Highlander Newsmagazine Issue 4 2019-20

HIGHLANDER

IN THIS ISSUE: Sick Days vs. School Days READ IT ON PG 4 Carlmont Skiers READ IT ON PG 14 Modern Warfare READ IT ON PG 28

2020 VISION READ IT ON PG 20

Vol. XI Issue IV | January 2020 | Carlmont High School | scotscoop.com

HIGHLANDER newsmagazine

Highlander Editors-in-Chief Nisha Marino Emma Romanowsky Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief Veronica Roseborough ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief Mandy Hitchcock Publicity Director Rachel Matatyaou Faculty Adviser Justin Raisner Editors Andrea Butler Molly Donaldson Francesca D’Urzo Rachel McCrea Kimberly Mitchell Emma O’Connor Mari Ramirez Auva Soheili Staff Writers Joshua Baxter Audrey Boyce Brianna Cheng Samantha Chu Eoin Cunningham Natalie Doud Anna Feng Nihal Karim Zachary Khouri Ailee Lim Audrey Luey Ayal Meyers Miki Nguyen Miles Ozorio Bella Reeves Ava Richards Alena Ruhstaller Maddy Ting Taisiia Yakovenko

Highlander is a newsmagazine dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and the community with highquality news, features, and opinion articles. We want to keep our readers informed on important issues ranging from events at Carlmont to international news, and want to engage them with unique stories and designs. Highlander is a publication completely run by the students of the journalism classes at Carlmont High School. Story ideas are generated by the students and the published content is up to the direction of the editorial staff. This issue’s editorial was written by Emma Romanowsky and the editorial cartoon was drawn by Lexi Romanowsky

in this issue... campus 4-11 Sick days vs. School days Vaping black market BTI’s unique programs Teaching styles that work

sports 14-19 Tahoe culture at Carlmont Wrestling team gets new space

features 28-31 Modern warfare Pseudo service animals

opinion 32-37 Students should put well-being over school Gingersnap recipe Sports should be desegregated Editorial: In 100 years, not much has changed

SCOTLIGHT: 2020 Vision Scotlight is Highlander newsmagazine’s in-depth cover story section.

In this issue, Scotlight looks at the prospect of a new decade by looking the past, present, and future. As we enter a new “Roaring ‘20s,” Scotlight reflects on the progress that society has made in 100 years, and analyzes how much change there has truly been. Through examining everything from politics, to entertainment, to sports, Scotlight looks at the past 100 years and forward to the new decade.

READ IT ON PAGE 20 Scotlight was designed by Francesca D'Urzo and written by Zachary Khouri

Carlmont High School 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont, CA

CARLMONT AT A GLANCE

Carlmont students are always getting involved in their broader community. With clubs, friends, or strangers, Scots can be found giving back through community service. Here are some Scots, in action, helping their community this year.

Photos were taken by Francesca D’Urzo and Isabella Mattioli

Staying home when sick affects success Why students make the choice to go to school when sick Ailee Lim

It’s seven in the morning. Your family is beginning to wake up. Your mom urges you to get up. You’ll be late for school. But you feel terrible. Your throat burns, your head throbs, and you can barely breathe through your stuffy nose. You pull yourself out of bed, make your way to the bathroom, and take your temperature. The little numbers on the thermometer say 102 degrees. Instead of taking the day off, you pop an Aspirin, gather your homework, and stuff it in your backpack. You go to school with a fever because you have an inclass essay in English, and you don’t want to have to make it up.

This is the reality for students who choose to give up their health to avoid makeup work.

Missing school means missing all of the work from the day, which is usually six or seven classes. The work piles up, which can be overwhelming.

“When you miss a day, it’s like you missed a month,” Hanna Li, a senior, said.

Molly McNinch, a calculus teacher, understands the struggle sick students go through when they return to school.

“I have also come to work when I was sick, sometimes it’s easier just to get it over with instead of having to do all the makeup work, but it’s frustrating,” McNinch said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), students K-12 miss, on average, 4.5 days per school year due to sickness. Some students feel that skipping out on those sick days and going to school instead is more convenient than making up work later.

“I’ll go if I don’t feel like throwing up.

It’s not worth the extra work later on. I’d rather have a headache when I’m sick from homework than a headache from makeup work, it’s the best of two evils,” Mihai Tudor, a junior, said.

Staying home or not, there is no easy solution to being sick during the school year. According to Kids Health, teens usually get two to four colds a year, lasting from three to seven days.

“I would say that there are two sides to this coin. Some people use sickness as a way to catch up on homework at home be4 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

While it can be used to help figure out cause the homework load is too much, and makeup work, and some teachers use it need a day to catch up,” Mia-Isobel Craig, a senior, said. “Others who are actually sick effectively, Canvas also has its flaws. Since teachers each have their pages, the way one go to school. They don’t want to deal with teacher sets up their the work they’ll have Canvas page may the next day, which is be different from something I relate to.” another teacher, With technology, or even impossible makeup work should to comprehend. be more accessible Instead of using than ever. Carlmont Canvas to effectiveuses Canvas to make ly do work while at assignments more conhome, it can lead to venient. With Canvas, confusion. students can now look “When we’re up their assignments absent, one of my online and may be able teachers makes us to have them ready by look up the work the time they come we missed on back to school.

Mihai Tudor Canvas first and then “Canvas helps you Junior ask them how we know what assignments can make it up. The you missed that day. files on the Canvas One of my teachers page are really messy, so we might miss puts the lesson on Canvas so that absent something, and then we can’t make it up students can copy it. Also, some assignanymore because it’s too late,” Li said. ments are online submissions, so if I really Students’ worst fear may be to miss felt up to it, I could do my homework at an extended amount of school from home,” Craig said.

“I’d rather have a headache when I’m sick from homework than a headache from makeup work, it’s the best of two evils.”

Ailee Lim

Senior Morgan Yee is following CDC guidelines which state to always “Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose,” thereby protecting those around her from a cold.

The Common Cold Most colds last 7-10 days.

The common cold is the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work.

There is no vaccine for the common cold.

Adults get about 2-3 colds a year and children get more.

Resting and drinking fluid are the quickest ways to get better.

If the cold lasts longer than 10 days, you should see a doctor.

Try to avoid contact with people who are sick.

There is no medicine that can cure the cold, but over the counter pain medicine may help ease symptoms.

Andrea Butler

being sick. Sometimes though, a student’s ailment may be too bad to go to school.

Thomas Stearns, a senior, was unable to come to school for a week due to his sickness.

“My condition was terrible. I left my bed rarely. I was unable to do anything other than sleep due to extreme headaches.

I could barely use my phone or my computer, let alone do any work,” Stearns said.

Stearns said even though he was sick for a long time, his teachers were understanding of his absences and excused him for some of the work. Being sick like Stearns isn’t uncommon. In the 2017-18 flu season, the CDC estimated that about 45 million people got the flu.

“Some teachers let me off on a good amount of work. I was excused for a unit test for math, which was nice. It took me about a week and a half to fully make up everything,” Stearns said.

Students may feel pressured to go to school, but Addison Gaitan, an English teacher, understands students have to take sick days and says she will adjust makeup work accordingly.

“If someone, for example, is out sick for a week with the flu or something, they will probably need more time to make up work than someone who just missed one period for sports,” Gaitan said.

If a student is absent, she advises them to email their teacher as soon as possible to get makeup work.

“It is important for students to communicate about when they are going to be absent and for how long with their teachers. I find teachers are usually willing to help and communicate with the students to help them make up their work,” Gaitan said.

Some teachers will also let students off of some makeup work. McNinch said she understands the pressure to complete missing work. She said she would accommodate makeup work when needed.

“I would much rather assess your content knowledge and your skills rather than making sure you make up every single assignment,” McNinch said.

Even with the accommodations schools may offer, students may still feel pressured to come to school when they are sick.

Missing even just a day of school can mean missing an essay, a quiz, and an exam.

Craig said, “I have this saying where I say school over health, and I mean it as a joke for the most part, but sometimes it does feel like that is my priority right now.”

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 5

Writing By: Ayal Meyers Page Design By: Andrea Butler

The joint effort against vaping falls short

WARNING

The toxic chemicals in THC vapes can cause irreversible damage to your lungs and body

6 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

F

or years, a heated debate has raged in the U.S. over the health consequences of nicotine e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, the vaping of marijuana has been swiftly growing. Recent deaths from vaping have led to a series of bills and other proposals to ban certain vaping products. But these proposals could end up doing more harm than good.

The public discussion around vaping intensified when teens began vaping and smoking. Millions of people now inhale marijuana both from joints and pipes, which have been around since the ancient Egyptians civilization, and new methods that have been introduced in recent years. These new methods allow for inhalation via sleek devices and cartridges filled with flavored cannabis oils. According to Robert H. Shmerling, a Harvard medical school professor, vaping devices were initially intended as a way to help smokers quit, but evidence is mixed on how well they work.

Teenagers, millennials, and baby boomers alike have all been intrigued by this technology and its many perks — no ash, little odor, ease of hiding — and vapes are in high demand. Professionals in the legalized marijuana industry say vaping products now account for 30% or more of their business.

Many experts, such as Patrick Schulenberg, claim that the vaping boom is mainly a byproduct of teenage interest. According to Schulenberg’s team at the University of Michigan, teen vaping has increased 58% in the past year.

On Oct. 4, 2019, a 17-year-old student from the Bronx was the first teen to die from vaping. Dr. Brandon T. Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona reported ruptures and chemical burns in the student’s lungs resembling the effects of mustard gas inhalation. Weeks after the death, counties all across the nation were scurrying to ban vaping-related products. In Sacramento, California State Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo introduced Senate Bill 38. This bill called for the banning of flavored vaping products that are particularly attractive to teenagers.

Hill’s bill, and other propositions like it, had an opposite effect than desired. These policies made it increasingly difficult to buy “mainstream vapes,” which are purchased from dispensaries and regulated by the government. They did little, though, to counter-

Student Opinions

Names have been removed to protect the identity of the sources.

act the “vape black market,” which trades in unregulated products from unknown sources.

Scott Aberegg, a pulmonologist and critical-care specialist at the University of Utah hospital, was the first to provide evidence of black market operators using thickening agents to dilute THC oil, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

THC oil is used to fill disposable containers called vape cartridges, which are heated to create inhalable vapor.

Peter Hackett is the owner and operator of Air Vapor Systems, a company based in San Francisco that provides vape supplies to the legal market. In recent months, Hackett has found it harder to sell his product.

He said that black market dealers buy empty cartridges from Chinese factories at incredibly cheap rates.

They then fill the carts about halfway with THC oil and fill the rest with thickening agents to dilute the THC oil in the cartridges. Using less THC allows them to sell the product at a much lower price.

Aberegg and his team also found vitamin E oil, known as vitamin E acetate, mixed in many black-market cartridges. Vitamin E acetate is a legally sold product, commonly used as a nutritional supplement and in skin-care products. It is colorless and odorless, has a similar consistency to THC oil, and is much cheaper. It is not harmful when ingested or applied to the skin, but is hazardous when inhaled, causing the symptoms many patients have reported: cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

The crackdown by state authorities that has made THC oil more expensive and challenging to

acquire, making vitamin E acetate an increasingly practical choice for black market dealers. Pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Franziska Rosser, of UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, said that these factors also forces teens to turn to the black market products.

Vaping is quickly becoming a reality for teens. According to the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey, one in four high schoolers has tried vaping in the last 30 days.

But banning vaping may not fix the solution; instead, it could exacerbate the problem. Vape bans cause teenagers to buy more dangerous products from makers who use unsafe techniques to cater to their market’s needs.

In examining the outbreak of severe lung illnesses — which have left 1,479 people sick and 33 dead so far — the link between vaping and developing illness is clear. According to the LA Times, most of the patients affected had vaped THC, and all acquired their vaping devices from the black market. Of the 33 dead, 27 were below the age of 21.

Locally, efforts are being made to reduce the impact of vaping, especially on youth. These efforts, however, fail to take the teenage perspective into account.

A San Mateo County meeting organized to take a stand against the electronic cigarette industry, which, in the words of one leader said is, “preying on our children,” took place at 11 a.m., right in the middle of Carlmont’s third-period classes.

This virtually prohibited any teens from joining the debate without cutting class. Lack of representation has left teens feeling vulnerable and unheard in a matter that affects them most.

“It doesn’t really

matter how I ingest it into my body, vape or joint or edible or whatever, it just is not something that I would do for my health.”

Junior

“I think it’s a per-

sonal right to choose whether or not someone wants to smoke weed, not the government’s.”

Senior

“I think that our

opinion is ignored.”

Junior

“I can think of another million issues that need to

be resolved before we should focus on this” Freshman

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 7

BTI Students find paths for their futures Kai Yoshida and Jack Hansen

Carlmont constructed a $6.7 million lab building in 2011. The goal? To introduce possibilities for students.

Since 2002, Carlmont has been offering biotechnology courses. However, in 2015, the school launched a three-year cross-curricular program centrally focused on biotech, called the Biotechnology Institute (BTI).

New English and history curriculums were created specifically oriented towards biotech. This semester BTI sophomores read the dystopian novel, “Brave New World,” instead of “All Quiet on the Western Front” that the regular English classes read.

“BTI classes have a central theme that the students of BTI are interested in it.

It keeps them engaged, then they can go deeper into the content,” said Tyler Kochel, a teacher in the BTI program.

BTI has around 60 students per grade and includes sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The small number of BTI students means that classes are often smaller than regular classes.

“They’re in a lot of the same classes together,” Kochel said. “They’re going through a lot of the same experiences like the BTI field trips where they get a chance to bond.”

BTI is structured so that it maximizes the time students spend together to create a tight-knit community. Such a structure includes academic field trips like to the Exploratorium.

Additionally, the program has monthly events for its students, such as a pie feast for Thanksgiving and a study night before winter finals.

The greater student to faculty ratio also allows for more student-teacher interactions to help them dive deeper into topics, as a large portion of BTI classes are experiments and project-based learning.

The program enables students to become immersed in the field of biotechnology, a rapidly growing industry with a predicted market worth of $795.7 billion by 2026, according to MarketWatch.

Biotech is responsible for developments in areas such as medicine and agriculture; pest-resistant crops, vaccines, and antibiotics are all developed using biotechnology.

Similarly, local biotechnology compa8 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

Kai Yoshida

Carlmont’s BTI program gives students a step up in their futures with specialized classes, a close-knit community, and internship opportunities.

nies have been more than willing to help out Carlmont’s BTI students. In the fall semester, students attend a symposium with experts to explore career pathways and possible internships, `such as with Genentech or 23AndMe. “Students get the opportunity to interact with many professionals in the scientific community through the mentor program, which includes a job shadow day, they also participate in an on-campus symposium and take field trips to biotechnology companies,” said Susan Gold, a BTI English teacher.

Some BTI students have already applied for internships, and others have already had experience with internships.

“I have a potential internship during the summer at a biotech company called IncellDx. I’m excited about that, and I think there will be more opportunities [for internships],” said Leah Bloom, a sophomore in the biotech program.

Along with perks in college applications, internships allow students to experience biotechnology in the career world outside of school.

Immersive classes and possibilities for internships, the BTI program appeals to many students interested in science, but it’s not for all.

As a sophomore, it is Gavin McMicheal’s first year in the BTI program. He does not like the small pool of classes he can choose from and plans to leave the

program next year.

“You basically get all biotech focused classes which are cool, but in the same sense, you cannot take any advanced classes,” McMichael said.

However, the BTI program did not fail to accomplish its ultimate goal: preparing students for their future, hopefully in the biotechnology field.

“It helped me realize how much I want to be in AP classes,” McMichael said.

Students are able to take all AP courses with the exception of English and History. In all Biotech classes in BTI, students earn both Carlmont and college credits.

Even though BTI wasn’t the right fit for McMichael, the program did what it was designed to do.

Without trying it, McMichael would have never known what the course was all about, but now that he has tried BTI, he has a better understanding of his own goals.

“It also helped me realize my occupational goals,” McMichael said.

BTI looks to sharpen the hazy and indistinct cloud that is a high school student’s future by allowing them to explore the field of biotechnology.

“I want to get the experience and the skills needed for a scientific career out of BTI,” Bloom said. “Biotech has made me consider other potential careers I would have in this field.”

2019

SAT/ACT

For students who want to jumpstart their preparation for the March SAT or Feb ACT exams, we offer a Winter Boot Camp that will help you prep and get ready. In this challenging 6-day course held over winter break, students will do regular practice tests, attend test review sessions and lecture classes for test content and techniques. The course is comprehensive and covers all sections of the SAT (Reading, Language, Math) and ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science).

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JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 9

Teaching methods vary within Carlmont

Different subjects allow for alternate ways of teaching Audrey Boyce By the time a student is ready to graduate Carlmont, they have sat in classes for over 4,000 hours and experienced roughly 25 different teachers, each with their own personalities and approach.

At Carlmont, there is a wide variety of teaching styles that can affect everything a student experiences: seating arrangements, homework policies, use of technology, and types of lessons.

The method of teaching, however, is not entirely up to the teacher, and the freedom the teacher has to develop their style varies between skill-based and subject-based classes.

One of the constraints on teaching methods are state content standards and frameworks that have a description of what is supposed to be taught, as well as certain skills students need to learn, which are interpreted by the district.

“My method, as much as there is one, is simply to pay attention to what works at producing the desired effects in terms

of the requirements and within the time constraints,” said Gregory Schoenstein, a history teacher. “It is a mixture of theory-informed practice from teaching school, best practices I have learned from more veteran teachers, practices that are pushed by the district, and my own experimentation.”

Many of the teachers who have a lot of content to get through, whether they’re teaching an AP class or not, use their class time largely for lectures because they are an effective way of getting across information quickly. Each teacher has a slightly different approach or technique to keep students engaged and interested.

“First, I try to keep my audience in mind, and remember that for some students, it is harder to sit still and pay attention for longer, and I adjust the presentation accordingly. Depending on the class, I will incorporate breaks into a lecture to do checks for understanding and to give the students a chance to briefly talk to each other,” Schoenstein said. “Regardless of the class, I will also usually try to find inter-

esting things to highlight and tease out, or interesting or humorous stories to add about the topic being discussed.”

Many of Schoenstein’s students react positively to his teaching style.

“Mr. Schoenstein is very engaging, and his lectures are interesting and easy to follow. He teaches us the things that we absolutely have to know, and gives us all the skills we need to succeed,” Ariella Bacigalupi, a junior, said.

Schoenstein also believes that using the textbook can be helpful to provide both reinforcement and consistency while also providing access to additional support that is aligned with the textbook and districtapproved curriculum.

In contrast to history, one of Carlmont’s many content-based subjects, AP Seminar is an example of a class at Carlmont that is skill-based, meaning there are no textbook or material requirements.

“As a student myself, I really enjoyed getting to interact and collaborate with other students, and I apply that to my own teaching but with a very specific

Teacher perspectives “A lot of what goes into my teaching style is what I remember enjoying as a student myself. My desks are always in these groups of four because giving students the freedom and permission to speak to each other is profound.”

Cynthia Shusterman English teacher

“I think aligning instruction to the textbook can be helpful because it creates more consistency and reinforcement in the learning of content and skills. Teachers do not have to limit themselves to only using the textbook and the activities it suggests.”

Gregory Schoenstein History teacher

10 HIGHLANDER CAMPUS

purpose. My desks are always put in these groups of four because giving students the permission and freedom to speak to each other is profound. If someone doesn’t understand something that I am saying, they can turn to their tablemates and get an explanation,” AP Seminar teacher Cynthia Shusterman said.

In addition to the collaboration among students that takes place in AP Seminar, the class also focuses on applying concepts to projects.

A majority of the AP Seminar class period consists of students working in groups on a certain research topic and then creating a presentation on this topic. Many students feel that this form of learning is more effective than being taught information from notes or a lecture.

“I enjoy project-based learning because it is easier to understand the concepts that we are learning. Instead of just learning about what something is, Ms. Shusterman teaches us how to apply the concepts by

doing projects,” said Samantha Young, a junior and AP seminar student.

Another teacher who is known for having a distinctive teaching style is Erik Migdail, who has designed his own English curriculum while being sure to also fulfill the common core requirements. He incorporates philosophy into his teaching, which helps to prepare students for AP Composition and Language, a class option for senior year.

“I hope that the material itself is engaging and that my passion for it helps kindle a kindred flame in my students,” Migdail said. “I also try to operate in a climate of trust with my students — trust that I genuinely care about my students and the outcomes in their lives. I believe that the material will benefit my students in some meaningful way; I have the life experience and teaching experience to make my judgments valid.”

Migdail feels that it is important for teachers to have the freedom to interpret

the state content standards in their own way.

“Every set of students I teach is unique and has unique needs. Every teacher has their own style and passions,” Migdail said. “Not only does a reasonable teaching license allow me to tailor my materials to the needs of the students sitting in my room, but we all know that, like students, teachers are more effective when they are passionate about the subject matter.”

Although some teachers are able to tailor their curriculum individually more than others, they are still able to bring their own personality into the way they teach.

AP Psychology teacher Michelle McKee said, “Designing the curriculum is one of my favorite parts of teaching, and my creative side comes out when planning projects. I learn new things from year to year and try to incorporate new technology, student feedback, and ideas from other teachers.”

Ask yourself...

What style of learning is most effective for you?

What style of learning is used in the majority of your classes?

Carlmont says...

We conducted a poll of Carlmont students to see what their ideal learning style is compared to the actual teaching style they see in school.

Polls conducted by Audrey Boyce

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 11

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TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT www.healthycitiestutoring.org/news/

12 HIGHLANDER ADVERTISEMENTS

‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ falls to fanservice Jordan Hanlon As a stand-alone film, “The Rise of Skywalker” had the potential to be great.

It’s action packed, exciting, nostalgic, and contained a comedic feel to go along with it. However, it’s the ignorance of everything that happened in episodes seven and eight that take away from this greatness.

While Director, JJ Abrams attempted all of this, he failed to wrap up all nine movies effectively. It’s impossible to make all fans happy, especially in “Star Wars,” but the fan service in this movie was overdone and diminished the development of the characters and the story itself.

This film was extremely fast paced which lessened the dramatic reveals. The biggest plot twists were revealed early on.

The audience was rather told important plot entities, instead of being shown it.

Despite his rushed plot, Abrams was somehow able to combine a safe story with wild choices. Unfortunately, these choices create too many ideas that don’t make this movie feel like an end to nine films, but rather an introduction to a new saga.

Significant characters, such as Finn and Poe, seemed to regress to comedic relief.

As for the fan service of the film, it was clear Abrams and Terrio focused more on pleasing fans instead of writing a compelling story. Maybe this is just due to the fault of having multiple directors for the sequel trilogy, or the fact that Lucasfilm clearly didn’t have an outline created for this trilogy from the start.

The most problematic part of this film in the context of the saga is how it ignores its own canon plots, or general rules, of the universe itself, established in The Last Jedi and other previous films in the saga.

Abrams’ attempt to serve the fans and relate to the original trilogy, also added unneeded bloat. This can be noted through the inclusion of Lando Calrissian, which added to the nostalgia, but didn’t serve a purpose to the overall plot. Having Lando and Chewie go out to round up resistance supporters in order to take down Emperor Palpatine’s fleet creates one of the many inconsistencies in The Rise of Skywalker.

It’s stated early on that General Leia Organa had been trying to reach out to resistance sympathizers for the past year with no luck of any response, yet somehow, Lando and Chewie were able to round up an entire army in an hour.

The return of Emperor Palpatine left close to none of the characters surprised.

His return was never explained. It was just “guess what guys! Palpatine is back” and that was it.

Our resistance members journey to multiple planets in search of the way-finder,in order to bring them to Palpatine’s hidden sith planet, Exegol, which nearly every planet brought forth the introduction of far too many new characters. Meanwhile, characters introduced in the two previous films, such as Maz and Rose, were basically diminished to extras in this film.

And along the way, Abrams delivers his own “Empire Strikes Back” reveal by

Jordan Hanlon

making our hero the granddaughter of the bad guy. But the entirety of “Rey Palpatine” felt random and unprepared. Rey being related to the Emperor is by far the greatest fan service in this film. Since episode seven everyone has been asking, “Who are Rey’s parents?” and fans weren’t satisfied with the answer they were given in The Last Jedi, so this felt like it was nothing more than a solution to their dissatisfaction.

The reveal of Rey’s ancestry also goes against previous canon that explained Palpatine doesn’t have any offspring, which was confirmed by Lucasfilm writer Pablo Hidalgo. Rey being a Palpatine could have been a great storyline, if planted from episode seven, but it entirely came out of left field and left the audience with more questions than answers.

Another fan-service moment that was given in “The Rise of Skywalker” was the decision to make Finn Force-sensitive.

This had no significance in the plot, and also wasn’t explored, making it pointless. Unlike Rey, whose Force-sensitivity brought questions about her heritage, Finn’s abilities with the Force created no concern regarding who his parents were.

But Star Wars is always about the fall to evil and redemption. Kylo Ren’s redemption, however, was short lived as he was killed off in an attempt to save Rey’s life.

Watching this incredibly developed character notice his mistakes, ask for forgiveness, and then just die felt unsatisfactory and unworthy of the redemption that has been hinted at since the start of the new trilogy.

Another part of the film that felt short of the build up for past three films is the relationship between Kylo and Rey. They were together romantically for roughly thirty seconds, but after , saving her by giving her his life force, Kylo shortly dies.

Some may say that Rey’s ending on Tatooine is a nice homage to the story, but in reality it makes no literary sense to her story.

Abrams’ “Forced” attempt to please the fans of both the original trilogy and the new one fell short as it left the audience with more questions than one would expect from the end of a saga.

This article was written by a guest writer.

If you’re interested in guest-writing for Highlander, you can reach out to us at highlanderscotscoop@gmail.com for more information.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 13

‘Snow’ place like Tahoe Student skiers follow their passion Veronica Roseborough It’s a typical Friday night. This time of year, many students are either longing to return to winter break, shopping for formal outfits, or simply spending time with friends, holding on to the little time they have left to listen to holiday music.

However, for a not-so-select few, Friday nights bring four-hour car rides and a drastic change of climate; they spend their weekends in Lake Tahoe.

Often, when “Lake Tahoe”, many picture a wealthy family sitting by the fire place of their Tahoe cabin just because they can. Yet, to some students who have grown up making the trip every weekend, Tahoe isn’t simply about relaxation and a constant influx of s’mores; it’s about the adrenaline rush of flying down a snow-covered mountain at top speeds, the loss of feeling in each toe after skiing from dawn till dusk, and the urge to do it all again the next day.

For Varun Suklikar, a senior, Tahoe served as an integral part of his childhood; he has been skiing since he was 4 years old.

Suklikar fell in love with the sport.

“I attended a boarding school up in Tahoe for competitive skiers,” Suklikar

14 HIGHLANDER SPORTS

said. “My time at Sugar Bowl [a ski resort in Tahoe where the boarding school was held] was an experience I’ll never forget. It gave me the opportunity to pursue a sport that I had a strong passion for, while also giving me a solid education.”

While at boarding school, Suklikar’s typical day consisted of conditioning, onsnow training, school, meals, and study time. Without much contact with friends or family back in the Bay Area, he had to learn to be self-sufficient.

“The biggest takeaway was definitely the development of my independence. Given I would go weeks without seeing my family, I learned to live by myself and take care of household chores and staying on top of my school work and health,” Suklikar said.

Although he no longer resides at Sugar Bowl, Tahoe remains an important part of Suklikar’s life. However, at times high school obligations inhibit his passion, especially as a senior.

“I think high school has definitely hindered my ability to go up to Tahoe as frequently as I would like to, given a lot of weekend homework coupled with college apps and sports,” Suklikar said.

Other students, such as sophomore Anique Vachon, share Suklikar’s senti-

ments.

“My family and I used to go up every weekend in the winter, but now we go up less often, around once every month or two months,” Vachon said. “Even if I do end up going, I have to stay inside and work all day instead of skiing.”

Vachon, who has grown up skiing in Tahoe, wasn’t always fond of the sport; however, she has grown to appreciate it.

“Skiing is probably one of the biggest things in my life ... I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Mikayla Krag Senior Marin Catholic High School

“I’ve been skiing for probably eight to nine years now,” Vachon said. “I originally started because my parents taught me and I didn’t really have a choice, but now I really enjoy it, and it’s fun to do with friends sometimes too.”

Even after she graduates from high school, Vachon hopes to continue her family’s tradition.

“I hope skiing and going to Tahoe will stay in my life. It’s a family activity that I would

Despite the obstacle high school presents in regards to the time commitment, Krag welcomes the trip as a necessary break from the stressors of the week prior.

“Skiing is probably one of the biggest things in my life besides water polo and swimming,” Krag said. “It is my release when I am stressed and anxious — practically my happy place; I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

The passion for snow sports that many share is mirrored by other student athletes’ love of basketball or soccer; the only difference is the journey it takes to be able to pursue those passions. In turn, for student skiers such as Krag, Vachon, Suklikar, and many others, there truly is no place like Tahoe.

“Tahoe will always be a part of my life,” Krag said. “I wouldn’t want to lose it for anything, and I can’t wait to get back to the slopes.”

like to introduce into my own family someday,” Vachon said. “I can’t imagine not going up for Thanksgiving, so I think that tradition will last after high school and through college as well.”

Mikayla Krag, a senior at Marin Catholic High School, started skiing when she was 3 years old. Because of her deep roots in the Tahoe ski community, she considers Tahoe to be her home away from home.

“My ski career has been crazy; I started as one of those kids who got pulled by a little backpack with straps to being on Mighty Mights [a ski team for children].

Then, I went on to ski racing and then to freeskiing, finally reaching the point where I now coach Mighty Mights and give back to [my] love for the mountains and skiing,” Krag said.

Creative C

ommons

Veronica Roseborough

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 15

‘Pinning down’ practice

Wrestling gets a clean start at Carlmont Alena Ruhstaller Reid Rodriguez glances at the clock.

It’s almost his turn.

He finishes tying his shoes as his teammate hands him his headgear. He feels the pressure on his temples as the headgear squeezes his skull and glances at his opponent. Adrenaline rushes through his veins as he rises; it’s his first match.

He sets his foot onto the mat and makes his way to the circle. Before he gets into neutral position, he looks back at the Carlmont-blue sidelines of the Stogner gym.

Even though all sounds are virtually blocked out by his protective headgear, he can still hear the cheers of his teammates.

He looks down at his Carlmont wrestling singlet and looks defiantly into the eyes of his opponents.

This could end with a win or with a loss, but whatever happens, he knows that he’ll make the Scots proud.

This is Carlmont wrestling.

After the increased membership of

16 HIGHLANDER SPORTS

eight wrestlers last year, the 2019-20 season marks the first time team practices are being held at the school.

“Back in the ‘90s, the numbers [of team members] were dwindling, so the program was canceled,” Patrick Smith, the athletics director, said. “However, about eight to 10 years ago, a kid started wrestling solo, and a couple of years later, others joined him.

They practiced with Sequoia’s team, but wrestled for Carlmont.”

The wrestling team’s newfound presence on campus makes practice more accessible to students, as many had to take the bus to Sequoia in the past to simply make one training.

In addition, practices in Carlmont’s own Student Union make wrestling feel more like a true Carlmont sport.

“Practices at Carlmont do bring more attention to the sport since it’s easier to get to the practices than before and people aren’t nervous about being at Sequoia,” Reid Rodriguez, a junior who has been on the team since he was a freshman, said.

Practices at Carlmont allow the stu-

dents to make the most out of each session without needing to travel to another school and gives them the opportunity to train with the new coach, Joe Patane. Patane graduated from El Camino High School in 1981 and continued to wrestle throughout his college years at Chico State, where he had his first job as an assistant coach at a local high school.

After his first coaching job in college, Patane continued coaching for local high schools on the Peninsula for 35 years.

“I typically don’t get to Carlmont until 4:30 p.m., so the wrestlers go to the weight conditioning coach for two of the days and run for the [remaining days] until I get here,” Patane said. “After conditioning, we get into technique drills and live wrestling.

However, we don’t live wrestle as often because we have a lot of inexperienced wrestlers on the team.”

Regardless of previous experience, wrestling welcomes all. Patane designs his practices and creates an environment for the team where all who want to wrestle, can.

Alena Ruhstaller

“I don’t have tryouts; I’m trying to generate interest,” Patane said. “For someone stepping onto the mat for the first time, it usually takes a year just to learn the basic skills to get by. I’m trying to get the feeder schools to develop wrestling programs so incoming ninth-graders will already have a little background and will make them a year or two ahead of the game.”

Although the team isn’t officially part of the Pacific Athletic League (PAL) due to its practices only being moved to Carlmont this year, Patane schedules scrimmages against teams in the lower league whenever a team has a week off.

“In a match, everyone wins points towards the team total. However, since we’re not in a league, we set up scrimmage matches to give the kids the opportunity to wrestle,” Patane said. “In a real life dual meet scenario, each wrestler would either lose or win a match to gain or lose points for the team, and in tournaments, we would score as a team in a place to win a trophy. But I really don’t worry about that; I want to see the wrestlers wrestle and get better.”

Patane’s routine of rigorous training and preparation pays off for the wrestlers, especially when it comes to match day.

“My favorite part of wrestling is the feeling of accomplishment when I win a match because I know my work has paid off and the difficult practices were worth it,” Rodriguez said.

Even though wrestling matches only include two opponents, the spirit of the sport and the support of teammates truly make it a team sport.

“It’s not a team sport for the fact that you like to play alongside people, but it’s a team sport for that you have to go out there and wrestle your opponent, and your teammate might have to go out there and wrestle their opponent. So there’s a lot of camaraderies. We work together in training to have success when we wrestle” Patane said.

Despite the team’s bumpy past, Patane hopes that being part of the team will help shape the player’s experience with the sport and ultimately help them in the future.

“Wrestling has done a lot for me and I’d like to pass on what I got from it to somebody else,” Patane said. “I think all sports teach about life, but wrestling teaches so much more. It teaches about winning and losing graciously.”

Teammates Frank Mao and Jack Peasley practice their defensive tactics.

Alena Ruhstaller

Mao and Peasley prepare to engage.

Alena Ruhstaller

The team gathers together at the end of practice to discuss strategy.

Alena Ruhstaller

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 17

CARLMONT JOURNALISM

In 2019, students from Carlmont’s journalism program received eight total Pacemaker awards for their journalistic work over the past year.

Rachel Matatyaou

FIRST PLACE: MARKETER OF THE YEAR

Talia Fine, Emma Romanowsky, Rachel Matatyaou, Nisha Marino, Kaylee George, Veronica Roseborough, Samantha Dahlberg THIRD PLACE: MULTIMEDIA NEWS STORY PACKAGE

Zachary Khouri

THIRD PLACE: INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC

Eoin Cunningham

HONORABLE MENTION: BROADCAST COMMENTARY

Mandy Hitchcock, Nisha Marino, Rachel Matatyaou, Emma Romanowsky, Veronica Roseborough HONORABLE MENTION: SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTING

Mandy Hitchcock

HONORABLE MENTION: BROADCAST JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

Zachary Khouri

HONORABLE MENTION: LOCAL CLIMATE CHANGE REPORTING

Kimberly Mitchell

HONORABLE MENTION: MULTIMEDIA SPORTS STORY PACKAGE 18 HIGHLANDER ADVERTISEMENTS

SCOTS SPORTS SHOTS

Basketball, wrestling, and soccer are all winter sports at Carlmont. As the winter season draws to a close, here are some photos of Scots in action. Read about Carlmont sports on scotscoop.com/category/sports Photos were taken by Nadia Fedotova, Tripp Garrish, Ayal Meyers, and Joshua Baxter.

Donya Khonsari, a junior, takes the ball down the court to score.

During wrestling practice, Reid Rodriguez corrects Clayton Monge’s form.

Tim Netane, a sophomore (left), faces off against Calvin Mader-Clark (right).

Jenna Reinhardt, a sophomore, breaks away from a Menlo defender to make an open pass.

Visit scotscoop.com to keep up with Carlmont sports.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 19

2020 2020

LOOKING BACK ON THE DECADE

20

I

f it were like any other morning, she would be on their way to school.

But instead of the backpack she usually slung over her shoulders, it was the pressing weight of the world she felt on her back. Her hands held firm onto the cardboard signs with vivid illustrations of the world on fire.

It didn’t matter to her whether or not her particular sign could be distinguished from the crowd; What mattered was that there was a crowd to begin with, to stand alongside her as she marched for the world.

In the middle of the English class, a student could be found chewing on the head of her pens. The sound of the emergency alarm was pounding in her ears with such an intensity that she could hardly hear anything at all. And yet the teacher kept the door wide open, waiting for the surely inevitable announcement that it was a false alarm.

The student was busy counting the windows on the walls, the doors in the hall, and how many of her peers she would have to move past if she wanted to escape.

The fire extinguisher caught her eye almost instantly. If a shooting were to happen, would she be able to survive?

Not far from the school, a swimmer was just getting ready to dive. She could smell the chlorine in the pool from where she crouched on the hot cement.

The swimmer could still feel the heat of the California sun when she hit the water.

In a series of concentrated strokes, she swam from one end of the lane to the other and back again as quick as possible. Her muscles remained taut as she conjured up all the energy she had to offer.

Thousands of miles away, members of U.S. Congress discuss the prospect of impeachment against one of the most unpopular presidents in recent history. The U.S. Congress boasts more women than it has ever before.

As 2020 is finally here, there is a single question lingering in the back of everyone’s minds: What will the 2020s bring?

Writing by Zachary Khouri Design by Francesca D’Urzo

21

POLITICS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND FEMINISM The 2020 election season is upon us.

With the most recent election season in 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first female candidate to win the presidential nomination for any party in American history — a stark difference from where women were only a century ago.

American women first experienced the highs and lows of presidential elections in 1920. A net estimate of 35-40% of eligible female voters have submitted their ballots since, according to CQ Researcher.

The fight for female suffrage was an effort that had spanned generations; the suffragettes are now one of the most easily recognizable figures in 20th century history.

Since the 1920s, the goals of the feminist movement have shifted from political suffrage to social reform, with movements working to fight workplace harassment and uphold reproductive rights.

Maya Litvak, a senior at Carlmont who is passionate about youth voting rights, believes that the 19th Amendment was only the beginning of the feminist movement.

“Female suffrage spurred on the movement for abortion rights,” Litvak said. “Although these rights are not always respected, it makes more sense for women to be voting on these issues, rather than men who do not necessarily have that problem.”

Since then, the feminist movement, which has traditionally advocated for the civil and social equality of the sexes, has expanded to become more inclusive of women of color, LGBTQ women, and women with disabilities.

Intersectionality, a term coined by black feminist Kimberle Crenshaw, is described by the Oxford Dictionary as the “interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and independent systems of discrimination and disadvantage.”

For example, the #MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke in 2006 to raise awareness about the sexual abuse faced by black women, who live at the intersection of two marginalized identities.

Although critics of feminism state that it’s no longer relevant today, a study from the World Economic Forum has revealed that, in the U.S. alone, it will take another 208 years for there to be true equality between the sexes. This might seem surprising at first, however, the gender wage gap is one example of a disparity that still exists between American men and women today. According to Pay Scale, for every dollar a white man makes, a black woman

“If you start voting young, you can instill lifelong voting habits. Democracy doesn’t work without active citizens.”

Maya Litvak Senior 22

will receive only 74 cents. In a controlled environment with the same qualifications and occupation, they will on average still make three cents less.

But doesn’t the House of Representatives have more female representatives than ever? Doesn’t that show progress?

The number of female representatives rests at 102 women, which is less than a quarter of the total House.

“There’s still a lot of inequalities women face. For example, the gender wage gap and the abortion issue reflects how people aren’t 100% with giving women the right to choose what they want to do,” Litvak said. “The Equal Rights Amendment hasn’t even passed in the U.S., and they’re still working on that.”

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) — a proposal from the 1920’s advocating for civil equality between the sexes after women were granted suffrage — has never come closer to the federal government than today. As Democrats sweep the elections, Virginia is expected to be the 38th state to ratify the legislation, which will take it to the Supreme Court. The proposal has previously been hindered by conservative lawmakers and anti-feminist campaigners such as Phyllis Schlafly, who led the STOP ERA movement when the proposal first gained traction in the ‘70s.

Out of the nine Democratic candidates that qualified for the November debate in anticipation of the 2020 election, three were women, one of whom was a woman of color.

One candidate in particular, Elizabeth Warren, has polled high for the Democratic nomination.

President Donald Trump also plans to run again in 2020, despite having been impeached on two accounts.

His unlikely victory in 2016 is largely attributed to the influence of the electoral college. The president entering 1920, Woodrow Wilson, failed to attain the popular vote but managed to win an overwhelming majority of the seats in Congress during his first election. Similarly, Trump would win 304 electoral votes despite falling behind Clinton in the popular vote in 2016.

But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as little as 61.4% of the eligible population reported voting in 2016.

Litvak is a part of Vote16 in San Mateo County, which advocates lowering the voting age to 16. She is working towards getting the youth more involved in the political process, especially in places where their right to vote is being inhibited.

“Basically, to register to vote, you have to put in your home address. The states that want students to vote will let you use your dorm address, while states who understand that liberal voters tend to be younger don’t count students living in dorms as residents,” Litvak said. “In some states, they will throw away your registration without telling you if you haven’t voted in two consecutive elections. You’ll show up to vote, but they’ll say you aren’t registered any more, and you aren’t able to register the day.”

The 2020 election holds many opportunities for further change in American politics. Politics may seem like it’s the same as ever before, but Litvak believes using one’s voice is important.

“If you start voting young, you can instill lifelong voting habits.

If the younger generations aren’t voting, they won’t pass down those messages,” Litvak said. “Eventually, the democracy rips apart. Democracy doesn’t work without active citizens.”

Zachary Khouri

THE ROARING ‘20S: POP CULTURE The 1920s were a defining period for pop culture and media; the rise of the film industry beget a decade that is remembered today as both glamorous and extravagant. The post-war economy furthered this image of American wealth and success, leading this era to be dubbed the “Roaring ‘20s.”

By the mid-1920s, over 50 million people in the U.S. were attending the movies at least once a week. In 1925, this was only a little under half of all Americans.

Today, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of theater attendees compared to the relative population. One significant cause of this drop is the use of streaming services which have made it easier for families to watch their favorite movies and shows in the comfort of their own homes.

From March 20, 2015 to March 20, 2019, the multinational movie theater chain AMC saw its shares decline from $35.68 to $14.96. Meanwhile, the popular streaming service Netflix saw its shares rise from $61.19 to $375.22 in the same time frame.

Netflix has an estimated total of 60 million subscribers in the U.S., according to Variety.

Junior Greg McCulloh, who keeps himself updated about the entertainment industry, does not necessarily see this as a problem.

“I think that more artistic films should be placed on streaming services, while big tentpole movies like Marvel films should be kept in the theaters because that’s part of the movie-going experience,” McCulloh said.

The explosion of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime has not only changed the way Americans consume media, but also the media we consume. Yet, to some, this change may be an overwhelming.

“The new streaming services have oversaturated the market.

I like the fact that I can watch something whenever I want and don’t have to stick to a specific schedule,” McCulloh said. “But at the same time, if everyone keeps coming out with new streaming services, people aren’t going to be able to pay for the cost of every

single one.”

This is the case with the new Disney streaming service, Disney+, which debuted last November. When it was first announced, it garnered a mixed reaction, as they planned to remove their films and television shows from other services such as Netflix.

However, it’s not just film media that has become more accessible. Nielson estimates that Americans are spending an average of 4.5 hours listening to music per day.

Today, Americans find themselves streaming their favorite podcasts and artists on platforms like Spotify, which are more convenient for casual listeners than the radio. The company recently reported a 29% increase in the number of subscribers between 2018-19.

In the 1920s, the increasing presence of radio stations and phonographs allowed for the emergence of music genres such as jazz. During this period was the Harlem Renaissance, or the development of African American culture through music, literature, and visual arts; it saw African Americans carve out a space in pop culture despite historic struggles. Jazz soon swept up in popularity, and over 100 million phonographs were sold in 1927 alone.

The rise of jazz was a reflection of the urban culture that resulted from the migration to cities. The U.N. predicts that 68% of the global population will be living in urban areas by 2050.

The sheer number of people of moving to cities to find employment allowed for the development of the Ford Model T, which replaced the train as a popular means of transportation in cities. A study from the American Automotive Association has revealed that 20% of Americans plan to purchase an electric car as their next vehicle.

The camera, radio, and the automobile were the products of a technological revolution, as smartphones, streaming services, and electric cars are today.

Technological advancements from the last century have changed every aspect of our lives, from the way that we receive our news to our favorite entertainment.

23

THE 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS The Summer Olympics comes once every four years, and it is an opportunity for athletes around the globe to put their abilities to the test.

The Olympics has engaged millions of people across the globe, and will continue to do so come July. This summer, the Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan, the first time since 1964.

Within a mere two-and-a-half weeks, thousands of athletes, whether individually or in teams, will compete against their international counterparts in a variety of sporting events.

From badminton to volleyball to sailing to cycling, every kind of athlete demonstrates their prowess from dawn until dusk.

The U.S. won a total of 46 gold medals, and additional 75 silver and bronze, during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Among notable individual successes for America were first-place wins for 1500m Men and 400m Hurdles Women, and first in the Long Jump and Shot Put for men and women. In team sports, they took home the gold in the 4x400m relay for men and the 4x100m relay for women.

The U.S. has historically dominated the summer Olympics, winning 2,522 Olympic medals between 1896-2016. This places them at more awards than any other nation in the world.

The most awarded Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, has

READ MORE ABOUT MORGAN HERE

Allison Raisner

24

made history by achieving 23 gold, three silver, and two bronze medals since he began competing in 2000. However, he retired after his fourth summer Olympic season in 2016.

Carlmont junior Morgan Hawes is currently training to be in the Olympic trials for swimming.

She was able to describe her experiences in training and how it has allowed her to develop as an athlete.

“Training for the Olympic trials takes a lot of work and dedication. I practice eight times a week, and two of those practices are before school from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. The specific training events are the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle,” Hawes said. “I motivate myself to swim by focusing on my longterm goals. I also have my teammates to help me and encourage me, I love them so much.”

To qualify for the Olympic trials, Hawes has to attend a specific meet and achieve certain time standards for the event. She described how, if she wanted to qualify for the 100 freestyle, she would have to swim it in 56.29 seconds.

Swimming has always been a major event for the U.S. during the Olympics.

In 1920, “Father of Surfing,” Duke Kahanamoku achieved a gold medal for the U.S. in the 100 meters Men’s freestyle swimming event in Antwerp in 1920. The U.S. came out on top in eight out of the 10 swimming events that year.

The 1920 Olympics had come after a brief hiatus; the 1916 Olympics, intended to be held in Berlin, Germany, were canceled as a result of World War I. The 1920 Olympics was held in Antwerp, Belgium in honor of the Belgian civilians who died during the war.

Like with the most recent Olympic seasons, the U.S. dominated swimming.

Ethelda Bleibtrey won gold in all three

womens swimming contests and broke world records for each one.

Out of the 2,626 athletes who competed that year, only 65 were women. More women are competing in the Olympics than ever before, with significant contributions: U.S. women would take home 27 out of 45 gold medals won by the U.S. in 2016.

According to NPR, if U.S. women were considered as a separate team from U.S. men in the 2016 Rio Olympics, they would have come out third out of all countries who competed.

Hawes explained how times have changed since the 1920s.

“In the 1920s, very few women were participating in sporting events, especially not swimming. Also, so very few African Americans are in this sport, especially African American females,” Hawes said.

The Olympics has also grown more inclusive of people of color.

The 1936 Berlin Olympics, which was held under Nazi Germany, was fraught with racial tensions. However, despite Nazi Germany’s discriminatory measures against “undesirable” peoples, African American track-and-field star Jesse Owens succeeding in winning four gold medals during the games.

During the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, silent protest was taken in the form of African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving a black power salute during the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

Although they were suspended for their actions and sent home, three African American sprinters wore berets the next day to stand in solidarity with their expelled teammates.

“There are so few of us, but it makes me proud to see how diverse the sport is now,” Hawes said. “I’m proud to be apart of this sport.”

In July, billions of families will gather together to watch the summer Olympics and demonstrate their national pride.

2020 AND ON Today, the world is still fighting for civil rights and liberties. It is a world that still expresses itself through art, whether that be conveyed through the radio or the screen. It is a world where controversial candidates are still running and aspiring athletes are still swimming, each are racing to meet the finish line on time. Ultimately, it is a world open to endless opportunity and change.

The 1920s was the decade caught between two world wars, an outlier of relative peace when it came to the first half of the 20th century. It was an era of glamor, film, and wealth, as well as one of civil rights, political instability, and revolution.

As we approach 2020, there is a similar juxtaposition. Will today’s generation be remembered for our current state of politics, increased civil rights, and the leaders that influence the world?

Will it be recognized for the shifting demographics of the world, the technological revolution, and its distinct pop culture? It would appear that just like the 1920s, the 2020s will be both.

The 1920s was a period of great change, much like today. The upcoming 2020 election is likely to bring more change down the line.

Litvak hopes the future of politics will become less divisive.

“Candidates feel the need to radicalize their ideas to make sure they’re appealing to extreme parties. I’m hoping in this next election cycle, the Democrats will have a more moderate candidate with a moderate-radical ticket, so they can pull both sides of the voters,” Litvak said. “I feel like we have the same ideas and foundation in politics, but the labels of party identification are pulling us apart.”

McCulloh was able to share his perspective on what has changed within the entertainment industry, and where he envisions its future to look like.

“Thanks to services like Patreon and Kickstarter, people no longer have to go to corporations, record labels, or TV studios to get something published,” McCulloh said. “They can now get funding directly from consumers who want content. We’re seeing large media companies start to lose influence, so they’re tightening their hold on intellectual properties.”

Between the 1920s and now, there have also been marked shifts in pop culture.

Our generation consumes darker and

more nihilistic forms of entertainment compared to the 1920s, which was more hopeful, despite coming after the First World War. With the advent of rock in the 1970s, music became more open to discussing more mature topics such as drug, alcohol, and sex.

In 2019, popular singers like Billie Eilish write honest lyrics about their experiences with depression and mental health.

The 2020s are expected to continue these trends.

Hawes, meanwhile, continues to train.

“My training is often hard, and honestly, very difficult to manage, but I still love it a lot. I find the hard work gratifying,” Hawes said. “While it does take up a lot of my time, I really enjoy it and competing at meets. Competition is another motivation of mine.”

One aspect of society that has remained the same since the 1920s is the prevalence of youth in leading social movements and revolutions.

The movement against gun violence gained traction following the work of Emma Gonzalez and the organization she founded with her classmates, March For Our Lives, in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

When it comes to climate justice, Greta Thunberg, a teenage female activist from Sweden, has organized strikes for students frustrated with government inaction against the looming threat of climate change.

“Little Miss Flint” Mari Copeny became an inspiration after she began her advocacy work for the community of Flint, which has lacked access to clean water since 2014.

In the last century, activists have fought internationally to uphold civil rights, end the forces of colonization and imperialism, and piece the world together after war and revolution.

Although the issues facing this generation appear to be different from those of generations before, history repeats itself.

25

26 HIGHLANDER ADVERTISEMENTS

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 27

Welcome to the modern age of war Technology-driven war sets new precedents Mandy Hitchcock

The modern age

GI Joe isn’t rushing into battle anytime soon.

Rather, the war industry today is sustained by a workforce strong in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries.

High school graduates today, as a result, can go into a variety of fields that fall under the national defense category without being in the direct line of fire.

These students go to the battlefield in lab coats, wielding computers, which is reflective of the modern era.

Christian Rave, a senior, is interested in aviation and space. He hopes to be a part of the Air Force Academy after he graduates.

Growing up in a generation so heavily integrated in technology, he notes the emphasis that the present day has on technology, especially when related to national defense.

“Since there’s this focus on cyberspace and a technological war that’s becoming more prevalent, I’m going to need to innovate in a way to better adapt to modern warfare,” Rave said.

As Rave outlined, this technological focus is grounded in the current era. Proof of this reality, according to the Federation of American Scientists, is the $11 billion increase in defense science and technology spending in the last four decades. The support for job opportunities in STEM related positions parallels this financial growth.

The new age of warfare which highlights a greater attention towards STEM development generally characterizes conflicts after the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.

The Gulf War, codenamed Desert Storm, was distinguished by advances in technology, which included the use of new aerial strategies and precision strike weapons, according to The Diplomat.

However, the conditions that existed during this brief period of war were built on foundations of research and invention happening years before the war even started.

Gail Chesler was a civilian scientist employed by Fort Belvoir in the Research and Development Command in 1981. She worked on a project benefiting the soldiers of Desert Storm by developing solutions to contaminated water sources.

Her contribution to the defense efforts reflects the variety of job opportunities that now exists; the new age of war calls on both mental and physical talent.

“In the olden days, guys could volunteer and be taken [for their physical capabilities, and war was more ‘in your face,’”

Reflecting on ‘old war’

The old age of war paints a picture of enemy soldiers meeting face to face on the battlefield, locked in combat.

It’s how France and Britain fought the Hundred Years’ War in the 14th century; it’s how the world wars were waged in the 20th.

And especially in the Vietnam War, this aspect of fighting took its toll in the lives lost and the lasting trauma.

Phuen Nguyen was a foot soldier for the South Vietnamese forces from 1969 to 1970.

“The war conditions would depend on who attacked first,” Nguyen said.

“If the other side attacked, we couldn’t locate the source, and because of this, the unknown characterized much of the fighting.”

The Vietnam War records estimate almost three million U.S. troops who were stationed in South Vietnam.

A mere total of 5% of the amount of troops used in Vietnam were accounted for in the Iraq War. The Vietnam conflict was the last of its age, one that placed greater pressure on the amount of individual soldiers involved. From then on, a new age of warfare would see the effects of a technologically-driven world.

28 HIGHLANDER FEATURES

Chesler said. “The job that GIs are hired to do now are much more technical; there’s more to learn, it’s more complicated, it’s harder.”

In the new era, lives are not lost in gruesome battle, but rather held hostage by the threat of nuclear war while political leaders negotiate their terms. And while it’s true that front line soldiers still risk their lives, the casualties of new age wars are considerably fewer compared to the old age if weapons of mass destruction are not employed.

“In a strange sense, it feels like a clean war,” Chesler said. “War is terrible and awful, but in terms of the number of people getting dirty, so to speak, the number is far less.”

As the public image of war has become “cleaner,” the gap between the current perception of warfare and the previous age widens.

This distance between two distinct ages of conflict characterized the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001 and the years that followed.

“That’s why 9/11 was so frightening to so many Americans, more frightening because nobody brought the war to our soil before,” Chesler said. “The further away we, the average citizen, can get from the war, the happier we are.”

And with this reality, the “cleaner” reputation of war places an indisputable emphasis on STEM development. Just take a look at the long-distance weaponry that exists today.

Although Rave has yet to experience this technological precedent, David deMarco has.

He was on active duty working a destroyer that patrolled the Persian Gulf from 1998 to 2003 and involved with the second phase of the U.S. involvement with Saddam Hussein — the Iraq War. DeMarco describes the distinct qualities of a time of warfare characterized by technology.

“I remember just a lot of sound, from missiles, weapons, and you’re just always hearing noises, always a lot of noise,” deMarco said.

He doesn’t see ground forces coming

back anytime soon, at least not the magnitude that it was before.

Driven by the same values

WORLD AT WAR

The new age is defined by the two distinct characteristics: being “cleaner” and providing more job opportunities. But despite the differences between the past and present, individuals joining the military in this new age still fight for values that characterized the old one.

DeMarco said, “We definitely fight for freedom. You don’t want the government controlling what you can say or do — you want freedom — and the only way to really ensure that is to be an active part of the solution.”

As high school graduates pursue a future dedicated to serving in this tech-driven era, they too fight for what they believe in.

“Most important to me is probably being able to effectively lead people during this time of change and evolution so that we can continue to stay safe,” Rave said.

“Technology is the main focus nowadays I don’t see the ground forces really coming back.”

David deMarco Gulf War veteran

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 29

The psychological impact of therapy dogs Natalie Doud You’re walking your dog through town in the morning and decide to go to a local coffee shop. You want to bring your dog inside, but you notice a sign outside stating, “No Pets Allowed.” You decide to bring your dog in any way, and when stopped by an employee, you tell them that you have anxiety and need to have your dog with you at all times. The employee lets you inside. But this is a lie.

This is what several people do to be able to bring their dogs into public facilities, despite their dogs not being certified, trained service dogs. Also, these choices can have a negative effect on those who need a service dog with them at all times.

For instance, owners with legitimate service dogs may receive more mediocre treatment.

Service dogs are a crucial part of a number of people’s lives, as they are trained to perform many tasks that may save a person’s life, whether that is mentally or physically.

Additionally, service dogs assist a range of people, from those with anxiety or stress to those with autism. Furthermore, for those in a wheel-chair, a service dog can be trained to open doors for them or to pick an item off the ground if dropped, according to Canine Partners for Life, an organization that trains and certifies service dogs.

Or, for someone with epilepsy, a service dog can be trained to alert their partner before they have a seizure, as dogs have an innate ability to detect a seizure before it occurs.

“Studies have shown that similar to equine therapy, dogs provide comfort to people and can relieve or diminish anxiety and depressive symptoms. They even use them in hospitals for patients,” said Becky Cordero, a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Thus, pretending a dog is a service dog takes away the respect and privileges that real service dogs have. This can negatively affect people that use service dogs and possibly cause their conditions to worsen if they no longer feel comfortable bringing their service animals with them.

It also takes a lot of hard work and training to certify a dog. So, claiming a dog has gone through such efforts disparages the rigorous work that others have gone 30 HIGHLANDER FEATURES

Natalie Doud

Students find comfort in therapy dogs during finals season.

through.

“It’s a two to three-year process. The first year the dog has to be really good at obedience and be able to pass a test called canine good citizenship test. During this test, the dog has to be able to do 10 or 12 different behaviors in a room with five or six other dogs and ignore the other dogs.

The test has to do with the dog being totally focused on the owner. And then the last year is task training and learning public etiquette, which dogs need in order to get access to places that service dogs can typically go,” said Jean Cary, a trainer at Service Dog Tutor.

However, it is difficult for employees, especially, to decipher whether a dog brought into their work is a service dog or not. This is because, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), one should not “require proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal.” This further allows those not in need of a service dog to pretend their dog is certified and trained to bring them into various restaurants, stores, etc.

Overall, employees find it particularly challenging to question the validity of a claimed service dog, as this raises ethical questions and may be perceived as offensive if they were to ask whether someone’s dog is a service dog or not.

“I haven’t caught anyone bringing in a fake service dog because it’s such a complicated topic and I want to be cautious, as I don’t want to accuse someone that actually had a disability and needs the dog,” said Kyle Wilkinson, a senior and employee at

Gelataio, a gelato shop in San Carlos.

For instance, at Gelataio, Wilkinson explained that there was an incident in which a customer brought in a dog that ended up misbehaving and caused a disturbance. Regardless, the shop is still wary about asking customers with dogs about the certification of their dogs, despite this threat to their health code.

“We typically get an aggressive attitude with most dog owners, service or not. If they are a service dog, they are welcome to stay in the store, but people always get offended when we ask. But we have to ask because of the past incident,” Wilkinson said.

Thus, while bringing in an untrained and uncertified dog negatively impacts those who own certified dogs, this is also an imminent threat to the health of the customers and the overall condition of the restaurant itself.

A service dog must first have a complacent nature before they can be considered for training, thus bringing a dog that is not used to noisy and chaotic environments can lead to a multitude of dangerous instances and the possibility of the dog acting out due to stress and being in an unfamiliar environment. So, having a trained and overall calm dog is both helpful for those around you and the employees, as it causes fewer issues.

“I only bring my dog into a handful of places, and when I bring him anywhere, he’s a really good dog, he doesn’t bark, he sits there. He doesn’t even try to get out of his bag,” said Irene Oliveira, a P.E. teacher at Carlmont.

QUIZ: WHAT DOG ARE YOU?

It’s a Friday night, what are your plans?

How do you like your eggs?

What Harry Potter house are you?

What’s your spirit animal?

What is your dream job?

What’s your favorite subject?

A - Going to the gym B - Hanging out with friends C - Staying in and watching Netflix D - Doing homework all night A - Gryffindor B - Hufflepuff C - Slytherin D - Ravenclaw

A - Sports trainer or athlete B - Teacher C - Police officer D - Doctor

A - Green with ham B - Sunny-side-up C - Omelet D - Scrambled A - Dolphin B - Bunny C - Tortoise D - Owl

A - P.E. B - World language C - History D - Math

Cute Border Collie, Tambako the Jaguar, flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0

Chocolate Labs, flickr, CC BY 2.0 Golden Retriever, pxfule, CC BY 0

Mostly A’s

Mostly B’s

German shepherd dog, Ronoli, flickr, CC BY 2.0

Mostly D’s

Mostly C’s

WHAT IT MEANS:

Mostly A’s: You’re a Golden Retriever! You are obedient, intelligent, and well-mannered. You are also very active, and despite being immature at times, you get along with your family really well. You are also very social and enjoy meeting new people. You love staying active and constantly doing activities, whether that is working out or getting dinner with a friend.

Mostly B’s: You’re a Lab! You have good temperament and are always kind to others. Although you may be attention-seeking at times, your kind eyes and strong loyalty make you likable among others. You have a lot of energy, which may make you disobedient at times, but you are loved by others regardless. You also like to always be surrounded by people and you don’t mind going out with your friends.

Mostly C’s: You’re a German Shepherd! You’re mostly reserved and you typically don’t make friends very quickly. When you’re around those you care about, you’re easy-going and often protective. You are typically shy around strangers and prefer to stay in the comfort of your own home most of the time, but you also enjoy going to the gym.

Mostly D’s: You’re a Border Collie! You are highly intelligent and agile and you learn very easily. However, you are often shy in front of people you don’t know well and are defensive of those closest to you. You typically follow the rules and like to be around others that act at a mature level. You respond well to praise and prefer to be around other people.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 31

Reflecting on the past century We’ve come a long way, but what difference has it made?

Artist: Ksenia Lapshina

Good evening everyone.

Only a few more hours until the ball drops...

Let’s look back at what we’ve done since the 1920s.

32 HIGHLANDER COMIC

The climate’s health has continued to decline as a result of continues greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Gaps between the upper and lower classes have continued to widen.

War remains a threat on global society.

Happy new year!

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 33

Self-care is more valuable than grades Ava Richards Heavy eyes. Slow thoughts. With each passing minute, it takes more and more brainpower to complete even the simplest of questions.

The clock reads 3:00 a.m. Three. Three more assignments. Push through the pain and keep working.

When it’s all said and done, the sweet softness of the pillow.

Thirty minutes later, the alarm shrieks.

It’s time to start the day again.

It’s a cycle that’s unfortunately all too familiar for teenagers.

Sleep deprivation and stress have become norms throughout high school life.

Often, suffering is a competition, giving positive reinforcement to those that got the least amount of sleep or had the most homework.

Friends often give me “the look” when I tell them I feel exhausted from a long night or early morning full of homework. They immediately try to tell me that “there was no way” I was up as late as them, or that “they got so much less sleep,” so they feel “10 times worse” than I do. It’s interactions like these that make my hard work and hardships feel inadequate. Am I actually

34 HIGHLANDER OPINION

trying my best if I’m not pushing my body to its physical limits?

It’s hard to realize, but this idealized cycle of pain and suffering is not bringing the supposed success in school that my peers keep chasing. If keeping fantastic grades has become an enabler for harming our bodies on a daily basis, it’s time we finally get our priorities in line. High school students deserve better than this cycle.

Let’s talk about sleep.

Sleep is one of the most disregarded human needs in high school.

According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, more than 87% of high school students in the United States get far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, and it’s only decreasing.

“With academic demands and extracurricular activities, the kids are going nonstop until they fall asleep exhausted at night. There is not an emphasis on the importance of sleep, as there is with nutrition and exercise,” said Nanci Yuan, M.D., director of the Stanford Children’s Health Sleep Center. “Teenagers say they are tired, but they don’t realize they are actually sleep-deprived. And if you ask kids to remove an activity, they would rather not.

They would rather give up sleep than an activity.”

This attitude is extremely problematic.

“Sleep deprivation is detrimental to teenagers. It increases the likelihood that they will suffer a number of adverse effects, including the inability to concentrate, poor grades, and drowsy-driving incidents,” says the National Sleep Foundation.

Sleep is also believed to help regulate emotions, and a lack of it is an underlying component of many mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. A study by the department of psychiatry at the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center found that sleep problems among adolescents are a cause of suicidal thoughts, which ranks as the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds.

Giving up this necessity to continue work is a mindset that only promotes these dangerous consequences. Society would never encourage using illegal drugs or becoming an alcoholic. On Instagram alone, I probably see five advertisements a day telling me not to do drugs, along with descriptions of what these drugs can do to my body.

The promotion of pushing yourself until you physically can’t anymore is not okay.

We’ve sat through plenty of assemblies about drugs, and yet none about the harm of sleep deprivation.

But even though sleep deprivation acts as an honorable badge for students, it doesn’t actually accomplish the end goal of staying awake: getting better grades.

Freshman year, I used to stay up really late studying for a test I had the next day. I thought that the more I studied, the better I would do, ignoring my desire for rest.

In reality, it’s the complete opposite.

“High school is the real danger spot in terms of sleep deprivation,” said William Dement, MD, Ph.D., founder of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic. “It’s a huge problem. What it means is that nobody performs at the level they could perform, whether it’s in school, on the roadways, on the sports field, or in terms of physical and emotional health.”

The reasoning behind staying awake for far too many hours doesn’t hold up.

Sleep deprivation worsens your ability to perform in all aspects of life, especially school. There’s almost no point in putting yourself through the pain since it comes with no reward.

Despite this, many people try to tell me that what they do is justified because they counteract their sleep deprivation with caffeine.

First of all, that doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. Caffeine doesn’t just cancel out the lack of sleep. And secondly, even though it can help students feel more

awake and ready for the day, it also comes with undesirable effects.

For people ages 12 to 18, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that their daily caffeine intake should be 100 milligrams, which is about the equivalent of one cup of coffee, two cups of tea, or two to three cans of soda.

But if I’m being honest, most teenagers go well over that amount.

I have a friend who drinks four to five cans of the Guayaki energy drinks a day. Each one has roughly 135 milligrams of caffeine in them, meaning he likely consumes around 540-675 milligrams every single day.

Kids and adolescents can be more sensitive to caffeine’s side effects, like anxiety, diarrhea, and dehydration. Even the suggested amounts can have negative impacts on one’s life.

But with high levels of ingestion, “caffeine can lead to dangerous abnormal heart rhythms or neurologic symptoms of hallucinations or seizures,” says Catherine Miller, an adolescent medicine specialist at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

According to a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly 73% of kids drink caffeine daily. It’s shocking how many people depend on this substance despite how harsh the consequences can be.

Depending on caffeine to function throughout the day is kind of scary if you think about it. At its core, it’s just an addiction. And this addiction is becoming far too common among kids.

Sleep deprivation isn’t even the only issue. The stress that students receive from homework brings more side effects into the mix. Studies documented in the Journal of Experimental Education conclude that homework that exceeds two hours is counterproductive to the health of students and causes many students to suffer

from weight loss, stomach problems, headaches, and fatigue.

At this point, you probably get it. Focusing all your energy on homework is bad for your body, whatever. But now, you’re probably thinking, what am I supposed to do with my school work? Am I just supposed to ignore it in pursuit of a ‘healthier’ lifestyle?

The simple answer is no. Grades are admittedly more important than any of us wish they were, but they’re not the only thing that matters, especially for college.

While colleges do assess who you are as a person based on the grades you got throughout high school, there’s more that goes into it. According to the National Society of High School Scholars, students stand out more by displaying passionate involvement in a few extracurricular activities. Colleges look for depth within students and like to see “angled and proficient students with focused passions, not necessarily well-rounded students who are marginally adept in many different things.”

People always ask why I only do four extracurriculars or don’t take all five-point classes. This is why. People need to realize that grades aren’t the only thing that defines you as a person. You are what you are passionate about and what you want to

achieve in life.

The mindset that putting grades above all else rds icha Ava R is, as we’ve discussed, detrimental to a teenagers’ mental and physical health.

The ironic part of all this is that social media has widely popularized self-care.

There are so many Instagram and Twitter accounts whose sole purpose is to give tips on taking care of your body and living a happier life. They often bombard me with the idea that drinking water is the only cure for my problems. Sick? Drink water.

Want to lose weight? Drink water. Depressed? Anxious? Bad skin? Water.

The thing about those posts is that they’re very obviously factually inaccurate. But I like the fact that they’re trying.

Trying to promote taking care of yourself, trying to regularize happiness and healthy living, even if the teenagers aren’t listening.

I wish more people would try to improve their lives like these posts.

I’m trying to do so, at least.

I know that it’s a significant change to make, and I know it’s scary to break the cycle that has become the norm. But it’s necessary to take the first leap of faith and allow yourself to change.

We are more than our grades and our test scores. We shouldn’t feel the need to push ourselves to the physical limit for school. It’s time that we stop purposefully hurting ourselves and prioritize what is most important — ourselves.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 35

GINGERSNAPS Grandma’s recipe

36 HIGHLANDER OPINION Emma O’Connor

or

INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses 1 egg 2 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/4 cup granulated sugar (topping)

PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare cookie sheet with non-stick spray or parchment paper.

2. Cream together butter, brown sugar, molasses, and egg until fluffy 3. Sift together remaining ingredients except sugar 4. Gradually stir dry ingredients into the wet mixture 5. Form tablespoon-sized balls with the dough 6. Roll the top of each ball in granulated sugar 7. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet 8. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool before removing from cookie sheet. Makes about 5 dozen.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 37

Sports should be desegregated by gender Eoin Cunningham In an age where equality is so highly valued, it’s odd that inequality is still so prevalent in U.S. sports.

We’ve grown up in a world where the norm is that men and women compete separately to the point where it is rarely asked whether or not that should be how things are.

One factor of gender inequality in America today is the wage gap. This gap is exaggerated in the sports industry where, according to the American Bar Association, the minimum salary of a man playing in the NBA is almost five times the maximum salary of a player in the WNBA. The average pay gap in America has women earning 80 cents on the dollar, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But comparing the WNBA to the NBA, the women make less than one cent for every dollar an NBA player makes, on average. Some argue that women’s basketball doesn’t have the same size audience that the NBA has so female athletes can’t generate as much revenue as their male counterparts. However, this is not an excuse to pay women less than men for the same job.

The pay gap is present in sports not just for the athletes, but for the coaches too. On the college level, coaches of women’s teams make only 63% of what coaches of men’s teams make.

All of these problems can be solved simply by having men, women, and others who don’t identify as either compete together in sports. With all genders competing in the same league, they would receive the same exposure, and comparable pay.

Although it is doubtful that the athletes would receive equal pay, the gap would be closed considerably.

With a growing number of transgender and non-binary athletes competing in sports, having separate men’s and women’s competitions doesn’t make sense. For those who don’t identify as either, it is offensive because it doesn’t acknowledge their identity. Transgender athletes can cause controversy no matter which group the compete in, whether it be with those who share their anatomy or those who share their gender.

Two examples of transgender athletes in these situations can be found in combat sports. Mack Beggs, an 18-year-old senior, 38 HIGHLANDER OPINION

has a 132-9 career record and back to back estate titles in the Texas girls 6A wrestling championship. Texas law forces him to compete with the girls because that’s the gender on his birth certificate. He takes testosterone, and some claim that the hormone is what gives him an edge over his competitors.

It would then appear that the easy solution would be to have people compete with the gender they identify as however controversy is created when that occurs too.

Fallon Fox, an MMA fighter who fights with women, was born with male anatomy.

She currently has a 5-1 record, but some of the women she competes with claim that she has an unfair advantage.

The pay gap is present in sports not just for the athletes, but for the coaches too.

On the college level, coaches of women’s teams make only 63% of what coaches of men’s teams make.

Tamikka Brents is one of those women.

After being defeated by Fox in 2014, Brents said, “I’ve fought a lot of women and have never felt the strength that I felt in a fight as I did that night.”

Since competitions should be consistent, the logical thing to do would be to have everyone compete together, disregarding gender identity.

Now, most people would say that if women and men competed together, men would always beat the women. When it comes to sports that only require pure physical ability like running or swimming, there is no doubt that men have an advantage due to genetic factors, so separating

sports by gender allows certain people to compete that wouldn’t be able to compete otherwise. However, that doesn’t make sense when you consider the fact that many genetic factors contribute to one’s athletic ability. Height, weight, and the distribution of body mass all affect someone’s ability to run. Separating running competitions by gender, but not by these attributes, is an arbitrary choice made by most athletic organizations.

Now I’m not arguing about having all sports have divisions for every little difference a person can have. That would be inconvenient, if possible at all. Everyone should compete together, not separated by any genetic factors like gender, race, height, build, etc., even if it gives someone an advantage.

Desegregating sports would cause some problems that have to be addressed. First of all, many people rely on athletic scholarships to pay for college, and if men competed with women, fewer women would get scholarships to go to school. This could easily be solved by making a rule that an equal amount of money is to be spent on scholarships for women as it is for men.

In order to achieve equality, things have to be equal and it has been proven that separate but equal doesn’t actually work.

Keeping men and women separate in a time where gender is no longer definitively male or female doesn’t make sense.

EDITORIAL:

Not much has changed in 100 years January is always associated with the “new.” It’s a new month, of a new year, and in this case, of a new decade.

It seems full of promise, of hope, and of change. There are new years’ resolutions and “new year, new me” circulates across social media.

But nothing really changes, at least not as drastically as the “new” year advertises. Everyone stays living in the same place, with the same jobs, having the same friends. The only difference, if there is one, is a mindset that something is bound to shift in the coming year. It rarely does.

Looking back over the past century, the lack of change becomes even more evident. Sure, technology has improved exponentially since the 1920s, that is indisputable, but in examining the tenants that govern American society and the policies and precedents established to maintain the U.S., the similarities are

staggering.

The U.S. is a nation of immigrants that has historically discriminated against other immigrants, passing policies against certain groups entering the country to achieve the “American Dream.” In the 20s, it was the National Origins Act that enforced strict immigration quotas on Asian and Eastern European immigrants. In the 2010s, it was the Muslim Ban. In the 2020s, it seems that restrictions on refugees, be them from Latin America or the Middle East will persist.

Isolationism, the idea that America should prioritize on internal improvements rather than global efforts, was a popular political theory that dominated the 1920s. In the 20s, America was “trying to make itself great again.” And despite the modern role the U.S. plays as the global superpower, President Trump advocates for similar political

ideology.

A monumental year for American women was 1920 when women were granted the right to vote nationwide.

After decades of advocating and a literal war, (the 19th Amendment was ratified following the conclusion of WWI) female suffrage was granted, seemingly sparking the movement for equality among the sexes. But the movement failed to reach beyond the right to vote itself. For the past 100 years, women have continued to fight for equal pay, choice over their bodies, and general anti-discrimination on the basis of sex. Women may have gained the right to vote, but over the course one century, they have failed to secure complete equality.

Reflecting on the past century, consistencies are obvious. However, looking into 2020, society has the potential to enact positive change.

JANUARY 2020 HIGHLANDER 39

NOSTALGIA CROSSWORD

ACROSS

DOWN

.2.

This computer game has spawned books, musical parodies, and even a YouTube series.

1.

Before it was known as Vine 2, this was Kesha’s 2010 hit song.

4.

LET IT RIP!!!!!!!! (plural)

3.

Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number so...

5.

Bublé, Jordan, Phelps, Jackson

6.

This film universe is responsible for the 2012 highest box office earnings

8.

The music video for this song was the first on YouTube to reach 1 billion views.

7.

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

1. TikTok 2. Minecraft 3. Call Me Maybe 4. Beyblades 5. Michael Phelps 6. MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) 7. Spongebob 8. Gangnam Style