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The C&G Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta, GA 30327 December 2021 Volume 10, Issue 1, Fall Edition thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com
The C&G Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta, GA 30327 December 2021 Volume 10, Issue 1, Fall Edition thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com
The C&G staff aims to be honest, accurate and accountable as they convey news, ideas, events and opinions that are relevant to the Holy Innocents’ community, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, parents, administrators, and prospective families. C&G aspires to publish complete and accurate coverage through journalistically responsible, ethically reported and edited content that values diversity of perspectives.
Staff
Alex Newberg Editor-in-Chief Parker Miles Staff Writers Zaynah Preston Jayla Jackon Alma Frazier Contributing Writers Dunn Neugebauer Rebecca Rivera Advisor Letter From the Editor Here it is: the first issue of the C&G for the 2021-22 school year. I can assure you that ample work has gone into its production. As a staff of four, count ‘em, four students, we certainly split a heavy load. We would be remiss if we did not extend our sincerest welcome to our new faculty advisor, Mrs. Rebecca Rivera, who has already transitioned into her role beautifully, and provides our staff with mature and poised insight. To the readers– I can assure you that this year of journalism, at our school and at large, will look different. We continue to navigate politically tumultuous times where all journalists must be extremely cognizant of source credibility and information reliability. We will continue to only publish what we deem newsworthy to platform with journalistic integrity at the forefront of our minds. Furthermore, given our small staff, please be patient with any delays or hurdles we face. Our staff has worked tirelessly to put forward the best quality magazine we can, so we hope you enjoy it. Happy reading! Alex Newberg, Editor-in-Chief
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Sports
2020 Olympic Review | 4 Fall Sports Recap | 6
8 Opinion Biden’s Saigon | 12 Damage Control | 14 We Need Queer Representation | 16 Breaking Bear-iers | 20
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Feature New at HIES pt. 1 | 8 New at HIES pt. 2 | 10
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Letter From the Advisor When I was the Copy Editor of the C&G 20 years ago, I had no idea my life would lead me to being the Faculty Advisor all these years later. Our small but dedicated staff has proven themselves to be consummate journalists, willing and able to tackle difficult topics while keeping journalistic ethics at the top of their priority list. I am so proud of how these students have honed in on what they are interested in while maintaining a strong connection between what is happening in the world around them and what is happening in our hallways at HIES. A hallmark of this issue is a reflection on how we absorb, interpret, and discuss the information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. We don’t just watch the Olympics, we learn about who the athletes are as people. We don’t just see the news and wait for an adult to tell us what it means, we search for that meaning on our own. We don’t just sit passively in class, we want to take an active role in determining what our education looks like, and getting to know the people who are teaching us every day. These students are carrying forth the legacy of excellence that has been a hallmark of the C&G for the past 20+ years. Rebecca Rivera, Faculty Advisor
2020 Olympic
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hroughout the Olympics, all participants had to perform without the presence of fans. Initially, 10,000 local fans were allowed to attend games, but the rise of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo skyrocketed. According to USA Today, numbers peaked at 1,010 cases in May, one month before the start of the Olympics. Much was unknown, but the Olympic committee decided to proceed with the games on July 23rd. The USA went on to record 113 medals. According to Forbes, thirty-three (33) were bronze, forty-one (41) silver and thirty-nine gold (39) medals were won. With China and the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) right behind in total medals received. In Track and Field, USA’s Fred Kerley brought home the silver medal in the Men’s 100 meter dash, and in a stunning exhibition, the Jamaican women sweep the 100 meters, winning the gold, silver, and bronze medals for the event. For the 200 meter, USA’s
Kenneth Bednarek won silver and Noah Lyles and Gabrielle Thomas won bronze for the USA. For the women’s 400 meter, the extraordinary Alison Felix won bronze for her final Olympic game appearance. Felix has won seven Olympic medals and has become the first female ever to do so. Also, USA’s Raevyn Rogers won bronze in the women’s 800 meter. Paul Chelimo received bronze in the men’s 5,000 meter. Grant Holloway won silver in 110 meter hurdles and in the 100 meter hurdles, Keni Harrison won silver. Rai Benjamin brought home silver in the 400 meter hurdles. For the women’s 400 meter hurdle, USA’s Sydney McLaughlin won gold and Dalilah Muhammad received silver for the USA. In the 4x400 relay, the USA men won the gold medal. In the 4x100 relay, the USA women won silver, falling short once again
Review Zaynah Preston, staff writer
to the Jamaican women’s complete annihilation of the 100 meters. However, the USA women brought home the gold in the 4x400 relay, For the mixed 4x400 team USA won bronze. For USA swimming, in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle Caeleb Dressel took home gold. The U.S also received gold from Dressel in the 100 meter butterfly. Hali Flickinger won bronze in the women’s 200 meter butterfly. In the 4x100 freestyle and the 4x100 medley, the U.S men won gold. In the 4x100 medley the men set a new Olympic and world record. The USA women won bronze In the 4x100 freestyle. In the 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 medley, the women won silver. Women’s basketball was victorious at the Tokyo Olympics, beating Japan 90-75 to secure the gold medal. The women’s U.S team has won seven (7)
straight gold medals, which is an Olympic record for basketball. After winning the Rio Olympics in 2016 with gold, many believed the USA men’s basketball team would have difficulty in winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics, given the limited talent on the roster. However, as a result of a dazzling performance by Kevin Durant, team USA managed to beat France 87-82. The women’s Volleyball team beat their rival Brazil 3-0 to earn gold. This marked the USA women’s first gold medal in Volleyball and their fourth medal in a row. The team had previously won three (3) silver and two (2) bronze medals at past Olympics. The USA women’s national soccer team won bronze in this year’s Olympics, after suffering an unexpected loss to Canada in the semifinals. After winning the World Cup in 2019, many
gold this year. This was a heart breaking loss for the team, as the women were chasing history to become the first women’s team to win the World Cup and follow with an Olympic gold. Also, the women’s team was seeking redemption after losing to Sweden in the quarterfinals in 2016. World class gymnast Simone Biles changed the world for athletes’, backing out of several high-profile gymnastic events due to her unstable mental health, brought on by the “twisties”, which is a debilitating spacial disorder brought on when a gymnast doesn’t know where their body is while in mid-air. The “twisties” can lead to catastrophic injury to a gymnast when trying to land. Many were in support of her decision, while others felt let down by her early exit. When Biles returned on the final day of competition, she managed to win bronze for the balance beam competition to finish at the Olympics. Although her gymnastic career may be coming to an end, she has paved the way for much needed light on athletes’ mental health.
U.S Olympic Medalists Track
Gold Medalists: Men’s 4x400 relay: Michael Cherry, Michael Norman, Byrce Deadmon and Rai Benjamin. Women’s 400m hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin Women’s 4x400 relay: Sydney McLaughlin, Daliah Muhammad, Athing Mu and AlisonFelix. Silver Medalists: Men’s 100m: Fred Kerley Men’s 400m hurdle: Rai Benjamin Men’s 200m: Kenneth Bednarek Men’s 110m hurdles: Grant Holloway Women’s 100m hurdles: Keni Harrison Women’s 400m hurdles: Dalilah Muhammad Women’s 4x100 relay: Teahana Daniels, Javianne Oliver, Jenna Prandini and Gabby Thomas Bronze Medalists: Men’s 200m: Noah Lyles Women’s 800m: Raevyn Rogers Women’s 200m: Gabrielle Thomas Women’s 400m: Alison Felix Mixed 4x400 relay: Trevor Stewart, Kendall Ellis, Kaylin Whitney and Vernon Norwood
Swimming
Gold Medalists: Men’s 50m Freestyle: Caeleb Dressel Men’s 100m Freestyle: Caeleb Dressel Men’s 100m Butterfly: Caeleb Dressel Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay: Zach Apple, Bowe Becker, Blake Pieroni and Caeleb Dressel Men’s 4x100 Medley Relay: Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Zach Apple and Caeleb Dressel Silver Medalists: Women’s 400m Freestyle: Katie Ledecky Women’s 200m Butterlfy: Regan Smith
Soccer
Bronze Medalists: Women’s National Team: Alyssa Naeher, Crystal Dunn, Casey Kruger, Abby Dahlkemper, Emily Sonnet, Tierna Davidson, Sam Mewis, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Catarina Macario, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Lynn Williams and Christen Press
Baksetball
Gold Medalists: Men Team: Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Jerami Grant, Kevin Durant, Bam Adebayo, Draymond Green, Keldon Johnson, Zach Lavine, Damian Lillard and Javale McGee Women’s Team: Ariel Atkins, Tina Charles, Naphessa Collier, Sue Bird, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Sylvia Fowles, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewel Lloyd, Brenna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson
Volleyball
Gold Medalists: Women’s Team: Rachel Adams, Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson, Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, Lauren Carlini, Megan Courtney, Danielle Cuttino, Tori Dixon, Annie Drews, Micha Hancock, Morgan Hentz, Kim Hill, Madi Kingdon Rishel, Jordan Larson, Karsta Lowe, Chika Ogbogu, Kathryn Plummer, Kelsey Robinson, Hannah Tapp, Jordan Thompson, Haileigh Washington, Sarah Wilhite Parsons and Justine Wong-Orantes
Fall Sports Recap
Dunn Neugebauer, contributing writer The Golden Bear fall athletic programs got off to a great start, with all four varsity teams advancing into postseason and one still moving on as of this writing. Starting with softball, Coach Chuck Lusted & Company – despite a roster small in numbers – advanced to the state playoffs for the fifth straight season. A team without a “superstar” the Bears got it done with plenty stepping up on different occasions. Laine Finley was the team’s only pitcher; while some of the top hitters included Antonia Martinez, Beth Gilcreast, and Ava Van Matre, to name only some. Blakely Friedman, Maddie Mays, and Megan O’Connor were among the defensive wizards. Moving to volleyball, it was supposed to be a rebuilding season, but somebody forgot to tell Coach Taylor Noland and her Lady Bears that. HI, after a tough start against brutal competition, ended up second in region and advanced all the way to the Final Four before falling to Athens Academy. Many stepped up, though Hailee Swain and Molly Medeiros both took home All-Region and All-State honors. Similar to softball, however, there were many who contributed to the stellar campaign. Over on the cross country courses, the girls and boys do what they’ve done the last decade in getting past the region competition and advancing to state. The boys brought home the region title before finishing second
in state behind Whitefield, while the girls took third in the conference and ended at fourth in Georgia. This was the 10th straight state advancement for the boys; the ninth in a row for the girls. Joe Sapone, Ryan Kelley, Parker Miles, and Logan Miller all made the All-Region team, before Sapone went on to win the individual state championship in Carrollton in early November. Tatum McKinnis and Reese Martin both took All-Region honors for the girls; Tatum went on to finish 10th in state to make the All-State team as well. On the gridiron, Coach Todd Winter’s troops ended regular season at 9-1 and as region champions. As of this writing in early November, the Bears are expected to make yet another postseason run after a Final Four finish two years ago and advancing last year. Many have led this team – quarterback William Wright, the versatile Drew Bomar, receiver Zach Jackson, and a solid offensive and defensive line backed by James Gleeson and Luca Chuecos, to name only a few. The varsity squads weren’t the only teams that made their early marks on the year, as our Middle School cross country team won the overall state championship, while both MS football teams earned playoff bids as well. Volleyball was also competitive from the 7th grade level up through JV, and the MS softball team also turned in a competitive season.
New
At HIES
Parker Miles, staff writer
At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, new additions to the faculty and staff overwhelmed the Upper School at HIES. One of the most exciting aspects of the team is their incredible diversity. With new faculty members from all around the country, and even the UK, each has a unique background. One of the notable new faculty members is Dr. Greg Hite, a history teacher. Of all the new teachers at HIES, one can argue that his background is the most remarkable. Prior to his arrival at HIES, Hite took part in an extraordinary event in world history: the climbing of the Berlin Wall. In 1989, Hite was studying at the University of Oxford when he was invited by a friend to go to Berlin for the New Year. As a history fanatic, scaling the wall was at the forefront of Hite’s mind. He mentioned that he wanted to “be a part of history,” and Berlin was clearly the place to be at the time.
“For context, the Berlin Wall had been put up by the East German government to prevent folks from escaping to West Berlin in 1961”, Hite mentioned. At the time, if a person tried to escape, the guards had the ability to kill them. However, in 1989, there was pressure on the communist government to relax their grip on power, and as a result, a few individuals tried to escape from west Berlin, and they were not killed. He continues, “We had been reading stories in the papers and seeing the reports on TV and thought it would be awesome to be there at this moment in history”. They arrived, but had no place to stay, so they rode a bus into Berlin, and when they got off, they saw a small cluster of people walking towards the center of Berlin, and they decided to follow. Hite mentions, “As we all turned onto a larger avenue, the crowd got larger and larger, and when we entered the center of Berlin, we found ourselves at a concert near the Berlin Wall.”
“For the most part, folks were staying away from the wall, “I heard wonderful things about Holy Innocents but as the night went on, a few folks hoisted themselves from former HIES English teacher Mrs. Melody up and were dancing on the wall, and more came until it Cannon”, Hite mentions. The two have kept in touch was overflowing with people”, Hite mentions. He adds, “I over the years. He continues, “she raved about the walked over, put my hands up, and someone reached downfantastic students, the faculty, and the powerful sense and hauled me up. I realized that people were jumping of community at HI, and I was excited to be a part of down on the East German side and none of the armed that”. guards seemed to care so I hopped down too”. “In my time at HIES, I have learned that the school But the story does not end there. Hite mentions, “after has a clear vision and deep sense of its own culture”, the group and I had explored around East Berlin, we Hite concludes. Just like many of the other teachers at meandered back towards the Brandenburg Gate, and we HIES, Hite has been able to understand what makes found a small hole in the wall that a group had made using HIES incredibly special, and he hopes to add to it in a sledgehammer”. He finishes, “I snuck through with the his time at HIES. group, completely unscathed”. At HIES, Dr. Hite is excited to teach Ancient World To commemorate the experience, Hite and his friend Narratives and United States History, but he is grabbed a sledgehammer and hammered a few chunks particularly excited about sharing his passion for civil of the wall to take with them. Today, those pieces can be rights with the students. found in his classroom. “The United States is a nation based on a shared set To Hite, this story is one of ideas, and we as a nation are of the most significant in constantly tinkering with how his life not just because to make a “more perfect Union”, of what happened, but Hite mentions. He adds, “When because of what he was you study Civil Rights, you study able to learn from it. men and women who against all odds, risked their lives to “I am always reminded help make that promise that of Faulkner’s quote “all men are created equal” a “History is not dead, reality, to share in the blessings it’s not even past.” Hite of life, liberty and the pursuit of mentions. He elaborates, happiness, to be seen as beautiful “We are shaped by the and valued and created in the sum of all experiences image of God”. that have come before us. We find ourselves at the cusp of that wave and what we do can shape where we all go In addition to his passion for civil rights, Hite from here”. Most importantly, Hite felt the intersection encourages that students take initiative in the of the march of historical events and his own experience. securement of Civil Rights. He mentions, “As soon This fact alone has made him incredibly passionate about as you are able to, register to vote. Men and women, teaching history because he knows that history can come in uniform, and citizens, have died to secure that alive. Hite has certainly made history come alive over the right for you”. He adds, “Don’t just show up and click time he has spent teaching; I know from experience. on the names. Be informed; read the news, local, regional, national, and international. Study history”. Following his adventures in Berlin, Hite taught history at various high schools in Atlanta for several years, and Hite concludes with an inspirational quote from eventually, he found his way to HIES. Thomas Jefferson, “We do not have government by the majority. We have a government by the majority who participate.” He encourages every citizen to participate in the process.
New
At HIES Parker Miles, staff writer
Keeping with the theme of the variety of new faculty and staff at HIES, not a single new teacher at HIES resembles this concept more than Katie O’Connor. Born in London, England, O’Connor is the only new teacher at HIES who has lived in another country at some point in time. While this fact is incredibly unique, it’s her experience in London and her transition from a life in London to a life in the United States that makes her story arguably the most unique out of all the new teachers at HIES.
Currently, O’Connor teaches Algebra II and Precalculus at HIES, but for years, she taught Mathematics in the UK. When she moved to the US, she soon realized how different teaching Mathematics in both countries was. O’Connor mentions, “In the UK, everyone studies Maths until they are 16 and they are put into sets according to their ability in their age group”. At age 16, these students then take a GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exam and then decide whether they want to keep taking Mathematics courses.
One of the most notable aspects about O’Connor is her background in teaching. She started teaching in 2012, a year after obtaining her undergraduate degree from Manchester University in Manchester, England. However, teaching was not always what she wanted to do. In fact, O’Connor mentions, “I spent a year thinking about becoming an accountant”. However, she mentions, “I soon realized that was not what I wanted to do, and once I got a postgraduate degree in Mathematics Education at University College London, I realized that I might want to teach the subject”.
“Every year, students learn bits of Maths from all areas, algebra, geometry, statistics… there is no Algebra II or Precalculus and no such thing as passing or failing a course”, O’Connor mentions. She elaborates, “The Maths is ultimately the same but it’s not quite as international of a language as I thought”. In other words, the general concept is the same, but the way she teaches it at HIES vs. the way she taught it in the UK is completely different. O’Connor not only shares the difference between teaching in the UK and in the US, but she also com-
pares the lifestyles in the UK and US. “Day to day life is not that different here versus the UK”. She elaborates, “The best thing about London is that it’s a hub for everything, much like Atlanta. In London, I could travel to anywhere in the world or country, I could hike, go to a plethora of concerts, or sporting events, and the same is true here”. Don’t be fooled, the lifestyle in London and Atlanta are relatively similar, but O’Connor makes it clear that there are other aspects that are totally different. She mentions, “Basic differences are driving on the wrong side of the road, the accents, the weather, the food, the air conditioning. However, the more notable differences come within the school systems”. “In the UK you don’t have quizzes, problem sets, or tests at the end of units and exams… you have 3 exams a year”. O’Connor elaborates on a topic she mentioned earlier by saying, “when you’re 16, you take tests in all subjects and then choose 3 subject to keep studying, then when you’re 18, you usually choose one subject to study at a university”.
unique aspect about her story was her move from London to Atlanta, without a doubt. “If I went into all the admin of the move, I would be here forever, but I will summarize it quickly”, O’Connor mentions. “The day of travel was me double checking that I’d packed everything up, trying and failing to sell my car, driving to the airport, saying a very emotional goodbye to my fiancé, flying to Toronto, a quick stopover and then onto ATL,” O’Connor says. She continues, “then I turned up to an empty apartment (that I’d miraculously managed to secure from England) where I then went across the road to pick up the airbed and bedding I’d ordered so that I could pump it up and have something to sleep on. All of this was 3 days before my first day here”. To say that this move was nothing but abrupt is quite an understatement. However, O’Connor makes it clear that it was for a good reason.
“The first conversation I had was with Mr. Forrester and he was just so friendly; it was a nice, relaxed conversation where I was able to see what it would be like working here, and immediately, I knew that I would fit in”- Katie O’Connor.
Academically, school in the UK and in the US is very different, but there’s more to it than that. For example, O’Connor mentions, “High school in London is for students from 11 years old to 18. Also, the holiday breaks here are very different”. She continues, “In the UK, we have terms, not semesters, and as a result, we have a break of at least a week halfway through each term and a break of at least 2 weeks at the end of each term”. With such different environments, it only makes O’Connor’s transition that much more impressive. With all these transitions already mentioned, the most
“The first conversation I had was with Mr. Forrester and he was just so friendly; it was a nice, relaxed conversation where I was able to see what it would be like working here, and immediately, I knew that I would fit in”, O’Connor says. She concludes, “Everyone has been so nice so far. The Episcopal element is a plus for me too as I have had good experiences working in other faith schools, I think it adds something to the feel of a school”. So far, the transition from her school in London to HIES has been relatively smooth for O’Connor, and a primary reason has been because of the warm and receptive community that HIES has provided. With all of this said, it is clear that the stellar math department at HIES will benefit even more from having a teacher
BIDEN’S SAIGON
Alex Newberg, Editor-in-Chief
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here are miscalculations, and then there are colossal screw-ups. US President Joseph R. Biden’s recent decision to withdraw all US troops, intelligence, and support from Afghanistan was a colossal screw-up bordering on malice. To fully realize how unreasonable this decision was, one must first understand how and why the US military arrived in Afghanistan.
smallest military presence since 2001 with only 3,500 troops. Nevertheless, against the advice of his advisors and the intelligence community, President Biden announced on April 14, 2021, that the United States would initiate a complete pullout starting on May 1.
Biden followed through, and precisely what was predicted transpired. The Taliban almost immediately took over the entire country, including sweeping the Capital, forcing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee Following the attack on the Twin Towers and the the country. And despite the Taliban’s laughable offer Pentagon on September 11th, 2001, citizens of the for a peaceful transition of power, the fundamentalist world experienced an unyielding shock. The evil organization has already begun its reign of terror on attack was not only an act of terror against the United Afghanistan. States but against the entire free world. So, to prevent anything remotely similar from occurring again, The Taliban has begun going door-to-door, targeting then-President George W. Bush vowed: “[to] direct women: gang-raping them and seeking to indoctrinate every resource at our command– every means of them. They have stoked so much fear that women diplomacy, every tool have started passing their of intelligence, every babies over fences seeking After Biden’s foolhardy, precipitous pullinstrument of law to put them in the safe out, Afghanistan witnessed its deadliest enforcement, every hands of soldiers. financial influence, day of conflict since 2011. and every necessary After Biden’s foolhardy, weapon of war– to precipitous pull-out, Afthe destruction and to the defeat of the global terror ghanistan witnessed its deadliest day of conflict since network.” 2011. 60 Afghans and 13 US troops perished. This marked the first combat troop deaths since February Of course, behind the 9/11 attacks was al Qaeda. 2020 (illustrating that Afghanistan was not America’s This vicious, Islamist terrorist group was, at the time, longest-standing “war” by any stretch of the imagibeing bolstered by the Taliban in Afghanistan. After nation). All this unfolded because Biden enacted an Bush demanded the Taliban turn over al Qaeda mem- unnecessary withdrawal without a real contingency bers with no response, he said, “now the Taliban will plan. pay a price,” and into Afghanistan, we marched. The Taliban is now one of the most well-equipped After quickly toppling the Taliban and rejecting forces globally due to the amount of equipment and an unconditional surrender, the United States and intelligence the military was forced to leave behind NATO allies ended primary combat operations and given such short notice. According to Reuters News, began nation-building. Initially seeking to establish a “the current intelligence assessment was that the Talwestern-style democracy, the operation, indeed, fell iban are believed to control more than 2,000 armored victim to mission creep. vehicles, including U.S. Humvees, and up to 40 aircraft potentially including UH-60 Black Hawks, scout Fast forward to 2021... 2 decades later. The US still attack helicopters, and ScanEagle military drones.” has activity in Afghanistan, but it dwindled to the And equally concerning is the massive supply of
night-vision goggles left behind, which gives the Taliban the ability to fight at night. Additionally, the US military was forced to ditch files with faces and names of every Afghan citizen who has helped the US military for the last 20 years. Those people are certainly not safe under the Taliban’s brutal, theocratic rule.
the Taliban did not honor its terms of the agreement, there would be “hell to pay.” Even Democrats have blasted President Biden’s unwise decision to withdraw troops. Veteran himself, Rep. Seth Moulton (D–MA), took an unauthorized trip to Kabul. “Even if you completely agree with the Biden administration’s decision to withdraw, the way they have handled this has been a total [expletive] disaster,” Moulton said.
Americans were stranded, including a 3-year-old boy from California. He does not deserve to be left for dead. He and his family are stranded in Afghanistan and have already been physically beaten by the Taliban. The time for partisan politics has come and gone. As a country, we must universally condemn the irresponWhy did Biden not feel the need to afford all US sible precipitous pull-out authorized and executed by citizens the ability to leave before executing the withPresident Biden against the advice of his intelligence drawal? Could he not wait until the Winter when there community. We must rectify swiftly what we can. is a known pause in Taliban conflict due to the frigid This foreign policy blunder is only paralleled by the temperatures and harsh climate? gut-wrenching images of the fall of Saigon in 1975. Evacuations of Kabul are eerily reminiscent of the Instead, Biden decided to act evacuation of the Vietnamese US in defiance of his intelligence embassy at the end of the Vietcommunity, close the airport Own it, Joe. This was a failure nam War. in Kabul, leaving Americans of epic proportions, and for dead, and allow the Taliban Biden has repeatedly stated that to topple the country’s leader“the buck stops with [him].” Still, you are responsible. ship in a matter of days. it seems that Biden will continue weaseling his way into having it Biden has repeatedly shifted stop with anyone else. Own it, blame, specifically to one person. Biden blames Trump. Joe. This was a failure of epic proportions, and you are When in doubt and in need of political capital, just responsible. blame Trump, or so the leftist mindset preaches. Biden claims that it was Trump’s Doha agreement that required troops to leave by May 1. This could not be further from the truth. You see, the way an agreement functions is that there are conditions that must be met by both parties. Trump’s Doha agreement set the clear expectation that US troops would be withdrawn ONLY if the Taliban upheld its requirements of the agreement, including its commitment to participate in an “Intra-Afghan dialogue,” implement a “permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” and agree to an amenable plan for Afghanistan’s future. And Trump made it explicitly clear that if
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DAMAGE CONTROL
here are difficult decisions, and then there is damage control. And for US President Joseph R. Biden’s recent choice to withdraw all US troops, intelligence, and support from Afghanistan it was both. Making up for the malice accumulated in the drawnout death chamber known as the Afghanistan Conflict. To fully understand how the conflict became the powder keg it is, we must first understand the origins of this international diplomacy qualm. The Council of Foreign Relations outlines the issue chronologically. On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda operatives hijack four commercial airliners, crashing them into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. A fourth plane crashes in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Close to three thousand people die in the attacks. Although Afghanistan is the base for al-Qaeda, none of the nineteen hijackers were Afghan nationals. Mohammed Atta, an Egyptian, led the group, and fifteen of the hijackers originated from Saudi Arabia. Quickly, President George W. Bush vows to “win the war against terrorism,” and later zeros in on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. Bush eventually calls on the Taliban regime to “deliver to the United States authorities all the leaders of al-Qaeda who hide in your land,” or share in their fate. While Biden is the face of the issue in 2021, it must be noted that his position on the conflict has not changed since 2009. During his vice presidency, Biden was consistently one of the biggest skeptics of the chosen solution to the conflict. His biggest critique: The military strategy would be unlikely to yield victory and would delay what could be calculated success. “We have not thought through our strategic goals!” He exclaimed during the Obama Administration’s first meeting on the topic. And with no surprise, America found itself in a 20-year war with unsatisfactory results.
So his decision to exit is understandable. Now, we must not ignore the Taliban’s swift responsiveness to the exit of American troops, but researchers assert that the expansive Taliban takeovers were amongst us regardless. We must stop applying the non-unique argument that the exit was the catalyst for the Taliban Takeover. Associated Press, an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting states, “The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.” Yes, the exit accelerated the impending doom but it saved American lives from a harsh reality that would have stopped for no one. International involvement has been the breath of American politics since the deconstruction of American isolationism. Sympathy is due to all Afghan families and citizens who fear for the future, but fear is nothing in the face of action. Actions that would have ensued despite American presence or not. Joe Biden is not the Afghan president. America is not the only country in the United Nations. The Afghan conflict is a global issue. We will not berate Joe Biden for having his priorities correct as of the American President. His concern is with American blood, first. The Watson Institute asserts that in 2019 alone 7,000 American soldiers dies in the conflict. 7,000 families were devastated in one year because we waged a war where there should have been global counter-terrorism initiatives launched, the same initiatives Biden advocated for in 2009. He has not dismissed the aiding to the conflict but he recognized the coexistence of American safety and foreign aid. According to Brown University’s Cost of War Project, The war in Afghanistan has cost $2.3 trillion so far. BBC reports, Between 2010 to 2012, when the US for a time had more than 100,000 soldiers in the country, the cost of the war grew to more than $100bn a year. That is the equivalent of 300 million dollars a day. And of course, America had 300 million dollars a day laying around, false. CBS reports, “From the American Civil
War through the Korean War, the U.S. government has mostly paid for its conflicts through taxes and war bonds.”
That inauguration led to insurrection an insurrection andand we we areare witnesses to the guilt questioning frequent of 3 unjust racist murders killings of inAfricanthe AmericanAubery Ahmaud men and trial. women.
They also assert, “ Including the cost of interest on those wars will add an additional $2.1 trillion by 2030. And through 2050, the interest alone is forecast to top $6.5 trillion — even if war spending had theoretically stopped in 2019, according to research published last year by Heidi Peltier, director of the "20 Years of War" Project at Boston University's Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. Such borrowing leads to larger total costs because interest must be paid as long as the debt is owed. That pushes the "true cost of war out to future generations.”
The bottom line is the 20-year war was expensive and ineffective. It took lives and will plague the economic prosperity of America for the next 15 to 20 years. It is so much easier to blame an individual for a collective mishap than to address the much larger issue.
The equipped nature of the Taliban has created issues for many, but before Biden Trump made efforts with Taliban leaders for reform, is Biden lacking this ability? AP News says, “Last year, then-President Donald Trump announced a plan to pull out and signed a deal with the Taliban that limited U.S. military action against them. President Joe Biden then announced that the last troops would leave by the end of August.” The video and imagery we saw we labeled “The Taliban Takeover” but even in the Trump administration, there was a negotiation between the two. If anything Biden’s decision will fortify the possibility of reform without the typical choke-holdsyle chokehold styleofofAmerican Americanforeign foreignrelations. relations.There Thereis is a crippling misunderstanding of the rationalization of Biden’s actions.
The pseudo-nationalism and lack of preparation that fueled the Afgan Afghanconflict conflictleft leftBiden Bidenininanan impossible situation. Own it, America. Our addiction to devastating war-hawk tendencies disguised as patriotism will long lead us into failures of epic proportions that individuals will have to make up for and bear the brunt of. And for that, we all are responsible.
Biden has acknowledged the families left in Afghanistan and has stated, “If there are American citizens left, we're going to stay to get them all out." on ABC news. "For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline, We remain committed to getting them out if they want to come out." Biden seems to have an intense dedication to the countries internal responsibilities for his term. And this is long overdue. It is almost comical that this country can fund a 300 million dollar daily taxing war to solve a foreign issue, but can’t seem to work out a suitable plan for reparations for African-American citizens. Or how we still struggle with an equal pension on a gender basis or racial wealth gaps in America?
Alma Frazier, contributing writer
WE NEED QUEER REPRESENTATION. Editorial submitted anonymously Design by Alex Newberg, Editor-in-Chief
I
n 2019, a study conducted by the UCLA Williams Institute School of Law concluded that 4.5% of the population of Georgia identifies as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, or about 1 in every 23 people (The Williams Institute). With a statistic this high, one would think there would be a proportionate amount of representation in media. While queer representation has progressed immensely in recent years, the media is still unbalanced, and most representation comes in the form of stereotypes and clichés. Especially in school, most children grow up only learning about the straight, cisgender way of life, from their health classes to the literature that they read in English classes. There are many issues to tackle within this topic, but for the sake of brevity, the focus of this discussion will be on high school English classes. There needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation in the books high school students read in their English classes.
Although it’s best suited to a high school audience at at the the youngest, youngest, “Red, Red,White White&&Royal RoyalBlue” Bluehas hassome some of the most realistic representations of queer people in literature. The book has characters that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and possibly polyamorous. However, unlike many other works, all of these characters are depicted realistically. Rafael Luna is a prime example of this, as he identifies as gay, but is nothing like the flamboyantly feminine characters most often portrayed in media. Rafael is a middleaged Mexican-American politician. He acknowledges that he has a more difficult time being elected to the Senate because of his race and orientation, but he also faces other issues in the story that are completely unrelated to his sexual identity. Some of his problems relate to his sexuality, but rather than the typical coming out story, he struggles with reelection for the Senate, among other problems not often represented in media.
One example of this struggle is Alex’s suspicion Heteronormativity is a painfully prevalent issue in that “the soulful brown eyes and perfectly groomed many facets of today’s society. Most movies have stubble and dramatic cheekbones won back any votes little to no queer representation, and most featured votes lost Luna Lunabylost being by being both Latino both Latino and openly and openly gay.” gay” LGBTQ+ characters are token gays, in which a (McQuiston 56). character’s orientation or gender identity is their only This issue isn’t something that is shown very often, personality trait. Thishomophobia but issue isn’t something in elections thatisisa shown real issue very that often, queer but homophobia politicians face, and in elections it’s refreshing is a real to see issue a character that queer Gay men are portrayed as very effeminate, they love politicians actively combatting face, and this it’s refreshing bias. to see a character shopping, and they often help the protagonist with actively combatting this bias. their “makeover”, like Barry in “The Prom”. Lesbians Rafael is just one example of many in this book and are shown as overly sexual and almost predatory, Rafael is others of just realistic one example LGBTQ+ofrepresentation. many in this book Being and like Louisa in “Jane the Virgin”. This representation others ofto exposed realistic this media LGBTQ+ at a young representation. age wouldBeing help is hardly any better than having none at all and still exposedheteronormativity combat to this media at a young by showing age would characters help like contributes to heteronormativity by treating queer combatwho Rafael heteronormativity don’t conform to bystereotypes showing characters and seemlike characters as outsiders or exaggerated caricatures. Rafael like realwho people. don’t conform to stereotypes and seem like real people. While integrating more LGBTQ+ representation into Realistic characters do more than just combatting English classes will not fix the issue completely, it could heteronormativity. Realistic charactersFor do more someone thanwho justhasn’t combatting make all the difference in the world to a student who heteronormativity. discovered their identity For someone yet, a character who hasn’t like Simon hasn’t yet realized their identity. Red, White & Royal discovered from “Simon their vs. identity the Homo yet,Sapiens a character Agenda” like might Simon Blue by Casey McQuiston is an excellent example of a fromthem help Simon realize vs. the their Homo identity. Sapiens Agenda might help book with great representation. them realize their identity.
It could be paramount to someone’s journey of selfdiscovery to see someone like them represented in the media they consume, and high school is the perfect time for these kinds of realizations. Especially at a young age, it is important for people to see themselves represented in the media, and characters like Simon are great for that because he is widely relatable to many people. He embodies the queer high school experience, as he struggles with coming out, balancing friendships, and protecting the people he loves. For a high school English student, Simon could be the first real representation they see, which may make them feel more seen and accepted. By offering relatable characters for queer youth to project themselves onto, “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” helps show its readers that being LGBT+ isn’t something to be ashamed of, but rather something to embrace. As Victor, a character in a spinoff series to “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,” so appropriately says, “Maybe one day I can inspire someone to be themselves” (Love, Victor). Simon, Victor, and countless other characters in queer media do exactly that for many people on their path to self-discovery by being role models and offering representation for those who would otherwise go unnoticed by the greater public. Until recently, many of these role models didn’t exist, or at least weren’t written about. However, contrary to the popular belief that no one was queer until the late ‘60s, there have been many people throughout history for which there is solid proof that they took lovers of the same gender. These few have survived the straightwashing of history and bloomed into iconic stories and role models for LGBTQ+ people in the modern day. For example, Anne Lister lived in the late 1700s and early 1800s and wrote many diary entries detailing her various sexual exploits with other women. Before that, there is proof that Alexander the Great
was in love with his companion, Hephaestion, and was in a relationship with him during his expansion of the Macedonian empire. Even earlier than that, many theorize that the Greek hero Achilles had a similar arrangement with his companion, Patroclus, and parts of their relationship are outlined in Homer’s Iliad. Their possible relationship is shown particularly in a scene after Patroclus’s death, in which “Achilles wailed remembering his beloved companion, rather than Hypnos who conquers all seizing him in sleep, he tosses this way and that way - yearning for the person and strength and goodness of Patroclus – as many things as he had done with him, having just as much pain – waves of grief of men piercing throughout the war – remembering [Patroclus’s] strength, he fell to tears.” This quote, along with the information that Achilles asked for his ashes to be mixed with Patroclus’s after he died, provides evidence for this theory, although many historians still deny its merit. Song of Achilles, a modern adaptation of the story of Patroclus’s life, embraces the theory and is not only an excellent novel, but also another perspective on the Trojan War, and this novel is not the only one of its kind. BBC and HBO are currently producing the second season of a show called Gentleman Jack, a retelling of Anne Lister’s life, albeit with a few creative liberties taken to fill in the details not included in the concrete historical evidence. In the realm of fiction, there are a few novels in circulation that retell classic fictional romance stories with a queer twist, such as Kate Christie’s Gay Pride and Prejudice, an alternate interpretation to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Any of these works would be excellent reading in an English class to gain perspective on their original forms or for literary analysis and also serve as good representation. Despite all these reasons, most high schools have very little, if any, queer representation in the books
tities are read students tabooinand English shameful. class, The leading heteronormative to the unfortunate of atmosphere reality manythat education many queer spaces teens is outdated grow upand thinking should betheir changed, identities not just are to taboo include and more shameful. LGBTQ+ The heteronormative literature, but also to include atmosphere books ofwith manymore education diverse spaces is outdated representation in general, and should whether be changed, it be queer, not racial, just to include more religious, disabled, LGBTQ+ or any literature, other area butthat alsolacks to include equal books with more diverse representation in general, representation. whether it be queer, racial, religious, disabled, or any other area in Especially that thelacks formative equal representation. years of high school, students are still coming to terms with their identities Especially in every aspect, in theand formative there should years of behigh literature school, for all students are still coming to terms with their identities children. in every aspect, and there should be literature for all children.or gay, cisgender or transgender, white or Straight black, Christian or Muslim, every person deserves to Straight see themselves or gay, represented cisgender orintransgender, media. Including white or more black, Christian LGBTQ+ novels or in Muslim, high school every English personcurriculums deserves to see themselves would only be arepresented small step towards in media. this Including goal, butmore it is LGBTQ+ nonetheless. progress, novels in high school English curriculums would only be a small step towards this goal, but it is progress, To make progress nonetheless. toward equality and representation for all, there needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation Tothe in make books progress high school towardstudents equality read and representation in their English for all, there needs to be more LGBTQ+ representation classes. in the books high school students read in their English classes.
BREAKING BEAR-IERS Jayla Jackson, Staff Writer Design by Alex Newberg, Editor-in-Chief
O O
ururability abilitytotoreach reachunity unityinindiversity diversitywill willbebe the thebeauty beautyand andthe thetest testofofour ourcivilization civilization- Mahatma MahatmaGandhi. Gandhi.
On OnOctober October8,8,2021, 2021,2020students studentspromenaded promenadeddown down Baker BakerField Fieldininallalltheir theirearned earnedglory. glory. The Thestudent studentbody bodyerupted eruptedupon uponthe theannouncement announcementofof this thisyear’s year’sHomecoming HomecomingCourt. Court.Four Fourfreshmen, freshmen,four four sophomores, sophomores,four fourjuniors, juniors,and and88seniors seniorsclaimed claimedtheir their spot spotininthe thelineup. lineup. With Withbig bigcheers cheersand andeven evenbigger biggersmiles, smiles,the the2020made made their theirway wayacross acrosswaving wavingand andstrutting. strutting.And Andwhile whilethe the festivities festivitiesare arenow nowover, over,we wemust, must,once oncemore, more,erupt erupt with withapplause. applause. This Thisyear yearfeatured featuredananoverwhelming overwhelmingdisplay displayofofdiversity diversity and andinclusion– inclusion–20% 20%ofofthe thehomecoming homecomingcourt courtbeing being students studentsofofcolor colorand andananAfrican-American African-Americanfemale female Homecoming HomecomingQueen, Queen,the theillustrious illustriousTatiana TatianaJohnson. Johnson. Not Notonly onlythat thatbut butananopen openmember memberofofthe theLGBTQai+ LGBTQai+ community communityalso alsowas wasrepresented. represented.SoSoititbegs begsthe the question, question,what whatdoes doesthis thismean meanfor forHoly HolyInnocents’? Innocents’? Holy HolyInnocents’ Innocents’Episcopal EpiscopalSchool Schoolwas wasfounded foundedinin 1959 1959bybythe theHoly HolyInnocents InnocentsEpiscopal EpiscopalChurch Church55years years after afterthe theverdict verdictofofthe theBrown Brownv.v.Board BoardofofEducation Education Supreme Supremecase, case,which whichoutlaws outlawssegregation segregationininschools. schools.
And And while while all all categories categories areare equally equally necessary, necessary, in in America America wewe have have long long struggled struggled with with race, race, gender, gender, and and sexuality sexuality in in particular. particular. Racial Racial discrimination discrimination in in America America is often is often described described as as systemic systemic and and cancan be be seen seen in in employment, employment, housing, housing, consumer consumer markets, markets, and and even even education. education. ByBy 1958, 1958, thethe South’s South’s private private school school enrollment enrollment hadhad exploded, exploded, increasing increasing by by more more than than 250,000 250,000 students students over over anan eight-year eight-year period, period, and and boasting boasting almost almost oneone million million students students in in 1965; 1965; thethe majority majority being being Caucasian Caucasian students. students. A report A report conducted conducted by by thethe U.S. U.S. Department Department of of Education Education offers offers a detailed a detailed look look at private at private K-12 K-12 schools schools in in thethe United United States. States. TheThe report report includes includes some some information information onon private private schools schools enrollments enrollments by by racial/ racial/ ethnic ethnic groups. groups. AsAs of of 2018, 2018, Black Black students students accounted accounted forfor 9.39.3 percent percent of of all all private private school school students students in in thethe United United States. States. What What does does thisthis mean? mean? This This means means that that wewe cancan seesee a steady a steady increase increase in in diversity diversity onon private private school school campuses. campuses. Yet,Yet, that that is only is only a fraction a fraction of of thethe significance significance of of thethe October October 8th8th events. events. AnAn article article from from thethe Washington Washington Post Post outlines outlines some some of of thethe horrifying horrifying realities realities forfor students students of of color color onon predominantly predominantly white white private private campuses. campuses. “School “School heads heads create create a nice a nice mission mission statement, statement, appoint appoint a diversity a diversity committee, committee, and and hire hire anan equity equity and and inclusion inclusion coordinator. coordinator. Problem Problem solved. solved. And And as as often often happens, happens, people people start start to to mistake mistake thethe hype hype forfor reality. reality. Sweet Sweet land land of of liberty, liberty, of of thee thee wewe sing. sing. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, real-life real-life tends tends to to occur occur in in thethe shadows. shadows. ” ”
Nonetheless, Nonetheless,the thereality realitywas wasthat thatschools schoolsdid didnot not become becomeintegrated integrateduntil untilmany manyyears yearslater. later.The Therise riseofof private privateeducation educationcame cameininresponse responsetotothis thisdecision. decision. This Thisexodus exodusfrom frompublic publicschools schoolsbegan beganininthe the1940s 1940s when whenprivate privateschool schoolenrollment enrollmentininthe the1515states statesofofthe the It isIt only is only oneone half half of of thethe fight fight possessing possessing a BIPOC a BIPOC South Southrose rosebybymore morethan than125,000 125,000students—roughly students—roughly4343 community, community, butbut thethe other other half half goes goes unnoticed. unnoticed. That That percent—in percent—inresponse responsetotoUS USSupreme SupremeCourt Courtdecisions. decisions. is the is the ability ability to to create create a kindred a kindred experience experience forfor all all students students and and cultivate cultivate anan understanding understanding that that allows allows This Thissets setsthe thestage stagefor forthe theimportance importanceofofwhat what forfor BIPOC BIPOC and and LGBTQai+ LGBTQai+ students students to to getget thethe “teenage “teenage occurred occurredon onour ourcampus campusrecently. recently.Sociologists Sociologistsassert assert dream” dream” as as well. well. that thatwe wedefine definediversity diversitybroadly, broadly,asasdifferences differencesinin social socialcategories categorieslike likerace, race,ethnicity, ethnicity,religion, religion,gender, gender, SoSo a round a round of of applause applause is due is due forfor thethe entire entire Holy Holy sexuality, sexuality,socio-economic socio-economicstatus, status,nationality nationalityand and Innocents’ Innocents’ campus– campus– thanks thanks to to thethe staff, staff, parents, parents, citizenship, citizenship,veteran veteranand andparental parentalstatus, status,body bodysize, size, students, students, and and faculty faculty forfor continuing continuing thethe nationwide nationwide ability, ability,age, age,and andexperience. experience. initiative initiative to to diversify diversify and and embrace embrace all all thethe elements elements of of existence existence that that make make ourour nation nation and and world world so so beautiful. beautiful.
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The C&G is a student-run, quarterly magazine published by the Crimson and Gold journalism staff at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School of Atlanta. All opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. The magazine is written and designed as part of the journalism curriculum, and contributing writers can be included. The C&G values inclusivity and would appreciate any feedback or contribution. The staff strives to publish a diverse set of writing and perspectives while maintaining a standard of excellence. Please contact thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com for more information. The advisor and the editors have the ultimate say on content and have permission to edit contributions for grammar and taste. The staff will only publish legally protected material and keeps the privacy of individuals included in mind.
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