The Tower - Issue 1

THE

TOWER

Issue 01

DETAILS PHILOSOPHY The Tower is a student-run publication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, Calif. Writers and editors work together under the guidance of a faculty advisor to enhance the Bishop’s community and stimulate meaningful conversation through the collection and distribution of news. The Tower aims to educate the Bishop’s community about issues and events that pertain to the experience of young adults. Sections of The Tower include Academic, Sports, Arts, Culture, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints eight issues each academic year, in addition to continuous online coverage.

POLICY The Tower works with the administration by communicating about sensitive topics to ensure the safety of Bishop’s students. The Tower refrains from prior review of its issues, and maintains the right to publish anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern. All quotes are subject to editing for clarity and length. Opinions expressed in The Tower do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff or of The Bishop’s School.

COLOPHON The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, Calif. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 500 copies of Issue 01 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces include Didot for the cover, headlines, and subheadings; Minion Pro is used for bylines and body text. Issue 01 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com.

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DETAILS | Issue 01

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Amy Carlyle Graphics Editor - Print Carly Phoon Online Editor Sariah Hossain Graphics Editor - Online Lucie Edwards

COVER STORY Cover art by Amy Carlyle (‘20) and Sariah Hossain (‘22)

In Issue 01’s cover story, Online Editor Sariah Hossain (‘22) explores the role of social media in activism. Weighing its merits and faults, the article discusses the rise of “slacktivism” and its modern-day presence in online activity. Issue 01’s cover art reflects this, representing the relationship between the two forms activism takes today: physical and digital.

Copy Editors Alex Cotton Harper White Faculty Advisor Ms. Laine Remignanti Staff Writer Kyle Berlage CONTACT The Tower c/o The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 www.thebishopstower.com thetower@bishops.com IG @thebishopstower TW @thebishopstower THE BELL The Bell is a section within The Tower that intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine. Satire, puzzles, quizzes, and the like are frequent inside The Bell, and are separate from the rest of the magazine.

Please contact The Tower with any questions or concerns.

ONLINE

www.thebishopstower.com

8/14/19 - Seniors and Head of School Mr. Ron Kim gathered at the Senior Welcome Dinner. By Amy Carlyle (‘20) 8/12/19 - To better get to know this year’s ASBC, read the highlights of last year’s election speeches. By Carly Phoon (‘20)

8/7/19 - A new Better Buzz Coffee Roasters is set to open this fall in La Jolla, only blocks away from Bishop’s.

By Harper White (‘21)

6/21/19 - The Adroit Journal published an essay written by Bishop’s student Jeffrey Wang (‘21). By Lucie Edwards (‘21)

CORRECTIONS Issue 08 2019

- In “Spring Sports” the boys’ baseball team was incorrectly described. They play in Division II. - In “Retiring Faculty: Dr. Carol Barry,” the pull quote should be attributed to Liz Szymanski (‘19).

FROM THE EDITOR

This summer, I thought a lot about my senior year. I’d finally get to enjoy all of the perks — maroon polos, signing out early, going on the secret senior retreat — but nonetheless, I felt a certain unease as I approached my last year of high school.

In preparation, I dusted off my sister’s senior yearbook.

Tucked between the last two pages, I found an old copy of The Tower from 2009, her sophomore year, yellowing slightly and creased down the center.

As I turned its pages, I read through other peoples’ high school memories. The front page headline read “Happy Birthday, Bishop’s!” in honor of the school’s centennial celebration. There was an article about the creation of the first student center, containing three separate refer-ences to Myspace; another described students receiving @bishops.com emails for the first time ever. My personal favorite: a note saying this would be the last issue in newspaper format, that the staff had decided to switch to magazine style. I wonder what those editors would think of our new website.

Back then, The Tower even had its own Bell — the Catacombs.

I guess we weren’t all that clever coming up with the Bell two years ago, but it’s cool to see how things have changed. Or, in some cases, how things haven’t — while we put playlists in the Bell and post them on Spotify, the Catacombs featured recommendations for students’ iPods.

The old Tower also featured the obligatory Top Ten, a tradition since who-knows-when. That issue’s was Top Ten Things You’ll Find in the Bishop’s Centennial Museum. Some highlights include #8: the school’s very first confiscated cell phone c. 1986; #4: the long-lost list of good ideas for sophomore re-treat; and #2: Party Ray’s Final Party T-Shirt — whatever that means.

A lot has changed since 2009, just as a lot will be different a de-cade after my own graduation. As we move into this new year and dive back into our individual academic hamster balls, think about what you want to take with you at the end of year — not just good AP scores, but memories and moments that will make you smile decades from now. A whole new year awaits — maybe in 2029, someone else’s little sister will be reading about us too.

Love,

Amy Carlyle, Editor-in-Chief DETAILS | Issue 01

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6 | ACADEMIC All About ASBC Meet your 2019-2020 representatives Amy Carlyle

8 | SPORTS Summer Sports Guide How Bishop’s student-athletes spend their time off Lucie Edwards C-Squared Get to know this year’s Sports Representatives Carly Phoon

12 | ARTS 2020 Vision Senior Rec Room Photo Spread

14 | CULTURE Rehab & Relapse

Unplugging for three weeks ultimately increased my addiction to technology and social media

Carly Phoon

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CONTENTS | Issue 01

IN THIS ISSUE > > > 16 | COVER STORY A Very Fine Line It would be nice to think we could change the world with the click of a button Sariah Hossain

18 | LOCAL & BEYOND Fast and Furious The scoop on scooters in San Diego Amy Carlyle

20 | OPINION Shackled Why the Internet needs to be freed Kyle Berlage

22 | THE BELL Top Ten Top Ten steps to becoming a Soundcloud rapper

CONTENTS |

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ALL ABOUT ASBC Meet your 2019 - 2020 representatives Amy Carlyle

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s early morning sunshine glows above the quad, students old and new mingle, breathing in the first moments of a new year and chatting about their summers well spent. They shuffle from class to class, occasionally getting lost in the halls. A few hours later, they gather in the gym waiting to see what first day festivities the Associated Student Body Council, or ASBC, has in store.

ASBC organizes a number of activities for students to encourage school spirit and unity, starting the very first day of school. “I’m really looking forward to all of the events at the beginning of the school year,” said President Noah Lin (‘20). “I hope that the ASBC-run activities and school culture in general can help new students— and even returning students who may feel uneasy about the upcoming school year— feel welcomed, appreciated, and supported.”

Before becoming President, Lin served as Junior Class President. “Last year was my first being a part of student government; I did a lot of listening and needed more guidance. Now, I have more experience and am taking on more responsibility. I am able to help lead and contribute more as well as continue to learn from others.”

“The most important job of ASBC is to keep the student body smiling during their highs and lows of the year,” said Vice President Timmy Kelly (‘20). This is Kelly’s

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first year on ASBC.

ASBC is responsible for Upper School Announcements, held during enrichment roughly once per cycle. There, students and faculty share information

Stay up to date with ASBC by following their Instagram page, @tbs_asbc.

about upcoming events, opportunities, and club meetings.

ASBC also organizes Bishbowl, an annual afternoon of sports, spirit, and fun. Students don their free dress for the school day and stay into the evening for games and snacks. The night finishes at La Jolla High School, where Bishop’s students flood the bleachers to watch a football

game. “Bish Bowl involves free food and games, and Spirit Week involves free dress for a whole week — what’s not to be excited about?” said Chief of Staff Eliana Petreikis (‘20).

Spirit Week is one of ASBC’s most significant undertakings, a weeklong series of themed free dress days paired with activities and events during the school day.

The week culminates in Airband, which Kelly claims is “the hottest event of the year for everyone at Bishop’s, regardless of grade.” The classes face off in an epic battle to claim their place as champion.

Lip-syncing, skits, and vibrant dance routines are typical Airband sights, and a board of faculty and student judges score each performance. “It is the place not only to see but to be seen. I’m so honored to be able to moderate it this year and introduce all the different levels of talent each grade brings,” Kelly continued.

As the months go on, the Bishop’s community will see all the new ways the 2019-2020 ASBC will shake up the school year. On what students can look forward to, Lin remarked, “We’re hoping to use this year’s theme to incorporate a lot of events, games, and competitions that I anticipate will be extremely fun and engaging throughout the school year.”

For now, the details must remain a surprise: “ASBC has a number of major achievements we’d like to see happen, but I can’t spoil everything now,” said Kelly.

The Tower PRESIDENT Noah Lin (‘20) Favorite summer song: “Beach in Hawaii” by Ziggy Marley Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Blessing of the Animals Favorite place on campus: the Quad

VICE PRESIDENT Timmy Kelly (‘20) Favorite summer song: “The Sun”

by Dreamville Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Airband Favorite place on campus: Upper Bentham

CHIEF OF STAFF Eliana Petreikis (‘20) Favorite summer song: “West Coast”

by FIDLAR Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Bishbowl Favorite place on campus: Library

SECRETARY Schuyler Capita (‘21) Favorite summer song: “Earfquake” by Tyler, the Creator Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Senior Rec Room Favorite place on campus: Upstairs Library

TRESURER Paul Cleary (‘20) Favorite summer song: Hamilton Favorite Bishop’s tradition: senior polos Favorite place on campus: Cafeteria

ARTS REPRESENTATIVE Carly Phoon (‘20) Favorite summer song: “Mr. Clean” by Yung Gravy Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Blessing of the Animals Favorite place on campus: Third floor art room

PR REPRESENTATIVE Miguel Solis (‘21) Favorite summer song: “Oh No What We Gonna Do” by Veggie Tales Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Airband Favorite place on campus: Cafeteria

PR REPRESENTATIVE Zaina Ghouri (‘22) Favorite summer song: “Hey Ya!” by Outkast Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Christmas Tree Lighting Favorite place on campus: Cafeteria

COMMUNITY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE Austin Yang (‘21) Favorite summer song: “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Christmas Tree Lighting Favorite place on campus: Library

SPIRIT REPRESENTATIVE Sarina Krishnan (‘20) Favorite summer song: “Money in the Grave” by Drake Favorite Bishop’s tradition: Christmas Tree Lighting Favorite place on campus: outside Library tables

For extended coverage including class presidents, visit our website, www.thebishopstower.com. See pages 10-11 for Carly Phoon’s (‘20) article about the Sports Representatives.

ACADEMIC | Issue 01

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SUMMER SPORTS GUIDE How Bishop’s student-athletes spend their time off Lucie Edwards

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uring our elementary days, summer vacation was a collage of 7Eleven Slurpees, Kool-Aid dyed hair, and the familiar feeling of putting on a still-wet bathing suit the morning after a long day at the beach. Summer peaked in these years. With no math sheets or academic credit classes, the most educational part of these weeks was a fluffy required reading, meant only to remind developing brains what ink looks like absorbed into paper.

Now, there never seems to be that wonderful feeling of aimlessness which took so many summers to cultivate.

For athletes especially, a break is not in the cards.

In order to be ready for the season, student-athletes must find ways to practice, with or without their teams.

For some, this means simply staying in shape to be ready to keep up with their teammates in the coming season.

For others, this means intense athletic clinics in hopes of bettering their skills.

Maya Minagawa (‘20) thinks that one of the most important parts of summer is staying in shape. She believes that working on her strength helps her in both gymnastics and dance, saying, “When I’m stronger, I’m not just focused on trying to breathe the whole time.”

This feeling is not unique to Minagawa. Many athletes agree that improvement during the year is

more manageable when they don’t have to start from square one at the beginning of the season. With the rush of the school year, there will be less time for athletic practice, team bonding, and developing trust between teammates. Jamie Fazio (‘21) discussed the ways in which the football team tackles this issue. He has found that working out both

to develop further. Without the constraint of schoolwork, many athletes are able to go beyond maintaining their general strength and utilize the summer as a way to improve game-specific skills. This search for athletic development takes many forms, including club teams and various clinics. Some of these programs are held at Bishop’s, such as camps focusing on basketball, volleyball, and general fitness.

Many students hope to use summer break to make some extra cash or complete their service learning hours during the break. This leads some high school athletes, such as Arden Lichter (‘21) to take a different approach to athletics. Lichter has spent her past three summers as a Counselor-in-Training (CIT) at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center teaching young campers how to surf and swim.

Lichter is thankful for this opportunity. “Being a CIT has helped me to keep my skills as a swimmer and a water polo player because I not only get to teach the kids the correct way to swim, but I also get to stay in shape for the season,” she said.

Wes Spieker (‘21) has also used the summer as a time to find a job that uses his athletic abilities.

As an intern for Junior Lifeguards, Spieker is able to utilize his skills in water sports as a means to teach kids about water safety. Fazio also stresses the importance of finding volun-

“I try not to take breaks unless I absolutely need to.”

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- Jada Davis (‘21)

individually and with his team aids his performance in football, noting that “getting ready for the season requires [the team] to spend a lot of time getting better on the field and in the weight room.”

While these experiences also take place during the school year, the break from academics during the summer gives athletes more time

The Tower

Left: Many Bishop’s water polo players competed in the John Hale Tournament with Shores Water Polo.

Right: Brooke Waite (‘21) utilized the Bishop’s tennis courts this summer to practice her skills.

teer organizations that align with one’s athletic interests. He works with an organization called SPORTS for Exceptional Athletes (S4EA), which hosts various sporting events for disabled athletes. Fazio’s main motivation for supporting this program is not to maintain his skills in sports but rather because he believes that “everyone should be able to experience the same feelings” that he has felt through sports.

Without the added stress of schoolwork, some student-athletes are able to dedicate themselves fully to their sports. Jada Davis (‘21) takes advantage of the time to run, dance, and play basketball nonstop, saying, “I try not to take breaks unless I absolutely need to.”

Minagawa also spends a lot of time in the gym, working hard for the upcoming gymnastics season.

She discusses the large part of her schedule dedicated to dance and gymnastics, saying, “I spend all summer practicing more than I usually do, focusing a lot on strength, improving my skills from last season, and up-training new skills for the coming season.”

In many cases, high school athletes are hoping to be scouted to play on college teams. The summer is a great time for these students to attend college recruitment events. Brooke Waite (‘21) recently participated in the two day Collegiate Showcase at Harvard University. Many college coaches attended to watch the tennis-centered event. As a junior, Brooke is beginning to feel the pressure of getting recruited. She explained, “The summer is a really great time to attend events where you can show off your skills to college coaches.”

Summer for high school athletes can look different, but all these students are keeping their chosen sports front and center during these sunny, class-free months. Whether they’re hitting the gym to keep their muscles toned, practicing targeted skills through club teams, mentoring younger athletes, or working to impress college scouts, these Knights have strategies to make sure that when they return in the fall to the court, field, pool, or gym, they will be at their best.

SPORTS | Issue 01

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C-SQUARED

Get to know this year’s Sports Representatives Carly Phoon

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n the April ASBC elections, Courtney Anderson (‘20) and Christie Linnard (‘20) ran for the Sports Representative position. Due to both candidates’ strength and compatibility, the position was expanded to two people for the first time in Bishop’s history. ASBC saw this decision as an opportunity to revive our school spirit at sports events and help The Dungeon improve their effectiveness based on last year’s student feedback, increasing the impact the Sports Reps will make to the Bishop’s community.

Why did you decide to run for Sports Representative? What strengths do you bring to the table?

Courtney: I knew that I wanted to be involved with ASBC my senior year and help bring more support to Bishop’s athletics. I am also more than qualified for the job. I’m a tri-varsity athlete, the field hockey and lacrosse captain, and a part of the Dungeon.

I’m involved in every aspect of Bishop’s athletics, so it only seemed fitting that I represented that portion of student life on ASBC. Christie: This year will be my third year being the captain of the cross country team, and I’ll be captain of the track and field team next year, as well as being on Varsity Soccer and Varsity Lacrosse — I am definitely very knowledgeable and passionate about sports. I ran for Sports Rep thinking about all the changes I’ve wanted to see made for at least a couple years. I’m a good fit for this position because I’m creative, I’m very willing to put in the time for this position, and I’m willing to compromise.

What changes, big or small, will be made to increase support and enthusiasm at sports games?

Courtney: Last year, the only thing that was missing was the line of communication between the sports teams, the Sports Rep, the Dungeon, and the student body. It’s hard to announce important games or recog-

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nize students if this line of communisports teams and the games instead cation doesn’t exist. Telling students of themselves. to attend every game of every season is unrealistic, and not being able to What are your strategies for comrecognize students that are excelling pleting your goals? in their sport feels like a disservice.

Courtney: Our main goal is to get Christie and I plan on establishing more student support for our aththis communication so students letes. We plan on meeting this goal can be recognized on and off the field, and “There was a giant lack of spirit last year, and the student body can I want to make sure that’s changed. We want a big be properly informed comeback,” said Christie Linnard (‘20). on what games they should attend.

Christie: There was a giant lack of spirit last year, and I want to make sure that’s changed this year. We want a big comeback.

I hope the Bishop’s community will truly rally with us to bring it back. Getting everyone in the whole school on board with us might be a challenge simply because that’s a lot of people, but we are up for the job and this really means a lot to us!

To put it nicely, last year’s Dungeon was all about the members of the Dungeon.

This year, we will make sure the Dungeon’s focus is on the

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“Our main goal is to get more student support for our athletes,” said Courtney Anderson (‘20).

through compelling advertising.

By sitting down with the coaches before each season and going over their schedules, we can figure out what games we should be hyping up to students. Then by informing the Dungeon early, they will have enough time to brainstorm themes and come up with the social media portion of game advertisement. Finally, we use assemblies and email as the final reach out to the student body. Students will show up to the games if they know when they are happening and that they will be having fun supporting Bishop’s.

Christie: We will change the strategy used in the past on spreading

knowledge about games. From what I’ve seen, people don’t pay attention during announcements — but even if they try to, it’s impossible to retain all the information thrown at them– so we’re going to send out about two major games through all-school emails each week.

How is it being a part of ASBC for the first time?

Courtney: Everyone in that room has the same goal of making Bishop’s a better place, so overall it’s been a very positive experience. The easiest thing to learn is that organizing school events is a collaborative effort. We all work together to make

sure everything that is organized

by ASBC is running smoothly. The hardest thing to adjust to is the meetings. Being able to produce fun events takes time, so adjusting to the amount of meetings has been a little challenging.

Christie: The hardest thing to adjust to is giving up my relaxed lunches for meetings. But what makes it worth it is that we’re all working to be productive towards a common goal.

What are you most excited for this year?

Courtney: Our ASBC theme!

Christie: Kicking Francis Parker’s butt in every single sport.

SPORTS | Issue 01

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2020 VISION Senior Rec Room Photo Spread

This summer, the Class of 2020 took to the Senior Rec Room, painting it numerous shades of blue.

The Cookie Monster, Blue’s Clues, and various oceanscapes all make appearances, in addition to the traditional logo wall. At the Senior Welcome Dinner, they finished the last detail: the senior bench, now painted in blue and resting on the Senior Lawn.

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ARTS | Issue 01

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SM OE C

REHAB & RELAPSE Unplugging for three weeks ultimately increased my addiction to technology and social media Carly Phoon

D I I A A S O CM I E A D L

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SOC IAL

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M L S MAA M O EI I E C DCD I D E O A A M A F

C O S

rom the window, I watched Costa Rica morph from a grey airport kissed by sunrise, into dots of civilization within vast green, into a murky splotch underneath the clouds, into nothing at

all.

“7/7/19. I’m on the plane back to San Diego right now.

Were these past three weeks a dream? I worked at an animal shelter. I performed surgery. I taught locals about animal welfare. I became a confident Spanish speaker. I made meaningful connections. I actually made a difference.

Tomorrow I’ll be back to my humdrum routine in good old sunny California, such a familiar place that now feels foreign– a place where pets are slightly chubby, prices at the farmer’s market are non-negotiable, and technology is infused into every aspect of life...’”

When I got home, I crashed on my pillow and woke up at 1:00 p.m. the next day.

I opened my laptop to a battlefield. I had 198 emails. 621 texts. Endless Instagram posts to scroll through, Snapchat stories to click through. Articles to read, YouTube videos and TV episodes to watch, new music to learn. There was so much I’d missed out on. I felt like a lone soldier facing an army.

Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of catching up that needed to get done, I literally put my head in my hands and had to take some deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.

Then, I sat up and began. There was no enjoyment behind the frantic reading, tapping, and scrolling.

It was like I had been starved for three weeks and was now presented a feast. I couldn’t stop eating up whatever the screen gave me. This out-of-control feeling only lessened after about two weeks, when I finally deemed myself caught-up. But by now the behavior was ingrained, and I depended on my screen time like clean water. After all, I’d learned my lesson from those demanding two weeks; I couldn’t afford to fall behind again.

What were the pushing forces behind my compulsive behavior? The Forbes article “Is Social Media Addiction Worse Than Cigarettes?” reasoned, “The feeling of belonging is something we crave as human beings.”

As soon as I was in Costa Rica, I’d felt like I belonged, simply by living: Bartering at the market in choppy spanish, getting absolutely beat in soccer games with

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the locals, caring for families’ dogs and cats, painting walls, hiking, surfing. The switch between six hours of screen time a day to zero had been so sudden. But technology isn’t a major aspect of everyday life in Costa Rica.

Hence my complete lack of concern toward anything digital during my service trip.

I wasn’t any different; the cultural norms were.

But here, living isn’t the same as belonging. You have to tether yourself to the developed world through the intangible force of the Internet. So obviously, the switch worked the other way as well. As the plane landed, the American technological bubble enveloped me, and once again I was hardly less than hypnotized.

The need to belong explained the sudden switches in my attitude towards technology. But the desperateness behind the compulsive screen time when I got back had another explanation: FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out.

FOMO is a phenomenon that was identified in the 21st century, associated with teenagers and young adults in developed countries. The Boston Magazine article “The History of FOMO” stated, “The proliferation of smartphones have provided us with a constant drip of what we don’t have… Now, the affected carry FOMO in their pocket wherever they go.”

I hadn’t given any thought to what I was missing at home while I was in Costa Rica, because I’d been completely immersed in my work there. But three weeks of built-up FOMO certainly hit me when I got back. Every minute spent catching up on things that held little, if any, significance, relieved a little bit of pressure off my chest– it was one less thing I had missed out on.

From June 17 to July 7, I’d been completely clean of social media and mostly clean of technology. I relapsed on July 8. “… Here marks the end of my journey in Costa Rica. Tomorrow we’ll see if this experience made me less reliant on technology, or only reinforced my addiction.”

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CULTURE | Issue 01

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A VERY FINE LINE

It would be nice to think we could change the world with the click of a button

Sariah Hossain

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The Tower

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ou smell something burning before you see it. There’s suddenly a bite in the air that wasn’t there before, and there’s a few moments of well-intentioned ignorance, then a few moments of confusion, a moment of understanding, and then you rush to the kitchen to try to fix whatever went wrong.

Right now, we’re in that moment between innocence and action when comparing the wish to do good in the world with the way we go about doing it. Send a tweet and join an online petition or participate in a protest outside City Hall? There’s a difference between the two that’s a little deeper than face value. There’s a term, “slacktivism,” sometimes pejoratively called “clicktivism” or “armchair activism.”

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as “the practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterized as involving very little effort or commitment.”

We’ve all seen this before, whether it be through social media accounts or through, well, being a member of society in the 21st century. And while it’s a step in the right direction, it isn’t quite enough.

The term first came into use in the late 1990s. According to the New Yorker, it was meant to shorten the phrase ‘slacker activism,’ which at the time referred to activities intended to affect society on a more personal scale. It meant planting a tree in a community garden rather than taking part in a protest, and the term originally had a positive connotation.

In the following decades, it grew to encapsulate more than smallscale good deeds. With the growing

influence of the internet and social media, its definition evolved into its modern form.

Consider movements as large as #BlackLivesMatter, the campaign against systemic racism towards black people, and the Arab Spring, a series of anti-government protests that gained traction almost entirely online. Modern-day activism is intimately tied to the internet.

It seems to be making a difference as well, shown through studies done by New York University and the University of Pennsylvania’s data science and communication schools. They analyzed Twitter activity during the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement, protests located on Manhattan’s Wall Street against economic inequality. The network effect created, they found, led to exponential increases in engagement, which meant the message of the movement was heard by far more people than if social media hadn’t been involved.

“Words are as loud as actions,” wrote a Quartz article detailing this phenomenon. But that’s not how the saying goes, is it? …

Slacktivism has most recently manifested in Change.org and steel-blue profile pictures. In May and June, the crisis for democracy in South Sudan reached global headlines. Instagram users began to change their profile pictures to a solid blue to show solidarity with Sudanese protestors. Soon one couldn’t scroll through their feed without seeing it. People would share posts with hashtags on their Stories, a feature of the app that allows users to put up

images to be viewed for 24 hours and then deleted. A few accounts rose to fame, all variations of a ‘Sudan meal project,’ claiming that whenever someone shared or liked their post, a meal would be provided to Sudanese children. When The Atlantic and CNN examined these accounts’ promises, they found that no action was taken by their owners. Still, @ sudanmealproject had amassed over one million likes.

I had liked the post, as well as a large number of my friends. Everyone wanted to do their part. The stories spanning the news told of a humanitarian crisis — of course, people wanted to help. But was this the way to do it? It seemed, at least in part, to be a front. Were we also trying to show the world how socially and politically aware we were? Had it become trendy to be an activist?

For the most part, that’s not at all the case. The vast majority of people want to help. Spreading awareness of a problem or injustice is moral and commendable, but it’s also just a start. If the measure of success is in the outcome, is a difference being made in Sudan when I tweet out a hashtag? Maybe, someday, if ten or twenty more reactions happen after I send that tweet — the snowball effect, one might say. But as for myself and for my actions, they don’t guarantee anything– regardless of the good intention or compassion I have while doing it. That’s the dual-edged sword that digital activism presents.

It’s a very fine line. Right now, I am just the first step. A starting point.

But really, all of us have the potential to be more.

COVER STORY: OPINION | Issue 01

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FAST AND FURIOUS The scoop on scooters in San Diego Amy Carlyle

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hey are not hard to find — strewn on sidewalks, resting against street sign poles, tipped over onto bike lanes, resting in clusters at the beach. Scooters have descended upon San Diego in no small amount.

Six app-based scooter rental services operate in San Diego: Lime, Lyft, Skip, Jump by Uber, Spin, and Bird.

Each has brought thousands to San Diego, but with the arrival of new scooters also comes the question of what to do with them. The City of San Diego introduced its plan on July 1 to more strictly enforce rented motorized scooter regulations, a decision met with both support and opposition. The City wants to take safety precautions, monitor the speed of scooters in areas with heavy foot traffic, and ensure that scooters are parked responsibly.

While scootering is an eco-friendly and easy method of transportation, it can pose safety risks to riders. Fox 5 San Diego reported August 3 that a woman suffered multiple skull fractures caused by a scooter accident in Liberty Station. According to her husband who was present at the accident, the woman took one hand off the handlebars to adjust her purse, which

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had gotten stuck wrapped around them; then, the scooter spun out of control. A man in East Village had the same skull injury after crashing when his scooter went too fast and the force of the brakes threw him over the handlebars, according to NBC 7 San Diego.

Neither rider was wearing a helmet.

To lower the risk of both minor and critical injuries alike, it is vital that scooter riders wear helmets — while scooter companies such as Bird have PSAs on the importance of helmets on their website, they neither provide helmets nor require riders to wear them. To make safety and helmets priorities, the City of San Diego will better enforce California Vehicle Code 21235(c). This law states that bicyclists and motor-

ized scooter riders under 18 must wear helmets; if a police officer spots a minor helmet-less, the minor can receive a ticket. This law has long been in existence, but the rise in scooter popularity has brought it new attention. However, the law still does not take adults into account, but of course, it’s always advised that adults of any age wear helmets when scootering.

It is also prohibited by both the scooter companies’ Terms and Conditions and by the State of California for more than one person to ride a scooter at a time — another ticketable offense.

Furthermore, scooter riders cannot ride on sidewalks or attempt tricks, and must be at least 16 years old with a valid drivers’ license.

Speed is another factor that can increase risk for scooter riders — though perhaps they don’t seem fast, scooters have the potential to reach 25 miles per hour. Scootering down a crowded street seems rather dangerous, though — to minimize recklessness, scooter companies have started using a new technology called geofencing.

Geofencing is the remote adjustment of speed based upon

The Tower

location. For example, one could ride on a residential street with a high speed but when approaching a location known to scooter companies for being crowded, the scooter would automatically break to an appropriate speed and be restricted from going faster.

In Liberty Station, Balboa Park, Mission Bay Park, Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores, and around Petco Park, scooters are restricted from going faster than eight miles per hour. On North and South Embarcadero pedestrian walk, India Street, and Martin Luther King Promenade, scooters cannot exceed three miles per hour.

Parking is perhaps one of the most contentious aspects of the scooter situation. Some praise the convenience of having scooters at their disposal — others call them a public nuisance. “Until there is a way to enforce [parking], they shouldn’t be here,” said La Jolla resident Ray Weiss to the La Jolla Light.

Part of the City’s summer legislation is to address the concerns of citizens like Weiss.

Already, San Diego Municipal Code regulates the parking of motorized scooters for rent. They cannot park within six feet of a bus or trolley stop and within 500 feet of schools and hospitals. Scooters also cannot be parked within 40 feet of each other unless placed in a group of less than four, and the scooters in that group are all less than one foot away from each other. In addition, the new rules declare some areas of San Diego — Mission Beach, Mis-

sion Bay Park, Crown Point, and La Jolla Shores to name a few — designated no-park zones.

But just because rules exist doesn’t mean that people will heed them. To combat this problem, scooter companies are starting to use the same geo-fencing technology for speed to address parking; this update will make sure that scooters cannot stop and be parked if they are in a no-park area.

Additionally, the City is creating parking spots — officially called “corrals” — so scooters so they don’t clutter streets and sidewalks. People who don’t necessarily know the rules of scooter parking can simply leave theirs within the corral. The corrals are 10-foot by six-foot spaces, and the first was installed in Pacific Beach. 40 of these spaces are to be painted in La Jolla over the next two months.

Until the corrals are made, though, some people are taking matters into their own hands.

ScootScoop, a startup created by San Diego residents John Heinkel, 55, and Dan Borelli, 43, strives to take inappropriately parked scooters off the streets.

Using only their flatbed truck, ScootScoop has impounded over 12,500 scooters in the county.

While ScootScoop has met with plenty of positive feedback from some, others have criticized the legality of their operation. Namely, the scooter companies — both Bird and Lime are suing ScootScoop in California

state court.

As told by Reuters, Lime stated that ScootScoop overstepped their right as a non-government entity to monitor scooters. “Their attempts to deputize themselves as an extension of the city is not only unlawful, but it is nothing more than a property theft scheme to generate income,” the company said.

Thus far, though, ScootScoop has not generated much of an income, as Lime and others have yet to buy back their impounded scooters.

Bird shared similar disdain for the vigilante scooter collectors, calling the startup’s impound fee a “ransom.” ScootScoop is asking a minimum of $50 per vehicle from the companies, and until that money is received, the scooters are held and eventually auctioned off.

Heinkel and Borelli aren’t the only San Diegans to take action against scooter companies — even San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has shared his disapproval of the way scooters companies operate. “We know the way people get around [San Diego] continues to evolve and we embrace that, but public safety must come first. If the companies don’t follow the rules, each risks losing its permit and ability to operate in San Diego,” he tweeted.

For now, scooters remain an installation in San Diego, but as the City unleashes new rules and regulations, and organizations like ScootScoop challenge scooter companies, the way San Diegans use scooters will continue to change.

LOCAL & BEYOND | Issue 01

19

SHACKLED

Why the Internet needs to be freed Kyle Berlage

J

une 3, 2019. 2:30 a.m. Alaa Salah, a To understand the Internet and York Times, “Things are already diffiSudanese pro-democracy protester, its use, you need to understand net neu- cult enough for a small business. You’re had just arrived at home. She was trality. Net neutrality is a concept creat- busy enough just keeping your compajust one of many people spending their ed during the Obama Administration ny running, trying to grow and succeed days and nights camped outside of the which forced cable companies to treat or just stay alive, that you don’t have the military government’s headquarters, all data the same. For instance, cable resources or the time to contemplate fighting for a civilian takeover. She be- companies like Spectrum, AT&T, and how to prepare for something like this.” gan receiving frantic texts from people Comcast/Xfinity are required to give The public supports net neutrality rules saying that soldiers were approaching you data from large and small websites as well. According to The Hill, 99.3% of the site where many of the protesters alike at the same speed. Everything on public comments to the FCC have been were sleeping. Then, the Internet cut the Internet being transferred on their about supporting net neutrality and 4 out. cables has to be given the same impor- in 5 Americans support net neutrality

The connection came back sev- tance. rules. eral hours later, but by then, it was too While the Internet in the Unit- This shows that public support late. Sudan woke up to the news that 128 ed States has thrived under the neu- for the Internet is overwhelming, as it people were brutally murcan connect people from across dered by their own milithe globe, or help protesters ortary. For the protesters in She began receiving frantic texts from ganize and topple oppressive Sudan, the Internet is typleadership, like in Sudan. The people saying that soldiers were apically the only remaining Internet boom of the recent era form of accurate informa- proaching the site where many of the has created even more opportion in the country. Sudan tunities for people to organize protesters were sleeping. is known for its state-conand protest against oppression trolled media and press, in authoritarian regimes. happy to turn a blind eye

One of the best examto suffering caused by the ples of this is the Arab Spring military government. But, Uprisings. For decades, Arabia in the case of that night, and surrounding regions in the the government shut down Middle East were controlled by the internet channel that could have trality rules, these same rules have dictators and authoritarians. So, when warned of an attack, possibly saving been targeted by the new Trump Ad- citizens had enough of the oppression, hundreds. ministration Federal Communications they used the Internet. The Internet was

Whether long-lost relatives or Commission (FCC). The FCC and its a key reason that the Arab Spring Upentire networks of protesters, the Inter- new chairman, Ajit Pai, have fought risings were a huge success. The media net has connected the world in a rev- hard to repeal the rules on the Inter- was controlled by the state, so many olutionary way. Recently, the Internet net. Pai, a former lawyer for Verizon, protesters took action into their own has been under attack from both free has taken a chainsaw to net neutrality, hands by posting on social media about and controlled governments, media calling its repeal “the return of inter- the Uprising. Twitter was very effective platforms, cable networks, and con- net freedom.” While Pai may call this at this. When the protests started trendcerned citizens. But especially with all “freedom,” he leaves out the part where ing on Twitter, young people took noof the recent hindrances on the inter- cable companies force small websites tice and joined their peers in the streets, net, like cutting out Sudan’s internet into slow internet while making larger and there was nothing the oppressive or net neutrality, the Internet needs to companies pay up for better service. regimes could have done about it. By remain unobstructed, unregulated, and David Callicot, a small candle business using social media platforms, the uprisuncensored: the Internet cannot thrive owner who sells products on his web- ers were able to organize swiftly and the with outside interference. site e-commerce store, said to the New forces were unsuccessful in stopping

Then, the Internet cut out.

20 OPINION | Issue 01

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them.

Government censorship of the Internet does not only come in hard forms, like cutting out the Internet entirely in Sudan, but it comes is soft forms in places like China. There, the Communist Party employs thousands of censors and blocks criticisms of President Xi Jinping and his party.

They have even temporarily blocked references to Winnie-the-Pooh due to an apparent resemblance between Pooh and Xi Jinping. China and similar nations use armies of government-employed censors, acting as little scissors and cutting out the parts of the Internet that they do not like, and only leaving the parts that they do.

When it comes to the Uyghurs in Western China, the Communist Party directly monitors every chat between a Uyghur to another and if they become even somewhat critical to Chinese rule, they will ship that person off to a

“re-education camp” which are known to have prison-like conditions and have been called concentration camps by human rights advocates and the United States government, according to the Guardian.

The United States is also not innocent in terms of government Internet intervention. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the passing of the Patriot Act, the Federal government has become increasingly involved in Internet surveillance. This is a huge violation of privacy for Americans who have been forced to take extreme measures to protect their privacy online, including using endto-end encrypted chat for communications, using proxies & Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and blocking trackers. According to Statista, 18 percent of North Americans have used a VPN in one month, and that number jumps to 30 percent in the Asia Pacific region.

VPNs re-route your data to a different

server or place outside of the country you’re in, and then going to the website requested. This bypasses government censors by making it look like the data is just coming from a random VPN server, when really it’s coming from the restricted website that was requested.

The wide power of governments around the world to control the Internet should be concerning to people globally.

Whether shutting down the Internet to trap protesters or pulling critical content off of the Internet, acts of internet interference are threats to internet freedom. The internet is a tool for so many to connect will all across the globe. This will be haltered if the internet is slowed for small websites and quickened for large websites, and if governments are allowed to block and censor parts of the internet that they do not like. The internet wants to be freed, why can’t it happen?

OPINION | Issue 01

21

TOP TEN STEPS TO BECOME A

rapper 1.

NEVER LEARN HOW TO ENUNCIATE

2.

CREATE A UNIQUE NAME — SOMETHING WITH SYMBOLS ($%#+!) AND QUIRKY CAPITALIZATION

3.

4.

5.

HAVE DEEP EMOTIONS: EDGY KIDS ONLY

MISTAKE FLEXING DESIGNER BRANDS FOR ACTUALLY HAVING TASTE

CALL EVERY PIECE OF JEWELRY YOU OWN “ICE”

22 THE BELL | Issue 01

6.

7.

GET IN PUBLIC FIGHTS — NO ONE GETS IN YOUR WAY, ESPECIALLY NOT THE PAPARAZZI

INSERT “YUH” INTO EVERY SENTENCE

8.

DRESS LIKE LIL PUMP (AND FAIL TO PULL IT OFF — YOU COULD NEVER)

9.

HYPE UP YOUR MIXTAPE ON INSTAGRAM STORIES

10.

GET LOST IN THE SAUCE AT LEAST FIVE TIMES PER DAY

ACADEMIC All About ASBC - Page 6, PC: @tbs_asbc on Instagram SPORTS Summer Sports Guide - Page 9, Photos courtesy of Brooke Waite (‘21) and Wes Spieker (‘21) C-Squared - Pages 10-11, Photos courtesy of La Jolla Village News and Courtney Anderson (’20), edited by Carly Phoon (’20) ARTS Inside the Senior Rec Room - Pages 12-13, PC: Amy Carlyle (‘20) CULTURE Rehab and Relapse - Pages 14-15, Art by Carly Phoon (‘20) COVER STORY A Very Fine Line - Page 16, Art by Sariah Hossain (‘22) LOCAL & BEYOND Fast and Furious - Pages 18-19, PC: @kevin_faulconer on Twitter, art by Amy Carlyle (‘20) OPINION Shackled - Page 21, Photo courtesy of The National, edited by Kyle Berlage (‘22) THE BELL Top Ten - Page 22, Photos courtesy of Google Images and labeled for reuse Photo Credits - Page 23, Art by Sariah Hossain (‘22) Front and back cover thanks to Sariah Hossain (‘22) and Amy Carlyle (‘20)

PHOTO CREDITS | Issue 01

23

T

T