ISSUE 01 –TowerMMXXIITHE In This Issue Summer Jobs 12 Traveling Green 22 Gun Laws 24 Minions 16
ThePOLICYTower refrains from prior re view 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. Opin ions expressed in The Tower do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or of the Bishop’s School.
THE BELL The Bell is a section of 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. cover by Isadora Blatt (‘24) Why are the individuals with the highest power in the country not elected by the people? In this year’s first Tower issue, Lucy Marek (‘25) provides informational cover age of Roe V. Wade and Leila Feldman (‘24) unpacks why the Supreme Court Justices do not represent the FOLLOWpeople.US! Blatt
2 DETAILS || ISSUE 06 details ThePHILOSOPHYTowerisa student-run pub lication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA. 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 is sues and events that pertain to the experience of young adults. Sec tions of The Tower include Cam pus, Arts, Sports, Culture, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints multiple issues each academic year, in addition to con tinuous online content.
TheCOLOPHONToweris printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illus trator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 300 copies of Issue 01 to the Bishop’s commu nity. Typefaces include Saonara for the cover; Public Sans for the head lines, bylines, and subtitles; Minion Pro for the body text. Issue 01 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com.
Instagram: @thebishopstowerwww.thebishopstower.comc/oMs.CONTRIBUTORSEditors-in-ChiefLeilaFeldmanCrystalLiGraphicsEditorIsadoraBlattOnlineEditorSpencerRalphStoryEditorsSydneyChanSummerHuCopyEditorsBellaGallusLilyGoverShirleyXuStaffWritersBenBrownLucyMarekKaydenWangJoyceWuFacultyAdvisorLaineRemignantiCONTACTTheTowerTheBishop’sSchool7607LaJollaBlvd,LaJolla,CA92037thetower@bishops.comIG@thebishopstowerTW@thebishopstower social media Our Website: www.thebishopstower.com Twitter: @thebishopstower All members of the Bishop’s community are invited to submit letters to the Editors-in-Chief by visiting our website, www.thebishopstower.com, and click ingonthe‘SubmitLetter’tab. Spotify: @thebishopstower Photo courtesy of Isadora
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contents 06 CAMPUSOut with the Old, In with the New Exploring the short-term and long-term renovations coming to Bishop’s Shirley Xu 08 SPORTSHanding Over the Reins As the GOAT generation ages, what was their impact, and what is next for sports? Ben Brown 10 The NIL: Name, Image, and Likeness A much-needed step towards bringing college athletes the economic compensation they deserve Sydney Chan 12 LOCAL & BEYOND Knights At Work Where did Bishop’s students work over the summer? Isadora Blatt 14 Forever ‘80s Diving into the perpetual popularity of this decade Summer Hu 16 Suit Up – The Wait is Over How TikTok and the changing film industry impacted the reception of the Minions movie Crystal Li 18 Roe Reversed A look into the implications of overturning Roe v. Wade Lucy Marek COVER Sustain-Ability How and why everyone is capable of traveling sustainably Spencer Ralph22 The Cost of Doing Business Want to know why the United States legislates gun rights despite constant mass shootings? Follow the money. Bella Gallus 3 CULTURETHETower20 Not By the People Nor For the People The Supreme Court Justices are not voted in by the people, and that’s why the Justices don’t represent the people. Leila Feldman 24 26 27 THEOPINIONBELL Isadora Blatt, Leila Feldman, Spencer RalphThe Holy Handbook Top Ten
I write my letter sitting at the front desk of a little shop 30 minutes away from where I live.
Dear Bishop’s, CrystalLove, Editor-in-ChiefLi
During this out-of-place summer before senior year, I spent my time working at a small Chi nese-run massage parlor with women I had interviewed previously for my Atlanta shootings Tower article. Serving as a translator in between worlds of language and culture, I befriended my coworkers by teaching them short English phrases and listening in silence to their immigration stories during the slow times of our day. Because many of the ladies reminded me of my aunts back in Xi’an, I felt a newly-familiar twinge of homesickness; in between customers, I began journaling reflectively. It’s been 368 days since I’ve last been “home.” Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit Xi’an and Shanghai after nearly three years of separation from my grandparents, relatives, and middle school friends. As a rising senior, this summer, in addition to home nostalgia, I spent my days dawdling on what once was, unbelievably petrified of what will be. My only saving grace, a clumsily-built hummingbird feeder in my backyard. Every July morning, I’d get up like clockwork to fondly review our past Tower issues next to my little winged friends. With every page I thumb, the memories come in vivid flashes of color. In all of my excitement grabbing hold of the figurative “Editor-In-Chief” microphone last issue, I had shown you all why I do what I do. But I think it takes a lot to admit that I was ever afraid, especially when courage was the one integral thing in moving schools and countries. In freshman year, I was intro duced to big, Harkness tables as the very epitome of inclusion; yet, in the early days of my literary journey, I was scared to fight for room at the table, for a chance to prove myself, and for a right to call myself a writer. But when I shakily handed an application in for editorship in sophomore year, Ms. Rem and alumni Daniel White (‘21), Lucie Edwards (‘21), Sariah Hossain (‘22), Maya Buckley (‘22), Kyle Berlage (‘22), Alex Cotton (‘21), and Clare Malhotra (‘22) welcomed me in an open embrace. Despite all of us being in different years of our high school careers, they never made me feel out of the loop—in fact, even to this day, I believe that our time together taught me what it meant to belong. With them, it seemed that my fears became afterthoughts; in our editor meetings and zoom calls, I lived in the moment. 2023-2024. This is my first year on staff without their physical presence. Despite our undeleted group chats still buzzing with countless life updates, I can’t help but look back on our legacy together. With every page I thumb, my resolve to lead our staff just as they had grows stronger; I feel excited.
Kick-starting our Issue 01 planning on a Better Buzz table in early July, The Tower staff brings you a striking selection representative of the summer of ‘22. Our two cover stories by Lucy Marek (‘25) and Leila Feldman (‘24) examine and discuss the overturning of Roe V. Wade, accompanied by coverage surrounding sports analysis by Ben Brown (‘25), cultural commentary by Summer Hu (‘25) and me, and human interest pieces by Isadora Blatt (‘24) and Spencer Ralph (‘24). Having the opportunity to be an editor three out of the four years on staff, I now look forward to my third summer Tower issue. My twenty-first print issue. My incoming last year on staff. My proudest literary achievements with the most exceptional of student writers. —And suddenly, I realized, this is also home. Home isn’t necessarily where you were born or where you had lived for the longest. Home could be where you had undergone the most growth within your faults; it could be where you finally found your self. For me, California’s treasure cove lies in La Jolla, in a beige-walled school, and up the spiral stairs of Bentham with the greatest people. And I can’t keep only looking back. For us seniors, the coming months are a mythical time of ferocious typing and inevitable let-downs. But only with struggle do the rewards seem golden—this process of learning and unlearning your personal limits will do you good, I promise. So, I’ll end it here, before another customer walks in and the automatic door goes ballistic. Try to live in the now and keep your eyes on the hummingbird. Reflect on what you have accomplished but be fearless in looking ahead to tomorrow. One day you’ll want to feel seventeen once again.
Dear Bishop’s,
5THETower
In May, I introduced myself to you all as the next Co-Editor-In-Chief of The Tower, today you read this editor letter from me as the 2022-2023 Co-Edi tor-In-Chief of The Tower. That feels surreal. To say that I am elated does not even begin to express my feeling of excitement. Issue 01 is always distributed on the first day of school. So today, you read my first issue as Co-Editor-In-Chief, and tomorrow you can watch my best friends and I take on LCC at 5:15 for our first Varsity Field Hockey game of the season (I had to plug it, sorry not sorry.)
With Leilalove, Editor-in-ChiefFeldman
This issue, like most Issue 01s, focuses primarily on the world around us, because we have been out of school. Oftentimes when I take a look around me, and in this ever-changing world, sometimes it’s hard for me to find my place. I ask myself big questions like what can I, as a 1 in nearly 8 billion, really do? While I haven’t gotten anywhere close to answering that big question, I think I’ve made serious progress in tacklingWhileit. we figure out how to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives we can indulge ourselves for a few minutes to look at what brings us happiness. For me, what makes me happiest is the relationships and passions that I have in my life - those make me excited to wake up every morning. My friends, my teammates, The Tower, my classmates, and the Jewish Student Association - to list a few. Those all bring me genuine happiness, curiosity, and a want to make myself a better human, and as a result, I think, this world will be left a little better. The Tower embodies those ideas. It is a fierce group of people who love to write, share, and think together. Ms. Laine Remingnati calls it the biggest group project you will ever be a part of, I find that more true with each issue that I’m a part of. I find myself growing more fond of the place, but more importantly the people.This issue is no exception, it is a wonderful cultivation of opinions and analysis of political issues, with my and Lucy Marek (‘25)’s article about the overturning of Roe v. Wade; cultural commentary by Summer Hu (‘25)’s about the 80s, Crystal Li (‘23)’s about the beloved minions, and Ben Brown’s (25) about the changing tide of the “GOATs” in sports; as well, we have representations and reflection from students’ summers with Spencer Ralph’s (‘24) article about traveling sustainably and Isadora Blatt’s (25) about stu dents’ summer jobs. A year ago, I sat at Better Buzz at our Issue 01 pitching meeting led by alumni Sariah Hossian, Clare Malhotra, and Kyle Berlage, the group who devoted themselves to The Tower’s legacy and quality, and never rejected my last-minute article ideas. This issue is the first one that Crystal Li (‘23) and I have put together, alongside our incredible team of Spencer Ralph (‘24) and Isadora Blatt (‘24) as well as our entire editorial team. I can’t finish this editor letter without crediting those three people who have dealt with my late-night stress and frustration and supported me. Of course, Ms. Laine Remignanti has always been instrumental in every article that we publish — none of this runs without her. As I said in May, I hope we continue to grow to know and respect each other, whether it be through The Tower or in-person.
Jolla Light, Bishop’s bought the building for 5.5 million dollars on September 30, 2021, around the time that the Jack in the Box was shut down. With the plan of integrating the site into our school campus in the future, the po tential of a new building being added to school grounds is an exciting prospect. However, plans for the newest addition to campus remain shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. As Bishop’s Chief Operating Officer Ms. Pam Duffy told the La Jolla Light in December 2021, the school hoped to “[lease the property] to various potential occupants,” at least in the short term. The school’s goal in late 2021 was to allow the tenant to occupy the space starting in the summer 2022. Ms. Duffy also mentioned to the La Jolla Light there were “a number of interested parties,” many of which are restaurants. In the long term, according to the La Jolla Light, Bishop’s hopes to use the Jack-in-the-Box building as a school facility, although the specifics are still largely up in the air. As Head of School Mr. Ron Kim told the La Jolla Light in 2021,“It could be lots of things. We want to make sure we are preparing the school for the future, and we want to make sure if there are spaces that can make that happen, we can contin ue to evolve in terms of what that space might mean for us.” In the La Jolla Light article, Jack-in-the-ofleaseingworkcontinues“Thesummerthedancetheofthealsorepresentativesschoolproposedpossibilityconvertingspaceintoastudio.Asofpresentday,2022,Schooltoonfindatenanttothesitetheformer
The Bishop’s School’s campus is always changing - whether it’s a teacher moving classrooms or the new coats of paint in the senior rec room with each rising class. Aside from smaller-scale changes, the School is also currently making more expansive ren ovations, including the addition of new buildings and classroom up grades. This rais es the question: what exact modi fications are being made to campus, and what impact could this have on Bishop’s students, teachers, and fac ulty? Last year, The Bishop’s School purchased the formerly Accordingfoodnientaamongveryfoodcampus.aPearlsharingJack-in-the-Box,knownanalleyonStreetonlyfewstepsfromThefastrestaurantwaswell-knownstudents,asquickandconvewaytograbafterschool.totheLa
The Volunteer House will undergo renovations, and will be add ed to the Community Service Program as a space for students and clubs to meet.
6 CAMPUS || ISSUE 01
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Box. At this time, there have been no oth er finalized plans put in place,” described Director of Facilities Mr. Brain Williams. “The focus is on leasing the space out. I would suspect that the lease will be for five to 10 years, which is fairly standard in the industry as I’m told. Any plans to out with the old , in with the new
7THETower incorporate this site into the campus is something that wouldn’t happen for a long time, if at all.” Aside from the former Jack in the Box, there are other exciting and more imminent changes at Bishop’s –even ones that will be coming as early as fall of 2022. Mr. Williams detailed that new elevators are currently being con structed in the Cummins and Scripps buildings. Their construction began on June 6, 2022, and are expected to be com pleted in the fall. “[They] will reduce the number of classroom relocations when a student is injured,” said Mr. Williams. Furthermore, Mr. Williams de scribed, “The Volunteer House is being renovated to hold our Community Ser vice program. Giving the Community Service program more space will help them continue to do their extraordinary work and create a space for our new counselor.” A small house just across from the recreational center on Cuvier, the Volunteer House has a large room, closet with a built-in desk, and small kitchenette.According to the Director of Service Learning Mrs. Jacqueline Go mez, “The Volunteer House will be used for all things service and social innova tion.” It will also be used for advisory or class council meetings, and “for any stu dent that needs a quiet place to come and study or hang out,” described Mrs. Go mez. This has a significant impact on the Community Service program. As Mrs. Gomez detailed, “For the first time, service and social innovation have a consistent and large space to meet and work. I am thrilled for all of the clubs and students that will get to maximize this space.” She also described how it has been fun deciding “what types of furni ture would be suitable for hosting large or small group meetings,” and mention ing how there will be a large TV screen for guest speakers appearing over Zoom. “I hope that students can stop by during the first weeks of school to learn my new office location and to check out the space. Even though it is off the beaten path, it is a special building that I cannot wait to share with students,” she said. The arts program will also be getting some upgrades, particularly “in the form of new furniture and fixtures,” stated Mr. Williams. “Doing so will give the program some nice tender and lov ing care to continue their great work that beautifies our campus in so many differ ent ways.” There will also be several office moves with some administrative changes on campus.With the improvements to the Community Service program, arts pro gram, and administrative team, Mr. Wil liams said, “The primary motivating goal of the work being done is to make the day to day experience of our students better.” Mr. Williams also provided in sight on the process of how changes to campus are made updateUseConditionalandMasterourmiliaramapproved.and“IveryfawithcurrentPlanthePermitthat is under review by the City of San Diego. A Master Plan,” he described, “is essen tially the school creating ‘footprints’ on its campus for possible new buildings and site changes.”Currently, the master plan is in its very early stages. “The School is look ing at building a Visual Arts and Creative Sciences building, as well as a new gym and a new athletics building,” Mr. Wil liams said. “This will begin a process, but does not necessarily mean that is what the school will do as any project must be fully reviewed by La Jolla Planning Groups and the city as well as our leader ship community. Even when approved at that point, money must be raised to pay for these projects. None of that has been finalized at this time.”With exciting changes coming to Bishop’s as early as this up coming school year, such as the install ment of elevators and the addition to the Community Service program with the Volunteer House, Bishopians have even more to look forward to when returning back to school. In addition to familiar izing themselves with the old, there is much to look forward to in regards to the future of our school’s campus!
“The primary motivating goal is to make the day to day experi ence of our students better.”
Shirley XuExploring the short-term and long-term renovations coming to Bishop’s
- Mr. Williams
The Super Bowl, the National Basket ball Association (NBA) Finals, Wim bledon, The Masters, The World Cup, and The Olympics. Think back through the last ten years of these sporting events and you will see a pattern. The star players who repeatedly won these events made themselves a household name. These athletes, who broke records and won championships, have argu ably become their sport’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT). Most fascinating is that almost ev ery sport’s GOAT has been competing within the last ten years, making this aging genera tion of athletes the greatest one ever. These athletes include Serena Wil liams, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Cristia no Ronaldo, LeBron James, Roger Federer, Shaun White, and Simone Biles. They all have broken many records and obtained great suc cess in the past ten years. Here, take a closer look at these legends, why this generation is full of them, and the lasting impact their reign will have on sports, its future competi tors, and Bishop’s athletes. An important aspect attributing to the success of this generation is their mental strength. According to Mental Toughness Incorporated, focus on mental strength has happened only recently., Dr. Jim Loehr, who intensely studied mental strength, published his first book Mentally Tough: The Principles of Winning at Sports Applied to Winning in Business” in 1986 and then published 14 more books on the topic. He is an example of how the study and publishing of mental studies are relatively new. Although past great athletes were mentally tough, it was not until this past generation that devel oping strong mentalities from a young age was fostered and prioritized. Middle School Athletic Director and Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Nick Levine believesbelieve this generation’s “mental strength to train and perform at a consistent level” has led to an elite gen eration of GOATs. Their mental strength can be attributed to the unique training that contributed to their success. Coach Levine explained that “They each had their own unique journey to success but the commonality would be their self-be lief and their consistency.” He explained that they “are always chasing improvement and are never satisfied” which shows the unique mindset that let them have focused, progres sive training that pushed them to greatness. However, they are aging, and un fortunately, time will not be kind to even the greatest of athletes. Take Serena Williams and Roger Federer — at ages 40 and 41, they began their careers 20 years ago. In her time playing tennis, Williams won a record 23 grand slam titles, 73 career singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, and was the number one tennis player in the world for 319 weeks. Federer has won a record 103 singles titles, 20 grand slam titles, one Olympic gold medal, and had 310 weeks at number one in the world. Though still active, Williams has not won a grand slam title since the 2017 Australian Open, and Federer has not since the 2018 Australian Open. These GOATs are perfect depictions of the remarkable and ag ing generation that is slowly losing its edge. This pattern continues in other sports as well. Basketball star Lebron James failed to carry his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to the playoffs last season, after qualifying for the playoffs in 16 of his 19 seasons. Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner, failed to fin ish a tournament under par since his return to golf last year. Cristiano Ronaldo’s premier league team, Manchester United, was unable to make the Champions League last season. Tom Brady’s NFL playoff run was cut short Tom Brady, 44, has been more sucsessfull than any other football player or franchise in history, winning a record 7 Super Bowl Rings.
Ben Brown
“The greatest thing about tomorrow is I will be better than I am today.”
- Tiger Woods, Professional Golfer
Handing Over THE REINS
As the GOAT generation ages, what was their impact, and what is next for sports?
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LeBron James, 37, is argued alongside Michael Jordan to be the greatest basketball player ever. James has the most All-NBA selections, the most First-Team All-NBA, and is the youngest player to score 25,000 points.
in the divisional round last season by the Los Angeles Rams. These athletes used to be able to lead themselves or their teams to great suc cess until recently. The writing is on the wall: the GOATs are aging, and their primetime is coming to an end soon or already has. Although they no longer are leading their teams to glory, their impact will remain. They collectively embody the idea of focused, disciplined practice, an unmatched work eth ic, and incomparable determination. Coach Levine believes their impact “is the impor tance of overall well-being, including physical and mental health, and how that can allow one to excel in all stages of your career.” These ideals that have resulted in success have forev er changed athletics, at all levels. Coaches at Bishop’s have adopted aspects of the GOATs’ habits that they feel can impact Bishop’s ath letes for the better. Coach Levine explained that one way he is implementing the GOAT mentality is that he “wants our athletes to al ways believe in themselves and to see the im portance of being consistent with their prepa ration — physically and mentally.” As the GOATs will soon retire, the future generation of athletes has already start ed to show themselves. Athletes like Carlos Alcaraz (tennis), Joe Burrow (football), Vik tor Hovland (golf), Chloe Kim (snowboard ing), Giannis Antetokounmpo (basketball), and Naomi Osaka (tennis) represent the next generation, and they have already shown great success in their young careers. Even more intriguing are the priori ties these young athletes bring to the forefront of sports. The priority of both mental and physical health has been made clear by the fu ture generation of athletes. Already four-time grand slam champion and former number one tennis player Naomi Osaka took a four-month break from the professional tour to focus on mental health, telling her 2.7 million Insta gram followers about her struggle with “long bouts of depression.” Her action has created greater talk and less stigma around mental health in sports, an important issue that was not prioritized in previous generations. Other examples of the changing landscape of sports include young quarter backs Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes, who use advanced technology to protect their heads from injury. Their helmets now include sensors to spot areas prone to brain damage and adjust the helmets accordingly to protect themselves from concussions and long-term brain injury. Though this is something past generations did not do, it is another example of the exciting advancements to come with the future gen eration ofWithcompetitors.poise and confidence, the greatest generation of athletes can now depart from the pro fessional stage reassured that the reins will be given to another talented group of athletes.
Roger Federer, 41, has had a dominate yet gracefull presence in professional tennis for 20 years, and is assumed to be the greatest male tennis player ever along with Nadal and Djokivic: all in the same generation.
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“It’s a space to watch,” Former President at United Entertain ment Group Ms. Mary Scott reflected. A past D1 field hockey and women’s lacrosse player at UMass and a current adjunct higher education teacher, she continued, “It’s exciting, [but] a little bit like the Wild Wild West right now.”Before the last few decades or so, not much has changed in the world of college sports. Sports scholarships continued to be far and few between, and media coverage of college games rarely made it big. Back then, the top sports headlines of the day surrounded almost only the pros. But with the re cent nation-wide explosion of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), the tides may be turning towards the better. A much needed and applauded move to wards the right direction, for the first time in history, collegiate athletes have the opportunity to profit off of their athletic talent. But the work is far from done. On the surface, the NIL in dustry is relatively easy to understand. On July 1, 2021, an NCAA interim pol icy was put into effect, allowing college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness. Whether that be through brand spon sorships, cameo appearances, or sold autographs, the NIL has given athletes a bigger say in the large athletic decisions that may change their lives forever. “Overall, I think it’s going to be a play er empowerment [movement]. This is a huge, pivotal, life-changing
Name, Image, and Likeness
10 LOCAL & BEYOND || ISSUE 01
The NIL is taking the sports headlines by storm. From upcoming recruitments to talented students expected to make it to the big leagues, everything is changing in the world of college atlethics.
NILTHE :
CommunicationsJournalistFree-Lancemoment,”SportsandSpecialistMr.MattSugamsaid.So,prettysimple,right?Well,yeah.Andthat’stheissue.Asanathleteandsportsfanmyself,regardlessofhowmessyitmaybe,the NIL is what we’ve needed for a while: a system giving student athletes the rights they deserve. Many athletes may even be more motivated to finish college be fore going to big leagues, Knights Foot ball Coach Donnell Pumphrey Jr. add ed, “more so because feeding a family wouldn’t be something that’s crossing a student athlete’s mind.” However, even though the NIL didn’t come out of no where, it definitely escaped the gates quickly, leaving little time for clear rules to be established, and even less time for schools and athletes alike to find their footing. There are two main problems I see with such a young system grow ing at the speed of one at such a larger caliber. One, students could get easily taken advantage of, especially the ma jority of those who lack an agent or a PR specialist. And two, the NIL could turn the game into simply a business for economic compensation–while si multaneously lowering our nation’s ac ademic standards.Nowdon’t get me wrong, our generation isn’t completely naive (key word: “completely”), and the NIL in dustry is a new platform for everyone. Nonetheless, young athletes have a world of less experience in sports mar keting, business, and contracts in com parison to collegiate coaches and team managers. On the other hand, for the majority of athletes who lack an agent
A much-needed step in the right direction for college athletics
Recent Bishop’s graduate Mag gie Johnson (‘22), who is on her way to play water polo with USC, added, “While the NIL may seem to always benefit the athletes, [I predict] only a small amount will actually profit. [Maintaining] the system may become too much work for schools to [keep] their smaller sports teams, like water polo among others.” But my biggest concern is the poten tial of lowering our nation’s academic standards. No, I’m not suggesting that schools should require all student ath letes to take each of the core subjects every year. That would be crazy. But what we have to realize instead, is that the NIL can be an incredible platform.
Sydney Chan MS. MARY SCOTT
11THETower
If we recognize what needs to be done, now. Those at the head of the table at the NCAA need to recognize the ath letes’ need for guidance. While I’m all for student athletes getting compensat ed for raising money for their school, let’s not slide past the great opportunity to teach our kids business sense. Profes sional sports isn’t just about being faster and stronger than your opponent. It’s also about understanding brand deals and sponsorships to decrease the possi bilities of getting scammed and to sus tain yourself in case you blow at your knee at the start of the season. How do agents really work? How many sponsorship deals should I take at the beginning? How do I negoti ate more for personal benefit? These are the types of questions that desperately need answers, not only to ensure the safety of our athletes, but to also guar antee a smooth transition into the new world that is college athletics. With the NIL, it seems like anything is possible. For all we know, March Madness finals may blow the Super Bowl out of the water in views. Women may receive more sports schol arships (crossing my fingers!). And smaller brands may get the opportunity to work more commonly with college athletes. It’s a new day in the sports world, folks. And we’re just getting started.
“It’s exciting, [but] a little bit like the Wild Wild West right now.” or a PR specialist on their team, it’s un likely that they’ll get one anytime soon, no matter how much cash they are will ing to dedicate. Having an agent as an amateur athlete was recently made le gal with the NIL; but the real truth of the matter is that agents aren’t going to make much money off of the kids, unless they are the rare case of a fivestar athlete, ready to take on the profes sional sports world as soon as they’re handed their high school diploma. Put simply, there’s not enough for agents to get out of the bargain. But even for the business managers who want to take a bite, “I definitely think [we’re] going to see people try to monetize the student athletes,” Mr. Sugam added. My other worry is how quickly the NIL can change sports as we know it. Ms. Scott reflected in our interview, for the majority of athletes who are not on the pro track or elite level to get them on the Olympic stage, it’s things like “learning leadership and team work, [that ] I don’t think are small things,” she shared. “The pressure put on these kids to develop at such a young level could be a recipe for real disaster,” Ms. ScottAlthoughremarked.she will not be per sonally affected by the NIL because of her school’s Ivy League ranking, Mad die Cramer (‘22), an incoming fresh man at Princeton University Track & Field, explained, “I feel that the NIL puts more pressure on athletes to be visible by marketing themselves rather than putting that time into their sport during their college years.”
CBSvia(‘24)ChanSydneybyScreenshots
On the other hand, Natasha Mar (‘23) has been working at her family’s restaurant, Takhrai Tai, since her freshman year. Over the past few months, she took the opportunity to train two of her friends, Nancy Wald man (‘23) and Alicia Zhou (‘23), who wanted to work there as well. “I was interested in what it was like to be a server rather than a customer,” Alicia said. “I also wanted to work somewhere that brought me closer to East Asian culture, and working at a Thai restaurant was perfect because I love learning more about Thai food.” She was grateful for the warm and welcoming ambiance that the staff created. “I feel a sense of pride and responsibility when packaging takeout, taking orders, or even setting the tables,” she shared. “Working at Takhrai is more than just a job.” Alicia appreciated all that she learned from the experience. In particular, she found prioriti zation was especially important Natasha Mar (‘23) (right) trained Nancy Waldman (‘23) (left) and Alicia Zhou (‘23) (center) to work at her family’s restaurant, Takhrai Tai.
Where did Bishop’s students work over the summer? Isadora Blatt (‘23)ZhouAliciaofcourtesyPhoto
Alex Ozarski (‘24) started working at La Jolla Kayak mid-May, a popular choice for Bishop’s students, and the job was a perfect fit. “I want ed to do something productive with my time, make money, and get some experience in.” Her job consisted of answering phone calls, dealing with rentals and product sales, and giving customers the rundown on their kay ak or snorkeling tours. “My favorite part about it is the work environ ment,” she said. “Everyone there is always in an uplifting mood, which just makes things more fun and lively all around.” She also enjoyed all the new connections the job gave her. “I feel like I’m constantly meeting new people because I work with differ ent people day-to-day depending on who is scheduled,” she explained. Brooke Fitz-Cluster (‘23) worked at the Shores as well, at Bike and Kayak Tours. She also enjoyed the new connections that she made. “I get to deal with a lot of tourists, and I love being able to meet different people from all over,” she said.
KNIGHTS AT WORK
12 LOCAL & BEYOND || ISSUE 01 For high school students, sum mertime brings more than a break from schoolwork. It means the rediscovery of free time; a chance to take matters into our own hands and do something only for ourselves.For upperclassmen espe cially, with college approaching on the horizon, it’s important to get some experience under your belt and earn some money on your own by getting a job. This summer, many Bishop’s students took advantage of the opportunity and spent the sum mer soaking up the workplace expe rience.
Eric Chen (‘24) worked as a student aide at Gateways, where he helped out with Magic class for first and second graders.
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13THETower in between tasks such as preparing sides or drinks on a busy day. “Learn ing how to take orders was a daunting task at first, but over time I grew more confident about the ordering system,” she said. Alicia believes that everyone should try working in customer ser vice. “You learn not only how to effi ciently take orders and answer ques tions, but also how to be polite and warm even in the busiest hours,” she explained.Natasha embraced the chal lenge of training Nancy and Alicia, since it was both of their first working experiences. “Since I have the advan tage of understanding [both the lan guage and the food], I had to put my self in their shoes and think about how to approach teaching them about serv ing as well as Thai culture and food,” she said. She often had to be flexible if certain things weren’t done the way she was used to. However, the two were very quick learners. “It makes me really proud and happy to see how much they’ve grown over the course of just a few weeks,” she said. Eric Chen (‘24) worked as a Student Aide at Gateways, a summer camp that offers classes primarily for elementary school kids. His job con sisted of supervising first and second graders in Magic class, walking them to their next class, and helping out the teacher. “It’s pretty fun, although a lit tle more difficult than I expected,” he said, explaining that he had to slow ly figure out the best ways to manage large groups of kids. “It’s annoying when they don’t listen and they talk over you, and it can be difficult since you have to show up with the same energy every day no matter what.” In general, though, he’s enjoyed spending time with the kids. “Of course, I like making my own money, but I also re ally like interacting with the kids. I was just like them when I was their age,” he reflected.In all of these cases, having a summer job proved to be fun and worthwhile. “It’s something I think ev eryone should experience,” said Alicia. Next summer, get out there and try it for yourself!
14 CULTURE || ISSUE 01
An enthusiast for ‘80s fashion, Safina Abraham (‘25), said she enjoys utilizing the vi brant patterns —like stripes—of the ‘80s. Unlike current fashion which is very focused on creat ing one’s own style, Safina feels that ‘80s fashion is “universal,” meaning that everyone can adapt the trends from the decade. “There’s individu ality, but also a sense of connection,” she said. This connection could possibly be a reason why the ‘80s has been able to retain popularity. The bright, retro feel of the time period seems to at tract and apply to people of all ages.“I think I am drawn to ‘80s fashion because of how loose and colorful everything seems to be,” said Safina.
–English Teacher Mr. Adam Davis
What do acid washed jeans, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, and the Stranger Things soundtrack have in common? They all have revived remnants of ‘80s culture. After the appearance of “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),”1985, by Kate Bush in Season 4 of the Netflix hit series Strang er Things, it was, for a while, the predominant sound teens heard on their Tiktok ‘For You Pag es.’ Much like its lyrics state, the song’s streaming numbers also went “runnin’ up” after the release of the long-awaited Season of Strang er Things. On Spotify, the song currently sits at 427,366,938 streams. The recent resurgence in popularity of ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s culture is evi dence that songs in modern media have allowed for older hits to become trendy once again. Peo ple of all ages are attracted to the media and culture from this time period due to nostalgia, for the older generations, and the era’s trendifica tion, for the younger generations.
Writer for the website Film School
Director of Instrumental Music Mr. Robert Anderson said “I’m probably a little bi ased, but the late 1960s to the early ‘90s brought some of the greatest pop music ever” because “it innovated musically and stylistically in ways that popular music hasn’t since,” he said. Although a new era, these hits have still sustained the same popularity. “I feel like we’re on something of a 30-to-40-year loop when it comes to reevaluation and inspiration,” English teacher Mr. Adam Davis commented. He, like many others, has noticed a constant trend re cycling relics from the past, especially from the ‘80s. This cycle is exactly how shows like Stranger Things have risen in popularity. Wheth er it is due to nostalgia or the resurgence in pop ularity of ‘80s culture, shows have profited off of recycled hits.For example, set in the 1980s in the fic tional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the gruesome monsters of the Upside Down and the popular cast were not the only things fans were looking forward to in Season 4 of Stranger Things. Like many of the previous seasons, the show’s Season Four soundtrack gained notable popularity—its Season Four playlist garnering 1,747,614 likes on Spotify. The playlist consists of songs that were first released in the 1980s. Stranger Things has somehow revived old hits that much of the newer generation (Gen Z) had not heard of. Arguably one of the most popular songs in the soundtrack, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” is not the only ‘80s song that has been revived in the past few years. Sophie Zheng’s (‘26) favorite song from Season 4 is “Master of Puppets” by Metalli ca, another hit that was first released in 1986. Ac cording to Billboard, the song has shown a 400% increase in streams ever since its appearance in the NetflixDirectorseries. of Choral Music Dr. Chris tine Micu recalled a memory of one of her music classes that miraculously knew all the words to “September” (1978) by American band Earth, Wind, & Fire. “All of a sudden I had classes of 6th graders who knew all the words to this song that my parents listened to when I was growing up!” she said.Modern-day music has also been in fluenced by the ‘80s. Dua Lipa’s song and music video of “Physical” shows background dancers in leg warmers and leotards. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), “the track itself is heavily inspired by the disco and electronica” sounds, which were characteristic of ‘80s music.This sudden rise in popularity is not limited to just ‘80s music. Simultaneous with the rise in popularity of ‘80s fashion, such as biker shorts, bucket hats, and other older styles, is the popularity of these old hits. It is not just music being revived, but a revival of past decades’ cul ture. A certain appeal and zeitgeist has to exude from ‘80s culture in order for this revival to happen. What has made the ‘80s so everlasting in a time where trends quickly fade away?
FOREVER ‘80s Summer Hu Diving into the perpetual popularity of this decade feel like we’re on something of a 30 to 40 year loop when it comes to reevaluation and inspiration.”
“I
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Teen fashion has been largely affected by the recent 80s revolution. Bright colors, funky patterns, and shirts with bands from the era such as AC/DC all make appearances in the popular clothing store Forever 21.
Rejects Aline Dolinh analyzed the popularity of ‘80s culture. “Rather than attempting to literally recreate the decade, they merely invoke its spirit – that is, our broad, culturally-ingrained association of the ’80s with impossible escapism or the earnest thrills of childhood.”Jen Chaney theorized in the Vulture that the rise in popularity could be due to Generation X, many of which are currently parents of Bishop’s stu dents. Growing up in the ‘80s era, Chaney wrote that Generation X parents introduced their children “to the same prized pop-cultural possessions that popu lated [their] childhoods.” In other words, Generation X, by enforcing and talking about what was popular in their childhood, has led to the preservation of ‘80s culture. Shows like Stranger Things also served as an outlet for the everlasting nature and popularity of the ‘80s by incorporating certain nostalgic gems or music in their episodes. Four days after Season 4 was released, the number of listens for “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” increased 8700% world wide. These shows that bring forth ‘80s culture in current times have also introduced the newer gen eration to the ‘80s culture. Jack Rudy (‘26) likes the songs “Separate Ways” (1983) by Journey and “Run ning Up That Hill (A Deal with God).” He and many of his friends were first introduced to these older songs through Stranger Things. Additionally, the social media platforms have led to the increased popularity Sophie said that TikTok audios containing these old songs have be come popular due to everyone wanting to “jump on the newest trends.” She went on to say that the re mixes of songs become popular enough so that peo ple want to listen to the original versions.
The older generations also watch Stranger Things because of the nostalgia it creates from its set ting in the 1980s. Dr. Micu enjoys how the show can appeal to multiple generations. “My friends love the nostalgia and how accurately they show the things from our childhoods,” she said. Of course, modern media like Stranger Things, TikTok, and more have played their roles in reviving these already popular songs by introducing them to newer generations. However, it is more the lasting impact that the ‘80s has had on people born in that time that has allowed the culture to carry down and thrive in modern-day times. Stranger Things is just another media form that reminds us all again that the ‘80s fever can affect everyone of all ages. Ironically, the shows that have revived ‘80s cul ture have made it “trendy” and “current” to listen to old hits.
How TikTok and the changing film industry impacted the reception of the Minions movie
16 CULTURE || ISSUE 01
Like any other day, you arrive at the movie theater with your fam ily. Excited, you walk into the air-conditioned multiplex after purchas ing a large popcorn at the snack bar. Just as you sit down, expecting families like yours in the audience, a tidy line of suited-up teenagers parade into the au ditorium and find their seats amidst a loud cycle of pre-movie trailers. The ex citement level before the big screen cre scendos to something you’ve never seen before. Then, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” be gins. Re leased in 2010, the first Despi cable Me mov ie aroundionsyellowall-wearing,lovable,everyoneintroducedtotheoverMinthatfollowGru,the
antagonistic protago nist voiced by Steve Carell. Following two sequels and a “Minions” spinoff in 2015, the latest add-on to the Despicable Me franchise made an estimated $125 million domestically over the Fourth of July weekend, according to Universal, the company that distributed the film. With an unusually high percentage of the audience between the ages of 13 and 17 compared to previous installments of the franchise where teenagers had only made up eight percent, the film was also catapulted into the 10 highest-grossing movies of this year. So, the question begs to be asked: Is the film’s success a result of childhood nostalgia, a big internet joke, or because it is genuinely a cinematic masterpiece?Itseems that this past summer especially was a time of film fanaticism; for longtime moviegoers who suffered from the pandemic-era withdrawal and has been kept from the cinema experi ence for so long, the latest installment of the most highest-grossing animated film franchise of all time seemed like a nostalgic visit. Additionally, although the Minions sequel was originally set for release in 2020, pandemic delays prompted Universal to hold off on its distribution. While other family films proceeded onto the streaming route, the company held The Rise of Gru for the aters. There were certainly people who were originally committed to seeing the Minions movie, but the film’s explosive success was undeniably also a result of a viral TikTok“TikTok,trend.for sure, acted as an advertising tool,” noted Katherine Ge (‘24). “I haven’t seen even a fraction as much Minon-related content on oth er social media platforms as I’ve seen on TikTok.” On June 28, Bill Hirst, an Australian teen, posted one of the first renditions of the mulatehashtag“gentleminions”videosviews.atAugusteoinminions”“#gentletrendaTikTokvidthat,asof7,sits38.5millionIntotal,withtheaccuover242 million views, in addition to the over 14 billion views of “#minions” and 1 bil lion views of “#riseofgru.” According to Fortune, Hirst got the idea from memes joking about showing up to the Minions movie in formal attire. On July 1, Universal also en dorsed the trend by sharing on Twit ter—“to everyone showing up to @ Minions in suits: we see you and we love you.” Katherine, a longtime fan of
SUIT UP – THE WAIT IS OVER
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When asked about this specta cle of a phenomenon, Daxton Gutekunst (‘23), whose decision to watch the movie was influenced by the trend, noted: “It certainly gets people watching some thing they wouldn’t normally watch.”
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As of August 8, in total, videos with the “gentleminions” hashtag accumulate over 242 million views, in addition to the over 14 billion views of “#minions” and 1 billion views of “#riseofgru.” the franchise, pointed out that the mov ie’s marketing was truly well done. “The movie got most of Gen-Z’s favorite mu sic artists on the soundtrack, collaborat ed with IHOP to produce the Minions menu, and created some pretty well-per forming commercials.”Infact,the “#gentleminions” trend even encouraged viewers to bring bananas, a Minion’s favorite food, to theaters, and steeple their hands, Gru’s signature pose, as they watch the mov ie. TikTok videos also promoted enthu siastic clapping throughout the viewing experience, which in some cases, incit ed backlash. Disruptive viewing behav iors have led many UK cinemas, such as the Odeon chain, to discourage these displays; one cinema in Wadebridge, Cornwall, even banned unaccompanied suit-wearing children from watching the movie. “Due to recent disturbances following the #GentleMinions trend,” Odeon cinemas’ warning signs said, “any group of guests in formal attire will be re fused entry for showings…” It’s hard to deny the TikTok trend’s impact on the frenzied success of “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” With easyto-access tools like hashtags to repeated ly spread various challenges, jokes, and pop-up discourses, the short-video-dom inated social media platform engages au diences easily. Perhaps TikTok’s iron grip on the current climate of our pop culture is spreading quickly to the film indus try—in 2021, 69% of the platform’s users have posted content related to a show or movie, according to a TikTok Entertain ment Study.“To me, TikTok reminds me of commercial breaks on TV that are di rected at children to make them ask for a certain toy for their birthday or near Christmas-time,” observed Emeraude Westlake (‘24). “Except instead of mak ing the ad specifically appealing to chil dren, Tiktok’s algorithms and style make it appealing to multiple generations.”
He then paralleled TikTok’s advertising tactics with those of name brands on Twitter. Advertising has always been so intertwined with culture, and Twitter was one such place that fostered a new sense of intimacy between brands and their audiences. By googling ‘funniest brand accounts on Twitter,’ you’ll find count less compilations of brands like Wen dy’s tweeting at random users. Daxton continued, “I think something similar is beginning to happen in the film industry, where those behind the scene are finding ways to interact more and more with a certain generation of audience.” But this unprecedented hold on the movie industry, like many things on line, may be impermanent. “Tiktok will help create high-grossing movies be cause there are millions of high-grossing TikToks,” said Emeraude. “I don’t know how long this will last though, because, maybe the mindset will shift to: “If I can watch the fun part of the movie on Tik tok, why bother going to the theater?”
Another much-debated ques tion follows: is the Minion’s success a coincidence? Could this have happened with any children’s movie thanks to clev er advertising innovations?
“I think part of [the advertising success] is because we know the Minions so well,” Daxton noted, thinking back to the 2010 release of the first movie. “The franchise is just so ridiculously absurd—I mean, you’re going in suits to a children’s movie.” Katherine added, “Nostalgia definitely played a role. Minions were a central part of our childhoods, and at this point, they’ve become cultural artifacts rather than just Whethercharacters.”itwasthe growing ac cessibility of trends, marketing geniuses, or just sweet childhood nostalgia, the newest installment of the Despicable Me franchise spelled massive success finan cially and culturally. “Dressing up for the movie began as something ironic, but over time, I began to understand it as something people had genuine fun with,” said Katherine. With the world’s eyes on these banana-loving icons, perhaps Tik Tok’s increasing hold on the film industry will be a norm for the near future.
- Performing Arts Director Ms. Lara Korneychuk
ROE REVERSEDROE REVERSED A
18 COVER || ISSUE 01
Although overturning Roe doesn’t automatically prohibit the ter mination of a pregnancy in every state, it does mean that approximately half the US is expected to restrict abortion. This is because, in a 5-4 vote on Dobbs v. Jack son Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court chose to leave the deci sion of whether to outlaw abortion to the states themselves. The Court concluded that the right to abortion is not protected by the Constitution and shouldn’t be pre served by federal law, thus striking down Roe v. Wade and putting millions of peo ple at risk.While abortion rights advocates in Texas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota (among many others) are worried about the future of abortion access, some states, like California, have actually been at tempting to expand abortion access. Jodi Hicks, the CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said in a state ment,“We are working to ensure that people—regardless of where they come from—can access abortion services with as much support and as few barriers as possible.” Additionally, Governor of Cal ifornia Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill to protect abortion providers from bans originating from other states. But not every state government is as concerned with protecting repro ductive rights. As of August 7, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, and South Dakota have banned abortion with no excep tions for rape or incest; laws in Idaho, Indiana, and Tennessee are set to go into effect (or, in some cases, already have) this summer; and Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida have heavy restric tions in place, banning abortions after six weeks (or 15 weeks, in Florida’s case).
Almost a year after the most re strictive ban on abortion in the US was enacted, and just months after a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked, the 49-year-old law protecting abortion in the United States has been overturned. Roe v. Wade se cured a person’s right to abortion almost half a century ago, and, in its absence, people around the country have been left scrambling to draft new legislation, vol unteer for organizations, attend march es, and everything in between. But, no matter where you stand on abortion and reproductive rights, one thing is for cer tain: this change will significantly affect the lives of millions of people.
Meanwhile, the future of abortion rights is uncertain in about a dozen or so other states. Although we have yet to see what individual states will do, History and Social Sciences teacher Mr. Matthew Valji—who also coaches Speech & De bate and Model UN—said that we can agree on what will happen on a federal level. “In the short term, neither a federal law legalizing abortion nationwide nor a federal law banning abortion nationwide is likely,” he explained. This is because, for either law to go into effect, “It would need to pass the House of Representa tives and the Senate, then be signed off on by the President, and then survive the inevitable legal challenge at the Supreme Court.” Because of the ever-widening di vision between Democrats and Republi cans and the unwillingness to cooperate with the “other side,” any collaboration is improbable. For now, every state will make its own Evenrules.though abortion providers in California are trying to help as many people from as many different states as possible, there is no guarantee that peo ple who need abortions have the means to travel. Gas prices and plane tickets, in addition to the cost of the actual opera tion, are enough to keep someone preg nant due to being stuck in their home state; or even worse, enough to render them desperate enough to attempt an unsafe abortion on their own. These laws aren’t just affect ing access to reproductive healthcare, though; they are also affecting access to look into the implications of overturning Roe vs. Wade Lucy Marek
If we cannot right this ship, all people with uteruses will be second class citizens.
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19THETower medication that manages severe inflam matory diseases like rheumatoid arthri tis. Methotrexate, a drug that is meant to control arthritis and lupus, is being de nied to people of childbearing age as it is also capable of terminating a pregnancy. Methotrexate, while not an abortion pill, is prescribed to end an ectopic pregnan cy—a pregnancy that doesn’t start in the uterus and which can cause life-threaten ing bleeding — according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Now, people like Twitter user Taylor (@_trashville) have taken to social media to share their stories of doctors refusing to prescribe the drug because of new abortion laws. Taylor, who takes the medication to manage life-threat ening lupus nephritis and GvHD, an nounced on July 1 that she had joined, “the choir of women who have now had their methotrexate (which i have to take to you know…not die) refills denied bc it is considered an abortifacient.” She also added that she is “literally infertile now” and demanded that someone explain why “it matters if i am taking an ‘abor tifacient.’” But, until laws get changed or doctors choose to risk being sued, people who have a chance of becoming pregnant are at risk of unnecessary pain. But Ms. Lara Korneychuk, Chair of Performing Arts and leader of FEM Club, thinks that the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could have much more dire consequences. “If we cannot right this ship, all people with uteruses will be second-class citizens,” she ex plained. She emphasized this point, say ing that “Dead bodies who have chosen not to be organ donors currently have more protections over their organs than living people with uteruses,” referencing the pro-choice argument that if people can’t be forced to donate an organ, they shouldn’t be forced to carry a fetus inside of one. But people with uteruses aren’t the only ones who risk becoming sec ond-class citizens. Clarence Thomas, in his opinion supporting the overturning of Roe v. Wade, also recommended that the court re-examine Griswold, Law rence, and Obergefell; in other words, he wants the court to reconsider legalizing contraception, sodomy, and same-sex marriage. And while it isn’t clear wheth er the other justices agree, Mr. Valji ac knowledged, “The overruling of Roe v. Wade...increases the chance of these oth er precedents being overturned.”
Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, pro-abortion or anti-abor tion, in a red or a blue state, we can all agree that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will have dramatic consequences and affect the lives of millions around the United States for years to come.
While the future of reproductive healthcare is still uncertain in many states, we can still make predictions about where abortion is likely to remain legal or become illegal.
The infographic below shows the state of abortion laws as of August 7th.
20 COVER || ISSUE 01 NOT BY THE PEOPLE NOR FOR THE PEOPLE
The Justices hold the most power of anyone in the country, but their reign is never limited and they can still make vital descisions for Americans.
But that didn’t stop Alito from writing his document reversing precedent, order, and justice. Yet, when Alito was ap pointed to the court in 1990 he said “Roe vs. Wade is an important precedent of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court has
Alito, women were not even in the original draft constitution — they weren’t written in until the 1920s. White, straight, cisgender, men who didn’t own land weren’t written in until 1828. Abortion wasn’t even medically practiced until 1970. The refrigerator, car, electricity, polio vaccine, battery, iron stove, chick enpox vaccine, running water, and radios, weren’t invented at the time of the consti tution, but we don’t shun the inventions that made our life safer, cleaner, healthier, happier, and more efficient, because as a society advances so does its technology, its people, its medicines, and its needs. Theo Cleary (‘24) who believes that Justices should be held to some sort of limit, add ed onto this idea by saying, “legislation is meant to change as time goes on.”
Leila Feldman
According to PBS, nearly 64% of Americans want the court to up hold the decision to protect abor tion rights: so why did the Supreme Court decide otherwise? On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s case legalizing abortion, was officially overturned, revers ing nearly 50 years of precedent. The Jus tices rule without acknowledging what the citizens want, thus they rule based on what they personally believe, and that is one of the many reasons they decide to overturn Roe. v Wade.But what is Roe v. Wade? And what’s its significance? Roe v. Wade was a historical decision made in 1973. The Su preme Court ruled in favor of Jane Roe, a Texas woman, in a 7-2 ruling. Roe argued that making abortion illegal was unconsti tutional because it violated an individual’s right to privacy, a right protected by the fourteenthInamendment.acountrythat is built on the values of democracy, such as voting for our representatives, sena tors, and presidents — the Supreme Court is not elected by the peo ple. A Supreme Court Justice is nominated by the President of the United States, then verified by the House of Representatives and Senate. The Justices are not chosen by the people, nor are they at the risk of losing their job unless they die or leave on their own free will. To be re moved from office is a challenging process that requires impeachment by the House of Representatives and then a conviction by the Senate, according to The Boston Globe — making it near impossible to remove a justice from the court. The Supreme Court is mentioned in Article III of the United States Constitu tion. Article III indicates that the Supreme Court should only deal with cases pertain ing to the constitution. Meaning that they will only hear cases where the interpreta tion of the Constitution is undecided. The judicial branch is different from the other branches because the Founding Fathers believed the Judge should be nominated by the President and then confirmed by the House and Senate. That would mean that the Justice (though not directly elected) would still be elected by the people because they were confirmed by the people we did vote for. The Justices equated the over turning of Roe v. Wade to Plessy v. Fergu son: the decision that gave constitutional support for racial segregation — “separate but equal” — based on the 14th amend ment’s guarantee of “equal rights.” This rul ing was overturned in Brown vs. Board of Education which desegregated schools in May of 1954.On May 2, 2022, Politico leaked a document written by Supreme Court Jus tice Samuel Alito, in which he stated that Roe v. Wade should be overturned because [abortion] is not written in the constitu tion. Alito wrote, in the 96-page docu ment, “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The constitution makes no reference to abortion” and he continued, “no such right is implicity protected by any consitutional provision including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey so chieflyJusticerely.”
In fact, a founding father, third president of the United States, and author of the constitution, Thomas Jefferson, claimed that the document should be re written every generation (or 19 years). He wrote in a letter to James Mad ison “The earth belongs always to the living gen eration… Every consti tution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19 years. If it is enforced longer, it is an act of force and not of right.” Even according to the author, the Constitution has been null and void since 1809 — it should have been revised, updat ed, and included a modern perspective!
The Supreme Court Justices are not voted in by the people, that’s why the Justices don’t represent the people.
The Justices hold the most power of anyone in the country, but their reign is never limited and they can still make vital descisions for Americans.
21THETower reaffirmed the decision… and I think when a decision is challenged and it is reaffirmed that strengthens its value”. So why would he say one thing and then reverse strong, import ant, precedent? The answer is easy — he will never be up for re-election. Since Justices do not have to run or campaign for re-election, they are thought to be insulated from polit ical pressure when deciding cases, according to the Obama White House. In a government that so strongly stands on voting for the peo ple to make decisions for us, wouldn’t it make sense that they also weigh public interest in their rulings? While they aren’t supposed to rule based on public approval, wouldn’t it make sense for them to rule based on what the American people believe in? Alito (or any of the justices) do not have to win public approval; ideally their rul ings should some-what reflect public opinion, but they have no obligations to do so. In theo ry, the judges would then rule impartially and honor precedent without fear of being thrown out of office. In voting to overturn this his toric ruling, the Justices reversed precedent, dishonoring the 250 years of precedent and over 230 cases. They are not politicians who are elected by the people, for the people. They are simply people who served as judges, went to Law School, and were then selected by a President.The Justices, who rule based on the constitution, have an unlimited reign and never have to justify their ways to the pub lic — thus giving them more power than any branch of our government. Because they do not have to campaign and never face re-elec tion they don’t fear the repercussions of their actions and freely make their own decisions, regardless of public opinion. In a growing bipartisan government, the overturning of Roe v. Wade won’t bring Americans together. In fact, Americans will, according to the Harvard Kennedy School, continue to not “trust our judicial and polit ical institutions to settle such disputes legiti mately” without interfering their ideologically over precedent. By September 2021, only 40% of Americans approved of the Supreme Court, and in a country that is constantly divided on more issues than not, that number is telling. Theo said “unless something is done, they are going to keep doing this.” There is no check to balance these Justices.
Nearly 64% of rights.abortiontothetothecansAmeri-wantcourtupholddecisionprotectNearly64%ofAmeri-canswantthecourttoupholdthedecisiontoprotectabortionrights.(‘24)FeldmanLeilabyInfographic
In a 5/4 vote, the United States Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe V. Wade.
22 OPINION || ISSUE 01 THE COST
There are more guns than people. According to a 2018 survey run by Small Arms Survey, there are ap proximately 400 million guns in the United States alone. Only 330 million people live in the US as of the 2020 census. Although not every one of these 400 million guns has been used in violence, far too many of them have.333 mass shootings have already occurred this year according to Gun Vi olence Archives. National Public Radio (NPR) reported that at least 27 of those were school shootings. Real people and real children are fatally shot and killed in schools, places of worship, and grocery stores. Places where they should be safe. If anything, guns continue to gain more protection rather than being restricted, especially with the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. It seems as though it would be simple to prevent the countless deaths, but as another heartbreaking mass shoot ing occurs, it’s clear that it’s not. With lob bying, an attempt to influence government decisions, most commonly by donating money to campaigns of people with similar viewpoints, gun rights groups continue to secure protections for their guns. There have been attempts to work gun control into law in the past, but most have failed, due to lobbying. The only suc cess was a 1994 ban on 19 specific semi-au tomatic assault rifles. It expired in 2004 and has failed to be renewed. Other attempts at gun control followed shootings. The Sen ate rejected the Manchin-Tooney amend ment, which required background checks in all commercial gun sales in 2013 post the Sandy Hook Elementary School shoot ing, where 20 children, and six adults were killed. The Senate rejected that same bill two years later after the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center shooting and at tempted bombing, where 14 people were killed. According to Open Secrets, a non profit research organization that tracks money’s effects on United States politics, most of the 46 senators that voted against it in both situations had accepted significant donations from Political Action Commit tees of gun rights groups. While the majority of those in power continue to protect the business of guns, the majority of people in the United States are beginning to demand restric tions. According to a 2021 poll by Pew Research, 81% of Americans said that they support “subjecting private gun sales and sales at gun shows to background checks.” This included a majority of Republican re spondents. Similarly, a report from The Po litico and Morning Consult, taken the day after the Uvalde school shooting on May 24, 2022, where 19 children and two adults were killed, 73% of people voted that they strongly support background checks, and 53% voted that they strongly supported banning assault rifles. The majority of the public support actions that could limit gun violence incidents, yet gun rights remain stronger than women’s rights.
“subjecting private gun sales and sales at gun shows to background checks.”’ OF
According to a Pew Research 2021 poll, of Americans said that they support 81%81%81%
BUSINESSDOING
Bella Gallus Want to know why the United States legislates gun rights despite constant mass shootings? Follow the money.
THE COST OF BUSINESSDOING
Children participating in the Junior Newton Action Alliance, founded by families in Newton, Connecticut, after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, marched on June 3rd shortly after the Uvalde School Shooting.
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The Consumer News and Business Channel reported that the NRA’s 501(c)(4) group entered 2021 with 50 million dollars. The NRA PAC had 140 million dollars to spend in 2021, and in May of this year, had nearly 15 million dollars to spend. The majority of the money was spent on lobbying.
Similarly, reported by VPC, the Thomp son/Center HotShot rifle was targeted at the six to twelve year old age according to a company spokesman. Do the victims’ of gun violence have less rights than the guns used to murder them? The New York Times re ported that domestic gun justdeaths,business,2020.ingmanufacturincreasedto11.3milliondollarsinIt’saandtheyarethecost.
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With midterm elections, these branches are giving money to those who pledge to maintain gun rights. For exam ple, the NRA PAC gave 70,000 dollars to Republicans in April. The NRA gave Mar co Rubio, a Florida Senator, 3.3 million dollars, according to Brady United, plac ing him in the top five senators that have received the most money from the NRA. Senator Rubio recently voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which will expand background checks, and sup port mental health resources nationwide, which the NRA opposed. The NRA has the funding. Therefore, they have the abil ity to maintain gun rights. Asking for stricter background checks is not asking to ban all guns. Yet, gun rights groups, especially the NRA, are extremely opposed to stricter laws. It has not been easy, and it will not be easy to pass any sort of law that controls the slight est parts of guns with gun rights groups lobbying day and night. Yet, a background check could stop an 18-yearold with malicious intent from purchasing a gun. But, of course, gun advocates could never have that because they are already marketing to children. The guns are a business and ad vocates want to keep it alive, so much so that guns have started to be marketed in child-friendly colors. The Violence Policy Center (VPC) reported that companies such as Smith & Wesson, the manufactur er of the assault rifle used in the Parkland school shooting, where 17 people were murdered, has .22 caliber AR-15 style as sault rifles in Pink Platinum, Purple Plat inum, and Harvest Moon Orange. Savage Arms has youth rifles that come in colors that include red, yellow, orange, and blue.
Utilizing the method of lobby ing, gun rights advocates are able to pro tect their guns. Open Secrets reported that since 1998, gun rights groups, like the National Rifle Association (NRA), had invested 190 million dollars in lobbying. The money matters. All of the 190 million dollars is holding back progressive gun Inlegislation.comparison, gun control advocates have spent six times less than that of gun rights groups, having spent a mere 30 mil lion since 1998. Gun rights groups have been playing the money game for years, and are not going to stop anytime soon, especially with midterm elections of No vember 8,The2022.leading contributor to the protection of gun rights is the NRA, the largest gun rights group in the United States. It is a 501(c)(3) group, meaning it is a non-profit organization, made up of 5.5 million members nationwide. The NRA has different branches such as a 501(c) (4), and their Political Action Committee (PAC), which have the ability to lobby.
1. Use environmentally conscious websites. The New York Times suggests using the website bookdifferent.com. This website is able to calculate your carbon footprint using information from your bookings; it also provides multiple eco-friendly ac commodation options.
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Now that summer has ended, Bishop’s stu dents have traveled across the world: myself includ ed. While participating in a finance course in the Crans-Montana region in Switzerland, Oggie Holm (‘24) noticed very simple and subtle eco-friend ly touches in his environment. From local AirBnB’s commitment to a carbon neutral output to tons of biodegradable household objects, Oggie felt like “it was so simple to go green.” With that in mind, trav eling anywhere in the world can leave large carbon footprints. Practicing sustainability while traveling is one of the best ways to neutralize carbon emissions. It’s pretty easy also. Here are some tips to follow when preparing for your next trip.
BYOB — Bring your own bottle! Re usable water bottles are a perfect (and super easy) way to cut back on plastic waste. Goabroad.com states that popular second or third world countries among tourists, such as Greece, Vietnam, or even parts of Mexico, heavily struggle with this issue due to a lack of resources. Ignorance is out, local awareness of cul tures and communities are in!
How and why everyone is capable of traveling sustainably Spencer Ralph ABILITY
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24 OPINION || ISSUE 01 SUSTAIN-SUSTAIN-
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3. Trains are your friend, and the future. Seriously! Aviation and automobile emis sions are much larger than that of trains. Not only is taking a train more eco-friend ly, but it also offers a whole new perspec tive of the place you traveled to. Take longer flights. Although it sounds contradictory, it actually is much cleaner to take more direct flights than to have layovers. Most aviation emissions are pro duced during takeoff and landing. The less you fly, the smaller the carbon footprint.
2. Try visiting less touristy locations. Vis iting Cabo? Honolulu? Or even Sydney? Try staying closer to the locals. Most of the businesses in touristy destinations are forced to mass-produce goods for the sur plus of people, disregarding climate con cerns. Less visited towns give tourists an opportunity to shop local businesses and support the local economy more than a large corporation.
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While in Montana, Lexi Black (‘24) spent as much time as possible with the local scenery. This included biking and exploring Glacier National Park. You may be asking yourself: “But what even is sustainability?” It’s pretty sim ple actually. Sustainability is a way where a society is able to exist and develop without draining the natural goods of our Earth for future generations. Sustainability is heavily linked to combating climate change, so it is necessary to practice it in our lives. Another question probably just popped into your mind: “But why should we care about climate change?” Unfortu nately many still do not believe in the se verity of climate change. Some choose to believe that it is made up by a certain polit ical party to entice voters, or that it is a part of Earth’s “natural temperature fluctuation cycle.” It is indisputable that climate change exists and is harming our planet at an expo nential rate.The United States Environmen tal Protection Agency even states on their website, “these observed [environmental] changes are linked to the rising levels of car bon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere, caused by human activi ties.” Some of these activities include many day-to-day actions one would not deem as harmful. Most forms of transportation, running the A/C unit indoors, and eating meat are just some of the vast examples of harmful carbon emissions. However, by having what scientists call a “green mind,” or keeping sustainability in our thoughts, we can combat climate change little by lit tle. Sure, one can install solar panels, buy a Tesla, or become vegetarian, but there are simpler and less expensive ways to do so. Even though aviation only ac counts for 2.5% of the world’s CO2 emis sions, it is currently impossible to decar bonize planes relative to other forms of transportation, explained the Environmen tal and Energy Study Institute. As time has passed, humanity has found alternatives to gas-fueled cars and coal-powered trains: bullet trains and electric, even hybrid, cars have overcome the once believed impossi ble challenge. However, there is no modern technology to advance aviation in such a matter. Due to planes’ lack of emission up grades, it is imperative to carry the “green mind” while on said vacations. All in all, a change in lifestyle is necessary for our planet at this point. Im plementing some of these simple steps into our travel routine is and will be tremen dously beneficial for generations to come. It’s easy! Try it and you may even like it!If it is not that hard, then at least try.
If it’s not that thatleastthenhard,attry.Ifit’snothard,thenatleasttry.
Disclaimer: none of the activities below have actually earned any community service hours.
Isadora: Supporting creators!
Leila: Supporting local businesses!
As a part of our outreach category, I take pride in watching TikTok for hours every day to help hardworking content creators. I’ve always considered myself a self less person, which is why I prioritize watching TikTok over all my other work. This means I am also helping to contribute to the important cultural shifts in society that TikTok creates. For example, the abolishing of side parts was a huge act of community service towards many of you. There’s no need to thank me for my many philanthropies and contributions. It’s my pleasure!
Your teacher excuses you from class. Your stomach rumbles as you find yourself running to the terrace, the image of the delicious cafeteria food replaying in your head. Oh no, it’s too late. A never ending blob (how hard is it to make a line?) is already full of freshmen, and the happy thoughts of lunch are quickly swept away by a torrent of disappointment. It will be another 15 minutes until you receive your plate of rice and chicken. This is a recurring issue that many students face every single day. We are hungry! We want changes! I, however, have taken matters into my own hands. Instead of adding to the outrageous blob, I politely excuse myself off campus. The Cuvier gate and I have gotten to know each other very well over the past year; it can be your friend too! In my opinion, rules are a suggestion when it comes to community service! When you’re too tall to be invited...
A guide to life brought to you by the power trio of this year’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Graphics Editor, and Online Editor!
Spencer: I feed starving children!
Q: HOW DO YOU SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY?
As a proud Better Buzz addict, many days before school, I’d drag my little sister to Better Buzz because my eyes refused to stay open. So much so, that the Better Buzz employees and I were on a first-name basis. What can I say? I keep local businesses going. Speaking of local, I regularly attend football games. I couldn’t tell you one of our opponents but I can tell you all the snacks offered at the snack bar and who hung out in which areas. Yes, 8th graders, I’m looking at your mob on the grass. Overall I would give the football snacks a 7/10, but I’m not sure about the quality of the football team. Again, I keep the local businesses in business. You’re Welcome, La Jolla.
26 THE BELL || ISSUE 01 Got the dogs loose everything!and THE HOLY HANDBOOK
27THETower TOP 10 10987654321 THEY’RE A 10, BUT... (BISHOP’S EDITION) Their go-to hang out spot is the Prayer Garden They dominate DEIJ discussions They eat butter pasta for lunch every day They wear white shoes to school They actually finished all their summer homework They wore a suit to the Minions movie They start their contribution in an English discussion with “To piggyback off of that idea...” They forgot to bring advisory snack They call Whipple Hill “Blackbaud” We love a little healthy rebellion! They’ve been at Bishop’s since 6th grade but can’t name a single building
We’re down here!