The C&G | Volume VIII |Issue 3 | Spring Edition

Volume VIII, Issue 3, Spring Edition

March 2020

18

Primary Coverage You voted.

We heard.

The C&G Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta, GA 30327 March 2020 Volume 8, Issue 3, Winter Edition thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com

The C&G Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mount Vernon Highway Atlanta, GA 30327 March 2020 Volume 8, Issue 3, Spring 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.

BRIEFS | 4 Building a Future HIES | 4 Debate Recap | 4 The Corona Hours | 5 Gen Z’s Defining Music Moments | 6

NEWS | 8

STAFF JAYLEE DAVIS Editors-in-Chief MATTHEW RAESIDE

How One Degree Can Change the World | 8

MAGGIE BELENKY

Managing Editor

Why Our Teachers Teach | 10

FEATURE | 14 Defining Gen Z | 14 It’s All in Your Phone | 16 The Primaries | 18

PEOPLE | 26 We Are Round Square | 26

MADDIE POCH Production Editor OMARI FOOTE Associate Editors ZAK KERR PARKER MILES Staff Writers KATHERINE POCH DANIELLE ELMS Adviser

Under the Influencer | 30 Together, We Wheel | 32 MLK Day in Pictures | 36 cover design by MADDIE POCH

CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

G

reetings, reader. Little did either of us know when we began this spring issue of the C&G in January that it would not be passed from our hands to yours, but sent from our email to your junk folder. We hope that in this time of uncertainty and surely moments of boredom, this magazine will provide a small burst of hope as you read in the comfort of your own pajamas from bed. While everything seems to hang in the balance, we hope the familiarity of the C&G magazine acts as a balm to some of those anxieties -- a small comfort. You may be surprised to see that almost all of this magazine writes of issues other than the current Coronavirus pandemic, certainly a refreshing reminder of the world that moves on and life that continues, regardless of hysteria. So if you find yourself with nothing to do other than panic, sit back, and read.

Matthew Raeside Co-Editor-in-Chief

Jaylee Davis Co-Editor-in-Chief

It’s amazing how when we first pitched our ideas, we were completely ignorant of this virus, and we were all swept up in the craze of the primaries and caucuses occurring across the nation. Now, those same elections seem of little significance compared to the larger issue at hand. Of course, time is the cruel and unrelenting enemy of the print media industry, always one step ahead of our deadlines and one step ahead of our print date.

So, reader, cherish this time in “hibernation” for surely it’s something you’ve never experienced before.

A change such as this can offer thoughtful perspective and provide relief to the tireless monotony of average life.

This issue is truly one of a kind. Enjoy, Signing off for nearly our last time, Jaylee and Matthew

LETTER TO THE EDITORS

T

he Round Square trip to Atlanta let me into a different school, in a different country in order to meet new people and learn about their culture. I was given the chance to experience a basketball game, meet so many amazing people and live an American student’s typical life for ten days.

HIES was an incredible school that must have been perhaps three times bigger than Ermitage.

The teachers and students were all very kind and welcoming. We attended class like the other students though we could go to different classes if were accepted by the teacher. We all liked going to the History, French, and Art classes. We all had a lot of fun sharing our experiences.

When we arrived, we were given the opportunity to play the Colonial Games. Those kind of games never happen in France and I thought they were very exciting. We all had activities with our teams where we could run or simply have tests. I think we all enjoyed it.

We were given t-shirts of our team’s color and we all stayed in different rooms with the other students in our team that were from other grades. Every student had something to do but we still played games and had fun together. Some students even brought donuts or snacks to share. We all got along very well.

In Atlanta we were hosted in families. Mine was the Billian family, that welcomed me with open arms.

They took me to many places including a laser tag and we even had a mani-pedi. They were very kind, like a second home. Leaving them was very difficult and I would have gladly stayed longer.

Before we left, the school made a video with us and we took lots of pictures. This was by far the best trip I’d ever had with or without my school. I really miss everyone very much and still chat with some of them. I really wish I could go back and I recommend this trip to everyone, they will not regret it! “ █

Sarah; Ermitage International School of France Contributing Writer

4 | BRIEFS

building a future hies KATHERINE POCH, staff writer

H

IES is expecting the addition of a brand new Humanities building to its campus.

Construction on the new building will begin with the demolition of the back twenty-five percent of Riley in early June of this year in order to create a footprint for the building. That same summer, the northern wing of Groesbeck will be renovated.

After Riley is demoed, construction on the new upper school building will start in August and will be completely finished and furnished at the end of

the summer of 2021. When the back part of Riley is taken away, all language classrooms, two art studios, a photography studio, and a choral space will be lost. During the 2020-2021 school year, the art and photography studios will be moved to the newly renovated Groesbeck wing and the chorus class will be taught in the church. The current Malcolm Library will be converted into seven classrooms that will be used for humanities. The new building will contain new features such as a three-story atrium,

a library media center, an art gallery, a ‘grab and go’ cafe, and the campus shop. When talking about plans for the new building, headmaster Paul Barton said, “Flexibility, collaboration, and community are the drivers.” Barton has emphasized the importance of making the building feel connected from floor to floor and making it easier for students and teachers to collaborate with one another through social and common spaces. █

debate recap I

n a highly-anticipated, C&G mock primary debate, Nicole Adegoke (‘22), Sam Aiken (‘20), and Alex Newberg (‘22) debated the most important issues determined by a C&G poll of the student body -- gun control, cost of college, and health care reform. Each participant had an opportunity to introduce a topic, to which the other two candidates were allowed a three minute response each. Afterwards, a crossfire in which participants parried and riposted their opponents claims and defended their own.

With Maggie Belenky (‘21), Zak Kerr (‘21), and Adam Frye (Class of 2024 Dean) as moderators, the debate started off with Newberg, a conservative most aligned who opened with a strong defense of guns, claiming that “guns serve as equalizers between good people and bad people.” Adegoke, a liberal most aligned with Andrew Yang, pointed out the fact that although protection is obviously necessary and agreed that the second amendment is an American right, questioned the need for AR-15’s and AK-47’s to be available to the public.

The debate then shifted from gun control to the cost of college, with Adegoke introducing the audience to the concept of generational poverty and how student loans perpetuate this cycle. According to Adegoke, college is often seen as a way forward -- and it is -- but often students are held back by exorbitant costs. “Therefore, I propose a plan to have reduced and free college fees for students at a certain income level for at least 50 percent of colleges and universities in America. Those who qualify would not be based on grades or GPA. It would be based on

JAYLEE DAVIS, co-editor-in-chief admittance after already being accepted into the college.” said Adegoke. Aiken seconded Adegoke in the charge for more affordable college to offer opportunities for low-income students.

“The universities should be tuition free and current student loan debt should be canceled. I say this in the same thing as Adegoke erasing poverty. The cyclical poverty. Those who can afford to go to college and to attend college are usually the ones who make it out of it. [They] go on to obtain those masters and those bachelors, professional degrees for them at the higher end of the tax bracket of higher earnings. However, those who can’t afford to go to college are still left in low skill, low labor jobs that don’t pay enough,” said Aiken.

Newberg disputed the two, however, plainly stating that “college education is absolutely not the right path for everyone” and claiming that higher education is a privilege. Lastly, the three debaters turned their attention to health care reform. Aiken opened, calling attention to the current healthcare crisis in America and all of its dire consequences.

“In terms of health care, our country has a stance in crisis. People are dying because they can’t afford the health care they need. They’re dying because they’re forced to ration our prescription medication… What I urge you to do is the thing about people in this nation who may not come from the same socioeconomic background as you. They may look different than you speak different languages, live in different places, and have religions not your own. Regardless of

race, age, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion or cultural identity, are you in this room willing to stand together as one united people? This is human solidarity and our fight. Are you willing to fight for someone without health care?” said Aiken.

Newberg contrasted Aiken’s opinion, pointing out the comparative healthiness of Americans in relation to other countries and how private healthcare insurance prompts innovation. He rebuked Medicare for being the “single biggest contributor to the national debt.”

“Socialized medicine is an unaffordable burden that will fall to middle class tax payers and will ultimately provide poor quality insurance to those who most need care. Government-run health care takes choice away from patients and puts it in the hands of bureaucrats,” said Newberg.

Adegoke took the center road, incorporating sides from both the right and the left.

“I believe that health care should be affordable and accessible to all minors under the age of 18 and accessible to all seniors 60 plus free of charge. As for the ages in between, this is a different story.

Health care should not be free for any bracket as this would cost more than any American could afford,” said Adegoke.

Despite a strong performance for all candidates, Aiken took the prize as the debate winners according to 52 students per C&G exit poll data. █

THE C&G | 5

the Corona Hours MADDIE POCH, production editor

The C&G Staff encourages all members of the HIES community to take extra precautions as COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, spreads.

Facts first

PRevention

Get your news from primary sources and health officials. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are two trustworthy sources that can help to mitigate confusion and misinformation from massive amounts of coverage on the issue. Here are a few of the misconceptions debunked by the WHO.

Here are a few recommendations from the CDC to best prevent the spread of disease.

Clean your hands often Using soap and water, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, or being in a public place. If you are unable to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

1 2 3 4 the symptoms Cold weather and snow cannot Kill the coronavirus.

Avoid Close contact

Coronavirus cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites.

Distance yourself from other people, taking extra care to avoid close contact with those who are sick. If you personally are sick, be sure to remain at home unless you are getting medical care.

Hand dryers are not effective in killing the coronavirus.

When you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the inside of your elbow. Avoid using your hands to prevent the further spread of germs. Wash your hands with soap and water immediately, or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol content.

Cover your mouth

Healthy individuals should only Clean frequently touched surfaces wear a mask if they are caring for Surfaces including tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, someone they suspect is infected. desks, phones, and keyboards should be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.

According to the CDC, these symptoms may occur two to 14 days after exposure to the Coronavirus, in addition to other ranging symptoms.

If you develop the following emergency warning signs for COVID-19, the CDC recommends seeking immediate medical attention.

Fever Cough Shortness of breath

difficulty breathing or shortness of breath persistent pain or pressure in the chest new confusion or inability to arouse Bluish lips or face

6 | BRIEFS

OMARI FOOTE, associate editor

GEN Z’S DEFINIING As if our listening devices couldn’t get any pricier, Dr. Dre came out with the best headphones, ever. The Beats

by Dr. Dre came in multiple versatile styles, and colors. There were the Studios, Solos, and Urbuds. The solos were the most popular because they didn’t swallow your ears like Studios, but large enough to remind everyone that you had Beats, unlike the Urbeats. The headphones were used by celebrities like Beyoncé, Lebron James, and DJ Khaled. They could often be spotted in music videos and commercials, making them appealing to all of my friends. Unfortunately, since they were so expensive, some people went to extremes, buying knock-offs. Although, if you stood far enough, no one could even tell that yours said Beets.

BEATS

By the time I was eight, Apple was beginning to take over. Although the iPod Nano looked a lot like my trusty Walkman, it was not. The iPod had iTunes. At the time, it was the pinnacle of music listening. Rather than having to find and download music from websites that made popup ads show up on my grandmother’s computer, I could find all of your music on the listening app that came with your Apple product. I didn’t receive mine until the fifth grade, because the price was nothing like my Walkman. This was $150 dollars.

This was when Apple began to take over my life.

IPOD

Next, came the Mp3 player. This was an item for the cool kids. The more tech savvy people, who were on the go. It was much more than just popping in a CD, it was doing something called downloading. I would sit on my grandmother’s computer for hours trying to get the Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack. My Mp3 had all the benefits of a boom box, but you could fit in your pocket. Most importantly, you could finally listen to all the songs you weren’t supposed to because it had headphones. My black Walkman was a whopping thirty dollars, and I used up every single penny of it.

MP3 MP3PLAYER PLAYER

BOOM BOX

This bulky was the the best This bulky box box of of plastic, plastic was best way to listen to music theearly way to listen to music in in the early 2000s. product thatoriginally 2000s.

The The product that originally gained popularity in thewas gained popularity in the 1980’s waytotoa listen a a1980’s, cheapwas waya cheap to listen varietytoof variety ofWith music.

With its versatility music. its versatility between between radio,and c-d’s, and tapes, radio, CD’s, tapes, you could you could listen to musicyou anyway listen to music anyway wanted. you wanted.

There was issue one minor There was one minor with its issue of with it’s lack ofyou portability, lack portability, couldn’tyoufit couldn’t in yourand pocket, and it re-an in your fit pocket, it required quired an outlet. Although when I gotI outlet.

Although when I got mine, mine, Ireally didn’tcare. reallyI care.

I decorated didn’t decorated it with it with flower stickers, and drawings. flower stickers, and drawings.

You You’d think boom boxbox waswas a would thinkthat thatmymy boom dollar painting thethe wayway I I athousand thousand dollar painting showed it it off. off. showed

THE C&G | 7

MUSIC MOMENTS Somehow, as the years flew by those large over the ear corded headphones stopped being cool.

Commercials began to fill our television screens, with people running and ultimately being yanked back, by their long cords. Their headphones would fall, coffee would spill, and the actor would be an hour late. All because they had wireless headphones. As headphones began to lose their cords, they also got smaller. Slowly, we went from Beats, to more discreet headphones.

Recently, our most popular new headphones are the AirPods. I love mine, but since they are so small, I have had too many mini heart attacks after I lost them in my comforter. █

WIRELESS WIRELESS

Now, this moment is not quite like the other moments I mentioned, but it most definitely changed music.

On December 13, 2013, a day I now consider to be a holiday, Beyoncé dropped her self-titled album “Beyonce”. She dropped it digitally at midnight, with no previous notice.

This was the first time that anyone dropped an album without any marketing. This began an ongoing trend, that many artists began to follow, but there is just nothing like the original. It is fitting that Beyoncé made her way onto this list as she is one of the few artists that everyone in our generation can say has been here all of our lives.

BEYONCE BEYONCE

Pandora Radio began streaming ad-free music in 2009. At the time, it was one of Apple’s most popular apps, and it was the most innovative way to listen to music. Unlike iTunes, you didn’t have to buy each song, instead you paid a monthly subscription that gave you access to millions of songs. Following Pandora came SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music. Now, Pandora has become a thing of the past. The issue that many found after other streaming devices were released was that it was merely a radio station. Meaning you had to just shuffle your favorite artists and pray that one song you had an urge to listen to would pop up. With Spotify and Soundcloud, you could simply type in the song and begin enjoying your music.

STREAMING STREAMING

YOUTUBE

When I was really young, I would go On-Demand and search up different songs from the Music Choice channel, or MTV reruns, but as I got older things technology made things easier. There was a website, where you could type in any song, and a video would come up, with the exact song you looked up. When Youtube initially began its success, record labels didn’t like its accessibility, but eventually they realized how important it would become in marketing music. For example, when I was in the fifth grade, everyone was watching the music video to “Gangnam Style”(I SERIOUSLY regret this). The song was made by a South Korean rapper and probably wouldn’t have made it into my Georgia classroom, if it were not for Youtube.

8 | NEWS

How One Degree Can

As global tempertures rise, what would happen MAGGIE BELENKY, managing editor

T

here’s no denying it: our planet is changing far quicker than predicted.

Whether it’s more frequent and extreme storms or unprecedented heat waves, we are facing the effects of human-caused global warming.

But there is still time to change course. According to a recent report by the United Nations, we can avoid these extensive detriments of climate change by limiting warming to 1.5C(2.7F).

The world is currently 1 degree celsius(1.8 degrees fahrenheit) hotter than it was between the pre-industrial era, 1850 to 1900. Yes, it will be difficult to limit warming by one degree fahrenheit, but we have the technology needed to do it, and that it’s worth it.

In 2015, 196 countries endorsed a single, extensive plan that aims to keep global warming below 2 degrees celsius (3.6 degrees fahrenheit)—or even 1.5 degrees celsius. The revolutionary Paris Climate Agreement builds on many years of gradual work via the global community to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts. World leaders must work collectively to eliminate the release of heat-trapping carbon by 2050—and, ideally, before 2040. To do this, they will have to enhance their commitments to reduce emissions over time.

But the government can’t combat climate change alone; there needs to be collaborations across regional governments, communities, and the private sector before it’s too late.

But what happens if we do nothing? Here’s what’s at stake: The “World Wildlife Fund,” says by the year 2050, more than 1 billion people could be impacted by the rising sea levels. By 2100, sea levels are expected to rise to more that 1.8ft, if the temperature rises 2 degree celsius. According to NOAA Climate.gov, “the rate of sea level rise is accelerating: it has more than doubled from 0.06 inches (1.4 millimeters) per year throughout most of the twentieth century to 0.14 inches (3.6 millimeters) per year from 2006–2015.” Even if the planet follows a low greenhouse emission pathway, global sea level will still likely rise a minimum of 12 inches (0.3 meters) above 2000 levels by 2100. If we follow a pathway with high emissions, a

worst-case scenario of as much as 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) above 2000 levels by 2100 can’t be ruled out.

Coral reefs and ocean ecosystems will also be affected. “Bleached corals are likely to have reduced growth rates, decreased reproductive capacity, increased susceptibility to diseases and elevated mortality rates,” according The Reef Resilience Network. Changes in the water temperature cause algae to exit the coral reefs, turning them white and making them vulnerable to disease and death. If global temperature rises 2 degrees celsius, virtually all reefs will be affected by coral bleaching, according to the World Wildlife Fund. They protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms and provide habitats and shelter for many

THE C&G | 9

n Change the World

n if we didn’t do anything. marine organisms. Arctic sea ice recedes each summer, but still manages to cover millions of square miles of ocean today. But ice-free arctic summers are soon to come. The arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on earth. If the temperature rises 2 degrees celsius, the Arctic could be gone within a decade, according to USA Today.

Heat waves will become even more frequent and severe around the planet, affecting hundreds of millions-or even billions- if we don’t take action now. If global temperatures rise 2 degrees celsius, 2.7 billion people will be exposed to extreme heat waves every 5 years. Extreme heat can increase the risk of disasters. Heat can worsen drought, and hot dry conditions can in turn create wildfire

conditions. Rising temperatures pose a threat to people, ecosystems, and the economy. Global warming also increases the risk of more frequent and heavier rainfalls, snowfalls, hurricanes, and other various forms of precipitation. As that risk increases, so does the risk of flooding. Global warming increases the risk of flooding because the amount of rain that can fall during an extreme downpour “increases exponentially” as temperatures rise.

As the earth continues to warm, critical habitats may no longer be amenable for certain animals and plants. This puts an array of species at risk, depending on whether they can adapt or move. According to the World Wildlife Fund, if temperatures rise 2.0 degrees celsius, 18 percent of insects, 16 percent of plants, and 8 percent of vertebrates are at risk of losing more than half of their habitat.

So, how do we fix this problem?

Your impact on climate change primarily comes from what you eat, how you power your home and mobile devices, and the way you travel from place to place.

The typical US citizen emits 20 tons of gas emissions each year due primarily to those activities, while France’s CO2 emissions per capita is only 4.5 tons.

The key question is what will our emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants be in the years to come? Recycling and driving more fuelefficient cars are examples of influential behavioral changes that will help, but they will not be enough. Because climate change is a truly worldwide issue with political, economic, social, and moral consequences, the solution requires a universal response. This will include international policies and agreements between all countries, a push for cleaner forms of energy, and local efforts on the city- and regional-level, which include public transport upgrades, energy efficiency improvements, sustainable city planning. Because after all, it’s up to us what happens next. █

WHY WHY WHY OUR OUR OUR TEACHERS TEACHERS TEACHERS TEACH TEACH TEACH 10 | NEWS

ZAK KERR, associate editor

T

eaching may perhaps be one of the most essential careers in the world. Without passionate educators, who truly love their jobs, humanity would be unable to pass on knowledge and achievements; individuals would remain blind to their passions; the world would fail to progress.

Teachers are crucial in helping us develop the scaffolding for our stories. But what about their stories? Why and how did they end up in the field of education? What was the source of their inspiration?

I sat down with five of HIES most esteemed teachers – all with unique backgrounds ranging from a hedge fund to engineering atop foreign skyscrapers – to learn more about their journeys and decisions to devote their lives to education.

THE C&G | 11

MR. PATRICK ALLEGRA

Mr. Allegra’s sudden and life-changing epiphany occurred shortly after enrolling into a University in Spain where he took a course called, “Proyecto Amistad” or “Project Friendship.” As a result of the course, Mr. Allegra began teaching GED courses to Hispanic women aged 19 to 70 for the entirety of his senior year of college.

“I said, ‘I really like this; I want to maybe become a teacher.’ It was great and was the first time that I felt like I was doing something that mattered while stimulating my curiosity and, I guess, just my brain,” said Allegra jovially.

He continued, “I wasn’t an education major or anything like that. I just liked the relationships that I formed,” said Allegra.

W

hen he’s not in between classrooms and on the move (a rare occasion), After completing Graduate school, Allegra spent a “full-year” applying for he can be found in his small, closet-sized office designing innovative independent school teaching jobs. Ultimately, Allegra received a phone call from new lessons for students while compiling numerous statistics used to a headmaster of a school in New Orleans who had decided to open a new school enhance learning. Tirelessly and emphatically, he works to pioneer new tools in what Allegra describes as, “No Where’s Ville Florida.” and methods through which his students can better develop their Spanish. In addition to teaching Spanish, he also bears the “It was really hard for somebody to take a responsibility of running the entire language chance on me because my only experience had “I called my dad and said, ‘Dad, I think I want to department of HIES. Mr. Patrick Allegra shares been with adults and I didn’t have any education be a teacher.’ There’s five seconds of silence his love of linguistics, literature, and philosophy courses. But that guy who called me ended up as he quickly did the math and realized he was with his students while providing them with the totally changing my life because he took the never going to recoup any of his investment in my optimal environment in which they may succeed. chance and gave me the opportunity to become education and then said, ‘I think that’s great.” a teacher,” said Allegra.

As a young adult, teaching never crossed Allegra’s mind until precisely January of his senior year of Allegra has “no idea” what he would be doing if college at American University. he had not decided to become a teacher. “I don’t know what else I would be doing. For me it’s vocational, you know? When they “I called my dad and said, ‘Dad, I think I want to be a teacher.’ There’s five seconds talk about work slash life balance: my life is my work,” said Allegra describing of silence as he quickly did the math and realized he was never going to recoup teaching. any of his investment in my education and then said, ‘I think that’s great,’” said Allegra.

MR. BILL DICKEY Proud of his heritage as a “fifth-generation” Georgian, he has become a master of a signature Georgian food: BBQ. When he is not wearing his hat as pit-master or maestro of his Hootenanny Club, he teaches Rock n’ Roll history and AP United States History. Mr. Bill Dickey, has not always been a teacher and never had imagined growing up to become a teacher. In fact, as a high schooler, Dickey didn’t even like school.

“I liked learning, but I didn’t like the structure of school very much. Back then, people didn’t really understand some of the things they understand now about different learning styles. I liked learning stuff; I just wasn’t very good at making sure I got good grades, ” said Dickey.

High school had a lifelong impact on Dickey. Ultimately, it became one of the factors prompting him to consider teaching.

“Knowing that there were probably a lot of other people out there like I was when I was younger, that needed someone to understand how they learned, I thought I could help them do better than I did,” said Dickey with passion.

Throughout his life, Dickey has done everything from industrial sales to financial planning to working on a hedge fund. Despite being good at all he tried, Dickey didn’t feel satisfied as everything felt like work to him – he wanted an occupation that he truly enjoyed.

“I was searching for something that I did enjoy. I always had coached my kids’ teams, I had always taught Sunday school, and always felt comfortable around kids. So, I said, ‘I guess maybe I should try teaching,’” said Dickey.

Twelve years ago, Dickey started off his career as a teacher at North Atlanta High School where he was a permanent substitute teacher charged with teaching health. After discovering he enjoyed teaching, Dickey began teaching history, which he still teaches today.

“It’s not the grading; it’s not the planning. It’s the kids. It’s with the kids, trying to make a connection, and help them get to where they want to go,” said Dickey in a firm proclamation.

12 | NEWS

MR. GEORGE BEVINGTON As a high schooler, he sold Encyclopedias door-to-door; he had doors slammed on his face, dogs sent on him, and obscenities hurled at him. Since then, he has learned much about persistence and the world. In fact, he has spent a lifetime working in foreign nations while interacting with individuals from all different cultures and walks of life. Oftentimes, he can be seen around HIES, carrying with him his trusty -- one function -- Kyocera Candybar phone to, “cut down on digital clutter.” For the “mellow, sedate, and halcyon” Mr. George Bevington, teaching was an occupation he never thought of pursuing earlier in life, but it has turned out to be “his dream job.”

Bevington’s original area of expertise was in energy-efficient mechanical engineering on large buildings in foreign nations. After working in engineering for a decade, Bevington had completed his contracts and returned from Asia to the United States.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do. So, I talked to an old mentor of mine who was president of Wesleyan school. He suggested that teaching wasn’t a bad idea and it

Ms. MELODY CANNON

happened that they had a position for an English teacher and a wrestling coach and a football open.”

Immediately after his interview, Bevington met with the football and wrestling coaches as well as the English chairman to express his interest. Ultimately, he secured the position and so began his teaching career nearly 18 years ago.

“I don’t feel as if [teaching] is work more than something really fun to do.

This beats engineering hands down; there’s no comparison at all. It’s just more fulfilling. I work with very kind and smart colleagues, students that are really great young people, and the literature we read is very interesting and challenging.”

Bevington considers developing new lessons and activities for his students to be one of his favorite parts of teaching.

“We have something called Sartre points in our class (named after Jean-Paul Sartre’s drama play, ‘No Exit’) where students can earn them for engaging with masterful comments in our discussion and staying focused.”

In describing his teaching philosophy, Bevington simply said, “Learn as much as you can and be prepared for anything. If you don’t know what to do, err on the side of doing everything. Overprepare and read as much as possible. Reading is the panacea for any type of conundrum somebody is in.”

While Bevington loves teaching and considers it his dream job, there is one other occupation he would see himself enjoying. “I think maybe a ski lift operator in Kitzbühel, Austria would probably be pretty cool as well. That’s where they have the Hahnenkamm downhill race every January.”

you ever think about breathing? It just kind of happens; it’s just part of who you are. You breathe and I teach.”

Upon moving to Greenville, North Carolina, Ms. Cannon began her teaching career as a high school teacher.

“I taught theater and speech and English. And I was the swim coach.”

After Ms. Cannon’s first teaching job, her daughter married and had children in Atlanta. Ms. Cannon recalls receiving a phone call in which her daughter said, “I need you! Come down!” Shortly thereafter, Ms. Cannon moved to The Big Peach where she became part of the HIES family.

The health and wellness of her students takes priority over all. With a “I certainly don’t teach because of the cockroaches or the carpeting, I don’t grandmotherly like love, she watches over her students with a careful gaze. teach for the hours, I don’t teach for the papers. I teach because you guys are In addition to her emphatic sense of empathy wonderful and fun.” and conducive sense of humor, she maintains a professional and goal-oriented persona ensuring “Do you ever think about breathing? After a brief pause, she continued: “Sally Ride each of her students has the knowledge necessary It just kind of happens; it’s just part (an American astronaut) once said, ‘I teach to discover the voice of the writers within them. the future.’ Sometimes, when you guys are all of who you are. You breathe and I The self-proclaimed, “curious, feisty, and focused” writing, I’ll look around the room and I’ll think teacher of AP English Language, Ms. Melody to myself, ‘Okay, there’s a future tax attorney, teach.”

Cannon, was born on Long Island, New York. a future architect, or a business planner that’s going to create a new community.”

Ms. Cannon has never questioned her decision to become a teacher. Rather, she considers education not only to be a vocation, but also a vital function of her very being.

Ms. Cannon’s advice to aspiring teachers?

In a cadenced – teacher-like – tone, Ms. Cannon said, “I think for me, it’s like, do

“You’ve got to love every morning, walking in that room, and being glad you’re there. Otherwise, what’s the point?” Said Ms. Cannon.

THE C&G | 13

MS. YOLANDA WRIGHT -UDOH The walls of her room are lined with Spanish conjugations and new vocabulary words. Despite being a focused teacher, intent on providing her students with exceptional skills, she connects with her students and teaches in a uniquely interactive and entertaining manner. The immensely passionate and dedicated upper school Spanish teacher, Ms. Yolanda Wright-Udoh, grew-up in a household of educators. But she never had considered the possibility of becoming a teacher herself.

“My mom was a teacher and then an administrator, my dad was a teacher, my dad’s father was a teacher, my brother was a teacher too. I wanted to go travel the world and all that stuff. But I ended up teaching and I really love it.”

After fulfilling her dream of traveling the world, Ms. Udoh began teaching younger bilingual children. While she enjoyed some aspects of working with elementary school students, she didn’t feel as though she was in the right position to make the most impact possible; suggesting high school may have been a better fit.

“I really love the babies. It was really fun. But I didn’t see them every day and when I did see them, it was once a week for 30 minutes. So, I didn’t get to cover much. I find that by teaching older kids, it’s just more fulfilling for me.”

Udoh continued, “I like being able to teach real Spanish and being able to see the growth. The confidence my students have at the end of their second semester and their ability to speak Spanish with confidence shows growth. It makes me feel like, okay, I’m here for a reason. I’m not just collecting a paycheck. I’m actually gifting young people with something that I’m very passionate about in life.”

In her classroom, one of Udoh’s top priorities is to ensure her lessons are relatable to her students. She works to accentuate the importance of language through its applicability and the significance of understanding other cultures.

“We tend to think that English is the only language that we need to know. And we’re probably one of the only people in the world that feels that way.”

Udoh ardently continued, “You go to Africa and they speak, literally, six, seven, or eight different languages. Anyhow, I feel like it has to be relatable. How does it connect with everyday life?”

One student at a time, Udoh is on a mission to help students take advantage of new opportunities through language.

“It’s beautiful, learning to love a new culture. It broadens your horizons. It opens your minds to different ways of thinking; different ways of living. That’s the power of communication and being able to speak different languages,” declared Udoh. █

“I’m actually gifting young people with something that I’m very passionate about in life.”

At the end of the day, the teacher, their approach, and their sincerity make all the difference to our learning.

Since my conversations, I have come to appreciate what truly fantastic teachers we have at HIES. Each with palpable passions for teaching, genuine compassion for their students, and immense enthusiasm.

14 | FEATURE

DEfining

Gen Z Several articles in this issue focus on the nature of Generation Z. Here are the defining characteristics of a dynamic generation.

MADDIE POCH, production editor

our Diversity our Stance Generation Z, the most ethnically and racially diverse generation in U.S. history, is projected to be the final generation with a white majority.

Other Asian Black

6% 4%

14% Hispanic

25%

White

52% Source: Pew Research Center May not add to 100% due to rounding

Silent GEneration Born 1928 to 1945

30% 70% 62% Boomers Born 1946 to 1964

of Generation Z says they approve of Trump’s job performance.

of Generation Z says the government should do more to solve problems.

of Generation Z says that increasing racial/ethnic diversity is good for society.

Source: Pew Research Center

Genera

Born 196

THE C&G | 15

our technology Generation Z has grown up immersed in technology. Compared with other generations, Generation Z recognized technology’s limitations well when asked the following question:

Do you believe science and technology can solve many of the world’s problems?

Generation z

Millennials

Generation x

boomers

Strongly Agree

30%

36%

18%

15%

Somewhat Agree

51%

45%

62%

53%

Somewhat disAgree

14%

14%

16%

25%

Strongly disAgree

5%

5%

4%

7% Source: Vision Critical

OUr Environment Earth is getting Warmer...

Generation Z and Millennials are more likely to believe that climate change is a result of human activity.

Source: Pew Research Center Excludes respondents who did not offer an answer

Gen Z Millennials Gen X Boomers Silent

54

56 45

25

Due to natural patterns

65 to 1980

19 20

11 12 16

28

OUr mental Health

ation X

22 8

21

38

Generation Z is the least likely to report Generation Z Millennials good or excellent mental health when Generation X compared with other generations.

Boomers Source: American Psychological Association Older Adults

10 16

48

Due to human activity

% saying

14

18 17

No evidence Earth is getting warmer

Not sure

45% 56% 51% 70% 74%

Millennials

Generation z

Born 1981 to 1996

Born 1997 to 2012

16 | FEATURE

How what’s on our phones is affecting what’s in our heads.

OMARI FOOTE, associate editor

I

am not sure when I watched someone die for the first time, but I know that it was on my phone.

Every morning I wake up, roll over and allow Face ID to scan my dreary eyes.

Sometimes, if I remember, I will say a little prayer thanking God for another day, but I always check my notifications. Typically, I’ve got Tik Toks that one of my friends stayed up watching, waiting in my messages. A notification from the Bible App, which usually triggers that prayer I was talking about. A message from CoStar; today’s message was “Tease each other, but with love.” I honestly don’t know what that means, but I’m sure the robotic astrologist that generated the message had my needs in mind. Somehow, I end up on Twitter, my favorite social media app, and end up scrolling aimlessly for a few minutes. In that seemingly minor moment, I can have seen a dead body, the latest report on the Primaries, a baby getting slapped with cheese, and an argument over the use of there, their, and they’re. This all takes about 10 minutes, and in that short time, I have gained access to news that my parents would have had to wait until 6 p.m. to hear about. While this can make me much more informed, at some point I begin to know too much, too quickly.

“I believe the most important long term effects are the mental impact social media has on young people. Some studies have shown that Generation Z kids experience depression, anxiety and loneliness when they engage with social media. This is alarming, and can lead young people to have low self-esteem and become suicidal,” said Florida Southern Media specialist Jobia Keys.

and even raises her own.

She spoke about how both parenting and social media contribute most to this generation’s stress and anxiety.

“I think for some kids, it’s seeing what other people have that maybe they don’t.

That is upsetting. Or the fear of missing out or not getting invited to certain things can be quite hurtful to some,” she said While social media has done a wonderful job allowing for underrepresented groups to make unlikely friendships, someone is still bound to feel left out. This is not a new concept, but it is an amplified one. For the first time in this world’s existence, I can see what another 17-year-old is doing across the world, day in and day out. However, many of us will see moments in a story or impulsive tweets and make broad observations with little insight. Ultimately, this leads to unrealistic comparisons between success, wealth, and even mental health.

“People that aren’t versed in trauma and will go around saying, well, this is because of this when they don’t really know,“ Dr. Brady said about such comparisons. “I think it’s disrespectful and not okay. Because you don’t know why someone is feeling where they’re feeling. You can’t grasp and you can assume, you know, it’s for them to kind of tell you why they’re feeling. So I think sometimes shows glamorize it a little bit and that can be dangerous sometimes.”

Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of social media’s negative effects.

According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, Keys is not wrong. In fact, Generation Z is more likely to report facing symptoms of depression at a much higher rate than any other generation. These symptoms typically can vary from stress, lack of interest, and anxiousness.

Kereiny Brady, a therapist in the Atlanta area can attest to this as well. As a licensed child therapist for over a decade, Brady has worked with many Gen Zers,

Gruesome videos are played automatically and do not come with a trigger warning. It is not like when my parents grew up, and sometimes, you saw things because of where you lived. There is no escaping this, because media is everywhere.

Dr. Brady explained that one can begin to develop second hand trauma after

THE C&G | 17 Here’s a way to take a “mindful moment” anywhere you are, as suggested by Dr. Brady. This doesn’t have to be in done in order, or all at once, so give it a try!

The goal is to use your five senses to help distract your mind from what’s bringing you stress.

perpetually witnessing shocking events, such as death or abuse, even if you aren’t there to physically see it.

“Even though you’re not actually experiencing the trauma, it’s not happening to you when you are bombarded by it. Hearing about it all the time, learning about it all the time, seeing it all the time.

It is almost like it’s happening to you. So you can have a negative response to it, including symptoms of acute stress disorder or PTSD type symptoms.”

Eventually, when viewing such horrific videos, your brain will begin to go into “Flight, Fight, or Freeze.”

Growing up, the term was simply “Flight or Fight,” however, “Freeze” was added to explain what you do when you are not sure whether or not to fight or leave.

According to TeenHealthcare.org, “freezing is an automatic, involuntary response to a threat. In a split second, the brain decides that freezing (rather than fighting or running away) is the best way to survive what’s happening.” It explains why after seeing a multitude of videos consisting of police brutality or mass shootings, I do not flinch and squirm in ways that I used to, instead, I don’t feel a thing.

However, this is only temporary, as my fight or flight response will eventually begin to kick in. Which causes the rage and frustration that I feel -- long after the video has stopped playing –– to resurface.

“The amygdala, which is your fight, flight or freeze automatically goes into freeze. And it’s like, OK, I had to protect you because you’re just going to freak out before you keep seeing this. So I’m going to protect you. I’m going to numb you out.” Brady said. “...And when we come out of it, it’s kind of like this is terrible. This can’t happen. Why is this happening?

You know, that one kind of thing move to action, if you will.”

So what do you do after? Once the dust has settled and you’ve calmed down, how do you stop pervasive negative thoughts from seeping into your daily thought process, leading to anxiety and stress?

Dr. Brady suggests mindful moments. This idea may be new to you as a lot of our parents did not grow up with mental health being an important conversation.

So, we were not always taught how to feel, or how to understand our feelings. In Brady’s words, we were taught to “control” them. We were told to stop crying, rather than figuring out the root of our worries.

“We didn’t understand why they would be upset and why they would be scared, why they would be nervous, why they would be anxious when we’re giving them everything.” she said.

This is not something worth arguing at the dinner table about, but it is important that we begin practices that will hopefully follow us into adulthood.

Understanding that your feelings are normal, and just as important as your achievements, can make an immense impact in how you tackle stress or anxiety.

“It’s okay to not feel safe sometimes, but I think if you can kind of listen to your body and respond to what it’s telling you, then you can feel that you have some control” she said “get more comfortable sitting quiet and being able to reflect on things, because we learn everyday but if we don’t synthesize it, then we don’t really learn it all the way. We learn a piece of it and we don’t do anything with it.”

Fear, stress, and anxiety are all real things that we are expected to experience in such a critical moment in our lives. However, it is important that we take the proper steps after we experience these emotions in order to move forward. The circumstances that we face daily are not likely to go away, and are often out of our control. However, we can choose how we take on these issues and strengthen our minds to combat them effectively.

Our phones keep us engaged and informed. We meet new people, learn new hobbies, and even create a business on them. Phones give us power. But, as the late Iron-Man once said, with great power comes great responsibility. You can become a millionaire with your phone, but you can lose it all, including your sanity, just as quickly if your relationship with it isn’t healthy. It is necessary to create boundaries so you don’t face long term mental effects. Rather than scrolling aimlessly, give your mind a break, because as Dr. Brady simply put it, “Outside staff is not as important as inside stuff.” Protect your mind, the world can wait. █

18 | FEATURE

MATTHEW RAESIDE, co-editor-in-chief ZAK KERR, associate editor

PRIMARIES Helping you decide, one infographic at a time.

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The Georgia primaries will be held on May 19, due to Coronavirus concerns.

The Lousisiana primaries will be held on June 20.

3 The Maryland primaries will be held on June 2.

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THE C&G | 19

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OUR GEORGIA PRIMARIes

O

f the 120 delegates Georgia will award, the upcoming primary election will proportionally divide its 105 pledged delegates between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders based on proportional representation. The remaining 15 are termed “superdelegates”, and will serve no role in deciding the candidate unless a brokered convention is reached and a second ballot commences.

The 105 pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be allocated based on the results of the primary and account for 2.64 percent of all pledged delegates. Between three and seven of the 105 delegates are allocated to each of Georgia’s 14 congressional districts, while another 14 are to be decided by party leaders and elected officials (PLEO delegates), and the remaining 23 delegates are at-large delegates. Pledged at-large delegates are distributed and elected statewide, not district-wide. A candidate must win 15 percent of the vote in each district or state-wide to earn a delegate.

Now, Georgia’s presidential primary is held on March 24, but in previous races, the state’s primary was held on Super Tuesday alongside 14 others. Super Tuesday passed on March 3, and over a third of all delegates were up for grabs on that one date, led by California and Texas. On March 24, Georgia will hold the sole contest and because of its position after Super Tuesdays I and II, it appears the

move may diminish Georgia’s influence in determining the candidates to face off in the general election. Yet its separation may also work to Georgia’s advantage, allowing the state to have a more significant impact on closely competitive races, such as the current one between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.

Georgia may also be of more interest in this current primary season than in past years because its historical “deep red” color has shifted more toward a subtle purple, apparent following the 2018 Gubernatorial election between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp. Kemp narrowly won with 50.2 percent of the popular vote, and Abrams was close behind with 48.8 points. While Kemp largely won a majority in more rural areas of the state, Abrams gained traction among voters in and around larger urban areas and cities such as Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbus. Looking back at previous Gubernatorial elections, a trend forms: Republican candidates are gradually losing their majority to their Democratic challengers. In 2014, incumbent Nathan Deal (R) won with 52.7 percent of the vote, while Jason Carter (D) had 44.9 percent. In 2010, Deal won with 53 percent of the vote, and Roy Barnes (D) earned 43 percent.

20 | FEATURE

JOE BIDEN. 77

THE CANDIDATES And then there were... fewer

Democratic candidate Joe Biden is a former six-term senator from Delaware (1973-2009) and was the 47th vice president of the United States during the Obama administration (2009-2017). He has run twice, once in 1988 and again in 2008, never surpassing other candidates in primary elections to earn the party nomination. Born in Scranton, PA, Biden now lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Jill.

/CREATIVE COMMONS

SIGNATURE ISSUES

Former Vice President Joe Biden advocates strongly for bipartisanship, and thus believes he is the candidate that can pull America together and build upon the previous Obama legacy that he helped to shape. Biden often places emphasis on his relationship with former President Barack Obama, mentioning his work on the Affordable Care Act and various foreign policy initiatives. Because of his close ties to Obama, many African American voters strongly support Biden, reminded closely of the past Obama era of politics.

1) Rebuilding the “backbone of the country”, the middle class 2) Redefining America’s responsibilities as a global leader 3) Ending the dominance of big money in politics and ending discriminatory policies in our democracy

BERNIE SANDERS. 78 Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (2007-present) is seeking the presidency after having lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential primaries. Formerly a representative and mayor of Burlington, Vermont, Sanders is a self-described “democratic socialist” who is independent from the Democratic party.

He hopes to clinch the nomination by advocating for economic equality. Born in New York, Sanders now lives in Burlington, Vermont and Washington with his wife, Jane.

Senator Bernie Sanders is a candidate best known for his anti-establishment style and grassroots movement of supporters and donors. His progressive proposals such as Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, and $15 minimum wage, once thought as radical, are now more accepted.

He calls for “Medicare for All, College for All, Jobs for All, and Justice for All.” Sanders often speaks of curtailing the influence of billionaires profiting off of the poor, a “Robin Hood” figure if there ever was one.

SIGNATURE ISSUES

/CREATIVE COMMONS

1) Establishing a single-payer universal healthcare program (Medicare for All) 2) Establishing a “green new deal” to lower carbon emissions and switch to renewable fuels 3) Shift to a tuition-free public college system and focus on student-debt relief

DONALD TRUMP. 73 Incumbent President Donald Trump was first elected in 2016 after defeating challenger Hillary Clinton, although not defeating her in the popular vote. Previously a billionaire real estate developer and business man, Trump is the first president without former military or political experience. Throughout his presidency, Trump has faced multiple serious legal investigations, including Robert Mueller’s investigation into collusion between Trump and Russia’s election interference, and was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, yet not convicted.

/CREATIVE COMMONS

SIGNATURE ISSUES

President Donald Trump has utilized his presidency to roll back numerous policies made during the Obama administration, such as immigration reform and environmental regulations, and passed a tax cut and reform bill that widely benefited corporations and well-off investors. Once an issue he heavily emphasized in his bid for president, building a wall along the Mexican border has become less of a priority.

1) Restricting immigration and building a border wall with Mexico 2) Renegotiating international deals on trade and climate change 3) Withdrawing American troops from overseas

The Death of the Caucus

T

he caucus is rightfully deemed the “most hyped” and “most confusing” political contest, yet recently the process has received much criticism due to issues with the error-prone Iowa caucus, the election which kick starts the primary season, prompting many to question the current primary system in place. In a caucus, voters do cast ballots as they would in traditional primaries, yet they do not merely enter and exit the voting site. Because of the seemingly unnecessary complexity of the caucus system that the Iowa caucus revealed, the public has lost faith and trust in the caucus, perhaps signaling its eventual phasing out.

In the Iowa caucus, instead of a righteous flood of results, it was more of an indeterminate trickle with errors and inconsistencies, leaving candidates and supporters holding their breath and prematurely declaring victory. Results from the Iowa Democratic caucus were delayed by “quality control checks” the night of the caucus and yet days later, errors in the reporting were still abundant and unresolved. More than 100 voting sites reported results that were flawed and missing data, and those released by the Iowa Democratic party occasionally did not match results released by individual voting precincts. Errors were common and required significant lengths of time to fix. These issues arose for multiple reasons including human error, issues with understanding the new and complex rules put in place following the 2016 election, and a new app used by the IDP. The app, which was supposed to quicken the speed at which results were calculated and reported to the IDP from each caucus site, instead did the reverse, as “coding issues” allowed for partial results to be reported, forcing officials to delay the results with “quality control checks”. Additionally, caucus officials struggled to install and use the app.

Within a caucus, voters have the opportunity to discuss the candidates with others and convention delegates are chosen. Participants, upon arrival, divide into groups based on their preferred candidates, known as an initial alignment. Groups without enough voters to make their candidate “viable” are disbanded and the voters may choose to join another candidate group on the persuasion of others during the final alignment. Groups deemed “viable” are large enough to earn delegates for their candidates, meaning a candidate has over 15 percent of caucus-goer support. Just prior to paper ballot voting, candidate supporters are allowed to campaign and make a quick speech in a final effort to gain participants.

Because of the caucus’ lengthy process of forming and dissolving groups and canvassing for votes, it is always more time consuming than traditional primaries and thus less appealing. Caucuses consistently have less voter participation than traditional primaries because of its length and confusion, as working adults and parents have difficulty leaving work or finding child care, and undecided voters are less likely to publicly share their political opinions.

Yet the caucus system has many merits, such as its ability to virtually eliminate “throw-away” votes by encouraging caucus-goers to join other groups if their candidate does not surpass the 15 percent bar to earn delegates. Additionally,

THE C&G | 21

delegate assignments are decided and state party business is dealt with. The caucus process is a visible representation of democracy at work: voters openly discussing candidates and political views, compromising and collaborating to elect the most competent candidate to lead and unite the nation.

22 | FEATURE

BIDEN's REVIVAL & SANDERS' FALL

O

f course. The tables have turned - just as it seemed that Joe Biden was faltering and exiting the door, lagging far behind Sanders, suddenly he surged to the front line of candidates during Super Tuesday and surpassed Sanders in delegates. Now, Sanders looks like an underdog facing the challenge of catching back up to Biden.

Prior to Super Tuesday, when the field of candidates was historically large at seven candidates, the Vermont senator had a double-digit lead in almost all national polls, yet no longer.

Biden was the overall winner of Super Tuesday, although results are still not fully reported, winning 10 out of 14 states, including Texas, the second most populous state in the United States, and surpassing Sanders in the delegate count by 91 delegates. Biden gained a significant, yet not insurmountable, advantage over Sanders in the most recent primaries. The stage was set for Biden’s revival as multiple moderate Democratic candidates including Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar dropped out before Super Tuesday voting commenced, and gave Biden their endorsement. Other former candidates including Michael Bloomberg, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke, and Andrew Yang also endorsed the former Vice president. His success in South Carolina additionally kick-started his sudden rise above Sanders and quickly, Biden appeared to be the sole moderate candidate still standing who could earn the support of less progressive voters.

Sanders has even argued that Biden’s endorsements by former presidential candidates were intentional efforts by the Democratic National Convention to

sway the vote in favor of Biden, going as far as saying that Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar were “forced” to drop out. In an interview on March 8 on This Week on ABC, Sanders claimed, “One of the things that I was kind of not surprised by is the power of the establishment, to force Amy Klobuchar, who worked so hard, Pete Buttigieg, who, you know, really worked extremely hard as well, out of the race.”

Now that the race is essentially a binary contest, either Biden or Sanders is in a position to break away and rapidly earn an electoral majority, or the contest will drag on as the candidates struggle to gain a majority. The former option seems more plausible, especially now that Biden has assumed the dominant position in this race following the release of Super Tuesday II results on March 10, although Sanders believes he can still garner support among young voters. Biden won a crushing victory against Sanders in the key mid-western swing state of Michigan on March 10, winning a majority 52.9 percent over the vote, while Sanders only earned 36.5 percent. Prior to voting on Super Tuesday II, Sanders was hopeful that he would win the state, just as he narrowly did back in 2016 against eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. As the race is far from over, the question remains: will Biden break away and earn an electoral majority, or will Sanders bounce back?

THE C&G | 23

HOW WILL WE VOTE?

T

his upcoming presidential election in 2020 will be the first time in which members of our generation, Generation “Z” (sometimes referred to as “post-millennial”), will be able to cast their ballot for president in larger numbers. Members of Generation Z were born from 1997 to 2012, with the oldest members of the generation just reaching 24 years of age this year. Currently, our numbers are estimated to be nearly 91 million, making up approximately 28 percent of the US population, according to data collected by Statistica.

Gen Z is already the most ethnically and racially diverse generation within the US, and is on track to be the most well-educated based on a poll released by Pew Research Center. The same poll asked individuals from all generations their opinions on common social and political issues. It was clear that Gen Zers and Millennials share views on politics and policy and they will be similarly more liberal and open-minded than older generations, partly explained by their increased diversity. Within the Republican party, there are stark contrasts between opinions of younger generations versus the opinions of older generations on numerous social and political issues, while such generational division in the Democratic party is not as significant.

It remains too early to say with certainty how the views of this new generation will evolve, as many have not reached the voting age, and one’s political views are fairly plastic and prone to influence between ages 14 and 24 (Catalist research group). Our generation has grown up with fears of terrorist attacks, the 2008 recession, the rise of social media, the legalization of gay marriage, the #MeToo movement, and threats of school shootings. The generation has been around to witness the fiscal mistakes of the previous generation, the Millennials, and are entering a workforce with many job prospects. Additionally, consumption of news has evolved with Gen Z, and now most teenagers say that social media is their top news source. A poll conducted by Business Insider showed that 59 percent of respondents listed social media as their most popular place to get political news. In such a connected age, younger generations are continually plagued with endless streams of news media, regardless of its basis in true fact, perhaps helping to increase political divisions among individuals as social media content attempts to be “edgy” and “anti-PC”.

Voter participation is increasing among younger voters as well, as midterm voter turnout reached a modern high in 2018, and the three younger generations (Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X) outvoted the older generations (Boomers and Silent) by over two million votes, according to results released by the US Census Bureau.

4.5 million votes were cast by members of Gen Z, and of those who had reached the voting age by the midterm elections, 30 percent turned out (much higher than previously low turnout rates of Millenials). Although generational voter

turnouts naturally increase with age, the growth in voter participation was most significant among younger blocs. By the 2020 election, Gen Z will make up 10 percent of the population eligible to vote.

Increased racial and ethnic diversity of Generation Z partly explains why the generation holds more liberal views than older generations, as 48 percent of post-millennials are of an ethinic or racial minority compared to only 18 percent of early boomers (Pew Research Center). Additionally, Gen Z is on track to be the most educated, as 59 percent of high-school graduates are enrolled in college, the highest of all generations, and the “diploma divide” explains how individuals of higher-education more frequently hold liberal viewpoints. Gen Z may hold more liberal viewpoints because of the society they have been raised in, with changing cultural norms around things such as gender identity, and growing concerns over the environment.

The Democratic party, across generations, consistently shares similar views on social and political issues, yet a gap is largely apparent within the Republican party. Young Republicans are much more likely to say that the government should do more to solve problems (70 percent of Gen Z hold this belief), believe that racial inequality is a major issue (43 percent of young Republicans hold this belief), and that climate change is due to human activity, and not a natural pattern according to polling data from Pew Research Center. It presents the growing idea that the Republican party must adapt to the newer beliefs and demands of younger generations.

According to a poll released by Business Insider, nearly 50 percent of all respondents did not associate with either party, and those who did choose were divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Additionally, political divisiveness was ranked as one of the top issues now facing America. Young voters are discontent with the current state of politics in this country, the partisan rhetoric, Congressional gridlock, and ignorance of pressing environmental concerns. A CIRCLE poll released after the 2018 midterms showed that 57 percent of young voters (ages 18-24) were losing faith in democracy. Our vote is still up for grabs, especially as the majority of Gen Z has yet to reach voting age, and it is clear that the Republican party must evolve with the more liberal viewpoints of younger Americans, and all of American politics must evolve with our demands. It is not that our viewpoints are more liberal, rather, all viewpoints are shifting to be more in line with a growing culture of social acceptance and consciousness. Generational divides appear to hold more significance than in previous years, but have long been factors in American politics, and now, these divisions have the potential to truly alter the future.

24 | PEOPLE

OUR ISSUES OF THE ERA

Each issue is ranked by what respondents believed to be the most pressing current issues.

1. THE ECONOMY {38%}

O

f the many economic issues facing the nation, minimum wage and taxation (capital gains, corporate taxation, mega merges) have been ranked as the most important economic issues of the era.

President Donald Trump has taken various stances on minimum wage. However, he and the Republican party have generally remained in favor of a lower minimum wage. Republicans’ opposition to increases of the minimum wage stem from their concern that any significant increase would result in employers cutting their employees’ hours or jobs. Rather than raise wages, Republicans have focused their efforts on providing corporations with tax savings and incentives with the expectation that said companies would leverage savings obtained through tax incentives to provide their employees with bonuses.

On the contrary, Democrats are in favor of raising the minimum wage as federally mandated by the government. Unlike Republicans, Democrats believe that higher wages will increase lower-income individuals’ quality of life and raise others out of poverty, disagreeing that the increases will result in job loss. Both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have campaigned in support of a minimum wage increase, although they disagree on the implementation of such an increase.

As for taxation, Republicans are in favor of universally lowering taxes to benefit businesses and, in turn, benefit the middle class. Republicans have been in favor of providing both small and large businesses with tax cuts and incentives to promote their “American Made” agenda and economic growth. Providing tax cuts to businesses was a major facet of Trump’s 2016 campaign and remains central to his 2020 campaign.

Democrats widley oppose the tax incentives delivered upon by the Trump Administration as they believe such tax cuts only benefit the wealthy and hurt the poor and those of the middle class. Bernie Sanders has been especially vocal on the issue of taxation. His campaign relies heavily on garnering support for massive tax increases on the wealthy and large corporations.

2. GUN CONTROL {16%} Last year alone, there were 417 mass shootings prompting increased discussion surrounding gun control.

Democrats are in favor of banning the manufacture and sale of assault weapons, increased regulation of existing assault weapons through background checks, and weapons buyback programs.

Incumbent President Trump, and associated Republicans, feel as though many of gun control plans are a violation of the Second Amendment and oppose federally mandated weapons buyback programs and assault weapons bans. Republicans do, however, believe in gun reform through enhanced background checks and red-flag laws or Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs).

*Data taken from the C&G exit poll survery from the 2020 Mock Primary election given to student and faculty participants.

3. THE ENVIRONMENT {15%} As sea levels upsurge, glaciers melt, and temperatures rise, both the world and key political figures have taken notice.

While both Democratic candidates for president, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, have taken tough stances on climate change, they have drastically different plans. Sanders has advocated for the controversial “Green New Deal” which Republicans and moderate Democrats - such as Joe Biden - firmly oppose. The Sanders’ campaign has stated that the plan will pay for itself and will cost 16.3 trillion dollars. Reputable political advocacy groups have estimated the Sanders Green New Deal to cost between 51 - 93 trillion dollars over the next decade - a significant disparity from the figure advertised by Sanders.

In comparison to Sanders’ plan, Biden has taken a much more moderate stance on the issue. Biden has advocated for shifting to 100 percent clean energy (including zero emissions) by 2050, reintroducing the US into the Paris Climate Agreement, and taking action against fossil fuel companies. The Biden campaign has estimated such a plan to cost American taxpayers an estimated 1.7 trillion dollars. The Biden campaign has stated that in addition to using tax dollars, they will use revenues from reversing Trump administration corporate tax cuts.

Republicans have also proposed various climate change plans that include focuses on carbon capture, the isolation of pollution by planting new trees, and through expanded tax credits for new research technologies. Many environmental groups have opposed any such legislation presented by Republicans citing their “lack of seriousness.” Although seeking a solution to climate change, Republicans have strongly opposed taking action against the fossil fuel industry as they consider fossil fuels central to the generation of electricity and to the economy.

4. IMMIGRATION {10%} According to the Pew Research Center, an estimated 10.7 million immigrants were living in the United States as of 2016 - which equates to approximately 3.3 percent to 3.7 percent of the total United States population as of the given year.

The Department of Homeland Security has stated that of of the undocumented population within the United States, 55 percent are Mexican.

In 2016, President Trump made immigration a central point of his campaign namely, the construction of a new southern border wall with Mexico to decrease the number of crossings prohibited by the law. So far, the Trump administration has not fulfilled their promise, only completing 110 miles of the promised 500 miles.

Republicans have argued that illegal immigration has cost and will continue to cost American jobs if allowed to persist. In addition, Republicans have also attributed an increase in crime to illegal border crossings. Democrats have identified no such correlation and have criticized the Trump White House for enacting illegal and immoral border reforms. Furthermore, Democrats would like to increase immigration rather than parry it by ending Trump asylum policies, reinstitute the DACA program, and reverse refugee bans.

THE C&G | 25

The Results

O

n February 3, the C&G staff hosted a student debate between three politically impassioned students: Nicole Adegoke (D), Sam Aiken (I), and Alex Newberg (R), in an effort to increase poltical participation at HIES. Based on exit polling data from the debate, we have declared Sam Aiken as the winner. The following two days (February 4 and 5), we hosted the C&G Georgia Mock Primaries, requring students and faculty to register weeks prior to voting commenced. Incumbent President Donald Trump won the Republican primary, while Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary.

POLITICAL ALIGNMENT+

PARTY AFFILIATION+

WHEN DID YOU DECIDE YOUR VOTE?+

5.7% UNSURE

23.1% MODERATE

46.2% LEAN RIGHT

45.4% RECENTLY, THIS WEEK

44.8% REPUBLICAN 36.2% OVER A MONTH AGO

38.0% DEMOCRAT 25.0% LEAN LEFT

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY RESULTS2

DEBATE WINNER1 46.2% SAM AIKEN (I)

5.8% JOE WALSH

13.5% NICOLE ADEGOKE (D)

3.9% WILLIAM WELD

50

100

52 responses were collected

2

WHAT MATTERED MOST IN YOUR DECISION?+ 2.5% RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY RESULTS3 24.8% BERNIE SANDERS 17.7% JOE BIDEN 15.9% PETE BUTTIGIEG 15.0% ELIZABETH WARREN 8.8% MICHAEL BLOOMBERG 8.8% ANDREW YANG 3.5% TULSI GABBARD 3.5% AMY KLOBUCHAR 1.8% *

90.3% DONALD TRUMP

40.4% ALEX NEWBERG (R)

1

8.6% TWO OR SO WEEKS AGO

9.8% ABOUT A MONTH AGO

8.6% OTHER 8.6% UNSURE

103 votes were counted

WHAT QUALITY IN A CANDIDATE IS MOST IMPORTANT?+

25

*The remaining 1.8% includes Michael Bennet, John Delaney, Deval Patricl, and Tom Steyer 3 113 votes were counted

WHY DID YOU VOTE?+ 8.6% PEER PRESSURED

4.9% MOST LIKELY TO WIN

6.1% CARES ABOUT PEOPLE LIKE ME

5.5% TO SPUR CHANGE

1.8% HAS A GOOD PERSONALITY

16.0% EXPERIENCE

19.0% DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

38.0% PARTY AFFILIATION

24.5% OTHER

+

Data collected from 163 Exit Polling responses

16.6% HAS GOOD JUDGEMENT

38.1% CAN BRING CHANGE

32.5% HAS SIMILAR POLITICAL BELIEFS

41.1% TO VOICE MY OPINION

44.8% IT’S MY DUTY

26 | PEOPLE

CAROLINE HARPER/contributing photographer MADDIE POCH, production editor

The most recent delegation to India accepted HIES’ Global Membership as a Round Square school. But being Round Square means more than that.

K

acey Michelsen grew up immersed in cultures other than his own.

His mother taught English as a Second Language classes, and he had exposure to students from countries including South Korea, Thailand, Germany, France, and Tunisia from the age of 11.

“International travel was always something that I wanted to do as part of my job in schools,” Michelsen said. “Also just the experiential-ed part of things.”

Round Square offers an opportunity for Michelsen to have a role facilitating cultural exchange at HIES. Connecting over 200 schools globally, Round Square fosters collaboration and conversation between students in 50 countries.

Through conferences, service projects, and exchanges, Round Square students seek to better understand their global community through the six IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership, and Service.

Michelsen has led HIES’ involvement with Round Square alongside Elizabeth Scholz, middle school history teacher, and Erik Vincent, HIES Director of Global Studies. In order to officially be a member of Round Square, HIES sent delegations

to various conferences and exchanges for two years as a candidate school.

The 2017 conference in Cape Town, South Africa marked the beginning of HIES’ candidacy to be a Round Square school. Subsequent delegations to conferences including Montreal, Canada, Bogotá, Columbia, and Belfast, Ireland allowed Round Square to assess HIES as a strong fit for the Round Square program.

Robert McDonald ‘21 participated in a regional conference in North Carolina during HIES’ candidacy period. Though McDonald lacked prior knowledge of Round Square’s structure and organization, he found he enjoyed the structure the Barazza - find spelling - groups provided.

“They split us up into little groups that were random,” McDonald said. “We were split up from the group that we came with, and that helped us branch out a little more.”

This past fall, the members of the delegation to the India conference finally accepted HIES’ official Global Membership in the Round Square network.

THE C&G | 27 Four students and two teachers participated in a week-long pre-conference experience in Dharamshala before their global conference in Indoor, India.

“We learned our dance 30 minutes before we went onstage,” Harper said. “It was fun, but it was stressful.”

During the pre-conference, the delegates found they connected quickly with the students who participated alongside them. Most of the participants on the pre-conference were Canadian, and Abbie Reams ‘21 found herself with new friendships before the conference had even begun. Because she grew so close with the students on the pre-conference, Reams made a conscious effort to try and meet even more new people during the conference.

The group received vigorous applause for their line dancing routine, and they bonded with delegates from other schools through the shared experience. For the remainder of Cultural Night, the group also enjoyed watching other schools present a wide variety of routines.

“When you’re in a foreign country, everything’s new,” Reams said. “So you latch on to something that’s similar to you, which was a big thing that I had to try and stop myself from doing at the conference.”

Throughout the remainder of the conference, various speakers challenged the group’s thoughts. Speakers including activist Kiran Gandhi and even a robot named Sophia spoke to the students most mornings during the conference.

During their pre-conference experience, the HIES delegation had numerous opportunities to step beyond their comfort zones and challenge themselves in their thinking. The group traveled through the city of Dharamshala, and the delegates were able to personally connect with the locals because of the interactions the pre-conference facilitated.

“They made us divide the room into people who were like we hate robots, we don’t need them, kind of scared of them and people who love robots, who want AI to improve the world,” Reams said. “So they’re trying to change your mind. But I was still like, no Sophia creeps me out. I’m not doing a robot anytime soon.”

“We tried a bunch of food. We went to restaurants,” Reams said. “We went and we spoke with people who were learning English.”

Caroline Harper ‘21 similarly found her experience traveling through Dharamshala enlightening.

“When we were in Dharamshala, we went to a museum that highlighted the crisis in Tibet, which was something I did not know about at all,” Harper said. “I think it’s something that we need to shine a light on.”

Upon arriving at the conference at the Emerald Heights International School, the delegates participated in Cultural Night, during which each school that opted to participate put on a performance.

“You really see that everyone is so proud of where they come from,” Reams said.

To digest the guest speakers’ presentations, the students in the conference split into Barazza groups. All students representing HIES separated from each other, and the groups provided an opportunity for students to voice their opinions in a more personal gathering.

Through various discussions, the HIES delegates discovered they were surprisingly similar to many students at the conference from all over the world.

While many students at the conference spoke different languages and had different customs, life as a teenager has many common characteristics across the globe. “[It was interesting] seeing how similar you are to everyone, even if you have different lifestyles, you have the same mindset as someone your age, to a certain extent,” Clark McArthur ‘21 said. “I guess we all want to just grow up and be successful and be happy at some point.”

the ideals Internationalism Democracy environmentalism Adventure leadership service

28 | PEOPLE

Throughout the conference, McArthur and the other Round Square delegates were constantly meeting new students from all over the world. Though the delegates found the highly social nature of the trip challenging at times, the group cherishes the friendships they formed at the conference.

“You were constantly in contact with new people or good friends,” McArthur said.

“You had to really be in the mood to talk to people most of the time.”

Harper similarly noted she felt the need to constantly be “energetic” throughout her trip. Though it grew difficult at times to always be outgoing, Harper found it exciting to learn how people from all over the world were able to bond over their shared love of celebrations.

“Every night we would have these big, huge parties and raves,” Harper said. “All of us would jam out to music, which is something that we all had in common: a love for music, dancing, and just having fun.”

Because of the friendships formed at the conference, the delegates found it difficult to leave. Though they were homesick at times throughout their journey, Round Square offered a unique opportunity for them to connect with students they otherwise would not have been able to meet.

“In all honesty, the biggest challenge would have to be just leaving. We always knew that it was gonna be coming up,” McArthur said. “Every day, we were a little closer to the end. So that was tough, knowing that you wouldn’t be there forever.”

Elizabeth Scholz, HIES Middle School Round Square Representative, has seen this phenomenon in students at different conferences through her years as a coordinator.

“Students often come into conferences and exchanges as strangers, but by the end of the trip, the students have made so many friends and are sad, and even crying, when they have to leave their new-found friends,” Scholz said. “This breaks down the cultural barriers in such an organic way that students don’t even realize that they are breaking down any barriers they have as well as redefining their own limits.“ For Chris Daniel, Principal of the Ermitage International School of France, these friendships are the most important component of exchange through Round Square.

“It’s all about people creating connections,” Daniel said. “My hope when I create an exchange is that the students will create connections and make new friends in other countries.”

When the delegates returned to HIES’ campus, they felt an increased sense of awareness of certain aspects of their own community. Though Reams felt the poverty was at times “jarring,” she left the conference with a greater appreciation for the gratitude and happiness with which India’s poorer communities embrace life.

“As I got to know the people, they’re so proud of where they come from. They’re so incredibly proud of what they have,” Reams said. “They’re satisfied with the small things, and I think that I have a greater appreciation for the small things now.”

Because of the cultural connections and dialogue the delegates were able to have through Round Square, Harper also left the conference with an increased understanding of the value of experiential learning.

“You can’t understand things until you experience them,” Harper said. “That’s why I think experiential learning is so important.”

While Round Square facilitates international exchanges, HIES’ affiliation with the program indicates that the student body already manifests the six IDEALS of Round Square. Every student has the opportunity to participate in Round Square when they live by the IDEALS. “Round Square provides us an opportunity to hold a mirror up to ourselves and see how we already reflect those values,” Michelsen said. “It’s not something that we should all be considering as an additional thing added on to all of the many things that we do.” █

THE C&G | 29

HEATH FOSTER/contributing photographer

HEATH FOSTER/contributing photographer During their pre-conference, the HIES delegation immersed themselves in the unique culture and traditions of Dharamshala, India.

HEATH FOSTER/contributing photographer

in the future* SPRING 2020: Sleepout at HIES this spring SPRING 2020: International Day of Sports at HIES JUNE 2020: Middle School trip to France JUNE 2020: Upper School trip to Ghana SEPTEMBER 2020: Round Square international Conference SPRING 2021: Middle School Conference at HIES *NOTE: Some dates may be changed due to delays surrounding the coronavirus pandemic

30 | PEOPLE

UNDER THE INFLUENCER Popularity and Gen Z in the Internet Age

JAYLEE DAVIS, co-editor-in-chief

I

nfluencers. They set the trends, determining what’s new, what’s next, what’s popular. They can make or break brands, products, and companies. Influencers are incredibly powerful in the internet age, often determining what whe buy and where we buy it from. But what exactly are influencers? Who are they? And how are they shaping the internet generation?

According to Wired social media and technology reporter, Paris Martineau, influencers “is shorthand for someone (or something) with the power to affect the buying habits or quantifiable actions of others by uploading some form of original—often sponsored—content to social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, [or] Snapchat…” Influencers are more than celebrities, however, wielding a specific intimacy and authenticity that traditional celebrities lack.

When influencers market products, it almost doesn’t feel like marketing, but a casual recommendation from a friend.

Jenn Chen, “freelance coffee marketer” who advises primarily coffee companies on building their brand, identifies this authenticity as key to what makes influencers effective.

“People see through lies and they want the truth when it comes to products that you’re supporting,” said Jenn Chen. In fact, according to Olpaic, a global marketing company, 44% of global respondents identify “authenticity” as the top reason why consumers trust influencers.

For internet-raised Gen Z-ers, who have a special relationship with influencers, especially, the “fake” influencer is easy to detect. Jenn Chen describes the relationship between Gen Z and influencers as natural, specifically naming new social media platforms like Tik Tok and Snapchat as crucial to that symbiosis.

“With the advent of TikTok and Snapchat, Gen Z has really been able to partake in the influencer era. They’re funny, they encourage people around the world, and are really able to get a platform to take off. The tech that they grew up with makes them an easy group to produce influencers. They’re already connected with so many friends online that the base is there - no need to create a whole new audience.” said Jenn Chen.

As internet natives, content creation comes easily to Gen Z, according to Stephanie H., the “A” in the ABCs of Gen Z, stands for “always be creating.”

Being able to access multiple platforms only adds to this creativity. “It’s not a stretch to say that being creative is simply part of who Gen Z is. Zs don’t think twice about melding media, tools and platforms to express themselves and share with others.”

This gives Gen Z an edge because “content creation is usually pretty tough for people, especially if you’re doing this on your own,” according to Jenn Chen.

The next challenge for influencers, despite their reputation of being money machines, is income. Making it as an influencer is just as risky as starting a business. You are subject to the whims and fancies of the market and your income is often fluid.

“Dealing with ever-changing features and algorithms. When you’re basing a livelihood on another company’s successes and failures, there’s a sort of precariousness in that. Your money is directly tied to Instagram’s success (if that’s the platform you’re on),” said Jenn Chen.

On the marketing side, the influencer business can also be risky. Often, scam artists with paid followers con companies into representing their brands or getting free merchandise.

“Influencers are not always real. There are many accounts out there that pretend to be influencers but they’re really just scams,” said Jenn Chen.

But using influencers to market usually has more advantages than disadvantages.

Reaching the true audience most interested in the product is easier when it is advertised by their peers.

“You get to work with people that are part of your target audience. People trust their peers more than they trust companies. If you can dial into that trust, then your company benefits from it,” said Jenn Chen.

Buzzfeed social news reporter and author of a newsletter called “Please Like Me,” Tanya Chen specializes in reporting focused on influencers and their affairs.

Ranging from stories about Tik Tok to Jake Paul, Chen’s newsletter runs the full gamut of internet news. According to Tanya Chen, defining influencers is elusive, but necessary for her line of work.

“I think there’s not been a defined benchmark for influencers. I’m not quite sure who gets to determine that benchmark, but we collectively agree that someone with a significant following that’s making money regularly from showing product or endorsement deals or collaborative brand deals would be considered an influencer,” Tanya Chen said.

Followers and other social media metrics of popularity are even more vague, but Tanya Chen often looks for six figure followings for her reporting. She makes the exception that influencing isn’t only for business, but it is the most convenient way to distinguish influencers from the internet masses.

“That’s just the most that’s the most apparent and covert way that we can measure influencing, you know, with actionable numbers. There are lots of influencers who are very influential with their messaging or with their own product...although you can make the argument that whether there are direct deals on their pages being promoted [or not], they still benefit a lot that funnels into some kind of business,” said Tanya Chen.

When asked about the challenges and benefits that influencers encounter, Tanya Chen clarified, “I am not one. This is a projection and purely based on what I perceive to be issues and challenges from what I can tell.”

She first emphasizes how influencing has made work more accessible for those who couldn’t work otherwise. With the right set of internet tools and a faithful following, anyone can be an influencer from home. This has opened up the door to many opportunities that might not have been able to take up.

“It’s created a lot of jobs. It’s created real jobs, sustainable jobs and like a very high paying job for people who otherwise wouldn’t maybe have employment in the traditional sense. I think for a stay at home mom and women who had more traditional roles in the house now can work,” said Tanya Chen.

While creating new opportunities, the influencer life also poses several risks to one’s health. Besides the obvious dangers of the lack of privacy and hyper celebrity, there is also a hidden effect on mental health.

“You’re profiting off of yourself in your life, and that requires you to give up a lot of yourself. And that can be a really tricky place to navigate. It’s tricky to have healthy boundaries there, I think. And that’s why influencers burn out very quickly and they deal with a lot on their mental health,” said Tanya Chen.

All in all, influencers have revolutionized the internet and Buzzfeed, Tanya Chen says, has had a involved role in their rise -- doing their job to create influencers themselves with their large platform.

“We still have a very big platform...unintentionally or in intent or intentionally put names out there that other people might not have realized were names to know... names that were prominent enough, and I think it’s because we take social media seriously...If someone is famous online and has influence and [is] affecting young minds or old minds or affecting masses of people, we think it’s important to cover as a news source,” said Tanya Chen.

Influencers changed and rebirthed the internet as we know it. They have made an indelible imprint on our generation. Like Chen said, influencers are more than just social media celebrities. Their impact on the social media, business, and the internet demands our attention. █

W

THE C&G | 31

ith the advent of TikTok and Snapchat, Gen Z has really been able to partake in the influencer era. They’re funny, they encourage people around the world, and are really able to get a platform to take off. The tech that they grew up with makes them an easy group to produce influencers.

They’re already connected with so many friends online that the base is there - no need to create a whole new audience.

- Jenn Chen

87% $10bn

of consumers were inspired by an influencer to make a purchase in 2019

expected revenue of influencer marketing by 2020

TOP INFLUENCERS OF 2020 1. Kylie Jenner 2. Dan Middleton 3. Selena Gomez 4. Jake Paul 5. Felix Kjellberg *according to YRinfluencer, by highest paid

32 | PEOPLE

TOGETHER WE WHEEL /THE KYLE PEASE FOUNDATION

A story of dedication, relentless determination, and family PARKER MILES, staff writer

T

he majority of the world knows racing to have only one goal: run as fast as possible. However, members of the Kyle Pease Foundation would beg to differ. The Kyle Pease Foundation is an organization that works with wheelchair athletes through endurance sports. Started in 2011, the foundation has grown rapidly throughout the metro-Atlanta area, encompassing more than 100 wheelchair athletes. As the organization has grown, the sky has been the limit for numerous wheelchair athletes as they have raced in hundreds of major races nationwide. While these accomplishments are highly significant, they are not as important as some of the other benefits they enjoy as part of the Foundation. The Kyle Pease Foundation hasn’t just given Wheelchair athletes and their families moments to remember, it has forever changed their lives.

Kyle Pease was born on February 19, 1985 at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia and he was one of the two twins who were born into the Pease family that day.

He would often cry or scream when he was a baby, but at the time, none of the behavior was abnormal in the least. In Beyond the Finish, his brother, Brent mentions, “There’s a lot of guessing going on early in life because a baby isn’t performing much physically and is primarily learning through body language.”

The parents first noticed Kyle’s differences when he would lie on his back in his crib and not swat at the mobile moving around over his head, like many babies would. They contacted a therapist and after numerous sessions of observing his behavior, the therapist diagnosed Kyle with cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and to perform daily tasks. .

Kyle made the best of it throughout his childhood. His parents were very supportive of him and did anything they could to make sure he succeeded in life, like any other parent would do.

THE C&G | 33

“My mom and dad never took ‘No’ for an answer. They included me in every sporting event, every vacation, and so much more” Kyle said.

“As odd as it may seem, I’d choose to have Cerebral Palsy. This is how I was born.

I accept it as a blessing and I don’t know it any other way,” Kyle says in Beyond the Finish. He elaborates by saying, “It made me a stronger person...Had I been born without a disability, my potential impact on others would likely not have been as great.”

During their childhood, both Brent and Kyle both had a passion for one thing more than anything else: Sports. Whether that be in the form of watching or competing, they both loved the nature of sports and what it had to offer.

Their shared love for sports in their early life became even bigger later on in their life. Specifically, they both had a love for running and they began to train and race together. In training for important triathlons or marathons, they often followed the mindset of, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”, a quote by Benjamin Franklin.

This quote was particularly relevant when the two brothers trained to compete in their first IRONMAN in 2010. During training for the swimming portion, he placed Kyle in a boat. In the book, Brent mentions, “Kyle had never been on the open water” making the brothers wonder what would happen if the currents were to become strong during the IRONMAN.

“ I’d choose to have Cerebral Palsy.

This is how I was born. I accept it as a blessing and I don’t know it any other way. It made me a stronger person.

- KYLE PEASE

”

Both Brent and Kyle went out to a lake by Kennesaw State University to train along with their friend, John David. According to the book, it was there that David mentioned, “We need to flip the boat. We need to see what happens with Kyle if he falls out. If the kayak flips and Kyle is still in it, we are all in trouble”.

advocate for ourselves and for each other.”

They flipped the boat and Kyle fell into the water, but both Brent and John got him quickly. As a result Brent came to the conclusion that “if anything happened, we would only have twenty to thirty seconds to get him, perhaps less. I was nervous...but Kyle wanted to be a triathlete. We felt that all the extra training and preparedness was going to get us across the finish line.”

However, getting the Kyle Pease Foundation off the ground was not exactly easy for Brent or Kyle. Towards the end of 2014, Brent became the full-time director of the Kyle Pease foundation, but with that came a great deal of sacrifices on both his and Kyle’s part.

According to Brent, after finishing the race, Kyle’s reaction was “I want other people to experience this”. Ultimately, Kyle was the inspiration and motivation for how the organization came to be in the first place.

“I wanted to help people find their voice”, Kyle acknowledges as the primary reason why he wanted to start the foundation. He elaborates by saying, “I believe we all have a voice, whether we can physically speak or not, and it’s up to us to

“I wanted others to have their own defining moment and to experience a starting line and a finish line, both on the race course and in life” Kyle states.

“In 2016, when his daughter Caroline was just six months old, Brent and Erica, his wife, moved into her parents’ basement to save some money. They really wanted this to work, we all did, but it takes a real sacrifice to relocate into your in-law’s basement with a newborn to try to make it happen” Kyle mentions in the book.

He adds, “we all did whatever we could to keep this train rolling”.

“I am proud to say that our family, KPeasy, is able to make a huge impact because so many sacrificed so much in those early years” Kyle asserts.

34 | PEOPLE

<

< As the organization has grown, Brent and Kyle have become more and more competitive, but they’ve also had fun at the same time. In preparation for training for important marathons or triathlons, Kyle and Brent often train every day for six weeks. One of the most remarkable examples of this was when both Kyle and Brent trained together in order to compete in the World Championship Ironman triathlon at Kona.

“We had our eyes on the prize”, Kyle said bluntly. Their hard work paid off when they completed arguably one of the most difficult triathlons anywhere in the world. Of all of their accomplishments, they both agree that this was by far the best of all of them. “It was just so special to be able to finally see Kyle’s dream come true and for him to share that with other people. It was just such a huge and incredible feeling”, Brent said.

“On paper, my accomplishment wouldn’t seem to be possible, but the world doesn’t play out on paper” Kyle exclaims.

Brent Pease and wheelchair athlete prepare to enter the water at Camp Wheel-Away, in Winder, Georgia.

The Kyle Pease Foundation is cheered on by the crowd before starting their race.

It’s not just Brent and Kyle who have competed on the national stage, many wheelchair athletes within the Foundation have done the same. A few examples were the 2016 New York marathon where they took their first non-family member to join them in the 2017 Atlanta Publix half-marathon. “This race was the first major race where we really had a big contingent of people”, Brent recalls.

One of the first wheelchair athletes to join the Kyle Pease Foundation, BentleyGrace Hicks, discusses what it is like getting ready for races. At a lunch interview with her, she mentions, “with a disability, it is hard getting up and getting in the right mindset, but I make it work. I usually wake up at 3:45am on race day”. A member of the foundation since 2015, Bentley-Grace has been the definition of hard work and determination as a competitor in the Kyle Pease Foundation.

“I have competed in the Peachtree and the Marine Corps marathon twice. The one place where I want to race is Jerusalem because I think God has called me there. I also want to race in every continent” she says.

THE C&G | 35

“When others say that something is

impossible, I encourage them to say and honestly believe the phrase, ‘Yes, you can, yes, we can, and yes, I can’.

- BRENT PEASE

For the five years she has been part of the organization, Bentley-Grace has raced with numerous athletes and has developed great relationships with some of them along the way.

“I remember when I qualified for the Peachtree Road Race with a complete stranger, and we have been friends ever since”, she mentions. When asked about whether she ever got nervous with racing with a complete stranger, she emphasized the word, “YES”, in a joking way.

”

“We are running a business, and while our business is nonprofit and meant to serve others, we still had to run it like a business”, according to Brent. Brent acknowledges that he has invested a great deal of his time into it and has enjoyed the process every step of the way. In addition, Kyle has learned to manage balancing the Kyle Pease Foundation with his other job as a greeter at the Piedmont Hospital. In his job at the Piedmont Hospital, his main goal is to be a source of encouragement for people.

“I love it. It’s a challenge for sure, but I love it,” Kyle explains.

In Brent’s eyes, the most important part about the Foundation are the lessons that the wheelchair athletes learn. He mentions, “they are learning lessons of teamwork and self-confidence, similar to what you guys have with your cross country and track teams”. He also mentions, “it’s more than just a finish line experience for them, it’s really a way to see a path to creating real change in their lives.”

“It gives people a sense of hope and a sense of opportunity to show that anything is possible,” according to Kyle.

As the organization continues to grow, their goal is to expand the organization even further beyond the confines of racing. At the thought of this, Brent enthusiastically said, “we want to create more inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities. We want to create new venues to impact them, not just through sports.”

“The foundation has completely changed my life” Bentley-Grace declares.

In developing the Foundation to the extraordinary organization it has become, both Brent and Kyle have learned numerous valuable lessons that have helped them grow as people.

Brent and Kyle’s most important takeaway, however, is the importance of leadership and service; a lesson that they want to bestow upon others.

“When you have something that you believe in or feel strongly about, pursue it with the same passion that Kyle and I had to cross the finish line in Hawaii” Brent shares. He then mentions, “in our lives, we all chase finish lines in one way or another and when we chase them with other people, it can take us to places that we’ve dreamed possible”.

“Don’t stop, keep going. You can overcome anything. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible”, Kyle concludes. In the book, he mentions, “When others say that something is impossible, I encourage them to say and honestly believe the phrase, ‘Yes, you can, yes, we can, and yes, I can”.

Through running, both Brent and Kyle have established arguably one of the most inspirational organizations in all of Atlanta. Through the organization, the unthinkable becomes possible in all phases of life for wheelchair athletes and their families. This organization has taught us that running is not just a sport, it brings people together. █

MLK DAY in pictures 36 | PEOPLE

KATHERINE POCH, staff writer

On Jan. 20, an MLK Day parade made its way through the streets of Atlanta, promoting many different causes and organizations as well as celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King. Here are some of the pictures from that day.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

The Lovett School, an Atlanta private school, and Breakthrough Atlanta, an organization that helps increase academic opportunity for underserved Ë&#x2021; students, carry signs in the parade.

MADDIE POCH/contributing photographer

THE C&G | 37

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

^ One participant of the march wears thick winter clothes to keep warm from the blistering 38 degree temperature outside. Many people braved the very un-traditional Atlanta weather and did not let it stop them from celebrating Dr. Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

Many people came to the march, braving the harsh weather that day, and filled up the streets of downtown Atlanta. After they passed each block, the parade would stop and more people on the sides would join so that when the parade started moving again, there were more people than there Ë&#x2021; were before.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

38 | PEOPLE

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

^ People from Atlanta Counts Census 2020, an organization that works to make sure every family in Atlanta is counted in the census on April 1, 2020, hold up signs and display them to passerbyers.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer ^ QuikTrip workers hold up a sign for the remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

^ One woman watching the parade smiles at the camera as her picture is taken.

Ë&#x2021; Many different organizations showed up on MLK Day to display their cause.

KATHERINE POCH/staff writer

^ The reform Atlanta synagogue, Congregation Bet Haverim, showed up to the MLK Day parade carrying a sign. The wind was so strong that day that participants had to brace themselves against it as they walked.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer

THE C&G | 39

MADDIE POCH/contributing photographer

^ A young child holds a “Justice for Sanitation Workers” sign as he walks near the front of the parade.

MATTHEW RAESIDE/contributing photographer ^ Men carrying the American flag near the front of the parade pass the Peachtree Street Sign.

A wide variety of people showed up to the MLK Day March. Some were campaigning for a cause and some were just there to support the memory ˇ of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

MADDIE POCH/contributing photographer

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