A More Perfect Storm

Is“more perfect” a thing? It may be the only way to describe the storm of challenges pummeling schools today.

Of course, schools had plenty of challenges before 2020.

Then came the pandemic.

Then came the bans. From the Taliban’s ban of Afghan girls and women from school beyond 6th grade to the proposed bans of AP African-American History and college diversity programs in Florida to the banning of books including This Book is Gay from school shelves across the country.

Then came the threat of Artificial Intelligences (AI). From reports of colleges using AI to soullessly sort through the dreams of thousands of applicants to the meteoric rise of ChatGPT and GPT-4 ghostwriting essays- many are worried the machine apocalypse is here.

Then last month, the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey gave us a startling glimpse into the dire state of student mental health.

In short, an already-perfect storm of challenges for schools got a lot more perfect in recent

It’s How Knowledge Works

Weoften take our education for granted. We show up to class, listen to our teachers, and hopefully pass our exams. But for women in places like Afghanistan, the fight for education is a daily struggle.

In 2021, the Taliban regained power and immediately restricted the education of girls, announcing on March 23rd that girls were banned from attending secondary school indefinitely.

It was a stark reminder of the challenges that women face in their pursuit of knowledge. In a way, their struggles mirror those of African-American women in the United States during the fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s.

One such woman is Dr. Betty Holston Smith, one of the first African-American student to integrate Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. Her story, featured in this edition of the Amplifier, is a reminder of the determination and resilience required to fight for one’s rights and the respect they deserve.

Recognizing the need for expanded educational opportunities, in the summer of 2022 we launched “School By Any Means,” an educational organization that provides resources and education to people no matter where they are.

This Amplifier is a product of the program that we developed with some women and girls from Afghanistan where we taught them how to write journalistically during a two-week Zoom class.

At their essence, these women are

About the Cover

fighting for the same things as we are: personal agency, the ability to learn more about the world around them, and acceptance into a world that doesn’t always want to see them succeed.

The American superhero is ubiquitous in mass media and culture today. He’s buff, blonde, white, hetero, and always ready to rescue helpless women in order to “save the day.” But what about the women becoming their own heroes, saving themselves and their communities?

In this issue, we want to move past the trope of white saviorism and hear from real women about the trials and tribulations they faced in their pursuit of education.

During weekly Zoom meetings with Afghan women who lost their access to education after the Taliban takeoversome women had their Zoom names as only “iPhone 6” or “iPhone 7.” There was a language barrier (assisted by student translators), alongside poor connection at times. Yet even with these limiting factors, what shone through were the questions the women asked, the fascinating discussions held, and above all, their stories that deserve to be heard.

Some heroes don’t wear capes, and some keep anonymity in Zoom meetings. As students in the DMV, let’s recognize these women as heroes in their own right, and instead of taking education for granted, stand in solidarity with those who are still fighting for the right to learn.

- The Editorial Staff

Hadia who lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. We asked her to pose with a book that has special meaning to her.

I chose Think Big! because it helps to make my self-esteem stronger,” said Hadia. “Reading it creates a deep impact on my life in hard times like these for girls like me in Afghanistan. Think Big! helps me not judge myself for all the terrible things happening.”