November 5 2018

The Student Newspaper of Seattle Preparatory School

The Seattle Prep Panther November 5, 2018

www.seapreppanther.org

Volume 75 No. 3

Twitter: @seapreppanther Instagram: @seapreppanthers

M I DT E R M S

EDITORIALS

2 NOVEMBER 5, 2018

EDITORS: AUDREY FRIGON '20, CHLOE SAHARIC '19

Migrants Incoming - A Call to Strengthen Our Borders

PANTHER STAFF Editors-in-Chief Gabriella Jeakle ‘18 Katharine Leahy‘18 Managing Editor Audrey Frigon '20 Photo Editor Abby Arthur '19 Online Editors Chloe Saharic '19 Lilly Thompson '19 Sports Editor Myles Nowak '19 Social Media Editor Joe Robinson '20 Staff Writers Katarina Conces ‘19 Owen Hendricks ‘19 Moses Kent ‘19 Quinn Losse ‘19 Abby Malzewski ‘19 Mimi Parent '19 Sophie Piacentini ‘19 Noah Pingul ‘19 Kellen Carr ‘20 Walid Cruz-Vanegas ‘20 Lauren Day ‘20 Maddie Deasy ‘20 Danica Dytioco ‘20 Sophie Jurion ‘20 Milo Pepper ‘20 Grace Weiand 20 Cece Brown '21 Caroline Casey '21 Tia Flores ‘21 Clara Malone ‘21 Natalie Nowak '21 Paige Stanley '21 Will Thompson '21 Tessa Zink ‘21 Hobbs Hegedus '22 Beni Jurion '22 Freelance Staff Sofia Simon ‘20 Adviser Micah Richardson

EDITORIAL POLICY The Seattle Prep Panther is a forum for student work and the editorial board makes final decisions regarding publication. The editorial board’s responsibility is not only to present one viewpoint, but to reveal multiple perspectives. The views represented in the Panther or in online publications do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, the school, or the administration as a whole.

To contact The Panther: Email: seapreppanther@seaprep.org Instagram: @seapreppanthers Twitter: @seapreppanther

MYLES NOWAK '19 Sports Editor

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s we speak, thousands of Hondurans, Guatemalans, and some Mexicans are making their way north towards the US-Mexican border in hopes of receiving asylum. While the mass of this caravan is anomalous, this drive towards the north is nothing new. Tens of thousands of Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans migrate north every year to escape hellacious environments like San Pedro Sula which is known as “The murder capital of the world.”

Why would this mass of victimized people approaching the United States be a problem? After all, we are a country that could not exist without legal immigrants.

The foundation of our country was built by immigrants like Thomas Paine who inspired the American Revolution, Alexander Hamilton who authored the Federalist Papers and The Constitution, and James Wilson, James Iredell, and William Patterson who were three of the first Supreme Court Justices.

The issue here is not that these immigrant victims are looking for protection and security, but rather that it appears they are taking advantage of their situation to earn entrance into the United States.

These refugees argue that they are looking for protection and security, yet, they have

now reached Mexico and refuse to accept the “You are at home” plan created by the Mexican President, Enrique Pena Nieto.

They have declined a plan that would provide the opportunity to receive shelter, medical attention, schooling, and jobs directly from the Mexican government.

"I want to make sure these people are safe” While Mexico is admittedly not in the greatest shape itself, the prospects of protection and security offered by their government should appease anyone who’s true motive is to escape the violence of their home.

Once these refugees reach the USMexican border, they will have to apply for asylum, subjecting themselves to a brutally extensive process that may take over two years. But these people are educated on the intricacies and loopholes of the process too.

They know that even once they get to the border, they can choose to cross illegally and if caught and deported, they will be able

to re-enter and claim “reasonable fear.” By claiming “reasonable fear” they will be afforded an interview with an asylum officer and later an immigration court to be eligible for “withholding or deferral of removal.”

This process of entering illegally to gain approval is unjustly undercutting those who choose to apply for asylum in an appropriate and law-abiding manner. And with every illegal intrusion of the border, our “domestic tranquility” and “general welfare” is strained ever-further.

I want to make sure these people are safe. I want to make sure these people are not turned back. But I want to make sure these people find asylum legally. I don’t blame these people for outsmarting the system, after all, their lives depend on escaping the gang violence and utter poverty of their home, but the United States needs to enforce our border-control laws. Whether the refugees find more security in immediate help from the Mexican government or the lengthy process of applying for asylum in the United States, the decision is up to them.

However, it is the United States’ responsibility to increase border control at this time to maintain a legal and systemic process that rewards those who follow the immigration and asylum laws, all the while maintaining the “domestic tranquility” and “general welfare” of its own citizens.

The Blue Wave: Proceed With Caution JOE ROBINSON '20 Social Media Editor

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cross liberal-leaning news sources, predictions of a possible insurgence of democratic turnout at the polls has taken ahold of political strategists and trend predictors.

The “blue wave,” as it has been deemed, has been a forefront topic of debate in light of the upcoming midterm elections, as many predict the past two years under the Trump presidency will incentivize democratic voters to cast their ballots this November.

There is clear reasoning as to why this may occur. There is a more diverse electorate than ever before in US history, and as deeply liberal-leaning youth are coming to a voting age, it is predicted that they will have the highest voter turnout in three decades, according to a study published by Harvard.

President Trump was elected in part due to low democratic turnout, and many are seeking to redeem this. But will the blue wave really occur?

This is not the first time a blue wave has been predicted, or any major switch of Congress majority for that matter. The only times that these predictions have rung true since 1950 has been for one factor: economics. It has always been in times of poor or tumultuous economics that radical change to the control of Congress has occurred. Take the 2010 midterms, encased in notoriety

MISSION STATEMENT The Seattle Prep Panther is a student created, student-run journalism program which provides the Seattle Prep community with accurate, informative articles and media while practicing the components of a professional newspaper. The staff aims to create an informative newspaper and website which focus on issues important to our high school community.

for the massive switch from Democratic to Republican control of the senate. This was due to many moving pieces—poor democratic turnout, for one—but the one that is mostly accredited to the massive “Red Wave” was the Great Recession, which was in full force when the midterms occurred.

“I do not believe the blue wave will come...”

Economics has always been one of the largest persuaders for votes, and at this current time, the country is economically sound. While it is difficult to base current political trends off of those of the past, especially considering how drastically the political landscape has changed since the election of Trump, there is a formidable amount of past voting records that speak against this blue wave, which is something very difficult to ignore.

A reminder of the 2016 election.

Donald Trump’s initial announcement that he was running for office was received with a pitiful disregard, and everyone remained in a belief he would not make it past the first

few months. Despite nearly every credible democratic news source reporting this, he was elected the GOP candidate for presidency.

In the weeks leading up to November 9th, most every major poll indicated Hillary Clinton was the clear top runner, and yet Donald Trump was elected. Polls and projections are just indicators of a likely turnout and are nowhere certain. It is in believing that they equate to a guaranteed result that leads to their flop, and there is a deep history of this, particularly in the democratic party.

I’m not writing this editorial to tell you which side to vote for. I’m writing this editorial solely under the hope that it will inspire you to vote. I do not believe the blue wave will come, especially at such a magnitude that it will completely alter the political landscape of Congress.

It is very easy to slip into a sense of false security that this is guaranteed. It is this security that will be the dying factor for the wave, and for any other political movement. To Democrats who are eligible to vote: prove me wrong. Make the blue wave the reality through your ballots. It’s these ballots that will contradict my predictions.

Always stay active, stay motivated, and above all, vote.

Do you have a story idea for the Panther?

Contact us at seapreppanther@seaprep.org to suggest your idea

PREP LIFE EDITORS: TIA FLORES ‘21 & CLARA MALONE ‘21

3 NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Kavanaugh Confirmation Prompts Student Discussion

CLARA MALONE ‘21 & TIA FLORES ‘21 Staff Writers

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n July 9th, 2018, President Trump announced his nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Days following this nomination, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, psychology professor at Palo Alto University sent a letter to the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein. This letter stated that in their high school days, Brett Kavanaugh physically and sexually assaulted her.

At that time, Sen. Feinstein didn’t release this information. Two months later, from September 4-7, Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee at confirmation hearings. The story went public on September 14. Dr. Ford shared her story with the world.

She alleged that at a high school party, Kavanaugh was very drunk and tried to “remove her clothes while holding his hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming.”

Kavanaugh denied that any of this ever happened, saying “I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time.”

The committee then announced that they would hold a hearing on September 24th to hear from both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh.

In the meantime, Deborah Ramirez accused Kavanaugh as well. A classmate of his at Yale, she accused him of an incident in which he “exposed himself at a dorm party” to her.

President Trump responded to the case saying the allegations are “totally political” and says, “I am with him all the way.”

On September 26th Julie Swetnick accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct.

Julie Swetnick admitted that she witnessed several instances of Kavanaugh drinking excessively and engaging in “abusive behavior” toward the teenage girls at parties.

Two other women come forward about two additional sexual misconduct allegations

after Swetnicks’ story.

On September 27th, both Kavanaugh and Blasey-Ford testified before the SJC. During both hearings, both were extremely emotional while telling their points of view.

Holding back tears. Dr. Ford claims that she believes “100 percent” that Kavanaugh was the man who pinned her down and tried to take off her clothes.

Kavanaugh responded to her allegation with great emotion, denying it, and using his reputation as evidence. On September 28, the Senate voted 51-49 to advance Kavanaugh as Supreme Court Justice.

This case prompted discussion among students at Seattle Prep. Some students were confused, and many teachers felt the need to address this divisive issue in classes.

When asked if it is okay to take a break from regular curriculum to talk about important current events, math teacher Ms. Young said, “absolutely I do, it’s hard to in-

corporate into math but I find time,”

Many students believe that it is important to discuss this as well as current events in the classroom. Mary Zepeda said,“I think it is very important for students to know about this because it is an event that helps shape the world we live in.”

Lilian Brendlinger ‘21 agreed, and said, “I think that having an in-depth, respectful discussion in class on the hearing would have been valuable, as it gives students a chance to express their views in an academic environment.”

Diego Garcia-Camargo said, “It’s ok to take a break from curriculum as long as it is an open discussion. It is very important for people to know about this because the majority of people only knew ‘Kavanaugh? Didn’t he rape somebody? I don’t like him.’ When the actual situation is a lot more nuanced. People just weren’t educated on what actually happened.”

Students Experience Homelessness During Urban Plunge

NATALIE NOWAK ‘21 Staff Writer

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n issue that Seattle Prep sophomores have been attempting to improve for several years is the rising homelessness crisis in Seattle. In the United States, Seattle ranks third for the concentration of people experiencing homelessness on the streets, behind New York and Los Angeles. The city has stated that Seattle is in a “State of Emergency” for homelessness and Sophomores at Seattle Prep took initiative on Urban Plunge in October.

First it is important to look at what could be potential contributors to having such a high number of people experiencing homelessness in the greater Seattle area; there are two that seem to stick out.

One popular response to the reason for Seattle’s homelessness crisis is the addiction problems many Seattle residents deal with, causing a financial challenge for many. On Urban Plunge last year Meredith Lamb ‘20 visited the Matt Talbot Center and shares that the most impactful part of the re-

treat was, “learning about the control that drug addiction can have over someone from those who experienced it firsthand.”

Another contributor is Seattle rapidly growing high real estate prices and monthly rents. The problem in Seattle has been made obvious through government announcements, newspaper articles, and personally seeing many people sitting on street corners wrapped in blankets or sleeping in tents.

Seattle Prep Sophomores notice the issues and are making a grade wide attempt to help those in need and become more educational on the topic. The mandatory Sophomore retreat, urban plunge, which took place over the last five weeks is helping them to do so.

While Sophomores are on the retreat, they not only go out and volunteer in homeless shelters and other community organizations, but they are put into a simulated homeless situation as well.

At night, they go through a long process of trying to be allowed into the sim-

ulated shelter in the McHugh Gymnasium.

They are turned away at the door several times before they can enter, just as many people living on the retreat experience in their daily struggle to find a place to sleep.

Grear Boyd ‘21 describes his experience with the shelter as “eye opening to see what people have to go through every night.”

He also shares that, “I’m sure its significantly worse for people experiencing homelessness than what we experienced.”

On the second day, students are given two dollars each to buy a breakfast and lunch for themselves, putting into perspective the realistic challenge of finances for many people.

Mrs. Bernal, a leader of urban plunge, share that “we do the plunge because if we are truly serious about following Jesus, this is the most concrete way of doing so – helping those who are the most vulnerable among us.”

The point of urban plunge is not to be a onetime thing, but a start to a future of helping others; It also teaches students to be

19th and continued on the following Saturday, split into two teams of four.

This specific competition was held at two different locations; the University of Denver and at the downtown Denver Courthouse. The Prep team stayed at the Marriott hotel, about a mile away from Denver University.

While participating at both locations, the Mock Trial team competed in a bracket-like tournament. Every team competed four times and as each team won their trials, they progressed further, going up against better and harder teams each time. One team consisted of Liam McNett ‘19, Maggie Waltner ‘20, Julia Oles ‘20 and Amber Richards ‘19 placed third in this prestigious competition.

Richards reflected on the event saying “overall, the competition was really fun, difficult and good preparation for our usual season.

Mock Trial Coach Mr. McCarthy was really happy, as was the rest of the team. I am excited for what is yet to come with this team.”

While working hard and staying focused, the team also had a fun time.

Photo: Courtesy of Seattle Prep Mock Trial The Seattle Prep Mock Trial Team during their recent trip to the Providence Cup Competition in Denver. The team placed third overall in a competition that involved 28 teams from around the country.

McNett recalls his favorite memory on the The team is very happy with their entire trip. “My favorite memory would success in this tournament and are thankful definitely have to be Julia Oles reading they were able to bond over an experience everyone’s palms on the team, including Mr. such as this one.

McCarthy’s and predicting our futures.”

men and women for others but in a unique way it teaches empathy and how to be men and women with others as well.

The city of Seattle has many shelters for families, women, and men across the city, in an attempt to control and work toward fixing the homelessness crisis. One of these recent attempts is the new tiny home village in South Lake Union of the corner of 8th Ave North and Aloha St. The tiny home village of 22 homes, will be a low barrier housing community whose goal is to prepare the soon to be residence for permanent housing; (time line update).

It is important to address these issues now to start improving for the future.

Shelters and organizations are great ways to impact the crisis, but Meredith Lamb ‘20 shares a piece of advice for Seattle residence to keep in the back of their minds. “I think the best way to help homelessness is to start my acknowledging them. Always give them eye contact because they are people too.”

Mock Trial Places Third in Prestigious Providence Cup Competition KATARINA CONCES ‘19 Staff Writer

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eattle Prep has had a great start to the new school year with sports and academics, especially Mock Trial.

The Seattle Prep Mock Trial team has been working hard, putting in hours of practice, both during window and occasionally after school. The team has had a great start to a successful season this year.

Just recently the team traveled all the way to Denver, Colorado to compete in the Providence Cup alongside 28 other high school teams. They were able to put all of their hard work to use and be successful, despite a small snafu.

Abigail Potts ‘19, a key teammate, was unable to attend so in the last minute so Elisa Simon ‘19 stepped up and filled her position graciously.

Simon hurried to prepare and tried to memorize all of Potts’s direct examinations, cross examinations and speech. In the end, she saved the team and did an outstanding job.

The Varsity mock trial team of eight started out competing on Friday, October

PREP LIFE

4 NOVEMBER 5, 2018

EDITORS: ABBY MALZEWSKI ‘19, QUINN LOSSE ‘19, DANICA DYTIOCO ‘20,

Civics Education Increases Student Political Awareness

ABBY MALZEWSKI ‘19 Staff Writer

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he country is now more polarized than ever through the two major political parties, Democrats and Republicans.

Due to a variety of news sources feeding different information to the American people, politics are becoming more hostile.

Through all the different opinions and solutions, one blaring fact about Americans remains true: American people don’t know that much about politics.

In general, Americans lack a basic understanding of the contents of our nation’s founding document, the Constitution.

According to The Washington Post, an astounding 39% of polled Americans incorrectly believed that the Constitution gave the president power to declare war and 33% could not name a single branch of

government. A lack of basic understanding schools, such as through utilizing technolof the Constitution and politics is worrisome ogy. Schools are using technology to engage more students in politics and make the mabecause it leads to uninformed voters.

Seattle Prep and many other schools terial more accessible.

From this article, students understand around the nation are tackling this issue of the importance an uninformed republic of what they by focusing on our na- “it is essential that will be learning tion’s youth. Schools are us students are wellthroughout now implementing civics versed in the ways in the year, as it education courses. Seatwill help them tle Prep currently offers which laws are made” communicate a United States Governeffectively and ment (Gov.) class and an -Amber Richards ‘19 ask critical AP U.S. Government and questions in the real world.

Politics (AP Gov.) class for seAP Gov. student Amber Richards ’19 niors to take.

At the beginning of the year, AP Gov. took from the article that “when we reach students read an article by Sandra Day the voting age it is essential that us students O’Connor entitled “How to Reboot Civics are well-versed in the ways in which laws Education.” The article discusses differ- are made and what values each party ent ways civics education can be found in represents.”

Alyssa Sutanto ’19, another AP Gov. student says, “it is important to understand what we can do as citizens to make our values and beliefs heard.”

When asked how she thought civic education could be improved, Richards said, “I think civics education should be required for all students, be a yearly class, and start in elementary school. It should be a separate curriculum than English or history, as well.”

Sutanto thinks civic education could be improved at Seattle Prep by “making classes more accessible to students of all grades and required at some point during a student’s career at Prep.” Through taking a AP Gov. this year, Sutanto shares that she has learned about “the media’s impact on politics” and Richards has learned about “how politics have changed and evolved since the foundation of our country.”

Electric Scooters in Seattle: Convenient and fun or dangerous and unnecessary? everywhere so they are very accessible as

PAIGE STANLEY ‘21 Staff Writer

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ecently electric scooter companies have been vying for an entrance into the congested Seattle streets.

The scooters are expected to improve traffic by getting people out of their cars and onto scooters. In cities like Tacoma, San Francisco and St. Louis, companies, such as Lime and Bird have successfully introduced their scooters.

There has been a recent debate on whether Seattle should give in to this new phenomenon or continue with only Lime bikes. Prep students address this debate and offer insight into whether they enjoy Lime Bikes and would welcome the new scooters.

With the success of the Lime transportation company in Seattle starting from their launch midsummer 2017, they have dominated other bike share companies.

The other two companies, Spin and Ofo, have left Seattle because they could not compete with the financial success of Lime through their introduction of electric bikes.

When asked whether he likes Lime bikes, Freshman Will Schimmelman responded, “My experience with Lime bikes so far has been that they are convenient, cheap, and helpful. They are very useful if you have to get somewhere, and they are

well.”

With the discussion of introducing the new scooters, there have been some arguments against these scooters coming to Seattle, including whether they are necessary in addition to the Lime bikes already located throughout downtown and neighborhoods.

According to a recent poll on the Seattle Prep Instagram account, 39% of people say they use Lime bikes. This could translate to a lack of students using the electric scooters as well. However, on the same poll, 64% of students said that they would use the electric scooters if introduced. Electric scooter companies are still trying to seek out the same success of Lime. While most people say they would be a positive addition to the city, many are worried about the safety concerns. These include the speed of the scooters when rode on sidewalks, the lack of provided helmets and collisions with cars, bicycles and pedestrians in the busy streets.

Agreeing that electric scooters should not be introduced, Sophomore Maggie Green said, “If scooters were to attempt to corner the rideshare market, they would not be successful for the simple reason that they have no benefits in exercise.”

According to a recent survey sent out

by Lime asking Seattleites if they would like to see new electric scooters in their city,

nearly 3,000 people responded, agreeing that scooters would be a positive addition to the city. On October 12, there was a Lime scooter pop-up in Westlake, to test whether people enjoyed the scooters and would welcome their entrance into their city streets.

Reportedly, about 100 people enjoyed the experience.

“The addition of the Lime scooters would be another form of convenience for

Photo: Courtesy of Lime the city and be another fun way of transportation,” Schimmelman added.

With the busy life of a Prep student, an easy, affordable and convenient form of transportation is an important factor when getting around the city, especially for underclassmen. The addition of an electric scooter share company would be a fun and affordable way to decrease traffic congestion.

Students Debate Importance of Electoral College MADDIE DEASEY ‘20 Staff Writer

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he Electoral College.

To most high school students this is a pretty insignificant term, but in actuality, this group gets to make one of the biggest decisions in the nation.

The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who cast votes to decide the President and Vice-President of the United States. Electors for the Electoral College are selected by each major party for each state. Every state receives electoral votes for their two senate spots and the rest of their votes depend on the number of representatives in the House.

The Electoral College was established in 1787 about 230 years ago in the second article of the constitution. During the 2016 election, the Electoral College’s relevance

and power were put into question when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2.8 million, but Donald Trump won the Electoral College vote, in turn winning presidency.

With the upcoming mid-terms coming up politics and countrywide issues are in the air on the Seattle Prep campus. Juniors Marty Noffsinger ‘20 and Kevin Brinton ‘20 did not have a strong opinion on the subject.

Noffsinger said, “he would have a stronger opinion on the topic if it directly affected him at this time in his life.”

Noffsinger believes that once he is able to vote he will have a stronger opinion on the issue.

Brinton believes that he “doesn’t have a good enough understanding of what the electoral college is to say whether it should exist or not.”

The Electoral College is a big and

somewhat complicated idea that is not often discussed in classroom settings which may be why students such as Noffsinger and Brinton do not have a strong opinion on the topic.

Junior Haley Burgess-Alm, a member of Teilhard Collegio, commented that “before a project that we did in Teilhard I really knew nothing about the Electoral College or the large repercussions its choices have on the country.”

Burgess-Alm now believes that the Electoral College has too much power and is a bit outdated for a society where information that is easily accessible.

Lauren Slavin ‘21 believes that “the electoral college and the popular vote should be counted equally instead of the popular vote not being counted at all.”

On the other hand, Christian Krueger ’20 states that “the electoral college

is necessary and good because it truly represents what the states want as a whole.

It also accounts for the opinions of citizens who did not vote.”

The Electoral College and its decisions effect everyone in our country. Senior Grace Swanson ‘19 worries that, “due to the electoral college people’s voices in less represented states or areas won’t be heard.”

The issue about the Electoral College is extremely important especially due to the results of the 2016 election. The Electoral College is just one of many political ideas and institutions changing and being put into question in society. High school students all over the country have the opportunity to learn about these issues now which will help them make more informed decisions once able to vote.

IN THE NEWS

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EDITORS: MADDIE DEASY ‘20, SOPHIE JURION ‘20 & GRACE WEIAND ‘20

November 5, 2018

Students Test Reliability of News What Makes Journalism Legit?

CECE BROWN ‘21 Staff Writer

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eattle Prep students are surrounded by news, current events, and media all throughout the environment of the school. Prep challenges students to think outside the box on projects involving current events. But, when Prep students see a breaking news headline of a media outlet they often have to think: is this a reliable source? Sources can often have bias and impartial views on a topic that can be difficult to interpret and understand. Cara Weigand ’21 said that “some news seem to have more left or right wing leanings.”

Tribalism is often displayed when it comes to news sources. Tribalism is believing strongly in your views and your views only. When it comes to news, it can be difficult for news sources to see multiple sides to a story. Mr. Danielson said that all the different news stories can be like a “tsunami of information, it makes you want to run the other direction.”

Students of our generation are sur-

rounded by articles and news every day. Mr. Danielson said that when it comes to our generation and how the biased or fake news impacts us that “the biases can be confusing for students as they try to sort through all the competing messages.”

Anders Kouhia ’21 explained that it “changes the overall opinion about news…the epidemic of fake news has woken people up.”

Students must find the credibility of an article or subject. We are prepared with tests that can check the reliability of a source such as the CRAAP test and our knowledge from Media Literacy class. There is a large impact from the media on people in high school when it comes to getting the news.

Mrs. Lovejoy explained that if you followed the same accounts with similar opinions on Twitter or Instagram, you will never be able to expand on popular news stories. It creates an “echo chamber of one view point.”

News is everywhere Prep, so make sure that you are getting all that correct information.

VOTE Young People Fight for School Safety

SOPHIE JURION ‘20 Staff Writer

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he shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida killed 17 people and injured 17 more. Young people are demanding for meaningful action by Congress to improve the situation. A surge of youth-interest is shown by a recent march organized by the Parkland students attracting more than 500,000 people to Washington, D.C. In the 2018 midterm elections, energized young people will play a significant role in determining the gun control law.

Trump’s new school safety plan seeks to steer military vets and retired cops into the educational system and provide firearms training for “specially qualified” school personnel. Trump also called on Congress to pass pending legislation to strengthen instant federal background checks on gun buyers, and $50 million annually for technology and other programs to prevent school violence. This plan does not include raising the minimum age for buying firearms to 21, which Trump proposed last month.

People, especially millennials, are fighting for efforts made by the government to limit the spread of military-style weapons and raise the minimum age for buying firearms to 21, in hope to feel safe at school. Young people are demanding a meaningful change, since “it is unsettling to think that students around the world are concerned for their lives at a school where

they are supposed to feel safe” said Kellie Sommerville ‘20.

Turnout among young voters has historically been lower than that of other generations. But youth voter registration has surged since the Parkland shooting, according to an analysis by the consulting group TargetSmart. If young people can double their 2014 national turnout in 2018 up to 34 percent, as happened in Virginia, that would provide an additional four million voters nationally. Janet Russin ’20 discussed her thoughts on voting, “I’m looking forward to being able to vote when I’m 18. Especially in the current political climate, I think that people can really initiate change through voting.”

Helen Simmons ’20 deliberated the possibility of learning current events at school, “I think having a mandatory window or lit study class once every few months about what is going on in our government would help make students more aware of current events. An unbiased curriculum that went over each perspective to certain topics would be super interesting and helpful. Another thing that could help would be more info on registering to vote in the first place.”

Simmons explained the importance of voting, “I think young people are more hesitant to vote because we sometimes aren’t educated enough about what is going on in the political world. I think that if we were all more aware of what issues are being voted on then more people would exercise their power to make a change.”

GRACE WEIAND ‘20 Staff Writer

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n a time of Twitter updates, Buzzfeed quizzes, and political memes, it can be difficult to decipher the good from the bad, the true from the false, and the legit from the fake. How can a high-school student analyze every source to ensure it is credible?

That it is unbiased?

According to the New York Times, their definition of ethical journalism is to report the news without “fear or favor”. A credible news source will outline a story without reservations about the reactions of those reading it. In the era of President Trump labelling many negative stories of his administration as “fake news,” it is easy to understand these concerns of American journalists. Bias can be as obvious as a personal opinion within a factual article, or as simple as leaving out the “bad parts” of a story, to make one side look better.

Being educated about current issues allows for a genuine conversation about the state of our country. A quick biascheck, or Google search about the reliability of a source can absolutely change one’s

opinion on given issue. Knowing a source’s political lean can help inform readers about a particular side of an issue.

The Panther’s Editorial Policy requires staff to “reveal multiple perspectives” while telling stories, in order to encourage the education of readers. With an overall goal of keeping students informed, The Panther attempts to allow writers to use their own creativity to represent the student body. To read The Panther’s Editorial Policy and Mission Statement, refer to page 2 of any issue.

Sources americanpressinstitute.org nytimes.com/editorial-standards/ethicaljournalism.html# mediabiasfactcheck.com washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix

ASB Weighs in on Importance of Voting

vote for their ASB representatives, Hendricks said: “You vote for who you think t seems as though, in time of big elec- will benefit you the most, particularly with tions, like the current midterms, the class presidents and such, a bad person words: ‘register to vote’ are spouted could negatively affect Prep.”

Natalie Nowak, a sophomore class by every politician, celebrity, teacher and representative, hit on the issue of contribuplastered onto buses, billboards and social tion, when asked the same question. She media screen. It is easy to get caught up in said, “voting gives you an opportunity to the election-hype, with, seemingly, every contribute to society.” single person with a twitter following urgWhen questioned about whether ing people to exercise their right to vote. people’s votes matter, Nowak stated “Yes, In complex times like these, especially as a of course.

That’s kind of what democracy first-time voter or soon-to-be voter, it is imis.” portant to realize what is significant about Sophomore class president, Lewis voting, and why it such a rite of passage for Schrock, was American citizens. asked how

ASB, the seemingly he would go most qualified students at about perPrep to talk about the demosuading peocratic process, had some very ple to vote, bewise and interesting things to ing someone say when questioned about that has been the issue. It appeared that voted for in two main themes came up Natalie Nowak ‘21 the past. After when talking to members of contemplating the ASB: representation and for a while, he said “I would say, would you contribution. want a senior representing the sophomore

Owen Hendricks ‘19, who is c u r rently the senior class president, when he class? So why wouldn’t you want to vote was asked about the significance of partici- for the things that are best for you and your pating in the voting process, he emphatical- community?”

The notions that the most signifily said, “It’s pretty great, because we get to cant parts of voting are representation and represent ourselves. Even though one vote contribution, are reinforced in the words of is such a small percent, it still makes an imPrep’s own student public officials. pact.”

WILL THOMPSON ‘21 Staff Writer

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“Voting gives you an opportunity to

contribute to society.”

When asked on why Prep students

FEATURE

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EDITORS: LILLY THOMPSON ‘19 & SOPHIE PIACENTINI ‘19

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

VOTING Should Student Opinions Matter?

HOBBS HEGEDUS ‘22 Staff Writer

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BENI JURION ‘22 Staff Writer

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Your Voice, Your Vote

oting is vital to democracy. Without voting in the U.S., who knows would be elected? During the vital 2016 Presidential elections, only 58% of eligible young people (from ages 18-29 years old). voted and according to PBS, this was the highest percentage in an election in the modern era. This is a problem, because everyone should have an opinion about politics, and a way to get one’s voice heard is through voting for the candidates one supports.

One common reason why people do not vote, is the conception that their vote will be drowned out by the millions of other voters. This statement is true to a point. A single vote may not seem to matter, but when thousands of similarly opinionated people’s votes add up it does matter.

“If people do not vote then it really puts in the question of the legitimacy of our government,” said AP Government teacher, Ms. Healy.

Voting is a key component to democracy because it allows citizens to tell politicians and the government what the people want. Also, if hundreds of thousands of similarly opinionated people do not vote, then it is guaranteed that the candidate they were supporting will not get elected. An example, of the closeness in elections was during the 2000 presidential election. Florida’s vital 23 electoral seats during election decided by only 500 people (2,912,760 for George W Bush and 2,912,253 for Albert Gore).

Though the Presidential elections may seem to be the most important election cycle, the Congressional Midterm elections, are also very important, but it is one of the

Q&

least voted election cycles. In 2014, only 16% of young people voted in the midterms, and throughout US history, the highest young voter turnout was only 21% in 1998 according the Washington Post.

The Congressional Midterms are one of the most important elections because voters elect 1/3 of all senators and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives. These elections can change the majority of the House of Representatives and Senate. If a party gains majority of Congress, then they can easily pass new legislation, gain veto power over new bills, and hold subpoena power.

Overall it is important to vote in all elections, as according the AP Government teacher Ms. Slack, “Voting is a powerful tool to send to elected officials, so if you vote, elected officials are going to listen to you more.”

his year’s midterm elections have many voters divided, and while the President isn’t elected during midterms, there are many congressional seats being battled over and several important local initiatives from the environment to soda tax being determined. This leaves many wondering how do people choose who and what to vote for?

This is even true at Prep, and while most students can’t vote, most do have a wide range of opinions. Whether it’s from families or annoying popup ads on YouTube. Every issue has the yes’s and no’s, and all students convinced that they are on the “right side”.

With all of this passion and discussion there are two incredible facts, only 40% of Americans vote in midterm elections and no matter how much we talk about politics the voting age is 18.

Prep Government teachers Ms. Healy and Ms. Slack, shared their perspectives on how they thought elections and campaigning would change if the voting age was lowered.

Healy said “I actually do think it would have an impact because people who are younger tend to be more liberal, and in general, if the voter turnout was higher than typical we might get a broader range. Studies have shown that more older people vote.”

If more high schoolers were allowed to vote it would make a more inclusive democracy. This also relates to the issue of how many high schoolers are influenced politically via many different forms of media, Slack thought that, “…young people don’t vote because they don’t feel like voting matters in their day to day life, and they don’t get very much information, and part of it depends on how much they know. We are so inundated with

so many forms of media including social media that often it’s difficult to weed through the stories about what celebrities are doing instead of reading about political policies and what is going on with our government.”

This way of informing teenagers about politics with social media, could be a path to engaging an impressionable younger generation. This would most likely be one of the many changes that would occur if high schoolers were allowed to vote, social media advertisements could become the main form of advertising and sharing of political information.

If high schoolers were given more information about what’s going on in our government, and more reasons and opportunities to engage, then it makes sense to include a whole new group of diverse voters.

Freshman John Calvert agreed that, “You’d see a rise of politics in schools, with campaign posters popping in schools. Also, I think you’d specifically see more politicians target high schoolers, as they are the most susceptible voters.”

Further, if students were supported by their family and encouraged by the school to investigate issues, attend rallies and hear candidates speak, with ads and info available on social media it seems reasonable to expect higher voter turnout. If high schoolers were allowed to vote it would also cause politicians to have new legislations and polices be created relating to school funding, gun control, and other issues more closely related to younger generations. This foresight is most likely accurate, but only time will tell as little by little people begin to think about what impact high schoolers could have on the political world and public policy.

How Would Prep Vote?

MILO PEPPER ‘20 Staff Writer

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n essential element of the American experience is the ability to vote: to shape the future of one’s country and to express individual opinion. A fundamental idea to this system in America is that everyone’s opinion is heard, however the current system leaves out a significant portion of the population. 10% of the United State’s population is comprised of teenagers who form strong opinions on current political topics.

Among many local controversies, students at Prep are driven by the recent budget cuts in the Seattle Public Schools. “The arts are an essential part of an education”, said Fiona Killalea 20’. “I can’t imagine going to a school without a chance to paint, act or film.”

Students at Prep are accustomed to very unique and specialized classes which help to diversify their learning experience.

Passion on the topic of education hits close to home for those who are in the most formative years of their schooling. Though students at Prep may have more privileged opportunities, this does not stop them from advocating for the opportunities of others. Voting seems to be the only way in which many students under eighteen believe they can have the biggest impact. Killalea ‘20 adamantly said, “If I were to vote, I would be a lot more motivated to advocate for the quality of my own education.”

More broadly, homelessness is seen and felt by many around the Seattle Prep community. “I can’t buss home from school without seeing dozens of homeless people”, said Solei Perrin 20’. “It really has made me understand how fortunate I really am.”

Voting for more affordable healthcare and housing programs is paramount in the struggle against homelessness and Prep students have some ideas. “I would vote right now if I could,” said Rowan Davis 21’.

“I would push for the creation of more ‘tiny homes’ as well as inexpensive medical insurance.”

The service Prep does within the local community motivates students to become more involved in the homelessness crisis. Service places a bandage over the issue, but voting has the potential to fix a problem entirely.

“I guess I most driven by the thought of an entire family sleeping under a bridge and going hungry”, said Davis. “If I can do anything in my power to change that, I would vote.”

Recently, students as young as eleven and as old as twenty two have taken their case all the way to the Supreme Court. Their case- one’s civil rights are violated by the action and inaction of the United States’ Government on the topic of climate change. These students, some of which are in high school, are standing up for what they believe in at the federal level.

Legally, youth are not supposed to have a voice in government, however this case has gone to show that teens really can

make a difference in the political climate of America.

“That’s about all you can do if you can’t vote,” said Henry Pehl 20’ when discussing the case. “These young people are arguing from a very different place that adults cannot fully appreciate, as the effects of climate change will be felt by young people in the future.”

“It’s harder for adults to accept”, stated Pehl. “How can you be passionate about something that won’t impact you as much?”

The major theme among Prep students is the idea to reinstate Obama era climate policies. However, a large setback to the control of carbon dioxide emissions seems to be over the phrase “American friendly”

“At some point we have to realize what really is valuable to this country”, said Pehl. “Whether that means we cut back on fossil fuel consumption or destroy fewer forests, something has to change”.

It is clear the student body at Seattle Prep is passionate. Passionate about change.

Passionate about the social justice. Passionate about the future. Not only would the power of voting enable students to legally voice their opinions, but it would allow them to formulate new ideas too.

“So much of what I believe comes from my parents,” said Charles Gwynn 20’.

“With the new power and responsibility of voting, I feel that I might have different opinions of my own. And that excites me.”

trations have been put on hold because their voter registration did not exactly match up to other forms of ID. These mismatches have predominantly come in forms of misspellings, missed hyphens, and having a nickname on one form of ID and full name on another.

With only a few days before the registration deadline, many voters feared they would be barred from voting.

These voter registration laws seemingly affect minority voters the most. Georgia’s population is 32% black, however, 70% of those with registrations on hold are black.

This is an overwhelming majority that raises eyebrows at the intentions of those making and enforcing these laws.

Leigh Jensen ’20 commented on the issue saying, “I definitely think they are doing this because it’s one thing to have one case happen where people are kept from voting but because this is multiple cases it’s not just a coincidence.” She says it is not only about their opposing votes but a whole basis on racism

and suppression.

GOP officials claim to be fighting against voter fraud, Voter fraud is interference with the process of an election in any form from increasing the vote to favor a candidate to decreasing the vote of the rival candidate.

However, voter fraud is not as big of an issue in America as many people seem to think.

Arizona State University conducted two studies about voter fraud in 2012 and 2016. The first study revealed 10 cases of voter fraud among billions of votes in the country from 2000-2012. When again conducted, zero cases of voter fraud were found between 2012 and 2016.

Many believe GOP officials simply want to suppress votes that they believe will not benefit them. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Emory University Professor Carrol Stone said, “An aging, nearly 90 percent white GOP cannot carry its candidates to electoral victory on a platform that revels in the consequences of unvarnished racism.”

“You want to vote for the things that are best for you and your community.”

-Lewis Schrock ‘21

“The best part about voting is telling people you voted so they can’t get mad at you.”

-Moses Kent ‘19

Alleged Voter Suppression Runs Rampant

AUDREY FRIGON ‘20 Managing Editor

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ince the founding of America groups of people have been barred from voting based on race, gender, wealth, and literacy among others. This pattern seemingly has not changed in America leading up to the 2018 Midterm Elections, with accusations of voter suppression front and center.

Republican officials have recently been hounded with accusations of preventing minorities, most predominantly African Americans, from voting in the midterms.

These officials are allegedly doing this by adding and cracking down on certain laws making it more difficult for specific populations to vote.

For example, in Georgia the historic race for governor is tight between Democrat Stacey Abrams who could potentially be the first African-American woman to be the governor of Georgia, and Republican Brian Kemp. In Georgia over 53,000 voter regis-

Why should you vote?

“We get to represent ourselves.

Even though one vote is such a small percent, it still makes an impact.”

-Owen Hendricks ‘19

“Voting gives you an opportunity to contribute to society” -Natalie Nowak ‘21

8

IN THE NEWS

November 5, 2018

EDITORS: CAROLINE CASEY ‘21, PAIGE STANLEY ‘21

Washington Students Influence Freedom of Expression Bill CAROLINE CASEY ‘21 Staff Writer

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lthough young, students are mighty, and can make a big impact in our world. Recently in the Spring of 2018, Washington became the fourteenth state to pass the Student Freedom and Expression bill. This Bill allows student journalists in public schools to be completely responsible for their media without a student adviser intervening and prohibiting/ altering their work.

This is important because many have argued that the students are not being given their right in the first amendment of freedom of speech and press. For the student journalist, they no longer have to worry about their work being censored which will ultimately lead to more creativity. Specifically, in Washington, students went to Governor Jay Inslee’s office in Olympia to watch as he signed the law. When sophomore Molly Bevan was asked about her opinion on the Bill, she said, “I support the Bill because every person has their own style and opinions and the school shouldn’t be able to modify it.”

A lot of people, specifically students are excited for this new change and look up to the students from Washington public schools that went out and fought for change. One of the students in Washington pushing for the bill, Jaxon Owens of Puyallup High School says that the students won’t abuse this power and that the bill will help them to grow and reach their full potential as writers. Students like Owens are who inspire students all around the country. Bevan also said, “It is inspiring that these students did this because it goes to show students our age can make an impact in this world.”

This is an important law especially for students because it gives them power and freedom. Before the bill was passed in Washington, the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier

Sec. 1. The legislature finds that freedom of expression through school-sponsored media is a fundamental principle in our democratic society granted by the First A m e n d - ment to the United States Constitution and by Ar- ticle I, section 5 of the state Constitution.

It is the in- tent of the legislature to protect freedom of expres- sion through school-sponsored media for both public school students and students at public institutions of higher education in this state in order to encourage students to become educated, informed, and responsible members of society. decision allowed administrators in schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade to be able to censor school-sponsored media. Now, students are able to write what they want, not what the school wants which will lead to the work published being more relevant to their own age. Although school administrations cannot alter and censor their work, they can still prohibit student media that is libelous or slanderous, an unwarranted invasion of privacy, violates school district policy or procedure related to harassment, intimidation, bullying, or discrimination,

incites students to commit an unlawful act on school premises, and creates a material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.

Freshman Anika Poythress shared her opinion on the bill as well. In regard to freedom of speech, she said, “I think freedom of speech is an important right for a student to have because they are the next generation and in order to be a part of, and contribute to the world they will soon be in charge of, it is better for them to learn earlier how to voice their opinions and respect oth-

ers’ options so that their future can be up to its generation and not entirely up to the one before.”

Not only looking from the student perspective, it is important to know that the administrators are there to help and educate students. Poythress also states, “the teacher’s job is to prepare students for life, and the world. I also think students should have a say in the future of their world however I believe the previous generation (teachers) should also be able to give a guiding hand to shape the future.”

This summer, I spoke with a former inmate from Chicago named Charles.

Raised on the south side of Chicago, drugs and violence were rampant themes in his young life. Addicted to cocaine at a young age, Charles entered into a life of crime and drug use.

Charles described the brutal circumstances of drug withdrawal in prison.

While in prison in the 1980s, he had no support from the Federal Justice System.

Without any rehabilitation services, Charles

endured painful withdrawals without any support and after leaving prison, immediately went back to drug use.

Thankfully, the conditions have improved, and felons now have a resource to stop their addiction. The Federal Justice System has a three-step process for drug rehabilitation. First, an intensive supervision system is implemented. Then, the patients are a part of transitional work-release. Patients find work in the community and after work go back to the correctional facility. Fi-

nally, patients are frequently visited for after care while under parole.

This process centers around the concept that, “Drug abuse is a disorder of the whole person, that the problem is the person not the drug, that addiction is a symptom and not the essence of disorder, and that the primary goal is to change the negative patterns of behavior, thinking, and feeling that predispose drug use.” Rehabilitation centers, like these in prisons, are essential to conquering the drug epidemic.

Federal Justice System Treats Addiction Behind Bars

MIMI PARENT ‘19 Staff Writer

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rug abuse is an epidemic throughout the United States; however, most drug users are felons. The United States Office of National Drug Control Policy found that an estimated 82% of prisoners tested positive for at least one illicit drug upon entering prison.

Due to the high concentration of drug users in the United States prison system, the most impactful rehabilitation centers are part of the Federal Justice System.

Student Activists Take Legal Action Against Climate Change LILLY THOMPSON Online Editor

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blanket of smog covering the city.

Red, burning light from the sun glowing ominously. The Seattle skyline suffocated by a thick, unnatural smoke. For the two weeks in August in which the air quality reached levels worse than Beijing, our city was socked in by wildfires amplified by the effects of climate change.

According to Jamie Margolin, a 16-year-old activist from Shoreline, the smoke was a sign of the impending global warming disaster. “When I scroll through my Instagram feed in the summer, instead of seeing pictures of my friends enjoying the sun, I see some of them wearing gas masks

above captions saying things like “I can’t find breathable air anywhere.”

Since 2017, Margolin has worked with youth-led environmental activism groups to make change regarding the U.S.’s policies on global warming. “It’s time for youth be given the microphone and for our voices to count on the issue of climate change.”

Margolin says, “For once, it’s time for Jane Margolin leaders to listen to what the youth need, instead of vice versa.”

Young voices have been rising recently to the forefront of the nation’s

political agenda. Their media exposure has increased significantly, with the March for Our Lives organizers, teenage survivors of school shootings and now Margolin and her group of environmental activists. With an increase in attention comes an increase in political power.

Over the past couple of years, Margolin and a group of fellow young people have been suing the state of Washington for a livable climate.

“Elected officials talk about solving the climate crisis, but then turn around and issue permits for fossil fuel plants that poison communities, and destroy

“I can’t find breathable air anywhere”

the ecosystems, water, air and land that my generation and future generations need to survive” Margolin said.

Washington state law says that all citizens have a “fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment”.

Though her lawsuit has been shot down by judges and deemed “optimistic” yet unrealistic, Margolin remains determined to make action for a healthy environment in the country.

This year, there is an initiative to tax carbon use in Washington State, which many say would reduce the carbon footprint greatly. Young activists are determined to keep making change, however: “We won’t stop fighting until we get the change we need and deserve.”

ARTS

9

EDITOR: NATALIE NOWAK ‘21 CECE BROWN ‘21

QUINN LOSSE ‘19 Staff Writer

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NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Kanye West Makes America Great Again

ith the midterm elections right around the corner, politics seems to be the hot topic everyone is talking about. From political posts on social media by the famous to SNL skits of actors playing politicians, it’s becoming more and more common to see celebrities make their political views public to the world.

A celebrity who recently made big news after furthering himself in the political world is Kanye West. West visited the White House on October 11th to see President Donald Trump and left with his face on almost every news source. West was called to the White House to discuss jobs for African Americans and the crime rate in Chicago.

However, while at the White House, West went into a ten-minute rant touching on is-

sues ranging from his possible presidency something very important in today’s day in in the year 2024 to the idea of a futuristic age.” hydrogen-powered plane made by Apple Caleb Lind ’19, a dedicated West for the president. fan and who stays updated on all of the Senior Jacob Kanye West gosLe watched the clip of sip, has fairly West in the Oval Ofmixed feelings fice after listening to about the spontanehis friends talk about it ous speech. Lind during lunch. Le stated agrees with both how different his perWest and Trump’s sonal views are from thought that change those of Kanye West: needs to be made in Caleb Lind ‘19 “I don’t agree with his today’s world, esviews on wanting to pecially considerabolish the 13th Amendment.

I think ing the increasing crime rates in a city like it’s important to include the a m e n d - Chicago, however Lind also has his reservament about slavery in our constitution, be- tions as to what Kanye should be speaking cause it forces us to acknowledge our past about to the public. “I think that he should and keeping it emphasizes equality for all, just stick to making music,” said Lind.

“I think that he should just stick to making music.”

Model Student Ellen Porter ‘20 Addresses the Stigma of her Line of Work

LAUREN DAY ‘20 Staff Writer

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ou see them in magazines, you see them on runways, you see them in ads. But, do you really see them? Tall, gorgeous, elegant, always subject to people’s envy or anger and only seen as a perfect body or a pretty face. Models. Without experiencing their personalities, knowing their interests, or even understanding their back story, people judge models because of what they do, not because of who they are.

Junior at Seattle Prep and part time model, Ellen Porter shares her insight on the stigma of models and corrects these incorrect assumptions. “I think a lot of people think models are shallow, vain, uneducated, obsessed with themselves. There’s a lot of stigma around their weight, that a lot of models have eating disorders and that they’re just kinda airheads. But the truth is that modeling is a competitive industry and you have to be really smart to succeed. Each casting you go into is like an interview, so you’re basically just interviewing for new jobs. You meet a ton of new people, and you learn that it’s important to be respectful to everyone because you never know who knows who and what opportunities you can gain from certain people. Seattle is so small that a lot of clients will check in with me and ask about other models to see what they’re like. It’s competitive, and like I said, you have to be strategic and smart in order to make it.”

Working with such a stigma over her head, Porter often refrains from broadcasting the details of her modeling career. “Um ya I usually don’t tell people [I model], but it sometimes varies. I mean, a lot of people think it’s very cool and they’re not so rude about it to my face, but you always have to be careful because knowing I’m a model can really skew someone’s view of me if I tell them “oh, I’m a model” you know? They just think of that stereotype I described, and they judge me in a second. But generally, people are very nice about it and ask more questions, which is fun.”

This flash judgement has lead models to create tight knit communities where they can count on each other for support. When asked about her favorite parts of the job, Porter gleefully exclaims: “The community!” She explains that the modeling community, especially at her agency, TCM, is extremely supportive. “A mom founded TCM and her daughter is my manager, so everyone is super tight and it’s basically like being a part of a family run business. They really care about you! For example, if you do a job internationally, they have their phones on at all hours of the night and you can call them any time with any question, no matter how stupid it is, and they will pick up and they’ll help you.”

With dreams to walk a runway and many opportunities awaiting her, Porter is not thinking about stopping modeling anytime soon. To put it in her own words, “There are so many upsides to modeling! I’ve made a lot of great friends and I always feel so supported by my agency. I don’t really make that much money, but I love doing this because I feel like I’m doing something with my life now, so it’s cool that I can just do this and maybe it’ll help me out later. It could also create good opportunities for me later in life if I wanted to work in the fashion industry professionally, or even on the business side of things. I also love to travel, and modeling is great for that because if you book with an international client they will fly you out, and you can travel all around the world which is super dope!”

With offers to shoot with bigger brands and model in Milan, Porter is sure to be someone to keep on the lookout!

Modeling is hard work that is often over-looked. Because some models, like Porter, are in pursuit of their dreams, it is important to understand each and every model’s love for their work and to respect them for their commitment to their craft.

Shortly after watching the rant that was posted online, Senior Mia Griff was confused as to why Kanye talked so in depth about his innovative iPlane 1 idea.

Griff believes that West “should be spending less worrying about how the president is flying around and instead about the more pressing issues in our country.”

West’s rant at the White House has created controversy amongst many, stealing the attention of the media. The United States will just have to wait six more years to see if Kanye West in fact runs for the presidential election. Until then, we should not be surprised to see Kanye’s name pop up in the political realm in the near future.

ARTS

10 NOVEMBER 5, 2018

EDITOR: CHLOE SAHARIC ‘19

Street Art: A Form of Political Activism or Vandalism?

CHLOE SAHARIC ‘19, Online Editor

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treet art, often in the form of graffiti on the walls of urban streets, has become a popular way for citizens to show their opinion on politics in our current society. It is a form of art that many people can do, including Prep students and world famous artists.

“If I had to define street art, I would say it is non gang related murals painted or drawn as a way of artistic expression throughout the city.

True street murals aren’t painted for no reason or in areas where it is inappropriate to,” said Senior Jillian Bankaitis.

Bankaitis is a street artist herself and loves it because “I just feel like it’s the best and most accurate way I can artistically express myself. It’s a rare art for people to practice and I like being unique in this way. Because I usually have to paint alone, graffiti is a way in which I destress and have fun, especially going to a school like Prep.”

Bankaitis’ inspiration to paint came from Chris Brown, and the many art pieces he has posted on Instagram. One aspect of street art she does not like is the negative connotation it receives. “For most people, I am the first person they know who paints graffiti that isn’t the classic crusty troublemaker. I have even had someone come up to me and say that I really changed their perspective on street art because I do it legally and for fun, not for destruction. The issue is the fact that street art is more common in areas high in crime and is associated with gang behavior,” Bankaitis said.

Recently, one of the most talked about street artists is Banksy.

Located in England, but performing his many “tricks” around the globe, Banksy is an anonymous street artist who is recently best known for shredding his own piece of artwork at an auction, called Sotheby’s, after it sold for $1.4 million in early October. The artwork, entitled Girl With Balloon, has much debate on its interpretation. It depicts a young girl trying to catch a red heart-shaped balloon that is floating away in the wind. The artwork is captioned, “There is always hope.” Banksy does not explain the meaning behind the art pieces, which leaves the interpretation of his art up to the individual.

When asked about this event, Bankaitis said, “I think him shred-

Street Art: A Form of Political Activism or Va n dalism?

Street

a r t , often in the form o f graffiti on the walls of urb a n

streets, has become a popular way for citizens to show their opinion on poli-

t i c s in our current socie t y.

It is a form of art that

many people c a n do, includi n g Prep students a n d

world f a mous artists.

“If I had to define street art, I would

ding his painting was dope. People get so caught up in price tags and trends that meaning is often lost. I’m sure, with the type of artist Banksy is, the shredding was an act of protest.”

Onlookers of the event were in shock as seen in a video of the shredding event was posted on Instagram. After the video came out, there was much speculation about who installed the shredder, how it was activated, and why someone would do this. Many of these questions were answered after Banksy posted a video on his website entitled “Shredding the Girl and Balloon – The Director’s half cut.” In the video, Banksy showed himself installing the shredder into the base of the picture frame at the auction. It also showed an anonymous person pressing a button on a remote control, which prompted the frame to shred the artwork.

After the event, Banksy posted a video on Instagram of the event, which he captioned “’The urge to destroy is also a creative urge,’ -Picasso.”

Some people have said that after this incident, the artwork is worth more. When hearing this, Nora Conaty ’22 said, “I agree with this statement because there has been a lot of attention from the public about it, so it is probably more valuable.”

Much of the street art during the 2016 presidential election depicted President Trump and Hillary Clinton either in a positive or negative light, depending on the artists’ ideology. Now, as the nation approaches the 2018 midterm elections, many artists take the streets to share their opinion of the current administration. Some of these art pieces include graphics that encourage eligible citizens to vote and increase their political participation.

Bankaitis says she thinks that street art has the potential to play a role in our current political society, but it is not seen as a serious form of protest. “There are not very legitimate artists around the world in general so there is not enough content going around to truly influence our politics.

Europe does a better job of using street art in society than America does.”

According to Bankaitis, “street art is very cool and is one of the best ways to reach the public with art, but at this point in time it is not extremely influential in our world. Without street art, artists wouldn’t have this extra avenue of expression and I think the more opportunities to express, the better.”

s a y it is nongang r e lated m u r a l s painted or

street m u r a l s aren’t painted for n o reason or in areas

drawn as a way of artistic e x pression t h e city.

True

where it is inappropriate t o , ” says is a street artist

hers e l f a n d loves it because “I just feel like it’s the

best most a c curate w a y I can artistically e x press

mysa school like Prep.” from t h e many a r t pieces he has

SNL Leans Liberal; Could Drive Away Conservative Viewers

ABBY ARTHUR ‘19 Photo Editor

F

or over 40 years, Saturday Night Live has brought laughter and relief to millions of families across America; but has their recent uproar of political critique affected their audience?

While always taking risks with sketches and bits, SNL has gained longlasting popularity and has been the humble beginnings of many stars such as Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Amy Poehler, and many more. However, in its newest season, this late-night show has been pushing its political views extensively through their liberal lens.

SNL has never been right leaning,

NOAH PINGUL ‘19 Staff Writer

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but recently, viewers and critics have been noting that their increasingly left-leaning skits may be causing them to lose viewers with more conservative beliefs.

In recent news, this issue became blatantly obvious through the Brett Kavanaugh hearing and sexual assault allegations.

SNL covered this event through a segment of the Weekend Update and a recreation of the hearing itself featuring Matt Damon.

In Michael Che and Colin Jost’s interpretation of the scandal, their liberal stance is shown through how Kavanaugh is mocked.

Jost makes light of the situation by saying, “based on the testimony Kavanaugh thought the hearing was about whether he was cool or not in high school.”

Liberals tended to oppose Kavanaugh since many of his republican stances, especially concerning abortion rights, interfere with their beliefs. SNL shows this by blatantly disapproving of him. To criticize Kavanaugh further, Che adds, “typically when you’re asked about a sexual assault and your drinking problem at a job interview, you don’t get the job.”

In addition to the Weekend Update, SNL also crafted a thirteen-minute recreation of the Kavanaugh-Blasey Ford Hearing with Matt Damon as the star. (However, out of respect, Blasey Ford was not featured in the sketch.) The debate had a central theme of proving Kavanaugh’s guilt through making fun of his frequent com-

ments on how he enjoys beer, hanging with ‘the guys’, and how he essentially could not directly answer a question. While humorous to many, covering the Kavanaugh situation in such a way may have cost the show valuable long-time viewers.

SNL is taking a stance in politics and is showing a leadership role in the resistance through its creative and edgy humor.

Although their information may be taken in different ways depending on who the consumer is, the show is doing anything but staying quiet and chooses to use their voice to defend their political affiliation in our controversial era.

tion as President of the United States. Clinton himself only appears in the movie for brief moments. The movie mainly follows the team around Clinton’s campaign, and it focuses on the two men who ran his campaign, George Stephanopoulos and James Carville.

Stephanopoulos, famous for his stint on Good Morning America, was the Communications Director, and James Carville was the Lead Strategist of the Clinton Campaign. These two men were behind the anti-Bush slogan, “Read My Lips”, and they

helped Clinton’s New Hampshire primary upset. The film primarily takes place in Little Rock Arkansas, where the Campaign was primarily run.

The film is both insightful and intriguing as the audience gets to see the inner workings of an election campaign and the pressures of a political life. In the War Room, the audience sees how much strategy is put into each word out of a candidate’s mouth, how many long nights are spent working on speeches, slogans, and other important functions of a campaign. Through-

out the film, the audience’s views future well known politicians who are just getting their start in politics. Mickey Kantor, a chair member of the Clinton Campaign, later became the Secretary of Commerce, and Harold Ickes, who also worked on the Clinton Campaign, later became the Deputy Chief of Staff.

This Academy Award nominated film War Room, gives an unusual, but interesting view on how campaigns are run, through its following of key advisors in the Clinton Campaign.

War Room Provides Modern Political Lessons

olitical documentaries, other than being an activity to fill free Friday nights, are a good way to gain political insight into the inner working of governing and running campaigns.

The 1993 documentary, War Room, chronicles Bill Clinton’s unlikely comeback in the New Hampshire Primary, his campaign against George H. W. Bush, and his (SPOILER ALERT) eventual elec-

SPORTS EDITORS: OWEN HENDRICKS ‘19, NOAH PINGUL ‘19

11 NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Max Heid Prepares to Continue His Rowing Career at UW OWEN HENDRICKS ‘19 Staff Writer

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eattle Prep Senior, Max Heid, has made headlines this past month attending the U19 National Selection Camp for rowing.

Heid began his rowing career when he was eight years old at the Seattle Rowing Center and Heid said that “starting at a young age has really helped me learn special techniques and skills that have given me a head start in my high school rowing career.”

During his Freshman year, Seattle Prep started a crew program and Heid was given the opportunity to be on the first rowing team ever for Seattle Prep. Through his time at Seattle Prep, Heid has raced in many

different boats consisting of single, pair, quad and eight man; however, he was most successful when he raced in singles and placed 2nd at Regionals and 10th at Nationals in his Junior year. As Heid looks on to his future in rowing I was given the chance to interview him on future plans and goals.

Owen Hendricks: What made you decide to row crew at such a young age instead of doing other sports that were more common for grade schoolers.

Max Heid: My parents were the main reason why I got into the sport. My mom rows even to this day and my dad is a crew coach so they really encouraged me to begin my career in rowing.

O.H.: What was it like competing at the Youth Olympics and are you looking to compete in similar events in the future?

M.H.: The youth Olympics was one of the greatest experience of my life. It was amazing getting to race against some of the best rowers in the world, but the best part was getting to meet other athletes from all over the world that I never would have met if not for the youth Olympics.

O.H.: With college just around the corner which colleges and programs are you interested in and which ones have reached out to you?

M.H.: I will be attending the UW to row. I look forward to rowing for a team that has been extremely successful and has a rich history.

O.H.: What is your personal goal for rowing?

M.H.: I came into rowing never setting any achievement goals. For me my only goal is

to try my hardest and to hopefully continue loving the sport and see where the road takes me.

O.H.: Do you play any other sports, or do you focus solely on rowing?

M.H.: All of my time right now is focused on rowing but this summer I hope to start competing in more triathlons up and down the west coast.

O.H.: In the future do you think you will row singles, pair, quad, or crew? Which type is your favorite?

M.H.: The single will always be my favorite boat because you also know you earned each and every victory and if you lose, there’s no one else to blame but yourself. However, in the future I’m willing to race in any of the boats that my coach at the University of Washington asks me to.

Photo: Abby Arthur Senior Max Heid practices rowing in a single shell on Lake Union this past Summer after returning from the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

Nike Backs Colin Kaepernick for Racial Equality Campaign WALID CRUZ-VANEGAS ‘20 Staff Writer

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n September 4th, Nike burst onto the scene of racial equality in the sports community.

Colin Kaepernick tweeted “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt.” The tweet featured a gray-scaled close-up of Kaepernick’s face, with the text overlaid in white.

The image is simple yet expressive in the same vein. His face portrays minimal emotion but manages to give off a feeling of inspiration through his eyes. Perhaps, this is

the goal of Nike through this ad campaign, to inspire change, to take a step in the right direction specifically regarding freedom of expression for athletes.

Why has this simple, positive, and nearly cliché message gained so much media intention? It is not what us being said, it is who it is being said by. Kaepernick, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, has become an influence in the racial justice community for taking a knee during the national anthem, prior to kickoffs.

Tensions arose between Kaepernick and the NFL as a result of these actions.

His stated motives are standing up against

systemic racism and police brutality. Systemic racism is a dangerous form of racism.

It remains morally unjust, yet it is enabled by legitimate institutions such as law enforcement.

The validity of Kaepernick’s actions are up for debate across the nation.

He has faced conflict with the NFL after attempting to sue them for preventing the representations of his views.

On the other hand, Kaepernick is garnering support from other NFL players on teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburg Stealers, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. As Kaepernick partners

with Nike in an ad campaign, he receives another outlet to voice his concerns for the nation. Nike is a corporation, which means that there are financial repercussions that accompany supporting a controversial athlete, such as Kaepernick. In the past Nike has turned its back on a number of its customers in an attempt to appeal more to their core consumers (18 to 29 years old males).

Fortunately for Kaepernick’s aspirations of equality with the addition of Nike’s business ventures, this calculated risk has proven successful.

Panthers on the Path to State Athletics

KELLEN CARR ‘20 Staff Writer

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ost Prep students love following Panther athletics. But, there are a fair amount athletic teams competing right now, and it can be hard to follow all of them. With volleyball, girls soccer, cross country, girls swim, girls dive, golf, and football, there is a lot of information and updates about the teams are doing, many of the teams are off to battle in state or are in the midst of playing in the metro tournament.

Girls soccer, which is arguably the most notable sport during the fall at Seattle

Prep is off to state and competed in the metro finals on Thursday, losing a close match 1-2 against Lakeside. The team has a plus 62 goal differential and are led by Seniors Bea Franklin, a Notre Dame soccer commit, and Helena Reischling, a University of Washington Commit.

The cross country team is sending two boys Junior Cooper Klein and Senior Luke Jensen to the state competition. The race took place Saturday November 3rd in Pasco Washington. Cooper ran a 16.41.6 at the 3A district 2 competition and placed 15th. Luke Jensen ran 16.58.1 in a breakout race in which he broke his PR by almost 30

seconds.

The volleyball team is in the middle of the Metro tournament. They are battling hard to stay in the winners bracket and are led by junior Clair Filarski and senior captains Sophie Piacentini and Caroline Reischling

Both the boys and girls golf team are waiting on news of the other districts around the state to see if they have qualified for the state tournament. Other districts play golf as a spring sport instead of fall, which is the cause of this wait.

The girls swim is competing in districts with Molly Bevan, Sydney Chalmers,

Grace Foley, Taryn Frank-Looney, Maggie Green, Eva Guarda Vazquez, Ella Hill, Carolyn Kounellas, Bella Metcalf, Bea Obaob, Gabby Stuart, Maya Warnock. All looking to earn a spot in the state meet. While diver Kate Leahy is off to state due to her fantastic performance at metros in which she placed 3rd.

The football team is competing the round of thirty-two on Friday against the mighty Peninsula Seahawks. A win would springboard them into a bracket style play in which a committee would rank the sixteen remaining teams and then continue bracket play.

THE PAW PRINT

12

Do you support Trump

NOVEMBER 5, 2018

Do you identify as Democratic or Republican?

Political Polls at Prep Do you support restrictions on guns?

30%

36% 64%

EDITOR: TESSA ZINK ‘21

Do you support Brett Do you support Donald Trump Kavanaugh’s nomination to the and his policies?

Supreme Court?

24%

29% 70%

71%

76%

= republican

= yes

= democrat

= no

glos•sa•ry

midterm (mid-turm) Elections occurring every two years where all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1/3 of the 100 member U.S. Senate are up for election. This changes the political field greatly impacting the president’s actions and agendas in the second half of his term. conservative (kuh n-sur-vuh-tiv) A person holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation. initiative (ih-nish-ee-uh-tiv) The right to initiate legislative action senate (sen-it) Senators working in legislative branch of the U.S. government. They represent people of his or her states, there are two senators per state. They write and vote on new laws or “bills”. Senators serve 6-year terms. liberal (lib-er-uhl) A person open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

House of Representatives (hous uhv rep-ri-zen-tuh-tivs) Works with the U.S. Senate to create and vote on bills. Represents the popular will of citizens in each state. Representatives serve 2-year terms.

The Book of Moses MOSES KENT ‘19 Staff Cartoonist

This issue Danica Dytioco ’20 spoke with GJC leaders, Liv McAuslan ’20 and Mrs. Ford, about the recent developments of Washington State officially abolishing capital punishment. On October 11, 2018, Washington became the 20th state to deem the death penalty as unconstitutional. They discussed alternatives to death row, private prisons, and the moral stakes with continuing the practice.