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

Volume VI, Issue 3, Spring Edition

March 2018

v o i c e s

STAFF

CONTENTS LIFESTYLE | 4

PEOPLE | 28

Music | 4

Golden Bear Questionnaire | 28

Reviews | 5

The Color of Your Voice | 30

HIES Picks | 6

Value of a Second Language | 32

Best Fries in Atlanta | 8

NEWS | 10

OPINION | 34

In Brief | 10

Yes/No: Does the Dress Code

Sports and Arts Briefs | 11 Pulling the Plug on Net

Benefit Students | 34 My Spot | 36

Neutrality | 12

Diversity in Film and TV: More

FEATURES | 14

Dyslexia: A Blessing and a

Voice of the Convicted | 14 An Invisible Population | 16 Masculinity | 20

Than the Numbers | 38 Curse | 40 Democracy in Decline | 42 A Culture of Shaming | 44

Gender Diversity and Discrimination | 22 A Voice Means a Choice | 26

PHOTO ESSAY | 46 Up on the Roof | 46

Editor-in Chief Sarah Kallis Managing Editors Olivia Martin Ethan Mullen Associate Editor Miller Reid Production Editor Libby Malcolm Feature Writers Shea Fleming Tyler Jones Katie Little Tiana Momon Haley Plant Annie Sager Staff Writers Maggie Belenky Lucy Brumbaugh Jaylee Davis Grace Kelly Maddie Poch Matthew Raeside Emotional Support Emerson Delonga Cate O’Kelley Contributing Writers Dunn Neugebauer Stephen Turner Meredith Weiss Contributing Designer Sam Baskin Advisor Danielle Elms

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR During my sophomore year, and second year on staff of the C&G, our journalism class had the privilege of seeing the Atlanta Press Club’s Award ceremony. I consider one of the speeches I heard as a formative moment in my life.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, one of the honorees, talked about her reasons behind being a journalist. She had not had it easy, being the first black female to enroll in the University of Georgia Journalism School. But she considered her journey worth it, because she wanted to give a voice to the voiceless; she wanted to tell the story of those who did not have the medium to tell their own.

You see, before this dinner, I was questioning a lot of things, but mainly why I was putting so much time and effort into the C&G with seemingly no reason.

But this speech changed that. I had found my “why.” I knew why I was putting so many hours into the magazine, and I had a newfound drive to do it. I began loving all of the effort, because I knew I was using what I loved to try to make an impact on the world.

This issue is called “Voices” to celebrate the stories of others, because they need to be heard.

Some people tell their own, like Dunn Neugebauer’s experience connecting with students through his carpool job. Some people, however, are unable to tell their own story such as the homeless youth I interviewed for my article. Their story needs to be heard just as much. I love every second of telling it, because I am reminded of my purpose.

MISSION STATEMENT 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.

EDITORIAL POLICY The C&G is a student-run, quarterly magazine published by the Crimson and Gold journalism staff at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School of Atlanta. All opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire staff or those of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. The magazine is written and designed as part of the journalism curriculum, and contributing writers can be included.

The C&G values inclusivity and would appreciate any feedback or contribution. The staff strives to publish a diverse set of writing and perspectives while maintaining a standard of excellence. Please contact thecrimsonandgold@gmail.com for more information. The advisor and the editors have the ultimate say on content and have permission to edit contributions for grammar and taste. The staff will only publish legally protected material and keeps the privacy of individuals included in mind.

AFFILIATIONS Sarah Kallis Editor-in-Chief

CSPA // GSPA // JEA // NSPA

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mt. Vernon HWY Atlanta, GA 30327

4 LIFESTYLE

MUSIC

ARTIST Growing up in the Bronx neighborhood of New York, Cardi B (born Belcalis Almanzar) learned to be independent and stand up for herself from a young age; she has yet to outgrow either of these qualities. While the “Bodak Yellow” singer raps about her luxurious life, she has not always live glamorously.

After losing her job as a cashier, Cardi B turned to stripping.

Through stripping, she earned a steady income, gained the courage to leave a toxic relationship, and even pursued an education.

Cardi B’s rise into internet stardom marked the end of her career as a stripper, as she joined the cast of VH-1’s “Love and Hip-Hop.” Her time spent on the show broadened her audience and she attracted more attention through her excessive pettiness and iconic one-liners. Cardi B began her ascent into the music industry while on the show, but left “Love and HipHop” in late 2016 with hopes of furthering her music career.

She signed with Atlantic Records in February of 2017, and saw her big break in June with the success of “Bodak Yellow.” While the song mainly references her newfound lavish material goods, it has a deeper connotation – one that details the hurdles she had to overcome to be successful. Cardi B flips the script on a male-dominated genre and shows no mercy on those who stand in her way, asserting herself as a powerful woman. So, it was no surprise when “Bodak Yellow” went viral.

Like influenza in a high school, it was everywhere. The single climbed to the top of the Billboard 100, earned Cardi two Grammy nominations, and turned triple-platinum.

Cardi B’s one-in-a-million talents and confident lyrics can bring her to the top of every chart. Hopefully, “Bodak Yellow” is just the beginning.

E

minem’s name is nearly synonymous with the word “controversial.” His musical persona consists of prideful, offensive and unremorseful music.

Countering this trend, Eminem’s 2017 album “Revival” seems like a step in a mature direction. Featuring artists like Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Alicia Keys, Eminem reaches into other genres and expands his already-broad audience.

Eminem admits defeat on “Walk on Water” (feat. Beyoncé), Ed Sheeran stands out on “River”, and even a sampling from The Cranberries’ “Zombie” makes a cameo at the beginning of “In Your Head.” “Revival” differs from the overpoweringly racy “The Marshall Mathers LP,” but the so-called “King of Hip-Hop” still delivers on his 11th studio album.

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hough it keeps a methodically calm beat, don’t let “Spar” fool you–these lyrics are anything but repressed. Featured artists Kodak Black and 6LACK (pronounced “black”) team up with Dreezy to create the ultimate diss track. With references to police brutality, cultural appropriation, and negative stereotypes, Dreezy spars against Donald Trump - along with white supremacy. Dreezy swears she tells the unadulterated truth with the lyric: “My word is bond as f**k,” (a phrase that has been used by hip-hop artists since the ‘80s declaring the authenticity of music.) Dreezy is an up-and-coming lyrical genius; with spectacular featured artists, it is easy to fall in love with this track.

ouble-threat Donald Glover, perhaps better known as Childish Gambino, re-released his first EP – which skyrocketed his music career – for streaming services. Comprised of five songs averaging roughly four minutes, “EP” served as the perfect sampling for Glover’s talents that left everyone wanting more. Both the title of the EP (“EP”) and the EP itself are clever yet straightforward.

Glover’s most recognized track is “Freaks and Geeks,” where his stellar lyrics stand out. The lesser-known but equally as strong “Be Alone” references his struggles with loneliness as a star-on-the-rise.

Despite being originally released almost seven years ago, “EP” shines like a new diamond and shows no signs it will ever go out of style.

ALBUM

After the success of “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B collaborated with G-Eazy and A$AP Rocky to create “No Limit,” Ozuna to create “La Modelo,” and Bruno Mars to create “Finesse (Remix),” proving that she can produce a hit song with and without other artists.

EP

SINGLE

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ardi B first rose to fame through her Instagram videos that turned any poor life choice into a comedic bit.

However, her story began long before she gained the attention of the general public.

GRACE KELLY, staff writer

LIFESTYLE 5

REVIEWS MILLER REID, associate editor

KROG STREET MARKET

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ituated in Atlanta’s east side in Inman Park, the city’s first planned suburb, Krog Street Market’s vibrancy has continued to flourish since its summer 2014 opening. Conveniently located on the far-stretching, colorful Beltline, the 9 acre area centers on 12,000 square foot market area. The space previously contained the prolific Tyler Perry’s former studios and the historic Atlanta Stove Works. The concept of the market came to fruition under Paces Properties, who purchased the space in 2012.

Since its opening, Krog Street Market has become a haven for food lovers all over the city, offering a huge range of options capable of suiting any palate.

Featuring a plethora of cuisines from across the world, Krog Street Market never fails to impress on a culinary scale. From the Tex-Mex inspired Superica to the Middle Eastern eats from Yalla, all the way to the Italian pizza joint, Varuni Napoli, the variety here stretches across the globe. With East Asian cuisine such as Gu’s Dumplings, sushi from Makimono, and Suzy Siu’s Baos, no one will leave the market hungry. American dining options, including Grand Champion BBQ and Richards’ Southern Fried present appetizing soul food. Those more interested in health food can dine at Nature’s Garden Express, which specializes in organic and high quality eats.

Make sure to leave room for dessert at The Little Tart Bakeshop, serving fresh-baked goods daily, at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a great place for unique frozen treats, or at XOCOLATL, a store that makes ethically sourced chocolate bars using beans from the Americas and East Africa.

Besides dining, retail options serve the various shopping needs of visitors as well. The Collective offers a a huge assortment of vintage items, such as clothing, jewelry and home goods sourced from regional artists and vendors, while The Merchant sells home gifts. Lovers of all-natural cleaning products will love to shop at Mama Handmade Bath and Body. Finally, a trip to Krog Street Market would not be complete without getting a treat or toy for the pets at Street Pet Works.

There are plenty of things to do in the area with the Beltline steps from the market and Little 5 Points only a short distance away. Krog Street Market serves as a wonderful option for a weekend lunch excursion suitable for friends or the entire family.

HQ

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s the newest and most exciting trivia game on the app store, HQ gives player the ability to put their miscellaneous knowledge to the test to win a portion of prize money. With live games consisting of multiple choice questions of varying difficulty twice a day (once at 3pm EST and once at 9pm EST) participants get the chance to split the grand prize of thousands of dollars. Hosted primarily by the comedic Scott Rogowsky, most games are extremely amusing but also quite stressful. Each question has a ten second timer, and one single missed question leads to disqualification from the game. HQ is a fun and exciting new app that has become extremely popular in the HIES community.

RIVERDALE

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et in the small, fictional town of “Riverdale” and revolving around the characters of “Archie Comics”, Riverdale is arguably one of the most popular television shows of the past couple years. The show, currently in its second season, focuses on Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) and his close friends Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse), and Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) as they discover more about their lives and their mysterious town. Both seasons, filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, follow the group as they navigate high school and become involved in their communities, investigating murder and other foul misdeeds. As one of the most entertaining series of the past few years, Riverdale is a must watch.

LADY BIRD

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ollowing the senior year of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson’s high school experience, Lady Bird is a beautifully crafted coming-of-age dramedy starring the fantastic Saoirse Ronan as the title character. Set in 20022003 in Sacramento, California, the story navigates Lady Bird’s expanding world as she deals with college applications, friendships, romance, and most importantly, her tempestuous relationship with her mom (Laurie Metcalf). In the span of a year, she experiences love and heartbreak with the theatre-kid Danny (Lucas Hedges) and then the rebellious Kyle (Timothée Chalamet). While Lady Bird’s world constantly changes, her best-friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) watches as she grows up without her. Handling familial tension, maturation, and high school life, many high schoolers can relate to this delightful film.

HIES

Picks JAYLEE DAVIS, staff writer

LUSH Julia Sherill ‘18

BRANDS

Why they like it: “It’s more expensive but I know for a fact that they’re not doing animal testing or any animal cruelty. All their stuff smells really good; I love all of their lavender stuff. I think I got hooked on it from the lip scrubs and then I went from there. In the Christmas time, they come out with twilight shower gel which is lavender and it’s the best thing in the world.”

Description: Although famous for their handmade natural bath and body products, Lush is also a politically-oriented brand, advocating for not only cruelty-free products, sustainable packaging, and ethical buying, but also trans rights, pro-refugee policy, fair trade, and charity.

Whether you are looking for a luxurious bath bomb to soak in, or a politically conscious and active brand, Lush is the best.

NIKE Graham Collins ‘19 Why they like it: “Because they make everything you can find for a sport. If you can’t find something, Nike has it. Anytime I get a pair of shoes or cleats, my first preference is Nike.

I would say at least 5th grade is when I first started liking it. Our uniforms are Nike and our football uniform next year will be Nike.”

Description: This brand, named after the Greek goddess of victory, is recognized for its athleisure aesthetic, comfortable shoes and clothing is a go-to for people of all ages. A variety of styles suitable for everyone are available and accepted, from sports teams to fashionistas.

HANGOUTS

Steak N’ Shake Reese Pittard ‘19 Why they like it: “I usually go with my friends that aren’t from here [HIES], and get my usual order: Plain Double Cheeseburger with a nutella milkshake. At Steak and Shake when you sit down at the table, they serve you, there is a waitress and they ask you what you want and they bring it to you. It is not as fast-foody, but still pretty cheap and it tastes really good.”

Description: Serving customers quality burgers and milkshakes since 1934, Steak n’ Shake is most known for its comfortable vintage atmosphere with delicious fast-food at a reasonable price. With over twenty locations in and around the Atlanta area, Steak n’ Shake is as accessible as they are affordable.

SS Airsoft John Anderson ‘18 Why they like it: “It’s a good experience, it’s kinda like paintball, so the adrenaline is definitely there, and you can meet new people. You use things similar to paintball guns and you go around shooting each other. It’s somewhere on the lines of Call of Duty. There is team deathmatch, king of the hill, and capture the flag. I try to go up there at least once a month.”

hash tags

Description: SS Airsoft, with its Hollywood-set designs and high-end airsoft accessories, is the best and only indoor airsoft zone in Atlanta. Not only is this hangout spot family-friendly, but also beginnerfriendly and budget-friendly. For thrill-seekers with a penchant for combative, paintball-esque play, SS Airsoft is a sanctuary.

Spring break

#bekindtoelephants #makeinstacasual Mary Claire Smith ‘19 Asia Harris ‘20

Punta Cana

Deer Valley

Sophie Smith ‘18

Rachel Suttle ‘21

Why they like it: “It’s a reversion back to how instagram originally was. Right when it came out, you would see something kinda cool or anything that interested you and you would put on Instagram. Now, it takes 20 minutes to edit it and think through a caption Description: Created by Ellen Degeneres and post a picture. It’s all photoshop. as a response to President Trump’s I think this is a movement to make it reversal of the Obama-era ban on more causal, more real again.” elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe, the #bekindtoelephants Description: It is an underground movement sparked in November movement with the purpose of of 2017. The hashtag seeks to bring shifting Instagram from its heavily awareness to elephant endangerment doctored, bourgie reputation to a and preservation. For every tweet to the candid, relaxed platform for those hashtag, Degeneres donates money to looking for a reprieve from the The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a non- glitz and glam of the “un-casual” profit geared towards protecting African Instagram. elephant wildlife.

Why they like it: Going on the Senior Spring Break trip is important to me because I have been at this school for 14 years and I think a few fun days with my class is a good way to close my chapter here at Holy Innocents’. With all the stress that so many seniors have felt this year, I think it’s really important and special for us all to be able to relax and have fun together before we all go our separate ways.

Why they like it: I like Deer Valley because they have great ski slopes and there are no snowboarders. Also, they have really nice hotels you can stay in and lots of good food choices.

Plus, there are lots of other people I know going, so I think that’ll make it a lot more fun.

Why they like it: I used this hashtag because it had to do with a cause that’s very close to me. I like to help out in anyway I can to help protect animals and bring awareness to species that are endangered.

Description: The Senior Spring break destination for 2018 is Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Here, the class of 2018 will enjoy kicking back on the brightest sands and bluest waters of the Caribbean before they move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Description: Deer Valley is a private Ski Resort located just outside of Park City, Utah. There is more than 2,000 acres of land where you can ski, and one of the slopes features a 3,000 foot drop.

Replete with fantastic places to stay and eat, and is an all-around great place to vacation for those with a love for colder climates.

8 LIFESTYLE

Best Fries in Atlanta Grading

MAGGIE BELENKY, staff writer design, MATTHEW RAESIDE, staff writer

Appearance: the presentation of the fries Taste: the quality and flavor of the fries Creativity: the uniqueness of the fries Atmosphere: the setting, service, and mood of the restaurant

Fred's Meat & Bread

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ocated at the hip Krog Street Market, Fred’s Meat and Bread is the prime spot for a quick bite to eat or a delicious meal. Fred’s is one of many food stalls at Krog Street Market. Old fashioned bottles line the counters and walls, giving it a funky, retro atmosphere. Service is counter-style and the food arrives within five to ten minutes after ordering. Served in a classic street-style paper tray, the BBQ fries are an excellent side dish to their award-winning burger. Their fries are smothered in a BBQ rub, tasting similar to BBQ potato chip seasoning. They are salty, but with a sweet BBQ taste. Proportioned reasonably, and the fries are not greasy at all. They are hand-cut with a crisp, golden skin still remaining. Although the appearance of the fries is not anything special, the taste is. At Fred’s, the fries are fried once in the morning, and once again right before serving, making them double-fried. Fred’s is definitely worth making the extra trip.

Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 11:30a – 9:00p Friday: 11:30a – 9:30p Saturday: 11:30a – 10:00p Where: Krog Street Market 99 Krog Street Atlanta, GA Price Range: $ Rating: A-

LIFESTYLE 9

Hampton & Hudson

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f you are on the hunt for fries diverging from mainstream flavors, Hampton and Hudson is the perfect place for you. Just four minutes from Little Five Points, it is located in Inman Park. Inside the restaurant, there are two rooms with cozy booths on either side and an oak bar that stretches across the width of the room.

The overall atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the service is excellent and quick. One of their signature dishes is the Hangover Fries, thin, hand-cut fries, blanketed in pork verde chili with pickled mustard seeds, and a sunny side egg to top it all off. Presented in a stunning, large ceramic bowl,the egg instantly catches your eye. Salsa verde, infused with whole grain flavor, is the first of many to greet your tongue. The chilli brings out the southwestern flavor, and the mustard seeds give it an extra kick, however, the fries are on the greasy side due to the egg. The second your fork hits the egg, it starts running. With the generous portions; these fries are definitely meant to share. The Hangover Fries are a must-eat.

Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:00a - 2:30a Saturday: 10:00a - 2:30a Sun: 10:00a - 12:00a Where: 299 N. Highland Ave. NE. Atlanta, GA Price Range: $$ Rating: A

JCT Kitchen

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CT Kitchen is known for its mouthwatering food and fantastic view of the Atlanta skyline. It always has a bustling crowd, and even at 1:00pm on a Saturday the line is out the door. The bar is a go-to spot with no wait at all and quick fullmenu service. Upon first walking in, it is clear that JCT is a happening place, due to the large and loud crowd. It is rustic, but modern. You can sit on the patio, in the main dining room, at the bar, or on the terrace. The Parmesan Truffle Fries are one of their signature appetizers. Making its appearance in a large, white, ceramic bowl, the fried are covered in finely shaved Parmesan and herbs. The satisfying smell of truffle oil fills your nose as the server is within reach. They aren’t greasy, and the truffle oil is not overwhelming, as you smell the truffle more than you can taste it. The portions are humongous and are almost too much, especially since they are filling. Overall, these fries are highly acclaimed for a reason.

Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11:00a - 10:00p Friday - Saturday: 11:00a – 11:00p Sunday: 4:30p – 9:00p Where: 1198 Howell Mill Road Atlanta, GA Price Range: $$ Rating: A-

Image via iStock

10 NEWS

IN BRIEF

What’s going on and what to look out for

DRUG TESTING UPDATE SHEA FLEMING, feature writer

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tarting in August 2018, Psychemedics will test the HIES student body for cocaine, marijuana, opiates, morphine, and more illegal substances. Using patented technology, Psychemedics will detect the most commonly abused drugs with only a small hair sample. HIES administration hopes to give students power over peer pressure and improve the general well being of the student body with the newly implemented drug testing policy.

Most decisions have been finalized regarding HIES’ drug testing process. Paul Barton, HIES Headmaster, has decided there will be three designees from the school that will be informed of any students’ positive tests. The three designees will likely include Mr. Barton himself, as well as “the upper school principal and the upper school counselor,” Barton said.

Many members of the student body expressed concerns about the amount and length of hair required to perform this test. “I am told it’s around an inch and a half, and then it’s about the diameter of pencil lead,” Barton said. This diameter is estimated to be around 60 pieces of hair, which will be snipped from the least noticeable place on the student’s head. If a student lacks hair on his or her head, then hair will be taken from other places, such as the leg or arm.

After every student is tested in August, around 30 students will be randomly

tested each month. Psychemedics will assign a number to each student’s name, generate 30 numbers, and subsequently test the students who correlate to the chosen numbers. This process ensures that the selection is completely random.

HIES will not be informed of the numbers the students are assigned, nor will HIES be involved in the selection of the numbers. Lacking the knowledge of which student is linked with which number increases the confidential aspect of drug testing.

Once a student is tested, the three designees, along with the student’s parents, will be informed of that student’s outcome. If a student tests positive again 100 days following his or her prior positive test, the student will be withdrawn from HIES. Luckily, a student’s positive tests will not affect his or her family members from admittance into the school as Barton says, “There's a deep understanding of how important confidentiality is.” The admissions committees, which Mr. Barton is “far enough removed from”, will remain in control of the enrollment of each student without knowledge of siblings’ positive tests.

Drugs are a prominent issue that HIES is prepared to address head on in the upcoming school year. The decision to test for alcohol or nicotine is yet to be determined.

RAISE YOUR VOICE TYLER JONES, feature writer

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n December 31, 2017, YouTube vlogger Logan Paul uploaded a video of his journey in the Aokigahara forest, more commonly known as the “Suicide Forest”. While there, Paul came across the body of a man who had hung himself, and Paul recorded it and posted it. Before the video was deleted, it had a total of 6.2 million views. In the video, Paul records the body and mockingly jokes about the situation at hand.

“It was dishonoring to the individual,” HIES Upper School counselor, Katie Sturniolo said. “He didn’t really bring awareness in a way that was serious or in a way to help people understand deeper.”

Sometimes, good intentions do not always lead to good decisions. Paul went on an apology tour and got the chance to explain himself to the world.

Keith White, Director of Multicultural Affairs, provides an example of how to sensitively engage with struggles he has no personal experience with.

“I went to Fernbank Elementary school and my sister is four years older than I am and in 1976 she was in the first integrated class at Fernbank Elementary, so that means I was in the fourth,” White recalled.

“The Brown vs. The Board of Education was in 1954, so it took that many years for little ole’ Dekalb County to become integrated as far as schools. So, it kind of

forced me to look at people from a different perspective,” he said.

Being a part of the beginnings of integration was not an easy task for six-yearold Keith White to undergo, but he saw the bigger picture and pushed himself to persevere. White spent his college years at Morehouse College, a historically black college most commonly known for educating the famous Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Going to Morehouse helped me understand and learn more about Dr. King and his teachings. I was taught actually by three of Dr. King’s teachers so a lot of the things they taught him, they taught us.” White said.

Being taught by professors of such high esteem helped White understand that what is on the forefront of a person is all superficial. It is always about who you are as a person. White also touched on the subject of death and why Paul’s decision to display this incident was misguided.

“The dangerous part of all that is death is finite, and it trivialized such an important final moment and [did not] respect why they might have taken their life. It’s hurtful and disrespectful. It doesn’t mean Paul is a bad person, but he lacked the sensitivity to understand why his voice as a celebrity is important to bring light to an issue in a positive way.”

NEWS 11

SPORTS TYLER JONES, feature writer

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IES Lady Bears Varsity Basketball team is ranked 12th in the nation and first in their region. This is not an easy accomplishment, and every member plays a role. “I think it’s going really good, we have a lot of freshmen, they play like they’re seniors though” UGA commit Kaila Hubbard said.

University of Pennsylvania commit, Kennedy Suttle, backed her up on it. “We lost three major players last year so I thought we’d be lacking in our guard aspect, but with the freshmen that came in they really impressed the past team.”

Freshmen Jillian Hollingshed also answered the same question humbly. “We’re 17 and 1 so I guess it’s going okay,” she said. Hollingshed has been playing basketball for four years and has played up for majority of those years. When it came time to playing on Varsity with the seniors, it was a task she knew she could handle.

A lot of their success is in part thanks to their coach, Elizabeth Dixon. The girls all agree she runs a very tight ship when it comes time for practice. “We usually start stretching a little bit before 3:45, and right at 3:45 Coach Dixon starts. We usually do a lot of 3 on 3’s or easy passing drills, then the rest of the practice is just going over plays,” Suttle said.

The girls have taken on some tough opponents this year, beating Wesleyan 69 to 49, Galloway 90 to 36, and most recently beating WD Mohammed 82 to 13. Despite their winning streak, the confidence the girls have now wasn’t always there. “I expected it to go worse than its going now, I expected it to be really hard because we had lost a lot of key parts so I didn't know what to expect when it came to how well everyone would play,” Hubbard said.

“When we’re playing our region games, it’s a lot more chill,” Hubbard adds.

“As a high school freshmen, I never thought I’d get this far this soon. I’m really excited about playoffs,” Hollingshed said.

ARTS

SHEA FLEMING, feature writer Alice Thompson, a photographer, artist, HIES teacher and mentor, has passion and talents far beyond working the camera. Art has been her calling from a young age, but on a large spectrum. She’s also experienced her fair share of the limelight for her art. “I walked into an art classroom when I was in high school,” she reminisced, “The first thing i said was, ‘this is what I want to do, I want to teach art’”. When she was 20, Thompson was already in classrooms teaching art classes.

Knowing art was her future allowed her to explore all different portions of it. “The one thing I’ve absolutely been sure about in my life is art, and teaching art, and what I wanted to do with it” Thompson said.

Thompson has had a connection to art at such a young age, specifically in mixed metal work. Her name went viral after creating tomahawk earrings for the Braves team.

“My world exploded,” Thompson said. “I was on every major network, I had all these celebrities wanting and wearing my jewelry.” After being engulfed in her

UPCOMING

AGATHA REX | March 6-7 SPRING BREAK BEGINS | March 9-19 NHS TALENT SHOW | March 22 PROM | April 20

work, she cut back on the business because it took away from being a mom and working in the classroom.

“God it was wonderful. It was fabulous. It was great, but I like the classroom.”

Thompson said. Now that HIES has been lucky enough to add her into the community, she has mentored her students and sent them into immeasurable amounts of success, “In this year’s scholastic We have 10 gold, 12 silver, 11 honorable mention in photography in the Georgia region,” Thompson said.

“They’ve done really well.”

Thompson has sent her students far into the art world and enters their work into competitions because she thinks “it helps to validate them.” HIES students’ artwork may be displayed in the Dogwood Festival during April 13-15th if their entries are chosen.

12 NEWS

PULLING THE PLUG ON NET NEUTRALITY Internet regulations repealed and revealed MADDIE POCH, staff writer

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n December 14, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to pass the Restoring Internet Freedom Order. This reversed the framework of the 2015 Title II Order, an order keeping net neutrality in place. Leading up to this vote, bipartisan backlash and fear of the effects of the repeal were evident across every social media platform and news outlet. Worries circulated that Internet service providers would use their new freedoms to take advantage of consumers. The widespread panic that followed made the details of this change hazy.

Tensions within the FCC further muddled the effects of the repeal. Ajit Pai, current Chairman, said the new regulations are “helping consumers and promoting competition... In short, it’s a freer and more open Internet.” FCC Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel voted against the repeal. In a statement dissenting the FCC’s actions, Rosenworcel notes that competition may not benefit consumers as the FCC anticipates: “Half of the households in this country have no choice of broadband provider. So if your broadband provider is blocking websites, you have no recourse.”

In reality, the restrictions for Internet service providers are similar to the Internet regulations before the initial reform act. Under former Chairman Thomas Wheeler’s leadership, the FCC adopted the Title II Order to establish and preserve more Internet freedoms for consumers. The Title II Order reclassified broadband Internet access as a telecommunications service rather than an information service. The 2015 order also included rules against the blocking, throttling, and paid-prioritization of sites by Internet Service Providers.

The 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom Order returned broadband Internet access to its information service classification, and repealed the regulations against Internet service providers, giving them the ability to further control users’ access to the internet. According to Rosenworcel, “[Internet service providers] will have the power to block websites, throttle services, and censor online content.

They will have the right to discriminate and favor the internet traffic of those companies with whom they have pay-for-play arrangements and the right to consign all others to a slow and bumpy road.”

The recent freedoms given to Internet service providers do not come without further protections for consumers. The FTC, or Federal Trade Commission, will now police ISPs found guilty of unfair or deceptive practices. The new regulations also require transparency from Internet service providers: any blocking, throttling, or paid-prioritization must be disclosed to the FCC and consumers themselves.

A History of Internet Regulations

The FCC is Formed June 19, 1934

The Federal Radio Commission no longer meets all of the United States’ communications needs, so the Federal Communications Commission is formed with the Communications Act of 1934.

Under the Clinton administration, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major change in regulations for telecommunication services, including Internet services, in over 60 years. It allowed communications businesses to compete with each other freely and fairly within the same market.

Telecommunications Act February 8, 1996

NEWS 13

WORDS FROM THE ISPs

Because the Restoring Internet Freedom Order gives Internet service providers more power and less regulations, ISPs will ultimately determine whether or not the net remains neutral. Here are statements released by the four most popular ISPs at HIES after the repeal.

AT&T

Comcast

Verizon

T-Mobile

53% of HIES students surveyed rely on AT&T. “We do not block websites, nor censor online content, nor throttle or degrade traffic based on the content, nor unfairly discriminate in our treatment of internet traffic.”

Bob Quinn, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President of External and Legislative Affairs

21% of HIES students surveyed rely on Verizon.

“At Verizon, we continue to strongly support net neutrality and the open internet. Our company operates in virtually every segment of the internet. We continue to believe that users should be able to access the internet when, where, and how they choose, and our customers will continue to do so.”

Rich Young, Verizon Director of Communications

NET NEUTRALITY Net neutrality is defined as “the idea, principle, or requirement that Internet service providers should or must treat all Internet data as the same regardless of its kind, source, or destination,” by Merriam-Webster.

SOCIAL MEDIA BUNDLES

Some people opposed to the repeal of net neutrality expressed concerns that access to social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat could now come at an additional cost. Glenn O’Donnell, Industry Analyst from Forrester, states, “there is some truth to that, that we will see some changes to pricing, we will see some bundling of Internet services.” The repeal of net neutrality regulations gives Internet service providers greater freedoms, but ultimately the consumers have the power of their voices in addition to protections from the FTC granted by the Restoring Internet Freedom Order.

“The bottom line is, you and I and everybody else—the consumers—we have a lot of power over these providers,” states O’Donnell. “If they take things too far—if they try to become evil—we will revolt, and the government will step in.”

Brand X Case June 27, 2005

The Supreme Court ruled that Internet service was an information service rather than a telecommunication service in the case of National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X Information Services.

This decision would later serve as justification to classify broadband Internet access under Title I of the Communications Act of 1934.

Instead of classifying Internet service as a telecommunication or information service, the FCC relies on framework from Section 706 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. This prohibited Internet service providers from blocking and discriminating unreasonably without the strict regulations that came with the Title II telecommunication service classification.

Open Internet Order December 21, 2010

14% of HIES students surveyed rely on Comcast. ”Independent of any FCC action, Comcast’s commitment to our customers remains the same: we do not and will not block, throttle, or discriminate against lawful content – and we will be transparent with our customers about these policies.”

David L Cohen, Comcast Senior Executive Vice President

5% of HIES students surveyed rely on T-Mobile.

“We always have and will support an open internet that enables us to provide new and innovative services to our customers and keep them first! We will continue to provide amazing service and support to our customers each day!”

John Legere, T-Mobile CEO and President

CIVIL RESPONSE

Rosenworcel notes the plethora of Internet consumers who have expressed dissatisfaction with the FCC’s most recent actions: “To date, nearly 24 million comments have been filed in this proceeding.” Individuals and state legislators alike have attempted passing bills to protect their freedoms express their dissent. For example, Governor Steve Bullock of Montana passed an executive order that requires Internet service providers to keep the net neutral in spite of the recent federal repeal of regulations. The bill, slated to go into effect July 1, 2018, prohibits Internet service providers from blocking sites or creating Internet fast lanes. Even though this bill only applies to Internet service providers like Charter, AT&T, and Verizon who hold contracts in Montana, Governor Bullock is optimistic other states will create legislature similar to this executive order to start a national movement protecting net neutrality.

Further, 21 states, plus the District of Columbia, are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to determine whether the FCC’s rollback on regulations is either illegal or unconstitutional. Eric Schneiderman, New York Attorney General, will be representing the states’ suit in the circuit. The states’ described the Order as “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.”

Additionally, some companies, including Mozilla, owner of the Firefox web browser, and the New American Foundation, an organization dedicated to national security, economics, and technology, have also filed suits.

Title II Order February 26, 2015

Under the leadership of former Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC categorized Internet service as a telecommunication service under Title II of the 1934 Communications Act. This forced Internet service providers to follow stricter regulations, and put in place laws that protected consumers by making blocking, throttling, and paid-prioritization illegal.

The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, voted to reclassify Internet service as an information service under Title I of the 1934 Communications Act. This lifted regulations on Internet service providers in an effort to make the market more competitive and gave the FTC jurisdiction over Internet service providers that violate the new framework.

Restoring Internet Freedom Order December 14, 2017

14 FEATURES

VOICE OF THE

CONVICTED

*Georgia Innocence Project *Buzzfeed News

FEATURES 15

Clarence Harrison, sentenced to life in prison, recounts on his wrongful conviction and the life it determined for him afterwards.

TIANA MOMON, feature writer

S

erving nearly 2 decades in prison for a false conviction of rape, robbery, and kidnapping, Clarence Harrison used to be one of an estimated number of 88,812 innocent citizens currently incarcerated in the US prison system*.

Harrison was the first inmate to be exonerated in 2004 by the Georgia Innocence Project after he was wrongly convicted and sentenced to serve a life sentence in 1987, serving 17 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit. Although Harrison received attention from the media and general public during his case and acquittal, he believes many people are not concerned with the events that led up to his conviction or his life after prison.

Harrison grew up humbly in Westside Atlanta as the youngest of ten, and although his father died when Harrison was seven, Harrison reports having a “close kin family”. As he aged his trouble in school started early. “I went to school up to about the ninth grade because I got kicked out of school for being bad. Later I got thrown out of Washington High School in Decatur,” he said. After being expelled from four high schools, Harrison decided to drop out and sell clothes on the street as a livelihood.

His first encounter with the law occurred when he was 18, when one of his friends robbed a woman at gunpoint. During his six years in prison, he made the decision to turn his life around.

At the age of 24, he was released from prison, worked a steady job in construction, married, and had two daughters. He believed his life had finally improved.

Harrison stayed true to his decision, continuing to support himself and his family, until three years later when he was wrongfully arrested for rape and robbery.*Harrison recounted that the day before his arrest he was “in a card game and [he] left the card game to go directly home. Sometime during that time or hour the victim was attacked at a bus stop.”

Department informed him that his DNA evidence had been destroyed. Harrison “had given up” hope of freedom because “[he] wanted to be proven innocent. [He] did not want to be seen in that way.” Thirteen years into his sentence, Harrison’s life began to turn around. While “holding the phone” for a young fellow inmate, Harrison met his mother, who turned out to be his future wife. In the months following, he talked to her every day, and she mentioned the Georgia Innocence Project (GIP) in their many conversations,convincing him to contact them about his case.

The GIP had recently attained new technology in DNA testing that allowed the consensus of the innocence of a suspect to be entirely accurate. Harrison wrote the GIP and they informed him that they would investigate his case. While investigating, the GIP recovered the DNA of Harrison and informed him that, “the evidence was tested and it proved 100 percent that [he] could not have been the person that committed the crime.” In less than a week, Harrison became a free man once again. His exoneration in 2004 set the precedent for a number of inmates to be freed and also introduced the idea to the general public that a number of wrongfully convicted inmates still reside in prisons.

Immediately after being freed, Harrison married the woman who played a large role in his exoneration. “I fell in love with her in the final part of [his] sentence,” he said. Unlike many freed inmates, Harrison had a support system through his new wife and old friends, and was able to find a steady source of income through three jobs. He was able to connect with his two -CLARENCE HARRISON estranged kids and received a state compensation of a million dollars that was separated into annual payments.

“You never forget those times in prison because you feel like it is still with you. In other words you become institutionalized in that prison. Your mind is always there while you are out free.”

On October 25th, 1986, the day of his arrest, the police approached him as he walked to the store and asked him questions about the rape and robbery that had occurred in the neighborhood earlier. Harrison told the police he had not seen anyone he knew around the time of the crime but that he knew the victim.

The police later showed up at his house with a warrant for his arrest, stating that Harrison “had been picked out of a photographic lineup”, where the victim identified him as the perpetrator. The entirety of Harrison’s case was based on eye-witness reports, and he attributes his wrongful conviction to the faults of the Georgia Prison System. According to Harrison, his attorney of defense did not do everything in his power to prove his innocence.

“He didn’t prepare a defense to prove me innocent, so he allowed the state to prove me guilty. I thought he should have included that I was at the card game or brought witnesses from the card game, but he never did,” Harrison said. He also finds fault in the court system as a whole “I thought they didn’t do a very good job investigating. They just took the officer’s and the victim’s word for it and did not try to confirm my whereabouts. Then that was it. I was convicted,” he said.

While in prison, Harrison went through a divorce and lost contact with many of his relatives. He attempted to appeal his case with no avail; the Dekalb County Justice

Even with the support from the government and friends, Harrison still struggled with adjusting to life outside of prison. The compensation he received resulted in thousands of dollars of income taxes, and he grappled with a disability from a car accident that cost him his ability work. His wife contended with being the sole provider of the household until Harrison was able to work again. To make matters worse, the harsh prison mindset still resided within him for some time. Harrison disclosed, “You never forget those times in prison because you feel like it is still with you. In other words you become institutionalized in that prison. Your mind is always there in prison while you are out free.”

Having been in jail for nearly two decades, which included his late twenties and thirties, Harrison still yearns for those many years he missed. He recalls reminiscing daily in what could have been if he wasn’t convicted, “You have a whole gap in your life from those 18 years that you were wrongly convicted. That gap was wrongly snatched from my life so I always wonder what my life would have been because of the missed memories in my life,” he said.

Now 58 years old, Harrison keeps a simple lifestyle. He accepts the experiences of his life, and though he missed an influential portion of his adulthood, he keeps a positive outlook and holds no malice against the hardships he faced. “You don’t want to focus on the bad things because you are still alive, you are still free.”

16 FEATURES

AN INVISIBLE

It is estimated that 3,300 homeless youth live in Metro Atlanta. One of them shares his story.

SARAH KALLIS, editor-in-chief

Every morning, Jeremiah* wakes up. Brushes his teeth. Washes his face. Makes his bed.

Prays. Gets dressed, and heads to work, like many 21-year-olds do. However, there is a distinct difference between Jeremiah and his peers: he is homeless.

“Growing up in foster care, I didn’t know that homelessness was even a word, to be honest. I didn’t know homelessness was real until I was going to school and I was seeing people that I see now from the perspective of homeless,” he said. Jeremiah was in foster care for most of his childhood, and when he aged out in 2015, he found himself on his own with very little support.

The Department of Family and Child Services helped set Jeremiah up with a program that rented him an apartment, and he enrolled in college.

However, this façade of stability did not last long. “I had an apartment, I lost it because they closed the program down, but I wasn’t really doing what I was supposed to do,” he said.

Jeremiah then sought out Covenant House for aid, but quickly left. Looking back on it, he believes that it was because he was not ready to commit to living a stable lifestyle.

Many of his friends were homeless, so Jeremiah turned to them for support next. “I was comfortable for a minute,” he said. But, he soon grew uncomfortable with the lifestyle his friends lived.

‘safe lifestyle, stable, stability, wealthy habits, savings’, all that good stuff. So, I see it, I’m just going to try to- I’m not going to try to- I’m going to shoot for it,” he said.

Another one of Jeremiah’s goals is making a difference in his community, and he aspires to work for a non-profit organization. “I have a big heart. I want to change my surroundings,” he said.

He particularly aspires to create change surrounding people’s views of homelessness.

“Now that I’m in a situation of homelessness, I want to be an advocate for homelessness for homeless youth and homeless people my age,” Jeremiah said.

“I just want to change stereotypes that homeless youth don’t take care of themselves,” he said, “[People] think all homeless people are nasty, even the youth.” Jeremiah says that hygiene is an often-overlooked challenge that homeless youth are faced with.

“I have a promising future ahead of me” - Jeremiah

“The stuff they did was different. They stole a lot of stuff, and I didn’t understand because I wasn’t a thief,” he said, “It was the way they survived.”

However, Jeremiah is clear that he does not believe that means taken to survive affect one’s character.

“Every person that’s homeless is not a bad person, you just have to do certain things to come up out of the struggle in that moment, but I want to make it where it’s not momentary, it’s forever,” he said.

Now currently residing in Covenant House, Jeremiah’s perspective has changed. “Being homeless, you feel like you need stability. So right now, stability and maintaining employment,” he said. He also cites stability as his biggest challenge in life right now.

“If I don’t stay focused, then that’s the problem,” Jeremiah said. He prides himself on his determination and vision, and is confident these two qualities will lead him to a better life.

“I got a vision board in my room hanging up. Every time I walk into the shelter I look at it. It’s right on the door so everyone can see it. It says, ‘In my 30s, I will have a girlfriend’.

‘In my 40s, I’m going to get married.’ It has a picture of a house. It says ‘veganism’, it says

In reality, most homeless youth take care of themselves, but access to showers and other forms of hygiene is limited.

“You wonder, where am I going to take a shower at, where am I going to do this at,” he said. The lack of access to basic hygiene also leads to issues with employment, and Jeremiah has seen many friends struggle to keep a job because of lack of access to showers.

Since homeless youth often do not fit the stereotypes that are often attached to them, Jeremiah believes visuals are the best way to encourage compassion rather than judgment.

“Show them a picture of a homeless youth, and ask them what they think about this.

They can say ‘they look like an intelligent person’, and you can say, ‘do you know that this person is homeless currently?’” he said.

Jeremiah’s leadership qualities played an important role in his drive for activism and stability, and learning how to lead at Covenant House gave him purpose.

“I think the leadership role played a huge part,” Jeremiah continued, “Every time I came back, more peers would come to me,” he said.

He is currently in a program called Delta Career Readiness, where he learns the interpersonal aspects of jobs, and leadership is a common theme.

“Sometimes to be a leader, you got to sit back and watch,” he said.

Although he wants to pursue a degree in Human Relations, Jeremiah is also a skilled poet, and wants to publish a poetry book one day. “It expresses how I came about and how I feel about things,” he said.

FEATURES 17

E POPULATION

Working for cash is a common sign of labor exploitation

“Homeless youth are very creative, intelligent, they hold so many gifts and qualities,” he said, “This is all unhidden talent. Just a gold mine in homeless youth that’s just waiting to be opened.”

However, Jeremiah wants to stabilize himself before he pursues this dream. “I’m going to focus on my wellbeing, getting housing and maintaining employment,” he said.

Another one of Jeremiah’s desires is “Achieving goals like getting a social security card, getting a birth certificate, getting an ID and sooner or later, getting a driver’s license,” he said.

Jeremiah is hopeful of what’s to come. “Sometimes I feel like giving up. But I really want to see what I look like in the future. What I’m holding out to be,” he said.

“What’s for sure is that I’m going to not be homeless for a long time, it’s almost over, and I have a promising future ahead of me,” Jeremiah said.

Many others share a similar story to Jeremiah, and the issue of youth homelessness demands to be addressed in a different manner than adult homelessness.

“We’re trying to disentangle the youth issue from the adult issue,” Georgia State University professor Eric Wright said. He founded the Atlanta Youth Count, an organization that conducts surveys to measure the amount of homeless youth in the Metro Atlanta area, and their nature.

“The youth patterns of behavior are different than the adult patterns of behavior,” he said, “The principle [difference] is that they are more mobile.”

sarah kallis / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Wright mentioned that youth are often more difficult to count because of their mobility, and they often cross county jurisdictions.

The living situations of many homeless youth are different than homeless adults as well. “People tend to find homeless youth less intimidating interpersonally,” said Wright, “People feel sorry for them, so they invite them into their house.” As a result, about 50 percent of youth surveyed in Atlanta Youth Count reported Couch Surfing.

However, the price to pay for a place to stay is not cheap for many youth, as many engage in sex work as a condition of living in a certain place.

“A lot of kids talk about ‘I have a street mama or a street daddy. And I love them a lot, so I go have sex with them for money, and bring the money home to the family,” Wright said. Their “street mama” or street daddy” is effectively the youth’s pimp, and the youth is often not aware that they are being trafficked. Some also report their pimp to be their boyfriend or girlfriend. “It makes you wonder, to what extent is that a condition of them having a place to live?” Wright said about the reported sex work.

Sex trafficking is often hard to measure, as the lines tend to be blurry in many situations.

“It depends on the extent it conforms or doesn’t conform to the stereotypes,” Wright said.

However, the main indicator of sexual exploitation lies in the conditions surrounding their sexual behavior.

“One of the things we really are concerned about is doing a better job measuring whether or not the youth felt like they would lose something if they changed their sex

18 FEATURES behavior,” Eric Wright said about one of his main goals for the upcoming count this spring.

House offers mental health services for many disorders, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Many youth have witnessed violence while on the streets.

However, the law defines sex trafficking as “a commercial sex act… induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age,” slightly different than Wright’s measure, as the legal definition requires that another person makes money off of the trafficked person.

“You can’t expect a kid who has endured so much in their childhood, or who has been on the streets for even just a month to years to be in a stable place to get their life together,” Glenn said.

As a general statement, homeless youth tend to be more involved in sex work than the adult homeless population. “Because our society is focused on youth being more sexually attractive, they have more options that way” Wright said. Homeless youth also tend to look differently than homeless adults, as many appear to be more clean cut and less disheveled.

Wright also examines the demographics of homeless youth involved in sex work, and finds the highest rates among transgender women. LGBT homeless youth may be exposed to sex work faster than heterosexual youth.

“One of the big differences between LGBT Youth and non-LGBT Youth is that LGBT Youth usually become homeless because they’re being kicked out of their homes. So, they’re being forced onto the streets because of being gay, so they gravitate towards the LGBT community. That leads them to bars, that leads them to sex clubs which are often in bad parts of town where you have high rates of drug use and a lot of sex work going on,” Wright explained.

Furthermore, there are more options for women to enter the industry. “Women tend to do things like modeling, porn, stripping, that kind of stuff, and men are more involved in sex work,” Wright said.

Covenant House typically uses outreach teams to find youth to bring into the shelter.

Once there, youth learn how to navigate conflict, apply for jobs, and many end up going to college.

“In that time, we’re really trying to stabilize them, get them connected to family if that’s an option, get them a job, really trying to get them to a place where they can go out on their own,” said Glenn.

Another important aspect of Covenant House is the sense of community that it offers.

“Homelessness is very lonely,” Glenn said.

“Sometimes I feel like giving up. But I really want to see what I look like in the future. What I’m holding out to be” - Jeremiah

Labor exploitation is another common reality for many homeless youth. When a youth is not paying taxes for their job, and is paid cash, they are being exploited for labor.

“A lot of people see it as odd jobs. But if you’re making a living off of odd jobs, it’s different,” Wright said.

The stress of homelessness takes a toll on youth, and mental health is a common issue. Atlanta Youth Count found that about a third of surveyed youth had some type of severe mental illness. Although they did not diagnose the youth, many showed symptoms of mood disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. It is unclear on whether these conditions preceded homelessness, or came as a result of the pressure of homelessness.

Kellie Glenn, the director of development at Covenant House, believes mental health treatment is a key component to getting the youth back on their feet. Covenant

Definitions

Youth:

Although the future of many homeless youth may seem bleak, there is a way out.

Organizations like Covenant House and Lost and Found Youth provide shelter to many homeless youth, and provide services to help ease them into independent living.

A person between the ages of 18 and 25

However, Glenn champions the strength of the youth, and their drive to get back on their feet. “Our kids are incredible. They are amazingly resilient,” she said.

Shelters for youth specifically are incredibly important, as many youth do not go to the adult shelters where they are often exposed to drug use, rape, and violence.

“Instead of turning a blind eye to homelessness, we should create a foundation to help homeless youth. Build more shelters like the Covenant House. Instill them with the values we have at the Covenant House,” Jeremiah said. The city of Atlanta is currently working on a project to build a youth-only shelter, where people over 25 are not allowed in.

Overall Homeless Youth are a population that must be invested in. “The invisibility of the population translates into less resources and services,” Wright said.

Jeremiah knows the importance of the homeless youth population first hand, and wholeheartedly believes in them.

“Homelessness is a problem that needs to be dealt with now instead of later. People are aware of homelessness, but they’re not in tune with it. Homeless youth in Atlanta now are the generation that will make the coming generation,” he said.

*Name has been changed

Labor Exploitation:

The action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work.

FEATURES 19

A recreation of Jeremiah’s vision board

Sexual Exploitation:

Sexual exploitation is the sexual abuse of children and youth through the exchange of sex for other basics of life, and/or money.

sarah kallis / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sex Trafficking:

Modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of commercial sex act.

mas·cu· 20 FEATURES

OLIVIA MARTIN, managing editor

A

ccording to the website for documentary film “The Mask You Live In,” “research shows that compared to girls, boys in the U.S. are more likely to be diagnosed with a behavior disorder, prescribed stimulant medications, fail out of school, binge drink, commit a violent crime, and/or take their own lives.”

These problems do not only face the men and boys highlighted in the film.

For about 15 years, Dr. Tracy Davis of Western Illinois University has been conducting research regarding men and masculinity. As Director of Western Illinois University’s Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities, he met a need in his community.

“I saw a need to develop a center in order to develop grants, focus research, coordinate conferences, and provide service to teachers, scholars, and student affairs professionals,” he said. “I gathered a group of people and we kicked it off.”

Freshman Spencer Pearson has mixed feelings about the Freshman English experience, citing a desire for more diversity of thought and perspective.

“Although I do like my all boys English class, I feel as though a mixed gender class would be beneficial as well, considering that different ideas and comments would be mentioned, leading to a more interesting discussion,” he said.

Gender-separated classes provide a classroom experience that may differ from HIES students’ other courses, but on a larger scale, single-gender education provides a somewhat different school experience as a whole.

HIES college counselor Tyler Sant went to an all-boys high school, Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis, Missouri, and can attest to some of these differences.

“The only senior boy that performs is me...in my grade it’s definitely viewed as something that’s more feminine.”

Though it has been suspended for financial reasons, the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities aimed “to provide quality scholarship, advocacy, and programming that positively influences college men’s development in a manner congruent with gender equity and social justice,” according to its website.

“Some of this is reinforced gender roles and some of it’s also just the way that boys develop, but the really positive thing about being at an all boys school was that our day was built around movement and physical activity,” he said. “Our classes were structured around competition and hands on things and things that tend to engage boys in a classroom.”

- Chandler Meertins, HIES Senior

Conversations about masculinity have become a more prominent part of the United States’ culture, not only surfacing at Western Illinois University. Films like “The Mask You Live In,” which explores the intricacies of the view of masculinity in America, have spurred on this conversation, and it is a dialogue to be had at HIES, too.

In January 2018, HIES middle school principal Theresa Jespersen released an email that discussed middle schoolers’ use of phrases like “that’s so gay,” often used to challenge boys’ masculinity.

This type of conversation not only has a place in the national dialogue and middle school parent newsletters, but also in the Upper School, where gender’s effects can be found on the 400 hallway. Freshman English classes are separated by gender, but are boys’ and girls’ classes really that different?

“I think some of the stereotypical expectations that we have are that maybe boys would be rowdier, and girls would be calmer, but things like that just depend on the class,” Rebecca Rivera, HIES English teacher, said. “What I’ve seen as a teacher is that it’s down to the individual kid and the chemistry in each section.”

The classroom is not the only place Sant sees a difference between Chaminade’s focus and HIES’. He notes a different emphasis placed on sports at his alma mater, a school that produced NBA players, NHL players, MLS players, and even Olympians in the six years Sant attended.

“Because boys are typically competitive and physical, and again this is reinforcing gender stereotypes that aren’t all true, the predominant culture becomes built around sports,” he said. “The social status of students was often coming from whether or not you were an athlete, and the kids who were star athletes were the kids who were most frequently raised up.”

He also recognizes the shortcomings of such an extreme emphasis on just one type of extracurricular activity.

“Now the downside of [so much emphasis on sports] obviously, is that it sort of de-emphasizes other outlets, and the kids who aren’t athletic or aren’t drawn to sports end up fighting a little harder to find their footing, socially,” Sant said.

However, Chaminade is similar to HIES in the sense that students in both places might face judgment based on their extracurricular endeavors or perceived level

·lin·i·ty FEATURES 21

noun possession of the qualities traditionally associated with men

of masculinity. In a survey of 133 HIES Upper School students, 51.88% of participants agreed that most HIES students look up to men considered more manly or masculine.

Senior Chandler Meertins agrees with that group, based on personal experience from being a less athletically focused male student.

“I think the more masculine a guy is, it seems like the more popular he would be,” he said. “I, myself, am not the super masculine type.

I’m not the ‘oh let’s go the weight room’ type or super heavy on sports.”

As a new freshman in 2013, Meertins began his involvement with the HIES theatre program, which may have shaped the way he was viewed by his peers, especially the male ones.

50%

% of HIES students surveyed who agreed that HIES students tend to look up to more masculine men

40% 30% 20% 10%

“When I came to Holy Innocents’ freshman year and started doing theatre...people would see that I would be hanging out in the theatre and there were more girls Strongly there,” he said. “For freshman and agreed sophomore year, they thought I was gay. I was just like, ‘how could you pull that assumption just from this?’ It doesn’t make any sense.”

0%

Meertins continues to be part of only a handful of boys in the class of 2018 who are involved in theatre as an extracurricular activity.

“The only senior boy that performs is me,” he said. “I’m the only one who does it.

Preston is behind the scenes and Clay is also behind the scenes, but definitely with the performing arts there are a lot more females than males. In my grade, it’s for sure viewed as something that’s more feminine.”

Agreed

Neither agreed nor disagreed

Disagreed

Strongly disagreed

Not everyone views gender as being so black and white and trait-based, though.

Rivera noted that the way HIES views traditional gender roles is changing.

“What I would want people to take away is that the way we think of gender, as this or this, has a lot to do with behaviors that we assign to male or female,” she said. “I think we’re coming to a better place where we understand that [gender] is more of a spectrum.”

22 FEATURES

GENDER

DIVERSITY + Discrimination JAYLEE DAVIS, staff writer

Can biology explain why fewer women pursue and maintain jobs in STEM?

Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber n July 2017, James Damore, a former software engineer for Google, published a memo on Google’s intern­al message server. In the controversial manifesto titled “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber: How bias clouds our thinking about diversity and inclusion,” Damore states his disapproval of Google’s diversity initiatives.

I

In the memo, which leaked to the technology site Gizmodo early August, Damore argues that the underrepresentation of women in technology jobs, specifically software engineering, is not solely based on bias and discrimination. Instead, he suggests that biological differences between women and men are the underlying reasons why these jobs remain male-dominated.

Damore claims that women, on average, are more submissive, people-oriented, empathizing, extroverted, and “neurotic,” which he suggests, interferes with the female ability to negotiate salary, ask for raises, and ultimately, compete on the same level as men in the technology fields.

“I’ve gotten many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude for bringing up these very important issues which they agree with but would never have the courage to say or defend because of our shaming culture and the possibility of being fired,” Damore writes in the memo.

So the question remains: Can biological differences between males and females explain the gender gap, as Damore boldly claims?

"I've gotten many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude for bringing up these very important issues which they agree with..."

- James Damore

According to Damore, discrimination in technology jobs happens not to minority employees, but conservatives whose opinions fall outside of “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber.”

Damore is not alone in his opinion. In fact, his theory seems to be pervasive throughout Google, similar apex tech companies, and all the way down the chain to bitesize tech start-ups. When the memo was published, he instantly received support from a number of his male coworkers.

Nature vs. Nuture: The largest study thus far Academics have both supported and denounced Damore’s research and conclusion equally. Since it is a politicallycharged argument, reliable studies definitively confirming or denying Damore’s claims are hard to find. Due to a small sample sizes, results of most research are inconclusive or biased. There are, however, proven biologically-based disparities between the average male and female brain. A 2017 study led by Dr. Stuart Ritchie, the largest brain study on record, analyzed the brain scans of 2750 women and 2466 men and found a few subtle differences.

According to the study, women had noticeably thicker cerebral cortices, layers over the outermost regions of the brain associated with general intelligence, language processing, and decision making, and stronger connectivity in the default mode network. Men tend to have larger brains in general i.e. higher total brain volumes even when adjusted for overall size difference of male and female bodies and stronger connectivity between the unimodal sensory and motor cortices and higher level cortical areas.

Nevertheless, the similarities significantly outweigh the differences.

FEATURES 23 Despite being one of the few reliable and thorough gender-oriented brain studies on record, Ritchie states that his research is insufficient to decide if the trends in physical differences correspond to cognitive differences.

Daniel Forrester, HIES STEAM Director; jaylee davis / STAFF WRITER

“Overall, for every brain region that showed even large sex differences, there was always overlap between males and females, confirming that the human brain cannot—at least for the measures observed here—be described as “sexually dimorphic.”

Sexually dimorphic meaning able to be distinguished by sex.

Therefore, according to Ritchie’s study, gender gaps in STEM employment cannot as of now, be adequately explained by biological differences in gender.

A logical analysis A deeper analysis of Damore’s memo reveals a host of similar hidden fallacies, unbeknownst to the untrained eye.

Meredith Many, HIES Upper School math teacher, pulls apart Damore’s theory layer by layer, employing her keen knowledge of statistics and logic to challenge Damore’s ideas. As a statistician, Many is adept at seeking the truth and uncovering biases. To her, Damore’s argument can be refuted by the power of logic alone.

Many admits her lack of knowledge concerning gender neurological studies, but suggests errors in the foundation of Damore’s argument makes it negligible.

“Logic has what’s called a conditional statement… If you say, if a then b, that’s a conditional statement. Now, here is the deal.”

Many continues, “If I could fly, I would go to the moon and bring you a piece of cheese….

You can’t know if I am lying… So, when you make an argument and your if-part is false, then your whole statement is false.”

say, “Well, females’ brains are wired differently.” Well, that’s true in general but that’s not who you [as an individual] are.”

Beyond Biology Besides biology, there are still a laundry list of possible factors that explain the gender gap in the software engineering industry and other male-dominated STEM careers. Referencing her personal experiences as math teacher and student, Many proposes various obstacles that stall gender diversity progress that could be summarized by one word: culture.

"There are no math genes, or science genes, or engineering genes."

But how do you fix culture?

The Department of STEAM facilitates the growth of interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math across campus and develops the STEAM curriculum to better prepare STEAM students, no matter their gender, for a career in those areas.

- Daniel Forrester

Many also questions Damore’s use of generalities to support his theory, recognizing that the complexity of the issue reaches far beyond vague assumptions.

“I don’t know. There is no answer. I think that this is what it is for a gazillion reasons. And I think that speaking in generalities is self-serving. I think you can

Daniel Forrester, HIES STEAM Director and Upper School math teacher provides insight on how and why he and his staff are pushing to address cultural impediments that might discourage girls from pursuing careers in STEAM. As a firm believer of the growth mindset, Forrester detests the idea that intelligence and ability are predetermined. Through deliberate practice and feedback, he believes, anyone can improve, change, and therefore grow.

The opposite, a fixed mindset, proposes that a person cannot achieve any further than the intelligence and abilities they were born with. Fixed mindset advocates state your intelligence, like genes, cannot be improved.

Forrester strongly opposes this.

“No one is born with a math gene or a science gene. Often times, stereotypes say that ‘Oh well, my kid is dumb at math. I wasn’t good at math so my kid is not going to be good at math. It’s passed down through heredity.’ But it’s not. There are no math genes, or science genes, or engineering genes,” Forrester said.

Meredith Many, HIES Upper School Math teacher; jaylee davis / STAFF WRITER

Forrester observes that there are no distinct differences in ability of the two sexes.

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HIES

Google

Top: 2017 Gender statistics of girls in HIES Engineering programs, includes Engineering I, II, and III Bottom: 2017 Gender workforce statistics at Google, according to Google

He proposes that male and female STEAM students generally have comparable potential. However, male and female students tend to take separate approaches to a project. He attributes this not to the nature of men or women, but to cultural influences like stereotypes and the fixed mindset theory.

“The two genders approach it differently. Now, this is at the high school level, but I think a lot of these things have been developed over the course of the years. A lot of times, the male students dive in and start tinkering around….

Whereas, the female students take a slightly different approach. They are willing to tinker around with it, but they really want to see the purpose of we are trying to ultimately achieve,” Forrester said.

Forrester, like Many, also notes that speaking in generalities is tricky, since not everyone fits the cookie-cutter mold. Everyone is different in their own way.

“And these are generalizations obviously, not every student behaves that way. It’s just a means to an end. They do the same things, but in a slightly different order,” Forrester said.

Either way, Forrester believes that both male and female perspectives are welcome, vital even to the discipline of engineering. When tackling complex, real-

world problems as students of the engineering course are required, two heads are definitely better than one. Engineers need a diverse set of perspectives in order to generate fresh solutions.

“In order to get the best, final product. I want to look at it from every different way possible… The more input you get, the better the final product.”

Women at the top Laurie Segall, technology correspondent and editor-at-large for CNN Tech, stresses that in order to see real gender diversity change, there must be more representation of women in leadership at tech companies. Unconscious bias, gender stereotypes, and the disproportionate struggles women face are often cited as cultural impediments to women achieving increased representation in tech.

Having more women in leadership roles can lessen the effect of these impediments.

As a woman and technology reporter, Segall often servers as an eye-witness to these factors being at play when uncovering the roots of the lack of diversity in tech companies.

FEATURES 25 “I am a woman who have seen where women drop off, who have seen some women have to work twice as hard to get recognition, who have seen unconscious bias, who have experienced harassment in tech... But I think those experiences I have lend itself to a stronger and more educated viewpoint, it may be easier for women to say ‘Hey, this is an issue’ especially women in in tech who have been in the room and have experienced their types of things,” Segall said.

A heavily male-influenced STEM culture may lead to decisions and environments that are not conducive to women. This lends itself to obstacles specifically for women, like unequal pay and sexual harassment. Gender stereotypes prevent women from thinking of a job in STEM in the first place and any spark of interest fizzled out before it even really started.

“I think in order to, even in the big companies, to change some of that [lack of diversity] you need to have women at the top. I think it needs to come top down,” proposes Segall.

The idea of female leadership seems unrealistic currently, considering women in lower-ranking positions in tech are usually not motivated to work themselves up the ladder due to the increasingly difficult-to-cross threshold. Women that make it to the top are far and few between.

being “neurotic…To suggest a group of our colleagues have traits that make them less biologically suited to that work is offensive and not OK.” In response to being fired, Damore along with another former Google employee, David Gudeman, filed a class-action lawsuit against the company. Alleging discrimination of employees based on conservative political views, race, and gender as Caucasian males, Damore and Gudeman are being represented by Dhillon Law, a well-known conservative law-firm.

“Damore, Gudeman, and other class members were ostracized, belittled, and punished for their heterodox political views, and for the added sin of their birth circumstances of being Caucasians and/or males,” the lawsuit states, replete with screenshotted conversations that serve to prove this point.

“Diversity at a top level is key, no matter what company, no matter what kind of thing you want to build...I think you need more women at the top to make those decisions.”

Segall explains this paradox.

- Laurie Segall

With a recently revamped lawsuit claiming Google pays its women employees less money for the same work, the juggernaut tech company is faced with two contradicting allegations and is bound to soon crumble under the dilemma of diversity. While female employees claim gender discrimination in the form of a pay gaps, male employees like Damore claim discrimination within hiring practices that favor women, non-Caucasian prospective employees, and Google’s pro-diversity initiatives, which they feel discriminate against conservative white males.

In spite of this, Segall states that diversity at the top is valuable, even necessary for business.

“This is the essence of discrimination— Google formed opinions about and then treated Plaintiffs not based on their individual merits, but rather on their membership in groups with assumed characteristics,” the lawsuit claims. W

The next generation In the midst of these turbulent times, organizations that seek to promote gender diversity in tech prevail. Sandy Welfare, the executive director of Women in Tech (WIT), an organization that aspires to empower girls and women to excel in STEAM, remains optimistic for the future of gender diversity.

“Diversity at a top level is key, no matter what company, no matter what kind of thing you want to build, and by the way, it’s good for business, too. Women marketshare, women-led businesses -- this is literally a good-for-business decision. I think you need more women at the top to make those decisions.”

Welfare states the “next generation” will be more open to sincere dialogue about gender in STEAM, through the power of social media. For this dialogue to produce change, however, it needs to include everyone stepping out of their comfort zones.

Damore: Revisited

And echo chambers.

Damore was fired on the grounds of having violated Google’s code of conduct after three and a half years of employment at the company. Amongst disapproval from both supporters and dissenters of the memo and accusations of freedom of speech violations, Sundar Pichai, current CEO of Google, and other top Google executives reached the final decision.

“Discrimination is going to end when people challenge it, and challenge it a greater rate. All change is the result of people staying true and sticking to it,” Welfare said.

“Look at Google’s pay data. There is a class action lawsuit right now against Google. Former employees who say for the same type of work they didn’t paid nearly as much as their male counterparts. The data shows it. It makes sense that you have more women dropping off in some of these situations... The data shows that there are massive problems even beyond STEM, once you’re in the door.”

In an email addressing the situation, Pichai explains why. ­­­ “Our co-workers shouldn’t have to worry that each time they open their mouths to speak in a meeting, they have to prove that they are not like the memo states, being “agreeable” rather than “assertive,” showing a “lower stress tolerance,” or

N

26 FEATURES

ot every voice is heard by ears.

A voice is an expression of something from someone. Though listening is the most common way to seek out another’s voice, that is not always the case or the only way. We can see or touch voices as well. All shapes and forms in which a voice can be expressed should be equal; equal in opportunity to be recognized.

Ninety-five percent of children born with a hearing disability are born to parents who do not have a hearing disability and use a spoken language. These families must trek over an enormous language barrier mountain, where both parties have to learn to accommodate for one another. With controversy regarding the language that should be expressed by deaf or hearing-impaired persons, making the right decision becomes even more difficult for these families. The battle has two sides: spoken language and sign language.

Spoken language is favored by many parents of the deaf or hearing-impaired because it allows their child’s “handicap” to be invisible, therefore giving them a more “normal” life without restrictions. Since spoken language is the main form of communication, used by about ninety-nine percent of the population in the United States, parents want their children to be able to communicate with the majority of the population and have the same opportunities as other children without hearing disabilities. A deaf or hearing-impaired person has the ability to speak through a cochlear implant.

A cochlear implant is a device that is surgically placed into a person’s head

“A voice, in whatever form you take it, is a life of self-determination not having a life being determined for you.”

- Comer Yates connecting (both inside and out) sounds from the outside world to the auditory nerve. This device allows the damaged portion of the ear that impairs the person’s hearing to be bypassed, therefore allowing them to have a sense of sound. However, a cochlear implant is not a cure to deafness. The human body is a unique and complex system. Every person has thousands of tiny hair cells in their inner ears that pick up on vibrations from sound and transmit to their brain what they hear. When these hair cells are damaged, the range of sound able to be heard is lessened, even with a cochlear implant.

Comer Yates, Executive Director at the Atlanta Speech School, explains the limits of the cochlear implant, “it’s like a piano,” he said. “Imagine someone with normal hearing abilities has a piano that has thousands of keys, each with their own sound. Now imagine someone with a cochlear implant who has a piano that can only play twenty-six keys. The range in which we can each hear is very different,” he said.

Sign Language is the more traditional form of language for the deaf or hearingimpaired. It can offer people with hearing disabilities a community in which they

A Voice Mean

FEATURES 27

ans A Choice KATIE LITTLE, feature writer

might feel more comfortable, equal, and accepted in. Furthermore, Sign Language crosses spoken language barriers. In a UK study, two deaf people used sign language in different languages, but were able to communicate within a matter of hours. This is because the difference in sign language is not as great as the difference between two separate spoken languages.

New Georgia legislation has set aside this continuous battle and instead focused on a child’s (who is hearing impaired) proficiency of literacy. This new angle that Georgia has taken on is completely new in the United States, and other states are watching the progress.

“Right now, the shocking statistic in Georgia that of our children that are deaf or hard of hearing in the state who are in special education only three percent of those children are on a path to reading proficiency by the end of third grade.

This is a moral, ethical, socioeconomic, educational tragedy of the greatest sorts,” Yates said.

“This is a moral, ethical, socioeconomic, educational tragedy of the greatest sorts.”

- Comer Yates Yates is a member of the Georgia Pathway for Language and Literacy, which proposed this legislation, working to prepare an individualized birth to literacy path for all children who are born hearing impaired. “Our goal is that every child in Georgia is on a path to read proficiently by the end of third-grade. If every measure around the ability to finish high school, earn a livable wage, avoid risk of incarceration, all those data points are around whether or not children can read proficiently at the end of third grade,” Comer said.

The plan includes educating parents to be their child’s “conversational partner”, which essentially means that the parents are responsible for responding to laughing, crying, and other expressions. Helping parents to increase their child’s familiarity of meaningful language, this program respects whichever language the parents standby. A path to reading proficiency is paved by tracking the progress of each child.

The ultimate goal of this legislation as described by Yates is “to make sure that each child in Georgia has a voice. And for us a voice means being able to decide your own future and make the great impact possible on those of others. A voice in whatever form you take it is a life of self-determination not having a life being determined for you,” Yates said.

Yates quotes Frederick Douglass in saying “once you learn to read you will be forever free.”Believing that no matter how you express your voice, learning to read will give oneself the ability to have a voice that can make decisions and choices.”

katie little / FEATURE WRITER

GOLDEN BEAR QUESTIONNAIRE Esteemed members of the HIES Latin Department answer 22 questions adapted from Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire.

LUCY BRUMBAUGH, staff writer

Hometown?

Atlanta, Georgia Current Role at HI? I am a student in the 10th grade.

Preferred Campus Shop Snack?

Jalapeno Cheetos What is your most marked characteristic?

My personality If you could spend three days anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Some exotic island, by myself, in the Caribbean What is your favorite motto/saying?

“Bet”

Greg Hays HIES sophomore, Latin 3 student

When was the happiest moment of your life?

When the NoLa Saints won the Superbowl.

What is your most treasured possession?

My family keeps all of our photos in this drive, so the family photo drive.

Who is your favorite fictional hero?

The Flash Who is your favorite hero in reality?

Donald Trump What quality do you value most in your friends?

Honesty If you could die and come back as somebody else, who would it be?

Justin Thomas

What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?

A photographic memory What is your greatest fear?

Snakes What is your favorite sound?

Music What is your favorite smell?

Fresh baked crepes What would your last supper be?

Bones Steak As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Businessman What is your biggest quirk?

I have to set the lights in my room on three, the third notch, during the Saints games.

Who would you want to play your character in a movie?

Leonardo DiCaprio Do you have any superstitions?

Nope What is the last text you sent?

“We playing this afternoon?”

Hometown?

Hoboken, New Jersey Current role at HI? Upper School Latin Teacher

What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?

Athleticism or the ability to play soccer very well.

What is your greatest fear?

I am not afraid of anything.

Preferred Campus Shop Snack?

Starbucks Coffee, Dark Roast. That is what I keep at home too.

What is your favorite sound?

Waves breaking on a beach

What is your most marked characteristic?

My cynicism

What is your favorite smell?

A steak cooking

If you could spend three days anywhere in the world, where would it be?

On a beach in the Mediterranean, on a beach in Florida, and on a beach in Hawaii

What would your last supper be?

The best cheeseburger ever

What is your favorite motto or saying?

“Life is given to no one to own, it is given to all to rent” (Lucretius, De rerum naturâ 3.971) When was the happiest moment of your life?

When I submitted my dissertation What is your most treasured possession?

My children Who is your favorite fictional hero?

Captain Kirk Who is your favorite hero in reality?

Pope Francis What quality do you value most in friends?

Loyalty If you could die and come back as somebody else, who would it be?

I would come back as myself again

As a child, what did you want to be?

I wanted to be a teacher.

What is your biggest quirk?

I do not drive, instead I MARTA almost everywhere I go.

Who would you want to play your character in a movie?

Owen Wilson Do you have any superstitions?

Nope What is the last text you sent?

I sent a text to a buddy of mine, he’s from Colombia, in South America. He’s Catholic, but has been attending some of these crazy House Front Churches, and had texted me to ask a question about ‘The five men that could destroy the world’ and I texted back and told him the Bible didn’t mention anything about ‘five men that could destroy the world’. He texted me back and said lets talk about it when I see you, so I said “Let’s talk about it.”

“I would come back as myself again.”

- Jerry Pendrick

Jerry Pendrick Upper School Latin Teacher

30 PEOPLE

the the color of

HALEY PLANT, feature writer layout, ETHAN MULLEN

O

nly two years ago, North Carolina-born Siana Altiise Digitz was sleeping on couches and working as an English teacher in Shenzhen, China. At night, she was an underground musician, equipped with a group of friends and a passion for music. Black Panda, a band she created that Digitz now describes as “terrible” is where she began her journey of making and performing music.

Around the same time, her journey with visual art also began. Altiise admitted that she did not even create art seriously until three months before her first art show. “I just started creating pieces that to me looked like an anxiety attack or depression or joy. People are afraid of things they don’t understand, but once you put a face on something, it’s not so scary anymore.” Altiise said.

Altiise’s first show was well received, and she continues to create similar personal pieces to this day. She traveled from Shenzhen to South Africa, where she pursued her art and music further. From there, she moved back to Atlanta and then, on a whim, moved to Germany.

Although the trip came about from a last-minute decision, her journey to Germany ended up changing her life, and she lived there for three months. She met her husband, Alex, who then moved to Atlanta to be with her.

Altiise isn’t your typical creative mind. She doesn’t just listen to her music; she sees her songs in bursts of color before her eyes. Siana has synesthesia: a condition in which one of her senses is experienced along with another sense.

In Altiise’s case, she experiences expressions of color when she hears sound and music.

The two to her are inseparable. “My synesthesia doesn’t just help my music; it is my music.

I’ve never experienced it any other way. For me, music is color and sound” Altiise said. As a little girl, Altiise played the saxophone and her synesthesia affected how she learned music.

“I followed the music on the sheet of paper,” Altiise reminisced. “I remembered the audio rhythm, and I assigned that to what I saw.”

She described her own saxophone sound as a bright yellow, to her displeasure. “I always wanted my sound to be a deep gold, but it never got there.”

This association with colors differentiating pleasant and unpleasant sounds is an everyday occurrence for Altiise. She can tell her pitch by what her voice looks like and it is the same when listening to other artists. “It takes me three to five seconds to tell if I like a song. My colors help a lot.” Altiise remembers not being able to learn how to read music on a sheet because of the way her vision would become a distraction. “It was too much” she recalls.

Now, creating music on her own, she doesn’t have to rely on sheet music to bring her vision to life. Altiise’s creative process is quite unique to her, and not just because of her ability to combine auditory and visual factors. “I approach a song like it is already finished. It’s just waiting for me to bring it to life”, Altiise says. When writing music, she has to sit in silence because of her desire not to be distracted or influenced by others’ music.

Although it can be a hard concept to grasp, Altiise tries to explain it the best she can.

“Everything has a sound. I’ve taken my husband’s German intonations, I’ve taken patterns of his voice and turned into a song, or more like I hear it as a song.” She even uses her cat’s meows to create melodies. “Something as simple as my cat asking for food can easily turn into a song” Altiise says.

When she moved to Atlanta, Altise found that the music scene was a lot different than the small bars she was used to in Shenzhen, so she began to build her own company. With a title still in the works, Altiise is currently growing her name all across the Atlanta area for combining visual technology with music.

Vivacious Atlanta artist tells her captivating journey through music, art, and synesthesia

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f your voice Siana Altiise recently performed this immersive show at a Tedx performance at the Peachtree Center in downtown Atlanta. “My goal is to give people a pause point. What I’m pushing for is helping busy minds slow down, using sound and visual design, what you saw at Ted (Tedx Peachtree performance), using that as a compass for guide emotional awareness.

I’m creating immersive sensory experiences to build this awareness.” Currently, Siana uses this goal on many different platforms. She performs her immersive live show at conferences and private shows as a meditative practice for those listening.

Altiise’s inspiration for her show is the rushed state we currently live in as a society. “We move around so much that we have a hard time slowing down. This decreases productivity and we have a hard time focusing, retaining information and our attention span is getting shorter.” Altiise is not okay with this, and it’s the biggest reason for her wanting to use music to help others calm down. “We have the attention span of a goldfish” she says.

Though Altiise is still in the early stages of her company and show, the thirty-year-old has high hopes. “I can be who I want to be in Atlanta. It brings many opportunities.” Siana Altiise is on her way to achieving her goals and she hopes, through her work to help all kinds of people through music, senses and all in all, learning to slow down.

This association with colors differentiating pleasant and unpleasant sounds is an everyday occurrence for Altiise. She can tell her pitch by what her voice looks like and it is the same when listening to other artists. “It takes me 3-5 seconds to tell if I like a song. My colors help a lot.” Altiise remembers not being able to learn how to read music on a sheet because of the way her vision would become a distraction. “It was too much” she recalls.

Now, creating music on her own, she doesn’t have to rely on sheet music to bring her vision to life. Altiise’s creative process is quite unique to her, and not just because of her ability to combine auditory and visual factors. “I approach a song like it is already finished. It’s just waiting for me to bring it to life”, Altiise says. When writing music, she has to sit in silence because of her desire not to be distracted or influenced by others’ music.

Although it can be a hard concept to grasp, Altiise tries to explain it the best she can.

“Everything has a sound. I’ve taken my husband’s German intonations, I’ve taken patterns of his voice and turned into a song, or more like I hear it as a song.” She even uses her cat’s meows to create melodies. “Something as simple as my cat asking for food can easily turn into a song” Altiise says.

When she moved to Atlanta, Altise found that the music scene was a lot different than the small bars she was used to in Shenzhen, so she began to build her own company. With a title still in the works, Altiise is currently growing her name all across the Atlanta area for combining visual technology with music. Siana Altiise recently performed this immersive show at a Tedx performance at the Peachtree Center in downtown Atlanta. “My goal is to give people a pause point. What I’m pushing for is helping busy minds slow down, using sound and visual design, what you saw at ted (Tedx Peachtree performance), using that as a compass for guide emotional awareness. I’m creating immersive sensory experiences to build this awareness.”

Currently, Siana uses this goal on many different platforms. She performs her immersive live show at conferences and private shows as a meditative practice for those listening. Altiise’s inspiration for her show is the rushed state we currently live in as a society. “We move around so much that we have a hard time slowing down. This decreases productivity and we have a hard time focusing, retaining information and our attention span is getting shorter.”

Altiise is not okay with this, and it’s the biggest reason for her wanting to use music to help others calm down. “We have the attention span of a goldfish.” She says.

courtesy of LEONARDO FORTUIN

Though Altiise is still in the early stages of her company and show, the 30 year old has high hopes. “I can be who I want to be in Atlanta. It brings many opportunities.”

Value of a Two HIES community members speak to the benefits of their bilingualism

B

MILLER REID, associate editor

ecoming more and more diverse everyday, the United States operates as one of the most interesting cultural melting pots in the world. Language continues to act as an important part of this

diversity.

An estimated fifty-one million U.S. adult residents speak English and a second language, according to statistics from the 2007 American Community Survey. However, this study does not include bilingual children under age five. This additional portion combined with the previously mentioned group leads to nearly twenty percent of United States population being bilingual.

The U.S. bilingual identity stems from both immigration and education.

teach me English, so it’s a mixture of both,” she said.

While she cannot read or write Farsi, she is able to hold conversations in the language. At home, she speaks both languages with her family members, as do many other bilingual Americans.

“It’s a mixture [of Farsi and English], sometimes my mom will say something in Farsi and maybe I’ll say it in English or respond in English or sometimes I’ll say it in Farsi,” Khani continued ,“It’s kind of a mixture.

In some of our sentences, there is English and Farsi.”

“I’m proud to say I’m Persian, I’m proud to have the culture and the background.”

With bilingualism becoming increasingly common in the United States, some may wonder where this influx of languages comes from. Many of these bilingual Americans are immigrants or children of immigrants.

Setareh Khani, a HIES sophomore, is a bilingual first-generation American and a daughter of Iranian immigrants who came to the United States at a young age for education.

-Setareh Khani

“My dad came to the United States when he was nine and my mom came when she was sixteen. They both came here for college, my dad went to UT and my mom went to NC State. So, they didn’t really have anything, but their siblings came and they stayed with their siblings here and they developed a life here when they were young,” Khani stated. Khani grew up speaking both English and Farsi with her family.

“When I was growing up… they would teach me some Farsi and then they would

In children and adolescents, such as Khani, learning two languages fosters plenty of benefits, such as better cognitive abilities and better language acquisition according to UnidosUS. “Learning Spanish [in school], is easier for me. I’ve learned one language and now I get to learn another,” she said, “It kind of helped me in learning a new language, because I’ve

been doing it my entire life.”

Another positive aspect of growing up speaking two languages is the connection to the culture of one’s family.

“I would say I’m more American, but I would identify myself as Persian, I’m proud to say I’m Persian, I’m proud to have culture and have the background” said Khani.

However, teaching children two languages at once can have a few drawbacks.

“I definitely feel like I’m very limited in my vocabulary, and I’ve figured that out

Second Language image via Creative Commons

in the last couple of years” continued Khani, “but it wasn’t hard for me to speak English.”

Learning another language at home, like Khani did, is not the only way America is becoming increasingly bilingual. Schools are beginning to teach languages other than English to children at a young age as well. According to Patrick Allegra, HIES World Language Department Chair, the way these schools teach the language heavily influences how effective these new programs are at teaching language acquisition.

“I think the primary reason that you want to do it, it’s the same reason you would want to learn to play an instrument.” he said, “it improves your overall cognitive abilities, it can in certain situations be the difference between a mediocre experience and a fantastic experience in a travel sense, for you to be able to communicate beyond basic, superficial almost formulaic conversation pieces, and that’s a worthwhile thing.”

“It improves your overall cognitive abilities, it can in certain situations be the difference between a mediocre experience and a fantastic experience in a travel sense.”

“I don’t have a problem with starting younger in terms of language instruction, I think it’s a good idea, but again just saying ‘hey we’re gonna offer languages.’ There’s a vast difference between they meet three times for thirty minutes in a week or you’re in an immersion classroom. I mean there’s a complete difference in the way those are being presented and as a result, you’re going to get completely different results for those things.” Allegra stated.

-Patrick Allegra

“So, in principle, I like the idea, but in terms of the actual implementation of the principle, there’s a wide spectrum of disparity in what it’s going to be,” said Allegra, “there’s a lot more that goes into it than just starting younger.”

Allegra is also bilingual, being fluent in both English and Spanish. In contrast to Khani, he grew up only speaking English and learned Spanish after a series of eyeopening experiences in high school such as an exchange program and European travel. He also sees the great value in learning two different languages.

While exposure to familial languages at the onset of childhood can lead to quick and worthwhile acquisition, learning in a modern classroom often is not very effective in terms of language proficiency. Allegra believes that the grammar-vocabulary based classrooms of the past decades are less efficient in teaching compared to acquisition based classrooms.

“I think the point with the other problem with schooling is we haven’t done a good job of actually helping people acquire language,” continued Allegra, “we have to sort of change the message piece about it and say we now have ways to actually help you acquire it. Once people feel like they can acquire it and they’re in situations they can actually use it, then you start to see the value.”

34 OPINION

Does the dress code benefit students?

The C&G presents two opposing opinions on this hotly debated issue.

OPINION 35

YES (41%

STEVEN TURNER, contributing writer

C

omfort. Individual expression. Style. All things that the average student might long for when putting on uniform pants or a skort each morning before coming to school. “Why can’t we just wear our own clothes?” It’s a reasonable query; after all, isn’t our ability to dress ourselves a kind of prerequisite for attending a school like Holy Innocents’? From an administrative perspective, it’s safe to say that we’ve seen students dress appropriately on out-of-uniform days. That said, while it is easy to assume that we ask students to be in uniform because of some sort of lack of faith in our students’ ability to dress appropriately for school, nothing could be further from the truth.

Consider the following: why do athletic teams wear uniforms? There must be some benefit derived. You might say it’s because there is a need to identify a player on one’s own team down the field, and you would be right. As that applies to

of HIES students say

YES)

the school’s uniform code, people in the greater community are able to recognize you as Holy Innocents’ students, which in turn leads them to know that they can expect you to be intelligent, courteous, compassionate, and caring. It helps all around you to know which team you play for.

I would argue that there is an even greater benefit to the school uniform, though.

The other advantage to athletic uniforms is the sense of pride that comes with wearing the colors of one’s team. You might imagine that when Jake Fromm puts on his Georgia uniform (or Jalen Hurts puts on his Alabama uniform for you Tide Rollers out there), they feel a sense of pride and belonging. You should be proud to attend this school, and that pride is something you can wear to school each day. Go Bears!

No (59%

of HIES students say

NO)

D

ress code. Uniforms. Both are defining features of the student body. But negativity towards the dress code from peers emphasizes the question: does the school uniform benefit students?

No. The dress code restricts the creativity of students. Throughout our four years of education, students are told to be different, told to be unique. At first glance, how are students at HIES able to stand out in a sea of white shirts, gray pants, and plaid skirts? A student’s outfit is a visible expression of his or her personality. The ability to choose one’s outfit every morning strengthens a student’s responsibility as he or she learns to make his or her own choices. Without this liberty, students lose the freedom to be themselves and instead must conform to plain, expressionless uniforms. Freedom from dress codes also offers another benefit.

Personalized outfits create canvases that can advocate for certain beneficial movements. A student can quickly increase awareness at his or her school for a specific social cause with just a few words printed on a shirt.

No. The dress code does not accommodate for colder weather appropriately.

During cold winters, temperatures can dip well below freezing, and hypothermia

MATTHEW RAESIDE, staff writer can begin to set in in as few as fifteen minutes. The HIES dress code allows female students to wear tights, yet the thin layer of fabric provides little warmth.

Girls are also allowed to wear gray pants, but few wear them because of the exorbitant expense. Sweatpants worn under skirts are a great option to keep warm, but the HIES dress code restricts sweatpants. Without any viable options to keep warm in frigid conditions, female students are forced to enter the school and to walk to classes with nothing covering their exposed legs. Students also wear jackets and sweatshirts with a HIES logo or school colors instead of warmer outerwear they own at home. In order to comply with the dress code, students must sacrifice warm outerwear that is not sold by the school to avoid detentions.

Between the restriction of creativity and outerwear, the dress code does not benefit the student body. Students must fight the cold winter conditions of Atlanta with only bare legs and light jackets. They also lose a canvas to express themselves every time they put on that white or crimson shirt. They exchange diversity for uniformity.

36 OPINION

julie fennell/ CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

OPINION 37

EDITORIAL

My Spot

I

have my spot. I have my spot because eight years ago I answered an All-Staff e-mail. A teacher left – he used to work car pool. He went on to “pursue other ventures.” Was anyone interested?

I wasn’t, but I did have two things: the time and the need for money. I interviewed with Associate Head Rick Betts. No passion sparked within me, but somehow I convinced him. Maybe he felt sorry for me; maybe he liked me, but somehow I outbid two other candidates.

All these years later and I’m still standing out here. My thoughts are on the guy who stood in the spot when I went to high school. He was mean, surly, threatening. He was scary. I would walk past him in fear and that would set the tone for my day. I would escape the thoughts of him only to sit in front of my teacher and my assignment and the terror would escalate times twelve. I crossed the street before he signaled once. He never liked me from that point forward.

Forty years later, I still don’t care.

I get to NOT be that guy. I get to be the guy who sees people first. Here comes Emily Jacobs. She’s a senior and she is all-ways (one word and two) tired! But she’s always smiling. I love that. Grace Brock is right behind her. She, too, is always tired and today not smiling. That could be a challenge though, right?

Speaking of challenge, here comes Georgia Symbas. She always sees her cell phone first, traffic be darned. One day I caught her, gave her a bear hug and probably saved her life. She gave me an embarrassed grin. Now I have assigned her sister, Alex, the “Georgia responsibility “– cross first, cell phone later. We laugh about it now – it’s a bond. And so far, we’re all still here.

Jeff Klopfenstein’s dad rolls down his window – he always does; he always needs the sports update. Many are already on their own phones and wouldn’t see me if I had on my Buddy the Elf costume.

Emily Hingson’s mom points at me with a knowing grin. Many are in a hurry and never wave, but that’s okay. The spot, you see, doesn’t always come easy. And besides, sometimes it’s cold! Why this morning, in fact, with the wind chill it was two degrees. Two! As in one, two.

Still, I have it at eighty-five percent – and Coach Stephen Jayaraj would be so proud of me for knowing that percentage. That’s how many of them say “Thank you” to me for helping them do something they could just as easily do without me. Eighty-five percent. That’s also how many of them thank me after a class of subbing. I read the lesson plan – it

takes me 22 seconds, max – then I sit. Or I pace. And they thank me.

One day at car pool, senior Sophie Smith brought me a chicken biscuit.

She had one left and thought of me out here in the cold. Her smile was warmer than the biscuit. I took it – we both left happy. Give and take is a beautiful thing. Often, Gracie Stovall brings me coffee – not because I’m me but because she’s Gracie Stovall. She and I have discussed pole vaulting out here and the non-joys of chemistry class. Whether it’s a good subject or a bad subject, she still always giggles.

This warms me. I see this before her day kicks in. It’s cold now and windy, but still I smile. She waves and walks in with her friend Victoria.

Victoria nods, still asleep.

One day, Bryn Foster and I solved the dilemma of the third lap of the 1,600-meter run. She’s good but we’ll make her better. The third lap is the key. Later that afternoon – despite 25-mile per hour winds – she did it. She PR’d by seven seconds, third lap no problem. The smile on her face at the finish line said it all. It was so goofy cute and beautiful it almost made me wish I were back in car pool line again.

There comes Senior Dean Jason Rutledge – he always has that sneaky look on his face like we’re about to share a morning joke. We usually do. Miller Kauffmann is walking up without his twin sister. She’s always 200-yards behind and how they get that split up from South Campus is beyond me. Yet, it always happens. And it’s okay.

James Feiber – I call him “Nine goal” because he broke a school record for scoring in lacrosse last spring - approaches. He and I haven’t gotten to bond a lot, but he still gives me a smile – a knowing glance.

He knows I was there. He knows what he did.

When I applied eight years ago I didn’t have a clue. Car pool? A spiritual thing? My friends pity me, even parents sometimes give me that “feel sorry for me” smile. They often pat me on the shoulder. I smile and it’s okay they don’t get it. I used to not either.

On this day, they’re coming in late and in a hurry. I can still see the sleep permabonded on their faces – it’s a bad hair day for more than half (53%?). Some utter a hello; all have their agendas and the stress of it all has already kicked in. They are off. Their brains are computing, calculating. They all have jobs to do. So do I. Because you see, I have my spot.

DUNN NEUGEBAUER, contributing writer

38 OPINION

Image via iStock

OPINION 39

EDITORIAL

Diversity in Film and TV: More Than the Numbers

L

eonardo DiCaprio. Casey Affleck. Eddie Redmayne. Emma Stone.

Jennifer Lawrence. Meryl Streep. What do these actors and actresses have in common? They are the leading actors and actresses in Hollywood who have received Oscar awards for their achievements on film. But, they have another thing in common: they’re all white.

On the flipside, some casting restricts minority actors for playing minority roles by casting white actors to play non-white characters.

This process, called whitewashing, can range from subtly insensitive to blatantly racist. For example, Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s used fake teeth and an accent to play an Asian actor for laughs. More recently, the movie Gods of Egypt featured no Egyptian actors.

In 2016, the Oscars faced outrage because all actors nominated for best leading and supporting actor and actress were white. But this issue is neither the fault of the award show nor each individual movie, but rather, a system of suppressing minorities’ importance in film and television.

When white actors play non-white characters, it not only strips minority actors for a chance to be adequately featured, but it plays into cultural appropriation, removing cultural traits from the culture it belongs to.

When these industry professionals are not separated by gender, it is clear that Hollywood places men as more important than women. Since the Oscar Awards began, only one woman has ever won the award for Best Direction. In addition, a USC study found that the speaking characters in 2016 films were 30 percent female, even though the United States is split nearly 50/50 between men and women.

Needless to say, the film industry has a long way to go to fairly represent a diverse population.

Entertainment is perceived as a representation of what is going on in a culture at a specific place and period of time. However, diversity in film and television does not represent the current state of the world because of its drastic lack of quality and quantity of diverse characters. We need authentic diversity that mirrors the people that watch it.

To represent the population, some producers and casting agents place minority characters in supporting or featured roles instead of as leads. When a movie or TV show’s “diverse” characters don’t actually impact the plot, viewers learn that minorities cannot have an impact in the real world. As a result, programs that want to be diverse by only featuring minorities don’t authentically achieve their goal.

To feature racially and ethnically diverse actors, some movies and television shows cast minority actors in racially non-specific roles. In theory, this allows for representation, but in reality, it makes these characters two-dimensional.

At the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, Actor Sterling K. Brown, from This is Us, spoke about the difference of featuring black actors and black characters. When addressing and thanking Dan Fogelman, the show’s writer, Brown said, “you wrote a role for a black man that could only be played by a black man. What I appreciate so much about this is that I’m being seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me.”

Works of fiction have long been critiqued for their male-dominated plots, so much so that a simple test can, for the most part, determine if it conforms to or rebels against gender roles. In 1985, cartoonist Alison Bechdel laid one simple rule that a story must follow in order to represent female characters accurately: having at least two female characters that speak to each other about something besides a man.

Today, around 70 percent of movies pass, according to the Bechdel test website, although barely.

For example, It passes although it only contains one moment, where Greta confronts Beverly about her reputation. In addition, the Greatest Showman features only one moment as well, where Caroline, Barnam’s daughter, is rejected by her classmates due to low social standing.

Fictional plots also include tropes, overused plot devices, that play into stereotypes. Historically, LGBT characters in fiction have been written with “unhappy” endings to implicitly say that an LGBT lifestyle is dangerous. Television shows like The 100, Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, the Handmaid’s Tale Game of Thrones, Pretty Little Liars, and American Horror Story, fit in this trope by killing off LGBT characters. Although television show writers kill off straight characters as well, LGBT characters have been killed disproportionately throughout history, playing into the trope that harms LGBT viewers.

While television and movies are only fictional, these programs can change the hearts and minds of those who view them. But, audiences shouldn’t accept representation at face value. Seeing someone who looks like you on television who is being represented adequately and significantly sends a subliminal message that you can make an impact on the world. Shows should accurately reflect the world they portray– with a proportionate amount of diverse characters. In addition, these characters should be as three-dimensional and complex as their nonminority counterparts.

By demanding relevant, diverse characters, we can change the face of television and film, which would instill confidence and support in minority viewers.

ETHAN MULLEN, managing editor

40 OPINION maggie belenky / STAFF WRITER design, SAM BASKIN

OPINION 41

EDITORIAL

Dyslexia: A Blessing and a Curse

E

ven though I was just a kindergartner, I knew something wasn’t right. I couldn’t read One-Two words in the Bob Books First!, books for new readers. My parents were constantly in meetings with my teachers about how behind I was. I was later diagnosed with dyslexia.

Dyslexia affects twenty percent of the population. It is defined as a language-based learning disability that affects organization in the brain that controls the way language is comprehended. According to the Dyslexia Help Center at the University of Michigan, “dyslexia does not only cause difficulties in reading, but may also be manifested in challenges in spelling, verbal expression, speech, writing, and memorization.”

Contrary to popular belief, dyslexics do not see letters backwards, as dyslexia is not a vision problem. In fact, it is normal for all children to reverse letters when they are learning to read and write. While it is true that dyslexic children have a hard time attaching proper labels to letters and words, there is no evidence that they see letters backwards, according to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle without a cure. Although it does not go away, with early screening and diagnosis, evidence based methods of teaching, and accommodations, dyslexics can learn to cope and become successful students and productive adults.

I started at The Schenck School in first grade and stayed there through second. Offering a “comprehensive educational program for Kindergarten through sixth grade to help students develop intellectually and to prepare them to re-enter mainstream schools successfully” is the goal of The Schenck School, according to its website. Their main focus is to accelerate the remediation of dyslexia.

At Schenck, classes have ten to twelve kids and two teachers to give students extra attention. When I came back to Holy Innocents’, it was a huge transition. I was in a class of eighteen, and I had to adjust to having less teacher-to-student time.

In middle school, the classes were larger and harder. The teachers went much faster, and I had to learn to keep up. I managed to do so in middle school with the help of the strategies teachers.

When I first started upper school, I knew it was going to be much different than middle school, because there were more challenging classes. I didn’t expect my dyslexia to affect me, even though I didn’t

have strategies class as a safe place for extra help.

I thought after Schenck I would not have to worry about my reading, writing, spelling, and even my processing speed. I thought I was done struggling in school. I thought I was done feeling less intelligent compared to everyone else. I thought I was done with it all.

But when upper school started, those old feelings came back too.

Within the first week of English and history classes, I knew that high school was going to be so much more difficult than I expected.

Everyone seems to grasp concepts much easier than I do. They all can carry on with a discussion and write a perfect essay with ease. On the other hand, I am left with nothing to say. The moment I walk out of class, everything seems to come to me. I even find myself struggling to spell simple words like “pair” or “feel.” Sometimes, I wonder if my dyslexia is getting worse, or if I’m just stupid.

But when I take a step back and give myself a chance to figure out how to study, I know I can do this.

I consider dyslexia not as a disability, but as a gift. Dyslexics are abstract thinkers. We can understand things that are not tangible, like bravery and love. We are more empathetic and more aware of others’ emotions. Dyslexics are also creative problem-solvers. We come up with ideas that are out of the box, like the lightbulb, invented

by Thomas Edison, a famous dyslexic.

Dyslexia does not affect your IQ. Dyslexics have to work harder to do well, and we are motivated to prove we are as smart as everyone else.

According to the Dyslexia Help Center at the University of Michigan, “[b]efore the printing press the majority of people did not need to read, and therefore dyslexia didn’t exist.” Essentially now that the majority of society is literate and has a rising dependency on technology, reading and writing have become more important, and dyslexics are at a disadvantage.

Yes, my dyslexia has been a real struggle, but I would not be myself without it. It has taught me what it feels like to be different, how to overcome bumps in the road, and how to be more accepting of others. I have accepted the fact that I will always have my dyslexia, and I am thankful for it.

MAGGIE BELENKY, staff writer

42 OPINION

DEMOCRACY SURVEY ANALYSIS* design, SAM BASKIN

Do You Trust Political Parties?

Students

19%

Faculty

Parents

9%

5%

The Government?

Students

Faculty

Parents

44%

21%

28%

73.4% of students consider

having a strong leader who doesn’t bother with elections or parliment “bad”

Students’ Opinions on Having a Government Influenced by the People

8%

2%

“Fairly Bad”

“Very Bad”

The Press?

Students

Faculty

Parents

35% 55%

“Fairly Good”

21%

53%

“Very Good”

31% 95%

*Results from a 2018 survey of 382 Holy Innocents’ students, faculty, and parents

OPINION 43

EDITORIAL

Democracy in Decline

D

id you know that 55* percent of countries in the world are not free?

The idea of living in a country that is not free might be foreign to many Americans, but it is reality for billions of people. When picturing a country that is not free, many people think of quintessential oppressive countries like Syria and Yemen, but despite its promising merits, the very democratic process that we champion today may be hurting people. Why are these democracies failing?

Roberto Stefan Foa from University of Melbourne and Yascha Monuk from Harvard University have a devised a three step formula to track the “deconsolidation” of democracies around the world based on data gathered by the World Values Survey. The factors they define are the importance of democracy to the populace, openness to autocratic alternatives, and support for “antisystem parties”, or parties that wish to reform the current political system greatly. For example, in Kenya’s 2007 elections, the electorate elected Member of Parliament, Mwai Kibak,i as president in a heavily disputed vote. After, over one thousand Kenyans were killed in vote-related violence. In their 2017 election, there were conversations that the results were not legitimate and votes had been manipulated, inciting massive protests. Since then, Kenyans’ faith in their democratic government and multi-party system has plummeted.

Even Maldives, which was the first-ever Islamic democracy in the world, is taking a nosedive. Following a Supreme Court ruling to release convicted opposition leaders, the democratically-elected president Abdulla Yameen refused to abide by the ruling (which would have given the opposition a majority in the legislative assembly) and detained two of the judges. On top of increasing instability and authoritarianism after the coup of former President Nasheed in 2008, Maldives is seen to be in the process of “deconsolidation” on the Foa-Monuk scale.

Even these seemingly stable democracies have fallen into turmoil, but surely the United States of America is an exception. It isn’t. The Democracy Survey sent out to the HIES community, which models the World Values Survey, asked, “on a scale of one (not at all) to ten (completely) how democratically is the United States of America run today?” Only 6.8 percent of those surveyed state that the United States is completely democratic. This could be attributed to the fact that the United States is not a direct democracy or the survey respondents believe that the United States’ democracy is flawed. However, when asked, “on a scale of one (not important) to ten (absolutely important) how important is it for you to live in a democratically-run country?” 73 percent of parents and faculty state that it is essential for them to live in a democratically-run country (ten on scale), whereas only one third of students feel the same, which falls in line with Foa and Monuk’s study.

Younger members of the HIES community are less passionate about democracy than adults. According to the data collected by the World Values Survey, these percentages tend to fall as the population gets

younger, and it doesn’t end there. When those surveyed were asked how confident they were in a variety of organizations, 73 percent of parents and faculty have “not very much” or “none at all” confidence in the government compared to the 55 percent of students. Although the percentage of students who trust the government is lower, it still constitutes a majority.

The Western world champions the idea of democracy, but as seen by the survey results, Americans are more distrustful now than they ever have been, especially in the case of political parties. For instance, approximately 90 percent of those surveyed in the HIES community are “not very much” or “not at all” confident in political parties. As the electorate, we elect those who ally themselves with a particular party, however, we find ourselves unable to trust their political alignment. For example, Americans distrust Congress now more than ever, as evidenced by their failure to formulate a long-term budget plan specifically because of bipartisan interests surrounding DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

The level of distrust in our political system can also be seen in the results of the most recent presidential election. It wasn’t party ideology. It wasn’t giving Americans the right to “hate” again. It was, however, the ability to sympathize with Americans’ distrust. As a regular American, Donald Trump understands the frustration American people have with their policy makers. By running as an “antisystem outsider”** he tapped into that mistrust to sway the populace away from conditioned politicians like Hillary Clinton.

In a democracy, the populace elects the officials that represent them in the legislature and the people, in turn, should feel confident in their government. If democracy is the golden-standard of government, why does the public not trust the government? And if the golden-standard does not function the way it should, shouldn’t we turn towards a different system?

After the HIES International Diplomacy class studied the health of democracy around the world for several months, it realized that the future looked dim. Many of the students, including myself, had not paid much attention to the status of democracy around the world. As a class, we decided it was crucial to inform our community about the health of democracy around the world. Creating World Awareness Week (W.A.W.) was our way of proposing a solution. By bringing in professors from the political science department at Emory, strategically placing posters in the bathrooms, and posting giant maps with facts about different democracies, our class was able to bring the health of democracies to the forefront of discussion and get students thinking about the future of our own country. Because HIES students are the next generation of this country’s leaders, business owners, and politicians, they will be the ones to answer the world’s question : is more democracy the answer, or should we do away with it altogether?

* Freedom in the World 2018. Freedom House. ** Member of Parliament *** How Stable Are Democracies? ‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red’. Amanda Taub.

MEREDITH WEISS, contributing writer

44 OPINION

Image via iStock

OPINION 45

C O LU M N

A Culture of Shaming

D

iscussions concerning social media frequent my everyday life, becoming one of the many topics that I scroll past when looking through the news. Despite the recent controversy surrounding the topic, my stance on the subject was set in stone a long time ago.

of the United States and an avid Twitter user, routinely bashes the press for “fake news” and unfair bias towards him. But, is he right? Pew Research Center published statistics of positive, negative, and neutral assessments in the first sixty days of the presidencies since 1993.

Mass media takes us a step forward and has led the world down the path of becoming a global community. Apps and the internet facilitate widespread access to news and have given ordinary people the opportunity to do something we’ve never been able to do before: share our voices.

The statistics begin with Clinton, whose presidency took place during the rise of social media, and end with Donald Trump, our current president. As a result, Clinton’s assessments were 28 percent negative, while Trump’s were 62 percent negative. A consistent amount, from 20 percent to 33 percent, assessed the president neutrally, while the remainder assessed the president positively. When comparing the negative assessments, it looks as though Trump is definitely a target of negative press so there could be possible bias towards him, which raises the question:

The ability to share our voice is a surprisingly new development—I remember not so long ago when everyone had flip phones, and social networking was merely a dream. We are now witnessing the effects it can have. It is my personal belief that when it comes to media, the good outweighs the bad, but yes, there are downsides.

With the recent development of social networking, schools now have to hold seminars in attempt to prevent cyberbullying. Our voices are heard and have a further reach than ever before, but what we do with that platform is up to us. Will we use our new outlet to voice our joys or our resentments? To create divisions or unity? We get to choose our own cadence.

The trouble comes when particular melodies hit a note of discord, and with applications such as Twitter, it only takes one slip of the tongue to create a riot. The media has become a forum for public shaming.

In the past, when presidents had affairs, little was done or said about it, at least not on a country-wide scale. This all changed, when the Lewinsky and Clinton affair came into light during the rise of social media’s prevalence. People ran to the scene like sharks chasing a trail of blood.

The theme of this issue of the C&G is voices and is most likely angled toward the benefits of letting the world hear yours, but voices can do just as much harm as good. The world tore apart twenty-two-yearold Monica Lewinsky without any mercy. The entire world seemed to disregard the naivety that comes with such an age and the inevitable series of stupid mistakes that come with it, forgetting we are all fallible. It is inevitable for a twenty-two-year-old to do something stupid. Lewinsky was only the first of many to fall victim to a culture of shame; barely out of college, she became forever condemned to the title of “that woman”.

We have the platform to share our opinions on current events, but why are people so quick to condemn others?

BBC reports on a theory known as “negativity bias,” which provides us with an unsettling truth: when given the choice, Americans that hold an interest in politics tend to choose negative news stories over neutral or positive. It explains the media’s constant focus on the bad.

We have a “danger reaction” that causes us to both respond and focus on what we perceive to be bad or threatening much faster than that which we might perceive as good. Some argue this to be the product of evolution while others place their blame directly on systems of media and cultural circumstances.

When trying to figure out why we are so quick to condemn one another, I think it is a combination of our “negativity bias” and the outlet for opinion provided with media platforms. The natural reaction to danger is perhaps what causes both the supply and demand of negative news to be so high, but the development of mass communication allows us to respond. Now, when we condemn the actions and words of others, it circulates in a cycle of reposts.

In the world of politics and social justice, I do not regard this as purely a bad thing. People should be able to agree to disagree and disparage that which they interpret to be wrong; perhaps that is why Trussler and Soroka’s experiment showed a negativity bias in Americans interested in politics. However, concerning the conviction of everyday people in social networking, I choose to believe Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, when she says, “shame can’t survive empathy.”

Things have not changed since then, in the sense that the media continues disparage others today. Donald Trump, the current president

ANNIE SAGER. feature writer

Up on the Roof

Humans of HI

LIBBY MALCOLM, production editor

Lauren Maxwell “Living abroad and the experiences you have while there, really make you appreciate other cultures and what you have at home.�

Kenidi Cook “My eyes were opened the summer, a few years ago, when Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, and more were getting killed back to back to back, and it opened my eyes to how police brutality is not fair.”

Emily Menay “My mom went through a lot of struggles growing up and then raised me and my sister, went back to high school, got her degree, and now is planning on going to college. So I think that is very inspiring to me and I aspire to be like her.”

Bill Dickey “Family teaches you how to get outside of yourself. When you have and feel unconditional love, it changes you.”

Maureen Danzig “My mother has influenced me the most because she is 75 and still teaching English.”

Sarai Jackson “Basketball has influenced me most in life. It teaches you a lot of lessons that you may not see when you are doing it but later on you realize it has helped you in a lot of ways.”

Cate O’Kelley “It’s still okay to have your own thoughts and feel the way you feel because in the end we are all just human, and trying to do the best we can.”

Greer Homer

“I can be whoever I want to be and I can choose to look at myself in a number of different ways.”

Bryn Foster “I really like chocolate and tacos. Like if you can combine chocolate and tacos, oh my gosh. I’m going to go buy one.”

Emerson Delonga “I am only as important as I make myself.”

Artist Statement The saying goes “a picture is worth 1000 words,” however, sometimes just a few words are necessary to sum up how a human stands out as an individual. As people, we have a heart, a passion, and a personality. What we decide to use it for is what sets us apart from those around us.

With a mission to capture the essence of those among us on campus, I decided to catch our peers and teachers outside of their normal routine with the help of two items: a rooftop and a few smoke bombs. The outcome unleashed joy, laughter, and a little bit of coughing. By being asked a few questions, those photographed told about their challenges, passions, and experiences. These quotes written next to the photos are words that colorfully sprang out of each individual, and told a small piece of their story.