It will be nice for the students and teachers to have a new class environment where we can make new and good memories,” Heerdegen said.

Students can expect to have classes in this new structure beginning in the 20202021 school year. Story by Ian Richard

Design by Ava Steil

Culture Confidence

M

arjory Stoneman Douglas High School hosted the annual Black History Month Show on Friday, Feb. 7, during fifth, sixth and eighth periods. This show was sponsored by guidance counselor and Legends of Destiny coach Sherley Pierre, history teacher William Payne, French teacher Geemps St. Julien and Assistant Principal Tariq Qaiyim. It was directed by seniors Nyiah Bosfield and Luidzy Gabriel.

“I wanted to educate and entertain the students and teachers at Douglas about our culture and what we go through as African Americans,” Bosfield said.

Kent State University held the first commemoration of Black History Month from Jan. 2, 1970 to Feb. 28, 1970. It was originally referred to as Black History Week. However, in 1976, President Gerald Ford formally selected February to be the month to honor black history in the United States. Black History Month recognizes African American achievements and accomplishments.

The Black History Month Show at MSD celebrated the history of African American people and events through educational slides, speeches, dances and songs. Participants rehearsed for the show every day starting in January, and students of all races were encouraged to participate.

“We just hope everybody enjoyed it.

They really practiced every day, from the tech kids to the kids that were in it and

of course the step team kids, so we just hope everybody enjoyed it, and they took something from it,” Pierre said. “We hope next year that everybody can participate.”

Dance is strongly connected to African American culture. For the show, students choreographed African, New Edition, Caribbean and Contemporary routines.

They served as a method for African American students to express their various cultures.

Performing students also expressed themselves through songs. Junior Hayley Betancourt performed “I Have Nothing”

by White Houston, and senior Jiselle Caminero performed “Man in the Mirror”

by Michael Jackson.

There were about 50 students that participated in the show, including the technical theater students working backstage. Those involved hoped the audience learned something about African American history and culture and obtained a better understanding of African Americans experiences, such as discrimination and racism. One of the main intentions of the show was to spread awareness about these issues.

“I believe that it’s super important for people to be at the show because throughout the show, we talk about our struggles of being black and how people knowingly or unknowingly participate in them and how it affects us. Also, we want people to be more educated on our history and culture,” Gabriel said. “What we

Speaking Up. Performers hold up signs depicting the Civil Rights Movement during the annual Black History Month Show. All the signs were handmade by the students in the show. Photo by

Elizabeth Sheehy

Open Mic. Senior Luidzy Gabriel stands alone on-stage while giving a moving monologue regarding the struggles experienced by African Americans both in the past and the present day.

Photo by Elizabeth Sheehy

wanted people to leave with watching the show, is a deeper understanding of why we celebrate Black History Month.”

The Black History Month Show highlighted the contributions of

Clubs for change

T

he Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s Inter-Club Council approved the creation of the Make Our Schools Safe Club during their December 2019 meeting. Shortly after, in January 2020, the ICC granted approval to begin a Change the Ref Club. These two new clubs aid students in gaining a more influential role in reshaping school safety systems and injustices in the political system.

The Make Our Schools Safe Club is working with security advisers at MSD to incorporate education in the classroom about survival techniques that could help keep students and teachers safe in the event of an emergency.

“The idea of the club came up when a couple of students approached me in regards to starting Make Our Schools Safe at the school level, and they asked if I would be willing to sponsor it, and I said, ‘yes,’” club adviser Danielle Driscoll said.

The Make Our Schools Safe Club holds meetings on the first Tuesday of every month in room 210 where they discuss plans for future events.

The club works to educate individuals about life-saving skills, such as how to use “Stop the Bleed” kits. These kits are located in all classrooms at MSD. Members also have the opportunity to speak with school administration and state senators about issues that they feel should be addressed around campus.

“As president of the club I work to

plan fundraisers, get bills such as Alyssa’s Law passed and work my hardest to make everyone feel like they’re making a difference while working together,” junior Alexa Kitaygorodsky said. “I think that we can make sure kids are checked more thoroughly going into school, and the fencing we just implemented is also on the right path to making our schools safer.”

The school club also coordinates with the national non-profit Make Our Schools Safe organization, which is dedicated to protecting students and teachers at schools. The club’s members attend events and help support the parent organization.

“We go to events that [the organization is] at and work closely with them to help promote the organization in the community and in other avenues.

We are in the works right now to do other life-saving skills and events with the Coral Springs Fire Department,” Driscoll said.

This non-profit organization was founded by Lori and Ilan Alhadeff. They lost their daughter, Alyssa Alhadeff, in the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018. The couple now campaigns in the name of all of the victims of the MSD shooting.

The Change the Ref Club is another way students at MSD can voice their opinions by using their artistic abilities to show injustices in the political system.

They meet twice a month on Wednesdays, after school in portable C9.

The club members have plans to put up a mural in the new building, once its

MSD hosts annual Black History Month Show

African Americans throughout history and emphasized the importance of remembering and educating students on African American cultures. Story by Isabel

White

New clubs at MSD allow students to voice their political opinions

construction is complete.

Manuel and Patrica Oliver formed the Change the Ref Organization after losing their son, Joaquin Oliver, in the shooting at MSD on Feb. 14, 2018.

“Part of the club is community service.

We are going to do a demonstration kind of project that has to do with politics.

Manuel Oliver, Joaquin Oliver’s father, talked about doing something that is a workshop where the kids are doing t-shirts. He will help them make their own t-shirts as well,” Change the Ref Club adviser Felicia Burgin said. “They also want to do a competition where somebody can win the Joaquin Award, and it’s really about somebody that cares about their family and friends and someone who is a leader in making change.”

President Iliana Waitze Zuckerman works with Burgin as well as her peers to grow the club.

“I would like to see young adults more informed politically. The more educated

adults become on our American issues, the more likely young adults will go out and vote to make change,” Zuckerman said.

Waitze Zuckerman and her fellow students participating in the club hope to see more people become increasingly informed about political and social issues by shedding light on these topics in creative ways.

“For this year we have a workshop planned, but since we just started the club in the middle of the year that is all we have planned for now,” sophomore Alexis Miller said. “As a club, we really hope to see more people informed about political and social issues by working with art.”

These new clubs at MSD strive to give students a chance to make an impact on the world, whether it’s making themselves and others feel safer at school or spreading awareness about social and government issues through art. Story by Sophia Squiccirini

News • Briefs 05

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Raising Funds Second annual Chris Hixon Memorial Walk raises money for student athletic scholarships

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n Saturday, Feb. 15, the second annual Chris Hixon Memorial 5K Run/Walk was held at Charnow Park located in Hollywood, Florida. This event was coordinated by Debbi Hixon, wife of Chris Hixon: the athletic director, coach and campus monitor who lost his life at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, while trying to protect others.

The 5K run/walk began at 7 a.m. and approximately 625 individuals participated, which included members of local communities like South Broward High School, Blanche Ely High School, Parkland, Coral Springs, and other parts of the state and country.

While some participants chose to take part in the 5K at Charnow Park, others decided to participate in the 5K virtual run, which allowed flexibility for people around the country to participate and support the fund’s cause from wherever they were. Some of the 5K virtual runners were from as far as Oregon and California.

Additionally, 5K virtual runners were encouraged to send photos of participants finishing the race, and some even posted to their social media with the hashtag #chrishixon5K. The cost for either event was $30.

The event also consisted of a kids’ fun run, which cost $15 and was available for children ages 7 and over. The kids’ fun run was about a quarter-mile, and everyone received a medal when they reached the finish line.

Before the race began, the national anthem was sung and a moment of silence was held for Hixon and the other sixteen victims who lost their lives on Feb. 14, 2018.

“I did this [run/walk] last year, and I’ve been really trying to get into 5Ks, and this is my first one,“ sophomore Christopher Trokey said. “I decided to do this one because it is in remembrance of Chris Hixon.”

After 20 minutes and 17.4 seconds, Olympic Heights High School freshman Jacob Weiner finished the race in first place, followed by 57-year-old Doug Lindahl from Hollywood, Florida and 28-year-old John Childs from Pompano Beach, Florida.

“This [run] was for a great cause,” Weiner said. “I felt amazing, I had always dreamed of [getting first place].”

Once the participants finished the race, they were given a medal as well as refreshments, which were provided by Grampa’s Bakery & Restaurant in Dania Beach, Florida. Everyone was also given a t-shirt that included the three mascots of MSD, South Broward High School and Blanche Ely High School.

The shirts read “Chris Hixon Memorial Run” and included the logos of the run’s

Race to the Finish.

Olympic Heights High School freshman Jacob Weiner poses with his first place medal at the second annual Chris Hixon Memorial 5K Run/ Walk. Weiner crossed the finish line first with a time of 20 minute and 17.4 seconds.

Photo by Elama Ali

sponsors.

All proceeds raised at the run/walk will be used to support the Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship Fund, which was created to continue the legacy of Chris Hixon by helping to further the education of student-athletes at Blanche Ely High School, South Broward High School and MSD, all of the schools in which Hixon worked at throughout his 20+ years in Broward County.

Chris Hixon frequently participated in 5K’s with his youngest son, Corey Hixon.

“Chris and Corey would do 5Ks, they would walk them a lot, but Chris

really wanted Corey to run at the next one, which was for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in March of 2018, but they never got the chance to do that,” Debbi Hixon said. “We thought this would be a really good way to raise money for [the Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship Fund] because it was something that our family always did together.”

The Chris Hixon Athletic Scholarship Fund raised approximately $19,000 from registrations, donations and sponsorships and will be hosting the third annual Chris Hixon Memorial 5K Run/Walk on Feb. 20, 2021. Story by Nadia Murillo

Running 4 Beigel Parkland community gathers for 3rd annual Run 4 Beigel 5K

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n Saturday, Feb. 1, the third annual Run 4 Beigel 5K race was held at Pine Trails Park at 8 a.m. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School seniors Monique Miquel and Annagrace Myers coordinated the event with the help of the cross country team and the Beigel family. The run was created in 2018 by the team after the tragic loss of their coach, Scott J. Beigel, in the shooting at MSD. “My cross country team felt broken after the loss of our coach, Scott Beigel.

Even though we only knew him for a few months, he left us with so many amazing life lessons and his unparalleled sense of humor always brightened up our day,” Miquel said.

The goal of the Scott J. Beigel Memorial Fund is to send underprivileged children affected by gun violence to summer camp.

“Summer camp was Scott Beigel’s favorite place in the world, and he even

became a teacher so that he could spend his summers as a counselor at Camp Starlight,” Miquel said. “Allowing these children to attend camp gives them the opportunity to avoid violence and negative influences and replace it with happy memories and important life lessons.”

The team was looking forward to making the event more successful than last year’s. They set a goal to try and surpass the number of participants and raise more money for the foundation.

“This year we just want the event to be successful and for people to have fun.

We want to raise as much money as we can so we can send unprivileged children affected by gun violence to camp,” sophomore Devyn Sanders said.

This year, 522 participants ran in the race. Breakfast including bagels and fruits were provided by the team for the runners and staff members once they completed the run.

“As a runner, I find it very considerate that they put out food for everyone, especially with long races such as the 5K,” participant Denise Harrison said.

Walk This Way. Math teacher Cindi Helverson honors the life of former MSD social studies teacher Scott Beigel at the third annual Run 4 Beigel 5K race on Saturday, Feb 1. The race was held at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Florida. Photo by Darian

Williams

After the run, there were tents of sponsors, including One to One Fitness, Bolay, 3 Heart Strings, Runner’s Depot and OrangeTheory Fitness. The sponsors handed out flyers, pamphlets and small giveaways while Bolay handed out food samples. 3 Heart Strings also sold bracelets and donated to the memorial fund.

There was also an award ceremony held after the race where 96 participants received awards, which were given out in 14 different age categories.

By the end of the run, the Run 4

Beigel Foundation raised about $20,000, surpassing its original goal of $15,000. This even exceeded their earnings from last year’s run, which was $14,537.

“It felt so surreal. Of course, being in charge of a race is very hectic, so [Annagrace Myers and I] were running around like crazy the whole time making sure everything was accounted for, but in the moments when we got a few seconds to stop and just see all of our participants having fun and enjoying the race, it made us beyond happy,” Miquel said. Story by Erika Ryan

News • Hixon Memorial Run/Walk & Run 4 Beigel 5K 07

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Helping Hands. Freshman Zachary Weisberg organizes peanut butter at the Feeding Community Harvest Drive service project in the gym. Photo by Ariana Perez Shoveling for Service. Junior Roberto Noschese helps make a new path in Marjory’s Garden. This was one of the six different activities offered in the garden on Feb. 14. Photo by Travis Newbery

Giving Back

O

Breathing Easy

ne of the biggest reactions to the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018 was the outreach from countless therapists, psychologists and social workers to the students and staff of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

One method of healing introduced to the school community was mind-body medicine techniques.

Mind-body medicine refers to the process of one’s mind and body working together to promote health and focus.

With the help of the club’s leadership members, sponsor Diane Wolk-Rogers held a morning of mindfulness and tranquility for over 90 students and members of the community.

“We hope to reach out, with compassion and love, to all of the members of our community and make it a really full day of love and giving,” Wolk-Rogers said.

Wolk-Rogers is a strong proponent of mental health and self-care. She starts out every history class with a “soft-belly,” which is a short session of focused, deep breathing that calms students down and prepares them for class.

“Research has shown that mind-body medicine can be used to manage stress and anxiety. It’s been proven to improve immune functions and increase relaxation, improve relationships, support learning...”

Wolk-Rogers said. “I’ve seen it with myself, and I’ve seen it with my mindbody ambassadors; that just having selfawareness, self-care and group support is really beneficial.”

Wolk-Rogers worked with the members of her workshop, as well as the Rho Kappa History Honor Society, to give back to the community. The group prepared 300 relaxing goody bags filled with childrens’ toys and activities to give to the Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options, an organization that works with foster children and children with disabilities.

Wolk-Rogers also awarded Walt Disney World tickets to a family in need.

“I learned through the activities that we did that there are other ways of coping with this tragedy that happened,” sophomore Nya Owusu-Afriyie said. “Some people resort to being left alone or some people resort to doing other stuff, like the beach yoga or different activities. I feel like it closely connected with me.”

Feeding Our Heroes

The Feeding Our First Responders service project was created to give back to the police officers, firefighters and medical workers that rushed to help after the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018.

The service project was operated like a traditional restaurant; Church by the Glades volunteers provided catering from Chick-fil-A, and the Broward Teachers Union sponsored coffee from Carmela’s.

Students and other volunteers were split into different teams, where some were greeters, and others were wait staff.

“I think it’s really important to give back, and [the first responders are] always there for us, so it’s nice to do something for them,” sophomore Audrey Curtis said.

“It gives you something, knowing that you helped someone; it gives you a good feeling.”

Over 170 students attended the Feeding Our First Responders project. Additionally, teams of volunteers from Church by the Glades contributed heavily.

“I think that there is a bond that is created when you can just relate and have compassion with somebody,” Church by the Glades volunteer Nick Ferraro said.

“My team and I, we grow stronger as a team when we do stuff like this, and really the people that we serve: the students and the first responders. It gives us a level of compassion that is unmatched.”

Student volunteers could also choose to decorate cookies to give to teachers and first responders. Professional chefs, like Kimberly Elvis, from the Broward County area managed the cookie-decorating station.

First responders appreciated the opportunity to interact with students.

“It gives a way for the first responders that were there that day to interact with the students… If new students have questions, they can talk to the first responders,” detective Nicholas Mazzy said. “It’s just a way for both sides to interact; [students] can see that the first responders are dealing with it, [first responders] can see that the students are dealing with it. So, it’s certainly beneficial for both groups.”

Where the Fresh Things Are

This year’s service project at Marjory’s Garden consisted of 85 students, plus teachers and outside volunteers, who took on initiatives to help improve the quality and features of the garden. Activities included clearing ground for a new pathway, constructing a shed to store the Astronomy Club’s equipment and digging a space for a new fountain.

Kyle Jeter, the sponsor of Marjory’s Garden and the Astronomy club, led the day’s events. He supervised all of the work being done while passing the leadership of individual tasks to teachers, such as chemistry teacher Sean Simpson and television production teacher Eric Garner.

“We got some great kids that come out and put their heart into this. For some kids, it gets their mind off things. For some kids, it makes them feel good,” Simpson said. “For me, it’s a different adventure every time; it’s a lot of fun being out here.”

Students could choose from a variety of hands-on tasks like digging, weeding, planting new crops or building the shed.

However, they were not pressured to work.

Representatives and the founder of the Kindness Rock Project were also present with rock painting kits to give students the opportunity to dive into a positive creative process.

“This year, I decided to take the initiative and make something real happen, [and] make something that

Students, faculty participate in community service projects on Feb. 14

I made,” senior Gilon Kravatsky said.

“I’m a senior; I’m leaving this year, and I’m not really going to have any impact permanently left of the school. But if I come back and visit, I can see something that I did, something that’s going to stay here for a long time.”

While graduating students may want to leave their mark, teachers and faculty members felt nostalgic about their time at the school while tending to the garden.

“This is just giving back to the place that I’ve been at for 16 years. It’s kind of like leaving our mark, Jeter and I, on this place,” Simpson said. “Hopefully, this place will be here long after we’re gone, or at least the memory will be here.”

Boxes of Love

The Feeding Community Harvest Drive Service project was intended to give back to the community and provide food, water and other necessary items to the homeless population of Broward County. It was run in collaboration with the county’s Harvest Drive program.

Students and volunteers were tasked with packing up rice, pasta, other dried-goods and water. They also wrote handwritten messages of love and encouragement that were to be included with the donated food. The boxes were sealed and prepared to be sent to homeless individuals and low-income families.

“We made sure it looked like something we put thought into, and we showed [the recipients] we cared about them,” sophomore Ahmed Elgili said. “We tried our best to have fun; we played games, saw who could carry the most boxes. We tried to make it as fun as possible, even though it was a sad day.”

Students in attendance found that the feeling of helping those in need was able to help them through the day.

“It helped us to take our minds off of what happened and tried to bring joy to an already sad day,” Elgili said. Story by Travis

Newbery

News • Feb. 14 On-Campus Service Projects 09

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New Year

New Calendar

Broward County Public Schools unveils new calendar for 2020-2021 school year

T

he Broward County School Board approved a new school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year with some notable changes. The calendar includes a five-day Thanksgiving break, and it also adds a day off on May 13 for the last day of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday.

In previous years, as well as the current school year, students and staff were only granted Wednesday through Friday off during the Thanksgiving break week. Next year will be the first instance where Broward County Public Schools has approved a five-day Thanksgiving vacation.

“I personally love the week-long break.

Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, so I am either traveling or having lots of people over during that time,” freshman Kate Becker said. “It’s much more relaxing now since I will be able to spend more time with my family and not have to rush home.”

The calendar was designed by a committee made up of various representatives that the district picked, but was also open to the public for people who were interested in serving. The meetings were held once a month in the board room of the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Building.

In order to obtain public input, the calendar committee produced an online poll for students, teachers, administrators and parents in the district to pick their favorite calendar for the next school year. The respondents had to answer if they were a teacher, parent, student, administrator or other before being able to choose from three separate plans for the 2020-2021 calendar.

The three plans had some differences with one schedule opting for the first day of school on Aug. 24 while the other two plans opted for an Aug. 19 start date.

The first plan was labeled Option 2, which detailed a school start date of Aug. 19 and an end date on June 7 with a three-day Thanksgiving break. The second proposal was named Option 2A and offered a school start date of Aug. 19 and an end date of June 9 complete with a week-long Thanksgiving break. The last choice, titled Option 3, presented a school start date of Aug. 24 and an end date of June 10 with a three-day Thanksgiving break.

The Broward Teachers Union was in strong support of the second plan, Option 2A, which detailed the prolonged Thanksgiving break and later start date.

The union is made up of over 11,500 teachers, paraprofessionals and technical service professionals and is headed by President Anna Fusco.

“It was definitely one of the most positive responses we had on the calendar in a long time. I really think it’s because of a longer break,” Fusco said.

The committee also declared May 13, 2021, as a day off if there are no national

“

s m li s u M t a h t w o n g Knowin ot n o t y it n u t r o p p o e h have t ate r b le e c o t y a d l o o h c miss a s l. u f r e d n o w is y a d their Eidman Aisha Bashir Fresh

”

Not a Day to Waste. Broward County Public Schools releases the new school calendar for the 2020-2021 school year with various changes. The calendar details a later start date, the last day of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan off and a week-long Thanksgiving break. Graphic by Brianna Jesionowski testing conflicts. May 13 marks Eid al-Fitr, the last day of the month-long fast for the Muslim holiday Ramadan which involves prayer, reflection and community.

“I feel very grateful that the last day of Ramadan is finally off. Every single year when Eid was during school, I would miss my traditional celebration, that only happens twice a year, to attend school, so I don’t miss my work,” freshman Aisha Bashir said. “Because of this, I lost much needed quality time with friends and family at my mosque. Knowing now that Muslims have the opportunity to not miss a school day to celebrate their Eid day is wonderful.”

According to a study conducted by the Council on American Islamic Relations, there are currently 17,721 Muslims under the age of 18 living within the confines of Broward County.

Another recent poll, conducted by Emerge USA, found that 89% of Muslim, Arab-American and South Asian Broward residents keep their children home from school on these Muslim holidays.

“This day should’ve been off a long time ago because all races deserve to have a special and traditional day off, even Muslims,” Bashir said. “Although I would’ve liked the last day of Ramadan to be off a long time ago, I still think it’s fair

that we have this day off now.”

Muslim students, parents and teachers made their voices heard at a board meeting on Oct. 22, 2019, in support of having the school day off. Some attendees described the struggle of having to choose between school and celebrating their holiday. The day is marked with an asterisk because May is the start of national testing and there could potentially be a conflict with the dates.

“Since we are one of the largest districts in the country, we pay for the testing. We can ask for another date for students to take testing, but we had a lot of push back from parents. I think they’re afraid that their kids won’t be able to do it or make it up,” Fusco said. “Our Muslim population is large, and the students want to be able to respectfully honor their tradition and religion, and you know they’re not going to take off school.”

In addition to the extended break, the recently developed schedule pushes the first day of school back five days from Aug. 14 to Aug. 19. As a result, the last day of school will be moved back to June 9 while this school year will end on June 2.

School start dates are all chosen around the state-mandated testing. This means that the opening day must be based around when the testing is at the

end of the year, as testing has to be done within a certain time frame before the year concludes.

While no school calendar is ideal for working parents, the 2020-2021 schedule starts on a Wednesday, making it hard for parents to find childcare as most camps are for one week, not two days.

The elongated Thanksgiving break also adds two days where parents will need to organize something for their children.

Deanna Robbins, a working mom with two jobs of one elementary school student and one freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School feels differently.

“I’m not worried about child care because I know that camps and other businesses will tailor their schedules to the school calendar,” Robbins said. “Actually, I love the week-long Thanksgiving break because many students miss that Monday and Tuesday anyway due to travel plans. Many students are mentally on vacation for those two days even if they are in attendance.”

While the calendar contained various noteworthy changes, many elements to the calendar remained unchanged, like a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break and one day off for Election Day. Story by Lily Singer

News • School Calendar Changes 11

Design by Noa Livni and Mackenzie Quinn; photo illustration by Brianna Jesionowski

Our New

MSD students continue to adjust to life two years after deadly shooting

Normal T

wo years after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students find themselves in different stages of healing, growth and progression. Following the shooting, the lives of MSD students were altered drastically. Some threw themselves into gun reform activism, while others simply focused on their personal healing or sought out therapeutic resources.

The events of Feb. 14, 2018, have continued to impact the MSD community and adjusted what is considered to be “the new normal.”

As life at MSD continues to evolve, the national issue of gun violence does as well. After the shooting, the amount of activism for gun control surged both locally and nationally. Initiated by March For Our Lives, the movement that stemmed out of MSD, thousands of schools took part in walkouts, and the phrase “#Neveragain,” spread across social media platforms. However, as time has passed, the MFOL activist group, led and founded by former students of MSD, has become less prominent.

Soon after the shooting, junior Samantha Deitsch, who was a freshman in the 2017-2018 school year, became heavily involved in politics, taking part in MFOL, along with her two older brothers. Deitsch utilized the organization as an outlet to heal as she began to take action on the issue of gun violence.

Deitsch never found an interest in politics previous to the shooting, and therefore, she says she is always astonished by the response MFOL has received by those who have never directly been affected by the issue.

“It’s definitely helped my healing process because I finally feel like I have some sort of control over things due to the fact that we’ve actually made impacts on such a large scale,” Deitsch said.

To Deitsch, Feb. 14 this year was bittersweet. Not only is it the anniversary of the shooting, but it is also her birthday. She spent the day in Canada visiting a friend and trying to balance honoring the memory of the 17 students and faculty and celebrating her 17th birthday.

Although there may be less attention on MFOL, they remain committed to spreading more knowledge on gun violence and its current threat to civilians in the U.S. The organization continues to push for common sense gun laws, including the H.R.8 Bill which establishes new universal background checks and has been passed by the House of Representatives.

On the other hand, some students prefer to distance themselves from the issue of gun violence and MSD altogether.

After the shooting, senior Gwyneth Bishara, who was a sophomore in the 2017-2018 school year, transferred to the Pine Crest School to help promote her healing process and avoid having the topic being brought up constantly.

“Switching schools has helped my healing process because it allows me to be both supported by my friends and focus on school without the event being brought up in daily conversation,” Bishara said.

Bishara spent the anniversary with her friends and family since she still lives in Parkland.

“I still keep in contact with my friends from Douglas and hangout frequently, allowing me to not be completely removed from my main support system while still separating myself enough so that the 14th is not constantly brought up,” Bishara said.

Although some students chose to remove

12 Feature • Two Years Later

themselves from the atmosphere left from the shooting, others opted to bring therapeutic resources, such as personal service dogs with them to deal with their anxieties. These service dogs have been steadily present since the day of the students’ return in order to evoke a sense of support and comfort for these individuals.

“I used to be so anxious switching classes and with crowds, focusing and everything like that,” junior Sabrina Mifsud said. “After I got my service dog, Scooby, he allowed me to do things that I wasn’t able to do before.”

Through the years, there has been a substantial decline in the amount of therapy dogs on campus; however, students and staff claim that they continue to provide an immeasurable amount of support throughout the school day, even if it is seeing them for a quick moment in the halls or during lunch.

Dealing with the aftermath of the shooting, along with balancing the stressors of the two most important academic years, has heavily impacted the class of 2020 moving forward.

Senior Monique Miquel, who was a sophomore in the 2017-2018 school year, has experienced firsthand the differing approaches students had to the second anniversary.

“It was weird to see the difference between a lot of people who had moved on more than other people who are still really stuck and feeling upset. A lot of people went away,” Miquel said. “But I like that there was still a lot of support, especially at Eagles Haven, and the community still makes sure that even though it’s been a while, and people are in different places that we’re all supported as much or as little as we need.”

In her personal experience, Miquel feels as if she has progressed greatly from her initial state directly after the shooting. The effects of the shooting have since diminished in her daily life. However, remnants of that day continue to affect her as a whole.

“I think there’s certain days where things are still hard. It’s not like a constant feeling. I have ups and downs, and I think the biggest problem that I have is I get nervous when I go to certain places,” Miquel said.

“So I don’t feel comfortable going to the movies or sometimes just being in a crowded place. But it’s not like it still cripples me on a daily basis to the point that it did, like right after it happened.”

The balancing of the continuous stress of preparing for college and the fluctuating mental state of a survivor is one of many obstacles Miquel, along with the rest of the senior class, has faced. However, Miquel decided to stay at MSD to complete high school because she felt most comfortable here.

“I stayed because I felt like I had a community here that understood me. If I went somewhere else, no one would know what I was going through,” Miquel said. “I would feel really isolated, and also, I had just already been here for two years; I felt like I already found my niche.”

MSD alumna Rebecca Schneid, who graduated in 2019, considers herself a completely different person from the time before the shooting occurred.

“A lot of times I miss the person I think that I was before the shooting, but I also think that I’ve grown up a lot,” Schneid said. “Part of that was not really my choice, obviously. Part of it, I think was just natural.

I was 16 when it happened, and I’m 18 now, and I feel like a very different human being, and I feel like I’m at

Before

a very different part of my life.”

Being away from the community has been an unusual experience for Schneid, but has not impacted her personal growth in the aftermath of the tragedy. “[I feel like being away from the community] has not helped or hindered my healing. It’s different, but I don’t think it’s necessarily one or the other,” Schneid said. “I think that it helps in some ways that I still feel saturated by it at all. And that’s really nice.”

On the second anniversary, Schneid made it a priority to make the day pleasant for both her and her friends. They had a picnic in the gardens of Duke University, and then they attended a memorial in the evening.

Schneid now makes it a priority to take care of herself and utilize the coping skills she has accumulated throughout the past two years.

“I definitely think that I’ve learned over time how to take care of myself better, and I’ve learned how to cope using much more healthy coping mechanisms,” Schneid said. “I didn’t really use very many mechanisms the first year, and it affected me afterwards. And I think that was like something that I’ve learned over time, and I continue to learn about how to deal with your emotions in a better way.”

MSD alumna Julia Salomone graduated in May 2018, merely months after the shooting. Salomone felt as if the graduating class was rushed to continue on with their lives and were not properly equipped with mental health resources like those who remained at MSD. “I don’t believe that we had the resources necessary

Design by Fallon Trachtman and Katrina White

After

after the tragedy, but we had the resources in the sense that we could get away from it, but in terms of counseling and services provided in Parkland, as well as the sense of the community was not available, and that was really hard,” Salomone said.

Salomone believes that graduating immediately after the shooting alienated her class from the rest of the community, yet allowed them to have space to grow as individuals apart from it. In relation to the anniversary, the alumna states that being far from Parkland, she felt disconnected from those she loves; however, with the aid of her friends, along with some distance, she was able to properly grieve.

“I have friends here who made the day lighter and took care of me,” Salomone said. “But overall, I think I’m just learning what coping and the ‘new normal’ looks like year by year.”

The graduating classes of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as the staff at MSD, continue to live with symptoms of the shooting, such as PTSD, depression and anxiety. Throughout these past two school years, MSD seniors and juniors have also felt a certain divide amongst the grade levels.

“There is a kind of separation between the freshmen and sophomores and the juniors and seniors because they didn’t experience the same thing,” senior Hannah Levine said. “To them, high school is simply a fresh start at a new school.”

There is often a struggle for students to keep up with the academic expectations of high school. After the shooting, teachers gradually began teaching their curriculum again, allowing students to take time to

“

to w o h , e m ti r e v o d e n I’ve lear t a th k in th ly e it n fi e ing s Id u e p o c to w o h d e n I’ve lear d n A r. te t e b lf e s y m ry many e v e take care of s u y ll a e r ’t n id d isms. I n a h c e m g in p o c y h lt ards. w r much more hea te f a e m d te c fe f a r, and it a e y t s r fi e th s m is n a lass of 2019 C , mech id e n h c S a ecc

Alumna Reb

focus on their mental health. Throughout the 20182019 school year, the academics were purposefully less demanding. However, current students believe that as alumni who attended school on Feb. 14 continue to graduate, there has been less consideration involving the topic.

“Academics overall have seemed to speed up completely to where a normal high school would be,” junior Ciana Stellar said. “I feel like it is kind of absurd because from freshman year, the second half of the year doing nothing to sophomore year, going a little bit slower, to now junior year completely going back to a high speed, and within this healing cycle, it just doesn’t seem right.”

Following the shooting, students were not the only ones who experienced drastic changes. Lauren Rower, a current ninth grade English teacher, was on campus on Feb. 14 as a student teacher in English teacher Jaime Lyons’s class. Due to the sudden need for a teacher replacement, Rower began teaching just weeks after the shooting.

“I felt like I was thrown into the teacher position,

”

but it made me learn everything that I needed to learn rather quickly, and it made the following year a lot easier,” Rower said. “It was nice [to be prepared] but also really stressful.”

Rower believes that the connection between a student and a teacher is an essential aspect of being a teacher. Prior to the shooting, she found that she had always focused on simply teaching the content and getting through the curriculum, whereas now the relationship she builds with her students and their well-being comes first.

“Before [the shooting], forming connections with students was always at the back of your mind; after, it was at the forefront,” Rower said.

As the days, months and years go by, students continue to deal with the scars formed on Feb. 14, 2018. Despite the world and news moving on to the next story and issue, the parents, students and faculty of MSD continue to process the tragedy. The slow and often painful process is one that, despite common belief, is ongoing, and there are many people that have just begun it. Story by Noa Livni

Feature • Two Years Later 13

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Distorted Reality MSD students struggle with body image, eating disorders

to ignore it to fit in with the social norm of being “skinny.”

According to Eating Disorder Hope, an organization designed to educate the “I pretty much judge myself public on eating disorders, smoking and hile looking in a mirror, it everyday,” junior Sarah Stricker said. is easy for people to tear “People constantly tell me I’m pretty, and vaping are used by many as a way to suppress appetite, although it does not apart their self-esteem as I don’t think I am.” thoughts of what they wish Stricker was told by someone close to affect a person’s weight loss.

When asked in a survey to define their body looked like clouds their head. her in sixth grade that she was starting eating disorders, about three-fourths With every meal, their mind envisions to get heavier, causing her to become a pound of fat gained or an additional self-conscious about her weight and body of the 330 students surveyed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School crease on their body. As they open their image. Ever since then, Stricker looks responded by saying it is when you limit phone, they are instantly greeted with in the mirror every morning and finds what you eat or starve yourself, resulting countless reminders that they fall short something negative about herself. in harm to the body. of society’s expectations of beauty. This “Nothing is ever good enough for However, that is only half correct; is simply one of the many experiences anyone,” Stricker said. “It’s like she’s too an eating disorder by definition of the students with a negative body image face skinny; he’s too fat. Her waist isn’t big According to Medical News Today, enough for her body. He probably doesn’t Oxford dictionary is “any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by “body image refers to a person’s eat anything; he needs to eat more. She abnormal or disturbed eating habits.” emotional attitudes, beliefs, and doesn’t eat enough; she should eat this There is not just one type of eating perceptions of their own body.” It relates instead of that.” disorder. The most common are anorexia to their beliefs about their appearance Holding a negative image of one’s nervosa, where one limits their food and how they feel about their body. It can body can sometimes escalate into an be positive or negative. eating disorder. Most of the time people intake; bulimia nervosa, where one purges after eating; and binge eating, Holding a negative body image with eating disorders realize that their where one eats large amounts of food can lead to the development of eating eating habits are unhealthy, but choose

W

disorders.

Psychology Of It All

rapidly.

These disorders can be brought out by a variety of triggers including trauma, social media influence and low selfesteem.

Most eating disorders are triggered by dieting, especially in adolescents.

When a person restricts their calorie intake, the body reduces the rate it burns energy, which can lead to binge eating or overeating. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, adolescents who participate in moderate dieting, where one avoids a certain amount of calories or a particular food, are five times more likely to develop an eating disorder. Those who diet with extreme restrictions, where one’s diet is severely limited in calories, are 18 times more likely.

Despite those risks, dieting has become normalized in society today.

Eating disorders are becoming more common in society, as 46% of 9 to 11 year olds and 83% of families are on diets.

Skin Deep Continued on 17

Feature • Body Image & Eating Disorders 15

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Continued from page 15 According to Resource and Markets, the world’s largest research market store, the weight loss market was worth $72 million in 2019.

Eating disorders in both males and females are most commonly developed during the adolescent years and early stages of adulthood. This is because the adolescent brain is vulnerable to more psychological risks than at any other stages of brain development, including low self esteem, perfectionism and being a “people pleaser.” According to a study done by researchers Emma Sands and Jane Wardle published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50% of 9-12 year old girls want to have thinner bodies.

“If someone has been given messages about their weight, shape or size from a young age and encouraged to diet from a young age, it could lead to thoughts and behaviors associated with eating disorders,” licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Melissa Rosen said.

“Additionally, dieting can lead to the restriction of multiple food groups and becomes extreme or excessive. In today’s society, there are many fad diets out there that can impact someone who has a predisposition to develop an eating disorder.”

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, oftentimes traumatic and/or life changing events can cause a person to develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders mostly co-exist with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because people try to numb themselves and let out the pain they feel emotionally. About 30% of people with eating disorders are believed to have been sexually assaulted. Being abused or assaulted are not the only events that can change a person’s eating habits; a person’s parents getting divorced or a negative comment made about a person can also be triggers.

“If you are experiencing traumarelated anxiety, it would make sense that one of the ways you would try to control living in a chaotic, unpredictable world would be being very controlling about what you eat and what goes into your body,” school psychologist Jessica McBride said.

The longing for control, that can eventually lead to eating disorders, can be induced by not only traumatic events, but also other drastic lifestyle changes.

Freshman Angeline Francis has had a past of purging and binging; however, she was never officially diagnosed. She started these habits when her parents divorced, and she was told by her father’s girlfriend that she was overweight.

“My father started dating another

woman, and that woman told me I needed to do some extreme exercise to lose weight,” Francis said. “Thus causing me to constantly feel as if I’m too fat or that I don’t look good because of my weight.”

but rather a descriptive word and should not be talked about as an insult.

“The fact that [brands] are including different body sizes and encouraging that no matter what body type you are, you are beautiful, is amazing,” sophomore Kaidyn Jordan said.

According to the Associated Press, the weight loss market in the U.S. is at a record high, but the number of dieters is In a survey of 330 MSD students, falling as a result of the growing support 67% said that social media creates both for body positivity movements. a negative and positive stigma around “Body positivity movements are body image. When asked to explain their answer, most said that social media important as they encourage people to be happy with themselves,” senior allows them to compare themselves to models and people with the “ideal” body, Madeline Colombo said. “It allows people to love themselves for who they are.” causing them to have negative thoughts Photoshop and other photo editing about themselves and their bodies.

“It annoys me,” Stricker said. “Society apps also play a part in the “ideal” body on social media. These programs allow has this picture perfect body they want everyone to be that, so they exploit it all people to change the way they look from their body shape and hair length, to their over social media.”

However, many students said that so- eye color and skin texture. According to called “influencers” talk about awareness TruePic, a video and photo verification platform, about two-thirds of all for eating disorders and negative body image. Some of these influencers include Americans who post photos online have edited them before posting it.

Demi Lovato, who has opened up about John Rankin Waddell, a British her struggle with eating disorders in the photographer, created a photo project past; Jennifer Lawerence, who strongly called “Selfie Harm,” in which he denounced the concept of an “ideal” recruited fifteen teenagers and took body; Tyra Banks, who advocated for more diverse body types in the modeling their portraits. He then told them to edit the portraits of themselves until it industry; and Prince Fielder, who was was social media ready and up to their criticized for his “plus-sized” body. own standards. When the teenagers Even though there are many influencers trying to advocate that there were done Rankin compared the edited version to the original, in which most of is no “ideal” body, over 87% of women and 65% of men compare their bodies to their facial features were changed. The those they see on social media, according teenagers made them appeal more dolllike with bigger eyes and smaller noses. to a study conducted by the Florida “[Photo editing software] can cause House Experience, a healthcare institute. people to believe that they are not good “For teenagers, the combined weight enough, if they don’t look a certain way,” of vulnerability, the need for validation, and a desire to compare themselves with Rosen said. “It can lead people to begin to make choices to change their image peers forms what [they] describes as and body significantly, leading to body a ‘perfect storm of self-doubt,’” Donna image issues and eating disorders.”

Wick, EdD, founder of Mind-to-Mind Issues concerning dietary habits and Parenting said, according to an article on self image have plagued the youth for the Child Mind Institute website. generations. According to the National While many magazines and clothing Center for Biotechnology Information, companies employ and support diverse eating disorders and unhealthy body models in size, color and shape, Aerie images have been around since the is one of the main clothing brands middle ages. that have shown diversity within their models, beginning in 2016. Since then, they have expanded to using models with noticeable medical equipment including crutches and insulin pumps.

Eating disorders affect a person’s This new modeling trend creates a sense mental and physical health and can of inclusivity and while many social sometimes be life threatening. When a platforms create a negative sense of self person develops an eating disorder, their image, this is a step towards positive body systems are compromised. body image standards.

“Patients with eating disorders Not only are magazines and brands can also present to the emergency becoming more diverse, but they are also department for a variety of conditions bringing light to the stereotypes around such as dizziness, lightheadedness, loss body image. Teen Vogue published an of consciousness, seizures (which can be article about how fat is not a bad word, related to electrolyte disturbance as a

Social Media’s Impact

Health Risks

15+T 20+T 88+T

Refections of Society 15% Poll of 335 MSD students reveals that eating disorders among teens at MSD mirrors national average

of United States citizens currently have a diagnosed eating disorder

20%

88%

of MSD students believe they previously had or currently have an eating disorder

of MSD students believe social media creates a stigma around the “ideal” body image

According to Mirasol Recovery Centers

result of their eating disorder), and heart palpitations or other cardiac issues,” Medical Director for the Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders Amelia Davis said in an article on the Rosewood Centers’ website on June 2, 2016.

Keeping calories from one’s body allows tissue to break down and thin out, which can lead to organ failure. Low heart rate and blood pressure put one at risk for heart failure. The decrease of electrolytes caused by vomiting or purging may cause irregular heart rate and possible heart failure.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, eating disorders cause the most health problems in the stomach and intestinal region.

They cause stomach pain, bloating, blocked intestines, infections, vomiting, fluctuating blood sugar and more.

Failing to take in enough calories and then trying to compensate by binge eating can lead to obsessive thoughts about food and one’s intake. It can also lead to seizures, muscle cramps, dizziness and sleep apnea.

The National Eating Disorder Association has reported that the crude mortality rate for anorexia is 4.0%, bulimia nervosa is 3.9% and other eating disorders is 5.2%.

Recovery and Help

The path to recovering from an eating disorder is different for everyone. It can take anywhere from months to years to completely recover. Throughout the recovery process, there can be multiple relapses which can be triggered by anything, from trauma to common stress.

There are multiple types of treatments for eating disorders, including over the phone therapy and inpatient therapy. Within these treatments, medical professionals will talk and create a plan for an individual to follow to get them onto the road of recovery.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, the most important way to recovery is through therapy.

Different people go through different types of therapy depending on their condition, including group therapy and one-on-one therapy.

Broward County Public Schools will refer any student who is suffering with an eating disorder to the school’s social worker, while faculty is referred to the department’s early intervention program, according to the county’s Health Services Department.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or would like to know more, contact the National Eating Disorder hotline at (800) 931-2237. Story by Brianna Jesionowski

Additional Resources National Eating Disorder Hotline 800-931-2237 National Association of Anorexia 1-630-577-1330 Eagles Haven (954) 618-0350 eagleshaven@jafco.org In-Crisis Text Line Text CONNECT to 741-741

Feature • Body Image & Eating Disorders 17

“

n you e h w y p e e r c y ll a e r Snap Maps is e r e h w w o n k y ll a ic s a think about it. We b e n o o n t u b , e v li y e h t re everyone is and whe . it h it w m le b o r p a e seems to hav Ahuja

”

Junior Shom

Access Granted Social media applications utilize and encourage the sharing of private information

Snapchat

INSTAGRAM

LIFE360

TikTok

Snap Maps allow users to view the location of others based on the last time they were on the app

Instagram directly targets users by using cookies to provide advertisements based on one’s search history

Life360 has features that tracks the location, driving speed and battery percentage of a mobile device

TikTok bases what they show their users on the “for you page” according to the user’s location services

18 Feature • Privacy in the Age of Technology

. iPrivacy

Design by Ashley Ferrer; graphic by Brianna Fisher

Rapid technology growth reshapes, redefines society’s standards of privacy

T

he screen on the mobile device reads “Current Location: Boca Raton, Florida, since 11:30 p.m.

42% battery.” The parents of the speeding blue dot reaching 70 mph on their digital map are awaiting its arrival.

Simultaneously, the blue dot, or better yet, their disgruntled teenager, is trying to decipher how to deactivate their location from the horrid app they deem is ruining their social life.

In response to this digital world, it is not rare to see parents using tracking applications, such as Life360, in order to stay informed on the whereabouts of their children. The application provides the exact location of users, as well as their driving speed and battery percentage.

“We track our daughter not because we don’t trust her, but because it puts our minds at ease when she’s out, and we can see where she is,” Cam Vo, parent of a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School junior said. “In case something happens to her or she doesn’t come home, at least we’d be able to see where she was.”

Life360 was launched in 2010 for all iOS users, and since then, the release of similar apps has skyrocketed as adults have followed their children’s footsteps in becoming more familiar with the versatile uses of technology.

According to Wired, approximately 29% of parents track their teenager’s locations using mobile applications.

However, not all parents agree with this form of supervision.

“I trust my daughter enough to tell me where she is and what she’s doing,” Fareeda Steele, an MSD parent, said.

Many students feel as if these apps breach the trust between them and their parents, as well as drastically impose on their social lives.

“Those apps really bother me because it just goes to show that parents don’t trust their kids,” junior Hannah Kang said.

“And that lack of trust creates a divide in their relationship.”

The evolution of technology and the

41+T 48+T 36+T

Logged on 47% Poll of 334 MSD students reveals the ways in which modern technology affects their privacy

influence of the internet have altered parenting. Not only does this newfound technology equip parents with tools to easily check up on their children, but it presents new motives for parents to regularly monitor their children.

Fear of exposure and access to inappropriate material, the potential dangers of interacting with strangers online and the issue of cyberbullying have urged parents to provide extra supervision.

As a result of these concerns, many parents have taken it upon themselves to limit unsupervised mobile activity or go as far as to explicitly search through their teenager’s phone.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015, “Among parents of teens ages 13-17, 61% check which sites their teen has visited, 60% check their social media profiles and 48% have looked at their teen’s phone call records or messages.”

This perceived invasion of privacy has left a bad taste in the mouths of various students not only at MSD, but across the United States. Various teenagers have even taken the issue to TikTok, creating videos making fun of helicopter parents and apps such as Life360 for “ruining their lives.”

“When parents are strict, it just makes kids want to go out and do more,” freshman Gabriella Reiss said. “Basically, it just comes in between our relationship, making it hard for me to talk to [my mother] about certain things in fear [that] I’ll let something slip and get in trouble.”

Not only has a lack of privacy on mobile devices been seen among parentchild relationships, but is also prevalent between users on social media.

The shortage of privacy amongst social media users has been ingrained and normalized in internet culture. Due to the constant use of these applications, it is not very difficult to discover the interests, whereabouts or possessions of another person.

“I don’t believe that others should be able to find out personal information about someone such as [their] current location without that person telling them,” sophomore Lindsi Cohn said. “I feel like it’s weird that [the internet] might tell

of MSD students believe that parents should not track their child’s location

48%

36%

of MSD students’ parents track their location using apps like Life360

of MSD students have set their social media accounts to public, meaning they can be viewed by anyone on the app

people that information.”

In fact, even platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram encourage users to share their locations with others through the advertising of geo-filters and stickers. Snapchat especially has a built-in feature called Snap Maps, where users can view the location of their followers down to the very street.

“Snap Maps is really creepy when you think about it,” junior Shom Ahuja said.

“We basically know where everyone is and where they live, but no one seems to have a problem with it.”

Advertisers on social media such as Instagram and Facebook have also utilized cookies from internet browsers to target users with products or services they recently searched.

“The amount of times I have gotten an ad for something on my Instagram feed after looking it up on Google is more than I can count,” freshman Kylie Messmer said.

A research study published in the Nature Human Behaviour Journal explains the impact of not only individual users’ posts but their followers’ as well, on the accumulation of personal information that can be found through social media.

Researchers developed “ego-networks,” or social links to one focal point, of Twitter accounts to analyze how much information they could obtain about a certain user simply by observing the interactions between them and 15 other accounts.

However, the study confirmed that 15 accounts are not needed, and merely interactions between nine accounts can contribute to the encoding of information obtained about a user, even if they are deleted.

“It’s like listening in on one end of a phone call,” the Nature Human Behaviour Journal stated. “Even though you can’t hear the person on the other end of the line, you can still find out a lot of information about them from the onesided conversation you can hear.”

From protective parents tracking their children to researchers being able to gain insight on specific users, the ever-evolving trend of technology has impacted and refined society’s definition of privacy.

Story by Ashley Ferrer

57%

of MSD students have their Snap Map location on, meaning their friends on the app can see where they are at any given time

Feature • Privacy in the Age of Technology 19

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Political discussions find their way into the classroom

I

n an age where political opinions make or break one’s career, many professionals choose to avoid sensitive topics in their workplace as to avoid crossing a forbidden line. In the classroom, however, controversial and political topics are often relevant to what students are learning. The nuance that exists in today’s political climate can blur the line between teachers imposing their views and educating students on issues.

How far is too far in regards to exposing students to political views? Are there rules that exist so teachers are not reprimanded for every political discussion?

Article 14 of the Broward Teachers Union Education Professionals Contract states, “Use of political material for instructional purposes in the classroom is permitted, but each employee must be accountable that the presentation is openminded, fair, responsible and respectful of the differing opinions of others. Use of political material for political purposes in the classroom is prohibited.”

This rule allows for teachers who cannot avoid politics in the classroom to educate their students in an unbiased manner free from backlash. Social studies teachers like Jeff Foster benefit from these policies.

“I don’t think teachers should share specific political views, but if they’re a social studies teacher then that is an exception,” Foster, who teaches AP Government said. “I tend to always cover both sides of every topic, but I will say that if I take a shot at a politician or make a negative or positive comment, I always try to give the opposite opinion as well. In classroom discussions, I don’t let anybody get to the point where they’re offending anybody.”

Assistant Principal Ivette Figueroa advises faculty members against sharing their opinions in the classroom if it does not pertain to their subject.

“We’re focusing on the curriculum here. Unless it’s related to a curriculum topic, then there’s an exception like in

Dare to history class. I personally don’t think students should have to be listening to their teachers’ opinions in class,” Figueroa said.

However, there is a difference between educating others and imposing opinions on political scenarios.

According to the Broward County Public Schools Policy 4213, “Proselytizing should have no place in the public school.

Opinion and theory should be clearly stated and identified as such.” In layman’s terms, teachers do not have the right to convert a student from one belief to another.

Principal Michelle Kefford believes teachers must be weary when faced with a hot topic and should act in accordance with district policy.

“It depends on the context. If a teacher is asked, what is your opinion? They have to really just be very cautious. Say ‘I don’t want to share my opinion,’ and that’s fine, but it becomes inappropriate when teachers punish students for their beliefs,” Kefford said.

Rule 6A-10.081 of the Florida Administrative Code states prevents teachers from harassing or discriminating against any student, “on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background...”

Some teachers never share their political beliefs with their students, regardless of the circumstances or their curriculum. These teachers might teach a subject where politics has no relevance or sharing their opinions may just go against their ideals.

Culinary teacher Ashley Kurth has made an effort to avoid political discussions with her students altogether.

“I made a point not to get specific with politics, and so I tend to avoid hot topics in the classroom,” Kurth said.

Kurth states that the one time she did share her beliefs, she received a lot

of backlash, even though it occurred off campus and outside of school hours “In the town hall after the shooting, I said I was a Republican,” Kurth said. “I was also the first teacher that asked if teachers were going to be armed and this led to a lot of hate.”

Math teacher Kim Krawczyk shares Kurth’s belief that educators should not share their opinions in the classroom.

“I think once you have a strong feeling about something, despite the fact we’re not allowed to influence the kids, you [believe that you] have to share it,” Krawczyk said.

“Some teachers think they’re spreading social awareness when really they’re giving a subjective one-sided opinion.”

Social studies teacher Ernest Rospierski chooses to keep politics out of his classroom altogether, even though he teaches courses that involve some level of political discussion.

“It is not my place, since I am a teacher my ideas could have more sway in a student’s mind. I would rather they form their own ideas,” Rospierski said.

Despite the district’s policy, some teachers still choose to state their own beliefs during political discussions within their classroom, regardless of what subject they teach. Some teachers believe it is their duty to educate their students, even when it comes to politics.

“Politics is only ever brought up in my classroom if a student talks about it. I don’t really bring it up myself. I’ll only talk if I disagree with an opinion. The media is all swayed one way, the democratic way; it is all sweet and kumbaya,” *MSD teacher Jane Doe said.

In interviews with MSD students, many expressed that a multitude of teachers have shared their political opinions in the classroom.

“One of my teachers has talked about the pro-life vs. pro-choice issue in class, basically putting it on us and saying that we should be more pro-life and that [abortions] are not right,” sophomore Giselle Hansen said. “And I don’t really

think that’s something teachers should get into with their students. They should keep it to themselves and keep it more professional.”

Even freshmen who have just recently entered the school have already encountered teachers expressing their personal views.

“I have felt uncomfortable in class because my teacher was telling us her opinion on a controversial issue such as the use of the Confederate flag,” freshman Gabriella Reiss said. “When teachers do this, it creates tension and makes us scared to share our [opinions] if they don’t align with theirs.”

While some students may not enjoy their teachers expressing their beliefs, there are some students that appreciate political conversations.

“I enjoy talking about politics with my teachers because it lets me see the different views of the world,” junior Melodie Vo said. “It’s nice knowing there are teachers here that share the same beliefs as me.”

When teachers cross the line from curriculum based political discussions to expressing personal opinions, or if they try to influence students opinions, there can be consequences. Teachers accused of violating district policy, are required to have a meeting with an assistant principal to discuss the accusation. The meeting can result in no action, if the teacher can prove they did not violate policy. Teachers that violate policy can receive a verbal or a written reprimand. If the offense continues, the severity of the punishment increases, and it can cost a teacher his/her public school job.

Despite Broward County’s efforts, political conversations continue to occur between teachers and students inside the classroom. These risky discussions beg the questions: to what extent can teachers share and how does one determine when it is appropriate? Story by Anisah Steele *Names indicated were changed to protect the teachers anonymity

Feature • Politics In The Classroom 21

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Remnants of A

Two years after the March for Our Lives, MSD student activism on gun violence prevention drops

Revolution T wo years ago, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School changed forever. After losing 17 eagles, the school community began to channel loss into action.

Teachers and students alike became active. The sadness and confusion of a tragedy spread through the community.

Feelings of despair quickly turned to feelings of anger and injustice directed at an inactive congress in regards to gun violence prevention legislation.

March For Our Lives was the culmination of this collective evolution.

Set directly in front of the United States Capitol building, approximately 200,000 students chanted, sang, screamed and raised their fists high to end the cycle of gun violence in America.

These 200,000 were accompanied by over one million other protesters who attended sister marches across the nation, making the event one of the largest mass protests in U.S. history.

However since this eminent mass demonstration, the morale of this movement has declined greatly.

“Frankly, a lot of people don’t care anymore which is pretty disappointing to me,” sophomore Logan Rubenstein, who is a Parkland MFOL organizer, said. “I respect that a lot of people just don’t want to deal with it anymore, but gun violence continues to happen every day, and I’m

going to continue fighting to prevent it.”

In an attempt to spread the message of youth activism, members of the organization went on a national “Road to Change” tour and started over 100 chapters across the country, yet MSD did not experience this same degree of activism.

“It’s not like it was right after the march,” junior Samantha Deitsch said.

“We’re more aware of the problems, but I think things have died down when it comes to the school community being active.”

The Eagle Eye surveyed 375 current MSD students about their prior and current levels of activism on the issue of gun violence prevention, defined by their involvement in various organizations like MFOL, Students Demand Action, the Brady Campaign, etc. Among students that were enrolled at MSD at the time of the shooting, activism has declined from 57% to 28%. Among students who were not enrolled at MSD, involvement has dropped from 47% to 20%.

This is not to say that MFOL and organizations like it do not have a presence at MSD and in the larger Parkland and Coral Springs communities. As previously mentioned, MFOL has an active Parkland based chapter that is open to MSD students.

“In August, we held the Walmart ‘Must Act’ rally with 100 people showing, tabled at community events and pledged over

150 people to vote in the 2020 election,” Rubenstein said.

MSD has also contributed to the organizations Change the Ref and Make Our Schools Safe, through the addition of new chapters at the school.

While students may be less active on the issue of gun violence prevention, the issue is still a prominent concern among the student body. The Eagle Eye’s student survey found that 82.3% of respondents ranked the issue as a 7 or higher on a 1 to 10 scale of importance, with 1 being not very important, and 10 being very important.

It seems that, while the student body itself is still committed to the issue of gun violence prevention, it is no longer the active force that it once was.

“Other students definitely have mixed opinions on the movement and aren’t as active as they used to be,” junior Daniel Duff, who is a MFOL content creator, said.

“Everything just kind of died down in a way, which I get. I’m pro-action, but I understand how as a student, it’s harder to be committing your time to that sort of thing.”

Whether it be the decline of publicity from the media, the lack of attention on younger activists or merely the exhaustion from fighting for ideas that are complicated and hard to change, activism is less prevalent at MSD.

“Everyone I knew was either involved in March For Our Lives or very active on social media,” junior Jessica Virk said.

“However, it was so exhausting to keep up with, that we all burned out.”

On the other hand, there are MSD students that still have the drive and the plans to continue advocating for this issue in the future.

“I spoke at the march in New York City, and was really passionate about solving the issue of gun violence,” senior Sam Hendler said. “I still believe that we should continue advocating to stop gun violence all across the world, but as two years pass, I haven’t had time to focus and participate.

Deciding on college takes a lot of energy, but I hope to continue advocating in the near future.”

With a culture of activism on the decline, some students see the fight for common-sense gun reform as one of the past.

“They [MFOL] had a good run, but they stopped doing anything,” junior Bryce Albert said. “They were a one-hit-wonder; they changed like one law and left us behind.”

For many students, the activism and the march played a huge role in their high school experience; yet now, despite large ideological support, the student body at MSD has lost the culture of action. Story by Ryan Servaites

Feature • Gun Violence Prevention Activism 23

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2020 presidential candidates support different views on gun violence prevention

Comparing candidates School Safety

gun lobby Influence

Suicide Question

Ban assault weapons:

Investigate the NRA:

Require the safe storage of firearms:

Expand gun-free zones to include college campuses:

Establish waiting periods:

Supports the NRA:

No clear platform:

Licensing & Registering Universal background checks:

Urban Violence

Assault Weapons

Fund intervention programs:

Pass a federal ban:

No clear platform:

No clear platform:

No clear platform:

Stance at a glance Majority of 375 MSD students polled support universal background checks and mental health screenings How flexible are you when it comes to supporting a candidate based on their gun violence platform?

12%

35+25+191011 Somewhat Flexible

10%

Very Flexible

19%

Inflexible

35% Neutral

25%

Somewhat Inflexible

Which potential 2020 Presidential candidate do you think best matches your views on gun violence?

30+25+1375

7% Biden 7%

Warren

13%

Buttigeig

No clear platform:

5% Other

13% 25% Sanders

Bloomberg

30% Trump

Which gun violence prevention measures do you support?

72% 27% 51% 71% 61% 32% 47% 47% 48% 15%

720+ 280 270+ 730 510+ 490 710+ 290 610+ 390 320+ 680 470+ 530 470+ 530 480+ 520 150+ 850 Universal Background Checks Buy Back Guns

Ban Assault Rifles

Mental Health Screenings Gun Safety Research Ending Gun Shows Red Flag Laws

Create a Database of Gun Sales

Ending Online Sales of Firearms None

Politics • Presidential Candidates & Gun Violence Prevention 25

Security changes are only bandaid on issue of school shootings

Swamped By Safety

Measures

W

hile it is easy for someone to look at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and pinpoint the problems that they think need solving, the students and staff at the school have a different perspective on what issues really matter.

Community members and organizations, such as Make Our Schools Safe, work towards increasing school safety and security, but do not take into account student feelings or opinions.

Putting up a new fence or spray painting signs on a wall is only a facade that puts a band-aid on the issue and does not create a comprehensive solution that actually makes students safer.

The new rules that were implemented at MSD after Feb. 14, 2018, were put into place in order to please parents in the community, but were extremely impractical in the real environment. Due to members of the community not liking the appearance of an open gate even though the actual door to the school is locked, MSD decided to set a time to lock the gate every day at 4 p.m. Doing this makes it difficult for teachers to stay after school to help students or advise clubs and almost impossible to leave without having to get an administrator or security personnel to open it.

Similarly, the hard corners that were spray-painted in every classroom to designate a spot for students to hide in during code red drills are sometimes obstructed by immovable objects that make it difficult for an entire class to fit in. The design of certain classrooms also places these corners next to windows or doors, which is just as unsafe as standing in the middle of the room. In all portable classrooms, there are not even designated safe zones. While this rule had good intentions, its practicality is minimal.

Make Our Schools Safe claims that their goal is to “improve the safety of schools through research and testing the best practices,” but the policies that they are implementing seem rash and uninformed. There are no reports or research published by the organization proving that their solutions are beneficial, and all of the actual useful security measures that resulted from the shooting were implemented by MSD and Broward County Public Schools.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, 89.6% of high schools believe that controlled access to buildings during school hours increases school safety. Before Feb. 14, 2018, it was easier to walk onto the campus at any point throughout the school day than it is

41+T 33+T 41%

33%

of MSD students feel uneasy when they see the “Stop The Bleed” kits in classrooms

of MSD students feel uneasy when they see the “hard corners” painted in classrooms

Top 3 safety measures students find most effective

1. ID Badges 2. Security Personnel 3. Security Cameras

Based on a survey of 332 MSD students

26 Editorial • Security Measures

currently. Now, MSD has prioritized new policies, such as controlled access to the campus in order to regulate who comes and goes throughout the day. However, these decisions were implemented by the school and district themselves, not

by Make Our Schools Safe or any other outside organizations.

After a school shooting, students lose their sense of safety and gain a fear of going to school, no matter how many fences or extra security personnel are added.

Additionally, the policies implemented by such organizations help when a shooting occurs, rather than preventing the shooting from happening in the first place. “Stop the Bleed” kits and “hard corners” are two safety measures that were implemented at MSD, that have no real purpose other than in the event of a shooting. These can create a sense of discomfort for students, especially those who were present in the school shooting.

Another problem arises in the notion that school safety measures are enforced after a school is affected.

If school safety measures didn’t work after Columbine or Sandy Hook, why would they work now?

Policies that plan for the long term, rather than the short term, are most

“

effective. Gun reform and destigmatizing mental health are two key methods of solving the gun violence epidemic in schools. While school safety measures should always be a priority, it is only part of the solution.

Implementing universal background checks, enacting mental health screenings, banning assault weapons, participating in gun buyback programs, ending the gun show loophole and adopting red flag laws are all vital aspects of ending school shootings.

Furthermore, mental health resources are a necessity in preventing school shootings. Creating a space where students can freely express their emotions can help certain students learn that they do not need to turn to violence to solve their issues.

When it comes to deciding policies, the students at MSD should have more of a voice in deciding what makes them feel the most comfortable and is the most practical in their everyday lives.

While we do not deny that some of the changes that have come out of the shooting have been beneficial, outsiders should not make decisions without consulting those affected by their choices.

Editorial by the Eagle Eye Editorial Board; editorial cartoon by Leah Ronkin

lose s t n e d u t s , g in t o o h s After a school r of a e f a in a g d n a y t e f a their sense of s r o s e c n e f y n a m w o h atter m o n l, o o h c s o t g in go d. e d d a e r a l e n n o s r e p additional security Editorial Board Eagle Eye

”

Design by Dara Rosen

Truth behind our Trauma Valentine’s Day has been forever transformed from a holiday of love to a day of service and mourning

H

ow do we feel two years after the shooting on Feb. 14, 2018?

We all get asked this question, but don’t answer it honestly.

We can’t say good because it sounds insensitive, and we can’t say bad because then we will get the looks of pity that we all despise. So we say some version of the truth like: “I’m a lot better than before” or “it changes day to day,” and then hope the answer was sufficient enough for whoever asked to move on to a new subject.

Truthfully, it’s the feeling of being distraught, a sense of wanting to forget and a feeling of being forever changed.

No matter where we were, what we saw or what we heard, we all experienced some level of serious trauma.

Depression and anxiety intensified for many students, and most of us are dealing with the many side effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

We all became a little broken after the events of Feb. 14, 2018. Some of us show our cracks more than others, but the cracks are there just the same.

We have tried therapy, breathing exercises, meditation, essential oils, art, writing, service animals, new medications and community activities, but nothing quite fills those cracks completely. More often than not, we distract ourselves from the fact that there is even a crack to begin with, sometimes to the point that we actually feel completely whole. But that feeling fades after a while.

And while we’re trying to distract

ourselves, we have chocolates, candies, teddy bears and everything resembling a heart shape covering almost every store we walk into. Valentine’s Day decor taunts us with the fact that we have lost this holiday forever.

We will see all the posts and the romcoms that come out on that day, but it does not change the beyond disturbing event that Valentine’s Day symbolizes for our whole community.

We can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day anymore without feeling guilty. We think of the gifts we received and gave that day, the candy that we gorged ourselves on and the plush animals we hugged and held. And it feels wrong.

It feels wrong to want a normal Valentine’s Day like we had throughout our whole childhood. Without the memorials and anniversary posts.

Without feeling like we can’t breathe when we think about it. Without crying when we think of the people we lost. But we do.

Sometimes we even wonder if we’ll still feel the pain attached to this day when we’re older and the phrase “time heals all wounds” starts to sound comforting. But how long do we have to wait to feel normal again, to get that innocence back?

The truth is, we find a new normal that works for us, and as for the innocence, we never truly get that back; it belongs to that day now. We’re all going to do something different on the anniversaries, and no matter what it

is, the only thing that matters is how it makes us feel. Whether it’s volunteering to plant gardens and clean beaches or to block out the memories with friends and family, do what you want, what makes you feel whole again.

Back to Action

W

ith the rise of March For Our Lives in 2018, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School became engulfed in the issue of solving gun violence. Politics dominated our TVs and news feeds, and it seemed as if the topic was at the forefront of every student and community member’s minds.

The community was hungry for change, and the students at MSD knew that they would have to be the ones to propel this idea to Washington, D.C. Activism became a defining feature for our school culture, finding its way into conversations and lessons both inside and outside the classroom. If the past has taught the student body one thing, it’s that our voice is powerful and that we have the ability to enact meaningful change.

Now, two years later, the topic of gun violence prevention at MSD is just as prevalent to students as their test the following period or where they are meeting their friends after school.

Students lost that sense of hope they felt from the march and settled on the idea that nothing would get done.

The Eagle Eye survey of 395 current

MSD students found that among students who were enrolled at school on Feb. 14, 2018, activism surrounding gun violence dropped from 57% to 28% within the past two years. For students that were not enrolled at MSD during the time of the shooting, it also dropped from 47% to 20%.

Whether a lack of time, energy or resources contributed to the decline of gun violence activism, this is incredibly problematic when discussing the future.

In effect, this student body should be energized and ignited with dreams and ideas of comprehensive methods to solve gun violence. However, the students here no longer put in the effort to do anything of substantial weight.

It’s not that students do not care anymore, because some still do; it’s that students do not care enough.

It also does not matter if people were actually at MSD on the day of the shooting to want to fight to end gun violence. The shooting was like a ripple effect of pain and frustration, affecting not only the people here but also those they know and love.

Students at MSD are the best people to help solve this issue, as we have

No matter how hard it is, this is our day now. It’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s day. And we get to do whatever feels right, no questions asked.

Editorial by Brooke Harrison; illustration

by Ariana Perez

Students at MSD need to reach the level of political participation that was present in 2018

experienced an act of gun violence firsthand. When Congress tries to discuss gun control without our input, it’s as if they are having a dog teach an English class. It just doesn’t work.

We are the people with the knowledge and the experience about what worked and what didn’t in stopping the shooting, but we are basically doing nothing when we do not participate in government.

Students that have a low sense of political efficacy and apathy towards anything government related are still affected by the choices and decisions made by those in power. Not voting or just choosing the first candidate on a ballot ensures that a person’s values are not completely represented or brought up at all.

Everyone has a civic duty to vote and have an active voice in our government, and it is incredibly important that the students here are at the forefront of the gun violence movement. While the press and media coverage of MSD has declined over the past two years, people all over the nation still look to the students MSD to lead the way for activism and change.

The same thing happened after Sandy Hook and Columbine, where the people of

the community were riled up to pass gun control laws, but got tired of waiting for Congress to enact change. If the students of MSD want to claim that mass shootings should happen “never again,” then they need to take action to make sure that it does not.

Even if some do not feel as passionately about gun violence as others, they should still fight for and support whatever issue is important to them.

People cannot stop paying attention to the news just because they are talking about a topic that they do not like. The government does not make laws only concerning the environment; they multi task to create solutions to all problems facing the country.

At the end of the day, we are the people that will have to grow up to live with the changes that the government is currently making. You are never too young to get involved in politics, even if that just means watching the news every night with your parents. We need to be the voices calling for change for the future, and if we do not start now, our disinterest in government will only grow deeper and nothing will ever change.

Editorial by The Eagle Eye Editorial Board

Editorials • Valentine’s Day & Decline of Activism 27